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The area of Liberia is 112,000 square kilometres, more than half of which is covered by natural forest. At the end of 1982 the population was estimated to be about two million, with 35% classified as urban. The economy was divided into two significant and quite discrete sectors, an enclave sector consisting of mining, forestry and rubber concessions dominated by multinational companies, and a subsistence agriculture sector. The latter supported more than 60% of the population and all-agricultural activities employed close to 64% of the work force. Industry and the service sector employed about 7% and 14% of the work force. Unemployment was estimated to be about 15% of the potential work force and perhaps as high as 30% in the urban areas. The enclave sectors were the main source of foreign exchange hence the global demand for Iron ore, and to a lesser extent rubber and timber, largely determined the economic performance of the modern sector. Iron ore mining alone accounted for about one-third of GDP, yet the links between this and others were weak, resulting in uneven distribution of the benefits of their production, and localised infrastructure development. According to the UNDP/World Bank Energy Commission, the estimated average per capita GNP in 1981 was US$ 520.00 whereas the enclave sector produced a per capita GDP of US$ 1,620.00 and the entire modern sector, US$ 780.00. These were in contrast with a per capita GDP of US$ 160.00 per year for the traditional sector.
Today, the seven years civil war has drastically changed the face of Liberia politically, socially and economically.
It is hard to believe now that the population is at two million; neither can we guarantee that it will reach two million for a shorter time after the war. The Iron ore mining enclaves no longer exist, leaving only the forestry and the agriculture sector to shoulder the weight of unemployment. The public sector, which is now the largest employer in the urban centres but remains a smaller percentage in the commercial sector, reduces the weight of unemployment. Nevertheless, this is done at a very slow pace compared to the population in the urban centres. The rate of unemployment increases daily as Liberians return home from neighbouring countries, and this can be put at about 65-70% in the urban area, and 40-50% at the rural level respectively. There are very few Liberians who are accommodated in the gold and diamond mining sectors, leaving the rest to find alternative means to survive. This implies there is great pressure on mangrove forests and rubber plantations in the urban areas as well the rainforests in the rural sector of the country. Thus, the massive supply of woodfuel and other minor forest products becomes a means of responding to these pressures from unemployment and household energy demand.
Liberia has a forest cover of more than 80% of its landscape and in gross terms, the annual production of fuel quality bio-mass substantially exceeds demand. However, woodfuel demand is national particularly in the urban centres. Monrovia, which is gradually growing at the rate of 4 - 5 percent per year after the civil war, upsetting the previous growth rate of 5 - 6 percent per year between 1983 - 1993 as reported by the Energy Commission.
In the urban sectors of the economy, mostly Monrovia and other sub-cities, charcoal dominates the household energy market and hence with higher efficiency of conversion from wood to charcoal.
Similarly, in the hinterland, the demand for fuelwood (Firewood) has grown rapidly in response to the gradual growth of the population. This has been at the expense of the rainforest. Between 1983 and 1993, the Energy Commission estimated biomass fuel at 69% of final consumption of which was 8% of charcoal for the urban household market, and 61% for the rural consumption market. Although the population has decreased, the need for woodfuel in the household market is increasing rapidly in the absence of other sources of household energy supply such as kerosene, cooking gas and electricity, etc. This also has consequences on the costs attached to these commodities thus putting aggregate consumption at 94% in the household energy sector.
A. Production
Firewood and charcoal production and supply are generally managed by a large number of Liberian smallholders and entrepreneurs. Despite the constraints of traditional technology and poor transport infrastructure, the market is supplied adequately and efficiently. The provision and supply of these commodities have become a major industry and commercial activities in most parts of the country, mostly the urban sector. Besides accommodating household energy needs, about 35 percent of former industrial workers and ex-combatants now residing in Liberia have engaged in charcoal production and trade as means of survival in the private sector.
The role of government in woodfuels supply should therefore be in support of the private sector by providing incentives to use the most economic woodfuel resources and to upgrade the efficiency of conversion methods from wood to charcoal as it is practised in other African or third world countries.
For example, the carbonisation of retired rubber trees should be highly promoted as an integral part of the rehabilitation of the small holder rubber industry and the poor majority of the population who are unemployed, yet seeking employment. In addition, more efficient metal kilns and charcoal stoves offer some prospect of reducing pressure on the remaining closed native forests which are within reach of the major urban areas and should therefore be encouraged to be specific as it is done in Ghana.
Of the two major sources of charcoal production in Liberia (rubber trees and the rain forest) coal produced from the rubber tree comprises the higher volume of supply to Monrovia and most urban cities between 1983-1993. About 10-15% is believed to have come from the University forest plantation, and 20-25% from the nearby native mangrove and community forests in Montserrado county and surrounding areas. Recent estimates put us to about 60-70% between 1993-1996 due to inaccessibility of the tropical rain forest to charcoalers during the war. Today, for the reasons given above, one can really consider the carbonisation process to cover up about 80-90% and this may be more if the present trend of lack of electricity, high gas-oil prices and higher costs of kerosene continue in the consuming household market. However, the carbonisation of fuel-wood into charcoal is been distributed (see table 1) at sub-national level (county level) base upon some influential factors such as the level of security in the area concern, the level of demand, assets to alternative sources of household energy, and the accessibility to roads network etc.
The production of charcoal has economic costs attached despite the use of earthened kilns by charcoalers after the war in all localities. The costs of producing coal from the rubber tree and the natural forest is summarised in Table 2. While the financial incentives for charcoal producers favour the carbonisation of forest wood with returns to labour of about $250. /day as compared with $175/day for charcoalers producing from rubber tree. But the aggregate income incentives to rubber wood coal maker is marginally higher than the cost of producing charcoal from forest wood for the following reasons:
Rubber wood charcoal is plentiful in the market than the charcoal made out of the rainforest,
The mass production is due to nearness to main all weathers roads as compared to forest roads that are inaccessible at certain time of the year, and
The cost by distance to transport rubber tree coal is shorter than forest tree coal. Yet, the forest tree charcoal is favour because of its more heating capacity, which means, less coal can prepare better meal as compared to a rubber tree coal, which is quick in transforming to ashes during cooking.
B. Consumption
At national level, it has been estimated and proven that whatsoever is carbonated is likely consumed (see Table 3) by the household market. Nevertheless, Monrovia, the largest consuming centre has been supplied by its satellite communities such as Bomi, Cape Mount, Margibi and Grand Bassa Counties respectively (see table 1) due to the level of its demanding capacity, and the economic interest charcoalers attached to the sale of the commodity. Though the country was politically dichotomised between 1990 and 1995, the production and supply of charcoal were considered unaffected. Liberians as well as foreigners including the army (ECOMOG) were trading the commodities of coal and fire wood regularly, except that in the South-Eastern region where production and consumption have been always lower as compared to other areas.
With the exception of very few people in Monrovia, who have access to electricity from private generators, all Liberians use fuelwood. According to report No.5279-LBR of the UNDP/World Bank Energy Commission, about over 175,000 cubic meters were estimated as household consumption between 1983-1993 in Monrovia. Again, about 30% of this figure came from the rubber industrial sector, while 70% was supplied from the rainforest. Today, though it is not known precisely how much rubber tree wood is supplied to the other urban and industrial markets, the Firestone Company�s own consumption can be used as a guide to the internal consumption of the rubber industry. With preliminary estimates of fuelwood used by the manufacturing sector, it is most likely to believe that consumption doubled over the years. The 69% as predicted by previous researchers, has been increased of about 25% from 1993 to 1998. As the nation move gradually towards normality, the consumption of firewood by household increased simultaneously. The buck of wood supplied to rural households (see Table 4) has been provided by the rain forest throughout the years. This consumption does not have any negative effect on the rainforest since the carbonisation of wood is limited in those rural sectors.
The second primary purpose besides household energy supply, which influences the production of woodfuel is the economic value to which Liberians attach importance after the civil war. Woodfuel trade is being localised. Although, there is a rumour which states that charcoal is been shipped through metal containers at the Port of Monrovia, efforts to ascertain the facts have not been successful, and so the information herein, focuses only on local sales of the commodities. Wood commodity prices depend upon few factors as follow: The distance at which charcoalers transport the goods, the source used to produce coal, the time during which (rain or dry seasons) the production take place, and the demand at community level (see Tables 5a and 5b). Whole sale and retailing prices vary in view of these criterions.
In certain communities of the city of Monrovia, (say the Duala market area) charcoals produced from rainforest trees or the mangrove sawn trees are sold at LD$ 85 - 110 per bag of about 18 - 25kg. during the dry season, and LD $140 - 150 during the raining season. Charcoal produced from rubber trees (soft coal) is sold for LD$ 75 - 85 dollars, and LD$ 115 - 130 dollars respectively during the same seasons.
At the retailing level of the consuming market, a large size bag of coal contains at average, 14 heaps or plastic bags which are sold at LD$ 10.00 each, while with at the small size of plastic sold for LD$ 5.00, a bag contains about 25 - 27 plastics. This means that a charcoal bag purchased at LD$ 75.00 and sold at retail price of LD$ 5.00 will give a profit of LD$ 50.00 or LD$ 40.00.
In terms of fuelwood, a bundle of 25 -35Kg. is sold at 25 to 30 dollars. Industries such as bakeries fish drying, brake making etc. purchased these wood commodities at whole sale at 10-15 dollars a bundle, excluding trucking. Away from Monrovia (50 or more miles), prices charged depend on the distance at which these forest goods are transported. For example, a truckload of wood of about 17 cubic meters, (taking about 300-350 bundles of wood) would cost LD 7,000- 8,000 dollars from Bassa County to Monrovia, while nearby communities such as Shelffling, a wood cutter would charge for a 25-to 30 kilos of wood at LD 10.00 for 3,500 dollars for a full truck load. A truckload of wood from Bomi and Cape Mount counties would cost about LD 5,000 or 6,000 dollars.
In the industrial sector of the consuming public, only the urban centres have bakeries, fish dryers and at a minimum level, streets and restaurant cooking. Larger areas such as the Firestone Plantation Company, the palm oil industry, soap making etc. were not as functional as it is today. Hence, streets cooking, restaurant cooking etc., fall within household consumption (Table 7)


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Craigewan Photographic Group held their final league photographic competition, which was an open theme.
The competition would decide who was the club's photographer of the year and judging this was Ross Graham from Inverness Camera Club.
Ross is a freelance and press photographer and enjoyed his first time of judging for the club.
In another tight competition between the members the winner was the club's chairman Peter Lewis with a score of 57 from 60 with his three images.
He was followed by Beverley Thain on 55 points and Michelle Emslie on 53 points. This meant that Beverley Thain finished first in the league beating Michelle Emslie who finished a point behind with Peter Lewis finishing third.
Peter's Winter's Coming scored the only 20 points in the competition. The club is now looking forward to this yea'rs Grampian Eye competition which Deeside CC is hosting this year.
The club meest on a Tuesday night at Peterhead Academy and anyone interested in going along can contact them through their website -www.craigewanpg.com or the Facebook page.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Edmonton Eskimos will have to be road warriors to successfully defend their Grey Cup title.
Edmonton (10-8) begins its title defence Sunday afternoon visiting the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Division semifinal. The Eskimos earned the CFL crossover by compiling a better record than the third-place Montreal Alouettes (7-11).
Hamilton also had a 7-11 record but cemented second — and home field for the East semifinal — by winning the season series with Montreal.
A win Sunday will earn Edmonton a trip to Ottawa on Nov. 20 to face the Redblacks in the East Division final. The winner will advance to the Grey Cup game Nov. 27 at BMO Field in Toronto.
"There's no easy path to the Grey Cup but I think we've got a pretty damn good team so I like our chances," quarterback Mike Reilly said this week. "We're going to have a challenge, there's no question about it.
"But (the last two years) we've been pretty good on the road so, again, I like our chances. I think we've got a lot of momentum going into the playoffs."
Edmonton comes in having won five of its last six games. Hamilton has dropped two straight and its last four home contests to stand 3-6 overall at Tim Hortons Field this season.
Hamilton is also 2-8 versus West Division teams. Edmonton was 5-4 on the road and 5-3 against East rivals.
This will mark the first-ever division playoff meeting between the two clubs although they've split their two Grey Cup appearances.
The Eskimos make their third crossover appearance. In 2008 they became the first CFL team to win a crossover game, beating Winnipeg 29-21 in the conference semifinal but lost 42-26 to Toronto in 2012.
Eight times West Division teams have crossed over to the East, but not one has ever reached the Grey Cup.
Edmonton and Hamilton split the season series 1-1.
Backup quarterback Jeremiah Masoli had a CFL-record 23 straight completions in rallying Hamilton from a 25-point deficit to a 37-31 road win July 23. On Oct. 28, John White's 132-yard rushing performance anchored Edmonton's 29-26 victory at Tim Hortons Field.
"I think they're dangerous," said Edmonton coach Jason Maas. "They're coached well and they'll have some healthy players back.
"I know they've been decimated by injuries throughout the entire year so the consistency with their lineup hasn't been what they probably want, but they're not very far removed from being a Grey Cup contender and being in the Grey Cup. They're not going to be an easy out, we understand that but our job is to go there and beat them."
Veteran safety Courtney Stephen is expected back in Hamilton's lineup Sunday but veteran receivers Andy Fantuz (101 catches, 1,059 yards, five TDs), Luke Tasker (76 catches, 852 yards, five TDs) and Chad Owens (58 catches, 808 yards, five TDs) remain on the injured list.
Ticats head coach Kent Austin is thankful for Stephen's anticipated return.
"He's got great range back there, he gets guys lined up, he makes plays," Austin said. "We're glad to have him back."
Fortunately for Austin and the Ticats, they're preparing for a familiar foe.
"I think where it helps you is you have a more immediate familiarity with personnel," Austin said. "Obviously there's going to be changes to what they do schematically and the same with us but you do have a better understanding of the personnel because you've seen them recently."
Edmonton's aerial game will present Hamilton with challenges. Reilly threw for a CFL-high 5,554 yards with 28 TDs while Adarius Bowman (120 catches, 1,761, nine TDs) and Derel Walker (109 receptions, 1,589 yards, 10 TDs) were 1-2 in receiving.
But Edmonton's offence also boasts the CFL's second-ranked ground game (103.7 yards per game).
"We understand when you're running attack can be effective it makes everything easier," Reilly said. "The fact we've been able to be pretty balanced for almost two months now, it takes the stress off the pass game and it also puts a stress on the defence."
The Ticats counter with a versatile running back in C.J. Gable but averaged a CFL-low 66.9 yards rushing per game. But starting quarterback Zach Collaros offers a simple solution to reverse Hamilton's home woes.
"Just execution, making a few more plays," he said. "In every game you lose there's five, six, seven plays that are kind of turning points or plays that could go either way . . . but we just need to execute, by physical and we're confident things will go our way."


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Neva Aerospace technology enjoys patent protection and is ready to develop pre-commercialisation prototypes. We have now opened our first placement.
Wherever remote or dangerous access, congested environments and 24/7 operations are involved, Neva Aerospace's UAV/AUV technology is the future. This new electric/hybrid aviation transcends existing technologies such as quad-copters, helicopters, small/light drones to create new markets and opportunities.


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This is a Kung Fu Panda music video that I arranged from the themes created by Hans Zimmer. I have some percussion and harp edited in for extra effect during certain parts of the piece. Enjoy.uploaded by Michael on december 21, 2017 at 11:31 am
Sign in or create a free account to leave a comment, follow this user, or like this video. You do not need to be a musician to create an account. Friends, family, and supporters are welcome!
Michael almost 2 years ago
Haha! Thanks!
mcitrini almost 2 years ago
Our dog Panda particularly enjoys this one!


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My Internet Income Report for July 2007
Posted on 2nd August, 2007
Everyone (well more and more bloggers anyway) seems to be revealing their blogs' income nowadays, following a trend started by John Chow Dot Com. If there were others who had chosen to reveal their blogs income before John Chow, I am not aware of them. Those that I know of didn't go into as much details as what John Chow is doing.
I know how much you make is your own business so many bloggers prefer not to reveal their earnings.
They prefer to keep quiet about it for several reasons including the fear of being copied by others, or they don't want to be perceived as bragging, or they don't want to attract competitors which will affect their own income in the future.
Sometimes being discreet can be more intriguing as people are drawn to you, waiting for you to spill the beans.
On the other hand, sharing the details of your blog's income offers a powerful way to generate interest and help to get the buzz going about your blog. With such transparency, you'll attract repeat visitors who come back to your blog to see how much you are making. They'll look forward to read what ingenious money making methods you can come up with.
I think revealing your income is the right thing to do if you feel secure about your position and that it's not possible for others to compete with you overnight
Perhaps you have other revenue streams besides blogging that you want to keep quiet about so it's OK to reveal only your blog income.
I've came across several bloggers who are making good money from blogging. Besides the well know Darren Rowse of ProBlogger.net, there are a few others such as:
Everton of ConnectedInternet.co.uk.
Everton has reported his earnings for July 2007. Figures for last month are in brackets and some numbers are estimated
- Google Adsense: $4,280 ($4,234)
- Text-Link-Ads: $1,386 ($1,010)
- Intellitxt: $1,034 ($1,210)
- Tribal Fusion: $715 ($810)
- Direct Ad Sales: $235 ($825)
- Linkworth: $168 ($0)
- Feedburner FAN: $159 ($337)
- ReviewMe: $130 ($560)
- Chitika: $14 ($55)
- Blogads: $6 ($6)
Grand Total: $8,126 ($9,048)
Not bad at all. Notice that he is making over four grand from AdSense alone.
John Chow Dot Com
This guy needs no introduction. John has published his income for July 2007. Figures for last month are in brackets
- Affiliate Sales: $4,344.82 ($3,213.02)
- ReviewMe: $2,600.00 ($3,800.00)
- Text Link Ads: $2,056.63 ($1,506.71)
- Private Ad Sales: $1,130.00 ($1,440.00)
- Kontera: $1,000 ($1,000.00)
- Google AdSense: $661.73 ($778.90)
- TTZ Media: $349.44 ($339.85)
- Buy Me a Beer: $114.33 ($219.39)
- FeedBurner: $79.81 ($201.74)
- Subscription: $70.00 ($70.00)
Grand Total: $12,406.76 ($12,569.61)
With over 5000 visitors per day, I was surprised he is only making $661.73 from AdSense. In contrast, Sabahan.com which gets round 600 to 800 unique visitors per day makes 30% of that amount per month from AdSense.
At first, I find it odd to see John is consistently making exactly $1000 from Kontera month after month. In the comments, someone explains Kontera guarantees John $1K per month in return for promoting Kontera in his blog, and if his actual Kontera ads make more than that, he gets the greater of the two.
I am sure there are many others who have disclosed their blogs' income but this time I am only mentioning those two.
I know some of you have been wondering how much I am making from the Internet. My total blog income made up just a small portion of my total income but I see it's increasing month after month.
Still I am not quite comfortable revealing my exact total income but I tell you this, it's over RM10,000 per month. My goal is to reach USD10,000 by the end of this year. My blogs revenue is the slowest growing income stream while affiliate programs are the fastest.
Here are some of my income sources for the month of July, 2007. They were generated from several blogs and websites and not from Sabahan.com alone. The amounts are in USD unless stated otherwise.
- Google AdSense: $618.46
- ValueClick.com: $349.35
- Commission Junction: $990.45
- Text-Link-Ads: $291.73
- MaxBounty: $366.25
- Other Affiliate Programs: Est. $1000
Grand Total: $3616.24
I used to make a couple of thousands from AdSense per month in the past but that's no longer the case when one of my best AdSense websites had stopped ranking in Google after their algorithm updates.
What I didn't include in there is the amount I made selling my own products. While I usually make more than all my affiliate programs income combined, my other affiliate program income is gradually increasing.
Now have you read anyone sharing their blogs or online income? Do you reveal your own income in your blog? Please leave your comment. 😉


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Growing up I was always surrounded by paintings, home made models, and sculptures. One of my favorite memories was the gigantic canister my father always had of a type of grey clay. I would sit at his drawing board with a big lump of it, along with assorted sculpting tools, and try to make things. Nothing I did was really all that great, but I had fun. I can remember the way it smelled, how my fingers looked when it would dry on them, and all the things I wanted to make with it.
When I decided to try sculpting, I honestly didn't know how it would turn out. In my mind's eye, I envisioned the unstructured mess I made with clay as a kid. Instead I found a different way of learning how to draw.
In an earlier post I mentioned doing three dimension anatomic studies with clay. In addition to this, I wanted to learn how to create with clay. I went to the art supply store and bought a package of it but wasn't really sure where to begin. I had been doing quick sketches and a little bit of painting at the Palette And Chisel Academy Of Fine Art. They also offer not only classes for sculpture, but also open studios for members to sculpt from a live model.
The way it works at the Palette And Chisel is this- each scultptor has their own little table with wheels. The view is of one side of the figure, which is worked on for a while. Once that view is done, the sculptor moves around to a different side. This allows the artist to render the figure from every angle. This is far different that merely drawing a two-dimensonial representation from one side. Not only is the artist able to see the figure from all sides, the literal hands on shaping of the clay allows for a better understanding of how the body is put together. It brings about a total change in the perception of the figure in general. In understanding the figure, The artist also understands anatomy better.
|The front of my first sculpture.
I worked on her for approximately 4 sessions, 5 hours per session.
|The back of my first sculpture
|My second sculpture started as a "quick sketch" That carried over
for 4 full session. This one was a little different: a standing pose requiring
an armature to prevent it's collapse.
Overall, I've found the entire experience of sculpting extremely beneficial. Not only has it allowed me to try something completely different, it's also changed the way I draw. It is far easier to imagine the form in 3-D: making sure the planes of the face are correct and thinking about what a foreshortened figure may be hiding on it's other side. This has allowed me to envision the figure as a whole, with depth and character - taking me away from a flat representation. I am able to understand the human body more, which only improves my work.


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Although the sexual sin of pornography has grave consequences for everyone, the consequences become increasingly ominous as one's role of spiritual accountability for others increases. No doubt, this is true for a married man. There are multiply layers of ramifications when a Christian married man struggles in any way with pornography, but here are the two I would argue are most obvious and most devastating.
The most obvious and harmful consequence for the married man who views pornography is the devastating betrayal of his wife and the covenant of marriage he has made to his wife before God. It needs to be recognized that viewing pornography and committing the physical act of adultery are not the same thing. In a married man's mind, they are not even in the same category. For the wife, the betrayal is stunningly similar. The harmful effects on the wife and on the marriage relationship are likely to be similar as well. The wife doubts her husband's physical attraction to her. The marriage bed is perceived as polluted. Trust on all levels is broken. If a married man keeps his pornography struggle a secret from his wife (which most try and are able to do for a while), these same consequences escalate to an even greater level once the struggle is exposed.
As destructive as this previous consequence is, it does not match the destructive consequence of how the gospel is perverted when a married man engages with pornography. The Apostle Paul writes that a Christian husband's love for his wife is to be a display of Christ's love for his church in the way he gave his own life for her (Eph. 5:25). When a man seeks satisfaction in pornography, he betrays and hurts his wife in such a way that displays Christ as a selfish, unloving adulterer. The enemy wins an especially harmful victory when he targets married men and seduces them through the venue of sexual sin because this perversion so distorts the gospel to a watching world.
For more practical help on the matter, look at these two previous posts:
The most harmful consequences for the single man will be considered for a future post..


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Recently, I found the couch had been graced with some new non-sanctioned decorations.
Medium: Crayon (in yellow, light blue, and black)
Canvas: Upholstery
Artist: Little Bitty
To see more Magic Marker Monday, visit 5 Minutes for Special Needs.
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Monday, October 13, 2008
Magic Marker Monday: Bitty expresses himself10/13/2008 Posted by danette
Labels: artwork, Magic Marker Monday
7 comments:
- Casdok on October 13, 2008 at 3:27 AM said...
Oh dear. But it is very artistic!
- Dianna on October 13, 2008 at 6:41 AM said...
Oh No! Hope you were able to get it out.
- Anonymous said...
UH-OH!!! I hope you have a sense of humor about it!! :D I can't seem to keep the resident artist in our home under control either. Last night he brought me a picture to admire. It was drawn on the back of my attendance record! He keeps helping himself to my papers when he can't find his own!!!
- Alicia on October 13, 2008 at 9:11 AM said...
The worst canvas ever!
- Dee on October 13, 2008 at 10:43 AM said...
Is it horrible that I had to giggle a little? Well maybe he'll grow up to be a famous artist and it will all be worth it!!!
- Childlife on October 13, 2008 at 11:08 PM said...
Oh noooooooooooo! LOL! We've had a few of these around our place as well :P
Lovely artistry, but I do hope you will be able to get it out!
~Michelle @ 5MFSN
- Elizabeth Channel on October 13, 2008 at 11:12 PM said...
Such drama! I love the light blue shape in the left-hand corner...so peaceful...but then I don't have to look at it every day. I can just look at my leather couch with the black marker and smile!


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"There's a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in."
– Leonard Cohen
(Originally written at 10:50 AM, 11/16/16)
I got to give a short message a few Sundays ago about choosing light in our lives — and today, I am so aware of this choice I have. You see, today feels really long and it is not yet noon.
It started last night. I had been feeling on edge for various reasons yesterday that led me to all out wrestling with God last night. I do that sometimes – I know he can take. Man, am I so glad He can take it.
I woke up at 4AM to a brigade of fire engines on my street. I opened my front door to see my neighbor's home directly across from my front door, blazing. Thankfully, everyone in that home is ok – even the cat and the dog. But it was jarring, this scene, in the early morning hours. And this morning, in the sunlight, you could not ignore the toll it took on the house and the time it will take to repair the damage.
As I walked into my office, my phone started lighting up with prayers for my cousin's baby girl who is having intensive heart surgery today. Her heart needs some reworking and there is an incredible team of humans to do it. But I hold my breath every time the phone lights up, looking for updates, for information, for hope and peace for my cousin and her husband as they trust doctors to set right the heart of this second daughter, the same way they did with their eldest girl – now 2.
It is quite a Wednesday. I want to be quiet. I want to sit with a blanket and tea in my chair looking out at the lake and not move. My first instinct in chaos is to be still. But that is not my reality today. I cannot hide. I cannot shut the world down. And really – I know deep down doing that for too long is never good for us. The best way over is through (thank you Johnnyswim).
So, as I scrolled through the photos on my phone for distraction, I noticed how often I am drawn to taken photos of broken things that still retain beauty. And isn't that this day? And really, every day? Both of these realities, light and beauty // broken and dark, are there for our noticing every day.
I want to be aware of both. . I will embrace the broken and still fill up on the beauty. I will grieve the difficulties but settle into doing what I can do to ease the pain. I don't want to be ignorant of darkness or hardened towards brokenness. I just want light to lead more. And I am up for fighting for light for as long as I very well can in my corner of this earth.
When I spoke about light, I spoke about how the very next thing God did after creating the heavens and the earth, was create light, call it good, and show us how to differentiate it from darkness. I have no doubt in God's purpose here, knowing how much we would be in need of it. I think light was that important to God – physically and metaphorically.
I am tired today but I praying for light to come in. I have often found that when I offer up space for it, light finds its way in. And to follow up with Mr. Cohen, I often think some of the most beautiful images of light are created when it is seen shimmering through fragmented darkness.


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Hi ya,
I am looking at apposition where the case of the referent and the appositive differ. It turns out that identifying such case is rather prone to false positives. I am wondering if it is possible to know the referent of the appositive. It appears that there is no real tagging of this, and thus that one must infer it by various other means, such as case agreement, proximity, enclosing clause structure and so on. Is that correct or is there a way to find appositive and it's referent directly ?
If there is not then it would be a really nice thing to add though I realise it would require additional tagging work.


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Super Bowl XXXVII (37)
Game Summary
Tampa Bay Bucaneers:
Jon Gruden
Oakland Raiders:
Bill Callahan
Half Time Show
Headliner: Shania Twain, No Doubt, and Sting
Qualcomm Stadium
San diego, CA
Date: August 20, 1970
Attendance: 67,603
Dexter Jackson
Safety (S)
Tampa Bay Bucaneers
The Buccaneers' defense intercepted five passes, three for touchdowns, and recorded five sacks as Tampa Bay scored 34 straight points en route to the Super Bowl victory.
Charles Woodson intercepted Brad Johnson three plays into the game to give Oakland the ball at the Buccaneers' 36. Simeon Rice sacked Rich Gannon to force the Raiders to settle for Sebastian Janikowski's 40-yard field goal.
The Raiders registered just two first downs on the following nine possessions and did not run a play inside the Buccaneers' 40. The Buccaneers answered Janikowski's field goal with Martin Gramatica's 31-yard boot to tie the game.
Dexter Jackson's interception set up Gramatica's the go-ahead field goal early in the second quarter. In the second quarter, a 25-yard punt return by Karl Williams and a 19-yard run by Michael Pittman led to Mike Alstott's 2-yard touchdown run.
Late in the half, the Buccaneers drove 77 yards, aided by three defensive penalties and pass receptions of 16 and 12 yards by Alstott, to set up Brad Johnson's 5-yard touchdown pass to Keenan McCardell with 30 seconds left in the half, which gave Tampa Bay a 20-3 lead.
With their first possession of the second half, the Buccaneers put together a 14-play, 89-yard drive that consumed 7:52 and was culminated by Johnson's 8-yard scoring toss to McCardell. Two plays later, Dwight Smith intercepted Gannon's pass and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown and a 34-3 lead with 4:47 left in the third quarter. Tampa Bay scored four touchdowns in a span of 16:37.
Jerry Porter's 39-yard touchdown catch in the back of the end zone made it 34-9. Less than three minutes later, Tim Johnson blocked Tom Tupa's punt. Eric Johnson caught the ball and dove into the end zone for a touchdown to cut the deficit to 34-15 with 14:16 remaining.
The Buccaneers drove deep downfield again, but Tupa mishandled the snap for a field-goal attempt, allowing the Raiders to regain possession. Gannon hit Jerry Rice with a 48-yard touchdown pass with 6:06 left to trim the lead to 34-21.
A 9-yard pass by Johnson to Alstott on third-and-7 allowed Tampa Bay to take another two minutes off the clock before Tupa punted with 2:44 remaining.
On third-and-18 from the Raiders' 29, Derrick Brooks intercepted Gannon's pass and raced 44 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown with 1:18 remaining to give Tampa Bay a commanding 41-21 lead. Smith intercepted a tipped pass and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown with two seconds left to finish the scoring.
Johnson was 18 of 34 for 215 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Pittman had 29 carries for 124 yards. Gannon was 24 of 44 for 272 yards and two touchdowns, with a Super Bowl record five interceptions.
Jackson, who had the first two interceptions, one of which led to the go-ahead field goal, was named the game's most valuable player (MVP).
Scoring Information


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A project team is like a mini organisation where understanding of roles and responsibilities is important
If you look at a project as a mini organisation and consider that it is very important that the people working in your 'mini organisation' fully understand their roles and responsibilities, just as is the case in any organisation or business, then this might help alleviate some issues that you may have with teamwork and delivery output.
You might say that you think this idea is crazy because "Everyone knows what they have to do". Is that true? Do they really fully understand what it is that they are expected to do.
Can you absolutely know that they fully know what they have to do? I am pretty sure that if you asked them a number of people would say "No" they don't.
I am not talking about formal job descriptions here either.
Have the discussion in your project kick-off meeting
Part of a great project kick off meeting should be to talk to the team and discuss the roles and responsibilities for everyone. Also talk about the hand off points and dependency areas. This will help team members see where what they do is forming part of the holistic project delivery. It will provide clarity.
These discussions will also eliminate silos from operating. Silo's in a project team create issues because work is completed in isolation of others and may then need to be re-worked.
What if you are part way through your project?
If you are already working on your project and you are starting to notice problems with delivery, then it's not too late to have this discussion. Talk to each work team, each delivery area, and ask these questions "Are you clear on your roles and responsibilities?" "Do you understand where your hand off points are and who you are dependent upon in the team?"
A great idea, if you have a Business Analyst on your team,might be to workflow or map out the connection points between the streams or work teams. This is one way to provide the clarity that might otherwise be missing. This pictorial way of showing how the team operates as a whole might help those people on the team who are visually oriented.
It might also be worthwhile considering having a small number of key deliverables mapped out and documented for each team. I am of course referring to the individual work streams. List what it is that you need them to be responsible for. This, again, provides clarity where none is present.
How does this clarity impact project success?
- By providing this level of clarity to each of the teams working on your project you are giving them more autonomy and showing them that you trust that they will work with you to deliver this project.
- Teams are more likely to cooperate and work together when they are clear on their own responsibilities, and the dependencies between their work and that of others.
- You, as the PM, will be more likely to have visibility of what is occurring, as it will provide clarity of the work that needs to be completed.
How will you provide this role and responsibility clarity to your project team members?
Written by Karen Munro
*Photo courtesy of Jeroen van Ooostrom from Freedigitalphotos.net


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Two by Jim Cartwright
Reform Theatre Company / Harrogate Theatre in association with Middlesbrough Theatre
From the award-winning writer of Little Voice and Road comes Two, a gritty yet heart-warming look at northern life filled with pathos and humour.
Set in a Northern Pub where the Landlord and Landlady's cheery greeting and friendly banter barely disguise their contempt for each other. They met outside the pub when they were kids, had their first drink there, courted there, had their Twenty Firsts there, Wedding Reception there, and now they own the place.
During the course of the evening assorted customers pass through including a little boy left by his father, an event that triggers a move towards a fragile reconciliation between the pub couple as their secret tragedy, swallowed back for seven years, comes to a head after drinking - up time.
Susan Mitchell
Keith Hukin
Tour Dates
- 1st May.. Henry Fanshawe School, Dronfield
- 2nd May.. Pomegranate Theatre, Chesterfield
- 3rd May.. Civic, Barnsley
- 5th May.. Square Chapel, Halifax
- 8th May.. Stantonbury Theatre, Milton Keynes
- 9th May.. Cast, Doncaster
- 10th May.. The Met, Bury
- 11th May.. Arts Centre, Pocklington
- 12th May.. Village Hall, Tickton
- 18th May.. Courthouse, Otley
- 19th May.. Arts Centre, Helmsley
- 22nd May.. Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate
- 23rd May.. Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate
- 24th May.. Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate
- 25th May.. Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate
- 26th May.. Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate
- 27th May.. Lantern Theatre, Sheffield
- 29th May.. Queens Hall, Hexham
- 30th May.. The Theatre, Chipping Norton
- 31st May.. Grenwich Theatre, Grenwich
- 1st Jun.. Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton
- 2nd Jun.. Town Hall, Selby
- 6th Jun.. The Theatre, Middlesbrough
- 7th Jun.. The Theatre, Middlesbrough
- 8th Jun.. The Theatre, Middlesbrough
- 9th Jun.. The Theatre, Middlesbrough


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(Please note that this post contains SPOILERS for the first Deathly Hallows film. Proceed with caution!)
So J.K. Rowling's recent announcement sent me off on a little trip down memory lane, about what HP fandom has meant to me… and a little project I've got planned for this summer.
Thirteen years ago, the British Council was a very different place. The childrens' book section was a cozy little nook tucked away in one corner, with kid-size furniture and brightly coloured walls. It was one of my favourite places, and every week or so I begged my mother to take me there so I could pick up another of my beloved Enid Blytons or Roald Dahls.
On one of those trips I stumbled on an unassuming little book tucked away in a bottom shelf; it was a book by an author I'd never read before, with an old-fashioned steam train on the front and a man in a funny-looking suit on the back. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, the cover said. Time was running out and someone had already checked out the copy of Roald Dahl's Matilda I wanted, so I decided to give this book a try. What could it hurt?
To this day, I'm grateful to whoever it was that took out that last copy of Matilda. Because once I started reading, I couldn't stop. I read the book, then I read it again. And again. And again, unto the point where my mother bought me my own copy just so I wouldn't keep checking it out of the library. A copy that is currently being held together by cello tape and prayers on account of how many times I read it. As they say in Tamil, padichu padichu kizhichen, literally.
And so began an obsession that spanned the better part of my adolescence. I bought every single book on the first day and devoured it post-haste. I spent hours debating the smallest minutiae with my equally Potter-obsessed friends. I read (and wrote) reams of fan fiction, both good and bad. I watched the movies and spent hours dissecting them (or trashing them, depending.) I scoured the internet for news, spoilers, anything to do with my beloved Harry.
At least, that's how it was until book five. And then with book six, I don't know. The magic just… disappeared. I read it, but only once, and it's stayed on my bookshelf ever since. Ditto the seventh, which I only bought out of some kind of fannish devotion; I haven't actually read it more than once. A far cry from my more involved days in fandom; my first three HP books have been cellotaped to within an inch of their lives, and the fourth had to be rebound because I cracked the binding from having read it so much. Five is in okay shape; six and seven look like I bought them yesterday.
And so life went on; I found other fandoms, other things to fangirl over. DC Comics, Superman, Batman, Numb3rs, White Collar. I made friends, read fanfic, obsessed over the canon. And I figured my love for Harry Potter was like a first crush; all-consuming passion that fades away into sweet memories over time.
But then a funny thing happened. I got talked into a midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1. And I went. And everything came flooding back. Why I loved this world, these characters. I gasped when the Death Eaters attacked Bill and Fleur's wedding, bit my lip when the Trio snuck into the Ministry, cried when Dobby died. And just like that, it was like I was nine and discovering a whole new world.
Of course, grad school meant I only had time for the odd bit of HP fanfiction; for another, doing your Master's thesis on Harry Potter means the last thing you want to see after the damned thing is done is your source material.
But now that I've had sufficient time to recover, I'm taking on a project I meant to start months ago: rereading the Harry Potter series. I'm excited; it's going to be fun reading some of my favourite books with a more adult perspective; not to mention that it should get me good and excited for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, which releases next month.
I'm going to be reviewing each book as I go. Hopefully going back to the source material will remind me of just why I love these books so much, and help me enjoy fandom as much as I once did.


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Gold Connections & Cocaine Piss at Primavera Club 2017
Primavera Sound Festival announced the full line-up for Primavera Club 2017. With 61 artists they'll present themselves as a festival of the latest discoveries. The newest musical innovations.
In both Barcelona & Madrid from Friday 20th to Sunday 22nd October.
This year with Gold Connections and Cocaine Piss added to the program!
More info & tickets: www.primaveraclub.com


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Monday, 5:15pm: "Hey, it's me. I'm in the Emergency Room. I'm feeling suicidal. They sent me to Psych. I left work. I don't want to be here. I want to go home," I choked on the words between sobs while on the phone with my dad. This was not how I wanted to spend my Monday afternoon, or any afternoon really. How did I end up here?
Monday, 2:45pm: I look up from my notes I took during a training on Friday to read what I have typed. Only, instead of reading about how to use Skype for Business, the only words I see are the only words that have been going through my head for the last week: I want to die. I need to die. I want to die. I need to die.
"Well, shoot." I think to myself, "That's not good."
You see, this is how it starts, how it always starts: a nagging feeling that won't go away; a thought on repeat in my head. And then I cycle downward: a roller coaster there's no getting off of; a hole I can't climb out of; a mountain I can't climb.
This is how it starts, how it always starts: with me trying to talk myself off the metaphorical cliff before I metaphorically jump; trying to talk myself down before I do something drastic.
And I can't tell you how many times I've talked myself down, how many times I've come so close, how many times I've thought I just want this to all be over.
But I can tell you this: it's exhausting. It's exhausting to struggle with suicidal thoughts 98% of the time. It's exhausting to feel like you don't deserve to be here, don't deserve help, don't deserve the love and support that you get from the friends and family who surround you.
Sometimes it only takes one person who listens, who is somehow able to convince you that you do deserve to be here, you do deserve to get help, despite what all the voices in your head are telling you.
When you've been struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts for as long as I have, you start to see the signs, read the writing on the wall if you will. And every time you enter that spiral, it gets harder and harder to get out, to talk yourself out of it.
And I have to tell you this, friends, I have to, even though it hurts: on Thursday, I was so so so close to ending it all, but somehow, by some sort of miracle, I was able to call the Suicide Hotline.
So, on Monday, when I felt myself entering the spiral, I knew that if I didn't go to the ER, I would not make it out this time. It's a terrifying thought process, guys, knowing that your life lies in your hands, or rather, legs, finding the strength to get yourself the help you deserve.
Because you do, guys. You do deserve the help.
But I'm also telling you that it's not going to be easy, especially if you drive yourself.
It took me 25 minutes to get out of the car once I got to the hospital, and I was panicking each and every second of those 25 minutes: I cannot do this. I literally cannot do this. I'm not strong enough to do this. I could just jump right now; I'm literally almost on the top floor of the parking garage. It would be so so much easier.
Eventually, however, I made it out of my car and into the hospital. Eventually, I made it through the halls of the hospital I have been in so many times before: the hospital I was born in; the hospital I've visited family members in; the hospital I had my appendix out in. But this time, the hallways felt so much longer than they ever have before, and I felt like the walls were caving in around me. And when I made it to the ER doors, it took me another 15 minutes to walk through them: to remind myself that I deserve to be here, to get help, to get better. That I don't deserve the bad things that happen in my life.
And here's where it starts to get hard, not because I don't remember what happened because I do. I remember everything. It gets hard because I don't know how to tell you what I'm about to tell you. But I'm going to try because you all deserve to know. And maybe even my lack of words will be enough to help someone else.
I don't know how to tell you that as I was sitting in the general ER next to the elevator that goes up to the Psych ED (or CPEP from here on out), I already felt dead. If you ask the tech who brought me up to the CPEP, she'd tell you that I had dead eyes–there was nothing behind them: no light, no life, no hope. When one of the ER nurses came to retake my heart rate, because having a panic attack while sitting in your car really messes it up, she said, "Poor thing. You look like a ghost." I didn't have the energy to tell her that I felt like a zombie: mostly dead, not really living, trying hard to fake my way through life.
I don't know how to tell you that I wasn't considered a flight risk because I drove myself, but I really wanted to be anywhere but there: gone, dead, home, whatever, anywhere but here. That my urge to run was greater than my urge to live.
I don't know how to tell you that the CPEP is the best place to have a flashback, and trust me, you'll have many. There are only so many times you can hear Get off me. Get off me. Get off me. from someone being restrained before your own trauma catches up to you. And everything you've tried so hard to forget over the last nine years comes rushing back to you. If anybody understands how traumatic rape can be, it's the ones who deal with the aftermath, the ones who see the broken, hurting people walk through their doors every day.
I don't know how to tell you that I felt like I was 7 years old again, and for the first hour before my dad arrived, I've never felt so alone.
I don't know how to tell you that I feel guilty for being "strong" enough to get help because I feel like it diminishes the strength of the people who didn't.
I don't know how to tell you about the guy who had been in the CPEP for three days because there where no beds upstairs, who, after my dad left at 4:30, sat next to me as I slept because no one should be alone here, especially not pretty girls with sad eyes.
I don't know how to tell you about me waking up at 5:30am on Tuesday sobbing because of the teenager they brought in who was restrained, and when the nurse asked me what was wrong, all I could say was he's scared and wants to go home. Because here's the thing about that place: everyone there feels too much. Not only do we feel our own pain, but we feel each other's. I felt their pain when they told me their stories, and they cried with me when I told them my story at 8:00am on Tuesday after being with them for 15 hours. I poured my heart out to strangers when I have a hard time telling people I know what's happened. I told them everything: the rape, the self-harm, the eating disorder, the suicide attempt, the suicidal thoughts, the relapsing.
I don't know how to tell you that you lose track of time because the only clock I could find was the one behind the locked doors of the nurse's station. Everything's locked. You can't get in or out without a key. You're physically trapped, which is fitting because every single person there feels trapped in their own mind.
I don't know how to tell you that being there 18 hours before I saw a psychiatrist instead of the normal "get in, get out in 6 hours" probably changed the way this story goes, probably saved my life, probably is why I was discharged instead of held for 24, 48, 72 hours.
I don't know how to tell you that I had a hard time yesterday adjusting to the "real world" after being in CPEP for 20 hours. That place began to feel like home, not so much because of the place itself, but because of the people. It's like when you visit a foreign country and experiencing culture shock when you return back home. I miss the way the people made me feel: you know the warm feeling you get when you are around people you love. Because they understood my pain in a way that most people can't. They reminded me that I'm not alone. They touched my life in a way that I can't even describe, and I honestly really hope they're doing better.
We're all muddling through life, and sometimes it's good to be reminded that there are people out there who are hurting as much as you are, struggling right along with you.
I'm so so so glad to be alive. I finally feel like a whole person instead of a broken nothing. I feel alive. I feel happy, but life is still hard. I'm still struggling with so many things.
But I know now that help is not too far out of reach. I deserve to be here.
You deserve to be here, too.


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Robbers wreak havoc on Lagos road, injure 12
The robbers, using motorcycles numbering eight had a field day in over an hour that the operation lasted.
It was learnt that the robbers who were using the sophisticated AK-47 raffle had first stopped a vehicle occupied by businessman who was said to be coming from Tin Can Island Port for transaction.
He was ordered to surrender his briefcase containing about N1 million and subsequently moved to another vehicle occupied by a woman who was also robbed of all her valuable. After successful operation the robbers began shooting and in the process many pedestrians were injured and two was in comma.
The robbery attack came barely a week after anti-robbery police team from Apapa Division dislodged another gang of robbers, killing three of them during gun duel.
The robbers were said to have attacked a businessman who was trailed from one of the branches of a new generation bank after making a withdrawal of about N800,000.
His driver was said his boss was shot inside his Sport Utility Van (SUV).
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Marvel Akpoyibo had deployed more team of anti-robbery squad to step up security across the metropolis as the Christmas season draws closer.
The security arrangement is in line with the influx of persons coming into the state to transact one business or the other during the season.
Aside the security arrangement, the police anti- kidnap squad are currently in Lagos to check any possible plot targeted at wealthy individuals who might be preparing to travel during the season.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ogbonna Onovo had already ordered all Assistants Inspector General of Police (AIG's) and the 36 state Commissioners of Police to maintain their domain and put a stop to any form of kidnapping.
The IG's directive yielded positive result recently when some suspected kidnappers were arrested in their hideouts in one of the Eastern states after the police got a tip-off on the activities of the gang.
It was gathered that no fewer than 70 suspected kidnappers are now cooling off at the Force Headquarters as a result of the combined efforts of the entire police command to rid the country of kidnappers and armed bandits.
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You can't turn around in Ireland without bumping into history. Sometimes it's stuff that is brand new to the listener and has no emotional "hook", as it were. Other times, it involves well known charactersContinue Reading
A visit to Youghal reveals tiny Vikings, the miracle of birth, bastard half brothers of the king, and tasty treats. Among other things.


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Terrasse des Elephants Boutique Hotel
Terrasse des Eléphants Boutique Hotel & Restaurant is an ideal stop-over for visitors to experience the atmosphere of the Angkor temples and Khmer hospitality.
The hotel is very conveniently located in the heart of Siem Reap town. Surrounded by galleries, boutiques, restaurants & cafes, the central bus station, the Old Market (Phsar Chas) and the Pub Street our hotel guest have everything in just 3 mins walking distance. The hotel is a perfect place to start your explorations of one of the world's architectural wonders, the famous temples of Angkor. The hotel is approximately 6km from Siem Reap International airport .


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Musical theatre is the most collaborative of all artistic enterprises. Yet, for me, there's a stage in the process that's just the opposite and more than a little lonely. 99% of the time, I'm writing both music and lyrics, and, at some point, I've a song in my hot little hands that nobody's heard but me. So, beyond those internal struggles between the composing side of me and lyric-writing side of me, there's been no collaboration, no synergy between disparate minds working to tell the same story.
Until there is.
I'm writing this in between two first-ever rehearsals of two songs that nobody's ever worked on before. It's an unbearably exciting time, and the singer and musical director are applying their brilliance in ways that are both a great pleasure for me and a huge sigh of relief. The relief has to do with my doubt that anyone would ever understand – and then be able to dramatize – the subtle nuances I packed into my plaintive ballad for a libidinous teen boy, Teach Me How To Love.
Boy do they get it! Singer Kevin Michael Murphy has an unbelievable range, and ample vocal power, but I'm most impressed by his instinct of when to hold that power back. He's playing a character who's shy, not sure of himself, and he and the musical director, James Olmstead, came up with marvelous modulations of strength and energy. These lead the song to be simultaneously touching and comic, and also a treat for the ears.
Teach Me How To Love and Miracle, both from Haven are getting their premieres in a concert Thursday night by a group with the seemingly oxymoronic title, Contemporary Traditionalists. I know very little about them beyond that name, but it's always a great thing when someone decides to devote an evening to new work. You can hear standards almost anywhere any night, but here's a chance to hear songs you haven't heard before. It seems, more and more, that New York audiences prefer just that, to hear what they've heard before, like diners who trudge into the same diner night after night, ordering the same liver and onions. Those who seek out the new are my kind of people, equivalent to the first-nighters at cutting-edge restaurants offering out-of-the ordinary cuisine.
I mean no disrespect to those liver-and-onions consumers, but the adventurous crowd is the life-blood of the theatre. To a significant extent, theatre is a market-driven economy. If people are flocking to shows that offer up non-new scores contained of "oldies" you can hear on certain radio stations, then producers are encouraged to present jukeboxes and retrospective revues. If the masses showed the requisite interest in hearing songs they haven't heard before, powers-that-be would pave Broadway with original shows. When we talk about the "good old days" – and I'm about to use 1956 as an example – we usually think of a time when brilliant writers (Jule Styne, Leonard Bernstein, Frank Loesser, Lerner & Loewe, Johnny Mercer) created musicals. It's similarly significant that 55 years ago there was a sizable part of the population that craved hearing new work.
Today, it seems, theatre-goers crave old work, so we get shows featuring "the songs you love" such as Mamma Mia, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Rain and Million Dollar Quartet. 1956 saw the premieres of Bells Are Ringing, Candide, The Most Happy Fella, My Fair Lady and Li'l Abner, all filled to the brim with excellent songs not previously known.
If – and I'd stipulate this is a big if – we had composers toiling today of the caliber of Styne, Bernstein, Loesser and Loewe, how the hell would we know it? The play-it-safe, give-'em-what-they-already-know attitude has led to the best minds of my generation getting no productions, and often fleeing the field. That heartless tartless menace, the market is dictating that the songs of talented tunesmiths go largely unheard.
Thursday (9/29/11) you can take one small step for many musical-makers (Caleb Hoyer, Matt Walsh, Zach Redler, Sara Cooper, John Verderber, Chris Fitz, Jonathon Lynch, Greg Kenna, James Olmstead, Omri Schein and Katya Stanislavskaya) and attend the Contemporary Traditionalists concert at 7 at Broadway Comedy Club 318 W. 53 (you may have seen me playing the Chicago City Limits shows there), $10 + 2 drinks.


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If you thought Injustice 2 was done adding characters to its massive roster, you were wrong. For the past six months or so, Warner Bros. Interactive Games has slowly been teasing the release of the follow-up to the smash hit Injustice: Gods Among Us. Releasing in a few weeks, the fighter will once again offer updated versions of DC's greatest superheroes and villains, allowing players to pit the characters against one another. And thanks to some powerful upgrades, you'll be able to customize the comic titans in a number of exciting ways.
So far, WB has been far from stingy when it comes to offering early looks at the game. Thanks to a number of trailers, we've seen the might of Green Lantern, watched Firestorm battle Green Arrow, and have watched the Flash in action. On the villain side, the past few weeks have finally revealed Superman villain Brainiac and demonstrated the awesome power of Darkseid. Now, a batch of bonus characters have been revealed, including one from outside of the DC universe.
WB Interactive Games has released a new trailer highlighting the first group of DLC characters who will be available in the new game. Though brief, we get to see Teen Titan member Starfire, former-Robin Jason Todd in his Red Hood guise, and Mortal Kombat stalwart Sub-Zero. For $79.99, all three will be availble in the Injustice 2 Digital Deluxe Edition along with a Premiere Skin and Gear Shader. For $99.99, meanwhile, fans can get the Injustice 2 Ultimate Edition. It not only includes all three new characters, but six others, along with three Premiere Skins and two exclusive new Gear Shaders.
Starfire's flight and cosmic powers will make her a formidabble foe. Sub-Zero, meanwhile, will likely be the first of a few surprise guests to the DC universe. As for Todd, he was recently teased in the Joker gameplay trailer. Facing off against Damian Wayne, the current Robin, Joker teased the Batman sidekick about murdering one of his predecessors. Just like in the comics, however, Todd resurfaces as the brutal anti-hero Red Hero.
With word about the available characters in Injustice 2 coming weekly, expect the rest of the month to reveal the remaining DLC characters that will be available. The DLC teaser may also be followed by some gameplay footage of the new characters, fleshing out their skill sets and showing off their powerful Supermoves. Until then, stay tuned for all things Injustice.
Injustice 2 arrives on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on May 16, 2017.
Source: Warner Bros. Interactive Games


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Early Canine Neuron Stimulation Practices
The U.S Military, in their
canine program, developed a method that still
serves to a guide that works. In an effort to improve the performance of
dogs used for military purposes, a program called "Bio Sensor" was
developed. Later, it became known to the public as the "Super Dog"
program. Based on years of research, the military learned that early
neurological stimulation exercises could have important and lasting
effects. The studies confirmed that there are specific time periods early in
life when neurological stimulations has optimum results. The first period
involves a window of time that begins in the third day of life and last until
the sixteenth day. It is believed that because this interval of time is a
period of rapid neurological growth and development that it is of great
importance to the individual.
The "Bio Sensor" program developed five exercises which were designed
to stimulate the neurological system. Each workout involved handling
puppies once each day. The workout required handling them one at a
time while performing the five exercises. Listed in order of preference the
handler starts with one pup and stimulates it using each of the five
exercises. The handler completes the series from beginning to end before
starting with the next pup. The handling of each pup once per day
involves the following exercises:
1. Tactile Stimulation(between toes)
2. Head Held Erect
3. Head Pointed Down
4. Supine Position
5. Thermal Stimulation
1. Tactile Stimulation -
Holding the
pup in one hand, the handler gently
stimulates(tickles) the pup between the
toes on any one foot with a Q-tip. It is
not necessary to see that the pup is
feeling the tickle. Time of stimulation,
3-5 seconds.
Figure 1
2. Head Held Erect -
Using both
hands, the pup is held perpendicular to
the ground. Straight up so it's head is
directly above it's tail. This is an
upward position. Time of stimulation,
3-5 seconds.
Figure 2
3. Head Pointed Down -
Holding the
pup firmly in both hands the head is
reversed and is pointing downward so
that it's pointing to the ground. Time of
stimulation, 3-5 seconds.
Figure 3
4. Supine Position -
Hold the pup so
it's back is resting in the palm of both
hands with it's muzzle facing the ceiling.
The pup while on it's back is allowed
to sleep struggle. Time of stimulation,
3-5 seconds.
Figure 4
5. Thermal Stimulation -
Use a
damp towel that has been cooled in a
refrigerator for at least 5 minutes.
Place the pup on the towel, feet down.
Do not restrain it from moving. Time of
stimulation, 3-5 seconds.
Figure 5
These five exercises will
produce neurological stimulations, none of
which naturally occur during the early periods of life. Experience
shows that sometimes pups will resist these exercises, others will
appear unconcerned. In either case a caution is offered to those who
plan to use them. Do not repeat them more than once a day and do
not extend the time beyond the recommended of each exercise. Over
stimulation of the neurological system can have adverse and
detrimental results. These exercises impact the neurological system by
kicking it into action earlier than would be normally expected. The
results being an increase capacity that later will help to make a
difference in it's performance. Those who play with their pups and
routinely handle them should continue to do so because the
neurological exercise are not substitutions for routine handling play
socialization, or bonding.
Benefits Of Stimulation
Five benefits have been
observed in canines that were exposed to the
Bio Sensor stimulation exercises. The benefits noted were:
1. Improved cardio vascular performance (Heart Rate)
2. Stronger heart beats
3. Stronger adrenal glands
4. More tolerance to stress
5. Greater resistance to diseases
In test of learning, stimulated pups were found to be more active and
more exploratory then their non-stimulated letter mates over which
they were dominant in competitive situations.
Secondary effects were also noted regarding test performance. The
simple problem solving test using detours in a maze, the
non-stimulated pups became extremely aroused, wined a great deal,
and made many errors. Their stimulated litter mates were less
disturbed or upset by test conditions and when comparisons are
made, the stimulated litter mates were more calm in the test
environment, made fewer errors and gave only an occasional distress
when tested.


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The holidays always bring an extra bit of magic to the US Botanic Garden in Washington, D.C, and this year's Pollination Station train exhibit is no exception. The hall leading into the exhibit is a buzz with childhood enthusiasm, and let me tell you, it's spreading.
Pollination Station
Head into the East Gallery of the Conservatory in the US Botanic Garden and you will find Pollination Station in full bloom. Trains chug next to you, and overhead, as you marvel at each little house, wall and tunnel built from plant materials. You and your children will delight at the bees working away for their queen, some learning in the classroom, while others get rocked in their nurseries, or at least that's what the dioramas in the giant beehive lead us to believe.
Parents, have no fear, Thomas is on the tracks. Your little ones do not have to fret as mine almost did when he couldn't find his beloved friend from the Isle of Sodor. However, you do have to remind your children (and eager adults) to keep their hands to themselves. This is a not a hands on exhibit, and should be treated like artwork. The exhibit has a definite entrance and exit, and lingering for hours isn't possible, as many families are lined up outside to catch a glimpse just like you. If your children want to watch trains for a bit longer, head out of the Pollination Station exhibit and explore the rest of the US Botanic Garden Conservatory, as you hunt for a few more trains and pollinators.
US Botanic Garden
Pollination Station isn't just a train exhibit, it is also a scavenger hunt throughout the US Botanic Garden Conservatory. Find any stamp booth and grab a pamphlet where your child can see the five different plants throughout the conservatory that they need to search for. Each plant has a corresponding booth with a stamp on it so your children can track their progress. Not only will this keep your child engaged, but it will also allow you to explore the conservatory and see all the US Botanic Garden has to offer.
Enter the Garden Court and you will find many Washington, D.C. landmarks created from plant materials, including the Supreme Court, White House and Lincoln Memorial. Quiz your kids to see if they recognize any of the famous U.S. capital buildings.
Directly across from the Pollination Station train exhibit, through the Garden Court, you will enter a room containing one of the largest Christmas trees in Washington, D.C. Here you will also find another train. This is where you can sit on a bench to rest your feet, while your children walk around and around the tree base as they follow the toy train, check out the little town home replicas and wonder why they can't have a tree that big at their house.
Trains aren't the only thing your children will enjoy during their visit. Head into the rainforest where you can get above and below the plants. In winter, the orchids are in bloom, bringing a burst of color to an otherwise dreary sky outside. Step out of the rainforest and you will find a desert, along with other climates you can visit in the U.S. You never know, it may just inspire your next vacation. Whether or not a train is involved, well, that's up to you.
Know before you go
- U.S. Botanic Garden, 100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20001
- Hours: open 10am-5pm daily, including all weekends and holidays.
- Admission: free
- Parking: There is some street parking available. Weekends can be easier to park. The metro can also get you there on a busy weekday.
- Closest metro station: Federal Center SW (head towards the U.S. Capital. The US Botanic Garden is next door.)
- Strollers? Yes, but you must keep it with you at all times.
- Special programs: ask for a Junior Botanist kid's backpack of exploration, for ages nine and above, at the Visitor Services desk.


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Has anyone else had fabric that changes color as you iron it?
I have this nice HOT pink fabric I am putting into a quilt for my DGD for Christmas. I noticed that when I press it it turns purple. As it cools, it goes back to its original color.
I have never seen fabric do this before. Anyone else?
Is this an indication of a problem with the fabric? Is is going to run or fade more? I haven't washed it yet. Maybe I should have but it is probably too late now. It is all cut and sewn into the quilt. Should I be worried?


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Wednesbury and beyond #ramble
It's Sunday morning again and so I will dig deep into the darkest recesses of my mind and share my thoughts with you once again. What's on my mind this morning? I need a title for this post to begin with and a picture; I always use a picture… Maybe one from yesterday, when I was up Wednesbury market?
Enriching our town centre #Wednesbury
I went to the launch of the poppy appeal in Wednesbury yesterday and took a few photos and photographed our increasingly popular bric-a-brac market while I was there. I learned a lot and it was a successful day when I learnt not only about enriching our town in the monetary sense but also in the cultural sense. An empty unit at the end of the market is now being used to sell poppies and a selection of related products.


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Explore Hamburg through the history of its beers and brewing traditions on a 3-hour special walking and tasting tour. Learn how different beers are brewed and how that effects their quality and taste. Discover vast differences between Hamburg's beers – define citrus smells, bitter hops, toasty malt and choose your favorite!
- Explore 1,000 years of brewing history in Hamburg
- Taste and compare at least 7 locally brewed beers
- Learn about the diverse brewing methods used to create Ale, IPA, Porter or Bock
- Soak up unique St. Pauli atmosphere enjoying beer in a hotel that used to be a brothel
To start off the tour meet your guide holding a yellow umbrella on the Reeperbahn, in the middle of the legendary city-nightlife of St. Pauli. Our beer tasting will take you into a world of aromas and tastes of some of the best craft beers in the city. Seven wonderful old and new types of beer will be tried in the tasting - an extraordinary array of flavours.
With your professional guide you will start this unique and special tour in a hotel that used to be in the heart of the red-light scene. You will get an overview of 1,000 years of Hamburg's brewing history, hear why Hamburg has the nickname "the brewing house of the Hanseatic League", learn where ingredients come from and taste why Hamburg's beer was so superior to other beers in northern Europe. In a round of other beer enthusiasts, receive an overview of the lively craft beer scene in the city with ever newer micro-breweries, types of beers, and seasonal specialties.
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Then we will head into the Sternschanze quarter, home of the craft beer movement here in the city. We will enjoy the unique atmosphere of a typical alternative bar in the heart of the quarter with a friendly staff who is passionate about beer. Craft beer from tap and seasonally changing beers are on demand here.
To end this special tour we will make our way to the Rindermarkthalle, today a centre of fine and high quality foods. Here we enjoy more premium beers from tap. Those that want to can buy a few bottles at a reasonable price to take home as a gift or souvenir, and we will end the night in a happy round of socializing.
Our Hamburg Craft Beer Tasting Tour is an excellent experience for your company celebration or an all-round special event.


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Agent presentation: The case for $95 million
Posted On December 1, 2014
Pablo Sandoval was the star of the 2014 World Series for the champion San Francisco Giants and then became a free agent. His representatives pitched not only his skills as a baseball player, but his value to his community. Our presentation of words and images helped make a case for a $95 million contract.


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Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'studios'.
Found 1 result
WDW Ride ranking
Fizbain posted a topic in Theme ParksSo MSN Travel and Leisure seems to think they know Disney and put together their list of WDW rides ranked in order. http://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/every-single-ride-at-walt-disney-world-ranked/ss-BByX1RU?li=BBnb7Kz#image=10 I have to say, my list would be a bit different. What are your top 10 in order?


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Incorporates data about Employment Insurance ( EI ) short-term benefits for workers, sickness, fishing and loved ones-related advantages as properly as how to apply on the internet and submit a report. Essential industrial relations : employment is an unequal power relation amongst competing groups that is embedded in and inseparable from systemic inequalities all through the socio-politico-economic technique. Equal employment opportunity is an critical notion for employers, personnel, and job applicants. The City of Irving does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in employment or the provision of services. In addition to these qualifications, the minimum age requirement for normal complete-time and aspect-time employment is 18, with the exception of Aquatic Center Lifeguard (component-time).
If you are interested in applying for an open employment opportunity, please view our Employment Opportunities web page. These laws typically do not aim to generate equal outcomes, but rather seek to ensure that all personnel or job applicants have an equal opportunity to engage in the employment market. The general policy objective for the employment discrimination laws we will be examining is summed up by the phrase equal opportunity. Total maximum two years per employer and employee mixture, then it automatically counts as a regular employment.


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AAMI customers affected by Perth bushfires can lodge claims in person at the evacuation centre
AAMI staff will be available to lodge claims and help customers affected by the Perth fires at the official evacuation in Swanview.
Located at Brown Park in Swanview (on the corner of Amherst Road and Salisbury Road), the Customer Response Team (CRT) staff members can act as a self-sufficient mobile office. As a part of the Suncorp Group, AAMI staff can also lodge claims for Suncorp Insurance, GIO, Vero, Shannons and Apia customers.
Reuben Aitchison, Corporate Affairs Manager for AAMI said the company had invested in the latest mobile technology to ensure customers get the best possible claims service.
"Having AAMI staff members on the ground in affected areas allows our customers to commence the claim process even if they don't have access to their property, or are without power or telecommunications," Mr Aitchison commented.
If customers cannot get to the evacuation centre, they can also make a claim by calling 13 22 44 or online at www.aami.com.au
Claims information and AAMI CRT locations can be found on the AAMI social media pages:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AAMI
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AAMI
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Friday, June 28, 2013
5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Center for Sex & Culture
Sex Peace: Tools for a Sexually Healthy New Culture
A benefit for Samantha Miller, Sex Educator & Activist
Center for Sex & Culture – hosts Network for New Culture
|Presented by Kelly Bryson, MA, MFT Author of "Don't be Nice, Be Real"
|Emceed by Carol Queen, PhD
|Heart Connections with Evalena Rose, MA
|Special appearance by Veronica Monet
|Friday, June 28, 2013 – 5:00PM for Potluck7:00PM Program begins and goes to 11:00PM
Suggested Donation $25-$100
|Please RSVP and Register below or donate
No one turned away for lack of fundsQuestions: firstname.lastname@example.com
Join this event on Facebook to support its visibility and meet other participants
1349 Mission Street at Grace Alley between 9th and 10th Streets in San Francisco
This is an opportunity to dress fun, dress up, dress sexy, wearing lingerie is encouraged.
About the event:
Samantha needs our help. Due to a prolonged illness and hip replacement surgery she has run out of money and lost her apartment. This benefit is to help Sam raise enough money to get into a new place to live. For more information on Samantha's situation go to http://www.gofundme.com/2ybkd8
"It takes a village to raise a consciousness" – Kelly Bryson
Kelly's interactive presentation will focus on "The New Freer Love and Building Sacred Matrix community", through "Tribal Technologies" like:
- Nonviolent Communication (NVC)
- Raising F.R.E.D. (Frequency Resonation Energy Dynamic or the group 'field' energy)
- 7 min. connections
- The Zegg Forum Psychodrama Performance Process – Liberating Love and Sexuality as the Theme
- Creating SexPeace – Ending the war between the sexes
- Next Culture Maps of Consciousness
Evalena Rose will lead us in a heart-centered Puja that allows us to experience the Alchemy of Love. She will guide us in individual exchanges that are fulfilling, pleasurable, and sacred. From movement to soul gazing, to honoring sensual contact, these Pujas fulfill many needs for intimacy and leave people happy and feeling loved. A sweet and delight-filled way to complete the evening.
Veronica's special presentation will invite you to enter her Shame Free Zone and discover your Antidote to a Mean World by exploring how the "love hormone" and "anger management" techniques can create deeper orgasms and more fulfilling emotional intimacy in your romantic relationships. One lucky couple will be invited to participate in a live role play!
About the Center for Sex & Culture:
The Center for Sex & Culture is a three-time winner of the SF Bay Guardian's Best of the Bay award (including a win for Best Emerging Sex Non-profit, 2005). CSC hosts sex education workshops and cultural events having to do with sexuality for adults of every orientation and gender, spanning the continuum from didactic to experiential. It maintains a sexuality library, archive and gallery, and supports sex-related research projects. CSC is a 501(c)(3) educational organization. To peruse the events calendar or learn more about the Center for Sex & Culture, see www.sexandculture.org. CSC is on Facebook and tweets at @CentrSexCulture
About Network for New Culture:
Network for a New Culture (NFNC) is a North American group that was originally inspired by the German community ZEGG (acronym for German words meaning "Center for Experimental Cultural Design"). NFNC seeks to build a sustainable, violence-free culture through exploring intimacy, personal growth, transparency, radical honesty, equality, compassion, sexual freedom, and the power of community.
One of the keys to stopping the destruction of the planet is to return to the heart. NFNC aspires to create a world where we can all be free to come from our hearts, thereby changing the culture from the inside out. NFNC facilitates events and programs designed to help heal the wounds between men and women, between men and men, women and women, the individual and the community, and between the community and the Earth.
This effort is currently pursued primarily via retreats and workshops during the year. At these events, there is always a clear emphasis on freedom of choice and full support of any decisions made. In other words, each individual is "at choice" to explore or not, according to their own comfort level within parameters of communication designed to create "win-win" results. For more information please visit http://www.nfnc.org/
Dr. Carol Queen is a writer and cultural sexologist with a Ph.D. in human sexuality. She is a noted essayist whose work has appeared in dozens of anthologies. Her essay collection, Real Live Nude Girl: Chronicles of Sex-Positive Culture, was published in 1997 and reissued in 2002; it is read in university classes across America. Queen works as staff sexologist and Chief Cultural Officer at Good Vibrations, the women-founded sex toy and bookstore in San Francisco, where she has worked since 1990, and blogs for the Good Vibrations web magazine at www.goodvibes.com.
Kelly Bryson, MA, MFT is the author of the best-selling book, "Don't Be Nice, Be Real – Balancing Passion for Self with Compassion for Others". He is a licensed therapist in private practice, lecturer, workshop facilitator, and consultant. He has been an authorized trainer for the International Center for Nonviolent Communication for over 20 years, and has trained thousands in the US, Europe, and the Middle East. Kelly is also a humorist, guitarist, singer, and songwriter.
Veronica Monet, ACS, CAM, former escort and author of Sex Secrets of Escorts (Alpha Books 2005) has been a vocal and highly visible spokesperson for the sex worker rights movement (COYOTE and SWOP) since 1991 having appeared on every major network as well as CNN, FOX, CNBC, WE, A&E and international television programs. Veronica has been profiled in many publications including The New York Times and she has lectured at a variety of academic venues including Kent State, Stanford and Yale Universities. Veronica produces The Shame Free Zone – her online radio program at http://www.sextalkradionetwork.com
Evalena Rose, M.A. has taught Sacred Sexuality & Tantra for 18 years, founding LoveJourney: Tantra of the Heart in 1997, which sponsors workshops and two compassionate communities, one only for women, one of men & women, practicing the highest erotic and romantic arts. She coaches couples and individuals in Tantra and skills for fulfilling relationships, and offers couples' counseling with humor and deep insight. She has degrees in psychology and decades of study in alternative healing, shamanism, body-centered therapies, energy balancing, soul retrieval, Tantra, communication skills, and recovery from incest, abuse, and addictions. www.lovejourneytantra.com and www.tantraforwomen.com.
|Event registration:


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Archive for September 2014
Perfect Wedding Ring – The Secret
The wedding band is very important piece about jeweler that you're going to give with your partner inside your lifetime. It is essential that you select a powerful everlasting ring that won't become outmoded and also unstylish after time. Men and even ladies experience various alternatives to these individuals when picking a wedding ring along with being not necessary to decide upon matching jewelry.
The couple of usually randomly chooses out one's own rings at the same time so there isn't an cause intended for either this bride or possibly groom that they are strung through about selecting an excellent wedding diamond ring. Selecting that rings jointly takes functions are available in pressure there are various couple for the reason that need not worry concerning their associate not noticing the ring that ought to last with regard to whole life time. The hoop material is mostly a vital factor for each of those men and even ladies. The types of materials can include gold, components and us platinum, though this ring is often made as a result of any components the number of selects.
Gold certainly is the most accepted a wedding ring material. The hands down three methods, fourteen karat gold certainly is the type that is definitely advised designed for wedding diamond rings. Eighteen karat gold doubles, but because sanctioned softer precious metal, it is definitely more at the mercy of scratches. Twenty-four karat silver is possibly even softer rather than eighteen karat gold and the majority of people really do not endorse doing rings outside twenty-four karat silver as extremely susceptible to make sure you scratches.
Silver is without a doubt another aluminum that is likewise employed to generate a wedding band. Silver is really an extremely tender white metal and for that reason is cause to undergo scratching. Plus, it is likewise susceptible to make sure you tainting plus discolorations but it really is still one very popular choice because of comparatively lower price. Platinum is mostly a valuable metal that is definitely becoming more favored as wedding band material.
Luxury Watch Gift Buying Guide
If you might be about to have a luxury sit back and watch purchase being special reward for another person you cherish, you hopeful sure the fact that timepiece you happen to be choosing is a perfect watch out for that people. Whether it happens to be for a female or male, choosing luxuries watch today happens to be an accessory that should long get appreciated and also cherished, yet, it's essential to remember that every person has his own discerning and unique style. That is why, before you develop a selection, think about the personality not to mention to the style sense of your individual.
At this time, watches need gone a long way beyond your original aim of just indicating to time. And because there can be a wide variety types for watches, movements not to mention styles you could use, you find it difficult to just invest in a watch pertaining to someone even if you want it. When choosing an extremely generous gift idea, your goal is going to be sure any recipient of this luxury watch will cherish it. While choosing luxuries watch, be cautious about if it matches the personality of this person that you're buying regarding.
Think for the lifestyle of the one who will become wearing this watch aside from their volume of activity, whatever use a watch could get, and your house watch is perfectly for dress-up situations or day-to-day activity. You'd like the observe to compliment the individual's life with it put something special recommended to their wardrobe, which means that, take note on whether whomever you are generally buying intended for chooses straight forward styles or perhaps designs which can be more detailed.
After you may have determined any personality of this person you could be buying pertaining to, think concerning needs of these person. As you may get prepared purchase an extra watch, do not forget that there are usually many styles of watches, that can range from around fashion different watches, to trendy watches, typical watches, immerse themselves watches, together with novelty looks after. So, for anybody who is buying luxuries watch for your much activated person, however that would floor covering rugged see, one to use for waters sports, rock climbing or various heavy-duty exercises.
South Sea Pearl Necklaces – Guide On Buying
Of all of the pearls throughout the world, one is actually revered particularly true others: this South Marine Pearl. Grown from the deep oceans off Australia's coastline, to the south Sea gem is prized to its brilliant jewelry or light shine. Purchasing South Ocean pearls will be confusing. A smart shopper has to gather the maximum amount of information as you possibly can so that you can make an informed decision.
Shine (Luster) would be the way in which light mirrors and shines because of the pearl. As a pearl will be an organic thing, it usually has Surface area markings like nicks, scuff marks, small indentations and even discolorations. (A gem void from such markings is viewed perfect in support of accounts with regard to 5-10% of just how much of pearls refined each year).
Pearls have all sorts on the subject of color and also overtone, having different Colors being regarded more fascinating than other individuals. Pearl Condition can range all the way up from Baroque towards Perfect-Round, with diverse shapes getting considered further valuable compared with others greatly assist rarity. Size would be the total circumference belonging to the pearl, commonly measured inside millimeters.
Luster will be what provides each pearl its iridescence not to mention depth. Luster depends on the width of gem nacre, the coating which enables up the actual pearl. Very glossy pearls employ a deep-mirror just like surface together with a bright light. Pearls having low original appeal look uninteresting and foggy. South Marine pearls now take over thick, creamy nacre and are also famous with regard to rich, smooth luster.
As pearls are a natural creation, sometimes they have surface area imperfections. Flawless Southern Sea pearls are rare not to mention command a more achievable price. The symptoms of some pearl is certainly graded by the amount of imperfections are usually visible and also to what percentage they may be distributed. These signifies can consist of small as well as nearly unnoticeable, to help quite huge and specific.
The Modern Moissanite Earrings
The track record of earrings is actually a varied background indeed. Plus the latest while in the long distinctive line of female entire body adornments named earrings happen to be jeweler. Can be taking a jewelry country by rage and charms are hardly any exception.
Earring kinds have mixed enormously during the last 3500 decades. Earrings ended up being often buried while using dead, as were various forms for fashionable jewelry of times. This is certainly fortunate while it permits us to determine what precisely earrings were definitely popular during various times in this particular history.
Around 1350 B. C. hoop jeweler was well known which fitted within a larger whole while in the ear as compared to would normally really do the case. We may only think what may well have delivered to produce this hole inside the ear initially! Probably a smaller hoop earring at the beginning, followed by way of larger you're as point in time progressed.
Earrings obtained styles and additionally motifs which usually fitted the changing times. For illustration in Ancient Greek society within the second 100 years BC bracelets often exhibited motifs of your gods of times. And special stones furthermore adorned the actual ears in the wealthy most women of the time to come up with their wealth.
From throughout the third to your tenth 1 AD jeweler was overtaken by way of head adornments which regularly covered all the side for the face. And then a couple of centuries following that long hair-styles and superior collars dealt with the tracks and earrings lost their particular appeal.
Earrings had a lower back seat for quite a while, but re-emerged unscathed throughout the sixteenth one. At plenty of time women's hair styles crept together exposing any ears just as before and by seventeenth millennium earrings were funding fashion.