text:
A quick post. I was tagged by Running While Mommy to do the Another Mother Runner 10 Question Game.
So here goes!
Best Run Ever: My memory isn't that great so I'm going to the not-so-distant past and choosing my run starting at Blackie's Pasture in Tiburon. In the weeks since the run I've found myself reflecting on how great I felt that day, running along the water, perfect weather, feeling strong. As an aside, my most emotional run so far was my first Triathlon run as I was crying when I crossed the finish line.
Three words to describe my running: Me-time, adventure, gratitude
My go to run outfit: Running shorts (unless it's too cold), Moving Comfort Melbourne sports bra (which they've stopped making, darnit!), technical t-shirt (usually Under Armor).
Quirky habit while I am running: I like to imagine all the people that see me from their cars are thinking what an amazing runner I am :)
Morning, midday or evening runner? Midday is the best! Evening would be my second choice and morning is downright painful, though I do morning runs when there's no other time because even a hard running time is better than no running at all.
I won't run outside when: Hmm, I don't know if I have an answer for this. Maybe freezing cold and rain would keep me from running. One or the other I could manage but both would probably be too much. And by freezing cold I'm talking California standards here ;)
Worst injury and how I got over it: In the beginning of my running career I suffered from terrible shin splints. The key for me was to slowly build up strength and endurance.
I felt most like a badass mother runner when? I ran the 4th of July 4-miler in less than 40 minutes. I felt like such a rock star!
My next race is: The Livermore Grape Stomp half-marathon. I'm
Potential running goals for 2013? Well, since you're saying potential goals let's just go for the gold and say maybe I'll shoot for a full marathon!
And I will tag...
On the Edge
Wild Child Gone Good
The Athena Diaries
Monday, September 17, 2012
4 comments:
If you don't want to login, use the Name/URL option (just type in your name...or any name for that matter). If you use the "Anonymous" option your comment won't get posted. - Michelle
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Spring Sensation Stamp Camp
Join us for our 3rd Stamp Camp at Paradise Park! This camp will feature our Oh So Succulent Designer Series Paper and our Watercolor Wings Stamp Set.
If you love butterflies, succulents and spring, this is the camp for you! Cost to attend is $60 and includes 7 projects. A fancy fold succulent birthday card, a paper succulent in a mini terra-cotta pot, a tiny treat box filled with individually packaged cookies that have been embellished with punched butterflies and topped with a fancy butterfly topper. Finally there will be three butterfly cards that are packaged beautifully in a metal butterfly embellished card holder.
In addition to all this there's an optional Spring card swap you can join in on. There will be a large retired stamp sale with a 50% rebate offered. There will be fabulous prize patrol give a ways and grand prize baskets to win. A bento lunch and light refreshments will be provided. All of this in a comfortable, air conditioned room in the beautiful Manoa Valley at Paradise Park.
We expect this event to reach its capacity which is 60 guests so don't delay, RSVP today.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
passion for design and travel
I'm so excited to kick off my first ever travel blog post sharing my adventures in Morocco! I've always dreamed about going to Morocco, so when my fiancé and I got engaged in December 2016, this trip was the perfect opportunity to celebrate our engagement. I've been back in Los Angeles for 3 months now, and have been daydreaming about this magical place ever since. Oh, the beautiful patterns, colors, and culture! I'd go back in a heartbeat!
Here are some of my most memorable moments...
Check out my first featured article in a local Los Angeles magazine called VoyageLA. They share inspiring stories of creative and talented people living in the LA area.


text:
On Monday night I welcomed Red Cross and Red Crescent delegates from 188 countries to Sydney for their General Assembly.
This is only the third time the General Assembly and Council of Delegates have met in the Southern Hemisphere.
Bushfires across Australia and typhoons in the Philippines and Vietnam have reminded us how vulnerable we all are to natural disasters.
To make a donation to the Red Cross Appeal to help tens of thousands of people affected by Typhoon Haiyan, click here
If you'd like to read my speech welcoming delegates to Sydney, please click here.


text:
Daniel earns two District silvers
By: BRUCE MORGAN Record Express Sports Editor email@example.com, Staff Writer
On Friday, Paige Daniel seemed tired.
Twenty-four hours later, the Manheim Central junior seemed more like her old self.
The result was a near four second drop in the 500 free and a silver medal in 5:07.88 at the District Three Double-A Swimming Championships at Cumberland Valley High School last Saturday in Mechanicsburg.
Daniel also took home a silver in the 200 I.M. in 2:10.52 from Friday's competition, in addition to helping the 200 medley and 200 free relay teams to top-10 finishes.
"I think (Paige) seemed pleased with her swims," Manheim Central coach Heather Fittery said. "She did say she felt better on Saturday than what she had on Friday."
By placing in the top two in both the 200 I.M. and 500 free, Daniel punched a return trip to the PIAA State Double-A Championships, which are set for next Friday and Saturday, March 16-17 at Bucknell University's Kinney Natatorium. A three-time State qualifier, Daniel won PIAA bronze in both the 200 I.M. and 500 free last year.
The Manheim Central star was in danger, however, of not earning an automatic bid after the backstroke leg in Friday's 200 I.M. Following a 33.11 second split in the back, Daniel's time of 1:02.02 was fourth behind Palmyra's Peyten Lyons (1:00.42), Boiling Springs' Jessica Burkett (1:01.44) and Oley Valley's Lauren Doerrman (1:01.73).
"(Paige) was in the middle of the pack, and we're thinking, 'Oh no, what's going on?,'" Fittery said. "But she pulled it off to get second place."
Indeed, Daniel used a 39.08 split in the breaststroke to overtake Doerrman, and then she finished with a strong 29.42 split in the free to place second in 2:10.52, behind only Burkett, who won the gold in 2:08.79.
"(Paige) did do a decent time, but we thought she looked kinda tired," Fittery said. "She had swam in the medley relay backstroke first, and it wasn't a bad time for her split, but it wasn't her best either."
With Daniel teaming up alongside freshman Brigette Fittery, and juniors Rachel Lapp and Rachel Clippinger, the Lady Barons 200 medley relay took 10th place in a time of 2:02.97 in the opening event.
Later, the foursome of Lapp, Jeannie Wagner, Fittery and Daniel stepped up with a personal-best time of 1:46.90, finishing just out of the medals in ninth place. It marked a three-second drop from their 12th-place seed time of 1:49.84.
"We were very surprised and excited with the ninth-place finish in the 200 free," Fittery said. "The girls looked great in the water, so we were very pleased with that … That was the last event of the day, so (Paige) finished on a good note."
Perhaps Daniel also used that 200 free relay as momentum going into the 500 freestyle in Saturday's action. There, she got out of the gates in 58.92 seconds after the first 100, just behind Trinity's Caroline Finkbeiner (57.80).
"She hung in there pretty well," Fittery said. "I know once we get to States, she's going to end up going out faster and probably trying to set the pace."
In the end, Finkbeiner touched the wall in a winning time of 5:03.58, just over four seconds ahead of Daniel, who took the silver in 5:07.88.
"(Finkbeiner) was a very strong swimmer and Paige knew she'd have a challenge going into it," Fittery said. "We more or less said, 'Just hang with her,' and she did. I think she was pleased with just improving her time and advancing on to States."
The fact that she was able to improve her time by almost four seconds without starting to taper could be a good sign for Daniel, who swam a school record 4:55.45 in the 500 free at States last year.
"I think she more or less waits for States to get that done," Fittery said. "She's still been working herself pretty strong practice-wise. And I think that's just typical of her. She just kinda comes and does what she can at Districts and saves it for States and really does a good job."
Looking toward States, Fittery believes Daniel has the ability to return from Bucknell University as a State champion.
"Looking at the seeds right now for both events (200 I.M. and 500 free), if she swims her race and comes out with a good time, she has a chance of being a champion in the 500 free," Fittery said. "The girl that has the top seed right now has a 5:00, so (Paige) has gone under that already. I'm hoping she improves her times and hopefully comes out a champion in one of her events, if not both. She has the potential to do it." More DANIEL, page B-6


text:
Life in the Woods
words + photo by Catherine Ritchie
"We need the tonic of wildness...At the same time that we are earnest to explore and learn all things, we require that all things be mysterious and unexplorable, that land and sea be indefinitely wild, unsurveyed and unfathomed by us because unfathomable. We can never have enough of nature."
– Henry David Thoreau, Walden: Or, Life in the Woods
Some years, the peak of autumn has the surprising ability to slip by before we have a chance to revel in it. Before we can make time to intentionally seek out rust-colored foliage, or sit on a park bench and calmly breathe in the crisp, changing air.
I took a walk today in an effort to appreciate the shifting season in my own neighborhood, swinging a camera over my shoulder in an attempt to more purposefully capture the joyful colors of October.
Whether you're inland and or by the sea, take a moment to breath in deeply the heady "tonic of wildness."


text:
RSS Feeds
What Is RSS?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It's an easy way for you to keep up with news and information that's important to you, and helps you avoid the conventional methods of browsing or searching for information on web sites. Now the content you want can be delivered directly to you. This content is called a "feed." Other names for RSS feeds are Web feeds, XML feeds, RSS channels, and syndicated content.
What Is an RSS Reader?
An RSS reader is a small software program that collects and displays RSS feeds. It allows you to scan headlines from a number of news sources in a central location. There are different versions of RSS Readers; some are accessed using a browser, and some are downloadable applications. Browser-based news readers let you catch up with your RSS feed subscriptions from any computer. Downloadable applications, on the other hand, let you store them on your main computer, in the same way that you either download your e-mail using Outlook, or keep it on a web-based service like Hotmail.
Where Can I Get an RSS Reader?
Some browsers, such as the current versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Safari have built in RSS readers. They can automatically check for RSS feeds for you when you visit a web site, and display an icon when they find one. This can make subscribing to RSS feeds much easier. If you're using a browser that doesn't currently support RSS, there are a variety of RSS readers available on the web; some are free to download and others are available for purchase. You can also add your favorite RSS Feeds as subscriptions in Microsoft Outlook. There are several ways to add an RSS Feed. The links given below will help you find more information on RSS readers on the web. We do not recommend or endorse any reader in particular.
How Do I Use RSS Feeds?
The first step is to choose an RSS reader. Each reader has a slightly different way of adding a new feed, also called a "channel." Please follow the directions for your specific reader.


text:
The mortgage-banking subsidiary of Freedom Savings has increased its issue of commercial paper to $100 million from $50 million.
The additional funds will be used for residential mortgage loans originated by the subsidiary, according to Robert Klingler, chairman of the Tampa-based thrift.
Backed by letters of credit issued by Irving Trust Co. in New York, the Freedom commercial paper was rated A-1+ by Standard & Poor's.


text:
5 Ways To Make Your Credit Card Reconsideration Telephone Call A Success & Credit Card Reconsideration Telephone Numbers!
If you are not approved for a credit card application online, don't give up!
Instead, call the credit card reconsideration telephone line within 30 days and ask them to review yourapplication.
5 Ways To Make Your Credit Card Reconsideration Call A Success
1. Be prepared
- Have a copy of your credit report with you so that you can make reference to the number of open accounts and inquiries on your credit report.
- Also know your credit score. And know the number of cards you currently have open with the bank and when you opened them.
2. Lead the call
In my opinion, it is better for you to lead the credit card reconsideration call than to let the rep lead the call.
Lead the call by letting the rep know that you love your existing relationship with the bank and that you were wondering if there was any way to get approved for a new credit card by reducing the high credit line on your existing credit cards.
This lets the rep know that you are aware of why you may have initially been denied a credit card.
Lots of folks get denied for credit cards because of late payments or charge-offs on their credit cards.
You want to quickly let the rep know that your denial wasn't because of late payments or credit mismanagement, but because you may have reached the credit limit which the bank will assign you.
I have successfully used this method to get approved for credit cards even when the reason for denial was "too many inquiries" on my credit report.
3. Know why you're applying for a new credit card
Emphasis the reasons why you want a new card. Offer additional reasons as to why you want the card, before you are asked why you want another card.
Examples of good reasons could be:
- My company changed their preferred airline/hotel and I need a different credit card to match
- I moved and American Airlines (or whatever loyalty airline card you have) doesn't fly to my new city
- I hate Airline X after they cancelled my flight and I will never fly with them again
- I want a card with no foreign exchange fee
- I want a card with a low annual fee or no annual fee
- I don't have any credit cards with your bank and have heard great things about your bank from my friends/family and want to start a relationship with your bank
4. Leverage your existing relationship with the bank
You are more likely to get approved, on your credit card reconsideration call, if the rep knows that you are a loyal and profitable customer for the bank.
Be sure to mention if you have:
- a checking account or credit card with the bank for 2+ years
- charged a large amount on other credit cards with the same bank
- never been late on a payment
5. Be polite with the telephone representative
In general, you get more when you are calm, positive, and well prepared.
Yelling at the phone rep during the credit card reconsideration call will only hurt your chances of getting approved, besides indicating that you are a jerk.
When was the last time you lent money to someone after being yelled at for initially refusing?
Credit Card Reconsideration Telephone numbers
I've listed the credit card contact telephone numbers below:
1. American Express
- 866-314-0237 – reconsideration
- 877-399-3083/866-379-3643 – new accounts
- 800 230 1284 – credit services
- 800 582 6471 – new accounts/reconsideration, but agents don't usually process applications immediately.
2. Bank Of America
- 866-458-8805 connects directly to a credit analyst
- 877-721-9405 – application status press 3
- Check your application status here
3. Barclay's
- 866-408-4064 connects directly to a credit analyst
4. Citibank
- 800-695-5171/800-763-9795 – credit department
- 866-606-2787 – application status
- 888-201-4523 – application status
You are usually more successful when you write to: CitiBank Executive Review Department, P.O. Box 6000, Sioux Falls, SD 57117.
5. US Bank
- 800-947-1444 – reconsideration
- 800-685-7680 – reconsideration
Example of a DEnied Chase Credit Card Application Status:
Denied letters can say something like this:
"Dear Guillermo"
Thank you for your interest in our CHASE SAPPHIRE Visa Signature credit program. Your application was given thoughtful consideration by CHASE BANK USA, NA.
After reviewing the information provided in the application and your credit bureau report, we regret that we are unable to approve your request for a credit account at this time. The reason(s) for our decision are as follows:
Too many requests for credit or opened accounts with us"
Is The Chase "6 Month Rule" Myth?:
I know a lot of people who would read the letter and consider the decision to not approve the credit card to be final, and move on.
But that's not true! You can – and SHOULD – always follow-up with the Bank to ask them if they would reconsider their decision. (This assumes that there were no late payments, bankruptcies or write offs on your credit report.)
Most banks set a limit on the TOTAL credit amount which they will extend to you. This limit is based on the bank's internal risk-taking (or underwriting) policy, your income, length of credit history, and other variables on your credit report.
You may reach this total limit with 2, 3, or 4 or more credit cards, depending on the credit limit assigned to each credit card.
For example, $20,000 in total credit can result in:
- 4 Credit Cards with a limit of $5,000 each
- 3 Credit Cards with a limit of $6666.67 each or
- 2 Credit Cards with a limit of $10,000 each
Once you reach this limit, banks will no longer extend you any new credit (since doing so will increase the bank's risk exposure) and will send you a denial notice. This is the type of denial notice in the Example above!
Note that this type of denial is only when someone reaches the maximum limit of credit that Chase is willing to extend. It's not sent because of concerns about credit history, length of credit history or for too many inquiries (We'll address how to overcome these concerns in later posts).
This type of denial is often – incorrectly interpreted – as evidence of the Chase "6 month rule," where Chase will not issue a new credit card if you've had a credit card approved in the past 6 months. Don't let this myth prevent you from getting bonuses on new Chase credit cards!
In fact, just 6 months ago I was approved for a Chase Southwest Credit Card which offered $500 in credit cards and 2 months before that I was approved for the United Airlines Visa Credit Card which offered 50,000 bonus miles and 2 months before that the Priority Club Visa Credit Card which offered 80,000 Priority Club Points.
That's enough evidence to suggest that the 6-month rule (where Chase would not grant you a new credit card within 6 months of your last approved Chase credit card) is just a myth!
Chase Credit Card Reconsideration:
I called the Chase Credit Card Reconsideration telephone line and within 1 minute I was speaking to a credit reconsideration analyst.
I strongly recommend calling the number above instead of the general customer service number or the application status line.
That's because you're more likely to be given incorrect information such as "Please mail your reconsideration request in writing to PO Box XX…" or "Sorry, we can't reconsider your request" by inexperienced representatives through the general line or the application status line.
I started off by explaining that was denied because I already had credit cards with Chase, but was willing to cut the credit line on my existing accounts in order to get the new Sapphire Preferred Credit Card.
The rep asked for my reference number (found on the denial letter) and verified my personal information.
She then said that since there were no issues with my credit report, she could approve the new Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card provided i reduced the limit on my other cards.
I suggested cancelling my Chase Southwest Airlines Personal Credit Card, since it was 11 months old and i didn't want to pay the annual fee on the card.
The rep spent a few minutes processing the information in her system and the Sapphire Preferred card was approved!
If the rep had NOT approved it, I would have called back again (call center agent roulette is the technical term) to see if another agent would have approved my credit card.
The call took 10 min to complete! Yes, that's $2000 worth of hotel rooms for just 10 minutes on the phone!
Bottom line: Don't take credit card denial letters at face value, and always pursue a reconsideration. Sure, you might get denied again, but you NEVER know until you ask.
If you don't get denied again, well, that's more miles and points for more free trips!
And don't let the Chase "6 month rule" prevent you from applying for a Chase Credit Card with a good bonus offering. It's just a myth!


text:
I just received the whatapps and saying that we gonna to have BBQ later, something like you can't say NO! So I just join. =) We suppose to have badminton session for every Sunday. But mayb too boring, so the Gang switched to BBQ.
Chicken wings chicken wings!!!!
This is how we BBQ.
The boys.. Freaking funny!!!!
Thanks boyfie for being the photographer..
That's all,


text:
Okay, now that I depressed you with my previous post, I felt I should write something to cheer you up. So I'm going to encourage you to attend one of five town hall meetings we're holding across the state on the abuse of executive power issue. We'll talk about how torture, kidnapping, and illegal spying are NOT what this country is supposed to be about. It's a great chance to 1) get even more outraged, 2) meet your fellow civil libertarians who are also pissed off, and 3)get some ideas for fighting back.
Here's the schedule:
July 11 – Harrisburg – Speakers: Lisa Graves, Senior Legislative Counsel, ACLU Washington Legislative Office; Spero T. Lappas, Esq., Civil rights and criminal defense attorney; & Kathleen Lucas, human rights organizer
July 12 – Philadelphia – Speakers: Caroline Frederickson, Legislative Director, ACLU Washington Legislative Office; Michael Coard, Esq., Host of "The Radio Courtroom" on WHAT 1340 AM; Bal Pinguel, Coordinator, Peacebuilding & Demilitarization Program, AFSC; Signe Wilkinson, Editorial Cartoonist, Daily News.
July 13 – Allentown – Speakers: Matt Bowles, Field Organizer, ACLU Washington Legislative Office; Malcolm J. Gross, Esq., Gross, McGinley, LaBarre & Eaton, LLP.
July 19 – Erie – Speakers: Matt Bowles, Field Organizer, ACLU Washington Legislative Office; Jim Fisher, Dept. of Political Science and Criminal Justice, Edinboro University; Bob Rhodes, Dept. of Political Science (Emeritus), Edinboro University.
July 20 – Pittsburgh – Speakers: Greg Nojeim, Associate Director and Chief Legislative Council, ACLU Washington Legislative Office; Doug Shields, Pittsburgh City Councilman, Co-sponsor of anti-PATRIOT Act Resolution.
Check out our website page for more information about times and locations for each town hall.
Hope you come, and bring people. Because frankly, my friends, this is a damn scary time in this country.


text:
We spent the weekend visiting family and soaking in the sunshine in the high desert. Our twin nieces were visiting from Idaho so we spent a lot of time outdoors, exploring the backyard and going for walks. Here are some photos from our time away.
Isn't that cloud formation amazing? The sunset on Sunday was breathtaking.
Some other things we saw that aren't pictured here are the High Desert Test Sites Headquarters, the World Famous Crochet Museum and Art Queen shop/gallery (I would highly recommend all 3 the next time you're in the Joshua Tree area).
Here are some other desert posts from the Observation Point archive: 1, 2, 3.


text:
Hope we've seen the last of those pesky love bugs! What a nuisance they are. Below is the answer if you're in a car. If you're in an RV you've got to clean those huge windshields all by yourself. Sometimes RV is not a happy camper during love bug season.
We arrived in Green Cove Springs, FL, to visit our daughter, Kristen, son-in-law, Harold, and our beautiful 4 grandchildren. Kenneth (14), Kiley (10), Kenzie (8) and Khloe (6).
Our week was both hectic and lots of fun. We tried to catch up on banking, shopping, visiting with friends and family, and always making plans for the next stop.
When we arrived it was time for the girls dance lessons so I got to take them and watch them. It is fun to see them creating their own routines and producing videos of their dances. Kenneth had a regional baseball tournament over the weekend and they won! While we were here Kenneth made the varsity fall baseball team at Clay High School - his first varsity sports team tryout!
I love St. Augustine and when Kristen invited me to go to a Bachelorette Party for one of her friends I was really excited. We checked into a hotel by the old Castillo de San Marcos and I loved looking out our window at the beautiful riverfront, the Bridge of Lions, and the carriages being pulled by horses. We partied like rock stars Friday night and were able to walk to most of the restaurants we visited. Our best wishes and blessings to Kelsay and Caleb as they get married Saturday night, September 28. Our granddaughters, Kiley, Kenzie and Khloe will be junior bridesmaids.
Yes, we are staying in the RV while we visit...not the garage apartment. While it is the cutest garage apartment and is equipped with everything we might need, we prefer to stay in our home-on-wheels that has our bed, our stuff, and it would require too much effort and energy to move up upstairs.
The week has passed by at warp speed and we weren't able to do everything and see everybody, but we are getting squared away for the next leg of our trip. We're on our way over to the panhandle of west Florida. Let's hope we aren't escorted by a contingent of love bugs. There's something much larger waiting for us in west Florida - the monarch butterflies are migrating to South America and we'll most likely see thousands of them as we pass over the Appalachicola River Bridge!


text:
A Message from John MacPhee, Executive Director of The Jed Foundation As part of National Bullying Prevention Month, we've been working with several partners to help educate and empower everyone to commit to actions that will help prevent bullying and create more inclusive communities. Our partnership with House Party has been a special one because it's our first effort through the Love is Louder movement that targets parents. I've spent a lot of time talking and thinking about bullying this month, both as the Executive Director of The Jed Foundation and as a parent of two teenage girls. One of the things I've come to realize is how easy it is to think of bullying as someone else's problem. We hear about the extreme cases of violence or harassment on TV and wonder how people can treat each other so badly. But the research we released with Harlequin Teen this month shows that hitting, shoving and physical abuse might not be the most painful parts of bullying. Our respondents said that emotional and verbal bullying are much more painful. Most agreed that gossiping is definitely a form of bullying, but 30% of those who said they hadn't bullied admitted to gossiping.
Perhaps we've become so desensitized to our name-calling, gossip-driven pop culture, that it doesn't feel like we are hurting anyone...even though we ourselves have been hurt by similar behaviors. Through media and our own personal actions, are we making certain types of bullying ok?
You know the saying "actions speak louder than words?" Well, in this case, our words may speak louder than our words. If we discourage gossiping and name-calling, but participate in those things ourselves, what message are we sending? So, as we wrap-up this month-long focus on bullying, I hope you'll remember the three things that you can do now and on an ongoing basis to prevent our teens and college students from feeling mistreated and alone.
Watch your words:
There's always room for improvement when it comes to how we treat other people. Join me in making a commitment to refrain from spreading rumors, verbally judging or labeling people, or lashing out in anger. Adults curbing the trash talk won't make bullying go away, but it is a step towards creating a culture where it isn't OK to use our words in ways that hurt people.
Talk about it:
Talk about this issue with your children. The best way to start the discussion might be to ask him or her to talk about a time someone made them feel bad with their words or actions. Perhaps your whole family can take an inventory together of things you can do to prevent others from feeling mistreated and helping others in your school or community feel more accepted and supported. It's better to have a positive conversation about how we can use our actions instead of just scolding for hurtful behaviors after-the-fact. Remember, we don't always understand that we have the power to hurt people seriously. Sometimes it takes remembering how words have caused us pain to think more carefully about how our words impact others.
Get involved:
The Love is Louder than Bullying Parent's Party Guide we developed wasn't just intended for October - you can use it anytime. Helping your children get involved with Love is Louder is a great way to expose them to positive actions that help others and give them a sense of purpose. Through Love is Louder, The Jed Foundation is committed to learning more about the behaviors and situations that make our children feel mistreated, alone or hopeless, and identifying ways we can use technology and grassroots efforts to prevent that pain and make our teenagers and college students feel more connected and supported. You can also get involved with this work by making a tax-deductible donation now.
[author] [author_image timthumb='on']#[/author_image] [author_info]John MacPhee is the Executive Director of The JED Foundation. He lives in the Upper West Side of New York City. John is a vegan who loves walking the beautiful city of New York and catching some Law & Order re-runs whenever possible. John's Party Tip: Be sure to incorporate a charitable cause into your parties and events![/author_info] [/author]


text:
Location: Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce, 65 North Beach Road, Eastsound, Washington 98245
The San Juans are lush with wildlife. And the Orcas Island Chamber of Commerce's upcoming festival will pay tribute to the splendor of the outdoors. "In our fourth year, the festival will celebrate the wildlife in and around Orcas Island," said Chamber Director Lance Evans. "Whether you are exploring on land or in the Salish Sea, we are encouraging everyone to take part." Participants can enjoy nature talks, wildlife tours, and other activities. The festival is also partnering with chamber members to offer whale and wildlife tours. Outer Island Excursions, Deer Harbor Charters, Orcas Island Eclipse Charters, and Shearwater Kayak Adventures are participating. Contact 360-376-2273.
For more information, go to: Orcas Island Bird Festival


text:
Delightful Frilly Pinny Apron featuring the Skating Santa print designed by Rachel Ellen Designs. This frilly half apron comes with a lovely Christmas print, large pocket and side ties for a perfect fit. Also available in oatmeal.
Material: 100% cotton
Style: Frilly Skating Santa Christmas Pinny Apron for women
Lots more items in the Skating Santa range including matching children's apron, table cloth, tea towel set & oven gloves.
View the whole Skating Santa Range.
Thought about Boxing Day? Consider this leftovers Boxing Day Soup Recipe


text:
It was a fine but cool day as we all gathered at the clubrooms prior to heading off to Ardmore. John had asked one of his friends to bring his Buckler out for a bit of a run, and we all gathered around and examined and chatted about it (no photos, sorry).
After a little while, we all set off to follow John on a roundabout journey through some of the countryside of South Auckland to the cafe at Ardmore Aerodrome. We had a drink and bite to eat whilst watching the planes and listening to Paul's latest Trade Me exploits.
Later, we proceeded down to the Warbirds hangar and were able to wander amongst and examine the planes on display.


text:
WELLINGTON — As part of Wellington's free outdoor movie series, the village is featuring "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" on Friday at the Wellington Amphitheater.
The movie begins at 8 p.m., weather-permitting. It is rated PG-13.
Bring your own seating. Wellington's Amphitheater is located at 12100 Forest Hill Boulevard, next to the municipal complex.
For information, log on to wellingtonfl.gov or call 561-753-2484.


text:
Thanks to the kindness of one woman, a former Army Sergeant has been reunited with his former canine comrade.
The bond between a soldier and his bomb-sniffing dog is truly unbreakable. During the struggling fighting on the front lines, the love and affection from a dog can be the only thing to help a soldier get through the day.
Taylor the yellow lab was deployed to Afghanistan twice, and did an incredible job of keeping her fellow soldiers safe. After spending her whole life in the military, she was honorably discharged and made available for adoption.
Army Sergeant Tom Hanson protected the brave dog during firefights and combat missions. Thanks to help of Molly Oliver, a United Airlines flight attendant, "Tay Tay" will have a long and happy life alongside her favorite soldier.
Anyone who has owned a pet knows the pain of being separated from your animal for a long period of time, but this battle was especially hard for Hanson. After returning to the U.S. from his tour of duty, the only thing he felt was missing was "Princess Taylor." Yes, even our country's toughest and bravest soldiers have a soft side.
You can find out more about how to adopt a retired military dog for yourself here.


text:
- Font:
- +
- -
TOKYO — After months of national debate and parliamentary deliberations, Japan this week will begin sending more than 500 of its Ground Self Defense Forces to southern Iraq in what will be the nation's largest military deployment since World War II. They will join other members of the U.S.-led coalition involved in humanitarian and reconstruction projects in the city of Samawah.
"All of you will be implementing the two most important policies for our peace and prosperity: U.S.-Japan alliance and international cooperation," Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Sunday during the official send-off ceremony. "And this will be carried out not with words but with action."
What makes this particular deployment unique is that in the past, Japanese peacekeeping missions have always taken place in either a post-combat, or at least a non-combat, environment.
In the case of Iraq, for the first time in Japan's postwar history its troops will be entering a hostile environment that may require the use of weapons as a means of self-defense.
More active roles
Since the end of the first Gulf War, Japan has slowly and discreetly sought more active participation in international peacekeeping efforts.
Starting with the dispatch of minesweepers to the Persian Gulf in 1991, Japanese troops have been sent to Cambodia, East Timor, and most recently to the Indian Ocean, where Maritime Self Defense Forces provided the U.S. military with logistical support in the war against terrorism in Afghanistan.
Nevertheless, Japan has also been routinely criticized for "checkbook diplomacy," notably during the first Gulf War in 1991 when Tokyo failed to mobilize its troops.
Instead, Japan contributed $13 billion in aid during the conflict.And since minesweepers were deployed only after the conflict ended, Japan was seen as a rank below those nations who took the risk needed in securing global stability.
Determined to avoid a repetition, Prime Minister Koizumi — during a visit to President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas, last May — promised that Japan would consider a new law which would allow for the Japanese troops to participate in the reconstruction of Iraq.
On Monday, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, in Japan for a two-day visit as part of a tour of Asia, underscored the importance of Japan's involvement in Iraq as key to deepening the alliance with the United States.
Armitage said that the dispatch was earning Japan respect that it would not have won by only contributing money to Iraqi reconstruction.
"It's such a historic moment in the life of your nation and indeed of our alliance," Armitage said at the Japan National Press Club.
"In this time of change at home, in the region and around the world, Japan has not been caught standing still," he said. "Japan is putting its skillful hands on the tiller of the international community, no longer content with simply being a passenger."
Break from pacifist tradition
The deployment to the still hostile environment remains a hot topic in Japan, where critics view it as contravening Japan's pacifist tradition.
Under the controversial Article 9 of Japan's constitution drafted with the United States after World War II, Japanese troops are prohibited from engaging in the act of combat unless the nation is under attack.
As a result, when a special law was passed in July to allow for Japanese troops to conduct relief and humanitarian efforts in Iraq, the scope of the operation was limited to areas deemed as "non-combat zones."
Only after numerous survey missions and information gathering, the relatively stable city of Samawah was selected as their final destination.
But as the local media continue to broadcast daily images of terrorist attacks against coalition forces and civilians in Iraq, many in Japan have started to raise concern about the legitimacy of the nation's involvement in what appears to be a still on-going military conflict.
There are concerns that Japan's pacifist constitution would be compromised should the troops use their arms for self protection. Others fear that the Self Defense Forces are ill-equipped and ill-trained to face a dangerous mission overseas.
Nobutaka Tsutsui of the leading opposition party, Minshuto, posed the question to the Defense Minister during a recent Lower House Budget Committee, "Just because you can't identify your attackers, would you still call it a non-combat zone?"
Watershed in Japanese diplomacy
Others, including Koizumi, consider this dispatch a watershed for Japan's diplomacy.
During his annual general policy speech earlier this month, the Koizumi explained to the Parliament, "If we only made material contributions and allow other nations to take personal risks because of the danger involved, we are not be fulfilling our responsibilities as a member of the international community."
But even as the Koizumi administration gears the nation for more active participation in matters of global security, Professor Yoshihide Soeya at Keio University points out that there is one other departure from past peacekeeping operations.
"The big difference this time is that up until Afghanistan, there has always been U.N. approval. But the operation in Iraq is being conducted under the Bush administration's agenda which is at odds with the international community and this has caused a big headache for Japan."
Arata Yamamoto is an NBC News producer based in Tokyo. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this story.


text:
Literary manuscripts [electronic resource] : 17th and 18th century poetry from the Brotherton Library, University of Leeds
- Imprint
- Marlborough, Wiltshire : Adam Matthew Publications ; [Leeds, England] : University of Leeds, c2006.
Search this database
More options
- Corporate Author
- Brotherton Library.
- Contributor
- Adam Matthew Publications.
- Summary
- Complete facsimile images of 190 manuscripts of 17th and 18th century verse held in the celebrated Brotherton Collection at the University of Leeds. These manuscripts can be read and explored in conjunction with the BCMSV database, which includes first lines, last lines, attribution, author, title, date, length, verse form, content and bibliographic references for over 6,600 poems within the collection. Additional features include interactive essays, biographies, a palaeography section with transcriptions and alphabets, and a large selection of colour images demonstrating over 320 examples of 17th and 18th century English handwriting.
- Subject
- English poetry > Early modern, 1500-1700 > Manuscripts > Facsimiles.
- English poetry > 18th century > Manuscripts > Facsimiles.
- Manuscripts, English > Facsimiles.
- Database topics
- British and Commonwealth Literary Studies
Bibliographic information
- Publication date
- 2006
- Title Variation
- 17th and 18th century poetry from the Brotherton Library, University of Leeds
- Seventeenth and eighteenth century poetry from the Brotherton Library, University of Leeds
- Note
- Title from title screen.
- Access
- Access restricted to authorized users and institutions.
- File/Data Type
- Electronic text and images.
- Format
- Mode of access: World Wide Web.


text:
Press enter to see results or esc to cancel.
Plan Your SEO Before Website Launch
Customer Service
Increase eCommerce Revenue by Leveraging customer Service
Grow Your Distribution Business Using P21 API services
Magento Imagine 2018: A Detailed Recap of Memorable Events
Are Progressive Web Apps the future of ecommerce?
Magento 2
How to create a custom SOAP API in Magento 2?
Integrating MailChimp with Shopify
Tips To Build Your 2018 Magento SEO Strategy
5 Factors To Consider Before You Buy An eCommerce Business
Prevent Credit Card Frauds By Implementing AVS With Paymetric
How To Integrate Vantiv – Element Payment Services?
E-Commerce Customer Journey & Moment of Truth


text:
sample photos from
Asian Bar Girls
member's area
Asian Bar Girls
is a proud part of
Adult Empire
Adult Empire Network
is one of the biggest porn site in the internet.
Adult Empire
3894 niche porn sites, 469gb of porn content, 282 xxx dvds, 1035 porn movies, 169gb of xxx video content with 362 hours
With password for
Asian Bar Girls
you will get bonus: free access to all other
Adult Empire.com
porn sites and dvd downloads.
Adult Empire
Adult Empire


text:
The Football Jig: A Deep Water Must Have Bait/
While the official first day of summer is not until June 21st, as far as fishing goes summer is absolutely here across the southern half of the United States. With water temperatures in the mid 80's there is no doubt in my mind that the majority of the bass population is living deep. I'm going to break down one of my favorite deep water summer baits, the football jig. A wise man once said, "When you are fishing the bank 90 percent of the fish are behind you!"
Football Jig:
There are several things that make a football jig one of my absolute go to deep water baits. First, is the fact that it is heavy and really dredges the bottom. This dredging basically acts as a probe so that you the angler can feel exactly what is down there, specifically whether the bottom is hard or soft. Second, is the fact that a football jig is a big bulky presentation that often attracts the attention of big bluegill eating bass. While some bluegill stay shallow around docks in the summer the majority of them spend the summer months holding on deep structure and in deep brush piles. A football jig is one of the best baits to match the specific hatch. Lastly, is the fact that a football jig allows you to cover deep water ledges and structure efficiently while still keeping the bait in the strike zone.
I like to work my football jig very similarly to the way I work a Carolina rig, keeping the rod level and dragging the bait across the bottom about 2 feet at a time. This being said don't be afraid to hop or rip the football jig off of the bottom. This hopping technique is called stroking the football jig and can absolutely be the ticket to some big bass if the fish are in the right mood.
My personal football jig setup consists of a 7'3" Heavy TFO Tactical Series baitcasting rod accompanied by a 7.0:1 Quantum Tour MG reel. I like to use 17lb test Vicious Pro Elite Fluorocarbon for more open water ledge applications and 20lb test fluoro if I am fishing around heavy cover such as deep brush piles. As far as the exact bait goes a 3/4oz Zman Project Z Football Jig in a Candy craw color with a big soft plastic craw trailer is hard to beat.
I hope this helps you put more bass in your boat this summer. I'll see you on the water!!!


text:
Honestly, this card is so stupid… U could simply use Cathedral Sanctifier / Elixir of Immortality for better results, same mana
Magic the Gathering is TM and copyright Wizards of the Coast, Inc, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc.
All rights reserved. All art is property of their respective artists and/or Wizards of the Coast.
This site is not produced, affiliated or endorsed by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.


text:
Celebration time in Rathkeale
RATHKEALE club St Mary's-Sean Finns claimed the Limerick JFC title for the first time in 20 years last weekend when they got the better of Glin in Foynes on a scoreline of 1-11 to 0-9.
A first-half goal from Paul White helped them to a 1-3 to 0-3 lead at the break. And the stretched clear in the second half as county star Eoghan O'Connor led from the front with seven points.
Captain Keith Hartnett lifted the trophy amid joyous scenes after and the Rathkeale club now go on to play Tipperary champions Kildangan in the Munster championship on Friday night.
SCORERS - St Mary's-Seán Finns: Eoghan O'Connor 0-7 (three frees), Paul White 1-0, Seán White, Mark O'Sullivan, Stephen Power and Keith Hartnett 0-1 each. Glin: Philip Moloney 0-3, Mark Culhane (one free) and Ger Lyons 0-2 each, Pádraig Scanlon and Jack Fitzgerald 0-1 each.
ST MARY'S/SEAN FINNS -Jonathan Mooney; Seán O'Shea, Gary Enright, Shane Hourigan; Darren Jones, Patrick Sheahan, Paul White; Keith Hartnett, Damien Quaid; Seán Sheahan, Mark O'Sullivan, Johnny Markham; Eoin O'Donnell, Eoghan O'Connor, Barry O'Riordan; Subs: Seán White for Shane Hourigan (half time), Stephen Power for Johnny Markham (47 mins)
GLIN - Seán Lyons; Shane Fitzgerald, Brian Mulroe, Tim Scanlon; Brian Donovan, Andrew Woods, Pádraig Costello; Edmond Horan, Jack Fitzgerald; Paddy Fitzgerald, Philip Moloney, Oliver Wallace; Ger Lyons, Mark Culhane, Shane Culhane; Subs: Pádraig Scanlon for Ollie Wallace (21 mins), Gary Culhane for Shane Culhane (38 mins), Patrick Madigan for Andrew Woods (46 mins), Pádraig Horan for Mark Culhane (47 mins), Paul Sheehan for Shane Fitzgerald (59 mins).
REFEREE- Joe Kearne
For more on this game, and a preview to their Munster championship campaign, see the weekend edition of the Limerick Leader


text:
Ingredients Required:
cucumber: 1
beaten bengal gram: 1 small cup
coriander leaf: a little
curry leaf: 2 sticks
grated coconut: according to your taste
mustard: for seasoning
asafoetida: 1/2 pinch
oil: a little
green chilli: 4 nos
salt: according to your taste
lemon juice: 1 spoon
Method of Preparation:
wash the cucumber well and cut off the bitter ends, and if you wish to remove the skin, peel and cut it into very small pieces and put it in a vessel. wash the beaten bengal gram well and soak the same in the water for some time and pour all the water and add the cut pieces of cucumber.
put oil in small pan and when it boils put mustard. after mustard bursts beaten bengal gram, cut pieces of green chilli, half a pinch of asafoetida and turn them well. pour the seasoned oil over the cucumber pieces and mix them nicely. add grated coconuts, coriander leaf, curry lear, lemon juice. now bengal gram-cucumber kosambari is ready.
Originally posted 2011-06-05 14:58:00.


text: Keller Williams Realty was founded in 1983 with the specific premise that buyers and sellers deserve the best service for their real estate needs. Since then that founding principle has been a major factor in the continued growth of Keller Williams across North America. In 2000 the locally owned Saginaw Keller Williams Market Center was opened. The company's goal is to serve the clients and customers who put their trust in us as well as to give back to the community in appreciation for all it has given to us. Keller Williams Realty Saginaw is made up of a team of experienced sales professionals, who live, work, worship, and enjoy life in the Saginaw area. They work hard to combine real estate training, sales and marketing expertise, and negotiation abilities to serve your real estate needs. To us at Keller Williams Realty our business is about more than houses and property, it's all about you. We are glad you are visiting our website and encourage you to find out why Keller Williams stands out from the rest.


text:
- Font:
- +
- -
OZARK, Ark. — The FBI has dispatched investigators to Arkansas to look into a police officer's use of a stun gun on a 10-year-old girl who refused to take a shower.
Ozark Mayor Vernon McDaniel and Police Chief Jim Noggle announced the FBI's investigation Friday and said they're pleased federal agents have stepped in.
Police officer Dustin Bradshaw has been suspended with pay for a week for not having a video camera attached to his Taser. Town officials want the FBI to consider whether his use of the weapon was appropriate.
The girl's mother has said she called police Nov. 11 after the girl refused to take a shower. Bradshaw says the girl became violent and "verbally combative" and her mother suggested using the stun gun.
The FBI did not comment.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
Peep Wale's new interview with The Breakfast Club.
Wale is busy working on his new album Album About Nothing, but he found the time when he was recently in NYC to pay a visit to Angela Yee, Charlamagne Tha God and DJ Envy for a Breakfast Club interview.
Speaking on the forthcoming LP, Wale says he's trying to let his fans "A&R" the project, focusing on the things that his fans loved about him early on in his career and attempting to incorporate those things "sonically" into the new album. As for whether or not that means Mark Ronson will come back into the picture, Wale says no. This leads Wale to discuss the backstory on his relationship with Ronson.
Check out the full interview above, it spans almost 40 minutes.


text:
To provide third-party secured transactions for buyers and sellers, all verified traders have already paid 30,000 USD in guaranteed money to ensure the completion of the transaction normal.
In here you can see which projects we found and what they can do. All of this is verified by us and they are works.
Zeus mining buys and sells all kinds of cryptocurrency. we cooperate with many international funds companies and can acquire and sell bitcoins in large quantities, realizing instant liquidity through OTC transaction.
Registered companies in Hong Kong.
Verified traders all paid 30,000 USD in the deposit, Ensure the transaction is completed successfully.
Collaboration with many international fund companies, abundant funds.
Repairs staff has obtained the official certification of engineer certificate.
From the industry experience, can provide you with better service.
With years of international freight experience, efficiency, and safety to complete transportation.
All ready only waiting to start communicatingStart now


text:
"We keep coming back to C&D Graphic because, aside from the fact that they're innovative, they always work within our budget and really are only just a phone call away."
George De La Rosa
"The work that C&D Graphic produces is fresh, new, and creative and really help us to separate ourselves from other agencies."
Alain Graham
"Such a personalized and comprehensive set of services – their level of responsiveness is really strong."
Vijaya Chikermane
I've been working with C&D for different projects and they are a very good team, very friendly, very professional and flexible. I am happy to collaborate with them and will recommend them to my friends.
Sabine Raboteur


text:
December has come and I feel as if I am simultaneously gearing up for my last big burst and winding down, ready to wrap everything up for the year. I am still working and throwing and glazing and shipping every day until Dec. 15 (actually, I'll stop throwing by Wednesday of this week to focus on the finishing work), then I'll turn my focus to my family and tucking my business things to bed for 2012.
I have one last sale event coming up next Sunday, December 9, at Literacy MidSouth from 2-4 pm. Late this summer I created a group for creative female entrepreneurs in the Memphis area to explore some of our business and personal issues and learn how to grow, reshape, expand our businesses by learning from each others' experiences. It is more virtual than real-time, although we do meet. I struggled through growing my business- especially with taxes and licensing- mostly by myself. When several women asked me to informally mentor them as they grew into their businesses, I thought about other "hive" organizations like these in other areas. Since its inception, the group has taken on a life of its own and I've taken my hands off the reins. This event, a "cash mob" is one that one of our members created to showcase independent retailers in Memphis, and this one is for our group. I'm super excited about it, and about the group. I think the group may be the best thing I've done this year.
These ornaments, by the way, are available locally and I have a few online in the shop. They're simple unglazed porcelain. I'll have some at the cash mob and at the Trolley Stop Market.
I hope to be back in this space more in 2013, at least once more this year. Happy holiday season, friends.


text:
I came across this clip on YouTube recently of a United Airlines Boeing 727-100 landing at the now-closed Meigs Field in Chicago. The 727 is now part of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago - I've been there and you can actually go inside the airplane and try out the seats, etc. Meigs Field itself is now closed - the video clip is probably about 15 years old.
727 Landing at Meigs Field
Posted by Tom on Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Labels: 727, Meigs Field, United Airlines
1 comments:
- Anonymous said...
- May 11, 2009 at 11:46:00 PM EDT


text:
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Quilterie's Law
"Especially on holidays, opportunity to sew is inversely proportional to prepared work taken."
In other words, if you plan and prepare work to take along on holiday, you are unlikely to do it. The corollary is that the more opportunity you have to sew, the less work you have prepared.
I prepared lots. You guessed it. More than 2 weeks away from home, with hand projects galore, I barely sewed anything. I can present to you the sum total of my holiday sewing
Not a lot to show for so much opportunity! And to top it off, I missed all my favourite blogs. But now I have the pleasure of catching up on my blog reading.
I have foregone the usual new year resolutions although the perennial "I won't buy more fabric till I've used up my stash" did briefly flit across my conscience. Not wishing to set myself up for failure, I've just forgotten the whole 'change for good' idea.
Perhaps a challenge would be more interesting. For example, every quilt made (not just started) in 2011 must have some of this fabric in it:
I did manage to finish a Cherry tree quilt block on holidays. Check it out over here.
5 comments:
- The Quilted Finish ph 02 63310084 said...
Welcome back! The fact that you didn't get much sewing done when you were away tells me you must have been enjoying your break. I hope I am right.
I've never been one for New Years resolutions, I admit I have very little self discipline and I'm quite happy this way! However, your challenge to use a particular fabric(that may have been hanging around a little too long now)appeals. I'll watch this space for further developments.
Oh, Happy New Year!
- January 10, 2011 at 12:54 AM
- Crispy said...
Well you did get some stitching done. I agree with you, you never get as much done as you think you will LOL.
I won't be joining your one fabric challenge as I'm not so sure I'll be starting anything new this year....just finishing the old stuff. Cute idea though :0)
- January 10, 2011 at 2:33 AM
- Linda C said...
I too am catching up on some blog reading. Still at the beach, but on my own for a few days. Bliss after all the visitors. As yet no sewing done, but hope to remedy that tomorrow. I like your challenge idea. And think l recognize that fabric as one you bought recently in Melbourne. Loving your blocks!!
- January 10, 2011 at 6:11 PM
- Carrie P. said...
fun applique blocks.
Thanks for coming by my blog and leaving a comment.
- February 10, 2011 at 2:14 AM
- Kathie said...
oh I just love these applique blocks, the fabrics too!
can you share where they are from?
- January 15, 2012 at 8:50 PM


text:
Lease of special-purpose rolling stock
SUNGATE offers couplers for transportation of refrigerated containers for rent. Coupler for rent includes diesel generator wagon, electrified fitting platforms with or without refrigerated containers. Coupler is provided with a team of engineers.
This service is rendered by the following regional offices:
- Regional office in Kazakhstan
- Regional office in Latvia(current page)
We will be happy to answer your questions
Maskavas iela 240-3, Rīga, LV-1063, Latvija
Phone: +371 67272744
Fax: +371 67271726
E-mail: email@example.com
Related services
|Transportation of perishable cargo
|Rolling stock leasing
|Container leasing
|Repair facility
Informational materials
|Refrigerated Block Train
|Rail Transport of Reefer Containers


text:
There's an inherent risk of participating in extreme sports. The athletes understand this, and we love them for it. We love them for their courage, their tenacity and their dash of "wild and crazy," which is strange and unfamiliar for most of us. These men and women (and boys and girls) are just wired differently.
Caleb Moore understood that risk, and he profited from it handsomely. With all of the crashes he experienced in his career, he was always able to hop back on his sled and live to play another day. One week ago, his fortune changed when he crashed his snowmobile while attempting a back flip. After shorting the landing, the 450-pound sled came crashing down on top of him.
Moore hopped up and walked away from the crash. He was diagnosed with a concussion, but the situation quickly escalated when it was found that he was also suffering from a heart contusion. The bleeding in his heart was addressed with a successful emergency surgery, yet the combination of injuries (a concussion being a bruising/bleeding/swelling in the brain) led to additional complications in his brain. Sadly, the residual damage has claimed his life at 25.
This is the first death from an X-Games related injury. Over 3,300 athletes have competed in the extreme sports competition.
Our thoughts and prayers are offered to the Moore family.


text:
Autumn Harvest Bowl With Maple Tahini Dressing
What are some of the things you can harvest right now? How about delicious acorn squash, sweet pomegranate seeds, brussel sprouts, and kale. This Autumn Harvest Bowl combines those fall ingredients and lets them shine in a bowl of goodness topped with a delectable maple tahini dressing. I absolutely adore having this salad as a filling dinner or hearty lunch on a busy day; you can even warm it up if your nights are a bit chilly.
Autumn Harvest Bowl
Serves 2
Harvest Bowl
- 1 acorn squash
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- sea salt &
- freshly ground pepper
- 1 head of kale, thick stalks removed and roughly chopped, or 2-3 handfuls of baby kale
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- handful of brussels sprouts (5 or 6 will do)
- 1 cup cooked grain (farro, quinoa, wild rice, etc.)
Maple Tahini Dressing
- 4 tablespoons tahini
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Begin with roasting the acorn squash. Cut the squash into 1-inch thick rings and discard seeds and pulp in the middle. Place squash in single layer on a baking tray greased with coconut oil. Sprinkle squash with freshly ground sea salt and pepper. Bake squash 15 minutes, flip, and bake for another 10 minutes. Allow squash to cool for 5 minutes before placing in your harvest bowl.
2. While squash is roasting, prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, maple syrup, lemon juice, garlic, and apple cider vinegar. Whisk in olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper.
3. In a large mixing bowl add in kale and drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of maple tahini dressing. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the kale for a few minutes, or until kale leaves feel smooth and silky. Separate the massaged kale into two bowls and set aside.
4. Using a mandolin (very carefully) or a sharp knife, thinly slice the brussels sprouts. Layer the sprouts, along with the pomegranate seeds, cooked grain, and acorn squash on top of the kale in your bowls. Drizzle with some of the remaining dressing (not all of it – you will have extras!). Other fantastic toppings include: pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, sautéed mushrooms, feta cheese, nuts, avocado, roasted carrots, turnips, eggplant, sweet potato and cauliflower.
*You can also have this salad warmed: just simply sauté your kale over low heat for 1-2 minutes without the dressing and steam your brussels prior to being cut for 3 minutes. Serve kale warm with warm squash, warm grain, and thinly sliced brussels sprouts. Add in sautéed mushrooms and onions for extra oomph.
Photo courtesy of the author
And are you ready to learn more about how to unlock the power of food to heal your body, prevent disease & achieve optimal health? Register now for our FREE web class with nutrition expert Kelly LeVeque.


text:
|A clock tower in Amsterdam
Have you ever noticed that a good portion of life consists of waiting? That's in addition to the time you spend sleeping where very little gets done either.
This month has seen its fair share of waiting for me:
Waiting for the school strike to be over so my offspring can start his senior year of High School.
Waiting for agents to get back to me after submitting my manuscript to them.
Waiting for my publisher to get back to me with edits on my novel which comes out Dec. 15th.
Waiting for my new passport - not that I'm planning any big trips, but I like to be ready just in case.
Waiting for friends to be free for a coffee date.
Waiting for the cat to finally come in off the front mat.
Waiting for Netflix to get season 10 of Supernatural.
Waiting for the delicious cake I just baked to cooled off enough to slice.
Waiting for my elbow to heal up after spraining it so I can write at full speed again.
Waiting for Mercury to go direct again … those retrogrades can really mess you up….
As frustrating as waiting can be, it does give me time to reflect, to think through the next step. To get some much-needed rest and plan.
While I wait, stories develop and play, like movies, in the back of my mind. Characters come to the forefront and fade away again if they don't fit the story. All in preparation of the next books.
So I will reluctantly admit that waiting isn't all bad because it gives me time to step back and prepare for the next big thing ... which hopefully doesn't keep me waiting too long.


text:
GIrls Racer Back One Piece
per item
Engine Swim branded product.
- Classic Attractive cut
- Supportive back structure
- Embroidered logo
- Fully front lined
- Chlorine resistant UV50+ sun protection
- Engine Titanium fabric lasts up to 20x longer than traditional lycra suits.Engine's club cut range utilises our finest 'Titanium' chlorine resistant fabric.The club cut features a supportive back and strap combination to give your body the best possible support.
The suit features a full soft polyester front lining making it the classic choice for comfortable swimming.
42% Polyester 58% Polyester PBT
Size 14 to be added


text:
Vancouver-based photographer Birthe Piontek is most widely recognized for her intimate, narrative-driven portraits. While much of her work takes a fairly straightforward approach, her recent series "Mimesis" uses re-photographed vernacular images to create collages and still lifes that expand on her personal portraits with an investigation into the broader complexity of human identity.
Piontek begins by searching for found images on Ebay, in thrift stores and flea markets. She primarily looks for images like studio portraits and other non-candid scenarios in which the subject gazes directly into the camera without distraction. Piontek writes: "The moment where it is all about the person and not so much about capturing a situation or event, so that the image becomes a representation of that person."
Knowing little about the people in the photographs, she uses them as source material to create her own fictions about their identities. "I usually spend quite a bit of time with the image, looking at it and familiarizing myself with it," Says, Piontek. "In a way I try to get to know the person that is shown in it, and figure out the essence and uniqueness of that particular image."
Once she determines a photograph to be suitable, Piontek scans it, and reproduces the image, in many cases working from its copy. She begins manipulating the copy, often cutting into it and incorporating other materials like glass, paint, foil and fabric to create unique still lifes that give the image an entirely new form. While the final piece is still a one-dimensional image, it often looks like an installation shot of a diorama, a three-dimensional collage or still life. "It's a very physical, almost sculptural process, something that is new and very exciting to me."
The title of her series, "Mimesis," comes from the ancient Greek philosophical term related to imitation, representation and the presentation of the self. For Piontek, its most resonating meaning is a reference to the relationship between an image and its "real" original source. This idea was at the heart of her shift from from shooting portraits to creating new images from found photos.
"I questioned the power of an image and what it can actually reveal of a person's identity," says Piontek "I felt I had come to a bit of a dead end in my practice, a point where I thought I would just repeat myself if I continued taking pictures the way I did. There was also the feeling of 'hitting a wall,' of staying on the surface when my desire was to go deeper, underneath that surface, and explore the internal landscape of a human being."
While the people in her found images likely have their own narratives, their identities are obscured by the physical object-ness of their photographs left behind. Ultimately, Piontek's creations are a means to better understand her own process of representing people, and the limits of photography to accurately represent their actual identity.
"In this project I am not only investigating the relationship between the image of a person and the original but also the question to what degree the complexity of human identity can be visualized in an image. As with any form of art, this project is fictional - it's a mythical world I created that illustrates what I think human identity might look like.....Mimesis is a somewhat broader look at the complexity of human identity and in a way also a meditation on portrait photography and the power of an image."
Bio: Birthe Piontek is a fine art photographer based in Vancouver BC, Canada. Originally from Germany, she moved to Canada in 2005 after receiving her MFA from the University of Essen in Communication Design and Photography. Her project The Idea of North won the Critical Mass Book Award 2009, and was published as a monograph in 2011. Her work has been exhibited internationally, in both solo and group shows, and has appeared in a number of international publications like The New York Times Magazine, Le Monde, Wired and The New Yorker among others.


text:
Warnings and preamble...
Nerd Alert: This post will largely only be of interest to people who are interested in new meta-analytic techniques in the literature under conditions of homogenous and heterogenous underlying effects. And in the presence of publication bias, or not. If that's your thing, continue. If not, this will bore the hell out of you (it might anyway). But there will be pretty graphs with colors chosen by my 3 year-old daughter. And a music video from the 1980s. To minimize boredom while reading, I suggest you start the music video (posted at the bottom) and listen while reading. It's a catchy tune.
Nerd Alert acknowledgements: the grist for this post came from a delightful twitter exchange I had last week with (for the most part) Mickey Inzlicht (@minzlicht), Mike McCullough (@McCullough_Mike), and Evan Carter (@ec_cart). Good stuff from all involved. Felix Schönbrodt really helped me clean up my R code. Evan had some great suggestions for making some of the simulations more realistic. Most of all, Mike McCullough was incredibly helpful and gracious throughout. A tip o' the hat to everyone involved; the next round's on me!
Failed nerd alert: I'm relatively new and self-taught to R in general and simulations in particular. So I might've messed up somewhere. I'll post all my code later on, so feel free to peruse it and suggest tweaks. If something in the code looks good, credit to Felix. If it looks bad, blame to me.
On to the actual show...
Throat clearing aside, how do we collectively estimate how big a given effect is? Or whether an effect even exists? One study can give us an estimate of the underlying effect, but we know that any given study provides a very imperfect estimate of the "true" effect size, inasmuch as the "true" effect size actually exists. So rather than rely on one study's estimate, we can smoosh a bunch of studies on the same topic together to estimate the common effect size. Another term for "smooshing" is meta-analysis. And there are bunches of different ways to do this.
Now, a given meta-analysis's accuracy will only be as good as the studies included for smooshing. If one collects all studies ever conducted on a topic and smooshes them together, you should get an accurate and unbiased estimate of the underlying effect. No problems here.
But, in practice, it's pretty much impossible to gather and smoosh all studies ever conducted on a topic. Some studies are easier to find. Like published studies. And which studies get published? Those studies that happened to show effect sizes large enough to yield statistically significant results given the sample sizes we tend to use. So if you do a meta-analysis looking only at published studies, you'll in all probability overestimate the underlying effect sizes. This is bad. The published literature overestimates how big effects are.
So, people have tried to come up with lots of tools for meta-analysis that correct for publication bias. There's trim-and-fill, p-curve, failsafe-n, and a variety of regression-based tools to name a few. Which brings us to today's topic: PET-PEESE.
What's a PET-PEESE?
In a nutshell, PET-PEESE is a conditional regression-based meta-analytic tool that is claimed to 1) assess the presence or absence of publication bias, and 2) provide an effect size estimate correcting for publication bias. Conceptually, it sounds pretty neat. You gather a bunch of studies, calculate your effect sizes and the standard errors of the effect sizes. Then you predict the effect size from the standard error with a weighted least squares approach (weighted by the inverse of se-squared). Visually, it looks like this:
If the best fit line is sloping, this indicates a relationship between the standard error and the effect size. PET-PEESE advocates argue that this slope indicates publication bias or other forms of small-study effects. And here's the cool part: if you look at the intercept of the regression, this is supposed to tell you what the effect size would be if the standard error of the effect size is zero. In other words: the effect size of a hypothetical perfect study. That's PET. PEESE uses the standard error squared instead as the predictor. PET-PEESE says that when PET suggests the existence of a real effect, default to PEESE. Otherwise stick to PET.
All of this sounds great. It's computationally simple, and looks elegant. It makes intuitive sense. It's always fun to interpret the intercept of a regression model. And it has started popping up in psychology publications, mostly in the context of meta-analyses of the self control literature (does the song make sense now? If not, scroll down and play it).
But I started to worry a little bit when I realized that PET-PEESE seemingly assumes a homogenous underlying effect size. This is built into the logic and formula of the test itself. This is kind of equivalent to fixed-effect meta-analysis. Assume there is one underlying true effect, and variation on that is the result of 1) noise, or 2) bias (publication or otherwise). So you suck up the bias somehow, and you should get an estimate of "true effect" +/- "noise."
Given a homogenous effect size, then a relationship between ES and the standard error seems likely to be a result of publication bias (or other small sample effects…if you see "publication bias" in this post, just mentally fill in the rest). But a relationship between ES and standard errors can also result when the true underlying effect size varies and researchers select appropriate sample sizes. Good power analysis will create a nice relationship between effect size and sample size (and therefore standard error of effect size). This would mean that good researchers who use appropriate sample sizes for varying underlying effects would be PET-PEESE flagged for publication bias, and PET-PEESE would assume that their underlying effect sizes were smaller (or even nonexistent!). Or so my intuition went.
So I ran a quick little simulation where I created a bunch of "studies" that had an effect size of either .4 or .8 (Cohen's d) and scaled the sample size for adequate power. Every single study comes from a genuine effect (d = .4 or d = .8, chosen at random). But PET-PEESE estimates the underlying effect size as no different from zero. Uh oh. Why does this method take 100 studies showing real effects, and say that on average there is no effect present?
As some folks pointed out , this is perhaps illuminating, but not realistic. The eyeball test tells us that the two clusters of studies (d= .2 and .4) should not be included in the same meta-analysis. We are smooshing apples and oranges, rather than apples and apples. This is a fair point. So I decided to dig deeper.
Testing PET-PEESE...
Next, I decided to run 4 sets of big simulations modeling all combinations of 1) heterogenous effects, 2) homogenous effect sizes, A) no publication bias (all studies "published" and included in meta), and B) crazy publication bias (studies are only "published" and included in meta if they yield statistically significant effects). In addition to testing PET-PEESE, I've also been meaning to learn how to do simulations in R for a while, so this was a perfect little project.
In an effort to keep things realistic I had the simulation randomly pick an effect size according to estimates of the effects social psychologists study. For heterogenous effect sizes it picked an effect size at random from the distribution on the left, below (the text is tiny, but the distribution runs from .2 to .4). For homogenous effect sizes, it randomly picked a value right around the mean of the heterogenous distribution (between .27 and .28). For sample sizes, I again tried to keep things realistic (between 20 and 200 per condition, according to the graph on the right). Each study randomly picks an effect size and a sample size from these distributions (or between .27 and .28 for homogenous effects). So I'd simulate 100 studies, then meta-analyze them using PET-PEESE. And under each set of circumstances, I'd run 10,000 meta-analyses (on 100 studies per meta….so on and so forth). So that's 4 conditions x 10,000 meta analyses x 100 studies per meta-analysis...or 4 million studies total.
Without any more fanfare, here are the results. As you can see, PET-PEESE faces some challenges, and its performance is actually kind of scary in some cases. In every case, PET-PEESE is negatively biased (it estimates the ES lower than it actually is). The bias isn't terrible in the absence of publication bias, but is severe when publication bias exists. These graphs show density plots for the distributions of how much PET-PEESE misses the true average effect size. Median bias is presented with the purple line. Median bias of .1 just means 50% of meta-analyses are at least d=.1 too low.
The good news: PET-PEESE isn't that bad in the absence of publication bias. The bad news: PET-PEESE is quite bad in the presence of publication bias. Now the good news isn't actually all that good, because in the absence of publication bias you don't need bias correction methods like PET-PEESE in the first place!
Under publication bias, the bias in PET-PEESE is extreme, underestimating the actual effect size by .almost .2. Ouch. This means that PET-PEESE also misses the true effect size about as often as it captures it under some circumstances. Note also how spread out these distributions are. PET-PEESE is not zeroing in on a precise estimate across multiple meta-analyses.
Perhaps most worrying, PET-PEESE very frequently claims that the effect size does not differ from zero, even though every single study out of 100 represented a genuine effect. Given publication bias, PET-PEESE misses real effects (in the range I provided) around 8 times in 10. That's problematic. The confidence intervals provided by PET-PEESE also fail to include the real average effect size far more than the nominal 5% implied by a 95% confidence interval. In some cases, this miss rate approaches 70%
We can look at some outcomes here. Under each set of conditions (1,2 by A,B) above it is possible to ask a number of questions:
- how far off are the estimates from the true average effect size (absolute error)?
- are they consistently biased (typical direction of error)?
- does the PET-PEESE 95% CI actually contain the TRUE average effect size (accuracy)?,
- can PET-PEESE tell the difference between something and nothing (does the 95% PET-PEESE CI contain zero).
Here's a table, and the results…
Apparent answers to those four questions are:
- without publication bias, not far. With publication bias, very far
- Yes. 60-80% of the meta-analyses underestimate the true effect size.
- Without publication bias, the miss rate is only higher than the desired 5%. Under publication bias, PET-PEESE usually fails to capture the true effect
- Not very well. And frighteningly bad under publication bias, considering the reputational costs to researchers and literatures stemming from a meta-analysis claiming an effect is not present.
So, I came into this predicting that PET-PEESE would perform poorly when underlying effect sizes vary (PET-PEESE was not designed for this condition), and especially when savvy researchers actually approximately scale their sample sizes to underlying effect sizes. It turns out that my prediction was overly optimistic. Under fairly ideal conditions (no publication bias, homogenous effects), PET-PEESE performs well. Of course, under these conditions, PET-PEESE is also wholly unnecessary. Under realistic conditions (publication bias), things get quite bad. But what about the concern regarding researcher accuracy in sample size determination?
Back to my initial question...
Does PET-PEESE do worse when researchers pick appropriate sample sizes? To address this, I was able to calculate for each meta-analysis the correlation between x: the sample size used in each study, and y: the sample size you'd want for .8 power, given whatever true sample size the simulation picked. Then, across all 10,000 simulated meta-analyses, I can see how this correlation is related to the bias in PET-PEESE.
As expected given restricted range, these relationships are negligible when effects are homogenous, regardless of whether or not publication bias was present (r = -.001 and r = -.006, respectively). But the relationships become a bit worrying when heterogeneous effects are present, both with and without publication bias (r = -.18 and r = -.26, respectively).
Here are graphs plotting the PET-PEESE bias (how much PET-PEESE's point estimate misses the true underlying average ES) against the correlation between x: the sample size used in each study, and y: the sample size you'd want for .8 power. These graphs are for heterogenous effect sizes, with and without publication bias.Each dot is a meta-analysis of 100 studies.
Two things become apparent. First, when the correlation is zero (that is, sample sizes are random with respect to effect size), PET-PEESE is still negatively biased under publication bias. It thinks your effect is smaller than your effect actually is. On top of that, notice the downward sloping lines. This indicates that as the correlation becomes more positive, PET-PEESE becomes more negatively biased. Or, to put this another way, as researchers get better at picking appropriate sample sizes, PET-PEESE becomes even worse as a meta-analytic tool. As an aside, why does the scatterplot look like 2 distinct clusters? Remember, PET-PEESE is conditional. Sometimes it keeps the PET estimate, other times it uses PEESE. Hence two clusters.
Now, it's very much an open question as to whether we researchers actually scale our samples appropriately to different effect sizes. There's plenty of evidence out there that, at least historically, we're bad at considering anything related to statistical power (shameless plug: we care a lot about power when the consequences are made obvious). But we might have some hunches and heuristics that make us slightly better than chance at guessing whether we'll be dealing with a big effect, a small effect, or no effect. But who knows. The key point here is that whatever this relationship is, as it gets higher, PET-PEESE becomes more biased. If we somehow unlock the secret to perfectly planning our sample sizes in studies, PET-PEESE will become useless as a meta-analytic tool.
My reaction...
To be blunt, I was quite surprised at how poorly PET-PEESE performed in these simulations because on the surface it sounds like a nifty method. Yet, in a nutshell:
- PET-PEESE is not particularly accurate. It misses a lot, in both ideal and (especially) realistic contexts.
- PET-PEESE is not particularly precise. In repeated meta-analyses, the distribution of estimates varies hugely.
- PET-PEESE is biased. It claims effects are smaller than they actually are, in both ideal and (especially) realistic contexts.
- As you get better, PET-PEESE gets worse. If good researchers are able to even approximately scale their samples, PET-PEESE attributes the resulting N-ES correlation to bias. As a result, it underestimates the underlying effect.
- PET-PEESE is unable to reliably differentiate effects from non-effects. Under publication bias, this rate is scary (80%).
All in all, it's tough to look at these results and recommend PET-PEESE, at least for literatures fitting the sample size and effect size parameters I chose. When it does perform well (no publication bias, homogenous effects), it isn't necessary. You can just run a standard meta-analysis.
It turns out this isn't even new news in a sense. After hearing praise for PET-PEESE, I was baffled at its actual poor performance in these simulations. So I revisited the limited extant literature on it to figure out where I screwed up (that being my first assumption, and one I still can't dismiss). One of the most cited papers showing up in PET-PEESE meta-analyses is Moreno and colleagues who ran some similar simulations in 2009. They compare PET-PEESE to various other methods, and actually recommend against the use of the tests that make up PET-PEESE. Here is what Moreno and colleagues had to say about it (bolding and square brackets by me):
"The persistent low level of coverage probability by the fixed effects Egger models (FE-se & FE-var) [read: PET and PEESE] under heterogeneous settings render them inappropriate."
At another point in the paper, the authors say that they won't even take the time to discuss the simulation results of PET and PEESE because it's always outperformed by other tests. In sum, this paper recommends the use of some regression-based mata-analysis tools in some contexts…just not the tests that make up PET-PEESE.
So PET-PEESE is evidently inappropriate when heterogeneity is present. Why do the present simulations seem to also show that PET-PEESE is also negatively biased when heterogeneity is not present?
What gives? Some potentially mistaken speculation by me...
EDIT: 7-8-15: Yeah, this speculation was off. In more recent simulations, I used an alternative formula for SE that doesn't include d. PET-PEESE did not perform much better. Whatever is going on, it isn't just attributable to a quirk of one formula. But I'll keep my nonsense speculation in here for posterity. -WG
For this, I think it's worth asking what a test like PET is doing, and then looking at the formulae used…And again, this is speculative.
What is PET doing? Looking for a positive correlation between predictor (standard error) and outcome (effect size). When there is a positive relationship, PET will attribute that to bias, and return an "ideal perfect study" effect size estimate that is lower than the average observed effect size—and sometimes lower than the lowest observed effect size. But when you look at the formula for the standard error of Cohen's d, you will see that it includes Cohen's d.
A larger effect size (d) will always have a larger standard error, holding sample size constant. Thus there will always be a positive relationship between d and se(d), leading PET (or PEESE) to always come up with a negatively biased effect size estimate. The formula makes this inescapable. It's analogous to predicting IQ from academic achievement using an academic achievement measure that incorporates IQ. Speculatively, this might also explain why the present results differ from some previous simulations showing that PET-PEESE might be accurate and unbiased at least under some conditions. Previous simulations were looking at odds ratios (ln(OR) actually) and relative risk as effect size estimates, rather than Cohen's d. And the calculation for standard errors of ln(OR) does not include ln(OR) in any way. Similar for relative risk and its standard error. For odds ratios and relative risk, effect size and standard error are independent. For Cohen's d, se depends in part on d. Thus, PET-PEESE will always find an se-d relationship, and hence underestimate the effect size of Cohen's d.
At the same time, the same previous favorable simulations for PET-PEESE let both effect size and sample size vary completely at random (as I did), but don't explore how genuine (i.e., not introduced by bias) relationships affect the estimates. But it seems quite clear to me (both conceptually, and from the present simulations) that any such genuine relationship will negatively bias PET-PEESE. Effect size and precision of an effect size estimate can be related because of bias. But they aren't solely caused by bias. They can also be caused by the proper use of power analysis.
In all honesty, I find all of this a bit disheartening. As I mentioned, when I first started reading about PET-PEESE, it just felt like a good solution. I really want a tool like PET-PEESE to work. I'm honestly bummed out about the results of these simulations.
Where now?
This was an eye opening exercise for me. Among other things, it looks like PET-PEESE is at its worst when 1) there is publication bias, 2) true effect sizes vary, and 3) researchers aren't entirely clueless when it comes to picking sample sizes. I'd argue that's a pretty good description of the world we currently occupy.
So, what to do? I'm not one with the temperament, statistical acumen, or authority to make any grand pronouncements. But I know I won't be using PET-PEESE any time soon, and I'll be very cautious to draw conclusions from any PET-PEESEs I see, especially if they report tiny-to-nil effects based on Cohen's d. Based on these simulations, PET-PEESE looks to claim nil effects both for actual nil effects and also for actual small-to-medium effects in some plausible circumstances. In the meantime, I'll be working on a paper comparing existing alternatives to PET-PEESE. That Moreno paper provides a good hint: the Peters test is the one they recommend (like PET-PEESE, but focused on total sample size as a predictor…this cuts the Gordian knot of calculating se with d), and when I include it in the present simulations, it looks to be much much better than PET-PEESE in every case (accuracy, precision, ability to tell something from nothing, etc.). But it leaves me with the problem I started with: It'll still fall prey to the trap of researchers getting better at picking sample sizes, and I don't like a method that penalizes good research behavior. But that's a topic for another day, and a properly peer-reviewed manuscript.
Now, caveats:
Caveat 1: Again, I'm still learning R simulations, and I could've screwed this up on some mundane detail. So here's the code. And if you want to play around with the data without having to wait all day for the simulation to run, here is a .zip file with saved data from my simulations. Maybe PET-PEESE is a rock star and I'm a dunce. If so, feel free to help me figure out what the code misses (be gentle…). But I'm reasonably confident in what these simulations show. The fact that they're consistent with Moreno et al. helps. As does the quick consideration of the formula for se(d). And hey, if you feel like helping out on my half-baked (but work in progress) idea for a manuscript based around simulations comparing things like PET-PEESE, p-curve, and Peters tests, shoot me an email or something. But please don't take the code I wrote and scoop me…I'm a lowly Assistant Professor, and scooping is for meanie faces. That would make me sad, and would hopefully make you at least gassy or uncomfortable or something.
Caveat 2 (long-winded): For my money, "heterogenous effects + publication bias" is the most realistic description of our current literature. And I hope there's some correlation between effect sizes and people's sample size choices (right?!?). But feel free to disagree with any of these claims. We all know publication bias exists…no arguments there. But why assume heterogeneity of effects? Well, there is no such thing as a single underlying effect size. Let's say I'm interested in the effect of distraction on a memory. I can use different manipulations of distraction, ranging from blasting noise to memorizing numbers to hitting people in the face with a ball-peen hammer. I can use various measures of memory: numbers, letters, shapes, hard lists, easy lists. And my participants will have different underlying personalities, levels of focus, intelligence, hammer-proof-skullness, etc. Each combination of manipulation, measure, and population composition will yield a different "true" underlying effect size. But if lots of researchers run lots of studies on this same idea with lots of different methods and populations (we variously call this "science" "replication" "conceptual replication" "addressing the WEIRD people issue" and "generalizability"), they will essentially be studying the same idea with heterogenous underlying effect sizes. Or, to take a literature closer to my own interests, let's say I'm examining whether religious primes change how people act. I could use overt or subtle primes…presumably some priming techniques are stronger than others. I could use self-report or other measures of how people act…presumably some are more sensitive than others. And my samples will have different mixes of believers and nonbelievers…existing evidence suggests that religious primes don't affect nonbelievers. So the "true" effect size will depend on 1) priming technique, 2) dependent measure, and 3) ratio of believers:nonbelievers in a sample. Unless I run the exact same study on the exact same samples (believer:nonbeliever-wise), I am studying heterogenous effects. As a result, I should probably not use PET-PEESE in a meta-analysis, according to Moreno et al.
Caveat 3: PET-PEESE has been popping up in some psych papers lately. If it turns out to not work, does that mean that we should ignore criticisms of the domains that PET-PEESE has been used to flag as potentially problematic? Of course not! There do seem to be some serious (and seriously interesting!) issues surrounding research into topics like self-control. Personally, I'm unconvinced that self-control is a finite and depletable resource, regardless of whether or not PET-PEESE turns out to be the right tool for the job. So let's definitely look into this stuff. All I'm saying is that we should be using all the tools we have to 1) evaluate our literatures, and to 2) evaluate all the tools we have.
Caveat 4: Sorry for boring you to death, even if this is a topic you care about. But here's an only-slightly-relevant song that I like. PEESE forgive me.
As always, feel free to comment.


text:
In exactly one month Purdue will resume classes for the fall semester. A few weeks from now, roughly 40,000 of us will flood back to West Lafayette, jamming up the roads with U-Haul trailers, re-populating the bars, and most importantly of all, gearing up for another year of Boilermaker sports.
I've spent my summer at an internship on an Army base in central Texas. While I've enjoyed the work, the people, and the wonderfully dry heat, I am getting rather tired of hearing about the Texas A&M Aggies and the Texas Longhorns. Not to mention that every time someone mentions OSU I vomit a little before realizing he or she is talking about Oklahoma State, not the Buckeyes.
|I don't want to hear any more about this.
|Someone PLEASE talk to me about this!
So to my fellow classmates, I look forward to joining you for a wonderful fall of football, volleyball, soccer, golf, cross country, tennis, and whatever other competitions out there float your boat. If you've got the VIP pass, try not to lose it at the first athletic event you go to, like I did last year.
To those loyal alumni, future Boilermakers, and otherwise friends of Purdue, I hope you make it to campus, and maybe join me at Breakfast Club?


text:
Home Franchise Concepts Relocates and Expands OC Headquarters
27 September 2017
Orange County, Calif. (September 25, 2017) – Home Franchise Concepts (HFC) has signed a lease for its new Orange County headquarters at 19000 MacArthur Boulevard in Irvine. The company will occupy the building's entire ground floor and half of the seventh for a total of 38,094 square feet, beginning in April of 2018. HFC was previously located in 25,000 square feet at 1927 N. Glassell St. in the city of Orange.
In addition to corporate offices, the space will feature a state-of-the-art education and training facility for franchise owners in the home services industry, providing the tools, resources and expertise to foster business ownership success.
"The building was an excellent fit for our client on two critical fronts," said Savills Studley Senior Vice President Bruce Schuman. "The expansive ground floor supported HFC's vision of creating a modern, interactive training center and office, and the property's location is highly strategic and accessible for HFC's franchisees."
19000 MacArthur is a nine-story Class A building located directly across from the John Wayne Airport at the major intersection of MacArthur and Campus. HFC will have prominent building-top signage, further supporting the company's brand visibility.
The building owner, C.M. Stratplan, Inc, was represented in the transaction by Jason Ward, Managing Director, and Greg Brown, Executive Director, of Cushman & Wakefield, who are the listing brokers for the project.
About Savills Studley
Savills Studley is the leading commercial real estate services firm specializing in tenant representation. Founded in 1954, the firm pioneered the conflict-free business model of representing only tenants in their commercial real estate transactions. Today, supported by high quality market research and in-depth analysis, Savills Studley provides strategic real estate solutions to organizations across all industries. The firm's comprehensive platform includes brokerage, project management, capital markets, consulting and corporate services. With 31 offices in the U.S. and Canada, and a heritage of innovation, Savills Studley is well known for tenacious client advocacy and exceptional service.
The firm is part of London-headquartered Savills plc, the premier global real estate service provider with over 33,000 professionals and over 180 commercial offices around the world. Savills plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (SVS.L).
For more information, please visit www.savills-studley.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @SavillsStudley.
About Cushman & Wakefield
Cushman & Wakefield is a leading global real estate services firm that helps clients transform the way people work, shop, and live. Our 45,000 employees in more than 70 countries help occupiers and investors optimize the value of their real estate by combining our global perspective and deep local knowledge with an impressive platform of real estate solutions. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest commercial real estate services firms with revenue of $6 billion across core services of agency leasing, asset services, capital markets, facility services (C&W Services), global occupier services, investment & asset management (DTZ Investors), project & development services, tenant representation, and valuation & advisory. 2017 marks the 100-year anniversary of the Cushman & Wakefield brand. 100 years of taking our clients' ideas and putting them into action. To learn more, visit www.cushwakecentennial.com, www.cushmanwakefield.com or follow @CushWake on Twitter.
Key Contacts
Carol McNerney
Senior Vice President, North American Chief Marketing Officer
New York


text:
To select a row and do something with the row values with a button? Edit, or delete for example.
Don't see much advantages to have it as an option for the list. It's a really custom thing (delete button or icon, first column or last etc). So better implement it by own logic then have it as an option for the list. But that is mine opinion (-: