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Forskolin Extract – Buy Effective Weight Loss Supplements to Shed Those Stubborn Pounds
Forskolin extract is popularly known as the best effective natural weight loss supplement. Coleus forskohlii plant is naturally available and helps in making supplements that burn fat more quickly when accompanied with healthy diet and proper workouts. This herb is quite similar to mint plant, and has been used to treat many health ailments for decades.
There are many other health related problems which can be cured including this plant extract as a remedy. This extract is made of coleus forskohlii roots. Some of the diseases that this herb can cure are high blood pressure, chest pain, asthma, skin allergies etc.
From where you can avail Forskolin
There are many retail stores, where you can easily find supplements Forskolin. However, it is highly recommend that you buy the product from a reputed store. You can also buy these products online, from medical stores or health and vitamin retailer shop, etc. Although the branded ones are a little expensive when compared to the others in the market, but show much better results.
Beware of the weight loss scams
Beware of the forskolin scams available on various websites. There are many scammers that pretend to sound genuine by displaying images and videos on their website to attract more customers. You need to be smart while choosing your weight loss supplements, do not blindly believe all the information available online.
It is suggested that you do not fall for a low price, discounts or free trial periods. You need to be careful while shopping health supplements, as you do not want to spend money on products that show no results.
Not all brands offer quality products, and thus you must read their reviews online and find out the most suitable supplement for yourself. You could also consult your physician or fitness trainer.
Forskolin Benefits
For the average adults, froskolin is a great fat burner that can help in losing weight. You can easily achieve leaner and healthier body. Supplements with Forskolin extract help in cutting down the belly fat without giving any adverse reactions.
It works great for women because it doesn't have any side effects. You just need to know if it is right for you or not. It is recommend that while using it, if you feel any kind of uneasiness, then consult your doctor immediately and stop its consumption. Do not wait for a day or two in such cases.
Although off late people have come across this supplement, but it has been used by ancestors for treating a number of health issues. Not just this, coleus forskohlii has the ability to stimulate hormones in our body, and thereby burning excess body fat, resulting in permanent weight loss.
Today, there are many herbal product manufacturers who use forskohlii extract to cure the health problems without any side effects. Even if there are any side effects, they are pretty mild and can be overcome easily. If you are suffering from any ailment, it is best that you consume supplements with forskohlii extract only under the guidance or your doctor of physician.


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In Reply to: Re: a yoga/cts question posted by RAMONA on June 23, 2000 at 21:34:51:
: : I have carpol tunnel issues and recently started doing yoga. Some postures put alot of pressure on the bent wrist (downward dog). I've been doing these postures on fists, but I've heard there might be handles out there somewhere which my knuckles would love. Any advice on these and where to find them? I'd love to get them on line. Thanks! Molly
: Molly:: I got four great yoga tapes from Gail Dubinsky, MD which are made specifically for repetitive strain injuries. No posture is hard on your hands. I enjoy doing these tapes very much. Her website is http://www.sonic.net/-dubinsky/ Good luck!
Molly, Can you verify the web address you gave. I can't seem to get it to work. Thanks, Diane
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subset: commoncrawl


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HITEC University Admission Test 18 August 2018 Roll No Slip
HITEC University (Admission Test Fall 2018) List of selected candidates & Roll no Slip For NTS Test whose held dates is Saturday, 18th August 2018 is Uploaded Here.HITEC University (Admission Test Fall 2018)and Roll number Slip Download Online at studyinfo.pk
HITEC university Taxila NTS Test Roll No Slip is available here. Test date is Sunday, 18th August 2018.
NTS nts test roll num slip till 18 August List of Candidates who have selected & rejected for this Test:Test Date :Sunday 18 August 2018 and every applicant should follow the schedule given below for the NTS test for the year of 2018. Here at our website well provide you the every information related to NTS such as here you can get Candidates List of every test and after every test candidates can get accurate Result by visiting our site For this purpose.
While here on this page candidates will get online their roll number slips. We deliver them online by using their CNIC Number to download the roll number slip. The candidates who are able to appear in the nts test will issue by roll number slip while other are disqualified from the test.
Note (Warning): Mobile Phones are strictly not allowed inside test center premises. Mobile collection facility will not be provided at test center.


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Call us on
Leading national law firm Irwin Mitchell has reaffirmed its ongoing strategic drive to build a leading national business legal services team with the recruitment of two high profile Banking and Asset Based Lending partners, Andrew Watson and Jon Bew, from Squire Sanders, (formerly Squire Sanders Hammonds).
Andrew Watson will become Head of Finance at Irwin Mitchell and will be based in the London office. Jon Bew will be based in Birmingham, but as now will split his time between London and Birmingham. The new partners will dovetail with Irwin Mitchell's existing national finance team.
These appointments are the latest in a series of senior appointments in the Business Legal Services Division of Irwin Mitchell as it drives forward its strategic growth plan. This drive began in November 2010 when the firm appointed SJ Berwin's head of real estate Jon Vivian who joined the London office with six other partners and a team of over 20, closely followed by the appointment of Paul Firth in 2011 from DLA Sheffield to work with Niall Baker, head of the firm's Business Legal Services division, to develop the business practice across the UK. The appointment of Tom Flanagan as National Head of Employment followed in March 2011.
Other senior appointments in London included Sue Wilson as a senior Real Estate Litigation Consultant, Alex Barnes as a Real Estate Tax partner and Jayne Schnider who joined from Taylor Wessing as a Corporate Real Estate partner. In addition, DLA Piper's Head of Construction and Engineering, Julie Morrissy and Steven Bate, DWF's Head of Construction in Yorkshire, have also recently joined the firm.
Andrew and Jon have combined experience of over 35 years in the London finance market, with a particular specialism in Asset Based Lending, covering receivables finance, trade finance, inventory finance, equipment finance and structuring cross-border financings. Both are widely acknowledged as leading lawyers in this field with particular strong reputations for the use of bespoke structures in connection with acquisition financings.
Their client base is wide ranging and includes UK clearing banks and their subsidiaries, independent specialist financiers, and US and European asset based lenders.
Since bringing their practice to what is now Squire Sanders upon the merger of Wilde & Partners with Hammond Suddards Edge in 2001, Andrew and Jon have developed what is widely regarded as one of the very best practices in the non-contentious Asset Based Lending arena in the UK.
Both are highly regarded with Andrew described by Legal Week in November as one of the most "respected operators" in the firm and Jon noted in Chambers for his "in-depth technical knowledge and commercial sense."
Commenting on the new appointments, Niall Baker, Head of Business Legal Services said, "Complementing and strengthening our existing Finance team, these appointments are a serious step up for Irwin Mitchell in terms of capability and reputation in the Finance legal market place. We are very pleased indeed to be able to offer enhanced services to our clients by the addition of City finance expertise.
"Finance is a natural area for Irwin Mitchell to continue to expand into, leveraging off our already strong relationships with a large number of Banks, insurance companies and related businesses. It will also give us the opportunity to increase business in related fields such as litigation, recovery, insolvency and restructuring, by offering lenders a "one stop shop" solution servicing all their principal needs. I am absolutely delighted Andrew and Jon have decided to join us as we continue to expand our Business Legal Services offering in the UK."
He added, "Andrew and Jon have experience of a very broad range of financing structures and techniques and of the issues for financiers in insolvency situations and are therefore very well placed to advise both our lender and borrower clients in connection with their financing needs. Andrew and Jon are also entrepreneurial and imaginative in the product development area and see huge opportunities to develop innovative service delivery methods and new products targeted at some of the firm's major clients."
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By now I'm feeling pretty comfortable with Chiang Mai. There're still many places I haven't explored, but I can find my way around the major streets of the old city as well as many of the most popular tourist areas around its perimeter. The Tha Phae Gate (pronounced Tah Pae) is a major land mark for the biggest tourist area of Chiang Mai. It's the site of the Tha Phae Sunday Night Market, as well as many shows and festivals. All around the Tha Phae gate area is everything the foreign traveler might want or need. There are restaurants that will satisfy nearly every culinary desire as well as Thai cooking schools if you want to learn how to cook Thai food. There are Thai massage schools and the massage shops are a great place to have sore feet and muscles rejuvenated for more sightseeing. There are spas, hotels, hostels, banking, currency exchange, pharmacies, bars, shopping, bakeries, and so on.
This sort of thing reminds me of a county fair, but it happens every week here in Chiang Mai. It seems there's always something going on nearby that will provide entertainment or relaxation, or both.
Even though my motorbike was a rental, and some would argue not to waste money on washing a rental vehicle… I prefer my ride to be "not too dirty". There's been no rain here since I arrived so my Honda Click had acquired a fairly heavy layer of road dust. As I was exploring the southeast area of Chiang Mai, I happened upon a car/motorbike wash and detail shop. I've had vehicles washed in many places around the world and I was very impressed with the service here. There were five attendants that seemed to swarm around my motorbike like it was the queen of a bee hive. They washed, cleaned, scrubbed, sprayed, dried, and polished what seemed like every millimeter of my bike, including under the seat! The cost… 80 baht (about $2.50).
Prior to coming to Thailand I had researched the various housing choices – hostels, hotels, apartments, resorts, and houses. Hostels are the least expensive, often just 100 to 300 baht ($3 – $9) per night. This gets you a shared room with several beds, often bunk beds "dormitory style". The hotel I referred to in my last post had both hotel and hostel rooms. I keep in touch with the staff there because they are amazingly friendly and helpful! They just added air conditioning to the dorm (hostel) rooms which is a definite plus when the Southeast Asian summer heat arrives, often topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). So far it's only been in the mid 90's (mid 30's Celsius) each day and has been clear and sunny since I arrived in January. Hotels and resorts are available by the day, week, month, or longer, and of course may offer a very high level of service (restaurant, bar, spa, golf, tours, etc.). I started in hotels, then moved to an apartment for 30 days because it was less expensive per month than a hotel. The advantage is lower expense, the disadvantage is mobility. If you don't like where you are, you're stuck 'till the lease expires; or forfeit the cost and move.
While exploring the area outside of Chiang Mai's old city, I came across a gated community called a Moo Baan. There were two security guards at the gate keeping watch as I approached. After explaining that I wanted to have a look around because I may want to move into a Moo Baan in the future, I was allowed in. Not long after, I was passed by one of the guards as he kept track of my whereabouts. There was new construction going on and sparse landscaping for many of the houses. The house below stood out as one of the nicest houses in the Moo Baan right on a water reservoir.
Drive through for tax? Must be like using a 1040EZ. I just happened across this building while out for a ride. Looks like a pretty streamline tax collection system to me.
In the southwest corner of the old city is a tranquil little park. It's a great place to spend an hour or two taking in the colorful gardens and scenery. Watch your step at the entrance, which is along the southern street, there's a bar across the path to keep the motorbikes from coming into the park. Just step over it.
A noteworthy sight that caught my eye was some of the trees in the park. They had very colorful bark; I believe these are rainbow eucalyptus trees. They shed their outer bark annually revealing the new bright green bark below. Over time this new bark takes on a variety of hues as it matures.
As I stepped around a corner on the path through the park, I was greeted with a vibrant dragon floating in the water. Vibrant colors seem to be around every corner; they're almost as common as the beautiful Thai women.
As I tend to do, I'll make mention of some food offerings here in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Salmon is one of my favorite foods back in the U.S. and since it is commonly found at latitudes much farther north, I rarely see it offered here in restaurants. While doing some shopping for a new shirt and cleaning supplies at a local "Big C", a combination department/grocery store, I came across some fresh Norwegian salmon for 1,250 baht per kilogram ($17.75 per pound). I would have bought a little bit if I had some way to cook it.
Another restaurant that I discovered is the UN Irish Pub located in the northeastern area of the old city. They have Guinness on-tap and a menu of both Western & Thai dishes. On my first visit there I had beef stew and a Guinness. The condiments included a pepper mill which is something of a rarity here and which I appreciated because I prefer coarse ground pepper. What's most common is very finely ground peppercorns referred to as "pepper power".
I often have days with nothing planned and just jump on my motorbike, pick a direction, and go. On one such day, I chose to head north out of the city toward the Mae Rim District. This area is known for several tourist attractions including a tiger camp, an elephant camp, an insect zoo, waterfalls, and more. I saw the entrances to these places, and others, but I didn't venture in on this particular trip. I was out to explore the area rather than see the exhibits. Along the way I ventured off the main road to see what was down a road less traveled. I found what looked like a resort that had closed many years ago. Looking across a stream and through the dense vegetation there were a dozen or so bungalows still standing in the jungle. Their roofs were beginning to grow small trees and grasses, as the porches were being forced aside by the relentless jungle vegetation. Nature is a powerful force and will tear down anything we build if we don't perform the required maintenance to keep it at bay.
Traveling along the Thai country roads I came across many rice fields. Thailand is the second largest exporter of rice, India being the largest.
I am missing my computer with Photoshop and Windows, which I left at home in favor of lighter travel. I find it arduous writing this blog on a tablet which is why there's so much time between posts. I have a keyboard and mouse, but it still doesn't come close to a notebook/laptop PC for this kind of work.
In closing, I'll leave you with a couple more images of the wall around the old city of Chiang Mai.
Pop gan Mai (pronounced: pope gan my) – See you later.


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The battle for grocery e-commerce supremacy just got a whole lot more interesting with the announcement of a strategic alliance between U.S. supermarket giant Kroger and U.K. grocery e-commerce pure play Ocado.
I consider Ocado to be best in breed in terms of their automated fulfillment (Customer Fulfillment Centers) and creating customer-friendly interfaces to facilitate efficient ordering. This has led to what is arguably one of the few e-commerce grocery businesses that is actually profitable, with group turnover of £1.5 billion (about $2 billion USD) and significant EBITDA profit of £86 million (about $116 million USD) in 2017.
Ocado's technology automates the processing and packing of online grocery orders, using hundreds of robots in technological advanced order fulfillment centers. Ocado has recently been working on licensing their technology solutions and had created partnerships with Morrisons, Grupe Casino and Sobeys in Canada. The Kroger deal takes this to a whole new level. As part of the deal, Kroger will take a stake in the British company, equivalent to 5% of the existing share capital valued at £183 million (about $247 million USD).
Kroger is no stranger to utilizing U.K. technology to drive their business. Kroger had a long term partnership with Tesco and Dunnhumby around loyalty programs, which has since been spun off as 84.51°.
The move with Ocado significantly ups the ante for Kroger and further positions them in their long term battle against Walmart and Amazon:
What is the right answer? There is likely not just one perfect solution for e-commerce fulfillment. While in-store pick is an easy way to start, it is highly inefficient from a labor standpoint and difficult to scale—in busy e-commerce stores, pickers can get in the way of shoppers. Automated warehouses are also not the end-all solution. Automation is capital intensive, requires scale to get to efficiency and doesn't work in all geographies (population concentration, like what is seen in higher penetrated grocery e-commerce markets in the U.K. and South Korea, is a huge factor). Kroger is likely to continue to operate multiple models while it builds out these automated centers.
This is another game changer in the grocery e-commerce wars.


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When reporter Kim Barker's (Tina Fey) life needs something more, she decides to 'shake it all up' by taking an assignment in a war zone. There, in the midst of chaos, she finds the strength she never knew she had. Sometimes it takes saying 'WTF' to find the life you were always destined to have. Also starring Margo Robbie, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina and Billy Bob Thornton, the film is directed by Glenn Ficarra and John Requa ("Crazy, Stupid, Love") from a screenplay by Robert Carlock ("Saturday Night Live," "30 Rock").
WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT will screen on Tues., 3.1 in the following markets:
** Download your www.gofobo.com screening pass(es) by clicking on your city **
Website: http://www.whiskeytangofoxtrotthemovie.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WTFTheMovie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WTFTheMovie
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/WTFTheMovie/


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Lately we've been witnessing drastic changes in our relation with the cosmos. French government has just announced that all its extraterrestrial secret files will be released for the public domain through their space agency's web page. On the other side, various entrepreneurs, like Virgin's Richard Branson or Amazon's Jeff Bezos are betting on the possibility of having accessible (20,000 usd) tourist flights to space, and even galactic hotels, before 2017.
Preparing for this new cosmic scene, were we could reach never-seen levels on intimacy and interaction with our universe, a "Declaration for peaceful relations with extraterrestrial civilizations" was established last summer during the "Extraterrestrial and World Peace Conference" in Hawaii:
Honor the following principles for establishing peaceful relations with extraterrestrial civilizations:
1. We affirm the intent of humanity to join in peaceful and cooperative relations with extraterrestrial civilizations,
2. Affirm support for United Nations resolutions promoting the peaceful use of Outer Space, and support for UN, International and U.S. Congressional initiatives to prevent an arms race in outer space, including the weaponization of space,
3. Affirm the natural right of all citizens to have open contact with representatives of extraterrestrial civilizations in all cases, and to engage in non-official diplomacy.


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Notification center
ferenczy last edited by ferenczy
I don't have permissions to post into the Feature requests section so I'm posting it here. If you can help me to post the feature request properly, I'll do it.
First of all, I love Vivaldi and its philosophy.
I used to use Opera for many years before it switched to Chromium. When it happened I switched to Chrome but when they suddenly removed the Notification center after a few years I started to look for another browser. That's when I started to use Vivaldi, which is like the original (pre-Chromium) Opera but even better for me.
Chrome's Notification center was a very important feature for me. It allowed me to (temporarily) mute notifications, what's something I need several times a day (e.g. when presenting something on a meeting, it's not good to share personal notifications with company colleagues), using just 2 clicks. When they removed it, there was no possibility to mute the notifications, only to disable them somewhere deep in the settings.
Apart from that, it was also great for reviewing (potentially important) missed notifications. Simply, in today's world where the browser is one of the center-pieces, the Notification center looks as a necessary feature to me.
Would it be possible to implement it or similar feature in Vivaldi or is there even any plan to do so, please? BTW it's probably not limited just for Windows but it may work on any platform Vivaldi is made for.
Thank you for the awesome browser!
Gwen-Dragon Moderator last edited by Gwen-Dragon
If you think a feature is useful and missing in Vivaldi, please make a request.
How to make a feature request for Vivaldi
If you think your problem can be solved by a missing feature, please add each request at foum https://forum.vivaldi.net/category/48/features-requests in the corresponding thread for your browser version.
Add one line in bold as a short title for the feature and 2-3 lines to describe the wanted feature.
luetage last edited by
Why wouldn't you have permission to post in the feature request section? As far as I know there is no barrier other than creating an account.
Pesala last edited by
@luetage Mere mortals cannot post new threads in the Feature Requests forum. They can post in the Feature Requests thread. Users with a reputation < 2 may need to wait 560 seconds between posts (a measure to inhibit spammers).
luetage last edited by
Well yeah, of course you add to the thread, that's why it's been created.
ferenczy last edited by
@luetage Yeah, as @Pesala wrote, it has to be posted in the thread, not the section (which doesn't have the "New topic" button for me).
ferenczy last edited by
@gwen-dragon I finally managed to understand you mean the request thread, not the section. I have posted it there, thank you.
Pesala last edited by
@ferenczy Please limit your posts to a single line, and a brief description in the FQ thread. For discussion, this thread is the right place. Your long post might encourage discussion , which belongs here.
You can edit your posts using the Blue Vertical dots icon, and post a link back to this thread for discussion purposes.
Gwen-Dragon Moderator last edited by
@ferenczy said in Notification center:
it has to be posted in the thread
That is what i posted:
@gwen-dragon said in Notification center:
please add each request at forum https://forum.vivaldi.net/category/48/features-requests in the corresponding thread for your browser version.
1.13 is the browser version you want new features for.
So you have post in https://forum.vivaldi.net/topic/20968/feature-requests-for-1-13/


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Cultural Trail in Vingelen Hiking Trail
Hike through the idyllic national park village
Essential info
- Destination: Forollhogna
- Season: January-December
- Difficulty: Easy
- Distance: 3 kilometers (loop)
- Elevation Gain: 100 meters
- Duration: 1-1.5 hours
About Cultural Trail in Vingelen
The cultural trail through the idyllic Vingelen national park village is perfect for those interested in nature, culture and history.
The trail offers a glimpse into the history and contemporary life of the village. There are information boards along the way and the whole path is along gravel roads and trails.
Getting there
Park by the Forollhogna info center in the village center.
Trail description
The cultural trail starts by the Bunåva café in the middle of the village where you can pick up a brochure and map.
On the way towards Vingelsgaard Gjestgiveri you'll pass several nice farms. On the way to back towards the center you will walk along the idyllic church path.
The path passes the Vingelen church and school museum and Vingelen church. A narrow, steep path takes you up to Stornorstu-stua which is possibly the oldest house in Vingelen.
You'll then continue down back towards the start.
The Bunåva café is open every day in summer and serves simple lunch dishes with a focus on local produce. The Vingelen church and school museum also serves coffee in summer. In nice weather you can enjoy a coffee and homemade "lefse" (Norwegian potato flatbread) in the museum garden.
Where to stay
See vingelen.com for information on local accommodation.
Questions or comments? Let us know.
Nearby adventures
Last updated:


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Spicy Soba Noodle Vegetable Stir-Fry
Oodles and oodles of delicious noodles!
Yup, that's exactly what we have here today with this spicy soba noodle vegetable stir-fry!
35 minutes. Crisp tender veggie goodness. A super simple homemade spicy sauce. Crunchy cashews. Oh-so-slurpable noodles.
All joining forces in this easy, healthy and of course, tasty dinner!
Now, important question. Are you on the soba noodle train? I'll admit that I've been kinda sorta obsessed with them for ages. Which you probably wouldn't even know considering I haven't shared a recipe using them in over three years (soba noodle and pine nut salad anyone?!).
But, but, but. In case you aren't familiar, soba noodles are noodles made from buckwheat flour (making them gluten-free) and they have this awesome nutty flavor. {Side note – certain brands also use wheat flour in their soba noodles … so be sure to check the ingredients if needed for your diet!}
The other really awesome part? They usually cook in about four minutes flat. And who am I to argue with that.
Quick noodle-y goodness? Soba noodles, you jazzy little things you.
Tips & Tricks For This Spicy Soba Noodle Vegetable Stir-Fry
- Okay, I know I said this directly up above but I want to mention it one more time. If you are gluten free, please be sure to read the ingredients on your soba noodles as a lot of brands use some wheat flour in addition to the buckwheat flour. Pure soba noodles can definitely be found but it will just depend on what your store carries (ordering online is always an option!).
- Not feeling the soba noodles? No problem-o! You can absolutely use other types of similar shaped noodles in this stir-fry. Whole wheat spaghetti is a great alternative option.
- Let's talk the sauce. With the full two tablespoons of sriracha, the sauce definitely has plenty of kick. I've also found that the spice level can vary a bit in different brands of sriracha – so just play around and find the amount that's right for you!
- Once you start cooking, the stir-fry goes really fast. So this is one of those recipes where I'd encourage you to have everything prepped and ready to go before you start the cooking process.
- And finally! You could definitely bulk this pasta up by topping with a protein of choice. Customizable recipes for the win!
Also … words I use in every single post when talking about noodles – oodles, slurp-able, jazzy. Don't believe me? See this rainbow vegetable lo mein OR this spicy broccoli carrot noodle stir-fry. I think I have a problem.
Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I'd love to hear from you.
Spicy Soba Noodle Vegetable Stir-Fry
This easy spicy soba noodle vegetable stir-fry is a perfect weeknight dinner! 35 minutes, packed with veggies and an easy homemade sauce!
For the sauce:
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 to 2 tablespoons sriracha, to taste
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
For the stir-fry:
- 8 ounces uncooked soba noodles
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 (8 ounce) package baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
- 2 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage
- 1 cup organic edamame*
- ½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, chopped
- chopped raw cashews or peanuts, for garnish
For the sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
For the stir-fry:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the soba noodles according to the package directions until just al dente (usually about 4 minutes). Drain, then rinse with cold water.
- Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large nonstick skillet set over medium heat. When hot, add in the onion and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add in the mushrooms and broccoli and cook for about 5 minutes, until the broccoli is crisp tender. Add in the cabbage and edamame and cook for about 2 minutes, until the cabbage has softened. Add in the drained pasta and the sauce. Continue to cook, tossing frequently, for about 1 minute, until everything is hot. Remove from the heat and garnish with the fresh cilantro and chopped nuts. Serve immediately!
*If you can only find frozen edamame, add it to the skillet with the mushrooms and broccoli.
Nutrition Information:Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 286 Total Fat: 13g Saturated Fat: 2g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 10g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 1111mg Carbohydrates: 34g Fiber: 6g Sugar: 8g Protein: 14g


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The three-yr Promoting and Advertising and marketing Communications Management program at Algonquin School blends traditional enterprise theory with artistic messaging, and prepares students for a wide range of roles in integrated advertising and marketing communications. You may be supported by your individual enterprise guide who's on secondment from industry and the total resources of the Graduate Enterprise Company. Advertising contains the location of an ad in such mediums as newspapers, direct mail, billboards, television, radio, and of course the Internet.
All over the place we go, we work together with advertising initiatives, advertising strategies and PR campaigns; when we learn an advert on the train, once we resolve to buy a laptop, or after we talk about celebrities with our buddies.
Subjects coated in the Profession Growth Sequence embrace résumé and portfolio growth, interview expertise, growing professional social media profiles, industry job search methods and sources and professional networking expertise. The module offers you with the means to combine features of operational advertising and marketing inside a strategic and international perspective.
Within the UK, most forms of out of doors promoting such because the show of billboards is regulated by the UK City and County Planning system. It is crucial that you simply perceive the strategic role of promoting and the rationale that underpins the design and improvement of particular person adverts.


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We hear it everywhere: The retail apocalypse! Shopping is changing forever! Brick-and-mortar stores are dying! But isn't it all a bit extreme?
An apocalypse is the final destruction before the end of the world, so the popular phrase "retail apocalypse" would be the end of retail as we know it. It's a ridiculous phrase, especially when stores closing isn't something we should feel pessimistic about. Sure, we can't go hang out in Wet Seal anymore, but no one was really doing that anyway, which is a large part of the reason the stores closed.
Nearly 9,000 stores closed in 2017, but perhaps it's all for the best. There's a reason these stores are closing, and it's because people don't like shopping in malls or actual stores anymore. Instead of thinking of it as the end of the world, we should really be looking at this as the natural evolution of life and business. If stores can't adapt with changing trends and technology, they will die of natural causes. The mall experience represents everything that is wrong with the modern customer experience—you walk into stores that don't have what you are looking for or that aren't relevant to you and see employees who aren't engaged or excited to be there. Oftentimes, you walk out of the stores empty handed, frustrated, and feeling like you just wasted your time. These mass experiences with mediocre customer service are exactly what we are trying to get away from!
Instead, we are moving towards personalized experiences that are tailored to our every need. These kind of experience are the opposite of what is available at shopping malls, and they simply can't be delivered by most brick-and-mortar stores. The retail apocalypse is simply an evolution of our society. People can buy almost anything online now and have it delivered within a few days—if not the same day. Why would customers toss that aside to get an impersonal experience at the mall when they can find exactly what they need, tailored to them, from the comfort of their living room or wherever they are on the go?
Instead of being used for the old way of shopping, perhaps malls should transition into venues for live events where people can come together. Closed stores can be put to good use as exercise spaces, concert venues, or even housing for homeless people. We don't need to be sentimental or dramatic about stores closing; instead, let's get creative about how to use the physical space.
Don't be sad about the so-called "retail apocalypse"; instead, we should consider this a chance for retailers to get creative in their approaches to customers. Clearly, the old method isn't working, so now the retailers that are still around have a chance to innovate. They need to find new ways to be relevant and think about how they can make customers' lives easier in our modern, connected world. This isn't the end of the world, it is the start of something exciting.
Blake Morgan is a customer experience keynote speaker, author of More Is More and futurist. Sign up for her newsletter here.


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'Dexter' Season 6 Previews: "Tragedy Strikes" and "Guest Stars"
Posted on Monday, September 26th, 2011 by Angie Han
The people behind the marketing for Dexter certainly haven't been shy about showing off their wares. I feel like we already have a pretty good idea of what to expect from Season 6, thanks to all the featurettes, trailers, teasers, casting announcements, etc. Then again, knowing this show, I'm sure it's got plenty more surprises and twists up its sleeve.
With just less than a week to go til the return of the series, we have two more previews that tease some of the plot points we'll be seeing in Season 6. The first, "Guest Stars," offers a glimpse at what we'll be seeing from the new characters who'll be facing off against Dexter (Michael C. Hall) this year; the second, "Tragedy Strikes," shows everyone's favorite serial killer at a low point, injured and reaching out for help. Watch them both after the jump.
First, here's "Guest Stars." The featurette was originally released earlier this month, but we felt it worth bringing it to your attention in case you missed it the first time around — there's a lot of tantalizing info here:
Dexter's lined up an intriguing roster of guest stars for its upcoming season, so I'll be interested to see what they bring to the show. I'm especially looking forward to seeing what Edward James Olmos can do with the very, very creepy Professor Gellar — I realize this is very premature, but considering Olmos' talents, and considering that Dexter reliably gets nominated from year to year, I wouldn't be surprised if he got an Emmy nod come 2012.
In addition to Olmos, there's also Mos Def as former criminal and potential victim Brother Sam; Colin Hanks as Gellar's equally twisted acolyte Travis; Aimee Garcia as Dexter's new nanny and Angel's sister, Jamie Batista; and Billy Brown as no-nonsense Chicago cop Mike Anderson.
Next, "Tragedy Strikes":
Poor Dexter. Serial killer or no, it's gotta hurt to get stabbed in the stomach.
The sixth season of Dexter kicks off Sunday, October 2 at 9 PM on Showtime.
The explosively popular DEXTER® is back with a vengeance for a sixth season of startling suspense and unexpected twists. It's been a year since last season's shocking and heartbreaking conclusion, and mild mannered criminologist-cum-grisly serial killer Dexter Morgan has come to terms with who he is. But his existence is shattered when he crosses paths with an enemy unlike any he's faced before. A delusional religious zealot with unflinching convictions, this new adversary soon draws Dexter into a dangerous game that could well end in disaster.


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The long awaited video release to Entering The Shell from Sounds of Rumi Vol. 1 was released on the Magnetic Wind youtube page, April 11, 2011. Check it out and OM…..!
One additional video to the first Sounds of Rumi album, We Are, is scheduled for release on 4/17/11 as well.
Magnetic Wind is presently working on her 7th release, Voices of My Ancestors which is scheduled for release this summer through CD Baby, Bandcamp and iTunes. She began writing Voices of My Ancestors in 2003 in homage to her Ojibwe/Anishinnabe heritage. An EP was put together at that time, but shelved after family tragedy. "It's just time to release it now. I'm reworking the old material (4 songs) and there is new material that focuses on honoring my ancestors, a positive spirit of healing for earth and the individual and healing sounds. Remaining in the true spirit of Magnetic Wind, this album borders the lines of new age and light ambient/world." says Waters.
The first single from the album, Manitouwabi Ahki (Spirit of Earth) was released on February 14th, World Sound Healing Day, and is available for free download at the link below. The video is scheduled for release May 2, 2011.
Download Manitouwabi Ahki here! (download will start automatically)
Future releases include Magnetic Wind's collaboration with Disturbed Earth (Australia) on the Sister Cities album which will also feature Disturbed Earth's collaborations with Shane Morris, Mike Radice and Nathan Youngblood with many others, new collaborations, and two additional solo releases to round out 2011. Watch for more details!


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facebook event page|le poisson rouge|advance tickets
thanks to everyone who came out to LPR and Santos to make our long overdue return to the stage a success.
please join us this upcoming march 6th as we return to headline le poisson rouge in downtown new york city.
the future is upon us...and it's oh, so tasty.
as of february 26th, progressive darkwave recordings officially partners with germany's dr. music for the european release of master of disguise. one year after the domestic release of the long-awaited fourth braindance album, we are proud to offer worldwide availability in both physical and digital formats via the following locations
Amazon|Saturn|Media Markt|Exlibris|JPC|Grooves Inc.|WOM|iTunes
Amazon MP3|Rhapsody|Spotify|Deezer
first off, the new album, 'master of disguise,' our fourth official release and our first
full length concept album, includes the maximum amount of material permitted by law.
for the extensive wait, we've given you 15 tracks - no less than five singles,
two of our trademark sampling collages, the epic three part 'valley of the kings' saga,
and next level songwriting and performances you've come to expect from braindance.
new rhythm guitarist/programmer tony geballe, bassist andy bunk, percussionist stygmie
von skunk-a-loohvff and backing vocalists natalia & beka join renowned
producer/guitarist/songwriter vora vor and singer/songwriter sebastian elliott
in presenting another groundbreaking leap forward.
the phenomenal packaging, designed by sebastian elliott and kevin beard,
contains the 16 page 'master of disguise' comic, written and imagined by elliott,
illustrated by the incredible joe simko, and colored by keiran oats of cadence comics.
picking up individual songs online simply won't do -
the six panel, secret compartment, booklet & foldout containing, gold leaf embossed
digipak from our friends at ross ellis printing is surely destined to be a collector's item.
then there's the new video for the first single, 'lost,' that we hope you've already seen.
directed by the visionary tony hanson of staten island's fenix studios, the video
combines several key elements already present in the album and extensive packaging.
live performances, thematic action sequences, professional (and not so professional) acting,
eye-grabbing special effects, and computer based visuals built from the ground up make the video
a total feast for the senses. in addition, there's an completely animated video for the song, constructed
by konstantin vilenchitz of kon def productions, that can be accessed from the brainmedia page as well.
which brings us to the new website, courtesy of glenn westrom & schuyler bush of mule train,
resplendent with stellar new artwork, new sound & video samples, and photos both old & new.
visit the merch page to pick up the new release as well as some sweet new apparel and stickers.
if you haven't already gotten your copies of redemption, fear itself, or shadows for thirsty
friends and hungry family members, feel free to stock up accordingly. drop us an email to be
kept in the loop with any and all and information, and - if it's not too much much to ask -
we'd also like you to spread the word about braindance and master of disguise by not only
referring your friends and enemies to the site, but by touching base with us
on facebook here and on twitter here.
while we're on the subject, facebook invites will be the best way to prepare yourself and
your entourage for upcoming dazzling live performances supporting master of disguise.
we've assembled the ultimate team to present braindance material both old and new.
now a seven piece - the percussive wonderkind kenny grohowski, guitarist tony geballe,
bassist eiki matsumoto (braindance class of 1992-1996), keyboardist elektra, and backing
vocalist natalia will be joining the dynamic duo of vor and elliott on stage within months.
please note that we are now completely sold out of copies of both shadows and fear itself, and the paypal links at http://progressivedarkwave.com/brainmerch.html are not functional. we will be remixing, remastering, redesigning and repackaging both as soon as possible - with a few surprises thrown in there for you as well.
in conclusion, feel free to check out sebastian's new side project, sentinel of eternity.
written and recorded over the last few years with visionary electronic french composer
stephan marty and talented digital artist salandre, sentinel of eternity combines
goth, synthpop, ebm, and darkwave in a completely different vein than braindance.
the website, featuring sound samples and the opportunity to pick up the self-titled
first release, including the dance floor-friendly single, 'mandragore,' can be found at progessivedarkwave.com/sebastianelliott/.
stay tuned for further updates including
information on official remixes and live performances.
the future is upon us - and it's oh, so tasty...


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Feeling like me again
I am so glad I took yesterday off from running, but I still got in a great workout. I feel like I'm finally breaking free of that all-or-nothing mentality I picked up from somewhere.
It used to be that I would always find a way to workout, even if it wasn't what I had wanted to do that day. I feel like I am finally getting back to that point!
But today I did run, because my legs were rested and I wanted to, and it felt GREAT! 🙂
Distance: 3.36 miles
Time: 35:00
Pace: 10:25/mile
This was another treadmill run. I have just lost my patience with the cold weather and snow/ice. Hopefully, Spring is almost here because I would much rather be outside.
This time last year, I was struggling to run after a hiatus over the Fall and early Winter months. But I changed my attitude and vowed to just run because I love to run and stop competing with myself and beating myself up for not keeping up with my training.
I took a real lesson from that today. Yesterday I was freaking out that the mini-marathon is in two months. I haven't done a long run in several weeks because Saturday seems to be the snow's favorite day to dump on us. In fact, I haven't ran more than 5 miles since I can't even remember when.
But…I didn't stop running after the races I did last Spring. I achieved a personal record in a 5K in May. I ran through the Summer, Fall, Winter until now and that has paid off tremendously. I can easily run 4-5 miles right now, a little slower on the treadmill but at a pretty decent pace (under 10:00/mile) outside. I'm doing way better than I was this time last year!
I am going to run this mini-marathon, perhaps not as well as I did in 2008 (but surely faster than 2009 when I walked it), but that doesn't matter.
I'm just going to do it!
For more running stories, visit my Races page.
Posted on February 19, 2010, in running and tagged races, running, training. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.


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While some couples find it very easy to get pregnant, for many couples, the road to conception can be rough and full of pot holes. No doubt, this can be disturbing, frustrating.
If you're trying to conceive and have a healthier pregnancy, but aren't succeeding as quickly as you'd like, you may be able to speed up the process by making some simple lifestyle adjustments. This article discusses a few of them that have helped many on their journeys to natural fertility.
If you are trying to conceive, or thinking about trying, there are some steps you can take to maximize your fertility and chances of conception, .
Come with me as I reveal some things to you Friend
1. MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WEIGHT: Being overweight or significantly
underweight can affect hormone production and inhibit normal ovulation.
A body weight above or below average can affect fertility. A large study looking at more that 2,000 pregnant women established that time to get pregnant was 4 times longer for underweight women (BMI<19 kg/m2) and 2 times longer for overweight women (BMI>25 kg/m2) in comparison to women with a normal weight.
It therefore means that maintaining a healthy weight can increase the frequency of ovulation and likelihood of pregnancy.
If you are overweight, consider shedding excess fat from your system through our 9 days natural fat loss system
It is fast, effective, perfect for all, and has no side effect. Visit http://superbhealthtips.com/c9c.html
2. PREVENT SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIs): Sexually transmitted infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhea are a leading cause of infertility for women. To protect yourself from STIs, stay in a mutually monogamous relationship with a partner who isn't infected.
If you are experiencing any forms of sexually transmitted infections, try to act fast as this will stand on your way to fertility. There are natural cure that work speedily by treating the root cause of the problem and not the symptoms. Contact me or drop your comment in the box below if you will need help.
3. EAT HEALTHY DIET: A healthy diet is essential to your health — and your baby's. Be sure to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables (at least five servings per day), eat low-fat dairy foods, and drink plenty of fluids for optimal health.
Don't just eat. eat healthy foods. In fact, eat fertility healthy foods.
4. SCHEDULE REGULAR CHECKUPS: Regular visits to the hospital can help you detect and treat health conditions that might threaten your fertility earlier before it becomes something big. Discuss your current health, including any medications you take on a regular basis — both over the counter and prescription.
Also talk about any vitamins or supplements you are taking. You will need to begin taking folic acid, which are included in most pre-natal vitamins. Folic acid is a naturally occurring B vitamin that helps a baby's neural tube — the part of a developing baby that becomes the brain and spinal cord — to properly develop.
5. SLEEP WELL AND AVOID THE NIGHT SHIFTS, IF POSSIBLE: Regularly working the night shift might put you at higher risk of infertility, possibly by affecting hormone production. If you do work the night shift, try to get enough sleep when you're not working.
While stress won't totally stop you from getting pregnant, consider minimizing stress and practicing healthy coping methods such as relaxation techniques when you're trying to conceive.
CLEAR THE TOXINS: Toxins are everywhere, and a pile up of this can drastically lower your chances of getting pregnant. There have been testimonies from clients who only used the fertility cleanse and become pregnant even without the fertility boost. You too should consider that.
1. DON'T SMOKE: Smoking ages your ovaries and depletes your eggs prematurely. If you smoke, ask your health care provider to help you quit.
2. LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL YOU DRINK: Heavy drinking is associated with an increased risk of ovulation disorders. If you'd like to get pregnant, consider avoiding alcohol completely.
3. CURB CAFFEINE: Some research doesn't support a clear link between too much caffeine and infertility. However, most reproductive experts recommend limiting the amount of caffeine in your diet to less than 200 to 300 milligrams a day if you're trying to conceive.
4. BE WARY OF VIGOROUS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: Too much vigorous physical activity can inhibit ovulation and reduce production of the hormone progesterone. If you have a healthy weight and you're thinking of becoming pregnant soon, consider limiting vigorous physical activity to less than five hours a week.
5. AVOID EXPOSURE TO TOXINS: Agricultural workers, lab scientist, hair stylists and certain other groups might be at risk of menstrual disorders.
Dental assistants exposed to high levels of nitrous oxide, anyone exposed to elevated levels of organic solvents such as dry cleaning chemicals and industrial workers exposed to drugs or chemicals during the manufacturing process also might be at risk of reduced fertility.
If you fall in any of these categories, you must detoxify and clean up your system without delay.
If you are thinking about becoming pregnant and you're concerned about the impact of your lifestyle choices on your fertility, consult your health care provider or have a chat with us.
We can help you identify ways to improve your fertility and boost your chances of getting pregnant.
I'm sure you also know that you can boost your chance of conception by 70% when you get our Fertility Boost pack which not only balances the fertility hormones but also enhances the superb functioning of the ovaries and every of the reproductive organs.
Click here to order for Female Fertility Pack ==> http://superbhealthtips.com/pregnant
Click here to order for Male Fertility Pack ==> http://superbhealthtips.com/malehealth/
Stay Blessed.


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All desire a smile that can win hearts and impress people we meet, an adverse impact on dental health. Teeth whitening in Ahmedabad is getting more and more in practice as no longer have to perform to the dental surgeons more convenient and inexpensive to whiten teeth. Ashu dental these applications are fairly obvious wanted a beautiful smile and affordable. One of the most ...   More Info
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Meltdown and Spectre resources
Login VSI Partners and Other Resources to help you
Login VSI is used by all major software, hardware and service IT vendors that share a strong commitment of providing the best possible centralized (virtual) desktop performance to their customers. This eco-system offers a priceless resource of knowledge and expertise about the performance effects, of the Meltdown and Spectre patches, on Citrix XenApp, Citrix XenDesktop, VMware Horizon and Microsoft RDS. This page is a collection of all they have to offer:
Service Providers offering Meltdown & Spectre specific solutions
UK: Beeso IT, Systech IT Solutions
NL: Adfontes Software, ICT-Partners, Login Consultants Netherlands
DE: Login Consultants Germany
JP: GDEP Solutions
A selection of the most relevant blogs and tests (relevant for VDI)
Brian Martynowicz: Meltdown and Spectre patch implications on VDI performance
Lakeside: Meltdown and Spectre patches increase CPU load
Blair Parkhill: Meltdown & Spectre test results and lessons learned (April 2018)
Blair Parkhill: Meltdown and Spectre: Quick start guide for testing
Mark Plettenberg: The impact of Meltdown and Spectre patches on Windows 10
Mark Plettenberg: The impact of Meltdown and Spectre patches on Windows 7
Tom Willemsen: Meltdown and Spectre impact on RDSH (SBC and XenApp) using Windows Server 2012R2 and Server 2016
More to come soon, please keep posted


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My 21st Birthday!
This entry was posted on Friday, 11 October 2013 and is filed under MISC. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.
18 Responses to "My 21st Birthday! "
Happy birthday sweet girl. Seems like you had a great day and was spoiled as one should on our special day.ReplyDeleteReplies
Definitely! And thank you xxDelete
happy birthday!ReplyDelete
You are 21? I'm so sorry, I thought you were 19! Happy belated birthday btw! <3ReplyDeleteReplies
Omg you just made my day! How I wish I was that young :/ Anyway thank you! <3Delete
Awww happy b-day then! The camera draw is so beautiful!ReplyDelete
thelifeinayear.com - photography diary and moreReplies
Thank you! Yes it is a gift from my sister :)Delete
Happy 21st! It will be a birthday you will always remember- my 21st was so special to me! Looks like you got lots of beautiful goodies!ReplyDelete
xoxo Amie @ Spoonful of VintageReplies
Indeed! It was so special <3 Thanks, love xxDelete
Happy belated birthday Mandy! Hope you had an amazing one :)ReplyDelete
xx MandyReplies
Thank you! I surely did xxDelete
Happy belated birthday! really love your photoblog :) hope you will become a great photographer! success in your study, Mandy!ReplyDeleteReplies
Aw thank you! Much appreciated xxDelete
Happy late birthday :D Hope you had a great day!ReplyDeleteReplies
Thank you! I definitely did :) <3Delete
Finally, I can access my internet again & browsing your blog to see your adorable pictures..ReplyDelete
Ah..!!! btw, I know it's too late but I still wanna say "Happy Born Day, Wish you all the best and May GBU always.^^"Replies
Aw thank you so much, love! Much appreciated xxDelete


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Spiritual Search
Grail members are connected by their spirituality. An ecumenical community of women, the Grail supports and celebrates each other's spiritual paths. The Grail is committed to a shared vision of peace in a global community.
Ecological Sustainability
Care of the earth is vital to the Grail. We recognize the earth as a sacred living organism and use education, activism, and land use to encourage environmental sustainability.
Social Transformation
The Grail values justice and works to transform the world by networking, education and action. Grail members work to promote peace and justice locally and nationally by being involved in International Grail networks and through our NGO status with the United Nations
Women and the Arts
The Grail recognizes how important the role of the arts plays in transforming the world! We feel that the creativity of women is empowering, enlightening, and can be seized in a way that promotes leadership and strong futures for women around the world.


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100% of the image is restored using a reduced version containing between 1% and 10% of the information from the original
In his PhD thesis, Daniel Paternain-Dallo, Computer Engineer of the NUP/UPNA-Public University of Navarre, has developed algorithms to reduce and optimize images; using a reduced image (with between 1% and 10% of the information from the original image), they allow 100% of the pixels in the initial image to be restored. "With these algorithms we can obtain high quality images that are very similar to the original. We have shown that even if we lose 100% of the pixels of the image, we can restore a lost image with a very high level of quality just by using the information from the reduced image." The PhD thesis is entitledOptimization of image reduction and restoration algorithms based on penalty functions and aggregation techniques.
Daniel Paternain's research comes within the framework of the digital processing of images, a discipline that has burgeoned tremendously over the last forty years. In fact, the high quality of current digital images is partly due to the fact that there is increasingly greater spatial resolution (higher number of pixels); in other words, it is possible to use a much larger quantity of information to represent the same scene.
As the researcher points out, the two main problems of high resolution images are the cost in storing or transmitting them (over the Internet, for example) and the long period of time that computers take to process them. To solve these two problems at the same time, Daniel Paternain's thesis puts forward various algorithms to reduce images in terms of both colour and greyscales. "The aim," he explains, "is to reduce the number of pixels the image contains while trying to keep all or as much as possible of the information and properties contained in the original image."
The main idea underpinning the algorithms developed is to divide the image into small zones that are processed individually. "For each zone we look for a value that is simultaneously the least different from all the pixels that form the zone. By following this methodology, we can design algorithms that are very efficient in terms of execution time, and capable of being adapted to the local properties of each zone of the image."
Firstly, he developed an algorithm to reduce the images on the greyscale. Aggregation functions are used to achieve this; "they are highly applicable because they study the way of combining various homogeneous or heterogeneous sources of information into a single value to represent them." Furthermore, for colour images in which each pixel contains a larger amount of information, he studied the so-called penalty functions. "This mathematical tool enables us by means of optimization algorithms to automatically select the aggregation function most suited to each zone of the colour image."
Image restoration
The final step in his research explored how to apply the reduction algorithms to one of the most difficult problems in image processing: restoring digital images. "Let us assume that we lose a large quantity of pixels owing to a transmission error or a problem when processing the image," explains Paternain. The restoration algorithm seeks to estimate the original value of the pixels we have lost and to obtain an image as similar as possible to the original."
To make the restoration possible, it is necessary to have available in advance a highly reduced version of the original image that will concentrate most of its properties. The more information we have stored in the reduced image, the greater the quality of the restored image will be. "This reduced version cannot be very big as we don't want to excessively increase the cost of storing the image. The reduced images we obtain through these algorithms account for between 1% and 10% of the original image." After that, an optimization algorithm is generated; it is capable of estimating the value of the lost pixels using the information contained in the damaged image as well as in the reduced image.
"We have shown that by using the algorithms proposed in this thesis, we can obtain images of high quality that are very similar to the original. We have shown that even if we lose 100% of the pixels of the image, we can, with a very high level of quality, restore an image that has been completely lost, just by using the information from the reduced image."


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Friday, March 25, 2016
Steinway M 260046 Bridge work
Part of the rebuilding process ios to recap the bridges. The old caps are sawn off the body of the bridge, and then are reproduced.
Posted by James N. Hess at 1:45 PM 2 comments:
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Steinway M 260046 Soundboard Built
Sitka spruce from Washington State is the beginning of a new Soundboard. The wood is quarter sawn, straight grained and clear of any defects. 15 pieces are selected, grain oriantation determined, and cut to length needed. I edge glue 3-4 pieces together, then thickness plane them to the desired thickness. Then these 4 pieces are glued together.
Posted by James N. Hess at 12:10 PM 1 comment:
Friday, February 5, 2016
Steinway M 260046 tear down
Below are pictures of my most recent rebuild start. Even though I haven't added pictures recently, I have been very busy. This piano will get a total restoration with refinishing. The first picture shows the old pin block, bridges and soundboard. On the soundboard are the rough cut ribs which are the start of making a new soundboard. These will be hand fitted to the piano rim for a tight precise fit. The second picture shows the piano body with the soundboard and pinblock removed. More will follow in the coming weeks as work progresses. In the mean time parts need to be ordered.This is expected to be about a 12 month process.
Posted by James N. Hess at 6:23 AM 2 comments:
Monday, September 15, 2014
Steinway A #280251 Final
It has been 6 months since I last posted here. It has been a very busy 6 months with 4 major rebuilds happening at once. I am grateful for the full schedule, but am glad to be finishing up the second of these projects. After the bridges were glue to the soundboard, the board was finished and installed. Following that the piano was sent to the refinisher.
Posted by James N. Hess at 8:44 AM No comments:
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Steinway A #280251 Bridge work
After the proper thickness is determined, the bridge tops are planed, and sanded smooth. The bridge pin hole locations are placed on the new top using the patterns made earlier. Then the holes are drilled, the top dyed black, and the bridge is notched. Finally the new pins are installed.
Posted by James N. Hess at 11:49 AM 1 comment:
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Steinway A 280251 Setting the bearing
Setting the bearing involves planing the tops of the new bridge caps to the correct thickness. The goal is to achieve proper overall down bearing as well as correct front and rear bearing. This is achieved by dry fitting the bridges to the soundboard, and dry fitting the soundboard into the piano. The plate is then installed at it's intended location, and a string is used to determint the new string line. A small kurf is cut in the bridge at numerous locations at the desired height and angle. These notches are then used as a guide to plane the entire bridge top to the correct thickness and angle.
Posted by James N. Hess at 6:52 AM 1 comment:
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Steinway A 280251 Pinblock Fit to plate
Installing a new pinblock requires the rebuilder to mate the wooden pinblock perfectly to the cast iron plate. I a Steinway it also needs to be perfectly fit toe the case, with ends tight and the front mated with the stretcher. The pinblock must also be the correct thickness and also located correctly both side to side and front and back. The pictures below tell some of the story.
Posted by James N. Hess at 1:43 PM No comments:
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Choose only a well-established transportation company with an excellent reputation for airport shuttle services. Our drivers at Best Shuttle Service take you to your destination on time. Also serving Seaports and Amtrak. 855-264-7966
Best Shuttle Service
- Serving Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Orlando Airports
- Door-To-Door Transport
- Meet and Greet with Sign at Baggage Claim
- Full Service Luggage Handling


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Jahja Ling and Dvorak surprised me
Even without San Diego Symphony's Raphael Payare
Garrett Harris 2 p.m., Dec. 12
Francesca Valle: Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric), Keyboards, Vocals | Skippy Garcia: Guitar (acoustic), Guitar (electric) | Kelly Bowen: Bass guitar | Dave Gutierrez: Drums | Thea King: Flute, Keyboards, Vocals
Genre: Rock
RIYL: Bonnie Raitt, Sheryl Crow, Pat Benatar
No shows scheduled | Post a show | View show history
Inception: San Diego, 2010
Influences: The Cranberries, Bonnie Raitt, Sarah McLachlan
"So you play guitar, what are you plannin' on doing with that?" Bonnie Raitt asked a then-16 year old Francesca Valle at a chance encounter at an after school job. Those words sparked a long conversation ending with Raitt's admonition "You gotta do what you love, honey…"
That same teenage job would also lead Valle to meet many other entertainers like Sophia Loren, who offered up the same encouragement and helped cement a youthful passion for music after noting Valle's "off the cuff" performance of an Italian folk tune from a film Loren had starred in. Moments later, they would be singing a duet at a cosmetics counter to a handful of onlookers who could barely believe their eyes.
With her voice often compared to the like of Janis Joplin, Valle shrugs and replies "I get that a lot, but believe it or not, I went to college to be an opera singer. If they could see me now!"
Equally comfortable singing in small coffee shops as on giant stages, Valle credits her ease with an audience to growing up with a guitar in her hand. "You know how you hear those stories of artists who started writing songs when they were five? Yeah, I was one of those kids."
Having appeared at several San Diego Indie Festivals, Valle released here debut album Parking Lots and Poetry in 2010.


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On 28th September, the DfE released information about the phonics screening check results and results of the 2017 Key Stage 1 teacher assessments.
This year, more than 4 in 5 pupils have met the expected standard in the phonics screening checks at the end of year 1 and more children have reached the expected standard in all key stage 1 subjects.
Summary of the phonics screening check and Key Stage 1 assessment results
- The proportion of pupils meeting the standard in phonics has increased year-on-year from 58% in 2012 to 81% in 2017.
- The proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard rose by 3 percentage points in writing and maths, 2 percentage points in reading and 1 percentage point in science.
- The proportion of pupil's achieving the expected standard remains lowest in writing, at 68%.
- 1,125 schools now have 95% of pupil's achieving the phonics standard by the end of year 1.
- 16% of year 1 pupils who took the phonics screening check achieved full marks – a decrease of 2 percentage points since 2016.
All statistics are taken from the DfE. For more information visit the DfE website.
Find out more about the new primary assessment plans released by the DfE earlier this month here.


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On Friday Mimi's Cafe went red for Women's Heart Health. I took my friend Di there for lunch with the kids. I loved that for the two little ones they brought out bowls of Cheerios to help keep them happy until lunch came out. Lunch was very good and for having 3 kids under 4, it wasn't nearly as hectic as it could have been! It was nice to have lunch with Di. Normally we have lunch once a week, but I've been so busy lately that I haven't been going.
Di started off her lunch with the tomato basil soup (I always like that one) and I had the French Onion soup. Seeing that it was Friday, I tried to avoid meat all day so I ordered the 5-Way Grilled Cheese for lunch. Di had an avocado chicken sandwich, Buddy had chocolate chip pancakes and the other two kids shared chicken fingers.
I was a little bummed that the waitress didn't even mention the Go Red Program to us. We had to ask for our free bowl of soup that you get on Friday's in February if you wear red. I also had to tell her at the end of the meal that I wanted to make the donation to the program. I understand it was the first day, but things should have been pushed to the servers to tell the customers about the program. Besides that, she was a fine waitress and took good care of us. The other "oops" from lunch was that the person that sat us didn't tell us about being able to take home a container of soup for $5, so Di got to take a container of the tomato basil soup for free.
Don't forget that if you visit Mimi's this month and wear red on Fridays you can get a free bowl of soup. Also, if you donate $5 to the American Heart Association you get a pretty, sparkly red dress pin and three coupons for your next visit to Mimi's. Help a great organization and have a delicious meal!
Note: I received a gift card to Mimi's Cafe in exchange for this post. All opinions are my own.


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Fans know that The Witcher series coming to Netflix can be a massive hit… but it needs an actor like Richard Armitage to get there. With all due respect to Henry Cavill, there really is no better choice.
The role of Geralt of Rivia, the magical monster-slayer referred to by the title is anything but ordinary – even in today's age of heroic wizards, sorcerers, and superheroes. The showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich has confirmed that the Netflix series will star the video game version of Geralt, so it makes sense for proud gamer Henry Cavill to have Witcher hopes. But even if he is up to the task, this seems like the perfect time to give the live action adaptation spotlight to one actor who is well overdue.
RELATED: What Henry Cavill Would Look Like as The Witcher
The actor cast as Geralt of Rivia will face a challenge, playing a hero who seems right at home in dark fantasy, can carry a drama without lengthy monologues, and somehow be as vicious and likable a lone wolf as the Wolverine.
So it's a good thing Richard Armitage is tailor made for the task.
Armitage Nailed Dark Fantasy in The Hobbit
Those who saw Peter Jackson's Hobbit Trilogy may not recognize Richard Armitage, but his performance as Thorin Oakenshield is one of the story's most unforgettable elements. Even disguised behind transformative prosthetics and makeup, Armitage managed to convey a great hero, a warrior fallen from his rightful rank, and by the end of the story… equal parts noble, sinister, and absolutely terrifying.
Instead of humor or lengthy dialogue, it was the whispered references, and details given behind his back that shaped the character of Thorin, building a reputation and legend that would be almost impossible to back up. Nevertheless, a glance or two from Armitage was all it took. Those skills are harder to acquire, and even harder to sell convincingly. But they're almost non-negotiable for a character like Geralt. A man hired to slay magical beasts, spirits, monsters, and villains who is seen as a hero by the townsfolk he aids… while they wish him to leave and never come back, lest his bonds with evil corrupt them like they have other "witchers" of his kind.
In the games, Geralt is as much a hero as the player makes him. But keeping faithful to The Witcher games in live action means embodying both sides: the well-meaning warrior, and the sinister, mysterious sorcerer that people can never fully trust. Thorin Oakenshield fits that same archetype, but thanks to Armitage, audiences wanted to believe he was a misunderstood hero all along.
Armitage is in The Batman & Wolverine Conversation
If the more-than-passing resemblance to Hugh Jackman didn't sell Armitage as a grizzled hero enough, then Marvel casting him to voice Logan in the Wolverine: The Long Night podcast put the last nail in the coffin. The results speak for themselves, and there may be no better argument for Armitage as Geralt than demonstrating he needs nothing more than his voice to command a narrative (and an audience). Since most Witcher fans will credit Geralt's steady voice (courtesy of Doug Cockle) as closely as his appearance, that can't be understated. But Geralt isn't just as brooding or "wild" as Wolverine – he's also as calculating and human as Bruce Wayne or Batman.
Which is why it's no surprise to learn that Richard Armitage almost played Batman, auditioning for the role after Christian Bale left the part vacant following The Dark Knight Rises. And it's not hard to see why: standing well over six feet tall and tackling intense, demanding, and stylized dramatic roles already, there's little doubt he could have pulled it off (no coincidence we suggested Armitage for Batman back in 2013).
But the other roles Armitage has mastered – in Pilgrimage, The Crucible, and as Hannibal's infamous Francis Dolarhyde – showed that a regular hero would waste his talents. But playing a hero like Geralt of Rivia in a faithful adaptation of The Witcher? We doubt you can find a better fit.


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Saturday, November 23, 2019
A Shepherd Suspense Novel, #1: A Cross to Kill by Andrew Huff
John Cross is a small-town pastor, bent on leading his flock to follow God's calling. He's not the sort of man one would expect to have a checkered past.
But the truth is that the man behind the pulpit preaching to his sheep was once a wolf--an assassin for the CIA. When John decided to follow Christ, he put that work behind him, determined to pay penance for all the lives he took. He vowed never to kill again.
Now someone wants the peaceful pastor to pay for his sins with his own life. And when a terrorist out for revenge walks into the church, John's secrets are laid bare. Confronted with his past, he must face his demons and discover whether a man can truly change. Can he keep his vow--even when the people he loves are in mortal danger? Will his congregation and the brave woman he's learning to care for be caught in the cross fire? In the end, his death may be the only sacrifice he has left to offer . . .
Andrew Huff's thrilling debut is not only a riveting story of suspense, it's also a deep exploration of the moral quandaries that face those who choose to follow the Prince of Peace in a violent world.
My review:
This book sounded really good, but no offense intended....the publisher isn't known for great suspense authors or books. Those come from Nelson, Zondervan, Revell, etc. But it sounded really good....so I requested it to review.
This has to be the best book Kregel ever published. Seriously. Talk about non stop action and an adrenaline rush from reading a book. It starts out with a televised execution being filmed live, and doesn't slow down until the last page, which is when I finally took a breath.
A likable character is important, and the author came up with a great and very likable character in John Cross. Former assassin for the CIA, and now a pastor of a small country church where he tries to atone for his past. Huff did an excellent job on portraying the struggle of not going back into that life as his past caught up with him and temptations to give into the old killing urges came up in him.
The book is unapologetically Christian, while also being one of the most intense suspense novels I have read for a while. It was full of twists and turns intertwined with Biblical truths.
I have found the Christian fiction market to be extremely geared towards women. Books that are for men, or at least geared more towards men, seem to be a rarity. This book is one of those rarities. Sure, women are going to enjoy it, but this is definitely a book you can buy for the male readers in your life. They will not be disappointed, and may even let you read it after they finish it.
Huff pulled off some great accomplishments with this book:
1) He published a debut novel that should shoot him to the top of a lot of reader's favorite authors (including me!)
2) He wrote a totally awesome suspense novel that is intense, action filled, and totally Christian, and that will thrill and interest both men and women.
3) And he pulled it off with a publisher not necessarily known for putting out this kind of award winning fiction. (Well, it is guaranteed to win awards.)
Seriously, people....I don't exaggerate. This is one of the most awesome suspense novels I have read for a long time.... and I have read some great ones. I definitely recommend it, and am looking forward to reading the other two books in this series from this new and very talented author.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
About the author:
Andrew Huff spent 10 years in local church ministry before pursuing God's calling into creative storytelling and media production as the Product Director at Igniter Media, a church media company (ignitermedia.com). He is a two-time finalist in the American Christian Fiction Writers Genesis Contest for unpublished authors (2014 & 2017) and also won the Best Screenplay award at the 2015 48 Hour Film Festival in Richmond, VA.
Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science in Religion degree from Liberty University and a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary. He resides in North Texas with his beautiful wife Jae and their two boys.
Learn more at andrewhuffbooks.com.
Facebook (@huffwrites)
Twitter (@andrewjohnhuff)
Read an excerpt here.
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Labels: Book Review, Christian fiction, read-in-one-sitting book, suspense/mystery
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Daily Wisdom for Men Devotional
You Are a Man of God Being Transformed to Be More Like Him Every Day!
This brand-new devotional collection for men is designed to help them know the heart of God. With an inspiring readings and scriptures for every day of 2020, Daily Wisdom for Men will provide both encouragement and challenge, as you come to know the transforming power of God's love.
My review:
I am always on the lookout for a good devotional, and reviewing one gives me a good opportunity to find one and also get information about it.
This devotional has a few definite pluses:
1) It is for men, and I am a man. :)
2) It is a 365 day devotional. I prefer those over the kind that are not for a whole year.
3) Though the devotional is for men, it seems to be very general. Too many devotionals for men are more for married guys, which I am not. I didn't read every day's entry in the book, but I read several, and looked through the book. They do seem to be general for all guys, married or single.
Each day has the devotional title, a Bible verse or verses to go along with it, the devotional part, and it ends with a prayer. The subjects are hugely varied, and are very well written and helpful. They are fairly short, yet not too short. At the back of the book is listed the six contributors to the book, and a plan for reading the Bible through in a year.
I recommend this, and it would make a great Christmas gift.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
Daily Wisdom for Men is available from Barbour Publishing. Thanks to Barbour for the review copy.
Posted by Mark at 11:07 AM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Book Review, devotional, Non-fiction
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Unscripted by Davis Bunn
Line producer Danny Byrd is well known in Hollywood for being someone who gets things done on time and under budget. But when his reputation takes a beating after his partner--and former best friend--makes off with their investors' money, Danny has but one chance to redeem himself and restore his ruined career.
LA lawyer Megan Pierce has sacrificed years of her life proving herself to impossible bosses, only to find herself disgusted at their snobbery and their specious business practices. When an opportunity to actually make a difference comes her way, she knows she has to grab it--even though she's not entirely clear what "it" is.
Danny and Megan are each other's best hope for redemption. What they never could have imagined was that they might also be each other's best hope for love.
My review:
Not many books start out with the main character in jail, but this one did. I wasn't expecting that. Slight spoiler: he gets released, but one might figure that out by reading the book description.
Bunn is one of the most versatile authors I have read. Most authors I read have one type of book they write, and stick with one genre'. Bunn has written all kinds of books in different genre's. This one is a book I wasn't sure about, but found myself liking a lot.
Most Christians will agree Hollywood is pretty much godless and bad, so I wasn't sure about a book that is set in Hollywood, but it turned out to be a very enjoyable read. Though the plot was very interesting, reading about what goes into making a movie, picking the actors, etc, the book was about more than that.
Danny, a very likable character, has a lot to deal with in the book: a best friend's betrayal, jail time, career pretty much destroyed, reputation destroyed. To me, the themes of the book are forgiveness and letting go of the past.
It is hard to say what all I liked about the book without giving spoilers away, but it was a great read. In addition to the main character, Danny, Bunn also created some other great characters that made the book interesting.
The Christian parts of the book were not always obvious, but they were there. The romantic elements of the book were also pretty much in the background and were not a big part of the book.
This is a book I would recommend. It is different from a lot of Christian fiction on the market, with the setting and plot in Hollywood making a movie, but it is definitely worth reading.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
About the author:
Davis Bunn (www.davisbunn.com) is the award-winning author of numerous national bestsellers with sales totaling more than seven million copies worldwide. His work has been published in twenty languages, and his critical acclaim includes four Christy Awards for excellence in fiction. Bunn is a Writer-in-Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University. He and his wife, Isabella, divide their time between England and Florida.
Unscripted is available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.
Thanks to Revell for the review copy.
Posted by Mark at 3:56 PM 1 comments Links to this post
Labels: Book Review, Christian fiction
Friday, October 4, 2019
Dark Ambitions, Code of Honor #3 by Irene Hannon
Danger lurks when ambitions turn deadly . . .
Former Army Night Stalker Rick Jordan usually has his camp for foster children to himself during the winter months. But someone has visited recently--leaving a trail of blood. One of the two clues left behind tips Rick off to the identity of his visitor, who soon turns up dead. The police deem it an accident, but Rick isn't convinced.
With the help of private investigator Heather Shields, he sets out to decipher the remaining clue. Except someone doesn't want them to succeed--and will stop at nothing to keep them from finding the truth.
My review:
This is another book I have been anticipating from one of my top favorite authors. I have read every suspense novel this author has written, and I have never been disappointed. And she keeps getting better.
Code of Honor was a neat series. Each book was about a different trio of friends who had been closer friends since childhood, drawn together by not-so-great family situations. They made a vow to grow up and do something to make the world a better place....if only more people did that in real life. Dark Ambitions centered on the last of the three friends, Rick.
An added cool factor to this book: Hannon used characters from her Private Justice Series, which was two series ago in her roster of books.
Dark Ambitions had a fairly complex plot, with ties to something that happened five years previously in Afghanistan. The book was written in third person point of view, but there was a mystery person who would pop up occasionally in the first person point of view. All through the book, I tried to figure out who the person might be, and it was a total surprise when the identity of that "I" was revealed.
Rick and Heather were both great characters, and very likable.....especially Rick, who ran a camp for foster kids and flew rescue missions in helicopters.
Hannon does suspense very well, and Dark Ambitions had me turning the pages as fast as I could read the words on those pages. I started the book on my work lunch break, and finished it at home.
She also does romance well. I enjoyed seeing how the romance played out between Rick and Heather as they dodged dangerous people out to stop their investigation.
Great conclusion to this series.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
About the author:
Irene Hannon is the bestselling author of more than fifty novels, including Hope Harbor, Sea Rose Lane, Sandpiper Cove, Pelican Point, and Driftwood Bay, as well as the Code of Honor, Private Justice, and Men of Valor suspense series. Her books have been honored with three coveted RITA Awards from Romance Writers of America, and she is a member of that organization's elite Hall of Fame. Her many other awards include National Readers' Choice, Daphne du Maurier, Retailers' Choice, Booksellers' Best, Carols, and Reviewers' Choice from RT Book Reviews magazine, which also honored her with a Career Achievement award for her entire body of work. In addition, she is a two-time Christy Award finalist. Learn more at www.irenehannon.com.
Dark Ambitions, and the other two books in the Code of Honor Series, are available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.
Thanks to Revell for the review copy.
Posted by Mark at 12:50 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Book Review, Christian fiction, favorite authors, read-in-one-sitting book, suspense/mystery
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
Always Look Twice, Uncommon Justice #2 by Elizabeth Goddard
Justice lies just on the other side of fear
At the advice of her therapist, Harper Reynolds has traded her job as a crime scene photographer for a more peaceful life taking photographs of the natural world. But her hopes for a life surrounded by the serenity of the outdoors are dashed when she inadvertently captures a murder being committed. She flees the scene in fear--and loses the camera.
Former Green Beret Heath McKade, a reserve deputy in an understaffed county, has been called in to protect Harper, a childhood friend he is surprised to see back in the area. When Harper learns that the sheriff's department can't find any evidence of the murder she witnessed, she is determined to do what she can to see that justice is done. What neither Harper nor Heath could know is how many explosive secrets from the past will be exposed--or how deeply they will fall for each other.
My review:
The first book I read by this author was the first book in this series, and I was hooked. Since then, I have read several of the books she wrote for the Love Inspired Suspense line of books, and loved every one of them. But I have been looking forward to reading this one since I finished the first book in this series back in February.
Always Look Twice was just as exciting and suspenseful as Never Let Go, #1 in this series. A lot of book #1 took place on and around the land he owns and runs a camp from, so a lot of the setting was the same in both books. By the way, I'd love to live at that fictional place....minus the bears.
Goddard did a great job on concealing the "who'. She had me suspecting one man, then another. By the time the identity of the killer was revealed, I wasn't surprised, but had fun trying to figure out who really was the guilty party.
I like books where the couple have previously known each other, and it isn't necessarily a quick boy meets girl, tries to keep girl safe, marries girl. Those books are an enjoyable read too, but it adds different layers when previous relationships or friendship is part of the story.
In addition to the great suspense and drama, Goddard dealt with guilt in this book. Yeah...even fiction books can address issues and help the reader. Imagine that. Both Heath and Harper both had things from their past that they needed to let go of to be what God wanted, and to have any kind of relationship with each other.
Slight spoiler: Liam, the third brother whose story will be in the third and final book, makes an appearance in this book, and he is as likable and cool as his two brothers.
My only complaint is more likely the fault of the publisher, from previous knowledge: This series is about 3 brothers, each book centering on a different one. It would have made more sense to me to feature the guys on the covers instead of the women, but Christian fiction tends to be a woman's market, and some publishers insist on putting women on the covers.
The book itself: awesome read that has be already anticipating the third and final book in this greats series.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
About the author:
Elizabeth Goddard is the bestselling author of more than 40 books, including the Carol Award-winning The Camera Never Lies. Her Mountain Cove series books have been finalists in the Daphne du Maurier Awards and the Carol Awards. Goddard is a seventh generation Texan and can be found online at www.elizabethgoddard.com.
Always Look Twice and the book it follows are available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.
Thanks to Revell for the review copy.
Book #1 in The Uncommon Justice Series
Posted by Mark at 3:55 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Book Review, Christian fiction, favorite authors, read-in-one-sitting book, suspense/mystery
Love Changes Everything by Micah Bertaeau
Warning: Real love will change every part of your existence
We all crave a love that doesn't fade and doesn't fail--even when we do. That's the kind of love God demonstrates for us through the remarkable story of Hosea and Gomer. Unpacking this powerful love story from the Old Testament, pastor Micah Berteau releases us from the fears, hurts, insecurities, and anxieties of life by showing us just how extravagantly we are loved--in spite of our faults, our failures, and our sins.
If you're tired of trying so hard to be worthy of someone else's love, if you're lost in what's fake or drawn to live for what's temporary, Micah Berteau has good news for you: there is a better way to live and love.
My review:
There are a lot of books about God's love, but in my opinion there can't be too many. It is an area I struggled in for so long, so I am always interested in reading and/or reviewing a book on that subject.
This author is new to me, and this may be his first book. I liked his style of writing. He isn't preachy, and writes in an interesting and easy to read style, yet writes with depth. He takes a couple of different approaches to talk about God's love for us. He uses some stories from when he grew up and got in trouble, and related his dad's reactions to how God is with us. He also uses the Biblical story of Hosea and Gomer and brings out some great points and truths from that story.
Disclosure: I moved right after getting this book in the mail, and had trouble finding it after my move, so I read through it faster than normal to meet the review dates. I still got a lot out of it, but plan on going back through it at a slower pace. There is a lot of great truths about God's love in this book, and it is worth reading no matter if you struggle to believe God loves you, or if you haven't had any doubts for years.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
About the author:
Micah Berteau is the lead pastor of The House Fort Worth, which he launched in 2018 and is considered one of the fastest growing churches in America. Micah has earned his Masters in theology and is honored to travel and preach all over the world. He is a dynamic communicator who desires to see all generations intimately know Jesus and boldly make Him known. He and his wife, Lindsey, have two sons and live in Fort Worth, Texas. Learn more at www.micahberteau.com.
Love Changes Everything is available from Revell, part of the Baker Publishing Company.
Thanks to Revell for the review copy.
Posted by Mark at 3:24 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Book Review, Non-fiction
Saturday, September 28, 2019
One Final Breath, Dive Team Investigations #3 by Lynn H Blackburn
Revenge has no statute of limitations
When investigator Gabe Chavez had his cover blown by an aggressive reporter, the silver lining was being able to rejoin the dive team. The downside? Dive team captain Anissa Bell, a woman who both fascinates and frustrates him.
Anissa grew up as a missionary kid on the Micronesian island of Yap and always planned to return after college. But she remained stateside, determined to solve the case that haunts her--the murder of her best friend and the disappearance of a three-year-old child.
When Anissa's fractured past collides with Gabe's investigation into the tragic shooting death of a teenage boy in Lake Porter, they'll have to put aside their complicated history with each other in order to uncover the killer's identity.
My review:
This series was the first books I have read by this author, and she had me wowed from early in the first book. Her first two books were totally awesome, with the perfect blend of suspense, drama, romance, and humor.
But One Final Breath is the book a lot of readers have been looking forward to. Blackburn came up with some really great and likable characters, and she writes great interactions between them on and off the job. Of all of these characters, the fan favorite seems to be Gabe, one of the two main characters in this final book. Gabe is a great investigator, diver.....and the class clown. (That may be why I liked him so much, given my sense of humor and love for jokes and humor). Blackburn did an awesome job of developing his character even more, and there were times I was laughing out loud, even laying the book aside for a moment til I quit laughing. This book really rocks.
The plot was intricate and well thought out: revenge. That wasn't obvious at first, but even when it was, the mystery was who and why. In books like this, you always figure the good guys are going to survive and win, but it is still suspenseful and fun to see how it works out, and this book had a lot of suspenseful moments. Sometimes I had an idea what was going to happen, and sometimes I was totally surprised.
I used to not like the romance stuff too well, but these days I do, and Blackburn did a fantastic job on the Gabe/Anissa romance.....class clown and Ms sensibility play by the rules. This was the most fun romance of the three books, and the book was the most fun of the three also. While still being 100% suspenseful.
As with all of her books, the author made her books Christian and clean. This whole series stands high among Christian suspense, but Blackburn knocked one way out of the park with this one: perfect blend of suspense, character development and interaction, romance, and humor. I highly recommend the series, and though the third book really is the best of this great series, they should be read in order.
My only complaint? The series is over. I'll miss these characters, but I am eager to see what this talented author has coming next.
I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.
About the author:
Lynn H. Blackburn is the author of Beneath the Surface, In Too Deep, Hidden Legacy, and Covert Justice. Winner of the 2016 Selah Award for Mystery and Suspense, and the 2016 Carol Award for Short Novel, Blackburn believes in the power of stories, especially those that remind us that true love exists, a gift from the Truest Love. She's passionate about CrossFit, coffee, and chocolate (don't make her choose) and experimenting with recipes that feed both body and soul. She lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina, with her true love, Brian, and their three children.
One Final Breath, and the other books in this series, are available from Revell Publishing, part of the Baker Publishing Group.
Thanks to Revell and the author for the review copy.
Posted by Mark at 4:42 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Book Review, Christian fiction, favorite authors, read-in-one-sitting book, suspense/mystery


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'Captain America' Directors Talk 'Avengers' and 'Batman v Superman'
After working on sitcoms such as "Arrested Development" and "Community," directing "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" was somewhat of a breeze for brothers Joe and Anthony Russo.
You would think that all those massive, action-packed set pieces, not to mention the special effects-heavy scenes would be more of a challenge, especially considering the scale of the Marvel Studios production. Not necessarily, they said.
The Russo brothers, who will return to direct "Captain America 3," talked to Speakeasy about what it was like to work with Robert Redford on "Winter Soldier," what they know about the upcoming "Avengers: Age of Ultron," and about "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" backing out of the release date it shared with the next Captain America movie. Click through for the rest of the interview.