text:
Yolo CountyHome Sitemap Contact
Pest Management
Pest Management
The Pest Management program involves controlling and monitoring common pest populations of weeds, rodents and insects below economic threshold levels. This is accomplished through rodenticide manufacturing, weed and rodent control, pest identification and biological control.
The Department manufactures a variety of rodenticide baits for sale to agricultural operators and other county agriculture departments. As the bait is now Federally restricted, proper certification is required. Please see the above link "rodenticide baits for sale" for more information.
The registration of these materials requires continuous monitoring in order to keep them in compliance with Federal E.P.A. standards. Baits are manufactured under an agreement with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, which maintains the registrations.
Vegetation management involves noxious weed control on State highways, County roads and special district rights-of-way. The major weed pests under management are Johnsongrass, Yellow Star Thistle, Russian Thistle, Dodder and Puncturevine. These weed pests, when left uncontrolled, can damage the paved edge of roadways, obstruct motorists' visibility, create potential fire hazards, and cause serious economic effects on adjoining farmland.
In addition, the Department works with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to eradicate "A" rated pests (pests not known to occur in California or are of limited distribution, and have the potential to cause serious economic harm to agriculture). Yolo County has one site with Skeleton weed and one site with Iberian Star thistle, which are currently under eradication efforts.
Biological control involves monitoring sites where parasites have been released, surveying for new infestations of pests where biological-control predators may be introduced, and maintaining equipment necessary for the program. Bio-control programs currently are established for Puncturevine, Ash Whitefly and Yellow Star Thistle.
For more information on the Pest Management program -click here
Pest Management Links
UC Davis-Weed Research and Information
UC Davis-Invasive Weed Management
UC Davis-Yellow Starthistle Management
CDFA-Japanese dodder (Cuscuta japonica) in California
UC Davis-Pest Management Online
UC Davis-Ground Squirrel Best Management Practices


text:
Barnstable and Hyannis
Barnstable and Hyannis, MA | Points of Interest
John F. Kennedy Hyannis Museum, JFK Memorial, Kennedy Legacy Walking Trail, Cape Cod Scenic Railroad, Kennedy Compound, Cape Cod Melody Tent, Island Ferries.
- Staying in Barnstable/Hyannis: Barnstable and Hyannis Motels & Resorts, Barnstable and Hyannis Bed and Breakfasts & Inns, Barnstable and Hyannis Vacation Rentals
- Visiting Barnstable/Hyannis: History, Beaches, Golf, Culture
- Town Information: Chamber of Commerce, Churches, Library
About Barnstable & Hyannis
The Mid Cape town of Barnstable is comprised of seven villages: Hyannis, Hyannisport, Osterville, Centerville, Craigville, Cotuit, Marstons Mills, and West Barnstable, Hyannis is the largest. Hyannis is also the largest town and economic center of Cape Cod.
Hyannis Harbor is bustling with activity–ferries to the islands, fishing and sailing charters as well as visitors to the JFK Monument and the HyArts Shanties. Main Street is home to shops, restaurants, and a few nightclubs.
Hyannisport, home to the Kennedy Compound, is a quiet & residential part of Hyannis. Craigville Beach on the Nantucket Sound, popular with younger people, is in neighboring Centerville. Hyannis is a good choice for those who want to be centrally located and enjoy a bit of everything the Cape has to offer in an upbeat, popular location.
Barnstable is bucolic in comparison to Hyannis. Historic inns and antique shops line Route 6A in this north side town, which is also home to Sandy Neck Beach and Barnstable Harbor on the Cape Cod Bay.
Statue of President John F. Kennedy outside the JFK Hyannis Museum. Photo by William DeSousa-Mauk.
Incorporated on March 5, 1638, Barnstable (pop. 45,193), named for Barnstaple in in England, was first settled as an agricultural community by the Reverends Hull and Lothrop from the North Shore. For several generations, it remained this way until seafaring citizens settled in and industry turned to the sea.
The limelight shone on Hyannisport during John F. Kennedy's presidency and the Kennedy Compound, although off limits, is still a popular sight to see from Hyannis Harbor.
- Covell Beach: Craigville Beach Road, Craigville
- Craigville Beach: Craigville Beach Road, Craigville
- Millway Beach: Off Route 6A, Barnstable
- Sandy Neck Beach: Off Route 6A, West Barnstable
- Kalmus Park Beach: Ocean Street, Hyannis
- Orrin Keyes Beach: Sea Street, Hyannis
- Veterans Park: Ocean Street, Hyannis
- Hamblin's Pond: Route 149, Marstons Mills
- Hathaway's Pond: Route 149, Marstons Mills
- Burgess Park: Route 149, Marstons Mills
Hiking & Biking
Barnstable has some wonderful conservation land set aside for your hiking enjoyment including Sandy Neck Great Salt Marsh Conservation Area and the West Barnstable Conservation Area.
Mass. Audubon's Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary in Cummaquid is a popular location for nature lovers and bird watchers.
Armstrong-Kelley Park in Osterville is Cape Cod's oldest and largest privately-owned park, open to the public at no charge. The park is operated by the Cape Cod Horticultural Society.
For a true biking experience, head up to the Cape Cod Rail Trail which begins in Dennis and extends 22-miles into Wellfleet. There are plans to expand the Cape Cod Rail Trail through Yarmouth into Barnstable.
Get your clubs out, golfers! Barnstable is home to two championships 18-hole public courses–the Hyannis Golf Course in Hyannis and the Olde Barnstable Fairgrounds Golf Course in Barnstable.
Those who like history and the arts will love the villages of Barnstable. For history buffs, there are four historical societies, three of which have museums: Barnstable Historical Society, Centerville Historical Museum, Historical Society of Santuit and Cotuit and Osterville Historical Museum. All offer walking tours, lectures and other special events throughout the year.
Tales of Cape Cod hosts a fascinating lecture series in West Barnstable and the JFK Hyannis Museum in Hyannis, the Cahoon Museum of American Art in Cotuit and the Coast Guard Heritage Museum in West Barnstable are not to be missed.
If you are into entertainment and the arts, you are in the right place. Hyannis's Main Street features clubs and restaurants with live entertainment and the Cape Cod Melody Tent draws big singers, bands, and comedians each summer. The Cultural Center of Cape Cod in Cotuit and the Barnstable Comedy Club stage live shows throughout the year.
In Hyannis, you'll also find plenty to do as a family, from dining out to miniature golf, bowling, outdoor concerts and much more. And don't forget whale watching–Barnstable Harbor is one of only two harbors on the Cape where you can take a whale watch cruise (the other is Provincetown). And with most Cape Cod towns, fishing charters leave most harbors daily.
Barnstable Harbor in West Barnstable. Whale cruises depart from the harbor almost every day during the season. Photo by Jane Booth.
Like several of the Cape's other towns, Hyannis is home to a Cape Cod Baseball League team–the Hyannis Harbor Hawks and Cotuit is home to the Kettleers.
Several of the villages of Barnstable host their own village festivals and everybody gets into the act come July 4th when there are parades and typically fireworks over Hyannis Harbor.
Hyannis, Barnstable and all the other villages also get into the holiday spirit each year as inns, stores and restaurants open their doors to holiday visitors and of course, Santa who arrives at Hyannis Harbor each year. Information via CapeCodTravel.com

subset: commoncrawl


text:
In Progress
Let's suppose you had an idea for a cake design and it did not fit within the round or square formats of many cakes today. How might you go about doing, what might be called, a sculpted cake?
Well, you first need some cake, duh. Then some frosting, store bought or from scratch—used to 'glue' cake pieces together, a board on which to place your creation and a few kitchen tools, including a serrated knife to carve with. These are the basics but there is a whole lot more you could acquire to perform your magic. Now here comes the most important ingredient, your imagination! Don't worry too much about your ability as yet for, if you notice, whatever you create, however it looks, it is sure to be welcomed and delicious. See the picture of my first sculpted cake on the about page of this website.
The steps you take may be similar to the ones shown here; it's of a travel cake I did for someone moving to Oregon traveling by car through the Mount Shasta scenery. A step not shown though is that after you have carved your desired shapes and 'glued' them in place; lightly cover everything in frosting or butter cream, this is called crumb coating or sealing the cake to help prevent crumbs from getting elsewhere. Then, if you can, stick your sculptured cake in a refrigerator or even the freezer, if it fits, for a few minutes. This will help firm up the cake and allow further decorating without pieces moving around too much—not necessary to do this though.
Have fun!


text:
Magical Miniature Cherry Blossom Tree from Thumbsup
A flower blossoming from a bud to full bloom is such a magical sight. Now, you can take this magic inside your very own home or office with this decorative miniature magic sakura tree from Thumbsup. This tree is only 5.31 inches tall and weighs 5.3 ounces, so it is very handy and something you can put on your table top or by the window sill.
The tree is made of paper and can be put up easily with less maintenance. Once the tree is unfolded, assembled and erected, sprinkle the magic water included in the pack on the tree. There's a small dish at the base to catch the magic liquid. You only do this once and the pink blossom will bloom by itself. The tree will bloom for a month or more, an exquisite thing to look at. Just make sure to keep this away from pets, kids or where there are plenty of activities to keep your sakura tree from being damaged.
1 Instant Pot DUO80 – 8 Quart, 7-in-1 Multi Use Pressure Cooker
2 Grace Karin Boatneck Sleeveless Vintage Tea Dress with Belt
3 Echo (2nd Generation) – Smart Speaker with Alexa
4 SIFINI Women's Fashion Leather 4-Piece Set Tote Handbag
5 Simple Gifts ideas for a 30th Birthday
6 Yellow Spill Paint Desk Lamp for Kids
7 Best Pancake Molder for Easy Cooking
8 Portable Turntable for Listening Pleasure
9 Best Yoga Mat for Everyday Workout
10 Pancake Pan with Emoji Smiley Face Design


text:
Jose �Tules� Gertrudis Partida, 91, died Thursday, April 23, 2009 at LifeCare Hospital in McAllen.
Tules was born in Dr. Arroyo, N.L. Mexico, to Cosme Partida and Juanita Lumbreras Morales, November 15, 1917. He came to live in Edinburg with his parents when he was only 9 months old. His Children will always remember him as a strong, hard-working man who survived several serious illnesses and never complained of pain or tiredness until the end. He taught his children the value of hard, honest work, and the value of getting a good education.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Cosme and Juanita Partida; a brother, Hilario Partida. Tules is survived by his wife of 70 years, Adela Cantu Martinez Partida of Edinburg; six sons, Guadalupe (Hilda) Partida and Armando (Lupita) Partida both of Edinburg, Jose Gertrudis (Diana) Partida Jr. of McAllen, Efrain (Debra) Partida of Alabama, Judge Juan R. (Felicia) Partida of Palmhurst, and Richard Partida of South Bend, Indiana; three daughters, Eulalia Partida, San Juanita (David) Reyes and Olivia (Ricardo) Fernandez, all of Edinburg; 22 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; a brother, Julian (Alma) Partida of Edinburg; and a sister, Juanita Gomez of Defiance, Ohio.
Visitations were held at Memorial Funeral Home, 208 East Canton in Edinburg. Memorial services were at Edinburg English Seventh Day Adventist Church, 602 W. Wisconsin Road in Edinburg. In lieu of flowers contributions can be sent to charity of your choice.


text:
Who'll Put Out Company Fires When Tech Workers Are at Burning Man?
What happens when there's a company emergency and your key VP is wandering the playa in a tutu giving free hugs?
This is no joke for a number of Silicon Valley startups, whose staff disappears once a year for Burning Man, the West's week-long showing of hippie exuberance. It happens in Black Rock Desert, Nev. and extends from the last Monday of August to the first Monday of September. In other words, it's happening right now.


text:
My nephew told me about www.spreadshirt.co.uk and thus I opened http://i-ching.spreadshirt.co.uk/
Attractive designs illustrate
1. Polarities:
- Odd and Even hexagram numbers
- Phenomena between Heaven and Earth
- Events in the Past and the Future
- Energies in our Consciousness and Unconsciousness
2. Symmetries:
- of numbers in a single set
- of reflected changes in sets of two
- of directional changes in sets of four
Set of Two:
However, only 3 colours are permitted and since black and white are a necessity, I can't play with colours the way I did to illustrate rough changes and smooth transitions.
But the I Ching is entering a new life, as the Chinese Year of the Sheep will begin in February. Its lucky number is supposedly… number 8 – the basis of the octal number system!
2 polarities: Yin and Yang — 4 points of view or cornerstones — for fourfold symmetry
What difference does it make whether hexagrams have even or odd numbers?
Digital Designs for
- Polarities and
- Symmetries.


text:
- Native to Brazil
- Submersed aquatic weed, found in ponds, lakes, streams and rivers
- Reach 6 feet in length and are freely branching
- When introduced to a lake it often forms dense mats that displace native aquatic plants, interfere with recreation and degrade native fish habitat
- Easily confused with native elodea species.
- Only reproduces vegetatively.
- Finely-toothed leaves occur in whorls of 3-6, most commonly of 4
- Leaves are 1-1 ¼" long and <1/4" wide
- Undersides of the leaf midribs are smooth and without teeth unlike those of hydrilla
- Flowers are white with three petals and bloom above the surface of the water
More Information
- Native to Europe and Asia
- Perennial, rooted, submerged aquatic vascular plant native to Eurasia, Africa and Australia
- Forms dense mats which interfere with recreation and limit the growth of native aquatic plants
- Tolerates low light and may grow in deep water Identification
- Leaves are alternate, wide, translucent, finely toothed and have noticeably curly or wavy margins (resemble lasagna noodles) and are 1.5-4" long and up to ½" wide
More Information
- Native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa
- Submersed, perennial, aquatic plan with feathery leaves arranged in whorls around the stem.
- Grows thick mats in waters less than 15 deep but can grow in water to 25 feet deep or more.
- Spreads by fragmentation and overland via transport on boats, motors, trailers, fishing nets, and other gear
- Can quickly take over shallow lakes and rivers, which can prevent boating, fishing, hunting, and swimming Identification
- Milfoil stems branch several times near the water surface.
- Erect stalks emerge above water with small reddish flowers.
- Typically 4, but sometimes 3-5 leaves, form a whorl around the stem.
- Each leaf has 12 or more pares of leaflets.
- Tops often turn red in color.
More Information
- Native to Europe and temperate Asia regions
- A perennial which spreads primarily from rhizomes.
- Forms an extensive root system that can break into new plants if disturbed
- The seeds float which allows them to be easily dispersed by water.
- Green stems resemble bulrushes but are triangular in cross section
- Leaf tips may be spirally twisted
- This plant can reach from 1-5 ft. (0.3-1.5 m) in height and can survive in water of up to 9.8 ft. (3 m) deep. It does not tolerate salt water.
- Invades long shores and the margins of slow moving waterways
- Flowers grow in umbrella shaped clusters and each individual flower has 3 whitish pink petals
- The leaves are linear, up to 3.2 ft. (1 m) long and triangular and fleshy in cross-section. The leaves may be erect or floating on the surface of the water.
- Flowers June to August, when umbels of small, 0.75-1 in. wide, pink to white flowers develop.
- Fruit is beaked which split at maturity to release the seeds.
- Erect leaves and grows to about 3 feet in height
More Information
- Native to other areas of the United States
- A rooted aquatic perennial herb with large floating flowers and leaves
- Can shade out native plant communities and impair recreation
- Round leaves with slit nearly to center of leaf up to 10" across
- Leaves are bright green on top and the underside is reddish or purplish.
- Stem attached to center
- There is one flower to a stem. Flowers are white to pink, round in shape, and 2-6" across with more than 25 thick pointed petals.
More Information
- For more information see: EDD Maps (Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System )
- Engineering Research and Developet Center
Fragrant Waterlily Distribution Map
EDDMapS. 2014. Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System. The University of Georgia - Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Available online at http://www.eddmaps.org/; last accessed November 19, 2014.
Fragrant Waterlily
Brett Marshall, Sault College, Bugwood.org
- Native to southeast Asia
- Submersed, rooted aquatic plant that can grow in water up to depths of 20 ft (up to 40 ft in non-turbid water).
- Forms dense mats at the surface of the water
- Spreads by fragmentation and via transport on boats, motors, trailers, fishing nets, and other gear, and aquarium or water garden release
- Quickly takes over shallow lakes and rivers, preventing boating, fishing, hunting, and swimming and clogs irrigation canals
- Easily confused with native elodea species
- Only the female flowers of this dioecious plant have been found in the United States, which means no viable seed are produced.
- Stem tubers are bud-like structures which can drop off the plant and successfully survive freezing or drought.
- Tubers from the rhizomes are another way these plants reproduce and increase their invasive potential.
- Leaves are sharply toothedwhorled in bunches of 3-8, but most often with whorls of 5.
- midribs of the leaves are reddish in color with the undersides having small, raised teeth.
- sharply toothed leaves in whorls of 3-8 Leaves are 0.2-0.8 in. long, less than 0.1 in. wide
More Information
Hydrilla Distribution Map
EDDMapS. 2014. Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System. The University of Georgia - Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Available online; last accessed November 19, 2014.
- The only sample is from an unconfirmed observation in 1977 on the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge.
- Native to South America
- Submersed and emergent leaves
- Reproduction occurs vegetatively
- Has the ability to clog waterways and displace native plant species
- Leaves are abundant, whorled, pinnately compound, finely dissected and appear feathery
- Leaves connect to stem in whorls of 4-6
- Stems are stout and blue-green in color
More Information
- Native to eastern Asia
- Herbaceous, perennial, aquatic plant that has stout, branching stems up to 0.1" thick.
- It is often found rooted in the mud of still bodies of lakes and ponds.
- Produces dense infestations that shade and crowd out native plant communities
- Floating leaves with a heart to a nearly circle shape and 2-6" in width
- Yellow flower with five fringed petals
- The leaves arise from rhizomes and are usually opposite and unequal.
- The leaves are cordate to subrotund in shape measuring from 2-6" long and wide.
- The bright yellow flowers have five petals, and measure from 1-1.5" in diameter when fully open.
- There is one to several flowers on each stalk. The edges of the petals are fringed.
- Flowers from June to September.
More Information
Yellow Floating Heart Distribution Map
EDDMapS. 2014. Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System. The University of Georgia - Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Available online at http://www.eddmaps.org/; last accessed November 19, 2014.
Yellow Floating Heart
Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org


text:
Giving your guests menu choices?
A popular trend at the moment is offering your wedding guests a choice of food for your wedding breakfast meal. This would certainly be popular with guests who would love the opportunity to choose their meal on your special day. It can also be a small headache having to collect all your guest choices, however, we have solved this problem by being able to include - at no extra cost - the menu options on your wedding invitation.
You could have the menu with full descriptions within the 'Wedding Information' section. As seen below on our Vintage Typography Wallet insert.
Now allow guests space to indicate their choices by including a tick box section on the RSVP card.
Now wait for your RSVP cards to be returned, collate all the information and feel pleased with yourself for making the process so simple!


text:
New Samsung Galaxy Note 3 specs have leaked suggesting the large-screen device will have a 5.7-inch display and a new Xenon flash.
Supporting previous rumours that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 would feature a 5.7-inch display, the latest leaks also suggest the phablet will be getting a Xenon flash upgrade.
Paired with new sketches of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 successor, the specs reveal that the LED flash will be getting a Xenon upgrade with the device running Android Jelly Bean – either 4.2 or 4.3.
The display was previously tipped to be a whopping 6-inches, more akin to the Samsung Galaxy Mega, but is now been pegged at 5.7-inches with a 1,920 x 1,080p Full HD resolution.
The sketches also reveal that the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 will have a very slim bezel around that 5.7-inch screen, but still in-keeping with the design of the Samsung Galaxy S4 and previous models.
Similar to the Samsung Galaxy S4, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is tipped to launch in two different varieties. The first is said to run on the eight-core Samsung Exynos 5 Octa processor, whilst a second is said to have a 2.3GHZ quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU.
Strongly rumoured to make an appearance at the Berlin-based IFA conference in September, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 may launch with a different processor for different markets.
The IFA conference was used to launch the Galaxy Note 2 and original Galaxy Note, so it would be a fitting location for the official unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3.
The S Pen stylus wielding Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has the potential to continue the success of the other Galaxy Note models.
However, with the emergence of other "phablet" type devices, such as the Huawei Ascend Mate and Asus Fonepad, could the Galaxy Note 3 get lost in a sea of phones with supersized screens?
Next, read our pick of the best mobile phones of 2013.
Via: CNET UK


text:
December Long Range Match
December Long Range Match
December 10th is the next Palmetto Gun Club long range match. This will be shot at 800 yards. Announcements for the 2017 year and schedule will be discussed after the match. As a reminder, unless otherwise specified, all Palmetto Gun Club Long Range matches are 3 targets, 20 rounds each, not including sighters. You do not have to shoot all 3 targets. Long range matches (800yards) are the even numbered months. Mid-range matches (300-600) are the odd number months.
Additional opportunities to shoot
There are additional opportunities in the area to shoot F-class and Prone. Please check out Mid Carolina Gun Club, They have a 300 yard match. The Palmetto State Marksmen Association shoots at Ft Gordon. They shoot a 1000 yard match. Check with those clubs for more details.
November Match Results
November Match results were tabulated and posted to Practiscore
The winners are:
Open Class – Malcolm Drennon with 591-28x who only dropped 9 points out of 600. Richard Utnik 555-6x, Bob Zahrn 527-9x.
TR Class – Robert Herstine with 591-22x also only dropped 9 points out of 600, Layne Howard 575-11x, Kevin Baker 571-17x.


text:
How to live and study in the United States
Living and studying in the United States is a dream opportunity and very charming, not only from the business. Prospective students who want to study in the United States but then do not intend to remain in the country after the completion of their program of study, will only need a simple student visa (type F-1, M-1). However, if you want to remain living in the United States indefinitely and study at a university, you must be a permanent resident, commonly called a green card holder. The process of acquiring a permanent resident card is not simple and is applicable only to persons who meet certain specific requirements with regard to their relationship with US citizens or permanent residents and employers, for example. Lets talk about how to live and study in the United States.
1. Check the website of the " US Citizenship and Immigration Services '(USCIS) to see if you are eligible to receive a permanent resident card. You must be a relative of a US citizen or permanent resident, have a job offer, have plans for a large investment or proof that you excel in your profession, be a refugee or an applicant for political asylum for more than a year or part of a number of special categories listed on the site.
2. Complete the form I-485, that is, the registration application for permanent residence. This module is essential if you want to get a green card. Please see the USCIS website for details.
3. Request an appointment with a consular officer. This goes for all those people who live outside of the United States and who need an immigrant visa to enter the country. As soon as your application for permanent residence will be accepted, you will be notified by the Embassy or Consulate of the United States.
4. Register your new permanent residence upon arrival in the United States to receive a green card, normally within 30 days. Otherwise, call the USCIS National Customer Service Center (1-800-375-5283) or make an appointment to get all the necessary information.
5. As a permanent resident, you have the right to study in any university or institution under the same conditions (tuition, benefits) that apply to citizens of the United States.
6. The "green card" can also be achieved through the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery Program, commonly known as the "Green Card Lottery", a kind of lottery where the prize is just a green card. However, in this case, the acquisition of the permanent residence depend on your luck.
7. Be accepted by an educational institution will not give you the automatic right to a green card, of course! The issuance of the permanent resident card goes beyond just study.


text:
It's been a while. Here's a cute doggie to make up for it. 🙂
Category Archives: Animals
My parents gave us a lovely wooden bench to sit on our back porch. It has a nifty little area that opens up and allows you to put junk and whatnots inside. We generally use it to keep our shoes in, but its most prominent occupant is an array of dog toys… and Thor knows it. So, every day, we let him outside to do his biz, and next thing I know, he's sitting on the box, barking at us to open it for him and get out a tennis ball or frisbee and play. I've never met a dog more obsessed with toys.
Anyway, today he decided to stick his whole upper body in the box and Ryan just so happened to help his back end in the box too. So, there he sat. In his little toybox, staring at me like, "where did all the toys go?"
Pretty boy…
These photos were taken with my Canon 6D and 50mm f/1.2L lens in mid to late evening light. Adjusted in Lightroom.
Saint PAWtrick's Day
As some of you already know, I live in a town named Dublin, which is located in the middle Georgia area. It was named by (you guessed it!) Irish settlers who thought the land reminded them of home. (I wish…) Dublin is about halfway between Atlanta and Savannah, which made it useful in trade of agricultural, textile, and other trading. It was also chosen as the site for a Naval Hospital, built in 1945 to convalesce those suffering from Rheumatic Fever. It is now the Carl Vinson VA hospital, which is where I work. I love my job, and Dublin is a nice enough town of roughly 16,000 people.
Anyway, I ramble… The town is named DUBLIN, after Dublin, Ireland… and of course, Saint Patrick's Day is kind of a big deal around here. The town hosts a parade and other family activities. It's a lot less boozier than Savannah, but kid-friendly, and makes things interesting for the locals. I'm not Irish at all (or at least that I know of… I'm Scottish, English, Cuban, Spanish, and Italian, actually… I describe myself as 25% Hispanic and 75% Generic White Girl) BUT I enjoy any kind of holiday and an excuse to act sillier than usual.
The Humane Society got in on the action, hosting a "St. PAWtrick's Day" Dog Costume contest. And of course, since I am the volunteer photographer for the shelter, I was asked to come on down and shoot the event. It was going in the paper, website, and Facebook page, so, off I go with my camera in tow.
It was pretty cute… Here are a few of my favorites:
A Few Furry Faces { February }
Miss Livi {Pet Photography}
Miss Livi tends to get overshadowed by my dogs often in my work… but she is beautiful and deserves some attention as well. She got some catnip for Christmas in the stocking from her "Grandma", so I took a cute picture of her rolling around under the bed the other day after playing in it.
Canon 6D with 50mm f/1.2L in low light room, no flash (under the bed) 🙂
Doggy Bath Day
One of the best parts of my weekend is that one of those days, my puppies get their weekly bath. In general, dogs tend to smell unpleasant after a week of running around outside, playing rough, and not getting their bottoms cleaned. Think about it… you would too, if you didn't bathe but every 7 days.
I decided to document the event in photos. (Ryan said I was mean to just stand there and take pictures.) Personally, I think dog bath pictures are pretty fun.
Bonus 🙂
Canon 6D and 50mm f/1.2L
A Shag Rug and The Number 2
When I first moved to Savannah, my Dad did me a solid and offered to buy me some furniture so I wouldn't have to sit indian style on my apartment floor while I ate my shrimp-flavored Ramen noodles. He took me to Rooms to Go and let me pick out a couch, a matching chair, and a set of tables. Because I was such a wonderful kid and made his heart swell with pride for starting pharmacy school, he even let me get a matching shag rug to go with the set. It was the best rug.
That living room set endured a hell of a lot.
One Sunday night, while I was diligently studying for Biochemistry, I left Baron (my miniature American Eskimo) unattended on the floor playing with his toys. He had been to the bathroom and was playing peacefully until bedtime… or so I thought. Suddenly, a horrendous smell crept through my olfactory, past my blood brain barrier. It was so offensive it cauterized my nostril hairs and resulted in a Niagra-esque cascade of tears. In search of the source of the odor, I scanned the room until my eyes fixated on my sweet little puppy. When our gaze met, he immediately interpreted this as an invitation to run batcrap crazy around the room. Before I could form the "N" in "NNNNOOOOOOOO!!!" he blazed past me, running circles, all over the rug, all over the couch, all over me, creating an all-encompassing vortex of sh*t and stink.
What I soon discovered was that Baron had produced the foulest of all poops on the rug (my beautiful rug), then proceeded to run circles through it more efficiently than any NASCAR driver I know… thus distributing it evenly all over the room. My fluffy white dog was now a gradient of doo-doo brown from his tip toes to his ears, and a feeling of helplessness overwhelmed me. I wept.
At this time, I concluded that there were 2 things that had to happen… Clean the dog. Clean the living room. Not in that order. Well, maybe in that order.
I grabbed the dog and threw him in the bathroom and slammed the door (as if he understood). I paced. I grabbed the cleaning supplies and emptied a bottle of Arm and Hammer on the carpet/rug/couch/chair. I called my Mom.
I'm sure she thought I was dying.
Me: *sobbing* "MOM OH MY GOD THERE IS CRAP EVERYWHERE AND BARON IS COVERED IN IT AND I AM COVERED IN IT AND THE RUG…. THE RUUUUGGGGGG. *incoherent babbling* IT'S ALL COVERED IN IT EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE AND I HAVE A TEST TOMORROW AT 8:00AM AND I AM GOING TO FAIL!!!"
Mom: "Okay. Baron. Number 2. Test. Gotcha. I'm on my way."
And just like that, my Mother came to my rescue… all the way to Savannah. Mom of the freaking year.
I managed to wipe away my tears and wrangle Baron into the bathtub. I am pretty sure it was the worst bath of his life (and certain it was the worst bath of MY life). I uncapped the pet shampoo and covered him with the entire bottle. He was not happy, but neither was I. Unmerciful, yes. Cruel, no.
And I didn't make an A on that Biochemistry test… or even a B that time… but I learned valuable lesson even more important than purine and pyrimidine synthesis…
Tears won't wash away crap… but 16 ounces of "Perfect Coat: White Pearl", 2 bottles of "Arm and Hammer Pet Stain and Odor Removal", a roll of paper towels, and a phone call to Mama can sanitize even the most unfortunate "shituations".


text:
Written By Brandon Warne (ZoneCoverage.com)
It'd be easy to see why crowds would have been subdued over the weekend as the Minnesota Twins (13 games under .500 entering the series) took on the Kansas City Royals (47) for a three-game set at Target Field.
Not only were both teams afterthoughts in October discussions, but both had been playing pretty ugly baseball of late. The Twins came in on a five-game losing skid, and the Royals had literally lost twice as many games as they had won — all season long.
And while the weather had a tinge of October in it — especially as the teams played late into the evenings as well as Sunday afternoon — there was reason for fans to pay attention, even as the last game coincided with the big-ticket item of the weekend in the area, the season- and home-opening game for the Minnesota Vikings.
After Royals righty Jorge Lopez threw eight perfect innings before a Max Kepler walk and a Robbie Grossman single fouled things up, the two teams played a sleepy but brisk game on Sunday, with both teams scoring a run until things heated up — with a Willians Astudillo walk-off homer in the bottom of the ninth to give the Twins a 3-1 win.
The key players from the night before played a role on Sunday as well. Grossman got the Twins on the board with their first hit much earlier on Sunday (second inning) than on Saturday, while Kepler poked a two-out double in the ninth to set up Astudillo's heroics just two pitches later.
Astudillo isn't one to wait for much at the plate, as he's known for his prodigiously low walk and strikeout rates, though he did throw caution to the wind with a home run — something he's also not known to do very often.
"I was looking for a specific pitch," Astudillo said after the game with remnants of a post-game shaving cream pie clinging to his black and blonde-highlighted mane. "The first one wasn't even close so I waited for the second one."
Astudillo couldn't recall the last time he'd hit a walk-off homer, if ever, but he was tremendously excited to do it at this level.
"It's a walk-off in the big leagues," Astudillo said through team translator Elvis Martinez. "This is the big leagues, it's a walk-off and a win for the team. I'm very emotional. Very happy."
Astudillo even got the ball from the home run back, in exchange for two signed balls:
Willians Astudillo is getting the ball back from the grand slam. In exchange, he's giving the two kids each an autographed baseball of his own: pic.twitter.com/Xd7TIOQZZg
— Brandon Warne (@Brandon_Warne) September 9, 2018
Manager Paul Molitor talked of how the "legend continues for Mr. Astudillo," but he was just as impressed with how Astudillo handled a pitching staff with four pitchers seeing action on the day — one new to the organization, one a teammate of his in Rochester and two relievers who have been in the big leagues all season.
In order, that's Chase De Jong, Zack Littell, Taylor Rogers and Trevor Hildenberger.
"I think that's sometimes an overlooked aspect in today's game," Molitor said of Astudillo's work behind the plate in addition to at it. "A guy who can do his job back there and stay present in terms of different pitchers — new plan, same hitters. It's just one of those things where you're constantly having to be thinking ahead.
"I think he did a really nice job. He was kicking himself for the homer; not that it was the wrong call, we just didn't execute the pitch. He's getting a chance to show us he can handle himself back there."
That homer came with Littell left a 3-2 cutter over the middle of the plate, and Adalberto Mondesi — who has hit quite a bit better as the season has gone on — deposited it into the right-field seats to tie the game at a run apiece.
But Littell has taken some steps forward both in this outing — 3.1 innings, one earned run, one strikeout, no walks and just two hits allowed — and his last one in Texas, Molitor said.
"I think we're seeing more of what we know about of him in terms of swings and misses and aggressiveness," the manager said. "He's throwing the ball a little bit harder than I expected coming up here later in the year. The cutter has been a really nice pitch. The last couple outings have been moving forward for him."
As far as Molitor's comment on Littell's velocity, the righty hit 96 mph on the gun with his four-seam fastball.
Littell worked right after starter Chase De Jong, who gave the Twins four shutout innings and openly told Molitor he'd like a fifth. But Molitor resisted, and instead stuck to the plan of piggybacking him with Littell — something he was hesitant to commit to going forward.
He did leave the door open, however.
"I thought his mix was good," Molitor said of De Jong, who fanned five batters but walked four. "Despite the lack of high-end velocity, it looks like he knew how to elevate when given opportunities on guys that expand up there. We saw a nice mix of pitches. He had a little bit of (trouble) with command; he put the guys on base with the walks and those types of things.
"We went out there and got the big groundout to end the inning with the bases loaded. (Adrianza) made a nice play on the back end there. But I thought he competed well. Like I said, I know he wanted a chance to go through five and maybe get a win. But it was a good first outing."
The Ehire Adrianza play Molitor is referring to came in the third inning. Rosell Herrera opened the inning with a walk before De Jong fanned the next two batters. Mondesi reached on a throwing error by De Jong, and Alex Gordon walked to load the bases.
Then, Hunter Dozier rapped a ball that Adrianza picked up to his backhand side, and won the race to the base, beating Mondesi to third to keep the Twins up at the time, 1-0.
De Jong campaigned to go back out for the fifth, Molitor reiterated, but the manager resisted.
"He asked about going back out for the fifth," he said. "Rightfully so. I had no problem with that. He was in the right frame of mind in terms of him saying he felt great and wanted to keep going. But no, we decided to set it up the way we did and went with it. And Littell did a nice job coming in."
The unassuming De Jong nearly slipped out of the clubhouse before Twins PR guru Dustin Morse caught him quick for a few words.
"The strikeouts were great, the walks were horrendous," the righty said. "Very unusual for me. Let's chalk those up to maybe new team debut jitters. Astudillo did a tremendous job with the fingers back there. Think maybe I shook off once, cause I wanted to get a first-pitch breaking ball in there. But other than that, he was phenomenal back there. Behind the plate and, obviously, at the plate too was wonderful. We were able to miss a lot of bats and even when they hit it we were getting some soft contact. I'll take that any day."
De Jong also allowed himself to take in the moment a bit, as he hadn't pitched in the big leagues at all this season.
"It means that the work I put in over the past year to 15 months makes it all worth it," he said. "I really grinded to get back here and to have a little success. A couple scoreless innings, that's wonderful."
Oh, it was more than just a couple scoreless innings. It was four — and it extended his streak to eight innings at Target Field overall.
The last time De Jong was in the major leagues was on June 15 with the Seattle Mariners — against the Minnesota Twins.


text:
I'm such a lover of colors that its very rare for me to wear all black but in order for me to do so, each piece must have a level of intricacy infused into it. I spent the day running around handling
Tag: schutz shoes
Tulle Overboard | Miami Swim Week 2017
If there's one thing that Wendy Williams and I have in common, it would be the love for tulle. For Day two of Miami Swim Week, I had to bring out one of my style favorites, a tulle skirt (also known as a tutu). I love tulle because
Pumpkin & Burgundy | Duster & Skort
Although I dred the fact that burgundy and pumpkin are considered fall colors, I can't deny that they look great together. I love it when colors contrast one another and that's exactly what this burgundy duster and pumpkin attire (also known as orange) does. Playing with different shades of orange, I pulled
How I Style | Green Wrap Dress
A wrap dress is a classic item that every woman should own. Its very easy to wear to a variety of occasions, therefore making it a great way to keep it safe when getting dressed. I chose this green wrap dress because it was the only way I could quickly throw something on and run out of the house at the moment as I headed out to
The Run Around | NYFW SS17 Day 6
Day 6 pretty much drained me. I usually have lots of energy but I had shows from morning till night from midtown to lower manhattan. The constant back and forth made me realize that I really needed to take a breather for a bit. I also realized that I tend to eat irregularly during Fashion Week and because I believe in doing things in the order that I have set for my body, I guess the lack of constant nutrition removed the energy that I regularly exude. I wore a…
How I Style | Orange Open Side Top & Khaki Shorts
Happy September! Although this is the month that is associated with fall, this 90 degree weather should remind us all that it is still very much summer. Some may look at this look and think its almost channelling fall due to the orange hue and the dark brown lips but I beg to differ. Its just another
Embellished Frock |NYFWM Day 1
Happy Men's Week! As womenswear is my first love, menswear comes second. As I headed out for Men's Day, I threw on an embellished frock and headed over to Soho for Suit Supply which was my first stop of the day . My initial encounter of the collection was outside as the models rode bikes around the block. I captured the moment on snapchat (@queenoyinkan) and at that moment, I knew I have arrived at my destination. I'm a sucker for embellishments so when I initially encountered this dress in…
NYFWM Day 3 |Perry Ellis |Palmiers Du Mal
Oh what fun it was on Day 3! Although the weather wasn't what was preferred, the rain didn't stop the fun. We were all too engulfed in fashion to even allow the rain to interrupt any moment. My day began with
NYFW | Day 6
We are almost at the end of NYFW and I feel rejuvenated after taking a break from it all on Monday. I could not stay away too long as I attended the
Pre NYFW | Beverly Johnson's Memoir Launch
NYFW officially begins today and last night I attended a launch event for Beverly Johnson's memoir, The Face That Changed It All. The event was great and filled with fashion enthusiasts as it was held at the Museum of The City of New York and hosted by Andre Leon Tally. I wore a


text:
Toshiba 26EL933 (26EL933) 26 Inch High Definition LED Television with 100Hz AMR,HD Ready,Freeview,Edge LED LCD,Slim,2 x HDMI,USB Media Player,PC Input,Low Price
Model: 26EL933B
Slim 26 Inch HD LED Tv 100Hz Freeview 2HDMI PC USB
- 26 Inch Edgelit LED HD Ready LCD TV
- 100Hz AMR Smooth Motion Processing
- USB Media Player, 2x HDMI, PC Input
- Freeview Digital TV, Slim Design
- Actual Colour: Black
Find The Cheapest Price
Toshiba provide great value for money with the no nonsense 26EL933B 32 inch HD Ready LCD featuring edge lit LED technology, affording a super thin, elegant cabinet frame.
Excellent picture quality comes as standard as you might expect from Toshiba and the
26EL933 LED TV arrives complete with Toshiba's 100Hz AMR digital picture processing to ensure rapid action scenes are delivered realistically without the blur that characterized LCD sets of recent history; combined with a whole host of digital picture processing, including 24 fps film smoothing for HD Blu-ray discs, MPEG and digital noise reduction filters (useful on old videos or poor quality digital broadcasts,) backlight control and a colour temperature selector, picture quality is remarkable for such a budget TV.
The 26 inch EL933 series LED HDTV features a built in Freeview tuner to receive the dozens of digital TV channels now available, free of charge via the aerial, plus a host of varied digital radio stations, all backed up by an 8 day electronic programme guide (EPG) with which you can plan the week ahead's viewing.
Connectivity is generous on the high def ready, 26 inch EL933B range LCD telly, too with two HDMI sockets into which all forms of modern A/V equipment can be plugged - regular DVD players and recorders as well as the new wave of hi-def Blu-ray players, recorders and home cinema systems, plus digital camcorders, cameras and Sky HD satellite and Virgin cable boxes - not forgetting the Playstation or X Box (and the associated Game Mode within the Picture Menu settings) for HD gaming.
A USB port allows multimedia file sharing from a USB memory stick, allowing you to view externally recorded digital photographs, videos and films as well as music whilst a PC input means the Toshiba 26EL933 can be used as a large screen computer monitor.
To buy the Toshiba 26EL933B HD LED TV at the cheapest UK price, please click through and order from our special offer deals in the above links.
- 26 " Diagonal Screen Size (Inch)
- 66.1 cm Visible Diagonal Screen Size
- Edge Lit LED
- 3d combfilter
- 100Hz
- 1080i resolution
- 720p resolution
- 1366x768 pixels
- 24P (Frames Per Second) Playback
- Game Mode
Manufacturers Technology Features
- HD Ready
- Game Mode
- USB Music Player
- USB Media Player
- USB Photo Viewer
Sound & Power Output
- Dolby Digital Plus
- Nicam Digital Stereo
- 2 x 5 W (RMS) Output Power
- 2 x HDMI Connections
- 1 x Component Video Connection
- 1 x Composite Video Connection
- 1 x Optical Terminal Connection
- 1 x USB 2.0 Connection
- 1 x Standard Scart Connection
- 1 x Headphone Socket
- 1 x PC D-Sub Connection
Accessories Supplied
- Pedestal stand
- Remote Control
- User Manual
- Mains Cable
- Batteries
Power,Weight & Dimensions
- (Inc pedestal stand) 6 Kg Unit Weight (Approx)
- 0.3 W Standby Power Consumption


text:
Benefits of a Computer system Desktop
As we delve further into the computer age, all the things is getting a lot quicker and more compact. Personal computers now suit in the palm of your hand and scanners, printers, and fax equipment are now all built-in into single equipment. The difficulty quite a few new computer purchasers have is irrespective of whether to buy a Computer system desktop, a notebook, or some other kind of machine that suits their needs. There are professionals and negatives for each individual order, but there are quite a few positive aspects for paying for Computer system desktops.
PCs have been on the industry for years now. The encounter and info collected from that time has permitted developers to make the most effective computers ever built. Computer system desktops now are the end result of a long time of research and gentleman hrs in establishing them. This is one of the largest positive aspects. Even though newer, a lot quicker technology this sort of as the notebook may well be practical, they simply cannot evaluate to the trustworthiness of the desktop computer. A continual ability supply is just one of the quite a few motives why.
Another gain of proudly owning a Computer system desktop is the accessible components. Fax equipment, printers, scanners, and quite a few other products are created specifically with giving a complete desktop workspace. Functionality raises as you have all the space one would will need for these products on a desk top. Just one of the greatest motives to possess one is the ability to have big screens and qualified printers that are not accessible in other sorts of computers.
The upgrade ability of a Computer system desktop is unparalleled. Expansion slots are quickly accessible in all sorts of products. The edge below is that although technology advancements, your desktop can progress with it. Memory can be expanded, total challenging drives eliminated and replaced with ease. Monitors, keyboard, mouse, and all the extras you can consider of can very easily be upgraded with a uncomplicated technique. This can make quite a few desktops outlive notebooks, and other products by yourself. Batteries can have on out, display screen can crack, and so on and an total new method needs to be purchased compared to the desktop.
Measurement, then, gets to be a wonderful edge. Even though technology is producing items more compact, not all chips or processors can suit into the shells of more compact non-desktop computers. This places desktops on the cutting edge of technology, as they receive newer enhancements to start with, and then miniaturization can acquire position for other equipment. Certainly, to be as innovative as probable one will have to possess a desktop computer system.
Another wonderful identifying aspect is the computer software accessible for PCs. Even though other formats are rising in reputation, the trustworthiness and track record of Computer system computer software is properly recognized. The normal expense for a Computer system verses choice formats can make it the absolute greatest cut price out there. Definitely from a organization standpoint, a Computer system will help you save you revenue. PCs are also recognized for the greatest office computer software accessible, allowing all the things from term processing, challenge creating, internet website page design, and so on. The advantages of obtaining a Computer system desktop's in depth library simply cannot be overstated.
When trustworthiness, expandability, and presentation are crucial, the Computer system desktop is a distinct winner. No other machine provides you the numerous solutions and customization for the cut price value we get pleasure from now.


text:
In recent years, antidiscrimination scholars have focused on the productive possibilities of the "universal turn," a strategy that calls on attorneys to convert particularist claims, like race discrimination claims, into broader universalist claims that secure basic dignity, liberty, and fairness rights for all. Scholars have urged litigators to employ universalist strategies in constitutional and voting rights cases, as well as in employment litigation. Thus far, however, arguments made in favor of universalism have been largely abstract and theoretical and therefore have failed to fully consider the second order effects of universalist strategies on the ground. In this article we challenge the prevailing arguments in favor of universalism by exploring the market consequences as lawyers shift from particularist Title VII race discrimination claims to universalist Fair Labor Standards Act claims. Derived from a preliminary review of case filing statistics and qualitative data from a purposeful sample of attorney interviews, our research has uncovered forces we describe as "post-racial hydraulics," a set of non-ideological, economic, and pragmatism-based drivers produced by the trend toward universalism. We explain why "post-racial hydraulics" must be understood as key but previously unexplored factors in racial formation. Evidence suggests that, left unchecked, these non-ideological drivers will have substantive ideological effects, as they threaten to fundamentally reshape the employment litigation market and alter our understanding of race discrimination.
Civil Rights and Discrimination | Election Law | Labor and Employment Law | Law | Law and Race
Date of this Version
Recommended Citation
Zev J. Eigen, Camille Gear Rich, and Charlotte S. Alexander, "Post-Racial Hydraulics: The Hidden Dangers of the Universal Turn" (March 2015). University of Southern California Legal Studies Working Paper Series. Working Paper 152.
Included in
Civil Rights and Discrimination Commons, Election Law Commons, Labor and Employment Law Commons, Law and Race Commons


text:
Our Hottest Innovation In Shaving Shop Heated Razor
Sign up and receive 20% off this item
Gillette Mach3 Turbo men's razor cartridge features 3 blades for glide and comfort. With sharper, Turbo cutting blades (first 2 blades vs. Mach3), it delivers a closer shave, without all the irritation (vs. Sensor2 Plus disposable). It feels better than a new disposable, even on the 10th shave (overall preference vs. Sensor2 disposable).
The long-lasting lubrication strip (vs. Sensor2 disposable) provides an incredible glide. Mach3 Turbo razor cartridge features 2x more Skin Guard fins (vs. Sensor3 disposable) for a smooth shave. Mach3 Turbo razor cartridge refills fit all Mach3 razors. Sign up for replenishment and receive 20% off this item.


text:
Teen Art Collective is a free, weekly drop-in art making program just for teens! Create something new and be inspired by our galleries and exhibitions. Supplies provided!
Find us in classroom 5 in the Ford Learning Center.
All programs meet in the Ford Learning Center.
Teen events at the Nelson-Atkins are adult supervised but designed for autonomous exploration of art and ideas by teens aged 14-18. Younger, middle-school-aged youth are welcome to participate as long as they are comfortable away from parental supervision and around the social dynamics of older teens.


text:
"Such a soundtrack, such a cast of characters, such an accumulation of deeds, admirable and otherwise," Eric Burns enthuses at the outset of his sprightly and captivating new book 1920: The Year That Made the Decade Roar, "such a time to be alive!"
That same note of enthusiasm is sounded throughout Burns's take on the year he views as America's first as a triumphant world power, in the aftermath of the First World War, when America "flourished almost by default; it was rich and on the verge of growing richer than any other nation in history."
The cast of characters Burns mentions is indeed stellar, and he ticks off the famous names, from the presidents – Woodrow Wilson, Warren Harding, and Calvin Coolidge – to the plutocrats amassing fortunes that, when adjusted for inflation, dwarf any in private hands today, men like Andrew Carnegie, John Rockefeller, and J. P. Morgan (and their dark mirror-image, Charles Ponzi, inventor of the original Ponzi scheme).
The arts world also flourished, sporting names like Louis Armstrong, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Eugene O'Neill, and the wits of the Algonquin Round Table. Burns likewise spends ample time on social activists like Marcus Garvey and proto-feminists like Margaret Sanger. Burns sifts through a wide array of secondary sources (it's not a work of original scholarship, but Burns doesn't seem to be losing any sleep over that fact, and neither will his readers) for the best quotes, the choicest stories, and the forgotten but fascinating incidents.
"Keyhole" popular histories like this one, books that impose the gimmicky structure of one calendar year onto a mass of data in an attempt to craft a narrative that won't intimidate history-chary readers, tend to have all the strengths and all the weaknesses of what is, essentially, a compromise move.
The main strength is accessibility, of course: a book like David McCullough's "1776" or Charles Mann's "1491" (and its sequel, "1493") can pull even the least-knowledgeable reader into a story that starts in January and ends at Christmas. The main weakness is equally obvious: overreach. Virtually no year in human history is sufficient unto itself, not even the perennial favorites: 1066, 1918, and 2001.
1920 is no exception, naturally, though Burns works very hard to offset that fact.
He starts his account of the year off quite literally with a bang: the anti-capitalist terrorist strike carried out on Thursday, September 16, 1920 against Wall Street's Morgan Bank, in which the detonation of "the equivalent of one hundred pounds of dynamite and five hundred pounds of cast-iron sash weights, which acted, in effect, like shrapnel" killed 38 people and injured more than 400 more.
Burns moves right on to the notorious Eighteenth Amendment and the short-lived reign of Prohibition, and from there to civil rights struggles and the extravagant crimes of robber barons.
He touches on the fact that the United States was not among the 42 countries that endorsed the League of Nations, which stunned the League's foremost champion, President Woodrow Wilson: "That his own nation, a nation that had elected him twice," Burns writes, "would reject so nobly intended a peach proposal, one that was certain to go down in history and make every man who signed it a hero to posterity, was the greatest embarrassment of Woodrow Wilson's life."
On a lighter note, he also gives a withering account of the Harding administration, "the least savory bunch of Americans ever to occupy the country's most prestigious address."
Running underneath these big, dramatic items, Burns does a first-rate job of conveying the enormous spurts of growth the country was undergoing as the grip of the post-war recession weakened and the economy began to boom. The America of 1920 had almost 8 million automobiles, burgeoning air traffic, and more than half its households were by then electrified. It's a big, brawling, charismatic, ultimately optimistic story.
All the more odd, then, that such an optimistic story should so regularly elicit from Burns his only gloomy comments. When he first mentions the birth of radio and the mass culture mind frame, he sums it up as "the dumbing-down of its audience as they sank into vapidity with gleeful abandon, as delighted with their plight as if they were riding the newest attraction in an amusement park." And he goes on to lament the transformation of the US into "a third-world nation in its tastes and values."
Sometimes, in fact, this grumpiness borders on being a serious impediment. When he's writing about the Algonquin Round Table, for instance, he somberly notes that nothing like it would be possible in "today's post-literate society" where "true wit is as rare as true perception." After which he goes into full Old Fogey mode: "Some of the writers in whom at least a number of Americans seem most interested have achieved their status because of the speed with which they can text, tweet, and twitter, two thirds of which I cannot define, much less accomplish."
It's too bad these sour notes occasionally interfere with what is otherwise a well-snycopated narrative built around a lively melodic line. As any self-respecting flapper would have said, "Aw, applesauce! Don't be such a pill!"


text:
Sleeps 4
Bedrooms 2
Bathrooms 1
Pets No
- Open fire
- Smoke-free
- Garden / Patio
- Cot available
- Highchair available
- Pub/shop < 1 mile
- Washing machine
- Dishwasher
- Seaside
- Broadband / WiFi
The property
After a day of sun, sea and surf at Hayle Towans Beach you may be welcomed back to White Duck Cottage by the ducks on the wide millpond opposite.
Occupying a delightful hidden spot on the edge of the town, the cottage is within easy walking distance of the pubs, restaurants, ice cream parlour and importantly the town's famous Cornish pasty shop.
Perched on the edge of St Ives Bay, Hayle has a three mile long golden beach within 15 minutes walk of the cottage.
Hayle Towans and Gwithian merge into Godrevy at eastern end with its dramatic lighthouse topped island and superb cafe.
To the western end the internationally renowned bird watching venue at the sandy Hayle Estuary offers the chance to see many rare migrating species.
A bustling town, Hayle has a variety of shops plus public tennis courts, a children's play park and a skate park.
With a mainline railway station in the town you can leave the car at home to explore nearby St Ives on the branch line, head east to the cathedral city of Truro or west to Penzance.
The ground floor accommodation at White Duck Cottage has an open plan feel with a broad sitting/dining room across the cottage and a smart modern kitchen.
An open fire, central heating, double glazing and thick cob walls ensure comfort whatever the weather.
The first floor bedrooms are spacious and uncluttered and the bathroom has crisp seaside feel with contemporary lighting and a beamed ceiling.
A small garden lies to the front and from the sitting area a glazed door leads to a patio with steps up to an enclosed rear garden.
A very private sun trap, this is the ideal spot for alfresco meals or simply soaking up some sunshine.
Over two floors. Two bedrooms. 1 x king-size double, 1 x twin. Bathroom with bath hand-held shower, basin and WC. Kitchen. Open plan sitting room with open fire and dining area.
- Central heating with open-fire
- Electric oven and hob
- Microwave, fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, Smart TV with Freeview, DVD, iPod dock, Hi-Fi, WiFi
- Fuel, power and logs inc. in rent
- Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
- Cot and highchair available
- Stairgate on request
- Roadside parking in street
- Enclosed patio and terraced garden with furniture
- Sorry, no pets and no smoking
- Shop/pub 5 mins walk
- Beach 15 mins walk.
About the location
St Ives 7 miles; Penzance 7.5 miles.
Hayle is in the far-flung south western corner of Cornwall and sits on an important RSPB wildlife estuary flowing out to the beautiful St Ives Bay, where visitors can enjoy three miles of golden sandy beaches, walks, history and wildlife. St Ives harbour has its own small fishing fleet and there are plentiful boat trips skippered by locals keen to showcase the best that Cornwall has to offer, whether it be seal watching at Seal Island, a couple of hours' mackerel fishing or a relaxing trip to Godrevy Lighthouse. Hayle has plenty of activities out of the water too; Paradise Park is a wildlife park, home to some spectacular parrots, otters and red pandas. Hayle has a range of shops, restaurants and bars scattered around the estuary and harbour area. There are skittles and karting for the family, and for golfers, one of the best links golf courses in Cornwall is at Lelant, a mile out of Hayle. But the jewel of Hayle is the three miles of golden sandy beach, with fantastic surfing at Gwithian where there is a surf shop, lessons and hire of equipment. For the less energetic there are beach cafes where you can take in the views and watch the children play. As Hayle is centrally located you can easily access many other places by either public transport (there is a train station at Hayle) or driving. St. Ives is a short drive away where you can wander through the narrow streets, visit the art galleries or admire the colourful sub tropical gardens. Within easy reach of Hayle is the Minack Theatre (35 mins), Falmouth Maritime Museum (40 mins), Eden Project (40 mins), St. Michael's Mount (15 mins) and many other fantastic tourist attractions for dry or wet days.


text:
Thoughts on canons
Great quote on the value of a canon:
This is where canon formation can be helpful. A loosely defined canon helps suggest not only what texts we regard as essential but also what we expect of the medium. A canon tells us about both the medium and ourselves. And with more readers expressing curiosity about comics and more teachers working comics into their curricula, a bit of low-key canon formation can be quite useful.
from Sequential Art: On Canons, Critics, Consensus, and Comics, Part 1
<edited for spelling>


text:
A World of Opportunities
Homestay, Chinese classes, monthly stipend up to 820USD, friendships with fellow Chinese students, university seminars, internships, travel around China, cultural activities and camps…all in one free program!
Experience Real Chinese Life
"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page." -- St. Augustine
Make A Difference
As a guardian, teacher, or mentor, your knowledge and skills will make a valuable difference in the lives of your host brothers, sisters and parents, all the while giving you valuable experience and independence that will benefit you for your entire life.
True Linguistic And Cultural Immersion
With HHS Center, you can experience Chinese language and culture the best way: by diving in and immersing yourself in a native environment. Our Chinese classes and cultural activities help studetns of all levels advance their language ability and cultural understanding.
Enrich your resume and gain experience:
Many of our students have found opportunities to intern or work with local Chinese companies during their time as an HHStudent. Our host families are also more than willing to include participants into their vacation travel plans.


text:
Orders can be placed on-line or in person in one of our patisseries.
We are unable to accept telephone orders.
Orders placed online must be placed by a person over 18 years of age. Patisserie Valerie will permanently delete identifiable information if a parent or guardian requests. Requests to delete identifiable information should be emailed to: email@example.com
Some Patisserie Valerie products contain alcohol. Product pages online will always state if a product contains alcohol. Patisserie Valerie do not sell alcohol to persons under the age of 18 as per the licensing act 2003. By placing an order containing alcohol you confirm that you and the intended recipient(s) are over 18 years of age. Refusal of a store pick up or driver delivery is at our discretion.
Orders require a minimum of 24 hours notice. Wedding cakes and special or large orders require a minimum of 48 hours.
The earliest possible fulfilment time is always offered when placing an online order.
Bespoke orders require a minimum of a weeks notice.
Full payment is required at the point of ordering.
You will be provided with an order confirmation with an order number and a payment receipt.
Please check your copy of the order carefully and let us know immediately if any items are incorrect.
It is especially important to check you have selected the correct patisserie location and time/date for collection or delivery.
Patisserie Valerie cannot accept responsibility for errors made during the ordering process by the customer.
Orders placed for next day delivery cannot be amended, altered or cancelled once placed.
No amendments or additions can be made with 48 hours of order fulfilment.
We will always try to accommodate alterations requested with adequate time, but alterations to orders cannot be guaranteed.
Alternations or amendments may incur an additional charge. Please note any changes will not be guaranteed until an email confirmation has been received.
If you have arranged to collect from a patisserie, your cake will be available within the time-slot selected.
If you are unable to collect on the day specified, please contact the patisserie directly. They will hold the cake for you until the end of its shelf-life, when it will be discarded.
Once a cake has been accepted, it is the customer's responsibility to safely transport to its destination.
It is the customers responsibility to ensure a complete and correct delivery address is supplied. We ask for a phone number for contact in case of any issues with the order or delivery.
It is also the customer's responsibility to make sure that there is someone to accept the delivery at the delivery address.
Patisserie Valerie cannot accept responsibility for late or missing deliveries due to insufficient or incorrect information, or because there is no-one to accept delivery.
Patisserie Valerie cakes are hand-made, using fresh natural fruit. Therefore, there may be slight natural variations in appearance.
We reserve the right to replace unavailable components with those of equal or better quality.
Ribbon colour shown on product images is illustrative only – if a specific colour is required this must be requested at the time of ordering.
At the time of collection or delivery you will be asked to check the appearance of the cake. Please take the time to inspect the order, as Patisserie Valerie cannot take any responsibility for visible errors not identified and shown to staff at this point.
Patisserie Valerie will make every effort to create the cake you want and deliver it in perfect condition.
In the unlikely event that this does not occur, Patisserie Valerie will take reasonable steps to rectify the situation and ensure you have a cake you are happy with.
However, Patisserie Valerie does not accept any responsibility for consequential costs or emotional distress due to errors with products or delivery.
This does not affect your statutory rights.
Please note this cancellation policy only applies to orders placed on or after 14th February 2019.
We can only guarantee a full refund of your order up to 14 days prior to the collection or delivery date.
Please note that if you cancel between 14 days to 72hrs prior to delivery or collection date you will receive a maximum of 50% of the order total.
In the event of cancellations within 72hrs of collection or delivery, Patisserie Valerie reserves the right to retain the total value of the order to cover costs.
Please note if you place an order for collection or delivery within 72hrs you are ordering it in a non-cancellation period. Therefore, Patisserie Valerie reserves the right to retain the total value of the order to cover costs.
Order cut off time for next day delivery will be clearly shown during the checkout process.
Orders and payments not completed by the cut off time for next day delivery will be delivered the following day.
Patisserie Valerie reserve the right to make price changes without prior notice, but guarantee that no price increase will apply to any confirmed paid orders made by a customer for collection on a date after which a price increase has been made.
We work hard at Patisserie Valerie to ensure your complete satisfaction with our products.
If you are not entirely satisfied with your purchase or the standard of our service from an in-store experience or product collected in store, you should first speak to the manager of the Patisserie Valerie branch.
Alternatively, you can contact us at Head Office via post, email or on-line form.
Customer Service Department
Patisserie Valerie
146-156 Sarehole Rd
Hall Green
Email: email@example.com
Patisserie Valerie customer care team give all complaints urgent attention. Every complaint will be acknowledged within 5 working days and we will endeavour to resolve the matter within 15 working days.
Follow us
We partner with
Please log in with your email and password
Corporate account number:
Forgotten Your Password?
If you have used the site before but have forgotten your password, please click here to reset it.
Please note: Log in is no longer required to place an order using credit card or paypal
Sorry all of our stores are currently closed.
We are however still open for home delivery through our new service Pat Val Premier!
Have our lovingly handmade cakes delivered right to your doorstep.
Our website uses cookies (mmm... cookies).
We use cookies to give you the best user experience.By continuing to use our site your are agreeing to our Cookie Policy. You can manage your settings at any time
Accept and Close


text:
Finally….with all the changes since the election, it's nice to hear some positive news. For first-time home buyers this is great news, especially if you did not have 20% down. You might actually see a little decrease in your mortgage insurance. This can also be extremely beneficial to borrowers!
"Everything in the world of real estate seems to be getting more expensive these days: from home prices to mortgage rates to the furniture you'll need to fill up that new place. So it's good to hear that some home buyers will finally get a break.
Mortgage insurance premiums are slated to go down by 0.25% on Federal Housing Administration–insured loans that close on or after Jan. 27, the agency announced on Monday. (Buyers who don't put down at least 20% on their homes are typically required to pay the monthly—and often costly—mortgage insurance.)
A quarter of a percentage point may not sound like much, but it's expected to save new homeowners an average of $500 a year. High-fives!
And with mortgage rates expected to keep climbing in 2017, every little bit helps. That's especially true for those taking out FHA loans, who are primarily cash-strapped first-time buyers or folks with low to moderate income.
The price break "helps to counter the [mortgage rate] increases we've seen," says Chief Economist Jonathan Smoke of realtor.com®. "It's beneficial to borrowers."
Mortgage rates, which have been at historic lows, have risen recently to about 0.5% higher than they were on average in 2016, according to Smoke. The average rate on a 30-year fixed loan was 4.15% as of Friday.
That rate increase translates to an additional $60 a month in mortgage payments on a $250,000 home, if the buyers plunked down about 20%. It would be about $65 a month if a buyer put down just 10%.
You might not even need to get an FHA loan to benefit from the lower rates. The FHA's move is expected to put pressure on private mortgage insurers to drop their rates as well, Smoke says.
Rising rates have lit a fire under would-be buyers concerned about their bottom line, says mortgage banker James Morin of Norcom Mortgage in Avon, CT. He expects this price cut will offset some of the increase in mortgage payments.
"It's a pretty big deal," Morin says. "Anything helps." Realtor.com Clare Trapasso click here to read more


text:
A valuable benefit for you and your staff
If you are concerned with the skills and development of your project system, as perhaps an HR manager or a PMO manager, we can help you!
Our research over the years tells us that the most effective aid to the development of maturity and confidence of project management staff is networking with colleagues and like minded professionals. Membership of PIPMG and attending our events is a great way to boost this aspect of development.
Encourage your project staff to participate in PIPMG
PIPMG membership is free and attending our events is much better value than many high profile, highly expensive conferences.
Use our vacancies service
Advertisements for your project-related vacancies can reach a wholly relevant audience if you use a mailshot to our membership list. We'll set it up for you easily. it's rapid and cost effective.
Encourage your staff to speak at PIPMG events
Experienced people such as yourself and your project professionals are always welcome as guest speakers at our events. It's a great development opportunity for your people.
Host an event
PIPMG events are hosted at life science organisations' premises. Working with us, we can select a meeting topic that is relevant for your organisation. You will also get some complimentary places at the meeting for your people, and your senior managers would be welcome as guest speakers. If you have a meeting space that can be used for a day or two, or perhaps an evening, we will manage most aspects of administration and liaise with your own people to make the logistics perfectly straightforward.


text:
This was the last porchetta of 2016.. it was for a lovely wedding reception we did on New Year's Eve… naturally to ensure that it's all good we need to take a small bit off the ends of course.. ahem… … Read More ›
Breakfast ..quite simply.. break-fast
Breakfast an lunch in dar nanka
So after a real hectic time (yet #fabulous of course!).. with the catering side of life.. it's time for a small break.. and where better than to head out to one of the great food places on the planet.. Marrakech… Read More ›
1001 dishes in Arabia
ok perhaps not that many.. We have been eating really rather well though.. Like all this.. Yeah! And all this… And more! The standout dish so far? This Irish stew made by a Persian chef… Seriously feckin… Read More ›
Masala eggs brunch and burgers for supper
a not behind on posting .. Apologies.. A fair bit going on that needs attention.. Ok that's not really an excuse 😶 So let's have a quick catchup Starting with a brunch of masala eggs.. Frying some onion.. Adding some… Read More ›
Eggy bread / French toast and thick cut smoked bacon brunch
what is it about eggy bread? Or French toast as some call it.. I remember driving highway one with my Father as a young teenager.. (I also made him drive through some seriously strange neighbourhoods! Think back to the 80s… Read More ›
Potted orange marmalade ham A British classic!
potting meats has been an age old way of not only preserving meat yet also ensuring really rather a tasty treat! I think if Paddington bear ate pigs ( and perhaps he did in deepest darkest Peru?).. He would quite… Read More ›
Irish soda bread and Rosemary scented sausages for breakfast
whats better than freshly baked bread for breakfast? Umm well adding sausages I suppose! After waking this morning I suddenly had a notion that we needed fresh soda bread.. It's a miserable day today and we really need to take… Read More ›


text:
Seared Tilapia with Pea Puree
- For the marinade: In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oil, zest of 1/2 lemon and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. Pour the marinade into a gallon size resealable bag. Add the fish fillets, refrigerate.
- For the puree: In a medium saucepan, heat the remaining oil over low heat. Add the onions, cook for 3 minutes until translucent.
- Add the wine, reduce over low heat for 2 minutes.
- Add the peas and broth, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Transfer the pea mixture into a blender; add salt, pepper, garlic powder, green onions and the remaining lemon zest. Puree until smooth, transfer to a serving bowl.
- For the fish: Remove the fillets from the marinade. Season both sides of the fish to taste with salt and pepper.
- Coat a skillet with cooking spray, heat over medium-high heat. Sear the fish for 2 minutes, flip, finish cooking for 2 minutes or until flaky. Transfer to a serving platter.
Recipe Courtesy of Chef Michelle, ALDI Test Kitchen


text:
2016 Edition
Vaudeville Rendez-Vous International Festival
The 3rd edition of the Vaudeville Rendez-Vous International Festival presents this year with redoubled force, we can even say triplicated. The number 3 wins a special importance in this 3rd edition of the festival. The number 3, famous for its symbolic character of unity and balance, also symbolizes here the joint effort and strategy of the three cities that host and coproduce along with the Teatro da Didascália, this 3rd edition: Braga, Guimarães, Vila Nova de Famalicão.
This joint campaign is a reflection of a strong cultural commitment, in a concerned territory that wants to add to their vast historical and cultural heritage a programming thought for the public space, able to differentiate itself for its specificity and artistic quality, following what is the emergence of a new and increasingly vibrant and promising national production in the field of street arts and contemporary circus.
In this 3rd edition, the Vaudeville Rendez-Vous International Festival presents itself as the largest and most important street arts and contemporary circus festival in the northern region of the country, hosting some of the most representative projects of national and international scene over 9 consecutive days, a total of 18 performances of 12 shows, including 2 co-productions in absolut première and 6 national premieres.
Note that the festival will also schedule some of the national artists, emerging and consolidated, more relevant in these areas, continuing the work that has been developing in an appreciation of national creation in the areas of contemporary circus, physical theater and transdisciplinary ways.
To live and dialogue with the city
Beyond a programm with nightly shows, we will make an appeal to the public so that it will came to live and think the city in the late afternoon, where we will present a series of spectacles which are directed to all audiences. The shows scheduled in these areas intend to project in the audience, new perspectives on the urban landscape of the cities and the relationship between its cultural and architectural heritage with contemporary performing arts. Parallel to the presentation of performances, the festival program also invites the public to visit and experience the museums and other cultural equipment of the 3 cities, knowing the vast heritage of this territory.
Training and Parellel Actions
In order to improve the critical sense of the public and to establish a common vocabulary between the artists and the surrounding community, the festival promotes a series of workshops by creators programmed in the festival. We believe that the promotion of these workshops is crucial to a better understanding of the complexity of performing arts related to the public space, contributing simultaneously for a process of growth and improvement of artistic excellence, able to meet the expectations of an audience which is each time more demanding.
Taking advantage of the unique opportunity that the festival offers of sharing and cross between the different creators and programmers present at the festival, we will organise a set of parallel actions such as debates, showcases and round tables, which aim to contribute to the reflection and enrichment of the discourse linked to the languages of circus and street arts. These meetings prove to be of enormous importance for artists, constituting a privileged space in sharing of frustrations, desires and ideas, helping to redefine common strategies for the future.
The circus came to town(s)!
Artistic Direction
Bruno Martins
Programme and General Direction
Bruno Martins, Cláudia Berkeley
Production Direction
Ludmila Teixeira
Technical Direction
Valter Alves
Communication Design
Video and Photography
Visual Kitchen
Central de Informação
Teatro da Didascália
Braga City Council;
Guimarães City Council;
Vila Nova de Famalicão City Council;
A Oficina / CCVF; Álvaro Santos; Boris Vecchio;
Bruno Carvalho; Cia Radar 360; Claudia Leite; Daniel Lima;
Edgar Ferreira; Fernando Oliveira Viana; Francisco Jorge;
Frederico Queiroz; Giacomo Scalisi; Isabel Pinho; Isaura Costa;
Jorge Rui Martins; José Agostinho; José Bastos; Junior Perim;
Luísa Moreira; Lídia Dias; Nelson Pereira; Paula Garcia; Paulo Brandão;
Ricardo Carneiro; Rui Torrinha; Sílvia Faria e Vinicius Daumas


text:
|Internet Banking
|Mobile Banking
|Trust Services
|Heritage Club
|GCSB Investment Center
|Internet Banking
|Mobile Banking
|Trust Services
|Heritage Club
|GCSB Investment Center
January 3, 2017
Guthrie County State Bank wrapped up its Shop, Swipe & Win! Holiday Sweeps promotion. From November 19 - December 30, 53 GCSB customers won almost $6,600! These customers used their GCSB Visa debit card and one of their transactions was randomly selected to be paid for by Guthrie County State Bank. Even though the promotion is over, using your GCSB Visa debit card is always a win for convenience. Contact us today to apply for your card!
6th week winners - 12/30/16
Gerald Pieper
Bryan Smith
Treva Worthington
Larry Bergemann
Joshua Rodriguez
Julie Gilge
Kris Arrasmith
Rodney Ocker
Brooke Silence
Nichole Uhlman
JT Herron
5th week winners - 12/23/16
Ashlea Leerhoff
Alison Monaghan
Margaret Morff
Billy Buttler
Linda Joan Anderson
Rodney Albright
Tricia Rutledge
4th week winners - 12/16/16
Lana Downing
Marcia Priestley
Brett Rowley
John Walker
Kim Patrick
Lesley Pearey
Roy Sneller
Courtnee Ford
Kenneth Foote
Ashley Firebaugh
3rd week winners - 12/09/16
Randall Walz
Valerie Stuehmer
Courtney Redfern
Brenda Duree Patricia Gardner
Avery Burgess
Tom Flanery
Dale Hochreiter
Sky Larson
Kelley Ellis
Michael Gliem
2nd week winners - 12/02/16
Matt Harman
Dan Breyfogle
Steve Sorensen
Doug Esslinger
Phyllis Lemke
Kirby Snyder
1st week winners - 11/25/16
Ed Peterson
Joslyn Elliott
Myrna Beeber
Jerusha Strodthoff
Jamey Mozingo
Tracy Lynch
D Ann Jontz
Frank Paulus


text:
Business email communications may contain WinZip attachments, or ZIP files. The ZIP file is an archived file that can contain one or more files of any type. ZIP files are compressed to reduce the size of the files so that they can be electronically transmitted. You can open ZIP files in Microsoft Outlook. However, depending on the configuration of your email client and your version of Windows, you may need to first save the compressed file to your hard drive before opening it.
Step 1
Open Microsoft Outlook and then open the email containing the ZIP attachment.
Step 2
Double-click on the attachment link just under the subject of the message to download the ZIP file to your hard drive. Click "Open" to open the ZIP file in File Explorer. The ZIP file opens in File Explorer, displaying the individual files. You can also click the "Save" option to save the ZIP file to your hard drive. Double-click the saved ZIP file to open the compressed archive in File Explorer.
Step 3
Click the "Compressed Folder Tools" tab in the top navigation bar of File Explorer.
Step 4
Click the "Extract All" option on the top navigation bar in File Explorer to extract and save all files in the archive. You can also drag individual files out of the compressed archive, then drop them into a new location to extract individual files.
Photo Credits
- John Foxx/Stockbyte/Getty Images


text:
The Empire's Elite has turned one year old! Starting this blog and sharing my Star Wars thoughts has been a lot of fun and I wanted to share some favorite moments from the past year, plus some things to look forward to going ahead. Check it out, meatbags!
Tag: animation
Grand Admiral's Return: Thrawn Review
Questionably canon. Definitely an article. Dive into a book that rides the line between new canon and old legends. This novel has all the space pirates and political backstabbing you could want, plus the untold story of the original Grand Admiral – but more importantly, how's the read? And how well does it flesh out its place in canon?
Black Series: Rebel Girl Sabine Wren (Review)
Rebel scum never looked so good. A criminally under-utilized character, but a great action figure! Hasbro knocks it out of the park with another Rebels character interpreted into a more realistic art style, and the results are as good as it gets. Continue reading "Black Series: Rebel Girl Sabine Wren (Review)"
Thrawn is Coming
Talk about the Empire's Elite, am I right? I just preordered my copy of the Barnes and Noble exclusive version of the upcoming Thrawn novel and wanted to share the details for anyone who hasn't heard the word yet.
Definite Article: Story Arcs vs. Long-Form Storytelling
It's easy to compare Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels and look upon the newcomer with a little disdain. Rebels came about because Clone Wars was cancelled, and many believe Clone Wars was doing everything right and that it was wrong to start over with Rebels. A prevailing criticism in the Clone Wars vs. Rebels debate is that Clone Wars took more time to tell its stories – they felt stronger, more mature, and well fleshed out. But is Rebels slowly starting to find that pattern and get it right? Continue reading "Definite Article: Story Arcs vs. Long-Form Storytelling"
To Us, She Was Royalty
I had a bad feeling about today but I had no idea it would turn out like this. When I heard the news that Carrie Fisher had passed (after hearing it through some miscommunication I should say – the details seemed muddy, and the last I heard, she was recovering) I almost couldn't believe it. 2016 hasn't been kind in regards to the passing of prolific people, but it's important to remember that the people who leave us live on through their actions in life, and in our fond memories.
Black Series: Cassian Andor and the Death Trooper (Variants)
Fourteen days to go until Rogue One and about two hundred pages left in Catalyst. I have to say I'm enjoying the book just as much as the toys, and it's all setting up what will without a doubt be a great Star Wars movie. I will probably do a mini-review on the book before the movie comes out. But for now, more toys!
Today I'm reviewing the variants of Cassian Andor and the Death Trooper that are exclusive to Target's Rogue One Three Pack. Keep an eye out at your local Target and watch for deals – the pack retails for $59.99, but thanks to a 30% off sale I got the pack for right around $40.00. The three pack includes the variants of Cassian and a Death Trooper as well as the same Jyn Erso that is available on its own. Since that's the exact same figure, I'll be focusing on Cassian and the trooper.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Cassian's Eadu costume, the blue jacket, will probably be what he wears for the first portion or maybe half the movie. So this is the outfit he will likely wear on Scariff. The figure looks pretty good overall. His brown jacket is detailed with light brown/tan markings down the sleeves, a possible rank insignia on one side, and another metallic box with two blue dots – perhaps a comlink or some other gadget? The shirt underneath is detailed with a sort of Bespin Han Solo collar and extra flap of fabric below the neck. Cassian is a two-belt type of guy, one to hold his pants up and a separate one exclusively for his holster. Plain tan pants and dark brown boots round out his outfit, and all of it carries a nice earthy tone to its color pallet. Cassian is a pretty simple figure – not simple bad, just not the most interesting. However, I'm biased towards our glorious Empire, so that's just me.
Here is something very interesting, however – Cassian's blaster rifle.
Another theory; I really don't think this modular weapon design is going to play into the movie at all. That's just my guess, but if we were getting that kind of technology (like a gun that turns into an assault rifle with a couple attachments) I think we'd be seeing it on another toy somewhere. The blaster pistol in the center, while colored differently, is actually the same one included with the Eadu version of Cassian. The other one is just colored differently and lacks the small tab for the stock to attach to. My guess is that it was easier to mold the weapon in production as three pieces, given the level of detail. Regardless, it's one of the coolest looking guns I've seen come out of the Black Series in a while and much more detailed than the blaster that comes with his Eadu outfit. Admittedly, I do take the gun apart just for the satisfaction of putting it back together.
Cassian is well-articulated like most Black Series figures – he isn't missing ankle rotation like Luke and Ahsoka. The pistol fits his holster if you prefer to break the weapon down for a different look or for play. My only complaint is that there was a small bit by his ear that the paint seemed to have missed, which should match his hair, but that's nothing that couldn't be touched up.
Moving on to one of the new addition to our rogues gallery. . . (I'll show myself out)
I'm calling this one the Death Trooper commander as no specific rank is noted on the box art the way it is with the Scariff trooper squad leader. I've seen the name Death Trooper specialist thrown around and admittedly I like that name too. Anyway, this figure is identical to the solo Death Trooper that is also available right now, minus the fact that this one is armored up with extra gear. He includes the same rifle and pistol, but wears a harness containing extra ammo pouches (not unlike a sandtrooper or ARC trooper,) a rank pauldron, and what appear to be grenades strapped across his stomach. As with the previous Death Trooper, all the expected articulation is there underneath the jet black armor. Krennic's enforcers just look mean. And if you're like me and reading Catalyst right now, you can see where Krennic started his private attache of troopers during the end of the Clone Wars. But I'll save spoilers for a spoiler post later on!
All in all, the Rogue One Three Pack is a good value, especially if you can get it through Target's promotions during the holidays. 30% off was an especially good deal in my opinion, as the way I look at it, I essentially wasn't paying for the second Jyn Erso. Really, it's still not a terrible deal at full price – you're basically paying for three full-priced figures still, but I'm always looking for deals on these. Keep an eye out on Reddit like I do or find a good collectors' group. You'll find out pretty quick which figures to grab up and when, and you'll also known when a figure gets a case of the Constable Zuvios and it'll be around for a long time (full disclosure – I wanted a Zuvio but waited it out until he was on clearance at my local Target. I think he's cool enough and he was cut from the movie, which in my mind makes it cooler that he still got a toy release.)
I'm trying to plow through Catalyst before the movie comes out, so that will probably be the next thing I review. So far I'm really enjoying it, and I appreciate the parts of canon it connects and fills in. I was surprised by it, actually. And I can't wait to see what happens after the fact in Rogue One, seeing it all tied up and fully enveloped into the canon not only by itself, but also by setting up A New Hope.
That's it for this review. I recommend getting a hold on this three pack but look for the smart deals. The last exclusive to Target (the Poe Dameron jacket variant and the riot control stormtrooper aka FN-2199) was still in stock near me until this three pack came out, so keep you can probably keep your eyes peeled for clearance sale eventually if you have to wait. And as always, thanks for reading and happy hunting!


text:
As a lifelong athlete, Jason Emer knows how important exercise is for the body, but as a dermatologist, he also knows what a toll it can take on your skin. "When you have excessive sweating, it can cause a lot of problems," he says, ticking off issues like fungal infections, foul odors, and other conditions that will scare you into cleaning out your gym bag.
It was the former competitive gymnast's love of sports and fitness and interest in skin conditions that attracted him to sports dermatology. To ensure that the only things you bring home from the gym are a runner's high and toned abs, Emer recommends investing in moisture-wicking clothing (including socks), shoes that fit properly, and a good antiperspirant-deodorant like Certain Dri Solid Anti-Perspirant. And don't even think of showering at the gym without sandals.
Emer, a resident at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, also suggests a few essentials for the skin-care minimalist: "If you want to make things simple, have a cleanser, have a moisturizer-sunscreen combination, and something for anti-aging at night. A daily exfoliant such as Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant or Bioré Pore Unclogging Scrub can help to keep the skin fresh and help the topical skin-care be more effective." And when it comes to sunscreen, Emer says, you should you use a minimum SPF of 30—but it's not just about the number. "The most important thing is multiple applications," he explains. "People have cracks and grooves in their skin, even when they have smooth skin. So when you put on one layer of sunscreen, you still don't get a full blockage of the entire skin, because you're filling all those cracks and grooves. So you sometimes need to put on two applications before you even go outside to get true coverage."
And while spray sunscreens might be more convenient, Emer suggests going with lotions. "The creams work better because you can tell how much of a film you have," he explains. "A lot of people just spray it all over their body and don't actually get the direct application."
Favorite type of sunscreen:
"I'm not the biggest fan of chemical sunscreens. I know that they're better in prevention of both UVA and UVB in combination, but I find that they irritate people a lot. I usually like physical blockers, like Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen Daily Moisturizer SPF 30+ Face or Vanicream Sunscreen SPF 30."
Best product discovered while working on the Allure Beauty Product Finder:
"I really liked the Neutrogena Wave Original Vibrating Power-Cleanser. I have a lot of patients who use the Clarisonic Classic Sonic Skin Cleansing System, and I think it's a good alternative for people who want to do this sort of microdermabrasion at home for anti-aging and cleaning of your skin, but at a reduced cost."
Favorite moisturizers:
"Combination sunscreen-moisturizers limit the number of creams needed to apply to the face daily. Over-the-counter Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30 and Cetaphil Dermacontrol Oil Control Moisturizer are my current favorites."
Best for irritated skin:
"My favorite moisturizers for people with irritated skin are CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion and Cetaphil Restoraderm Replenishing Moisture Lotion. I like Vanicream Cleansing Bar as a cleanser for people with irritated or sensitive skin."