text:
8 Reasons Why I Prefer Homeschool
I remember clearly, with my two younger sisters, I used to pretend I was a school teacher and my sisters were my students. I drew up flash cards with letters, numbers, and simple math formulas. My parents even gifted me a small blackboard to draw on.
For my birthdays, I looked forward to various pieces of stationary, journals, color pencils, and markers. I spent countless hours drawing and doodling on paper while my mind wondered off into the future of adulthood and freedom.
One of my hobbies was playing piano. At the age of 10, within a year, I was playing adult level theory music while most kids my age were completing their first or second level children's theory concepts. I loved music and it was obvious through my music playing my ears were tuned to hear notes well.
As I got older, those creative aspects of my life were no longer present. I was programmed to be like every other average American student: get good grades, graduate high school, get a degree, go make some money.
The desire to teach was tossed aside. Because really, who makes money from that?!
The reality of what I see in the standard public school system hinders my child's creative ability, and this is a trait God never intended to be taken away. God did not want endless, useless homework assignments. He did not want standardized tests to see how we would compare to the rest of the population. The thing is…we were not made standard.
According to a 2005 study in the UK, "of 1,600 children aged three to five who were tested, 98% showed they could think in divergent ways. By the time they were aged eight to 10, 32% could think divergently. When the same test was applied to 13 to 15-year-olds, only 10% could think in this way…when the test was used with 200,000 25-year-olds, only 2% could think divergently." A key component to creativity is the ability to think divergently or in non-linear ways. They cited stereotyping in schools is what caused the decline in creativity.
We were each created uniquely in His image. To embrace what was uniquely given to us, to help serve others and fully live out our purpose.
"In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly." Romans 12:6-8
I understand not every family may be given the opportunity, time, or resources to provide homeschool. All I ask that as a parent, please consider your child's God given talent and embrace their gifts as they grow & learn. For the reasons outlined below, this is why I am considering homeschooling.
- Freedom. Freedom to choose my kid's schedules. Freedom to choose when we get to vacation during the year (and hopefully snag vacation deals that do not fall during typical school breaks).
- Time. Time. Time. Quality time to spend with your kids. Less time commuting. More sleep. Your child will be out of the house before you know it. Why not spend extra time with them before that happens?
- More Kinesthetic Learning Opportunities."Children enter kindergarten as kinesthetic and tactual learners, moving and touching everything as they learn. By second or third grade, some students have become visual learners. During the late elementary years some students, primarily females, become auditory learners. Yet, many adults, especially males, maintain kinesthetic and tactual strengths throughout their lives."(Teaching Secondary Students Through Their Individual Learning Styles, Rita Stafford and Kenneth J. Dunn; Allyn and Bacon, 1993)
- Efficiency. A typical homeschool program has less sitting down & book time. Most learning can be done while outside of the home, running errands, or playing outside. There are plenty of opportunities to learn!
- Increased Family Values. Because children will spend so much time with you at home, the chance of them straying from these values become slim.
- Increased Creativity & Talent. Instead of trucking your kids to/from school and getting up early, they will actually have time to be kids and use their natural creativity skills to cultivate their talents. Whether that is playing music, teaching, or drawing like I used to do.
- Better Socialization. Homeschool programs actually offer parents the opportunity to meet with other homeschool families. In some states, homeschool kids can participate in team sports at public schools. Kids can have plenty of time with friends and maintain deeper friendships, without unhealthy peer pressure and bullying.
- Save Money. In 2006, homeschoolers saved taxpayers $16 billion dollars. If you can't afford private school, homeschooling is a great option.
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2


text:
Melbourne Daily Photo
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
Melbourne Day - 175 Years
This pioneering group was led by Captain John Lancey with Launceston builder George Evans and his servant Evan Evans, carpenters William Jackson and Robert Hay Marr, ploughman Charles Wise and blacksmith James Gilbert and his wife Mary making up the party.
It was on 30 August 1835 that these first settlers landed and commenced with the building of a thatched storage hut and the clearing of land along the north bank of the Yarra River. This location today is known as Enterprize Park where Williams Street and Flinders Street meet near the old Customs House.
And so we say Happy Birthday Melbourne - 175 Years.
The City of Melbourne had several events and attractions to mark this auspicious occasion.
Traditional Owners
The people of the Kulin nation are the traditional owners of the land that became Melbourne, including the Boonwurrung, Woiwurrung, Taungurung and Djadjawurrung people, who gathered in this place for ceremonies and cultural activities.
At City Square on the corner of Swantson and Collins Streets, was the birthday cake and entertainment.
Below is a photo of Wurundjeri dancers preparing to perform a traditional dance -
The Story of Creation - Bunjil the Creator
I took this with my camera yesterday - it is the story of creation and tells of Bunjil. This is part of the Dreamtime.
Melbourne Day celebrates more than just the day the city was founded. It represents the point at which the proud community of Melbourne began.
And it is a day to celebrate all that makes Melbourne one of the world's most liveable cities.
Melbourne Day Song 30 August 2010
A special song was written to mark 175 years. This is the first public performance and is sung by Melbourne school children from various primary schools.
When I made this video yesterday, I tried to get all the children in the choir on here. Steven Spielberg I am not, but hopefully I will get better with practice.☺
Under blue skies
Southern Blue Skies
Melburnians always meet together
Under grey skies,
Southern Grey skies,
Melburnians meet in any weather.
The Wurundjeri
And the Boonerwrung
People of the Kulin Nation
We've had settlers here,
Welcomed migrants here,
People from all destinations.
More people who care!
More people who come
To share this day!
Melbourne then and now
Today's Quote: When you look at a city, it's like reading the hopes, aspirations and pride of everyone who built it ~ Hugh Newell Jacobsen
10 comments:
- Luis Gomez said...
Great post. Thank you so much! The second video is not playing.
- 31 August 2010 at 11:56
- BlossomFlowerGirl said...
Not sure why it didn't work for you, it worked for me. I've uploaded it again, so hopefully this time it will work for you.
- 31 August 2010 at 12:24
- Luis Gomez said...
Thank you. Working now. The kids are amazing!
- 31 August 2010 at 12:25
- Miranda said...
Happy Birthday Melbourne! Great pics....man that cake looks good ;)
- 31 August 2010 at 14:12
- Unknown said...
Happy Birthday to the young city of Melbourne! Wonderful photos!
- 31 August 2010 at 15:00
- Leeds Daily Photo said...
Happy Birthday Melbourne! Looking at that old photo its incredible what they built within 40 years of that first day and that first building, a hut. But then I have always found Australians to be people with a can do attitude. Paul
- 31 August 2010 at 17:07
- Davine said...
Happy Birthday to us. Thanks for the great information.
- 31 August 2010 at 20:47
- B SQUARED said...
A very Happy Birthday goes out to your fabulous city.
- 31 August 2010 at 22:17
- Leif Hagen said...
Happy Birthday, Melbourne, Happy Birthday! Looks like it was a wonderful celebration!
- 1 September 2010 at 01:14
- Lowell said...
What a wonderful tribute to Melbourne! Your photos and commentary are magnificent.
- 2 September 2010 at 01:06

subset: commoncrawl


text:
A film about place and memory, a farmhouse in Japan, and the lives of the people who called it home.
A beautiful short film about John Roderick, an Associated Press reporter in Japan, and his discovery of an old farmhouse in Japan. He and his adopted son Yoshihiro Takishita, an architect and antique dealer, transported and restored the farmhouse in a suburb of Tokyo. Shot just a month after the death of Roderick, the film looks at the memories within the walls of the minka farmhouse (via Ignant).


text:
Currency Displayed in
STAINLESS STEEL Downdraft for Blaz'n Grill Works Grand Slam & Grid Iron models
For the Bolted In PRO SHELF, my Downdraft DOES fit, with some grinding of a tab on the PRO SHELF bracket.
For the NEW 2019 WELDED in PRO SHELF, my Downdraft can NOT fit, without cutting the welds and grinding
For the FREE STANDING SHELF, no issues, fits perfectly
Downdraft Modification:
- helps hold more Smoke & Heat in the chamber
- helps reduce pellet consumption
- helps even temperatures across the grill
Easy 5-minute installation (instructions & mounting included)
Comes with:
(4) longer Stainless Steel Hex Head Cap Screws, Stainless Steel Washers and Stainless Steel KEPs brand toothed-locking nuts
No permanent modification to the grill to mount the Downdraft to the Chimney bolts, w/o the Pro Shelf
Easy to remove for cleaning
Posted by firstname.lastname@example.com on Sep 3rd 2019
I've only used a handful of cooks so far but right away I can tell more smoke flavor and temps seem to stabilize a little better. Well worth the money in my opinion
Posted by Unknown on Apr 24th 2018
I own a Baz'n Grand Slam with the pro shelf unit. Installation of the Down Draft would have been as easy as eating pie on a Grand Slam without the pro shelf upgrade. Installation with the pro shelf was much more involved. The top support tabs on the right pro shelf bracket must be ground or a notch cut to allow clearance of the tab for the downdraft. Once you cut or grind the notch you have to remove the bolts that remain (only to close the holes) from the original top shelf and the lid button bolt. This must be done to provide required clearance to get the pro shelf bracket reinstalled. If you have a Blaz'n with the pro shelf upgrade please understand that the downdraft installation is not a 5 minute job which it would be without the pro shelf unit.
The downdraft works as advertised so I am pleased with this upgrade. The downdraft is a very worth while upgrade.
Don Godke writes:
Please review the NOTE on the Product Page and it is highlighted,
For the PRO SHELF, my Downdraft DOES fit, with some grinding of a tab on the PRO SHELF bracket.
It is more than a 5-minute job, with the Pro Shelf.
Once the modification to the Pro Shelf is done, it is a 5-minute install for my Downdraft.
Thanks for the great and real review
All prices are in USD.


text:
Our Work
We are proud to be a part of each one of our client's projects. Our Gainesville Web Design Team
has created hundreds of websites, dozens of programs,
coded hundreds of applications, and have had the opportunity to work with prestigious institutions and small business owners all over the
These are just a few of our selected works. Our experience has allowed us to work with organizations like the University of Florida and the Department of Defense. Our primary focus through it all, however, is providing small businesses in the Gainesville area with affordable, professional website design and development.


text:
The smog is thick, the crowds are colourful and life beams at every corner. It's a place where just riding in a tuktuk is an exhilarating adventure. In fact, it's one of the best ways to see Delhi in all its beauty and bizarreness. Leave your phone at the hotel room, look up and soak in life at its most vibrant.
If you're short on time, here's my recommendation for a great day to soak up what makes this place really tick.
What to do:
Spend a good chunk of time in Old Delhi. This is my favourite part of the city; it's where buzzing scooters compete with camels and market stalls that sell everything you can think of … and a whole lot more.
The bazaar in Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk, is where the real magic happens. Opposite the famous Red Fort, this 17th century marketplace is best accessed via the Delhi metro system stopping at the Chandni Chowk Station.
Soon you'll enter a mesmerising rabbit warren of sparkling jewels, vibrant fabrics, incense, carpets and incredible aromas of food cooking everywhere.
When you go, go to buy. Especially jewellery. You won't find better costume jewellery anywhere else in the world.
To get into the thick of it and delve deep into the alleyways I highly recommend touring the market on a rickshaw. It's fun and thrilling all at once and was my favourite experience in Delhi.
What to eat:
Jalebi from the famous stall in Chandni Chowk. Jalebi is essentially a spiral of batter soaked in a sugary syrup, and it's just delicious.
What to buy:
Everything. Even if your haggling skills aren't up to scratch, it'll still be way cheaper than what you'd pay at home. I bought a few scarves and my only regret is that I should have bought more. There's of course wonderful shopping all over India but looking back, what's on offer at Chandni Chowk was the best.
There are streets and districts within the market dedicated to specific items like Khari Baoli for spices, nuts and dried fruits or Moti Bazar for beautiful shawls and Kucha Choudary Market for everything to do with cameras and photography. Looking for shoes or glasses, then Ballimaran Market is what you're after and for anyone planning a wedding, head to Kinary Bazar for everything you'll need.
How to get around:
The eRickshaws are great for the markets but to see the whole city, get a guide.
If you've never been to India before, Delhi and where to begin can be quite intimidating. When I arrived I walked down the road to another hotel for dinner and even then that was a challenging adventure.
Luckily from the next morning onwards, I had a guide and a driver with me at all times to help navigate the sites, assist me in haggling and even just help me cross the road. I thoroughly recommend planning ahead to organise a guide to make the most of your trip to this fascinating place.
Published under license from Well Travelled.


text:
Package aes
Overview ▹
Overview ▾
Package aes implements AES encryption (formerly Rijndael), as defined in U.S. Federal Information Processing Standards Publication 197.
The AES operations in this package are not implemented using constant-time algorithms. An exception is when running on systems with enabled hardware support for AES that makes these operations constant-time. Examples include amd64 systems using AES-NI extensions and s390x systems using Message-Security-Assist extensions. On such systems, when the result of NewCipher is passed to cipher.NewGCM, the GHASH operation used by GCM is also constant-time.
Index ▹
Index ▾
Package files
aes_gcm.go block.go cipher.go cipher_amd64.go const.go modes.go
Internal call graph ▹
Internal call graph ▾
In the call graph viewer below, each node is a function belonging to this package and its children are the functions it calls—perhaps dynamically.
The root nodes are the entry points of the package: functions that may be called from outside the package. There may be non-exported or anonymous functions among them if they are called dynamically from another package.
Click a node to visit that function's source code.
From there you can visit its callers by
clicking its declaring
Functions may be omitted if they were determined to be unreachable in the particular programs or tests that were analyzed.
The AES block size in bytes.
const BlockSize = 16
func NewCipher ¶
func NewCipher(key []byte) (cipher.Block, error)
NewCipher creates and returns a new cipher.Block. The key argument should be the AES key, either 16, 24, or 32 bytes to select AES-128, AES-192, or AES-256.
type KeySizeError ¶
type KeySizeError int
func (KeySizeError) Error ¶
func (k KeySizeError) Error() string


text:
Gene Autry Bikeway Trail is a 12.5 mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Palm Springs, California that features beautiful wild flowers and is good for all skill levels. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
wheelchair friendly
kid friendly
stroller friendly
nature trips
road biking
wild flowers
One of the Bike Routes in Palm Springs, open all year to all skill level. Route where you'll see residential areas, Knott's Soaks Water Park, Tahquitz Creek Golf Course, Airport,and commercial business.
This review is written from a cyclist point of view. One of the very few long routes out of urban Palm Springs, Gene Autrey/Palm Drive is an important route for cyclists who want a longer ride. It is notably safer than North Indian Canyon Drive and somewhat less safe than Date Palm Drive-Varner Road. From end to end, the way encompasses 13.3 miles, and it has these primary segments: Hwy 111 to Vista Chino (3.8 mi)—heavy urban traffic, most with painted bike lanes. Vista Chino to I-10 (2.5 mi)—heavy interurban traffic, most without painted bike lanes, and most with wide shoulder. I-10 to Dillon Rd (3.1 mi)—heavy interurban traffic, most without painted bike lanes, and most with wide shoulder. Dillon Rd to end (3.9 mi)—moderate to light urban traffic, some with painted bike lanes. The automobile traffic flows at 40 to 60 mph, despite lower posted speed limits. Particularly at the I-10 interchange and the train overpass (south of I-10), extreme caution is needed and riding in the center lane is advised to avoid swipe-collisions with autos seeking the on-ramps. Some drivers are unfriendly, and a few are malicious. Expect high winds and blown sand in the mile south of I-10, even on relatively calm days.


text:
'Radical' exec unravels mysteries of marketing
April 24, 2002
KALAMAZOO -- Is marketing a mysterious art that costs a lot and whose success cannot be easily measured? Definitely not, according to a local expert who will give simple tips on powerful marketing tactics at a Western Michigan University presentation Thursday, May 2.
Wesley Martz of Radical Productions will present "Sharpening Your Marketing Focus" from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Federal Room of the Kalamazoo County Chamber of Commerce building, 346 W. Michigan Ave. The program, part of a monthly series of workshops offered by WMU's Women's Business Development Center, is free and open to the public.
"Many small business owners are confused and daunted by marketing," says Martz. "However, when you consider that marketing is the process through which you create and keep customers, it is the single most important process in any business. After all, with no customers, there is no business. Marketing can be broken down in simple, powerful terms that can help any company succeed."
At the workshop, Martz will reveal seven steps to creating a small business marketing plan. He'll discuss a variety of marketing topics, including planning, creating a budget, establishing market position, and effective advertising and promotion.
Martz founded his marketing agency, Radical Productions, in 1999 to serve small businesses and entrepreneurs. He has more than 12 years experience in business development, direct marketing, advertising, public relations and brand management, with extensive work in global and Internet marketing. An instructor at both Davenport University and Kalamazoo Valley Community College, Martz teaches marketing, advertising and promotion, small business management and Internet marketing. He is the marketing chairperson and executive committee member of SCORE Kalamazoo, and a member of the American Marketing Association. After completing his bachelor's degree at Purdue University, he earned his MBA at WMU.
WMU's Haworth College of Business established the Women's Business Development Center in 1999 to offer support to female professionals and entrepreneurs by providing training, problem-solving consultation, current business information and networking opportunities.
Reservations are required. For more information or to reserve a seat, contact WBDC Director Pat Guenther at (269) 387-2714 or <firstname.lastname@example.com>.
Media contact: Jessica English, 269 387-8400, firstname.lastname@example.com
Office of University Relations


text:
Oklahoma Spelling Bee
For participant information specific to the 2020 Regional or Central Oklahoma Spelling Bee, CLICK HERE.
Registration for the 2020 Oklahoma spelling bee is open. The information on this page will help you with questions about registering for and participating in the spelling bee.
- REGISTRATION: Early bird registration with Scripps is from May 1, 2019 – October 15, 2019. Regular registration is October 16, 2019 – December 20, 2019, the regular registration fee is $240.
- SCHOOL-LEVEL BEES: School-level bees will need to be scheduled to take place before January 17, 2020. Please make sure the date is on your calendar, as well as a make-up date in case you have to cancel your bee due to inclement weather. The Oklahoman reserves the right not to grant extensions due to weather for schools that do not plan ahead for the possibility of inclement weather closures.
- REGIONAL-LEVEL BEES: Regional-level bees will be conducted from January 27 through February 15, 2020.
- CENTRAL OKLAHOMA STATE BEE: The Central Oklahoma Bee will take place on February 29, 2020 at Children's Hospital at OU, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Registration will begin at noon and the bee will begin at 1:00pm.
- NATIONAL BEE: The Scripps National Spelling Bee will take place in May or June, 2020.
- Is there a cost to participate? Scripps requires schools to pay a $165 fee to help cover operational costs. All payment goes through Scripps. Scripps is also implementing a fee of $75 for schools that register after October 15. The Oklahoman does not require any payment or fees beyond what is required to register with Scripps.
- What region will we compete in?
- Region 1: Oklahoma County ZIP Codes 73003, 73007, 73012, 73013, 73025, 73034, 73049, 73054, 73083, 73114, 73116, 73120, 73131, 73151
- Region 2: Oklahoma County ZIP Codes 73008, 73101, 73102, 73103, 73104, 73105, 73106, 73107, 73108, 73109, 73111, 73112, 73113, 73117, 73118, 73121, 73122, 73123, 73124, 73125, 73126, 73127, 73128, 73132, 73134, 73136, 73137, 73140, 73141, 73142, 73143, 73144, 73146, 73147, 73148, 73152, 73153, 73154, 73155, 73156, 73157, 73162, 73163, 73164, 73167, 73172, 73178, 73184, 73185, 73190, 73194, 73195, 73196, 73198
- Region 3: Oklahoma County ZIP Codes 73020, 73045, 73066, 73084, 73110, 73115, 73129, 73130, 73135, 73145, 73150, 74857
- Region 4: Oklahoma County ZIP Codes 73097, 73119, 73139, 73149, 73159, 73169, 73173, 73179 and Cleveland County ZIP Codes 73135, 73139, 73150, 73153, 73159, 73160, 73165, 73169, 73170, 73173, 73189, 74851, 74852, 74857
- Region 5: Cleveland County ZIP Codes 73019, 73026, 73051, 73068, 73069, 73070, 73071, 73072 and all of McClain County
- Region 6: Alfalfa, Grant, Kay and Woods Counties
- Region 7: Blaine, Garfield, Kingfisher, Logan and Noble Counties
- Region 8: Custer, Dewey, Major and Roger Mills Counties
- Region 9: Canadian County
- Region 10: Lincoln and Payne Counties
- Region 11: Beckham, Greer, Harmon, Jackson, Kiowa and Washita Counties
- Region 12: Caddo and Grady County
- Region 13: Hughes, Okfuskee, Pottawatomie and Seminole Counties
- Region 14: Comanche County schools in the Lawton Public Schools district
- Region 15: Comanche County schools not in the Lawton Public Schools district and all of Stephens County
- Region 16: Garvin, Murray and Pontotoc Counties
- Region 17: Cotton, Jefferson, Love and Tillman Counties
- Region 18: Carter and Marshall Counties
- Region 19: Atoka, Bryan, Coal and Johnston Counties
- Region 20: Choctaw, Latimer, McCurtain and Pushmataha Counties
In addition, students who compete in a school-level bee will receive certificates of participation, students who compete in a regional-level bee will receive individual prizes, and students who compete in the Central Oklahoma state-level bee will receive trophies for their tremendous efforts. There are hundreds of dollars' worth of additional cash and prize rewards for the Central Oklahoma champion and runner-up.
Students simply study grade-specific word lists and collect pledges from family and friends for every word they spell correctly in the Great American SpellCheck test, which is made available to every school that signs up for the spelling bee.
The following chart shows you estimates of how much money your school could raise. Remember that to raise $6,000 through Great American SpellCheck, you would need – as an example – 300 students to receive $20 each in pledges that encourage them to become more proficient spellers. Your students would have to sell more than $12,000 worth of candy to raise the same amount!
Visit spellingbee.com/great-american-spellcheck for more information about this fundraising opportunity tied to the spelling bee. Schools are NOT required to participate in Great American SpellCheck in order to have your students participate in the Central Oklahoma Scripps Spelling Bee.
Your School's Estimated Fundraising Potential
|# of Participants
|Average Total Pledge Per Participant
"The Scripps National Spelling Bee does not accept POs and has not for many years. You are welcome to select the Pay By Check method during the enrollment process. This will create a pending enrollment for you and generate an invoice. You can submit this invoice to your accounts payable department and have a check cut for the enrollment fee."
After your school bee, you may give copies of the "Spell-It" study guide to your winner, runner-up and alternate to prepare for the regional bee.
You may provide students with any outside spelling materials you want, but those are the only Scripps lists you can give your students. See the next question for other recommended study resources.
Be sure NOT to distribute to students the Pronouncer Guides at all, or the 2020 Spell-It list except to your students advancing to the regional level. Intentional or unintentional improper distribution of these word lists may be grounds for disqualification.
To enter your winner and runner-up, log in to the Scripps site and click "Champion Registration" on the menu bar. If you have any difficulties accessing this part of the site, please contact Scripps for help at spellingbee.com/contact .
A make-up date is scheduled for each region in case inclement weather makes travel to the set bee time unsafe. Following is our policy for cancelling regional bees due to inclement weather:
- If the weather appears threatening, the coordinator of the regional bee and The Oklahoman will make a joint decision about whether to cancel the bee and use the make-up date. We will make this decision at least 6 hours before the start of the bee, or by 4 p.m. Friday if the bee is scheduled for a Saturday morning.
- If the bee is postponed due to inclement weather, this information will be communicated via email and on the homepage of this Newspapers In Education website. If the weather conditions are potentially hazardous, please be sure to check your email and/or the website for cancellation information.
Students who are not participating through an accredited public or private school may participate in the spelling bee, but must be sure to compete in a "school-level" bee first, in order to be eligible to advance to a regional competition. The school-level bee each homeschooled student competes in must have a minimum of 10 eligible students. The Oklahoman will require a representative of each participating group to sign an affidavit indicating the number of students that took part in each school-level bee.
>The affidavit form is now available by request on the CONTACT US page by selecting SPELLING BEE.<
The Oklahoman suggests homeschooling families contact one of the organizations named at oklahomahomeschool.com/supportgroups.html to initiate or join in a school-level (pre-regional) bee. These groups may or may not choose to sponsor a school-level bee; they are not obligated to do so. Homeschooled students that are in or that form groups not on this list may participate independent of any associations on this list. The Oklahoman will not be responsible for placing or connecting homeschooled students with a group hosting a school-level bee beyond providing the link to the aforementioned list. The posting of this list does not correlate to any endorsement of said associations. Students are not required to have nor are assumed to have membership status within any participating homeschool groups.
Homeschoolers may enroll as groups through Scripps and pay $165 (early bird) or $240 (regular) OR homeschoolers may enroll as families through Scripps and pay the family fee ($115). Those that enroll as families are still responsible for ensuring their participation in a school-level competition that consists of at least 10 eligible students in order to be eligible to advance to a regional competition.
The Oklahoman will not be responsible for monitoring any financial interactions between homeschool associations or groups and individual students and their families.
Winners and runners-up of participating groups of homeschool students will compete in regional bees according to the geographic location of the entity's operational base as submitted to Scripps during the registration process.
Scripps' official contest rules may be found at http://www.spellingbee.com/contest-rules.
I want my students to have this opportunity! How do I register?
All schools and homeschool groups must register through Scripps at www.spellingbee.com. Please note that school-level bee coordinators will be asked to provide one or more valid, reliable email addresses for ongoing communications about the bee. Communications about the bee will be managed via email, making the email address(es) you choose to submit particularly important.
I still have a question. Who do I ask?
You can check out the FAQs and if you don't find the answer there,
please use our contact form to contact us with your questions.


text:
Mary Burton's last time on the annual Big Hill Ditch Walk sponsored by the native plant society in her small town had been three years before at age 92.
She hasn't been up to it since then.
"No news from here," she wrote a friend, "except to say I now have to expect some attention from the medics. Some months ago I had a small ulcer develop on my right leg. That was put right but now the left leg needs some attention."
Mary has always been fiercely independent and dreads the thought of an army of well-wishers descending while she sits largely immobile.
"I want you all to forget about any plans for visiting," she wrote. "This is about the dullest, dreariest place. Also, I cannot offer you or others the care or comfort here I would like. I will be quite happy to talk on the phone, but better to exchange letters.
"There is far more all around Northern California for you to see. So, I repeat, no trips to the wonders of this backwoods hamlet."
And with a sigh she put down her pen and looked through the living room window at the beautiful view from her rural home.


text:
SAVMA is the professional organization for veterinary students throughout the United States and several veterinary schools beyond U. S. borders. There are many programs available to assist you as you continue to make your way through the veterinary school curriculum.
Among the benefits of being a SAVMA member are:
- Scholarships and travel grants!
- Access to Professional Liability Insurance through the AVMA Professional Liability Insurance Trust- professional liability coverage for externships and preceptorship for just $10!
- Access to Disability and Life Insurance products through the AVMA Group Health Life Insurance Trust.
- The Vet Gazette–an online magazine for veterinary professional students featuring case studies, articles on life as a veterinary students and much, much more!
- AVMA and SAVMA websites– provide information about leadership opportunities, international experiences, externship locators, AVMA career center and much more! Check it out at www.avma.org
- SAVMA Symposium– this continuing education event draws in excess of 1000 veterinary students each year from around the country and includes lectures, wet labs and nightly social events!
- AVMA Convention– tons of networking opportunitieswith veterinarians and AVMA leadership!
- Graduation benefits– FREE automatic conversion to AVMA membership upon graduation at no additional cost for the remainder of your first year as a new veterinarian following four years as a SAVMA member in good standing throughout veterinary school.
- And many, many more chapter benefits at each veterinary school!


text:
Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off. Don't forget to check out her blog and link back to Lauren's Page Turners and add your own links!
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Year of Publication: 2018
In a star system dominated by the brutal Vathek empire, eighteen-year-old Amani is a dreamer. She dreams of what life was like before the occupation; she dreams of writing poetry like the old-world poems she adores; she dreams of receiving a sign from Dihya that one day, she, too, will have adventure, and travel beyond her isolated moon.
But when adventure comes for Amani, it is not what she expects: she is kidnapped by the regime and taken in secret to the royal palace, where she discovers that she is nearly identical to the cruel half-Vathek Princess Maram. The princess is so hated by her conquered people that she requires a body double, someone to appear in public as Maram, ready to die in her place.
As Amani is forced into her new role, she can't help but enjoy the palace's beauty—and her time with the princess' fiancé, Idris. But the glitter of the royal court belies a world of violence and fear. If Amani ever wishes to see her family again, she must play the princess to perfection…because one wrong move could lead to her death.


text:
Year: 2008
Run-Time: 1 x 100 min.
Directed by Fabienna Acs
A co-production of ORF and ARD
Languages: German (TEXT CONTENT)
Format: 16:9 , 16:9
Hansi Hinterseer Open Air 2008
Hansi Hinterseer Open Air 2008
Popular stars with their greatest hits, thousands of jubilant fans and a congenial host once again came together to present 2008's «Great Hansi Hinterseer Open Air» event. The public's favourite welcomed well-known musicians to the tennis stadium in his home town of Kitzbühel for the eighth time. Among others, Wencke Myhre, Francine Jordi, the Italian superstar Drupi, «Die Flippers», ChueLee, the Gruppe Wind, the Zellberg Buam, Rico Sanchez & The Gypsies and the Original Tiroler Echo were there, plus, of course, the blonde heart throb himself, who wowed the audience with a multitude of his hits.
|Imprint Privacy Policy


text:
Today we take time to reflect on a precious verse and a beautiful song. We call it Word & Worship. OUR WORD for TODAY: We are called to be servants of the Lord. "whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served … Continue reading Word & Worship – Your Hands and Feet
We Are The Deacons
But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, "We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of … Continue reading We Are The Deacons
A Blessed Servant of the Lord
Luke 1:28-30 28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. … Continue reading A Blessed Servant of the Lord
Momentum of Prayer
A vision often comes to me…every Saturday morning in fact. I see it when my eyes are closed, when I am in the midst of others who are also reaching out in prayer. In this vision I get to see all of us gathered together from an eagle's eye perspective, like I am looking at … Continue reading Momentum of Prayer
Serve With Compassion
My Serve Day was a little early this year. I was able to minister to someone who is walking through what I've walked through. I'm only a little ahead of her in the process. A year and a half ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. This time we opted to just … Continue reading Serve With Compassion
Get Your Serve On
Once a year there are thousands of people, from several churches that join together in spirit, on a chosen day to serve their local communities. It's called Serve Day! It's an awesome opportunity to bless others. You've probably heard the quote, "show me the money." Well, this is a day when people get to show … Continue reading Get Your Serve On
"And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." Philippians 1:6 Saturday, July 16 was our church's annual Serve Day. Hundreds of churches and thousands of volunteers joined us as we canvassed our communities offering … Continue reading SERVEday2016


text:
There were a couple last issues that I finally found this year...that almost immediately made me regret finding them, and realize why those titles were cancelled. Here's one of them: From 1993, What The--?! #26, featuring stories by Stan Lee, Barry Dutter, Dan Slott, and more, art by Aaron Lopresti, John Constanza, Marie Severin, and more.
What The--?! has had a tag on this blog for years: it was Marvel's in-house parody book from 1988 to this last "fall special!" in 1993. The title was always hit-and-miss, not just in the sense that not every joke lands, but some of the strips are polished and professional, while others are terrible and amateurish. And yeah, nowhere near every joke landed during the bulk of the series, but this issue is just dire.
Previous issues featured work from John Byrne, Mike Mignola, Kurt Busiek, Kyle Baker, Jim Lee, Whilce Portacio, and more: Stan Lee's the big name this issue, for a cornball "Silver Burper" origin. (With John Severin inks!) Later issues also featured some go-to creators like Aaron Lopresti and Rurik Tyler, who aren't their best this time. A disappointment, buy some older issues instead--I recommend the first eight, or any story with Hilary Barta art. While Marvel has done other comedy titles in recent years (and I'm not sure they were any good, either) What The--?! has yet to be relaunched, although the title would be used for a series of videos.
(I really wish I had all my What The--?! issues handy, but they're all over the place: I was looking all over for #8, for Kurt Busiek and James Fry's "The Son of


text:
2activePR in Holmes Report
Posted by 2activePR on Nov 1, 2010
2activePR's approach is based on two-way communication, the idea that organizations need to engage their key stakeholders in dialogue, establishing long-term relationships based on mutual trust. With that philosophy, 2active is one of a handful of firms bringing a sophisticated western approach to an emerging market, providing a wide range of services that includes media relations, event management, corporate and consumer communications, internal communications, perception and image audits, media monitoring and publishing. While the firm's initial focus was on consumer goods, it has expanded to serve clients in healthcare, technology, real estate and construction, and financial services and over the past 12 months has expanded its investor relations capabilities, with a particular emphasis on the IPO market.
Known for its close relationships with traditional and new media and for its creative approach, 2active has succeeded in attracting a number of blue-chip multinationals to its client roster: Procter & Gamble (for seven brands), Glaxo SmithKline, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Holcim, adidas, and Coty. In addition, the firm picked up the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics account as well as new business from Emerson, Credit Zone, InCity, and Opalescence, contributing to growth of around 30 percent last year and an impressive 60 percent increase in the first six months of 2008, bringing fees to around €1 million. The strongest growth came in the healthcare sector, although there were several real estate and construction projects and a number of launches in the consumer goods category.
2active is one of several Romanian firms to make an impact in the SABRE Awards competition over the past couple of years, picking up a trophy (as well as an IPRA Golden World award) for its work on behalf of Ursus SAB Miller last year. Among the most interesting assignments of the past 12 months,, 2active supported GSK's European Week for Cervical Cancer Prevention, BMS activities for World Hepatitis Day, and a number of Romanian IPOs. Says Paul George, vice president at CPR Worldwide, a division of Fleishman-Hillard that subcontracted with 2active for Hepatitis B education efforts: "Hepatitis B is a significant problem in Romania with some seven percent of the population chronically infected. Not only has 2ActivePR's program been effective in raising awareness and building advocacy and influencer relationships in Romania, it has contributed to a broad global effort to get those at risk for the disease tested and treated. We continue to applaud the high level of professionalism and high quality standards of our Romania colleagues. The firm's continued efforts are vitally important to addressing the disease burden in Romania."
The firm works primarily in the Romanian market but has also handled some pan-regional work for P&G and is the local affiliate of Omnicom-owned Fleishman-Hillard.


text:
(Contemporary Jazz) – $15 Adults/ $5 Seniors
Recognized as a "Rising Star" in the DownBeat Magazine Critics and Readers Polls every year since 2013 and featured on the cover of the September 2014 issue of Strings Magazine, violinist Sara Caswell regularly performs with her two groups (the Sara Caswell Quartet and the Caswell Sisters Quintet), as well as clarinetist David Krakauer's The Big Picture, mandolinist Joseph Brent's 9 Horses, and jazz vocalist Roseanna Vitro's Quintet. She is a member of the house band for NBC's weekly variety show "Maya & Marty" starring Maya Rudolph and Martin Short, as well as the New York Pops Orchestra with whom she has been a featured soloist several times in Carnegie Hall. She has toured extensively with Grammy winners bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding and violinist Mark O'Connor, and performed and/or recorded with such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Kishi Bashi, Regina Carter, Jenny Scheinman, Alan Ferber, Fabian Almazan, Nadje Noordhuis, Gene Bertoncini, and Skitch Henderson. Currently on faculty at both the Berklee College of Music and Manhattan School of Music, Sara studied classical violin with Josef Gingold and jazz with David Baker, has won over 100 awards and first-place prizes in the jazz and classical competition worlds, and has released two highly-acclaimed solo CDs – First Song and But Beautiful – and most recently, a CD with her sister, vocalist Rachel Caswell, entitled Alive in the Singing Air featuring jazz pianist Fred Hersch.
The Quartet
Sara Caswell, violin
Jesse Lewis, guitar
Ike Sturm, bass
Jared Schonig, drums
For more about Sara, visit: saracaswell.com


text:
Ballots for the 2011 General Municipal Election were mailed out to voters late last week. With nine candidates running for Denver mayor, voters will need to keep a "cheat sheet" handy. My Speed Candidating profiles cut through the political rhetoric to reveal the painful truth. Today, we feel the hurt of Danny F. Lopez... As seen above, the Speed Candidating profile for Danny F. Lopez condenses the essence of the man and his mayoral mission. This abbreviated version is best understood when read in a side-by-side comparison with Speed Candidating profiles of the other eight mayoral candidates.
On his campaign website, Danny F. Lopez claims that he is the candidate that corporate America fears will be elected to office. Details of what corporate America may fear are not spelled out exactly, but allusions to career politicians, media control, Joe the Plumber and the Tea Party hint at the frustrations of a common man who has hit the campaign trail to share his pain.
The Lopez for Mayor website details the pain of being a second-tier candidate in a race of nine. The saddest samples include candidate forum dis-invitation letters published in full. Fans of the ALL CAPS writing style will enjoy "THERE IS NO DEMOCRACY IN DENVER," while more cerebral readers may enjoy the posting that is simply titled, "I like to think."
According to his Westword mayor's race profile, Lopez is a television unit supervisor tasked with inspecting pipelines for Denver's Wastewater Management division. A fitting position for a man who likes to think he can clean up the muck at City Hall.
We Believe Local Journalism is Critical to the Life of a City
Engaging with our readers is essential to Westword's mission. Make a financial contribution or sign up for a newsletter, and help us keep telling Denver's stories with no paywalls.
Support Our Journalism
More from our Kenny Be/Comics archive: "Doug Linkhart has the grassiest grassroots in mayor's race: Kenny Be's Speed Candidating."


text:
One of the more humiliating events in American history, the burning of Washington was the low point in American fortunes during the War of 1812.
After the British landed an army to attack Washington, Captain Johsua Barney, a Catholic and Revolutionary War hero, go here to read about him, and 500 of his sailors and marines, joined the American army seeking to stop the invaders. At the battle of Bladensburg on August 24, 1814, Barney and his men put up a spirited defense, with cutlasses and bayonets against the advancing British, and throughout it all Barney rallying his men with cries of "Board 'em! Board 'em!" Ultimately the Americans retreated, and Barney, seriously wounded, was captured one last time in his career by the British. After being paroled by his captors, he spent the rest of the War recuperating at his farm in Maryland. The heroic stand of Barney and his men had given enough time for Washington to be evacuated, and after the war the grateful citizens of Washington presented a sword to the old sailor for the land fight which ended his naval career.
The Brits occupied Washington, plundered it, and burned the public buildings. President James Madison was with the army and First Lady Dolley Madison took charge at the White House, organizing the evacutation of valuables from the White House just prior to the arrival of the Brits, escaping herself in a carriage, clutching an original copy of the Declaration of Independence. The British occupation of Washington lasted only twenty-six hours, a huge storm striking Washington, with a tornado going through the center of the capital, killing both British troops and American civilians. The Brits retreated to their ships, many of which were damaged by the storm. The heavy rains that accompanied the storm extinguished the fires that had been set by the Brits.


text:
Transform the way you work with secure, intelligent workspaces from Cisco and Citrix.
Together, Cisco and Citrix deliver a modern digital platform for every business. Transform the way you work with secure and intelligent workspaces, optimized with analytics to support demanding workloads. Leverage our platform to strengthen employee productivity everywhere, and sharpen your company's competitive edge.


text:
Seasonal greetings in both Jèrriais and English will appear as the two final overprints on Jersey Post & Go JE02 stamps this year.
The overprints will have the same meaning; the Jèrriais will feature on the Crest of Jersey stamps and the English translation will feature on the Jersey Flag stamps, reading Paix et jouaie and Peace & joy respectively. Both of the overprints will be accompanied by an icon of an angel. The overprints have been planned to coincide with the start of Jersey's Fête dé Noué on Thursday 23 November 2017, and will be available from the JE02 kiosk until close of business on Wednesday 3 January 2018.
La Fête dé Noué heralds the start of the Christmas season in Jersey starting with the switching on of the Christmas lights in the island's capital, St Helier. Translated from the old Norman-French language, Jèrriais, La Fête dé Noué simply means 'Christmas Festival'. It is a time during which a series of events and activities take place around the island and French and Jersey market-traders tempt shoppers with special gifts and festive treats.
Melanie Gouzinis, Head of Philatelic at Jersey Post explains: "La Fête dé Noué is a great example of how islanders embrace their Norman-French heritage. Although not widely spoken, lessons in Jèrriais are available within the island and local government and businesses actively support the ancient language. We are delighted to be able to offer the same seasonal greeting in both languages during the festive period."
The Broad Street location identifier will be printed on both the Crest of Jersey and Jersey Flag stamps, beneath the overprints.
Jersey Post's JE02 series Post & Go kiosk, powered by Royal Mail, is located in Jersey Post's Broad Street post office in St Helier. A limited number of Collectors' strips featuring both the Jèrriais and English overprints will be available to order at www.jerseystamps.com or by contacting the Jersey Philatelic Bureau on: 00 44 (0)1534 616320.


text:
I thought I would elaborate on last night and the lead up to my big debut. Tonight is saturday night, and why am I at home writing a blog entry instead of out partying it up Berlin style? I'm freaking exhausted, that's why.
I never know what exactly to do with myself on the day of a performance. Usually when there is a run of performances, by a few into it I just start having normal days and doing whatever I would do if I didn't have a performance, within reason. But for the first show, I'm often a little paralyzed and don't feel like just being normal. Yesterday I watched a movie in the morning on my computer (Away we go - it was meh) and around noon I started to feel really nervous. Like panicky hard to breathe nervous. I had this revelation yesterday that what I'm nervous about is.....being nervous. Seriously, most of my rep doesn't really give me anything to worry about vocally or dramatically, as long as I'm calm and feeling normal. But when I get nervous and my vocal cords get all thick and tight as a result, I have to work extra hard to keep my voice sounding normal. Plus the nerves cause me to breathe high, so I have to counteract that by constantly reminding myself to relax. But none of this stuff happens in rehearsals, and I can sing everything without issue at that point. So what I'm nervous about is how my voice is going to act when I'm nervous. I could really do myself a big favor by just, oh, I don't know, not being nervous. But you can't control that I guess, so I do my best to distract myself.
Anyway, I found myself feeling really anxious, so I took myself for a walk and started taking photos of this cool church near my apartment. That did the trick and distracted me for awhile, and got me back to breathing normally. I got back to the apartment and tested my voice out and it felt totally fine - good even - so I allowed myself to relax a little. The nerves came in waves as the day went on, but when it finally got close to curtain, I started to feel much calmer, thank god.
I arrived early to the theater and started warming up, and in fact, I think I actually over warmed up a bit. It's a tricky thing for me because I don't really need to warm up much at all for most of the roles I sing, and over warming up causes my low to feel a little stiff if I'm also a bit nervous. But when I'm nervous I keep wanting to test my voice out and try out my high notes to make sure they're "still there." I found the Bartolo and showed him my cadenza to the lesson aria because he has to react at certain moments and we had obviously never done it together. I went to my dressing room and proceeded to attempt to speak horrible german to the VERY nice make-up and costume ladies, and tried to remain calm.
Before I knew it the overture was starting, and I was taking my place backstage for my first entrance, and I was singing recitative and trying to get laughs. Then soon after that I was sitting there getting ready to sing Una voce poco fa.
Ah, una voce poco fa, Rosina's entrance aria - I have a love hate relationship with you. You start so low and dip down to very low chest tones, then move around frantically with tons of coloratura (and especially with the crazy ornaments I do) and then leap up to a high sustained B natural at the end. Plus, other than the few lines of recit in the first scene, it's the very first thing Rosina does, so you don't have time to calm yourself down by singing other easier things. But at the same time it's a wicked fun aria to sing, and there are endless possibilities, so even after thousands of renditions, I am never bored with it. But it usually freaks me the eff out. It's not just me though, Rossini stuck all three of his leads with fiendishly difficult arias that start their roles, and I'm always backstage with Almavivas and Figaros who are crossing themselves and looking pale and petrified before they step onstage too.
Last night's una voce went very well, all things considered. I took my time, I didn't push in the low, and I managed to sing most of it as well as I could in the moment. As can happen, I sang the high note better in the rehearsals and in my dressing room than in the performance, but I am trying not to dwell on it. Especially since I sang a few other really excellent high B naturals during the course of the evening. But it's hard not to wish for perfection. Sigh. It usually comes when you least expect it, like when you're tired and not really thinking about what you're doing, and suddenly BAM all the notes are awesome.
For the rest of the show, I really had tons of fun. I said to myself, "Self: You are singing on the stage of the Berlin Staatsoper an opera and a role that you really enjoy with lots of comedy and coloratura, two of your favorite things, with a wonderful cast and supportive friends in the audience. LIVE IT!" and so I did.
There were definitely a few moments though where I didn't remember exactly where I was supposed to be or what I was supposed to be doing, but somebody always discreetly pointed the direction I was supposed to go. There were even a few parts that I had literally never actually rehearsed - only watched - but they all seemed to go okay. After it was over, I hugged everyone very tightly who helped me get through it and supported me, including the very warm and wonderful director and conductor and all my cast-mates, and received hugs from the few awesome friends who came to the performance and supported me. And then I went out and had a couple of much deserved glasses of wine with my agent, and toasted a satisfying debut.
On a completely unrelated topic, I went on another bike tour today with two of my friends who are also singing in Berlin. Between the three of us, we are representing all three opera houses - my friend Heidi Stober is singing at the Deutsche Opera, and Maureen McKay is at the Kommische Oper. Here are some photos - okay, mostly for my mom and dad - but the rest of you can see 'em too if you want.
Three opera chicks on bikes:
Sneaking away from the tour to take a photo in front of the sign with my name and the Staatsoper looming in the background:
Action shot:
The light was so beeeeeeeyoutiful as the sun was setting:
I took this yesterday of the church near my house just after a plane made that air streak in the sky:
Saturday, September 19, 2009
The lowdown
3 comments:
- Unknown said...
Lovely pictures, I especially liked the 3 opera chicks on bikes. Also, the church steeple with the airplane contrail was very nice.
- September 19, 2009 at 7:05 PM
- sabauda said...
Sounds like you are making the most of this wonderful time in Berlin....keep enjoying every moment! I'll be taking that bike tour one day!!
- September 20, 2009 at 12:01 PM
- Katypracht said...
What a wonderful discovery about being nervous about nervousness. Good insight! I'm so glad you were able to enjoy yourself for most of that amazing debut. What a huge personal step to take while making such a big professional step. Brava!! :)
Those are great pics, too. Happy adventuring while you approach your next performance!
- September 20, 2009 at 7:43 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
This Way Up: Seven Tools For Unleashing Your Creative Self And Transforming Your Life
Stock information
General Fields
Special Fields
Women spend so much of life nurturing and giving to others that when they find themselves alone because of an empty nest, the end of a marriage, or the death of a partner they often struggle with feeling purposeless. "This Way Up: Seven Tools for Unleashing Your Creative Self and Transforming Your Life" provides a step-by-step way out of this sense of loss and into a life filled with enthusiasm, creativity, and joy. This story of healing centers on the essential wisdom of introspection and on the importance of following one s dreams. Join the protagonist, Katya, a widow whose two sons have recently left home, as she learns seven tools for uncovering her best self: visualization, heart-centered goal setting, positive focus, meditation on love; meditation on forgiveness, gratitude, and taking action on inspiration. Katya s experience highlights these insights in an easily digestible, highly relatable format that readers can systematically apply to their own circumstances as they work through "This Way Up s" twelve weeks worth of day-by-day journaling exercises, thought-provoking questions, and reader support. For any woman who yearns to lead a fuller life but doesn t know how to begin, this book is an ideal starting point."
"This Way Up" is a bold new path to personal growth and one that will help any woman who caretakes everyone but herself, whether at work or at home. Patti Clark's approach is wholly unique and the meditations, visualizations, questions, and journal prompts will gently lead you back to yourself. Brenda Knight, author of "Be a Good in the World" Clark has written an extraordinary story of reclaiming creative wisdom. Part compelling tale, part twelve-week course, "This Way Up" is a signpost for anyone looking to point the rest of her life in the direction of inspiration. Toni Piccinini, author of "The Goodbye Year" ""This Way Up" is a healing guide to a more fulfilling life. Chock-full of practical tools, practices and reflection questions, it s a helpful and relatable book for readers wanting to deepen self-insight, release the obstacles and doubts that hold them back, and find the courage to claim the life they yearn for and deserve. Donna Stoneham, author of "The Thriver s Edge" Anyone over 50 will identify with Kat's feeling of invisibility and vulnerability; Clark provides realistic tools to empower the reader seeking a better path and life. This book stands out in its unique format as a self-help workbook starting with Kat's tale. The activities presented are applicable to any age group of women and provides the way for a new creative, more joyful life. Kathy Nester, Penny for my Thoughts blog"


text:
Outdoor Christmas Tree
Merry Christmas to all.
This is the picture that won me a hundred dollars.
I made this picture using shells and driftwood I found on the beach this summer.
This is my mantelpiece all decorated for Christmas.
The rules:
1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have fun!


text:
In-Studio: Yautja
Here we have an in-studio performance from Nashville metal trio Yautja, who were gracious enough to stop by our studio before a show at Liberty Bar on May 8th, 2014. Featuring members of Gnarwhal, Coliseum, and Sallow (who we've also hosted in-studio), Yautja was on tour at the time in support of their debut album Songs of Descent, which was released on Forcefield Records. They performed four tracks from the album, and the performance was mixed by V89's Derek Jones, with interview by David Wolfson.
Check out the in-studio's setlist, as well as a picture, below. To listen to the in-studio, click play on the widget above. And for more in-studios, interviews, and more on V89, check out the Station Chatter section of our website. Only at WVFS Tallahassee!
- Of Descent
- Denihilist
- Teeth
- Faith Resigned


text:
This week was a decisive time in the markets. It was the first big data month since the Fed's ill-guided interest rate hike. Investors are now considering which way stocks will move next and whether or not the gold pullback is over.
On the domestic data front, the nonfarm payroll jobs number missed horribly (posted 160,000; expected 200,000-215,000). The slowdown from the first quarter of 2016 (last week Q1 GDP came in at 0.5%) does not appear to be over yet.
Companies such as PacSun, SunEdison, Peabody Coal, Quicksilver, and Wet Seal have all filed for bankruptcy. Even INTEL reported it will be cutting 11% of its workforce. Expect more of the same to follow.
The jobs number, if read between the lines, tells a grim tale. The high-paying manufacturing sector is dying and the low-paying service sector is booming. The loss of those high salaried oil fracking jobs, along with the business they created, is going to show sooner rather than later.
With the GDP anemic at just 0.5% and business activity stalling, investors are finally realizing that lower rates (this author believes negative rates) will be ahead in the United States.
Gold eclipsed $1,300 this past week for the first time in two years. Silver climbed towards $18.00, before dropping back to $17.50. The US Dollar Index has broken below 94 and is poised to drift lower. Now that dismal economic data is making Wall Street question the Fed's decisions going forward, expect gold to continue its upward movement.
As gold continues its path upwards (which this author expects will continue much higher), mining equities will follow and continue to generate leveraged gains.
In April, as the chart shows, the 3 largest mining ETF's outperformed the GLD by 4.5x. The longer gold simply stays around the modest $1,250-1,300 price range, the more cashflow companies will make – warranting higher valuations.
The Fed's Dilemma
The Fed's dilemma is that GDP can only grow one of two ways: increase production or increase the working population. These are structural problems – not cyclical. Structural problems are, for example, what Japan has dealt with since the early 1990's. No amount of monetary easing (a cyclical cure, as John Maynard Keynes stated) has revived their demographics or growth. Quite simply, the Fed can not print youth.
The U.S. is well below its long term productivity rate of 2.1%.
And with the only shining light for the Fed to raise rates now growing dim, domestic employment numbers, one cannot see any justification for further hikes in the discount rate.
The train of thought since mid-2014 was predominantly that the economy is getting better and growth is coming, therefore the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates (take the training wheels off). And as they raise interest rates, cash will soon yield a return. Thus, there is no point in owning gold but a strong case for holding dollars instead.
Economic historians will scratch their heads when reading of these times.
Ironically, this very premise caused the dollar to strengthen to levels that the underlying US economy could not justify, which is now slowing growth (remember, as the dollar strengthens, so do dollar denominated debt burdens). The Fed has feared deflation over inflation, and with the economy stalling from all fronts, expect them to turn course – cut rates – and even turn on the printing press once more.
Important Gold News from This Week:
1. The Fed Has No Idea Where its Taking All of Us
A few weeks ago, the last four Federal Reserve Chairmen were gathered together for a roundtable discussion. Paul Volcker, Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, and Janet Yellen all answered various questions about the economy and the US dollar. As usual, they used open ended answers and propagandized that US domestic economy is all well. The room got quiet when the moderator had asked Ben Bernanke how exactly does the Fed plan to unwind its massive $4.5 trillion portfolio that was used to subsidize growth?
Bernanke: "Well, fortunately, I don't have to do it."
He turned to Janet Yellen, our current Fed Chairman.
Yellen: "He left that to me."
The audience erupted in laughter at the quips. Ignorant to the fact that the laughs now will be cries later. Fortunate for Bernanke indeed as printing the money and cutting rates to nothing was easy. The extremely difficult, most likely impossible, will be reversing his actions without opening Pandora's Box. Follow this link to read more from the roundtable and problems the Fed will face – sooner rather than later.
2. Another Billionaire Investor Goes Long Gold
Stanely Druckenmiller, legendary billionaire investor, recently at an investment conference told attendees to dump their equities. With skepticism in stock markets valuations, the choices of the Fed and a slowing Chinese economy, he is bearish on the economic outlook and expects more wasted stimulus.
"The conference wants a specific recommendation from me. I guess 'Get out of the stock market' isn't clear enough," said Druckenmiller from the conference stage in New York. Gold "remains our largest currency allocation."
Click Here to read more from Druckenmiller and his bearish outlook and why he advocates owning gold.
3. Jim Grant Wonders When The Crowd Will Realize The Fed Has Lost Their Marbles
Jim Grant, Editor-in-Chief of Grant's Interest Rare Observer, boldly stated that the "government's money is a short sale." Said simply: be bearish on the US dollar, which otherwise means be long gold.
With so much debt accumulated, domestically and internationally, it is stealing from future growth at the expense of growth now. A dollar borrowed today for consumption in the present will have to be paid for (plus interest) in the future. Example: an individual can forego saving his money to make a purchase and instead buy a car today through financed debt. Future income will now go towards paying for the car (plus interest) which leaves him with less to spend in the future on other goods. Thus, everyone financing cars today at historic low rates will not buy a car next year – curbing future demand.
As the saying goes, there is no free lunch. The Fed has pushed rates down to force consumption in the present for near term growth at the expense of long term growth.
Click Here to read Jim Grant's outstanding article on the case for being bearish on the US dollar and future growth – along with the insanity of Fed policy and recommendation to buy gold.
4. China Setting the Foundation for a Gold Standard System
As of April 19th, the Shanghai Gold Fix (a pricing mechanism designed to price gold in Chinese Yuan) began. This is threatening to the long standing of the London Gold Fix – the West's dominant hold on the gold market. The most interesting aspect of the Shanghai Exchange is that it has immediate physical delivery of its gold, contrary to the COMEX and its paper gold contracts.
- The first step by the Chinese was to accumulate gold, which it is doing in droves.
- The second step was to price the gold in their domestic currency, the Yuan, which separates them from the absurd Western paper gold manipulations.
- The third step can be speculated upon because of such words by Dr. Zhou Xiaochuan, Governor of China's Central Bank, from an essay written in 2009: "There were various institutional arrangements in an attempt to find a solution, including the Silver Standard, the Gold Standard, the Gold Exchange Standard and the Bretton Woods system… Theoretically, an international reserve currency should first be anchored to a stable benchmark and issued according to a clear set of rules, therefore to ensure orderly supply.."
What happened after the recession of 2008? Gold soared. Is it possible the Chinese are aware of their own housing bubble? If the inevitable bursting of this bubble can't be safely avoided at this point, are they trying to get gold in their citizens hand's for offsetting the coming bust? If Chinese real estate and stocks fall, but gold rises, that will protect purchasing power and asset collateral. Follow this link to read what China has done and possibly plans to do with the gold market right under the nose of Western powers.
5. Gold & Silver Miners – Crushing Earnings Expectations
Since January 2016, gold has rallied over 20% and silver over 25%, along with platinum and palladium following. But the real story has been with precious metals mining companies. The last 4 years have left gold investors bruised and battered along with mining companies on life support.
Thus, companies trimmed their fat or in a wave of corporate Darwinism, the weak shall perish (default) or be eaten (acquired). And because of this, many that were left standing are operating with more efficiency and have adapted for making money within a $1,000 gold environment. Imagine what they can do at $1250 or $1,500 gold.
This is the first full quarter (3 months) of rising metal prices in recent history. With many miners having cut costs, finished construction of mines, and cleaned up their balance sheets during the bear market, how have they fared this far? Click Here to read last week's earnings of major mining companies, how they topped analysts estimates and what investors can expect going forward.
If you want to view the Gold Stock Bull portfolio, newsletter (new edition out this Sunday) and get the weekly trade alerts, please click here to become a premium member.


text:
What does Giro Takaful Warisan offers?
The Plan That Gives You More Flexibility and Rewards You
|Choice of expiry age
|You can choose your plan to mature at age 80 or 100.
|Vary the amount of Takaful protection
|You have the option to choose from a range of sum covered for death and disability benefit without affecting your contribution amount.
|Enhance your child's Takaful coverage
|Enhance your basic protection by adding various additional benefits available such as critical illness, medical and contributor benefits.
|Build a retirement fund
|PruBSN's Shariah-approved Takafulink Dana Urus fund provides a potentially higher return than a banks saving account over the long term.
|Fund withdrawal option
|Make withdrawals to meet your changing needs at any time (minimum withdrawal of RM1,000 and remaining balance after withdrawal is at least RM1,000).
|Tax relief
|This certificate may qualify you up to RM6,000 individual life/medical tax relief a year.
|Earn Loyalty Bonus
|Get a loyalty bonus worth 5% of your yearly protection contributions upon completion of the 10th certificate year, and subsequently every 3 years after that.
|Continuous coverage due to loss of job
|Your coverage continues for up to 6 months when you lose your job and you are unable to pay the regular contributions.
|Celebrate your first achievement
Receive RM500 through AchieveFirst Bonus when you accomplish one of the following before you reach 50 years old.
• Buy your first house
You can only claim this benefit once.
1. Terms and conditions apply
2. This is the contribution allocated into your Protection Unit Account (PUA)
3. This benefit is applicable for entry age 19 to 25 years old.
Basic Coverage
|The sum covered and the remaining value in your account are payable in the event of death.
|Total and Permanent Disability (TPD)
|The sum covered is payable in the event of total and permanent disability before the age of 70 of certificate expiry, whichever is earlier.
|Maturity Benefit
|The remaining value in your account is payable upon maturity.
|The remaining value in your account is payable when you surrender your certificate.


text:
There's a whole world contained within Yamantaka // Sonic Titan. They're a Noh-Wave prog collective, a black-and-white (and sometimes red) theatre company, an operatic psych cult, and the speculative prophets of humanity's impending doom. Above it all, though, they're a thunderous rock band, and on their third album, DIRT, they're the heaviest they've ever been.
Though they've been an amorphous beast since they formed in 2010, DIRT follows the group's most significant evolution in years. Now totally Toronto-based, they've added new singer Joanna Delos Reyes, guitarist Hiroki Tanaka and bassist Brandon Lim, who, along with the towering drums of leader/artist Alaska B, singer/theatre artist Ange Loft and keyboardist Brendan Swanson, turn the group into a driving engine of sound. Live, the band can be sprawling and theatrical or concise and visceral, filling the stage with noise, melody and cacophony.
DIRT is the band's first album since 2013's UZU, their second straight to be shortlisted for the Polaris Prize as one of the best Canadian albums of the year. But the gap between albums hasn't been a hiatus. Instead, the group hunkered down in the studio composing the mostly-instrumental score to the DrinkBox Studios video game Severed, along with members of the Canadian-Filipina gong group Pantayo. They emerged with new elements to heighten and distort into their already far-reaching sound, which combines and tornadoes Asian diasporic and Indigenous influences and perspectives.


text:
History: Ambulances in the 1900s
The early 1900s featured the gas- powered Ford Model T Field Ambulance which was able to transport several patients at a top speed of 45 mph. Ambulances were common place in cities with funding from hospitals retrieving patients in the field. The Red Cross utilized these ambulances during World War I. Many of these remained inservice through the 30's and 40's.
Shameless self-promotion alert:
If you go to my online shop, I'm selling postcards and posters featuring this old ambulance as part of a series.


text:
Cloud Practice - Java/Spring Developer at Kin + Carta
Solstice is an innovation and emerging technology firm that helps Fortune 500 companies seize new opportunities through groundbreaking digital solutions. As strategists and consultants, we help organizations evolve their digital strategy to solve mission-critical problems. As designers and developers, we build incredible digital solutions that transcend a standalone product and transform an organization's relationship with its customers. Solid communication skills, a servant leadership attitude, a love of learning and an analytical mind are a must to be successful at Solstice. Solstice is seeking a Java/Spring Developer to join our Cloud Practice on a full time or contract basis.
What You Will Be Doing:
- Consulting with Fortune 500 clients in order to build enterprise grade cloud native applications
- Supporting team members in order to deliver products to market in an efficient manner
- Partnering with top-notch designers to create award winning user experiences
- Bridging the gap between elegant front end design and existing enterprise backend architectures
- Mentoring less experienced engineers to foster their career path and growth
- Traveling to client site on a weekly basis to collaborate with client development team
Your Profile Includes:
- Strong level knowledge of Java and Java web applications
- Strong understanding of modern Spring frameworks (Spring Boot, Spring Cloud Services, etc)
- Solid OOD and OOP skills are required
- Previous experience delivering products in an Agile environment
- Experience developing enterprise applications that support high traffic volumes
- 3 or more years of professional software development experience
- Exposure to modern software practices such as TDD, CI/CD, etc. is required
- Previous consulting experience is a plus
- Working experience with microservice architectures is a plus
- Working experience with public cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) is a plus
- Working experience with modern web application frameworks (AngularJS, ReactJS, etc) is also a plus
- Previous exposure to Pivotal Cloud Foundry is a huge plus
- BS in Computer Science or a related field required
- Open to a minimum of 80% travel required


text:
- This event has passed.
Justin Flom | Father's Day Show
|June 16
|7:00pm - 12:00am
|Bayside Granite Bay
|15 – 30
What better way to celebrate Dad, then a night with world renowned Magician Justin Flom!
Minnesota born and resident of Las Vegas, Justin Flom is building a Magical Career. From touring with Country Superstars Florida Georgia Line and creating magic for other stars including Lady Antebellum, Super Bowl Coach Pete Carroll and the entire Seattle Seahawks team, John Legend, Nick Jonas, and Chrissy Teigen, Flom finds himself in front of as diverse an audience as any entertainer.
This night will be full of fun and magic for all!
Tickets are:
$15 for General Admission
$30 for Premium (Early Entry, Q&A with Justin, plus see a few exclusive tricks that won't be in the show!)
Questions? Email firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Our designers will bring amazing designs to our clients in Willow brook.
Our promise to our Willow Brook clients, that we will:
- We provide them with unique designs that reflect their style and personality.
- We will discuss their budgets and stay within them.
- Arrive on time
- Provide the best quality products
- Best price!
- 10 years performance Guarantee.
- The latest in the window fashion industry
- Motorization.
- Free in home consultation.
- Free Estimate.


text:
Are you looking for a fulltime job opportunity that does not require you to commute to the office? At CACTUS, you can join a team of highly skilled editors who are experts in various academic fields. We're currently hiring Editors for a full-time work-from-home position in the Medicine, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences & Engineering, and Humanities & Social Sciences. What you will do? Edit manuscripts written by non-native authors to ensure that the final text is in standard scientific English and is free of unclear or unidiomatic sentences Adhere to specific instructions and format manuscripts according to the target journal Understand client and industry requirements and adapt your working approach accordingly Manage deadlines and ensure high quality standards What do you need? A degree (bachelor's, master's, PhD, etc.) in any stream Ability to multitask and work under tight timelines Ability to review and critique scientific literature Excellent written English skills and attention to detail Familiarity with MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
CrispTalks provides affordable animated videos to startups. We are currently looking for people with strong communication & written skills to execute video designing projects. The role includes writing scripts for animated videos after understanding client's requirements & ensuring timely delivery of videos by coordinating with other team members. This is a remote position.


text: Houston we have so many problems…Curtis "Launchpad" Larkin's career as an astronaut has had its share of ups and downs.Alternately lauded as the single-handed savior of NASA and condemned as a reckless, hot-headed bully, Curt has been through the wringer of public opinion and come out on top. When he embarks on his final mission with NASA, Curt figures there's no curveball that life has left to throw him.But when the role of spacecraft communicator is passed to a young engineer back in Houston who he's never met, Curt's mission takes on a new trajectory."CAPCOM to commander. Do you read?"Patrick Harte's life is turned upside down when he's called to fill in at mission control, working directly under his hero, Curtis Larkin. Falling for Curt is just a small step for Patrick — but it's one giant leap to think that the astronaut could ever return his feelings."The more I talk to you, the more I know that we understand each other."After Curt connects with Patrick from worlds away, he can't imagine life on earth without the other man… Despite the fact that he's never laid eyes on Patrick. And their problems won't stop once he's cleared for landing.The bad-boy astronaut is no stranger to controversy — but will the genuine and soft-spoken man of his dreams be able to keep up with the trouble Curt seems to stir everywhere he goes?(One Giant Leap is a slow burn m/m contemporary romance novel with a May-December theme, lots of humor, medium angst, medium heat, and a happily-ever-after ending — plus an explicit bonus chapter for newsletter subscribers.)


text:
First-Year Focus
Courses offered through the Gender & Sexuality Studies Program are open to all undergraduates at Northwestern and we offer several introductory courses intended for freshman each year. If you are interested in issues of gender and sexuality, want to know about our course offerings, or are interested in the major or minor, the information below should be of use to you. If you want to know more, please feel free to get in touch or make an appointment with our Director of Undergraduate Studies, Tessie Liu.
What is Gender & Sexuality Studies?
"Girl or boy?" is often the first question anyone asks about us, preceding our own memories or our ability to speak for ourselves. In many ways, we never stop responding, consciously or otherwise. Our answers are expected to be automatic, and confined to these two options. Our female or male sex, our feminine or masculine gender, and our straight or gay desires are presumed as natural, individual facts, but at the same time, they are forced into binaries and regulated by culture at every level: in the clothing we wear, the popular culture we create or consume, the family structures we inhabit, the laws and public policies we obey or defy, and even the words we use. How do we navigate this paradox whereby sex, gender, and sexuality are taken to be fully natural but also profoundly cultural? How can we identify or alter the social inequalities built into these ways of thinking and being? In other words, how can we understand sex, gender, desire, and the complex relations among them as malleable products of culture, changing tremendously over time and across different societies?
The faculty and students in Gender and Sexuality Studies investigate these and related questions from multiple standpoints within the humanities and social sciences. Courses emphasize feminist, gay/lesbian, transgendered, queer, and other ways of knowing specific to sex and gender, as applied through fields like history, literature, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, film and media, political science, and public health. The program pays particular attention to how gender and sexuality intersect with race, class, ethnicity, national belonging, and transnational movement(s). In classes and in pursuing their own research, students focus on gender and sexuality as key categories of political, social and cultural analysis. For example, in recent years our students have done research on such topics as women's empowerment and micro-loan programs in Uganda, "hook-up culture" on college campuses, depictions of transgendered identities in Hollywood films, medical diagnoses of female sexual dysfunction, and the effect of the 1977 Hyde Amendment on debates over abortion in the U.S.
Students majoring or minoring in Gender and Sexuality Studies have gone onto rewarding careers in law, medicine, education, journalism, business, advocacy work, and the arts. Many of our students have won prestigious Coro Fellowships in Public Affairs, secured teaching placements through the Teach for America program, or gone onto graduate school, law school, or medical school upon completing their B.A. at Northwestern.
Good Classes for First-Year
We offer introductory classes for first-year and sophomores every fall quarter and reserve spots for incoming freshman in these courses, including GSS 220: "Sexual Subjects: Introduction to Sexuality Studies"; GSS 230: "The Roots of Feminism"; and 232 "Sexuality and Society." We also recommend Sociology 216: "Gender & Society." Each of these courses will introduce you to key terms, issues, and approaches to the study of gender and sexuality in the humanities and social sciences.
All of our 200-level courses are suited to first-year students and sophomores and each fulfills one or more of the Weinberg College distribution requirements. For example, "The Roots of Feminism" fulfills your Area IV Historical Studies requirement, and "Sexual Subjects" can satisfy a credit in Area III, Area IV, or Area V. Similarly, our spring quarter class Gender & Sexuality Studies 231 "Introduction to Gender, Sexuality, and Cinema" fulfills an Area VI—Literature and Fine Arts distribution requirement.
Most of our 300-level seminar courses are also open to freshman, but we encourage freshman interested in gender and sexuality to begin by taking one or more of our 200-level introductory courses.
- Full course descriptions for our fall quarter introductory classes
- A full list of our courses offered in 2019-20
Getting Started in the Major or Minor
Majors and minors are required to take our two core classes, 220 "Sexual Subjects" and 230 "The Roots of Feminism," in their first-year or sophomore year. Majors are also required to take both of our theory courses, 381 "Queer Theory" and 397 "Feminist Theory," in their junior or senior year.
In addition to these courses, majors will take another 7 courses in gender & sexuality studies of their choosing at the 200 or 300-level, plus 4 related courses in other departments or programs. Majors are also required to complete a research project or paper by their senior year and may decide to pursue a senior thesis as well. Minors will take another 5 courses in gender & sexuality of their choosing.
For more information about the major and minor requirements see the following gender & sexuality studies undergraduate program pages:
Students in our program often double-major in another Weinberg College department or count their minor in Gender & Sexuality Studies towards the "related courses" requirement in their major. In addition, a number of our courses are regularly co-listed in other departments and programs, including African-American Studies, Global Health, History, Sociology, and English. Thus, they can be taken for credit in either department or program.
If your particular interest is in how issues of gender and sexuality intersect with science and medicine, public health or the law you might also be interested in these programs:
For further advising help, the following resources can be of great help:
- Gender & Sexuality Studies Program Page
- University Academic Advising Center
- Weinberg College Advising
Anyone who is interested in issues in gender and sexuality studies may want to join these student groups:
Other campus resources include:Back to top


text:
A composite (tooth colored) filling is used to repair a tooth that is affected by decay, cracks, fractures, etc. The decayed or affected portion of the tooth will be removed and then filled with a composite filling.
There are many types of filling materials available, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. You and your dentist can discuss the best options for restoring your teeth. Composite fillings, along with silver amalgam fillings, are the most widely used today. Because composite fillings are tooth colored, they can be closely matched to the color of existing teeth, and are more aesthetically suited for use in front teeth or more visible areas of the mouth.
As with most dental restorations, composite fillings are not permanent and may someday have to be replaced. They are very durable and will last many years, giving you a long-lasting, beautiful smile.
Composite fillings are usually placed in one appointment. While the tooth is numb, your dentist will remove decay as needed. The space will then be thoroughly cleaned and carefully prepared before the new filling is placed. If the decay was near the nerve of the tooth, a special medication will be applied for added protection. The composite filling will then be precisely placed, shaped, and polished, restoring your tooth to its original shape and function.
It is normal to experience sensitivity to hot and cold when composite fillings are first placed, however this will subside shortly after your tooth acclimates to the new filling.
You will be given care instructions at the conclusion of your treatment. Good oral hygiene practices, eating habits, and regular dental visits will aid in the life of your new fillings.
My family has been coming to Patchogue Family dental for over 20 years. Dr Richter has been awesome throughout the years. He is very good and always follows up after visits. It's great to have a dentist who is caring and always available in an emergency. His staff is very good as well. I would recommend this family dental practice to anyone who is looking for a very good dental office.
Terry Ryan
Dr. Richter and his staff are truly the most kind and accomodating staff you will ever come across. I have been going to Dr. Richter for my dental work for many years and I have NEVER been disappointed. His staff always greets you will a smile, his office is immaculately clean and up to date, and his skill in his work is like no other dentist I've ever visited. I am a "needy" dental patient (with gum issues, have been through invisilign, countless cavities, and most recently lumineers) and no matter my issue he handles it with care, and I always receive a perfect result. About five years ago I went back to him after I learned about veneers, and when I told him the look I wanted he gentley guided me through the process and made sure I had the look that I wanted, but still looked natural and feminine. I am BEYOND thrilled with my teeth! I get compliments everywhere I go. He is a perfectionist and you will never leave with anything disatisfactory. In fact- a couple of my colleagues have gone themselves for their OWN veneers after seeing mine. He recently started offering injectibles. YAY!! His skill with any sort of injection (be it novicane, botox, etc) are completely painless and gentle. I have had botox and juvederm done in multiple place all over NYC and Long Island- and none ever last as long or look as good as Dr Richter's. It gets even better- while you are sitting and waiting to numb up or get your cavity filled or whatever you are getting done, the chairs massage you and theres a flat screen TV mounted above you to watch! It doesn't get more comfortable than this place. I RARELY make reviews online, but Hampton Family Dental was one of the rare few I felt the need to put out there. I commute to him from Queens for goodness sake! He is totally worth it.
Ali Reeder


text:
Courtesy of the Concierge of the Dream Hotel in New York
New York's Midtown area isn't just for business anymore. Many new, exciting restaurants, bars and attractions have arrived not just for the average tourist but for seasoned New Yorkers as well. Since NYC is jammed pack with "things to do" you just have to find that "thing" that excites you. Since the Dream Hotel – a boutique hotel from the Epoque Hotels' collection, is centrally located in Midtown Manhattan (210 West 55th St.) you have the options to set foot in 6 different sections all within a 20 block radius of the hotel.
Central Park: If you are just looking for a "green" spot to rest your feet or get away from all the hustle and bustle you can take an relaxing stroll through Central Park's many trails and attractions. Stop in at Sheeps Meadow which is quite accessible on 69th street and Central Park West for a picnic or just to relax and from there you can walk to the Neil Singer Lilac Walk just a few feet away. Smells gorgeous and looks even better.
You could spend the entire day just in the park but after the walks head east to 5th avenue and you will come across many of today's premiere shopping establishments. From 58th St. down to 50th streets you have FAO Swartz, Tiffany's, H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch, Saks and St. Patrick's Cathedral all in such a short distance.
Making the loop you happen to come across Rockefeller Plaza (49th St. and 6th Ave) where you can take a gander at the Today show if it's taping or see an amazing view of the city from on Top of the Rock. One of the best restaurants in the city and in the Rockefeller Center area is Del Frisco's. Definitely bring an appetite because not only is it a steakhouse but a fine dining experience you will love if you are hungry.
A great walk to digest your food is to take a stroll over to the Hells Kitchen area (9th avenue between 45th St. and 56th St. ) through Times Square. Obviously, Time Square is a place you have to see at least once in your life and it's a ton of fun to walk through at night where you can get a glimpse of all the craziness that occurs.
As you enter Hells Kitchen you have a plethora of after dinner drinks or some cheap and cheerful desserts to please anyone's palate. Amy's Bread (672 Ninth Avenue (Between 46th & 47th St.) and Vintage (753 9th Avenue between 50th St & 51st St.) for every kind of martini available are two places that will satiate any of that sweet tooth or beverage need.
Planning to visit New York? We recommend the following boutique hotel:
Avantgarde Superior Hotel, Boutique Hotel in New York > United States
Experience Dream, an eclectic New York City luxury hotel where the unexpected is commonplace. Savor the minimalist aesthetic, fashionably attired staff, and lavish extravagances. Marvel at the two-story aquarium and the whimsy of a portrait gallery where all the art is mounted on the ceiling. Lounge comfortably in a custom-made platform feather bed, while enjoying the crystal-clear picture of a plasma television. Delight in all the available gracious features. Treat your pet to a doggie haute couture package. Center your mind with complimentary meditation and yoga sessions at the Chopra Center and Spa – the health and healing oasis of the hotel. This legendary New York luxury hotel artfully embodies ultra-modern decor and the latest technology – all within close proximity to the endless amusements of midtown Manhattan and the shopping nirvana of Madison and Fifth Avenues.
Ideally situated between Central Park, Times Square and the world-class shopping of Madison & Fifth Avenue. LaGuardia Int'l Airport: 8 mi/13 km, 40 minutes. John F. Kennedy Int'l Airport: 17 mi/27 km, 60 minutes. Newark Int'l Airport: 17 mi/27 km, 1 hour. – View Location Map.
|Avantgarde Superior [learn more]
|210 West 55th Street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue, New York [view map]
|Boutique Hotel
|Best Rate:
|199 USD [View Calendar]
|Total Rooms:
|Languages Spoken by Staff:
|English, Spanish
|Credit Cards Accepted:
|Download full info [↓]