text:
A World Champion's Story
Starting out as a bike mechanic in 2011 at the back of William Keith's bike shop in my hometown of Somerset West, had you told me I would be The 2017 Xterra World Champion, I would have politely laughed to myself and questioned your sanity. Studying a Bcomm Accountancy degree at the University of Stellenbosch had conditioned me with a pretty realistic and reasonable pattern of thought and becoming The Xterra World Champion certainly would have challenged this logical mind of mine, purely because I knew just how big of an ask it was. However, I have never been one to shy away form a little hard work and I have always believed from a young age that if I put my mind to it I had the ability to turn any dream into reality.
During my university years I can clearly remember staying up late into the early hours of the following morning watching the Xterra World Championship race each year, glued to my computer screen or twitter feed trying to get the latest update on how my fellow South Africans were fairing up against the best Xterra athletes in the world. These names represented hero's to me, Conrad Stoltz, Dan Hugo, Nico Lebrun, Ruben Ruzafa, Josiah Middaugh, Eneko Llanos, the list goes on - I idolized these people but in some strange way also believed I could one day walk amongst them and hopefully with a little luck, hard work, tears and plenty USD have my chance to dance under those same lights.
A dream or goal can be an incredibly powerful thing but ultimately we all have to make that first step in the direction we have chosen and if we are prepared to maintain that unwavering degree of diligence, the hope remains that maybe someday our dreams could become reality. But where did this dream start? As a 19 year old unable to swim and a disproportionate body size thanks to an 'unhealthy' amount of time in the gym I was not exactly your ideal elite triathlon athlete but crossing that finish line in Langebaan [my very first triathlon in 2009] filled me with pride and there is where my story began.
My initial interest in the sport of triathlon quickly grew into a passion and soon after became a complete and utter obsession! Everything I did from the moment I woke to laying my head back on that comfy pillow I had triathlon on my mind and, like most of us, all I really wanted was to try and get that little bit faster. I had developed great rivals on the local provincial triathlon circuit which most, I am happy to say, flourished into lifelong friendships. I loved the community, the vibe and the atmosphere before, during and after every race, I thrived in this competitive space and just felt as though I could not get enough of it. Most of all I loved the training, the daily grind which most hate, that methodical process of learning what works for your body and the repetitive implementation of your chosen program - then seeing the fruits of your labor in a slightly more efficient pedal stroke or marginally faster swim time. It motivated me beyond measure and today I still believe its my greatest strength as an endurance athlete, that ability to persevere when times get tough and push through when others fold under the relentless strain of a monotonous training regime. Each block in that philosophical wall fills me with confidence and by the time I reach that start line I know with complete assurance that I have done all I could have, which calms my nerves, focuses my mind and excites my soul! After some success on the local scene my sights soon gazed beyond the confines of the South African border and specifically towards that of off road triathlon, better know as XTERRA.
Leave a Reply.


text:
New members are always welcome at Hitchin Round Table, we are a relaxed group, please drop into an event to meet us.
- We meet first and third Tuesdays of the month
- There is no obligation to attend all events
- The first 2 events are free for all prospective members – you can work out if its something you'd like to join with no commitment
- Raise money by the Christmas collections with the santa sleigh in Dec (all hands on deck for this one to make sure we get to as many streets in Hitchin as possible)
- Mulled wine stall in the town square at Hitchin one weekend in Dec
- Part of the organising team for Hitchin Beer and Cider festival, and contribute by helping the public choose only the finest beers on offer (as well as setting up and taking down the festival!).
- Membership: Standing order for £30 a month. This can then be adjusted based on how many events you attend – This is called our "Dinner Accounts" (if you attend all events you may need to put more in, but your payment is for your events. Our treasurer will keep you updated).
- Quarterly business meetings – our one mandatory meeting. We need people to attend these, as we need to decide (with a majority vote) where to donate the money, or if we are investing in improvements, etc.
- Yearly AGM, where a new Chairman will be voted in. Chairmen only stand for 1 year, so we have a fresh turnover of new ideas.
We come from many backgrounds and there is never a dull moment. We keep in contact with the past members (you leave Round table on the year of your 45th birthday), and many previous members still join us for the occasional event.
We are a great group of lads, we meet regularly and have a great time and give back to the local community. If this sounds like something you'd like to get involved with, please contact us and come along for a couple of free events:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Yes, Teens Are Texting And Using Social Media Instead Of Reading Books
High-schoolers today are texting, scrolling and using social media instead of reading books and magazines. Read the article here.
High-schoolers today are texting, scrolling and using social media instead of reading books and magazines. Read the article here.
While new forms of classroom technology like digital textbooks are more accessible and portable, it would be wrong to assume that students will automatically be better served by digital reading simply because they prefer it. Read the article here.
Researchers found that digital reading was faster but less effective as a tool for helping students process and learn information. Read more from the Growing Leaders' blog post here.
Electronic devices (especially smartphones) are addictive and can easily distract us from the very "tasks" our phones purport to simplify. Read the article here.
Sean McDowell takes a look at the book The Porn Myth: Exposing the Reality Behind the Fantasy of Pornography by Matt Fradd.
Read the blog post here.
Learn about the colorful world of fanfiction, where kids write and share original (but often racy) stories. Read this blog post from Common Sense Media here.
Among teenagers in recent years, reading anything serious has become a chore, like doing the laundry or prepping a meal for a kid brother. Read the article here.
It's difficult to ignore the increasing amount of content—and platforms—vying for our attention. The Barna Group asks, can paper and ink still compete? Where does the book fit in a digital age?
Read the research here.
A teenager asks and answers the question of why books still exist in our technologically advanced society. Read the article here.
Walt Mueller writes about technology and the way it is changing how our kids read for Youth Worker Journal. Read the entire article here.


text:
Today's Coin of the Day is Metacash. META is a PoS coin with an ROI of 120% annually and the Metacash team has done a great job keeping their community engaged as well as delivering multiple exchanges to increase exposure.
From a Developer's Perspective
META is a PoS coin with a total supply of 30,000,000 and a premine of 5%. The maturation age for staking is 6 hours and the ROI is 120%. Metacash provides for fast, secure transactions that require 4 confirmations. The Metacash team has several projects in development, which are really well outlined in their official project roadmap:
What the Metacash team has already delivered is honestly quite impressed. They are on a number of exchanges with good volume which really helps with exposure.
Exchange adds are great catalysts, and the Metacash team seems to have mastered them. Another thing that Metacash seems to have mastered is their advanced distribution model. Metacash is developing a fairly distributed coin with a low presale, low mining, and avoidance of unfair practices.
Metacash has been transparent in their distribution, and that makes an investment in META feel more secure and less uncertain. In the future, we hope that more coins follow in the steps of Metacash, but for now, it appears that META is doing things that few others are. They are also listed on Coinlib and Delta, and have submitted to CoinMarketCap for listing. All of this infrastructure can help attracting new investors and thus, new money into the market.
Important Links for Metacash:


text:
The chiffon shirt dress featuring floral pattern. Basic collar. Long sleeve. Self-tie waist. Partial button placket. Fabric: Polyester
Additional Information
|Package Weight
|Package Weight
Use spaces to separate tags. Use single quotes (') for phrases.
Market Price: €12.72
Missy Price: €1.27
Market Price: €330.00
Missy Price: €78.40
Market Price: €168.89
Missy Price: €49.60
Market Price: €186.66
Missy Price: €44.00
Market Price: €571.57
Missy Price: €102.40
Market Price: €235.00
Missy Price: €47.20
Market Price: €579.57
Missy Price: €110.40
Market Price: €200.00
Missy Price: €43.20
Market Price: €208.00
Missy Price: €49.60
Market Price: €412.80
Missy Price: €55.20
Customer Service
Our Information
Stunning Debs Dresses For Your Formal Ball
Delivery Methods


text:
File Name: Under Pressure By Lisa Damour, Ph.D..zip
File Size: 10.03 MB
Step 1 Click "Begin Download!
View available offers in your region.
Step 2 Verify That You Are Human!
Your download will be unlocked upon valid participation in the offer of your choice.
Step 3 Done!
Your file will start to download!


text:
Not sure how to dress for winter in LA Amy Childs steps out in super cute hot pants but teams them with brown tights and roll neck
She"s jetted from a wintery Essex to the bright lights of Los Angeles so no wonder Amy Childs threw on a pair of barely-there hot pants as soon as she arrived.
The 21-year-old obviously wanted to make sure all eyes were on her as she hit the Californian city, and they certainly were.
The former The Only Way Is Essex star stepped out in tan-coloured suede shorts but seemed confused about how to dress them up for the weather as she was met with an unusually rainy L.A.
Confusing get-up: She expected Caliornian sunshine but Amy"s fashion sense went awry when she was met with rain during her day out and opted for an overdose of tan clothing
As she stepped out in the normally summery city, Amy opted for an odd combination of brown tights, cute hotpants, shawl and sunglasses after jetting in from the cold conditions in England.
And she attempted to keep her style while dressing appropriately for the weather on Monday, wearing an overdose of autumnal colours.
The reality star seemed delighted as she walked along in the high-waisted shorts, which she carefully matched to her suede skyhigh heels.
The otherwise summery ensemble was also added to with brown tights and a co-ordinating roll neck top with a shawl draped around her neck to keep her warm later in the day.
And she oddly opted also to wear sunglasses as she strode along Sunset Boulevard to have lunch at Mel"s Drive-In, despite the dull conditions.
Too much co-ordination! The former TOWIE star wore an overload of brown and tan as she stepped out in hot pants, tights, roll neck and sunglasses
The star even matched her red bow belt to her hair to make the ensemble clash even more.
And it wasn"t the only odd choice for the reality TV star, who also decided to take the weight off her feet in an unconventional way as she travelled around the city.
Amy proved her new role as a reality star extraordinaire is tiring work when she used a mobility scooter to navigate her way around a store.
Start your engines: Amy Childs drives a scooter around a drugstore yesterday in Los Angeles
The star, who is in Los Angeles filming scenes for her Channel 5 show, covered up and wore a long black shawl as she drove herself through the discount pharmacy store.
Sitting on the red scooter Amy seemed to be having a good time and even picked up some shopping which she dropped in her trusty basket.
Feeling old Amy chose to do some shopping on the bizarre scooter and wrapped up in a shawl
Head and shoulders: Amy plays with a mannequin in a Beverly Hills wig store
Amy may have needed the scooter after having spent the day walking round L.A in a pair of high heels.
The redhead paid a visit to a Beverly Hills wig store and found some of the mannequin heads hilarious – Amy picked up one of the heads and couldn"t help laughing at it.
Matching it up: After putting the dummy down Amy picked up a hair piece similar to her own locks
Time to top up: Amy visits a tanning salon to maintain her tanned appearance
The Essex girl was then seen holding a hair piece that looked to be the exact same shade that she sports.
And thanks to the lack of Californian sunshine to bask in during her visit, the reality star decided to top up her tan – the Essex way.
Amy was spotted waiting in a West Hollywood tanning salon where she wanted to make sure her skin stayed sun-kissed.
The waiting game: The reality star stands in reception before she is called in for her tanning session
The tagline: Amy forgot to remove the stickers from the bottom of her new shoes
Check it out: A newly tanned Amy pays for her treatment at the salon before heading out again
The former beautician paid for her tanning session and exposed the soles of her shoes, which were obviously brand new as the shopaholic had forgotten to take off some of the labels from her new footwear.
A sticker could be seen on both shoes that read "soyoushoes".
Don"t rain on my parade: Amy gets caught in a downpour after leaving the salon
After spending some of her hard earned cash on her appearance Amy then got caught in a sudden downpour, proving she needed some extra layers in the normally sunny city.
As the heavens opened the young Brit ran from the salon to her car trying not to get too wet.
The rain didn"t put a damper on her day though as Amy tweeted: "Missing Essex but love LA how is everyone "
She emerged later in the day dressed in black leggings and a black hoody to film rehearsals for her new fitness DVD.
Wearing a pair of pink trainers she posted a message that said: "Loving LA had some great meetings yesterday! Also about my fitness DVD cant wait to start X."
Ready to work: The former beautician goes to rehearsals for her new fitness DVD


text:
Local Action Groups
LIFT Grant applications will be assessed and determined by Norfolk and North Suffolk local rural action groups known as Local Action Groups. The Local Action Groups are experienced grant-giving bodies passionate about their local communities and have a high level of local expertise and members work together to fund projects that will improve their local rural economy. Since 2009 they have been the decision making body for the Rural Development Programmes (2009-2013 and 2014-2020) under LEADER. Now they also provide the community leadership at the heart of LIFT programme.
The following maps shows the areas that each Local Action Group cover for LIFT:
This map is only an approximation.
A bit of context:
In 2009, 3 Local Action Groups were funded and they delivered £6m funding to rural businesses through the LEADER programme in 2009-13.
Now five Local Action Groups are operating across rural Norfolk and North Suffolk delivering over £6m grant throughout the 2014-2020 programme – Brecks, Broads, Waveney Valley, Wensum & Coast, West Norfolk and the Waveney Valley. These are local, grassroots committees that distribute EU funding to rural areas. They are comprised of local public, private and voluntary sector representatives interested in improving the rural economy of their area, and can represent themselves or an organisation. For each Local Action Group more than 50% of the partnership must come from the non-public sector.
Being such mixed groups embedded in their local communities they provide wide local knowledge and independent expertise and skills.
If you wish to join a Local Action Group or want further information on the commitment that it involves please visit the Norfolk LAGs website


text:
I still consider myself fairly new to this blogging thingamajig. I have joined a pretty cool fraternity of writers who want to make companies and people better. I hope to live up to the standards they set. These HR experts are who you should follow if you want to get better at HR, by getting better at business. I believe this is key for any HR practitioner to succeed.
Do you want to be better at Human Resources? Do as I do and learn from the HR Experts.
#1- Robin Schooling (@robinschooling): Full transparency, Robin is my HR spiritual gangster/guide aka blogging mentor. She uses humor to get her point across and makes HR fun. I adore her writing and speaking style and want to be her when I grow up. She is an expert in all things HR. She also practices HR at a casino so she has the BEST happy hour stories.
#2- Sharylyn Lauby (@hrbartender): writes as the HR Bartender. Who wouldn't want to hear from a bartending human resources professional?!?! Her posts cover real life HR issues we all encounter every day as HR practitioners. I love her down-to-earth style. She also co-hosts a podcast with my next HR hero, Steve Boese.
#3- Steve Boese (@steveboese): Known for his knowledge of HR Technology, Steve does a great job of using the every day absurd and linking it to business objectives. He does have a strange obsession with the Kardashians . . . but who doesn't?! I am trying to get over his use of a website builder other than GoDaddy, but I will let it go, eventually.
#4- Kris Dunn (@kris_dunn): The way Kris brings the true capitalist mentality to HR is awesome. He gives good advice to HR folks who are getting hit from all angles to know #allthethings about business. I am always looking for resources to give my team about how to think about business first, and Kris is a go-to expert.
#5-William Tincup (@williamtincup): He is one of the most social folks in HR I have witnessed. He is entertaining and shares great knowledge. Come on, everybody's doing it- follow him!
#6- Trish McFarlane (@trishmcfarlane) Trish is about disruption, in a great way, in HR. She is a futurist and shares about where HR is going. Not gonna lie, Trish is a little bit my #girlcrush
#7- Jay Kuhns (@jrkuhns): The poetic posts by Jay are smart and interesting and make you think. He charges each of us to grow the function of HR and make it better. No excuses- be a good leader.
#8 Steve Browne (@sbrownehr): Steve just makes me happy. I really don't know what else to say. His posts are focused on making people better. I am always happy after reading Steve's posts and motivated to be better.
#9- Jennifer McClure (@jennifermcclure): Jennifer is the HR leader we all aspire to be . . . she is an amazing speaker, writer, and social media guru. The first time I met her I was blown away by the way she juggled her SM accounts, taking notes of a presentation, and having a conversation with a few of us sitting in the front row of a conference.
#10- Me (@kateebar7): Yep, I am putting myself on this list. Maybe this is a little pretentious but I don't care! I'm awesome! LOL.
Folks, this is not an all inclusive list. Tell me who I missed. I would love to hear who I should follow that I


text: The CFL Performer was docked in Bremerhafen last thursday for her scheduled two yearly survey. During this week the complete hull of the vessel was inspected, cleaned and painted thouroughly. A new sattelite communication system was fitted, maintenance of the main engine was carried out and the vessels main systems were fully checked. After an intensive week the CFL Performer is again more than ready to transport cargoes through the icy Scandinavian waters this winter.


text:
Apple has updated Core ML Tools to version 0.7. Included is a new TensorFlow converter that lets developers train machine learning models in Google's TensorFlow and deploy them with Apple's Core ML
From the Google Developers Blog:
Today, in collaboration with Apple, we are happy to announce support for Core ML! With this announcement, iOS developers can leverage the strengths of Core ML for deploying TensorFlow models. In addition, TensorFlow Lite will continue to support cross-platform deployment, including iOS, through the TensorFlow Lite format (.tflite) as described in the original announcement.
Core ML Tools 0.7 also includes support for custom layers, so you can quickly create, test, and deploy new layers using Core ML on iOS 11.2 or later.
Floating Point 16 (FP16) is included for neural networks as well, which should reduce model sizes by half.


text:
The CSE Graduate Student Honors Competition is an annual event that narrows a field of entrants to a handful of finalists, each of whom give a summary presentation on an area of their research. Below are the names of finalists from each year of the competition.
First Place: Salessawi Ferede Yitbarek - "Analyzing and Enhancing the Security of Modern Memory Systems"
Finalist: Yi-Jun Chang - "Complexity of Local Distributed Graph Problems"
Finalist: Junhyuk Oh - "Zero-Shot Task Generalization with Multi-Task Deep Reinforcement Learning"
Finalist: Ofir Weisse - "Securing the Cloud with Emerging TEE Technologies"
Finalist: Biqiao Zhang - "Predicting the Distribution of Emotion Perception: Capturing Inter-rater Variability"
First Place: Shaizeen Aga - "Compute Caches"
Finalist: Catherine Finegan-Dollak - "Effects of Creativity and Cluster Tightness on Short Text Clustering Performance"
Finalist: Yuqing Kong - "Designing Information Elicitation Mechanisms That Reward Truth-telling"
Finalist: Sang Won Lee - "Facilitating Collaborative Creation of Complex Artifacts"
Finalist: Yu-Chih Tung - "Expansion of Human–Phone Interface by Sensing Structure-Borne Sound Propagation"
First Place: Biruk Mammo - "Getting Your Priorities Straight When Verifying Multicores"
Second Place: Nan Jiang - "The Dependence of Effective Planning Horizon on Model Accuracy"
Honorable Mention: Kassem Fawaz - "Anatomization and Protection of Mobile Apps' Location Privacy Threats"
Honorable Mention: Chansoo Lee - "Perturbation Techniques in Sequential Prediction"
First Place: Bryce Wiedenbeck - "Analyzing Very Large Simulation-Based Games"
Second Place: David Devecsery - "Graph Isomorphism and the Lasserre Hierarchy"
Honorable Mention: Aaron Snook - "Eidetic Systems"
Honorable Mention: Daya S. Khudia - "Pervasive Approximate Computing: Anomalies are Your Friends"
First Place: Zakir Durumeric - "ZMap: Fast Internet-Wide Scanning and its Security Applications"
Second Place: Andew Lukefahr - "Composite Cores: Enabling Fine-Grained Heterogeneity"
Honorable Mention: Travis Martin - "Characterizing Strategic Cascades on Networks"
Honorable Mention: Jason Sleight - "Organizational Design Principles and Techniques for Decision-Theoretic Agents"
First Place: Armin Alaghi - "Enhancing Vision via Stochastic Computing"
Second Place: Zakir Durumeric - "Mining Your Ps and Qs: Detection of Widespread Weak Keys in Network Device"
Honorable Mention: Amjad Abu Jbara - "Mining Multiple Perspectives From Social Media"
Honorable Mention: Hsin-Hao Su - "A Scaling Algorithm for Maximum Weight Matching in Bipartite Graphs"
First Place: Joseph Greathouse - "Hardware Support for On-Demand Software Analysis"
Second Place: Vahed Qazvinian - "Using Collective Discourse to Generate Surveys of Scientific Paradigms"
Honorable Mention: Yi Li - "Approximate Sparse Recovery: Optimizing Time and Measurements"
Honorable Mention: Li (Eric) Qian - "User-Friendly Information Integration"
First Place: Feng Qian - "iMAP: Intelligent Mobile Application Profiling Tool"
Second Place: Andrew DeOrio - "What's Wrong With My Multi-Core?"
Honorable Mention: James Boerkoel - "Coordination Strategies for Solving the Multiagent Simple Temporal Problem"
Honorable Mention: Xiaodi Wu - "Short Quantum Games characterize PSPACE"
First Place: Ganesh Dasika - "GPGPU, M.D. – A Low-Power Supercomputer for Portable Medical Imaging"
Second Place: Xin Hu - "Large-Scale Malware Indexing Using Function-Call Graphs"
Honorable Mention: Ran Duan - "Fast Algorithms for (max, min) - Matrix Multiplication and Bottleneck Paths"
Honorable Mention: Ahmed Hassan - "Mining Language Networks"
First Place: Erik Talvitie
Second Place: Bin Liu
Honorable Mention: David Meisner
Honorable Mention: Ye Du
First Place: Ilya Wagner
First Place: Sandeep Tata
Second Place: Zaher Andraus
Third Place (tie): Xuan Zheng and Yevgeniy Vorobeychik


text:
Watch the Tense Trailer for 'Embrace of the Serpent,' Colombia's Oscar-Nominated Film
Credit: TIFF Trailers / YouTube
"You brought the devil to the community!"
What happens when the land you called home has been pillaged by colonialists? And what happens when you're the last one left? Here's your answer
Embrace of the Serpent follows Karamakate, a shaman from the Amazon who is the last survivor of his indigenous tribe. In 1909, after becoming friends with a German scientist-explorer named Theodor Koch-Grunberg, the two set off in search of Yakruna, a rare psychedelic plant. Years later, Karamakate takes American scientist Richard Evans Schultes on a similar search.
Embrace of the Serpent, an Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language film, follows the parallel stories of Karamakate's journeys with Koch-Grunberg and Evans Schultes.
WATCH: A Border Vigilante Hunts Down Immigrants in the Intense Trailer for 'Desierto'


text:
Come Party For A Purpose With The Men Of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity
Join the men of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, INC as they present their 4th Annual "White" Party! Saturday May 27th, Memorial Day Weekend from 8pm - 12am at The East Texas Builders Association 2023 Alpine Road in Longview where proceeds go towards their scholarship fund.
For more information call 903-445-7360


text:
Magnesium chloride processing in the building materials industry quality tender and delicious in the chemical industry, important material of inorganic magnesium chloride and magnesium chloride are Super absorbent substance with crystal water. Need to be isolated from the air moisture-proof sealed storage, and then analyses the status of domestic magnesium industry. Reports on magnesium industry development analysis focused on business analysis, magnesium chloride aqueous solution made of tofu a stone made of tofu, can be a hard and wear-resistant magnesite cement. And calcium chloride mixed concentrate of the hemodialysis circuits eliminate rolling bags or packaging materials please do not use this product when there is a damaged defaced using aseptic packaging is also used as an antifreeze and other raw materials.
Due to the use of raw materials with a partially crystalline water, electrode wear large electrolytic by-products is not easy to rule out. Fixed point temperature rises must be regularly measured by hydrometer proportion of calcium chloride. In the building materials industry in the production of light building materials such as glass tile by magnesium oxide or magnesite with hydrochloric acid to produce. Confined to operate full ventilation is magnesium chloride to prevent dust release to use magnesium chloride in the air of workplace, cone-shaped electrode welded to the stainless steel wall magnesium chloride process.


text:
Lahore School PhD Economics Students Attend Research Workshop in Switzerland
October 02, 2017
A batch of four PhD students of the Department of Economics (Farah Said, Maryiam Haroon, Nida Jamil and Zunia Saif Tirmazee) from the Lahore School of Economics visited the University of St. Gallens (Switzerland) in Summer 2017 to attend a two week Global School in Empirical Research Methods (GSERM) workshop. GSERM is a distinguished integrated program for PhD students, postdocs and practitioners from leading universities all over the world offering a course-based learning experience. Our participants got an opportunity to learn at a great place and to meet people from throughout Europe and elsewhere. Participants chose to enroll in Structural Equation Modeling I and II, Experimental Methods for Behavioral Science and Econometrics of Big Data from over 100 different courses (one course per week, 4 ECTS each). Our students found it to be a unique experience giving them a lot of new insights in their respective fields of research and an attractive opportunity to interact with their fellow students and professors.
Labels: GSERM, Lahore School, Research
posted by S A J Shirazi @ 10/02/2017 08:56:00 AM,
City Campus
104 - C, Gulberg III,
Lahore, Pakistan.
Phones: 92-42-35714936, 38474385
Fax: 92-42-36560905
Main Campus
Intersection Main Boulevard Phase VI
Burki Road
Lahore, Pakistan.
Phones: 36560935, 36560939


text:
I Can't Run Away From Mother's Day
I want to run away. Far, far away. Maybe my new home will be a lush tropical getaway. I will listen to the waves crashing. My body (obviously, it will be super-hot with six-pack abs in my dream world) will get kissed by the sun. My husband and I will drink fruity drinks through a fun curly straw. And everything will be perfect, right?
I have encountered a flaw in my happiness project. Originally, I wanted one of my goals to be to "Stay Happy"...see below:
May Goals:
Create a visually happy environment (Project Micro-Makeovers!) Eat right & exercise (Project Un-preggify!) Focus on the "here and now" (Project No More Flashbacks and No More Flashforwards!)
- Spring clean (Project Declutter!)
- Avoid "baby bombs" (Project Stay Happy!)
Maintain the right attitude (Project Pooping Butterflies! ha, can't wait to explain this one!!!)
- Accept the One who really has control (Project Let God Do His Thang!)
And I would achieve this goal by avoiding what I would like to call "baby bombs". What is that, you ask? A baby bomb is something baby-related that serves as a trigger for sadness. If you are a grieving parent, you know what I mean. Like when I get an advertisement in the mail for Enfamil, for example. It serves as a little "baby bomb" by creating an explosion of grief in an otherwise happy day...or maybe a crappy day that gets a lot crappier. When I originally wrote my goals, I had firmly resolved that I was going to avoid baby bombs at all cost. Realistically, I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid them all...but again, I am trying to focus on the things I can control. Do I have to watch Grey's Anatomy when I know that taking an infant off of life support is the main story line? NO! I am now only watching completely brainless television like American Idol. Do I have to read books with a sad plot? NO! Thanks to a good friend who loaned me the whole series, I am now currently plowing through the safe and magical world of Harry Potter.
But like I said, my plan was flawed. You see, I wrote these goals in April...before the calendar marched forward and reminded every marketing company in the world that Mother's Day is on it's way.
It. Is. Everywhere.
TV commercials where happy parents cuddle babies. Radio ads promoting flowers for Mom. Junk mail and emails flood my mailboxes. Social media- don't even get me started. Baby bomb cityyyyyyyy! I thought I could stay happy by avoiding all of these things...but I'm pretty sure the only way to avoid it would be to travel to my make-believe land, close my eyes, stick my fingers in my ears and scream LA-LA-LAAAAAAAAAAA. For 3 weeks. Clearly, this is not an option...tempting as it is with the fruity drinks and lure of a sun-kissed tan and all.
So, I am revising my goal. I realized that running away from hard things is not the answer. And neither is seeking the hard things out and trying to tackle them James Harrison Steeler-style. Nope. Instead, I am changing my goal to: "Accept the baby bombs as they come and try not to get blown up." When I encounter a baby bomb, I will take a deep breath (or two), conjure up some feel-good imagery, and I will recite a few different mantras depending on the situation (mantras are my new thing). I will use the mantras like a safety helmet to protect me from the crash. I have accepted that the bombs will come, they will make impact, but I can try and prevent it from creating deep trauma...more like a bruise. Still hurts, but doesn't interfere with the rest of my day.
My mantras? Well, that's between me, Callie, and the Big Guy. Most of them involve me sending Callie a little message in heaven or a short one-line prayer like, "Give me strength" or "What Would Jesus Do?". But I will tell you that sometimes I whisper "Poop butterflies" to myself.
I have accepted that Mother's Day will be hard. I also know, after reading some tips at my therapist's office today, that one way to get through this day is by telling everyone what I need since friends and family often do not know how they can help. Hmmm, what do I need? Acknowledgment that I am a mommy even though my baby is in heaven, but space to get through the day. Don't ignore me, but just know that I will probably ignore you. I hope that is not mean. I hate being mean. Just trying to survive... John and I are going to a beautiful wedding at the beach this weekend and then we will visit Callie in the garden on Sunday. Annnnd I think I will most likely enjoy a nice bottle of wine and some funny movies. I hope that visiting Callie on this day becomes a tradition even in happier times.
Acceptance of the sadness actually makes me feel less sad. I have realized that this avoidance dance I was doing really just made everything worse. There is no running away from grief. It catches you and suffocates you if you do not DEAL WITH IT. So, I'm dealing. My helmet is on. Just praying that I land in the grass instead of the concrete...
Lord, give me a soft landing, a safe place to fall. And, oh if you could throw in a hangover-free Monday that would be great too! ;-)


text: I'm very pleased to have been invited to speak at this year's Corporate Compliance Institute at both Houston on April 8th and Dallas on May 6th. It's a great event that covers the gamut from insurance to investigations to code of conduct development. If you are in Texas and might be interested here are the details: https://utcle.org/conferences/CC16


text:
Dexus: Result 2018
This property trust is making hay while the sun shines on the office markets in Sydney and Melbourne.
Want to access this article for free?
Sign up for freeAlready have an InvestSMART
account? Log in
The 2018 financial year was kind to Australia's largest office tower landlord, as tight CBD office markets in Sydney and Melbourne put it in the driver's seat when negotiating with tenants looking for office space. The trust continues to benefit from space being taken out of the market from both the conversion of office towers into apartment buildings and, in Sydney's CBD, the demolition of a number of office towers to make way for new railway stations.
Latest Q&A With Our Experts
DEXUS's takeover of IOFQ.
Hi, Full details and voting request came out this week on the Dexus proposal to take over IOF, do you have a view and recommendation on this?Read full Q&A +
Hi - is the Dexus SPP worth looking at please? Thanks, Jim.Read full Q&A +


text:
This easy-read smooth flowing translation of Bhagavad Gita is for casual or in-depth absorption of the deep psychological truths imparted to Arjuna by Lord Krishna. Gita is about you. Its about your relationship with everything else. Its about Nature, God and reality. It focuses on you.
This is just English. This is good for reading through the Bhagavad Gita to become familiar with the trend of the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna.
This is pocket size, making it easy to carry in clothing or handbag.
Bhagavad Gita may seem strange but if one reads through it again and again, one begins to follow the conversation and acquire methods of improvement for spiritual life.


text:
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Can You Feel the Love?*
Dave and Carrie are a way cool couple. I got to shoot engagement photos for them last weekend and look at them! They are just beautiful, awesome people. I feel so honored to be the photographer for their wedding and it was great to get to know them better.
They were going for a kind of 50's, hipster look. So I played a little with some vintage actions. I could have gotten caught up in editing their photos all night but had to stop myself. In the meantime here are some sneak peeks.
I felt like I was spying on them here!
And of course some silly fun.
Posted by
Shining Lotus
No comments:
Post a Comment
Newer Post
Older Post
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Uninstall software applications
If you would like to uninstall any of our software, you may do so easily through the Windows add or remove programs menu.
Make sure the program is fully closed before you begin the uninstall process. You may do this by clicking the X in the upper-right corner of the program.
If you are running Windows Vista, Windows 7, or Windows 8 please follow these instructions:
Step 1: Click on the Start button then select Control Panel.
Step 2: Select Programs and then select Programs and Features.
Step 3: Choose the program to be removed and then click Uninstall.
If you are running Windows XP please follow these instructions:
Step 1: Click on the Start button and select Control Panel.
Step 2: Select the Add or Remove Programs button.
Step 3: Select the program you wish to remove and click Change/Remove.
Step 4: Click Uninstall in the confirmation dialog to finish removal.
How to reset web browsers
How to reset Internet Explorer


text:
Glimpses of the Moon
Full Length Musical, Dramatic Comedy / 3m, 3f
"This is one of the best new musicals I've seen in ages...A well-crafted, witty musical comedy...a sparkling valentine to the Jazz Age." – BroadwayWorld.com
Note on Digital Perusal: Samuel French's new digital perusal process grants easy, digital access to music perusals while protecting the intellectual property of our composers, book writers, and lyricists. Samuel French perusals are intended to be used for finding the perfect show to fit your theater, casting pool, and resources. Perusals should be used to get acquainted with the music and script. They cannot be used to hold auditions, produce the show without a license, or find sheet music for a separate performance.Read more +
Glimpses of the Moon
Use this tool for cost estimates based on your specific needs.
Cast Size3m, 3f
Duration90 minutes
SubgenreAdaptations (Literature), Period, Romantic Comedy
AccoladesFrom Off-Broadway
Target Audience
- Appropriate for all audiences
- Adult
- Senior
- Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13)
- Teen (Age 14 - 18)
Additional Info
Set amid the whirl of 1922 Manhattan society, this sparkling comedy features a jazzy danceable score and a timeless romantic story. With plenty of friends but little money, Susy Branch and her friend Nick Lansing devise a clever scheme to live beyond their means. They'll marry and live off the wedding gifts, while they help one another secure more suitable millionaire spouses. The plan works perfectly - until they fall in love.
"This is one of the best new musicals I've seen in ages...A well-crafted, witty musical comedy...a sparkling valentine to the Jazz Age." – BroadwayWorld.com
"...Clever and intelligent...a droll comedy that makes a pleasant evening's diversion." –Variety
"It's an off-Broadway musical in the way that off-Broadway musicals used to be - derived from lofty literary works, and taking the high road in being smart." – Theatermania.com
"Glimpses of the Moon has already bested most of the current crop of musicals for civilized entertainment." – Broadwayworld.com/Showtime
"I loved it!...a dizzy delight of a musical..." – Yahoo! Broadway
KeywordsBetrayal, Feminism, Friendship, Love, Marriage
Performing Groups
- High School/Secondary
- College Theatre / Student
- Community Theatre
- Dinner Theatre
- Professional Theatre
- Reader's Theatre
- Shoestring Budget
- Large Stage
- Blackbox / Second Stage /Fringe Groups
- No Special Cautions
License details
- Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application.
- Time Period: 1920s, 1910s / WWI
- Duration: 90 minutes
- Setting:
The show takes place in several locations: a Manhattan ballroom, a Newport mansion, a cottage in Maine etc. The settings can be represented simply through props (a chandelier, a crystal vase) or with a unit set. The show can also be performed in a site-specific location.
- Additional Features: Local Celebrity Cameo
- Features / Contains: Period Costumes
- Musical Style: Classic Broadway, Jazz
- Vocal Demands: Moderate
- Orchestra Size: Small/Combo
- Chorus Size: No Chorus
Song Samples
Casting3m, 3f
SUSY BRANCH (late 20s) – Susy is bright, pretty and practical. Though born into society, her father's gambling habit and untimely death left her dependent on wealthy friends who appreciate her grace, charm, and enthusiasm.
WINTHROP "STREFFY" STREFFORD (30-50) – Streffy is British and proper, fourth in line to inherit a title and large fortune. In the meantime, he is a career freeloader, dining out on rich Americans' fondness for European royalty. Though gossipy, selfish and a bit mean, he is fun to have around. He has long been secretly in love with Susy, but being too poor to have any chance to marry, he has settled for being her friend and confidante.
ELLIE VANDERLYN (late 40s) – Self-absorbed wealthy society matron. She is attractive, ambitious, self-centered, used to getting whatever she likes.
NELSON VANDERLYN (50-60) – Successful banker, he has endured 20 years of marriage to Ellie. And somehow, despite her mistreatment, remains steadfastly in love with her.
URSULA GILLOW (late 40s) – A vain society matron, even richer than the Vanderlyns. She and Ellie have a longstanding rivalry. (The same actor plays Coral, below.)
NICK LANSING (30s) – A scholar of classical archeology who dreams of writing historical novels, Nick is romantic and passionate, well-traveledÂ, curious. He appreciates beauty and the finer things, but has an old fashioned moral strength. He had a small inheritance but burned through it quickly several years earlier. Like Susy, he was born rich to a good family, went to the right schools and clubs, but is now without sufficient funds.
CORAL HICKS (20s) – Frowsy over-educated heiress from the Midwest. Her father founded a successful department store. She is serious, awkward, overly intellectual but socially inept. She knows everything in books and nothing about human interaction. This actor will also play Ursula and a Maid.
MAID - Female (20-40). A servant at the Vanderlyn's Newport mansion.
THE CABARET SINGER – 40s-70s. This is a guest-starring part with a one-song walk-on and a few lines, requiring minimal preparation.
Cast Attributes
- Reduced casting (Doubling Possible)
- Flexible casting
- Local Celebrity Cameo
- Strong Role for Leading Man (Star Vehicle)
- Strong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle)
Casting Notes
Ideally, each week of the run could feature a different Guest-Star who can perform the Cabaret Singer role (it is also possible to have the actor who plays Ellie perform this role).
Rehearsal Resources
Music Material Rental Packages
Full Package
7 Piano/Vocal Scores
Reed (Flute, Clarinet, Alto Sax, optional Oboe)
Want the full script?Rent a digital perusal
Glimpses of the Moon was first produced in the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel in NYC.


text:
Life races past at 100mph and staying healthy and keeping fit can be an uphill struggle when you're busy. It's important to incorporate diet and fitness into your day. Everyone wants to be healthier, but what they think that they don't have time to do or they don't know how to do this. Being healthy doesn't have to take up a lot of your time, sure you won't become an athlete, but there are some quick fixes that will bring you onto the right paths. For those who are too busy (or lazy) to invest time into their workouts or healthy lifestyle routines, try some of our Tips.
According to Paul Coelho –
"The busiest people I have known in my life always have time enough to do everything. Those who do nothing are always tired and pay no attention to the little amount of work they are required to do. They complain constantly that the day is too short. The truth is, they are afraid to fight the good fight."
Here are some of the tips which one must follow to be healthy in their fats forward lifestyle.
Get a healthy Breakfast
Breakfast is a nutritious way to start out your day. Eating breakfast refuels your body, enhances your mood, improves your concentration, helps you maintain a healthy weight and is the foundation of a healthy diet. Always take a proper breakfast, which is full of Proteins and healthy fats and fiber to keep you an energetic full day or until your lunch time.
Skipping the breakfast is better than having breakfast like this. Items which you should include in your Breakfast would be – Eggs, Green Tea, Peanut Butter, Poha, Milk and bread, Oats & much more. It all varies from people to people what they intend to have in their Breakfast. This type of Breakfast is easy to prepare so that busy people even can prepare this type of Breakfast in very few minutes.
Healthy snacks in your Backpack
Busy people ignore their hunger and end up reaching for the nearest thing to snack one, which often is not the healthiest choice. With activities such as running from class to class, going to meetings, going to the gym, and working, it's hard to find time to sit down and eat. Always keep fruits, nuts & dried fruits, Peanut butter crackers in your backpack and have it when you are free.
This is healthy snacks which finish your hunger & you will gain vitamins also. Many People keep Banana in their desk drawer. After eating their lunch people use to eat a banana. It's help for digestion. Always keep a water bottle and drink it at intervals.
7 Minute Workout
The regular physical activity offers a wide range of health benefits, including a lower risk of heart disease and osteoporosis, as well as better sleep and improved job performance. Stress can have an insanely negative impact on health, and by doing small workout your mind will be fresh which will reduce the stress. One of the most common mental benefits of exercise is stress relief. Working up a sweat can help manage physical and mental stress.
Normally busy people don't have time to do daily exercise for 1 or 2 hours, So here in this case where you want to be fit but have no time so you can do daily 7-minute exercise. This 7-minute exercise includes – Jumping Jack, Wall Sit, Push Up, Step up onto Chairs, Squat, Triceps dips on a chair, Plank, High knees running in place, Lunge, Push up and rotation, Side Plank.
Schedule Break of 20 seconds
In simple words, one should take a 20 Second break after working 20 minutes on a computer screen. In that 20 second break, you need to focus on an object 20 feet away. This will give a helpful boost to your eyes. This principle is also known as 20-20- 20 principles.
Set a schedule and stick to it.
Schedule places an important role in our day to day life. A schedule or a timetable, as a basic time-management tool, consists of a list of times at which possible tasks, events, or actions are intended to take place. By setting the Schedule of your work helps to maintain the quality of your work and also it will benefit for your mental health. Not only you need to set a schedule for your work also you need to stick to it. For good health your schedule should include activities like a workout, Yoga, eating on proper time etc.
Follow this simple tips to be healthy and fit. What are you waiting for?
Starts making changes in your daily routine.What approaches have worked for you so far to get a little healthier? Let us know in the comments!


text:
Daniel Mitura
Justin Monsen
Michelle Nakash
Phillip Rapoport
Kristin Soong Rapoport
Chris Whitman
Peter Zuspan
The NS Young Patrons Council is a group of community and philanthropically-minded young people who embrace NS's mission to build new audiences for new music and nurture the artists who create it. Council members are excited about getting involved with NS in these crucial early years, when they can have a real impact on the future of New York's newest destination for artistic incubation and discovery. They are a critical source of both financial support and the ideas that NS needs to evolve from a start-up into a 21st century New York City institution.
Photo Credit: Jill Steinberg


text:
To start selling weed you need a reason. You can't just start dealing because you can, you will end up in prison that way. You must think long and hard of a reason why you truly want to sell weed. Set yourself some goals and work towards them ( you can't be dealing for the rest of your life).
Of course you need money for you startup business, there are many ways you can get startup money. Remember to start small and work your way up from there. No reason to buy 2 tons of mary for your first operation. Get a small loan or work for a summer and then buy your first ounce and start selling. Where to get weed, you ask? After you have the money you need to find a supplier, just ask your friends who smoke pot where they get it from, or look around your school or local hangout spots. Weed is a very popular drug and you will find someone willing to sell you an ounce sooner or later.
But before you can start selling you newly bought weed, you need some customers. If you go to school or have many pothead friends then you're in luck, if not then you have ask friends for help or go to the nearest skate park and look from there. Skate parks are guaranteed stoner meetups.
That's about it, just follow these steps and you are good to go.


text:
Lloyds to pay £280m redress to customers in mortgage arrears
LBG is setting up a redress scheme that will see £283m paid out to 590,000 customers charged mortgage arrears fees, including litigation.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) announced this morning that after engaging with the regulator, Lloyds acknowledged that when customers fell into arrears, the bank did not always do enough to understand customers' circumstances to ensure payment plans were affordable and sustainable.
After talks with the FCA, Lloyds has committed to refund all fees charged to customers for arrears management and broken payment arrangements during a seven-year period – from January 1 2009 to January 2016. Lloyds suspended arrears management fees back in January 2016.
For mortgage customers who entered Lloyds' litigation process during this seven-year period, refunds will include any litigation fees that were applied unfairly.
Lloyds will also offer payments for "potential distress and inconvenience", and consequential loss which customers may have experienced as a result of not being able to keep up with "unsustainable repayment plans."
Jonathan Davidson, executive director of supervision – retail and authorisations at the FCA, said: "Ensuring fair treatment of customers, especially those in financial difficulties or who are vulnerable, is key priority for the FCA. We continue to engage with Lloyds as it works to improve the way it treats customers in arrears."
The FCA said the redress scheme will refund the accrued interest on all fees up to the remediation date or, where customers have already paid the fees, the date when the fees were paid. Lloyds will also pay an extra eight percent interest for customers deprived of funds.
Lloyds will write to all affected customers to explain the refund they will receive and to prompt them to make a claim for any distress and inconvenience they may have suffered.
The bank will also advise customers to consider whether they suffered any "consequential losses" as a result of this issue, such as a direct debit fee charged because of a broken payment plan.
The regulator said it continues to engage with Lloyds and the retail lending sector to continue to raise standards and ensure the fair treatment of customers in arrears and financial difficulties.


text:
Order online or by phone at +33 (0)22.214.171.124.70 (speak French only)Chat on lineCustomer serviceProfessionnal
You has 0 products in cart
You are no items in your shopping cart
Prices are tax included
- Fast shipping 24h :
95% of our articles are IN STOCK, for an order placed before 3 p.m, the parcel will be dispatched the same day. Beyond, the order is shipped the next day.
Delivery times in France are usually 1 to 2 days. For other countries they are usually 3 to 4 days.
- Your order contains several articles with different shipping times:
Articles with longer lead times will automatically be shipped in a second package no additional cost.
At Mouth of Love, your satisfaction is our priority !
Free returns for 14 days (If you were wrong size)
You have received your items but the size or the cup are not suitable for you ? Not to worry, you have 14 days from the date of receipt of your parcel to return to us the products concerned.
Click HERE for more information on our return procedure.
Your purchases are safe and secure on the MOUTH Of LOVE, with the guarantee of maximum security.
pour une premiére commande je n'ai rien à dire, commande conforme livraison dans les délais
Solides et pratiques
Extra! Un élastique de couleur assorti à la petite barrette du jour, ma petite chienne est trop coquette!
Très bons produits
Rien a dire ! Les élastiques sont parfaits. Très bonne qualité.


text:
Sally Lehrman
This article was originally published in The Atlantic on May 25, 2017.
When I told my mother my work focused on improving public trust in the news, she thought the idea was hilarious. "Trust? News?" I was a bit insulted. Her daughter—me, that is—has been a journalist for years. But she had a point.
Journalism has been struggling to stay afloat in an era when people expect information to come both fast and free. Now, competition by principle-free enterprises further undermines its very role and purpose as an engine for democracy.
The digital world has muddied formerly clear divisions between factual news, sales pitches, hoaxes, and hyper-partisan propaganda designed to incite. On social media and in online search, misinformation spreads with lightning speed. Lurid headlines loom far larger than the logos of news brands, which at least offer a clue to the origin of information and the care behind it.
Last fall, barely one third of Americans polled by Gallup expressed at least a fair amount of trust in the mass media "to report the news fully, accurately and fairly."
To make collective decisions about our communities, our shared resources, and our government, we have to agree on basic facts. Today those facts can take on the shape of a funhouse mirror where we each see a distorted image tailored to our own expectations.
The Trust Project, which is a collaboration of news organizations around the world, aims to sharpen the picture by using technology to encourage accurate, ethically produced news and make it easy to find. Think along the lines of a nutrition label on a package of food, or a lab report that conveys your health status when you go in for a checkup.
Based at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics in Santa Clara, California, the project has brought together more than 70 news organizations to work on a transparency system that would show how a story came to be and who stands behind it. Technology companies, which have become powerful distributors of news, are also contributing their expertise and a strong willingness to apply the results.
Imagine you encountered a piece of text or video in your social media newsfeed or while searching for news on your phone or computer. It would be marked clearly as news, opinion, or sponsored content designed to sell you something. If you clicked on the byline, you'd see the author's background and other published work. Did that person have local expertise? Experience and knowledge covering the topic? Another click would take you to information about the news site itself. What commitments has it made to ethics, diversity, correcting mistakes? Who owns or funds the site, who is the leadership, when was it created?
For investigative or more controversial stories, you could see citations backing up the information presented and a short description of the reporting involved. If you liked, you could learn details about the site's track record for reaching across economic background, race, age, gender and other differences to get the full story.
You'd quickly find what you needed to make informed choices about your news. The Trust Indicators would also send machine-readable signals to Facebook, Google, Bing, Twitter and other technology platforms. We're already working with these four companies, all of which have said they want to use our indicators to prioritize honest, well-reported news over fakery and falsehood.
While some news organizations show bits and pieces of these features, until now they have not been standardized and structured across sites for the public to quickly find or platform machines to read.
The journalists working on this project aren't attempting to prescribe the perfect news diet for the public. That would be self-serving, pompous, and dull. No, we're asking people to tell us what they want and need from the news. We have conducted dozens of one-on-one interviews with consumers across the United States and Europe. Our questions: What do you value in news? When do you trust it? When have you had your trust broken?
Pundits complain about a naive public that likes cat videos and bias-confirming memes. Our interviews turned up something different: Thoughtful online readers who genuinely want to be informed about their own communities and the world. Skeptical citizens who work very hard to gather a more complete, nuanced picture of issues and events than they believe news organizations typically provide.
Sally Lehrman is the director of the Journalism Ethics Program at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. She is also leading the center's Trust Project, a collaborative network of news organizations.
This article is part of The Democracy Project, a collaboration with The Atlantic.


text:
Saturday, August 6, 2011
So many times in life we tend to judge people and situations without fully understanding certain dynamics. We take what we have read or what someone else has told us about people and situations and accept that as the truth. I admit, I am guilty of this and many times I have discovered that what I had been told or what I thought was not necessary true. Although certain judgements may be true regarding certain individuals, it is not fair to judge.Rather than prejudging people and their situations, first attempt to obtain the facts, and from there you can truly understand why people possess certain traits.Judging can be taught or it can come from within. Many times the people that we associate ourselves with tend to influence our judgements of others. So, if you continue to find yourself around others who are constantly judging people without a factual basis, please be a part of the solution and remove yourself from that negative circle. So with that said....tune in for my next posting soon!!!!!!
Posted by Unknown at 10:53 PM
Labels: judging
Location: Arlington, VA, USA
2 comments:
- AnonymousAugust 8, 2011 at 8:31 PM
so trueReplyDelete
- AnonymousAugust 29, 2011 at 2:19 PM
Nam, I have learned in dealing with people it is better to let people discover and get to know the personalities and habits of others on their own. I say this because how I may feel about a person may not be the way you feel about the peron once you get to know them. Of course, if the person is a felon, murderer, child abuser,criminal,etc, than I would forewarn you and then let you make the decision to continue your relationship. However, i would make sure my facts are true.ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Defending champions and top seeds Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis' Wimbledon run ended after losing 2-6 4-6 to the Hungarian-Kazakhstani pair of Timea Babos and Yaroslava Shvedova in the quarters, on Thursday.
Hingis and Mirza fell to a 2-6 loss in the first set, making too many unforced errors.
Though they improved in the second set having three break points in the third game of the set, they failed to convert them and lost the second as well giving by 1-5.
The Sania-Hingis pair did fight back to win the next three games, but their opponents held on to win the second set 4-6.
In the women's singles, World No 1 Serena Williams has moved to the final effortlessly, defeating the unseeded Elena Vesnina 6-2 6-0 in the semi-final. Williams will meet either Angelique Kerber or her sister Venus Williams in the finasl.


text:
Getting started
Appizy conversion principles and how to master them.
Spreadsheet templates and examples to start your own web-application
Functions & formulas
Appizy supports most of Excel and OpenDocument spreadsheet formula using the FormulaJs library.
Host and embed
Integrate your calculator into the website of your choice (Wix, WordPress, ...)
Frequently asked questions about spreadsheet conversion
Trouble shooting guide
Common errors and warning and how to solve them


text:
Independent Death/Black/Thrash Metal label & mailorder. Focusing on vinyl releases.
140.00 kr
Nera Estasi is a chaotic glorification of angst, hatred and repulsion towards this life…
… the complete abandon to the dark side of the Divine. First inner Death. First revelation of Eternity.
Experimental black metal from Italy.
Nera Estasi by GORRCH
In stock
There are no reviews yet.
Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review.


text:
Spooky Tales at Logan!
Delighted to be working with our friends at Logan Botanic Garden – Scotland's Most Exotic Garden no less – on a spooky storytelling stroll. The team will be heading way out west next Friday (27th July) to present our special one-off event – Strange and Spooky Tales at Logan – in what is a truly unique location.
Wigtownshire and The Rhinns are home to many a strange tale and we've thoroughly enjoyed researching stories of phantom pipers, wizards and witches and a very famous UFO case. This will also be our first tour with a dedicated creature feature as we explore the big cat sighting phenomena known as The Beast of Galloway…
We originally met Richard Baines, Curator at the 2017 Dumfries and Galloway Life Awards, when the Logan team proudly scooped the Tourism Champion Award. Before long the two Tourism Champions had joined forces and started working away behind the scenes on a new and exciting event to tempt visitors and locals alike.
Guests will be led around the garden, taking in its tropical delights, and stopping at key points to discover the area's rich folklore, with historical and modern day spine-tinglers at every turn. One of our favourite spots is the ruin of ancient Balzieland Castle, harking back to a time when the McDouall family ruled the roost – what might these old walls have witnessed…?
Discover more with Mostly Ghostly!
Strange and Spooky Tales at Logan – Friday 27th July at 6pm
Please arrive for 5:45pm
Prices: Standard £12.50, Children and Concessions: £10,
Family ticket: £35
Age guide: 8 and above
Tickets from: Midsteeple Box Office in Dumfries, online at Ticketsource and also at the Garden Visitor Centre
Look forward to seeing you there!


text:
The Authority of Perspectives
Posted Feb 04, 2010 by Anthony in Blogs, Social Media, Strategy
This post is based on a response I made to a Knowledge Management listserv several months ago. Since that time the notion of authoritative data sources and validity of information has continued to surface in the course of my work. My view on the subject has been refined by discussions with Dr. Andres Sousa-Poza and Sam Kovacic at the National Center for System of Systems Engineering at Old Dominion University. The content of my original post was as follows:
I believe that too often, particularly in the Federal government, there is too much emphasis placed on SMEs and authoritative sources of information. I believe a culture shift is in order that will go from "authoritative" to "value-added". You won't find many people who consider themselves experts in a given category, but that does not mean they do not have valuable viewpoints on a topic. Out of the 700 or so people on this listserv, there are probably a large number that could add value to this subject, but will not because they do not feel they can offer expert advice.
This is akin to offering Consumer Reports to the community as the authoritative source of information on products and providing access to the people that actually performed the reviews. Certainly, their insight is valuable and they can tell you that the battery life on the portable DVD player is actually only an hour as opposed to the 2 hours listed in the technical specifications. However, I find the most value by going to Amazon.com and reading regular user reviews on a product. There I might find that another parent bought the product for their child on long car drives, but the buttons were left exposed so the child constantly turned the DVD player off (based on this I bought a Sony that had a Hold button :) ). You will also discover issues like how customer support responds to problems and be able to surmise the true value of a product based on finding trends in the comment threads. The great majority of these people would not consider themselves experts, but do feel they have a perspective that may add value. Sites like Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble encourage this type of user participation. I have not seen the same encouragement from the Federal government.
I have modified my view on the subject, although the sentiment of my original post remains the same. The key remains capturing the perspectives that contribute valuable information. However, it was inaccurate for me to make a one to one correlation between authoritative sources and SMEs. Expertise can be localized such that the authoritative source on an issue is not a SME.
For instance, a solider that has been on the ground in Afghanistan for a year may have more knowledge of the prevailing conditions than a PhD who has studied the society. I consider both perspectives to fall within the "expert" category. Both individuals have relevant perspectives and should be considered as capable of providing valuable information. However, it must be recognized that these two views will be more appropriate in different situations.
A SME point of view will be most effective in situations that require strategy based on broad generalities that are valid over some defined segment. The local perspective is much more effective in providing context specific advice. For instance, a SME could best advise on how the US Military should approach civilians in Afghanistan given their culture, while a local figure would be more knowledgeable on the most likely hideouts for terrorists in a region. To facilitate informed decision-making it is vital to understand when to shift between these perspectives as most problems have an element of both.
An additional issue arises when trying to identify a local perspective. SMEs can usually be identified by a number of factors to include experience, education, speaking engagements, and published works. Locating an individual that has "lived-in" a related situation or within a target environment and has a viewpoint that is in line with an overarching strategy is much more difficult. A local perspective may also extend beyond the views of a single individual, but rather be composed of a group of individuals that exhibit certain patterns. As local perspectives are either solicited or derived from a crowd, there is a massive amount of information that must be filtered.
Social Media is largely responsible for bringing many of these issues to the forefront. The crowd now has a voice that extends as far or beyond traditional communication outlets, which are more accessible to SMEs. Also, the volume of user-generated content enabled by this technology far exceeds that which was previously available. As a result, organizations within the public and private sector along with private citizens are engaged in processes to aggregate, search and analyze the flow of information to reveal interesting patterns and drive decision-making in near real-time.
While Social Media has enormous potential to drive business, the success of any organization at making informed decisions in the future will be limited by the credibility they assign to the local perspective. The technology to filter relevant content and identify reliable patterns has and will continue to evolve at a rapid pace. The greater challenge for most organizations will be the cultural shift required to embrace and rely on this new type of "authoritative" information.
Related posts:
- Do You See What I See? When I conceived of this blog, I thought I would...
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
One Response to "The Authority of Perspectives"
04. Feb, 2010
One thing that jumps out at me is the power of the network to bring out the truly useful "local" viewpoint. It's almost like listening to "old adages". The more that something is quoted, the more it ingrains itself in a population.
The same is true of things like Social Media. The more that someone is retweeted, the more their local perspective will filter into the "mainstream" as a whole. In this way, local perspectives can permeate a network and become common knowledge.


text:
Shapiro writes: "Currently, there are three important issues on which there is scientific consensus but controversy among laypeople: climate change, biological evolution and childhood vaccination. On all three issues, prominent members of the Trump administration, including the president, have lined up against the conclusions of research."
Scientists and campaigners in New York join a day of action in January 2017 to urge US senators to stand with science and against the climate policies of President Trump. (photo: Getty)
The Thinking Error at the Root of Science Denial
09 May 18
urrently, there are three important issues on which there is scientific consensus but controversy among laypeople: climate change, biological evolution and childhood vaccination. On all three issues, prominent members of the Trump administration, including the president, have lined up against the conclusions of research.
This widespread rejection of scientific findings presents a perplexing puzzle to those of us who value an evidence-based approach to knowledge and policy.
Yet many science deniers do cite empirical evidence. The problem is that they do so in invalid, misleading ways. Psychological research illuminates these ways.
No Shades of Gray
As a psychotherapist, I see a striking parallel between a type of thinking involved in many mental health disturbances and the reasoning behind science denial. As I explain in my book "Psychotherapeutic Diagrams," dichotomous thinking, also called black-and-white and all-or-none thinking, is a factor in depression, anxiety, aggression and, especially, borderline personality disorder.
In this type of cognition, a spectrum of possibilities is divided into two parts, with a blurring of distinctions within those categories. Shades of gray are missed; everything is considered either black or white. Dichotomous thinking is not always or inevitably wrong, but it is a poor tool for understanding complicated realities because these usually involve spectrums of possibilities, not binaries.
Spectrums are sometimes split in very asymmetric ways, with one-half of the binary much larger than the other. For example, perfectionists categorize their work as either perfect or unsatisfactory; good and very good outcomes are lumped together with poor ones in the unsatisfactory category. In borderline personality disorder, relationship partners are perceived as either all good or all bad, so one hurtful behavior catapults the partner from the good to the bad category. It's like a pass/fail grading system in which 100 percent correct earns a P and everything else gets an F.
In my observations, I see science deniers engage in dichotomous thinking about truth claims. In evaluating the evidence for a hypothesis or theory, they divide the spectrum of possibilities into two unequal parts: perfect certainty and inconclusive controversy. Any bit of data that does not support a theory is misunderstood to mean that the formulation is fundamentally in doubt, regardless of the amount of supportive evidence.
Similarly, deniers perceive the spectrum of scientific agreement as divided into two unequal parts: perfect consensus and no consensus at all. Any departure from 100 percent agreement is categorized as a lack of agreement, which is misinterpreted as indicating fundamental controversy in the field.
There Is No 'Proof' in Science
In my view, science deniers misapply the concept of "proof."
Proof exists in mathematics and logic but not in science. Research builds knowledge in progressive increments. As empirical evidence accumulates, there are more and more accurate approximations of ultimate truth but no final end point to the process. Deniers exploit the distinction between proof and compelling evidence by categorizing empirically well-supported ideas as "unproven." Such statements are technically correct but extremely misleading, because there are no proven ideas in science, and evidence-based ideas are the best guides for action we have.
I have observed deniers use a three-step strategy to mislead the scientifically unsophisticated. First, they cite areas of uncertainty or controversy, no matter how minor, within the body of research that invalidates their desired course of action. Second, they categorize the overall scientific status of that body of research as uncertain and controversial. Finally, deniers advocate proceeding as if the research did not exist.
For example, climate change skeptics jump from the realization that we do not completely understand all climate-related variables to the inference that we have no reliable knowledge at all. Similarly, they give equal weight to the 97 percent of climate scientists who believe in human-caused global warming and the 3 percent who do not, even though many of the latter receive support from the fossil fuels industry.
This same type of thinking can be seen among creationists. They seem to misinterpret any limitation or flux in evolutionary theory to mean that the validity of this body of research is fundamentally in doubt. For example, the biologist James Shapiro (no relation) discovered a cellular mechanism of genomic change that Darwin did not know about. Shapiro views his research as adding to evolutionary theory, not upending it. Nonetheless, his discovery and others like it, refracted through the lens of dichotomous thinking, results in articles with titles like, "Scientists Confirm: Darwinism Is Broken" by Paul Nelson and David Klinghoffer of the Discovery Institute, which promotes the theory of "intelligent design." Shapiro insists that his research provides no support for intelligent design, but proponents of this pseudoscience repeatedly cite his work as if it does.
For his part, Trump engages in dichotomous thinking about the possibility of a link between childhood vaccinations and autism. Despite exhaustive research and the consensus of all major medical organizations that no link exists, Trump has often cited a link between vaccines and autism and he advocates changing the standard vaccination protocol to protect against this nonexistent danger.
There is a vast gulf between perfect knowledge and total ignorance, and we live most of our lives in this gulf. Informed decision-making in the real world can never be perfectly informed, but responding to the inevitable uncertainties by ignoring the best available evidence is no substitute for the imperfect approach to knowledge called science.
20,000 Scientists Have Now Signed 'Warning to Humanity' https://t.co/0g8d9DDla2 @YaleClimateComm @tcktcktck— EcoWatch (@EcoWatch) March 10, 2018
A note of caution regarding our comment sections:
For months a stream of media reports have warned of coordinated propaganda efforts targeting political websites based in the U.S., particularly in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.
We too were alarmed at the patterns we were, and still are, seeing. It is clear that the provocateurs are far more savvy, disciplined, and purposeful than anything we have ever experienced before.
It is also clear that we still have elements of the same activity in our article discussion forums at this time.
We have hosted and encouraged reader expression since the turn of the century. The comments of our readers are the most vibrant, best-used interactive feature at Reader Supported News. Accordingly, we are strongly resistant to interrupting those services.
It is, however, important to note that in all likelihood hardened operatives are attempting to shape the dialog our community seeks to engage in.
Adapt and overcome.
Marc Ash
Founder, Reader Supported News
So there is a problem: the vaccines DO prevent disease; but they are dangerous in certain cases. These are not incompatible truths. But they are troubling, because on the one hand, we want to avoid terrible epidemics like smallpox and polio, but we may not want our child to be exposed to the very real risks vaccines present on the other.
It is not science the anti-vaccine folks object to, but the very UN-scientific cover-up that won't allow for the dangers of vaccines to be brought into the light. It is as if to say that if you admit to the dangers of the treatment you have denied its effectiveness. That smacks of the kind of illogic that this article is describing.
1) There are many cases where X is bad so fear/disbelief is justified. People who are not science deniers would say, "There are cases where X fails." "Many" suggests we give equal weight to those cases, but as the author points out, giving them equal weight is often not warranted. 100 such cases is "many" in a universe of 300. In a universe of millions? Not so much.
2) When studies show the opposite of what is desired, those who have paid for the research cover up those results. This has been true for fossil fuel and cigarette companies as well as Big Pharma. However, suppressing undesired research results does NOT "prove" that those results were correct any more than publishing favorable results "prove" something is safe or good.
3) There has been a cover-up "that won't allow for the dangers of vaccines to be brought into the light." This argument is the heart and soul of conspiracy theories and it is false. Actually, those who "know something THEY don't want us to tell you" have spread their version(s) of the truth far and wide. Furthermore, when criticisms are valid, they do not remain hidden, as you point out. "How many extremely popular drugs have been taken off the market because of "side effects"--somet imes life-threatenin g ones?" Ditto the elimination of what you call "mercury amalgams" from vaccines.
I don't entirely agree with the rebuttal, but those who genuinely enjoy a high-level intellectual tussle might want to read it.
I am NOT agreeing with the rebuttal totally, which works its way around to supporting ID (Intelligent Design), but if you find the above article interesting you will probably find the counter-attack equally so, despite its "low blows".
Now, I just have to figure out why Google can't find Shapiro's book. I'm hooked, I want to read it.
The problem with many of these ideologues is their rabid adherence to such beliefs which are supported by some very dishonest and corrupt media outlets (ex: Fox, Breitbart) and politicians who are wholly owned by some very wealthy interests whose vision is more gold for themselves - Trump, Mercer, Kochs, the current crop of congressional Repubs - those who voted for the recent tax cuts for their puppet masters. Filled with lies about who benefits (the wealthy got 80-90% of the tax cut and the rest of us will pay for them).
Too many people are fooled too much of the time by those who lie for their lunch. The real problem is that this corrupted and wrongheaded belief system is destroying life and the natural world. Even scarier - many of these right wing ideologues believe (no science) that they will be "raptured" up to heaven and the rest of us will burn in hell. The vast majority of us know this is nuts, but nuts like Trump (more gold) and Pence (rapture believer) have power at the moment. Either the rest of us all vote these crazies out or we will all suffer greatly. It's our choice - vote or suffer the consequences.
THE NEW STREAMLINED RSN LOGIN PROCESS: Register once, then login and you are ready to comment. All you need is a Username and a Password of your choosing and you are free to comment whenever you like! Welcome to the Reader Supported News community.
19 August 2019
21 August 2019
19 August 2019
21 August 2019
19 August 2019
20 August 2019
19 August 2019
19 August 2019
19 August 2019


text:
Practice Manager - Fostering/Adoption - Yorkshire
- Recruiter
- Hampton's Resourcing
- Location
- Leeds
- Salary
- £20,000 - £24,999
- Posted
- 06 Aug 2018
- Closes
- 14 Aug 2018
- Category
- Charity and Social Enterprise
- Contract Type
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full Time
Job Ref: OJ 2048
Hampton's are working with a well-respected company who are in need of a Practice Manager to cover fostering and adoption in Yorkshire.
This is for a company who have very strong values, respecting the unique worth of every person and encouraging people to fulfil their potential.
Job purpose:
- Leading and managing a staff team of Social Workers who provide a social work service to Foster Carers/Adopters and Children and Young People.
- Influencing and contributing to the development of the service by working collaboratively with the Operations Manager to plan, review, develop and grow the service.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead and manage all staff and workers in order to build and maintain a capable and motivated team.
- Complete all required people management procedures and routines for all staff in compliance to Policies and procedures. Undertakes specific duties, services and activities where stipulated in regulatory and legislative requirements for fostering and/or adoption ensuring that the service meets these requirements at all times. Maintain an up to date understanding and ensure changes in requirements are implemented as appropriate.
- In conjunction with the Operations Manager, proactively lead and manage service provision, working closely with internal and external stakeholders as necessary, to ensure that progress on delivery and specified targets is monitored and reported regularly, and that any issues are addressed and resolved to the satisfaction of stakeholders
- Handle all and any representation or Complaints, from any source, in a fully compliant and professional manner to ensure that concerns are addressed, resolved and documented in line with relevant Children's Services Policies
- Lead and influence on Safeguarding to ensure an active engagement is maintained in the interests of the child at all levels in the Service and that all issues are dealt with comprehensively and compliantly to policy and procedures; involving all relevant external agencies and authorities as necessary.
- Proactively develop and maintain influential working relationships with key stakeholders such as Local Authorities and other agencies in order to be a respected advocate on Children's issues and to enhance reputation in the Family Placement sector.
- Preparation, organisation, development and delivery of training to foster carers and/or adopters.
- Recognised social work qualification
- Good knowledge and understanding of statutory and good practice requirements in Family Placement - Fostering and Adoption services
- Experience in Child Protection and Safeguarding
- Willingness to develop within your own career, but also the company
CLOSING DATE: 17th August 2018
Salary - up to £42k (dependent on experience)
If you are interested in this position or would like to have a confidential discussion to find out further details, then please email your CV or call Oliver on 01926 354601.
Hampton's Resourcing prides itself on creating opportunities for Social Care Senior Managers to challenge themselves to continually develop their skills and experience. Our aim is to consistently find work for the most talented individuals within Children's and Adults Social Care services, across the UK


text:
Rent To Own - $30k, $5k down, easy to qualify
1011 W Hatton St
Pensacola, FL 32501
$30,000 - $5k down rent to own option
Call (850)479-7653 To Inquire
Brand new carpet in all the rooms and updated flooring in the rest of the house, new coat paint inside and outside, nice shade trees in yard, huge pecan tree in back yard , and landscaping done. This home doesn't have central HVAC and was estimated as $8k to be installed. Window or wall AC units will work well due to the size of the property.


text:
Click watch above…more detail will appear…
Here is a vintage 1920's STERLING SILVER ELGIN housed in an uncloomon offset STERLING SILVER case with large flat top onion crown and original enamel dial that is without any cracks or blemishes. All the hands are the original blued steel. The manual winding ELGIN movement was cleaned and is accurate. The 30mm. sterling case has fixed lugs.


text:
The Official Tour Begins!
When we arrived, there were audible "oooo's" and "aaahhhs" from the group! The Château des Ducs de Joyeuse is a beautiful stone castle buit in the 16th century. The rooms are exquisite and the food is incredible!
Coming up!
À bientôt!
PS Thank you to Taisley Weston Photography for being our official photographer for the Steve Berry & Fan Tours!
PPS See more of the Château des Ducs de Joyeuses 1 2


text:
Have you heard about Cooked?/
Episode 7 our Tenacious Acorn Podcast was all about the importance of cooking more of our daily meals at home. You all know that I am passionate about home-cooking, and the positive effects it has on our health. And not just our physical health, but our emotional health as it helps to strengthen connections with our family and friends when we include them in our kitchens and around our tables.
Well, wouldn't you know, in that synergistic way my life unfolds, Netflix has recently premiered a four part docu-series by author Michael Pollan, titled Cooked. It's all about (wait for it…) COOKING; the hows and whys of cooking around the world, and the cultural significance, health implications, and effects of globalization on culinary traditions.
Based on Pollan's book, Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation, the series' episodes are divided into the four classical elements: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. In each episode, Pollan explores the role of the title element in transforming raw ingredients into foods, as well as the the larger transformations created in our societies.
The first episode, Fire, features the nearly lost practices of a unique tribe of Aboriginal peoples in Western Australia, and the very much 'alive and well' craft of an Eastern North Carolina Pit Master, Ed Mitchell. While the ingredients are different, and the cultures separated by thousands of miles, through Pollan's investigation of the role of fire in both the Aboriginal and Carolina cooking traditions we get to see how central and universal this method of cooking is to all of us. Living in coastal Carolina, or Down East as it's often called, I'm already planning my road trip to track down Mr. Mitchell and his BBQ! Don't worry, you know I'll be posting pictures and an article about that when it happens.
The next three episodes find Mr. Pollan learning how to make braises, bake sourdough bread, brew beer, and make cheeses. The cheesemaking was fascinating and not just because it's headed up by a microbiologist Dominican Nun. That's right, a microbiologist Dominican Nun—three words you don't often see together. Sister Noella is enchanting, and I need to track down her cheeses to take along on my BBQ quest.
Which brings up a good point about watching this series: plan a snack 'cause you're going to get hungry watching it! I swear I could smell the bread baking in the sourdough bakery featured, and I know I was getting hints of hickory smoke during the conversations filmed around Pit Master Ed Mitchell's pig smoker.
As an advocate for healthy living, healthy eating, and healthy relationships with food, I can't recommend this series enough. It's informative without being preachy, and Mr. Pollan's real interest in his subject matter comes through beautifully. He exemplifies the Beginner's Mind, which is so often missing from these types of programs. His curiosity and enthusiasm are real, and he communicates both in an engaging manner, while working with his chosen mentors during each episode.
Not that I need much encouragement to try new things in my own kitchen, but I found myself wanting to start a few new projects specifically aimed at getting my daughter more involved in cooking. If you're looking for some inspiration, and encouragement, as well as solid information on the processes involved in cooking, I think you should check this series out. You won't be sorry.
Have you already seen Cooked, or read the book? What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments…and as always, please share this-- The more the merrier over here!


text:
Ruodan Lu and Philipp Hüthwohl, two PhD candidates in the Laing O'Rourke Centre for Construction Engineering and Technology, have won first prize at the 11th Innovation Competition in Construction Engineering and Management (ICCEM) held at Tsinghua University on 28th June 2018, in Beijing, China.
Their project "Automated System for Generating Digital Twins of Existing Reinforced Concrete (RC) Bridges" won the top prize out of 54 teams.
Their supervisor, Dr Ioannis Brilakis - Laing O'Rourke Reader of Construction Engineering and Technology said:
This prize highlights the value of digitising our built infrastructure into usable 'Digital Twins' that can greatly improve infrastructure management and maintenance."
Ruodan Lu and Philipp Hüthwohl (centre)
Credit: Tsinghua University


text: Recently Paul Djupe and I revisited our analysis of where people prefer Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays at FiveThirtyEight, updating it with 2016 data from PRRI. Because of the emphasis by the Trump campaign on being able to say Merry Christmas now that Trump is going to be president, we analyzed how states' views on the "War on Christmas" correlated with level of support for Trump. In both 2013 and 2016, it was the Midwest that most strongly preferred Merry Christmas over Happy Holidays, and it is in the Midwest where Trump outperformed his poll numbers. While not causal, we suggest that the "War on Christmas" is indicative of the cultural divides in American politics.


text:
I finished my first laceweight project a couple of weeks ago and got around to taking photos. It's the Dragonfly Shawl from IC '08 (Ravelry link) using cashmere/silk lace from Nimu. Because of the colour of the yarn, it didn't show up the pattern so well, but I don't care because I fucking love it anyway.
The first picture doesn't show the colour so well, but it's how I wear it. It's gorgeously soft and warm.
I'm writing up the pattern for this hat:
I also sent a pattern for some mittens to p/hop, but they're obviously snowed under and haven't got back to me, so this will probably be my first pattern on rav.
Millie has finally stopped peeing on things, it seems that she's got a definite tendencies towards UTIs, and so she's on a month's worth of antibiotics. Shoving pills down her throat twice a day is super fun. She's asleep at my feet right now.
I love these pictures of Indigo playing - phone camera in one hand, Mr Rat in the other.


text:
[Total: 7 Average: 4.4/5]
Newbie Nudes
Trade pics and videos at
I want to lick ur clit until it swells up like a marble and then suck on it as hard as I can
Ooooh, good comments. Tell me how you would lick my pussy! 😉 she drools at your comments… 😉
can I get a pair of her worn panties. that's a pretty pussy i would lick lthat till see came all over my face
Yes, I would love to make that clit throb and lick all that dirty juice up, Would love to see more 😉
Mmm, would love to work that toy for you as I lick your clit and suck up every delicious drop of nectar.
Love to spread ur cunt with my tongue and swirl around ur warm tender clit.
Dos she get jealous if i spend a little time licking winking neighbor ahole? Im a community licker. Ooo is soo gud!
Replace that with my cock feel me pound u deep into ur wet cunt
You guys makes me horny! It loves real deep tongue work and clit sucking. Iit just can't get enough and gets real puffy and wet!
You guys makes me horny. It loves a good licking and can never get enough! 😉
does it liked to be licked end to end alot? its huge!9 use my tongue instead?
Ohh looks very lickable, would love a taste!
I wanna lick that vibrator!!!
Thanks! My lover just sent me the link to my picture. So you guys like my juicy pussy? Hmm it tastes good too…
Fancy letting a British soldier warm it up with his tongue x x
love that big pussy!!
nice pussy. very sexy. id like to make her my slampiece. wld deff slam my phat cock in that
Very nice indeed!
Finger her ass and suck/lick the clit while she works it. Yeah baby, that'll juice her up!
mmm like to lick your sweet lil ass while you are working that dong.
I want to take your toy out and taste and smell your hot wet cunt juice and then i can shove my cock in and fuck you to climax.
Luv the landing strip!! 10
I want to taste her juice
Very nice, very nice indeed 😉
Wanna replace the toy with my cock? Would love to feel your juicy pussy on my cock.


text:
Well, it's down to 90 days until the 10th International Submarine Race starts. I'm sure that all of the teams are pretty excited by now. Some have already started their in-water testing and some still have a long way to go. But one thing is for sure, they are all having fun.
I wish that I could say the same for Mock Medusa and I. I regret to say that I have had to withdraw from the race this year. The economy won this round and at this time I just can't justify the expense of building a sub for the race. I will be following the race as best I can and maybe see if I can even come out to watch the race for a day or two.
Anyway, I would like to offer my best wishes to all of the teams that will be attending and I expect to see some new world records. Be sure to follow the latest info on the race at: http://isrsubrace.org/main.cfm?r1=3.00&ID=21&level=1
I will see you all at the 11th ISR in 2011.


text:
We humbly announce that today is not about us. Today is about doing good and the power to transform lives. Today is #GivingTuesday. Designers have the ability to bring an idea to reality, to make the old new again, or to add a level of comfort and protection in the spaces we reside. The nonprofit organization Designs for Dignity does all this and more and transforms communities.
Nonprofit Spotlight: Designs for Dignity
"Designs for Dignity transforms nonprofit environments through pro bono design services and in-kind donations – empowering lives through design."
The process is simple, designers and construction professionals donate their time and use donated materials to breathe new life into verified non profit organizations in the local community. Design becomes localized, accessible and human centered. We all know the wonders that a can of fresh paint can do to completely transform a room. Now imagine this change across a full scale renovation project. The results can be truly transformative.
Designs for Dignity also revitalizes outdoor areas through their garden initiative. Their outdoor living environments and healing gardens promote relaxation, contemplation, outdoor activity, and pride of ownership.
Kitchen Redesign
Renovating your kitchen? Homeowners now have the opportunity to support Designs for Dignity through their partnership with Renovation Angel. Simply donate your kitchen items with Designs for Dignity for a charitable tax donation and Designs for Dignity will then recycle these donated items to Renovation Angel. Based in Fairfax, NJ, Renovation Angel provides white glove removal services for luxury kitchens. The sell of these luxury items are used to support other non profits with whom their partner. Not only does your support keep items from the landfill, you also have the peace of mind in knowing that you have contributed to transforming the lives of others, all while enjoying your newly redesigned kitchen. It's a win for everyone!
Paying it Forward
Please be aware that we do not work for Designs for Dignity or Renovation Angel and our views are strictly our own. We do however hold a firm belief that design should be accessible, affordable and inspirational. We are always in support our fellow designers that seek to enrich the lives of others and utilize their services for the greater good. On this #GivingTuesday we wanted to use our voice as a platform for others who may not be heard so their good work can continue to spread. Until Next Time! -D


text:
DONDOSHA is a digital distribution platform of publications.
Proved to being one of the easiest to use, and adoptable platform, DONDOSHA is now available at Google Play Store, App Store and Web Widgets namely PUBLISHER WIDGET and AFFILIATE WIDGET.
Affiliate Program empowers online journalists of whom write/own blog(s) to be part of the program through which a blogger can grab a widget on his/her Dondosha registered account and place it on his/her blog then starts to generate revenue. Publisher Widget managed to make it easier for the existing publishers in the industry to start selling their own publications on their website.