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Boundaries. We hear advice all the time to "set boundaries" for ourselves with loved ones, with friends, with our work, basically with everything. And generally speaking, most people will nod in agreement at the importance of boundary setting. But do you truly understand
When you live in alignment with your highest purpose,
When you choose faith over fear,
When you stop seeking validation from others,
When you realize that other people's opinions of you are their own unhealed projections,
When you leap with total surrender into the abyss... KNOWING that the Divine will offer you the most miraculous landing spots you could've never imagined,
When you break free from dogma, family dynamics, dysfunctional patterns,
When you fully drop the ego into the back seat and allow only GOD/GODDESS to drive your life....
When you heal your Mother Wound, Father Wound, and Abandonment Wound.... and realize YOU are both mother, father, and hero to yourself... you arrive at Unconditional Self-Love.
Unconditional Self-Love is a place no one can disturb. Unconditional Self-Love that is perfect as is, and spreads out far into any environment you are in.
Unconditional Self-Love is a place where happiness exists every day in the here and now... it recognizes that happiness is not some big huge future event that will be reached when x,y,z conditions are met...
Unconditional Self-Love leads you to happiness in every day... it leads you to a life you are excited to wake up to every day, a life you don't need a vacation from, a life you don't dread Monday's and live for the weekends in... Unconditional Self-Love manifests as a life you love living every day. Small things and big things. Through the ups and downs and challenges, an unconditionally self-loving life is a blissful one.
When you arrive at Unconditional Self-Love you ARE happiness, and you feel deep joy consistently. Daily. Even when you experience pain. Unconditional Self-Love guides you to the joy in your heart which never leaves... it is the one constant while everything and everyone around you changes... ❤❤💕❤❤ Liana
Everything is energy. You will truly be amazed when you stop for a second, move the energy out from your mind (in other words, stop thinking for a second), FEEL into your body, and move the flow of energy into your heart chakra. If you do that when confronted with angry upset people, their projections will not harm or influence you in any way. You can actually put up a protective bubble of white light energy to surround you, and then send them waves of love. There are so many people who are angry about everything, choosing to be in a negative space, complaining, looking for problems, being nasty. They may have already succumbed to the Wetiko. (See: Dispelling Wetiko by Paul Levy).
Or, they may simply be unhappy with their lives. They may hate their job. They may be unhappily married. They may have had many traumas throughout their lives yet to be healed. They may have no passion left in their lives. They may have given up on their dreams. They most certainly do not love themselves. There are so many reasons that you may not be able to "see", that cause a person to be living in such a lower vibrational space. Their suffering is deep and they haven't yet healed.
When you come across them (which by the way, once you shift your own energy state you will encounter them less and less...remember, like attracts like), visualize your energy going into your heart space. Then, visualize a huge column of white light opening up from the universe and surrounding you in peace and strength. That will shift your energy frequency instantly. If you can also send love energy towards the angry negative person, that would truly help them a lot.
REMEMBER.....sending love to an angry person does not make you weak or defenseless...in fact, it's just the opposite. You can be strong, enforce your own boundaries, and be filled with authentic love at the same time.
People often get the impression that if you send loving energy to someone who is hurtful and angry, you are somehow "weak". I once wrote a Ho'opono pono prayer along with a message of love and light in a FB comment to a really angry person. Several people told me "that's just crazy, this guy is *&^^&%^ and he should just crawl in a hole and die". It was sad to see those kinds of responses. But it comes from unhealed wounds projecting back and forth, back and forth. You become stronger when you have genuine love in your heart for others who are at very low frequencies.
On the other hand, there are those who believe if you are strong and powerful and stand your ground and don't let people get away with bullshit, that you must not be loving, spiritual, and in the light. That's just called being fake. That's the new-age/fake-sage party line that you hear when people (often women) have been led to believe they have to "make nice", that it's their job to be emotional caretakers. That is something we covered in depth in yesterday's first session of the Mother Wound Class. It can be very difficult for women with unhealed mother wound to be around a truly empowered female. When you fully love yourself, you are empowered. You seek neither approval nor validation. Nor are you interested in making sure other people are happy. You are fully aware that is entirely their job, because you have already held your own self accountable for your own happiness (rather than expecting your spouse, parents, or anyone else to make you happy), and you simultaneously drop the burden of believing it is your job to somehow make other people happy.
Once you are living in a high frequency state, you can easily, compassionately, and authentically send massive waves of love to the most nasty negative people out there. You are never more empowered than when you are truly connected to heart, fully grounded, and living with the awareness of ONENESS. If you experience Oneness, you have to accept all of the darkness in the world. That doesn't mean you condone it, support it, or that you allow those people into your personal life.
LOVE heals when you stand firm and grounded, protect your personal space from lower frequency intruders, and meet anger with the vibration of love and compassion. Liana
My Christmas Message for YOU ❤
Christmas is for everyone. You don't have to celebrate. You don't have to participate. You don't have to do, be, say, or achieve anything. You can give gifts or not give gifts. You can sing songs or not sing songs. You can have a tree, or no tree. You can go to church or not go to church. You may practice a religion that doesn't even acknowledge Christmas or the birth of Jesus. No worries. Jesus is the Avatar for planet earth. His LIGHT will eventually guide us all home. All 7 billion plus of us. LOVE and HIS LIGHT are all of our birthright.
Jesus is a shaman. He lived, walked, and loved, as a human on this Earth. His Divine humanness was to SHOW us our own true Divine nature. He SHOWED us the highest potential for humanity - unconditional love of ourselves and all others.
He taught many things, most important - Love Everyone.
Everyone includes yourself.
He taught us to be like children.
This Christmas, find your inner child. Love her, Love him. Let them know they deserve total unconditional love. No matter what. Let them know that nothing they ever did could have disconnected you from the love of the Divine Mother.
Share with your inner child that she is always held warmly in the love of both the Divine Mother and Father.
This Christmas, connect with the true magic of Christmas.... that the Divine is already within you. You ARE good enough and more than that, you are not your wounds.
This Christmas, Play. Find joy. Search for seashells on the shore or build snowmen in the cold. Jump on a trampoline and dance your heart out. Sing karaoke, paint a rainbow unicorn. Roller skate. Bake a cake. Skydive out of a plane. Bathe in the moonlight. Watch for shooting stars. Build a fire. Get your toes in the sand. Watch a sunset with someone you love. Wrap up in a warm blanket and watch a happy movie. Drink a cup of warm Chai. Or a green juice. Watch a whale breach, or a dolphin spin. Or a deer 🦌 run through the snow. Or a spider weave a web. And never stop playing.
This Christmas... find your inner child, hug her and never let her go.
This Christmas give yourself the gift of silencing the critic. Tell her or him to shut it down. For good. You're done with that. Dump the shame, the guilt, the blame, and the resentment this Christmas. Draw the line. Never go back.
Soothe your own broken heart. Ground yourself into the loving energy of Mother Earth. Cry tears of happiness, sadness, grief or joy... or all of it. Let it all in this Christmas, move it through you, and release what weighs you down. This Christmas, fall in deep love with yourself. Honor yourself. Respect yourself.
Forget what didn't get "done". Everything is already perfect.
Feel the connection of Jesus and the Goddess as they bring back the Divine Feminine into balance on our beautiful planet. This Christmas, feel the unconditional love of Jesus and Mother Mary showering upon you, no matter what doctrine, religion, customs or traditions you hold. They ARE love, and love is for everyone.
Another year has passed. Let the love move you away from self-criticism, away from self-hate, and away from allowing yourself to be around anyone who treats you any less than the radiant, magnificent gift that you are. Move to higher vibrational ground through the Christ Consciousness....
Call on Him, ask Him to reveal his perfect heart to you directly.... you need no books, dogma, patriarchal doctrine or lies to earn his relationship to you. He's already right there waiting to support you when you ask. Don't believe anything you've been told about how He lives, loves, and saves. Let go of any lies that judge you.
The only thing we need saving from is the BS we've been told for millennia, which has resulted in the Wetiko virus invading the hearts of humans who have lost the belief in their own light.
Call on Jesus and Mary together... the perfection of Divine Masculine and Feminine together.
There's nothing to believe, only everything to directly EXPERIENCE for yourself.
This Christmas take the DIRECT EXPRESS to love. Just open your heart, ask, and you will receive. Love to you all.


text:
Regular price
Note: This product is One of a Kind.
A unique faceted slice of tourmaline is set into a handcrafted custom gold setting. Each tourmaline is chosen for its own color layout, making every necklace one of a kind
Specifications: 18" 14k yellow gold chain and setting. 2.85ct tourmaline. Color and gemstone imperfections are a natural characteristic of the stone

subset: commoncrawl


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A note from HOD: We are recruiting, Etay is mostly through the roadmap. If you are interested in becoming a handler please check out our handler roadmap!
The basic requirements to be considered:
Please check the roadmap for more details!
Kernel Hooking Basics
Kernel in general, whether it be Windows or Linux, is a subject not too many take an interest in, nor is it widely taught. It is however, a place for various types of malicious activities, not often in plain sight and not always easy to detect, many times due to the fact that kernels are not properly understood. This paper gives an overview of what a kernel is, its architecture, common concepts and nomenclatures, and finally explains how kernel hooking works. The focus will mainly be on the Microsoft Windows kernel, although Linux kernel will be mentioned throughout.
The Kernel – "Made as simple as possible, but no simpler"
In simple terms, A kernel is the part of the operating system that mediates access to system resources. It's responsible for enabling multiple applications to effectively share the hardware by controlling access to CPU, memory, disk I/O, and networking, while the operating system is the kernel plus applications that enable users to get something done (i.e. compiler, text editor, window manager, etc.). The critical code of the kernel is usually loaded into a protected area of memory, which prevents it from being overwritten by applications or other, more minor parts of the operating system. The kernel performs its tasks, such as running processes and handling interrupts, in kernel space/mode. In contrast, everything a user does is in user space/mode like writing text in a text editor, running programs in a GUI. This separation prevents user data and kernel data from interfering with each other and causing instability, slowness, and malicious activity.
The primary function of the kernel is to mediate access to the computer's resources, such as:
User mode and kernel mode
Before we continue any further with the kernel overview, two very important components were mentioned that need proper explanation before we move on: Kernel mode and user mode.
A processor in a computer running Windows has two different modes: user mode and kernel mode. The processor switches between the two modes depending on what type of code is running on the processor. Applications run in user mode, and core operating system components run in kernel mode. While many drivers run in kernel mode, some drivers may run in user mode[2]. To further explain the difference between the two:
User Mode
When you start a user-mode application, Windows creates a process for the application. The process provides the application with a private virtual address space and a private handle table. Because an application's virtual address space is private, one application cannot alter data that belongs to another application. Each application runs in isolation, and if an application crashes, the crash is limited to that one application. Other applications and the operating system are not affected by the crash. In addition to being private, the virtual address space of a user-mode application is limited. A processor running in user mode cannot access virtual addresses that are reserved for the operating system. Limiting the virtual address space of a user-mode application prevents the application from altering, and possibly damaging, critical operating system data.
Kernel Mode
All code that runs in kernel mode shares a single virtual address space. This means that a kernel-mode driver is not isolated from other drivers and the operating system itself. If a kernel-mode driver accidentally writes to the wrong virtual address, data that belongs to the operating system or another driver could be compromised. If a kernel-mode driver will crash, the entire operating system crashes
Memory Management
The last two items that outline the function of the kernel deserve more focus. Let's start with the memory management: The kernel has full access to the system's memory and must allow processes to safely access this memory as they require it. Often the first step in doing this is virtual addressing[3]. When a processor reads or writes to a memory location, it first translates virtual address inferred by a program to a physical address.
Accessing memory through a virtual address has the following three advantages:
The range of virtual addresses that is available to a process is called the virtual address space for the process. Each user-mode process has its own private virtual address space. For a 32-bit process, the virtual address space is usually the 2-gigabyte range 0x00000000 through 0x7FFFFFFF. For a 64-bit process, the virtual address space is the 8-terabyte range 0x000'00000000 through 0x7FF'FFFFFFFF. A range of virtual addresses is sometimes called a range of virtual memory.
The diagram shows the virtual address spaces for two 64-bit processes: Notepad.exe and MyApp.exe. Each process has its own virtual address space that goes from 0x000'0000000 through 0x7FF'FFFFFFFF. Each shaded block represents one page (4 kilobytes in size) of virtual or physical memory. Notice that the Notepad process uses three contiguous pages of virtual addresses, starting at 0x7F7'93950000. But those three contiguous pages of virtual addresses are mapped to noncontiguous pages in physical memory. Also notice that both processes use a page of virtual memory beginning at 0x7F7'93950000, but those virtual pages are mapped to different pages of physical memory.
Device Management
We are getting closer and closer towards explaining kernel hooking, this part about device management is now bringing everything we learned so far into a better understanding of the kernel hooking concepts. In order to perform useful functions, processes need access to the peripherals connected to the computer, which are controlled by the kernel through device drivers. A device driver is a computer program that enables the operating system to interact with a hardware device. It provides the operating system with information of how to control and communicate with a certain piece of hardware. The driver is an important and vital piece to a program application. The design goal of a driver is abstraction; the function of the driver is to translate the OS-mandated function calls (programming calls) into device-specific calls. In theory, the device should work correctly with the suitable driver. Device drivers are used for such things as video cards, sound cards, printers, scanners, modems, and LAN cards. The common levels of abstraction of device drivers are:
System Calls
A system call is how a process requests a service from an operating system's kernel that it does not normally have permission to run. System calls provide the interface between a process and the operating system. Most operations interacting with the system require permissions not available to a user level process, for example. I/O performed with a device present on the system, or any form of communication with other processes requires the use of system calls.
A system call is a mechanism that is used by the application program to request a service from the operating system. They use a machine-code instruction that causes the processor to change mode. An example would be from supervisor mode to protected mode. This is where the operating system performs actions like accessing hardware devices or the memory management unit. Generally, the operating system provides a library that sits between the operating system and normal programs. Usually it is a C library such as Glibc or Windows API. The library handles the low-level details of passing information to the kernel and switching to supervisor mode. System calls include close, open, read, wait and write.
To actually perform useful work, a process must be able to access the services provided by the kernel. This is implemented differently by each kernel, but most provide a C library or an API, which in turn invokes the related kernel functions.
Protection Ring
Last fundamental to tackle before proceeding to kernel hooking.
Protection ring [4] or hierarchical protection domains are mechanisms to protect data and functionality from faults and malicious behavior, especially in the field of cyber security. As we have learned from the previous sections, computer operating systems provide different levels of access to resources. A protection ring is one of two or more hierarchical levels or layers of privilege within the architecture of a computer-system. This is generally hardware-enforced by some CPU architecture that provide different CPU modes at the hardware level. Rings are arranged in a hierarchy from most privileged (most trusted, usually numbered zero) to least privileged (least trusted, usually with the highest ring number). On most operating systems, Ring 0 is the level with the most privileges and interacts most directly with the physical hardware such as the CPU and memory.
Special gates between rings are provided to allow an outer ring to access an inner ring's resources in a predefined manner, as opposed to allowing arbitrary usage. Correctly gating access between rings can improve security by preventing programs from one ring or privilege level from misusing resources intended for programs in another. For example, spyware running as a user program in Ring 3 should be prevented from turning on a web camera without informing the user, since hardware access should be a Ring 1 function reserved for device drivers. Programs such as web browsers running in higher numbered rings must request access to the network, a resource restricted to a lower numbered ring. A privilege level in the x86 and x86-64 instruction sets controls the access of the program currently running on the processor to resources such as memory regions, I/O ports, and special instructions. There are 4 privilege levels ranging from 0 which is the most privileged, to 3 which is least privileged. Most modern operating systems use level 0 for the kernel/executive, and use level 3 for application programs. Any resource available to level n is also available to levels 0 to 'n', so the privilege levels are "rings". When a lesser privileged process tries to access a higher privileged process, a General Protection Fault is reported by the OS.
It is not necessary to use all four privilege levels, because the current Operating Systems like Windows, Linux, etc. mostly are using Paging mechanism and Paging only has one bit to specify the privilege level which is either Supervisor or User (U/S Bit). Windows NT uses the two-level system. The real mode programs in 8086 are executed at level 0 (highest privilege level) whereas virtual mode in 8086 executes all programs at level 3.
The following diagram shows privilege rings for the x86 architecture:
Kernel Hooking
The term hooking [5] covers a range of techniques used to alter or augment the behavior of an operating system, an application or any other software components by intercepting function calls, messages and events passed between the different software component. The code that performs the interception of function calls, events or messages is called a hook. Typically hooks are inserted while software is already running, but hooking is a tactic that can also be employed prior to the application being started.
The two main methods of hooking are:
Hooking and Malware
When it comes to malware, and malware analysis, three main categories emerges:
Hooking Techniques
There are about five main hooking techniques:
IAT Hooks
The Import Address Table (IAT) is a really a lookup table to when an application is calling a function in a different module. It can be in the form of both import by ordinal and import by name. Because a compiled program cannot know the memory location of the libraries it depends upon, an indirect jump is required whenever an API call is made. The general format looks like the following: "jmp dword ptr ds:[address]". Because functions in DLLs change address, instead of calling a DLL function directly, the application will make a call to the relevant jmp in its own jump table. When the application is executed the loader will place a pointer to each required DLL function at the appropriate address in the IAT.
The following diagram visualize an Import address table:
Based on the explanation above, if a rootkit for example would inject itself inside the application and modify the addresses in the IAT, that rootkit would be able to gain control every time a target function is called.
Bypass - Detection
Since the Export Address Table (EAT) of each DLL remains intact, an application could easily bypass IAT hooks by just calling 'GetProcAddress' in order to get the real address of each DLL function. In order to prevent this type of a bypass, a rootkit would likely hook 'GetProcAddress'/'LdrGetProcedureAddress' and use that to return fake addresses. In order to bypass these type of hooks, manually implementing a local 'GetProcAddress' and use that local function to get the actual or real function address.
Inline Hooks
Also called trampoline or detours hooks is a method of receiving control when calling a function, before the function has done its job. The flow of execution is redirected by modifying the first few (usually five) bytes of a target function. A standard way to achieve this is to overwrite the first 5 bytes of the function with a jump to a malicious block of code, the malicious code can then read the function arguments and do whatever it needs. If the malicious code requires results from the original function (the one it hooked). it may call the function by executing the five bytes that were overwritten, then jump five bytes into the original function, which will miss the malicious jump/call to avoid infinite recursion or redirection.
The following diagram illustrates the concept of inline hooks:
Bypass – Detection on Ring 3
While in user mode, inline hooks are usually place inside functions that are exported by a DLL. The most accurate way to detect and bypass these hooks would be to compare each DLL against the original code. First, the program would need to get a list of each DLL that is loaded, find the original file and read it, align and load the sections into memory then perform base relocation. Once the new copy of the DLL is loaded into memory, the application can walk the export address table and compare each function vs that in the original DLL. In order to bypass hooks, an application can then either replace the overwritten code using the code from the newly loaded DLL, this could resolve imports in the newly loaded DLL and use it instead. It is important to be aware of the fact that some DLLs will not work if more than one instance is loaded.
The above method of bypassing DLL hooks practically involves writing your own implementation of LoadLibrary. Another method is to use manual DLL loading to detect or even fix EAT hooks, also, EAT hooks are very uncommon.
Bypass – Detecting on Ring 0
Inter-modular jumps occur rarely in Kernel mode. Hooks in ntoskrnl can usually be detected by disassembling each instruction in each function, then searching for jumps or calls that point outside of ntoskrnl. It is also possible to use the same method explained for user mode hook detection by using a driver that would be able to read each ntoskrnl module from disk, load it into memory, and then compare the instructions against the original.
For inline hooks within drivers, scanning for jmp/call instructions that point outside of the driver body is much more likely to result in false positives, however, non-standard drivers that are the target of jumps/calls inside standard kernel drivers should raise a red flag. It is also possible to read drivers from disk. As drivers generally do not export many functions, and IRP major function pointers are only initialized at runtime, it would probably be required to compare the entire code section of the original and new driver. It is important to note that relative calls/jumps are susceptible to changes during relocation, this means that there will be some differences between the original and new driver, however both relative calls/jumps should point to the same place.
SSDT Hooks
The System Service Dispatch Table (SSDT) is a table of pointers for various Zw/Nt [6] functions, that are callable from user mode. A malicious application can replace pointers in the SSDT with pointers to its own code.
All pointers in the SSDT should point to code within ntoskrnl, if any pointer is pointing outside of ntsokrnl it is likely hooked. It's possible a rootkit could modify ntoskrnl.exe or one of the related modules in memory, and slip some code into an empty space, in which case the pointer would still point to within ntoskrnl. As far as I'm aware, functions starting with "Zw" are intercepted by SSDT hooks, but those beginning with "Nt" are not, therefore an application should be able to detect SSDT hooks by comparing Nt* function addresses with the equivalent pointer in the SSDT.
A simple way to bypass SSDT hooks would be by calling only Nt* functions instead of the Zw* equivalent. It is also possible to find the original SSDT by loading ntoskrnl.exe (this can be done with LoadLibraryEx in user mode) then finding the export "KeServiceDescriptorTable" and using it to calculate the offset of KiServiceTable within the disk image (user mode applications can use NtQuerySystemInformation to get the kernel base address), a kernel driver would be required to replace the SSDT.
SYSENTER_EIP Hook
SYSENTER_EIP points to the code to be executed when the SYSENTER instruction is used. User mode applications use SYSENTER to transition into kernel mode and call a kernel function (Those beginning with Nt/Zw), usually it would point to KiFastCallEntry, but can be replaced in order to hook all user mode calls to kernel functions.
Detection / Bypass
IRP Major Function Hook
167 Posts
ISC Handler
Nov 30th -0001
201 decades ago
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Fire breaks out on Mitchell Island auto-wrecking yard, witness describes 'explosions'
Gina Robinson heard it before she saw it.
The South Vancouver resident was sitting at home watching TV in the Fraserview area when she heard an explosion.
"I thought maybe a building had fallen or something," she told Global News.
"I looked outside the window and noticed there was a huge fire over on Mitchell Island."
WATCH: A witness described hearing an explosion at Mitchell Island before she looked to find a fire burning there on Thursday night
The video that Robinson took showed large flames rising up from Mitchell Island, which is located between Vancouver and Richmond.
Robinson said that "tons of explosions" have been happening at the site of the fire, and that numerous residents who live across the water turned out to their balconies to watch it burn.
The fire broke out just before 8 p.m. Thursday, and 75 to 100 per cent of the buildings in an auto-wrecking yard were up in flames when firefighters arrived, said Tim Wilkinson, deputy chief of operations with Richmond Fire Rescue.
WATCH: Fire at Richmond auto-wrecking yard in sends black smoke into the air
It was a first-alarm fire, and firefighters were dealing with the possible collapse of a building, although there were no occupants inside.
There were 28 firefighters on the scene on Thursday night, he said.
Many remained on scene until Friday morning.
READ MORE: Huge fire breaks out at Mitchell island recycling plant
"We had a report of one person trapped in the building," said Wilkinson.
"Fortunately that person was able to self-evacuate without any major injuries. That person has some scrapes and bruising but fortunately no broken bones, no real real long-lasting injuries."
This isn't the only time that a fire has broken out on Mitchell Island recently.
In June, a blaze broke out at a mattress recycling depot, at the very same facility where another fire broke out two years prior.
Here are some photos of the Mitchell Island fire:
© 2017 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.


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Nice News
Feb 19 , 2018 |
Base of starting production of any machinery, accessories, tools or devices starts with proper planning and prototyping work that is the first point to create a design and a demo to check whether you are into the right direction of production or not. China Rapid Prototyping is gaining momentum day after day as a... read more
Jan 16 , 2018 |
NICE Rapid is a leading and fast-moving company inrapid tooling, prototyping and low-volume manufacturing industry. We have many customers from USA, UK, AU, Middle East, South America, South Asia etc. Our main services include rapid tooling of aluminium and steel moulds, rapid injection moulding, rapid die casting... read more
Dec 01 , 2017 | Industry News
A product prototype is a three-dimensional form of an entrepreneur's vision. It is one of the fundamental strides in the manufacturing procedure. Building up a model gives you the chance to truly take advantage of your innovativeness. In any case, availing a rapid prototyping services China is another big step... read more
Dec 01 , 2017 | Industry News
China being the Asia's largest financial hub is also one of the biggest makers of the plastic items and the plastic itself. Read further for details with respect to plastic prototyping China. Plastic is the... read more
Feb 09 , 2017 | Nice News
Yes, that's right, we are hopefully going to achieve the heady heights of ISO certification this year, in order to ensure we are doing the best we can for our customers and our staff! The Boss, Steven, has decided that we are more than worth it, so, we thought it would be nice to fill you in on some details about... read more
Jan 23 , 2017 | Nice News
Yes, it's that time of year again, when we have to make sure our houses are nice and clean and we have a nice, new supply of notes to put into our lai see red pockets. The Year of the Rooster is upon us and we would firstly like to send our big thanks to you, our customers, for helping us to become what we... read more
Jan 19 , 2017 | Nice News
We have a new member of the team to introduce to you – please welcome James Yang, who is a very clever and talented Project Engineer. Not only is James smart, but he is also really nice, so please do not hesitate to give him a call or drop him an email to say hello and introduce... read more
Jan 17 , 2017 | Nice News
3D printing is a market which is ever growing and a universal market as well. Rapid prototyping have a very versatile client base and every year more entrepreneurs are demanding an alternative to the conventional production line manufacturing methods. Therefore, as the service provider of Prototyping China, we are... read more
Jan 12 , 2017 | Nice News
At the present time, you can find ample amount of examples in various industries like medical, automotive and healthcare where the tooling expense is not determined. There are various professionals providing low volume production in order to help the manufacturers produce their products. In doing so,... read more


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Into The Woods – Review
Into The Woods Review:
It would generally be unfair for me to be the one to critique a musical. I've never understood the off-putting way musical characters break into song from seemingly nothing. However, having been exposed to more of them over the years, including brilliant films like Singin' In the Rain, I've developed a reluctant appreciation for some of them. Some musicals are centered, have distinctive songs instead of lines delivered as music, and manage to distinguish themselves as cinematic, and not simply a stage retread.
Keeping that in mind, no specific qualifier is really necessary for Rob Marshall's Into the Woods. The second trailer showed such promise, wrapped around the theme of 'innocence lost'. The film is an entirely different monster. It fails as a musical and a movie, somehow managing to play for over two hours yet devoid of fun, sensibility, and order. I know all the cool kids are attempting crossovers and team-ups these days, but the overlay of multiple fairy tale stories muddles this film. Perhaps the mature themes and subject material work better as a Broadway musical, and live performances gloss over the more sinister overtones. Perhaps the tangled mess of musical numbers works better when they're belted out in front of a live audience. Perhaps Marshall had difficulty finding the movie. Whatever the truth behind why it failed, it most certainly did, to the tune of one of 2014's most miserable cinematic experiences.
Despite multiple introductions and various story arcs, the plot really centers around the baker (Corden) and his wife (Blunt). They cannot have children, so it seems, but have always blamed themselves. As it turns out, a curse was placed on their house by a neighboring witch (Streep), who's so bent out of shape about the theft of her garden that she overreacts. I'll risk it and say that no "greens" were stolen, and instead she was angry at the father for romancing, but not loving her. She's so angry that she even sings about how the father 'raped' her garden. The ever-so-reasonable witch offers to reverse the curse, provided the couple go on a silly journey to gather the necessary items to create a 'potion'. (spoiler alert- there is no 'potion') The couple must go (wait for it) into the woods for these items, or at least they choose to. The plot, various songs, and even the title requires it.
The couple crosses paths with a number of other characters living their own 'fairy tales'. We have Little Red Riding Hood (Crawford), a precocious pre-teen on the way to her grandmother's house who cannot seem to 'stay on the path', and runs into a ravenous wolf (Depp). There's Cinderella (Kendrick), who badly wants to attend the king's festival, but of course her wicked step-family works to keep her away. We also have Jack (Huttlestone), who loves his family's milky-white cow and cannot resist climbing beanstalks. Rapunzel (Mauzy) lets down her long golden hair so her prince (Magnussen) can romance her but not bother to whip up an escape route. All of these sad sacks are required by the plot to enter these woods, where evil lurks, and bad decisions prevail. After considerable thought on the matter, I cannot tell if the music is what prevents me from caring after the character introductions, or the story itself. Likely a hint of both. The only one who seems to know what movie he should be in is Prince Charming (Pine). His charisma, coupled with a surprisingly inoffensive English accent, is the one true strong performance I can point to from the sea of talent present.
Instead of the story that I don't care for, let me focus on why the movie fails. For one, there is something altogether vile and reprehensible about the film's sinister and confusing overtones. Is this a movie for children (rated PG) or adults? Singing gleefully doesn't erase the seriousness inherent in the film's adult themes. We're treated to not-so-symbolic overtones of pedophilia, murder, rape, theft, barrenness, poverty, fear of fatherhood, infidelity, and even body torture. Naturally, I'm aware that these themes are present in the tales from whence they came, but there is no doubt that the way in which they are presented in the film is a stark contrast to the PG rating. Never one to be a prude, I'm astounded that Into the Woods was not only given the lesser rating, but was clearly marketed as a family film, under the deceptive guise of Disney, musicals, and the holiday film season. Perhaps, as I stated earlier, this material works better on stage, and is intended for an adult audience.
I'm also befuddled how director Rob Marshall missed what should have been the central theme, or a common thread all of these tales share at their heart- the loss of innocence, or the desire to protect that innocence. It was obvious to this writer what idea these tales could be united under- so obvious that when the film bothers to acknowledge it for a tiny scene, I recognized an actual film; and a good one at that. When the Witch visits Rapunzel to warn her to what might be out there 'in the woods', we find a sweet, heartfelt, yet sad moment. The scene works so well that when it abruptly ends and devolves back into nonsense, we're left wondering why Marshall cannot see what we're seeing.
I've already spoken to why the music doesn't work. The songs, should we call them that, are a mess. Sometimes we get a 4 minute tune, sometimes a 30 second monologue that is sung, but there exists no flow to them, no natural balance of sound. I'm sure a Broadway or musical lover can tell me about the cadence of stage musicals, or how clever the lyrics are, or how I don't understand the talent necessary to make them work. I would retort that the lack of aural cohesion in this film made me wonder how any musical ever works.
Into the Woods may be the most confusing film in recent memory. It stubbornly refuses to understand what movie it should be, stubbornly refuses to be cinematic in general, and seems to want to speak to only little girls- current and former. Aside from a minute-long scene that works and some occasionally impressive visuals, it is an overlong, confusing mess of a musical. I found myself not caring for any character, or finding myself transported at all. If a supposed whimsical, musical cinematic fantasy cannot provide whimsy, cinematic moments, fantasy, or a modicum of sensible music, has it not failed to do exactly what it should do? I think it stands to reason. Coupled with the clear miss on tone, there isn't a single thing I can recommend about the film outside of a one minute interlude. Find that on YouTube. Skip the film.
Written By:
Josh Adams
Freelance Contributor


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Property Details
Sullivan Station
#205 14885 60 AVENUE, Sullivan Station, Surrey, BC, V3S 1R8, Ca
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Having the feeling that your feet are burning can be very unnerving, to say the least. Peripheral neuropathy, which is often brought about by a poor diet, is a primary cause of that burning foot feeling.
This burning sensation can range in severity from merely a mild, inconveniencing match to a debilitating 4-alarm fire. The most common cause of burning feet syndrome is complications from excess alcohol consumption and neuropathy from diabetes.
Other conditions that can cause you to experience a sensation of hot feet include the following:
● Chronic kidney disease
● Athlete's foot fungi
● Nail fungus
● Hypothyroid condition
● Side effects of medication
● Swelling of blood vessels
● Neuromas
● Nutrient deficiency
● Arteriosclerosis
The treatments for hot feet caused by diabetes should be discussed with your doctor since the consequences of improper treatment can be particularly devastating. A careful combination of blood sugar regulation, proper diet, and proper medication are part of a comprehensive treatment plan that can protect your feet from further damage.
Other treatments for burning feet include:
● Alcohol avoidance - avoiding alcohol will prevent additional nerve damage and allow the nerves to begin the healing process.
● Dialysis - toxic substances increase in the blood and can cause numbness and burning in the feet. Cleaning the blood removes these toxins.
● Vitamin B injections - low B vitamins can cause burning feet problems and injections of the vitamin can help heal the damaged nerves.
Your foot doctor may suggest a variety of tests including nerve conduction studies, urine and blood tests, and finally a spinal fluid test. For burning caused by mechanical deformities including bunions and neuromas, specially made orthotic inserts can be helpful in isolating the area and will allow healing.
If your feet are too hot we highly recommend that you consult our board-certified podiatrists Andrew Shapiro, DPM and Michael Barkin, DPM. With access to advanced technologies, along with years of experience to help diagnose and treat a variety of foot and ankle problems, we can assist you with heel pain, ankle sprains, diabetic foot care, toe deformities, nail fungus, and skin problems, among many other conditions. Our practice is conveniently located on West Merrick Road in Valley Stream to accommodate all of your foot care needs. Call (516) 825-3860 or book an appointment online today!


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Friday, January 1, 2010
Happy New Year
I have been thinking a lot lately about what I hope this new year will bring. Writing has become a passion. It has opened my mind to a new world. I feel like the more I write, the more I have to say. Getting into Costco was one of my goals. Now that I have been there for 3 1/2 months, I find myself being itchy. I have no idea what the future holds for me or my books, but I do know that Isaac's message is much bigger than me, the 9 utah costcos and the nice people who shop there. It seems like it could be a message that others would enjoy and benefit from.
I turned 36 last October. It seems strange to be be thinking about what I will leave behind when I pass on to the next world, but for some reason that thought is always in the back of my mind. Maybe it has been for years. I have often told people that Isaac is the man I hope to become someday and Jake is the man I am today. I still feel like I have too many "Jake Days" and not enough "Isaac Days", but I'm working on it. Cheers to more "Isaac Days" for all of us in 2010.
3 comments:
- Tami Harris said...
What a fun surprise for me today as I was running through Costco for a box of diapers to have you there signing books. I picked up the first book back in Sept. and read it way too quickly. I was so anxious to escape back into the world of Niederbipp and was so sad to have to wait so long. With the chaos of the real world around me, I didn't even realize that it's been close to three weeks that I COULD have had the book already! I am SOO excited to get to reading. You are absolutetly right, Isaac's message could benefit SO many more people. I hope it spreads like wild fire and you find great success this new year. I just hope you still have the time to spend in Niederbipp, so we don't have to wait too long for number 3!
- January 2, 2010 at 12:40 PM
I was givin both of the books for Chrsitmas, and have finished them both. They were the best read I have had in a long time. Please keep writing!
- January 6, 2010 at 8:09 AM
- Karylyn Bliss said...
My husband and I met you in the Bountiful Costco store last week. We purchased Remembering Isaac and you inscribed in the front cover "To the Bliss Family, Viva Neiderbipp" and signed you name. At the time, all I knew about you was your warm smile and humble demeanor and a feeling that I should support your book. Now that I have read it, I wish I would have purchased the second book and had you sign it also. You have an amazing gift for telling a story that makes the reader feel like they are right there in the town of Niederbipp. I am blessed to have crossed paths with you. I too, say "Viva Niederbipp!"
- January 8, 2010 at 5:49 AM


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A bouquet made entirely with urban farmed flowers from Floral & Brick.Read More
Planting time!
I'm exhausted after a day of planting, and I have the rest of the week ahead of me! But, it's a beautiful time, where there is enough already growing so that I can put together a complete arrangement using all my own flowers and foliage. I've done as much of that as I could throughout the early spring, but always had to supplement with some locally-sourced blossoms. I'm super thankful for my late-blooming specialty tulips, because they offer a stunning full bloom when other tulips are done, and before most other plants have flowers.
It's nice to buckle down in the dirt after a hectic Mother's Day weekend. How lucky am I to work in the peacefulness of nature, with cardinals, robins, blue jays, squirrels, and my puppers for company? I wouldn't trade this new life of mine for anything!
My seedlings have been growing under grow lights for weeks now, and they are thriving now that they are out in the sun, even though many of them are still in their containers and not yet in the ground. It's a race against the clock for me now, as I try to get everything planted before they get too big for their containers! I'm a bit worried about my sweet peas .. they were one of the earliest seedlings to get nice and big and healthy, but I had to wait until now to get them in the ground, and they aren't looking too hot. Poor little guys. But hopefully they will pull through!
Happy planting to all you gardeners out there!


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Ouch - that hurt - I had done this entire post, got a phoine call , when i came back i had to log in and lost the whole thing!
Here goes again:
with df i get the following:
[root@GoldenFalcon etc]# df -h /home/tom/music
Filesystem Size Used Avail Use% Mounted on
/dev/hdb1 56G 1.6G 51G 4% /home/tom/music
with du i get:
[root@GoldenFalcon etc]# du -hcs /home/tom/music
36G /home/tom/music
36G total
This (36G used) is correct - the files and file system are all usable - just not reporting correctly in df - which is what most of the GUI disk stat tools use.
Any ideas?


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From Dave Trabert
A very sad but not uncommon process is playing out right now in the Kansas Legislature that is designed to avoid transparency and prevent citizens from knowing exactly where their elected representatives stand on important issues.
Kansans expect that all 125 members of the House of Representatives and all 40 state senators will participate in a robust debate in arriving at each chamber's respective tax plan, but efforts are underway to subvert the full legislative process and put control in the hands of just 6 people and those who appoint them. Continue reading
Filed under: News Articles | Tagged: cjonline, Dave Trabert, Johnson County KS news, Kansas Legislature, Kansas tax plan, Olathe KS news, Republicans | Leave a comment »


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Ashigara Onsen Only-You3.0
"Only-You" is the hot spring spa(Onsen) in Minami-ashigara city in Kanagawa prefecture. It is an alkaline spring with a PH level of 9.5 that helps create beautiful skin, and the hot spring facility is surrounded by beautiful nature.
You can spend a relaxing time in this comfortable Japanese-style facility.
Address: 1520-1 Hiromachi, Minami-ashigara city, Kanagawa
a 15-min drive from the Oimatsuda IC (Tomei Expressway)
a 15-min drive from Kaisei Station of Odakyu line
a 7-min drive from Daiyuzan Station of Izuhakone Railway
Hours: 10:00 - 21:30 (The final admission until 20:00)
Airport/Sta.Yaga St. (about 7.4km) Google Transit
We guide this spot.
5.02 months ago
One of the most beautiful forests and natural looking rotemburo I've seen!!!
5.05 months ago
Hot spring within 1,5hours train ride, to odawara area.
5.0a year ago
Best autumn spa in southern Kanagawa. Wide open spaces; excellent emollient rich water; beautiful natural surroundings, especially after sunset. Nice illuminations, spas, indoor bath all are at around 38C. The amenities and relaxation areas are amazing. Free wifi thorough-out the complex. Friendly staff.
4.0a year ago
Only You has a fairly large facility that serves as a day spa, allowing customers to enjoy the baths from 10 AM to 9:30 PM. There's a relaxation room and a cafe, along with a larger restaurant serving lunch and dinner.
There are 5 rooms for overnight stays. Our package was reasonably priced and included dinner and breakfast. The food was very good and the staff were excellent. It's a great place to stay if you want to see Saijoji, one of the many beautiful temples in Japan.
5.0a year ago
My favourite onsen in Kanagawa. Warm (38C) onsen is so relaxing to stay in for a long time. Healthy buffet lunch avaialable, not quite as good as it used to be but still not bad. Outdoor onsen are great to experience in different seasons. Outdoor areas pleasant to sit in hammocks or chairs under the trees. Extra activities like yoga, stretching and art available at certain times. Usually not crowded at all, although I mostly visit on weekday daytimes and avoid holidays or times likely to be busy


text: Daniel Zuluaga leads Corónica, a collective of musicians from Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Argentina and the US, in a program he created of vocal and instrumental pieces from 18th-century Latin American manuscript sources, including works by Juan de Araujo, Andrés Flores, Joseph de Torres, and Juan Franzés Yribarren. The idea of an empire full of gold, silver, and other treasures was one of the most powerful fantasies that the New World imprinted upon the imagination of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century European conquerors and explorers. As vast material and human riches were plundered, colonizers also planted some precious and perhaps unintended seeds. The one that may have flourished most vigorously was music, which was an effective tool for evangelizing the indigenous and African slave populations. The wonders of polyphony and the teaching of music bore fruits in Colonial Latin America that were nothing short of extraordinary. The geographic immensity of this region, from what is today the Southern United States to Patagonia, offered the most fertile soil for such fruit. The program "An Empire of Silver and Gold," deemed by the San Diego Union Tribune as a "treasure with its own shimmer and gleam," is built around works selected, edited, and reconstructed by Zuluaga from some of the most important musical archives in the Americas—from cathedrals in Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru, among others—woven together to provide an informal overview, a snapshot, of the wonders of music in Colonial Latin America. Artists include: Nell Snaidas, Jennifer Ellis Kampani, sopranos, Solange Merdinian mezzo-soprano, Joell González Estrada, tenor, Adrian Rosas, bass-baritone, Priscilla Herreid baroque oboe, recorders, Aisslinn Nosky, Karina Schmitz baroque violin, Katie Rietman, baroque cello, Grant Herreid, Daniel Zuluaga, Simon Martyn-Ellis baroque guitars, theorbo, Rex Benincasa, percussion


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This week I will be speaking to a group of students about worship. I have a short amount of time and want to make sure I communicate clearly. As a part of my preparation I am going to use this list of questions that I found in the book Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds:
- How much time do I have?
- What the venue like?
- What time of the day?
- Who is the audience?
- What's their background?
- What do they expect of me
- Why was I asked to speak?
- What do I want them to do?
- What visual medium is most appropriate for this particular situation and audience?
- What is the fundamental purpose of my talk?
- What's the story here?
- What is my absolutely central point?
The last question is the most crucial to answer before I put it all on paper. I have become a big fan of focusing on one point in any talk I give after reading Andy Stanley and Lane Jones' book: Communicating for a Change: Seven Keys to Irresistible Communication
Here are the topics for each day:
Day 1: God's Story
Day 2: God Speaks We Respond
Day 3: Glorify God and Encourage Each other
Day 4: God's Story Intersects Our Story


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Free Blur PowerPoint Templates
Free Blur PPT slides add an artistic look to your idea. Such presentations are not just limited to photography or the Arts, but Abstract Green and Leadership Styles cater to a formal environment.
Make a bold impression on your boss by explaining various details of your structural planning with the assistance of an artistic backdrop through free backgrounds for PowerPoint.


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The Current and the Resistance
The other day I was trying to get out of bed, still half asleep and uncoordinated, when my hand bumped into the back of my thigh. I thought, "What IS that soft, warm thing? And why is it in my bed with me?"
Pre-coffee brain, but still, I didn't recognize my own flesh. Why? Because it didn't feel strong and lean like my leg feels. Or used to feel.
For the past year or so, I have had a quadriceps tendon injury, and I haven't been able to exercise like I want. I've been to the orthopedic twice, but things still aren't right. It hurts to go up and down stairs, to sit down, and to stand up. I tried to hike in the mountains last week, and a couple of steps I planted were dangerous, because I couldn't trust my own balance.
You might not notice the difference if you looked at me. I have an easy metabolism for a woman my age. But I can tell the difference, because I remember how I was before. I don't like the change. I want to recognize myself; I want to be who I think I am.
It's frustrating that a small wound could lead to inactivity, which folds into a sedentary life that - poof - makes weak middle aged people. One injury causes twenty more, and then life begins to serve the body instead of the body serving the life. People get trapped inside themselves this way. It's quicksand.
I've been thinking about it ever since, and I've realized that this is not just a problem of my physical body. When I look at other aspects of my life, I see a similar atrophy.
Sore places in my soul have discouraged me from moving certain muscles intellectually and spiritually:
"My last church hurt, so I won't get so involved this time."
"I've already tried to work through that issue with that person. It's never going to work between us."
"There's so much I need to read, I can't get going, because it feels overwhelming."
"All politicians are corrupt. I'll just disengage."
"The Bible confuses an hurts me sometimes, so I'm going to avoid it."
That sort of thing. I've favored my injuries here and here and here. Relationally, ecclesiastically, academically, artistically, I've restricted my activity. I've let a flinch discourage me from stretching, from working through exercises of rehabilitation. It's been easier to sit still and pass time and hope somehow the problem just goes away without attention.
Thank God for curious, intelligent friends. I can feed off them some. I can trust them to throw good food to the ducks. I can trust them to pull me up to the top of the water when I'm drowning. They lug me onto the beach and breathe their own air into my lungs.
Still, my brain and heart are growing silly and idle in certain ways. I'm on government cheese, snacking on whatever gibblets and scraps come my way.
The internet is part of my problem. It's so easy to scroll through social media feeds, licking the icing off all hundred e-cupcakes at the party. I take a bite of a provocative headline and chew up a five paragraph post, but it's more work to read a book, and it's more work to dig into real research. It's more work to do the work of listening and asking questions. It's more work to gain truth slowly and deeply. Living not doing that work is easy, but it is making me soft.
I'm not quite sure what the solution is. Most of the world is tumbling along beside me in this passive current, and because I'm a writer, I need to spend time here, because I have to be fluent in the impulses and language of our time. My toolbox is the vernacular. I need agility with clickbait and felt needs.
And it's not just a matter of building a platform. It's a matter of love. Let's say I spend hours writing grand and complicated essays that only fifteen people will ever read. What good does that do? If that is what God's called me to do, it does great good. I could ask for no more than whatever he gives me.
But if I do that out of pride, out of self-centeredness, out of an insular or withdrawn heart, what opportunity have I missed? Jesus came down to earth and told simple stories out of love, even though he knew plenty about microbiology and quantum mechanics. And he told me to go forth into the world and make disciples.
Good writing doesn't happen in a vacuum. It's covered in sweat road dust. It spits and makes mud. It's plebian.
Still, it's one thing to choose simplicity and another thing to be simple minded. I don't want to get soft because I'm not working out my mind or my heart. I don't want to flinch and avoid, and then write what is easy. I don't want to just chew the cud.
I want to do that work of spending time walking on my own two feet, and then collapsing while I'm carried. I want to dig in hard things, instead of just grazing off whatever my friends drop in my tin cup. I want to go dig underground in the annals of the world, and in the vaults of my hardest truth, and get honest, and get stronger in the difficulty. I want to stop running away from this terrific loneliness and sit in its company and see what it has to teach me. In all of that I want to bring up treasures that do people good, because life is short, and I'm here to give.
Wounds are instructive, but so is physical therapy, and so is intellectual therapy, and so is spiritual therapy. What is my laziness preventing me from doing? How can I refuse to let sore spots make make every choice for me, rejecting Coke-bottle spectacled myopia and a belly full of cultural Doritos? How can I fight for what's waiting to be discovered? How can I live outside the box -- no outside the screen -- aware of what is atrophying in my heart and leaning in instead of away?
I haven't figured it out. I don't want to live in an ivory tower. I don't want to depend on the strength of my own will when I need to learn to rely upon God's resources. But I also know sometimes hard things are worth doing, and that the power of the gospel can become even more clear when we take risks like these. I don't want to just resign. I want to do this work, even when it hurts to stand up from sitting; even when I have to fight myself to get out of bed half an hour earlier to push against the resistance band that pinpoints my weakness to make me stronger.


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After weather conditions forced postponement of the tournament in January, an eagerly awaited competition was hosted at the Pods, Scunthorpe. Matches consisted of 3 games of 2 minutes, with a team winning a game if they had more players left on court than the opposition after 2 minutes. The top two finishers in each age group qualified to represent their school and North Lincolnshire at the Humber School Games Finals on Thursday 26th March , again held at the Pods. Congratulations to the Vale Academy and Baysgarth School for their qualification.
Thanks also to Sir John Nelthorpe School for providing Young Officials for Year 7/8 matches.
Thu Mar 19th at 3:30 PM


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* Preheat oven to 350
* Melt 2 sticks butter in 9x13 baking dish
* Pour melted butter in a container and set aside - making sure bottom and sides of pan are coated first
* Pour 2 cans pie filling (cherry is best) into baking dish
* On top of pie filling, spread 1 package of cake mix (Yellow or French Vanilla is best).
* Pour melted butter over cake mix. Spread evenly so there are no large patches of cake mix on the surface
* Sprinkle entire top with cinnamon to taste (pecan pieces optional)
* Bake for at least 60 minutes, or until all cake mix on surface starts to firm up (my oven takes 65 minutes)
* Serve with whipped cream or ice cream


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A Cincinnati Masterpiece Reopens for Business
Photography provided by Cincinnati museum Center
After an extensive historic restoration of Union Terminal, Cincinnati Museum Center is once again renting out the building's unique spaces for events beginning this fall.
"With Union Terminal being unavailable for these last two years, we are anticipating a large influx of clients looking to be among the first to be booked back into the building," says Andrea Howard, manager of event services. Since its opening in 1933, the art-deco train station has suffered significant water damage and natural deterioration. This full structural restoration has addressed these areas, as well as other behind-the-scenes issues with outdated mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems. "The restoration was critical to the building's future," she says. "Preserving its past ensures the National Historic Landmark will be a meaningful backdrop for events and memories for generations to come." In addition to much needed structural work, areas of the building are receiving a facelift as well. The Reakirt Auditorium will be revamped with new seating. "The restoration is also bringing back some amazing historic elements to the Losantiville Café," she says. "I'm really excited to see how beautifully the space will transform for evening events."
A significant amount of work has been done on the exterior masonry, fountain and plaza, which are iconic backdrops for prom, wedding and group photos. In addition to the popular Grand Rotunda and Public Landing in the Cincinnati History Museum, additional new spaces will be available for guests to rent. "With the variety of spaces we have available, we can accommodate events from 30 to over 3,000 guests," Howard says. "With a building buyout, we have hosted as many as 6,000 guests in one evening." The timeless beauty of Union Terminal provides the perfect background for events, from corporate daytime clients to fundraisers, awards banquets and weddings, with full catering services through foodservice contractors. "Union Terminal's design and scale are breathtaking," she says. "The building is woven into the fabric of our city's history, making it a unique setting for any event." With the structural restoration, this historic masterpiece will stand tall for another 80 plus years. "If you are looking to host your wedding in a place where you can return in five, 10, 20 or 50 years to celebrate an anniversary, Union Terminal will be here, ready to welcome you back."
Cincinnati Museum Center is located in Union Terminal at 1301 Western Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45203. For information on eventspace rental, call 513.287.7044 or visit www.cincymuseum.org.


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TE Connectivity (TE) and ABB announce TE has closed its previously announced acquisition of ABB's ENTRELEC terminal block business.
"We are combining two portfolios that will be more competitive under TE's ownership," said Tarak Mehta, president of ABB's Electrification Products division. "This transaction demonstrates ABB's commitment to active portfolio management, a key element of our Next Level strategy".


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How To Remove And Install The Rear Wheel On Your 1997 – 2001 Honda CR250.
Tools You Will Need:
- 27mm Socket with a breaker bar
- Honda OEM block of wood
- 13mm Wrench for chain adjustment jam nut
- 10mm wrench for chain adjustment bolt
- torque wrench
- Sharpie Marker
Click Here For Wheel And Tire Specifications
(Watch this first)
Start with your bike on a stand with the rear wheel off the ground.
Related: 1997-2001 Honda CR250 FRONT Wheel Bearing Change
Rear Wheel Removal
|(Click to Enlarge)
|Step 1: Count the exposed threads on the chain adjuster bolt and mark it on the swing arm. While this is not precise, it will give you a ballpark when you reinstall your wheel.
|Step 2: Back out the chain adjustment jam nuts a few turns then turn in the adjuster bolts a few turns to relieve pressure on the axle blocks.
|Step 3: Loosen and remove the axle nut and washer.
|Step 4: Lift your tire, knock the axle into the swingarm with your block of wood
Step 5: Pull the axle out.
|Do not use a hammer; you will damage the threads.
|Step 6 & 7: Push your wheel forward to slack the chain, then starting with the top, work the chain off the sprocket, and remove your wheel.
|Make sure to keep track of your spacers, axle block, washer, and axle nut.
Rear Wheel Installation
|Step 8: Install the wheel spacers. The larger of the two spacers go on the sprocket side of the wheel.
Step 9: Align your wheel, and starting at the bottom, work the chain onto the sprocket.
|Step 10: Lift your wheel and slide the axle through.
|Step 11: Install the axle block with the notch facing up.
|Step 12: Install the washer and axle nut, hand tight.
|Step 13: Return the chain tensioner to the marked position. While you're here, double check the chain tension.
Step 14: Match the adjuster on the other side.
|Match the tension bolts as close as you can. A misaligned rear wheel will cause premature wear on the chain, sprocket, swingarm, hub, and is the number one cause of bearing failure, all of which cost money to fix.
|Step 15: Once your tensioners are set, push the axle blocks up to the adjustment bolts, and torque the axle nut to manufacturer specs.
|Remember to take your time, and your bearing replacement will be easy.
|If you want to help take fix your dirt bike to the next level, check out my Patreon page!
Related: 1997 – 2001 Honda CR250 – Shock Linkage Rebuild
If you have any questions or anything to add, please leave them in the comments or on our FaceBook page!
Keep Your '97-'01 CR250 Running Right!
- Service Specification
- Clutch Replacement
- Carburetor Service
- Engine Top End
- Engine Bottom End
- Brakes
- Exhaust
- Front Suspension
- Rear Suspension
- Wheels & Tires
- Kickstarter Inspection
- External Shift Linkage


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President Adama Barrow of the Gambia has sacked the country's head of the civil service.
Habib Saihou Drammeh, who was appointed to the job in January, was sent packing from the job on Friday. No reason (s) was given for his removal but a statement from Mr Barrow's office said it was done in accordance with provisions of the country's constitution.
The statement added that Mr Drammeh will now be redeployed to the Foreign service.
He is succeed by Ebrima Camara, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs.
Mr Drammeh is the third secretary general and head of the Civil Service to work for President Barrow.
He joined the government of President Barrow in December 2017 when he was appointed minister of the Interior, following the sacking of Mai Ahmad Fatty.
In January he was named Secretary General and head of the civil service following the appointment of Dawda Fadera as Gambia's ambassador to the United States.
Mr Drammeh has previously served as director general of the Gambia Tourism Authority (GTA) and director general of the Gambia Transport Service Commission (GTSC) during the regime of former President Yahya Jammeh. He was later accused of corruption and abuse of office, which he strenuously denied.


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Q: Why was there so much confusion with the Secret Service after George W. Bush took over the White House?
A: President Bill Clinton's code name was "Mr. Bush."
© 2019 Comedy Partners. All Rights Reserved. Comedy Central and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of comedy partners.


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The NImrod Barn
sold out
The NImrod Barn
36 x 48
Oil on Canvas
Maple Shadow Frame
This painting was one of the barn at Nimrod, inspired by the painting, The Reader. I painted in with a loose representation of what is actually there but I could not fund what I wanted so set it aside. One day I realized I needed the figure and dog in the left to give the scene some humanity because Nimrod is all about people. I like it so much better, now. I always struggle to make the greens as vibrant as they are at Nimrod, but to my eyes, it is almost neon green when it has rained a lot, so I just have to paint it that way, or ot looks sad to me, not joyful the way it is.
Add To Cart


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Monthly Archives: February 2017
17th floor at De Castle Royal for Rent
Property Detail:
- Fully Furnish
- 1bedroom with balcony
- 1 bathroom
- sizeable living room
- Open kitchen
- Separate dining area
- Balcony right in front of living area
- 24-hour security
- Swimming pool & gym
- More space for parking
Rent include: Management fee, using facility
Rent exclude: Using the Internet, Cable Tv, Utility
Lease term: 1year
Deposit: 1month
Phnom Penh Marketview Q4_2016
– Cambodia's FDI totaled US$2.15 billion in 2016, representing a 25% increase from 2015. The top three recipient sectors for FDI are banking, manufacturing and real estate.
– Nationwide, investment into approved construction projects reached $8.5 billion across 2,636 projects by the end of 2016, an increase of 143% on 2015, which saw $3.5 billion invested in 2,305 projects
– Grade-B office's average quoted rents appreciated by 2.2% q-o-q and 11.2% y-o-y. Average quoted rents of Grade-C offices slightly depreciated by 0.4% q-o-q and ended the year down 1.2%.
– 616 condominium units were launched across two off-plan projects during Q4; representing the lowest level of new launches seen during the last two years.
Please click here to download a copy of the Marketview.


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TORONTO - There was no try for R.A Dickey on Monday night. There was only do.
The veteran knuckleballer — and Star Wars fan — pitched eight innings to earn the win as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the New York Yankees 3-1.
May 4 is known as Star Wars Day because of the trademark catchphrase "May the Force be with you" used throughout the iconic franchise's seven feature-length films.
"It's hard for me to think about losing a game on May the Fourth, y'know? Because I'm such a Star Wars rat," said Dickey (1-3). "I was sitting there thinking 'we're due... we're due for a game like this where it turns out in our favour.'"
When asked if he thought the Force — the quasi-mystical telekinesis used by heroes and villains alike in Star Wars — helped him win, Dickey laughed.
"I'm not going to go that far. But I will say it was an enjoyable game to be a part of, for sure," he said after giving up one run on three hits and three walks.
Pinch hitter Russell Martin drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for Toronto (13-14). Third baseman Josh Donaldson went 2 for 4, scoring once. Brett Cecil earned his second save for the Blue Jays a day after they blew a 6-1 lead to the Cleveland Indians.
"I think that's probably as good as I've seen him in three years," said manager John Gibbons of Dickey. "I don't think he had a strikeout, but he was really good tonight. We definitely needed it after a tough loss yesterday, to bounce back.
"It didn't happen until late in the game but he was as good as I've seen him. A lot of movement. I can't remember any mistakes."
Gibbons and Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos both gave Dickey and the rest of the Blue Jays starting rotating a vote of confidence before the game, saying they believed that Toronto's struggling pitching staff would improve over the course of the season.
Gibbons echoed that sentiment after Dickey's victory.
"Why wouldn't we give them a vote of confidence? We think they're good. We've seen 'em good," said Gibbons. "They're a huge part of the team and we need 'em.
"It's not like they're hanging from trees out there, y'know? They were just going through a tough period. That happens."
Chase Whitley (1-0) struck out six over seven shut-out innings for New York (16-10). He allowed six hits as the Yankees held on to a 1-0 lead for eight innings.
Reliever Chris Martin took the loss after giving up two earned runs in a third of an inning of work. Dellin Betances was charged with a blown save after giving up an unearned run.
Jones drove in Carlos Beltran in the seventh inning for the first run of the game. Beltran had gotten on base with a double to start the inning, then moved to third on Stephen Drew's groundout to first. Jones then grounded out to first, giving Beltran time to cross home for a 1-0 Yankees lead.
Edwin Encarnacion tied the game 1-1 for Toronto in the bottom of the eighth with a one-out double. That plated Donaldson and advanced Jose Bautista to third.
Kevin Pillar then hit an infield fly before Martin hit a single up the third-base line to drive in Bautista. Encarnacion crossed home on an error by Yankees third baseman Chase Headley on the same play to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.
"I thought we had him. It's a do-or-die play," said Headley. "I didn't even know if I had a chance to catch it. When I caught it I just got up and threw it as hard as I could and almost got him."
Martin moved to second on a stolen base before Danny Valencia struck out to end the threat.
Cecil induced an Alex Rodriguez fly out, struck out pinch hitter Chris Young and forced pinch hitter Gregorio Petit to ground out for the save.
Notes: The Blue Jays honoured Canadian Baseball Hall of Famer Jim Fanning with a moment of silence before the game. Fanning died on April 25 at age 87. He played for the Chicago Cubs from 1954-57 and managed the Montreal Expos 1981-82 and 1984, becoming a Canadian citizen in 2012.
Follow @jchidleyhill on Twitter


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Update: caring for fine, natural hair, pt. 2
It's been five months since I started using the Pantene line for fine hair. The results are that my hair has improved quite a bit. Feels stronger and there is a lot less breakage. The verdict is that thickening and/or volumizing products are best for my hair. Now, it's time to try some other products. I boiled it down to two options:
1. SheaMoisture Yucca and Baobab line
2. Organix Biotin and Collagen line
SheaMoisture is more expensive than Organix, but still affordable. However, I will have to order it online because I haven't found a local place that sells all of the Y+B line. The one place that I might have luck is Walgreens, but my memory is hazy on what SheaMoisture products they carry. If they have any of the Y+B line, it's just the shampoo and/or conditioner. I've decided to try Organix first, since it was easier to find local and is cheaper. I used it the first time this past Sunday. In between wash days I also started using the Organix Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum on my hair daily. I just put a tiny bit in the palm of my hand and smooth it all over my hair.
Pretty good, I think. My regimen is: detangle, wash, condition and style.
My detangling conditioner is Tresemme Split Remedy. It has lots of slip and I start on dry hair, pre-wash. For the purposes of detangling, I use a lot of product. I let it sit in my hair, with a cap and towel on while I eat brekkie. Then I detangle with a wide-toothed comb (I'm actually considering trying finger detangling next wash day), then get into the shower and shampoo and condition. I used to wash my hair in sections because I have, like, 90 percent shrinkage and that causes too many tangles and knots. Keeping my hair sectioned until I styled cut down on that. However it seemed like during the shampoo, my scalp never got very clean and it was time consuming to make sure no shampoo remained on my hair. So I now wash my hair loose, put conditioner in, and gently section my hair again, securing with duckbill clips. I never rinse out conditioner, always using it as a leave-in, whether it is technically a leave-in or not. After letting my hair dry slightly (but is still pretty wet), I twisted my hair with Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Smooth and Hold Pudding.
My hair feels good. I would say it is perfectly moisturized. Soft, yet strong. For the weekend, I'm going to wear a twist-out. Then once that gets old looking, I will twist my hair into large twists nightly, wearing it out during the day, until next wash day. This will be my basic regimen throughout the winter.
I'm beginning to think that the hair typing system is not useful for figuring out what products are best for your hair. I suppose it's nice to formalize the different hair types, so that people are aware. But you can tell just by looking if your hair is straight, wavy, curly or kinky; it's not rocket science. I think where a lot of naturals get frustrated is that they stop there and don't consider if their hair strand diameter is fine, medium, or coarse and if their hair density is high or low. Those areas are where product type matter the most. The finer your hair, the less natural protein is in the strand. If you're on the fine end of the spectrum and you overuse moisturizing products, loading too much on, your hair will be a mushy mess and be prone to breakage. Coarse hair as a lot of natural protein in the strand. If you're on that end, overusing protein laden products will make your hair a crispy mess and lead to the same problem: breakage.
I think it is assumed that if your hair is kinky, 4A, B or C, then it's automatically coarse. And you need to moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. There is also a irrational fear of protein, probably based off of some coarse-haired naturals experiences. When one is new to being natural, you are likely to think of fine hair being that less kinky, 3C type. But it does not matter what your curl pattern (or lack of one) is; you can have hair that is anywhere on the fine/medium/coarse continuum. Many naturals also realize their hair isn't very dense. My hair is fine, but the density is high. Some 4A-C naturals have both fine strands and low density. Which means heavy products, too much moisturizing and not enough protein will eventually damage their hair. Or, in the very least, their hair will seem not to thrive well and length retention is difficult, if not impossible.
In my opinion, it is largely irrelevant how kinky or nappy your hair is. When someone decides to transition from relaxers to natural hair, they should (in my opinion, of course) figure out just two things: hair density and strand thickness. Now, there are definitely major differences between hair on the straight to kinky spectrum. Curlier hair is harder to keep moisturized. But if curly hair is fine, making sure you use enough protein helps your hair retain moisture better.


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It was three hours before last Friday's game at Cinergy Field, and
the Cincinnati Reds' clubhouse was slowly emptying. Players
headed for the field to stretch and begin batting practice, while
a scrum of media types clustered around Ken Griffey Jr.'s locker.
Dressed in street clothes, Griffey gathered his things and made
it clear that the questioning would have to end soon because he
too was headed out the door. A teammate ambled by, his path
blocked by the crowd, and tossed a barb at Griffey. It was
righthander Jose Rijo, the Methuselah of the Reds' clubhouse, who
is back in the rotation after a six-year absence from the major
leagues while he rehabbed his ravaged pitching elbow. "Don't tell
me you're announcing your retirement today," Rijo said.
"All I want is five years off like you had," Griffey shot back,
flashing the megawatt grin that was once his trademark. In fact,
the 32-year-old centerfielder probably feels as if he's already
matched the well-rested Rijo in downtime. The reporters weren't
asking him about his swing or the fact that the Reds were in
first place in the National League Central. Instead they inquired
about the injured right knee that had kept him on the disabled
list since April 8 and about how soon he might return. The
patellar tendon he tore while rounding third base against the
Montreal Expos was nearly healed, he said, and he might be able
to play the following weekend in St. Louis.
The plan is for Griffey to return to the lineup full time instead
of easing back in as a pinch hitter or spot starter. There's no
reason to rush him, because Cincinnati is not the same team that
blanched when he went down six games into the season. The 11-time
All-Star is in the unaccustomed position of needing a lineup more
than it needs him. At week's end the Reds, who had been picked by
most observers to be at or near the bottom of their division,
were 21-15, 2 1/2 games up on the equally surprising second-place
Pittsburgh Pirates. In Griffey's absence a kiddie-corps
outfield--Austin Kearns, 22, in right; Juan Encarnacion, 26, in
center; and Adam Dunn, 22, in left--has been the most productive
in the league (chart, page 49). The Reds have also developed a
harmonious clubhouse atmosphere.
"We have one of the best bullpens in the league, we have depth,
we have the enthusiasm of a lot of young guys, and we have the
best team chemistry I've seen here," says general manager Jim
Bowden. "When Junior returns, he'll make us even better."
Not according to some Cincinnati fans. Last week TV station WKRC
created the latest tempest in the stormy 29 months since
Griffey's trade from the Seattle Mariners to his hometown team
(box, page 48). The station conducted a call-in poll in which 74%
of the 800 voters said that Griffey, and not one of his
replacements, should be the one to sit when he comes off the DL.
Dunn received 12% of the vote, and Encarnacion and Kearns 7%
each. Griffey lashed out at the respondents: "I came here to play
baseball. I took less money. I didn't whine or anything. And this
is the thanks I get?" Though he made conciliatory statements a
few days later, he had fueled the fire.
As the incident played out, Griffey's teammates rallied around
him. While he hasn't accompanied the team on the road and usually
doesn't sit in the dugout during home games, he has been integral
to the team's bonding. Last week he had Kearns and Dunn, along
with veteran shortstop Barry Larkin, over for dinner. "I was
like, Man, I'm going to Ken Griffey's house," Kearns says. "There
aren't many guys in the superstar category who would invite a
21-year-old guy over to his place. It shows you what kind of
person he is." On April 30, when Kearns was hit in the face with
a pitch from Los Angeles Dodgers righthander Giovanni Carrara,
Griffey called the rookie to make sure he was O.K.
The thought that Griffey might not reclaim his starting spot is
laughable, but the fact that the question even comes up indicates
just how well the team has been playing without him, particularly
in the outfield. Encarnacion, acquired from the Detroit Tigers in
an off-season trade for outfielder Dmitri Young, shifted from
right to center after Griffey was injured and has performed the
way the Tigers had expected when he was one of their top
prospects three years ago. Encarnacion's lack of discipline at
the plate frustrated Detroit, and even this season he had 30
strikeouts in 145 at bats through Sunday. But he also had a .290
average, a team-leading nine homers, 25 RBIs and seven stolen
After a slow start Dunn has picked up where he left off as a
rookie last season, when he bashed 19 home runs in 66 games; at
week's end he had eight dingers and led the team with 28 RBIs. At
6'6" and 240 pounds, the former Texas quarterback has also added
swagger to the lineup. On May 8, when Kearns was knocked down by
Milwaukee Brewers righthander Brian Mallette, Dunn, who was on
deck, took several steps toward the mound to protest before
Kearns had even dusted himself off.
The biggest splash, though, has been made by Kearns--it's his
emergence that has made Griffey's return to the lineup more of a
brainteaser for manager Bob Boone than anyone thought it would
be. Kearns was summoned from Double A Chattanooga on April 17
because first baseman Sean Casey needed a few days off after
being hit in the head by a pitch. It was to be merely a chance
for the organization's top prospect (Kearns was a first-round
pick in 1998) to get his feet wet in the big leagues before
returning to the farm. "If you saw him in spring training taking
BP with Encarnacion and [reserve outfielder Ruben] Mateo, you
might have thought he wasn't ready," says Boone. "Those guys were
whacking balls all over the place. Austin was just working on his
He seems to have perfected it, batting .385 and knocking in 11
runs in his first 21 games while leading NL rookies with four
homers and a .512 on-base percentage. "He's the most professional
hitter I've got," says Boone. "He hits the fastball, he hits the
breaking ball, and he has a good at bat every time up. There's
nothing he has to work on."
Which is why the Reds now have no intention of shipping him back
to the minors when Griffey returns. Who sits? Boone isn't saying
what his plan is, but it will probably involve using Griffey in
center every day with Kearns, Dunn and Encarnacion sharing duties
in left and right. Dunn will also get at bats by occasionally
spelling Casey at first. "I'm a firm believer that you can have
five players play four positions and get everyone enough at
bats," says Bowden.
However the lineup is jiggered, the rest of the Reds eagerly
anticipate Griffey's return. "I've never gotten to see him when
he's fully healthy," says Casey. "He can only make our lineup
better." Despite the criticism leveled at Griffey over the winter
by former teammates Young and second baseman Pokey Reese, now
with the Pirates--both said that Griffey was not a leader and was
a divisive presence in the clubhouse--his current teammates say
he'll be more than welcome in the locker room as well as in the
lineup. Many of them can't understand why a player who hit 62
home runs over the past two seasons, despite missing 68 games
because of injury, gets such a bad rap.
His teammates concede that Griffey does enjoy perks that other
players don't: Most players wouldn't be allowed to disappear from
the clubhouse hours before a game when the team is at home, even
if they were on the DL; Lonnie Soloff, one of the trainers who
usually travels with the team, stays behind in Cincinnati to work
with Griffey when he's hurt; and even when he's healthy,
Griffey's commitment to pregame stretching is often half-hearted
at best. "It's like driving on your own to spring training
games," says Casey, speaking of the privileged few who are
allowed to forsake the team bus. "Some players can, some can't.
He's Ken Griffey Jr. He's earned it."
It's also true that Griffey isn't a classic clubhouse leader in
the manner of, say, outfielder Greg Vaughn, whose vocal presence
helped will Cincinnati to 96 wins in 1999. "Everybody brings
something different to the table," says Bowden. "We didn't hire
Junior to be a motivator, to be an extra coach. If people have
the expectation that he was going to be everything, that's asking
too much." That may be another difference between the team
Griffey left and the one he returns to. These players have proved
they can win without him; he shouldn't feel obliged to carry them
when he returns.
After the Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 5-4 on Opening Day, Casey
launched into an awkward dance--he calls it his White Man Running
Man dance--while Kool and the Gang's Celebration blared in the
clubhouse. It quickly caught on as a postvictory ritual, and now
all the Reds celebrate by gathering in a circle and bumping and
grinding to the song. Griffey has missed a lot of dancing: The
Reds won 18 times in their first 30 games without him. It will be
interesting to see what happens when he gets out on the floor.
Doing Fine Without Him
From April 8--when Ken Griffey Jr. went on the disabled
list--through Sunday, the Reds' surprising outfield ranked at or
near the top in offensive production in the National League. Here
are the top five NL outfields in the three major offensive
categories over that span.
Marlins .306 Reds 22 Reds 69
Reds .291 Diamondbacks 19 Marlins 60
Diamondbacks .290 Astros 18 Diamondbacks 59
Cubs .290 Braves 18 Braves 55
Cardinals .274 Cubs 17 Astros 53
Marlins 17