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LD Mark Kenyon wanted some new and extra special effects for the hugely anticipated final of the BBC's latest "Strictly Come Dancing" series ….. and decided it was the ideal opportunity to try Robe DigitalSpot 7000DTs.
The Final drew huge ratings, and Kenyon was so impressed with the results from the DigitalSpots – which brought a new look to the dancefloor, filling it with subtle but effective texturing, movement and colour - that he then kept them on for the Christmas Special edition.
Kenyon first saw the units in action at one of Robe's "The Future is Digital" Roadshows in London, which he attended along with moving light operator and Catalyst (digital media server) programmer Roger Williams at the behest of Lee House from AC Video, a division of AC Entertainment Technologies specialising in digital lighting and convergence products.
After this, Kenyon decided that he could make good use of 6 DigitalSpot 7000DTs to illuminate and add extra treatments to the dancefloor of Studio TC1 at the BBC's Wood Lane HQ in West London.
The DT7000s were rigged 12 metres up in the roof of the studio and run via ArtNet protocol back to a CompuLite Vector console in the control room, operated by Roger Williams (for the Final) and Dave Bishop (the Xmas Special). They took full advantage of the DigitalSpot's versatile Picture Merge facility, and edge-blended all 6 units together to produce a 9 metre by 20 metre wide image on the dancefloor.
Robe UK's Nathan Wan tech'd the shows. Approximately 60Gb of video clips plus the Strictly Come Dancing logo were uploaded to the media servers in the unit's heads.
Kenyon wanted the DT7000 effects to be interesting but understated rather than too in-the-face or overpowering in a show already action-packed with lighting and LED effects to match the glamour and glitz of the occasion.
Says Kenyon, "I'm really happy with the DigitalSpots, and hope to use them again in the near future with more time to create bespoke content. It was an excellent effect being able to make the logo appear and disappear on the dancefloor, and the fixtures were quick and simple to set up. They updated with the new content, synched and worked flawlessly throughout both shows".
He adds that he thinks the LED modules on the DigitalSpots are "Fantastic", enabling him to cover the whole dancefloor area effortlessly just with the 6 fixtures up in the grid.
Strictly Come Dancing 2008 was directed by Nikki Parsons and executive produced by Sam Donnelly and Martin Scott, with Helen Bishop production managing. Mark Kenyon has lit the show for all 6 of its series over the last 5 years.
The 2008 final was won by Holby City star Tom Chambers and his partner Camilla Dallerup, who beat off strong competition from Rachel Stevens and Vincent Simone and Lisa Snowdon and Brendon Cole in the most nail-biting finish to date.
Former Strictly contestants Jill Halfpenny, Kelly Brook and Alesha Dixon joined this year's finalists for the festive dance-off broadcast on Christmas Day.


text: Meet Carlie Zumwalt, a Flight Mechanics Engineer at NASA's Langley Research Center. Carlie uses sophisticated computer modeling to look at everything that could happen, end-to-end, from the moment a spacecraft touches the atmosphere to the time it comes to rest on another planet. She worked on simulations for both the Mars 2020 and InSight landers. For more information about NASA's InSight mission, visit: https://mars.nasa.gov/insight/

subset: commoncrawl


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Louis Vuitton Channels America's Cup Speed Sailing
The modern, high-speed, catamaran-driven version of the America's Cup has imposed many changes on the complex rules of sailboat racing, but it has not reduced the vital importance of winning the start. The Louis Vuitton Tambour America's Cup automatic regatta ($11,600), while it may not actually put you on a boat in the race, will help you win should you happen to be racing your own yacht.
Visit robbreport.com
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Through Ho'oponopono I have come to realize that 99.99% of the time my mind follows The "Law of Memory", and that ONLY when my mind is Void of all thoughts can I receive Inspiration from The Divine.
According to Ho'oponopono, The garbage (memories) in us wants to be released and set free, but by consciously engaging and not cleaning, we resist and hold on.
Now when I experience anger, judgment or worry, I say to The Divinity in me: "I Love You; I am sorry; Please forgive me for whatever is going on in me that is causing me to experience anger; Thank You, and Thank You for this opportunity, because I didn't even realize that this memory was there."
I know that 99.99% of the time I am in reaction (judgment, blame, anger) and I don't even realize it.
Ho'oponopono teaches that Inspiration can only come through when there is NO resistance from memory, because either I am being run by memory and patterns, or I am allowing The Divinity to provide me with Inspiration.
I now know that it is my responsibility is to clean whatever memories are in me, so that whatever flows out of me comes out of Love and Inspiration, and not from memory (which is a reaction).
It is very exciting to realize that my only job is to be 100% responsible by cleaning up anything going on in me (my memories) that I am not even aware of, and leave the rest in The Divinity's hands.
Source: Zero Limits; News for the Soul Internet Radio.
© Copyright – Saul Maraney – 2009 All Rights Reserved
Download Your Free Exclusive Ho'oponopono Secrets Interview with Mabel Katz Today!
Find me on Facebook: http://facebook.com/Saul.Maraney
P.S. Here is an incredible testimonial I received about my Ho'oponopono Audio product: "Reformatting Your Unconscious Mind With Ho'oponopono" that I wanted to share with you:
"Dear Saul
Thank you very much, it is a great honour to have the opportunity to write about my experiences with Ho'oponopono.
The first time that I knew about this technique was 5 months ago when a friend sent me some information, it was really interesting and very simple I thought, so decide to investigate deeper.
Then I found your site, and could understand better the way it works.
Then I bought the Cd's.
I began to hear the cleaning tools on October 30th this year, and began to feel that I was really improving about 10 days after. But the most important thing is that I am learning that I have to be alert of everything that is happening within me, and I have to also learn how to keep my mind on the present time.
That is what I am working on.
Before I used to feel sad and think the world was horrible and nothing could possibly change this. Now I know I have to feel what is happening and focus inside me, do my cleaning and wait patiently.
Well Saul, thank you very much indeed for all this very helpful information.
Best regards,"
Coming Very Soon:
Filed under: Articles | Tagged: Ho'oponopono, Ho'oponopono cleaning tools, Ho'oponopono products, Joe Vitale, Morrnah Simeona, Reformatting Your Unconscious Mind With Ho'oponopono, Saul Maraney, Zero Limits | Leave a comment »


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Hentai Picture: Helen is taking off her panties just for you
Those bitchy Incredibles girls have so grand-boobed and fat-assed bodies that it would be unforgivable not to give your cock pleasure from fucking them. We are ready to plug this busty Incredibles girl who has a sexy ass and an aching fanny! A meaty schlong pumping Bulma's anus and vagina makes her climax again and again…
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Having problems with your Sanyo Digital Cameras ?
Sanyo vpc-t850 need to delete some pics but idk how,PLZ help!!!
\015 I have a sanyo vpc-t850 and i took some pictures with it but i dont know how to delete them since it doesnt say what button is the enter button and i've clicked alot of buttons on it already but it doesnt delete them,it just sends me to the main scree(where you take pics)and i dont have the manual,its very important for me to delete them now,so please help me,but i just want to delete some,not all of themHelp me A.S.A.P please\015
Answers :
Hi dear, You can download the manual from (http://www.retrevo.com/support/Sanyo-VPC-T850-Digital-Cameras-manual/id/23093ci462/t/2/) this site. Have FUN !
Repair Help & Product Troubleshooting for Sanyo Digital Cameras
Tips for a great answer:- Provide details, support with references or personal experience .
- If you need clarification, ask it in the comment box .
- It's 100% free, no registration required.
Suggested Questions/Answers :
Sanyo vpc-t850 need to delete some pics but idk how,PLZ help!!!
Hi dear, You can download the manual from (http://www.retrevo.com/support/Sanyo-VPC-T850-Digital-Cameras-manual/id/23093ci462/t/2/) this site. Have FUN ! ... Sanyo Digital Cameras
Deleting pics I can no longer find the little icon that you need to go to delete pics. I've done it once, but I can't find the icon now. HELP??
On the back of your camera a button to delete the recent pic. the trash/recycle icon print on it. press it to delete the pic ... Samsung Digimax S630 Digital Camera
I need to delete pictures from my samsung L100 all at once. It only allows me to delete single pics.. Can you help?
One way to do this if the camera does not have the function itself is to connect the camera to a computer with a USB lead. Then you can access the camera memory like any disk drive, select all files and delete in one go. You will need to install the ... Samsung L100 Digital Camera
I just bought a sanyo vpc-t850 camera last night, I installed the software, I took a couple of pics and was trying to upload them the problem is I plug my camera up with my usb to my pc, I turn the camera on, and I choose the option pc everytime I do that, my pc shuts down and when it goes to restart it will not get off the part where windows loads. Can you help me find a way to upload my pics, I really like this camera and I would hate to have to return it for another one, if I can fix the prob
Have you trade to uninstalled the drivers and software on your computer that came with the camera?If this is a case of no solution due to bad compability, you can always buy a memory card reader (if your computer doesnt have a on board on ... Digital Cameras
Idk how to upload pics to my camera...can u help me? i have a vivitar...and i am trying to upload pictures from it to my computer...i dont see a window or anything...i have it installed i think but i seriously need help...
The best way to download pictures from your camera to your computer involves removing the memory card from the camera and plugging it into a card reader (either built-in to the computer or connected via USB or FireWire). This is likely to be faster t ... Vivitar ViviCam 3826 Digital Camera
This will help ... Samsung Digimax 4010 Digital Camera
My Kodak Digital Camera has a screen frozen. I was deleting a pic when it froze,I need help NOW. Also the flash light is flashing green.
This just happened to me last night. Literally, the EXACT same thing. Here's the sollution:\015\012Wait 'til your camera has run out of chage, it will then turn off. The camera lens will still be sticking out, though. Once it has turned off, ta ... Kodak EasyShare V1003 Digital Camera
I cant take pics r delete dem it says memory card is write protected when i put it on much help is needed thanks
Good\012 day,This is a common problem that many people experience with \012their SD Cards when they are "Locked".It is normally an easy fix and\012 you can follow a method that I posted on my tips here: ... Nikon COOLPIX S51 Digital Camera
Deleted Pics I think I may have accidentally deleted my pics when I pressed the format button on my Casio ExiLim Digital. When I tried to view the pics, the message says no files; I do have a 1gb memory card in the camera. I sent this message earlier but, in my excitement that a solution was sent so swiftly, I clicked on the accept instead of the reply and failed to get the final solution from the Guru that tried to help me. What a klutz, I am. HELP
First of all, do not save any new file to camera's memory card.Take out memory card, and connect it to computer using a card reader. You should see memory card shown as a drive letter (like H:) in Windows Explorer.Download this photo reco ... Casio EXILIM ZOOM EX-Z60 Digital Camera
Please help, i need to recover lost pics from my beautiful pics from paris with my gf, ive got a olympus m820 and the stupid thing formatted my pics now ive lost them, please help. thank you for your time
First do not panic! It is possible to recover your pictures\015\012if you take care. Take the card from the camera (powered off) and if it has a\015\012"write protect" tab then lock it now. Do not try and write anything\015\012to the card or you risk ... Olympus Digital Cameras
I was deleting pics from card then all of a sudden it said system error and shuts off. It lets me go backwards and delete some more but then does it again after about 10 pics being deleted. what is this about please help me. I really love my camera.
Go into the menu and find "reset"...follow the on-screen instructions. ... Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6 Digital Camera
Memory card says it needs to be formatted but i have pics on it and I need them..please help I will be waiting!
I had the same problem with my 4Gb card that has 750 photos on it. I tried doing different things, however, it did not work. At last I took the card out and blew on its chips, gave it a good shake and put it back. Then, the miracle happened. It could ... Digital Cameras
I cracked my screen and i cant see how to delete pics i dont want..i need someone to give me a walk through on the steps so i can delete these pics off my memory card
Buy another lcd and replaceit ... Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W30 Digital Camera
I need help setting my Canon EOS Rebel XSi. I was taking photos of my son's soccer game last evening and most of them came out blurry. What setting/s should I set my camera on to get great night shots of his soccer game? Help - as I need to take more pics for tomorows game! Thanks, Tammy
First of all, don't use the flash...it's only good for a short distance. Obviously, you need a fast shutter speed to stop the action. To get this to happen while in auto mode, you will need to set the ISO to a higher number such as 800 or 1600. You w ... Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS / 1000D IS Digital Camera
Help! I love photographing people, especially local youth. My digital isn't working. We need help. It will not delete photo's, I delete and they come back! Now when I try looking at a new pho
... Digital Cameras
Ineed to delete my usb and the screen is broken so I can,t see but it dose take pics so i need to know which buttons to delete the usb sothat i can takemore pics
... Polaroid iZone 300 Digital Camera
Hi, I have a Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S650. Can you help me? My memory stick is full and when I go to view the pics to delete, the camera just whips through several pics at a time, not letting me stop and delete. thanks! Jennifer
Couple of suggestions to fix that problem..1. Initialize camera by going into Menu >> Initialize >> OK2. Copy/ transfer all pictures in computer and format memory stick by going into Menu >> format >> OK (that will ... Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W80 Digital Camera
My memory stick was full. Deleted, I thought, but the next event I was only able to snap a few pics before I got the message the stick was full. I finally found instructions online to fully delete, but now when I look at the bottom left of the screen it shows 101 - 1944, which suggest to me there are still pics on the stick. I'd like to complete swipe it clean. Help
The best way to erase everything is to "Format" the card. ... Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 Digital Camera
Please help! help me. i just got my camera a week ago. & i took lots of great pics. well somehow i accidently deleted all my pics & i dont know how b/c i had all of them were locked. but i think i did something with the file No. but i dont know how. & now in the top right hand coner thers like paper with a blue penicil over it. i done looked at the user guide.
Read the ininstruction on putting it all on default,,,,,,,,,,,, ... Polaroid i733LP Digital Camera
Memory full says memory is full after all pics have been deleted .... will only allow me to take 3 pics than says memory is full. help!! when i have deleted files it does says files are empty.
Is this on the card, or internal memory?\015\012\015\012If it is the card, then reformat it. That should solve the problem. ... Casio Exilim EX-Z57 Digital Camera
Cant delete i have over 3000 pics in my kodak easy share program it is in the entire collection. I know longer have use for these pics but i ahve tried to delete a number of ways they disapear then when i click out of the program and go back in there back in there again. please help me get rid of them off my computer. Robin in IOwa
Okay.. according to \015\012http://www.kodak.com/go/esswhelp\015\012\015\012The pictures are protected from accidental deletion. And there is a differen ... Digital Cameras
Deleting pics I am trying to delete a few photos off my 770 SW and it seems to have a black frame making my picture smaller and when i hit the delete button the picture i want to delete takes over the whole screen and wont let me delete it... this has only happeded with 2 of my pictures... it will let me delete any other picture. Did i accidently change something with it.... help!
Hi. I don't know if you accidentally changed something, but I would take all the pictures off. Download them to a pc then format the card. Then, reset the camera back to manufacturer specs. That would fix it.\015\012\015\012Rob ... Olympus Stylus 770 SW Digital Camera
I need to recover deleted pics
I have had success with this... Download Asoftech Photo Recovery program http://www.asoftech.com/apr/You have to use a card reader either on your computer or an ex ... Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX10 Digital Camera
I have a Sanyo VPC S880 and i formatted my camera not knowing what it would do and i lost ALL my pics and videos, wedding pics, baby pics, VERY important things. is there any way i can get these back? PLEASE PLEASE help
I am very sorry to hear this but I am afraid there is no way to retrieve a formated memory. You should never have left all the photos on the memory but must always be transferred to the PC and copied out.\015\012After every function the memory ... Sanyo VPC-S880 Digital Camera
Hi..when I put pictures on computer via Wizard, the delete pictures is not working on the Wizard so the pictures stay on my camera ..then I have to delete the pictures manually one by one. I do not understand why the Wizard is not working to delete the pics from camera like it used to. . I am guessing I have done something and I dont know what? Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanking you in anticipation.
Once your pictures are safely downloaded to your computer, format the card in the camera to completely erase and optimize it. ... Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 Digital Camera


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South Tampa Florist Growing Despite Economic Woes.
We're just about to celebrate our first anniversary! I must say it is a time for celebration. We have done quite well opening a flower shop despite the economic situation. After getting over my fears I decided to take the leap. I must say it has been almost the best thing I have ever done. We base our success on customer service, quality of product, and variety. Taking the time to not only help a customer, but making them feel at home. Turning a customer into a friend is the way to go. Every potential individual entering the store is greeted with a big welcome. We spend time with each individual not only selling them items, but selling Apple Blossoms as well. Educating them as to why to purchase a particular item or flower to suit their needs. We take the time to find out a bit about our customer and hopefully find them exactly what they are looking for at a reasonable price and of the best quality. We offer 1/2 priced cash and carry custom European Wrapped floral bouquets. This comes in real handy for the guy who is in the doghouse. When they find out they can spend 20 dollars and get 40 dollars in flowers they then stop back time and again for even that I Love You Bouquet. As a TAMPA FLORIST we enjoy taking care of all of our customer and clients needs as well as carrying more than just carnations and roses. Evey one is always pleasantly surprised by the variety of flowers and the prices.
Of course keeping our overhead low is a key as well. We hire freelance designers when we need them, and take good care of them when they work for us. It's funny they almost fight to come back. In this industry origination can make or break a business. I pride myself in being very organized especially when it comes to getting 3 weddings out on a weekend to 3 different counties. You have to send the right people to the right places. Being efficient and organized really helps out the bottom line. I must say it's a blessing along with a great knowledge of what I do that keeps the shop growing everyday.


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On 23 April, UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, and the Vice President of the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation, Her Excellency Leila Al Solh, signed a partnership agreement to strengthen the work of the UNESCO Office in Beirut in the area of educational resources and tools, by providing an E-Digital Library, a resource centre and a training facility – all of which will promote quality education for all in Lebanon, with a special focus on young people.
"This new agreement with the Alwaleed Foundation will strengthen the implementation of our work in Lebanon to support the aspirations and ambitions of the Lebanese people to a quality education that is inclusive and that allows them to increase their chances of integration in a world that is increasingly competitive".
"Lebanon requires all possible efforts to support the development of its society and make the most of its history and the wealth of its millennial cultural heritage," said Ms. Leila Al Solh, Vice President of the Alwaleed Foundation and former Minister of Social Affairs of Lebanon.
Established in 2003, the Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation's initiatives and programs in Lebanon are focused on addressing social and community needs in the country. The Foundation provides a framework for Prince Alwaleed's philanthropic and charitable initiatives in Lebanon which date back to the 1980s.
"This new cooperation will bring UNESCO closer to the dreams of young Lebanese people and to support their creativity and develop their skills," said Irina Bokova.
This first agreement marks the beginning of cooperation across UNESCO's areas of competence in the near future.


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It's simple! Just follow this blog! 🙂 From now until the end of December, daily tips for going green in our life! Going green is cost effective, easy and fun! Why should you be Going Green in your Home? Do you enjoy the smell of Bleach or Synthetic Air Fresheners? Are you cleaning your body on one end (detoxing) by eating right and then bombarding it with toxins on another end by using toxic products in our home? About 98% of store bought products are made with synthetically made chemicals. And we wonder why we are tired of being tired and sick of being sick! Commercial products you are using in your home are not good for our planet and the environment The home products you are using are toxic to your our dogs, cats and…children! Who is Really Winning? The companies who manufacture drugs, cleaning products, paints, insecticides are slowing killing us with toxicity. They care about their bottom line; not our health. I hope you become committed to going green in your home. Do it as a gift to yourself, your children, your animals and your planet! I wish you the best in your life and your home! —
Tag Archives: seeds
All About Carrier Oils!
Essential oils are distilled from the leaves, bark, roots and other aromatic portions of a botanical whereas Carrier oils are pressed from the fatty portions (seeds, nuts, kernels).
Carrier oils dilute Essential Oils
kind of like carrying the essential oils onto your skin!
Less is more! Drop by drop of your essential oil(s) onto a tablespoon of carrier oil is all you'll need.
Carrier oils are mostly odorless, but some have a faintly sweet, nutty smell.
They should not have a strong smell.
Some things to keep in mind when using Carrier Oils:
Color! This may be important to you if you are creating a certain color blend or product.
Also, their unique smells may conflict with the smell you are trying to achieve. Their texture – too oily?, etc.
Storing carrier oils in your refrigerator can help they last longer, however, certain carrier oils should not be stored in the fridge(it will indicate that in the descriptions below).
If you do choose to store them in your fridge, return them to room temp first before you use them and
don't worry if they solidify or look cloudy at first!
All of these oils are available in my store! Come check it out! www.mindbodysoulessentials.com
This liquid helps to improve hydration and is soothing and healing to all skin types. It is well renowned for its healing and anti-inflammatory properties and can help to heal cuts, grazes, burns and insect bites.
Note: This is a natural product and therefore should be refrigerated to prolong its shelf life if you are purchasing in large quantities. Regular, everyday use – store in a cool, dark spot.
Origin: USA
Avocado oil (Persea americana) is a thick, penetrating oil that is rich in vitamins A, C, D and E, proteins, beta-carotene, potassium, lecithin and fatty acids. It softens and nourishes dry, dehydrated skin and is easily absorbed. It is said to reduce age spots and heal scars.
Avocado Oil is great for all skin types. This oil has a high "slip" factor. Contains Palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acids. This oil is wonderful for dehydrated skins as it has the ability to penetrate the upper layers of the skin. Avocado oil is very moisturizing and therefore also very helpful for rashes, eczema and aging skin types.
Note: This is a natural product and therefore should be refrigerated to prolong its shelf life if you are purchasing in large quantities. Regular, everyday use – store in a cool, dark spot.
Castor oil is a vegetable oil derived from the castor seed, Ricinus communis. Traditionally castor oil is used for skin problems, burns, sunburns, skin disorders, cuts and abrasions. It is a colorless to very pale yellow liquid with mild or no odour or taste.
Castor oil is a humectant: it creates a protective barrier on the skin, and attracts and retains moisture. It is good for dry, chapped skin and is readily absorbed. It is said to dissolve cysts, growths and warts, and soften corns and prevent scars. Never use raw castor oil. Avoid during pregnancy.
There are several terms that are used to describe the process of making coconut oil – refined, virgin, fractionated… but what's the difference? The term "refined" refers to oils that are made from "copra". Copra is the meat of the coconut that has been sun dried, smoke dried, or kiln dried and has picked up impurities. To remove these impurities the oil is refined, filtered through bleaching clays, and heated to deodorize it. This is also known as fractionated coconut oil.
Grapeseed oil contains vitamins (including vitamin E), minerals, polyunsaturates, protein and linoleic acid (68-76%), which is very important for the skin and cellular membranes. It is a penetrating, odourless, mildly astringent oil that is great for all skin types.
Note: This is a natural product and therefore should be refrigerated to prolong its shelf life if you are purchasing in large quantities. Regular, everyday use – store in a cool, dark spot. Shelf life: 12 months
Jojoba oil is easily absorbed by the skin and has a non-oily, softening effect. Jojoba oil can help to soften and unclog pores when used as a facial massage medium. It contains protein, minerals, plant wax and myristic acid (which also has anti-inflammatory actions) so this oil is helpful as a rub for arthritis and rheumatism. Great for scars, stretch marks, psoriasis, eczema, sunburn, flaky skin. Reduces wrinkles and promotes natural elasticity.
Jojoba is not a nut-based oil. May be used as a base or a 10% dilution.
Unlike many other products on the market, it is not extracted using hexane or other chemicals, nor is it bleached, or deodorized. There are no preservatives, yellow coloring agents (natural or artificial), or other additives in this unrefined shea butter. It is a creamy shade with a nutty, slightly smoky scent that dissipates on the skin quickly. Every ounce is natural, unrefined and of the highest quality.
- Shea butter is created from the nut of the Karite or Shea (Mangifolia) Trees which grow throughout Ghana's region. These trees produce fruit once each year. Each batch of Shea butter is handmade with all natural methods.
- Shea butter is naturally rich in vitamin A and E, both fabulous antioxidants which may help to counteract free-radical damage from the effects of the sun.
- Raw, unrefined Shea butter has an average shelf life of 12 to 24 months without the addition of preservatives. To maximize the shelf life, it is important to store it under the proper conditions as outlined below.
- ~Keep the unrefined Shea butter in a cool area, below 50 degrees F
- ~Store unrefined Shea butter in a dark area, away from direct sunlight
- ~Do not mix old Shea butter with fresh Shea butter
- ~Do not over heat the Shea butter when melting and avoid repeat meltings
Origin: Italy
Not safe for people with nut allergies.
Note: This is a natural product and therefore should be refrigerated to prolong its shelf life if you are purchasing in large quantities. Regular, everyday use – store in a cool, dark spot.
Learn how to make your own Echinacea Tincture
It takes very little time and money to make your own Echinacea tincture. It rewarding to to do things for yourself and know exactly what is in the "medicine" you are taking. Making herbal remedies is as grounding and fulfilling as growing our own food.
Echinacea stimulates the immune system and its antiviral activities help fight colds and flu, as well as promote the healing of infections.
This is an oral application. You will need:
1 one pint glass jar (make sure it is clean) Do not use anything but glass to make your tinctures.
¼ cup dried or 1/2 cup fresh finely chopped or crushed Echinacea flowers and leaves
1 cup vodka (60% alcohol with dried and 80-100% alcohol with fresh) You can use another alcohol such as rum or gin, if that is your preference.
One part plant to two parts alcohol. EXAMPLE: Three ounces (dry measure) of fresh Echinacea flower heads would be placed in a jar with six ounces (liquid measure) of alcohol.
Place dried Echinacea in the jar.
NOTE: If you have fresh Echinacea available there is no need to dry it. Fresh is better than dried. If you use fresh Echinacea, gently wash off the petals and measure about 1 cup of flowers and leaves. You can use the whole plant, flowers, leaves, and root. Many people use the flowers and leaves only since they don't want to dig up the roots.
Pour vodka over the top. Fill as completely as possible to eliminate air, and seal tightly with lid. Label the bottles with the herb name, date made, and the expected date your tincture will be ready. Store in a cool, dark cabinet until needed.
You have now created a menstruum. A menstruum is the liquid used to extract the soluble principles from the herbs or roots. Leave menstruum at room temperature for four to six weeks. Place the jar in a cabinet that you go into daily, so you can shake it every day for thirty days. The tincture will get stronger the longer it sits. The dark brown color indicates that the essential oils from the root have been absorbed by the alcohol.
After the four to six weeks has passed, you will need to strain the herbs out of the vodka. To do this, place a layer of cheesecloth over a large glass measuring cup or small glass mixing bowl and secure with a rubber band. Pour menstruum slowly onto the cheesecloth and allow to drain for a few minutes. Then use your hands to wrap the cheesecloth around the herbs and squeeze out the excess liquid.
Strain herbs as described above. Then discard the herbs.
You now have your very own Echinacea tincture!
Pour tincture into dark, glass bottles for storage. And don't forget to label them.
To use:
At the first sign of a cold or throughout a cold take take ½ to ¾ of a teaspoon 3 to 4 times a day, per day. Echinacea has shown to be most beneficial at the beginning and for the duration of a cold. It is not intended as a long term preventative.
Tinctures from different herbs can be combined for dispensing as a blend!
For topical applications, use olive oil; it's much easier on the skin than alcohol, and has it's own nutritive properties. And you can easily use your tincture made with oil into a salve by melting in some beeswax and adding drops of Essential Oils, if you want.
The key advantages to tinctures are that they are convenient to use, easy to mix into combinations, dosages are easier to control and they have excellent shelf lives.
USING THE ROOTS: You can also use the roots in lieu of flowers and leaves. Fresh roots should be ground with the alcohol in a blender into a pulpy mush.
The ratio of echinacea root to menstruum is 1 to 2. If there is 1 cup of root, add 2 cups of menstruum.
Harvest Echinacea roots by sinking a garden spading fork (a shovel works, too) deeply into the soil, and lean back on the tool handle to GENTLY lift the root ball. The roots grow deep and wide. The idea is to harvest as much root as possible. Keep the tops of the plants intact with the roots so that the echinacea will be easy to identify from the roots of neighboring plants
Shake and massage the soil and unwanted plant roots from the clump. This is a good time to kill a few weeds! Leave as much soil as possible in the garden. Scrub roots with a brush and rinse while rubbing the roots to remove any grit. Place all of the washed roots in a colander to drain. Slice big roots crosswise into rounds (as if cutting carrots) and then chop them into smaller pieces.
As Echinacea ages, clumps are formed with new plants sprouting around the original plant. The oldest plants in the clump may decline as the younger vigorous plants compete for nutritional resources. Dividing the clumps regenerates the plants and gives a perfect opportunity to harvest the roots for tincture. For tincturing, choose Echinacea plants that are at least three years old.
Growing, Harvesting & Propogating Basil
Growing, Harvesting & Propogating Basil
This is a picture of what my Basil and Rosemary looked like after cutting and placing into small plastic bottles and glass jars to begin growing their roots.
Basil, Week 2
Grows easily from seed ~ Basil loves well drained soil
I use organic soil & peat pots to grow the babies. In the fall, I cover the way back of my yard with the leaves and every two years, I use that beautiful soil in my gardening.
Basil, Week 3
Place peat pots in a flat; cover with a plastic dome. Rotate flat each morning to provide equal sun on both sides.Lift dome & gently spray the pots with water every other day or as needed; replace dome top. You are checking to see if the soil is moist.
Seed Germination Period is 5 to 10 days. See pics on this page showing the progress.
Basil, Week 5
Think of a newborn baby. The baby needs food and to be kept directly out of the sun or the baby will get sunburned, right? As you grow your basil, think of your seedlings as babies. Treat them as such.
Allow adequate drainage ~ after transplanting to a pot, line the base of the pot with dime sized rocks
Hang bunches of stems up to air dry. We also keep basil cuttings in water in a little gatorade bottle on our dinner table for easy access – whatever works
Basil is easily propagated through herbaceous stem cuttings. Place cuttings in water to root. You'll see roots shortly. It's amazing to see – get your kids involved
Basil outdoors in the garden
Plant basil outdoors after the last spring frost.
Plant in well drained soil; basil will grow in soils ranging in acidity.
Companion gardening with Basil
Basil can be helpful in repelling thrips.
Basil is said to repel flies and mosquitoes.
Do not plant Basil near Sage.
Basil in my garden!
After your Basil is done for the season, the leaves are beginning to yellow or wilt, it is time to cut.
Propagating Basil
Place the cutting in a glass of water and put it where it can get good sunlight. Use a clear container so you can watch your basil propagation grow root! I use little gatorade bottles or cleaned out jelly and sauce jars 🙂
Change the water every few days until you see root growth. Once the roots on your basil cutting are two inches or longer, you can plant the cutting in a pot indoors. Make sure you put the planter in a place where the plant will get sunlight.
Keep the basil on hand for cooking and for adding to your food after it's prepared!
How To Grow, Use & Harvest Lemon Balm
How To Grow, Use & Harvest Lemon Balm
One of the easiest (in my experience) to grow from seed, rooted cuttings, or by root division
Adds a lemon aroma wherever it is planted
Lemon Balm is relaxing and soothing for the nerves
It calms anxiety & also acts to restore depleted energy and revitalize us
Said to act as a decongestant and antihistamine, helping with chronic problems like asthma or allergies
Balm prefers loose, somewhat fertile soil
Thrives in full sun but likes some shade during the hot part of the day or it will wilt slightly
Lemon balm that is shaded during the hottest part of the day will have deep green leaves and a stronger aroma. In full sun, or poor soil, lemon balm leaves become yellow and loses it's strong scent
Balm does not send runners (like mint) ~ it's self seeding
Plant next to other vigorous growers (perennials) because balm competes for space
Sweet yet invasive herb
Grows from 2 to 2-1/2 feet tall, bushes out laterally, so give them some side space
Trim plants to maintain bushy appearance
Clip back when it flowers
Mulch so it's root system will survive the coldest winters
Drought tolerant ~ I rarely water (doesn't like wet feet)
Harvest and it comes back with vigor everytime. Leave several leaves on the plant to prevent it from dying
If you keep it harvested and don't allow it to go to seed it stays under control
To harvest ~ cut the whole stems 3-4″ from the base of the plant, gather into groups of 5-6 stems, tie and hang in a warm, airy location.
When dry, strip off the leaves, store in a covered container and use as needed
Or wash some after harvesting to use fresh
Divide in the spring or fall
Take cuttings in midsummer to bring in for the winter
Grow from seed ~ start indoors in late winter & transplant
Lemon Balm Uses
Lemon Balm, week 2
1 Tbsp. fresh Lemon Balm
1 cup witch hazelCombine the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Allow to steep for 1 week. Strain. Use 1 teaspoon per application with a cotton ball. Refrigerate if you wish.
Lemon Balm, week 3
Chop the Lemon Balm and place it in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid.Cover the Lemon Balm completely with olive oil or other oil.
Allow the Lemon Balm to infuse into the oil for at least 2 weeks ~ shaking it daily.
At the end of two weeks strain the Lemon Balm from the oil infusion to prevent mold.
Label the Lemon Balm infusion and store it in a cool, dark area.
Lemon Balm, week 4
Use Lemon Balm with seafood or vegetables.
Combine Lemon Balm with mint in cooking to enhance the flavors of both herbs
Lemon Balm makes a good substitute for the flavor of lemon in recipes when there is no lemon on hand
Add Lemon Balm to foods and beverages that use mint to give them a mild lemon flavor
Add Lemon Balm to hot black tea with mint
Lemon Balm is used as a conditioner for oily hair
Lemon Balm, week 5
2 tablespoons
lemon balm, chopped fine
2 tablespoons thyme, chopped fine
1 cup butter, softened
Cream butter and stir in herbs.
Chill for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to blend.Lemon Balm facial
Boil 1/4 cup of lemon balm in a quart of boiling water and then hold your face close to the bowl, using a towel to form a tent around the bowl and trap in steam.
After 10 minutes, rinse your face with warm and then cool water


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Rental Management Solutions has the knowledge and experience to provide you, the investment
property owner, and the services you need to make it possible for you to reap the benefits of rental
property ownership without the headaches that accompany them. Rental Management Solutions can
provide you with a customized service package to fit your property's needs, including leasing vacant
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What We Do For You...
Staff Management
Rental Management Solutions has the experience necessary to evaluate, hire and manage the
appropriate staff for your property. Rental Management Solutions will manage all aspects of payroll,
benefits and human resource functions to ensure that all of your property staffing needs are met.
The operating budget is a must have for any serious investor of a multi-family portfolio and Rental
Management Solutions has the skill and experience to make this happen for you.
The operating budget provides a projection of income, expenses and profit based on realistic numbers.
Rental Management Solutions has over 15-years' experience in creating and performing to multi-family
operating budgets. Call us today to see how we can help!
Property Marketing
Property marketing is about exposure, awareness and ultimately generating traffic. Rental Management
Solutions has a dedicated department who's primary goal is to create and drive traffic to your
property. Rental Management Solutions utilizes signage, newspaper, telephone book listings, bus
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Monthly Reporting
Rental Management Solutions will provide a monthly accounting packet that will provide you with all of
the necessary information to evaluate financial performance of your rental property. The accounting
packet includes an Owners Statement, Rent Roll, 12-Month Profit and Loss, Delinquency Report and
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Nexans shows its colors
Cables that endure almost anything and façade cabinets in color. On March 19th-20th, Nexans will attend SSNF's Annual Conference.
This year the conference will be held at the Swedish Exhibition and Congress Center in Gothenburg. Nexans participates as an exhibitor and promises a colorful participation in the fair. Here we will show among other things our micro cables Ultimate as well as our colored, unique façade cabinets.
Ultimate ™
Ultimate is the name of our micro cables. A name that clearly signals the superior performance of the cables. The cables are developed and tested meticulously to cope with tough, Nordic conditions with cold, heat and wear.
Different colors on our façade cabinets
Property owners invest a lot of time and big money on the exterior, on color, windows and details. But the façade cabinets have always been white and gray. Why? Now we give all proud façades a chance to live a dignified life, where the aesthetic goes hand in hand with the practical. For a simpler everyday life.
The annual conference is one of the conferences organized by the Swedish Local Fibre Alliance in order to create a contact area between network owners, suppliers, authorities and other partners to strengthen the industry.
Hope to see you there!


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29–may.–18 to 7–jun.–18
Admissions Process
The admissions process consists of three basic steps:
- Application: Fill out application form, submit all required documents, and pay application fee.
- Exam: Take the exam administered by the Universidad de los Andes on the specified dates. Alternatively, the GMAT or GRE may be submitted, provided the scores are less than two years old. These results will determine which candidates will be chosen to proceed to the third step.
- Personal Interview: To be conducted with the Program Director and/or tenured professors from the School.
Required Documents:
- Application form, completely filled out online, with printed copy submitted. (Ir al formulario)
- a. The form must be completely filled out online, printed, and submitted with the other documents.
- b. If you filled out the form in the past, you must fill it out and print it again (each form is valid only for the date on which it is filled out and printed).
- Two 3x4 photographs, including the one on the form, with your name written on the back
- Application fee receipt Applicants must pay the nonrefundable application fee of COP 350,000. Payment can be made either online by clicking here or via bank deposit.
- Certified copies of diplomas or graduation certificates accrediting your undergraduate degrees
- Official undergraduate transcripts with weighted average (or certified copies). If the undergraduate degree was completed abroad, the original transcript must have an apostille.
- Current resume
- A letter of recommendation from supervisor or professor filled out on the attached form, sent in an envelope sealed and signed by the evaluator. Download the recommendation form here.
These documents must be submitted at the Centro de Atención Integral (CAI), Calle 18A # 0-33 Este, Bloque E, piso 1, Bogotá, Colombia (open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.).
The following tools are available to help students prepare their PAEP exam:
- Practice test on the LASPAU Web Page
- PAEP practice exercises are available at the School of Management's satellite library.
- The book and also be bought at the University bookshop.
* The School of Management's satellite library holds extra material for the PAEP-LASPAU exam for the exclusive use of the School's students or graduates.
Financial support
Universidad de los Andes has a number of agreements with ICETEX and entities in the financial sector to structure funding systems for graduate students with short-, medium-, and long-term alternatives. For more information please visit the Uniandes Financial Support Office webpage.
NOTE: If you are an international student and are admitted to the program, please note that according to Decree 4000 of November 30, 2004 and Resolution 4700 of November 25, 2009, issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you are required to have a Student Visa or other type of visa that allows you to study.Once the visa is issued, you must go to teller windows 2 or 3 in the Admissions Office, or send an email to email@example.com, in order to fulfill this requirement before printing your registration receipt.
Should you have any questions about this process, please call (571) 339-4949 ext. 2216/3997 or send an email to email@example.com, and you will be advised on how to proceed.
Be sure to give yourself sufficient time when beginning the procedure for applying for a visa in order to avoid any problems with the registration payment.


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Google has announced some new long-awaited features for its latest Gmail app update for iOS, the most prominent of which is support for Notification Centre integration.
This means that new email alerts can now be displayed in the iOS Notification Centre banner, as well as in alert popups and on the lockscreen. As if that wasn't enough, notifications will also now be five times faster.
You'll also now be able to send emails from alternative email addresses within the Gmail app, and the login process has also been improved with no more repetitive logins required. You stay signed in until you logout – just the way it should be.
That's it for this update, but Google has stated that we can look forward to more features in future, including support for multiple accounts, so stay tuned.
[Gmail Blog via BGR]
41MP Nokia 808 PureView price and release date revealed, pre-order today
Google Maps is coming back to iOS 6
Aperture Sentry Turret replica is the ideal companion for your Portal gun


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The Fourth Annual CBOE Risk Management Conference Europe will occur on September 28 - 30, 2015, at the InterContinental Hotel in beautiful Geneva, Switzerland.
This week the Agenda and List of 35 Speakers for RMC Europe were published at www.cboermceurope.com. Hosted by the CBOE, RMC is an educational forum dedicated to exploring the latest products, trading strategies and tactics used to manage risk exposure and enhance yields. RMC brings together top traders, strategists and researchers, enabling participants to learn the state-of-the-art in investment risk management from true experts in the field.
At RMC Europe much of the focus will be on the volatility of a variety of different assets, including equities, interest rates and currencies. CBOE offers more than 25 volatility indexes that are updated intraday and can serve as valuable gauges for expected volatility. Note in the chart below that there recently have been big upward moves for the CBOE China ETF Volatility Index (VXFXI), CBOE VIX of VIX Index (VVIX), and CBOE Crude Oil ETF Volatility Index (OVX).
Titles for some of the key speakers include -
To learn more about RMC Europe and to register to attend, please visit www.cboermceurope.com.


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Congratulations to our March Photo ID Contest winner, Christie Jess! She correctly identified the photo below as Saskatchewan Glacier, Parker Ridge. Christie won a copy of Graeme Pole's Canadian Rock Explorer book.
This is the LAST month you could win a copy of Canadian Rocky Explorer for yourself. If you correctly identify the photo below, you'll be entered into a drawing to win a copy of Graeme's lovely and informative guide. It's full of photos, historical information, and tips to enhance your outdoor experience (from animal tracking to bird watching). Click here to enter!


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"Susan's suggestions were spot on, and I found that when I directed my energy and focus on the areas in my life that she recommended, magic happened!! I felt more in-tune with my life's passion and my calling than I ever have before."
–Andrea, client
Susan uses the power of Feng Shui and space energetics to show you a map of where your energy is blocked then lays out a fun, doable plan to help you bring flow again. Her clients have exponentially grown their businesses, manifested dream homes, attracted The One and created optimal health for themselves.
There's nothing you can't create when you have the energy of your space on your side.
Susan came to this work through personal experience. After becoming a successful art director and then moving to an apartment that made her feel stuck and stagnant, she implemented some Feng Shui principles that made her life instantly flow again. To the order of expanding into a Manhattan design studio and hiring employees!
She's passionate about working with people who want to create greatness in their lives but whose spaces are unknowingly holding them back.


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Archive for category creative writing
Power Outage
Posted by Elaine Olund in creative writing, musings, writing workshop notes on August 20, 2019
Power Outage, August 20, 2019
I like the sound of the cars, passing lonely on the rainy afternoon street, the way the sound of the rain rises up like a wave crashing, then falls softly to patter. I like the way the Catalpa dances, tossing her branches like girls toss long hair.
I wait for the power to surge back, for the refrigerator to chime in with the cicadas and crickets cued up by a pause in the rain, I wait for work to resume and life to go back online.
Far away, an alarm siren is hyperventilating, wailing up and down, hiccupping distress. Birds sing and then go silent as the rain begins and thunder rumbles again; chirping and trilling rise up as the sky dries.
The lights flicker on, and with them, low drone of machines waking and then gasping dark and dumb as the power drops out again. Nature rushes to fill the vacuum of quiet, thunder's rolling again—or is it a dump truck, rumbling up Hamilton?
I like the feeling I have of being all alone, floating in a bubble of sounds that stream around me, under me, over me, as if I am bobbing in a warm river of thrum and strum, rattle and hum.
Across the street, Mary's raspy voice floats, softened by the weather, "Hey," she asks her next-door neighbor, "Hey, is your power off, too?" She sings the syllables. Fading rain pats the roof, gently, gently. The catalpa sways slowly now, back and forth, back and forth, steady, steady, like I swayed when I held my babies long ago.
I close my eyes, remembering the feeling of baby skin against my chest. Suddenly Mama's right next to me, as if the storm has swept her into the house like a wind-sucked sparrow. Eyes closed, window open. Breeze tickling. We listen to the clouds lifting, to the birds calling. We take turns guessing Goldfinch or Cardinal, Robin or Wren, some silly game we began in 1992 and take up this August afternoon as if nothing's changed, as if no time has passed, and nothing is ever lost.
This was the result of a two-part prompt. In a nutshell, part one is listening, eyes closed, for 6 minutes. Just breathing and listening, noticing whatever sounds are present. Part two was reading the poem "Aware" by Denise Levertov, then beginning a ten-minute fastwrite starting with "I liked the sound". (one of the phrases from the poem). Any poem that focuses on sound or listening would work for this two-part prompt. Try it and see what happens.
May 16, 2196
Posted by Elaine Olund in creative writing, travel, Uncategorized, writing workshop notes on June 14, 2019
(Following is an excerpt from my novel, The Last Butterfly, that I'm workshopping this week at Colgate University in New York…feeling excited to reconnect with these characters…finally going to finish my edits/plot-hole fixes! It's told in the voice of Luna, a 15 year old who lives in the deadzone of what was once central Indiana, in the year 2196.)
May 16, 2196
I thought he was a bad man, come to kill me in my sleep. Or rape me. I opened my mouth to scream, and a hard hand clamped my mouth shut. It was a man, a tall man looming over me in the darkness.
Then I saw it was Reece, whispering to be quiet. He'd climbed in my window, silently, like a cat.
I was dreaming. I thought I was dreaming.
Until he said my name, said to come with him, hurry.
"There's not much time, Luna, hurry. Shh. Don't wake Augusta."
"Where's your Papa?" he hissed, then shook his head when I began to answer. "Never mind. See if your Mama is sleeping," he whispered. "Don't wake her."
I peeked through the doorway in the adjoining room. Mama slept with Stella curled on one side and Thor on the other.
We crept silently past Mama, through the dome, and out into the yard. A thousand stars lit the clear night. I looked up at Reece. He looked stronger, taller, thinner. His hair was loose, and past his shoulders now.
I threw my arms around him, felt myself dissolving in tears of joy at seeing him again. He wrapped his arms around me, hugged me tight to his hard bony chest. He smelled of sweat and dirt and fire. "I don't have much time," he said. He took hold of my upper arms and pushed me gently away.
"Luna, I have to go, I can't stay. I came to warn you. I was going to tell Daniel, or Chan—where is everyone?" I started to tell him everything, how Bart and Crimson and David left, about the bone, about Chan and Nikki and Lev and Antonia leaving the colony.
He cut me off. "Where's your Papa?"
"How did you know he's gone?"
"It doesn't matter—I looked through the windows, all of them. Is my father the only man here?"
"He's supposed to be on watch," I said.
"Well, he's watching with his eyes closed," Reece said, he smiled a little, a flash of his old joking self.
"Don't you want to see him? And Grammie? Why are we whispering?"
His dark eyes met mine. "There's no time, I have to go or I'll be missed. " He looked old, suddenly, and hard. Dangerous. "I don't want anyone tracking me here. Soldiers have no hearts, Luna, even in the Freedom League. They'd kill your chickens and take the goats, take all your food, and probably do – horrible things…" He took a deep breath, and then kissed the top of my head. "People do horrible things, Luna," he whispered.
He thrust me away again. His voice was edged with panic. "Just listen, okay? No more talking. You have to tell everyone what I'm telling you, and you have to get it right."
And then he told me how South Bend was in Junt's control, how the Junt army had slaughtered everyone, and taken control of the IonoWave.
"But– Chan! Nikki! Lev—they're going there! To work, to earn freehold –"
"There's no time, Luna. I have to go! You need to leave here, right away. Leave and head south. Indianapolis is still safe, and fortified. There are Junt guerillas heading south. They'll do more than kill your chickens, do you understand?" He shook my shoulders. "If they find you, they'll kill you all. You can't be here! Do you understand?"
I nodded.
"I have to go. I have to get back before I'm missed."
"But…" I began, dazed. "Don't, please, don't go!"
"Take this." He pulled a big, sheathed knife from his pocket. "Tie this onto you. If someone tries to take you, stab him in the eye, or in the balls. Then run, hear me? Run!"
"Reece, you're scaring me. Stay with us! Come with us!"
He shook his head. His long dark hair shone in the starlight. "You don't understand. I've pledged my service. We have to try to stop them, Luna. I have to go. Please. Wake everyone when I've gone. And then go! Go south." His words spilled out in a rush. "Don't let my father come after me. Tell him I love him. Tell Grammie…" his deep voice caught. He pulled me into his arms for just a moment. One of those long moments, where time stretches out. I felt his heart beating hard in his chest.
"I love you, Luna," he whispered. I looked up at him, wordless. He kissed me hard, on the mouth. I tasted salt. I gripped onto his arm. He wrenched himself away, pulling free from my grasp. I dropped the knife.
He bent and picked it up. His face was wet with tears. "Don't let this go," he said, handing the knife to me again. "Wait five minutes. Then wake everyone, and go!"
"But Papa's in Greenfield," I said.
"If he's not back when you've packed, go without him," Reece said. "Just go."
He left me then, alone under the black sweep of the sky, the amaranth dancing in the soft breeze, the goats and chickens stirring softly, the crickets chirping.
If I hadn't had the knife to prove he'd come, no one would have believed it.
Mnemosyne and the Muses
Posted by Elaine Olund in creative writing, current events, musings, photography, travel, Uncategorized on May 12, 2019
Last night I woke in the teeth of the storm, shaking in a strange bed in a strange place. This time, it wasn't a dream.
I woke to thunder so loud I could feel it course through me, over and over, the way a bass beat at a rock concert vibrates in your spine. Thunder so intense it rattled the old wooden double-hung window of the century-old shotgun house on Maurepas where I slept on Mother's day eve, my youngest nearby, both of us startling awake and sliding into dreams again and again, as the storm rolled overhead.
The drifting and waking reminded me of the way I slept between contractions during labor, slept and woke, slept and woke, a nether world of sleep and memory.
Sliding between storm and sleep, the picnic of the evening before replayed. On blankets spread on the banks of Bayou St. John we shared crusty bread, sharp cheese, black bean hummus, sweet strawberries and veggie stir-fry with gingery tofu. Wine and laughter. My dear ones and their dear ones, all of us sprawling together as the cloudy daylight slid into darkness, the bayou reflecting the lights of the big houses on the far shore.
There were seven of us, six twenty-somethings and one fifty-something: me, mother to two of the group, mother-aged for all. I felt a bit like Mnemosyne, mother of the muses, listening to the younger ones discussing their dreams and how they are bringing them to life. I marveled at their gifts, admiring their drive and determination without any maternal pride, because it's become clear to me that I have very little to do with how even my own adult children turned out, apart from nurturing them and then getting out of the way as much as I could while they explored their gifts.
Mnemosyne—mother of the muses and keeper of memory.
Sitting in a circle with these beautiful young ones, I imagined how Mnemosyne's heart must have swelled with joy, seeing the brilliance of the offspring she helped bring into being, one for every wild night she spent with Zeus, collisions of passions like storms in the night, wild creation birthing wildly creative beings.
Back to the storm of last night. This was not a normal Midwestern sort of storm, where the gods battle high in the heavens. This storm blew in at sea level, and I was inside this storm as if at sea, the little shotgun house a boat in the waves, the rain sounding like cresting waves crashing on the tin roof, hail pounding, windows rattling.
And in the morning, writing this—all magically calm again. Birds singing (where do they go, I wonder, in that kind of storm?)
On the shotgun porch as I write, it hits me how scared I've felt lately about the state of the world, about the global storms blowing the world off-course. This Mother's day morning, I am hopeful again. The muses are at work, with their creative vision, their bravery and resilience.
It makes me want to forget the idea I sometimes have of being too old to join in. Because we can't shirk it all off on the younger generation. That was what happened to my own generation, after all. All hope was thrust onto us to save the environment. Hippies turned to stock brokers as the impossibility of one generation creating change alone drained all energy. And here we are, sliding backwards. But from the bottom, maybe we can surface to a new world? If we all wake and work?
Even the old birds are singing hopeful songs this morning.
Even the worst storms eventually clear to a morning like this one, with sunshine and possibility.
Note: there is a wonderful section of New Orleans where all the streets are named for the muses. Read about it here: http://kreweofmuses.org/the-muses/mythology/
Write about a time you were rocked and felt held
Posted by Elaine Olund in creative writing, Uncategorized, writing workshop notes, yoga on March 30, 2019
Fastwrite prompt from a recent writing workshop:
Take a deep breath. Let it out slowly. Feel your shoulders relax.
Remember a time you were held, and rocked. Or a time you held someone, and rocked them. Any time you felt safe, held.
Begin there. Write for 7 minutes, focusing on the sensations, the moment.
Here's what came up for me:
Sea-salt air hammock snugged around my sturdy body
little me in my chlorine-bleached Speedo
rope-web diamonding my solid thighs
Kennebunk sun, north sun
light as a cotton sweater on a cool morning
swaying, swaying, swaying, swaying away
Gulls overhead blue sky then pines then smoke bushes
green gaze rolling like a marble in the swing, swing
springs of the hammock singing along with my
Nonsense syllables wiggling toes and goosebumps
Queen Anne's lacy head tickling my back
shivering me in the carrot-scented breeze
Summer waning, sliding swaying
far off a tractor growls in the Ricker's potato fields…
at the fringe edge of the forest, a deer watches, dark eyed.
Write about a time there were flowers…
Posted by Elaine Olund in creative writing, photography, writing workshop notes on March 25, 2019
plump smell, like baby skin, blooming
so beautiful so smooth
(everyone says so)
and I think of daisies and lilies and youth,
smooth and slippery
the sweet smooth skin holding memories in,
pressed like petals between book covers
dried papery flat, crackly as a map of a lost world:
how to find our way back when
we are all falling apart,
cell by cell,
moment by moment
going, going, gone—
still springtime's tap pours out, keeps pouring
children smooth-skinned happy laughing cranky cries rise
on the wind near the playground
little feet wiggle in strollers pushed by vacant fathers, mothers
eyes lost in thoughts, worries
little griefs trip us, cracks in the sidewalk
all we can feel sometimes is the hard fall, smooth
stripped away scraped bloody
while above the sidewalk, a canopy of tulip trees
unfurls hundreds—no thousands—of trembles
petals waving
tiny flags alive in the breeze
when falling apart,
look up
Prompt: Hold a flower. Examine the petals, smell it. Breathe in.
Now: close your eyes, and think of a time from memory or imagination, when there were flowers. Go: write for 11 minutes.
Negative belief #452: "I don't have it together."
Posted by Elaine Olund in creative writing, drawing/painting, musings, Uncategorized on January 28, 2019
Maybe having it together has nothing to do with those benchmarks of graduation, certification, publication, validation?
Maybe having it together isn't about someone else's notion of
achievement. Or being better than anyone else.
Or that winning makes someone else a loser.
Or that trying and failing is somehow shameful.
That you have to be balanced all the time.
New belief: "I am on a journey, doing my best. Imperfect."
That means when the anxious zinging starts, the uneasiness arises—I can just FEEL it and stop trying to bargain it away, hoping when I do THIS or THAT—whatever new thing I find lacking, like say, being organized—that when I achieve that thing, I will be "together" at last.
Imperfect. Not great, never was. See what is, and build from there. Stop pretending. Let what is reveal itself.
Perfection is deception. Perfection is a poison pill packaged and sold next to the botox and collagen injections. Perfection is the woman on a pedestal who cannot squish mud between her polished toenails. Some warped white-washed selfish notion of perfection, I think, lies behind the toxic, racist Make America Great Again slogan—the notion that rewriting the past will coat every ugly truth in the golden light of remembered sunsets past, and save us from ourselves. No. Recovery from perfections micro and macro requires seeing what is, ugly, messy, real.
I will treat you gently, Perfection. You are bone-china blue-white transparent, so damned fragile. I pack you up in a pine box, swaddle you in virgin cotton balls grown and picked by browner hands in hot sun, oh porcelain beauty, flowers fine painted with single-hair brushes by small hands in some far-off land, petaled curves over and over perfect, while outside the sun and rain and wind are lost, years are lost, squinting childhood away, lost.
Perfection, you voracious beautiful wicked thing. I hold you, marveling at how I carried you proudly all those years, thinking it was an honor, my duty, my job?
I'd smash you, and maybe I should? But I fear I'd want to reassemble you somehow, find a way to make you whole again—and so I would waste more time.
Because you are just what you are, shiny prize, symbol of false wholeness.
I will nestle you in this little wooden box, so like a coffin.
I will bury you outside in the moonlight before the hard frost comes, bury you under the cherry tree with all the other beliefs I have, at last, I hope, outgrown.


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Business Lines:
A trained Chartered Accountant, after qualification Simon worked in audit for PwC including spells in London and San Jose. He completed a full time MBA in 2003 and ran a property development business in Glasgow for several years before moving into banking with spells at Bank of Scotland, Clydesdale Bank and National Australia Bank.
Simon worked in the distressed property space for six years, leading the forced exit teams in both Scotland and London for the Clydesdale Bank/National Australia Bank as well as consensual run out teams. During this time he gained significant exposure to the property sector and in particular, of the challenges clients face when articulating their position to existing and new lenders – and the difference this can make to their position. Presenting the right proposition to banks and ensuring that the business is in the best possible position to achieve the right refinance needs specialist advice and Simon and his team provide this through the Debt Advisory offering.
Office locations
Inverness Address
Kintail House
Beechwood Business Park
Glasgow Address
Finlay House
10-14 West Nile Street


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Irish, Orioles clinch state berths
Chuck Kajer
The St. Patrick Irish and New Prague Orioles earned the final two state tournament berths in the Region 3C baseball tournament over the weekend.
Both state-clinching games were scheduled for Friday, Aug. 3. St. Patrick was at Montgomery in a game that was twice delayed by rain. After waiting out the storms, the Irish finally prevailed 10-5 over the Mallards. New Prague played at Union Hill in the other contest, and that game also was interrupted by rain. It was suspended and was supposed to be resumed Saturday afternoon, but field conditions forced a second day's delay. In the end, New Prague defeated the host Bulldogs 4-1.
In the winner's bracket on Sunday, Aug. 5, New Market defeated Faribault 8-1, giving the Muskies the inside track on the No. 1 seed from the region and a first-round bye in the state tournament.
New Prague and St. Patrick will play at 8 p.m Monday, Aug. 6, at Veseli. The loser will be the No. 4 seed at state from the region. The winner will play at Faribault at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The loser of that game is the No. 3 seed, while the winner will play New Market at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 10, for the championship of the double-elimination tournament. If New Market loses on Friday, a final game would be played Sunday, Aug. 12, at 1 p.m.
The State Amateur Baseball Tournament will be held in New Prague, Shakopee and Jordan over three weekend starting August 17 and concluding on Labor Day.


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ORNL Review Archive
Titan Rising
- Editorial: Driving R&D through supercomputing
- Features: Solvable problems ... Moving to Titan ... Programming Titan ... Virtual reactor ... Joining forces for biofuels ... Behind the data ... Climate models for a changing world ... Modeling material defects
- A Closer View: Jeff Nichols
- Research Horizons Oxygen-23 Loses Its Halo ... ORNL/UTK Team Maps the Nuclear Landscape
Innovation Nation
- Editorial: Generating Innovation
- Features: Innovation drives the nation ... Printing out the future ... Next-gen engineers ... Synergistic R&D ... Strategic science ... Competitive advantage ... Keeping it fresh ... 10,000 feet down ... Waterproof warriors
- A Closer View: Lonnie Love
- Research Horizons: GE turbomachinery ... Titan rising
Zoom in on Nanoscience
- Editorial: Nanoscience in the 21st century
- Features: Creative synergy ... Vascular voyage ... Better batteries from the ground up ... Probing nanopores ... Designing materials for the future ... Speed-reading DNA ... A closer look at catalysts ... Molecular machinery
- A Closer View: Sean Smith
- Research Horizons: Quantum advantage
Addressing the World's Energy Challenges
- Systems Biology: Advancing at a Breathtaking Pace : Editorial: Unraveling Life's Molecular Mysteries ... New Tools of Analysis ... First, the Questions ... Sequencing The First Tree Genome ... Pathways Underlying Disorders ... Piloting The Pipeline ... Neutron-Rich Mecca For Biologists ... A Clean Mouse Research Lab ... A Return On Investment ... Providing Access to The Best Biological Tools
- A Rich Past: Pioneer of Biological Research ... ORNL's Unsung Discovery
- Profile: Tuan Vo-Dinh: Inventor and Mentor
- Research Horizons: Guiding Light ... Another World Record
- Awards: ...and the Winners are...
Addressing the World's Energy Challenges
- Editorial: Regaining America's Leadership in High-Performance Computing ... Leadership-Class Computing for Science
- Scientific Discovery: Biology: Uncovering Secrets of Living Cells ... Climate and Carbon Research: Glimpses of Global Warming ... Fusion: Progress Through Computation ... Materials: Exploring and Modeling 21st Century Materials ... Astrophysics: Simulating Supernovae ... Chemistry: Tomorrow's Molecular and Nanoscale Devices
- Partnerships, Systems, Services, Support: Center for Computational Sciences: A Leadership-Class Facility ... Partnerships: Joining Hands to Address National Problems ... Networking: Linking America's Laboratories ... Software Tools: Scalable Systems Software for Terascale Computer Centers ... Future Computing Technologies: Pathfinders for Ultrascale Computing ... Visualization: New Ways to Understand the Data ... Industry: A Critical Connection
- Awards: ...and the Winners are...
Back To The Future: Nuclear Energy Research
- Features: Editorial ... Nuclear Power And Hydrogen Production: Fabricating Fuels ... Future Reactor Materials: Can the Next Generation Take The Heat? ... Future Reactor Materials: A Revolutionary Reactor Concept ... Uranium Enrichment: Coming Full Circle ... Nuclear Waste: Recovering Fuel From Waste ... Nuclear Safety: Staying In The Comfort Zone ... Nuclear Fuel: Getting Credit ... Reactor Power In Space: Shooting For The Moons ... Reactor Power In Space: Ahead Of Their Time
- Groundbreaking Science: New Horizons In Science Briefing ... Carrying Your Weight ... Defining The "Machines Of Life" ... Nanofluidics And The Artificial Cell ... Imitating Nature ... Tiny Detectors ... A Neutron Microscope ... Neutron Clues ... Uncovering The Evidence ... Bone Diaries ... From Exotic To Extinct ... Protein Folding Gone Awry ... Unfolding The Answers
- Profile: Jeff Wadsworth: New Director, New Directions
- Research Horizons: Cyber Science ... Modernizing The Grid ... ORNL's Impact On Big Bang Research
- Awards: And The Winners Are...
Making Waves in Photonics Research
- Reflections on Nobel Prize Winners
- Advanced Photonics at ORNL: Shedding Light on a New Initiative
- Hybrid Optics: Two Complementary Lenses for the Price of One?
- Phosphate Glass for Photonics
- Single Dye Molecule Detected in Droplet
- Molecular Clusters, Laser Snow, and the Ozone Layer
- Photonics on the Production Line
- Illuminated Membranes Cleanse Groundwater
- Other Photonics Highlights at ORNL
- Ultraprecision Manufacturing Technologies for Optics
- ORNL's Thin-Film Waveguide and the Information Highway
- Early Signs of Environmental Damage and Recovery
- East Fork Poplar Creek: Signs of Ecological Recovery
- Awards and Appointments
- Educational Activities
- Technical Highlights
- R&D Updates
- Technology Transfer
Beaming Up Better Materials
- Research Reactor of the Future: The Advanced Neutron Source
- A History of the ANS: Going Back to the Source
- Fruits of Neutron Research
- Building a Better Reactor Through Research
- Laser Ablation: Opening Doors to New Materials for Industry
- Mice and Men: Making the Most of Our Similarities
- Technical Highlights
- Awards and Appointments
- Educational Activities
- R&D Updates
- Technology Transfer
Disorder in Crystal Surfaces
- ORNL and Antarctica
- Reducing Friction To Save Energy
- Differing Structures of Amorphous Solids
- The Verdict on Acid Rain
- ORNL's Contributions to NAPAP
- Awards and Appointments
- Educational Activities—Successful first Saturday Academy for Computing and Mathematics; photograph of Oak Ridge teacher in national magazine
- R&D Updates—ORNL waste site surveyed by mobile robot; ORNL materials aboard Ulysses space probe; ORNL procedure adopted by EPA
- Technical Highlights—Part of gene making fruit fly resistant to insecticides cloned; subtle DNA changes and trace levels of organics detected by two ORNL mass spectrometer systems; rat lung tumors targeted by ORNL's monoclonal antibodies; new theory on tokamak operations
- Technology Transfer—Optics MODIL organized; iron aluminide technology licensed to two firms
ORNL's Future Missions
- 2 Editorial—ORNL can help synthesize new materials, as called for by a recent National Research Council report.
- Robotics for Nuclear Reactors and Hazardous Environments
- Examining Substitutes for Ozone-Depleting Chemicals
- Mechanisms of Radon Transport
- ORNL's Future Missions
- Awards and Appointments
- Take a Number
- Educational Activities—Science and Technology Alliance; memorandums of understanding
- User Facilities—Bioprocessing Research Facility examined
- R&D Updates—New findings on attic insulation and heat loss; ORNL contributions to shaping National Energy Strategy many and varied; computation speed record attained; U.S . civil defense's ability to meet threat of nuclear winter studied; ORNL tritium sales ended; support for Operation Desert Shield
- Technical Highlights—5 R&D 100 Awards for ORNL; new concept for producing very pure therapeutic drugs continuously
- Technology Transfer—Radiation detector for groundwater licensed; new R&D agreements allowed


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A Homeopathic Primer
Skeptic groups worldwide are gearing up for the 10:23 protest on Saturday, and those of us in Winnipeg are looking forward to our warmest weekend in quite some time.
I've procured some Boiron "hypericum perforatum" (St. John's Wort) at 30C, which (I am told) will heal puncture wounds, bruises, and crushed fingersnot only that, but it prevents lockjaw! No tetanus vaccine required! As tempting as it is to smash my hand with both sides of a hammer before downing the bottle, I think that I'll err on the side of caution, in case the tablets aren't quite as efficacious as claimed.
While we were polishing off our preparations, it occurred to me that not everyone is familiar with what homeopathy actually is. It's just natural medicine, right? Nope!
If you don't know much about homeopathy, or you need a refresher, check out this talk that I presented on the history and practice of homeopathy at SkeptiCamp Winnipeg last year.
If you're not big on video, the text of the presentation (with references) can be found at the Winnipeg Skeptics blog or at Startled Disbelief.
Enjoy your weekend, everyone!


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MIAMI—Who knew Ricky Romero could provide emergency CPR for an entire major-league Jays pitching staff, but on Friday he did. With journeyman right-hander David Pauley arriving as re-enforcement and with the pen having logged 47 innings in the previous nine games, the Jays' ace left-hander saved the day, working seven innings in a 12-5 victory over the slumping Marlins.
"That's one of the things that we talk about any time we have an injury to any guy on our team," manager John Farrell said prior to the series opener. "(Ricky) just needs to go out and be himself. If there's one thing we're looking for it's innings, to be honest, for our starting pitcher to go out and pitch a normal number of innings. For Ricky, in a given start, that would be a good thing."
The Jays earlier received good news on one of their three stricken starters, Drew Hutchison. The 21-year-old right-hander had suffered what was diagnosed as a sprained UCL on June 15 against the Phillies. He flew to Cincinnati and the original diagnosis was confirmed by orthopedist Dr. Timothy Krimchek. At that point, Hutchison flew to Florida where he was to make a family decision on the next step, whether it was Tommy John surgery like Kyle Drabek, or a program of rehabilitation.
Blue Jays weigh pitching options, from radical to traditional
"He's on a no-throwing program for four to six weeks," GM Alex Anthopoulos said of the good news. "If it's six weeks before he throws, then he starts up again and get ready, we're probably looking at September. The good part about it is that when you're talking about a UCL, you're usually talking about Tommy John surgery. In Drew's case it's not going to happen.
"Drew did a good job in that he said he wanted to be smart about this. He didn't feel right and you often see guys try to throw through things and then hurt themselves way worse. Thankfully, he let the trainers know sooner rather than later and possibly avoided something a lot worse."
The Jays have been scrambling for pitching since June 11 when Brandon Morrow threw nine pitches and was shut down. He suffered a severely strained left oblique. Then came Drabek who requires Tommy John surgery and finally Hutchison. In the 10 games, the Jays are 5-5 ever-teetering on the edge of a pitching precipice, with Jesse Chavez and Joel Carreno called for emergency starts and with Robert Coello and Aaron Laffey logging significant relief moments.
"Right now it's an eight-man bullpen," Farrell shrugged. "Unless we go through the turns of the rotation a couple of times and guys are running out there for seven innings a night, minimum six, that might give us some flexibility and freedom to go to a more conventional bullpen arrangement. For right now, any time you have a starter who has to be removed in the third or fourth inning, again, you're probably looking to make a change and trying to catch up once more."
The Marlins had arrived back in South Florida following a night game in Boston around 3 a.m. They lost. Combine that with the fact the Fish were already in a slump, losing 13 of 15 games, and it left it wide open for the Jays to take advantage. And that they did.
The Jays had led at any point after a complete inning just once in 27 frames in Milwaukee and that provided the winning margin in the middle game. But on this night, they got off to a quick start, with leadoff man Brett Lawrie clearly recovered from the tweak he suffered to his right knee on Wednesday. Lawrie tripled, dumping a ball onto the right field line and scored on a Colby Rasmus grounder. Romero provided a rare Jays' shutdown inning after his team had scored.
Lawrie was in the middle of two more scoring rallies vs. starter Anibal Sanchhez with base hits in both the third and fourth innings. The Jays scored two in the third on a Jose Bautista single and a Kelly Johnson sacrifice fly, then added three more in the fourth on bases loaded walks to Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion and another sac-fly by Johnson.
Lawrie, who set a career high with four runs scored, keyed a five-run sixth inning, drawing a walk against Ryan Webb to lead off. Kelly Johnson singed him home in an inning capped by a two-run double to right field by catcher and Miami native J.P. Arencibia. In the seventh, Jose Bautista slammed his 23rd homer of the season, tying Adam Dunn for the AL lead. The relentless offence helped Romero cruise, just challenging Marlins and attempting to go deep into a blowout.
Romero yielded a fourth inning homer to Giancarlo Stanton and a fifth inning RBI single by Hanley Ramirez. Then in the sixth, he walked Justin Ruggiano leading off, with Omar Infante slugging his seventh homer of the season deep into the left field seats.
Unfortunately, following each Romero start the Jays dip into a sea of uncertainty when it comes to the remainder of the rotation. The Jays are 3-11 in games Henderson Alvarez starts, with Brett Cecil, Jesse Chavez and Laffey rounding it out. They will seek help from outside.
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"I know some people believe July is when we'll look at it, I personally have never felt that way," Anthopoulos said. "If there's the right deal with the right player you go ahead and jump at it. Expanded the pool? I say yes, there's no doubt, because we have more opportunities, there are more players down. There's no question with these guys being out, it definitely opens up the pool a little bit. There may be some players that we would have looked at but not been as serious about."
Somehow the Jays remain two games above .500 and 2-1/2 games out of a wild-card.


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If you are looking for the 100th Challenge Blog Hop, click here.
With all of the excitement of the 100th Challenge and the return of some of our former Divas, I totally forgot to pick the winner from the Party Animal Challenge!!
The winner is:
Congratulations, Vicky U!!
Please email me your choice of 3 High Hopes stamps along with your mailing address to: firstname.lastname@example.com to claim your prize!


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Chicken Cartoons
Oct 18, 2015
Jan 29, 2015 (Super Bowl)
March 22, 2014
dinosaur refused to drink from a waterer contaminated by dirt, debris and droppings.
Make your chickens happy. Give them a BriteTap® chicken waterer.
BriteTap: Clean Water Made Simple.TM
March 18, 2014
February 23, 2014
When chickens took over the management at Campbell's, few realized the dramatic
changes they would make to the product line.
February 24, 2014
Nothing makes you scream like the site of a dirty chicken waterer.
Nothing makes your day easier than a clean one.
The BriteTap Chicken Waterer is Clean Water Made Simple.
February 23, 2014
Rene Magritte's Son of Chicken was added to the collection in 1987. The work
was donated by a benefactor who wishes to remain anonymous.
This piece is conservatively estimated at $7.5 million in today's strong art market.
It was the second piece to be added to the BriteTap Chicken Waterer Gallery and
remains one of the most popular art works in the collection.
February 23, 2014
Few art lovers realize that the many of the artworks that hang in museums today
have been altered for public display. The original chicken artwork is owned by
the ChickenWaterer Gallery in Palo Alto.
In a rare public showing of these works, we will be posting photographs of the
originals on our web site and facebook page over the course of the next few days.
Admission is free to the public.
February 16, 2014
Hen Curling made its debut at the Nagano games in 1998 and has since grown to be
the most popular event in winter sports. Eleven countries are fielding Hen Curling
teams in Sochi this year and the competition has been brutal.
"Sweden has a stranglehold on this game," says Red Star, President of the British
Hen Curling Association, "There are only two rounds left, and Sweden is in the
lead 8-3. I've always felt it was Sweden's game to lose."
February 15, 2014
Chicken Olympics Update: U.S. Hen's have scored 5 medals but the field has become
so competitive that no country has a clear lead in the race for Olympic gold.
February 10, 2014
year in Sochi and are looking for gold.
"The goal is two gold medals in Sochi," said coach Buff Orpington, "Anything else would
be a disappointment. The
too many people and sponsors counting on us."
February 9, 2014
unbelievable. It's such a tough sport to stay competitive at because most hens as they
get older get wiser and realize that it's not a sport you should be doing very long."
February 2, 2014
January 11, 2014
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013


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AKRON, Ohio– LeBron James' entertainment company has sold another script.
On Friday, SpringHill Entertainment announced CBS is developing a sports agency comedy produced by James. The show is co-written by Craig Gerald and Matt Zinman, former writers for "How I Met Your Mother."
"Thankless" focuses on a group of assistants working a sports agency in Chicago.
SpringHill Entertainment said this is the third sale during its first TV development season after signing an agreement with Warner Bros. NBS bought a family comedy based in Cleveland called "There Goes The Neighborhood" and a sports medicine drama.
SpingHill, which is a partnership between James, and friend and business partner Maverick Carter, already produces "Survivor's Remorse" and "Cleveland Hustles."


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I finally got my Noriko Sakai CDs in the mail today. I guess it took awhile to get to Hawaii :) I can't believe I still love listening to her music after almost 20 years :)
I got her latest single and album :)
Right now, I'm listening to the CD but earlier, I watched about half of the DVD and I love it so far. This was her 1998 Asian Tour In Hong Kong ~work out fine~ concert and she sang a few of her song in Chinese. Anyway, here's a few vidcaps…
Next month, I need to check Hakubundo to see if Noriko Sakai will be putting out a 2008 calendar, so I can place my order. I hope she does.


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Welcome to Finley Experience
This website is dedicated to LGBT folks who are surviving in this crazy world.
What's good for one isn't necessarily good for another.
Attempting to control the hearts and souls of the masses through force and injustice only forces the seeds of dissension to grow. History has taught this lesson repeatedly. Perhaps, we'll learn the lesson this time.
13 October 2011
Occupy Shreveport
Occupy Shreveport solidarity march to be held 15 October 2011. The marchers can meet at the Union Hall beginning at 8:30 am (for sign making and other preparation). The protesters will meet at the Caddo Courthouse around 10 am for opening remarks and instructions for protesters. The march will begin at 10:30 am.
Posted by Altimagewritingco at 10:30
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Some Nights by FUN
(*Please Note: We the People of the United States of America are citizens of a Constitutional Republic, a.k.a. The Republic. We are not a direct democracy like some believe. By the Constitution, we are a Representative Democracy. We elect representation to defend the Constitution and the People. We placed our faith with government in the people, not in monarchs, not in career politicians, but in the People.
You want changes? Then, it is time for you to take an active interest in the good of the Republic. Do not leave governance to career politicians. Run for office. Vote for third, fourth, and fifth parties.)
This November vote them all out!
Clean Out Congress or Bust!


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This is not an offer for credit and should be used for estimation purposes only based on the information you provided. You should not base your decision on this estimate alone. Title, registration, tax and other fees, and personal circumstances such as employment status and personal credit history, were not considered in the calculations.
If you want a high-quality, sporty scooter, this is the scooter for you! The PEIRSPEED Laser R-Series is a large scooter that is available with a high-performance 49 cubic centimeter two-stroke engine or 151 cubic centimeter four-stroke engine. Both engines come with a Mikuni carburetor designed for cold weather use and a fully automatic CVT transmission. Racing aluminum footrests, and aluminum wheels with polished lips are standard.
The Laser has European styling and a Sport Suspension System including a rear mono shock with a floating axle and hydraulically charged front suspension offering excellent handling and control. To add to this great scooter, PEIRSPEED adds very large aluminum wheels for better stability, 190 millimeter front disc brake, large storage area under the seat.
The manufacturing partner, TGB, has been supplying scooters, engines and CVT transmissions to Vespa, Piaggio, Suzuki, and Peugeot since 1978. Everything about this scooter says, "Quality and Performance".
Images are of 2008 models, 2009 has the lower body panel painted to match the body color and the logos are smaller.
*Price if shown, does not include sales tax, title/registration fees, and a $149.95 TA Motorsports service fee.


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Fundraiser Update
THANK YOU SO MUCH to those of you who have contributed to this ministry. This is such a great start and we're feeling very grateful! Here's where we're at today:
- 56 monthly supporters
- $4810 in one-time gifts
- $2185 monthly budget
We're keeping this fundraiser going through the end of the year and we're hoping to reach our goal of $10,000/month by then. We're dreaming big dreams and we think God is dreaming them with us. We'll give you an update periodically so that you can celebrate with us.
We are hoping that we can begin hiring folks to do some work on organizing the site so that the information is easier to find and things can be much more interactive. We'd also like to have funds to get research projects up and running and hire someone to run the ministry overall. We have the Open Theism conference coming in April (more on that soon!) and we'd like to host more of these in the future.
Also, we just hired a printer to produce the ReKnew poster and we're really excited about that. Those of you who have committed to a monthly donation of $25 will be receiving yours in the next few weeks.
If this ministry has been a blessing to you and if you'd like to see it go to the next level, we hope you'll consider partnering with us with a monthly donation. You can access our support page here. And as always, your gifts are tax deductible.
Viva la Revolution!


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Let's be clear: Christopher Hitchens was an asshole. He was smug, arrogant, ruthless and mean. He supported the war in Iraq, claimed women weren't funny* and once wrote an entire piece in Vanity Fair accusing his boss of having an enormous cock and fucking another woman so loudly that he couldn't get his work done in the hotel room below as a way of exposing said boss's infidelity.** He wasn't a subtle man or a warm man or a kind man.
But Jesus fuck was he good at debate. So much so that "Hitchslap" is a term that's been coined just to refer to the numerous times he completely decimated an opponent in televised discussions.
I've provided a very long example above of when he and fellow atheist and friend, Stephen Fry, seriously stomped on their interlocutors in a debate over whether or not the Catholic Church was a force for good in the world. You can also find countless other snippets or moments or clips — usually literally marked "Hitchslap!"
But whether or not you agreed with him — and it was certainly hard to agree with him when he advocated for the need for the Iraq war, for instance — you can't help but be fascinated by watching the show. Christopher Hitchens' debates are theater, between the Wodehousian dry sarcasm, the effortless and cool way he'd evade certain questions while making it seem like he'd answered them, and the way he'd let out the rope just enough to allow an opponent hang himself.
With that said, there seems to be something slightly sinister about a debate partner that's just so much fun. Hitchens was so good at rhetoric that you felt bad for anyone who tried to go up against him. They looked foolish not necessarily because what they were saying was foolish, but because he just had that ability to completely diminish and ridicule his adversary with a wry chuckle or a quick-witted mutter.
So is it that the Hitchslap is fun because there is something very interesting, and a little unsettling, about watching him expertly twist and belittle someone else into a corner? I feel conflicted about liking Hitchens so much for being a "naughty boy" in that sense, especially when what he was debating mattered so enormously and so desperately to other people. The existence of God is not a small topic, nor is the need for war, nor is the value of the Catholic Church. And they did matter enormously to Hitchens, according to Hitchens, and yet he always seemed like the kid who got pleasure out of pulling the wings off of religious flies.
I'm sure that there are plenty of other reasons to dislike Christopher Hitchens, but I do come back to my central question: why does he make it so much fun, why is it so fascinating, and why is there really nobody else like him with this level of underhanded ability?
*It should be said that he was otherwise fully in support of women's rights.
**Actually that one was pretty good.