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One of the most important things we have to decide when writing is the point-of-view (POV). The most important thing to consider when deciding the POV is deciding your main character and if secondary characters also want to show their point-of-view. This is especially true in romance, many of the stories are written from the viewpoint of the two main love interests usually in third person. Although I have read a few that are in the first person. Just remember to stay consistent throughout the book. (But even then there are exceptions to the rule such as American Psycho by Brett Easton Ellis, which starts in first person and ends in third).
First person POV is limited to what the main character can see and feel. This is especially great for emotional connection to a character and individual character growth. The third person POV can be more flexible and doesn't depend on staying on one character throughout the entire book. For third person try to keep a limit on the number of POVs in one scene because the reader can become confused on who is thinking and doing what in the scene if the POV keeps changing too much.
The character's POV also has to do with your character's reveal. The POV can explain characters personality traits such as confidence levels and what is important. Do you want the reader to know everything up front or do you want your reader to slowly learn about your character in phases as the story progresses? I have mixed feelings on this. Honestly, it has to do with the writer.
In my experience, I find I get bored when information is poured into me in the beginning of the story. I just want the story to get started. But remember readers are all different and some prefer the details of the characters and plot placed for them in the beginning. If you can keep your reader interested while you spill out all your character's information, I say more power to you. Remember this also has to do with your character. If they are the type to lay it all out on the line then do a reveal in the beginning. If they are more the type to get the action started and explain later than start with action.
Remember this is your character's story and they have a way of telling you how they want their story told. So choose a POV and keep writing.


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The topic for Poppins Book Nook this month is Seasons, and I want to share our recommendations for different age groups on this topic. Disclosure: I am an Amazon affiliate, and this post contains affiliate links.
Preschool (3-4 years old)
The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons is an excellent introduction to the topic of seasons with bright illustrations and a small amount of text on each page. In the story a boy can enjoy his apple tree in different ways every season of the year, and the book can be used in a variety of art and science projects or unit studies.
Kindergarten-First Grade (5-7 years old)
Mo Willems' Elephant, Piggie, and Pigeon are adored by every child learning to read (and their parents). City Dog, Country Frog is markedly different both in illustrations by Jen J Muth and in tone. The book describes an unlikely friendship between a dog relocated from a city and a frog. This friendship develops over one year, and the illustrations reflect seasonal changes in nature. The story has a subtly sad ending, and, depending on maturity of a child, he/she might get what happened or might not, but this really doesn't change the charm of this book.
Chapter Books (6 and up)
I have to be honest here – I cannot really review Calendar Mysteries, because I haven't read any of them myself. My fluently reading 6 year old read and enjoyed the whole set. She jumped from them to A to Z Mysteries where older siblings of Calendar Mysteries' characters take over. Also, if we think about it, practically any book that spans a school year (Harry Potter, anyone?) can be considered a book about seasons too. An interesting assignment for older kids would be finding references to seasons and seasonal events in these books.

subset: commoncrawl


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Seattle's Seafood (and Starbucks)
Well past the halfway point of our road trip (working towards a Sept 15 deadline), we knew we had to get to our next big destination as quickly as possible. That meant, unfortunately, that we could only spend a couple of hours in super cool Seattle, which probably has a lot more to offer than we could manage.
We took the ferry from Bainbridge Island into Seattle, and immediately hit up Pike Place Market. An incredible year-round indoor market, Pike Place has dozens of fresh farmer stands, fish vendors (including the famous fish throwers), and artisans. It was late afternoon by the time we arrived but crowds of people still filled the walkways. We'd move to Seattle just to have daily access to this amazing market.
We were itching to try some fresh seafood, so we strolled into Lowell's, a 3-story restaurant and longtime Pike Place fixture. Kristen ordered her standard fare of Fish n chips, while Loren couldn't resist trying Seattle's famed dungeness crabcakes and veggies. Both dishes hit the spot.
Even though we aren't great lovers of Starbucks, we had to stop in at the flagship location, just up the street from Pike Place. We were baited into trying the "clover" brew machine for one Pike Place coffee, and decided to compare it with the regular-brew. There was certainly a difference - clover was much more bold - but all Starbucks coffee seems characteristically dark and possibly over-roasted in flavor. The flagship Starbucks was a really nice space, but we couldn't dawdle. By 7pm, we were on the road continuing east as far as we could make it.
Around midnight, we'd arrived at the Idaho state line, and made a desperate call to the Hampton Inn, where we got a government rate room and happily arrived 30 minutes or so later in Coeur D'Alene. Yes, it was a bit of a splurge compared to camping, but after 6 straight nights of tent sleep, we could use the comforts of indoor life. It gave us the chance to do a bit of laundry (that's right, Kristen did all of the laundry by hand in the bathroom sink, not realizing that there were laundry machines that took a few quarters near the lobby) and utilize more wifi before hitting the hay around 2am.
We awoke early to scavenge the complimentary breakfast pickings multiple times, stocking up on bananas, apples, oranges, hard-boiled eggs, yogurts, and teas, before continuing Northeast to our most awaited stop: Glacier National Park.


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I last blogged about this site back in 2012. I've been looking at it again and have to say that it's a fabulous resource for video listening, with some skillfully produced graded worksheets.
If you do a search via Fiche par Thème, you access a large range of advanced level listening material. the topics include: Actualité mondiale, Diversité à l'école, Expressions imagées francophones, l'Europe vue par des experts, Découverte des régions francophones (including some from Canada), Patrimoine oral francophone, Analyse des relations internationales, Un pays, un lieu, une émotion, Sport en tous genres. There are quite a few more.
Whether you like the videos may depend on your taste and that of your students, but the ones I have viewed are generally interesting, clear and well-paced for advanced level and are accompanied by a range of very usable worksheets, set at different levels, depending on the class you have. On the whole they will suit Upper Sixth students in England and Wales (Higher in Scotland, advanced level elsewhere).
At the time of writing there are no fewer than 212 French song videos available (usually Youtube linked). The worksheets include song lyrics, matching tasks, completion, note taking. There are also teacher notes for guidance. Documents are in pdf and word, so there is an opportunity for editing them to match your own class. I really like these worksheets, They look like they are written by practising teachers who know what works and what will stimulate.
In the Sports section, which features some extreme sports, I looked at the video about Le snowkite. This would work at AS level (low advanced). The language is reasonably paced, clear and authentic, of course. The Fiche apprenant élémentaire (A2) is well thought out and I would be happy to use it with a lower sixth class.
In the Découverte des régions francophones I looked at the one on Languedoc-Roussillon. This is a tourist brochure style video which would work well with advanced adult learners, as well as at AS level if you were doing a theme on holidays. This video has three sets of graded worksheets. All of them work well, the hardest demanding writing at greater length. the teachers' notes are detailed and act as a lesson plan with answers where required.
I cannot praise this site highly enough. Students doing self-study may have appreciated their own answer keys at the end of each worksheet, but this is a minor quibble really.


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November, 18, 2012
There are many people who want to make it big. Though a very few really work towards making it. Yasir Khan knows where he wants to be, and he has set himself on the path to make true his dreams. Looking at the pic above little would one guess what we are talking about. Yasir is genial, a gem of a person, and I could say that after my warm conversation with him.
Contrary to his tough body, his heart is soft, and full of humility.
I: Give us some background Yasir by telling us about your journey and what drew you to fitness, modeling, body building?
Yasir: Okay, well I was born in Bhopal in India. I started very early, when I was 14 years old. I come from a very simple family. No one has ever done these things what I am doing now. I started Working on my body in a small gym in my area. I was not good at studies those days, but I was into hard core exercise and it's discipline that changed my life. The journey is very long and with lots of ups and downs. I have never thought that I can reach here, but now I believe I have a long way to go.
I: Where do you put yourself - in the sport of bodybuilding or in the glamorous world of modeling?
Yasir: Fitness is my passion, and it was. The only thing I had left in my life, it was kind of a support for me, which made me feel different and gave me a position in my society. I am a hardcore athlete but I never competed in any bodybuilding competition yet, I am practicing to appear in world fitness championship soon. Though I did some work in fitness modeling like the cover page of fitness magazine, MEN'S HEALTH, it's one of the big names. I am a natural athlete so in our country there's no such championships for me. My motive is to inspire as many people as I can in my life. So that they have better life and do hard work to achieve their dreams. When I started nobody helped me in that way, even lots of negativity were there, everyone used to tell me, "it's not possible, it's not for you, you can't do it........and all that" these are the words I hate.
I: Tell us about your diet
Yasir: My diet is strict, but only when I practice really hard, which I do 4 to 6 months in a year. Usually I eat everything and anything like any normal guy..........I make sure what I do anyone can do the same if they just believe in themselves, when I follow a proper diet its followed by 6 to 7 small meals a day, as well as I measure how much protein, carbohydrates, and fats I consume.
I: Tell us about your workout regime?
Yasir: Ahhh!! Man it's really different, its a mix of everything. I do a lot of Cardio......I love to run in the dark, that's the best part of my day when I run almost 10 to 15 km a day in 4 to 5 days a week, then I lift weights in the after noon for 2 hours, its a mix of everything, Plyometrics, Hypertrophy, and lots of stretching.
Me: I live in Mumbai. And most of the gyms these days are full of youngsters. It's not health or fitness that pushes them to hit the gym. It's the idea of looking fit that they are bothered of. In doing this, they take recourse to steroids. Please share your views on this trend?
Yasir: Well, tell me how many people you find have great bodies? I would say very few. Steroid can't give you your dream body. To have a good body is not that easy. Its all about hard work which many people don't understand, in this era its very difficult to follow the basics. If you do the basics then the rest is yours.
I: Okay. We're not getting a fair idea about you. Let us look at your FB Fan following. You have a real good number of likes and comments on most of your photos. Would you not want to take a lucrative profession of modeling - given that you have now all that it takes to be one?
Yasir: Yes, I would love to do modelling. Especially fitness modeling and others, and on FB I just put my real self, real feelings, and real work which all of the people like. I am really amazed that I started very normally and got so many followers on FB. It's just that they truly like what I do.
Yasir: Sylvester Stallone is my role model.
I: Tell us about your personal life in UAE presently as compared to what you had in a small town of India.
Yasir: I am working with fitness first one of the biggest gym in UAE, but frankly speaking my life is always the same, no matter where I am, I am always pursuing my dreams and goals.
Luxury has never attracted me, I believe in simple life, and to be focused, one has to live a simple life.
I truly believe that "Progress is not created by contented people".
Yasir: My past is a big motivation for me. When I go to bed after a log tiring day I really feel satisfied because I got up for a reason and followed by that reason the whole day.
I: What do you do for those abs that many people struggle to get?
Yasir: I always say that I wanna be a person the mirror would love to see. It means I would love to see.
I do abs 2 times a week, and follow clean diet that's the only secret for maintaining abs. Its all about your diet.
I: What do you miss about living in India?
Yasir: On the top, my family and friends.
I: Tell us about foods that helped you gain these muscles.
I: Given the crazy female following you have, how do you feel? Have you from childhood been a twinkling star in the eyes of girls?
Yasir: Ahh! no ways I have been very shy in my childhood, never said anything to any girl, but after realizing my purpose and potential in life I have become confident.
Yasir: At the moment I am studying for my American student visa, so I really believe that I am going to do something really big in fitness industry, it can be my own supplement company, a world championship in natural bodybuilding and fitness, these are my future plans at the moment.
I wanna keep on doing this at the world level in the future.
I: While we are doing this interview, there is huge funeral procession in Mumbai of Bal Thackeray. And the entire Nation's media is talking about Thackeray. Are you in touch with what happens here in India. Or you would like to have the remainder of your life away from India?
Yasir: I am very much in touch of my country's condition everyday I am aware of it, I know very well what's going on from the time Balasaheb got admitted in the hospital and till now. I am an intellectual guy, while living abroad. I am studying US history, as it's a part of my course. And about Mumbai, I have lived several years there, so of course I know what's going on there I have many friends and family members out there. I love Mumbai as I have lived there. I have lived in Delhi too for 3 years.
I: How about Bollywood, Indian Television ... would you not prefer to come to Bombay and look for something that could boost your career?
Yasir: Definitely, I would love to work, lately I have got a few offers, but didn't work for them till now. I'm still in touch with people from the industry, let's see if something good turns up. At the moment my full focus is on my fitness and studies.
I: Delhi and Bombay are both very dear to me... I too lived in Delhi for a good long time. By the way, who takes your photographs?
Yasir: Any one who is around me, among my friends and family members. But my friend Adnan takes most of my pictures, which are pretty good.
I: Thank you Yasir, you have been really kind, and I appreciate your gesture to have given your time to reply to my questions.
Yasir: Wooh, anytime brother. Thank you for your time and efforts for making this happen!
Yasir lives in Dubai. He can be contacted on his Facebook Profile
I had a messenger chat with Yasir to know more about his passion. So that he can be best understood, I've put his answers verbatim.


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Rev. Shanea D. Leonard is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church (USA) and a minister of the Fellowship of Affirming Ministries who has been preaching the gospel message her entire life. Having had the pleasure of being reared in the Baptist church, spiritual enhanced in the non-denominational church, and trained for ministry in the Presbyterian Church, she brings a plethora of wisdom and passion for the word of God. Rev. Leonard believes that God has given her a burden for people whom others have disregarded, oppressed, forgotten, or simply don't even see. She believes strongly in the radically inclusive love of Jesus Christ that states WHOSOEVER is willing is welcomed at the table of fellowship and offered the gift of salvation. She has a burden for the community and the diverse people who create the rich tapestry that make up the kingdom of God. Rev. Leonard has a special connection to youth but her greatest love is for those closest to her-her parents, Kyersten, and godson CJ.
About Our Pastor


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First, let me point out that I am in no way a professional baker. The fact that this worked in any way makes me very happy, even if, compared to other Death Star cakes on image search, it's a bit crummy 😉 But, I'll try anything. This was fun.
A week or two ago, I saw this: io9's post about blogger Cakecrumb's video of How to Bake a Planetary Structural Layer Cake. The video, below, is rather brilliant.
The Jupiter cake also introduced me to two new concepts: Cake pops and Spherical cake moulds.
Cake pops are these little things: spherical blobs of cake on lollipop sticks. They're a nice little mouthful of cake, decorated however you like, and darling beloved of well-to-do brides everywhere.
The traditional way to make these is to make a cake, then crumble it, mix it with something sticky (chocolate, icing) to roll it into balls, freeze then and then decorate. This is a bit boring. However, it's necessary to be able to make these things in order to be able to make the Jupiter cake's core, so, like in the video, you can cheat by buying a cake pop mould.
These are equally tricksy buggers – you have to be very careful about how much cake batter you put in: a firm-ish 2-egg Victoria Sponge mix is just dense enough, filled to the top of the base mould, but a more liquidy batter needs to only be used to fill about 3/4 of the same mould or it overflows and you end up with lozenges instead of 'pops'. However, even with the flimsy silicone moulds like the one above, you can make pretty substantial cake pops, ready for icing in any way you choose. Here's my (rather terrible) first attempt:
The spherical cake moulds are way more fun though. I bought mine from Lakeland (the one I used was the Medium, just about big enough for a first-timer), and followed Cakecrumb's instructions, putting a cake pop into the larger cake mould's batter and covering it in batter to make sure it didn't overcook the already-cooked pop. This resulted in a much, much longer baking time – about 40 mins instead of 18-25 – to ensure the surrounding cake was baked through.
EPISODE 1: This is not gonna work
I didn't manage like Cakecrumbs to make three concentric layers, but I did end up make three different hemispherical cakes whilst trying to work out the best depth to 'bury' the cake pop in the middle. They mostly ended up wrong, or rude, but, as ever, third time's a (slightly undercooked) charm:
1) I used three-quarters of a batch of 3-egg Victoria Sponge for the first hemisphere. The chocolate cake pop I included rose out of the mix (not 'buried' deep enough) and ended up being cut off when I trimmed the cake after baking.
2) The second one was an interesting mix of the rest of that batter and the chocolate sponge batter I had left over from the chocolate batch of cake pops. Again, the sponge cake pop I put in, deeper this time, popped out in a kind of volcano on top and didn't get included when the cake was trimmed, although the rest of the cake had a nice marbling effect.
3) Another 3-egg Victoria, this time the whole batter put into the mould and the cake pop pushed down as far as it would go before being covered over. This cake bubbled right over the edge of the mould, had to be trimmed whilst in the over repeatedly to avoid being burned, took nearly an hour to cook all the way through, and appeared to be a complete disaster with no apparent pop in the middle once trimmed…until, used as the half of the main cake, when cut into it proved decidedly fluffy and delicious with a WHOLE chocolate cake pop included (the ideal was half, but there you go.)
The rule is then, don't over-fill your mould (halfway is plenty), bury the cake pop with at least an inch – if you can – of batter over it, and make sure you make an indentation in the middle of the batter before you put it in the oven to stop the whole thing from looking like a volcano when you take it out.
EPISODE II: Until this battle station is fully operational, we are vulnerable.
Now, here's the fun bit. Having been sent the original io9 link by my other half, I immediately decided this would be his birthday cake. But, if I wasn't going to make Jupiter, what else could I make with my three-and-a-bit hemispheres? The answer was obvious. The Death Star.
I used:
– Buttercream (170g butter, 100g icing sugar, beaten til light and 'fluffy')
– Apricot jam, put in a saucepan and boiled for a couple of minutes (stir it to avoid it burning to the pan)
– Read-to-roll icing in white and black (I think I used Dr. Oetker's Regal-Ice) as I'm not great at making Royal Icing.
– A rolling-pin
– a small palette knife
– a sharp knife for cutting shapes
– Greaseproof paper – for rolling out the icing and making templates
– a round, flat cake tin (I didn't have a cake base.)
1) A (rebel) base: using the reject 'volcano' bit of hemisphere no.2, I hollowed out the top and buttercreamed it to the overturned cake tin as a base for my death star. I filled the hollow with buttercream, then covered the rest of it with boiled apricot jam to make a sticky surface for the royal icing to stick to. I then rolled out oval sections of the black icing and used them to cover the tin and the 'volcano', leaving the buttercream hollow ready to receive the Death Star itself.
2) That's no moon…: Choosing the best two hemispheres, nos.2 and 3, I put one on top of the other and trimmed them a little so that they formed a proper sphere. I then pasted apricot jam over one base and buttercream on the other before sticking them together, and perching the sphere on top of the icing-covered volcano base where I then made sure the join was smooth with a further application of buttercream.
3) …It's a space station: The body of the cake in place, I covered the whole thing in a layer of apricot, to keep in and add moisture – I was worried the lengthy cooking process may have dried it out a bit. Then, deciding to go the whole hog, I covered the whole thing in more buttercream. I really, really like buttercream. It would have been a shame to waste it.
4) I've been looking forward to this for a long time: rolling out blobs of royal icing into flat ovals, I cut them into petal shapes to paste onto the sphere as if it was a globe:
This made sure there was an even-ish coverage of icing on the cake. It was then easy to blend the edges with fingers and the palette knife dipped in boiling water.
Had I been a mathematician, I would have worked out actual sizes and widths of my petals. Instead, because I do not care for numbers, I guessed the first one's dimensions, then made a loose template for the rest of the petals, cutting them out with a sharp knife and overlapping them to make the joins easier to smooth over. I find your lack of faith disturbing. It looked fine. Ok?
5) The target is only two (milli)meters wide: rolling a palm-sized blob of the black with double the size of the white to blend them into one grey blob, I cut off a bit, rolled it into a ball and squished it flat to make the Superlaser Focus Lens. Rolling out a flat section, I cut it into thin strips to make the Polar and Equatorial Trenches. Finally, cutting out the petal shape again, I cut that into different-width strips and blocks to represent the …city sprawls? They were pocked with the tines of a fork pressed gently into them in a repeated pattern. (These pieces all stuck onto the previous layer of icing because I had wet it with slightly when smoothing out the joins. if it needed more stickiness, I wet the back of each piece, but in general that was unnecessary.)
I only chose to do a front-side section of the detail because it added a lot of weight to the base layer of icing. It was enough to look awesome. I actually made some of the detail a shade lighter to give it depth. Not because I was running out of dark grey and couldn't be bothered trying to match the same shade again. Not at all.
6) Look at the size of that thing! Because, after all that work, it needed a decent introduction.
Using black teatowels as a backdrop, a TIE Interceptor hung from some fishing gut, and the little home planetarium I got the other half for his birthday (it's so damncool),I invited him into the kitchen and played the Darth Vader theme. He loved it. Then we 'blew it up' with some indoor sparklers. I'm very proud of the results.
And, it tasted delicious. TIP: you really do need the jam, and the buttercream. Yum.


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7019 Antinori Lane, Boynton Beach, FL - $589,000
This Contemporary, CUSTOM Brunello Model just got modified. Come back and take another look, home has been redesigned offering a den off foyer with double French doors, closing access from the master suite. This new design makes for a great den or office. This gorgeous home takes full advantage of the desirable lake views with plenty of room for a pool. Enjoy outdoor living in your 32 x 25 extended paver patio, perfect for ''Al Fresco Dining.'' Imagine relaxing around a firepit after a day of tennis or pickleball with your new Tivoli Lakes friends; this is what Florida Living is all about. You enter thru a welcoming courtyard with double doors that lead to an impressive open layout offering high volume coffered ceilings, & plenty of glass sliders, bringing the outdoors in.The bright rich accent colors enhance the high-end dramatic lighting thru-out. FURNITURE IS ALSO NEGOTIABLE ON THIS BEAUTIFULLY FURNISHED HOME. The large dining room is quite impressive with Artzy pendant style lighting and matching sconces. Kitchen offers upgraded light wood cabinetry with cabinet crown molding, light valance with lighting, pot and pan drawers, double glass doors, and granite counters. The extended raised breakfast bar can fit plenty of bar stools and lends itself for entertaining. For the in-home chef, Stainless steel appliances feature a built-in microwave with convection oven and hidden cooktop hood that vents to outside. Oven even has a built-in meat thermometer, so food is always cooked to perfection. To take full advantage of the fantastic lake views, this home was built with 4 optional sliding glass doors that create a bright, open feel so the views can be enjoyed from all areas. Cabana bath with marble counters offers easy access for both indoor and outdoor living. Fashionable Transition style blinds showcase the family room sliders and cabana door for both function and decor. Master suite has engineered wood floors, coffered ceilings, crown molding and optional French doors. For added storage, both walk-in closets are nicely outfitted. The bay window features plenty of room to relax and lounge with a book while enjoying the tranquil setting. The Master Bath is set up with 2 separate His and Her showers, large split vanities and a center roman Jacuzzi tub within the same large bath area. No need to wait for the water to heat in your luxurious master bath, home has optional Instant Hot water installed. Bath is beautifully appointed with latte cabinets, Emperador Marble counters and floors. This unique feature of 2 separate showers is only offered in the Brunello Model. Guest bedrooms are privately located in a separate wing, creating ideal space for a guest suite. Both bedrooms have laminate flooring, and walk-in closets. Bedroom 3 includes the attached flat screen TV and has been extended an extra 2 feet increasing both the room and closet. A built-in safe will remain in closet. Both rooms share a guest bathroom with granite countertops and seamless enclosure. Laundry room has front loader washer and dryer along with plenty of cabinets for storage. Other notable upgrades include: accordion shutters, full house water filtration system, gutters, upgraded landscaping, Emperador marble foyer design, crown molding, designer light fixtures, garage cabinets and more. Tivoli Lakes is a smaller active community and known as one of the top tennis communities in Boynton Beach. Clubhouse renovations estimated completion is December 2019 and assessment has been paid...you will just love the new design which includes the addition of a social hall for additional entertainment. Bocce ball, Pickle Ball courts and additional new landscaping were just added as part of the renovations. The resort style pool has plenty of cabanas and a kiddie waterworks area to enjoy when guests visit. The fitness center is free-standing and offers state of the art equipment with an aerobics studio as well. HOA fees include 24 hr. security, recreation facility, lawn maintenance, irrigation, cable with HBO, house painting and roof cleaning...(Hotwire coming soon to include internet) This centrally located community offers easy access to the turnpike, plenty of shopping and short distance to the beach.
Pool, Tennis, Clubhouse, Lobby, Exercise Room, Community Room, Game Room, Library, Sauna, Spa-Hot Tub, Sidewalks, Billiards, Business Center, Cabana, Manager on Site, Street Lights
Cable, 3-Phase Electric, Public Sewer, Public Water, Underground, Lake Worth Drain Dis
Driveway, Garage - Attached, Drive - Decorative
Closet Cabinets, Foyer, French Door, Pantry, Roman Tub, Split Bedroom, Volume Ceiling, Walk-in Closet, Custom Mirror
Auto Garage Open, Dishwasher, Disposal, Dryer, Microwave, Range - Electric, Refrigerator, Smoke Detector, Washer, Water Heater - Elec, Wall Oven
Auto Sprinkler, Covered Patio, Open Patio, Zoned Sprinkler, Cabana, Room for Pool
< 1/4 Acre, Sidewalks, Interior Lot, Treed Lot, Private Road, Paved Road
Arched, Bay Window, Blinds, Single Hung Metal, Sliding
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|Price Reduced from $500,000 to $490,000
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All listings featuring the BMLS logo are provided by Beaches MLS Inc. Copyright 2019 Beaches MLS. This information is not verified for authenticity or accuracy and is not guaranteed.
© 2019 Beaches Multiple Listing Service, Inc. All rights reserved.
Listing information last updated on September 22nd, 2019 at 9:30pm EDT.


text: Cyndi Donahue January 10, 2017 Support Qkey's Kickstarter Project Cyndi Donahue January 10, 2017 uQontrol, one of our accelerator's alumni, has launched a Kickstarter project this week. Go to https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/qkey/qkey-a-smart-simple-and-secure-online-experience?ref=ag9d9q to learn more about their flagship product, Qkey. You can make a pledge or a purchase, or help spread the word by sharing their project via Facebook, Twitter, or including the link in an email.


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I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Kathryn Anthony at the 2013 NOMA (National Organization of Minority Architects) Conference in Indianapolis. Her body of work is amazing and is centered around gender and racial issues in architecture. She is the co-designer and co-producer for The African-American Architecture Alumni Project, an exhibit displayed as part of "Architecture Pyramids to Skyscrapers" at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, 2006 and at UIUC, 2005, 2004
She co-authored the article Why Hollywood Needs to Change its Conception of "The Architect", its a great read for anyone in architecture. Here are a few highlights from the article.
Writers, directors, producers, and actors in the Hollywood film industry play major roles in shaping how millions around the world perceive architects and the architectural profession. Television shows, too, create stereotypes of professions that are repeatedly drummed into the brain with each successive episode. Both make long-lasting impacts that may encourage or dissuade young people from pursuing architecture as a career.
"So, according to Hollywood, an architect is a hero, lover, hopelessly out of touch, financially in trouble, a workaholic, or some combination of these.
But what does Hollywood say an architect looks like? Our updated list of actors and actresses who have played architects on the big screen allowed us to examine not just the manner in which the architect was portrayed, but also his/her physical features – such as gender, race, hair color, eye color, and facial hair – as well. In fact, Hollywood film directors have created a distinct image of what an architect should be. In over three-quarters (79%) of the 45 films we reviewed, the architect is represented as being clean-shaven. Over half (56%) of Hollywood's architects have brown eyes (25% have blue, 19% green); over half (58%) have dark hair compared to light (42%). Taken holistically then, Hollywood has created the stereotypic image of an architect: a white, clean-shaven male with dark hair and brown eyes.
Despite this one positive portrayal, the lack of gender diversity among architects portrayed in Hollywood films is disturbing. Equally startling is the lack of racial diversity. Compared to women, persons of color are even less likely to be represented as architects in Hollywood cinema. AIA's 2011 membership statistics show that African-Americans represent only 1% of licensed architects and 3% of associate architects. Hollywood comes close to replicating these dire statistics. In just about all (96%) films, the architect is white. Only two movies, Jungle Fever (1991) featuring Flipper Purify (portrayed by African-American actor Wesley Snipes) and The Namesake (2006) featuring Gogol/Nikhil (portrayed by Indian-American Kal Penn) are exceptions to this rule.
Jungle Fever provides a glimpse into the struggles of an African-American architect through the story of Flipper Purify, a successful African-American architect in New York City. Writer and director Spike Lee touches on the lack of diversity in the architecture profession when Snipes, claiming that he is tired of being the only African-American in the office, asks the partners of the firm to let his new secretary be African-American. Later in the film, Flipper asks to be made partner, and promptly quits when his request is denied. Director Spike Lee casts Purify in an unusually seductive role: he has consensual sex with his female secretary on the drafting table in the office's design studio.
Hollywood directors could similarly help restore the image of the profession by picturing architects more realistically and by creating films in which highly underrepresented gender, racial and ethnic groups, such as women, African-Americans, Latino/as, and Asian-Americans, play major roles as talented architects to be taken seriously. Perhaps Newsweek reporter and television pundit Eleanor Clift put it best in a segment (March 3, 2013) of the TV news show, The McLaughlin Group: "Movies are one of our most important exports and it's how we change hearts and minds around the world…"
Read the full article on ArchDaily.com


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South Africa international Davide Somma came to promotion-chasing Leeds' rescue for the second time in a week as his second-half goal saw off ailing Coventry at Elland Road.
Somma netted an equaliser at Hull on Tuesday night and was on target again here at a time when his side desperately needed a goal to put Coventry, now without a league win in 10, deservedly behind.
United had missed a string of chances by the time Somma struck and, like the majority of his 10 goals from as many starts this season, it was little more than a tidy finish from inside the box but it did the job for Simon Grayson's side, who have now tasted defeat just once in 17 npower Championship outings.
And while it was Somma's goal that won the points, it was the outstanding Robert Snodgrass who drove Leeds to the win ahead of his expected Scotland debut on Wednesday night.
The winger had a hand in laying on numerous chances for his team-mates, who, until Somma found his range, were more than generous in front of goal.
Having recovered a two-goal deficit to draw at Hull on Tuesday night, it was apparent that Leeds were eager to start better today and Somma could have given them a fourth-minute lead had he been able to keep a snap-shot down after a Snodgrass knock-down.
Somma's miss would set the tone for the majority of the first half, as, after Richard Wood went close for City when his close-range hit was deflected wide by Luciano Becchio, Leeds assumed complete control and contrived to miss a hatful of chances.
Thirteen-goal top-scorer Becchio was the worst culprit for Leeds, twice missing from three yards, while winger Max Gradel was also culpable.
With 19 minutes gone, a quick release from Kasper Schmeichel sent Paul Connolly racing down the right, he found Snodgrass but his cross was stabbed wide by Becchio with goalkeeper Keiren Westwood nowhere to be seen.
Leeds continued to apply the pressure and two minutes later Gradel scorched a shot wide after breaking clear with a jinking run, and the Ivorian was wasteful again shortly after, slicing over on the break when he had team-mates queuing up to be played in.
Despite his profligacy, Gradel was running the Coventry defence ragged and, after his break, George McCartney raced into the box and squared for Becchio who miscued across goal, before Leeds had a penalty appeal turned down when Bradley Johnson's cross appeared to hit Jordan Clarke's arm.
Gradel was unable to turn Snodgrass' menacing cross beyond Westwood as the second half started as the first had ended, before Somma grabbed the goal Leeds had been threatening ever since his early chance.
Snodgrass was the key architect, winning the ball in midfield and creating space before playing in Gradel, whose cross was played back across goal by Jonny Howson from where the waiting Somma gave Leeds a 56th-minute advantage.
The goal could quite easily have meant little for Leeds a minute later, though, when Lucas Jutkiewicz snapped a drive over on the turn.
The outstanding Snodgrass then drew a flying save from Westwood, while at the other end, Aron Gunnarsson placed a low drive just wide of Schmeichel's left-hand post.
Somma was denied a second - a 25-yard lob over Westwood - by the offside flag, and Alex Bruce scraped wide as Leeds pressed for a clincher, but they held out under minimal Coventry pressure, with the visitors only threatening when Leigh Bromby deflected Clive Platt's shot over.


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Customer Experience and User Experience
Customer Experience and User Experience Via Prototyping: From UX to Front End — Medium by Ishan Manandhar
ProtoPie 4 just launched! Check out our bite-size tutorials on creating microinteractions.
Unlock the Power of 3D: Torch AR, Sketch, and InVision - the Complete Mobile AR Prototyping Workflow.
New in the publication
Supported by the Adobe Fund for Design.


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Rotary Conference in Bunbury Promo
Promotional video developed for the Rotary District 9465 Conference to be held in Bunbury Western Australia, in March 2016.
Are You Coming to Bunbury? from Kerotv on Vimeo.
Claudia Cristiani Opens in Style at REmida
Artist-in-residence Claudia Cristiani opened her enchanting installation in style at REmida on Saturday 25 October 2014. Claudia, who is visiting from Argentina, seeks to create a captivating experience. Judging by the response from her audience at Saturday's opening, that's just what she's done.
Here's a quick look at Claudia's installation and the opening:
A Successful Score
This is the story of the Mark Howlett Foundation (1991 - 2012), as told by members of the MHF Board, commissioned artists and subscribers.
For twenty successful years, the unique MHF model fostered an intense relationship between groups not normally aligned in the modern practice of art.. The extraordinary journey of the MHF concluded with the MHF20 exhibition, which opened at the Fremantle Arts Centre in December 2011.
Fiorella Martin - Electric Dreams @ David Giles Gallery
Fiorella's first solo exhibition "Electric Dreams".
Kirsty Low re Brigitta Nowland's "Night Light"
Kirsty speaks to a friend's painting that she really likes..
Kirsty Low re Door No1 of Infinity
From Moores Gallery in Fremantle. Kirsty describes her painting which triggered a bidding war in the Freedom School exhibition at Moores...
Body Art by Loretta Ribaudo at Royal George, Fremantle
Loretta's exhibition - featuring Body Art 2008 - at the Royal George Gallery, Fremantle, Western Australia
My Rocks Series - Loretta Ribaudo
From David Giles Gallery, Fremantle, comes the "My Rocks Series" exhibition by Loretta Ribaudo.
Charlotte O'Shea Sells Out at City Farm
Why is community artist Charlotte O'Shea so happy? Find out in this stop press report from the Environmental Art Awards at City Farm. …
Carol Hazel's "Our Swan After Dark" from City of South Perth
Community artist Charlotte O'Shea reports on Interactive Arts artist Carol Hazel's entry in the City of South Perth Art Awards - and is very impressed.
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Feb 7, 2017 – Nigeria Represents The 7th Biggest Source Of Foreign Students In Canada – High Commissioner Christopher Thornley
Mr. Christopher Thornley, The High Commissioner of Canada to Nigeria has disclosed that over 10,000 Nigerians are currently in Canada studying at one higher institution or the other.
He explained that Nigeria represents the seventh largest foreign students in Canada. International students, he pointed out brings significant value to the Canadian economy and education, saying that the presence of foreign students "enriches Canadian educational institutions and society."
While noting that each student represents 'a new link between the two countries and further binds the ties, he noted: "International students bring significant value to the Canadian economy and I am pleased that Nigerians figure prominently among that dynamic population.
In fact, according to Canadian Immigration record, over 10,000 Nigerians are in Canada to study; and a 20 per cent increase on the previous year. "Nigeria also represents the seventh biggest source of foreign students in Canada. Their presence enriches Canadian educational institutions and society.
Each Student represents a new link between the two countries and binds the ties that unite us." At the fair were over 33 representatives from Canadian institutions, including universities, colleges and high schools, who advertised their institutions and created awareness about the programmes they offer in their respective tertiary institutions.
This was disclosed by Thornley during the three-day EduCanada Fair witnessed an influx of Nigerians, particularly students from various secondary schools, corps members and workers in Abuja.


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Link Resources
Integrative Wellness
We are a part of a wellness group in Evergreen, Colorado! We believe that mind and body treatments, as well as beauty services, treat the entire individual.
Check out Gather Evergreen Wellness here
Providers we love!
Denver based therapists (click on their name for website/contact info):
For a Gottman and EMDR trained couple and family therapist, we recommend Marina Blake, LPC
For an individual and adventure therapist, we recommend Sarah Sutherland, LPC
For women's and addiction counseling, we recommend Laura Shipman, LCSW
For services for first responders, we recommend Kelli Gilchrest, LPC with Building Warriors
Helpful Resources:
What is Mental Health Nutrition?
What is Neurofeedback?


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Dining room floors, ceilings, walls – Refreshed!
31 Thursday May 2012
Posted Dining Room, our house, remodelingin
31 Thursday May 2012
Posted Dining Room, our house, remodelingin
04 Tuesday Oct 2011
Posted Dining Room, our housein
04 Tuesday Oct 2011
Posted Dining Room, Kitchen, our house, remodelingin
That is the question. We're talking about the dining room and kitchen ceilings!
Let's take a look back at what it used to be:
And here's where we are today:
Walls and trim are all BM Simply White, and the ceilings are pretty much the way we found them under the plaster – dark, rough-hewn beams, many with the bark still attached.
Here's a not excellent shot of the dining room from the kitchen, through an opening that used to be a wall. The diagonal crossbeam will eventually moved up, so it's not at head height, and the drywalled portion of the ceiling (the 3′ above the laundryroom door) will be nicely trimmed out and eventually have little recessed lighting to brighten a shelf / unit / something in the future, so it wont' feel so random. So we've lived with these wood ceilings for over a month now, and originally my notion was to paint the ceiling boards white, leaving the beams exposed in a natural wood color. I think I've perfected a way to reduce their reddish hue and get more of a weathered gray barnwood look (if you look hard, you'll see a bit of it on the diagonal crossbeam where it hits the main 8'x8′ post.) It's subtle, but I think it'll help make everything not look so… heavy.
SO, the original plan was something like this:
But, now I'm thinking that painting the ceiling boards white would be so … permanent. So I've started toying with lightening/graywashing the whole darn thing.
Like this:
It's definitely a heavier look, and those rooms have wallfulls of beautiful windows and tons of (non green-tinted) natural light. We have 4 windows in the kitchen (going to be 5 one day), and two small, Northeastern facing windows in the dining room.
So… what do you think? Jed suggested lightening/staining the entire thing, and living with it for a bit. If we didn't like it, we could always paint the ceiling boards white. That sounded nice to me, but also like a ton of potentially double work.


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It was around 4 PM when they started, the achy pains that swept across my abdomen, down my thighs and around to my lower back. I am not someone who welcomes pain. I don't push my body to do CrossFit or regularly run long distances. In high school, I was on the cross-country team but was notorious for starting out really fast then getting winded and pained halfway through the race. But, with every 30 second contraction, I found myself smiling. There was ample time in between to send a few text messages (I am having some contractions, mom!), to throw my toothbrush into the bag I had packed for the birth center. After so many days of anxious waiting, I hardly dared to let myself believe this was finally it.
If you've never been in labor, imagine that you are running hill intervals. You start at a slow jog, then kick up the intensity as you sprint up the hill – your legs and abdomen cramping underneath you, your breath shallow - until, at last, you crest the top, and plod down the hill to the other side. Now picture yourself doing those intervals once every 10 minutes for a few hours, then every 7 minutes for a couple more, and so on. Imagine that the hills get gradually higher and longer while your rest time in between gets shorter. Imagine not knowing if you have one more hour of hill intervals or 10 more hours until you can finally stop. No, wait. Not stop. Until you can PUSH A HUMAN out of a very small hole in your body. It's crazy.
When the contractions started, Josh ran out to get pizza while I puttered around at home. I remember thinking: I better get some calories in now, I might have another 54 hours (the length of my first labor) ahead of me. When he got back, we ate pizza right out of the box, grinning like fools, daring to hope we would have our baby soon.
A few days earlier, we brought home a $10 live Christmas tree from Menards. It was lopsided and spray-painted green. We propped it up in the corner of our kitchen, though it still crashed over onto the kitchen table a few times. As the hours of early labor went on into the evening, I laid down on the couch with the overhead lights off, staring at the crooked strand of twinkly lights on our tree. It was calming, watching the soft glow. Josh lit candles. The contractions were becoming more intense, but there was plenty of time to recover in between.
But they kept coming and, at around 9 PM, we called Melanie. She said she would come over in an hour.
Labor. Looking back now, it's hard for me to really remember it. I know that it got more painful, that I needed Josh and Melanie to rub my legs and lower back during contractions. I took a bath. I tried to rest by lying on the couch upstairs. I sat on the birthing ball; Melanie gave me a foot massage.
The contractions hurt, they did. But they weren't getting any closer together, still just 5 to 7 minutes apart. Because my first labor was so painfully long, I began to anticipate hours and hours ahead. I was anxious and tired. At 2 AM, Melanie suggested that we go to the birth center. "Maybe," she said, "once you're in the place where you know you will give birth, your labor will pick up."
We piled into our car and drove the 10 minutes to the birth center. It was 2:30 AM, so there were hardly any cars on the road. The 35-W bridge took us over the Mississippi river; I remember looking out over to the historic Stone Arch Bridge, the old flour mill ruins cast in an orange haze from the street lights. I had one, maybe two, contractions in the car. Melanie leaned over the seat to help massage my legs while I concentrated on my breathing.
Josh drove into the alley behind the birth center. Martha, one of the midwives, was waiting for us at the back door, her arms wrapped around herself for warmth. It was a clear, cold, snow-muffled December night. There was no one else at the birth center.
We entered the birthing suite: a large room with a king-sized bed, a couch, a rocking chair, and a giant water-birth tub. I had decided earlier not to have my cervix checked to see how dilated I was during labor; I was afraid that if I wasn't making much progress I would be easily discouraged. (Women who have vaginal births must dilate to 10 centimeters before they can push the baby down and out. In my first birth, I was stuck at 6 centimeters for 9 hours.)
I got into the birthing tub for a while, then moved into the shower. Melanie and Josh took turns feeding me small bites of cheese, frozen blueberries, spoonfuls of yogurt. I sat on a stool in the shower for what felt like hours. Melanie encouraged me to relax my face and shoulders, to groan downward -- deep, low, out. Still, I was getting tired. My contractions were about a minute long and only 5 minutes apart.
I was sitting in the shower, naked, exhausted. I turned to Melanie and said, "I can't do this anymore. I just want it to stop, it's not working. Just take me to the hospital now."
Melanie looked at me closely, her brown eyes locking with mine. "I know," she said, carefully. "It's really fucking hard. It fucking hurts. But you just need to get through the next contraction."
I closed my eyes as I felt another contraction slowly coming on, I motioned to Melanie to rub my legs, I breathed down and low and deep.
I got back into the birthing tub; the water felt wonderful on my tired body. At one point I turned to Melanie, "My contractions don't hurt as much in here. Maybe they're not working?"
She encouraged me that it was okay if they were less painful, that I was doing great, that my contractions were doing the job they were supposed to do. All I needed to do was keep eating, keep resting in between contractions. I gradually started feeling stronger, fortified by the small bites of food and small sips of coconut water and gatorade that Josh and Melanie kept offering me.
The hours blur together now in my memory. I was in a trance-like state, my mind entirely present to the moment. I didn't make eye contact with anyone; I felt entirely folded inward. We had sounds of ocean waves playing on our ipod; crash, crash, crash.
After a particularly hard contraction, I vomited all over the bed. It was one of the most encouraging moments of my entire labor. Finally, I thought, I must be really working hard. I must be getting closer. I was desperate for any sign that my labor was productive.
Martha, the midwife, had mostly left us to ourselves. ("You guys are such a great team!") But after we had been at the birth center for 4 hours, she asked if she could check my cervix to see how things were going. She promised not to tell me how dilated I was. I agreed, and after the exam, she couldn't stop herself from smiling widely.
"Stina," she said. "You are so close. Your bag of waters is bulging, it should break during your next few contractions. After that happens, you can get back in the birth tub. You will be pushing this baby out soon."
I didn't really believe her at first. I was still having contractions at only 5 minutes apart, and I had it fixed in my mind that they needed to be coming every 1 or 2 minutes before I was fully dilated. But then I had a super painful contraction, one that wretched down my back, and I was forced back in the animal present of breathing down, low, out. After a few more like that, I felt a popping, then a rush of fluid. My water had broken.
Josh and Melanie helped me get up, supporting my arms as I climbed into the birth tub. After a few more contractions, there was a pause in my labor. Martha had alerted the labor nurse and midwife intern that we were close to pushing, so two more women joined us in the room wearing scrubs and long gloves.
Suddenly, I had an overwhelming urge to push. And by overwhelming, I mean absolutely uncontrollable. I would feel the beginnings of a contraction, then a crazy powerful rush of energy down, down, down. Josh climbed into the tub with me, he straddled my back and supported me as I pushed.
I distinctly remember thinking, in between pushes, I am having a baby right now. I am pushing a live human out of my body.
In the same pattern as before, I would push for a minute, then rest for 4 or 5 more.
"I can see the head! Reach down, you can feel it."
I pushed again and felt a huge burning move downward, and then back upwards inside. With each push, I bellowed a loud, terrifying yell. I couldn't have stopped it if I wanted to.
"That's good, just like that."
A few pushes later, and my son's head was born into the water. I waited like that for a few minutes: my son's head outside and under the water, the rest of his body still inside. He kept moving his head back and forth; apparently, babies have the instinct to move their heads to help navigate their way through the birth canal. It was the strangest sensation of my life.
One more giant push, and he was out. Born into water. Dark purple and mewling and slippery on my chest. I held his sweet head against my collarbone, barely seeing more than his sticky hair; Josh held me from behind, reaching around my body to touch his head.
My son, he was here, born at 8:43 AM. I had just finished the longest, hardest endurance race of my life.
This is Part Two of my birth story. Click here for Part One.


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Real vision is action
May 25th, 2014: The mother of all elections in Belgium. The Flemish social-democratic party is under pressure. Polls indicate that right-wing parties are gaining in popularity. Our challenge was to set out a specific course in West-Flanders.
People usually don't believe what politicians say. We decided to show them what these politicians do. We started by building a powerful image around John and Johan, the two West-Flemish protagonists, introducing the campaign slogan "Real vision is action". A series of advertisements, posters and leaflets depicted their actions and expressed the main themes.
A week before the elections, we released an online video about a hot topic: the preservation of the index. The video was a big hit in the media. It was picked up by every Flemish news site and news broadcast and became the subject of debate in three election talk shows, resulting in a value of over 900.000 euros in earned media.
As a last reminder on the morning of election day, we handed out door hangers referring to the same index theme. As a result, after a decade of decline, sp.a grew by 2,18% in West-Flanders.


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When I was nineteen years old, I was running an after-school program at a subsidized housing complex near my college in Kentucky. One day, an angry fourth-grader named Antonio told me one of the most important things I've ever heard:
"You don't know me!"
Actually, he screamed it. But he was right. And that sentence has shaped the rest of my life.
My name is Hillary LP Eason, and I do human-centered program and project design. What that means is that, to follow the above critique, my job is to learn about people - to understand the environmental and economic and emotional factors that influence human behavior, and to use that information to create opportunities for empowerment. It means making Antonio proud.
Over the years, I've focused on education, healthcare, and citizen engagement. After that after-school program, I moved to Korea, where in 2008 my friend Nikki and I worked with the US Embassy to create a youth civics initiative called the Middle School Youth Diplomacy Program (MSYDP). (It's still going strong.) Since then, I've been lucky enough to work in both the public and private sectors on projects as diverse as vaccine access in Mongolia, online engagement platforms for MENA democracy activists, and an after-school program in northeast DC. I've also worked as a teacher, a journalist, and a Toyologist - jobs that have all, in one way or another, taught me about the importance of empathy.
Other things I like include writing, eating, and thinking about systems. My favorite illustrator is Ezra Jack Keats, my favorite breakfast is char siu bao, and my favorite places in DC (where I live) are the Museum of Unnatural History, the neighborhood of Petworth, and the Lincoln Memorial at night.


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The latest high profile data breach is a big one. Health insurance provider Anthem is reporting that records of as many 80 million customers and employees have been compromised. Anthem is the second largest health insurance provider in the United States, with approximately 38 million medical members.
The Anthem data breach may be the largest breach of healthcare data in history. In a statement on the breach, CEO Joseph Swedish acknowledged that even his own personal data was compromised.
Healthcare data is among the most coveted by hackers because it includes highly personalized details of the consumers of healthcare services. Although there is no indication that the hackers obtained medical records or financial data, what they were able to get is gold to criminal hackers. The data included names, addresses, social security numbers, email addresses and employment histories.
Unlike financial fraud, medically related fraud is often not reported quickly. Consumers do not monitor medical and insurance statements as closely or routinely as they do for their financial records. Hackers are eager to take advantage of this fact.
Anthem reports that the breach was discovered last week, but does not indicate how long the exposure period is. The company is cooperating with law enforcement, including the FBI, and has retained security firm Mandiant to assist with the investigation of the breach.
Anthem will contact compromised customers individually and will offer them free credit and identity theft protection services. This is a relatively rapid response. Under Federal law they have up to 60 days to notify potential victims of a possible data breachTEST YOUR EMAIL SECURITY GET YOUR INSTANT SECURITY SCORECARD FOR FREE


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Contact Us
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You can also contact and follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/TheOvalWindow.


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"Simple Twist" Bracelet with Swarovski crystals
The MyCollection jewelry brings you a bracelet for the modern woman
We present to you the "Simple Twist" bracelet. A signature piece from MyCollection, with a simple design, easy to place on the wrist thanks to its button fastening. This is one of those bracelets that every woman wants and that becomes the ideal gift that adds sparkle and and a unique touch to any outfit. It goes perfectly with jeans and heels on a workday, and with an block-colour evening dress to complement her current and modern style. Thanks to the various rows of Swarovski crystals perfectly dispersed across the bracelet, she will not go unnoticed and neither will the gift.
Product details:
MyCollection de Swarovski
Alcantara® bracelet
Two buttons for the closure, possibility to adjust the size
Approximate size: 36 cm


text: You asked for it, you got it! Little Skull has put out a Pinup Calendar for 2014! On sale now! This calendar would make a perfect gift for anyone who loves pinup girls! Also, Keep your eyes peeled to our facebook page near the end of this month we will be holding a contest to WIN a copy!


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Cascina San Cristoforo is fortunate to be situated in one of the best locations in the region. The winery is located in the municipality of Neive, in the heart of the Barbaresco wine production region. San Cristoforo and Gallina are our two hills, and they benefit from excellent exposure, quality of earth, and superb microclimates. These elements form the foundation that we strive to reproduce in our wines as exemplifying the terroir of Barbaresco.
Started in 1997, the winery over the last several years has begun to commercialize its products in earnest, after the restructuring of the vineyard through the addition of new Nebbiolo vines in 1999 and 2000 and the complete modernization of its cellar operations. Currently the winery has about 1.3 hectares (3.5 acres) of vines from which it produces between 8,000 to 10,000 bottles per year of mostly Barbaresco DOCG and Dolcetto d'Alba DOC, as well as a smaller production of Langhe Nebbiolo DOC.


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Killers front man Brandon Flowers thinks gay fans will connect with his album, but not even Elton John can get him to shave that beard.
Go inside to read the full article.
Smile like you mean it, because the Killers are on the attack with their third proper album, Day & Age, which drops November 25. Singer Brandon Flowers has been a gay fan favorite since the 2004 release of his Las Vegas–based band's Grammy-nominated debut, Hot Fuss. Four years later, the 27-year-old is back in bloom with a fresher face and fiercer fashions. We picked the dad's brain about his queer heroes, beard clippings, and an odd trip to The O.C.Not to sound like an obscene phone call, but where are you, and what are you wearing?I'm driving through Las Vegas on my way to a rehearsal. My daily garments are kind of boring, but Polo makes these custom-fit shirts that I'm a fan of. My dream would be to dress like a Polo ad every day — they have great ads — but the clothes don't really fit like that when you buy them.Fashionably speaking, are you returning to your glam roots for the new album?Yeah, a little bit. It's a little wilder. There's a woman who goes by Mrs. Jones — she does stuff for Kylie Minogue and Scissor Sisters — and we reached out to her to make some stuff for us. She's made me two jackets with fur sleeves.Which track on Day & Age do you think will resonate most with gay fans?Well, we marry disco and rock in a perfect way on "Joy Ride." I think I may need to work on my dance moves.Do you think you alienated any gay fans with Sam's Town, your 2006 follow-up to Hot Fuss?I hope not. It did go a little more in a rock direction, but it was still us. I feel like we make music for everybody.What about the facial hair you rocked for that record?I thought you guys liked that stuff! Although we do go have dinner with Elton [John] whenever he's in town, and every time I walked in the door he would say, "You haven't shaved that off yet?" I felt more comfortable with facial hair; it's almost like a mask. Whenever I shave, I save the hair. I've got it in a bag, and I'm planning to send it with the new album to [Pet Shop Boys singer] Neil Tennant.Who's the most influential gay person in your life?Whether I knew it or not, or found out later, a lot of the music that I grew up on tended to be made by gay men. A lot of my heroes were and are gay men.Growing up Mormon, you were probably sheltered from gay people. Do you remember your first encounter?I remember two women were kissing on a blanket while we were at the park, and my mom kind of rushed us away because she didn't want us to see it. But I don't think it affected me either way.Androgyny in your style and song lyrics back in the Hot Fuss days had blogs buzzing that you might be gay. Did having to field that question ever get annoying?No, because I grew up obsessed with Morrissey, so a strange part of me was very flattered by it all. If that was always hovering around, it felt like I was doing something right. It was fun for a while.Nike used the lyric "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" from your song "All These Things That I've Done" for a popular 2008 Olympics TV commercial. Is there a lyric on Day & Age that could make you as much money?[Laughs] I feel like the chorus on "A Dustland Fairytale" is right up there with "All These Things That I've Done." There's a great feeling of unity that happens when we play "All These Things That I've Done" in live shows, and we were very proud with how [the commercial] turned out, and to be a part of the Olympics.You've made amends for feuds you've picked in the past with other artists like the Bravery, Fall Out Boy, and Panic! at the Disco, but is there anyone who still deserves your criticism?That's a nice way to put it. [Laughs] There probably are a few, but I really am trying to be better. It's not that I'm trying to censor myself as much as I think there's enough negativity in the world, and I want to be positive. With people that I've put down, I understand now that they have their own ability and a gift for doing whatever they're doing. If they like doing it, then I shouldn't be trying to tear it down.Even acts like the Jonas Brothers?Well, that's just kids. Disney's getting really good at marketing; they're making so much money. I mean, Miley Cyrus is up there with the Stones for tours. It's crazy.Did appearing on The O.C. help you get in touch with that teen market?I don't know if it helped us or hurt us. I still don't know what it did. We were just getting started, and we wanted to be selective about what we did, but we were also scared to death that we weren't going to make it. We always justified doing The O.C. by saying, "Well, if the Flaming Lips did 90210, maybe we can do The O.C. and get away with it."Can we maybe expect a Gossip Girl appearance to promote Day & Age?No, now we're older and wiser.Do you have any TV obsessions?We're out of town so much that I don't really have time to watch many shows, but I love House. House is my heroin. I want to meet [Hugh Laurie].Have you had any contact with Rufus Wainwright since he wrote the song "Tulsa" about your first meeting in Oklahoma?I ran into Rufus in Scotland, where we were playing a gig called T in the Park. He was cruising around where all the bands are, and we had a laugh about it. I was very flattered.Isn't it only fair that you write a song about him now?[Laughs] Yeah, maybe I owe him one.
YES BRANDON FLOWERS. Tell us about you one night stand (I doubt it was only one night) with RUFUS. 😉
Thanks to HongkongKaton for the heads up!


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Personal Reality Creation 101
I've decided to design my own life. I think I've been trying to do this for years but I keep going around in circles thinking instead of doing it, experiencing it or going through it. I hope by posting about it I will get increasing clarity on this.
I don't know what the problem is. What is my problem? I feel bogged down with this information that I feel is so important. Why do I feel it is so important? Perhaps because it is part of my journey. It tells the story of my journey and what has helped me along the way. It shows what I was reading at such and such date. What I was thinking at such and such time.
Sometimes I look back and read a tidbit that resonates with what I'm learning still. Other times I look back and realize my mind hasn't traveled that far off of the centre point from which is perceives. Of course I can't say the same thing with my experience of journeying through mania and psychosis, or as I like to call it "magic".
I started reading the book "Programming the Human Biocomputer" by John C. Lilly. It has insights into magic or mania in the first few pages. Something along the lines of inner reality not matching outer objective reality. I definitely had this experience.
My thoughts are disjointed. They come out of no where. There must be a way to share my experience. It seems valuable to me. I have a good brain. A good brain that has traveled to uncharted places. I charted some of them and I want to share it to see what you think. What do you think about what you see? Maybe this is the way to share it. Just to start sharing. This is the flow. I am in the flow.
I do feel that I want to experience effortlessness. What are the structures of effortlessness? Is that a contradiction? I don't know. Somehow it seems that I must pose what I perceive as intelligent questions. The Universe will present the answer in a present moment that I'm moving towards, or that I move towards as a result of posing the questions.
There was an intuition that much of the world is backwards. I don't know what order to present this in but I feel that by writing this on January 30, 2015 and posting it on March 23, 2016, it gives me some time to catch up. My brain is way ahead of my physical reality. I know how things can be. I've seen it. But I don't want to talk about it at large until I catch up. Otherwise that just creates more of a disconnect.
I came across something about creating a magical notebook. I shall use this blog as a magical notebook. Perhaps the magic will stop when I have a notebook about it. But perhaps not. I may change my mind about the time delay. How much time do I need to create this? I don't know. The key to the Universe is I don't know. I know that for sure!!!


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Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is coming, and we couldn't be more excited. It's the second in the Fantastic Beasts series, a Harry Potter spinoff set in J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World. Here, you'll find out when the Fantastic Beasts 2 is coming out, who's in it and what we know about the plot so far. You can also watch the first official trailer.
It's is set to be one of the biggest films of 2018, alongside the Han Solo Star Wars spin-off and Avengers: Infinity War. You can see all of the best films coming out in 2018 and watch their trailers here.
Release date
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is out on 16 November 2018, two years after the first in the series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
If you're in the US, you can sign up to get alerts when tickets go on sale from Fandango.
In the UK, we'd recommend checking Cineworld, Vue and Empire.
This is just the second movie in what is set to be a five film series, and we expect the remaining three to be released on 2020, 2022 and 2024.
Cast Photo
If you've yet to see the first movie in the series, you'll find it available to stream on Now TV or to buy from Amazon here.
Returning for the second movie are some of the actors and characters we got to know in the first. Main character Newt Scamander is played by Eddie Redmayne, and you'll Dan Fogler is Jacob Kowalski.
Katherine Waterston and Alison Sudol also return as Tina and Queenie Goldstein, while Ezra Miller plays Credence Barebone.
Right at the end of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, we got a glimpse as Johnny Depp in the role of Gellert Grindelwald, who, as you can tell by its title, is set to play a much bigger part in the new movie.
New to the cast is Jude Law as a young Albus Dumbledore, and further new faces include Zoe Kravitz as Leta Lestrange and Callum Turner as Theseus Scamander.
Watch the trailers
So far, there's only one trailer for The Crimes of Grindelwald. It was released on 13 March 2018, giving us our first glimpse at what's in store. We see Jude Law in his role as Dumbledore, and discover that we're set to return to Hogwarts.
Plot rumours
Unlike the Harry Potter movies themselves, the Fantastic Beasts series plot is a secret until the films land in cinemas. We knew and loved the Harry Potter books before the movies were released, but this time it's movie first, book second.
The series was inspired by the fictional book of the same name that Harry and his friends were required to read as part of the Hogwarts curriculum, written by Newt Scamander himself. Following its release in cinemas, the screenplay (written by J.K. Rowling) was published as a book, and we expect the same to be true with the second movie.
That hasn't stopped speculation about what's in store for fans. The trailer reveals we'll be returning to Hogwarts, and we already know that we're set to find out more about Albus Dumbledore and his battle with dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald. That very battle was first mentioned in the first Harry Potter book: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, so it won't come as a surprise to fans.
At the end of the first film, we see Grindelwald captured by MACUSA (Magical Congress of the United States of America), but two years on the powerful wizard has managed to escape custody and is gathering followers. Unlike Voldermort's followers, many of Grindelwald's aren't aware that his true agenda is to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over the non-magical beings (Muggles, No-Majs).
In an attempt to stop him, Dumbledore (then a Transfiguration professor) enlists the help of Newt.
Back in 2016, IMDB seemed to leak plot details of the second Fantastic Beasts movie. It took the summary down when it realised its mistake, but not before The Leaky Cauldron caught it and published it on its blog.
If it's to be believed, the leak suggests it's been two years since the end of the last movie, and Newt is living back in the UK. He has published his book, and is finally over Leta Lestrange.
The first trailer gives us further clues about the plot of Crimes of Grindelwald. Jacob is back (and appears to have his memories back?), Newt's brother Theseus is set to make an appearance and we're going on a trip to Paris. Leta Lestrange will be introduced, and we already know she was a former love interest of Newt's that betrayed him.
Do you have any theories about Crimes of Grindelwald? Let us know in the comments section below or on Twitter.


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Postado on Fri Jun 10, 2016 4:54 pm
Yeah i know this probably isn't a bug or anything but i just wanted to point this out. I try join the server and it takes a while then starts downloading addons (and i have downloaded the addon pack) then A long wait but as soon as i join it auto disconnects me! it is really REALLY annoying. Is there anyway to fix this?


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My dear friends,
We're back!
Had a fabulous time in Umbria, met wonderful people, made new friends, ate food fit for the gods, enjoyed beautiful architecture and art, and swam with our dog for the first time. The colors of the land, villages and towns inspired me, and Italy made a coffee drinker out of me!
Just have to unpack, get things back on track and I'll be posting again soon.
In the meantime, hope you will enjoy this snap of a sunflower taken early in the morning during a walk in the fields with Darwin...


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In their new book, "Red Capitalism: The Fragile Financial Foundation of China's Extraordinary Rise" (John Wiley & Sons), Carl E. Walter and Fraser J.T. Howie paint a troubling portrait of China's economy and its financial system. Despite the nation's mind-boggling growth and images of gleaming skyscrapers and luxury cars, the authors say China's growth model is flawed and fragile, and they warn about substantial risks accumulating in its banking system.
Backgrounder: S'pore Inc has big bets on China


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Finding a healthy balance in your diet can be a difficult task. We are surrounded by so many companies and people telling us what we should and shouldn't do, it all makes for a bit of confusion as to what is right and wrong when it comes to food.
Before becoming vegan my relationship with food wasn't very great. I didn't find food to be important and I definitely didn't view it as nourishment. I would never eat breakfast and usually skip lunch in high school. I'd come home and eat the first thing I found which was usually some overly processed animal products. Fresh fruits and veggies weren't a part of my life and I thought that eating 1,200 calories per day was a good thing. I was taught that dieting was a normal and totally healthy thing to do.
Ever since I became vegan (and gluten free) over 2 years ago I have been primarily plant based. I never went through the "junk food vegan" stage and was totally fine with that. Looking back, it's quite amazing the transformation that I made in such a short period of time. I bought a few books, Intuitive Eating and Food Rules, and read through them which really helped me distance myself from the negative energy that I suffocated my relationship with food in. I began to feel so much better and I had so much fun with my newly found diet/lifestyle. If I was out somewhere that there were vegan junk foods I would eat them on occasion but that was it. I never really desired them and was totally happy eating a salad verses some seitan wings when out at a restaurant.
Things have changed recently though and I've began to branch out more. I've become quite interested recently in trying to count my macros to see how that affects my workouts. I know that it's totally possible to do this in a plant based way but I've been wanting to branch out a bit and try some other foods. Along with that came my decision to try to bring gluten back into my diet. I removed gluten back in 2013 because I thought that it would help with some digestive issues that I was having. It did help and gluten became a special occasion thing since then. I've really been wanting bread recently though, so the other night Darrin and I got some. It was awesome and I savored it so much. The only thing that happened was that I got a bit of a headache from it. All throughout this past week I've been eating random bits of gluten and each time I've been getting a headache. Gluten isn't something that I think I'm going to stick to eating regularly but I'm experiencing and trying out things that I typically wouldn't do.
And to be honest, I am really enjoying this new balance between healthy and slightly processed foods. It's cool to me because I've never been into eating processed foods as a vegan.
Now when I say that I'm eating processed foods I mean that I'm eating snack bars, chocolates, tofu, cereals, etc. and I'm eating one or two processed things a day. My diet is still 85% clean but this is my current experience and thoughts on this topic.
I think that's how to successfully find balance in your diet though. Ask yourself if the foods you're eating make you feel good and ask yourself if your truly enjoy them. If the answer is yes, then I say go for it! Experiment and see what works best for your body. It's that simple. Life is too short to turn down eating a pint of ice cream with your boyfriend on occasion. But it's also too short to spend it feeling sick and down all of the time because of the foods you're eating. Ultimately you know what is best for your body. It's your responsibility to listen to it and make the best decisions for yourself.
You're in charge of your own life, 100%. Each day that you wake up you get to decide what kind of day you're going to have. I wake up everyday and choose to make the best of what I have. I have created a fun and loving relationship with eating plants and I keep that positivity alive by trying new things, switching it up, and not being too rigid in my decisions.
You can do it too.
Don't be afraid of food and calories. They're not the enemy. Eating a healthy, balanced, and intuitive (vegan) diet is a great way to create a healthy relationship with yourself and food. Once you have the foundation of that, everything else falls into place.


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Scientists decipher charred 1,500-year-old scroll
A 1,500-year-old Torah scroll burned beyond the point of unrolling or deciphering has been read using advanced digital imaging. The text researchers were able to reveal is from the Book of Leviticus and outlines the requirements for the preparation and offering of a sacrificial animal.
To make the ancient words visible required the assistance of cutting edge modern technology. The scroll was first scanned using a non-invasive X-ray tomography machine. That data was then processed through a virtual unwrapping program, which allowed the Hebrew text on individual pages to be isolated.
While the means used to read the scroll are significant, so is the find itself. The scroll was discovered during a 1970 excavation of the burned synagogue at Ein Gedi inside its Holy Ark. It was the first Torah scroll to ever be discovered inside such a building, particularly in a Holy Ark. It dates back to the 6th century, making it among the oldest biblical texts to ever be retrieved.
See Gallery


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The life and the working style of men and women are always different. Women undergo a lot of stress and strains in their life and once they reach a certain age, they are the first to get different health problems. There are few ways to solve these women's health issue.The most important things that you need to follow after reaching fifty years are as follows:
Healthy Heart
During different stages, women undergo fat and lean lifestyles and during this the end up in the fat body. During this, the fat deposited in the blood vessels block the pumping and leads to heart problems. So, have a regular check-up of your heart and blood circulation. Use the prescribed medicine without fail. Do not neglect any type of Women's health problems.
This is the most important problem to take care of. Therefore, you need to make sure you have a proper cycle at proper timing. Use any natural medicine to make it happen at the right time. Keep a check on the estrogen's level. Follow some women's health care tips and everything in normal.
Immunity check
During many stages, a woman is prone to different disease-causing hazards. When they are young, the immunity is high. However, after reaching fifties, the immunity power decreases and chances for diseases are more. Therefore, a healthy diet and healthy living are mandatory. Perform some work out so that you can promote and implement female fitness.
Take out the stress from you. This is one major health problem in women after fifties. You can spend a lot of time with your grandchildren or make some friends or gardening. All these will help in diverting you from the other thoughts.
The big brain
Neural and brain health are very important as it plays a role in the total functioning of the body. Most of the cases adults die because of the brain strokes and malfunctioning of the brain and the nervous system in the whole body.


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What is group B streptococcus?
Group B strep (GBS) is a kind of bacteria that many people naturally have in their intestinal tract. The bacteria may also inhabit, or "colonize," your vagina and be passed on to your baby during labor and birth. About 25 percent of pregnant women carry GBS in the vagina, rectum, or surrounding area. (This bacteria is not the same as group A strep, the type that usually causes strep throat.)
It is possible to spread group B strep through sexual contact, but it is not considered a sexually transmitted infection because your genital area may be colonized by bacteria you carry in your own gastrointestinal tract.
Why do I need to be tested for group B strep?
Although GBS is generally harmless to healthy adults, it may cause stillbirth and serious infections in babies. And getting screened for GBS late in pregnancy – and being treated with antibiotics during labor if necessary – greatly reduces your baby's risk of becoming infected.
That's why the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend that all pregnant women get a routine GBS screening at 35 to 37 weeks. You will automatically be treated during labor if you're at high risk for GBS. You're considered high risk if you:
- Tested positive for GBS at any time during your pregnancy
- Had a urinary tract infection caused by GBS at any time during your pregnancy
- Previously had a baby with a GBS disease
Before pregnant women were routinely screened and treated, approximately 2 to 3 babies out of every 1,000 live births developed early-onset GBS disease, a life-threatening illness that shows up in the first week of life (most often in the first 24 hours after birth). Now, there are only about 0.27 cases per 1,000 live births.
What are the consequences of early-onset GBS disease?
Early-onset GBS disease can cause an infection in the blood (sepsis), pneumonia, and, less frequently, meningitis. Some babies, especially those with meningitis, will have long-term health problems, such as hearing or vision loss, cerebral palsy, or developmental disabilities. A small percentage won't survive.
Preterm babies have a lower survival rate than full-term babies, and those who survive are at higher risk for long-term problems from the disease.
Why am I not screened for GBS at my first prenatal visit and treated right away if I test positive?
The test isn't done until late pregnancy because the bacteria can come and go. So the result of an early test is not a good predictor of whether you'll have the bacteria when you give birth.
You could be negative at one point during pregnancy and positive by the time you go into labor, or vice versa. For the same reason, you need to be screened during each pregnancy.
Similarly, taking antibiotics before you go into labor doesn't prevent your genital area from becoming colonized again, so – unlike treatment during labor – it doesn't reduce the risk of transmitting the infection to your baby.
However, if you have a urinary tract infection (UTI) caused by GBS during pregnancy, you'll be treated with oral antibiotics right away and have a repeat urine culture done after treatment to make sure the infection is gone, just as you would for any UTI during pregnancy.
Although oral antibiotics will take care of the bacteria in your urinary tract, some bacteria may remain in your genital area or return there later. Having GBS in your urine is a sign that you have a lot of it in your genital tract, so you'll automatically be given IV antibiotics during labor.
How is the test done?
Your healthcare provider painlessly swabs the lower end of your vagina and your rectum and sends the samples to a lab to be grown in a culture that will identify whether GBS bacteria is present. Your results should be available in two to three days. If your provider doesn't tell you the results by your next prenatal appointment, be sure to ask.
Some hospitals offer rapid GBS tests that can be done during labor, with results available in an hour or so. But the rapid tests are not as sensitive as those that allow time for the GBS to incubate, so the CDC, ACOG, and AAP all still recommend screening at 35 to 37 weeks.
What happens if I test positive?
A positive result means only that you carry the bacteria, not that you or your baby will definitely become ill, even if you don't receive proper treatment.
Getting antibiotics during labor greatly reduces those odds. For example, if you're a GBS carrier with no other risk factors, your baby's odds of getting infected are about 1 in 200 without treatment, and about 1 in 4,000 if you do get treated.
Treatment also reduces your own chances of developing a GBS infection (such as a uterine infection) during labor or postpartum.
If you're positive for GBS, you'll start taking antibiotics as soon as your labor begins or your water breaks, whichever comes first. (The only exception is if you have a cesarean section before your water breaks or if you go into labor, regardless of how far along you are.)
Ideally, you'll want to get started on antibiotics at least four hours before you give birth, but if your labor is very fast you may not have that much time. Take comfort that beginning antibiotics even just a couple of hours before delivery reduces the risk to your baby. And try not to worry, because there's only a small chance that your baby will get sick, especially if he's full-term, you don't have a fever, and your membranes aren't ruptured for long.
What if I go into labor before my results are available?
If you don't know whether you're carrying the bacteria when you go into labor, you'll be treated with antibiotics if you have any of these risk factors:
- You go into preterm labor, or your water breaks before 37 weeks.
- There's a long delay (18 hours or more) between your water breaking and your delivery.
- You develop a fever during labor (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher).
If a rapid test is available and you don't have any risk factors, your provider may prefer to do the test and then treat you if the results are positive. (If the rapid results are negative but you go on to develop risk factors, you'll be treated because the rapid test may miss some GBS cases.)
What are the risks or side effects from taking antibiotics during labor?
You'll probably be given penicillin, which is the preferred drug to treat GBS and is safe for babies. Ten percent of pregnant women who take penicillin develop mild allergic symptoms, such as a rash. Very rarely (1 in 10,000 cases), penicillin causes a severe allergic reaction that requires emergency treatment, and it can be life-threatening in 1 out of 100,000 cases.
If you've had an allergic reaction to penicillin before, your provider will ask the lab to test your culture to find out which other antibiotics will work for you. If you're not sure whether you're allergic to penicillin, you might be given a skin test to find out whether you can safely use this drug.
What kind of follow-up is necessary after my baby is born?
If you're a GBS carrier, your baby will be observed closely for signs of infection – regardless of whether you were treated with antibiotics during labor.
Studies show that 90 percent of babies who get early-onset GBS disease begin to show signs of sickness within the first 24 hours of life. These signs include difficulty breathing, unusual irritability, unusual limpness or extreme stiffness, feeding problems, lethargy (a baby who's hard to wake up), seizures, and an unstable temperature. If you notice any of these symptoms at the hospital or at home, get help immediately.
If doctors have any concern that your baby is infected, they'll do a full workup, including blood tests and, depending on the circumstances, a chest X-ray and a spinal tap. Your baby will be started on antibiotics immediately.
If your baby shows no signs of infection, you can usually take him home after a day or two.
If you'd like to go home earlier than that, your baby's doctor may agree to discharge him after 24 hours as long as:
- You received antibiotics at least four hours before birth.
- There were no signs of infection during labor.
- Your baby is full-term, appears healthy, and has no other problems.
- You fully understand the doctor's instructions for observation at home.
- You have quick access to medical care.
Otherwise, your baby will need to remain in the hospital for at least 48 hours for observation.
If your baby was born prematurely, he'll probably have some testing done and may need to stay longer, even if you were treated during labor and he shows no signs of infection. This is because premature babies are more likely to get GBS disease and tend to be sicker if they do get it.
Can my baby get a GBS infection later?
It's possible for a baby to develop a GBS infection after the first week (usually within three months). This is called late-onset GBS disease, and it accounts for about half of all newborn GBS disease.
Late-onset GBS can cause the same problems as early-onset GBS and affects 3 out of every 10,000 babies. As with early-onset GBS, babies born prematurely are more at risk. Meningitis is more common with late-onset disease.
Whether or not you test positive for GBS, if your baby seems sick to you or just doesn't look right, seek help right away. Signs that you should contact your baby's doctor include lethargy, unusual irritability, poor feeding, vomiting, and fever.
Is there any way to prevent late-onset GBS?
Receiving antibiotics during labor won't prevent late-onset GBS disease. Only half of babies who get late-onset disease have mothers who are GBS carriers, and nobody knows how the others get infected with the bacteria, so prevention is difficult.
Researchers are working on a group B strep vaccine that aims to eliminate both early- and late-onset disease, along with the need for testing and treatment. It may also prevent rare maternal GBS disease and possible adverse effects on pregnancy.
Learn more:
Blood test for Rh status and antibody screenWhat happens to your baby after delivery


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Secrets of the Tomb
November 14, 2002
About This Video
Run time: 57 minutes
Ms. Robbins discussed her book Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, The Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of Power, published by Little, Brown and Company. Founded in the nineteenth century, the Order of Skull and Bones secretly recruits a small number of Yale juniors for membership each year. The members, known as "bonesmen," are sworn to secrecy about the activities, power and scope of the society. Ms. Robbins interviewed 100 "bonesmen" for information about the secret initiation rites and the organization's influence on world affairs.


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NCI Drug Dictionary
The NCI Drug Dictionary contains technical definitions and synonyms for drugs/agents used to treat patients with cancer or conditions related to cancer. Each drug entry includes links to check for clinical trials listed in NCI's List of Cancer Clinical Trials.
- elisidepsin
A marine-derived, synthetic cyclic depsipeptide with potential antineoplastic activity. Elisidepsin is a derivative of a natural marine compound that belongs to a family of dehydro aminobutyric acid-containing peptides (kahalalides) isolated from the herbivorous marine mollusk Elysia rufescens. Although the primary mechanism of action has yet to be elucidated, this agent exhibits anti-proliferative activity in a wide variety of cancer cell types, including breast, colon, pancreas, lung, and prostate; it appears to induce oncolytic rather than apoptotic cell death. Check for active clinical trials using this agent. (NCI Thesaurus)
Synonym: depsipeptide PM02734 Foreign brand name: Irvalec Code name: PM02734


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Hong Kong is a fascinating place to travel to. It is constantly changing, modern yet traditional, full of Western businesses and democratic ideals yet ruled by the more austere communist-China way of life. The people who live there love dim sum and pizza, and never seem to stop moving.
You may be surprised to learn that most of Hong Kong is green (other than the mass of high-rises that make up Hong Kong Island of course), with beautiful hills for hiking, and plenty of outdoor activities. Another surprising fact is that the four main areas — Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, the New Territories and the Outlying Islands — are made up of more than 200 islands!!
Because of more lax regulations regarding visas, it is also one of the few places in China that can be accessed by most of the world without one. This has led to it becoming an international hub for people who are waiting to receive visas to enter the rest of the country, or other countries nearby (aka an excellent place for serious people watching).
Here are some things to do, and reasons why I think Hong Kong is worth adding to your travel list:
1. Amazing, easy to navigate public transportation
There is a comprehensive system of trains (one that passes under the harbour area!), boats, and busses that can get you anywhere you want to go quickly and easily. They are modern, clean, and there is even a high-speed train that will take you directly to the airport!
2. Kowloon
Meaning "nine dragons" in English, this is where you will find a blend of locals, expats, and tourists from all over the world. It is where opulent hotels sit across from crumbling tenements, stores selling cheap knock-offs are wedged between high-end shops, and there is non-stop chaos day and night — it's wonderful! There are markets, shopping centres, great restaurants, street food, and an incredible view of the harbour and the buildings of Hong Kong Island.
3. English-speaking friendly
Unlike other parts of China, there is a lot of English signage and many people speak English here. This is a result of Hong Kong being an English colony for so long.
4. Hong Kong Island
One of the largest islands, there is SO much to see and do here. Ride the outdoor Mid-Levels Escalator, the longest in the world, that transports pedestrians 800m from Queen's Rd Central via SoHo all the way up to Conduit Rd in Mid-Levels in 20 minutes. It passes through areas with incredible nightlife, so is a lot of fun to explore at night.
You can also check out Li Yuen St East, Li Yuen St West and the Graham St market which are right out of a movie with narrow pedestrian alleyways crammed with shops selling everything from bags to shoes to frogs legs.
The spiral incense-filled Man Mo Temple built in 1847 is one of the oldest in Hong Kong, and is an absolute must-see.
5. Lantau
Twice the size of Hong kong Island, this uncrowded, forest filled island has a massive monastery and temple complex called Po Lin on one of its highest points.
The temple is beautiful, but the real draw is the Tian Tan Buddha Statue (pictured above) that is the world's largest outdoor seated bronze buddha and can be reached by a steep climb of 260 steps.
My favourite part of visiting Lantau was riding the Ngong Ping 360 cable car which has one of the most incredible views I have ever seen!