text:
If a chipped or cracked tooth has altered your appearance, the functioning of your bite, or the look of your smile, diligent dental expert, Asmita Dharia, DDS, provides dental crowns as an effective solution. If you're in the East Bay area and interested in finding out how dental crowns can resolve your dental problems and enhance your smile, call Marina Landing Dentistry in Alameda, California, or schedule online today.
Dental crowns act like a cap that Dr. Dharia carefully places over your tooth to restore discolored, broken, chipped, or cracked teeth. Dental crowns are specifically designed to blend in with your natural teeth.
Dental crowns can change and improve the shape, size, and appearance of damaged teeth and protect your teeth from additional damage, decay, and infection. Crowns offer extra support and are a great way to restore functionality to your bite and significantly improve the appearance of your smile.
A dental crown procedure usually requires at least two office visits. During your initial appointment, you have X-rays taken and discuss the procedure in detail.
Dr. Dharia makes an impression of your teeth and sends it to the dental lab, which custom constructs the crown. Dr. Dharia fabricates a temporary crown for you to wear in the interim to safeguard your tooth.
You return when your crown is ready, and Dr. Dharia carefully cements your crown in place. To fit your crown, Dr. Dharia uses a local anesthetic to numb your tooth and the surrounding tissue before filing down or building up your tooth to enable your crown to fit properly and securely.
Dr. Dharia might suggest a dental crown to:
If you have a large filling, but not enough tooth to hold your filling properly in place, you might need a large crown.
In the same way you would take care of your normal teeth, you should make sure you keep your crowns clean and faithfully pursue your important regular professional dental cleanings, preventive care, and dental hygiene and self-care at home.
The edge where your crown meets your teeth can decay, but the crown itself can't decay. This is why it's essential that you maintain good dental hygiene to prevent tooth decay.
Dental crowns offer many benefits and can:
Find out if a dental crown is the right option for you, call Marina Landing Dentistry or schedule online today.


text:
The winter months can be chilly and gray not exactly the kind of weather that inspires outdoor workouts. But when you're dressed for the conditions and determined to conquer the cold, weather is a state of mind. In fact, a brisk run while the snow is falling can make for an exhilarating workout.
Even admen have souls, and some of them are enduring dark nights. Jeff Goodby is co chairman of Goodby, Silverstein Partners, a San Francisco advertising agency responsible for some of the most famous campaigns of the 1990s, including ones for Nike and Budweiser. On his return from this year's annual ad industry awards festival at Cannes in June, Goodby wrote a rueful piece for The Wall Street Journal.
I love challenging and continuously pushing myself. Before 2014 came around, I knew I already had quite ambitious goals to attain. My first fitness goal was to run two back to back half marathons. The game continued and to be fair was quite enjoyable, only really spoiled by both teams being decidedly toothless upfront. I would like to intersect at this point and say that the atmosphere was generally quite good on the face of it. There was constant noise, chanting and an interesting incessant screaming noise that I can imagine the players quite enjoy.
He has knitted more than 150 caps for kids suffering from cancer, donating the caps to hospitals in California and Colorado so the young patients can feel better. Chemotherapy causes the kids to lose their hair, and Garrett generosity provides them with head coverings. Now his parents, Sheryl and Don Lowry, are are helping him develop a foundation to continue his efforts..
A company name is just that, a name. But in this day and age that is the wrong thing to focus on. You should be creating a BRAND. Cooperative learning group members will be assigned duties as a researcher, who will locate stock quotes on the previously made chart, analysts, who will use this chart to calculate percent of change, mean, median, range, as well highs and lows for the month, recorders, who will record the statistical data on the chart and write about changes in stock prices for the group's journal, and a presenter, who will report to class on the progress of the stocks. The five students in each group will all have access to the chart and the data compiled. The presenter will help the other four students in the group during the project, because the presenter will also need to know, as well as understand what they will present to the class..

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Category: Em or Rosi Writes
Em or Rosi has written something and it is in this category.
Our 2018 New Years Resolution
In which Em and I beg your forgiveness for our lack of attention to the blog these past few months, and make our New Years Resolution to give you more bookish thoughts, reviews, and other fun content
Apologies, or getting off on the right foot
Happy 2018, fellow book lovers!
We have a lot of apologies, mostly for totally abandoning our usual review schedule sometime in October. As our bios will tell you, Em and I are both grad students in strenuous programs, balancing other interests and jobs, and this past semester beat both of us down to the point where keeping up with anything other than the basics on the blog was a non-option. I didn't even have time to open a book from the beginning of November until this past week. We hate that we let you guys down, and we hate that we haven't been able to give sufficient time to the things we actually love, instead of the things we have to do for school. But we hope that you, dear readers, are understanding fellows, and still along with us for the ride in this new year. I can't make any promises, but we're both going to make an effort to devote more time to creating content for the blog, and for reading in general. We might be bringing in a guest reviewer or two to help us out–but don't worry, our content is still going to be the stuff you love.
That being said, I'm really excited about what's coming up this semester. There are some truly incredible books coming out this year–starting off right with Marie Lu's Batman, the conclusion to Alwyn Hamilton's Rebel of the Sands trilogy, Tomi Adeyemi's HIGHLY recommended new fantasy story Children of Blood and Bone, and so many others. Really, guys, the book harvest for this spring is going to be FANTASTIC. And, as excited as I am for each and every one of those Amazon boxes, I'm just as excited to share all of my thoughts on these books with you.
But, in addition to all of these brand-new beauties, I'm also eager to share the love of old (or at least less recently published) friends. There were some lovely books published last year, but that fell victim to mine and Em's busyness, which I'd like to give due credit. And who knows what any library haul will bring, after all. If I find any YA gems, I'll of course share them with you.
And, although 2018 looks to be less bountiful in terms of author visits, I'll share with you any and all adventures that Em and I end up having (book-related, that is). And, of course, I'll elaborate on some of our adventures in the latter half of 2017. We did go back to Y'ALLfest in Charleston, so I'll fill you in on our experiences there as book-bloggers and also veteran YALLfest goers.
Basically, I'm going to do my darndest to make sure that you guys get to share in all of our bookish thoughts and adventures–I hope you enjoy them.
The Bibliobibuli YA Giant Blogiversary Giveaway Special: Giveaway #1!
"Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy Birthday Bibliobibuli YA!
You smell like books and coffee,
Aaaaaand you act like a hermit"
Aw, thanks guys. I thought I hated it when people sang me the birthday song.
Diversity, Strong Women and the Proper Way to eat hot Cheetos: an author event at Flyleaf Books
The weather in Chapel Hill was horrific on Wednesday. Rain was pouring down, the entire county was under a tornado watch, and there was a collective reluctance to take one step further from car to bookstore than absolutely necessary–not that I can blame them. Even I took some *ahem* creative license with parking so I wouldn't have to face the overflow lot across the street. But Flyleaf Books was warm and welcoming once I finally dashed through the rain to get there. I picked up my preorder, accepted the complimentary goodie bag, and found a seat. There were a surprising amount of people there, for the weather. But the Tour De Force of Roshani Chokshi, S. Jae-Jones, and the great Renee Ahdieh herself was enough to make even my creative parking job worth it.
Diversity, strong women and the proper way to eat hot cheetos: an evening at Flyleaf Books with Roshani Chokshi, S. Jae-Jones, and Renee Ahdieh
Em and I have met Renee Ahdieh more times than we can count on one one hand–and we saw Roshani Chokshi less than two months ago at this same bookstore. But the thrill of an author event never wears off–as was shown by the loud applause when the three authors swooped in. And the authors looked just as excited, with Renee even having nails that matched her book. They (and I) were there to celebrate the recent release of Flame in the Mist, which is #3 on the New York Times list. But I was also excited to see Roshani and 'JJ' (S. Jae-Jones) talk about their works.
Renee started the conversation off with a favorite go-to: What is the wackiest thing that any of the authors had done in the name of research? She cited, for instance, the previously discussed Kitchen Fire incident and how she and Sabaa Tahir are going to learn how to make katanas from a famous swordsmith somewhere in the Pacific Northeast. When the other authors hesitated, she tried to egg them on (c'mon, no shame–I'm already on a watchlist because my last name has two 'h's). But to no avail–both Roshani and JJ said that research was less wacky than necessary in their eyes. Roshani did admit to once sneaking into a San Tropez club by posing as an Arabian princess, though.
They then continued on to the topic of Hogwarts Houses, spurred on by the declaration that JJ was the most dangerous (to be fair, she was using a lollipop roughly as a villain might use a cigar the entire time). They talked about how it was to write characters with opposing personalities to themselves–JJ especially said she wanted to strangle her protagonist Liesl through the computer screen sometimes. But there were also interesting tidbits about how the characters came about–for instance, the protagonist of Flame in the Mist had Hermione as inspiration.
As could be expected, the topic then turned to food. This may have been because none of the authors had eaten dinner, but Renee asked what snacks were necessary to the writing process. JJ admitted to needing twizzlers and iced coffee in order to write, although she doesn't like sugar (aside from lollipops) at any other time. When pushed, Renee admitted 'I just really like cheese, guys'. She then made the claim 'all asians like hot cheetos', which neither Roshani or JJ could dispute (also, all of the smart people eat cheetos with chopsticks, apparently). Roshani, however, had the most horrifying writerly snack–she admitted to eating plain coffee grounds while writing, which made her look more than a little deranged. Fortunately, all agreed that the writerly uniform of 'yoga pants just respectable enough to wear to the mailbox' (a quote from JJ), accommodated a little strangeness.
When things came time for the Q&A, however, things got a little less silly and *very* interesting. The first girl asked how all of the authors balanced writing historical characters, and also writing feminist characters. The conclusion the authors came to was that there have always been strong women, even constrained by their historical circumstances, who still managed to do great things. Renee cited Mulan and the historical figure Ching Shih as inspiration for strong non-European female figures, and also pointed out that only women characters had to be specifically written as strong–male characters are seen as strong by default. But Renee also said that there are different forms of strength, a strong theme in Flame in the Mist.
The next question was even more of a whammy: How to write successfully from a diverse perspective? (the girl who asked said that she had been told by someone that writing from her own perspective of a black woman was not 'relevant', a statement that had all of the writers bristling). As they pointed out, after all, all of the writers were culturally diverse and wrote across their own culture and other cultures. Renee said that the best way to write diverse novels was to be responsible–responsible in research, responsible to every aspect of your writing, and responsible to the various elements of that culture. She said to always think about different perspectives and lenses, and to learn from criticism–no one's experience is alike, after all, even if the they hail from the same culture. JJ followed with an amendment to the 'write what you know' rule: write what you know to be true.
Someone else asked which strong female characters, historical or otherwise, the authors found inspirational. Roshani gushed about her adoration of the Empress Theodora, who rose from 'actress' to Empress and was by many accounts quite successful. Renee took the opportunity to point out that the whiff of prostitution had been used to cheapen strong women or diminish their achievements. She pointed out that Ching Shih had also been cited as being an 'actress', for example. She also talked about how her inspiration, Cleopatra, is known only as a seductress despite documentation of her immense intelligence and achievements. JJ continued by pointing out that Hatshepsut, another Egyptian queen, had only been able to maintain power by employing masculine symbols. However, JJ said that there were numerous trailblazers who were ignored simply because they weren't white men, citing the Chevalier de Saint-Georges as a contemporary and equal to Mozart who history had conveniently forgotten.
There were the usual questions that pop up at these events as well, of course. Someone asked about what plate each author would be, and then there was the usual 'what advice do you have for aspiring authors' (answer: tenacity). We learned about Renee's obsession with flying mythological beasts. Roshani laughed about having to convince her parents she really was dropping out of law school to write, not because she was pregnant (the writerly browsing of baby name sites did NOT help). Roshani did, however, let slip that all of her character names are 'dead giveaways' to importance/traits, and Renee admitted Kenshin was named after a certain anime show. She also told us the title of the sequel to Flame in the Mist (unfortunately, she swore us all to secrecy over it). All authors agreed they had no plans or desire to revisit early unpublished works, but were all VERY vague when someone asked about the stories that they most desperately wanted to write.
We then circled around to the idea of original stories–when someone asked about trends in YA, Renee said they were all far more organic than they seemed, and referenced Christopher Booker's thesis that there are only seven plots that exist, it's just your own flair that makes yours original. When asked about the tropes/plots they keep going back to, Renee said that the Chinese epic the Romance of the Three Kingdoms had always been a source of inspiration. Roshani confessed to liking Bluebeard/Beauty and the Beast stories, and S. Jae-Jones said she enjoyed the Death and the Maiden trope (readers of Wintersong and the Star-Touched Queen already knew this).
Finally it was time for the signing, which was neatly organized depending on whether you had bought a book from the bookstore or not. The calling of groups was, however, made worth it by a special treat–someone in Renee's family had arranged for homemade Flame in the Mist-themed macarons to be present at the signing, and they were DELICIOUS. Renee once again recognized me, and even smiled indulgently as I scooped up multiple copies of the stylized character cards. I then stopped to chat with Roshani, who was an absolute doll and signed something for me even though I already had her signed books at home.
Laden down with books and swag and stuffing a chocolate macaron into my face, I felt happy even as I walked back out into the driving rain.
[btnsx id="3957″]
Retinol, Death, and Wringing the Writer: An evening with Roshani Chokshi and Ryan Graudin
Let's face it, it's been a sucky week. My car broke down, Em had to fetch me, there was an abundance of schoolwork on top of everything. Fortunately, there was one beam of sunshine this week, and that was the Roshani Chokshi/Ryan Graudin event at Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill.
Retinol Death and Wringing the Writer:
an evening with Roshani Chokshi and Ryan Graudin at Flyleaf Books
It helped that Em showed up at my workplace with a magnificent Southern picnic, bless. The only downside was that she was a tad bit late to the event, whooshing into Flyleaf after Ryan and Roshani had started their discussion. The good news is, they were discussing Beauty and the Beast. Not Emma Watson, more how it was a timeless fairy tale and the inspiration for The Star-Touched Queen. They flitted around the different versions of Beauty and the Beast, such as Bluebeard, as she slipped in and found her seats (one chair for her and the other for the books, of course). Of course, Ryan's hair being the color it is, blue came up naturally. This was made better when Roshani admitted that her college major had been 14th-century English Literature, because it was basically fairy tales.
Because the town of Chapel Hill naturally inspires these things, the topic soon turned to the South. As a denizen of this region, I've always thought that the open gentility and masked darkness makes this area a fascinating one. Roshani and Ryan both agreed. Ryan described the South, especially Charleston, as a place of great beauty. But she added it was a Miyazaki-esque beauty, quirky and almost creepy. It would be, she added, an inspiration for her internal gothic novel. Roshani, in contrast, said that the South taught her how to write genteel monsters, who would offer the enemy a glass of sweet tea before eviscerating him. There was also (naturally) some talk of Gone with the Wind. It was easy to see where both of them, especially Roshani, could draw a beautiful darkness from that work.
The conversation turned to writing, also. Roshani made a joke wishing that writing was more wringing the writer than anything else, squeezing out the kernels of a story in order to get the book and then put them together. Roshani said that rather than Athena, springing fully formed from her father's head, a story was more like Dionysis or Sisyphus–a slow, painful growth that eventually turned into something recognizable.
The conversation also turned towards travel, with Ryan citing travel as inspiration for parts of her novels. Ryan said that parts of Wolf by Wolf, such as the fight on bamboo rafts, took place in a Chinese village she had visited once. The Walled City was inspired by her experience with volunteer tourism and poverty. Roshani said that her story was essentially 'fan fiction mythology'. But she said that she wrote the story of Maya in order to cement her ownership over Hindu mythology. As a biracial person who had learned old legends secondhand, almost, she felt the need to claim them. And maybe waggle her finger in the air a little, her thumbs stuck to her temples.
When they started talking about their novels, Ryan said that her favorite character was Imogen from her upcoming novel Invictus, for her dreaminess and tendency towards flightiness. Of course, since Invictus hasn't been published yet, she cited Luka as her favorite from a published work. (Invictus, by the way, was described as "Doctor Who meets Firefly, plus some heists thrown in'–so it sounds right up my alley). Roshani also spent some time talking about her new book series, Gilded Wolves. She described it as Tomb Raider meets Indiana Jones–only set in the Belle Epoque, specifically 1881. The book has colonialism and appropriation as a major theme, which led to a discussion of when there's an exchange and when there's simply a robbery of cultural identity. For instance, part of the Gilded Wolves plot is that the European characters take forged cultural objects from the conquered natives and use them to amass power.
The usual question of writing tips came up afterwards, although Roshani and Ryan gave some, er, interesting answers. Roshani's tip was to invest in Retinol, because you'll be scowling at your computer a lot. Ryan's sage advice was 'every book is a new death'–which sounds more depressing on page than it did coming out of her mouth.
Another question someone asked was for book recommendations. Monstress, Done Dirt Cheap, The Hate U Give, and Strange the Dreamer were rapidly thrown out (for our thoughts on Strange, come back next week!). Saga was also a recommended read, although Roshani advised not to read it around parents. This is advice that I could have used when starting it, honestly.
The highlight of the evening was when, in the book-signing line, Roshani recognized Bibliobibuli from our Twitter–specifically, our review of The Star-Touched Queen and the accompanying mini-movie-thing. It was a great boost to our respective egos, and the first thing I heard when answering Em's phone call (imagine me holding the phone slightly away from my ear as she screamed 'ROSHANI REMEMBERED US').
Of course, the undoubted second highlight was when Em kidnapped me and dictated the evening at Flyleaf to me as I wrote, chained to my keyboard.
*update: I'm not really kidnapped. Plus I got pie.*
*Further update: Emily didn't tell me to write that part either.*
*No. Really. I swear.*
*yet another update: the pie got taken away.*
[btnsx id="3957″]
Fun with Authors at Quail Ridge Books
Em and I knew our evening was off to a great start when we ended up at the same restaurant as the authors we were later seeing (and the food was good, too). Even better was when the waiter, who had supposedly noticed that all we talked about were books, asked us if we were a part of the thing over at the bookstore. Of course, we responded yes.
Penguin Tour with Renee Ahdieh, Alwyn Hamilton, Lesley Livingston and Natalie C. Anderson
As many readers know, Renee Ahdieh is an old favorite, and someone we bump into a surprising amount (we've seen her at Quail Ridge Books before). But we were just as excited to hear from Alwyn Hamilton, of the Rebel of the Sands series, and Lesley Livingston, author of The Valiant. In addition, Natalie C Anderson, author of City of Saints and Thieves, made an appearance as well.
This panel was a little different from ones we had seen before. There were so many authors that the moderator only asked three questions before opening up a Q&A, and there were only three or four questions asked then. With four authors answering, there was a lot of time spent on one question. But the delightful part was that the authors were playing off of each other, bantering and joking, and it was wonderful. Alwyn, explaining her inspiration for Rebel of the Sands, tried to start off serious. But she was immediately derailed by Renee Ahdieh, who declared that Alwyn's shoes were the inspiration for her series, that she had tried to steal them at least once already, and had Alwyn Hamilton hold up her shoes for the audience (note: they were gorgeous).
Granted, all of the authors had serious and less serious moments. Renee Ahdieh got somewhat emotional about how much her in-laws had helped her to write her Wrath and the Dawn series, and Natalie Anderson spoke about her years of working with refugees, and her attempt to portray some of their stories in a heartfelt way in her book. When someone asked about how each of their characters would contribute to the Women's Movement going on today, things got a bit political (favorite outcome: 'He Who Must Not Be Named' as a nickname). Similarly, during the obligatory 'advice for aspiring authors' question, they were all serious and respectful, doing their best to illustrate both the challenges and the rewards of the process of publishing. Their advice: be prepared for both success and failure, practice makes publishable, and suggested finding mentors to help with the writing and publishing process.
The author who genuinely surprised us with her wit and humor was Lesley Livingston. From the moment she said that her inspiration had been that she'd had no friends in school and had been reduced to haunting the school library, Em and I felt as if she was a kindred spirit (except of course, we were friends in school). She then went on a rant about how male archaeologists had ignored mounting evidence for years that there had been female gladiators, and even posed for us to illustrate a bronze sculpture, 'the Bather', who was bathing triumphantly and as if she had just ended someone with her long, sharp 'bathing implement' (Renee here interjected that she bathed triumphantly on a regular basis, which I have no reason to doubt).
Another hilarious moment was when Lesley first asked her agent to step out of the room, and then mimicked panicked sobbing as her writing process. Again, Renee stepped in to declare that out of all of the authors on tour, Lesley was the only one currently writing. Her response: 'But I look like this when I'm doing it'. But, turning slightly more serious for a moment and quoted Neil Gaiman, 'you don't learn to write a book, you learn to write the book you're writing'. It was at about this point that Em and I looked at each other in a mutual 'we like her' look.
What I really love about these author panels is that they give us a chance to show that these authors are messy, silly, humans just like the rest of us–even though they have my dream job. They had a whole conversation about whether Amani, Shazi, Fallon and Tina would be friends (answer: only if they had something like a heist to bring them together). They laughed about the process of cold querying for agents, teased each other about productivity and drafting, and occasionally offered wonderful tidbits that gave us a glimpse into their worlds, and the worlds they write.
And then it was time for the signings. Emily had 'accidentally' bought Natalie C Anderson's book during the talk (she'd walked past the wrong bookshelf when she went to the bathroom), and I had brought my copies of Valiant and Alwyn Hamilton's books. Despite not having anything for Renee to sign, we did stop to chat with her, since she recognized us as regulars. We even got up the ladyballs to ask her about a potential interview for the blog, which she was wonderful about. We felt so good about it, that we then asked both Alwyn and Lesley about interviews (so, readers, be on the lookout).
Further bonus: pictures with everyone, accidental inclusion in a photo of Natalie C Anderson and her entire extended family, signed books, signed bookplates (Em is the first person to get Alwyn Hamilton's signature for her third book, it's confirmed), and plenty of glorious swag.
Our impressions of the evening? Unqualified success.
[btnsx id="3957″]
Who would YOU ship Adelina with, or meeting Marie Lu
I-40 during Rush Hour is practically guaranteed to put me in a bad mood. It's not totally clogged, or at least not enough to make it reasonable to find another route. It's just…slow-moving, to the point of painful. Even at 6:00, on my way to an event at Quail Ridge books at 7, it's slow enough to make me annoyingly not-early. That, having to double back to apartment because I thought I'd forgotten my phone (it was in my purse) was making me do what Emily calls my 'murder walk' on my way in. It's almost enough to make me swear off Quail Ridge Books, only they keep pulling great YA authors like Marie Lu in to speak.
Who would YOU pair Adelina with, or my meeting with Marie Lu
My mood didn't magically dissipate when I walked in–I could hear that Marie Lu was already speaking, and it sounded as if the event had been going on for a little while, but I couldn't sit because I had to pick up mine and Em's books. And yet, as I was standing in line, tapping my feet in annoyance, I heard Marie Lu musing on 'people I'd ship Adelina with…hmmm…the Darkling, maybe?' That was as good a way as any to lift my spirits.
I got my books and slipped into a seat near the back as Marie Lu finished telling us why Adelina and the Darkling would be a good/horrible mix. I had the Legend series in my bag, and my brand-new copy of Midnight Star cradled in my arms, along with Em's brand-new copy of Midnight Star.
I sat down in time to hear the conversation shift to Marie Lu's newly announced book, Warcross, which was exciting. Em had mentioned she had a new book/series/thing coming out, but I hadn't heard any details. It was exciting to sit and listen to Marie Lu describe it in her own words, especially since I didn't know anything about it.
Warcross is described on Goodreads as 'two teenage bounty hunters are hired by a young billionaire to catch a hacker in the world's most phenomenally popular virtual reality video game', and is expected to be published in 2017. Marie Lu added that it was set approximately ten years in the future, and that fans of the Legend series could expect it to bear more than a passing resemblance to Antarctica. (For people who haven't read the Legend series, it's a world that basically functions like a real-life version of the Sims). She also mentioned it's something of a tribute to her love of video games, and that it's the only first draft she didn't hate writing.
Her new DC Comics book also came up. Again, Em had mentioned something about YA authors being recruited to write novels that tie into comics/movies, but I didn't know that Marie Lu was in on the plan. She talked about how she'd decided to write about a young Bruce Wayne coming into his billionaire inheritance, which sounded VERY cool. She also dropped hints that it was going to heavily involve a special inmate of Arkham Asylum, for those who actually know the Batman storyline. Later, in the Q&A, she talked about how difficult it was to balance between writing her own story and writing a DC Comics story.
What I enjoy about the Quail Ridge Books events is that the Q&A is long enough that everyone feels satisfied, while not being too long. Especially this time, the questions were often quite interesting. There were questions about the books, like what Marie Lu imagined Day and June doing nowadays or whether there really was an alternate ending to The Midnight Star. But more of the questions were directed towards Marie Lu as a person/author, which I appreciated. It was as if the teens in the audience really wanted to try and reach her as a person, not just as someone who wrote the books they loved. And she answered each question thoughtfully and at length. She also took care to make sure as many people as possible could ask questions.
Finally one of the Teen Board members announced that the Q&A was closing, and that we should all get in line for the book signing. We did so, me somehow managing to balance five books. I wasn't that far back in the line, but it still took a while to get my books signed. Marie Lu was very engaged with her readers, answering questions, making small talk and moving around for pictures and selfies. She even signed some fan art of Adelina that a girl had made. While I appreciated this as a reader, it was difficult to wait in line–fortunately, it was made easier by a very entertaining toddler. I only wish I were less shy and tongue-tied, or that I'd had the courage to mention how much I liked her boots (excellent taste in shoes seems to be a trait of YA authors).
That being said, I left with my head held high, in my own excellent boots and the knowledge that every single Marie Lu book on my shelf was now signed.
[btnsx id="3957″]
Two Authors and a Bookstore, or my chance to meet Sabaa Tahir and Renee Ahdieh
I was in a no-good, very bad mood Tuesday afternoon. I had missed the bus back from class that would have made me early, and the bus that would have at least gotten me back to my apartment on time didn't show up. (I have a suspicion that the transport system is designed to defeat me at every turn). I double-checked my route to Raleigh, and found out that it was 10 minutes longer than I thought it would be, due to a slowdown on I-40. I searched my apartment for snacks, or even decent sandwich supplies, and found a few cashews. Thus armed, I set out for Quail Ridge Books in Raleigh.
Two Authors and a Bookstore
Why was I driving through rush-hour traffic to Raleigh, one might ask? Why was I going to this particular bookstore? Oh, well, there was a simple answer. Renee Ahdieh, author of The Wrath & the Dawn and The Rose & the Dagger, and Sabaa Tahir, author of Ember in the Ashes and the brand-new Torch Against the Night, were going to be speaking and signing books. Emily and I had plans to meet there–because neither of us can resist a signed book, and we had a suspicion that a night with these two authors would be highly enjoyable.
I met Em there, both of us about 15 minutes later than we planned on being–but we still had plenty of time. We grabbed Em's books, plus the ones she was getting signed for a friend, and found seats a few rows back from the front, my mood improving as we sat there. We took the time to people-watch, noting however that most of the crowd was comprised of young-ish females (although, it must be noted, the crowd wasn't exclusively so). Mostly, though, we waited for the moment when Sabaa Tahir and Renee Ahdieh would make their appearance. They emerged at 7, with only one small thing knocked over.
I honestly hadn't been sure how the talk would go, but I found myself very much enjoying it. It was clear from the outset that they were both very good friends, in a vaguely goofy yet totally relatable way. The digressions on food were hilarious, and I loved how easily they bantered back and forth. Not surprisingly, both were also excellent storytellers. They were able to easily and skilfully build the picture of how Renee's kitchen almost caught fire, or the awkwardness of Sabaa's meeting with George RR Martin. They bounced from topic to topic in a way that wasn't set, or stilted, but entirely organic, and I loved it.
I also really appreciated the emphasis on research. For all the wisecracks about how in Fantasy you can just make stuff up, it was clear that both Sabaa and Renee had a passion for making every aspect of their worlds as real as they could make it. Renee talked about making all of the Persian dishes mentioned in her books, Sabaa gushed about a katana-making class she was going to be taking, and Renee gave us all a mini-lecture about how high heels were created by mounted archers in the Middle East to give them a more stable foothold when standing and firing arrows. Both of them clearly LOVED to know things, and my heart swelled two sizes in solidarity.
The night ended with a quick Trivia game and then an open forum for questions. Kudos to the small child who apparently had both Ember and Torch memorized (Sabaa: YOU are AWESOME). But there were also numerous questions about the writing process, including the standard 'advice for aspiring authors' question. Sabaa Tahir answered in a typical manner: Read everything you can, don't give up, but then she also said something about 'don't ever get complacent' (I'm paraphrasing). Basically, don't get all hurt and offended all the times your book gets rejected or something doesn't work out. Put on your big-girl (or boy, or whatever) panties (or thong, briefs, boy shorts, or pants if you're British or just like going commando) and deal with it. Which, honestly, I find to be refreshing advice. It's a lot like 'never give up', only it leaves out the petulant obstinacy when things go well, and focuses on making things go better.
And then, of course, there was the book signing, wherein I had both Sabaa and Renee sign my books, and I got novelty bookmarks, and also a poster with a map of the Empire on it. Renee also remembered Em from a previous book signing, which blew me away. I mean, how many thousands of faces has she seen lined up in front of her? That gesture made me, as a fan, feel hugely appreciated, and more than a little touched on Em's behalf. I came away feeling very happy with both Sabaa and Renee, and also with Quail Ridge Books. They put on a great event, and from the calendar I got it looks like they'll be having a few more good events down the line!
If you like what you read above, please follow using one (or more) of the social media sites in the sidebar!
A very happy New YeArs to you!
Hello, dear readers!
We at BibliobibuliYA wish you a very happy New Years, and many profound thanks for the love you've shown us. It's been less than a year since we started this little project up, but we have been touched by all of the support you've given (especially those of you who aren't related to us/indebted to us in some regard. We love you most of all). With your continued adoration, we hope to have a wonderful year, full of books, reviews and general silliness.
As you can probably see, we've already decided to start the year off with a new look–Emily will be tweaking the site over the next few days, but all of our content will still be here. And, with any luck, we'll end up with a beautiful-looking website.
There are also some bigger changes coming up for the two of us. We'll both be graduating college shortly, and moving on to bigger and better things (well, maybe). That being said, we're pretty certain that wherever life takes us, we'll drag our books along with. Come hell or high water, we will one day make it to BEA.
And, on that note, here are our (book-related) New Years Resolutions.
Thanks, again, for reading.
YALLfest Do's and Don'ts, or tips from Emily and Rosi
Hello, dear readers!
In anticipation of YALLfest, which is in a week from now, Emily and I have decided to share some tips we've learned from two (one) year(s) of going, and also some common-sense ideas which we try to apply to our own trip. Hopefully these help, or at least infuse you with deep, deep envy at the fact that we're going to be in Charleston next week. Continue reading
The Debut of Story Time Friday–Scary Story Edition
Hello, faithful readers!
We keep up with this blog because we love stories, and you presumably read our blog because you also love stories–funny how that works, isn't it? And, because October is generally seen as kind of a creepy month, stories just abound. It's a time when we can pretend that the supernatural elements we love to read about can be glimpsed in the world around us…and, if we're lucky, they might not think we're lunch.
We here at Bibliobibuli, then, thought that the perfect way to celebrate Halloween was to share our very own scary story with you–enjoy!
Here is a story.
Once upon a time, there were two girls goofing off during AP History. I mean, they weren't supposed to be goofing off, but it was ridiculously easy when thirty kids were literally crammed into the classroom–oh, and on top of that, this was the first year of the Laptops. They gave all of us old Dell computers and said we HAD to use them in class, can you believe it? (I have no idea if this is still a thing, they might have actually gotten wise by now).


text:
VISY is committed to continually and sustainably innovating for a better world.
VISY is a global leader in the packaging, paper and resource recovery industries, providing high quality, innovative and sustainable packaging products and solutions. VISY offer unique, fully integrated, forward thinking closed loop packaging and recycling solutions that align with customer and industry needs.
VISY is committed to investing in the latest technology and equipment to ensure they continue to meet the evolving needs of their customers. VISY continually innovate to create greater packaging value and efficiencies for their clients – be that product protection and preservation, aesthetic and functional design, packing and palletising solutions and more.
VISY's fruit and produce experts are currently researching a number of scientific technologies and automated systems to ensure their innovative packaging solutions are consistently among the highest quality and best performing in the world.
Contact Details
Barry Campagnolo
E: [email protected]


text: So I met up with the guy who has the 2007 VFR and it is stunning. It is in perfect condition and already has the Helibars and frame sliders on it. I wasn't able to ride it, since the weather had turned to shit. I think that if I go with the '98 and I will enjoy it, but I will always regret not getting the '07 RWB.


text:
Now you can buy the perfect translation for your wordpress themes. Improve your sales in Codecanyon, Themeforest, Codester, Codsem and other marketplace websites.
An online or paid translator will never have the understanding necessary to translate a theme, it's impossible, it's necessary the intervention of a person born in Spain to be able to translate everything perfectly.
The Traductions.es team are everybody from Spain and have more than 10 years experience with wordpress themes. Our translations are professional and perfect because we look into your work for a better understanding of all options of your themes.


text:
Dr Evangeline Samuel obtained her medical degree from the Christian Medical College Vellore, India. She then moved to Melbourne to complete her basic physician training.
She subsequently commenced her medical oncology training and has worked at the Peter MacCallum centre, Alfred and Cabrini hospitals during her training. She also undertook a clinical fellowship in gynaecological oncology and Cancer of unknown primary under the supervision of A/Professor Linda Mileshkin at the Peter MacCallum cancer centre.
She has a keen interest in lung, GI, gynaecological oncology and Cancers of unknown primary. She is a member of the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Australia New Zealand Gynaecological oncology group (ANZGOG) and Medical Oncology Group of Australia (MOGA).


text: Twitter Following a handful of summer festival appearances, Dacus will launch into a long string of dates this fall across the U.S. and CanadaNate HertweckGRAMMYs May 28, 2019 – 5:00 pm Lucy Dacus is probably coming to a town near you. The celebrated singer/songwriter announced a sprawling North American tour this fall following July appearances at the iconic Newport Folk Festival, Philadelphia's XPoNential Festival, a taping of Austin City Limits TV with Julien Baker (followed by a show together the following night) and a performance Sept. 5 at Raleigh, N.C.'s Hopscotch Festival. Lucy Dacus Plots North American Headlining Tour lucy-dacus-plots-extensive-north-american-headlining-tour News Facebook Email Lucy Dacus Plots Extensive North American Headlining Tour The run of headlining dates kicks off Sept. 10 in Lancaster, Pa., and treks across the U.S. and Canada for nearly 30 dates, wrapping up Nov. 6 in Grand Rapids, Mich.Putting any of notion of a sophomore slump to bed with her 2018 album Historian, Dacus took on the year 2019 with an ambitions project of the same name. 2019 is Dacus' series of singles themed and released around various holidays. So far, she's dropped a version of "La Vie en Rose" for Valentine's Day and "My Mother & I" for Mother's Day, with songs still on the way for Independence Day, Halloween, Christmas, New Year's and, of course, Bruce Springsteen's birthday (Sept. 23). Dacus reportedly plans to release the collection on a physical EP later this year. For a full list of tour dates and information on tickets, which go on-sale Friday, May 31, visit Dacus' website. iLe Announces Tour After Recently Released 'Almadura'Read more


text:
Dental implants are great restorations that can replace your missing teeth and restore your oral health. If you're about to help your smile with a dental implant, you're on your way toward the top-notch smile you deserve! To help you prepare for the treatment, our dentist, Dr. Huang, is happy to tell you all about the steps involved. Those steps are:
Step No. 1: Your dentist will begin by placing a titanium post (dental implant) into the socket of the missing tooth. This is only possible if the jawbone is healthy and strong. Your jawbone will then need to heal around the post to stabilize it. This will take some time.
Step No. 2: Once your bone has healed around and secured the post, your dentist will attach a second piece to the post, which will secure the dental crown (replacement tooth) into place. Then, he will take impressions of the smile and will send them to a dental lab. At the lab, technicians will create a customized dental crown for you.
Step No. 3: When the crown is ready, your dentist will secure it over the attachment to give you the complete, functional, and beautiful smile you want.
To learn more about dental implant treatment in Federal Way, Washington, please contact Art of the Smiles at 253-839-4048. Our dental team will be more than happy to give you the information and details you're looking for. We are excited to hear from you!


text:
Obituary of Nancy Anne Adams
Nancy Anne Adams, nee Kesseler, 72, longtime resident of Libertyville, passed away Oct. 5, 2019. Nancy was born and raised in Chicago graduating from St. Ita's grade school and Good Counsel High School. Nancy was an accomplished baker famous for her pound cakes and cookies and was the co-editor of the St. Joseph Parish Cookbook and Main Street Libertyville Cookbook. She loved to garden and was a member of the Gardeners of Central Lake County and Illinois Orchid Society. She loved live concerts, dancing and fishing. She was a former member and newsletter editor of the Libertyville/Mundelein Historical Society.
Nancy is survived by her husband of 46 years John C Adams; her sons John M and Richard J (Kathryn); grandsons Buel and soon to be born Robert John; her sister Jeanne (Doug) Cluts and brother Richard Kesseler and nieces and nephews.
Mass of Christian Burial 10:30am Friday October 11th at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 121 E Maple Ave, Libertyville with interment to follow at Ascension Cemetery, Libertyville. Visitation for Nancy will be from 4-8pm Thurs. Oct 10th at McMurrough Funeral Chapel, 101 Park Pl, (Rt 176, 1 Blk East of Rt 21) Libertyville. Funeral info (847) 362-2626. Please sign the guestbook at libertyvillefuneralhome.com


text:
Welcome to the website of Stone Cutters, your natural stone headquarters for over 20 years. Proudly serving the Collin County area, including the cities of Allen, Anna, Blue Ridge, Carrollton, Celina, Copeville, Fairview, Farmersville, Frisco, Josephine, Lavon, Lowry Crossing, Lucas, McKinney, Melissa, Murphy, Nevada, New Hope, Parker, Plano, Princeton, Prosper, Richardson, Royse City, Saint Paul, Van Alstyne and Weston. At Stone Cutters, your options are virtually endless. We area a full service bath and kitchen remodeling company. We invite you to tour our warehouse located at 900 East University Drive, McKinney, Texas 75069, Suite F located in back of building. Our hours are Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
If you are looking for new countertops, you have come to the right place. Stone Cutters offers countertop design and fabrication in a variety of stone materials. Although Granite is the most popular and affordable, there are many more options. Let Stone Cutters help you brighten up your home and give it a fresh new look which will last a lifetime. Stone cutters does much more than countertops. We offer custom design and fabrication of table tops, wall murrals, fireplace hearths, tub decks, etc. We also have the capabilities to custom fabricate your own ideas into reality.
If you are considering remodeling your kitchen, our experts are trained to handle all aspects of your remodeling project.
We believe your bathroom should look great yet function better. Stone Cutters will create the bathroom of your dreams.
Stone Cutters can help you pick the best sink and faucet to accent the look you are wanting to achieve.
At Stone Cutters, we are a little different than the rest. Our facility is equipped with our very own fabrication shop, where we cut your stone exactly to your specifications. Because of this, we are able to give you a level of customization and attention to detail that you simply will not find anywhere else.
We would like to invite you to tour our website. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a free consultation with one of our designers, please contact Stone Cutters at 214-502-8029. For your convenience, you may also request services from this site.
We would like to thank you for your interest in Stone Cutters. We look forward to serving you in the near future!
Proudly Serving the North Texas Area.
Licensed & Fully Insured
No Extra Charges
No Money Down
900 East University Drive McKinney, Texas 75069 - firstname.lastname@example.com
Granite Countertop Design North Texas | Granite Countertop Installation North Texas | Granite Countertop Fabrication North Texas
All Natural Stones | Custom Fabrication | Custom Installation | Granite Countertops | Marble Countertops | Travertine Countertops | Slate Countertops | Limestone Countertops | Soapstone Countertops
Granite Countertops in Allen, Texas
| Granite Countertops in Frisco, Texas
| Granite Countertops in Plano, Texas
| Granite Countertops in Richardson, Texas
Granite Countertop Installation Allen, Texas
Granite Countertop Installation Frisco, Texas
Granite Countertop Installation Plano, Texas
Granite Countertop Installation Richardson, Texas | Residential Granite Countertop Install Allen, Texas | Residential Granite Countertop Install Frisco, Texas | Residential Granite Countertop Install Plano, Texas | Residential Granite Countertop Install Richardson, Texas
Custom Countertop Installation in Allen, Texas | Custom Countertop Installation in Carrollton, Texas | Custom Countertop Installation in Fairview, Texas | Custom Countertop Installation in Frisco, Texas | Custom Countertop Installation in Mckinney, Texas | Custom Countertop Installation in Plano, Texas | Custom Countertop Installation in Richardson, Texas


text:
Would your clients say that you're reliable and that they are "satisfied" with your services? Dr. John L. Evans, Jr. explains that in a highly competitive industry, being "satisfied" may not be enough.
What kinds of experiences do your clients have with you? Would they say that you're reliable and that they're satisfied with your services? If so, watch out. In a highly competitive industry, keeping a client "satisfied" may not be enough. Lack of conflict or complaints doesn't necessarily equal loyalty. It could just mean the relationship is forgettable, and thus, vulnerable to disruption.
According to a study by Russ Alan Prince and David A. Geracioti, only 33.5% of "satisfied" clients and 13.4% of "moderately satisfied" clients said they would give their primary financial advisors additional investable assets. Yet 94.5% of those who identified as "loyal" said they were extremely or very likely to stick with their advisors.1
Think of your own experiences as a customer at a luxury restaurant, hotel, or department store. Chances are your mind jumped to interactions that were either extraordinarily good or extremely bad. But experiences that are just okay? Those typically rank low on recall.
What Are Your Clients "Saying" About You?
The quality of your relationship to each individual client matters more than ever. Today, 72% of online adults use social networking sites, with the 65+ population tripling in the last four years to 43%.2 Your clients talk, and now they can talk to hundreds and thousands of their peers at once. What do you want them saying about you?
Sending your client a signed holiday or birthday card is a nice gesture. But it's also a predictable one, the "go-to" for any service professional. So think about your practice from the perspective of an outsider and consider creative and consistent ways to make positive impressions.
The Difference Between You and Everyone Else
According to Thomas Fross of Fross & Fross Wealth Management, one of the most successful independent financial planning firms in the nation, there is no silver bullet for client management and retention. Key to your success is varying your strategy based on how your client likes to be engaged. "Just as a balanced investment portfolio should include a variety of investments, a balanced practice management strategy needs to include multiple ways to engage clients and prospects. Different clients will respond to different actions," Fross says.
Key to your success is varying your strategy based on how your client likes to be engaged.
However you choose to engage, there are three underlying principles that Fross recommends to help your practice stand out above the rest:
- Image Is (Almost) Everything. It isn't everything, but it matters more than you might think. Think about how your image would be perceived by current and prospective clients. Do you exude professionalism? Having an office, wearing a tie and taking the time to craft a consistent personal brand are all important to your bottom line.
- Talk to Your Clients. Your clients need information and reassurance on an ongoing basis, especially in a volatile market. Make it a priority to engage in frequent and meaningful communication with investors. If you don't, studies show that they will move on to an advisor who will.
- WOW Them. Do you make your clients feel special? Do you acknowledge them in unique ways? Average isn't good enough. But when clients feel valued and important, they are more loyal and more likely to refer you.
Providing extraordinary service can also expand your client roster. According to the Prince and Geracioti study, those "loyal" clients provided nearly 12 referrals to their primary advisors, compared to just 2.1 from "satisfied" clients and 1 or fewer from "moderately satisfied." So that time and effort spent going above and beyond truly pays off in more ways than one.
- Prince, Russ Alan with Geracioti, David A. "Cultivating the Middle-Class Millionaire: Why Financial Advisors Are Failing Their Wealthy Clients and What They Can Do About It." Wealth Management Press, 2005.
- Brenner, Joanna and Smith, Aaron "72% of Online Adults are Social Networking Site Users" Pew Research Center, August 5, 2013
Knowledge. Shared
Subscribe for relevant insights delivered straight to your inbox


text:
Johnny Depp has filed a $50 million defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife Amber Heard after she accused him of domestic violence.
The 55-year-old actor described Heard's 2016 abuse allegations as 'an elaborate hoax', according to the lawsuit obtained by The Blast.
|Ms Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse, she is a perpetrator !
The lawsuit references an article Heard, 32, wrote for the Washington Post in December last year in which she said she had received death threats and lost out on work after accusing Depp of domestic abuse.
'The op-ed's clear implication that Mr Depp is a domestic abuser is categorically and demonstrably false,' Depp's lawsuit states.
'Mr Depp never abused Ms Heard. Her allegations against him were false when they were made in 2016.
'They were part of an elaborate hoax to generate positive publicity for Ms Heard and advance her career.'
The lawsuit goes on to say that the allegations made by Heard against Depp were refuted by 'two separate responding police officers, a litany of neutral third-party witnesses, and 87 newly obtained surveillance camera videos'.
'Ms Heard is not a victim of domestic abuse, she is a perpetrator,' the lawsuit states.
Heard was pictured in London on Friday as news of the lawsuit broke.
The Aquaman actress filed for divorce from the Pirates of the Caribbean star in May 2016 stating that he had been 'verbally and physically' abusive towards her.
Their divorce was finalized in January 2017, with Heard later donating a portion of her $7 million divorce settlement to the Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
They were married for 15 months before she filed for divorce.
Images emerged at the time showing Heard with a bruised eye and face. She claimed Depp threw a phone at her face and struck her in their home.
Depp has long denied the allegations and has instead claimed that his ex-wife repeatedly violently attacked and severely injured him.
In the defamation lawsuit, Depp claims Heard threw a glass vodka bottle at him and caused the bones in the tip of his right middle finger to shatter.
He claims the incident occurred one month into their marriage and resulted in him having to have his finger 'surgically reattached'.
'Ms Heard then disseminated false accounts of this incident, casting Mr Depp as the perpetrator of his own injury'.
Depp claims in the lawsuit that he was dropped from Pirates of the Caribbean just four days after Heard's op-ed was published in the Wasington Post.
'Ms Heard also knew that her elaborate hoax worked: as a result of her false allegations against Mr Depp, Ms Heard became a darling of the #MeToo movement, was the first actress named a Human Rights Champion of the United Nations Human Rights Office, was appointed ambassador on women's rights at the American Civil Liberties Union, and was hired by L'Oreal Paris as its global spokesperson.'


text:
I got an email this morning from American offering a 25% bonus on hotel point transfers. For most hotel loyalty programs, it does not make sense to transfer even with a 25% bonus.
There is one exception, and that is SPG and their awesome transfer policy. SPG allows transfers to around 30 airlines with a 1:1 transfer ratio. In addition, SPG will automatically add an additional 5,000 bonus points to your end point (IE: American Airlines), when transferring a 20,000 point chunk.
Bonus on bonus
Link for transfer bonus
First off, I don't see any language that would make me believe this is targetted. You don't have to sign-in but you will want to click the link on this page, just to be safe. To give you an idea of a good American Airlines redemption, check out this write-up of our trip from Israel to Seoul.
In the image above, you can see that SPG points transferred now, until June 15th, will earn an additional 25% bonus. In my experience, the transfer takes about 2 days to post in my AA account.
Math time
Let's say you have 20,000 SPG points that are sitting and collecting dust. Here is how the math will work out:
20,000 SPG points
5,000 point bonus from SPG (adds to the end point, AA in this case)
25% bonus from American Airlines (25,000 * 25% = 6,250)
20,000 + 5,000 + 6,250 = 31,250 American Airline miles
You are earning an additional 11,250 American miles by giving up 20,000 SPG points, a great value!
Marriott too!
Remember, you can transfer Marriott to SPG at a 3:1 ratio. There does not seem to be a limit on the number of hotel points you can transfer to American Airlines during this transfer bonus either!
From AA: "Members can convert multiple times with multiple Hotel Partners. Conversions for hotel and air packages from Hotel Partners are included for this offer."
If you have 60,000 Marriott points, you can ultimately convert those into 31,250 American Airline miles during this transfer (Marriott > SPG +5k > AA +25%)
The Skinny:
Point conversions from Wyndham Hotel Group are not eligible for the 25% bonus offer.
To qualify for this AAdvantage® 25% bonus mile offer, member must initiate the AAdvantage mileage conversions with participating eligible AAdvantage program hotel participants ("Hotel Partner(s)") between 12:00 am Central time on April 28, 2017 and 11:59 pm Central time on June 15, 2017 (the "Promotion Period"), and must be in good standing in the AAdvantage program.
Members can convert multiple times with multiple Hotel Partners. Conversions for hotel and air packages from Hotel Partners are included for this offer. This offer is non-transferable and cannot be combined with any other offers.
Bonus miles will be posted by American Airlines to the qualifying AAdvantage member's account within 7 business days after the initial conversion activity has been posted by the participating Hotel Partner. Bonus miles earned in this promotion do not count toward elite status qualification.
American Airlines is not responsible for products or services offered by Hotel Partners. American Airlines assumes no responsibility for how participating Hotel Partners count qualified conversions. You must check with the participating Hotel Partner to confirm what counts as a qualified conversion.
Additional terms may apply.


text:
Welcome to Rugby Stash Store, proud suppliers of Canterbury clothing including the official England 2015 Rugby World Cup kit. Take a look around our site and find the very latest international rugby shirts from around the world or a selection of compression tops, rugby shorts and accessories.
The eighth Rugby World Cup will run from 18th September 2015 – 31st October 2015 and will be hosted by England. There are a total of 13 stadiums around the country hosting games with the first being England v Fiji at Twickenham on 18th September, the final be held at the same venue on 31st October.


text:
A professional web designer knows what they are doing and is an expert in their field. This means that they will be able to provide you with the best service and make sure that your business benefits greatly. They will be able to make sure that your website reaches your target audience and that your company is represented in the best possible manner so that you gain new consumers.
Benefits of a Professional
A professional web designer will be highly professional. They will know and understand what to deliver and how to deliver it. A skilled designer will not only be creative, but will also be able to market your product and website well through incorporating uniqueness, ease, and amazing functionality of your page.
Preserve Time
A professional web developers will save you a lot of energy, time, and frustration. Making an effective website is not easy work. It requires skills, knowledge, and most importantly, patience. A skilled person will be aware of the latest technology upgrades and will be able to provide you with the best service in a short time.
Being One Step Ahead of the Competition
Having a strong presence on the internet is very vital for your business. If your competition is on the web before you, then they have a stronger edge. However, if you come up with a web page that far exceeds theirs in many ways, then you will automatically take over.
A Clear Message
A professional will know exactly how to communicate your message effectively. They are also able to play around with fonts, colors, and shapes to give you the best effect in your message possible.
The Power of Search Engine Optimization
A good web designer will know how to make your website extremely search engine friendly, thereby making sure that your page is ranked well on search engines. This will help to bring you more potential clients, and therefore more sales.
Having a professionally designed website will give you a certain edge over the competition and help to ensure that your business achieves its purpose. Without having a strong online presence, you will keep struggling with maintaining clients, and very few people will get to know that you even exist. Professionals are also aware of the latest design trends and the latest updates available in the market with which you can make your website even more appealing.


text:
Our Scholastic Book Fair theme for February is Paws for Books: Come. Stay. Read a Great Tale!
Readers will find purr-fect books and have a dog-gone good time at Phillips Book Fair!
Email Us Your Pet Selfies!
We would like to feature your photos around our library during Book Fair Week. So, email a selfie (or other photo) with your pet to our Book Fair Chairperson, Colleen Sosbee, at email@example.com.
Please include your name, teacher, and your pet's name.
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, you may include a sentence or two of what you love about your pet.
Friday, February 9 and Monday, February 12.
Book Fair Sales Dates
Tuesday, February 13 through Thursday, February 15 from 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
NOTE: February 14 extended until 4 p.m. after Valentine Parties
Thursday, February 15 from 5:30 p.m – 7:30 p.m.
Friday, February 16 from 7:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Book Fair Sales Online
Shop the Book Fair online from February 3 – February 23 at
Volunteer opportunity
We need several volunteers to assist with set up, preview, restocking, working the register, and assisting our students with their book selections.
Please use the following link to sign up to volunteer, MEOW!
If you have any questions please contact our Book Fair Chairperson, Colleen Sosbee, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Note: As part of Valentine's Day week, there will be a coin drive/pet supply drive for Phillips to show our love of fellow Frisco fur friends at the Frisco Humane Society (*more info to come)


text:
Connection problems
11th December 2017
We know it's frustrating when you can't get to your website or pick up your email, run through these steps to resolve it.
Making space for email
11th December 2017
If you're running out of space because you have so many emails, here's how to make a bit of room.
Setting up email on Microsoft Outlook
11th December 2017
Here is a simple guide to setting up a new email account on Outlook.
Help, I've been hacked!
5th December 2017
Read our handy guide that helps you recover from it, and top tips to stop it happening.


text:
How to Get My Hibiscus to Bloom
I have a tropical hibiscus that I keep in a container in the house. It has plenty of light, water, drainage, etc. , but it has not bloomed for the last few years. Otherwise, it looks very healthy. Also, the leaves have lost their 'waxy' look. Please help!!
Certified GKH Gardening Expert
Give it some bloom booster fertilizer or bone meal. It likely lacks phosphorus, which it needs to produce blooms. This article has more information:
You must be logged into your account to answer a question.
If you don't have an account sign up for an account now.


text:
The natural health industry has seen remarkable growth over the last decade, with 40% more Australians using these services over this timeframe. This has required natural health education to keep pace, in an attempt to provide an educated workforce to service the rapid growth of the sector. A career in the field has obvious attractions, including the potential for a flexible lifestyle, travel and a rewarding career – but where to start? ntpages sought out the wise counsel of David Stelfox of Endeavour College, head of the Remedial Therapies Department – for his insights on a career in this field and for some background on the various modalities involved.
What is your background in remedial therapies?
""I have over 25 years of experience as natural health practitioner with a primary focus in remedial massage, naturopathy and herbal medicine. I have also been involved in tertiary education as a lecturer, curriculum developer and author of numerous journals and books on natural health. Remedial massage training is where I started out as a natural health practitioner and it has provided a sound foundation upon which I have built my career in natural health."
What ranges of modalities are covered under the term remedial therapies?
"The main modalities represented under the umbrella term "remedial therapies" are relaxation massage, remedial or therapeutic massage, reflexology and aromatherapy. Traditional Chinese massage (Tui na), Shiatsu and Traditional Thai massage are also sometimes referred to as "remedial therapies". Some people also include things like trigger point therapy, lymphatic drainage massage, myofascial release and deep tissue massage as remedial therapies. However, these are more accurately described as techniques that a remedial therapist may incorporate in the management of a client, rather than stand alone therapies or modalities."
What are the various remedial therapy courses on offer currently?
"There's the foundation massage course: the Certificate IV in Massage Therapy Practice. This is the entry level to the profession and it provides students with the knowledge and practical skills to deliver a relaxation massage. Then there's the Diploma of Remedial Massage, which builds on the Certificate IV. It provides a broader and deeper understanding of anatomy and physiology and starts to provide students with some physical assessment skills so that they can identify the source of a musculoskeletal condition. The Diploma course also introduces a range of different remedial massage techniques (e.g. trigger point therapy, sports injury management, myofascial release, lymphatic grainage massage), and how they can be used in the treatment of musculoskeletal problems."
What options are there for further study?
"Students and practitioners who choose to further their knowledge and skills in remedial massage can undertake the Bachelor of Health Science (Musculoskeletal Therapy) course. This course broadens and deepens the therapist's skills and understanding of musculoskeletal conditions even more than the Diploma. Being a Bachelor of Health Science program, it gives students a thorough knowledge of the biological sciences (biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, microbiology and pathophysiology), so students gain a really good understanding of how the body works, particularly from a musculoskeletal perspective.
So, there is a lot more detail involved?
"Yes, the Bachelor of Health Science (Musculoskeletal Therapy) is the highest remedial massage qualification available currently in Australia. The Degree program goes into significantly more detail and expands the student's knowledge and skills of physical assessment. It looks at musculoskeletal conditions more closely, helping students to better determine appropriate and effective approaches to individualised treatments. The course takes an evidence-based approach. It requires that students have an understanding of the field of research and its relevance to massage and musculoskeletal therapy. Research-based evidence must be considered and, where relevant, incorporated into the treatment plans of clients to achieve the best therapeutic outcomes. The Musculoskeletal Degree also extends the practitioner's range of remedial techniques. Myofascial dry needling, for example, is taught as an extension of trigger point therapy. Although acupuncture-type needles are used, this is not acupuncture. The needles are used to release trigger points in the muscles where digital trigger point therapy may not be effective."
What accreditation do your courses have?
"Our Degree courses meet the requirements of the Australian Qualifications Framework, as well as the Offices of Higher Education in Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia (we're currently in the process of gaining approval to deliver the Degree in South Australia) so you are assured of the quality of our teaching standards and curriculum. Our Certificate IV and Diploma of Remedial Massage courses are National Health Training Package-registered qualifications, so they more than adequately satisfy the national standards for massage and remedial massage in the Vocational Education and Training sector. We also ensure that our courses meet the requirements of the major professional associations relevant to massage therapy. That way our graduates are able to join these associations and to access Health Fund and WorkCover provider numbers, and professional indemnity insurance cover."
What is the typical career path for one of your graduates?
"There is no typical career path, as graduates can pursue a career in private practice, research, education, corporate business, the health sector, aged care homes as well as day spas and resorts. What I've noticed over the past five to ten years is that career opportunities for massage therapists have increased significantly. It's wonderful to hear about some of the areas of practice and enterprise that massage therapists are getting into. National sporting teams and the Australian Institute of Sport, Five Star Health resorts such as Chiva Som and Kangaroo Island Eco resort, multi-modality health clinics – these are just some examples of where our graduates are working."
In terms of job prospects, what is the essential difference between the short courses and the degree courses?
"It really depends on what a graduate wishes to do with their qualification. Each of the courses has a professional outcome and upon completion of the qualifications graduates are able to work as sole practitioners or gain employment in a health practice, a health resort or spa, or a gym. At Endeavour we have had Cert IV graduates who have travelled the world, providing relaxation massage on cruise ships. Others have worked in five-star spas and resorts. I think that where a person wishes to establish a long-term practice in massage therapy though, remedial massage skills are important. The more knowledge and skills a practitioner has, and the more thoroughly trained they are to use those skills, the more successful they're likely to be. Even though the Musculoskeletal Therapy Degree is a relatively new course in Australia, already it has established a benchmark for remedial massage therapy and within the industry Musculoskeletal Therapy graduates are sought-after as valuable assets to established health practices. We (Endeavour) are frequently contacted by managers and owners of health clinics and practices with offers of employment to our Musculoskeletal Degree graduates. As the recognition of the benefits of remedial massage therapy increases, the demand for skilled, well-trained therapists is increasing significantly."


text:
Still Beasting Lyrics
I'm a rude boy get it clear fake don't live here
Real nigga all day pow I'm still here
Niggas in the streets still buck like them deers
Touch one of mine and your click gon' taste tears(Ha! Ha!)
I'm only playing black chill no nerves please
We keep pushing the brave she set to blow these
Just right under the scrotum we blessed with no sneeze
They check the flow please; I'm next to blow bitch
So smooth gotta double my bucks
Pockets empty but fuck it I don't live in disgust
I'm still G, All black gear running amok
Few rumbles in the jungle and the bundle is us
Yes Sharp with the wordplay
Calm like Alla Say
Starting a stampede stay clear or be gon' babe
Music, music for the brave heart bitch
The black Joe Pesci scrapping till I'm caked up bitch
Flow deadly you usually just make up shit
Forever ready for the war till we reign that's it
Haa! G's up, hoes down – fist up
Blows down punch line lights out guess P throws down (Ha! Ha!)
On my Tyson shit knock them out first round till they bite my shit
hahaha it all good guess they like what they ear
Turn it up loud till your lope disappear
I move a lil different hands down I'm crack boy
Proof is in the pudding stand down we Back boy
Heavy weight all round close to fat boy
Here's my advice you should grab a black board
Learn a lil' something coz your bars is trash boy
You screaming you be stunning but you lack the stacks boy
I'm a dog pit-bull with that pink thing out
I'm pissed off, picture me whipping a Lambo
Matt black swaying down the curb whit my shit pimped out
I'm a beast you aren't heard high pitch no doubt
Real nigga Yes sir till my cream leaks out
Need figures so thorough gotta eat in this drought
That's the dream we chasing
So we keep it baking
In the kitchen with an apron
Take it back to basics you got what I want so I'mma kill to take it
Looking back from the future screaming "damn! I made it"


text:
In a new special 3 part JSA TV series, JSA CEO Jaymie Scotto Cutaia visits West 7 Center in Downtown Los Angeles. West 7 Center is a Tier III datacenter facility built with mission critical infrastructure, 24/7 on-site engineering and security support in the heart of the LA CBD. While there, she interviewed Marc Gittleman, Executive VP of Property Services at Rising Realty; Darren Eades, Executive VP of the Southern California Region at JLL; and Arman Khalili, CEO and founder of Evocative.
Rising Realty Partners (Rising) purchased West 7 Center in 2016. In the first episode of the series, Marc Gittleman explains that Rising found the investment to be a uniquely special opportunity because of its Class-A commercial office space in downtown LA that included a development component and a datacenter component. It allowed Rising to develop their own in-house telecom expertise, adding to the complexity of the asset.
In the second episode of the series, Darren Eades of JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle), the entity that operates the leasing of the building, explains that what set's West 7 Center apart from other datacenters is that it is the only purpose-built data center in Los Angeles. The majority of other assets in downtown LA were former office buildings or warehouses facilities that were converted to data centers, certainly a feature that sits at the forefront of what makes West 7 an attractive option.
To wrap up the series, Jaymie visits Arman Khalili of Evocative, an internet company who recently signed a long-term lease at West 7 Center. Arman is a serial-entrepreneur and a true thought-leader in the colocation field; he's the founder of multiple network infrastructure companies, such as CentralColo, UnitedLayer, Musicbank, and more. "This is the best data center from an infrastructure perspective and it rivals some of the major carrier hotels and disaster recovery sites," says Mr. Khalili.
With the largest subterranean space in the city, West 7 Center is especially unique in that it is directly positioned to offer mission-critical colocation services and network diversity for OTTs, carriers, IoT providers, healthcare facilities and government organizations..
The facility has nine (9) floors of office space and 340,000 RSF of datacenter space on three (3) subterranean levels that are supported by the Building's two (2) central plants with a total of 16.9 MW of generator backed power, 3,000 kW of Building UPS power and 9,000 tons of cooling capacity for telecom, mission critical, colocation and datacenter operations.
Watch the videos below to learn more.
Marc Gittleman, Rising Realty:
Darren Eades, JLL:
Arman Khalili, Evocative


text:
Tag Archives: monochrome
"The Selfie"
This photo I took of a girl taking a selfie at the top of the One World Trade Center has just been "favorited" by a National Geographic editor. "The Selfie" is my fourth favorited photo by NG and that means a lot to me.
Street Photography – Europe
117/365 – Abstraction in Black and White
23/365 – Into the Mystic
"Hark, now hear the sailors cry, smell the sea, and feel the sky
let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic…" ― Van Morrison
NYC Architecture
Odd Shaped


text:
Tagged: society
I started a podcast!
This podcast is inspired by the following text post I saw on Instagram a few weeks ago:
"You're not behind in life. There's no timetable that we all must follow. It's made up. 7 billion people can't do everything in the same order. What's early? What's late? Compared to who? Don't beat yourself up for where you are. It's YOUR schedule and everything is right on time." Continue reading
I've just been really sick and tired and overwhelmed and homesick lately. If I were still living at home, I'd have gotten over this sickness weeks ago, but lo and behold, it's still plaguing me. I'm detoxing now…the best ways I know how… Continue reading
4 Ways To Force Yourself to Stay Humble
I'm trying to commit to this in college, and it's going pretty well so far.
It's not a complete solution to my insecurity, but hey, it's a start.
2) Eating by yourself.
Lots of people do it; at the dining halls here, loners eat in front of a TV together. Everyone's on their phone (this bothers me), and I try to force myself to just sit and eat my food.
There's no shame in eating alone. Not everyone has the time to wait for a friend…some of us are in hurries to get to class; we just need something in our stomachs. Continue reading
An International Student Speaks Out: "I Like the Cultural Awe"
I don't like the cultural shock; I like the cultural awe.
The following is an interview that I did with my friend Natalie, who is an international student (class of 2018).
Where are you from?
I'm from Hong Kong. Born and raised there.
What is the most offensive thing that someone has said to you?
A girl…walked by and she was like, "so you and your friends are the 'Asian gang'?"
It's not offensive, and it's the truth, but the way that she put it, it was very stereotypical. Continue reading
18 Truths I Learned By 18 Years Old
1. You don't understand someone's struggle until it has happened to you.
Even then, all you have is one personal account. One page of writing, a roll of film, a 7:21 video, even a blog post isn't sufficient to explain the experience. You could fill a book with thoughts.
2. Some life pursuits are stumps.
They don't grow, they just get soggy with all of the water you sprinkle.
As long as I live, I will never find meaning in drawing. I can draw, but that's about it, it will never be anything but an activity to me. We don't rip the stump out of the ground, but we don't contribute anything meaningful to it.
3. Peer pressure operates in small ways.
To My Sister, On Her First Day of Sophomore Year
soph·o·mor·ic: adjective: having or showing a lack of emotional maturity: foolish and immature
What a hopeful outlook society has adopted for a high school student's second year of high school!
Before year 9 you won't take this advice very seriously because you won't really know what I'm talking about. Every year you'll read this letter again and understand it a little better than you did before. And you'll find out that what I'm saying is true (in some respects, at least). And you will look back when you graduate and regret a little bit but we're not all perfect, are we?
Last year, around this time, I wrote a letter to my sister, Victoria, addressing the topic of freshman year…since then it's become one of the most popular and constantly visited posts on this whole blog.
So I'm here to shed a little knowledge about your second year, and I hope my experience might help you along.
My dearest Vicky,
You're not hot shit. You're still an underclassman. You will undoubtedly exhibit behavior seen as unjustifiable, unwarranted by the upperclassmen, and next year, you will also see it as such. Continue reading
Man In Line Gets A Boner: Would You Call That Sexual Harassment?
Disclaimer: I don't intend this blog post to be a blanket statement about people getting erections in public. Oftentimes it's not personal nor intended. I totally get that. I just think that the details in yesterday's scenario make it so that this could not have been a coincidence.
Where I work, there's a grown man who comes in often enough that I recognize him and consider him a regular. I knew his order and always greeted him with a smile, making conversation because I genuinely believed that he was a delightful, pleasant person, but I never (until very recently) took a look at his pants.
How could I miss something so…obstructive??
It turns out that this was not a unique occurrence but rather, a tradition of sorts…
In my mind, I was grossed out. I started panicking. It was disturbing! God damn sir, you're in freaking public! In gym shorts! There are children at that table! And grandmas!
What even is sexual harassment anyways? Or is this sexual assault, or abuse, or is this all just in my head? I don't care about some official definition; if something makes me so uncomfortable in my own skin that I get upset at work, it's sexual harassment to me.


text:
Will Clarkson go polar bear wrestling?
Some of the best films from Top Gear are the ones where Jeremy Clarkson, in a car, races James May and Richard Hammond in some other form of transportation. The first was an epic sprint to the finish line in Monte Carlo in the South of France with Clarkson in a Aston Martin DB9 and May/Hammond on the Eurostar. Since then, they've done a Ferrari 612 Scaglietti versus a plane, a Mercedes-McLaren SLR versus a boat and a Bugatti Veyron against another plane…flown by James May.
Now that Veyron race was the biggest ever, transporting a fresh truffle (or as Clarkson would call it, a 'pharoah's testicle') from Italy to a posh restaurant in London. It featured the fastest car ever created pitted against…well, a washing machine Cessna 182 flown by a floppy haired bloke across Europe but still. Top Gear fans everywhere were wondering what they were going to do for an encore. How do you possibly get bigger? And since we've now gone two seasons without a cross-continent race, what and when would the next race be?
Earlier this month, Nicholas Rufford, who was filling in for Jezza on his column in the Times hinted, inadvertently or not, as to what Clarkson was off doing.
A few weeks ago he was preparing to drive to the North Pole in a Toyota pickup truck, so maybe he's there right now, banging into igloos and polar bears.
This led to speculation that the next race would happen somewhere in the arctic.
However, insiders are now confirming that for the next series of Top Gear there would indeed be some kind of race in Alaska. In fact, the presenters and their crew are actually there…well, right now as we speak. They refuse, however, to divulge any other details other than the face that they are in Alaska. I'm not quite sure what kind of race they'll be having but it did require a great deal of preparation and training in dealing with the freezing conditions. Maybe Clarkson is going to fight a polar bear or something. Perhaps Top Gear Dog will pull the three of them across a frozen lake or James May will try to drive across a small frozen puddle before it melts. Yes, he's quite slow.
I can't really confirm the reliability of the source but everything seems to add up. If I happen to be wrong and the next series doesn't have an arctic race, I'll let Michael kick me in the chest.