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Check this site out its just hilarious!!
The English-to-12-Year-Old-AOLer Translator
29 Friday Jun 2007
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29 Friday Jun 2007
Check this site out its just hilarious!!
28 Thursday Jun 2007
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1. Sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a well lit place in front of your computer.
2. Log onto MSN,Yahoo and ICQ (be sure to go on away!). Check your email.
3. Read over the assignment carefully, to make certain you understand it.
4. Walk down to the vending machines and buy some chocolate to help you concentrate.
5. Check your email.
6. Call up a friend and ask if he/she wants to go to grab a coffee. Just to get settled down and ready to work.
7. When you get back to your room, sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well lit place.
8. Read over the assignment again to make absolutely certain you understand it.
9. Check your email.
10. You know, you haven't written to that kid you met at camp since fourth grade. You'd better write that letter now and get it out of the way so you can concentrate.
11. Look at your teeth in the bathroom mirror.
12. Grab some mp3z off of kazaa.
13. Check your email. ANY OF THIS SOUND FAMILIAR YET?!
14. MSN chat with one of your friends about the future. (ie summer plans).
15. Check your email.
16. Listen to your new mp3z and download some more.
17. Phone your friend on the other floor and ask if she's started writing yet. Exchange derogatory emarks about your prof, the
course, the college, the world at large.
18. Walk to the store and buy a pack of gum. You've probably run out.
19. While you've got the gum you may as well buy a magazine and read it.
20. Check your email.
21. Check the newspaper listings to make sure you aren't missing something truly worthwhile on TV.
22. Play some solitare (or age of legends!).
23. Check out bored.com.
24. Wash your hands.
25. Call up a friend to see how much they have done, probably haven't started either.
26. Look through your housemate's book of pictures from home. Ask who everyone is.
27. Sit down and do some serious thinking about your plans for the future.
28. Check to see if bored.com has been updated yet.
29. Check your email and listen to your new mp3z.
30. You should be rebooting by now, assuming that windows is crashing on schedule.
31. Read over the assignment one more time, just for heck of it.
32. Scoot your chair across the room to the window and watch the sunrise.
33. Lie face down on the floor and moan.
34. Punch the wall and break something.
35. Check your email.
36. Mumble obscenities.
37. 5am – start hacking on the paper without stopping. 6am -paper is finished.
38. Complain to everyone that you didn't get any sleep because you had to write that stupid paper.
39. Go to class, hand in paper, and leave right away so you can take a nap.
21 Thursday Jun 2007
If you are one among the lucky to have a couple of millions stoved away in a swiss account and you still haven't given a thought about starting an engineering college in Tamilnadu or any part of south India, you must be a fool.
Lately owning an engineering college has become a fashion statement and heck its so profitable that even I'm thinking of starting one when I get a job. No, I am not kidding for any proper analysis into this field will baffle you with its profits and chances to convert your black to white. I'll save my detailed plans of getting an engineering college running (with help pf gapp ofcourse) and restrict myselves to guiding prospective "vice chancellors" in naming their college.
Note : Anyone naming their college according to the following guidelines is liable to pay royalty amount of $4999.95 as per creative geniuses license act of 21-jun-2007.
Engineering colleges in TN, if you have noticed are named as per set pattern and what I have done is merely adapt them to present them as a set of rules.
Option 1 : Identify your family deity. It's favorable that the name of your deity is queer enough. After that name the college as <insert deity name here> college of engineering.
e.g : Moombabigai college of engineering, raja rajeswari college of engineering, bannari amman institute of technology, andal alagar college of engineering, st. joseph's coe etc…..
Option 2 : Name your college after your mother, father, wife,son,daughter or any relative of yours for that matter. Its also advisable that you combine multiple names to get a really long name. If possible try to include titles like annai,sri etc to your relatives name to get the effect also place of birth of the relative may be added to his/her name.
e .g : Annai mathammal sheela college of engineering, ponniyah ramajayam college of engineering, velammal college of engineering etc…
Option 3 : Select a great leader, living or dead and name the college after him. It gives a dignity to the college and people are attracted by the name.
e.g: Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam college of engineering, Mahatma Gandhi college of engineering etc…
Option 4: Simple enough.Name the college after the place where it exists.
e.g : Vellore Instititute of Technology, Kongu engineering college etc…
Option 5: This I fear is most widely exercised though it doesn't exist on its own. It is the magic of TLA¹ . Many colleges in TN are named in glorious TLA's. Its simple enough. The college is named as X.Y.Z college of engineering, where X,Y,Z may be any alphabet. That leaves you with 26×26×26 = 17576 names. Most times these letters serve as an acronym for names got through the above mentioned cases but the rule is not strict and arbit permutation may also be chosen to name the college.
e.g : A.R.M c.o.e, V.G.P c.o.e etc…
Now that you have been enlightened about naming an engineering college, three cheers to you in starting one. Don't forget the royalty though. 😉
18 Monday Jun 2007
Courtesy : suraksha
Enjoyed it throughly just check it out. Before you do that, do as she says…
18 Monday Jun 2007
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The Root
Short Q&A with Ted Quaday, MOFGA's Executive Director
With more and more people in Maine choosing to grow their fruits and vegetables without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers, an organization like the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) can be especially handy. As many of you already probably know, MOFGA supports aspiring farmers with their Apprenticeship and Journeyperson programs, offering hands-on, immersive training,… Read on
The Root
My favorite homesteading and farming books
These are the books I pull off the shelf, out of the pile every winter and help me rethink what I want to grow and what needs to be done in preparation for those late spring days. Read on
The Root
Movies Featuring Garden and Farm Life
The films in this list make you want to grab a packet of heirloom seeds, dig holes and rip out weeds. Spend the night watching one of these films featuring gardens, farm families, or farm country. Green Card – Gerard Depardieu plays an out-of-work French composer who enters into an arranged marriage with an American horticulturist, played… Read on
The Root
The Great Cluck Egg Farm Egg CSA
Back in October, 2012 when I was figuring out what do with all the eggs a couple folks I know suggested I start an egg CSA. The most obvious and brilliant of ideas for the gal who loves hardboiled eggs (I eat one or two a day), but can't possibly put away eight or nine… Read on
Who I Met
Penny Jordan- farmer
It takes grit to grow veggies and even more to run a business selling them. Meet Penny, of Jordan's Farm. Read on

subset: commoncrawl


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I read this article today in the Guardian and thought it was worth pointing out. The article, "London is getting into the Olympic spirit – by kicking out the Gypsies" by George Monbiot argues that the Olympics, often thought of being a way to boost the economy for the poor, is in fact very hard on the poor in the city, many times leaving them without any housing at all. Continue reading London, the Olympics and Getting Rid of the Poor
Tag: Issues in the Church
Some Problems with Online Christian Communities | And Why You Should Stay Away
Online communities continue to grow Myspace, Virb, Facebook, delicious, flickr, twitter, digg, 30boxes, box.net, etc, etc, all offer a way for people to share and stay in touch. I personally like the attention web 2.0 companies have paid to making the web more interactive in this way. I use many of the services above, and have found that they add to my life in various ways simply helping me to easily connect with other people. Continue reading Some Problems with Online Christian Communities | And Why You Should Stay Away
Life At Woodbrooke | 5 weeks Deep Part 1
I've been in the UK for almost 5 weeks now and it feels like the time is flying (I arrived on May 2nd). My Wife, Emily, will be here in approximately 22 days, 11 hours 53 min and 39 seconds. Of course, that was when I wrote that sentence, now it's much sooner! Life has been fairly hectic since I got here and it's kept me from reflecting too much on what's been happening since I arrived but I thought it'd be good to at least say a few things about life in Birmingham at the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Center thus far. Continue reading Life At Woodbrooke | 5 weeks Deep Part 1
Marquee: Emerging Approaches to Church Leadership (And The Fading Ones Too)
In our class on The Emerging Church, we spend a good amount of time talking about what leadership looks like, and what it doesn't because these questions tend to be pretty pressing for seminary students planning on going into the ministry upon graduation. The missional and emerging churches, along with an assortment of anabaptist, radical catholic groups and Quaker meetings stress a non-hierarchical leadership role. Continue reading Marquee: Emerging Approaches to Church Leadership (And The Fading Ones Too)
Online Communities and Radical Reformation Perspectives
Today the Urban Connection of the Mennonite Mission Network has published an article on web communities. I am really excited about the article, Online Finds: Web Leads to Real Communiy by Ryan Miller, for a couple reasons. First it shows that the Anabaptists are also asking questions about the global information culture and implications for the church. And second, Ryan interviewed me and used some of our conversation in the article! Continue reading Online Communities and Radical Reformation Perspectives
Winds of the Spirit: Convergent Friends Workshop (Providence 2007)
As most of you know by now I spent the end of last week in Providence Rhode Island helping with a workshop about convergent Friends. I wanted to give an overview of what we did there so that those of you who are curious can be in the know. Continue reading Winds of the Spirit: Convergent Friends Workshop (Providence 2007)
Learning a New Language While Building a House: Reflections on Quaker Heritage Day
Psa. 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
This past weekend my wife and I visited Berkeley California for a gathering called "Quaker Heritage Day." It's not unlike any church conference that invites someone to come and speak various messages with worship scattered throughout and a lunch break in the middle. What makes it different is that the main topics being discussed revolve around Quakerism, worship is done through silence, and the people in attendance are from a variety of Christian and non-Christian persuasions within the Friends church. Continue reading Learning a New Language While Building a House: Reflections on Quaker Heritage Day


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Press Statement
September 8, 2010
Chesapeake Bay Foundation Statement Regarding Maryland's River-Bay Cleanup Plan
Maryland's DRAFT Watershed Implementation Plan:
MD Dept. of the Environment Chesapeake Bay TMDL Website
An Introduction (PDF)
Transmittal Letter to EPA (PDF)
Executive Summary (PDF)
Draft Phase I Watershed Implementation Plan (PDF)
Public Meetings (PDF)
Submit comments on the DRAFT Plan to: email@example.com
The public comment period runs from September 24 through November 8.
5 Critical Actions Your State Legislator Can Take to Help Save the Bay(PDF)
(ANNAPOLIS, MD)���Jenn Aiosa, Senior Scientist in the Maryland Office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, today issued the following statement regarding Maryland's draft Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan (WIP):
"The WIP is Maryland's opportunity to define how it will implement a pollution diet for its rivers and the Chesapeake Bay. Upon initial examination, we are concerned with the WIP's lack of clear delineation of the changes in practices and programs necessary to guarantee that pollution reductions will occur. There are some good proposals in the WIP���to strengthen stormwater permit requirements, for example. But the WIP is unclear on what actions the state will take and when it will put those actions on the ground. What the WIP needs is a clear articulation of the legislation, funding, incentives, or other initiatives the state will pursue to achieve sustained water quality improvement."
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation will be commenting in detail about the draft WIP during the public comment period, which runs from September 24 through November 8.
For more information on the Watershed Implementation Plan and Chesapeake Bay TMDL, go to cbf.org/biggestfight.


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"The service I received from start to finish was brilliant! The people fitting the doors did amazing job, couldn't ask anymore from them. Extremely happy customer!"
"I can highly recommend Caddy. They were professional and helpful at every stage and most importantly the finished job was carried out to a high standard…"
"Great service, very professional all round including fitters and store/sales staff. Very competitive prices including a detailed quote broken down per window so we could…"
"Great experience from booking through to finish. Very professional company, excellent prices – really great service and wouldn't hesitate to recommend."
"Have had new windows and door fitted this week by Caddy. 1st class service from the start. Friendly non pushy Representative, friendly surveyor and superb installer"
"Caddy installed six new windows and three doors- including front door and new wave doors- and they were brilliant. Always here dead on time, worked later if they needed to…"
"We found Caddy Windows to be extremely helpful, professional and friendly, right from the first home visit to provide a quote through to the installation just a few weeks later."
"Thank you Caddy Windows! Our new windows and front door look fantastic. Their showroom is brilliant and the staff were really friendly, clean and did an amazing job.
Credit is provided by Ikano Bank AB (publ) and is available subject to status to UK residents aged 18 or over. Caddy Windows acts as a credit broker not a lender and only offers credit products for Ikano Bank AB (publ).Ikano Bank is authorised in Sweden by Finansinspektionen, the regulator for banks in Sweden, and is subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority. Ikano Bank is a trading name of the UK branch of Ikano Bank AB (publ), which is registered with branch number BR016253.The registered office of the UK branch of Ikano Bank AB (publ) is Waterfront House, Waterfront Plaza, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3DQ.Caddy Windows Limited is an Appointed Representative of Shermin Finance Ltd, which is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority – FRN 727594. Shermin Finance Ltd is a Credit Broker not a lender. They offer Credit Facilities from a panel of Lenders. Caddy Windows is a Trading name of Caddy Windows Limited Reg no 04404519


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Ride of Your Life
By- Shevi Arnold
Seventeen-year-old Tracy Miller met the love of her life . . . thirty years after her own death.
Tracy was working at the House of Horrors at the Amazing Lands Theme Park when the fire broke out. Instead of running, she lost her life trying to save eleven-year-old Mack. Now thirty years have passed, and suddenly everything changes with the arrival of two new ghosts: a little girl named Ashley and a cute, seventeen-year-old boy named Josh. Josh would do anything for Tracy, but can he help her let go of the past?
Ride of Your Life is a bittersweet, romantic, YA ghost story that was inspired by a true event, the Great Adventure Haunted Castle fire, which killed eight teenagers in 1984, exactly thirty years ago this May 11th. It is a fantasy novel about undying love, and it won third-place in Smart Writer's Write It Now (W.I.N.) contest in the YA category, which was judged by Alex Flinn, the author of Beastly and Cloaked.
Hang on. Love can be as terrifying as a roller coaster, but it can also be the Ride of Your Life.
Additional information about the Six Flags Great Adventure Haunted Castle fire- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haunted_Castle_(Six_Flags_Great_Adventure)
**My thoughts**
It's sad that this story was inspired by real events, but what a lovely thought, that those who have moved on may still be around on some level, helping those who have recently passed over.
Tracy and Mack have made it their afterlife's goal to take care of the newbies. Okay, so it is more Tracy who has a compelling need to take care of the ghosts. Josh also seems to have a big heart, as he died trying to save Ashley. Ashley is just a sweet little girl who died in a freak accident. Mack is a troubled tween who has found more love and affection in the afterlife than he ever had in real life. The bond between these kids is heartwarming, especially because in real life, they probably would have never bonded. I like how even in the afterlife, one can grow and mature. I even like the idea of a little romance.
I liked the unique setting of an amusement park as the "waiting area" to go to Heaven. I liked the creativity in how the ghost kids made themselves comfortable as they found new ways to carry on their new afterlives. It made me wonder what I would do, should I get stuck somewhere like that after I die. And in a weird way, it did make me crave visiting an amusement park once again. I grew up with Cedar Point and had fun imagining what it would be like to run around there, without being seen.
All in all, a fun YA romance with a bit of adventure, that would be a great summer read.
It's sad that this story was inspired by real events, but what a lovely thought, that those who have moved on may still be around on some level, helping those who have recently passed over.
Tracy and Mack have made it their afterlife's goal to take care of the newbies. Okay, so it is more Tracy who has a compelling need to take care of the ghosts. Josh also seems to have a big heart, as he died trying to save Ashley. Ashley is just a sweet little girl who died in a freak accident. Mack is a troubled tween who has found more love and affection in the afterlife than he ever had in real life. The bond between these kids is heartwarming, especially because in real life, they probably would have never bonded. I like how even in the afterlife, one can grow and mature. I even like the idea of a little romance.
I liked the unique setting of an amusement park as the "waiting area" to go to Heaven. I liked the creativity in how the ghost kids made themselves comfortable as they found new ways to carry on their new afterlives. It made me wonder what I would do, should I get stuck somewhere like that after I die. And in a weird way, it did make me crave visiting an amusement park once again. I grew up with Cedar Point and had fun imagining what it would be like to run around there, without being seen.
All in all, a fun YA romance with a bit of adventure, that would be a great summer read.
And here is an excerpt from 'Ride of Your Life' -
They started with the arcade. The virtual reality games were most popular with the living, but they required wearing goggles, which meant ghosts couldn't enjoy them without going into a living person. Still, Josh and Tracy could play almost all the other games. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a handful of quarters.
"How did you get those?" Josh shouted over the loud music.
"I knew I had them, so they were there." Tracy put a quarter into a pinball machine. The ghost version of the machine woke up with lights, dings and electronic music. The score returned to zero, and a silver ball slid down the chute, ready to be launched. She moved to the side and offered the game to Josh.
He reached out to grab the plunger, but he didn't bring his hand down. Instead it remained open, palm down, a few inches above the plunger. Tracy could tell he was having doubts, and doubts weren't good. Everything in the ghost world depended on what you believed. If he didn't believe he could play the game, it wouldn't work.
"Don't worry," she said. "It's real. You're real. You just have to believe it, and everything you think is supposed to happen will happen."
But Josh's hand still hovered above the plunger. Tracy slowly brought her hand on top of his and gently pressed it down. She curled his fingers around the plunger, pulled back, and released. The ball went flying. Josh reached for the buttons on the sides of the game, setting the ghost flippers in motion. He was playing, just as he would have been when he was alive.
"Thanks," he said. "I don't know why I thought this would be hard."
"You're welcome," she shouted above the noise. "The principle is the same for most of the games here, but it's easier to play the less popular games. Less interference."
"Were you always able to do this?"
"I don't know." Tracy almost laughed. "They only put the arcade in a few years ago. I played this machine right after they installed it. Mack would tell you that's one of the perks of being a ghost here. When things are under construction, you get dibs."
They played a dozen different games in the arcade, sometimes together and sometimes taking turns. Then Tracy checked someone's watch and realized they only had a little over an hour left to see the rest of Cyber City before the park closed.
She took Josh to the spaceship-styled restaurant and then the Space Bar. A live band was playing new-age music there. Josh asked about karaoke, and Tracy explained that it ended every night at eight o'clock. Luckily, they had missed it. They skipped the virtual reality rides and the roller coaster, but rode the other rides. They rode the Silver Wheel with a woman and her daughter, and Josh jokingly tried to make a bet with Tracy on whether they would make out. Finally they entered the 3D multi-media theater just in time for the last showing of the night.
The movie was about a spaceship crashing on a strange planet where a new danger suddenly appeared every few seconds. It wasn't much of a plot, but it utilized the 3D and other effects well. Bubbles, sparkling confetti, and a mist of water fell on the audience from above, while lights flashed on the sides of the theater, and dry ice created fog below. Lasers occasionally flashed overhead. The audience smiled, gasped, and jumped out of their seats. Josh and Tracy stood in the aisle and watched the movie, but the picture—designed for 3D glasses—showed two images at once.
"Can't we make ghost copies of the glasses?" Josh asked.
"We can," Tracy explained. "But it's kind of the opposite of walking through a glass door."
"In what way?"
"You can easily walk through a glass door, because you can imagine nothing is there. But when you look through the lenses of these glasses, you can't see that they're 3D ones. They just look like clear plastic."
"So . . . when you make a ghost copy, it only has clear plastic instead of the kind needed for 3D?"
Josh looked around. "But we can see the movie if we get inside someone who's watching it, right?"
He ran his fingers through his hair. "Let's do it."
"What?" Tracy almost laughed. "No, you don't want to do that."
"I do."
"It's hard."
"Then show me how."
"I don't know . . ."
She looked around and tried to find a suitable couple, one that matched them in height. A tall, middle-aged man and a slightly short woman sat almost at the exact center of the room. Tracy pointed at them. "First we have to get over there, and that means going through some legs. You up to it?"
"Can you walk me through it?" He laughed. "Sorry, bad pun."
"At least you found it funny." She paused to think. "There are two ways we can do this: Mack's way or mine."
"I'm probably going to regret asking this, but what's Mack's way?"
"Mack accepts that he's a ghost. He tells himself that ghosts can walk through stuff, so it's not a problem for him."
"And your way?"
"My way is to tell myself that everything around me isn't real."
Josh tilted his head. "Isn't it?"
"No, it's not." This was hard to explain, but she had to try. "It's real for living people, but not for us. We can sort of fade it out. What I do is choose to fade out some things while holding onto some other things. In this case, I would fade out the people who are sitting in the seats over here, but I wouldn't fade out the theater, the floor, my body, or the people I'm trying to get to."
"Oh." Josh paused. "I think I might have done that already by accident."
"What? When?"
"When I went out with Mack. He left me for . . . a few minutes. Everything stopped seeming real. Then it all kind of blurred."
"That's it, but you have to hold onto the reality of something. Body, theater, floor, and the couple in the middle. Think you can do it?"
Josh nodded. "Let's do this."
Tracy went first. She told herself the people sitting in the seats that blocked their path weren't real. They faded away, and she walked up to the couple in the middle. She turned to see how Josh was doing. He looked at her. Then he walked straight without taking his eyes off her and stopped at her side.
"You know," he said, "there's a third way of doing this."
"There is?"
"I let everything else slip away and just focused on you."
Tracy half smiled, but turned away to avoid showing it. "Okay, that was the easy part. Now we have to go inside these people, and we have to match all their movements, particularly their eyes. It's . . . kind of creepy, really. Makes my skin crawl. Anyway, it's like a dance. The living person is your partner, and you have to follow your partner. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Sure, I'm ready to dance with you anytime."
She rolled her eyes. "How about with this guy over here?"
"Yes, I'm ready."
"'Cause if you're not—"
"I'm ready."
"Okay . . ."
She stepped into the women's feet. The woman was wearing sneakers with short socks. The woman's feet must have been hot, but it was smarter to wear sneakers to the park than sandals, because of all the walking and standing in line. That was why Tracy always wore sneakers when she was working there: white ones to get to work, black ones while she was working indoors. She couldn't wear white sneakers in the House of Horrors because they would have glowed in the blue light, and she couldn't wear her black sneakers in the sun because they would get too hot. The woman didn't compromise comfort for fashion. Tracy liked that.
She sat down in the woman's lap. She brought her hand down to the woman's hand. Thin fingers, and a wedding ring. Tracy took a deep breath, as if she were about to go underwater, and slid into the woman's body and head. She flowed with the woman's movements, keeping her eyes always in sync with the woman's eyes. This dance of ghost body and living body felt so weird. Tracy couldn't wait until it was over, but in the meanwhile she would try her best to enjoy watching the movie through 3D glasses, as it was meant to be seen.
She couldn't see Josh, because the woman was staring straight at the screen. Then Tracy felt someone graze the woman's hand. The woman glanced at her hand and then turned to look at the man. Tracy could see Josh floating inside him, only slightly above the surface. Josh's curly dark hair sat on the man's bald head. Tracy was impressed. Josh was a pretty good ghost dancer for someone who had never done this before.
The woman turned her hand over, and the man wrapped his fingers around hers. Then he leaned in close. The woman leaned in, too, and the man and woman kissed.
Tracy felt her heart race. Or was it the woman's? No, it was definitely hers. The kiss lasted a long time. Laser beams shot across the room. The man and woman pulled apart, but Tracy's heart continued to race.
When the movie finished, Tracy and Josh walked slowly back to the room in the first-aid office. Josh no longer paid attention to where the people were walking, and didn't flinch when someone ran through him. He just stared at Tracy and smiled.
About the Author-
Shevi Arnold grew up in Philadelphia, and her family had a season pass to Great Adventure in the early 1980s. She was nineteen-years-old and studying overseas when a fellow college student asked her if she had heard about the Great Adventure Haunted Castle fire. Eight teenagers had lost their lives. Like many, Shevi was shocked by the news. In her mind, she wanted to give that tragedy a happy ending. Ride of Your Life is the result.
Shevi loves writing, illustrating, and making people laugh—and she's been doing all three since 1987 when she started working as an editorial cartoonist for a newsweekly. She's also worked as a comics magazine editor, as an arts-and-entertainment writer specializing in comedy and children's entertainment, and as a consumer columnist. Nowadays, though, she enjoys writing (and sometimes illustrating) humorous fiction, fantasy, and science fiction for children, teens, and geeks of all ages. Her other books include Toren the Teller's Tale, Dan Quixote: Boy of Nuevo Jersey, and Why My Love Life Sucks (The Legend of Gilbert the Fixer, book one). She is currently working on Why It Still Mega Bites, the second book in the Gilbert the Fixer series.


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Oahu, Hawaii / May 2016
This destination has been on the top of my bucket list since I was in high school, particularly getting to the surfing mecca known as the North Shore. I was ecstatic when the Hubs said "let's hit Hawaii" for a babymoon after finding out that I was pregnant. It was one of the only places left with the freakish Zika virus outruling most of the Caribbean and Mexico this year. Being in Hawaii feels like you're in Jurassic Park with its green covered mountains, cliffs and blue water surrounding you. You are pretty sure a dinosaur is going to roam out of the green jungle and John Williams' piano line plays in your head as you drive the coast. We spent 3 nights at the Parc Waikiki which was decent for the price but I would not rate this a 4 star even though that's the rating online. The Parc is modern and the views are beautiful, but the rooms are so-so and after 2PM you lose the sun at the pool because of the position of the building. With that said, I'd totally stay there again for the price I got. Next, we hit the ever popular Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore for another 4 nights. I've already determined to re-do this resort within the next 5 years since I came down under the weather with some kind of bronchitis or nasty bug and it really slowed me down. I nabbed the resort as a Priceline Express Deal after about 3 weeks of looking everyday for the prices to drop. I wanted this one! By all means splurge on it if you are going to the North Shore and want the amenities of a hotel vs. renting a vacation house, it's so worth it. The beaches on the North Shore are next level and even though we were there in the calm summer season, (great for snorkeling), you still feel powerless against the ocean. Enjoy it and be respectful of the force that it is.
Hanauma Bay. This is a famous protected park with some of the best snorkeling in the area. It's so easy to get to and it's beautiful to behold but make sure to go early…like REALLY early. We were there by 8am and it was already filling up. Once they fill up with 3,000 guests they close the park. It will be crowded and its closed on Tuesdays but it is an amazing spot to beach for half a day. Careful as you venture out to snorkel in deeper waters as the currents pick up and we had to fight a little to swim back into shore. It costs $1 to park, and $7.50 per person to enter the park. Every guest must watch a cheesy 20 minute video before they let you down to the cove. They have a tram that will bring you down (it's on quite a hill), but you don't really need to tram down. We walked down and took the tram back up.
Lanikai Beach. One of the most beautiful beaches I've ever been to. Drive far enough down to get the Mokulua Islands in close view and park anywhere in the residential area that doesn't have a no parking sign, there's pathways to the beach from most streets. Bring some snacks and a camera, there are no places to eat directly on the beach. You can kayak out to the Islands or hike up to the pillbox if that's your thing. Or…stay on the beach like a beached whale, have a swim and people/dog watch. I didn't want to leave this beach. Ever.
Shark's Cove Snorkeling. My favorite snorkeling spot to date. It's not an easy entrance, so bring some booties and plan to be entering/exiting the water with 10 other people unless you get there at 7am. Once you're in the cove, it offers plenty of space to spread out and behold the character below. The visibility in the summer is excellent. This is not a place where you beach yourself for the day, you will need to search for a little sandy patch to put your towel down and it can get VERY crowded, but we came back to this place more than once for a morning snorkel session. It's a popular dive spot too, so look out for divers below.
(Lanikai – Heaven on earth.)
Waimea Bay. Cliff jumpers to watch, a river mouth to play in, a fantastic swimming with soft sand and the happiest of vibes. It can be a bit of a hike to find parking and walk to the shore with loads of sand and some hilly spots but there is always something to watch at this beach. The day we were there a film crew was capturing people take turns on an electric jet propelled body board.
Pipeline. I've been watching surfers on the surfline.com webcam for over a decade now and being able to get here in real life was a bucket list item fulfilled. Summer isn't the big wave season so there was no action to see, but this famous shore break on a flat day is still a powerful force to behold. I was a bit scared just jumping in the water to cool down because a wave can come from nowhere and you can really get pounded here. The view boasts sand for miles and it's a beautiful place to lay out and just feel out the local surf culture around you. Arrive early and you can park in the free lot just across from sunset elementary school.
Duke's. Classic mega popular oceanside restaurant. A good stop on Waikiki beach.
Teddy's Bigger Burgers. Delish local fave burger chain stop. Good shakes, too. When you need to grab fast food, try to find one of these before you hit McDonalds.
Uahi Island Grill. About a mile from the beach in Lanikai this is a fun busy stop for some local flavor. They were featured on the food network.
Ted's Bakery. Everything here is good. I could probably eat here for every meal and the pastries and donuts are in abundance. There isn't a view but they offer shaded picnic tables.
Food trucks. Any food truck will do! The main drive is loaded with them. Just pull over and find shrimp, chicken or shave ice trucks. Acai bowls are in abundance as well.
*Food tip: if you do stay at Turtle Bay Resort, the food at the little shack on their beach was better than any room service or poolside bar food we had there. The mini burgers and taco trio were REALLY tasty. Be advised that the portion sizes on some of the pool bar menu items were massive.


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Disney's Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever!/Show Album is part of the merchandise from Disney's Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever!. It includes various things about the show and the series.
I know what we're gonna do today!/Welcome
Phineas and Ferb are building their biggest, most amazing invention ever, a LIVE stage show! Join the awesome twosome and the Tri-State Area gang in a brand-new adventure that's sheer genius! Jam out to legendary music and be a part of the ridiculously wild schemes and epic action scenes with the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz and secret-agent hero Agent P. Summer is just never going to end in the show taking over hometown, Disney's Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever!
Who's Who in Danville?
Phineas Flynn
He thinks big! Creative, positive and full of ideas. Phineas wants to make each day of summer vacation the best ever. His inventive adventures are always about having fun and making the most of every day.
Ferb Fletcher
He's a man of action! The ever-resourceful Ferb uses his advanced engineering skills to bring some ginormous ideas to life, fully drawn blueprints at the ready.
Agent P
Disguised as Phineas and Ferb's pet platypus who doesn't do much, Perry lives a double life as the secret Agent P. Protecting the Tri-State Area from the evil Dr. Doofenshmirtz, Agent P uses his mad skills and beaver-like tail to save the day.
Baljeet Rai
Polite and mild-mannered, Baljeet loves getting the best grades. He joins in Phineas and Ferb's adventures when he's not busy doing math.
Isabella Garcia-Shapiro
Isabella's can-do attitude makes her a great leader of her Fireside Girls troop. She also has a big crush on Phineas, so she's always willing to help with his adventurous ideas.
Candace Flynn
A typical teenager, Candace is obsessed with her boyfriend Jeremy. But her bigger obsession is busting her brothers, Phineas and Ferb!
Buford Van Stomm
Buford takes his bullying seriously, and he's quite protective of his pal, Baljeet. Buford has a soft side, but don't ever mention it (unless you like wedgies)!
Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz
When it comes to havoc, no one wreaks like this evil scientist. Dr. Doofenshmirtz is bent on mayhem, destruction and the domination of the Tri-State Area.
Jeremy Johnson
Jeremy Johnson is Candace's boyfriend. He works at Mr. Slushy Dawg. He also has a band called "Jeremy and The Incidentals."
Are you genius, too?
How well do you know Phineas and Ferb? We all know Phineas and Ferb are brain-boxes, but how much do you know about Disney's awesome twosome?
1. What is Phineas' number-one goal for the summer?
A. To annoy Candace as much as possible
B. To avoid getting busted my Mom
C. To make each day the best day ever
D. To dominate the Tri-State Area
2. Who does Ferb have a crush on?
A. Vanessa Doofenshmirtz
B. Isabella Garcia-Shapiro
C. Eliza M. Feyersied
D. Stacy Hirano
3. What kind of bed does Phineas sleep on?
A. Waterbed
B. Racecar bed
C. Bunk bed
D. Inflatable bed
4. What is the name of Phineas and Ferb's one-hit wonder pop song?
A. "Goo Goo Ga Ga"
B. "Gitchee Gitchee Goo"
C. "Doobie Doobie Doo"
D. "Ferb just wants to have fun"
5. In "The Flying Fishmonger," what is the name of the motorbike that Ferb tricks out?
A. The Leaping Lizard
B. The Queen Mum
C. The Holy Mackerel
D. The Trick Knee
6. According to Phineas, Ferb is a:
A. Man of few words
B. Man of action
C. Man of many faces
D. Man of a thousand voices
7. What kind of monster do Dr. Phineastein and Ferbgor create in "The Monster of Phineas-n-Ferbenstein"?
A. A giant Candace
B. A tiny fairy
C. A giant monkey
D. A giant platypus
0-2 Points: You really need to work on seizing the day.
3-5 Points: You might know what we're gonna do today.
6-7 Points: Congratulations! You're gonna have the best summer ever!
Ferb Fletcher's Daunting Diction
The stepbrother and best friend of Phineas, Ferb prefers to let his mechanical and technical genius speak for him. But pay attention! When Ferb does talk, his clever quotes amaze and astound.
Match Ferb's quotes to the correct topic/occasion. Extra points for reading out loud in a British accent!
1. "It's a unique a logic-defying amalgam of winter and summer."
2. "A simple post-modern fusion of origami and pop-up."
3. "Well, it was definitely better than the gorilla in the cake."
4. "The cartilaginous fibers from the bovine patella structure."
5. "A rare whale song-singing, double-breasted angle hooper."
6. "Love, ventricles and gross squishy red stuff."
7. "Creepy on so many levels."
8. "Put the cold fusion reactor on hold!"
9. "You do realize that's French for pencil neck."
10. "A tire-spinning, gear-grinding, clutch-burning, backfiring, paint-trading, redlining, overheating-throttle-stumping, truck-driving girl."
11. "You know, in retrospect, I question the inclusion."
A. Ferb actually means exactly what he says for this one
B. Candace in a monster truck
C. Gelatin
D. The brothers end up with a date with Jeremt from inside a minisub that's inside Candace's stomach
E. Mom's birthday card
F. A self-destruct button on the Rainbowinator
G. Cou de crayon
H. Candace's face on Mount Rushmore
I. S'Winter
J. Reverse engineering of the human heart
K. The natural enemy of the wild platypus
Creative Team
Kenneth Feld & Alana Feld, A Message From The Producers
After seeing the dynamic characters, humor and music of the cultural phenomenon Disney's Phineas and Ferb, we knew we found the perfect foundation for a live stage show. Inspired by the main characters' "can-do-it" attitude, we took on the challenge of translating an animated television show that people know and love into the live entertainment.
Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, creators of the series, have developed these incredible characters who are effortlessly cool and hip, but still have a feel-good positive message. We really wanted to uphole the integrity of the brand while bringing the characters into the third dimension, and we are thrilled to see how they come to life. We hope you will be blown away bu how we have accomplished feats like creating an alternate universe for Dr. Doofenshmirtz and Agent P on the same stage with Phineas and Ferb.
Every day is the ultimate day of summer at Disney's Phineas and Ferb: The Best LIVE Tour Ever! so leave school and the cold weather behind and enjoy the wild ride!
Dan Povenmire & Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, "Phineas and Ferb" Series Creators/Executive Producers
Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh are the creators and Executive Producers of the hit animated Emmy Award©-winning and BAFTA-nominated series Phineas and Ferb, and the animated Disney Channel Original Movie Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension.
Povenmire's experience in the animation industry ranges from directing, storyboarding and/or writing for the critically-acclaimed series The Simpsons, Family Guy, Rocko's Modern Life, Hey Arnorld!, Catdog, Looney Tunes and SpongeBob SquarePants.
Marsh has worked for many of the top names in animation, including Hanna-Barbera, Klasky Csupo and Nickelodeon. He worked for more than six seasons on the critically-acclaimed series The Simpsons, including three Emmy Award-winning episodes. He also worked as a storyboard artist and designer for the Emmy Award-winning series King of the Hill, and spent four seasons as a Writer and Director on Rocko's Modern Life, gaining the show an Environmental Media Award.
Fred Tallaksen, Director/Choreographer
Fred Tallaksen brings an eclectic mix of styles to his role as Director, wit experience as both comedic performer and cutting-edge choreographer. Tallaksen's creativity and extensive résumé includes film, television, stage, music videos and commercials.
He has worked on comedies such as Wizards of Waverly Place, Modern Family and Austin Powers III and his choreography on Malcolm in the Middle earned him two Emmy nominations.
Tallaksen also created an incredible Disney Live! experience with Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival.
Bradley Zweig, Writer
Bradley Zweig is a three-time Emmy-nominated Executive Producer and Head Writer for Sid The Science Kid, produced bycthe Jim Henson Company for PBS. He has written for Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, CW and Cartoon Network.
Zweig has written many Feld Entertainment productions including Disney Live! Mickey's Rokin' Road Show and four editions of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey©.
Rick Papineau, Production Designer
Rick Papineau joined Feld Entertainment in 1991 as a Production Designer for Hagenback-Wallace, the division that creates show props and scenic elements. Today, he collaborates with the creative teams to bring their visions to life.
Papineau's scenic design creators can be seen in Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy, Disney Live! Mickey's Rockin' Road Show and Disney Live! Mickey's Musical Festival.
Cynthia Nordstrom, Costume Designer
Cynthia Nordstrom was one of the youngest designers for Walt Disney World, and designed costumes for more than 15 original dance shows in downtown Disney. She also designed costumes for the Happy Harmony Parade at Universal Studios in Japan, and for teir production of Peter Pan.
Nordstrom's credits with Feld Entertainment include Disney On Ice presents Worlds of Fantasy and Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival.
Mike Avila, Music Director
Mike Avila is a producer and pianist with a 15-year association with The Walt Disney Company. He has composed the music for the award-winning Peter Pan's Neverland event spectacular at Universal Studios Osaka, Japan; the opening ceremonies of Hong Kong Disneyland®; Disney's Boo to You Parade; Disney's Enchanted Adventures Parade; The Disney Cinema Parade at Disneyland® Paris; and the Once Upon a Christmanstime Christmas Parade on ABC and in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom®.
Sam Doty, Lightning Designer
Sam Doty has assisted in the building and planning of every Feld Entertainment domestic and international ice and stage show.
Doty's lightning design credits with Feld Entertainment include Disney Live! Mickey's Rockin' Road Show and Disney Live! Mickey's Music Festival.
Original Cast
- Efrain Adrian Baez
- Nick Bouthillette
- Bailey Callahan
- Valen Casilla
- Nicole Dalton
- Emily Derrick
- Gabrielle Goewert
- Angel Hernandez
- Julianne Jouglard
- Justin Kouns
- Bartley Mullin
- Diana Reed
- Erica Turpin
- Jake Voelz
- Tiffany Westfall


text: It looks as though snakes may not have a cake walk to this year's Summer of Fear Championship, as this story suggests that snakey hubris may be catching up to them. Will centipedes make a run? No, not unless they start to choke humans and get in panicked news stories. This falls more into the 'Cool story Bro!' category than the hide the kids sort of thing, but good try anyway Centipedes.


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High School Sports
High school wrestling: Centre County wrestlers seek PIAA gold in Hershey
For eight Centre County wrestlers from four different schools, the final leg of a more than three-month journey starts today at the Giant Center in Hershey.
When the first whistle blows at 9 this morning signifying the start of the 2013 PIAA Championships, Penns Valley's Corey Hazel and Mike Rogers, Bellefonte's Trevor Corl and Nick Shawley, Philipsburg-Osceola's John Prentice and Bald Eagle Area's Jake Taylor, Aaron Varner and Nate Sharkey will each be battling for state gold.
Each individual of each team faces a slightly different degree of difficulty in his quest for a place on the podium in Hershey. Here's a brief look at each team and the individual(s) that represent it:
Penns Valley
For Hazel and Rogers, who are both sophomores, this is their first trip to the state tournament. Everything will be new for them.
"We've talked about it, the environment, how you have to block that stuff out and look at each match one at a time. The dimensions of the mat are the same. It's all the Hoosiers stuff. The other guy puts his singlet on one leg at a time," Rams coach Joel Brinker said of his message to Hazel and Rogers.
"At this stage, these guys are pretty even, so you've gotta wrestle your match. Don't fall into his match, his style, his aggressiveness. Control the pace, the tempo and the ties."
Hazel, fresh off a 160-pound third-place finish at the Class AA Southwest Regional, will face a somewhat familiar foe. He meets Jeric Kasunic of Benton, a junior with a 32-8 record who placed second in the Northeast Regional.
"Corey wrestled the first kid he'll meet several times last summer in Greco-Roman," Brinker said.
Rogers draws Southeast Regional 182-pound champion Adam Mackie from Brandywine Heights. The senior, who owns a 36-1 record, placed sixth in 2012.
"Rogers' kid we don't know much about," Brinker said. "We're looking at paper work. We don't have any video."
No matter the opponent's past performance or pedigree, Brinker said neither Hazel nor Rogers will be satisfied with just getting to Hershey.
"They have big goals," he said. "They want to walk out of there with medals."
Corl, a sophomore 120-pounder, and Shawley, a senior 170-pounder, have opposite levels of experience at the PIAA tournament.
For Corl, it's his first trip. For Shawley, it's a chance to improve on his fourth-place finish at 195 pounds last year.
"We want our guys to wrestle with confidence, not show anyone too much respect. They need to stick to the game plan and make them react to you. You don't worry about the record or name," Red Raider coach Mike Maney said.
"Some guys go down there and shut down, hold back a little bit, especially in the early rounds. We tell them they are there for a reason. You can compete with these guys. Go out and let it fly."
Corl will meet Nazareth junior Tyler Tarsi, a third-place finisher at the Northeast Regional with a 21-14 record.
Maney wants Corl to alter the approach he took in the regional final Saturday when he couldn't recover from a slow start in a 6-4 loss.
"Believe in yourself, believe in your ability, believe in your training. Don't hold back. You're giving the guy an advantage if you give them too much respect. We saw in Altoona that our conditioning was better," Maney said
Shawley faces junior Noah Wilps of Chartiers Valley, the Southwest Regional runner-up who owns a 30-8 record. Wilps' older brothers — Matt and Tyler — are starters at Pitt.
"One thing Nick does have is experience," Maney said. "He was a regional runner-up and was fourth place last year. He has higher expectations as a senior. He knows how to bounce back from a loss."
No matter the previous experience or the opponent, Maney said each of his wrestlers can succeed.
"We've tried to reinforce what we've been training for all year long. They have to believe in their training, believe that the schedule we wrestled put them in situations to be successful," he said.
"They belong on the podium. If you wrestle hard for six minutes, guys who get to the podium go out and don't let up on the edge of mat or at the ends of periods."
No matter how you slice it, the Mounties' only state qualifier, Prentice, faces a daunting half of the 170-pound bracket.
"He's definitely up against it. Hey, it's states. There are no easy matches," P-O coach Tim McCamley said. "He's looking forward to the challenge. His first opponent is 41-0 and it doesn't seem to faze him. He loves a challenge."
That opponent is Central Bucks South senior Dominic Rigous, the Southeast Regional champion who owns a 41-0 record.
Also in Prentice's half of the bracket are undefeated Tom Sleigh of DuBois and defending champion Cody Wiercioch of Canon McMillan, whose only loss is to Chance Marsteller of Kennard-Dale, 3-2 in an ultimate tiebreaker. The junior two-time PIAA champion is the nation's top-ranked wrestler.
"He looks forward to it. Someone said to him, 'Maybe your first match will be Wiercioch.' He said, 'that would be good,'" McCamley said.
Prentice figures to wrestle Rigous the same way he wrestles every opponent — full speed ahead.
"It's the only way he knows how to wrestle. He's looking to score points at all times. It's the way he's always been," McCamley said. "His mentality is that what he does, he does well."
Bald Eagle Area
Taylor, Varner and Sharkey all return to Hershey with their own degrees of unfinished business. Taylor placed third last year, Varner sixth and Sharkey didn't make the podium.
"They're comfortable. We talked about what the weekend is. Mentally they're confident. They all know that everyone there has the physical ability to do what they want to do," BEA coach Steve Millward said. "They know, physically, the kids who qualify are tough. Mentally they prepared to do what they need to do."
Taylor starts out with Cedar Cliff freshman Josh Colello, the Southcentral 182-pound fourth-place finisher with a 36-7 record. Millward said he doesn't think Taylor will overlook a freshman.
"I don't think he looks at anybody like that. He's not dumbfounded by anyone. He thinks, 'I am how I am, I do what I do.' Thursday that's just another person standing in front of him," he said.
Varner figures to have the toughest matchup of the three. He has a showdown with Kiski Area senior Matt McCutcheon, a Penn State recruit with a 34-1 record. He was the champion at 182 last year. McCutcheon's only loss came in last Saturday's Southwest Regional final.
"(Aaron) doesn't know what kind of trouble he's in until the trouble is there. We're well aware of who McCutcheon is. He may have lost last weekend, but he didn't forget how to win," Millward said.
Sharkey gets Council Rock North junior Tyler Callender, a Southeast Regional third-place finisher with a 22-4 record.
"(Nate)'s motivated. He saw what his teammates could do last year. He's been in the same group of guys for two or three years, maybe since eighth grade. He knows what he's capable of. It's just a matter of going out and doing it," Millward said.
"They all have high expectations. There would be nothing more wonderful than to have all three come home with medals. I wouldn't count any of them out. They're the guys that make the coaching part fun. They have been wonderful for Bald Eagle."


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Offering auto, health, home, life and renters insurance to their clients, Kelly Williams Insurance has established themselves as the Los Angeles insurance broker to offer quality service when searching for the right type of insurance coverage. If a client needs auto insurance, the expert staff can help determine if liability, collision or comprehensive coverage is the best. If an individual wants good health insurance or is looking to make sure the family is taken care of after death, Kelly Williams Insurance will place the customer into the right type of health and life insurance. When someone buys a new home or moves into a new apartment, Kelly Williams Insurance can provide the best home and renters insurance to ensure the residence and property are protected in the best manner.
Appointments with the staff at Kelly Williams Insurance are easy to set up. Stop randomly searching for Los Angeles insurance brokers today. The team at Kelly Williams Insurance will make shopping for insurance easy and painless!
Be sure to read about some of our other local services including:


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Regina Spektor Tells Fans of Her Refugee Roots & Shines Bright at Denver Show/
The very talented Regina Spektor took the stage at Denver's Fillmore Auditorium last week, and one thing was instantly made crystal clear: Regina is incredibly well-loved by her fans. Audience members cheered during the intros of every song, yelled out words of encouragement throughout her set, and clapped and sang along with her to almost every word.
Regina Spektor recently released her fifth album, Remember Us To Life, last summer. She originally hails from Russia, where she began to take classical piano lessons at age six. When she was nine, her family moved to the the United States where she continued to play piano and began her adventures in songwriting. She self-released her first three records, and was later signed. Both her records Far and What We Saw From The Cheap Seats debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200, an impressive feat for any artist.
Regina played some fan favorites at her Denver show, including "Eet," "Blue Lips," "Bleeding Heart," the theme song "You've Got Time" from the TV show Orange is the New Black, and a Leonard Cohen cover of "Chelsea Hotel #2." Spektor is well known for making each of her songs varied in musical style, and this was evident in her live performance, where every tune embodied totally different emotions, structure, and sound. Her style made for an extremely engaging performance.
Check out Regina Spektor's latest single, "Bleeding Heart":
One of the most powerful parts of the evening was when Spektor stopped mid-show to deliver a powerful message before she launched into her song, "Ballad Of A Politician." Looking out at the crowd, she said:
"As we travel through this incredible country, I feel like it's really important for me to thank the United States and remind everyone that I am a refugee- I came here as a refugee. I am forever grateful that I was taken in and taken care of. When I swore I would fight and protect this country, I swore to fight for the environment, civil rights, equal rights, no bans and no walls. I don't believe in this shit that's currently happening right now. I believe in education, love, progress and f*cking fun."
The crowd once again cheered as Regina started in on the next half of her show. Her overall set was truly beautiful, thanks to her all-encompassing spirit and artistry. Fans were happy and Regina couldn't stop smiling. Catch Spektor live for yourself on her current tour; show dates here.
All photos per the author. All videos and embedded tracks per the artist featured and those credited. This feature was edited for brevity and clarity by BolderBeat.


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Something strange happened to me a few days ago. It didn't exactly scare me, but I can't get it out of my mind.
I was sitting on the patio of a local café, enjoying a late lunch. No one else was around. A young man wandered through, hesitated, then doubled back and took a seat at one of the tables. He sat quietly until two other men approached, whereupon he stood and embraced each with a tender intimacy. The three of them moved to sit down at the table.
That's when I noticed the gun. It looked like a 9mm, holstered on the hip of one of the new arrivals.
None of them seemed hostile, agitated or strange. The tender embrace diminished the possibility that these were undercover lawmen. The gun-toter unholstered the pistol and laid it on the table. I thought it best not to stare, but I heard metallic clacks as he ejected the clip, demonstrated the safety, and murmured to his buddies. After a few moments, they all moved on.
With such a big hog hanging on his belt, surely the carrier had a permit. But it's the first time I've seen such a thing, unless you count the guy in Burger King, years ago, with a .38 stuck in the waistband of his pants. Turned out he was a deliveryman who probably had his reasons, but it rattled me so badly I left my burger half-eaten and vamoosed.
I won't bore you with my credentials, but I'm not afraid of guns. I make no apology, however, for feeling unsettled when someone appears in a public space with a weapon strapped to his person. And when he unholsters it?
I know, I know. As my friend, Gary, reminded me, "There are more weapons around you than you notice. Most who carry for protection do not make it so obvious."
I am 100 percent in favor of our right to own and bear arms. But we owe our community the courtesy of not creating unnecessary alarm.
Don't all mass shootings start with a person appearing in a public place with a visible gun? I had good reason to be uneasy.
I emailed a number of friends about the incident, shared my reaction, and asked for their thoughts. Here's a sampling:
• "Just because I might legally carry a gun does not give me the right to intimidate you with it."
• "There are many reasons why one would choose to carry openly. Some carry for the preventive effect, some for shock effect, and some carry to bolster low self-esteem. It is rare to find anyone that carries with the hopes of an opportunity to use it."
• "I carry for the same reason I carry car or homeowner's insurance. I don't expect anything to happen, but life has surprises. Better to be ready than not."
• "Immanuel Kant said that an action is moral only if you can universalize the action. So, you can steal if you are willing for everyone to steal. But this turns out to be immoral since we don't want to live in a world in which everyone steals. So do you want to live in a world in which everyone is packing all the time? The question is not the right to carry a gun, but what kind of world you want to create, for yourself, your children, and your grandchildren."
• "Take a gun safety course, get a permit and purchase a Ruger .380 LCP for your purse."
• "Seems to me that you're saddened to realize that our society has come to a point where regular people feel a need to be armed. But, once you're past your sadness, your pragmatic view is that Pandora's Box has been opened; so, maybe you need to adapt as well."
I won't be buying a Ruger. Having a life-altering weapon just a little too handy makes me jumpy. And though I'm betting against a gunfight at the OK Café, I've bought a fresh can of mace, just in case. Could you hold your fire till I find it in my purse?
• Carol Megathlin is a writer living in Savannah. Her work appears regularly in the Banner-Herald.


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We spotted newly-minted Man Booker Prize winner Aravind Adiga outside the rediff.com office in Mahim, central Mumbai on Thursday. He was visiting another media organisation in the building.
Photograph: Reuben N V
Also see: Aravind Adiga wins Man Booker Prize for The White TigerAdiga: 'Booker Prize is the Holy Grail'I highlighted India's brutal injustices: AdigaBooker winner Adiga ready with second novel'Dangers of ignoring India's poor are greater'Buy Aravind Adiga's The White Tiger on rediff.com


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Just Barking
London, NW10 3JP
Located at 116 Chamberlayne Road in Kensal Rise, Just Barking is locally owned and operated. Their services include dog grooming, dog walking, doggy day care and cat sitting/ home visits.
At Just Barking all grooming is holistic – which means that they take an interest in your pet's overall health and well-being.
Groomers are City & Guilds qualified – or actively completing their C&G qualifications.
Just Barking are also a designated International Certified Master Groomer salon (ICMG). This is a prestigious designation held by very few salons in the UK. It ensures that our groomers are at the cutting edge of dog grooming standards and reassures you, the dog owner, that they have achieved the highest international recognitions when it comes to animal care, health, welfare and safety.
Just Barking are members of the Pet Industry Federation and the British Dog Groomers Association. Grooming is completed by the senior dog groomers who have worked and trained directly with international champion dog groomer and competition judge, Colin Taylor ICMG.
Grooming for adult dog's starts at £35, depended on your pet.
Dog walkers are trained, experienced and fully insured. Just Barking allow a maximum of four dogs per handler and ask that all dogs are fully socialised.
A solid hour or more of walk, play, interaction, and discipline. Depending on your location, the local walk takes place in nearby parks. Walking takes place between 10am and 4pm Monday to Friday.
Local Dog Walk including pick-up and drop off are £15.
The premises at Just Barking include a large grooming salon and rear-garden. Day care is available Monday through to Saturday but spaces are limited. There is currently a list for day care spaces
Contact Today! Don't forget to mention PetsPyjamas
Monday - Saturday: 9am-6pm
Sunday: Closed
Leave a review:
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Contact Us
The club is located on Stevens Street, which is directly opposite Barclays Bank on London Road. We are on the left hand side, approx 50 yards beyond the "Bubble Room".
Alderley Edge Union Club
Stevens Street
Alderley Edge
Cheshire SK9 7NL
Tel 01625 585506
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
FB............Alderley Edge Union Club


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Click here to login to the site.
This is quick search to quickly show you your matching partners, just select the location or simply press the search button to search for life partner.
If you want to join our site, click here to go to registration page.
This area displays the list of people who have recently joined our site.


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ImaginArt in the Alleys
ImaginArt in the Alleys will bring life, vitality and art to Uptown Marion alleyways, while creating a second entrance for businesses along 7th Avenue. The project will transform the alleys through a combination of infrastructure improvements and the installation of creative projects. It is a collaborative effort between ArtPlace America, the City of Marion, and the Marion Chamber of Commerce. The City received a $350,000 grant from ArtPlace America for ImaginArt in the Alleys. ArtPlace America's primary focus is on creative place-making, which the organization defines as the set of practices in which art and culture work intentionally to help transform a place. The remainder of the project funds will come from the City of Marion and private donations.
The City of Marion contracted with Shive-Hattery for engineering services associated with the project. The firm developed conceptual designs for the alleyways which can be accessed here.
View PowerPoint slides that provide an overview of the project.
These themes have been suggested through the public input process.
With the community visioning process now complete, the ImaginArt in the Alleys project is entering the private fundraising phase. The project has set a private fundraising goal of $130,000. Sponsorship opportunities for various aspects of the project are now available through October 31, 2015. Individuals and businesses are asked to consider contributions ranging from lead gifts to charter donations.
Receive the latest project updates from the Artistic Director's blog: https://imaginartmarion.wordpress.com/.
In April/May 2015 the City of Marion sought qualified artists, designers, innovators, craftsmen, and teams to submit qualifications for its ImaginArt in the Alleys project. The submission deadline has now passed.Questions about the RFQ can be directed to Karen Hoyt at (319) 377-8829 or Amanda Kaufman at (319) 743-6303.
PUBLIC ENGAGEMENTThe project is pleased to be using a community engagement platform,ImaginArtintheAlleys.MindMixer.com, to allow residents to engage, communicate and collaborate with community decision makers and other residents on the future development of the project. In addition to this online platform, a community visioning process took place during the fall of 2014. Community members provided input on the project in person and through online surveys.
Final Construction Plans can be accessed here.
View a 3-D scan of the alleyways (existing condition) can be accessed here.
The City of Marion's Public Art Master Plan can be accessed here.
Uptown Marion: An Iowa Main Street District


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In mid-June, we treated Money Under 30 readers to our list of "The 20 Best Cities in America to be Young, Broke and Single," and the response was phenomenal: more than 15,000 likes on Facebook, 900 Tweets … and at least one amusing piece of hate mail from a reader who wished that my "journalistic hands" would "contract leprosy and fall off." (So far that hasn't happened, as evidenced by the fact that I've typed many columns in the intervening weeks.)
Some of you asked what we plan to do for an encore. Trust us, we're working on it. But don't think that just because we did a city-centric list means that we're giving the suburbs short shrift. In this piece, we'll consider what a smart move to the suburbs looks like for the young adult demographic.
Recently, Coldwell Banker compiled a list of its Top 10 Booming Suburbs, with four of the top 'burbs in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area of Washington state. Cottage Lake, Wash., a town of 22,500, finished at the top of the list.
But what makes Cottage Lake, or any suburb, worth inhabiting? For starters, young adults have different priorities than families in which the parents are firmly ensconced in middle age.
What's more, the overall suburban lifestyle has shifted more than a few times since suburban living came into vogue in the post-World War II era. It's easy to laugh off suburbs as vapid wastelands dedicated to SUVs, strip malls and office parks: I certainly did my share of dissing when I grew up in Cherry Hill, N.J., a suburb actually named after America's second-ever shopping mall.
But with many urban environments pricing themselves beyond the reach of young adults, and quite a few downsides to big city life (from congestion and traffic to outrageous fees, high rents and a dearth of downtown parking), modern suburbs have their attractions. What should you look for in considering the big leap beyond the city limits? Here's a list of important factors that will impact your bottom line and quality of life.
1) Consider the public transit commute.
If you live in the environs of Washington D.C., Chicago, or Los Angeles, you'll spend at least 74, 71, and 64 hours in a car per year respectively, according to this infographic from Nationwide. And if your job requires you to commute from the suburbs to the city, those figures will skyrocket exponentially. Yet it's possible to live 30 miles or more outside downtown and keep your sanity, so long as you plan your relocation to a spot near a local rail or public transit line. In terms of the cost-benefit analysis, it's a no-brainer: Time spent cooped up in a car turns into productive or restful time on a train (provided you snag a good seat). And depending on where you live, Wi-Fi may be coming to your ride. In the New York suburbs, Cablevision Systems Corp. plans to install Wi-Fi on New Jersey Transit stations, platforms and trains by the end of 2016.
2) Take a close look at the schools.
Even young marrieds without kids will want to look over the school systems in a suburb if they plan to start a family. The big reason? A remarkable public school will save you thousands of dollars a year as opposed to going the private school route. But not all suburbs are alike, and even within a given suburb wide disparities exist between one end of town and another. Websites such as GreatSchools.org allow you to look up schools by name, or by location, and check their rankings. In Bend, Ore., for example, you'll find that one public high school rates a 2, another a 6, and a third one a 9 on the GreatSchools 10-point scale. That's a very wide swath for a town of 79,000 people.
3) How are the recreation facilities?
In Hoffman Estates, Ill. (a town of 52,000), you can find not one, but two NHL-sized skating rinks, located within the Triphahn Community Center. That's an incredible perk for anyone living in the community, and it's not hard to find suburbs with similar amenities — from water parks to climbing walls-if you look around. In fact, suburban facilities often rival those of nearby cities because they're more modern and comprehensive, as is the case with the Minneapolis suburb of St. Louis Park, reports MinnPost.com.
4) How's the local economy?
It's tempting to judge a suburb by the city it's near, or even by national economic statistics. But many suburbs have thriving economies based on the businesses sitting inside of (or adjacent to) their borders. Brentwood, Tenn., for example, is host to companies such as Nissan North America, Comdata, Tractor Supply Company and 13 of the largest 25 publicly-traded companies in the Nashville region — giving it a healthy financial outlook for its residents no matter how Nashville fares.
5) Go beyond the staples.
Obviously, any suburb will have access (maybe lots of it) to supermarkets, shopping centers, malls and the like. But what about farmer's markets? Or a college campus where you can continue your education? Here it makes sense to list those things most important to your overall quality of life that don't fit (or perhaps supplement) the above categories, and see whether your prospective suburb offers them. That list can be highly individual, right down to your love of food. A recent Chicago Tribune readers' poll named Forest Park, Ill. as having the best neighborhood dining scene, beating all comers in the city limits. Located 10 miles west of Chicago, Forest Park has a population of just 14,000.
True, Suburbia conjures up cliches of cars, picket fences, big lawns and bland lifestyles. But it helps to remember that Suburbia doesn't really exist, except as a concept: The actual suburb you choose to live in will have its own personality, vitality and quirks. And often, all it takes to make suburban life work are good neighbors, good friends and strong community ties — storehouses of value that transcend what can be measured in dollars and cents.
Do you live in a suburb? What do you love (or really not love) about it?


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December 13th, 1530
With the newest crop of great mirrorless cameras, DSLR cameras, and more ordinary point and shoots I'm asked the same question (or some variation of) time and time again: "Model A has more megapixels than Model C, so I should get it right?"
Camera manufacturers have recognized professionals know better. With few exceptions the newest crop of cameras geared towards professionals including the new Canon EOS-1DX, Fuji x100, Ricoh GX-R. and others have less megapixels than their predecessors and instead emphasize more important features like higher dynamic range, high ISO performance, faster frame rates, and bigger and brighter viewfinders.
And they recognize amateurs are still buying the "more megapixels are better" myth and they're marketing those cameras accordingly. 24mp APS-C crop DSLR's, Sony's 24mp NEX-7, and many others.
The image below is a 1:1 crop from the Fuji Finepix x100 with it's excellent 23mm (35mm equiv) F2 lens which displays image acuity and detail only matched by the highest end DSLR's It's only a 12mp APS-C sensor, but what a sensor! What a camera.
Fuji Finepix x100 @F8 1/160th ISO 200
December 13th, 1425
Adobe releases the final versions of Ligihtroom 3.6 and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) 6.6.
December 10th, 1010
One of my favorite genres of photography focuses on highway intersections and roads. I love the clouds floating in tihe sky,the signage, the rough texture of the roads surface, and the symmetry of the roads as they cross. What about you, do you have a favorite?
Fuji Finepix x100 @F8 1/950th ISO 200
December 5th, 0155
I was asked if memory cards made a difference. They do. In this brief piece "Which Memory Card Should I Get" we discuss card speeds, recovery software, firmware controllers, shopping for a card, counterfiet cards, and more. If you'll be buying a new memory card soon you'll want to read this.
December 3rd, 1310
Some recently released articles are "2011 Floods, Bangkok Thailand" by valued contributor Kvweilink. Nice photography of the floods with an interesting narrative. Next, our Feature Photograph "UFO's in the Midwest" discusses an unusual color ball in the sky. News for the month of November 5th through December 3rd has some interesting articles including a new process to tell if an image has been Photoshopped or not.
December 3rd, 0100
A biting article "Japan Disgraces Thailand" focusing on the Thai mindset and behaviors during the recent flooding. No matter how you look at it or how hard you try to find a silver lining, there is no defense for the abhorrent behavior of the Thai politicians and many Thai citizens. Some good news? Stick contributed the great images for this article.
(Copyright: www.stickmanbangkok.com)
November 24th, 0940
A frequent question is some variant of "Should I get newer model, or save money getting the model it replaced?" I picked up such a question in a local forum and thought I'd share my answer with you here. It concerns the choice between the original Canon EOS-5d or the Canon EOS-5D Mark II? It's a tough question and I'm curious if you agree or disagree with the answer.
November 23rd, 1240
I've updated the Kindle Fire Running Review for the last time. I've covered most every aspect I find worthwhile to discuss, and after using it for over a week I'm confident I know it well enough to comment. It is for me? You'll need to read the review to find out, you might be surprised. I also discuss it's future with the public and the future I'd like to see such a device have with photographers.


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This is the draft cover of an alternative scheme SAVE is working on with John Burrell of Burrell Foley Fischer for a group of buildings on the Strand that SAVE successfully campaigned to save in March this year.
This is one of the central ways that SAVE works: we come up with working, practical alternatives to the proposed scheme, that are sensitive to the built environment and aim to create places of character and atmosphere that function well. For this scheme we are demonstrating how the previously threatened buildings on the Strand can be brought back into use and all the concerns of Kings' be addressed, and how to improve the urban space around them.
Please support our scheme and make a donation towards its publication by pressing the Donate button on our homepage.


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Titanium weapon editing
Post up issues you are encountering with MechWarrior 2 here, this includes Netmech.
Forum rules
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- Havokq3
- House Steiner Corporal
- Posts: 91
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Re: Titanium weapon editing
The Titanium Editions were the least played and sold, and Mercs was the least-popular of the trilogy, so I doubt there are any editors for the Titanium Edition of Mercs; but good luck finding one!
The year is 2015. For a Mail Officer, LIFE is WAR, and DEATH is the only true peace.
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Create an Account - Increase your productivity, customize your experience, and engage in information you care about.
Effective April 1, 2014, the Wadena County Board of Commissioners imposed a one half of one percent (.5%) transit sales tax pursuant to Minnesota Statute Section 297A in order to raise money needed for additional highway and road projects.
In addition to the 6.875% Minnesota Sales and Use Tax, retail sales and taxable services in Wadena County may be subject to local sales and use taxes such as the .5% local option sales tax.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue will administer, collect, and enforce the Wadena County Local Option Sales Tax as authorized under Minnesota Statutes, section(s) 297A.99.
Contact Auditor/Treasurer Judy Taves or Highway Engineer Ryan Odden with questions. Please refer to the links provided below for more information.


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Wordless Wednesday OneMiscellany.
6 Responses to "Wordless Wednesday One"
September 14, 2011 at 12:02 pm #
Michael, this is fantastic. One of the wonderful things about vegetarian cooking is the beauty of the ingredients. What a great post for Wordless Wednesday!
ChrisSeptember 14, 2011 at 1:05 pm #
Looks like a delicious copia tomato (my fav variety lately). Wishing I had planted one this year, but the couple dozen pounds of little pea and cherry sized ones I got instead are a nice consolation prize.
JohnSeptember 15, 2011 at 6:27 am #
V. nice. A beautiful tomato to look at. Is the flavor equally good? We had our 'tomato taste-off' last night, where we evaluated several of the varieties we grew this year, plus a couple of others from a local farmstand, to try to decide what to plant NEXT year. The only clear winner was "Sun Gold" cherry tomatoes, which are relatively early, incredibly abundant, and delicious all the way from their yellow phase (SLIGHTLY tart) to their solidly-orange (rich and very sweet) phase.
This seems like as good a time as any to mention the great combination of (a) cooking your vegetarian recipes, and (b) getting many of the ingredients from my garden. There's something incredibly satisfying about saying "Hey…the chard's looking good. Let's do the Chard and Polenta thing!" or "We've got both Okra AND a bunch of eggplants that aren't going to have time to get big before the weather gets cold…let's try the Okra and Eggpland in Lime/Tamarind sauce." Of course, it goes both ways — your recipe for black beans is what caused me to start planting Epazote, which I'll never have to plant again, because it's an aggressive self-seeder.
September 15, 2011 at 9:48 am #
I'm so excited to finally have beauties like this in the garden! Yes, no words required.
September 15, 2011 at 2:34 pm #
Absolutely gorgeous tomato photos! Bravo!
Allow me to share my own bounty of tomatoes from last week: link to showsdisaac.posterous.com
Michael NatkinSeptember 17, 2011 at 5:51 pm #
Yeah man, the end of summer is the best time of year to be a vegetarian! I think those tomatoes were "Vintage Wine", and yes quite delicious. From my farmer's market. I wish I was a gardener like you, I just don't have the gene.


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Do you use Amazon.com? If so, there is an easy way to support Tacoma Little Theatre that won't cost you a dime. Instead of going to www.amazon.com, go to smile.amazon.com. You'll have access to all the same products, however Amazon will make a donation to TLT on your behalf.
Use this link to set Tacoma Little Theatre as the non-profit you'd like your smile.amazon.com donations to benefit


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Fukushima nuclear plants in Japan has just exploded, blasting toxic radiation into the environment. You can begin to be detected on the northern coast of California. – Protect yourself against deadly radiation sickness to prepare! How can you prepare yourself and your family so you do not get sick of this natural zeolite will help […]
Archive for the 'Toxic' Category
Nuclear Radiation Protection For You And Your Family
Posted by greenplanetworld on May 14th, 2011


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I'm pleased to have Author E.C. Jackson on my blog again today! Be sure to stay tuned for the second book A LIVING HOPE coming next month with a book tour and review!
Twenty-one-year-old Neka is a bit of an introvert, she also happens to be stunningly beautiful.
When she discovers her friend James is about to be dumped, she sees the perfect opportunity to escape from her quiet life. Can she summon the courage to leave it all behind?
James Copley comes from a ruthless family. It's rubbed off. Years ago, he disengaged from his brother's smear campaign, but now his father has offered him an ultimatum, "Get married or lose your seat at the table." Plotting to stamp his design on the family business, he proposes to a woman, even though he doesn't love her. But his carefully laid plans start to unravel when she leaves him on the day she's due to meet his family. Could years of planning his comeback vanish with her departure?
A possible solution comes in an unexpected form: Neka. She's not only a friend, but the daughter of his benefactor. And she's right there, offering to support him. But will her support stretch to marriage? He attempts to win her over to his plan but collides with her powerful father who wants to leverage the situation for his own gain.
In their fight for survival and love, they are forced to face some uncomfortable truths.
Can they overcome thwarted dreams and missed chances to find true love, or does forcing destiny's hand only lead to misery?
~ Amazon US ~ B&N ~ Smashwords ~
~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA ~
~ Amazon UK ~ Amazon CA ~
I had the privilege of reading and reviewing this book when I first came across it a year ago. Below is my review - And I'm very excited to share it with you and to read/review book 2 in the series (Coming next month!
This is a sweet love story full of the troubles and tribulations of going from friends to something more. The characters are religious and don't hesitate to incorporate it into their relationship as they struggled together, work together, love together, and grow together. It shows the up and downs that can occur as a couple. The couple assumes a lot about each other and it takes quite a bit of time for them to let go of their own judgement and assumptions in order to really see the other person for who they are and decide what they want.
This is a great book for anyone who wants to see more than the fluff love story in most romances - but rather the struggle and hardships that bring forth the most love. Plus, it's great for anyone who enjoys a clean read that incorporates faith, a love of God, and religion into the main characters relationship.
This is a great book for anyone who wants to see more than the fluff love story in most romances - but rather the struggle and hardships that bring forth the most love. Plus, it's great for anyone who enjoys a clean read that incorporates faith, a love of God, and religion into the main characters relationship.
E. C. Jackson began her writing career with the full-length play Pajama Party. For three and a half years, she published the Confidence in Life newsletter for Alpha Production Ministries, in addition to writing tracts and devotionals. Teaching a women's Bible study at her church for eleven years led naturally to her current endeavor, writing inspirational romance novels. Her mission: spiritual maturity in the body of Christ through fiction.
To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page
For more content, fun and prizes check out these two events below for this Series!
To join the tour for the second book in the series click here
To join the Blitz for the book series click here


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After one sip, you'll lose all your hair and go Caribbean crazy!
Let me start off by saying I didn't create this drink, my ego is not so out of control that I started naming drinks, islands, or God knows what else after myself. That's just not my style, I much rather pass the credit to Caribbean Castaways like you.
Yes, today's Boat Drink recipe is called the RumShopRyan, but it was created by Castaway Mixologist Jeremy McDaniel. I'd like to thank Jeremy for all the cocktail creations and rum "research" he has done, the man knows how to make a good Boat Drink!
Jeremy has been a RSR reader for a few years now, and in that time he has learned some of things I go bonkers for when it comes to drinks. Sometimes a get a little carried away when it comes to certain ingredients, you'll see them show up fairly often when I'm creating new recipes for you guys. Some of those ingredients are things like Coconut Water, Blue Curacao, Blue Chair Bay Rum, Mount Gay Rum, banana and lime flavors. Last week Jeremy decided to take a lot of those ingredients and combine them into one cocktail, calling it the RumShopRyan.
Let's see what he came up with shall we!
The RumShopRyan Cocktail Recipe
- 1oz Mount Gay Eclipse (wouldn't be rum shop w/out a Bajan rum!)
- 1/2oz Blue Chair Bay Coconut Spiced (another Bajan beauty and a favorite of RSR!)
- 1/2oz Blue Curaçao (favorite color)
- 2oz simply orange w/banana (favorite flavor)
- 1oz Coconut Water (another favorite flavor!)
- Splash lime juice
- Two dashes angostura orange bitters
Mixing Instructions: Shake all with cracked ice, strain over ice and dust with cinnamon and nutmeg. Raise glass and toast.
Let me know if you mix this cocktail at home and what you thought of it!
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The 18-year-old guide, Satender Sharma, is a former street kid himself, so he knows firsthand about the perils and freedoms of living by your wits in the city.and continues...
"In this walk," he promises, "I will tell you more about the street life, how children comes on the street, what they are doing." He does it with a deadpan, teasing wit that only fades when he tells how he ran away from home at the age of 11 to escape an abusive father.
"My father used to beated up all our family," he says. "He is taking alcohol. One day he beated my mom very badly, and he killed her."
The tour ends, and very few people who take the walk seem to find it a depressing experience. Most, like American Catherine Farnsworth, say they were heartened by the kids' resilience and spirit.Not really any critical thought here about the impact of slum tourism, so that is the only piece I think is lacking. However, it is nice to see that they are leading and featuring thoughts about it from people in the community rather than just outsiders (myself included).
"There's no shame involved or anything, they're just telling their stories and living their lives," she says
Photo Credit (appears in original NPR piece): Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images
HT Saundra
Sorry, can't again get it to not auto-start.


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We all have that one pen that fascinates us. Wether it is your holy grail pen, or the one at the top of your wish list, there is a pen out there that you have to have. It may be hard to find or out of your price range, but one day the planets align and the pen you have always wanted lands in your hands. For me, that pen is the Pilot Vanishing Point Fountain Pen with the black matte body and fine nib.
I almost feel like I am doing this pen a disservice by running it through the normal Pen Addict review process, so I am going to take this a slightly different route. This post will contain what you normally see when I review a pen the first time: my handwritten review, a few photos, and some general comments. After that, many pen reviews vanish into the ether. The Pilot Vanishing Point deserves more.
I have ideas and uses for this pen and I plan on making it a recurring theme on the blog. I already have a short video made with romantic music playing in the background (Ok, no romantic music. Maybe.) that I will post soon to talk a little more about the pen. The Vanishing Point will also be in heavy rotation when I start my new job so I want to discuss the ups and downs of heavy, repeated, daily use.
Can you tell by now that I am really happy with this purchase?
I will elaborate in future posts on what makes this pen so great, but let me touch on a few of the high points. First of all, this is a retractable nib fountain pen. Think about that real quick. There are other retractable nib fountain pens on the market, but the Pilot Vanishing Point is the one by which all others are measured. Initial concerns about the nib ejecting too easily or drying out were quickly erased once I saw how well designed the pen is.
To keep the nib from drying out, there is a small door that seals off the end of the pen when the nib is retracted. In my upcoming video you will see it in action. The nib writes immediately every time I click it out. The knock on the end is very firm and sturdy, which keeps you from accidentally ejecting the nib. It takes much more than a little brush of the knock to send the nib into the world. I have felt extremely safe clipping it to my shirt pocket or placket and going.
Let's talk about the clip for a second because that was my biggest concern initially. For me, it turned out to be a non-issue, but if you have a non-standard or awkward writing grip it could be an issue for you. This is the biggest thing you need to consider when purchasing a Vanishing Point in my opinion. I already don't even notice it is there when I'm writing.
I went with an F nib on my Vanishing Point knowing that would be awfully fine for a fountain pen. I felt I had a good idea about the line width after using a Pilot Prera F nib and I would say they are close, with the Prera F nib being slightly finer and firmer. My choice of the F nib has turned out great.
There is so much more I could talk about, and that is the plan. If you have any questions that I haven't covered yet (and there are plenty) just let me know in the comments section or on Twitter @dowdyism and I will do my best to answer quickly.


text: Olía á Striga 95x105 óseld kr 450,000 There's no question that Gabriel Fauré's best known choral work is the Messe de Requiem. Written between 1887 and 1890, the Requiem was written not for the death of his father, but as another experiment in Fauré's endless quest to write music that was new and different. Even so, the Requiem does convey his own personal feelings and attitudes about death. He said in 1902, "That's how I see death: as a joyful deliverence, an aspiration towards a happiness beyond the grave, rather than as a painful experience." When one hears the Requiem, one can almost visualize Fauré's belief in "a happiness beyond the grave."


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OCEANSIDE — A former Carlsbad police officer was arrested Friday night on suspicion of stalking and residential burglary after breaking into his ex-girlfriend's home.
Jeffry Edwards, 37, was arrested in San Clemente and taken to the Vista Detention Facility at about 8:15 p.m. on the evening of April 6.
According to a press release issued by the Oceanside Police Department, Carlsbad police officials notified the Oceanside Police Department on April 5 that one of its former officers had possibly committed a crime in Oceanside.
Detectives from Oceanside conducted an investigation and found that Edwards had allegedly broken into his girlfriend's house in the 3500 block of Windrift Way and that he had been stalking her.
A former National Guardsman who served in Iraq, Edwards began his law enforcement career in Louisiana in the office of Juvenile Justice, Probation and Parole. Afterwards, Edwards went to work as a police officer for the Broussard Police Department before joining the Carlsbad Police department in July, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Edwards was born and raised in Granada Hills and joined the army at age 19, according to a recent release from the Carlsbad Police Department.


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Jaap Vreeswijk - The dynamics of user perception, decision making and route choice
Anthony Ohazulike - Road pricing mechanisms. A game theoretic and multi-level approach. Trail Thesis Series T2014/1.
Malte Risto - Cooperative in-vehicle advice: a study into drivers' ability and willingness to follow tactical driver advice
Luc Wismans - Towards sustainable dynamic traffic management. Trail Thesis Series T2012/4.
Nina Schaap - Driving behavior in unexpected situations. A study into drivers' compensation behavior to safety-critical situations and the effects of mental workload, event urgency and task prioritization. TRAIL Thesis Series T2012/1.
Thijs Muizelaar - Non-recurrent traffic situations and traffic information. Determining preferences and effects on route choice. TRAIL Thesis Series T2011/16.
Atze Dijkstra. En route to safer roads. How road structure and road classification can affect road safety.
Fei Liu – Context discovery in ad-hoc networks.
Mohamed Kamil Morsi Mahmod - Using co-operative vehicle-infrastructure systems to reduce traffic emissions and improve air quality at signalized urban intersections. TRAIL Thesis Series T2011/1
Cornelie van Driel - Driver support in congestion. An assessment of user needs and impacts on driver and traffic flow. TRAIL Thesis Series T2007/10.
Wendy Weijermars - Analysis of urban traffic patterns using clustering. TRAIL Thesis Series T2007/3.
Mako Makoriwa TRAIL - Performance of traffic networks. A mosaic of measures.
TRAIL Thesis Series T2006/10.
Gio Huisken - Inter-urban short-term traffic congestion prediction. TRAIL Thesis Series 2006/8.
Marianne Vanderschuren - Intelligent Transport Systems in South Africa, impact assessment through microscopic simulation in the South African context, TRAIL Thesis Series T2006/4.
Roland Kager - Design and implementation of a method for the synthesis of travel diary data. TRAIL Thesis Series T2005/11.
Bart Elbers - Development of an indicator for traffic flow stability with application to ramp metering.
Mark Zuidgeest - Sustainable urban transport development: A dynamic optimization approach. TRAIL Series T2005/3.
Frans Tillema - Development of a data driven landuse transport interaction model.
Henny ter Huerne - Compaction of asphalt road pavements. Using finite elements and critical state theory
Mascha van der Voort - Design and evaluation of a new fuel-efficiency support tool
Marc Witbreuk - Het regionale verkeersnetwerk als common pool resource
Mariette Kraan - Time to travel?


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Your car is an expensive investment and having a reliable and honest auto repair shop to look into problems is important for vehicle maintenance. The last thing you want is to be stuck on the side of the road with a broken down car. To prevent this from happening, visit Tap Automotive today and let a trusted auto mechanic provide you with a peace of mind.
Located in Clarksville, IN, our shop is a fully equipped resource for any auto repair service you need. We offer anything from engine repair, new tires, exhaust services, transmission rebuilds and more. For the clients who want the best in car maintenance, we make it a habit to provide workmanship and parts you can count on.
Tap Automotive wants to be your one-stop auto repair shop that you can fully depend on. Whether it's scheduled wheel alignment or an unexpected check engine light, our highly trained mechanic carries the expertise and knowledge to ensure your car and its systems are working great. We provide quality repairs at great prices—delivering outstanding service is our number one goal.
Call Tap Automotive in Clarksville, IN today to set up an appointment with a mechanic today.