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Cinematographer and LX design: Plant Killer, performed by Chanel Samson. Filmed on location in Liverpool by Andrew AB and Callum McLean. Released 14th October 2014.
It's here!
After one of the least straightforward, but most entertaining video shoots I've worked on for some time, the video for Chanel Samson's new single Plant Killer has been released.
After a two-day shoot involving mud, fire, water and plenty of (fake) alcohol, Plant Killer packs a powerful environmental message in a catchy power-punk song.
Check it out:
Plant: Eirik Hansen
Killer: Michael Steinslien
Chanel's Band: Nils Børstrand, Patrick Doyle, Federico 'Freddy' Spera, Daxid 'Dax' Stobie, Oscar Vladau-Husevold
Party People: Eve Howlett, Liam Knott, Charlotte Tangen, Sophie-Anne Lane, Matthew McGurty, Jason Baxter, Helena Johnson, Sara Franczyk
Cinematographer: Andrew AB, Callum McLean
Lighting Engineer: Callum McLean
Make Up: Lucy Maude
Editor: Chanel Samson
Director: Chanel Samson


text: Planned as a two phase project, the first phase was focused on remodeling a well-built, but long neglected 1,600 square foot home constructed in 1957 above the old road bed of Ledgeway Street in Westlake Hills, Texas. A careful evaluation of the existing structure led to the decision that mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems would be replaced, some interior casework and the existing kitchen interior would be redesigned, and a new "temporary" dining room, and bedroom wing would be constructed in a manner that would allow a second phase, more extensive renovation and new construction to occur at a later date. Interior and exterior finish materials were considered based on their potential to be recycled or reused in the future when the second more extensive project would be constructed. Great care was taken by F:F as the Design+Builder to construct the project so that the design intent would be met in its entirety, providing the client with a high quality first phase that would function as a family friendly home. A secondary, but extremely important consideration for F:F as the Design+Builder was to properly set up the phase one work to allow for phase two to be carried out with minimal difficulty on a site that presented topographically challenging terrain to maneuver equipment and stage materials, and allowed very limited access that could not be easily overcome. Phase one completion included a full remodel of interior and exterior of the existing structure, and the addition of temporary space for dining, and permanent new construction of a bedroom wing and study for the family of five.

subset: commoncrawl


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SACRAMENTO — In bursts of fluttering ticker tape and amid peals of cheers on Friday, this city reclaimed the somber date of Sept. 11 as a day of celebration. Under the blazing California sun, an exuberant parade unfurled through the streets in honor of the three young natives who last month tackled a would-be terrorist on a speeding train in France, likely preventing untold casualties.
The three men — Alek Skarlatos, 22; Anthony Sadler, 23; and Spencer Stone, 23, all boyhood friends — stood on a float labeled "Hometown Heroes" as it trundled down Capitol Mall. They doled out handshakes and high-fives and batted off flakes of ticker tape, looking slightly bewildered by all the attention.
It had been less than a month since the trio's European vacation, when they encountered the gunman, Ayoub El Kahzani, who was armed with a Kalashnikov assault rifle and packing a pistol and a box cutter on a high-speed train from Amsterdam to Paris on Aug. 21. Moments after Mr. Kahzani, 26, stood from his seat and fired into the train car, injuring a passenger, he was tackled — first by Mr. Stone — then subdued by the rest of the trio and another passenger.
Their actions "sent a message," said Sacramento's mayor, Kevin Johnson, standing on the West Steps of the alabaster Capitol Building at a rally at the parade's terminus. "It is said that good will always prevail over evil, that's what it said," he added.
The three friends grew up in Sacramento County, and one of them, Mr. Sadler, is a senior at California State University, Sacramento. Mr. Stone is an airman in the United States Air Force, and Mr. Skarlatos is in the Oregon National Guard. "Today, every Sacramentan has their chest puffed out a little bit," the mayor said.
Troops of cowgirls in red, white and blue-fringed chaps astride champing horses followed the young men down the parade route. Men in leather vests emblazoned with military emblems proclaiming their status as war veterans waved American flags at them, and a giant flag hung over 10th Street, suspended between two fire trucks with their ladders extended. At one point, the crowd's collective gaze craned upward as a C-17 transport jet zipped over the parade route. As it reached the cupola of the Capitol Building, it performed a waggle, tipping from side to side in salute.
Many of the spectators were in tears as the young men passed, to choruses of "thank you!"
"It's so beautiful when you have some boys — innocent like that — they can't wrap their heads around what's going on," said Penny Bryant, 62, a member of the Shiloh Baptist Church, where Mr. Sadler's father is the pastor. "It could have gone the other way, we could be going to a funeral," she said.
In the crowd, children in mismatched patriotic socks — one red-and-white striped, one blue with stars — waved and cheered. A 6-year-old Yorkshire terrier named Lexi pranced in a star-spangled tutu.
"It's absolutely unreal," said Mr. Skarlatos, leaning off the float to answer questions as it chugged toward the Capitol. The three have been awarded France's highest recognition, the Legion of Honor; appeared on late-night talk shows; and now starred in their own parade. How would Mr. Skarlatos go back to real life? "You're guess is as good as mine," he said with a shrug. "I have no idea!"
At the parade's end, the three were greeted by a gospel choir and enthusiastic screams from cheerleaders from their alma mater, Del Campo High School. As the riotous afternoon drew to a close, the mayor placed in each of their hands three keys to the city.
The friends each thanked the crowd, ending with Mr. Sadler. He took to the podium, looked around with a grin at the hundreds before him waving tiny American flags, shook his head and seemed at a loss for words.
"Thank God we could all make it back in time," he said. Again, the crowd erupted in cheers.


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LVI Neuromuscular Orthotics
Your neuromuscular orthotic will be fabricated and coronoplastied by a technician that has completed all of the Core 1-7 courses, and all of the Lab courses at LVI, as well as every IAPA meeting ever held. Overseeing the project is the first LVI Mastership recipient for technicians in the world, Bob Clark, CDT LVIM.
The teachings of Bill and Heidi Dickerson along with many of the world's renowned masters in the neuromuscular field will be utilized in the fabrication of your fixed or removable Orthotic made by Williams Dental Laboratory. Our case-specific (LVIM) mastership protocol will be employed in total case management as well as bite management during the coronoplasty phase to ensure very minimal occlusal adjustments. The final coronoplasty is completed under a 20X microscope. A full understanding of where the mandible needs to go during the diagnostic phase of orthotic therapy is critical. Once your patients orthotic are seated, the mandible will have a cleared path allowing uninhibited forward mandibular progression.
We understand and appreciate the clinical time involved to take a proper TENS or MYObite. Your efforts will not be wasted, as we will use all of the neuromuscular training we have to ensure that your patient will be comfortable. Our highly trained Williams Dental Lab team is always available to assist in case planning as well as treatment support . Our experience-based recommendations have helped hundreds of neuromuscular dentists. If we see something that can be done on the clinical side to help enhance the patient's experience or make the process more efficient, you will receive a call and further communication. We work with some of the most experienced neuromuscular clinicians worldwide. After making thousands of neuromuscular anatomic, semi anatomic, flat plane and Gerber "pull forward" orthotics we have encountered some very unique occlusal schemes and know how to handle even the most complicated orthotic designs. Our goal is total patient satisfaction through an "easy to wear and not over contoured or bulky design" which will result in a happy patient willing to accept further treatment, or with acceptance of further treatment. Our new "lingual-less" design is highly praised and widely desired! Doing the high volume of neuromuscular orthotics that we do, we have learned that patients driven by pain need to receive their orthotic appliance quickly. We have dialed in our LVIM lab protocols to handle your orthotic fabrication as quick as a same day "in and out " service. Williams Dental Lab provides this service as an added value for our clients at no additional fee. If you have an orthotic that needs to be expedited for your pain patient please email firstname.lastname@example.com or call us today at 800-713.5390.


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Can you tell the difference between Labour, Tories and LibDems?
As council leaders stand for re-election, can you spot the difference?
With TUSC candidates you can, across Southampton we won't vote for cuts!
What is the difference between Simon Letts, Royston Smith and Adrian Vinson?
After Tory cuts to jobs and services, we now have had two years of Labour cuts to jobs and services. The Lib Dems continue to prop up the hated cuts coalition in Westminster.
No wonder 70% of Southampton doesn't vote, when all parties dish out the cuts but see their own MPs and councillors sink their snouts in the expenses and pay trough and hand out contracts to their friends in big business.
People are suffering a huge rise in the cost of living though council tax, council rents, VAT and utility bills. Food banks are growing across the city.
What we need are more councillors, like Keith Morrell and Don Thomas in Coxford, Southampton, who refuse to implement the cuts and fight for the necessary funding from central government to meet the urgent needs of the city for jobs, affordable housing and community services for the young, elderly and vulnerable.
While the Labour council is celebrating 50 years of Southampton city status, the £30 million cuts planned by Labour for next years budget will guarantee more misery for the majority. Is this what Labour meant when they said they would be "Your friend in tough times?"
That is why candidates across the city are standing as Trade Unionists and Socialist Against Cuts to offer the only alternative to the austerity council policies in the city.
For more information contact Nick Chaffey 07833 681910


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Get GaryWear Active Briefs Through Online Retailers
Get GaryWear Active Briefs Through Online Retailers
For more than 20 years, we've have designed and manufactured high-quality incontinence wear and related incontinence products for customers around the world. In this time, we've relied on our distributor partners to sell our products and connect our customers to high-quality incontinence solutions.
Why do we mention this to you? Our customers sometimes ask us why we don't sell direct. We're a family-owned business with a long history of innovation, and we manufacture our products in our facility based in San Diego. We value our relationships in this industry, and a large part of our success has come from our knowledgeable distributor partners across the U.S.
Our distributors offer one-stop centers for all of your incontinence needs. They carry our pull up incontinence pants and many also sell our washable diapers as well. But in addition to GaryWear Active Brief, these retailers also offer a variety of other products to help you manage incontinence.
For example, check out our friends at AdultClothDiaper.com. They built their entire business on the concept that obtaining quality and reusable products to help manage incontinence should be easy and hassle free. They have committed themselves to selling economic and durable products with a nod to environmentally sustainable multiple-use products. They instantly liked our Active Brief pull up incontinence pant because it fits into their business model.
AdultClothDiaper.com is a great example of a partner distributor that provides easy access and one-stop shopping experiences to make buying incontinence solutions easy for our customers.
We also know that many of our distributors landed into this business because they also have bladder-control challenges. This means they know firsthand the struggles that our costumers face and also the solutions that can help. We believe they know and understand the difference in our quality waterproof incontinence pants from the other, cheaper brands that don't demand the best results from their products. We know this because we ask our retailers for feedback.
Many of our distributors also have practical advice on the types and combination of products that can help their customers effectively manage incontinence. We think this is a valuable part of the purchasing decision. They have time-tested knowledge, which is priceless.
Thinking about buying your next pair of pull up incontinence pants? Go right ahead—find your favorite local retailer on GaryWear's website.


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[First, three links:
• The current puzzle
• Our puzzle-solving guidelines
• A Nation puzzle–solver's blog where you can ask for and offer hints, and where every one of our clues is explained in great detail.]
An indispensable thing for any puzzle-making enterprise is to have test solvers who will give you tough, honest and helpful feedback. It's all too easy, when crafting a crossword or indeed any kind of puzzle, to get lost in the world of your own ideas. Things that seem obvious to you, knowing the answer as you do, can turn out to be unexpectedly daunting for a solver. Clues can include unintended red herrings, and even flat-out mistakes ("I do not think that word means what you think it means") can easily creep in.
For the Nation puzzle, we are fortunate to have the assistance of a tireless, canny and wonderfully generous team of test solvers. They get no credit for their contributions, but these puzzles could not exist without them. Every week we send them drafts of our efforts, and they return them with weaknesses noted and often corrected.
Lest they think we are guilty of ingratitude, we will use this blog post as a heartfelt and overdue note of public thanks to our testers—all of them fellow members of the National Puzzlers' League, and many of them long-time solvers of the Nation puzzle:
• John Chaneski, a writer and puzzlesmith who can be heard on the public radio show A Way With Words and NPR's Ask Me Another
• Mark Halpin, the theater designer and puzzlesmith whom we interviewed here
• Margaret Miller, an editor and children's book author living in Beijing
• Sally Picciotto (Henri's daughter), a dancer and public health researcher
• Greg Pliska, a composer, music director and puzzlesmith who can also be heard on the public radio show A Way With Words and NPR's Ask Me Another
• a group of solvers that meets over breakfast in Berkeley, including Jutta Degener, Joe Fendel, Michael Fidler, Erica Klarreich, Dunn Miller and Barbara Selfridge.
Our editors at The Nation, Judith Long and Sandy McCroskey, are also an invaluable source of advice and wisdom.
Here are a few occasions on which test-solvers saved us from embarrassment, or added something great to the puzzle:
• Puzzle 3217 originally included the word EDWARDEAN, which we clued under the impression that it meant "pertaining to the reign of Edward VII." Testers soon put us straight—we were thinking of EDWARDIAN; EDWARDEAN means "pertaining to the Colonial preacher and theologian Jonathan Edwards."
• In Puzzle 3248, a clue for OPEN SECRET originally read:
Strike recent pose—everyone knows that (4,6)
We thought "strike" was a good anagram indicator, but none of the testers liked it. So the final version read:
Everyone knows that recent pose is affected (4,6)
• One of our favorite definitions was in this clue from Puzzle 3243:
IAGO I back the man who plays Othello (4)
That definition, using "play" in the sense of "manipulate," was suggested by Sally Picciotto, and we adopted it enthusiastically.
• And here is a wicked clue from Puzzle 3246 by Mark Halpin, vastly better than our initial idea:
IMMORAL Wicked Jimmy stripped clergyman Roberts (7)
Needless to say, any mistakes that remain in the puzzle are entirely our own. But because of these good people, there are always fewer than there might otherwise have been.
Please add a word of thanks here, along with any quibbles, questions, kudos or complaints about the current puzzle or any previous puzzle. To comment (and see other readers' comments), please click on this post's title and scroll to the bottom of the resulting screen.


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Sub-pages: | Welcome | Next Meeting | Contacts | Links | Asian hornet |
Reduce your entrances NOW, before wasps wipe out your bees.
Honiton Show – A busy Bees & Honey tent all day! Bees remain the star attraction and the public continue to show interest in all things 'bee'.
Much hard work goes into the planning of the day and huge thanks are due to the Honiton Show Committee who work behind the scenes all year to set this up. Also, to all of you who worked as stewards on the day and/or set up and dismantled, a big thank you, and it must be said you all look very smart in your East Devon polo shirts.
A magnificent East Devon team effort.
Congratulations to all our prize winners – David Shale, Evelyn Pelham, Wendy Wayne, Keith Bone, Richard Simpson, Ges Pelham, Nick Silver, Mike Walters, Mary Boulton, Sue Johnston, Val Bone, Silva de Majo, Ian Meyer and Richard Croft.
East Devon also won the new Branch Cup for most points awarded and a special mention must go to Poppy and Tellulah Robinson whose splendid decorated cup-cakes edged East Devon into first place in the final Class.
Go to the Honiton Show page for a full report
Report of April 2019 meeting
Dance Like No-one's Watching – The role of honeybee communication in colony well being
A talk by Lynne Ingrams
Lynne, who is a Master Beekeeper, explored the Why? and How? of the many different forms of communication between bees, how they respond to their environment, and how this affects the ability of the colony to survive and thrive.
The honeybee colony is often referred to as a super-organism, which means an organism consisting of many individual organisms. The term describes a social unit of animals such as honey bees, bumble bees and ants, which have highly organized division of labour, and where individuals are not able to survive by themselves for any length of time.
Why do bees need to communicate?
There may be 60-70,000 bees in a small enclosed space, so there is a need to operate efficiently. There is also a need to respond swiftly to changing threats and opportunities. Ideally, actions need to be coordinated.
Information flow within the bee
The two main systems for communication within the bee are the nervous system and the endocrine system. The nervous system works very quickly with electrical messages passing to and from the brain to other parts of the bee. The endocrine system produces hormones, which are chemical messages. These are produced in cells or glands in one part of the body and affect cells in other parts of the organism. Thus they may be slower to act compared to nerve impulses.
Information flow within the colony
Because of bees' mobility they can use dance language, trophalaxis and messenger bees to convey information. Bees also produce pheromones that act on other bees through the hive atmosphere (see below). An example would be the sting pheromone which can produce a rapid response.
Division of labour
Queens and drones each have their own jobs in the colony. Workers, however, progress through a series of physiological changes to their bodies as they grow older, enabling them to sequentially act as nest cleaners, larval feeders, queen feeders, honey and nectar processors, wax makers, guards and lastly, foragers. This provides flexibility and a rapid response to changing situations.
How do bees respond to changes around them?
The colony relies on indirect stimulae of the shared environment and will respond accordingly. Thus if the temperature rises to a dangerous level more bees will be recruited to forage for water. Cold weather will produce a clustering response to protect the brood.
Lynne talked about the 'technologies' available to the bees within the superorganism. Thus scout bees recruiting house bees to a good nectar-producing flower will use dances, trophalaxis, antennation, vibration and scent. During swarming they will use pheromones, dances, vibration and piping.
Probably the best known is the scent of the queen which promotes colony cohesion. Workers produce Nasanov pheromone, the 'come hither' signal, and the alarm pheromone meaning 'come and help'. Drones produce their own pheromone used in DCAs and worker brood pheromone inhibits development of worker ovaries as well as stimulating pollen collection.
Food Regulation
Collection of nectar, pollen and water needs to be an efficient, coordinated operation with appropriate division of labour between foragers and storers/receivers. Nectar, for example, is supply driven. Ease of unloading back at the hive dictates what happens next. Too long (50 sec+), and the forager will do a tremble dance to recruit more receivers. A very quick response (less than 20 sec) and the forager will perform a waggle dance to recruit more foragers. An intermediate response time will produce a return to foraging.
There is also a stop signal used to decrease recruitment of foragers when it takes too long to unload. The returning bee will head butt waggle dancers and 'pipe', causing them to 'freeze'. Watch out for this behaviour in your hives!
Another interesting behaviour you might see is the dorso-ventral abdominal vibration or DVAV. This signal is used to recruit non-foragers to forage when there is a long period of flow or a new flow after a dearth. New recruits either go to the dance floor to watch waggle dancers or fly direct to the forage if previously visited.
Pollen regulation within the colony is demand driven. Nurse bees consume pollen and produce protein rich food for foragers. A plentiful supply of high protein quality will tend to inhibit pollen collection whereas fewer feeds or lower protein quality will tend to stimulate pollen collection.
Water regulation is also demand driven, for example when temperatures are high. The response is to recruit unemployed foragers to increase water collection without affecting nectar collection.
Communication within swarming
On the day of the swarm the workers are prompted by a piping signal to warm their wing muscles in the last hour before setting off. Just before setting off, the colony is activated into flight by a few bees performing buzzing runs in the hive. The swarm then settles into a cluster nearby to check they still have the queen, detectable by her pheromones. Nest site selection is arrived at by competing waggle dancers and when consensus is reached the colony lifts off with more piping signals and the scout bees guide the mass by buzzing runs through the moving swarm to the new nest. Finally, bees will be seen at the entrance fanning Nasanov pheromone to guide the stragglers in.
There are many more ways in which bees communicate and probably just as many that we have yet to learn about!
Lynne gave two references:
The Super-organism – Bert Hölldobler & E.O.Wilson
The Wisdom of the Hive – Tom Seeley
Report of March meeting 2019 – A talk by Brigit Strawbridge
Bees: Importance of diversity and relationships with flowering plants
Brigit began by saying she intended covering ALL bees, not just honey bees, as well as other pollinators, in order to show the importance of diversity in plant ↔ bee relationships.
To put things in perspective there are roughly:
320,000 flowering plant species worldwide,
more than 300,000 pollinating animal species
and 25,000 bee species.
In the UK our pollinators include:
59 butterfly species,
2,500 moths,
7,000 flies,
9,000 wasps,
4,000 beetles and
270 species of bees.
'Indicator Species'
The importance of bees became apparent when Brigit explained that about a third of our food and beverage producing plants are pollinated by bees and that up to 80% of flowering plants are dependent on bees for reproduction. No wonder that bees are regarded as a key 'indicator species'. The knock on effect of anything affecting bees will soon be felt in the rest of the environment.
What is a bee?
From Brigit's photos we learned that bees range in size from Wallace's giant bee (Megachile pluto), about 38mm long, to a tiny solitary bee the size of a midge! Worker bumble bees in the UK can be up to 24mm.
Briefly, the life cycle of a bumble bee starts with the emergence of the fertilised queen in the spring. She feeds on nectar and starts building a nest. She provides pollen and nectar for the developing young workers who will take over the duties of colony maintenance, leaving the queen free to concentrate on egg laying. Later in the year the queen lays drone eggs instead of worker eggs, followed by fertile female eggs. The males leave the nest and move to other areas while the queens mate and find a crevice to hibernate over winter.
Bee decline
Causes of bee decline in recent years can be largely attributed to habitat loss and pesticides. Further damage is being caused by climate change, invasion by non-native species and pollution. All of these effects reduce biodiversity and the ability of ecosystems to survive and thrive.
Cross pollination
Cross pollination is the key to diversity of the flowering plants which have been evolving alongside the insect world for the last few tens of millions of years. So we see a range of characteristics in bees enabling them to take advantage of the numerous niches in the plant world. UK bumble bees, for example, have a proboscis length of 15-20mm whereas the honey bee proboscis is only 6mm.
Pollen collection methods vary between species. We are familiar with the pollen baskets of honey bees but red mason bees will 'buzz' on a flower to dislodge pollen, which sticks to the hairs on its abdomen, called the scopa. Sometimes, if the proboscis is not long enough, buff tailed bumble bees will cut a hole in the corolla to reach nectar and pollen, a process called larceny.
Biodiversity facts
98% of wild flower meadows have disappeared in the last century.
Neonicotinoids persist in the environment and pass into the soil and water courses. From here they are reabsorbed into plants, pass into nectar and pollen, and end up affecting pollinators. The toxic mix of pesticides and fungicides affects the ability of bees to ferment bee bread which is essential to their existence.
What can we do?
- Don't tidy your garden too much. Leave heaps of 'rubbish' for bees to nest in.
- Make or buy 'Bee Hotels'. Keep them clean.
- Plant for a succession of flowering plants all through the year. Brigit's list plus a few extras – mahonia, crocus, aconite, celandine, snowdrops, hellebores, dandelion, flowering currant, pulmonaria, vipers bugloss, nepeta, borage, wild marjoram, Michaelmas daisies, sedum, ivy, heathers.
Don't forget the trees and shrubs – viburnum , mimosa, camellias, sarcococca, skimmia.
- Plant wild flower seed mixes for meadows if you have room.
Recommended reference books:
Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland – Steven Falk
Plants for Bees – Kirk and Howes (available to East Devon members from the branch library)
* All images © Brigit Strawbridge


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To the Editor:
Re "Rethinking College Admissions," by Frank Bruni (column, Jan. 20), about a report, "Turning the Tide," urging changes to make applying to colleges less stressful:
Having taught at a highly selective college for 45 years, I have witnessed the competition-induced stress and grade focus of modern college students, so it is a relief to see institutions like mine banding together to do something about it. That said, I think that if such institutions think that merely by changing their admissions criteria they will end this arms race of credentialing, they are kidding themselves.
As long as there are any criteria used to distinguish spectacular students from merely great ones, it is just a matter of time before new system-gaming strategies will emerge. The only solution to this problem I can think of is for schools like mine simply to put the names of all the applicants they think are good enough to succeed into a hat and then admit their class by lottery. Then, to get into Harvard, or Stanford or Swarthmore, students will have to be good enough … and lucky.
Though admissions people won't admit this, admissions is already a lottery. If selective schools are honest about this, they can defuse the pressure on high school students in a heartbeat.
Swarthmore, Pa.
The writer is a professor of psychology at Swarthmore College.
To the Editor:
As a high school junior, I was relieved to hear that many major universities have come up with reasonable steps to curb the frenzies that students get themselves into, such as eliminating the drive to have as many outside activities as possible. But I take issue with the position Frank Bruni takes on Advanced Placement classes and his description of students who apply to elite colleges.
Mr. Bruni vilifies the "A.P. everything" culture, but the A.P. classes I'm taking are both interesting and immensely beneficial. Taking advanced courses in both STEM subjects (physics) and the humanities — American history and language and composition — allows me to see what classes I might enjoy in college and what profession I might enjoy.
Mr. Bruni says many students who apply to top colleges are "slavish adherents to soulless scripts that forbid the exploration of genuine passions," but that could not be farther from the truth for me and many other "exceptional" students. It is possible for me to take three A.P. classes, play sports, do community service, participate on the student council and do everything else that I do while still having my own life.
I still joke around with friends, spend time with my family, and find time to be addicted to iPhone games and crosswords. Painting adolescents as obsessive robots is not a path to meaningful change.
Mamaroneck, N.Y.
To the Editor:
Last year, 37,307 high school students applied to Harvard, and 1,990 were accepted, for an acceptance rate of 5.3 percent. If the admissions criteria envisioned by the report "Turning the Tide" were to be adopted, the number of applicants would likely increase. No matter what the admissions criteria, these teenagers and their parents will still compete intensely to meet and exceed them.
There will still be a "competitive frenzy" among these applicants, which "jeopardizes their mental health." The "hoops" will still be there, but they will be different hoops. Sleep deprivation, anxiety and depression will continue at current levels.
To be sure, the composition of the incoming class would be different, but the number of "emotional wrecks" would still be the same. There is no way to eliminate the pressured competition from a situation that is inherently competitive.
Cambridge, Mass.
The writer is a psychologist.


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In Star Wars: The Card Game, light side and dark side players duel for the fate of the galaxy. While the light side player races to make tactical strikes against dark side objectives, the dark side player works to reinforce his position of command.
Throughout the game, the dark side works to snuff out the last remnants of opposition and secure total control of the galaxy. This is represented by advancing the game's Death Star dial.The dark side advances the dial at the beginning of each of its turns and can accelerate its advancement by launching successful attacks against the light side. If the dial advances to "12," the dark side wins. Given enough time, the dark side player will discover the last remnants of the light side's resistance and wipe them out of the galaxy with a final, commanding gesture.
Thus, just like in the movies, time is always running out for the light side, and its heroes must find the means to strike quickly and for maximum damage. The light side player wins by destroying three dark side objectives, cards that represent a player's missions or strategies. However, destroying an opponent's objective requires getting sufficient firepower past Imperial defenses.
Most of this firepower comes from unit cards, representing the characters, creatures, droids, vehicles, and starships that players may use to strike against their opponents. Enhancements like skills, weapons, and other items make your units more effective in battle, while other enhancements like locations can allow you to expand your play area and accelerate your strategy. The faster you can accelerate your strategy, the faster you can launch massive starships like Home One or Devastator.
Meanwhile, it pays to carry some tricks up your sleeve (or hidden in your armor), and events represent the unexpected developments of the battlefield – daring maneuvers, special powers, disasters, traps, and other sudden effects.


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All posts tagged "Grant Holmes"
Oakland Athletics Minor League Notebook: Ports offense red-hot
The Stockton Ports' offense remained red-hot with another double-digit scoring effort. The Beloit Snappers' pitching staff also continued its recent run...
Oakland Athletics Minor League Notebook: Snappers, AZL A's 9th inning heroics
The Beloit Snappers and the AZL A's saved their best for last, while Grant Holmes and the Midland RockHounds ran away...
Oakland Athletics Minor League Notebook: Rehabs and reunions
Several Oakland A's players made rehab appearances and the A's reportedly signed a former top prospect to a minor league deal....
Oakland Athletics Minor League Notebook: Grant Holmes rebounds
Grant Holmes bounced back, the Vermont Lake Monsters staged a late comeback, the DSL A's walked off winners and much more...
Oakland A's Top 50 Prospects/ 2 years ago
Oakland Athletics top-50 prospects mid-season review: 10-1
During the off-season, we named our top-50 prospects in the Oakland Athletics system. Now that we have passed the midway point...
Midland RockHounds/ 2 years ago
Oakland Athletics Assistant GM Billy Owens on Midland RockHounds prospects
In part three of our mid-season conversation with Oakland Athletics Assistant General Manager Billy Owens, we discuss five prospects currently playing...
Minor League Awards/ 2 years ago
OaklandClubhouse's Oakland A's Minor League Pitcher of the Month: June
Who were the top pitchers in the Oakland A's system for the month of June?
Oakland Athletics Minor League Notes: Luis Barrera saves the Snappers
Luis Barrera played savior off the bench for the Beloit Snappers, while Mickey McDonald and Lazarito had AZL debuts to remember....
Beloit Snappers/ 2 years ago
Midland RockHounds, Stockton Ports, Beloit Snappers look ahead to season's second half
The first half pennant races in the Texas, California and Midwest Leagues came to a close earlier this week. Jason Burke...
Oakland Athletics Minor League Notes: Lazarito heading to the States
Lazaro Armenteros is coming to Arizona, Matt Olson plays hero, Grant Holmes spins a gem and much more news in this...


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It's no secret that the holiday season isn't always jingle bells and gingerbread. Just keeping it real here my friends!
With shorter, shall we say "gray" days looming and cold temps that keep us indoors more often, it can sometimes feel like sunshine and warm summer days are so far away. Then, let's pile on the stress of traveling, entertaining, and family time, sometimes dysfunctional...as I said, keeping it real! Some may say that it is amazing we make it through in one piece. Now that may a bit of an exaggeration, but holiday stress and winter blues can certainly take a toll on us mentally and physically.
Here are a few ways to hack the winter blues that will help you slide into the new year with ease.
Get some light!
A ton of people experience an effect on their mood during the darker winter months. This is called, SAD for Seasonal Affective Disorder. SAD is a cyclic form of depression caused by changes in the circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is a 24-hour cycle that regulates biochemical processes in the body. When the levels of light change in the fall and winter, in some people this cycle can be disrupted. About 70-80% of those diagnosed are women. One of the best ways to counteract symptoms of SAD is to get some light.
Outdoor light, even on overcast days, is still the best way to go. So if you can get exposure to natural light, I highly recommend you do so. If you can't get outside, sunlamps or lightboxes can be a good option. Look for one that is specifically designed to treat SAD. This Philips Golite Sunlamp is a nice one. https://www.amazon.com/Philips-HF3429-60-goLITE-Rechargeable/dp/B00M3SGD4Y/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1512486204&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=philips+golite+sunlam%5B
Vitamin D
We have heard a lot of talk about vitamin D over the past few years. It is both a vitamin and a hormone. It helps us to regulate mood-boosting neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine. Supplementing with extra vitamin D during the fall and winter months is a good idea. For SAD, 1000-5000 IU can be effective. Please check with your doctor first.
Get enough rest
Don't fight it! Rest, hibernate, slow down. Aim to get seven to nine hours of sleep every night in order to reduce stress, balance hormones, prevent moodiness and reduce fatigue.
It's important to keep your body moving during the winter months. Now, this may prove difficult for some who prefer to exercise outdoors. Get creative, try something new if you are not able to get outside as often.
Good eats
This time of year can prove challenging for some to stay on track when it comes to diet. Let's bring a little awareness in here. Instead of making a list of foods to stay away from, shift your energy into trying to incorporate as many whole foods as you can. This is a great time to have some fun in the kitchen. There is no better time of year to try out some soup and crockpot recipes!
Essential Oils
Essential oils can play a big part in mood management and your overall wellbeing. As you inhale aromatic compounds from essential oils, they travel to the olfactory bulb (our emotional brain). This is the only place in the body where the central nervous system is directly exposed to the environment. Our brain is designed to use aroma to soothe and protect itself. These aromas trigger a series of brain chemicals. For example, lavender triggers serotonin, which has a relaxing effect on the mind and body.
So, simply inhaling from the bottle itself or diffusing in your home or office can have a profound effect on your mood.
Some of my doTERRA wintertime favorites for mood management are:
Wild Orange
I could go on. If you are interested in learning more about these and other doTERRA essential oils, hop on over to http://www.meegansciretto.com/oils
Studies have shown that meditation can help reduce cortisol levels, improve your sleep, boost your productivity and improve your mood.
Not sure where to start? www.calm.com and www.headspace.com are ones I really like. They are easy to use as they come with an app on your phone.
Practice it. One of the most challenging parts of the holidays is that people can feel isolated or family and friends can stress them out. When and if you find yourself in this situation, try to focus on how grateful you are for the people and things in your life.
I like to start and end my days with either writing down or mentally running through my head a few things I am grateful for. It's a beautiful practice. Give it a try!
As soon as you feel the stress and mood creeping in, jump on these tips ASAP. Catching these symptoms early can be the difference between enjoying your holiday season or dragging yourself out of a hole. You don't want to linger there too long.
Love & Gratitude,


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White Pumpkins: 3 Ways
It's probably not surprising that white pumpkins are my pumpkin of choice. Of course the orange ones are fun and festive, but the white ones have my heart and we always end up with a house full of them. I love them on their own, but also dressed up.
Here are my three favorite accessories for your pretty white pumpkins.
1. A Bow: It takes all of 30 seconds to tie a bow onto your pumpkin and it's the sweetest addition. Any color will do, just be sure to choose a good width for your size pumpkin. We have ours in her room and it's darling. She loves it. :)
2. A Straw: Now, I don't know if this has quite the same feel as drinking from a pineapple, but petite pumpkin cups are so fun and perfect for your iced Chai Tea or Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Simply cut the top and scoop the insides out ,and then add a small hole for the straw on the side near the top. A pie pumpkin may be a more ideal size in terms of beverage quantity but I love how easy these are to hold.
3. A Buffalo Check Pattern: Of course over here we love blush gingham, but grey, navy, black and so many other colors would be adorable, too. I'm sharing a quick little how-to for this cutie below! I just love how it turned out!
So what do you think? Which is your favorite? xo
Buffalo Check Pumpkin How To:
I used acrylic pink paint and a flat paint brush to help with the lines. Don't worry if yours aren't perfect. It's hard to do on the curved surface of the pumpkin. Mine certainly aren't, and I think it still turned out great. If you are planning to use it as a vase or wanted the top to be removable for any other reason, I would definitely cut that first.
1. Paint your vertical stripes. I had a small/medium pumpkin and I did five. I tried to follow the natural curve of the pumpkin and spaced them as evenly as possible.
2. Paint your horizontal stripes. I would think for most pumpkins two would be good, but you can of course do more. I recommend trying to just connect the two vertical lines so that you are working more in pieces instead of trying to do one big stripe around.
3. This is the most important step. To make the darker checks you will need to adjust your paint color. I added red to my pink to make it darker. In hindsight, I could have just lightened the pink with white for the stripes and then used the original colors for the darker checks. Either way works. Whichever batch you mix, just make sure you have enough made so that you don't have to try to recreate the same ratio/color again. It will be hard to do that and I think the consistency is important. Fill in your squares with the darker paint color.
4. Let it dry and enjoy! <3


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The P'7350 design by Porsche Design Studio is the new highlight of the company exhibition.
Poggenpohl presented the P'7350 design by Porsche Design Studio for the first time at Eurocuccina 2014 in Milan. The extraordinary kitchen concept can now be admired at the premium kitchen manufacturer's company exhibition in Herford and can be ordered from the Poggenpohl dealers.
Poggenpohl and Porsche Design Studio – both companies have been synonymous with unique design, functional perfection and innovative materials for decades now, previously jointly developing the P´7340: a unique kitchen that marked a milestone in the history of fitted kitchens.
That philosophy now continues with the P'7350, resulting in a kitchen archi-tecture that departs from the horizontal lines of conventional kitchens in a completely new interpretation. This effect is made possible by the technology of industrial mitring of the front and carcase. The front merges with the carcase in the mitre to form an exquisitely engineered, vertical line. The mitred cut of the carcase is additionally covered with a stainless steel-effect aluminium profile, to further enhace the combination of engineering excellence and innovative design.
Poggenpohl is the first kitchen manufacturer to be able to produce this elaborate finish with the aid of leading-edge, extremely high-precision manufacturing techniques - engineered, not just simply designed!
The second unmistakable stylistic component of the P'7350 is the blades: solid, vertical design trims made of stainless steel-effect brushed aluminium. They bring variety to the delicately shaped front surfaces, strongly emphasise the vertical lines and can be placed in all functional areas of the kitchen. Experimenting with the contrast between the solid blades and the delicate lines of the front takes full advantage of the possibilities of the P'7350.
Poggenpohl offers three neutral plain colours within the exclusive P´7350 colour scheme with a matt and with a gloss lacquer finish, in addition to an elegant walnut veneer in grey. The P´7350 is not only impressive as plain-coloured kitchen architecture; but also by combining the colours with one another or adding fronts in grey walnut results in a completely new ambience that never fails to highlight its special character.
Poggenpohl has won several major prizes this year. The Kitchen architecture P'7350 design by Porsche Design Studio received the "Silver Stevie Award" last week in the category "new products and product management" in the German Stevie Award 2015 business prize offered for the first time in Germany. The P'7350 had already been honoured with the PLUS X Award innovation prize in addition to the renowned design distinctions the Interior Innovation Award and Good Design Award. The Poggenpohl brand has now been honoured for the 5th time in a row with the coveted quality label "Superbrands Germany 2014/2015".


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These teens better watch out, because it's time to get a little rough! Megan Rain, Gina Valentina, Iggy Amore and Anastasia Rose are here, and they love it when they get manhandled all night long. It's go time, and we're about to show these teens who's in charge! Starring:Megan Rain, Gina Valentina, Iggy Amore and Anastasia Rose, with Chad White, Tommy Pistol and Xander Corvus
Overly flirty teen Megan was ripe and wetter than ever for some hard rough sex. She loved choking on my meat as she struggled to swallow all my inches. Her tiny teen pussy was so soaked my balls were ready to slip inside her too, as I banged the hell out of that young pink hole. Megan could not squeeze in enough of my cock as she rode so hard until I shot all my gallons of hot cum all over her freshly fucked teen pussy.
My super cute and fine teen neighbor Iggy, has been fixated on my cock and once again as I am on the phone with my wife, she is rubbing her sweet teen pussy and grabbing my cock at the wrong time. Since Iggy needs to be fed meat so bad I just decided to face fuck her cute hot mouth and make this teen into a woman. Her body just makes my dick rock hard every time with her juicy young tits and that super juicy ass. I just love bending her over and pounding my cock thru her sweet cheeks just as much as she loves to ride me and finger her very tight ass until I cum loads of cum across her beautiful teen ass cheeks.
Teen Gina Valentina got bored with schoolwork and wanted to know what choking on a fat hard cock was like. Balls deep in her mouth my cock only grew harder and was ready to plow open her tight young teen pussy. With her panties to the side we got to fucking hard and she only wanted it more rough as the pounding continued. We both went crazy and Gina even wanted to taste her own sweet ass juice before I erupted tons of hot glue all over her pretty and pink teen pussy.
Hot Teen Anastasia Rose talked herself into getting some hard huge man cock. She eagerly bent over on the bed and tried to swallow as much meat as she could before choking. I spread her young pussy wide and fucked her like an animal making sure I would give her the best fuck of her life. My cock was so happy going balls deep inside her hot teen pussy I exploded all over her tits, face and hair!


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October 18-19, 2018 in Toronto & Kingston
Protecting breastfeeding: policy and clinical skills
Join us for a full day workshop with world-expert, Marsha Walker RN IBCLC, offering you the skills and strategies needed to make the greatest impact to breastfeeding rates, wherever you work. Whether you practice in the community, hospitals, primary care or private practice or have responsibility for policy-making or advocacy initiatives, you will come away from this workshop with new, practical, evidence-based approaches to helping families meet their breastfeeding goals.
Topics will include:
Cracking the Code: Demystifying the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes
Mammary dysbiosis: Probiotics, vibration, and turmeric?
Stemming the Tide of Supplementation
The Infant Microbiome
Staying out of hot water: practical strategies for addressing conflicts of interest in clinical and health promotion settings
6.0 CERPs will be requested from IBLCE
Space is limited: register early to take advantage of Early Bird Pricing for $160 (increases to $185 on September 15th). Save even more if you register as a group of 5 or more.
Registration now open: For more information and to register - Click here


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Electricians need business insurance to account for any accidents or injuries that may occur in the workplace and avoid the shock of an expensive and unexpected bill.
Be Wiser is a leading business insurance broker working with the top insurers in the UK. We can help you find a competitive quote, no need to fill in lots of forms or paperwork, saving you time and money. Online quotations are available, or everything can be handled over the phone by calling us on 0800 988 4687 or by requesting a quote here.
Our dedicated staff are ready to receive your enquiry and can give you a very competitive quote today.
Liability insurance for Electrician's is vital to cover any work done by you or your employees. In simple terms public liability insurance can protect your business from being sued by a customer as a result of an accident or injury due to the work have are doing or have previously completed. It's an essential piece of cover, and although not mandatory we highly recommend having it as without it, claims can quickly run into tens of thousands of pounds and this would need to be paid from the business without it.
Sole traders, small businesses, medium sized businesses, and contractors that offer electrical services such as installations and wiring will require a certain level of insurance cover. Typically, an electrician should consider a limit of liability between £1 million and £5 million, although higher indemnity limits are available if needed. Our team will discuss whether this is the right option for you.
How much cover your business requires depends on the size of your business and the contracts that you have. In many instances there may be a written contract in place that shows the level of cover that you are required to arrange.
Employer's Liability Insurance is mandatory by law for any business that has employees and in some cases, this would also include self-employed but still working for you. This cover protects you in the event an employee has an accident or is injured as a result of your workplace, or the equipment you provide them to work with.
Our expert teams are on hand to assist with any queries you have, and also find you the best quote for your business insurance. We'll work with you to understand what level of cover is best suited to your business and also what elements of cover you need.
You can call us, or request a call back and one of the team will be in touch at a time to suit you. Already know the level of cover you need? Our online quote engine is quick, simple and you buy cover right there and then comparing a range of quotes from the UK's leading insurers.


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Let's learn how to cook healthy Korean cuisine with a Korean Nutritionist! I'll start by giving you a tour of the local markets where we'll pick up all the fresh ingredients. (You also can check Korean local grocery shops and Korean traditional ingredients.)
After the market tour we'll make two different Korean cuisines at a cozy restaurant called "BigBites" Then I'll tell you the nutritional information about the ingredients, then show you the best way to cook for health and for taste!. We'll cook together and decorate your own table (our staff taking photos of you cook)
When you're ready with your Korean dish, we'll give you complimentary Korean rice wine called "Makoli." Now you can enjoy your own authentic Korean meal with good company :)
Morning Class
Afternoon Class
We'll meet up at Mangwon station (Line 6) exit 2
You will receive the confirmation of your booking's availability within 24 hours. Once confirmed, please present your booking reference number at the cooking school.
Full refund will be issued for cancellation made at least 72 hours prior to the activity


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Bravilor VHG Coffee Container
Bravilor VHG Coffee Container. Electrically heated, double walled container. For use with all Bravilor B-series and B HW-series coffee machines. Prices: quote only.
Enquiry | Call Back | Price Match
When you buy this product you will collect 306 loyalty points. Loyalty points can be converted into money off vouchers.Please click for more info.


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iPhone... silly
People get so caught up in buying the latest and the greatest because they want to say they own it. They want to show it off to friends; they want to boost their image and self-worth. But, do they really need all the features on the iPhone? Most people don't.
Like the 500 channels on satellite TV, it's fun to say that you have it, but you really end up watching the same 10 channels you've always been watching.
And by the way, I don't understand iPods either, but I'll save that for another time...


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Concealed Carry Permits In New Hampshire Is Governed By A State Constitution
State constitutions generally govern the ability to obtain a Concealed Carry Weapons Permit, however, not all states require them. There are just a few states – like Arizona, Vermont, and Alaska – which include what's called "constitutional carry" laws in their legal structure, and a permit is not required to carry a concealed firearm. There are other stipulations within constitutional carry, however, that demand that anyone carrying a concealed weapon identify it when in contact with any Peace Officer. Failure to do so can result in felony charges being filed. Make sure you know the laws in New Hampshire.
Do you know the laws where you live in New Hampshire, you may be able to take advantage of the streamlined application process that exists within "Shall Issue" states. The standard approval process usually includes a background check, one or more required classes, qualification with your firearm (safety and marksmanship), and paying the required fee. Currently, Utah, Nevada, and Florida are the easiest states to obtain a Shall Issue CCW.
Concealed Carry Permits In New Hampshire Are Different From Other States
While obtaining a Concealed Carry permit requires an application for most citizens, even when acquiring one, it doesn't mean that it is free from restrictions. For instance, in New Hampshire you may only be allowed to carry a revolver rather than a semi-automatic pistol, or you may only be allowed to carry a specific caliber of firearm. Additionally, you may have to undergo testing for proficiency regarding weapon safety and marksmanship, and in some instances, your CCW permissions may be limited to the county or city where the permit was issued. Where proficiency testing does occur, it usually happens on either an annual or semi-annual basis.
There are three types of Concealed Carry in States, Shall Issue, May Issue, and Constitutional Carry
Although some issuers of CCWs are not as strict as others, acquiring a CCW in New Hampshire may not be an easy process. There are "Shall Issue" states and "May Issue" states, ( and Constitutional Carry which do not require any permit) and if your state happens to be a "May Issue" state, then the local authorities are generally given discretion as to whether they believe it should be issued or not. However, no matter which type of issuance your state's laws command, you will still have to go through a lengthy application process. In most locales, this means a long application requiring extensive information, some may also require a convincing letter that provides justification for your need of a Concealed Carry permit, and possible an oral interview as well.
Find out how to obtain a CCW - CHL in every State by clicking here; concealed carry permits
#New HampshireCCWPermits #New HampshireCCW #New HampshireConcealedCarryPermits #New HampshireStateConcealedCarryPermits #2Amendment #New HampshireStateIssuedConcealedCarryPermits #New HampshireStateIssuedCCWPermits #New HampshireConcealedCarryStatePermits #New HampshireSheriffsDepartmentIssuedConcealedCarryPermits #New HampshireConcealCarryLaws #New HampshireConcealedCarryPermitReciprocity #New HampshireConcealedCarryStatesList #New HampshireConcealedCarryLicense
The New Hampshire State Constitutional Provision states: "All persons have the right to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves, their families, their property, and the state."
New Hampshire is one of the safest states in the country which was ranked #1 in 2009 in a survey on state crime, yet the state has some of the most relaxed gun laws in the Country. There are no state licensing requirements for the possession of rifles, shotguns or handguns. In New Hampshire, approximately one in every three households contains at least one firearm, and typically two or more. Openly carrying a handgun is perfectly legal, and a license to carry concealed is easily obtained. Yet the homicide rate is just 1.1 per 100,000 residents, and the overall violent crime rate is 169.5 per 100,000. That's lower than in England!
New Hampshire is not unique in having high gun-ownership and low crime. Both Vermont and Wyoming have a high percentage of gun ownership and experience some of the lowest violent crime rates. Conversely, Chicago, New York, and Washington DC which all have the most restrictive gun laws have some of the highest violent crimes in the country.
New Hampshire is a "shall-issue state" for a license to carry a concealed handgun. The act of open carrying of firearms by non-felons is generally permissible. No license is required to openly carry a firearm while not in a vehicle, but carry of a loaded pistol or revolver in a motor vehicle, openly or concealed, does require a CCW license.
A person may carry a handgun openly upon his person or unloaded and exposed or locked up in a vehicle without a license to carry. To obtain a license to carry, a person must apply to the selectmen or mayor or chief of police of the town where he is a resident. The selectmen or mayor or chief of police shall issue a license to the applicant authorizing him to carry a handgun if he is a suitable person to be licensed and has good reason to fear an injury to his person or property or has any other "proper purpose." Hunting, target shooting or self-defense shall be considered proper purposes. The license shall be valid for all allowable purposes regardless of the purpose for which it was originally issued.
US Precision Defense has an on-line store, members only section, Women's section, Reciprocity maps, and much more!
It is federal law that a person buying any type of firearm must be 21 years old. However, in New Hampshire, there are no age restrictions for owning a gun. This means that a 21-year-old individual can legally buy a firearm and give it to their younger sibling as a gift. There are no licenses whatsoever in New Hampshire for purchasing of a gun. This means if one brings identification that proves they are 21 years or older, they can buy a gun. It is up to the dealer whether or not to do background checks. The only license and/or permit that someone can buy in New Hampshire is a concealed carry license, CCW. Anyone can carry an unloaded gun with them in New Hampshire.
As the debate over gun control rages in Washington and across the country, a look at New Hampshire's laws shows that the state has a mostly hands-off approach. When it comes to gun rights versus gun control, New Hampshire falls in the middle of the pack compared with the other 50 states. Unlike in California or New York, there is no permitting process for purchases and no state registration or licensing of firearms. But strong Second Amendment backers said New Hampshire doesn't enjoy the same scope of freedom as states such as Wyoming or Vermont. "There's a lot of people who think New Hampshire is this incredibly firearm-friendly state, and we're somewhat firearm-friendly, but not nearly as firearm-friendly as people think we are," said a New Hampshire resident and gun-rights advocate.
You need a license to carry a loaded gun either in your car, or concealed on your body, in the state of New Hampshire. To carry a loaded gun out in the open, you don't need a license at all. That makes New Hampshire one of 28 states that allow "open carry" to just about anyone, no permit or license needed. People have been free to carry a loaded gun openly in NH since statehood. That is to say, there's never been a law that prohibits or regulates it. It's the same with many other states across the country.
US Precision Defense offers for our members legal advice and Counseling in the event of a shooting or brandishing incident.


text: The 9th annual Fall Retired Teacher's Luncheon was held November 12th, at Comfort Middle School. The retired teachers gathered to be entertained by students and served lunch by administration. CES Honor Choir kicked off the activities with singing. Next CMS Theater class, directed by Ms. Preuss, performed a short play for the retirees. This was followed by CHS Band delighting the audience with a melody mix of music. Wrapping up the luncheon was Mrs. Webb's CHS Theater class performing 3 short, humorous skits.


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Universal kit Active Sound only Sound Booster
Item no.: 41219
With the set "only KUFATEC" you get only the sound booster module and the appropriate cable set
€279.00 *
Cable set for Universal kit Active Sound Booster
Item no.: 40232
Single cable set for retrofitting or as a spare part of the KUFATEC Sound Booster Pro Active Sound System
€39.00 *
Sound Booster Pro only module
Item no.: 42832
The KUFATEC Sound Booster Pro module as a single component for retrofitting to the Active Sound System
€319.00 *


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Thursday, June 21, 2018
This is what was waiting for me in my office at school after the recent earthquake in Osaka...
It could have been much worse as seen here. I went around and took photos of the damage in some of my colleagues' offices, especially those who are currently out of the country. Something for them to look forward to when they return (insert sad/sarcastic emoji here).
Link to news about the earthquake (The Japan Times, 6/18/18): https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/06/18/national/strong-m5-9-temblor-reaching-lower-6-japan-scale-rocks-northern-osaka/
Link to "Osaka earthquake: Useful links and resources (The Japan Times, 6/18/18): https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/06/18/national/osaka-earthquake-useful-links-resources/
My dissertation was damaged and an important teaching folder has disappeared. The biggest casualty was a souvenir from Germany.
My office now smells like old Hefeweizen...
UPDATE: "Local authorities say more than 6,000 structures were damaged in recent Osaka earthquake" (The Japan Times, 6/25/18): https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/06/25/national/local-authorities-say-6000-structures-damaged-recent-osaka-earthquake/
Posted 3:12 PM Labels: earthquake
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Address: 27231 Simrishamn
Skåneleden part 5 of 12. A varied section over sandy beaches, stony coastal meadows and woodland covered cliffs. You can find "eel huts", rocks with strange formations and Stenshuvud National Park. Feast on the orchards and the art.
At Tjörnedala you walk through a recreation area with a herb rich broadleaved woodland, grazed pastures, orchids, pasque flowers and cowslips. According to Linnaeus, this was one of the most beautiful woodlands in the country.
Just to the north you walk past a sand stone flower with petals that are half a metre thick - Prästens badkar (the Priest's Bath). It is said that the priest used this formation as a bath.
At Vik the Trail turns inland and passes by hills and fields. The beach below is swallowed up by the sea and is only accessible at very low water.
Walking along the shore at Knäbäckshusen and into the national park are tougher parts of the Trail and the climb up the hill Stenshuvud makes your pulse race. Dry sandy heaths, wet alder carrs and orchid meadows lie down below. From the top of the hill you can see out over the Hanöbukten bay. There are unusual birds, insects and frogs in the national park.
To the north you come across a couple of arboreta with exotic tree species and the Esperöd Oak. The last part towards Kivik is confined to the road with small pastures and an abandoned quarry where small rare animals flourish.
Cultural History
This section takes you the through fishing villages of Baskemölla and Vik, characteristic of Skåne, where the population lived off fishing and farming.
In between these two villages, you pass through the rural landscape around Tjörnedalagården, shaped by hay cutting and grazing. On the hill to the southeast of the farm, there is a cholera graveyard from 1855.
About a hundred years ago, the whole coastal area was grazed and the woodland re-established during the 1900s. Here and there you can see trees with spreading crowns, which grew up when there was enough space to extend out.
Just above the shore, you find Knäbäckshusen, three fishing sheds, which were moved here in 1956 from Ravlunda rifle range.
Stenshuvud is an ancient rural landscape, which is still grazed. When you walk up towards the top you pass a 210m long wall, the remains of an old hill fort. It originates from the time of the Great Migration, from 400-550 AD.
Close to Kivik you pass remains from the Bronze Age. The most well-known is Kungagraven; a burial cairn with beautiful rock carvings.
Official tourist site of Ystad & Österlen


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Elder Caleb Larsen's Mission to Italy
A Full-Time Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints serving in the Rome Italy Mission
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Leaving this Beautiful Country
This is weird.. I can't believe that I will be seeing you in 2 days!!! I am really sad to be leaving this beautiful country and these incredible people but I am excited to see you all again! I love Cosenza! Yesterday night during English course, toward the end a member came in and sat down. I thought it was a little strange because she had never come in the past. After a few minutes another member walked in and sat down as we started our spiritual thought. After we finished with a prayer the door opened and members and English course students that didn't come to the course that night came in and filled the room. I was pretty confused because the district president, President Favre came in and said we need to talk about the English course. Then turns out that it was just a big surprise party that they planned for me and thanked me and cut my tie ( I have no Idea why they would do that!) and then we ate a ton of food with the members and English course students! It was really cool! I am so grateful for the members and for their strong testimonies and for everything they have done for me. I have loved this two year experience! I have learned a lot and grown a lot closer to my Heavenly Father and to our Savior! I love the church and am infinitely grateful for everything It has given me! The Church is true!! So tomorrow morning I go up to Rome for some interviews and then Friday morning early we will be leaving! I can't wait to see you!!! LOVE YOU TONS AND SEE YOU IN TWO DAYS!!!!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Sneaking up on us Fast!
Wow the 22nd is really sneaking up on us fast! I am sad to see my last days of my time in the mission winding down. I love the mission so much and I will miss it a ton! I am also extremely happy to come back to my great family. This last week has beeng great we found 4 new investigators who are very interested. We are hoping that everything goes well for them. We are planning some great activities with the branch here. We want to teach the members how to better teach in our lessons. Sounds like Tayler and Jared are excited. If they aren't moved in by the time that I get back, I will be more than happy to help them. Well today is really busy for us so I dont have much time but I love you and will see you in 9 days!
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The Gospel changes Lives
Buon Giorno tutti! Great week. The Baptism was great. Tons of members came and also english course students showed up to see what all the fuss was about. It was a great baptism. The spirit was really strong and she was really happy. She showed me the email you sent her to help her translate it. The gospel changes lives! It is crazy how fast time is flying. It feels like I emailed you yesterday. The members are still trying to kill us by feeding us to death! We are spoiled here. Ha They are great! They love to show their love through cooking for us. On Sunday they called a new branch president. President Di Nolfo. He seems to be really on the ball and has already helped us out with a lot. We are hoping to find some new investigators. We keep finding great contacts and then they tell us they are too busy or that they aren't interested anymore. We will keep on trying hard to find the prepared ones. Yes, I did get the letter from Mimi! Thank you! I will be sure to bring some money back from Italy. Thank you for keeping an eye out for work for me. Any of those jobs sound great. So with Anziano Green, he is going to finish right before school starts and to move out he is going to have to find a job as well so until he finds work he will live with his sister that lives in Lehi or something. But he thinks he will find work fast. I am excited/ nervous. It will be a good experience. Well thanks for writing! Love you!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
More Pics
We received a really sweet message from Roberta this week. She has taken all of the missionary discussions and has committed herself to getting baptized this week. Her taking the time to write and send pictures really meant a lot to us! We are all so very excited for her to receive the gospel in her life!
|Roberta and Anziano Larsen
|Anziano Larsen
Planning for the Baptism
Hey! This week we has been having fun planning for the baptism, which should be on Saturday. Here they don't have a built in baptismal font so we are going to learn how to use the "blow up font" here. We are really excited and hoping that everything goes through as planned. Thanks for all the prayers. We have also been having fun doing finding and trying to use a survey that we made to find new investigators. It seems to be working pretty good. Who doesn't want to participate in a Mormon survey?! ha The members have been helpful here the past few weeks. They have put forth a good effort at befriending our investigators in church and encouraging them. I'm grateful for the members here and their strong testimonies of the gospel. For english course we have started showing mormon messages for the spiritual thought at the end of the lesson. It seems to be working pretty well. It always sparks a good conversation and lots of questions! Wow that's cool that Colton got a new job! You will have to let me know if he likes it. It's weird being toward the end of the mission because you feel like you don't have much to say. Hey Dad! How are you? Sounds like you are just having a great time! Haha golfing and kicking it in the sun! I'm glad to hear that you didn't pass out when you got hit in the head with a golf ball! The blessings of the gospel surround us! I'm sure that if you weren't a strong member in the church you would have passed out for sure! Is Cocoa alright! Poor thing. I miss that dog! I was thinking about your question about what I want to do when I get home. First off I want to show the family all the pictures from my mission and tell stories of the crazy stuff that has happened that I could tell, or forgot to tell through emails. Then I want to watch movies with the family and maybe go to a movie with the family. I think that would be fun. oh yeah and eat a ridiculous amount of cereal! haha. Other than that I'm fine with doing whatever. I can't believe we are only a little over three weeks a way! I can't wait to see you! Love you tons and thanks for writing! Oh yeah, weird question. Do you know when my homecoming talk will be? Because if it is the first Sunday I get back I'm going to have to start preparing it here. Just let me know please. Well thanks for everything! Love you all!! 4
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
The Spirit Truly Guided Us
So.. Our investigator Roberta is going to get baptized next Saturday! The 2nd of March. She is great she is about 26 and she is an architect, she is super nice and loves the church. Keep her in your prayers. This week we went to Catanzaro for an exchange. I was with Anziano Di Caro, an Italian who is in his first transfer. We went to an appointment to teach a guy the first lesson. He called us and asked us if we could meet him in his studio. We agreed and went on the search for his studio which was pretty hard to find, but after about an hour we found his studio. We went in and he told us to follow him up stairs. To our suprise there were two other men in the room sitting in front of computers smiling at us. One of them was the head preist over the area in Catanzaro and the other was a pastor of an evangilist church and the third was just a devouted member to the evangelist church, all three of them were great friends that thought it would be fun to invite the mormon elders over to try and confound us. They had their computers filled with researched material ready to destory us! They started bombarding us with questions both about the doctrines and history of the church. It was intense. Haha I don't think that they expected us to know the Bible better than they did. We concluded with a prayer and invited them to pray about it all and went on our way. Hopefully they will do so. I gained a testimony of D&C 71:10 "And if any man lift his voice against you he shall be confounded".. The spirit truly guided us. Then yesterday we found a new investigator! So its been a good week! Sounds like everyone is having fun at home. Grandma and Grandpa are too kind! I sure miss the whole family but am also loving the mission too much! Well I love you a ton and can't wait to see you again! Love you tons and thanks for always writing!! Email 5
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What is a typical session like?
I have written a great article about what to expect when you book a Boudoir Session with Megan VanDort Photography. Take a look at it and read all the great aspects of booking your session with me!
How much do you charge?
The typical client spends between $800 - $2,000 per session depending on which luxury products you would like to have.
How do I book a session?
Booking a session is easy! Just give me a call or send me an email. We will have a quick 10 minute chat where I will walk you through the process, what I can offer you, answer any questions you may have and for you to get to know me and my personality. Once we get to know each other and you decide to book, all I need is a Retainer Fee, which will be applied to your session fee.
What products do you offer?
I offer a complete and customized experience from start to finish and deliver high quality, archival and fine art pieces. Some of my client's favorite items are luxury albums, boudoir videos, keepsake boxes and metal prints! During the photo session process, you will get the opportunity to touch an feel samples of my products so you can be assured you are purchasing the perfect gift for yourself and your significant other!
I don't know how to pose…will you be helping me out?
Of course I will help you with posing! No one knows how to pose themselves, you aren't alone. I help you throughout every pose and fine tune each little detail to ensure you get the most flattering and amazing pictures! Do you want to diminish your butt and thighs? Don't worry I know which poses work to make you look long and lean. Do you wish you had a fuller chest? The right pose will make your chest look much bigger. I pride myself on being able to pose any body shape to make the most flattering angles, so you come out loving the pictures as much as your significant other will!
How much editing do you do?
I cater the amount of editing towards the specific wants/needs of each client. Some clients prefer to have no altering or retouching, while others want the full gamut...teeth whitening, wrinkle reduction, blemishes removed, lumps and bumps smoothed out, a little nip/tuck...etc. My goal is to make you love the images and feel beautiful!
I'm self-conscious about my body. Should I even do a boudoir session?
I have worked with women of all different shapes and sizes. I myself am plus size and know how hard it can be to get in front of the camera. But I know how create amazing images that flatter your body type no matter what size and shape you are in! There are three key aspects that go in making your body look amazing! The first is your lingerie. This plays a huge part in rocking your shoot. Proper fitting attire and lingerie that accents the best assets, while diminishing the ones you want to hide, are key. I work closely with all my clients to help them find the best outfits for their body type. The second is lighting! Lighting can bring out all the bumps, lumps and uneven skin...or it can hide it all! I pay close attention to lighting to make sure your skin and body look beautiful. Third, and most importantly, is posing! Just slight adjustment in posing can make all the difference from a flattering image to one you don't care for. Each client has something about themselves that they do not care for. I work with you to make sure those aspects are diminished and not focused on, while playing up your best features. All three of these aspects are what make a boudoir session and the images amazing, empowering and beautiful! I actually love shooting curvy women! Curves are beautiful, no matter the shape or size. And I love when my clients want to show them off!
Will you be posting my pictures on-line?
Your images will never be posted online without your written permission and a signed Model Release! You can choose to share them all, only specific ones or none at all. There is no pressure to let me use any images. I love when clients allow me to show off their beauty, but completely understand if you rather they stay private.
Do you work with a makeup artist and hair stylist?
I sure do! I know the best artists in the area. Having your hair and makeup done for a session, really makes all the difference in the world! If you would like to meet my premier makeup artist please visit this page. I let my clients decide if and who they would like to go to whoever as I know what a personal preference this can be.
What should I wear for my session?
Lingerie is so fun and yet scary to shop for! What is the best outfit for my body shape? What colors look best on me? Where do I find the best lingerie? Don't worry, I help walk you through the whole process. We work closely in determining which lingerie is best for your body type. Then I send you many different choices of lingerie, specifically for you, and where you can buy it from. Whether you want lingerie you can have for many years or just a beautiful but inexpensive set to wear only for the session, I know where to shop!
Do you shoot out of a studio or in my home?
Yes…to both! I have a beautiful studio I work out of that has amazing and unique props such as bed, couches and chairs. I also shoot on-location. Some people choose this for comfort and an intimate feel. I am also open to shooting in hotels, if you wish.
Do you offer Payment Plans?
Yes, I do offer payment plans for up to 5 months. Contact me for more information!


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Hope you have been enjoying ZWEIHÄNDER Grim & Perilous RPG!
We are in the process of having our prints made and ready for a late August shipping date to our Kickstarter and CrowdOx backers. Although we plan to have a print-on-demand option at DriveThruRPG, we wanted to extend to you an opportunity to purchase a retail-ready, high quality print: the same we offered to our backers.
This 692 page, retail-quality book weighs 5.13 lbs in 8.75″ x 11″ format. The paper is significantly higher in quality than most offset retail prints, and a far cry better than any print-on-demand service can offer. The interior pages are b&w, beautifully illustrated by Dejan Mandic on #70 matte paper. It will also have a full color, soft touch matte cover, with a red ribbon inside the book. We're working with a very reputable printer out of our home town of Kansas City to handle printing. The printer's credits includes Art of Ploog, Larry Elmore's Snarfquest collection and the maker of Wearing the Cape. If you have any of these books, you know precisely the quality you're going to get: solid spine, flawless printing, fantastic paper and a tome that will withstand use around the table and the test of time.
We have a very limited number of these books remaining: 100 of the Kickstarter-exclusive cover by Dejan Mandic and 100 of our standard cover by Jussi Alarauhio. Act fast, as once the remainder of these books are sold, they're gone until we do a second retail-ready print run in 2018.
Check it out here: https://app.crowdox.com/projects/grimandperilous/zweihander-grim-and-perilous-rpg
Daniel Fox
Designer and Author
Grim & Perilous Studios


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The mammoth episode many of you have been waiting for. This is part 2 of our childbearing series, and the one where Tahnee and myself dive deep into the practices, philosophy, diet, herbalism and more that went in to creating the year in which Tahnee was childbearing little Aiya. This podcast was recorded during the first week of the bubba's life, so the sharing experience of the birth is fresh; something Tahnee was wishing to be able to infuse into this intimate sharing of how she chose to approach nourishing her body during pregnancy.
Here's briefly what we cover in the episode plus some more extensive notes than usual from Tahnee for those who are on their own pregnancy journey:
- Pregnancy + Home Birth Plans
- Our Pregnancy diet
- Best supplements during pregnancy
- The best tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms during pregnancy
- Best herbs during pregnancy
- Symptoms of pregnancy
- Pregnancy cravings / changes
- Exercise during pregnancy
- Lots of additional pregnancy tips
- Home birth prep and planning
- Pregnancy book resources
To help spread this message further throughout the world please leave a rating and a review over at iTunes. I love interacting with the community that listens to this podcast, and allows me to ensure that I am brings on guests and sharing information that is relevant and empowering to you. Click here to rate and review the podcast.


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Why {And How} You Should Use Structure in Your Writing
Pantsers, you should probably cover your ears and close your eyes and step away from the computer. Everyone else, lean in a little bit. I want to tell you a secret I learned in the last year: structure is your friend. Please don't confuse structure with formula. I don't expect you to use plot or nonfiction "formulas" in your writing. But you do need to give structure some thought if you want a finished project that can hold water.
One of my favorite writing quotes is from editor-turned-literary-agent Susan Rabiner. As an agent, she found that the biggest issue with submissions she received often wasn't writing quality, but conceptualization, which she defined as "the value added by the author to what is essentially a set of facts, stories, and commentary in search of a larger meaning. To conceptualize is to link these facts, stories, and commentary to a compelling point." In other words, they lacked structure.
"Part of the problem'" she writes, "is that we have all been trained to think about crafting books in terms of writing. Conceptualization is about thinking."
With that in mind, take some time to collect resources and inspiration for structuring your project (see the tools section below for some links!). If you are writing a nonfiction essay, it might be organized based on a logical writing structure. If you are writing fiction, it might be a planning method such as Story Grid, Story Genius, or Robert McKee's Principles of Story (if you haven't picked one yet, do Story Genius--it's my fave). If you're writing a memoir, you might use the Hero's Journey outline.
Or you might chuck it all out the window and create your own unique structure (which is completely fine by the way).
The point is, make a map for your story. Otherwise it's way too easy to get lost.
1. Get out butcher paper and markers.
2. Put on some music, pour yourself a drink, and pull out all your story notes.
3. Draw out the structure of your story. Use words, lines, pictures. Base it on an image (this is my story ladder, my story is shaped like a pie, my story is like a braid with three parts, etc...) or just map it out like an old-fashioned timeline.
4. As you draw/write/list/etc... add in details from BOTH your plot (what happens externally) and your character (what happens internally).
5. Reflect. How does it look? Is it messier than you thought? Is there a clear structure and order? Can you label anything about your structure? Is it chronological? Cause and effect? Where does your structure start to get muddy and lose shape? Can you identify why that happens?
Want some tools to help you figure this structure thing out? Gotcha covered.
- Tools for structuring nonfiction: This post on visualizing the personal essay and this one on using structure in memoir.
- Tools for structuring fiction: This post about using simple question to move your plot forward (and to make sure that everything happens for a reason), this post about using character backstory, this post about how to find a structure for your novel.
- You should also check out these seven tips for structuring your book and this post about how to structure your novel in five minutes (a bit proscriptive, but still really helpful especially if you have a floppy plot).
Want more awesome tips like this delivered straight to your inbox every month? Click here to join the Inklings -- and get access to the Inkling Secret Library complete with resources created just for you by yours truly (stuff you won't find anywhere else on the internet, I shwears).


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This year I started using the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel nail polishes, I've learned a lot about these products over the past few months. It's a gel nail system that doesn't use a UV light to set the polish that claims "In just two easy steps get up to 14 days of color and shine. More chip-resistant than regular nail polish!" Let's cut to the chase, and see if this product lives up to it's claims.
Just two easy steps
This polish system is extremely easy to use, because I only has two steps:
- Step One: This is the color coat. This system does not have a base coat, so the colors will sometimes stain your nail. The instructions call for two coats of the colored polish, but some colors need a third coat if you want them to be completely opaque.
- Step Two: This is the top coat. It has an extremely high gloss finish, and goes on very smooth if you use one thick coat.
In my experience with this nail system it is extremely easy to use, especially for those who haven't work with a standard gel polish and UV light. When you use a polish with a UV light, the polish won't cure/harden/dry until it is placed under the light. Because of this, it can be a hassle to use a standard gel polish. So, I would say this polish is definitely easy to use when compared to the gel polish and UV light systems.
14 days of color and shine
I have not been able to get a completely chip-free 14 day wear with these polish. Typically, I can paint my nails every weekend, and get through the week with no issues. Sometimes, in the middle of the week I'll put on one more Step Two top coat to ensure everything is fully sealed.
Make sure your read my tips and tricks at the end of this post! I share a ton of different manicuring techniques that will extend the life your manicure.
More chip-resistant than regular nail polish
There performance for this claim is why I keep coming back to this polish. I have been able to get a week worth of wear with this polish, and I don't have to think twice about it.
The only times I have issues with chipping is if I get polish that creates a lip on my cuticles or skin, or I've been rough on my nails during the week (opening boxes, peeling off stickers/tape, doing house renovations, etc.). However, I don't see chipping during those circumstances as being the polishes fault. If I paint them properly and do my everyday tasks (office work, cooking, cleaning, etc.), then I haven't had issues with chipping.
My tips & tricks for using this polish
As mentioned before, some of the Step One color polishes may need more than the two coats called for in the instructions to be completely opaque. All of the colors I have only need a max of 3 thin coats of the color plus one top coat to last one week.
Do not paint your cuticle or skin with the nail polish. This tip that will make any manicure last longer, but these polishes release easier if they get snagged since they do not have a true base coat. Take your time when painting your nails, and clean up any polish that gets onto your skin before it dries.
Leave a gap between your polish and cuticle. This is another tip that will help any manicure, but especially with these polishes because they lack a true base coat. You want to leave a gap between the color polish and the cuticle. Then with the Step Two top coat, you want to paint past the color and onto the unpainted nail in this gap. DO NOT PAINT YOUR CUTICLE OR SKIN! By painting on the unpainted nail in the gap, you create a a better seal with your polish. This will greatly extend the life of any manicure, but especially one you wear for a week or longer.
Wrap your polish under the tip of your nail at least once for both steps. If you have shorter nails like me, when you do this you'll have to clean your skin under your nails, but it's worth it. This helps reduce the chances of the tip of your nail not being sealed in fully, and pealing up at the tip. Once again, this is something I would recommend doing for any manicure, but definitely if you plan on wearing your polish for a week or more.
For longer wear, add a second layer of top coat every 5-7 days. I did mention this before, but this is probably the easiest way to get longer wear with this product. By doing this, you will re-seal the nail polish, and reduce the probably of getting chips or keep chips from getting worse.
My colors
What are your thoughts on this product?


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If pressed, I will claim that I seldom buy individual braces. They accumulate via the medium of those package deals known as "the tool chest" or "the fiver for the lot" and so forth. Except it's not actually true. All too many braces of unusual size or design or make have followed me home simply because they were a brace of unusual size or design or make.
One such is this singularly unprepossessing 10" example.
I should pause here, and admit that every time I set forth to get clear in my mind which chuck type is called which, I slip and fall in a quagmire of patents and confusion, get a splitting headache, and run away before understanding anything. So you're welcome to tell me what this is called and I'll be entirely grateful and not in the least embarrassed at not knowing. My best guess was is would be classed as this one, but then folks mutter about subtle differences and... Gah. Whatever. It looks like this:


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The government of China will reform and refine its systems to facilitate the country's pursuit of high-quality development and environmental protection, Premier Li Keqiang pledged as he delivered the Government Work Report at the opening of the second session of the 13th National People's Congress on March 5, Caspian Energy News (www.caspianenergy.net) reports with reference to the press statement of the State Council of the People's Republic of China.
Green development is a critical element in modernizing an economy and a fundamental solution to pollution, Premier Li said.
The government will unveil a series of measures to strengthen green and environmental industries, including quickening the pace of upgrading thermal power, steel and other industries to achieve ultralow emissions and enforcing upgrades in heavily polluting sectors to achieve compliance with standards, Premier Li said.
The country plans to reduce sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions by 3 percent in 2019, while making continuous efforts to reduce the density of PM2.5, a major particle pollutant, in key locations, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei cluster, the Yangtze River Delta region and the Fenhe-Weihe River Plain area, most of which is located in Shanxi and Shaanxi provinces.
To achieve the target, the central government plans to allocate 25 billion yuan ($3.7 billion), a year-on-year increase of 25 percent, for air pollution control. Five billion yuan is expected to be allocated for soil contamination control. The planned budget for water pollution control stands at 30 billion yuan. Both of the later two budgets saw an increase of more than 40 percent from last year, according to a draft budget report submitted to the national legislature.
More details: http://english.gov.cn/premier/news/2019/03/06/content_281476551117058.htm
Person in charge of the newsline: Olga Nagiyeva


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If genetic differences across races are responsible for the persistent and widening achievement gap, as some have argued, can racial differences in intelligence be observed at birth and through the early months of cognitive development?
Prior to this research, studies of the cognitive abilities of young children had been small-scale and rare. Using a newly available and nationally representative data set, the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), which includes data for over 10,000 children born in 2001, we were able to analyze a test of mental function for children aged eight to twelve months, to assess whether an achievement gap was present during the early months of childhood development.
Read the full paper here.
Our research found only minor racial differences in test outcomes among infants aged 8 - 12 months, which disappear under a limited set of controls. While we cannot rule out the possibility of genetic influences, these data suggest that the achievement gap emerges not because of innate racial differences in intelligence, but because of differences in environment.


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Some people have a hard enough job keeping one wife happy – but in the case of Brady Williams, he has no less than five to think about.
And now the happy sextet – who live in one big polygamous family in Northern Utah – are set to reveal their unusual lives to UK audiences as their reality show, My Five Wives, makes its debut on UK screens.
The fly-on-the-wall show not only lifts the lid on the family's unusual living arrangements (with their various broods of children) – in which the ever-busy Brady hops from one spousal bedroom to another – but also offers an insight into just how the 'sister wives' all get along when it comes to sharing a man.
Here – in a bid to save you staring at the screen and looking a bit puzzled as one wife after another comes along – is our guide to who you'll be watching…
Wife number one
Name: Paulie
Married: 21 years
Children: Daughters Harley, Madeleine, September, Mara, Camry and lone son Joshua
The first of the quintet to lead Brady up the aisle,
What she says: 'It's hard…you have to share Brady, the kids have to share him and sometimes you feel like you are alone.'
What he says: 'In other polygamous families the first wife is the 'queen bee', but that's poison. Our marriage is co-equal in every way.'
Wife number two
Name: Robyn
Married: 20 years
Children: Hannah, Lauren, Dane, Tommy and Trey
The 'sensitive' one of the bunch. Openly confesses to having made each of the other wives a 'Brady body pillow' as a Christmas present one year. Shares a birthday with her husband, which can only lead to trouble when he decides to spend it with another wife.
What she says: 'The hardest thing about having sister wives is that there's so much of Brady that isn't for me.'
What he says: 'I thought Robyn would just fit in to what me and Paulie had created, but that was just dumb.'
Wife number three
Name: Rosemary
Married: 18 years
Children: Kimberley, Taylor, James and Brandon
Aspiring music teacher Rosemary describes herself as 'the chubby one' compared to her 'sister wives' and gets all tearful when she starts to talk about the flip side of polygamy. She mentions her weight quite a lot actually. A little too much if we're being honest.
She says: 'I tried working out with Paulie for a while…I just felt like the hippo next to the ballerina.'
He says: 'When Rosemary thinks I'm not attracted to her it breaks my heart because I am…I'm hopelessly attracted to her.' (awwwwww!)
Wife number four
Name: Nonie
Married: 15 years
Children: Paul, Rachel, Marisa, Aidan, Taylie
Self-confessed perfectionist who berates her daughter for leaving a pair of socks on the floor. Then goes on to freak hubby out by suggesting she might want to have another baby. (yes, you can almost see the fear in his eyes).
She says: 'I like things to be in order….I am the worrier.'
He says: 'To bring in another child…it weighs heavy on me.'
Wife number five
Name: Rhonda
Married: 14 years
Children: Eden, Lake, Arwen and Nicholas
Rhonda is the perky medical assistant and 'nurturer' who seems to spend much of her time trying to persuade her youngest to use the potty, cooking for the masses and thinking about adopting another child.
She says: 'I lucked out big time getting all of these women in my life…it's just amazing.'
He says: 'Nobody knows Rhonda and doesn't love her. All of the kids want to go to Aunt Rhonda or Mother Rhonda for their boo-boos.' (Er, yes…….)
My Five Wives kicks off on TLC on Monday May 26 at 9pm.