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To buy Arizona Diamondbacks MLB Baseball Tickets at Chase Field for low prices, choose your event below. The full Diamondbacks Schedule, venue information and Chase Field seating chart are shown below. We specialize in premium seats for sold-out events, including events at Chase Field. For questions on the Chase Field seating map or general inquiries regarding Arizona Diamondbacks MLB Baseball Tickets, feel free to contact us.
|Arizona Diamondbacks Tickets
|Tickets to Arizona Diamondbacks are available for the following venues, dates and times. To sort the list, click on the column header. To find tickets for the given venue, date and time, click the tickets link in that row.
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Think back, for a moment, to your best and worst supervisors from the past. Generally, it's not difficult to reminisce about those polar extremes because of the lasting impression they made on us personally and professionally. I have also challenged myself to attempt to remember my past run-of-the-mill supervisors as well, the men and women who truly didn't have an effect on me either way. They didn't make my experience miserable, but they didn't make it enjoyable either. I believe that lack of impact is far worse, in the long run, than a horrible supervisor. [You're kidding, right?] Those awful supervisors didn't leave you with nothing – they helped you discover what NOT to do with your future employees…and I would imagine your currently people would thank you for that. How we supervise is absolutely formed by the examples we've been led by in the past, both the good and the bad. But what about the in-between?
When I ask my current clients in management roles how they would rank themselves professionally, most of their responses are exactly the same: "I'm not the worst supervisor in the world, but I'm not the best either. I'm just somewhere in between." Well, "somewhere in between" isn't going to cut it. Managers are the most influential piece to an employee's success. The motivation, the support, the training, the accountability – that all comes from you. So how do you transition from "somewhere in between" to one of the all-time greats?
Start here.
Make them call their shot. The infamous baseball player Babe Ruth is perhaps most well-known for a gesture he made in the 1932 World Series. With two strikes against him, Ruth pointed his bat towards Center Field, calling his next shot – a staggering 400 ft. home run. He called it. He made his goal known to everyone in the ballpark. As a manager, encourage your employees to call their shots – What's their next big professional goal? And then, what's their big goal following that? We don't know what we're aiming for if we don't call the shot. When your employee has honed in on his/her goal, keep record of it. Discuss the goal(s) during your one-on-one meetings so you can motivate them towards achieving their future success. Help them see how bits and pieces of their current role can help better prepare them for the next step.
Manage your space. Have you ever entered the home of a friend or relative and immediately felt uncomfortable? Was there a mountain of clutter, no clear space to sit, and a lack of…fresh air? The atmosphere around us plays a very large role in our ability to effectively communicate. If you are working towards creating an environment of free flowing communication between yourself and your employees, you must provide them with a space to successfully do that. Forcing them to sit through one-on-one meetings in an office that makes them physically uncomfortable will never encourage them to seek your assistance unless absolutely needed. Not to mention, a clean office will do wonders for your psyche as well. Reserve an hour (or two?) on your calendar and get to work. If you have an employee with an exceptionally clean office space, maybe ask for their assistance or suggestions!
Create opportunities for growth. I often hear from Managers that their hands are tied when it comes to providing new opportunities for their employees. They have no ability to create new positions which makes them completely unable to encourage avenues of growth for those they supervise…false. Creating new opportunities isn't limited to new roles. Perhaps there's a side project that's been on the backburner, or a team development initiative that needs leadership? Cross-train your people. Allow them to gain insight into one another's positions for a stronger, and potentially more respectful, atmosphere amongst your team. And remember – this isn't about just throwing tasks towards your employees because you don't think they have enough to do. Be purposeful. Look at their strengths. How could someone with an analytical mind be helpful in reviewing assessments? How could the social butterfly help with onboarding?
Challenge your vulnerability. How much do your employees know about your professional goals? Not where you want to see the team in 5 years, but where YOU want to be in 5 years. In the same position? In a higher level of management? On the beach with a coconut flavored beverage? Be honest with them. Humanize yourself. Break down any "I've made it and you haven't" wall that might be present and show them that you, too, are working towards something great. We need to be able to relate to others, to feel as though those before us are cheering for us to continue moving forward. And who knows…one of your employees just might know someone who knows someone who owns a little hut on that beach. But you won't know unless you open up.
Only greatness can come from a working environment led by a purposeful manager. Only greatness. Take the time to invest in your people: learn about them, be involved in their goals, and allow them to see you as someone who is also continuing to strive for the next big thing. And then, when they're asked to speak about their most positively influential supervisor during their next interview, your legacy of great management will continue.

subset: commoncrawl


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Scam letters
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- who write me
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Scammer Cathy Tolen
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|First name:
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|Accra (Ghana)
|Also claims to be in:
|San Marcos, CA (USA)
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Report N1 (added on August, 18, 2016)
She claimed to be French Canadian living in San Marcos, CA. Her Father is gone & her Mother is in Canada. Right away she hit me up for money to fix her car. Claims her "Gear Box" needs to be replaced. First wanted $130 for inspection then corrected herself to say it was for a rebuild. Her gear box is the transmission & no way it could be rebuilt for $130. She also said the car, a 2012 Nissan Versa has been in the shop for 6 weeks waiting for $130. She wanted me to send money to someone named Richard & now she wants $260. Always made excuses for not giving me her phone number. After I refused to send money to Richard she said to send it to her by MoneyGram to San Marcos & wants $320. After I refused to do that all the nice talk stopped & the foul-mouthed dirty talk started. This person is for sure a scam operator most likely in Ghana & there's an actual Cathy Tolen to accept the money in San Marcos & who knows what they do after that. Cathy keeps her cut & sends the rest to her scammer buddies maybe.
William (USA)
Created: 2016-08-18 Last updated: 2016-08-18 Views: 286


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This dude's After Midnight Series is nuts. From Tina Turner to Jill Scott, he got some pretty strong women here. Although Badu's 40x30 Giclee print will be just 100 limited prints. He got 11x17's on his site for 25 bucks too. I am most likely buy the Badu one, shite is too hot. All of them look great overall and those colors work very well with each other.
Charity info:
A portion of proceeds will be donated to Badu's charity organization, Beautiful Love Incorporated Non Profit Development — or B.L.I.N.D. Beautiful Love Inc. was established in 1997 and provides community-driven development for inner-city youth through music, dance, theater and visual arts.


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Howdy! A Welcome Art Show to New Swell Members
Noble Hardesty
Ooh, look what Jacob Diaz has cooked up for our opening this Friday. Drop by Swell this Friday from 5-9 to meet our new lineup!
Use the form on the right to contact us.
You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right.
Boise, ID, 83707
(208) 901-8834
Swell Artist Collective is an open studio and Art Gallery located in Boise, Idaho's historic downtown, on the lower level of the Old Mercantile Building in The BoDo District.
By combining individual artistic practices and ideas into a common space, their mission revolves around creating a vibrant studio and gallery environment that is open to the public and intent on helping bolster the community's rapidly-growing arts culture. Swell will be host to both First Thursday and independently organized artistic events while maintaining hours of operation during which people can visit.
Swell Blog. Stories about artists and artwork from the community. Swell Artist Collective and Art Gallery, Boise, Idaho.
Ooh, look what Jacob Diaz has cooked up for our opening this Friday. Drop by Swell this Friday from 5-9 to meet our new lineup!


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Enjoy a relaxing start your weekend at the Mountain View Restaurant with a delicious dinner and live entertainment featuring the Jim Pagel Jazz Trio. A unique treat to our region the trio plays a variety of authentic French Gypsy Jazz, traditional jazz numbers and special takes on pop classics.
*Please note that the start and end time for this week are 30 minutes earlier than prior weeks.
Enjoy the sounds of the Jim Pagel Jazz Trio each Friday from January 5 through March 16!


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Sherri Thompson
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- 1984
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LAUNCH OF KISAIYA MENSWEAR: Ki5-A
Quality and craftsmanship are at the heart of Kisaiya, reflected in every product that we release. With each product launch, we believe that waiting until the time is right, is the key to the unmistakable quality reflected in every release. That's why we've waited until the time is right to launch the Kisaiya Menswear Collection, Ki5-A.
Using seamless technology & high performance yarns, we have created breathable, durable & comfortable clothing to suit all practices, from Yoga to CrossFit; providing support & protection. As we develop the ranges further, we will be releasing them onto the website, so keep up to date with Ki5-A progress on:
www.Ki5-a.co.uk (www.Ki5-a.com) & the Ki5-a Instagram (@Ki5-A)


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Another street food besides Aloo-Chaat or Pav Bhaji that is truly irresistible, is Papdi-Chaat. Though it is famous for its flavorful taste all over India and is a much liked snack of all but it majorly belongs to North India especially a popular street food of Delhi. Papdi-Chaat involves Papdi as its key ingredient which is a crispy wafer or snack made with refined flour/all purpose flour. This crispy snack, Papdi has only salty flavor associated with unique crispness of APF snack, but it turns out awesome when diverse flavorful toppings mingle with sweet-sour-tangy-bitter dressings.
Papdi-Chaat reminds me of one incident when I got the chance of tasting some irresistibly delicious Papdi-Chaat. It was the Fete of our college on the occasion of Republic Day. It was self-prepared by our batch-mates but was giving a tough competition to the vended ones at market. Our class was in different batches. Every batch was then divided in some groups for the Fete.Those groups were supposed to vend various self-prepared food items at their allotted stalls of Fete. And those food items had to be priced at some reasonable price, affordable enough to the pocket money of students. Our group put-up Sambhar–Vada-s for sale and our neighbor stall was of Papdi-Chaat. Both groups were eyeing each other with envy at every sold slot 🙂 . Two of the groups had tough competition to vend to the maximum and gain more than the other one. Finally at the end of the day when, we ended up vending and enjoying various delicious food items of different stalls :). When profit was getting counted and compared, we kept our fingers crossed. Each group was wishing to win in profit. But unfortunately our group could not make 😦 and Papdi chaat vending group swept it all just with slight margin. But no matters who won. Actually the major thing was enjoyment in vending, performing to maximum with enthusiasm, and most importantly the opportunity to taste various delicious food including awesome Papdi-Chaat at one vast place of Fete.
So this was the story uniquely associated with Papdi-Chaat. I hope I didn't bore you all with this. Various foods do have this ability to create nostalgia when they are specially and exclusively related to a distinct moment.
Let's come to the Papdi-Chaat, essence of the post. Papdi-Chaat is easy to make and its assembly takes few minutes, just its preparation requires a lengthy time. But you can minimize its preparation time if you chose to buy ready made Papdi. But why buy? use things that are home-made, delicious and pure. Keep your dish purely and solely your efforts by getting engrossed in it wholly. Let's check out its recipe here and jot it down for easy remembrance.
Time Taken-
Total Time- 25 min
Papdi Chaat-
For Preparation- 6 hrs(soaking Chickpeas)+ 30 min
For Assembling- 5 min
Servings/yield- 15-20 Papdi making whole chaat for 8-10
Category- Appetizer/Snacks
For Papdi
All Purpose flour/Refined flour/Maida- 150g
Clarified Butter/Ghee/Oil- 1/4 cup
Semolina(Sooji)- 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds-1 tsp
Salt-to taste
Water- as required
Oil- For deep frying
For Papdi Chaat Toppings-
Potatoes- 6 medium boiled and peeled (of them 3 diced small, 3 cut in discs)
Chickpeas- 1 cup (soaked 6 hrs or overnight and boiled)
Sweet/Plain Yogurt- 2 cups (whisked) Sweet is recommended
Onion- 1 large (chopped)
Tomatoes- 2 medium (chopped)
Coriander leaves- 1 bunch
Sev/ Bhujia- 1/2 cup
Chaat Masala- 2 tsp (optional)
Rock Salt/ Common salt- to sprinkle slight (optional)
Green chutney– 2 tbsp (for one slot serving)
Sweet-Sour mango-dates Chutney- 4 tbsp (for 1 slot of serving)
Ingredients of Sweet -Sour Mango-dates Chutney
Raw dried Mango slices- 8-10
Jaggery- 1/3 cup
Dates- 4-6 (deseeded)
Coriander Powder- 1tsp
Cumin Powder- 3/4 tsp
Red chilly Powder- 1/2 tsp
Water- 1&1/2 cups
Salt- 1/2 tsp
Steps to follow-
First of all, we'll proceed with making Papdi-
1. Mix all the ingredients of "For Papdi" to a a crumbling flour mixture.
2. Knead it to smooth dough adding water as required. Keep it covered with damp cloth.
3. Now you can proceed with two ways; either you divide dough in equal portions of small balls and roll out each ball in very thin small circles. And then make pricks in these Papdi circles with fork (go for this way if you are sure all papdis made will be of same size) or
Divide dough in several big balls, big enough to be rolled out of the size of pastry board. Roll out one big ball in circle of very thin thickness and then cut it in several small circles with the help of sharp edged glass or bowl of small circumference. Now make some deep pricks with fork. I followed the latter one.
4. Likewise make all papdi circles and deep fry them until light golden brown. Drain these crisp papdi on a kitchen paper towel.
Now do all the preparations of Chaat-
1. Boil chickpeas and Potatoes separately. Dice and cut potatoes in small cubes and discs respectively.
2. Prepare green chutney as explained HERE.
3. Prepare Sweet-Sour Mango-dates chutney. For this soak dried raw mango slices for 15 min.
4. Take 1&1/2 cups of water in a vessel and boil it after adding jaggery and deseeded dates.
5. When jaggery melts and dates get tender, turn off flame and let it warm.
6. Grind this dates-jaggery mixture with soaked mangoes and other remaining ingredients. Sweet-Sour chutney is ready.
7. Let's start assembling Papdi Chaat. Spread a layer of 5-6 papdi-s followed by potato discs above each papdi.
11. Sprinkle Chaat Masala, little bit salt, coriander leaves and finally end up doing toppings with Sev.
1. The above mentioned and included toppings are best suitable for Papdi-Chaat. But if you want some extra add-on ingredients, you can add green-gram sprouts, sprinkle of cumin and red chilli powder,some pomegranate seeds, some urad dal vadi-s(for urad dal vadi-s, you can refer HERE to make some small vadi-s size of small chunks instead of donuts like vada-s).
2. You can adjust the quantity of toppings in one serving as per your taste and favorite ingredients. You can spread more of sweet yogurt along with more of sweet-sour chutney than green chutney(according to my taste). It would enhance the flavor.
3. You can make Sweet-sour chutney with tamarind also. Keeping rest same in the chutney, use tamarind in place of dried raw mangoes.
Hope you liked, try out and spread its delightful taste by sharing with others also because sharing is caring.
Related articles
- Matar-Aloo Chaat/Tikki (Green Peas-Potatoes Patties) (femmehavenn.wordpress.com)


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So I've had a difficult last few days. For a stupid reason. At our run on Saturday, I had to tighten my fuel belt. Like a lot. I was so excited to get on the scale on Tuesday. I just knew I'd show a big loss. I was excited.
But Tuesday? I was up a pound. Up. I haven't gained since I started on Team Bob. I was not happy.
So Tuesday? My eating was sorta unfocused. And Wednesday? The closest thing I've had to a binge. I ate good all day, even staying on plan at dinner. But then I skipped my run. And then I had a glass of wine. And a bowl of cereal.
I really lost my focus.
But this morning? I got up and ran. My eating was focused.
I fell off yesterday. And I got right back on today.
And I feel awesome.
Pre-run: Stinger Waffle
Run: 3.85 (very humid) miles
Breakfast: Via, toast/pb/half banana
Snack: apple and cheese
Lunch: tomatoes, beans, tuna
Snack: Grande iced latte
Dinner: Salad bar trip (lettuce, tomatoes, avacado, little bit of cheese, beans, olives, vinegar).
It was a great day.


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Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I will be attempting Everest NE Ridge between April 1st and June 8th this year in Aid of Cancer research. Cancer is something that touches everyone's life at some point in time be it from contracting the disease or from knowing someone fighting it. I hope my fund raising efforts will do something towards helping in finding treatments for this disease. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So please dig deep and donate now.
I would like to thank the following for their support for this trip: Judy Norman ( Heathlands Stables / Contract Options ) for their support and help with PJ, Cobdens Hotel - Capel Curig for a very warm welcome and a good night's sleep during my training and Northgate for allowing me the time of. Many thanks to John at http://www.blokewithacamera.co.uk/blog12.htm


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Spaghetti Squash Chow Mein
- 1 large spaghetti squash
- 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)
- 2-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1.5 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
- 1 cups cabbage, shredded
- 1 cup carrot, julienned
- Optional: 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Lay the squash halves skin side down/cut side up in a baking dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until tender. Let cool for 20 minutes, then scoop out flesh with a fork so it breaks apart into strings, and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, garlic, honey, ginger, and black pepper. Set aside.
- If cooking with chicken, heat a high-heat cooking oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken cubes and stir-fry for 4-5 minutes or until lightly brown. If not cooking with chicken, skip to step 4.
- Add onion, celery, and carrot to a large pan and cook, stirring often and adding a splash of water as needed to keep the ingredients from sticking to the pan, about 3-4 minutes. (You do not need oil if cooking with just veggies).
- Stir in cabbage until heated through, about 1 minute.
- Stir in spaghetti squash and sauce mixture until well combined, about 2 minutes.
Nutrition fact: The fiber content of spaghetti squash and enriched spaghetti is very similar, yielding about two grams of fiber per cup. In other words, spaghetti squash yields the same fiber content for less calories compared to enriched spaghetti, helping you feel just as full without the extra calories.
Tip: Save the scraps (tops, bottom, and skins) from the carrot, celery, garlic, and onion and freeze them until you have saved up enough to make vegetable stock.
Visit these IWFM vendors to for this week's ingredients:
Becker Farms, Full Hand Farm, Funny Be Farm, Grace and Truth Farms, IN Season, Maple Farms, Redwine Family Farms, Simpson's Farm Market, Wildflower Ridge


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The Home Instead Senior Care Nashville West and South office serves several communities in Davidson, Williamson and Rutherford counties within Middle Tennessee. The following map notes the communities and counties we serve.
If you or your loved ones do not live in our service area, please call us anyway. With over 900 Home Instead Senior Care offices worldwide, and thousands of professional contacts, no matter where your location, we can give you the name of someone near you who can help.
Call us at (615) 831-2358For more information on the communities we serve, see the map and lists below.
Home Instead offers free monthly newsletters with tips and advice for caregivers of elderly loved ones.
Each Home Instead Senior Care franchise is independently owned and operated.


text: MS Outlook is a very popular e-mail client that stores all user mailbox data in a .pst file. However, due to some technical issues, this file is vulnerable to damage. In many cases, a minor corruption of the .pst file has occurred, which can be corrected with the Inbox Repair Tool. However, due to insufficient knowledge, users have lost access to their file and can use a third-party PST repair tool. To get the Inbox Repair Tool recovery, here is a very informative guide to the Microsoft Inbox Repair Tool.


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We are looking at historical fiction books from a writer's, rather than a reader's, point of view. In doing so, we're rather like Min in A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park. Yet Min isn't a writer at all, but a potter.
Unique among the other potters in his village who only come public with their finished best pieces, Min works from start to finish in an open-air shelter. Anyone can watch him interacting with his clay—Tree-ear does. Park tells us the other potters worry their designs will be copied; surely ego must also be involved. We imagine the potters were told they had talent from an early age, and as a result, they don't want to be seen struggling to create art. It makes sense to me that Min is the most successful at the end. As James Hamblin says in his article, "Don't Call Kids 'Smart'," "'Smart' kids stand to become especially averse to making mistakes, which are critical to learning and succeeding."
I view Min's pursuit of his craft as very much like the writing process, and his attitude as very community-, or education-oriented. He would probably say he does not care whether watching him try, and try, and try again helps anyone else. But owning the process in such a natural way, making the process visible, especially where children are around, is as enabling as seeing other writers draft and evaluate and revise in a workshop setting. The moment where Min—and later Tree-ear also—pauses and studies the clay before him, as if trying to learn what it wants to be, tells us a good deal about the writer's point of view.
At one point, Tree-ear, in his frustration at not being allowed to work with Min, prepares clay for himself and makes a monkey for his friend, Crane-man. Park validates that effort of Tree-ear's by having Min discover the monkey and offer Tree-ear an apprenticeship on the basis of the quality of that piece, teaching us the lesson that the urge to create—to write—comes from within. We own it, and it will out.


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Ruskin model EAMP020 includes factory programming to ensure complete compatibility with any Ruskin thermal dispersion product. The simplicity of the "plug & play" design provides quick and trouble-free installation. Dust proof housing has two electrical access points to the internally fused power supply. The control transmitter offers precise setpoint monitoring and adjustment for easy field calibration, when required. Unit provides 4-20 mA or 2-10 VDC (with 500 ohm resistor) velocity and temperature outputs to communicate with any building automation system (BAS). The microprocessor based EAMP020 comes standard with a multi-line, 16 x 2 alphanumeric, liquid crystal digital (LCD) display, indicating both CFM and Temperature of the measuring location. Average up to four probes and 16 sensing points with each control transmitter.
- High speed microprocessor
- LCD display standard
- Individual sensor readings
- CAT5e "plug & play" connectors
- Displays field selectable I.P. or S.I. units
- Connects to any Ruskin thermal dispersion monitor device


text:
Cobham Sensor Systems' Standard Gain and Broad Band Horn Antennas series provide superior performance for use in a wide variety of laboratory, commercial and military applications. With excellent input VSWR, these antennas provide high gain across the frequency range and consistent pattern performance. They have become a laboratory standard as a reference horn in anechoic chambers and outdoor ranges.
H-1479 Series
The H-1479 is available with Type N connector. Customers can opt for a slant-45 degree polarizer (H-1479SL) on a special order basis.
Key Features
Click Here To Download:
Datasheet: H-1479 Series Antenna
H-1498 Series
The H-1498 is available with SMA female connector (standard) and TNC female connector (H-1498T). A further option is a radome/aperture cover (H-1498R) for outdoor use.
Key Features
Click Here To Download:
Datasheet: H-1498 Series Antenna
H-1734 Series
Model H-1734 is available with Type-N Female connector.
Key Fearures
Click Here To Download:
Datasheet: H-1734 Series Antenna


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Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. announced the addition of 11 devices to its 500 V series of high-voltage MOSFETs optimized for operation in switch mode power supplies (SMPS) to 500 W. Featuring the same benefits of extremely low conduction and switching losses as the company's E Series 600 V and 650 V devices, the Vishay Siliconix MOSFETs were developed to assist customers in achieving higher performance/efficiency standards such as the stringent 80 PLUS efficiency standards required for certain high-performance consumer products, lighting applications, and ATX/silver box PC SMPS.
Built on second-generation Super Junction Technology, the 500 V MOSFETs released today provide a high-efficiency complement to Vishay's existing 500 V D Series components based on standard planar technology. The 12 A to 20 A devices feature low on-resistance from 190 mW to 380 mW and ultra-low gate charge of 22 nC to 45 nC. This combination results in a very favorable figure of merit (FOM) for power conversion applications.
The devices' low on-resistance also helps improve power density, while their faster switching speeds increase efficiency in typical hard-switched topologies such as power factor correction (PFC), two-switch forward converters, and flyback converters.
The RoHS-compliant devices are designed to withstand high energy pulse in the avalanche and commutation modes with guaranteed limits through 100 % UIS testing. Samples and production quantities of the new 500 V power MOSFETs are available now, with lead times of 16 to 17 weeks. Pricing for U.S. delivery only starts at $2.30 per piece.


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Per J's question, I demonstrate basic HDR techniques in Photoshop CS5. There are many different and advanced techniques, but this is a good starting point.
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/IceflowStudios
IceflowStudios is run by Howard Pinsky, providing FREE Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom video tutorials to the graphic design and photographer community. As an Adobe Community Professional, Howard's Photoshop tutorials have been recognized by schools around the country, design blogs, and by Adobe. To date, the videos uploaded to the IceflowStudios YouTube channel and website have been viewed over 80 million times.
No matter what you're looking to learn in Photoshop, you're bound to find it in our library of over 350 tutorials. Topics include: Text Effects in Photoshop, Photo Composition, Photo Retouching, The Basics of Photoshop, Designing in Photoshop, Special Effects, and more! While new videos will be taught using the latest version of Photoshop, you'll find videos covering Photoshop CC, Photoshop CS6, CS5, CS4, and CS3.
For more information on Adobe Photoshop, check out Adobe's website at: http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html
For the written version of most of our tutorials, check out: http://www.iceflowstudios.com/


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2019 Kia Soul EX Plus
Special Offer:
Finance for
THIS INCLUDES SPECIAL $1,000 20th ANNIVERSARY BONUS
Taxes included on an 84 Month 1.99% term o.a.c.+ licensing
*All vehicle and feature images are for illustrative purposes only.
With unique styling, exciting performance, and precise handling, the 2019 Kia Soul redefines fun-to-drive.
Key Features
Cargo Space
Soul is incredibly versatile thanks to its expansive cargo area and 60/40 split-folding rear seats. An easy-open liftgate provides quick access to the cargo area and hidden storage compartment.
Heated Steering Wheel
Soul's premium features include an available heated steering wheel* that is especially appreciated on cold winter days.
Seat Height
Getting in and out of the Kia Soul is super easy. The Kia Soul gives you the feeling of sitting high up in an SUV without having to climb up into one.
Sleeker and more sophisticated.
The 2018 Soul has been redesigned with unique exterior styling that takes its design to the next level. From every angle, its striking lines, contemporary alloy wheels, and a variety of sleek new features are designed to turn heads. In addition, three trim levels and a choice of packages allow you to add an impressive variety of options to give your Soul a personality of its own.
Get comfortable.
The Soul's eye-catching exterior now has an interior to match. From luxurious soft-touch materials throughout to tailored headrests and LED mood lighting*, the Soul's richly appointed interior stands out from the crowd.
Uniquely entertaining
Featuring an available Harman Kardon®* premium sound system with center speaker, subwoofer, and amplifier, Soul invites you to enjoy outstanding audio entertainment every time you drive. And that's just the beginning. Soul's fully integrated system includes available pulsating multicolored front-door speaker lights that instantly create an upbeat atmosphere.
Turn words into actions.
Control a smartphone. Control music. With your voice or the touch of a button. From entertainment to emergency to maintenance—UVO is your trusty 8-inch screen-sized co-pilot.
Apple CarPlayTM and Android AutoTM let you take full advantage of the available UVO Infotainment System* by simply connecting your compatible smartphone with a USB cable. You can then use it to navigate to your destination, make phone calls and retrieve voice mail, receive text messages and respond to them verbally, and more. Plus, compatible apps are displayed on the touch screen.
Push-Button Start and Smart Key remote
For everyday driving convenience, you can start or stop the engine with the push of a button, and open a locked door, with the available Smart Key remote* — even when you have it in your pocket or purse.
We've got you covered.
At Kia, we are committed to helping you stay safe on the road. Featuring smart passive safety systems, like a reinforced structure and advanced airbags, the Soul is designed to help deliver added protection. So you can drive with peace of mind.
Drive confidently.
Smart active safety systems, such as Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC) and the Brake Assist System (BAS), work automatically by sensing and adapting to your driving conditions. It's active, more precise control no matter the road.
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Get Today Your 2018 Kia Soul EX at Cobourg Kia!
Call as at (905) 377-1382 or fill out the form below and we will get back to you.
Offer(s) available on select new 2018/2019 models through participating dealers to qualified retail customers, on approved credit, who take delivery from August 1st to 31st, 2018. All pricing and payments include delivery and destination fees up to $1,785, $10 OMVIC fee, $29 tire fee, and $100 A/C charge (where applicable). Excludes other taxes, paint charges ($200, where applicable), licensing, PPSA, registration, insurance, variable dealer administration fees, fuel-fill charges up to $100, and down payment (if applicable and unless otherwise specified). Other lease and financing options also available. Dealers may sell or lease for less. Some conditions apply. See dealer for complete details. Vehicles shown may include optional accessories and upgrades available at extra cost. All offers are subject to change without notice. Φ 0% financing is only available on select new models to qualified customers on approved credit. ≠ Don't Pay Until October (60-Day Payment Deferral) applies to purchase financing only on approved credit on all new models. No interest will accrue during the first 30 days of the finance contract. After this period, interest starts to accrue and the purchaser will repay the principal and interest monthly over the term of the contract. Offer valid from August 1st to 31st, 2018. Offer applies to monthly payments only. Φ Φ Up to $2,000 Summer Bonus amount is offered on select new models and is deducted from the negotiated finance price before taxes. Offer available from August 1st to 31st, 2018 only while quantities last. Amounts vary by trim and model. Offer may be combined with other offers. Certain conditions apply. See your dealer for complete details. Φ Representative Financing Example: Finance a new 2018 Sportage LX FWD (SP751J)/ 2018 Rio 5 LX MT (RO551J)/ 2019 Sorento LX FWD (SR75AK)/ 2019 Sedona L (SD751K)/ 2018 Sorento LX V6 (SR75EJ) with a selling price of $25,519/$16,619/$29,169/ $29,419/ $34,519 at 1.99%/0.99%/1.99%/1.99%/0% for 84/84/84/84/60 months for a total of 364/364/364/364/260 weekly payments of $68/$45/$79/$80/$133 with $2,295/$650/$2,155/$2,075/$0 down payment. Payment amount includes $1,500/$0/$750/$1,000/$2,000 Summer Bonus. Cost of borrowing is $1,651/$559/$1,910/$1,943/$0 for a total obligation of $25,519/$16,619/$29,169/ $29,419/$34,519 .*0% leasing offer is only available on select new models to qualified customers on approved credit. Representative Leasing Example: Lease offer available on approved credit (OAC), on new 2018 Forte LX MT (FO541J)/ 2019 Soul LX (SO752K) with a selling price of $17,169/ $22,019 is based on a total number of 169/208 weekly payments of $39/$56 for 39/48 months at 0%/2.99% with $0 security deposit, $ 2,150/$1,995 down payment and first payment due at lease inception. Offer includes $1,500/$0 Bonus. Total lease obligation is $6,667/$11,710 with the option to purchase at the end of the term for $6,852/$10,111. Lease has 16,000 km/yr allowance (other packages available and $0.12/km for excess kilometres). †Cash Purchase Price for the new 2018 Optima LX AT [OP741J]/ is $21,319 and includes $4,500 cash discount. Cash discount varies by model and trim and are deducted from the negotiated selling price before taxes. Dealers are free to set individual prices. Some conditions apply. See Dealer for details. Offer ends August 31ST, 2018. ‡Model shown Manufacturer Suggested Retail Price for 2018 Forte SX AT (FO747J)/2019 Sorento SXL Limited (SR75KK)/2018 Sportage SX Turbo AWD (SP757J)/ 2018 Optima SXL (OP747J)/ 2018 Rio 5 EX Tech Navi (RO756J)/2019 Sedona SXL+ (SD757K)/ 2018 Soul SX Turbo Tech (SO85DK)/ 2018 Stinger GT Limited (ST753J) . is $27,295/$48,865/$39,595/ $38,745/$23,745/$47,865/$30,095/ $49,995. None of the features we describe are intended to replace the driver's responsibility to exercise due care while driving and are not a substitute for safe driving practices. Some features may have technological limitations. For additional information regarding the various features, including their limitations and restrictions, please refer to your vehicle's Owner's Manual. 5 year Complimentary Maintenance offer available on the purchase/lease/finance of new 2018 Kia Stinger between July 23rd to August 15th, 2018. Coverage will include the first 5 recommended service intervals based on schedule maintenance of normal usage which is every 12 months or 10,000KM, whichever comes first. This is an estimated $900 retail value based on the average cost of 5-year/50,000-km basic maintenance. Some conditions apply. See your Kia dealer for complete details.


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Description :
A solid state relay (SSR) allows you to control high-current AC loads from lower voltage DC control circuitry. Solid state relays have several advantages over mechanical relays. One of the advantages is that they can be switched by a lower voltage and at a lower current than most mechanical relays. Since there is no moving contacts, solid state relays can be switched at a faster speed and last longer without wearing out.
This particular SSR can switch current loads of up to 40A with a 3-32V DC input. Each one of these relays is equipped with four terminals (for use with ring or fork connectors).
Specifications :
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You'd think that one of the last places that you'd find a big St. Patrick's Day celebration would be in Hawaii, but that's simply not the case.
The islands of Hawaii have a long history of prominent citizens of Irish birth or Irish descent. Many of the first arrived on the numerous British sailing ships which arrived in the islands in the years following the first arrival by Captain James Cook in 1778.
One of the most prominent was James Campbell who was born in Londonderry and who, following his arrival in Hawaii in 1849, married a Maui chiefess and who became of the largest landowners in the islands. Today, the James Campbell Company which succeeded the 107-year old estate of James Campbell in 2007, remains one of the largest real estate investment management and property development companies in Hawaii.
On the island of Oahu there are some great ways to celebrate the Irish traditions of Hawaii and the Irish in you as a visitor.
Here are a few that will take place this St. Patrick's Day.
Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade
The 51st Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, sponsored by the Friends of St. Patrick, Hawaii will take place on Saturday, March 17, 2018 from noon to approximately 1:30 p.m. The parade takes place on Kalakaua Avenue, the main street through Waikiki. The parade will proceed from Fort DeRussy to Kapiolani Park. This year's parade is expected to have 800 marchers, 50 vehicles, 2 floats and 5 bands.
Following the parade, the traditional post-parade party is typically held from 1:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Kelly O'Neils at 311 Lewers Street in Waikiki. In addition to the food and drink, there is a sale of St. Patrick's Day memorabilia to help raise funds for the Friends of St. Patrick, which awards more than $12,000 in annual scholarships. The Celtic Waves and Masters of Oz will be performing in 2018.
Murphy's Bar and Grill
Located at 2 Merchant Street in Honolulu, Murphy's Bar and Grill has historically played host to the island's largest St. Patrick's Day celebration. In fact, it has gotten so large over the years that it has become a full-blown block party which the brewers of Guinness have called "the single biggest St. Patrick's Day party any one bar throws in the United States."
If you were a fan of the ABC TV series LOST, you're sure to recognize this important LOST filming location.
This year will be Murphy's 31st annual St. Patrick's Day celebration. Everything starts at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 17, 2018 with great food and drink. As has become their tradition, for every pound of corned beef sold, $2.00 is donated to the Hawaii Children's Cancer Foundation.
The big part of the day begins at 4:00 p.m. when Murphy's closes down Merchant Street from Nu'uanu Avenue to Bethel Street; Nu'uanu Avenue from King Street to the Nimitz Highway; and Marin Lane from Smith Street to Nu'uanu Avenue. Then they bring out the kegs of beer, other spirits and traditional Irish food, and the block party begins.
Annual St. Patrick's Day 5K Run at Ford Island
The 10th annual 5K will be held on Friday, March 16, 2018.
The event will start across from the Navy Lodge in Ford Island. The run begins promptly at 7:00 a.m. Arrive early to get your packet. Parking attendants will be on site to help you.
Come ready to run but don't forget that you can make the run more interesting by wearing costumes or St. Patrick's Day colors. Awards are presented for top finishers.


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WomanCraft is pleased to share that our featured artist for this upcoming 2nd Friday Artwalk is Velma Ferrell, textile artiste extraordinaire! Come and meet Velma on Friday, June 14th from 6-9PM. http://womancraftgifts.squarespace.com/
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Earlier Event: July 14Opening Reception for Paperhand Puppet's "The Masks of a Movement" at The ArtsCenter
Later Event: July 14Opening Reception: The Elegant Line and Consignor Invitational at FRANK Gallery


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This article has had a lot of attention paid to it recently, and I finally read it today while sitting in the waiting room of a medical clinic in St. Paul. I liked a few things about it, while I found others quite bothersome.
As a sort of cultural history, I think it's really interesting if for no other reason because it confirms my thesis that Radiohead's Kid A is the end of the musical twentieth century: the twenty-first begins—simultaneously—with 9/11 and the Strokes' Is This It?.*
At the same time, though, Beck makes a(n admittedly sincere) rhetorical flaw when he writes:
A pretty good example of this kind of indie rock fan is me. In the two years since I graduated from college, I've had a pretty good time being "broke" in New York and drinking "cheap" beer with my friends. But sometimes I remind myself that the beer I'm drinking is not actually cheap, and that furthermore I am not actually broke: if I married someone who made the same salary I make, our household income would be slightly above the national median, which is also true of almost every person I spend my free time with. The truth is that I inherited expensive tastes and moved to an expensive city, and sometimes I get cranky about not being able to buy what I want. But when I don't feel like reminding myself of these things, I can listen to indie music.
He goes on to take stabs at both Sufjan Stevens and M.I.A. (who both deserve stabs, I acquiesce, and not of the metaphorical variety) which makes me wonder if all of this isn't just reactionary bullshit, and that Beck isn't just waxing nostalgic for a culture that he was never a part of: Pitchfork's "edenic era" (1995-1999), when slackers were still cool, zines still existed, and the Internet hadn't ruined all of our fun by making everything corporate and cynical.**
Finally, what the fuck does he mean by, "we need new musical forms"? Does he know what he means by that? I don't believe that he does. I think that there are plenty of musicians—within and without the indie rock milieu—who are currently experimenting with "new musical forms" in significant ways. But I have no idea if what I consider to be a "new musical form" at all resembles that which he demands at the end of the essay, because he doesn't say another word about it, except to ask for "musicians who know that music can take inspiration not only from other music but from the whole experience of life," as if he were Walter Fucking Benjamin.
I'm pretty sure, though, that if he were able to somehow articulate what it means to create a "new musical form" in the twenty-first century, and that if some musician or band were able to live up to this criteria in the form (no pun intended) of a record, Pitchfork would give that record a "10.0" review—or at least, somewhere in the nines.
*Chuck Klosterman makes a similar argument in Killing Yourself to Live. In fact, I should probably give him full credit and admit that my "thesis" is only a slight elaboration of his idea. It was in the eighteenth century, André Bazin writes, "when the notion of plagiarism appeared for the first time."
**This happened long before the Internet.


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Join us on the first Wednesday of every month to help us choose our feature wines for the following month. Taste two reds and two whites and let us know which ones you want us to feature.
Stay for a drink after! On Wednesdays, our 9oz wine pours are the same price as our 6oz pours.


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Music Gallery
Art Gallery | Drama Gallery | Campus & Experiential Learning Gallery | Music Gallery
Music at Blue Rock School begins with using students' natural, spontaneous response to music as a catalyst for developing children into players, singers and lovers of music.
Enjoying moving to a class-composed song. On the board is the rhythm notation that the children experienced in real time as they developed their composition.
The recorder program forms the backbone of the instrumental music program and allows all students to learn to read music and play in an ensemble. We actively work to help the children incorporate instruments they study outside of school into their Blue Rock performances.
Learning to play accompaniment on Orff instruments is a key component of both music literacy and improvisation.
We love welcoming guest artists to enrich our music study and expose children to a diverse array of musical genres.
Choral ensemble work is a foundation of music study at Blue Rock and begins in a gentle manner from the first days of singing together in Kindergarten. The upper grade choir regularly sings in 3 and 4 part harmony.


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A band is only as good as its ingredients! R&B Recording Artist and Vocal Impersonator George Jamison, the NYC Latin Charmer Ramon Delacruz and International Sensation Natalya Altra – make up SPECTRUM's dream-team front line. They dazzle and interact with your guests throughout your party and always deliver amazing performances. Bandleader Ben Kaufman jams on the keyboard and bass guitar while making sure your celebration runs flawlessly. The band's young gun Scott Rosendall shreds the Les Paul guitar while piano phenom Mike Pryor, saxophonist Matt Ellis and drummer Ron Byrd, Jr. round out the back line to make sure you feel the music as well as you hear it.
SPECTRUM hails from our Nation's Capital, but are well known and highly respected from Maine to Miami Beach.


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Short Story: A Sum of Memories
When I picked my Machine of Death card during a writers' group meeting, it said "Hot Air Balloon." Yup, that's right. I was supposed to die by hot air balloon.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the Machine of Death, it is a game in which the Machine of Death tells you how you are going to die. It's very interpretive, though. You might get "fish" and get eaten by a shark, or get poisoned by a badly-cooked fugu fish, or get stabbed by a fish-hook. The Machine of Death has inspired stories from writers all over the nation (world?) and resulted in an anthology, an ongoing podcast, and more.
I kind of cheated. This story isn't about me, per se, but it's about someone who dies by hot air balloon. Sort of. Read on and find out how Mr. Alexander Sedgewick meets his demise by hot air balloon.
A Sum of Memories:


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An Offering Memorandum (or OM), also called a private placement memorandum (PPM), among other names, is a document that details the potential, the terms of the offering, and the risks associated with the selling or offering of private stock via private placement. The offering memorandum or private placement memorandum is used for a 'private offering'; a sale of stock or securities between private parties, as opposed to a public offering. In a public offering, the main disclosure document is not an offering memorandum or private placement memo, but a 'prospectus.' Both the offering memorandum or private placement memorandum and prospectus share many similar attributes, but they differ in terms of the amount and type of needed disclosures.
The question is always asked: is it essential to hand investor a private placement memorandum (PPM) when conducting a private placement offering? The short answer is 'yes.' An offering memorandum should be produced for three main reasons:
As noted, the main benefits in writing an offering memorandum (OM) private placement memorandum (PPM) and giving it to investors for capital investment consideration is for Clarity, Protection, and Look.
The offering memorandum or private placement memorandum (PPM) is to bring clarity and detail to your private offering. Thus, if an investor reads your offering memorandum document or private placement memorandum, they will be able to make an educated decision whether to invest or not.
The offering memorandum or private placement memorandum (PPM) ideally should offer some type of protection to you and your company when navigating through the various SEC rules while raising private capital. The PPM lists the SEC disclaimers and rules, as well as the important risk factors. Risk factors should be detailed so that, in the case where investment money is lost, an investor cannot say you did not want adequately warn them in the offering memorandum or private placement memorandum regarding the pitfalls of the business.
Giving an investor a private placement memorandum simply looks good and professional. It says a lot when you give an investor a Private Placement document. It shows you went through the sometimes painful but necessary steps involved in conducting a private placement.
The private placement memorandum, or offering memorandum, comprises many important components. Some of these characteristics have to do with SEC rules in relation to conducting a private placement offering, while others have to do with the company's securities.
The SEC has a myriad of rules when it comes to private placements and what a company must comply with while conducting a private placement offering. These rules come into effect when writing the private placement memorandum. For instance, if a company is seeking to raise $10 million, there is good chance that the company offering the private placement will need to limit the number of non-accredited investors to 35 or fewer (whether they are allowed to accept non-accredited investors at all also depends on regulatory factors). A non-accredited investor in a private placement is simply defined as a person who does not have a certain amount of net worth or 'sophistication.' Thus, an 'accredited investor' is one who has a certain net worth and 'sophistication' and can invest in private placements more easily.
In a private placement memorandum, a company details not only the SEC rules and regulations that is to be followed while conducting the private placement, but the company itself is to detail what it is actually offering for the investment. These SEC rules are numerous, but the most common forms of private placement offerings fall under Rule 504 of Regulation D, Rule 505 of Regulation D, or Rule 506 of Regulation D (click here to view more on Reg D 504, Reg D 505, and Reg D 506). Example: if I was investing $1 million into your company I would want to know what I am to receive in return for my private placement investment. I would want to know the type of stock I am getting in return for my investor; I want to know the terms of the private placement; the length of the private placement or the offering; how many shares or units are authorized to be issued (basically I would want to learn about dilution); and I would of course like to know when, once I give my private placement capital, I will receive my initial investment back with a profit.
All of this can be translated into what is known as the 'terms of the offering.' In the private placement memorandum section that deals with such issues, it is offered called the 'offering terms' or 'terms of the offering.' In these terms, or 'private placement memorandum term sheet' or just 'term sheet,' the investor should be able to make an educated decision regarding investment. This of course does not mean the investor will not or should not read the business plan. The private placement memorandum, as opposed to the business plan, should tell the investor what he/she is receiving in return for the investment; the business plan, as opposed to the private placement memorandum (PPM), is to detail the vision of the company. Often, the business plan is encompassed throughout the private placement memorandum or offering memorandum.
In additional to the private placement memorandum (PPM) elucidating the SEC rules and the terms of the offering, a proper Private Placement must have a subscription agreement. The subscription agreement in a private placement is essentially the 'contract' for the investor to buy the private stock or securities. Along with the subscription agreement in the private placement memorandum is the investor questionnaire. The investor questionnaire is essential for any offering memorandum (Private Placement) to contain. The prospective investor is to fill out the attached questionnaire and divulge such information as their net worth, other investments, and much more. Usually, a private placement memorandum and its Private Placement disclaimers will allow the company to reject an investor's subscription (his/her investment) if there is discrepancies in the investor questionnaire. For instance, if the company only wants to accept accredited investors, if the prospect's questionnaire is not clear that he/she is in fact an accredited investor the company can reserve the right to reject his/her investment. Both the subscription agreement and the investor questionnaire are needed to have a proper private placement memorandum.
The offering memorandum or private placement memorandum should contain the following (there is much more of course):


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Get paid via our secure payment system within three working days of the start of the rental.
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In response to an FT article by Wolfgang Münchau on 16th April 2017, entitled 'The shadow hanging over central bank control'
"Every few decades or so, the world of central banking turns upside down. Over the last 100 years we had systems in which central banks targeted a fixed conversion rate to gold, the supply of money in circulation or, more recently, a rate of expected future inflation. A combination of deep changes in the money markets and financial crises is now conspiring towards another big change…
…This debate is still confined to a small number of experts in central banks, and academics…
…Nothing in this analysis suggests that a crisis is about to hit soon" - Wolfgang Münchau
Nothing in the analysis of money, credit, interest rates, and debt…when it comes from central banks, mainstream economists, or the financial journalists that cover them…ever suggests that a crisis is about to hit soon, and even afterwards it is presented as 'nobody could have seen it coming'. Janet Yellen couldn't forecast what she had for dinner last night.
For example, there are somewhere in the region of 75 million baby boomers due to retire in the US over the next few years. The majority of them are not going to have the retirement that they expect, and have been encouraged to believe that they have 'earned'. In other words, there are trillions in what are technically referred to as 'unfunded liabilities', which those folks will experience as 'broken promises', or if they are less politically correct (and in private they will be) as 'bull$hit'.
Many of the unfortunate souls administering these schemes, have recently reduced their projected returns from 8% down to 7%...meanwhile bonds are still paying next to zilch, and they are being 'forced' down the risk curve…'cloud cuckoo land' doesn't even get close. The central bankers, the governments, and the mainstream economists who 'analyse' this must realise what's happening...because it is almost inconceivable that they can be as utterly 'thick' as their behaviour and communication suggests. Ergo they are kicking the can down the road, AKA 'lying'. The crisis about to unfold in places like Illinois will be just the tip of the iceberg.
Of course what will happen, and is happening, is that property taxes are being raised in order to delay the crisis as long as possible. The problem with that is this: the millennials who will be expected to make up part of this shortfall will say, and from their point of view quite rightly – "why should we pay for the retirement that you've been promised, when it means we can't afford to live"
This is just one aspect of the crisis emerging from over 20 years of financial and monetary 'abuse' overseen by the Central Banks, ignored by the politicians, and lapped up by their cronies on Wall Street...and nothing we hear from central banks, mainstream economists or financial journalists, does anything to acknowledge it, let alone address it. 'Nobody could see it coming' will not wash next time - too many people already do


text: On Monday 22nd May children in all classes will be doing activities to promote how we stay safe online. At our Parent's Session after school, Ian will share some information and websites that can help parents to have conversations with children about the online world. There'll also be the chance to share with others sensible and often low key approaches to keeping safe online. Please let us know if you plan to come.


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10-year-old Dylan Tucker plays the character of Sam in Play Lunch. This is Dylan's first acting experience and also the first major role he has performed. A talented athlete and football player, Dylan was a natural fit for the role of Sam and took to the part with keen enthusiasm.
Likes: basketball, swimming, motorbike riding, maths and drawing.


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The Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling (IACAC) is an organization of counseling professionals dedicated to serving students as they explore options and make choices about pursuing postsecondary education. IACAC members are counselors, admission or financial aid officers, active retirees, or students who are concerned about the future of education in the state of Illinois and in the nation. IACAC is committed to maintaining high standards which foster ethical and social responsibility among those involved in the transition process.
In an effort to support the IACAC Strategic Plan, the Transfer Advisory Committee will award two scholarships (one valued at $1,000 and one valued at $500) to two community college students to further their education at a four-year IACAC member institution in the Fall of 2019.
The Transfer Advisory Committee awarded one $500 scholarship to a community college student to further their education at a four-year IACAC member institution for the Spring 2019 semester.
A separate set of $1,000 scholarships for graduating high school seniors is also available from IACAC.
Past Winners
Fall 2019
Keaira Cox ($500) – Read Keaira's Thank You Letter to IACAC
Elizabeth Baubkis ($1,000)
Spring 2019
Maram Alnahhas, Moraine Valley Community College
Josie Suter, College of DuPage
Maricela Calderon, College of DuPage
- Have completed a minimum of 36 semester hours at an Illinois community college
- Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA from all institutions attended
- Be an applicant to an IACAC member four-year institution
- Submit the IACAC Transfer Scholarship Application
Application Requirements
- Complete the IACAC Transfer Scholarship Application, including essay
- Submit unofficial transcripts from all institutions attended
- Recipient will be required to submit official transcripts
- Recipient must enroll at an IACAC member post-secondary institution as a new student for fall 2019
Application Deadline
- Application and transcripts must be submitted by Monday, March 4, 2019
- Submit application and transcripts online
Evaluation and Notification
- Members of the IACAC Transfer Advisory Committee will review applications paying particular attention to academic performance and personal statement
- All applicants will be notified by April 1, 2019
- Contact Samantha Meranda


text: So it seems like I wasted my money on the Sharp Zaurus. It's just not a good PDA, for me. It's bulky, slow, and terrible at recognizing my handwriting. So it's been put up on eBay along with my Clie. So now that both of them will be gone soon, I'm on the hunt for another PDA. The Palm Tungsten T seems pretty good right now. Recent playlist: Xiu Xiu, Mum, and Prostitute Disfigurement.


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I've been meaning for a while to comment on Johann Hari's column last month in The Independent on 'Catholofascism', by which he means the influence of the Opus Dei organisation:
Anybody who has studied the history of the Vatican knows that it has long harboured totalitarian elements, manifested from the Spanish Inquisition to Pope Pius XII's complicity in the Holocaust. Do we really think those dangerous instincts have vanished from Christianity? Opus Dei emerged from this tradition, and it is growing stronger every day. If we do not discuss this, we risk feeding the Islamophobic idea that Islam is uniquely prone to fanaticism.
So Johann does indeed discuss it at length, concluding:
Given the sect's track record, we can assume that an Opus Dei-picked Pope would take John Paul's social conservatism even further into the political stratosphere, and ditch all the admirable criticisms of extreme capitalism. Catholofascism and Islamofascism resemble each other. At the United Nations Cairo Conference on Population and Development, for example, the Opus Dei-dominated Vatican delegation made an alliance with Islamic fundamentalist representatives to oppose the distribution of contraception and abortion to the world's poorest women. A far-right Vatican is the last thing the developing world needs. The Da Vinci Code is right, at least, about one thing: there are a lot of people out there who should be frightened of Opus Dei.
I am as far removed from the doctrines of Opus Dei as an Enlightenment rationalist can be. I am not a Roman Catholic, or a Christian, or a theist. I consider that the influence of the Roman Catholic Church on matters of population, contraception, and abortion causes much needless suffering in the developing world. I strongly disagree with the present Pope's views on innumerable social issues, from the Iraq war to gay marriage. But Johann's argument is overwrought. The parallel he draws with totalitarian Islamist forces is strained. I fear that he may have been temporarily disoriented by the experience of having been right about the Iraq war, in contradiction to most of his newspaper's readership and contributors, and that he is now seaching for ways to demonstrate that he is a disinterested defender of human rights against theocratic totalitarianism. There is no need for him to try so hard.
First, the term Catholofascism is not accurate. There was in the 1920s a group known as clerico fascisti in Rome and Northern Italy, which aimed at a synthesis between Catholicism and fascism. This movement stressed a renewal of both the spirit and the nation. What Opus Dei stands for is extreme clerical reaction. The difference is comparable to that between the Croat state of the Ustasha and the Catholic authoritarianism of Engelbert Dollfuss in Austria. One is totalitarian and expansionist state-terrorism; the other is bigoted and repressive reaction, but without the connotation of expansionism. This is more than a semantic difference if you're drawing parallels with Islamist totalitarianism. Opus Dei is not clerical-fascist: it comes from the older Catholic tradition of Ultramontanism.
Secondly, while there may be ostensible parallels between Ultramontane Catholicism and Islamism concerning proper authority, they are misleading. Opus Dei and other ultra-orthodox movements (the main ones are the Focolare, founded in 1943, Communion and Liberation, founded in 1954, and the Neocatechumenate, founded in 1964) are in effect secret societies outside the normal diocesan structure of the Roman Catholic Church and thereby giving unmediated allegiance to the papacy. But the papacy is not a political authority (other than in the nominal sense that there is a Vatican state). Allegiance to it and a belief that it is above secular dominion is not at all the same as the Islamist insistence that the faith is both a political and a religious system, whose true expression will be found in a restored Caliphate. Even Opus Dei does not yearn for the return of the papal dominions.
Thirdly, the influence of the Roman Catholic Church over its flock is not quite as firm as Johann believes. If, after the present Pope's death, the Church becomes still more dogmatic in its demands on the social and political allegiances of the faithful, then the faithful will not necessarily follow. Whatever happens in the Roman Catholic Church, the Second Vatican Council has taken place and has had a fundamental impact in the way lay Catholics regard religious authority. Johann declares:
All members [of Opus Dei] must report and fully confess to an Opus Dei official at least once a month. The group prescribes strict hierarchy and unquestioning obedience. Maxim 941 of The Way demands "unreserved obedience to whoever is in charge" of the sect.
Contrast that discipline with what the Church itself says in promulgating its views on birth control. Pope Paul VI's encyclical Gaudium et Spes enjoins:
It is the spouses themselves who ultimately must make this judgement in the sight of God.And so they do, and will continue to do, despite the clear teaching of the Church.
Johann's views on the social influence of the Church are a caricature, with repressive pro-capitalist reaction on one side, enlightened liberation theologians on the other, and in between a Pope whose views on sexual morality are "lethally reactionary" but are counterbalanced by his position on fair trade and poverty. In reality, there is much less controversy within the Church than Johann supposes. Pope John Paul II is extending a papal tradition of social teaching that is highly critical of free markets, and the direction of his criticism is one that Catholic orthodoxy would readily assent to. Pius XI's encyclical Quadragesimo Anno was so suspicious of market forces that it was mistakenly assumed by some to be a statement of support for the notion of a corporate state (this was shortly after the Vatican's concordat with Mussolini in 1929), whereas in the US it was more widely and accurately interpreted as being consistent with Roosevelt's New Deal. Catholic orthodoxy is exactly as Johann would wish, comprising what he apparently regards as "admirable criticisms of extreme capitalism".
Those criticisms are, in fact, highly questionable, reflecting an illiberal suspicion of the voluntary social co-ordination created by a system of shifting relative prices. They are powerfully presented in the social thought of Jacques Maritain, whose influence on post-war European Christian Democracy marks an early 'Third Way' between capitalism and socialism. More to the point, they are accepted both by Catholic reactionaries and by the heroes of Johann's article, the liberation theologians who have been responsible for a strongly anti-capitalist tone in Latin American Catholicism since the Medellin Bishops' Conference of 1968. If Johann looks again at the writings of these theologians (such as Gustavo Gutierrez, whom he cites) he will find some fairly uncritical assumptions about the supposed scientific character of Marxism and dogmatic assertions such as (from A Theology of Liberation) "the class struggle is a fact and neutrality in this question is not possible". This is not the place for a detailed examination of Liberation Theology, but if, unlike Johann, you believe Marxism has a record of accurate social and economic analysis and offers a plausible political alternative to the social-democratic and liberal Left, than you'll find it appealing. What you won't find in it is a discussion of why proclaimed Marxist regimes have invariably failed to be as free as the constitutional democracies and welfare-capitalist states of the United States and Western Europe.
In short, Johann has presented a picture of modern Catholicism that bears little relation to the facts. The Roman Catholic Church is less monolithic than he supposes. Ironically, the one point on which its various branches are largely consistent in social teaching is the one in which Johann believes there are stark divisions. The extreme reactionary elements that he deplores have a reputation that exaggerates their significance. There is no parallel between the shifting forces within modern Catholicism and the genuine theocratic-totalitarian threats to the western democracies.


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Little-known fact: New York is the third largest wine-producing state in the U.S., according to the Wine Institute. There are five major wine growing regions in New York, ten official viticultural areas and more than 420 wineries operating within the state.
We invite you to join us for a class and tasting at City Winery in celebration of New York's viticultural diversity on Friday, January 19th. Named Wine Region of the Year in 2014 by Wine Enthusiast Magazine, New York produces wines that can satisfy the most discriminating wine drinker: wines that are complex, well-made and expressive of the local terroir.
During the class, we will offer six white wines from six wineries across New York in order to highlight individual styles and expressions of the land and celebrate beautiful food-friendly white wines that complement any dining experience and satisfy the most discriminating palate. Our Executive Chef Michael Jeanty will prepare an assortment of hors d'oeuvres to pair with wines.
Wine tastings:
Lenz Sparkling Cuvée, North Fork of Long Island, 2013
Red Newt Pinot Gris, Curry Creek Vineyard, Finger Lakes, 2012
Boundary Breaks Dry Riesling #239, Finger Lakes, 2016
Arrowhead Unoaked Chardonnay, Niagara Escarpment Region, 2014
Lakewood Chardonnay, Finger Lakes, 2015
Wagner Riesling Ice/Vidal Blanc 2015


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Many scientific historians have broadly discussed the influence of the Cold War on the development of specific fields within the broader discipline of earth science. However, few have touched on the study of climate change by the U.S. military, and its array of plans to co-opt the process for warfare during (and later after) the Cold War.
The concept of anthropogenic climate change (also known as global warming) became known to the public in the later half of the 1980s, when James Hansen and other scientists testified before Congress. However, the possibility of climate change and the newfound human ability to use technology to act as a geological force was a concept that the U.S. political and military leadership began to explore in the 1950s. Here, we break down some of the prevailing reasons for the military's interest in manipulating climate, an overview of some of the ideas they had to that effect, and a discussion of several in-depth examples.
When the Earth Became Global
For a science that is built on the concept of change occurring over inconceivably long timescales, earth science developed at a breakneck pace during the Cold War. As earth science grew both in numbers of people working under its banner and in terms of the amount of data they had at their disposal, the field subdivided rapidly (in a case of science imitating life). The 1950s saw a fascinating dual development within earth science: scientists were increasingly recruited to work with and for their national militaries, even as they developed datasets and connections with other scientists that were global in nature. Scientists who wanted to study the history of the earth were looking for datasets that spanned the world, not just their country's borders, a feat that could be accomplished through either extensive collaboration with other nations… or massive amounts of manpower on a scale only the military could offer. Oceanographers chose the latter option as their chance for technological exploration of the oceans; U.S. naval vessels became the hosts of scientific research cruises, as they had the greatest mobility and technology of any ships in the world.
Many scientists collecting these data were loath to discuss the tensions between their research and any political agendas, but it was certainly on their minds – and the minds of their benefactors. For the Navy and the other branches of the U.S. military, scientific projects typically served multiple purposes; the data collected was both a research boost to a specific scientific community and information that the military might be able to use. Sometimes this meant that radio arrays in the Caribbean, which were ostensibly for ocean floor sounding and bathymetric mapping, were coopted to survey for Soviet submarines. More often, however, it simply meant collating the flurry of incoming information about the earth and its climate for use in future tactical plans. Like the space race, climate and environmental science became yet another venue in which the Cold War was fought. Unlike the space race, however, the translation between climate science and policy was one that became far more fraught with time.
Why was the military so interested in environmental research during the Cold War? In the context of the time, it's not too surprising – in a "war" fought through prestige and power, every step along the chess board was about control. When researchers in conversation with the military became aware that humanity was becoming a force that could act on a geologic scale (and the danger associated with that concept), the possibility of extending U.S. control to the environment became extremely appealing. As American oceanic scientists saw the bathymetry of the seafloor for the first time, the political and military forces in Washington were haggling over just how much ocean the U.S. could control outside its borders. American oil companies like Chevron, Shell, and Mobile became technological giants over the course of the Cold War by expanding their search for petroleum to South America and Africa, and their profitable dividends seemed to suggest that the earth's interior was also within the scope of human knowledge and control. The advent of earth-orbiting satellites with Sputnik in 1957 seemed to herald the beginning of total surveillance from above, and for the military planetary surveillance was the beginning of planetary control.
The more scientists discovered about the earth on which they lived, the more outside forces like the military sought to use that information to bring the earth to heel. All of these ideas seemed to coalesce together during the Cold War, yielding decades of oscillating cooperation and struggle between the U.S. military and the scientists it patronized.
An Overview of the Military's Foray into Being a Geologic Force
Looking back on the available information from military plans during the Cold War, it is plain to see that there were many abandoned operations that applied technology to the environment on a grand scale. Scientists as well as members of the internal military command floated these ideas, and they were often scrapped either in the proposal stage or discarded after initial testing. The popularity of such ideas, as well as their typically quick demise, had several basic factors. In particular, it was a case of ambition far exceeding capability. Environmental control was an undeniably powerful concept, as it promised ways to turn the tides of war through untraceable methods, or from continents away. Unfortunately, the military's tactical plans to utilize newfound climate information often took unusual (and unusable) turns because much of the information was very new and because the experts they consulted weren't always well versed in the information that they handled. Climate science was a field in its infancy, and not everyone who claimed to speak on its behalf understood the data.
A classic example of this phenomenon is Neumann's ice sheet proposal. As new data came flooding back on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets thanks to the development of technology that could withstand the harsh conditions, John von Neumann suggested that one way for the military to easily affect the climate would be to spread colorants on the ice sheets to reduce their albedo, driving melting, further global warming, and potentially massive flooding of enemy coastlines. It was an absurd idea proposed by a brilliant physicist who had yet to understand how global the effects of such a plan would be.
Some sections of the U.S. government were also interested in using humanity's geologic-level destructive power for good, however – Operation Plowshare was a decades-long series of attempts to use nuclear explosives for peaceful purposes, particularly construction. This resulted in swathes of proposals like Project Chariot in 1958, which called for the use of five thermonuclear devices to construct a new harbor on the North Slope of Alaska. Scientists were often split in their reactions to these proposals largely depending on how much they valued their contracts with the U.S. government vs. the possibilities of risk to terrestrial environments they were only beginning to understand.
To further understand how the U.S. government and the military thought about climate change and the environment, it is worth looking at some in-depth examples of their priorities. Below, I discuss two of the major focuses for the U.S. military's forays into climate change and control: the weather and the oceans, in service of national interests.
Make Mud, Not War: Weaponizing Weather in Vietnam
When the United States began seriously considering the possibility of human-driven climate warfare, their first attempt focused on a concept that has been on human's minds for centuries – controlling the weather. Though the military's weather modification plans began as the relatively well-intentioned Project Stormfury in 1962, the intense stress of the Vietnam War on the U.S. political and military command drove a metamorphosis into the highly classified Project Popeye in 1967-1972. Stormfury, the original project, began with researchers at the Naval Ordinance Test Station (NOTS) testing weather control through the cloud seeding of tropical cyclones. Their initial goal was to reduce the impact of hurricanes that wreaked havoc on the southern and eastern coastal regions of the United States. The hypothesis: that the addition of silver iodide to hurricane clouds would disrupt the inner structure of the hurricanes by freezing supercooled water inside. While this hypothesis was ultimately shown to be incorrect by the very data they collected as part of the cloud seeding flights, a similar hypothesis was used as the basis for Project Popeye and its unclassified code name, Gromet.
Despite Project Stormfury's failure to deliver measurable results, the need for any kind of interference that could harry the northern Vietnamese caused Popeye to be rushed into the testing phase. Popeye proceeded with testing, beginning with their slightly modified cloud seeding approach – the use of lead iodide and silver iodide in large, high-altitude, cold clouds, which (in theory) would then "blow up" and "drop large amounts of rain" over an approximately targeted area. If successful, Popeye would increase the rainfall during the monsoon season over northern Vietnam, hampering their forces by destroying their supply lines. Ideally, lengthening the monsoon season – something the Americans had also promised the Indian government they could do in order to end India's crippling drought – would have adverse infrastructural side effects for the Vietnamese, including increased landslides, destruction of river crossings, and washing our roads.
Despite the eagerness and ambition with which the U.S. military undertook testing of this method in both India (with governmental permission) and Laos (without informing the Laotian government), it was ultimately unclear whether the attempts at "rainmaking" were effective at all. The utmost secrecy with which projects Gromet (in India) and Popeye (in Laos and Vietnam) were undertaken limited attempts to measure and verify their success. The U.S. military sunk years and untold amounts of money into one of the most widespread attempts at weaponized weather control, but by 1972 was forced to concede that its effectiveness was unclear at best, in addition to being exceedingly unethical. The Indian drought ended, but no one could really say whether it was the U.S. that had done the job.
Owning the Oceans: National Politics vs. Scientific Exploration
Throughout the course of the Cold war, the oceans became a locus for the development of poorly conceived climate control plans as well as a site for political tomfoolery. There are two basic prongs to the American (as well as other countries') political/military approach to the oceans during the Cold War – the oceans were seen as a way to extend a country's sovereign borders, and as a mechanism for disappearing unsavory nuclear waste.
The Cold War really introduced the concept of owning the oceans. As American scientists followed the Navy to exceedingly remote places in search of exploratory new data, the question of nationalism followed them. Where could the Navy "plant the flag" as part of its surveys? Polar scientists who wanted direct access to their regions of interest – the Arctic and Antarctic – were hamstrung by the security fears of not just their own nations, but others. The U.S., which noted the USSR's conveniently large strip of polar access, was exceedingly interested in extending its sovereignty as far off of Alaska's northern continental shelf as it could. Where scientists saw the Arctic as a fascinating geologic environment and ecosystem, the U.S. saw a direct route to its biggest enemy. In Antarctica, meanwhile, by the time the International Geophysical Year came around over seven different countries had laid claim to large swaths of the frozen continent. The British had already secretly built a base. Establishing the Antarctic continent as a zone that was to be as free from geopolitics as possible (as well as exploitative capitalist interests) was a difficult task, and one that took decades. It took until the Clinton administration for oil companies to be officially banned from prospecting on or near the continent, essentially reserving Antarctica as a place where only collaborative science could reign.
As the U.S. and other major powers jockeyed with each other in increasingly absurd land grabs in remote areas of the world, they were also using the ocean as a garbage disposal for humanity's most terrifying waste. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, scientists from the International Scientific Committee on Ocean Research began collating data on the possible dangers associated with radioactive waste. However, the governments funding their research were largely uninterested in the results until ecological concerns caught the public's attention. The ocean was convenient – its volume seemed limitless, and perfect for permanently keeping such waste, and any information about it, from the public eye. Unfortunately, like many other classified U.S. ploys, oceanic waste dumping did not stay a secret forever. Between 1946 and 1962, the United States had dumped ~86,000 containers of radioactive waste into the oceans, some of which washed back up onshore to be discovered by local fishermen. Getting rid of radioactive waste seemed to be a double-edge sword; while disposal of such waste on land incited criticism from the public at home, the abundant amounts of radioactive waste being dumped into the oceans opened the U.S. up to international criticism, particularly from the Soviet Union, which claimed to have never done such a thing (they did; the USSR sank eighteen nuclear reactors in addition to packaged waste).
To describe the relationship between the U.S. and the oceans during the Cold War as fraught would be an understatement. The U.S. military wanted the ocean to be an effective source of information on Soviet activities, a convenient landfill for their unsightly problems, and a way to extend their own authority and gravitas. In the end, they couldn't have it all. By the end of the Cold War, the U.S. was forced to concede to the public and scientific pressure to back away from the oceans on almost all fronts.
In Conclusion
In his speech to the National Academy of Sciences in 1963, President Kennedy noted that human science could now "irrevocably alter our physical and biological environment on a global scale." This was a fundamental realization – that humans could change the world, and they could do it in a matter of minutes to years if they chose. The significance is not just that humanity was now a geological force; the Cold War forced scientists and their military benefactors to realize that humans had become the most efficient geologic force in existence. What we can do in a day, geology does over hundreds of human lives. It was easy, then, for the military to investigate how far that power could go, in both destructive and nondestructive ways.
Can we lengthen or shorten the seasons? The military tried it. Can we hide the truths of our radioactive waste programs in the oceans? Every country with nuclear waste tried it. How much do we need to know about the environment before we can begin to reshape whole regions to suit nationalistic goals and objectives? For the military during the Cold War, the answer was almost always "we know enough." For some of the scientists they employed, and many more whom they didn't, the answer was "we may never know enough."
We rarely discuss these outlandish attempts to reign in the forces of nature during the Cold War. In this age of polarization around the issue of climate change, perhaps we really should.
Selected References
Doel, R.E. and K.C. Harper (2006). "Prometheus Unleashed: Science as a Diplomatic Weapon in the Lyndon B. Johnson Administration." Osiris 21, 66-85.
Hamblin, J.D. (2002). "Environmental Diplomacy in the Cold War: The Disposal of Radioactive Waste at Sea during the 1960s." The International History Review 24 (2), 348-375.
Marzec, R.P. Militarizing the Environment: Climate Change and the Security State. University of Minnesota Press: Minneapolis. 2015.
Naylor, S., Siegert, M., Dean, K., and S. Turchetti (2008). "Science, geopolitics and the governance of Antarctica." Nature Geoscience 1.
O'Neill, Dan (1989). "Project Chariot: How Alaska escaped nuclear excavation." Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 45 (10).
"Text of Kennedy's Address to Academy of Sciences," New York Times, Oct 23, 1963, 24.


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Its been a while since I managed to write here as its been quite busy round our place. We have our reno's finally happening and coordinating all the contractors is harder than one would think. We have had to put off the start a few times already as we don't want the scaffolding up any longer than needed - especially with the wee ones around that will think its a new climbing contraption for them. Good luck to me to keep them off it! Its also birthday season for us. We have 6 birthdays (including our very close extending family) over the next 2 months with my baby boy turning 4 tomorrow!!! He is so happy and excited for his birthday it just melts me. Of course nothing goes to plan for me and I ended up over cooking/burning a batch of cupcakes for him to celebrate at preschool, so had to make another and now they aren't all the same, hopefully the little ones don't notice too much.... Then as usual a last minute scramble to the shops to find a birthday present. What to get the kidlets when you feel they already have enough but don't want them to go with out. Such a conundrum. Anyway, all kinda sorted for now and my next focus is his cake, hmmmm.
|A lovely sunset at home.
|The first bit of scaffolding for our reno's went up today.
|A couple of my 20 or so pumpkins catching some sun before storage.
|Pigeon Pea blossoming.
|My garden pal - Ruby, follows me everywhere!
|Pumpkin in the Bay Tree.
The cool weather crops are starting to take off here with my little seedlings really liking the cool change. Its really interesting to see how the different types of seeds are affected by the temps in the air and the ground. Things that I have been cheekily trying to get growing before its best sow date just weren't happening but are now starting to give me love. A lesson to just be patient and wait till they are ready (something which I am not very good at). Looking out in the garden it looks bare, but up close I can see all the little baby seedlings sprouting. A few plants have consistently provided for a good 6 months now - Rainbow Silverbeet, eggplants, beans. Everyday I am able to put something on our plates from the garden and it feels so much more nourishing knowing it was picked minutes ago and is completely organic. As my babies get older and I am able to dedicate more time to the garden (babies win in the dedication of mummy time factor) I hope more and more will come from the garden and eventually do away with the shops.... wouldn't that be nice?!?!
|Roma tomatoes on round two.
|Eggplants just don't stop producing!
|Chilli's are another constant in the garden.
|New kholrabi seedlings.
|The girls all waiting for me to let them out.
|Giant Paw Paws from seeds from my Grandmother in Brisbane.
|More Chilli's! And pumpkin trying to take over...
Lately I seem to be battling with myself over my want to get rid of everything that seems to be cluttering our home and the worry that I might need it down the track. In my past I have been known to be a bit of a hoarder - I like to think of it as keeping just in case. So much stuff has just sat there for years in storage and to be honest, I forgot it was even there. Plus if I did think I had something somewhere, when I needed it I couldn't find it because I forgot where I put it and ending up having to buy another of whatever it was anyway! Grrr, more stuff. So I think its best to kinda clear out to start again. But this time be organised. Can that happen - with wee ones? My attempts at organising everything seems to have created more mess as the distractions of day to day life get in the way and my uncanny ability to procrastinate after everything has been pulled out seem to be a bit of the problem. In my mind it will all get sorted, but I do wonder when that will happen and so does Hubby for that matter. Maybe I really should be down there sorting the junk instead of here blabbing about it, oh well, time will tell..... talk soon, x.


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Billie Faiers is reportedly planning to quit TOWIE.
The 25-year-old reality star is alleged to have told pals that she's set for her own TV show with younger sister Sam.
And according to reports, Billie who is one of the show's longest standing cast members, has 'outgrown' The Only Way Is Essex.
A source told The Sun: "There's no bad feeling, Billie's just been there since series one and feels she's done her time. Just like her sister Sam, she's outgrown the show. They have their business Minnies Boutique, they're both loved-up, and Billie has Nellie."
Her little sister Sam quit the reality show last year.
Mum-of-one Billie previously said that she would only leave the show if she was to get pregnant.
She told OK! Online: "TOWIE have been really good to me and I'm really happy, so for now I can't see myself leaving. However, if another baby comes along, maybe things would be different."
The stunning siblings spend lots of time together and would make great tv along with the latest star of TOWIE - little Nellie.
Billie explained she doesn't mind letting her little girl enjoy the limelight.
The blonde bombshell said: "Nellie does appear a bit in TOWIE so I'm not against it, but if there's a stage where she's a toddler or doesn't want to do it anymore obviously I won't be be a pushy mum or push things on her that she doesn't want to do."
We've reached out to Billie's rep for comment.


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Permission for nappy change? Our response.
It all started when …
Our co-founder, Deanne Carson recently appeared on ABC24 in response to Four Corners' story on rape survivor, Saxon Mullins.
In the full interview, Deanne spoke about 'creating a culture of consent' by working with children from three years old and with parents from birth. Her interview was picked up by a disreputable media outlet, edited out of context and used to silence any conversation about promoting bodily autonomy in children. The edited version has since gone viral and has created confusion for many caring parents.
The Victorian Child Safe Standards ask that we embed an organisational culture of child safety and that we promote the participation and empowerment of children. Showing respect for a child's voice during vulnerable moments is at the core of both Child Safe Standard One and Seven.
If members of your community have an questions or concerns about the media coverage, please feel free to direct them to this Snopes entry or the New Matilda article.
Deanne has also published an op-ed on what she meant, and why we so passionately believe it
Sadly, sometimes changing culture to further empower vulnerable members of the community comes with backlash. We thank you for your ongoing support of the smallest members of our community.
Please don't hesitate to get back to us with any questions!
Whitney Yip & Deanne Carson (co-founders)


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I'm not normally in favour of new taxes or the nanny state. But the problem of childhood obesity isn't going to be fixed with a little more education and the expectation that parents and kids are going to start making healthy choices without anything else changing.
All of the evidence suggests that the entire food system needs to be overhauled and that kind of change requires the government to get involved. Modern families aren't lazier or more foolish than their ancestors. Today, it's much more difficult to buy and eat fresh, healthy food. Like the tobacco companies, major food manufacturers are concerned only with selling more of their products, not with the wellness of their customers.
egardless of where the responsibility lies, the cost to the health care system is enormous, so we all have an interest in seeing the problem addressed. New policies, like a tax on sugary drinks, will save the system billions of dollars and also save thousands of lives. It's time to drop the ideological arguments against government intervention and simply focus on the evidence-based solutions that solve what is now public health emergency.
Listen for 60 Seconds with Sutcliffe weekdays at 6:20 am, 8:20 am, 4:20 pm and 6:20 pm on 1310 NEWS. And join me and my guests on Ottawa Today, featuring discussion and analysis of the big stories of the day, weekdays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.