text:
Chapter 23
"You're hurt," said Li.
"I'm fine," I said. "Scrapes and bruises. A few minutes to catch my breath and I'm ready to go."
Li bit through her protein bar and chewed viciously.
"We're almost there," said Dr. Alvarez, dangling her legs off the branch.
"Doc's right," I said, forcing a used car salesman's grin across my face. Everything hurt. My right shoulder throbbed in a way that implied it had popped out of its socket at some point before being jammed back in.
I was swabbing antiseptic on the gash in my neck when a sliver of something twitched in the wound. I probed with my fingers and gingerly pulled the splinter out.
It was the vaccine implant they'd injected back in training, a one-inch shard of silver material. I frowned. They'd said this would dissolve in weeks. What was it doing in my neck years later?
Under your skin, Tetris.
I hurled the splinter away.
"How many days, Doc?" asked Li.
"Two," said Dr. Alvarez. "Three at most."
Li tore off another chunk of protein bar. "You know what I just realized?"
I opted not to venture a guess. My mind ran laps around the vaccine implant. More lies. What else were they lying about?
As Li stared me down, I pulled my eyebrows up in an attempt to intensify what I hoped was a good-natured smile.
"Do you know the fact that is suddenly crystallizing for me," said Li, "as I sit here on a branch in the middle of the Pacific Forest, having this Eureka-style epiphanic moment of slow-dawning realization?"
"Would you care to inform me?"
"As I sit here, in the most dangerous place on Earth, between two woefully inadequate companions—stop, let me finish—between two woefully inadequate companions, one of whom has absolutely no business being here, and the other—upon whose body I struggle to find a single bruise-or-gash-free square inch of skin—who, as a result of recent events, is in possession of neither a grapple gun nor a firearm—what I begin to realize, Tetris, as you wave your hands and bulge your eyeballs in this most blatant fake outrage—what I realize is that all of this, the whole fucking Category 5 shitstorm we've landed ourselves in, is all one hundred percent your fault."
"No," I said, trying very hard to un-bulge my eyeballs.
"It's greed," said Li. "Ever since Cooper said the words 'ten million dollars,' your brain has been firmly switched off."
"Listen to yourself," she hissed, leaning close. "Just for one minute, snap out of this self-destructive spiral and consider what you're suggesting."
"I am listening to myself," I said, bandaging my neck. "Hello, me, what's that? You think we should keep going? Roger that, me, you're coming in loud and clear."
Despite the guilty pleasure I derived from the proximity of Li's face, I found myself unable to meet her eyes. Instead I worked on swabbing a gash on my forearm. It stung. Everything stung.
"This isn't you, man," said Li, almost whispering. "I know you. You're smart. You're careful. You're risk-averse. I know you, Tetris, better than anybody knows you, and I know that you are not yourself right now."
"Then who am I?" I asked, watching red spiders wriggle out of holes in my arm and mill around on the surface. I scratched at them, but my fingers slid right through.
Li leaned back. She seemed deflated, no longer trying to meet my eyes.
"I don't know," she said. "But you're not you."
I closed my eyes and thought about telling her.
"Okay," I said, "the truth is, I've been having nightmares."
Li took another bite of her protein bar. Dr. Alvarez, who had spent the past few minutes scooting closer, peered around Li's shoulder.
"I know that," said Li. "You've mentioned that five or six times now."
"They're getting worse," I said. "Like, every night. I'm stressing out. That's why I'm not myself."
Li chewed and scanned me. There. I'd told the truth. She wouldn't be able to find any trace of a lie on my face.
"But that doesn't mean we shouldn't go on," I said, trying to capitalize on the foothold of honesty I'd found. "They're just dreams, Li. We're so close. I can share Dr. Alvarez's grapple. And you know the pistol wouldn't have dented hardly anything anyway."
"We'll be careful," added Dr. Alvarez. "We can move slow. Take four days instead of two."
Li chewed and chewed.
"My God," she said at last, crumpling the empty wrapper and flinging it into space. "I can't believe I'm actually considering this."
At which point I knew the battle had been won.
The rest of the afternoon passed in a torturous muddle. It took significant willpower not to stagger. The tendons in my neck stood out like ski lift cables. Despite Dr. Alvarez's suggestion that we take it slow, Li strode ahead, muttering under her breath. When we turned in for the night, I hit my sleeping bag thinking I was far too exhausted even to dream. Instead I tossed and turned, head rattling with the same old blood-drenched nightmares.
In the morning I was too nauseous to eat, aching hunger or no. As we pushed forward, the floor sloped down, and the needles of Dr. Alvarez's various instruments wobbled. I stumbled along in the back, beset by faces in tree trunks that sneered or laughed, revealing mouths packed with canine teeth. The ringing in my ears was joined by a constant percussive throbbing. Once, I thought I saw Todd, bald from the chemo, standing on the other side of a clearing. When he vanished, a wave of sadness crashed over me.
That afternoon, a fog descended, beginning as a few wisps of gray and swiftly coalescing to a thick sheath that obscured my view of the tree-faces. At first I thought the fog was my imagination, but then Li stopped us for a quiet discussion and I realized the others saw it too.
"What the fuck is this, Doc?" asked Li. "I've never seen fog this thick."
"I don't know," whispered Dr. Alvarez. The fog reflected our voices back at us.
I tugged my pack straps tighter, probing absentmindedly at my thigh for the grip of a pistol that wasn't there.
"Well, we can't grapple out of it," said Li, peering upward for branches and finding nothing but fog.
"We might be close," said Dr. Alvarez. "The fog might be a product of the anomaly."
I watched Li breathe. Her face was illegible.
"Okay," she said. "What do we do?"
I cleared my throat. The sound echoed grotesquely.
"We go forward," I said.
The drumming had worked itself beyond my inner ear. There was no way I could hear anything sneaking up on us. As thick as the fog was, we wouldn't see a subway snake until we'd walked smack into its scaly flank.
Close together, practically touching, we edged forward. Dr. Alvarez juggled her instruments, whispering navigational suggestions in Li's ear. I focused on filling my lungs with wet-smelling air. Moisture beaded on my skin.
Finally we came to the end of the fog. Beyond lay a circular clearing with a giant hole in the middle. Fog, extending upward to the canopy, swirled around the perimeter as if butting against tall glass walls.
The drumming in my skull had ceased. Aside from the walled-off fog, everything was back to normal.
"Is this it?" asked Li quietly.
Dr. Alvarez didn't answer. Retrieving a high-powered flashlight from her pack, she padded toward the lip of the pit.
After a moment, Li and I followed. My legs were heavy. They took my full concentration to move, as in a dream. Our boots crunched explosively on the leaves.
Dr. Alvarez pointed her flashlight into the abyss. The cone of light caught dust particles floating in the air, but revealed no bottom. The darkness at the center of the pit remained unbroken.
She pointed the beam at the opposite wall and gradually tilted downward. The circle of light grew wider and wider as it descended, revealing a root-and-vine-riddled cross-section of the forest's innards. As it fell, the illuminated area grew more dim, until finally it vanished. No bottom.
Li produced her flare gun and aimed into the center of the pit. Before she fired, she looked at each of us, asking permission with her eyes.
We nodded. The air in the clearing froze, anticipatory and thick.
The flare gun coughed. I thought I saw the cylindrical wall of fog ripple in response. The hot-sputtering flare arced down, painting unnerving patterns of crimson and shadow.
Down the flare flew, a dwindling red star. It never hit bottom, just shrank and shrank, until finally it vanished altogether.
"No way," said Li, speaking for all of us. A slimy anxiety in my stomach forced me away from the edge.
"How deep?" I asked.
Dr. Alvarez scratched her head.
"Must be at least a couple of miles," she said, staring down.
I imagined falling in, plummeting for miles in unadulterated darkness. Would you pray for the pit to be bottomless, as you tumbled through the empty air? Or would a bottomless pit be even worse?
Near the top of the fog walls, tree trunks began to emerge.
"The fog's fading," I said.
Spurred on by my words, it flowed away in all directions, subsuming into the forest floor. The three of us stood, unable to breathe, staring at what its departure had revealed.
Clinging to the trees that encircled the clearing, with clusters of round black eyes bulging above grinning, toothy jaws, were at least a dozen specimens of a creature I hadn't seen since the day Junior died.
The long bodies of the dragons glistened with blue-black scales. Half-extended wings jutted as their spear-shaped skulls sniffed down at us.
They covered every angle of retreat except one. A single, obvious escape route, between two wide-spaced trees.
All sound had ceased. The dragons smiled, waiting.
Dr. Alvarez ran for the gap. Li and I followed. Behind us, a human laugh built in pitch and intensity over the heavy whump-whump of wings.
We crashed out of the clearing, Li quickly taking the lead. I hung close behind Dr. Alvarez as we vaulted a log and hit the ground at a sprint, our backpacks jumping and jostling. Here the floor was a ragged mess of branches and pitfalls. Li never glanced back. My heart pounded in my ears as I followed, bruises and tender joints forgotten.
With our pursuers close enough that we could feel the rush of air from their wings, Li took a hard left, Dr. Alvarez and I scrambling after her. We slid through a patch of razorgrass, then under a mossy overhang and into the open, where a dragon wheeled to cut us off. It shook the ground when it landed, flaunting its full wingspan. Li fired the SCAR as she ran, zig-zagging into a corridor between two fallen trees.
Down the narrow passageway we flew, dragons lighting on the trunks as we passed, jamming their snapping jaws into the gap. It was hard to tell their roars from the roars of the forest as it awakened. I could hardly hear my own frantic breathing.
Near the end of the passageway, the ground began to swell. As we leapt clear and stumbled to our feet beyond the fallen trees, a subway snake burst out of the bulge, shaking off huge clods of dirt, which thuddedlike mortar shells around us. Li headed toward a thick patch of undergrowth, Dr. Alvarez close behind. A dragon plummeted from the sky to our left and scrambled along the ground on all fours, mouth widening in preparation for a strike.
The subway snake hurled its Brontosaurian bulk across the clearing and clamped huge jaws around the dragon's unguarded torso. The crunch of so much raw meat colliding at such incredible speed released a shock wave that nearly knocked us off our feet. One wing trapped, the dragon flailed and shrieked, scrabbling at the snake's gigantic head.
We thrashed through the undergrowth. Probably the majority of the dragons were now occupied, but Li seemed to think it was a good idea to put more distance between us and them before risking a grapple. My ankles emitted white shrapnel-bursts of pain as I fought across the weed-strewn ground.
Beyond the thick vegetation, we found ourselves before a chasm bridged by a fallen tree. Li wasted no time scurrying across, arms extended for balance. Dr. Alvarez and I followed.
Midway across, my foot plunged into a soft pit of decayed wood, and I tripped. Picking myself up, I felt a whoosh of air and snapped around to glimpse the descending shape of a dragon. With a sickening crack, the dragon landed on the bridge behind me. Li's SCAR roared, but the sound was lost in the splintering of the dead tree's core. At first the bridge sagged mildly, and I thought for a moment it would hold, but then the dragon stepped clumsily about, shrieking as it tried to maintain its balance, and the whole bug-eaten tree crunched downward beneath its feet—
Wishing like hell for the grapple gun I didn't have, I caught a glimpse of Li and Dr. Alvarez staring down from the edge of the chasm, above me now as I scrambled up the crazily-leaning trunk, and then the dragon took off, kicking the two tree-halves downward, my stomach leaping against my throat, and I fell, unbelieving, into bottomless darkness.


text:
Brian Corber
Graphic Designer, Artist, Vancouver, BC
"He's like a swiss army knife for all things art and design"
Vancouver born, Graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Visual Fine Arts from the University of Calgary in 2006. Completed graduate studies in digital technology for art and design at Concordia University. Worked for over 8 years in apparel design and production. Now studying UX/UI interaction design at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver while freelancing for various companies in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver.
Contact me for rates/inquiries: firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The North West .Highlands has a magnificient and varied natural heritage. Eddrachilles Hotel hosts several bird-watching groups each year and many guests enjoy independently exploring coastal, island and inland landscapes. Fiona and Richard will be delighted to spend time at the hotel with you planning your route or advise you before you arrive.
Handa Island - Scottish Wildlife Trust
Just 8 miles from Eddrachilles take the pedestrian ferry from Tarbet to Handa Island, an internationally important nature reserve for seabirds operated by the Scottish Wildlife Trust. Typically the ferry operates from April until early September. .
The island has over 150 species of birds including around 100,000 guillemots, as well as razorbills and great skuas breeding, on the magnificient Torridonian sandstone cliffs. There are also puffins nesting in burrows from early May until August
Weather conditions can change quickly - this is the Atlantic coast - so please take warm, waterproof clothing, even in midsummer. A reasonable level of fitness, mobility and care is required to use the ferry and walk the island trails. Please note, for safety of ferry passengers and wildlife, dogs are not allowed on the ferry or island.
A packed lunch can be ordered from the hotel (there are no facilities on the island) or we'd recommend you allow time to eat at the Shorehouse Restaurant at Tarbet.
Around the hotel
The grounds of Eddrachilles Hotel and the islands in neighbouring Badcall Bay host a wide variety of birds whatever the season.. It's possible to see or hear goldfinches, long tailed tits, warblers, winter visitors such as field fares and waxwings, nocturnal tawny owls, and the distinctive cuckoos without leaving the building. We have bird feeders in the courtyard which are well visited and can be observed from the lower dining room as well as courtyard view bedrooms.
In the wild garden areas of the grounds, you can find a good selection of native plants from sea pinks on the shore to heath spotted orchids in the peaty soil.. It's possible to watch northern or black throated divers on the water, redshanks paddling among the rocks alongside,oystercatchers, or spot our siege of herons silently keeping watch on inlets. You may even see an otter or seal among the boats at anchor.
Go a mile south of the hotel and you'll find the Loch a' Mhuilinn National Nature Reserve, which contains one of Britain's most northern oak woods.. Once a traditional viking hunting ground, it is now home to otters and many coastal and woodland birds and you may enjoy sightings of golden eagles, osprey and sea eagles, or watch a colony of seals.. We can provide our laminated maps with the gaelic place-names translated to guide you on this and other walks in the Scourie area.
Eddrachilles Hotel has a good collection of birdwatching handbooks and nature guides. We encourage guests to record their sightings in the hotel's logbook as a reference for future guests. And Fiona or Richard will be delighted to help plan your nature or bird watching itinerary locally or further afield.
Further Afield
Boat trips from Kylesku, Lochinver or Ullapool may bring sightings of dolphins, porpoise or whales, Cape Wrath and round to Durness offesr an arctic-alpine coast with many plants species down to sea level that would normally be found on mountains or in the Arctic region. South of Eddrachilles Assynt is another excellent region for bird watching. Try Culag Woods or Stoer.
Eddrachilles Hotel is also an excellent base for day trips into central Sutherland. Passing across mountain and remote peatland landscapes you may well see red deer, roe deer or mountain hares or birds such as short eared owls and golden plover. We'll be happy to help you plan your itinerary and have both a range of wall maps and a good selection of OS maps available for our guests to borrow.


text:
Few days ago I moved my solution to MSVS 2013. It works fine except one thing: when I trying to debug code of my WCF service it works, but when I want to watch state of any variable it says: "Internal error in the expression evaluator". Add watch function works normal on client side, but in service code it broken. I'm trying to debug my own WCF service running on the localhost. Could you help me, how to repair this?
Here MSVS info: Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2013 Version 12.0.30110.00 Update 1 Microsoft .NET Framework Version 4.5.51641 OS: Windows 8.1


text:
Okay dude, chill. Becoming a genius is really and I mean really hard.
Genius is not somebody who creates all these inventions.
Genius, simply said, is a person who thinks in a genial way.
You can think about life as it is full of limitations or you can change your perspective and think that life is full of opportunity.
If you want to blast out as a creative genius, you need to create – sure your mind can be limited and it is limited, but you want to focus on the output. The more you create, the better it is for your creative thinking.
Life has a lot to offer for creative people, the easiest way to become a creative genius is to write books or articles.
Despite your current knowledge, you should increase your creative output, but you have to consume knowledge of other folks, turn on Youtube and watch all lectures in philosophy, if you prefer this route.
Because if you want to be a writer genius, you need to know a lot about various topics.
Most people spend time watching and reading shit online. This is a fact, only few spend time consuming great knowledge.
Knowing a lot of things will make your mind go crazy. And thinking too much might drive you insane several times, but when you're used to it – it becomes a habit.
It's really hard to think by one's self.
Listen to audio books, steal them from pirate bay if you don't have money.
The more knowledge you consume, the chances are you move from ordinary thinking into a domain of high intelligence which will boost your creative, analytical, critical thinking.
Suck knowledge every day. And you'll be with genial knowledge in no time.
I do this every day, but the downside of this is that then you won't be able to talk to people, because most don't learn and are so down.


text:
Naming the dead: Venezuela protesters count fallen comrades
Jun 13, 2017 17:47 IST
A demonstrator rolls a skateboard next to a list of the victims of the violence during protests against Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro government in Caracas, Venezuela. The deadly unrest in Venezuela could lead to 'a blood bath' and spark a major refugee crisis, Peru's President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski warned as violence continued in Venezuela's capital, Caracas. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)
A pedestrian walks past a list of the victims of the violence. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)
A demonstrator carries a Venezuelan flag as he runs next to a list . Anti-government protesters want new elections and have called for President Nicolas Maduro's resignation. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)
A man sets a tire on fire during protests . (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)
Anti-government marches have been spreading throughout the country and clashes between protesters and the security forces have become more frequent and the number of dead has been on the rise. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)
The government has repeatedly blocked any attempts to oust Maduro from power by a referendum vote. It has also delayed local and state elections. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)
More than 60 people have been killed and hundreds more arrested during months of violent clashes.Some deaths have been linked to both opposition and pro-government protests while others happened during acts of vandalism unrelated to the political unrest. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)
A group of Venezuelan university students is walking across the country in protest against the government. (Ivan Alvarado / REUTERS)
Demonstrators roll on skateboards on a list of the victims. (REUTERS)
trending topics
Sep 24, 2019 11:46 IST
Sep 23, 2019 17:48 IST
Sep 22, 2019 18:02 IST
Sep 21, 2019 13:52 IST


text: No one really likes having films taken in their mouth. We understand. Dr. Geisler a family dentist of Plymouth, Minnesota, has invested in advanced technology to make this necessary step more comfortable. Digital sensors are now thinner, with rounded corners, so they don't dig into your mouth. Best of all, they are so quick! When it comes time to review the films, Dr. Geisler will show all your films to you, so you are fully informed of all the findings. For those of you who like to know all the details about the technology, check out the website on the specific sensors we use at Life Smiles. Dr. Geisler loves these sensors because they deliver top quality images to diagnose.


text:
Watch The Sinner Season 1 Episode 8 Online. Best and Free Online streaming for The Sinner TV Show. We picked the best sites to stream s01e08. Simply pick a site below and click "Watch Now!" button next to it. Some of the links may be broken, please upvote the working and good links so other users see those links for The Sinner Season 1 Episode 8 s01e08 at the top of the list.
Can you please stop uploading the same recording with AUDIO DESCRIPTION FOR BLIND PEOPLE activated? It's fucking stupid and nobody will watch this copy. Let someone smarter upload a better version without NARRATION FOR THE BLIND.


text:
Broken Harts
Author: iHeartRadio & GlamourSubscribed: 80,426Played: 577,436
Broken Harts, a new podcast from Glamour and HowStuffWorks, investigates this question with more than 30 never-before-heard interviews. Cohosts and Glamour editors Justine Harman and Elisabeth Egan and reporter Lauren Smiley follow the family's journey from South Dakota through Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington, and finally to that 100-foot cliff in California.
Introducing She Makes Money Moves
"Two Questions, Eight People"
"There Were Good Times"
"Stone-Cold Narcissist"
"Beautiful Black Boys"
"My God, There's Six of Them"
"The Perfect People"
"If Not Us, Who?"
Loved this podcast, Wondery is phenomenal!
Fido Wood
bingo love it!
This just goes to show you that evil is objective to sexual orientation, education, and social status.
Erin Palmer
still don't think you understand the term antihero 🤦♀
Erin Palmer Right. Calling them antiheroes implies they are the protagonists of this story.
Chris Knerl DeHaan
So very sad. This was an excellent podcast....thank you for your research and excellent telling of such a tragic happening. I hope and pray those children did not know the ending, that somehow they ingested the meds unknowing what was to come.
Melissa Knox
Completely heartbreaking, this story is so sad. I wish the episodes were a little longer but great nonetheless.
Vanesha Develrow
Melissa Knox who else
Johane Mc Duff
I don't believe for one second that mental illness was a factor in these murders. They were about to get busted for neglecting and abusing these children and their whole facade was on the verge of crumbling. Everyone would find out about their secret and their ego couldn't accept that so one (or both) of them opted for the classic murder/suicide scenario. Narcissism is a personnality disorder, not a mental illness.
Johane Mc Duff
Johane Mc Duff Not quite: https://difference.guru/difference-between-a-mental-illness-and-a-personality-disorder/
Autumn Cromer
Johane Mc Duff personality disorders are mental illnesses. 🙄
A Parker
glad I came across this
Scott Zeller
I'm glad you addressed the failure of the adoption process. That's where I see the biggest failure. Racist and gender issues aside, how the f do you allow a couple to adopt 6 kids on one salary? No wonder the kids were always hungry.
Megan A
Scott Zeller no. they were paying for festivals and road trips. this wasn't poverty. this was evil.
Carol S
This story was so so very sad, it's the children. My energy and prayers are for them including the first child they had and how sad her story was too but in hindsight she got away. At the end of the last video as I reflected on every episode thoughts pulled me more to Jen who probably had intentionally planned this on her own. To me Sara loved her very much and took the punishment to save Jen. Sara was the one working and taking double shifts to support the family. I don't know everything but somehow it bothers me to assume it was both of them. Yes Sara might have known most of the things going on but was away from the home more. Yes they were married, but I think they should have had a episode apart from one another. I can only imagine that Sara didn't know that they all were going to die. Sara loved Jen and maybe just wanted to protect her. I'm not saying if things were different Sara still should be charged with the crime of knowing about the abuse and let it continue but to me Jen should be the one to be charged with 7 counts of murder. Even though they were married they were still individuals.
Kristin Benishek
This podcast is annoying. It's a very sad, horrific story that could have been told so much better. Time lines and details are confusing. The narrators try to hard to be dramatic, but only come off so monotone. And stop comparing your life/loved ones to this family!!
Luther McDonald
ohhhhh this makes me so mad
Emmy Dorchak
they were both what???
Sarah Avramovski
Emmy Dorchak anti heroes and monsters. referring to what she was speaking about in the sentence before.
Liz Fisher Sobocinski
can't wait to hear the coroner inquest. what could be more rattling than this!?
Liz Ranahan
Liz Fisher Sobocinski I actually just read an article on some news site last week that said they had TONS of Benadryl in their systems. Each and everyone of them. They said each had what would be the equivalent to 18 + pills. How did they get the kids to take that? Even mixing it into something isn't going to disguise 18 or more pills. So heartbreaking. Why didn't they just kill themselves?!
Curious if there's any facet of life that a libtard doesn't see racism in. How does skin color matter to them to this degree? Can they not see past the skin to see the potential, the humanity, the ambition? The equation of color to division is catastrophic, and it's entirely on them.
BOO DADDY You're not seeing the forest for the trees.
Larry Martinez
Kayla Cox did you listen to this ep? I couldn't finish it after her rant. Too bad, I was enjoying it.
I disagree with your final assumptions: that the women were both monsters and loving moms. Your assumption that there were good times, based on Jen's fb activity, allows her to continue to manipulate the story, even in death. These woman took calculated moves to isolate and harm children. so much so that we never know the true depths of their depravity. Thanks for starting this conversation but much more needs to be explored around race/hate and the systemic dismantling of Black families. This podcast made me swear off fb for good
Allison Bothley
Really sad.
Letters and Miles
Heartbreaking. 😥 But they're story telling is amazing too, hope you cover more stories
Melanie Marie-Jahnke Manning
I don't understand how good parents can be harassed for leaving a kid waiting in a safe car for 5 minutes, but when stuff like this happens all of a sudden the authorities can't do anything.
Jimmy Eldridge
Such a sad story. Sound editing is lacking in a few areas. Parts where conversation abruptly skips.
Nina Maria
do we fill the blank in ourselves with that closing line "they were something much worse, they were both......" =/ i'm assuming it's "broken harts" but I don't think that's worse than "monsters". i'm sure i'm overthinking, but disappointing wrap up for me
Rachel Anderson
Kailey Mingo such a serious and sobering pod but its cracking me up that people really didn't get that last line 😄 good lord.
Ryan Foster
Nina Maria right, I had to rewind 2 times because I thought I missed hearing the answer. I guess we fill in the blank?


text:
posts in the category Films
Posted by Nathalia Helou Frontini
It was just a few days, but wonderful days with amazing scenery. We left the state of Ceará, went ...
» continue lendo
Posted by Bianca Moro de Carvalho
Rio: the movie
Very fun, nice music, and makes you want to dance. This is Rio an American animated film by ...
» continue lendo


text: At today's PMUG meeting Lynn Bischoff described the eMac she wants to sell. It's 6 years old, purchased 12-10-03, and is running Panther. It has Imation disc drive and discs. She wants $150.00. Give Lynn a call, 708-9127 or e-mail her, email@example.com for full details. May it find a happy home soon. She's enjoying her new Mac.


text:
MJardin is a management company, so we came in as an operator...If you own a license, you may not have the expertise to run a cultivation or extraction in a retail facility. MJardin can come in as a turn-key operator and provide the people and processes...to really run your facility.
MJardin's Executive Chairman Joins the Panel of Experts at Jim Cramer's Boot Camp for Investors in NYC.
Look for companies with substance amid the cannabis craze, says CEO of cannabis producer GrowForce
MJardin Group Looks to Invest in Nevada Marijuana Market
MJardin Group going Public this Autumn
MJardin Group is a specialized professional cannabis management company that provides cultivation solutions, retail advice and operational management on behalf of license-holders. Their Executive Chairman Rishi Gautam discusses their value proposition in the cannabis market and the capital-raising structure in place to become a publicly-listed entity later this calendar year.


text:
Time Doctor will show you both high-level and granular data about how much time you and your employees have spent on your various Freshdesk tickets.
For any date range you choose, Time Doctor will also show you:
- What each of your users is doing right now.
- How much time is being spent on each customer service ticket.
- The amount of time each user spends in Freshdesk.
How does it work?
Once your employees install the Time Doctor desktop application on their computers, they will have access to each of their assigned Freshdesk tickets. They simply have to click on a task in the Time Doctor app to start tracking time for that particular ticket.
The time tracked is sent to the Time Doctor servers where it will appear in reports. Time Doctor has desktop apps available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.
What are your employees doing at work?
In addition to the time worked on Freshdesk, Time Doctor can track other types of data. For example, Time Doctor can show you the websites and applications that each employee uses while working.Start a Free Trial
Screenshots of Freshdesk Tickets (Optional)
Time Doctor can also take screenshots of your employees' computers while they are working on their Freshdesk tickets. This feature is optional but can be helpful when you are managing remote employees and are unable to walk by their desks to see what they are working on.
Screenshot thumbnails can be expanded into medium or full-sized versions. Levels of keyboard and mouse activity are displayed below each screenshot.
But wait, there's more!
Web & App Usage
Client login
Poor Time Use Report
Work Schedules
And much more…
Read more about the full range of optional features that Time Doctor provides.


text:
Follicular thyroid cancer metastasis
Presented with enlarging neck mass affecting breathing. Had skull mass for two years.
Patient Data
Age: 45 years
Gender: Female
From the case: Follicular thyroid cancer metastasis
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Large skull soft tissue masses with destruction of the frontal and parietal bones. Osseous fragments scattered through the largest superior mass.
Trachea deviated to right and narrowed on frontal projection of skull and chest, due to neck mass.
Case Discussion
This patient presented with an enlarging neck mass causing breathing difficulties. She had not sought treatment for large head masses which had been present for years.
Biopsy of neck and head masses reported as most likely follicular thyroid carcinoma.


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The Patriots' Super Bowl Ring Party Looked Like a Rager (Video)
You'd think that the fourth time around, the Patriots wouldn't make such a big deal out of getting their Super Bowl rings. You'd be wrong.
Over the weekend, every member of the team met up at Robert Kraft's house to get their Super Bowl rings, and indulged in some dancing and a lot of drinking, it would appear.
The rings were enormous, even by Super Bowl ring standards. Here's a pic:
And of course, Gronk was there in a tasteful Tommy Bahama shirt, sweating it up. Tom Brady was too, and he took to the dance floor wearing all his Super Bowl rings, which was pretty badass.
Oh, and Wiz Khalifa was there. I guess because none of this would have been possible without the hard work of…Wiz Khalifa?
Hat Tip – [@OnlyInBOS]


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New! Spinning Wheel (of Death) Pillow
Exclusive offer for all Kickstarter backers (and future Kickstarter backers)!
We've been secretly developing a brand new Throwboy pillow that fits perfectly with The Iconic Pillow Collection. Thanks to the success of the Kickstarter campaign so far, we are thrilled to announce the all-new Spinning Wheel (of Death) Pillow! How do you get one? Add $20 to your Kickstarter pledge (of 1 or more Iconic Pillows) and get a new Spinning Wheel (of Death) Pillow! That's it!
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How do I get a Spinning Wheel (of Death) Pillow?
It's easy! Simply add $20 USD extra to your Kickstarter pledge. **Pledge for 1 or more Iconic Pillows to qualify for this offer.
How do I add $20 to my existing pledge?
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That's easy too! Up your pledge in $20 increments. If you want two, add $40 to your pledge, If you want 3 add $60 to your pledge and so on.
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The Spinning Wheel (of Death) Pillow will ship along with your Iconic Pillow(s) when we begin shipping Kickstarter rewards (January and February respectively).
Do I need to tell you that I increased my pledge to get a Spinning Wheel (of Death) Pillow?
No you do not. We are keeping track of every pledge. When the Kickstarter ends on September 14th, you'll receive an electronic survey where you'll be able to choose which pillows you want.


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The Apostolic Church of Liverpool
UNITED KINGDOM: Ten years ago God gave us a vision of a day care on our church property. Through much prayer and hard work, that vision has become a reality. The day care building was completed earlier this year, but due to government regulations, we had to apply and wait for our inspection. However, we passed the inspection with excellence and officially opened the doors in January to children aged two through five. We are thrilled to add this to an ever growing list of ministries of The Apostolic Church of Liverpool (ACOL). The daycare is Unity Child Care and we take the opportunity God has placed before us very seriously, to impact many young lives. So many of the children that will come through the doors will have already experienced pain and suffering in their young lives. By imparting the love of Jesus Christ, we hope to give them the stability and reassurance they so desperately need. As the local area is one of the worst areas in the UK for welfare recipients, illiteracy and joblessness, we plan on offering Life classes to the parents that will help them gain knowledge and understanding and ultimately improve their lives and the lives of their children.—John and Sherri Hemus


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One of the major reasons why people don't go into business is that they are too afraid to fail.
Here are the most common justifications that people share about being too afraid to fail in business.
Maybe you'll recognize some of them.
1. I don't have the skills to succeed in business, so I will just fail.
2. I don't have money to start one. And I'm afraid to borrow money. I might end up in debt with no money.
3. If I do have money, it's to risky to invest it. I might just lose it.
4. Most business fails. My neighbor / friend / relative tried doing a business and he/she failed. So, chances are I might fail too.
5. My friends and family are just as afraid as I am.
6. My friends and family don't like me going into business or taking risks. They say what if you fail and you lose everything. They don't like to see me broke and unhappy.
7. I'm comfortable with my job and it's steady paycheck, so I'm afraid that I might lose the comfort of regular money on the ATM.
8. If I fail, I'm afraid I might not be able to bounce back.
9. I'm afraid to fail because I don't believe myself that I will succeed.
10. I'm not good enough.
In fact, no one wants to fail. As in no one. Who does?
Unfortunately, failing is a part of life. Everyone fails.
You failed at coming to work or an appointment on time. Can you count how many times?
You failed to see your child's graduation day because you were stuck on meeting.
You failed to lose weight after you promise yourself to go on a diet or exercise.
You failed to meet your promises. I know you do!
You even failed to meet your job description!
You failed to keep your resolutions.
You failed many times.
The truth is, everyone fails at some point.
In the subject of TOO AFRAID TO FAIL in venturing or even starting a business, is actually a born out of CHOICE.
There's always risk involve, but at the end of the day, the CHOICE you're going to make determines the kind of result you will have.
If you choose not to do it or even try it because you are TOO AFRAID TO FAIL, then most likely you're results will always be limited!
Remember, business or being good in business is never an inborn talent. It is taught and learned just like discipline is taught to a child.
Until the next time!
I am Coach Jervis
"we empower people to their full potential"
Join our winning business team ~ www.ca2020.net


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Welp, this is without the doubt the strangest casting you'll read about today. According to Variety, Mike Tyson and Pamela Anderson are in talks to, for real, join the cast of Werner Herzog's upcoming project Vernon God Little—yes, the same one that recently cast Russell Brand in a role. Is this the weirdest group of actors ever? Quite possibly. From Variety:
Brand is set to play a charming, yet unscrupulous TV reporter, Lally, who manipulates the situation, while Anderson will be Vernon's sweet airhead mother, and Tyson is the ax murderer, Lasalle, who Vernon meets in jail, and who gives him the name "God."
The project is based off of D.B.C. Pierre's 2003 coming of age book of the same name. In addition to Brand, both Austin Abrams and Sasha Pieterse have been confirmed to star in the lead roles. Plotwise, the story, according to The Hollywood Reporter, follows a teenager named Vernon whose "world falls apart when his best friend, Jesus Navarro, murders their classmates in the schoolyard, and Vernon is taken in for questioning...the story unfolds with Vernon existing in a hyper real world of accusation and betrayal." The screenplay was penned by Andrew Birkin, who previously adapted Perfume in 2006.
Who'da thought we'd see the day when a Werner Herzog film starred Mike Tyson and Pamela Anderson?
[via The Hollywood Reporter]


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WASHINGTON — The Latest on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the release of three Americans from North Korea (all times local):
7:20 p.m.
The three American detainees freed by North Korea say they would like to express their "deep appreciation" to the United States government, President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the American people "for bringing us home."
They add, "We thank God, and all our families and friends who prayed for us and for our return."
The State Department released the statement as the former detainees returned to American soil.
Pompeo had been in North Korea to finalize details of a summit planned between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The three men boarded Pompeo's plane on their own. They were transferred in Japan to another plane for the trip to Joint Base Andrews outside Washington. Trump plans to greet them when they land.
6:30 p.m.
North Korea's state-run media is calling U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit a successful one and — for the first time — mentioning plans for the two countries' leaders to hold a summit.
A report early Thursday by North Korea's official news agency, KCNA, says Pompeo and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un held "in-depth" discussions of the practical matters involved in holding the "historic meeting." It says the two reached a "satisfactory consensus," but is not giving further details.
The report also refers to the release of three Americans who headed home Wednesday with Pompeo. It says Kim decided to grant them amnesty at the "official suggestion" of the U.S. president.
Pyongyang has been exceptionally cautious about its public framing of Kim's recent diplomatic moves.
4:25 p.m.
President Donald Trump is set to greet three Americans who were detained in North Korea when they return to the U.S. early Thursday.
Trump is promising "quite a scene" at a middle-of-the-night arrival ceremony outside Washington. Their release is the latest sign of improving relations between two longtime adversaries as they prepare for a historic summit.
The detainees were released after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited North Korea on Wednesday to finalize plans for a summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un, the North's leader.
Trump has ruled out the Korean demilitarized zone as a site for the summit, and promises the summit's date and place would be announced within the next three days.
4 p.m.
Three Americans who had been detained by North Korea are on their way back to the United States.
Their release was only sealed about an hour before the top U.S. diplomat left Pyongyang.
The three men — Kim Dong Chul, Kim Hak Song and Tony Kim — walked on their own from a van and onto the plane of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the end of his daylong visit to North Korea.
After meeting leader Kim Jong Un, Pompeo had given a fingers-crossed sign when asked if there was good news. A North Korean emissary came to the hotel shortly after to say the detainees were being freed.
The three men finally left custody at 7:45 p.m. local time, and by 8:42 p.m. they were flying home.
12:33 p.m.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says he's glad to see three detained Americans returning home from North Korea. At the same time, he is warning the Trump administration not to use Americans being held abroad as bargaining chips in negotiations.
The New York Democrat says he hopes President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are clear in their talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and other countries that "no regime has the right to hold Americans in captivity without cause."
He added that "under no circumstances should Americans be viewed as bargaining chips."
Schumer made the remarks Wednesday in the Senate.
11:55 a.m.
President Donald Trump is ruling out the Korean Demilitarized Zone for his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump had said he was interested in holding the historic meeting on the heavily fortified border separating North and South Korea. He had said the DMZ was appealing "because you're there" and any celebration would be memorable if the talks proved successful.
But he ruled that option out Wednesday as he kicked off a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
Trump said details of the Kim meeting will be announced in the next two or three days. The meeting is expected to be held in late May or early June.
A number of other countries have also been considered, including Singapore.
11:50 a.m.
President Donald Trump is hailing the release of three Americans detained in North Korea as they make their way back home.
Trump says as he kicks off a Cabinet meeting at the White House that he "appreciates" North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's decision to release the detainees ahead of the leaders' planned summit.
He says he's looking forward to the meeting and believes it's going to be a great thing for North Korea.
Trump broke the news on Twitter earlier Wednesday that the detainees were on their way back to the U.S. with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Trump said he would be greeting them at Andrews Air Force Base at 2 a.m. Thursday.
He says of the arrival: "I think it will be a very special time."
10:53 a.m.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is welcoming North Korea's release of three Americans as a hopeful sign ahead of President Donald Trump's meeting with leader Kim Jong Un.
The Kentucky Republican says he's hopeful that "by approaching our ongoing negotiations with clear eyes, we can build on this progress and pursue a verifiable agreement to dismantle North Korea's nuclear arms."
McConnell spoke Wednesday as he opened the Senate.
Earlier in the day, Trump announced that the three detainees were on their way back to the United States with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Pompeo was briefly in the country this week making plans for the leaders' upcoming summit.
9:40 a.m.
The White House says President Donald Trump views North Korea's release of three American citizens "as a positive gesture of goodwill."
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders says the three Americans "appear to be in good condition" and says they were "able to walk on the plane without assistance."
Trump announced Wednesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on his way back from North Korea with the three American detainees.
Sanders says, "All Americans look forward to welcoming them home and to seeing them reunited with their loved ones."
9:39 a.m.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says he had a "good, lengthy" conversation with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un and that a date and time for a summit with President Donald Trump has been set.
After departing Pyongyang Wednesday, Pompeo said the summit details will be announced "in the next handful of days." He said the two sides need to coordinate in the days ahead on setting conditions for a successful meeting.
Pompeo says the three American detainees freed as a goodwill gesture seem to be in good health "given all they have been through."
Pompeo was on the ground in North Korea for 13 hours. That included a 90-minute meeting with Kim — their second meeting in little more than a month.
Pompeo spoke to reporters during a stop-over in Japan on his way back to the U.S.
9:39 a.m.
Vice President Mike Pence says the U.S. "will not let off the pressure" on North Korea "until we achieve full denuclearization."
Pence says President Donald Trump's "tough minded diplomacy" has led to the release of three Americans detained in North Korea.
Trump announced Wednesday that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was returning from North Korea with the three Americans.
Pence says Pompeo did a "remarkable job" overseeing their release and calls it a "proud and memorable moment for America."
9:35 a.m.
A U.S. official says that "substantial progress" has been made on plans for a U.S.-North Korean leadership summit during Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Pyongyang.
While Pompeo met with top North Korean leaders, including Kim Jong Un, lower-level officials from the two countries were planning the nuts-and-bolts logistics for a meeting between Kim and President Donald Trump.
The U.S. official, who was involved in those talks, said the two sides would meet once again to finalize the details.
No specifics were offered although other officials said Singapore is emerging as the most likely venue. The unprecedented meeting has been slated for this month or early June.
Before seeing Kim, Pompeo met twice with the head of the North's United Front department that oversees relations between North and South Korea.
9:20 a.m.
The family of one of the Americans freed from North Korea is expressing gratitude for his release.
The family of 59-year-old Tony Kim is thanking "all of those who have worked toward and contributed to his return home." In a statement, the family credited President Donald Trump for engaging directly with North Korea.
"Mostly, we thank God for Tony's safe return," the statement said. It added that the family appreciates "the support and prayers of friends and even strangers during this challenging year."
The statement was forwarded to The Associated Press by Randall Brandt, a spokesman for the family, shortly after Trump announced Wednesday that three Americans were coming home.
The statement urged people to "continue to pray for the people of North Korea and for the release of all who are still being held."
8:40 a.m.
President Donald Trump says Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is on his way back from North Korea with three American detainees, saying they "seem to be in good health."
Trump made the announcement on Twitter Wednesday, saying "Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the air and on his way back from North Korea with the 3 wonderful gentlemen that everyone is looking so forward to meeting."
Trump added that Pompeo had a "good meeting" with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump is planning a historic summit with the North Korean leader.
In another Tweet, Trump said Pompeo and the detainees will be landing at Andrews Air Force Base at 2 a.m. Thursday. He says "I will be there to greet them. Very exciting!"
1:52 a.m.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in North Korea to finalize plans for a historic summit between President Donald Trump and the North's leader, Kim Jong Un.
U.S. officials say Pompeo will also be pressing North Korea for the release of three detained American citizens, whose imminent release Trump has been hinting at.
The trip is Pompeo's second to North Korea this year. It had not been publicly disclosed when he flew out of Washington under cover of darkness late Monday aboard an Air Force 757.
Trump announced the mission Tuesday afternoon as he laid out the case for withdrawing from a landmark nuclear deal with Iran, another bitter U.S. adversary.
When the flight arrived Wednesday morning in Pyongyang, North Korean officials were on hand to greet Pompeo.


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Team Building in Westminster
Lying on the River Thames' north bank, Westminster is dominated by the business of government. A traditional area, rich with the city's living history, it is home to a stunning range of buildings and landmarks and has one of the highest concentrations of tourist attractions in London, including one of the city's four World Heritage Sites.
A great place for an exciting team build, Westminster lends itself well to many of our events. Race through the streets completing challenges on our fantastic The Apprentices or go high tech with our interactive and fun filled iSpy. A great way to see the city, you and your team won't be disappointed!
With over 75 events to choose from, our sales team are on hand to help make sure you get the best out of your day. Call us now on 0845 006 06 06 or complete a quick enquiry form.


text: I recently did a couple little DIY projects for Buzz Feed and here they are! Remember the little mountain from this post? Tah dah! The mountain finger puppets are my favorite and the dice are Elliott's favorite. He loves dice. They are both super simple to do and a lot of fun to play with. Head over here to check them out and to make your own.


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Today I'm thinking about my latest symbolic painting. I don't often share the symbolism behind a painting as I like the viewer to create their own story about it. However, I'm going to share a bit about my newest whimsical painting titled "Protected by Warrior Spirit." Symbolism of Protected by Warrior Spirit It is not a warrior as in the traditional soldier, fighting type. Rather it is a warrior of grace. A warrior of the divine. Of Spirit. It's a…Read More »
Symbolism and Stories in my Art
There are lots of symbols and stories being told with my art. I've had a long facination with symbolism. One of my favorite books on archetypes and symbolism is "Women Who Run with the Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. One can learn many lessons about life from reading the stories in this book. The author's explanations about the symbolism in these stories is really amazing. I love that the theme of some of these stories is in similar stories throughout…Read More »


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New York Mets To Hold Pride Night
The New York Mets announced this week that they will be holding an LGBT Pride Night this baseball season. This is the first event of its kind hosted by a major sports team in New York.
It is estimated that over 5,000 members of the LGBT community will attend the event in Citi Field stadium.
LGBT Network CEO David Kilmnick said in the news release: "Bullying is still a major-league problem for LGBT youth. Over 82 percent report being verbally and physically harassed in the past year. It's not only the school hallways where our young people report feeling unsafe, but also on the ballfield. We are grateful and thankful to Major League Baseball for taking the lead in professional sports, including the LGBT community in its diversity priorities and initiatives. As a lifelong Mets fan, I am proud that the New York Mets are not only the defending National League champions but the champion of the New York sports world in making sure that everyone is welcomed and celebrated at Citi Field."
The Mets executive vice president, Lou DePaoli also added: "New York is the most diverse and inclusive city in the world, and the Mets welcome all fans throughout the season. We are particularly proud to welcome the LGBT community on Pride Night at Citi Field."
Other major baseball teams have already taken this initiative, such as the Pride Night held last year in Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. So we are happy to see that the Mets are jumping on the bandwagon to help support the LGBT community in New York.
Have you followed us on Facebook and Twitter?


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LG Electronics took its top performing resellers and distributors for an incentive trip to Shenzhen and Macau, China. The adventure packed itinerary saw the group tee-up at the Mission Hills Golf Club, which is rated among the world's best, and take a dive from the world's highest bungee, measuring 233 metres at the Macau Tower.
"This trip emphasises LG's dedication towards fostering strong relationships with their customers," LG national IT sales manager, Phillip David, said. "This group represents the best in the industry and their support and commitment is imperative to LG's positioning in the IT channel. Their efforts have been remarkable and this incentive trip is a token of our gratitude."


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Welcome to the IES Student Bulletin Board
The one-stop spot for all of the IES information you'll need to know–including internships, fellowships, courses, events and meetings. If you aren't able to read the entire entry, please refresh your browser. To suggest items to add, fill out the Creative Brief Form.
Most recent posts are displayed below.
Intern with the Evanston City Manager's Office
Applications are due February 12 at midnight. More
Dr. Jing's Environmental Career Speaker Series: Spring 2018
What's it like to work for a marketing firm focused on sustainable branding? What do nature conservationists do all day? Join Dr. Jing on Thursday afternoons for her Environmental Careers Speaker Series. Throughout the semester, you'll learn from professionals on the ground in the fields of environmental business, conservation and restoration, sustainability, renewable energy, and more. This series will also feature resources within the Career Development Center that IES students can utilize to find environmental jobs and enhance their networking skills. More
IES Spring Research Seminars
Each semester, IES partners with faculty, staff, and environmentally-minded individuals to bring community members and students together over a wide range of environmental topics. Seminar Speakers will share their research and knowledge on a variety of current environmental issues in today's world. View our website for more information on our speakers and their topics. More
LUREC Summer Session Scholarships Available for ENVS Majors
IES is offering multiple scholarships for ENVS majors to take classes during Loyola's summer session at LUREC. Full and partial scholarships are available based on need. They can be applied to tuition, housing, and fees. The application deadline is March 16, 2018. More
2018 Great Lakes Summer Fellowships
This is a full time 12-week position starting in May or early June 2018 located in Ann Arbor with a stipend. The major task is to collect data in the field on how Harmful Algal Blooms influence tourism at coastal communities. Dr. Tian Guo will be the leading mentor working with other PIs at University of Michigan to offer training in data management and analysis as well as writing. The application, including one recommendation letter, is due on February 18 through the CIGLR website. More
51st Community Farmers Market Internship --Deadline February 15, 2018---
The 51st Community Farmer's Market is a project of United Human Services in the Back of the Yards Community. We incentivize our community members to purchase local produce from our and other neighborhood community gardens and farms with DOUBLE Value coupons. We accept senior and WIC farmer's market coupons. We seek to provide a venue for local entrepreneurs to showcase products and services, as well as to create a safe space for our neighborhood families. Duties will include performing outreach, flier design, sign painting, market attendance, grant writing, making transactions, etc. Qualifications include any high school, college student, or adult looking for experience in cultivating community relations through a farmer's market. Candidates who speak Spanish are a plus. More
Eco-Camp Instructor --Lake Forest Open Lands--
Work with environmental educators to lead students in local summer nature camps. Responsibilities include the daily care and supervision of campers, camp prep and take-down, animal care, and light maintenance. Daily activities may include investigating local ecosystems, teaching outdoor skills such as plant and animal identification, campfire cooking, knot tying, animal tracking, canoeing and biking. This is a wonderful opportunity for educators and environmental science students to gain hands-on teaching experience. Camp meets Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. with occasional extended days and overnights. More
Announcements, All
The GREEN Program Study Abroad
The GREEN Program offers career-focused educational study abroad opportunities in Japan, Hawaii, Peru, and Iceland. Their goal is to give students the opportunity to gain hands-on industry experience and real-time professional development exposure within the fields of sustainable development. Interested students are now able to apply to The GREEN Program and their GREEN Advantage Fund with the opportunity to receive funding to join them abroad. For more information about funding opportunities please contact Caitlin Cowan. More


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How to Make a Clay Monstera Leaf Trinket Dish
Create this super chic Monstera leaf trinket dish using air drying clay and gloss acrylic paints – perfect for your bedside table, desk, or vanity table! Follow the tutorial below by expert crafters Little Button Diaries to find out how to make your own.
DAS Hardwood Clay Modelling Tools »Download Leaf Template
Large bowl
Cling film
Fine sandpaper
1. Roll the clay out to a thickness of about 5mm on a piece of cling film. The clay needs to be a little bigger than the leaf template.
2. Place the template provided on to the top of the clay and use a modelling tool to draw around it. Remove the template and use a sharp knife to cut it out.
3. Use the cling film to lift the clay into a bowl and push it down with your fingers. Leave the clay to dray overnight in the bowl.
4. The next day, use the cling film to lift the clay out of the bowl. Remove the cling film. Put the leaf in a warm dry place to dry out completely for a day.
5. Use fine sandpaper to sand the leaf bowl all over to remove any rough edges.
6. Paint the whole leaf in green acrylic paint and leave to dry.
7. Finish with a coat of Mod Podge to add shine and durability.


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Farewell to the class of 2013
Friday 3rd May was the last day of classes for our S6 "class of 2013".
Pupils and staff reminisced on the last six years in the school library. The group were addressed by both Mrs Grant and Mr Graham before signing shirts, singing songs and walking round the school one last time.
Pupils are now on study leave to prepare for the SQA examination diet. Following the exams we hope as many of our S6 pupils will join us for their leavers afternoon, school prom and annual awards ceremony.
Good luck to you all!


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Haen wedding
What a beautiful day! I shot my first wedding in ages for my dear friend Barbara and her husband Steve. I have the utmost respect for wedding photographers - this is seriously hard work! I took over 2400 photos - many burst shots, so lots to cut with eyes closed and folks looking the other way and such - and paired it down to just over 500 I felt best captured the day. I think there are some keepers for sure. Hands down my biggest photo challenge to date. I shot with three lenses - 24-70, 50mm 1.8 and 85mm 1.4. I am rather surprised at my gravitation toward primes ... LOVE the 50mm! Here are a few of my favorite photos from a beautiful wedding day in January! Thanks to Barbara and Steve for including me in such a special day and trusting me to capture some of the most important moments as you begin your journey together.


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UF PRO STRIKER XT Evaluation
-Part 2-
by Eliran Feilboy, Project Gecko
Welcome to my second part of the UF PRO Striker XT combat uniform evaluation. In part 2, I am going to dress the Striker XT pants.
But first, lets go back in time...just a little bit. During my service we used different types of pants, normally the American uniform, but most of the time we used the standard IDF pants with hand made modifications (velcros, etc).
During one of our final phases, we had to perform a 'lone wolf' navigation exercise which consisted of around 45-55% body weight and only 2 hours per day looking into your map. Yes, we were not allowed to do the actual navigation with maps at hand and no, there was no GPS. It´s all about stars and memorizing your route. We normally call this navigation the ''Sea to Sea'' navigation. We basically started on Acre shore (west coast line of Israel ) and the extraction (ending point) LZ was the Sea of Galilee. Soon as I reached it, my officer canceled under a specific scenario and I received 1 hour to climb-with the entire equipment–to the LZ on its top.
Its also important to set a few remarks. During specific topographic points, there was a team of graduated soldiers which had to 'hunt' us with thermal equipment, making this whole party even harder towards maintaining a good grade. The results of this entire phase effects directly your ability to continue to the final phases of the qualification.
The whole story is interesting, but I want to get to the point. Two things effected my performance that 3 critical days - Gear & knowledge. See, the pants I used were typical IDF pants. Not so far in their material from the German issued pants. The IDF pants are ok, they can be comfortable under 'regular' use, and can sustain some damage. However, for me the problem always was the flexibility & efficiency.
Lets go quick through the problems (equipment related) I faced during that 3 days.
- -efficiency
- -breathing capability
- -weak belt rings
- -knee protection
- -durability
Stretch material.
Ok, I´m not going to write the obvious but – the stretch material in this pants is beyond just stretch. It´s a really living existence, which allows you to do things better. Simply as that – special as that. I already used a few stretch trendy pants, most got ripped or just failed to deliver flexibility once soak with water \sweat. Thing is, the Striker XT really offers you flexibility, and not only that, the butt stock is really comfortable. I did had a chance to hear to hear people complain over the ''too much lack of concealment on the ass piece''. Since 99% of those reading this are not black ops,and even than, thats not really a problem. The part of your ass is a part that often is irregular. Why? We all know why, especially the gifted ones among us. Having an elastic butt stock which fits and receives 100% original shape of your body is just incredible. This is great for many activity's. From climbing to rappelling, parachuting or sitting in a DPV\SOV for 72hours desert patrol.
Operational capability
Normal BDU pants can turn into a cage when made out of a bad material. Especially when you head wet & sand into the equation. Therefore having this kind of stretch material is a clear up to date advantage.
Another aspect, which I find great. During stealth movement, the areas in your pants that provides noise, are often the pelvis and the knees. The stretch material in the Striker XT significantly reduces the amount of noise the pants produce. Another great advantage.
''Through ice & fire''
During the trip to the Alps, as mentioned in the previous part we went trough tons of rain, water & dirt.
As approaching the 2000m above sea level, the temperatures started to drop, add the wind blows on the ridge and you got a bit of ice. Personally, the stretch material kept serving me well, even when it was completely fucked up by the weather. The feeling I had, was equal to wearing a good glove. Fits comfortable, and is simply...there.
Lets go through the different pockets on the Striker XT.
The thigh pockets
Such big pockets are nothing rare or special in the industry today. But I will tell you why this pockets are great. During our trip to the Alps I used one of my leg drop Admin kit. Inside I had really a lot of items. From maps to markers, compass, mufti-tool, grenade, survival kit and extra 5.56 mag. And even a small tuna can (don´t ask, it was a dire situation up there). With all of those things packed rather tight inside, and placed on my left thigh – I lose my left thigh pocket...normally.
Well guess what, I didn't really lose that pocket. Well indeed, I can´t really have a 100% clean access to eat, but thanks to the side zipper, I could still put inside rather small or flat items, such as a map, pills, and small documents. Indeed I lost 70% carrying capability by putting a drop leg pouch...but still – I could use that pocket. In other pants this is something you can forget about. Now that was the most extreme situation, you can say. What about Holsters ? So I tried a holster, and had no issue reaching some 2 pistol magazines (p8) inside, though of course, pulling them in & out is not really the quickest, but those who know the size of the P8 magazines...would clearly recognize the benefits here.
If it´s still not convincing you to have two possibilities to enter the pockets – then read this. When sitting down or leaning, often opening the pockets is nothing, but a very annoying thing, and often a gateway for losing things in the field ( a big sin in the IDF). Specially with tons of equipment that also limits your 'near' vision (belt, waist pockets, etc). So when you have another possibility & capability to both access and actually see the pocket and it´s inside while siting or leaning, it is a great thing to have, which is not also improving your comfort, but also ensuring the safety of your items.
This is another indication of the way of thinking by UF PRO. This little detail of maximum of access, EVEN if something by default covers the pocket, shows that someone, somewhere in UF PRO lair – knows what he is doing!
The Tab' pocket
Ok, this pocket I used less, out of the simple fact that I don´t carry really phones in the field. However, I found this pocket quite interesting. You can still benefit from it for many items. From a multi-tool (leather man) to a P8 magazine. I find the use of a magazine in this type of pocket as a nice advantage, specially for the LE personal. Since this 'tab pocket' consist of no zipper or velcros, its opening makes it extremely quiet, and even fast! This kind of capability is great in some specific environments.
But I want to focus on something else that I tried out. Out of my experience, there are 3 things I must have on my combat equipment, doesn't matter what. A bandage, a tourniquet...and an airway. Why? Experience taught me, that airway can save lives, simple. For me the three things mentioned above must be very accessible, and also easy to remember upon utility memory. So I tried inserting, and actually to spend a day with the airway in my pocket during one of our CQB courses. I have to say that it was great. Unlike I was thinking, the airway did not fell or drooped. I really liked it.
*Do note – locating the airway in this compartment is not the best option, due to some airways are being made of a non shock resistance material, which can result in their immediate break under pressure.
The center pocket \ Knife pocket
This pocket is located more on the center \ front of each leg piece. The pocket is relative simple. Again no velcro \ zipper. The pocket is very, very good for knifes, multi tools...and pistol magazines!
I´m not a big fan of things that can fall off or giving me the feeling of 'losing things behind', but this pocket can hold pistol magazines really good! I personally used the P8 & Sig-Sauer 226 magazines – and each magazine fitted it perfectly ! A great plus for a quick reload or even just for having a fast access to your magazine during range time...
Regarding knifes in this pocket – I am not a fan of having a knife flying around in my pocket. Doesn't matter how secured or how many fail safes it or I have. But this pocket allows you to isolate and really 'fix' its position, resulting in two capability – the first & obvious, a good & secure compartment and second, a clear and easy to remember storage location. Professionals who work on their utility memory muscle (some of us really do it) will find this as a great and comfortable feature.
Lower leg pocket
A very good simple pocket. Another way of getting the maximum out of the pants. Personally I find it really good for storing first aid bandages (Israeli bandage). In fact, this pocket is big enough to contain the OLAES Modular bandage. You could also store in this pocket your small emergency\survival kit. I tried it also – it fits in, and you don't feel it.
Double belt loops
Well this is another great thinking by UF PRO. Technically, there are two belt rings circles. The first circle is the normal belt ring, which allows your belt to go through it. The second circle is basically made of loops which can be opened or closed with a button. I found it extremely useful when I wanted to mount during a training a small thin version of a 'battle belt'. All I needed to do is to close those rings around the belt and that's it, tight, secured and ready to go...this is very useful for the widely used duty belts (which most gouvernment organizations use). What I personally really liked in the way UF PRO made this loops, was the operational thinking of those 'buttons' in each loops.
See, most company's would simply place the button, and making it visible,that's it. But not here by concealing the external button texture the Striker XT maintains a perfect concealment capability, even in the small details, call me a whiner – but this kind of 'metal' buttons can wear off their color and reflect sun light (!).
Zippers in the Striker XT pants.
I find the zippers outstanding. For sometime we all wondered what is smarter & 'operationally correct' to have, buttons, velcros or zippers ? Each has its thing, but the UF PRO zippers and their tabs are just great. First of all, in order to 'conceal' those zipper lines, there's an extra 'cover' made above it. I know it is not nothing revolutionary, but there are a lot of tactical company's who do not do that. They just put a zipper,just like in flight suits, and that all. The fact that this zippers are not to long, or with anything that can get stuck any where in the forest for example – makes it a big positive thing for me.this is great this zippers will not get stuck in nothing.
The pipe zipper
Ok, ladies – this is not for you. What I extremely like,and it was also the first thing I have seen, was the ability to open the pelvis zipper in both directions, means if you got a heavy holster \drop leg pouch, which normally puts some weight on the pants, you can open the pelvis from the other direction without using the waist balance. Great for quick release....awesome !
The Width-adjustable feature
Another favorite part.....Each part of the pants has within its lower part, just above the boots – a small pocket. This pocket contains a shock cord with a clips that can control how tight or lose you want the pants to be in that area. This is really great out of few reasons. The first one, is that many LE organizations, and even military's having a dress code that requires you to 'lock' your pants above the boots the second reason is more operational – the idea of keeping the area of the lower leg literally isolated from the outside world is really great, not always..but mostly. Imagine this – laying down in a forest for 24 hours. Ton of bugs and tics....normally, since you will be concealed and well covered..those bugs often 'infiltrating' under your cloths either from the waist between the pants \ shirt or from your hills. This little bugs can make a simple task as laying & 'watching' a nightmare.
It´s also a great way to make sure that that part of the pants, will be really closed without using things such as Rubber band or so which can get easily off or lost.
The fact that this compartment, is closed by a zipper, the shock cord is fixed by a velcro – makes it highly efficient, smart and also durable, making sure that nothing will get in your way or limits you, while in the same time it will still remaining comfortable. The whole design of this pocket once again shows the very micro detail that UF PRO is playing with.
Knee pads
So like many modern combat pants, this pants are coming along with integrated knee pads. The knee pad system (yes it deserves the title system) in the pants is outstanding. The knee pad section is divided into two compartments.
External – #For maximum hard protection against solid stuff.
Interior – #Second protection, and more soft for the knee itself.
This combination of two layers is superior. It gives us more freedom for adding\decreasing a protection capability, and maximizing the efficiency of the protection. But what is really unique here is the 150%, flexibility by the protection layers. I used two types supplied by UF PRO
The Solid- Protectors & the softer Flex- SAS-TEC Protectors.
The combination of both flexibility & maximum protection against sharp objects, such as rocks in green side or pieces of glass, or sharp metal objects in urban environment for example, is a huge advantage which many knee pads simply won´t give you.
Freedom of access
What I liked with those compartments is the freedom of access. I can access both compartments relatively easy. The only thinking that stands in my way is either a zipper or a velcro. Both are designed in a way which is more reachable and easier for extracting, unlike the crye-knee pads for example.
Speaking out of experience, sometimes there are injuries that requires full access to the knee for putting a bandage, splinter for example. When it is so crucial, we can just cut it of course, but what about minor injuries, such as a twisted knee? Where a improvised splint is required, an easy access to your body parts is highly important. The Striker XT offers such a freedom of access, that I can easily remove the protectors off my knee, and apply a splint around my knee or anything else that´s needed.
'Operational efficiency' #1
One of the things I like in the design of the StrikerXT is the rather soft finish, unlike many modern combat pants. This kind of finish is giving the end user the ability to remain quiet.
''What does quiet has to do with it ?''
When you move in a very rocky environment, or an Urban environment, where the surface is strong & solid, every knee or movement on the ''plastic'' piece will produce noise. In my unit, we took this issue very serious. Again it might sound like being bitchy, but it was a major point. We used to tape a thick sponge material on the top of our knee pads to prevent the knee pads plastic cover from making any contact while crawling, kneeling or just leaning against something, as it will make noise.
'Operational efficiency' #2
Since we are already talking about flexible movements – the design of the knees allows you to really perform a way beyond any normal BDU or other tactical pants. The design of the knee protection is outstanding. While standing, the majority of the knee, and beyond is still protected. Unlike the crye version, you can make it tighter with a velcro, which obviously at a first glance might look weird or less effective, but if you choose the precise size (thanks to my wife), than you will get a maximum protection.
Back to the point, when kneeling down, the knee protection section receives it´s shape, which provides an outstanding protection, but still don´t get in your way when your elbow leans against your knee.
Most people, doesn't know much about the individual skill, but when shooting from a kneeling position, it is very important that the elbow won´t meet the knee. Its either you lean it in front or behind the knee. Why ? Many reasons, but the main reason is to prevent the unstable grip, whichis normally caused by the slippery surface of the common ''plastic'' pads.
The Flexibility
The flexibility of the protection layers them self is also remarkable. I mean damn it. Look on it, the first layer, as can be seen, can receive different angles of shape, which anyway are beyond the common angles. The second layer is also very, very flexible. I found it extremely comfortable during proning. Back in my service, as a sniper, I felt very uncomfortable with the casual knee pads. While laying down for 48-72 hours in an observation mission, the feeling was like I have a hill between my feets & the lower back since the knee pad normally was 'lifting' up a bit my knee, something you feel after 3 hours. But the UF PRO protection layers had the ability to adopt the elevation & pressure, and to remain comfortable.
The problem
This is something personally that was a bit uncomfortable. The pads I received were not soft enough, now I know that some people like it soft and some doesn't really feel it – but as someone that carries a lot, and also, like any other soldier after a couple of years I have a 90 years old grandpa knees, it is crucial for me to have some kind of a bit thicker pads. Since the compartment is easily reachable, as mentioned above – you can just cut a good sponge \ any soft material and insert it.
Breathing capability
Unlike many knee protection sets I used in my life, the clear advantage here is the breathing capability. You can walk for 12 hours, and the area around your knee will still feel comfortable.
- Creative - The quiet pockets,the ''V'' shape cut and other features in this pants are new, or improved, i mean really improved.
- Efficient - Definitely. integrated two outstanding protection layers that will make sure your knees are safe - under any angle or pressure.aside the knee protection, the layout of the pockets,its quality and positioning of the access point gives us a simple way, to ''communicate'' with this pants. no bullshit, just functionality - LIKE !
- Durable - Very durable. i used it through rain,rocks,sweat...The green zone print was just fine - no fading. i was crawling, and rubbing this equipment so much - no rips.
- Comfortable - More than just very.
- Innovative - Definitely....once again we can see how micro leveled UF PRO way of doing things is.
After finishing the total evaluation of the Striker Xt pants, i can say that i am more than happy to have the privilege to test such a magnificant peice of equipment. personally i am going to follow UF PRO's work in the future. im convinced, that if they will keep the same level and mindset - it will be interesting, very interesting.
If you never heard of UF PRO, check their website out NOW ! www.ufpro.si
Thank you for reading,


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Writing Day 10 – Maths is a mental iron forge
Life has problems and Maths gives me the tools to solve them.
And if I don't have the tools? I just make new ones using my math forge à la the blacksmith :)
Life has problems and Maths gives me the tools to solve them.
And if I don't have the tools? I just make new ones using my math forge à la the blacksmith :)
So far so good.
I'm finally "getting" trig.
Moving on to calculus.
Hopefully once I get through that, I will have time to practice regularly.
Most surprising part; I'm having fun :)
Started: 2018-03-23
Finished: 2018-04-24
This is not quite book notes, but now with the craziness that is my studies, I don't have time to write them all down.
I still want to catalogue the fact, that I finished it though.
This is an amazing book, amazing with a capital A
You know you should read the ancients, you know you should read our modern minds, like Taleb and Kahneman and Cialdini and Munger.(You also know you should eat your green leafy vegetables :))
But if you find Taleb waxing too eloquent, Kahneman verbose and dry, Cialdini too long, Munger too abrupt and the ancients not quite accessible, you ought to read this book.
Want to know why to live each day as if it were your last, but only on Sundays?
Or what role survivors bias plays in life? Or why we take on too much? And why you should not accept free drinks?
Read the book to find out.
This is another one of those books where amazing amounts of knowledge is compacted into every cell of every page.1
Must read!
Obligatory Farnam Street review. ↩
Public domain image from the Wikipedia Commons
I used to think that starting up learning projects was like teeing up paper boats.
Turns out they're like launching ships!
I can only do them, one at a time.
I ran across this post on the Neil Gaiman blog yesterday and I'm quoting it in its entirety, crossing my fingers, hoping Kelton Wright won't mind.
Her advice exudes big sister authority, kindness and clarity all at once, making me wish I read her when I was hurt and confused.
Kelton's original post is here. She also has a book.
Anonymous asked: Hey. I am a 29 yr old female who for a slew of reasons happens to be completely inexperienced in matters of love/sex. I only just started dating a month ago and while it's going well, I feel overwhelmed by a sense of inadequacy. Like even if something does pan out what could I possibly have to contribute to the relationship? Am I just chasing a pipe dream? Is it too late for me to start looking for love/ sex? Or do I just need to calm the fuck down?
There are approximately 290,000 active commercial airline pilots in the world. Every day, they wake up to whiney kids, sick dogs, aging parents, annoying coworkers, and shitty commutes. Of course they also wake up to great runs, pretty sunrises, home-cooked meals, exotic locations, and trips home. Because they're people. Normal people, in the grind of life, going to work and going home. And at work, they get to their gate, tick all the boxes, say their polite hellos to their passengers, and move a giant metal fuselage full of strangers 30,000 feet into the air going 500 mph across unexplored oceans of unsurvivable depth.
If someone made you pilot a commercial flight tomorrow, you would have reason to feel overwhelmed by a sense of inadequacy because you would literally be inadequate. You would have nothing to contribute to flying because you would have no idea how to fly a plane.
But you do have something to contribute to a relationship, because you do, in fact, know how to be in them. You, despite your not knowing it, have plenty of training. Right now, you're in a small but very real relationship with me. You've come to me with curiosity, vulnerability, and even a dash of humor. I see that vulnerability and am coming back to you with what I hope is kindness and realism. But I don't know for sure. I can't know how you'll receive this message, how you'll relate to what I'm saying, or what you'll think of me after. And that, really, is being in a relationship. Putting yourself out there, trying to be your best self, trying to help people, trying to know someone, and knowing that, sometimes despite all of this, sometimes the relationship you're trying to forge will fail. That is true when we're 6 on the playground on the monkey bars, it's true when we're 16 negotiating curfews and grades, it's true when we're 29 interviewing and flirting, it's true when we're 43 reassessing our marriages, it's true forever.
I get that everyone else feels like an airline pilot, navigating skies out of your reach with flexibility and wisdom. But you don't have to fly a plane to date. You answer a message. You make a joke. You send a text. You get ignored. You turn someone down. You ask someone out. And at whatever speed you're comfortable with, you remove whatever literal and figurative layers you're comfortable with.
You are allowed to feel overwhelmed. Everyone feels overwhelmed when approaching something they literally have no idea how to do. That's OK. But that's why we learn. That's why we take our time but also take chances. That's why flight school exists. That's why dating blogs and books and movies and websites and everything else exists. So you can learn to date. Because the truth is, even people who've been holding hands on the playground since they were 9 can feel overwhelmed by the world of love. We've only written an infinite amount of story around the subject. You could say almost every single human is undone, overcome, and indeed overwhelmed by love and all its facets. And that's OK. But inadequate? A pipe dream? Too late?
No. Too late is when you're dead. Show yourself a little forgiveness. Because what you've shown me isn't inadequacy, it's hope. And really, that's all you need.


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Daryl necklace - cielo
Daryl necklace - cielo
Hand beaded electric blue Czech glass beads with crystals and daggers braided in to a gunmetal serpentine and double link chain with dangle rhinestones art-deco pendants and colorful beads. Adjustable.
Necklace measures approx: 15.5" long
Made and designed in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Please note: these are made to order by hand. Please allow up to 3 weeks for your order to be made, packaged and shipped. Thanks for understanding and supporting our small company.