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Last week I was in New York City to attend the inaugural Nexus Youth Summit, a gathering of over 300 young wealth holders, philanthropists, and social entrepreneurs from around the world to discuss ideas and connect with peers in a safe space. Part of the time was spent at the United Nations as part of the Year of Youth high-level meetings. Here's an excerpt from the inspirational speeches there:
Let us all find the common thread woven into the fabric of our diverse lives; the part of us that cringes when we hear these statistics read aloud; our inner conscience that wants us to become more than we can be, not for selfish gain, but so we can systematically and gradually reverse the direction of these statistics and eventually, once-and-for-all, eradicate them altogether.
Our community is in the best position to make a difference on each and every one of these issues. We are the next generation of leaders, investors and philanthropists.
As you can see, conceptually we can solve the world, but the question is: politically, financially, and actually will we?
It is with the utmost gratitude that I thank you all for making a deliberate choice to become a long-lasting part of history. And we are all familiar with the phrase, "actions speak louder than words." And you have shown it by coming on your own dime, sacrificing your own time, not only in word, but in action.
We have all been tremendously blessed and now it is time for us to become the blessings ourselves; it is time for those who have the vision to give sight to those whose eyes are clouded with fear and pessimism, it is time for those who have the resources to provide for those who are starved of opportunity, it is time for those who have the experience to collaborate and come up with the best available processes to realize the vision within the resources we have.
I personally left very inspired. At first I wasn't sure what to expect – would this just be another conference full of talk, or would there be real inspiration and energy coming out of the conference? Here is a group of influential young people, aiming to do more than just talk about making a difference but to utilize the tremendous amounts of financial and relational capital to truly seek to change the world. There was such diversity in the group – participants from around the world with success in many areas (technology, arts, politics, community organizing, etc), from varying sectors and backgrounds, but all with a common mindset of discovering how to be action-minded on ideas to make a difference. I look forward to seeing how this group will continue its momentum and to build a broader movement in philanthropy and society.


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Rolling Stones Released A List Claiming The 10 Best Songs So Far This Century
Hey ya! Do you agree?
Rolling Stone has released the results of a consultative poll that claims the ten best songs of this century, so far.
Speaking with artists such as Courtney Love, Tom Morello and Mark Ronson, as well as respected music journos, the magazine released the list recently and it's creating the obvious debate that comes with subjective lists such as this.
Interestingly, five of the ten songs were released in 2003. That's half the list in one glorious year.
The 10 greatest songs of the 21st century, as proclaimed by Rolling Stone magazine, are as follows:
10. 'Last Nite' – The Strokes (2001)
9. 'Royals' – Lorde (2013)
8. 'Rolling In The Deep' – Adele (2011)
7. 'Runaway (feat. Pusha T)' – Kanye West (2010)
6. 'Maps' – Yeah Yeah Yeahs (2003)
5. '99 Problems' – Jay-Z (2003)
4. 'Hey Ya!' – Outkast (2003)
3. 'Seven Nation Army' – The White Stripes (2003)
2. 'Paper Planes' – M.I.A. (2007)
1. 'Crazy In Love (feat. Jay-Z)' – Beyonce (2003)
Get The Mix App | iTunes | Android
Written by: @dantheinternut

subset: commoncrawl


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There is so much to love about Christmas, but one of the things I love best is simply seeing all the people. And some of the people I look forward to seeing most are those I only see this one time of year. Many of these are folks who are visiting from out of town. That they take the time to include us in those visits means the world to me.
Others are folks who only come to church once or twice a year. I am so glad they do. Lord knows, and He does, that it would be far easier for them simply to stay home. The season is certainly busy enough to provide ample excuses to do so. But they don't. They take the time. They make the effort. They make a Holy Night even holier by their presence with us, a night unlike any other night of the year.
But perhaps my favorite group of all are those who have been away from church for a long time. In my experience, people generally have good reasons for this. But though they gave up on the church, underneath it all they've never quite been able to give up on God, or to shake the sense that God hasn't given up on them. And so, when they are ready, they come home. What a joy that is!
Maybe that's you this Christmas. Maybe you've been away from church for awhile. Probably you have a good reason for that, one I'm sure not going to argue with. Maybe you wonder if anyone even missed you, and if they didn't, what's the point? Maybe you decided you don't believe, but deep down inside there is still an awareness that Something is out there greater than you are, you are wondering what to do with that, and you know something will always be missing until you do.
We've missed you. Believe me when I tell you every night there are names and faces of people I still think of, I still miss, I still long to see again. Won't you come home this Christmas?


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Last week I had a very bad dream. My trusted friend and colleague Happy died in my dream. And what a horrible death it was. A group of us were together in a room on the top floor of a multi-storey building, and were fighting a batman like devil, who was flying outside. We all were running fast to close all the windows. Happy ran away from the group alone, and we thought she was going to close some window. After sometime, we saw her missing and went looking for her and found her murdered with a knife. I woke up with a palpitating heart. And now as I am writing this, my heart beat is again going up. So I was happy that it was only a dream, and went back to sleep again. The dream however resumed, with me sitting beside her body, and weeping and praying in my mind that she be born as my daughter in this life only. Selfish me. Then scene shifted to her home, and I was there consoling her father, and joined as they lifted her body to take her to the village for final rites. I woke up again and could not sleep much after that.
Next morning I was apprehending some bad omen after this dream. I was silently praying that she is okay and my dream was not a premonition of something bad. First thing I did when I reached office was googled the interpretation of such death dream where a close friend is murdered.
Most of the people wrote that this is never a premonition, so I was relieved. The other two interpretations were
1- My relation with the person was going to change drastically, and maybe coming to an end. I did not want to lose my trusted friend so I was saddened, and could not think of any reason why such a bad thing should happen.
2- There was going to be a significant change in me, specially in a quality I like in Happy. Here also I could not think of any such thing.
So I kept wondering for an hour, what is it, no solution.
Suddenly after an hours, me and happy start chatting on g-talk and she reveals a very big personal secret of her life to me. I was overwhelmed. And relating it to dream was obvious.
Though the fact she told, and the two points I mentioned above, don't have a link. But one thing became clear, dreams pointed to something out of the ordinary, and her telling me the fact the very next day was out-of-the-ordinary.
So dreams do have a meaning. How these are linked only time will tell. Will share more details later if I get to link the dream further. Hope it does not lead to end in our beautiful pure relation.
I am not planning to tell her about this dream, or to anybody I know.


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How To Help at Home- Reading
Reading Home Learning
Scroll down for More Home Learning ideas
Each night your learner has a reading book to share with you. Please take time to watch as your child reads and discuss their book with them. Please sign the Reading Log in their Home Learning Diary and make a comment in the comment space.
Tips for making reading at home an enjoyable experience are on the charts below.
|Letter Sound Practice and 1st Words to Learn
Practice the letters and sounds on the ABC chart above. You can say, sing, point to, write, think of words that the letters begin.
Practice the Words in the 3 boxes. Look at them. Say them. Write them. Remember them.
Practice the blends in the chart below. Say the blend and the picture name: eg: say bl then blue
|Blend practice


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Good News Part 3: Regeneration
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Part 3 of a 4 part study. Now that we know the Good News, what do we do with it? Today we talk about one of the most neglected doctrines in Christianity… regeneration.
Good News Part 3: Regeneration
What shall we say then? Are we to remain in sin so that grace may increase? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?
– Romans 6:1-2 (NET)
How do we respond to the Good News? Traditionally it has happened in 1 of 2 ways:
1) Legalism – Saved by grace, but works are required to maintain that grace. (If this is the case then grace is not grace).
2) License – Saved by grace, so now I can freely sin. (Not wanting to wear the wedding garment (Matthew 22:11-14))
But what if it is neither of these? There is a 3rd option… regeneration. We are changed. We walk in newness of life. Our desires change and we work as a response. We work not to be made right with God but because we are made right with God.
New Desires happen. The New Testament is full of this doctrine: Romans 8:5, Romans 12:2, Gal 2:20-21, Gal 5:22-25, 2 Cor 5:17, etc. Notice how passive we are in some these passages. We are made new (by whom?). Be transformed (by whom?). This is something we let God do to us
Soli Deo Gloria
In the latin words of the reformers… For God's glory alone. We are saved because of Him. Because of His name. Moses teaches us the correlation between God's glory and our salvation in Numbers 14:11-17. God himself declares that he saves for His own sake in Ezekiel 36:22-32.
In that last passage, he even talks about how HE will take out our hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh. This is regeneration. This is conversion. Conversion is not just a decision you make… it is coupled with the transformative power of the living God.
Love and do as you like.
– St. Augustine
Was St. Augustine promoting cheap grace here? No. He was promoting regeneration. If you have been changed by the power of God and your desires have been changed you CAN do as you like. Because what you "like" is what God likes. (Jeremiah 31:31-34, Jeremiah 32:40, Romans 7:6)
Abide With Me
Ultimately abiding with Christ is the goal. Our conversion is about coming closer to him. We often call this sanctification… being continually made into the image of Christ. Our works, God's glory, all of this is tied to being IN Him:
Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.* Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.** If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.*** By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.**** As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.
– John 15:3-9 (ESV)
* – Saved by grace
** – Regeneration and sanctification
*** – Love and do as you like
**** – Soli Deo Gloria!


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My boys and I just returned from the cabin. A nice long weekend with no school since Tuesday. We were surprised to wake up this morning with snow on the ground! Seems so early, but then it always does. With a freeze coming to The Cities tonight I had to take in what was left in the garden...so one last rose, several bowls of tomatoes and all of the basil I could cut. We just made about three quarts of pesto to freeze for the winter.
All the other photos are from my last trip to the farmers market. Don't you just love all that color!! I want to savor every bit as the winters whites and greys are soon to come.


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Mapping the social mind
The mysteries of autism, an often-intractable disorder of aloneness, are starting to give way to discoveries by Yale scientists. Their hope is that early intervention will help autistic children develop social ability and a better sense of their place in the world.
Humans share such solid bonds with family, friends and community that we can scarcely imagine what it might be like to be a tiger, or a spider or any of the myriad of Earth's creatures that lead solitary lives.
Life on wheels
Filmmaker and physician Gretchen Berland gave cameras to three disabled people and asked them to shoot their everyday lives. Rolling, the documentary that resulted, shows us what the world looks like from the seat of a wheelchair.
Vicki Elman sits in her wheelchair, stranded on the sidewalk in front of her California house. Her wheelchair motor has stalled, and the van driver has refused to roll her into her house, saying it's against the rules.


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Photoshop For Fashion
When it comes to image-editing software Adobe Photoshop is the industry leader worldwide, and is used by professionals from a huge variety of disciplines, including those within the fashion and textiles industries. Photoshop is used widely within these industries, in a range of tasks, from initial conception to final presentation.
When it comes to image-editing software Adobe Photoshop is the industry leader worldwide, and is used by professionals from a huge variety of disciplines, including those within the fashion and textiles industries. Photoshop is used widely within these industries, in a range of tasks, from initial conception to final presentation.
This includes adjusting professionally shot images from fashion shoots to preparing mock-ups and storyboards for seasons styles, to the creation of working patterns for manufacture, a design of repeat prints for textiles, as well as the finished artwork for published brochures, posters, and publicity websites.
In the first part of the process, the photo shoot, professional photographs are often taken in a mode called Camera Raw - this means that what we capture is only what hits the camera lens, with no automatic adjustments made for color or tone. The images are then opened up in Photoshop, and the various tonal and chromatic modifications are mad, usually by the photographer. In addition, Photoshop has many tools and techniques for correcting spots and blemishes, or dust and scratches which may have crept into the images in the photo shoot process itself. Photoshop also has a range of warping tools which serve to accentuate or tone down elements of the image.
The tones and color of both skin and garments may require some editing, and there are various methods for doing so in Photoshop. Masking techniques can also be utilized to collage several images together, and layer blending modes can be employed to add more subtle aesthetic effects. Photoshop also has various lighting effects and filters if more drama is required in a particular shot.
These images would then be outputted for either print media or the web. If the photo shoot happens to be a large one Photoshop also integrates well with Adobe Bridge to organize and review large collections of files. A web gallery can also be created at this point.
When the images have been finalized we can then use Photoshop to set up mood-boards, storyboards and mockups for presentation and publicity purposes. Artist's sketches may also be scanned into the program and cleaned up using Photoshop's filters. These will then be used as the basis for production and manufacturing of the garments themselves, often being then imported into CAD software for marking and cutting of fabrics.
If the garment requires a repeat pattern, this can be done in Photoshop also, although repeats are also created in Adobe Illustrator, as are the production drawings. Brochures, flyers, and posters are usually created in Adobe Indesign, but the images are of course first prepared in Photoshop.
We can see how the four Adobe programs integrate well: Photoshop for modifying photographs, Illustrator for creating line work and repeat patterns, Bridge for organizing images, and finally Indesign for compiling the various images into multi-page documents. If the company require websites as part of the marketing strategy we could further use Adobe software with the inclusion of Adobe Dream Weaver for the creation of the website, and Adobe Flash for the creation of animated features.
Tom Gillan has been training Photoshop to corporate clients in Sydney for seven years.Visit Design Workshop Sydney and get your Adobe Photoshop online course .
Links: 1. Design Workshop Sydney - http://www.designworkshopsydney.com.au/adobe-photoshop-courses/
Article: articles.submityourarticle.com/photoshop-for-fashion-372233/pr
This article was published on 10 Nov 2016 and has been viewed 0 times


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Seize opportunities as they come. With a business credit card from TVFCU, you can easily meet business needs — planned or unplanned — and get rewarded for doing so.
We offer multiple rewards card options, so you decide how to increase your company's assets, automatically. Whichever card you choose, you'll enjoy the worldwide acceptance of Visa, as well as EMV chip security and other valuable benefits. Increase your purchasing power — apply today.


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Rosetta Stone's IPO Jumps Nearly 40%
Language Firm's Deal Is Part of Modest Revival for the New-Issues Market
The IPO market continued its winning streak, with Rosetta Stone Inc.'s initial public offering of stock gaining nearly 40% in its first day of trading.
The language-software company was the fourth deal in 2009 to rise on the first day of trading and the best-performing IPO in the U.S. in a year.
The Arlington, Va., company's stock closed at...


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How To Elk Hunt In Colorado
Learn how to elk hunt in Colorado. People, male and female alike who are in to hunting are in for excitement when hunting season comes around. But there are restrictions when it comes to elk hunting.
- Hunting licenses state-to-state. Usually, you have to get a hunting license to hunt any animal in any state. The fee for an elk hunting license in Colorado is not the same as in other states. It depends on what kind of elk hunting license you get. Individual licenses are an option, and it just depends on how extensive your elk hunting is set up to be as to how expensive it will be. You also have a certain time frame to sign up and get your elk hunting license for your elk hunting license to be valid for the upcoming elk hunting season in Colorado.
- Specific time to hunt. Once you have your elk hunting license and fees covered, you are good for the specified time frame for elk hunting in Colorado. Make sure you have all the gear, and gun licenses covered before elk season starts, because if you wind up missing the time frame for elk hunting season in Colorado you have just spent the time and money to get a license you didn't use.
- Don't go elk hunting in Colorado solo. It's never a good idea to go elk hunting alone. Going elk hunting in Colorado is no different. If you go on your own with your dog, make sure you tell a trusted someone or two so that if something happens, people will know where to look for you if you need help. In fact, bring a form of communication, even if it doesn't get constant connection. A military type walkie talkie, or a ham radio. This is about being safe. Or go with someone else or a group. And even then, bring the same forms of communication while elk hunting in Colorado.
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Line change for Sturm
Good morning from TD Garden, where the Bruins are going through their final practice before tomorrow's Game 6.
Marco Sturm, who had been skating with David Krejci and Miroslav Satan in Games 1 through 5, is with Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi. Milan Lucic is with Krejci and Satan.
Marc Savard is skating with Trent Whitfield and Brad Marchand on the fifth line. Savard is not participating in power-play drills.


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Harley-Davidson Fuel Tank Removal
This removal 'How-To' should work for all Softails, Dynas and, and Dressers.
Please note. The below how-to was written back in approx 2007, so this may or may not be useful to you. The newer Softail Tanks are slightly different on the inside. So be sure and use these are 'basic' tips.
Tools/Items Required
--A good clean area on a bench. Have an area about 4' wide ready. Put a clean towel on the bench and one you can use to drape over the bars if you plan on hanging the dash over the bars
--Small flatblade screwdriver (to loosen the clamps)
»If you have access to a motorcycle lift, this will help you tremendously. This way, the bike is in the upright position.
If you do not, you can do this while the bike is on the floor. It's also a good idea to have a buddy help you removing the tank.
The below steps are assuming that your fenders and seat are already removed
»Undo the fuel line on the quick release located on the left rear bottom of the tank.
Remove the dash, leather strap (if applicable) and anything else in the way of the pump. Remove the front and rear mounting bolt(s) for the tank. If you have a vacuum line attached to the top of the tank, also remove this. Remove the fuel cap.
Tip: In most cases, when you remove the dash, you can 'carefully' swing it over the bars and you can leave it hanging there. You can lay a towel on your bars to ensure you do not scratch anything. you may want to even tape the dash to make sure it does not fall back off.
»Remove the pump plate (I believe there are 8-10 screws). Watch for the little plastic spacers when removing these screws.
»Start to lift the plate/pump out of the tank (only about 2". Just up enough to access the rear pump hose). Remove the hose from the back of the pump (this hose is the one that runs to the quick release connector on the left bottom rear of the tank). Use your small screwdriver and stick it in the portion of the clamp that sticks up from the hose. Once you get the screwdriver inserted, wiggle it back and forth to spread the clamp open. Once you get the clamp loose, remove the hose from the pump. Be careful not to poke a hole in the hose when you are loosening the clamp. If you carefully insert your small screwdriver in the very end of the hose, this will loosen it up enough that you can pull it off by hand
»NOW you can use your wrench to unloosen the quick release connector on the lower left of your tank. Just LOOSEN until fuel starts coming out (the more you loosen the connector, obviously the faster the fuel comes out) . Be sure and have a funnel and a large bucket to hold all the fuel ready when you loosen the connector. Drain it as much fuel as you can from this connector. If your bike is secure, once the fuel stops coming out, you can shake the tank to get a little more fuel out. Now hand tighten the connector to keep any more fuel from coming out (you MAY have to use your wrench to do so).
The above 2 steps are important ones as you cannot remove the quick release fitting from the tank until you get the other end off the fuel pump. If you just turn the quick release without doing the above, the hose will bind and break. So this is a good idea to get these out of the way first.
»Go up to the front crossover line. Have about a 3' piece of hose ready to attach (same diameter as the stock crossover line. I believe 5/16") ready, along with a 3/8" bolt. Remove the clamp on the left side the same way you did the 'pump' hose. Once the clamp is loose, remove the hose and quickly cover your finger on the crossover fuel line and push on one end of the 3' piece fuel over the open tank fitting. Be sure and have the other end of the 3' piece leading into the fuel can. Get as much fuel as you can out of this fitting. Keep your finger over the open end of the crossover line. You have to do this very quickly to avoid a mess. Your buddy can help you out on doing one of the above procedures while you do the other.
»While the fitting is draining, stick the bolt into the end of the open end of the crossover line. This will prevent it from leaking (so be sure the bolt is big enough to plug your crossover line). When you go as much of fuel as you can out of the left, remove the 3' fuel line and add one of the vacuum plugs
»Go to the right side of the bike. Loosen the right tank fitting clamp and remove the right side of the crossover line, then quickly put on your 3' line. Once this is drained, remove the line and add your vacuum plug. The tank should have 95%+ of the fuel out of it.
So now you have about 95%+ of the fuel out of the tank, the front fittings are plugged and you still have the quick release slightly tightened on the left rear of the tank.
»Slowly lift up the tank. Undo the gauge connector that is on the left lower side of the tank (It's best to have someone help you with this step). Then you can completely remove the tank from the bike. Be sure to not hit the bars when removing the tank.
Tip: If your bike is sitting on the ground (not on a lift), you may want to temporarily move the bars to the straight position (if you can do so). This will give you more clearance on the left side when removing the tank.
The tank is now off the bike...
»Put the tank on your bench topside up. You can now finish remove the pump from the tank.
If the 'float' is attached to the fuel pump bracket (most pre 2006 Softails and others), you will need a long screwdriver to 'unlock' the spring loaded arm. Stick the screwdriver into the tank and carefully push against the 'arm'. This will unlock the bracket. Then you can lay the pump flat and slowly bring it out of the tank. Some of the tanks do not require you to unlock the arm. You'll know if you cannot bring the pump and sending unit out.
Tip: You may want to use a flashlight to take a good look at what at how the arm unlocks. Basically this is spring loaded, so when you push down on it, it releases, then you can 'flatten' the arm with the rest of the unit.
This is the way is sits in the tank. Notice the sending unit is separate from the rest of the pump assy.
This is a spring loaded mechanism in which you need to push on the black tab (see below pic)
Pushing on this tab will unlock the mechanism, this making it so you can lay the assy flat and bring it out of the tank
You will need to make sure it's laying in the flat position to also put it back into the tank.
These pics are for the 2006 and 2007 only.
2000-2005, the sending unit was attached to the pump assy, so you can use the same basic steps as above.
2008 - ? it's even easier getting the pump unit and the sending unit out.
»Once you have the pump out, take the tank outside and empty any remaining fuel out. Be sure and remove the vacuum fittings that you used to plug the crossover line fittings, and the quick release fitting at this time (the quick release fitting should be just hand tightened). You may have to stick your hand inside the tank and turn the hose at the same time you are turning the connector.
You will need to leave the 'ribbed' hose attached to the quick disconnect fitting. You will reinstall this as a whole.
NOTE: When you remove the fuel pump, the pump itself will contain fuel. Be careful not to spill it all over you!
Wipe off the outside of the tank (and inside best as possible) and bring back inside to your bench.
If your towel is soaked with fuel, it would be a good idea to change it now or at least use the other side if you double it up.
»Put the tank upside down on the bench. Now you can start removing the gauge. Using your awl, open the little trap door on the connect (this just snaps into the open and close position). Once the trap door is open, look inside the other end of the fitting. This is the end that has the pins coming out of it and used to connect to the other side of the harness.
You will note that you have either 2 or 3 wires coming out of the connector.
You will see right above the pins there is a VERY small open hole. You will need to stick your awl in this hole to un connect the pin. It's a good idea to have a buddy help you do this. Have them slight pull on the wire while you are undoing the pin.
Do all wires in the connector like this. This could be time consuming, so you have to have patience for this! Once you do the first wire, the other one(s) will be a little bit easier (maybe?!).
Your tank will probably have a little wire 'hold down' tab attached to the bottom. You can remove this at this time. This is just held on with double sided tape. You can just use a small flathead screwdriver to remove this.
You will be reinstalling on your custom painted tank.
Tip: Before removing the pins from the connector, you may want to add a little piece of tape on the connector showing the wire/color locations (i.e. Y - O - | - B). You can use this as a reference when you go to put the wires back in.
»Once the connector is off, turn the tank sideways and slowly remove your gauge while keeping an eye on the wires. I usually try to stager the wires while I pull the gauge out.
»Okay, your tank should be 'gutted' now. Let it air out until you can't smell any fumes.
Make sure everything else is off. Some tanks will have the little 'hold down' tabs for the leather strap between your seat and the dash. Dressers will have one that holds the vacuum line down under the dash. Remove these and don't discard.
»Set the tank aside to air out. Once it's aired out, you are ready to ship
If you found this page useful, please leave a comment (registered only). Also, be sure and check out our Sponsored Links and visit one of our sponsors.
Disclaimer: I'm by no means a certified H-D mechanic. I did the 'How-To' based on the knowledge I've achieved by removing and installing at least 50+ tanks on H-D's. I have also built a custom bike from the frame up, along with a few trucks. One of which is here.
Remember that fuel is involved in the above procedure. Safety and common sense must be used in all the above steps.
Please use the above 'How-To' at your own risk.
created 6/3/07
Scott Farrell
Attitude Custom Painting


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Budget concerns will continue to dominate the farm bill debate as well as other matters as the U.S. Congress works its way through what are likely to be contentious issues over the next few months.
"I am hopeful we will get a farm bill done," said Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Texas-19, in an address to the 56thannual meeting of the Plains Cotton Growers in Lubbock, Texas.
Neugebauer, who serves as Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance, said he thought the House made progress toward a farm bill last year. "I felt like we had a good bill out of the House Agriculture Committee last year, and I think we will start where we left off."
But the budget remains a sticking point. "The fiscal concerns affect the farm bill, and we now have a different baseline than we did with the last farm bill. We have to work within those parameters."
Neugebauer says the House Agriculture Committee also works with a different make-up than when they crafted the last proposal. "We have a lot of new members, Republican and Democrat. It will take a lot of education," to bring some of those new members, many of whom do not come from rural districts, up to speed, he said.
He said farmers need a five-year farm program, not another extension. "They have a lot of capital at risk and need a five-year bill to help make decisions."
He said a crop insurance bill he's proposed would "give producers the ability to carry higher levels of coverage to better manage risks. I hope that become part of the next farm bill."
The nutrition title of the farm bill will be scrutinized, Neugebauer said.
Debt will not be easy issue
"Also, the debt will not be an easy issue. The Republican budget proposal offers a blueprint to cut the rate of growth in government spending." He said he favors spending cuts rather than increasing revenue through more taxes.
"We also have an important debt ceiling vote coming up in May." He said the sequester has made broad-based cuts instead of "line-by-line reductions. It's not a small challenge. But the debt is a challenge we must meet, and it will continue to dominate discussions."
Immigration reform also poses a significant challenge. "Unfortunately, immigration reform gets lumped in with border security. These are separate issues, but they still get lumped together."
Neugebauer said immigration reform should resemble a three-legged stool. "The first leg is a strong border. We need to know who is coming into the country, and we need to change the way we vet people coming in. We need to look at the economic effect of labor needed to help get crops in as well as looking for specific skills."
The second leg, he said, is to devise "an immigration policy that makes sense."
The third is to deal with the large number of undocumented people already in the country, which he estimates at between 11 million and 12 million.
"We have to decide how to address this," he said. "We should provide a process that allows the undocumented to change to a legal status."
He emphasized that he did not use the word "citizenship," only "the ability to change status."
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He said some undocumented persons entered the country legally — either with visas or as students — but never returned to their own countries. Some of those students, he said, could fill a void in employment after they graduate. "We will have to see how that plays out."
Neugebauer said another issue facing Southwest farmers and ranchers is the possibility of having the lesser prairie chicken placed on the endangered species list. That listing, many believe, would place undue restrictions on land use. "They have now re-opened the public hearing process and multi-state Fish and Wildlife Departments are coming up with plans."
He has introduced a bill that would limit another restriction on farmers and allow them to transport higher volumes of fuel. "I've introduced a bill that would allow farmers to transport 1,000 gallons of fuel," he said.
Neugebauer said Congress and the country face serious issues and challenges that will not be easy to meet. "But we've had tough days before, and Americans always step up and do the things they need to do."


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DRAGON TIME No. Sorry. Not done yet. I'm close, though. Watch this space. When the book is done, you will read it here. Meanwhile... there is news. Big news. The end is in sight, at long long last, and we're close enough so that my editors and publishers at Bantam Spectra have set an actual publication date. A DANCE WITH DRAGONS will be in your favorite bookstore on TUESDAY, JULY 12, 2011
Geeez Lou-eeeeze....GRRM sure got long-winded in Storm of Swords....I'm disappointed in the emphasis he puts on everyone's outfit. Pages and pages of clothing descriptions in GOT and COK, entire chapters on boiled leather, doublets, dyed wool, silk, mail, ring mail, gold, etc. in SOS. His editor must needs a swift kick in the arse.


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Event box
Fall Course Tune-Up (Open Lab)
Need some time to work on your Fall 2018 course? Would you like an opportunity to work one-on-one with an instructional designer or multimedia developer? Sign up for our Fall Course Tune-Up to get some assistance with getting your Fall semester courses ready to go!
Design and Development Services will assist you with many of the semester start-up tasks, such as:
- Previous semester clean-up, removing old files before copying
- Requesting your course merges
- Importing your previous semester Brightspace (formerly Springboard) content into your new Fall course
- Demonstrating easy ways to update all of the start and end dates in your course through the Manage Dates tool
- Provide instructional design advice on how to ensure that your course runs smoothly in Brightspace
- Updating of links to external resources
- Updating your welcome message / email to students
- Assisting with publisher content integration
- Re-requesting copyrighted materials from eReserves
- Migrating Panopto videos and StudyMate lessons
- Updating your office hours dates in the WebEx Widget
- Setting up online proctoring for quizzes and exams (for online courses)
- Updating your gradebook and content organization
- Updating Intelligent Agents and/or Release Conditions
- Providing additional resources to further enhance your Brightspace course
We are requesting that faculty members register for this open lab so we know you're coming. You are welcome to stay for as little or as long as you like during our scheduled hours. We do recommend bringing your own laptop so you can work with your materials.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Sign up at https://share.uakron.edu/itl_seminars
- Date:
- Tuesday, August 28, 2018
- Time:
- 10:00am - 2:00pm
- Location:
- Bierce Library (Whole Building)
- Categories:
- Workshops


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As the twenty-first century progresses, it is becoming increasingly clear that America's economic prosperity and competitiveness depends on our successfully implementing effective cybersecurity.
While the task of ensuring our nation's physical security is achieved through our military and law enforcement organizations, cybersecurity assurance cannot be delegated to the government, and relies heavily on the involvement of businesses.
As nations with a history of tolerating corruption and crime continue to modernize, cyber threats to our commercial enterprises mount. While classic cybercrime involved primarily the theft of money or goods, today's criminals know that corporate information stored in electronic form on Internet-connected computers and networks is often of great value – and can be sold to competitors or other parties.
Unlike financial fraud, such attacks are often undetectable – as nothing is missing from the system that has been breached – and pose less risk to the perpetrator than directly stealing money. As a result, computer-based espionage against businesses is becoming increasingly common.
While properly implementing cybersecurity for a business can be complicated and should involve the services of an expert, and while a single article is certainly not sufficient to cover all the aspects of corporate cybersecurity, here are several important high-level pointers:
- Commit to actively ensuring cybersecurity. The cost – in terms of time, money, and aggravation – will likely be far less if a proactive approach is taken.
- Create proper policies governing who have access to which resources, and implement rules and technology to enforce these policies.
- Access to systems and information should always be on a "need to know" basis, and all sensitive information should be stored in an encrypted format. Remember, if a user has physical access to a system, he or she can probably gain digital access as well.
- Business systems should be used for only their intended purposes and not for others, such as reading email or accessing Facebook. Ensure that every user has their own credentials and that all systems require a login with a password that is not easily guessable or found in the dictionary.
- Remember that cybersecurity must be enacted not only for 'classic looking' computers such as desktops and laptops, but for tablets and smartphones as well. All portable devices that house business data should have remote-wipe capabilities enabled.
- Don't just buy "Internet Security Suite" software and assume that your business is secure. Hire an expert to analyze your business requirements and technical infrastructure, and select and implement security technology to meet functional and security requirements accordingly. Ensure that all technology is kept up to date.
Keep in mind that all major recent cybersecurity breaches have occurred to organizations running firewalls, anti-virus software, and other security products. If the wrong products are chosen, or if the right products are either implemented improperly or not kept up to date, security can crumple rather quickly.
[NOTE: The Tech Herald will on occasion publish industry related, and vendor submitted items. They are subject to editing for length and sales content.]
This article was submitted by Joseph Steinberg.
Joseph Steinberg, CISSP, ISSAP, ISSMP, CSSLP, is a respected cybersecurity expert and the C.E.O. of Green Armor Solutions, a leading provider of information security software.
He is the inventor of several cybersecurity technologies, the author of a book and many articles on cybersecurity-related matters, and a frequent lecturer on topics related to cybersecurity, technology, and business.


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Featuring a Cool New Kickstarter and Some Animated Tom Waits!
Good morning El Moochadores! Well, I got my computer back to normal. Mostly. So, things should be back to the regular level of panic (pre-hard drive crash) as we do our best and put out the metaphorical fires that continually burn us around here. Figuratively. Anyways, the last few days have sucked, but I'm kind of in a good mood. So let's start this Morning Moo off with a Chewbacca Toilet Paper Dispenser!
Yeah, that was awesome. Okay, so on this Morning Moo, we got a cool new Kickstarter for a novel called Blood Fuel and a really cool animation of an old interview with musician Tom Waits. Not that I'm a big Tom Waits fan (he's cool), I just really dug the animation.
Here we go…
Blood Fuel!
Launching just this week on the old Kickstarter (and already than half way to their goal) is a gritty new post-apocalyptic novel by brothers Caleb and Luke Prochnow. Blood Fuel is a blood, metal and death story of two brothers trying to cross over into an elite world. Here's the synopsis:
Blood Fuel is set in the distant future. A dark post-apocalyptic caste society that relies on the bloody entertainment of the racetracks in order to dull the hopelessness that would soon overtake the masses. The racing circuits, like the caste society are divided based on the populations wealth, rank and occupation. It is extremely difficult for a racer to cross over into a circuit outside of his/her caste. Desperation causes two brothers, Ryan and Ed, to attempt to cross that divide and enter sinister worlds that they did not know existed.
They're actually offering two versions of the first chapter (here) which people can vote on to see which will be used in the book. Currently they're seeking a goal of $4,500.00 to help publish the book. I also think it's pretty cool that they designed a set of models to show the different mechs and killer machines that go along with the story. Anyways, click the Kickstarter link above to see more about the campaign, rewards, stretch goals, and information about the story. I've posted the promo video below.
Tom Waits on Everything and Nothing
PBS Digital Studios and Blank on Blank have produced this great series of animations that pair old recorded interviews of celebrities and artists like Johnny Cash, Hunter S. Thompson, and Tom Wait, with animations. Check out the Tom Wait interview below from a recorded interview in 1988 as told to Chris Roberts. The rest of this interview can be found at blankonblank.org.


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2nd District Court of Appeal
811 E. Main Street
Lakeland, FL 33801
Telephone: (863) 499-2290
Map and Directions
2D01-1691 / James v. State
2D01-3234 / Paneson v. Paneson
2D01-4071 / Preferred Pools and Spas of Naples, Inc. v. Beachtree Homes, Inc.
2D01-4524 / F.S.G. v. Dept. of Children and Family Services
2D01-4789 / Jennings v. Unemployment Appeals Commission
2D01-5531 / Murray v. Schreiner
2D02-3386 / Sigafoos v. State
All Content Copyright 2006 Second District Court of Appeal


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order by popularity | order by alphabet
Related Information for Sirface Four of the hardest-working, hardest-rockin' "still local but about to hit it big time" guys from Northeast Indiana and Northwest Ohio, SIRFACE is Jared Pagan, Matt Hopkins, Denny Getrost and Jason Hatzell. Both long-time fans and prospective new ones can tell you that SIRFACE disproves the notion that rock is dead. It is still VERY MUCH ALIVE, a point that is clearly illustrated by the sudden halt in conversation that occurs when the first lick of a SIRFACE.. read more


text: My question is, what is the difference between baking soda and baking powder? Can they be used instead of the other? For example: Could I use baking powder than baking soda? Would it ruin what I am making. Let say banana bread, or maybe cup cakes for example. Thank you for your help. I was just wondering about the 2 powder's. John, aka Male cook.


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How do I hive my package?
How do I hive my package?
Have your hive ready – woodenware onsite, hive body, bottom, cover, frames all assembled, foundation embedded, feeder ready - before the package bees arrive. Be sure the hive has been provided with honey or sugar syrup for feed. You can also install a comb of honey if you have some set back for that purpose. Syrup should be mixed at a 1:1 sugar to water ratio by weight. That's 8 pounds of sugar to 1 gallon of water.
Langstroth:The entrance of the hive should be reduced to a width of about 2 inches by stuffing grass or newspaper into the entrance slot. You may close the entrance for the first 24 hours so long as daytime temperatures don't exceed 85 degrees Farenheit and the hive is not in the direct sun. Do not permanently close the entrance because the bees will smother. You may increase the opening within 2-4 weeks.
Top-Bar: We recommend using screen to trap ALL the bees inside the hive (making sure to add feed first) for at least 24to 48 hours. After 24 to 48 hours, open the entrance for 1-2 bees to fly, but don't make the entrance too large. If you have access to honeycomb or wax, tack it or stick some to one of the top bars to make it more appealing and decrease the chance of absconding.
Take the cover off the package, remove the feed can, we suggest a hive tool or strong magnet, and remove the queen cage. After removing the queen cage, you may cover the opening of the package with the can or the cardboard temporarily until you've installed the queen and are ready to hive the package. Look in the queen cage to make sure the queen is alive. If the queen is dead, telephone us immediately for a replacement.
Remove the cork from the candy end only of the queen cage and hang the queen cage, candy end down, between two of the center frames or combs in your hive. The bees must have access to the screen on the queen cage. You can increase the pace of the queen emergence by poking a small hole in the candy with a twig or toothpick or nail. Don't poke the queen! At this point, make sure you have feed in the feeder and then you may remove four of the frames from one side of the hive body and place package of bees into the hive with can removed, then replace the lid or cover of the hive and the bees will crawl out. You may return later that day or the next to remove the empty shipping cage and replace the combs / frames that you removed earlier. At this point its best not to disturb the hive for at least a week except to refill the feeder.
Another method for hiving a package is to remove and install the queen as described above, put syrup in the feeder, then turn the shipping cage bottom up, over the hive and shake the bees into the hive making sure some of them fall between the frames where the queen cage is hung. Gently cover the hive, taking care not to crush the bees and do not disturb the hive again (except to briefly open the cover and refill the feeder) for at least a week. After one week the queen should be out of her cage and should have eggs (actually they're embryos) laid in one or two combs. If you have started the hive on foundation only, the bees should be drawing out one or two sheets of the foundation and there should be some embryos (most beekeepers call them "eggs" in some of the freshly drawn comb. Eggs are very hard to see in new wax, so look carefully and bring your magnifying glass if you don't have sharp eyes. Starvation of the bees is the biggest hazard to successful establishment of the package of bees. Continue to feed them, taking care not to get robbing started, until you are sure the bees are producing enough honey to maintain themselves.


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Our expertise is in short to medium runs leveraging the latest in technology. We partner with the leading technology providers to deliver innovative solutions to our clients.
This is only the beginning. To learn more about the many products and services we offer, please contact one of our account managers or send an email to email@example.com.


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To look at massage nanjing
Le 8 January 2014, 04:13 dans Humeurs • 0
what can you do about shoulder trigger points? There's two main areas to look at massage nanjing:
treating the triggers themselves. And
treating the underlying causes.
Let's look at these in a bit more detail. Supposing you had a fall. You saved yourself by throwing out your arm and catching yourself just above the ground. That quick movement saved yourself from hitting your head, but the wrenched at your arm. This set off trigger points and pain in your shoulder massage yiwu . Figure out how to treat those trigger points and you're cured.
Now, let's look at a slightly different scenario. Supposing you work in an office. Every day mgsd4je , you sit for 8 hours in front of a computer. And as the day goes on, you start to slump forwards escort in yiwu. Your spine is in an uncomfortable curve, and you compensate by hunching your shoulders and leaning your neck forwards.
You have pain in your shoulders, and when you examine them more closely, you find many trigger points in your upper trapezius and levator scapulae muscles. Now, you can and should go ahead and treat these triggers. But unless you look at the underlying problem and do something about it (like get a different chair, or a back rest, or take frequent breaks to adjust your posture) you'll continue to get trigger points. They may go away for some time, but they'll always come back massage in yiwu .


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Posts Tagged With: pesawat
Tour, Travel, Tiket, Pesawat, Harga Tiket, Tiket Domestik
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Views: 1586, Replies: 16 » Jump to the end
Jul 15, 2011 12:43 PM CST
|The best multipurpose tool I've discovered so far is the Cobrahead Weeder.
As long as you keep the head wickedly sharp, it's a Godsend. Can't get up & walk to a weed up in a raised bed? No problem. Need to surgically excise a weed growing next to a prized plant? Done. Have clay soil that needs to be broken up? Piece of cake. Got aggressive roots reaching into areas where they don't belong? Sayonara. Got a compost pile that needs aeration? Can do. Have some compost scattered on the ground that you want to incorporate into the soil? Easy. Can't reach a tool you dropped? You can now.
The long-handled version comes in three lengths, and it's very light. That makes it easy on your arms & shoulders, and the leverage it gives you can really help multiply the force you apply. I don't know what magical alloy they use to make the steel head, but it's indestructible. It's strong but not brittle, and holds an edge well.
As long as you keep it super sharp, it'll make gardening sooooo much easier.
Jul 15, 2011 4:39 PM CST
|thank you.
It's okay to not know all the answers.
Jul 15, 2011 5:48 PM CST
|I have been so used to hand pulling weeds all these years... Maybe it is time to try some of the hoes I have.
I just bought a sprayer that is on wheels. The action of the wheels rolling pumps the sprayer up. I have a 650 foot long gravel driveway. I used to roundup the weeds in it with a backpack sprayer, but have not been able to manage that for a while.
I agree with keeping tools sharp. It makes a world of difference.
[Last edited by daylily - Jul 16, 2011 10:38 AM (+)]
| Quote | Post #100228 (3)
Jul 15, 2011 9:24 PM CST
Garden.org Admin
|I have one of those cobra head weeders and I love it!
Jul 15, 2011 9:58 PM CST
|I looked at that Cobra Head hoe and think it may be just what I need. My problem will be keeping it really sharp. I have blk. clay aka blk gumbo. It is hard as a rock when dry which it is now even with 1" weekly rains or deep watering weekly. I'm thrilled to see it is made in the USA with post recycled materials. It looked as tho about 6 - 8 different occupations went into the manufacturing & sale of the finished product. The tree farmer, the sawmill and maybe even a third party to make the handle from the dried rough sawed lumber, the miners, the steel factory worker who made the metal, the worker in the factory where the blade is made and put into the handle, the packers, order filling personnel, and shipping dept. That looks like a lot of American citizens working instead of drawing unemployment and/or welfare.
I admit the Accessible Gardening forum digressed into a lot of daily chit chat after awhile. For some that was what they needed. A community of others with physical limitations who were willing to share the day to day trials & joys/triumphs of that lifestyle. Many of us had already learned how to deal with our limitations and shared those methods but after awhile we had done about all we could do for each other in that dept so we just kept in touch. I'm glad to find new tools and ideas.
I have fibromyalgia and both OA & RA as well as DJD which limit me thru fatigue and pain. I have meds to help a lot with the chronic pain, but not much helps with the chronic fatigue. I had spinal fusion T12 thro S1 last Dec. so I'm just now really getting back into some more physical activity. I still have to be careful how I move because of balance problems. But Thanks to GOD I doing very well and pressing forward most days. Depending on how GOD leads and what the surgeon says in August I may have a very complicated cervical spine surgery within the next year or so.
I do a lot of hand 'grubbing' in the dirt. My fingernails look terrible, LOL, but that's how I like to garden. I don't wear gloves because I can't feel the dirt and plants with them on.
GOD bless and keep each of you.
Jul 15, 2011 10:49 PM CST
|I keep my Cobrahead sharp with one of these.
I'm with you, leaflady; there's so much on my to-do list that I don't have the time or patience to sit around and commiserate. Granted, I'm always sitting since I move on wheels, but you get my point. I sit around and work. It's more productive to hammer away at solutions than to agonize endlessly over problems.
Jul 15, 2011 11:39 PM CST
|Somebody's giving a CobraHead away in a contest: http://sheheartsit.com/for-the...
Jul 16, 2011 9:10 AM CST
It's okay to not know all the answers.
Jul 16, 2011 9:49 AM CST
Garden.org Admin
|I was just reading up on the company and was surprised and delighted to learn that they are a family business: http://www.cobraheadllc.com/ab...
This makes me like the tool all the better.
Jul 17, 2011 5:16 PM CST
|I went to the link you gave, Alo. It's a private site with no reference to the contest. So I contacted them which somehow put me in contact with Cobrahead.com who kindly emailed me. However I can't find the contest on their website either even tho I specifically asked about it.
I think I'm going to have to break down and buy one if I can't figure out how to get entered in the contest and wait to see if I win.
Jul 17, 2011 6:07 PM CST
|You can't leave a comment on this page?
Jul 17, 2011 7:08 PM CST
I was glad to see the sharpening gadget had ceramic rods, too. I don't trust carbide scrapers to make a knife-edge and wondered if they left a stretched or torn burr on an edge. When I used them, the resulting finish was odd.
I like "diamond" bench stones, and mostly sharpen edges with them, often using a clamp-on gadget to hold the blade at a fixed angle.
I have one gadget similar to yours, but where tiny strips of flat diamond-on-nickle are held at a fixed angle so you can saw a dull edge back and forth. Even then, I'll only use "back and forth" sharpening to set a coarse bevel.
Sharpening "perpendicular to the edge" seems to me to give a better final edge - but what's best for a knife might not be best for a weeding tool. And I know someone who sharpens a machete "lengthwise" ... in fact does it with a file, not a stone. And gets a good edge.
But I do use a crossed ceramic rod handheld gadget for "steeling" between sharpenings. I think it mostly straightens the edge, while also removing a tiny amount of steel. I also think of it as "polishing" or burnishing a micro-bevel.
Just because it ISN'T complicated doesn't mean I can't MAKE it complicated!
Weather Links ~ Sunset Zones ~ Degree Days ~~ National Gardening Association
Kitazawa Seeds ~ Tainong Seeds ~~ ATP Member Map ~~ My Blogs ~~ Coop Extension Finder
Seriously Hot Peppers ~~ Seed Library Resources ~~ Piggy Swap Chat #11
Apr 8, 2015 2:41 PM CST
|I've been looking at this tool for a couple of years now and now I'm ready to make the purchase. Seeing the good reports here has convinced me.
I couldn't decide if I wanted the longer handle, the short one or both. I've decided on the long handle. I really like the idea of not having to bend down every time want to pull a weed!
May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day --Native American Proverb
Jun 24, 2016 11:03 AM CST
|I couldn't ever find one locally so went ahead and bought from The Big Giant (Amazon). I've been trying it out this spring and have to give it a 'meh' rating. It's OK, but I tend to grab my stick (soil knife) way more often than this guy. And it tends to make my tool bucket top heavy and tips it over. Perhaps the long handled one would get used more (?) On the plus side, it does have a colored handle, although blue doesn't show up as well as orange (back to my trusty stick).
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
Jun 24, 2016 11:22 AM CST
|I use the long handled one way more than the short handle. I ended with both as a gift from my dh. I really like this tool for scraping weeds away and the long handle keeps me having to bend down, less back aches. It will clear out a raised bed or between walkway stones in no time.
May your life be like a wildflower, growing freely in the beauty and joy of each day --Native American Proverb
Oct 1, 2016 1:08 PM CST
|I plan to de-clutter my tool collection this fall - whatever I haven't actually used this past growing season gets the heave-ho. Sadly, the short cobra is fairly high on my to-go list. Hopefully I will actually winterize the keepers, so far that task has just been optimistic.
I want to live in a world where the chicken can cross the road without its motives being questioned.
Oct 2, 2016 5:45 PM CST
|I LOVE my cobra (short handle). When we divvied up my Mom's things last year after she died, I took hers, even tho I already had one. My sisters each had one and nobody wanted it. Hmmm..........I wasn't going to give it away, so I took it. Maybe I will give it to my DIL.
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Day 8
Today was a great day! I went from Wellington to Picton, so we had to go through a sound. First we drove do the coast of Wellington, and then I went with a ferry to Picton. It was quite cool, because I didn't have to drive a long time, cause most time I went with the ferry.
I saw the sea for a long time (it was the Tasman sea, but I sailed through the Queen Charlotte Sound) and it was so cool. I really liked it, because it's so blue that you can't understand how it's possible! The wide blue ocean, how is it possible to be that blue and that beautiful. I also saw dolphins, but I was the only one who saw them so the other ones didn't believe it were dolphins, but I'm pretty sure about that.
Well, when I was in Picton then, and I was really tired so I went straight to the hotel and went to bed.
I tell you tomorrow about the things I am going to do. Bye!


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My Ritual
This is one of my four 'holidays.'
Most years it is cloudy on Dec. 21 (or whichever day the Solstice comes on) in my part of the world. When it isn't, by some miracle, I have a little ritual that helps me remember how beautiful this world is. There is a little bluff overlooking the eastbound on-ramp to the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. I drive there just a little before 8:00 am and park looking over the bridge at Mount Rainier in the early dawn. The sun comes up (forgive me this poetic license) right behind the mountain from this angle. The actual sunrise is behind the mountain and to the left (my left) but it starts its arc across the sky moving from left to right behind the massif so that the aura it produces starts out brightest on the left and then progresses toward the right. On a crystal clear day rays of light seem to be coming out of the mountain. On days with high overhead clouds the aura is softer, more uniform around it.
It is an awe inspiring vision. People rushing to work across the bridge can get a glimpse of some part of the effect but unless you are sitting watching you can't possibly grasp the total beauty. So I sit and watch the phenomenon progress till the brightness of the light peeking over the mountain's right shoulder is too great to look at. I close my eyes for a bit, still perceiving the orange crescent afterglow in my retinas. I am happy to have seen a rare sight. And I think about the fact that this marks the beginning of the climb toward longer days.
This year was a little different, however. The weather forecast said it would be cloudy and rainy on the solstice morning, but on the 19th it was clear with just hints of high wispy clouds. So I did my ritualistic observation on that day. It was still a wondrous sight.
Google Earth map of Tacoma Narrows bridge. The red circle shows the road on the bluff overlooking the bridge east-bound on-ramp.
Google Earth map showing the line of sight I get from the bluff to Mt. Rainier and the pathway of the sun as it crosses behind the mountain.
Sorry, no pictures of the phenomenon from me. The camera (at least in my hands) can't really capture the glory of it. And a still shot would never evoke the magic of the dynamics. For my part I have the motion picture in my head. If you want to see it for yourself, visit me next year at this time and I will show you — that is, if the weather permits! You can get an idea of what it looks like from More Mizsuzee's Musings blog post. Also check out these Google images.
Though winter officially starts today we have already had some very wintry weather in the US. Yesterday it snowed here in the Seattle-Tacoma and north areas. That is not terribly unusual, but it is relatively rare. But several weeks ago we had a long cold snap, the same massive arctic cold front that has since moved across the mid west and onto the east coast drove our temperatures below freezing and kept me from riding my motorcycle to work for over a week. Here we only got the cold — no precipitation. In fact it was clear as a bell. Very unusual. Back east they got snow and winds and icy rains, etc. This is what happened several years ago when I returned west from my sabbatical stay in New York in December. I drove across country (I-70 mostly) just as major snow storms and low temperatures were descending. I got stuck in Colorado for a day waiting for the snowplows to get their work done before I could get through the Rocky mountains.
These massive incursions of arctic air into the North American continent are unusual. They are due to the Jet Stream currents dipping much further south than normal. There is a great likelihood that this unusual behavior is due to the climate disruptions taking place worldwide thanks to global warming.
The latest reports re: global warming and its cause from humans burning carbon and cutting down forests, etc. are sounding more alarming than in past years. More climate scientists are turning to activism, seeing that their scientific communications have not been terribly effective. They, more than anyone, realize that things are getting desperate. We can expect more severe, unusual weather more frequently as a result of disturbances to the atmosphere and oceans as the CO2 emissions continue steadily upward.
The Winter of Our Discontent
When I was growing up I thought surely the people running the show (government) must be the most intelligent and wisest people on the planet. The US had shown the world the way to progress and it was called capitalism. Growth of the economy was considered a good thing. And with good reason. If you are going to keep exponentially increasing the number of people you'd better also figure out how to feed, clothe, shelter, and entertain them. A growing economy was necessary to accommodate a growing population. Seemed simple enough.
Then I learned systems science and it all changed for me. I had long been curious about why, if my assumption about the leaders' intelligence was correct, were we not using our progress to significantly better the lives of less fortunate people around the world. Why, I wondered, were we constantly making the same kinds of mistakes our forefathers (and foremothers) made — repeating history as it were? Once I grasped how human civilizations were systems and that true intelligence and wisdom had absolutely nothing to do with anything, I realized that the system was destined to failure. A quick study of prior more localized civilizations and their collapses sealed my conviction on this. Our modern global civilization would follow suit only this time there would be nowhere for anyone to escape to.
Global leaders, economists, business people, and most everyone else seem incapable of grasping even the simplest truths about biophysical system dynamics. Growth is only a way to get to a point of system stability, it is not an end in itself. Yet you hear it everywhere — growth is good, we need more growth. My own university is committed to a program of nearly unfettered growth in numbers of students. What is particularly interesting here is that, unlike businesses where management has a history of experience with growth and have learned a few things about how to manage it so that it is not destructive, university administrators have never really seen the kind of growth we are experiencing. Demand for baccalaureates is up considerably. Many people are panicking about jobs and they are looking for more education in hopes of finding better employment than flipping hamburgers. And administrators are licking their chops over the prospects of increased revenues, especially since they can raise tuitions (as state legislatures oh so gracefully (not) yield their support to higher ed). Meanwhile, a number of my colleagues, the people who bare the brunt of increased workloads, are grumbling more loudly than I have ever heard before. The problem is that university administrators don't seem to have a grasp of 'growth management' as it would apply to not just growth of revenues but also growth of resources, especially qualified and skilled people to take on the excess work. Our current growth plan appears to be limited to wanting to reach 7k students in 7 years — 7-in-7. Catchy but hardly a plan.
So clearly the world isn't run by the best, brightest, and most knowledgeable minds. Indeed it is quite the opposite. But then again, that seems to be the way everyone wants it, whether they realize it or not. Corporate money may be taking a giant leap in molding the political landscape in the US after "Citizens United", but actually the trend of putting stupid, willfully ignorant people into positions of authority was well under way long before the Koch brothers figured out how to manipulate political action committees and the minds of some truly ignorant people. The people are easily duped by rhetoric (well not even rhetoric - more like slogans and sound-bites). And they get what they deserve.
So global warming and peak energy and all of the resource depletion and pollution production problems will just continue to get worse while feckless leaders try mightily to kick the can down the road (e.g. quantitative easing to prevent a total financial system meltdown). Some of them, like Obama, know about the problems, but continue to believe that there is some magical (that is economic and technological) fix that we will find once we get the economy growing again! As Forrest Gump's momma used to say, "Stupid is as stupid does." And what they are doing, what the vast majority of us are doing, is really stupid.
Enjoy the rest of winter. There may yet be some novel weather to observe. Oh, and I would advise to have some shelter prepared.


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It's almost time for the Super Bowl and if you are football lovers like we are, you are probably busy making plans for how you will watch the big game. With 4 kids, we rarely actually go to any Super Bowl parties....instead, we opt to stay home and homegate! The kids and I have a ball creating a yummy menu with lots of fun snacks and then we spend the entire day in preparation of game time! This year we have a fun new way to cook up good food thanks to Gourmet Griller who sent us their awesome Gourmet Football Griller to try out!
This is one seriously awesome piece to have in the kitchen and a must have for football fans!
*Cook and serve on the same platter
*Can be used on the grill, stovetop or in the oven
*Keeps your cold food colder and your hot food hotter for longer periods of time
*Lifetime warranty-very durable, easy to clean
We wanted to put the football griller to the test so we made some of our favorite gameday fajitas for the playoffs this weekend. It was awesome that we were able to cook and serve on the same pan, making it a breeze to cleanup! Check out the recipe below!
Gameday Fajitas
Start by slicing 4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts into strips and small pieces
After cutting up the chicken, marinate for a minimum of one hour in a mix of 2 tbsp lime juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 minced jalapeño and one minced garlic clove.
After marinating, cook on the stovetop (hopefully in your awesome new Football Griller) with a small drizzle of olive oil until chicken is cooked through. Sauté in sliced bell peppers and onions for extra yummy flavor!
Cooking with the Football Griller was so easy and our chicken came out amazing! The best part was that I was able to carry the Griller to the table without switching it over to another dish. It was super easy to wash clean too which is a huge plus for me!
Want to try out one of these bad boys yourself?? Win 1 of 5 via the entry form below!


text: Hi Everyone, this is going to be lengthy-so please bare with me... Well alot has been happening since I have posted here last But Ive run into a problem or something Im muddled abt here, and I was wondering if you all could give me your honest opinion abt things. difficult child got diagnosed at a Childrens hospital, then we got involved in Mental health services, got a case manager etc-and he suggested all these services to us: group social skills, 1:1 work on facial expressions body language sessions etc. But we couldnt afford them as we didnt have Medicaid. Every time I went into that Mental health building it was costing me $32 with our insurance co-pay. So me thinking everything would just be so much better if we had medicaid-I applied and we got it. We have to spend down abt $23 a month but with difficult child's medications its abt $50 bucks anyway. So Im thinking its worth it-right? Well so we start seeing a psychiatrist in the mental health building. I was pretty nervous and hated explaining everything all over agn-but I REALLY REALLY liked him-totally got everything Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) related, where I was kinda nervous he would just think discipline behavior related as thats what the case worker seams to think etc. He doesnt think Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) or AS are anywhere near Autism symptoms..sigh...anyway we were working with him-he sees alot of older Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) teens and adults as well and he could really relate to difficult child. I was really impressed with him. Anyway I really liked him-just after our first visit. But then he leaves Mental Health and is private practise now at a Regional Hospital-and now he cant see difficult child as we have Medicaid...GRRRR!!!! So I call mental health and they dont have an apt till May a sthey only have one doctor now and hes a pschologist...sigh... to see difficult child to get his adderall agn,I have no idea abt the resperdal-thank goodness its got 2 refills!! and since the doctor at Regional upped his dose when he was at Regional(the adderall) -Mental health cant give difficult child ANYTHING until we get into see their doctor in April. I found all of this out today when I went to get his medications refilled....sheesh.. I am just soooo torked!!!!!and hes got 4 pills left..... Plus I went to observe difficult child in his social skills class-and not ONE kid in there acted like difficult child. difficult child could care less abt anyone in there and wont talk to anyone-he follows directions, but face down, no comments and just goes through the motions with such a sullen look on his face, wont play in with the games-wants to goin the other room by himself and play.If they force him to play he'll try and run away... Its as if he is the only one there and hes in this bubble and he is fine with it-I know you all know exactly what Im talking about. It just wasnt what I was expecting and Im starting to question if its making him misereable-then why is he there, if its not helping-then why is he there, why are we actually on Medicaid-as we cant even choose our own preferrred doctor. Im just so upset and I dont know if what Im doing is the right thing or not difficult child just looked like he didnt belong in that class-and it made me feel bad for him-im not sure he even was aware of anything, but I still felt uncomforteable for him-Know what I mean?? This is his 3rd time there. I mean how long and do you push fro your chidl to be typical if he is happy not having friends, if he is happy playing by himslef??? Sheesh....this sure isnt easy is it guys? I just dont know what Im doing anymore. Mental health seams to think typical behvior solutions will work, they told the teachers at the social skills class if he runs or gets aggressive agn to restrain him-which is exactly the mind set that terrifies me. NEVER have I had to restrain difficult child. The doctor who I feel understands difficult child doesnt think that and he gets Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) kids and behaviors ....I just dont know guys..... What do you all think about all of this.....what would you do, or what has your experiances been with mental health. I kind of like them just as a safety net in case of an emergency etc-but still...I dont know.... ANY advice would be soooo appreciated. You know its been abt a year since difficult child was actually diagnosed and I would have thought I woudl have figured out some things by now, but Im still as clueless as I was in the beginning.....sigh.... Sorry this is sooo long-I just dont have anyone I can trust that is in it for difficult child-I just dont know abt anyone anymore Luvs, Kathy