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We know this is off topic and not the normal for our blog, but we are asking for thoughts and prayers for a young girl named Ku'uipo. She is the youngest daughter of one of our Board of Directors, and she is barely hanging onto life.
She was recently involved in a tragic car accident, the section of the car she was sitting in was ripped apart from the rest of the car, pictured below. She is in critical condition. Click here to visit her website chronicling her accident.
Early this morning the truck and trailer were ready to go, along with Jason and Tawnee.
It was finally time for Captain to be delivered to his new home. It has taken awhile to get the schedules lined up, but today was his turn.
Roan also was heading to his forever home. It is always a good day when horses are going home. His adopter played a vital part in rescuing him from a PMU farm years ago.
If any of you have come out to the rescue recently, you know that the road is quite bumpy. The county has not maintained it in what seems like an eternity. Driving out this morning, it seems that the county may be planning to help the road out. All that could be seen that was done was the sign put up, but it was encouraging!
It was a long drive that led higher and higher into the mountains where it got colder and colder. At one place everything, including trees, were covered in a thick blanket of frost. This isn't snow, it is just icy cold frost.
As the trip continued, there was soon snow alongside the road. It's the first snow seen by NER staff this winter.
As the trip led down the other side of the mountain, the snow lessened and soon there was no more.
Roan was the first to be delivered. He was happy to get out of the trailer and take in his new surroundings.
He settled right in and began munching his lunch.
From there it was off to Lassen County Animal Control. Some folks had contacted them hoping they could assist them in finding new homes for their two horses they were no longer able to keep.
Tawnee and Jason took a quick peek in at the animals available for adoption at the shelter. It's always so sad that there are so many homeless animals out there. This little dog is such a cutie, he's just begging for a forever home. Maybe yours? If you're interested, contact Lassen County Animal Control and ask for Judy.
From the shelter it was off to where the two horses were waiting to be picked up.
Waiting was a senior mare who the owner has been trying everything to keep her healthy, but nothing is working. She asked us to give her the Last Act of Kindness. The other is a little half mini / half Shetland pony. She is not halter trained but is friendly. After evaluation she will be looking for a new home. These two horses make 300 horses that came into the rescue this year!
Captain, the horse that was first loaded this morning, had to be unloaded so these two could be put in the front of the trailer. The old mare hopped right in, but the little one needed some encouragement.
Finally Captain arrived at his home. He will be very well loved and spoiled.
While Captain was settling in, Tawnee noticed that Captain's adopter has pigeons hanging out at her place. Tawnee jokingly accused her of stealing NorCal's visiting pigeons. She said "No, those are my baby's." The white one she hand-raised herself.
The adopter then went on to say "No problem, I'll get you one" and brought out a baby one. He is cute and adorable, but right now everyone is stretched much to thin to be caring for a baby pigeon on top of it all.
Evening was falling as the long trip to the next destinatio
n was taken.
n was taken.
The last stop before the rescue was a horse that had decided that sending his owner to the hospital by bucking her off was a fun thing to do. His owner asked if we could take him and we said "Yes."
This blogs featured Ebay item is a Pack Saddle for a donkey. It looks like a really nice Pack Saddle made by Tuff Enuff. 25% of the sale price will be donated to the rescue. You can visit it by clicking here. Remember to list your items for sale on Ebay and selecting to donate a portion of the sale to help the horses!


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Practical and Helpful Tips: Cookware
Frying Pans and Cookware: The Best Ceramic Cookware Reviews
One of the first things you need to do is deciding the type of nonstick coating when you are shopping for a nonstick cookware. Many nonstick cookware companies use catchy names for nonstick coatings, but nonstick cookware currently on demand in the market today falls into one of two categories which are ceramic and PTFE. Polytetrafluoroethylene or PTFE is a solid and high-molecular-weight compound made of carbon and fluorine. PTFE is usually used as a base material for non-stick coating for frying pans and other cookware, which is non-reactive because of its strong carbon-fluorine bonds. Ceramic is the newest material in the world of nonstick coating cookware, and it is considered as the most environmentally friendly and safest material used. Ceramic coatings have many colors and styles you can choose from.
There are arguments about the best nonstick coating in the market today, and advertisers use catchy names to promote the nonstick cookware product, so it is worth reviewing the differences before buying one. Some argue that ceramic nonstick frying pans have shorter life span compared to PTFE or Teflon, but the truth is whatever material you choose, it is advisable not to cook with oil or cooking spray which may decrease the life span of both materials. If you can't help cooking without oil, it is important to completely clean the nonstick frying pan to prevent oil layers from building up which diminishes the nonstick properties of your cookware. Avoid vigorously scrubbing your ceramic pan because this leads to the chipping and removal of the nonstick surface coating of your cookware. It will cause both PTFE and ceramic to age prematurely. So better yet, do not use oil when cooking because some food have small amounts of oil, and keeping oil away lessens the fats and cholesterol you intake for a healthy eating habit. Ceramic cookware have evolved in quality in recent years by applying more layers of ceramic, making it thicker and with longer life span.
There are also arguments behind PTFE, which is presumably more durable than ceramic, but some people are concerned about its health safety, because PTFE coatings can release toxic gases when overheated. However, we found out that with the proper usage, you can use PTFE safely by following the manufacturer's instructions for the recommended temperature when cooking and baking. If a stove top is used, always cook on low and medium heat, do not preheat an empty pan and never leave a pan unattended. Both PTFE and ceramic are affordable options and more expensive ones have thicker coatings because it can improve the lifespan of the frying pan. Feel free to check our website for detailed reviews of PTFE and ceramic cookware reviews. Happy cooking!
Advanced reading: you could try this out

subset: commoncrawl


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A commenter (Keith) on my earlier post on the historicity of Adam poses a good question:
Can you comment on the broader theological/hermeneutical/epistemological issues here?
Let's assume the following for the sake of discussion: (a) there are strong textual (referring to the whole Bible) reasons in favor of a historical Adam; (b) the textual evidence isn't a "slam dunk" so it is possible that the text doesn't necessitate a historical Adam; (c) there is a strong scientific consesus that the scientific evidence for evolution is a slam dunk; and (d) somehow evolution strongly undermines belief in a historical Adam. I leave (d) fuzzy because there are probably a number of ways one might think a belief in evolution would undermine belief in a historical Adam. (I can think of at least a couple quickly, but spelling it out isn't necessary for the question I am asking.)
What should one do in this epistemic situation? The textual evidence is much stronger for a historical Adam (assuming the above assumptions) but it isn't a slam dunk. Yet the scientific evidence for evolution, which per the illustration undermines belief in a historical Adam, is a slam dunk. Does one count all evidence of the epistemic situation equally or does one first resolve the interpretive issue based on textual reasons and then hold to a historical Adam over against the undermining scientific slam dunk?
I am asking, because I suspect that which side one takes often correlates with how one would resolve the epistemic situation in my illustration.


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Live from #WP12: Industry, officials voice support for extension of federal wind energy tax credit
Kicking off the American Wind Energy Association's convention center-sized pitch for an extension of the production tax credit, AWEA CEO Denise Bode said Congress needs to act now to prevent further damage to the industry.
"We are very concerned new wind projects are being shelved," Bode said opening AWEA's annual WINDPOWER conference in Atlanta on Monday. "The bleeding has to stop now."
Bode said she remains optimistic that the production tax credit will be extended before its scheduled expiration at the end of this year, but that the "political logjam" continues to hold up the policy despite bipartisan support.
For more news and PR from this years show visit the AltEnergyMag.com AWEA WindPower Newspage.
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MESA, Ariz.: The Indians' offense has lagged all spring.
Statistically, it ranks near the bottom of the American League in hits, runs, home runs and batting average.�Spring training games don't count, but we've seen this during the regular season�of 2011.
Last year, injuries to Shin-Soo Choo,�Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Michael Brantley depressed the attack.�This year, except for Sizemore, these players are healthy, and manager Manny�Acta is expecting more.
"I think the fact that we've added a piece or two will help,'' Acta said, referring to Casey Kotchman, Jason Kipnis (who made his big-league debut last July 22) and probably Shelley Dunxcan, who will likely�be the regular in left field.
"For our offense to take it to the next level, we need every guy to stay healthy and to produce,'' Acta said. "If the guys in the middle of our order stay healthy, I think we have enough offense.''�
By the middle of the lineup, Acta meant Choo, Carlos Santana and Travis Hafner, who three, four and five plus Asdrubal Cabrera, who hits in the second spot.


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The following 5 live performance videos are selections from Geoff Brown's Faculty Recital with Hickory Strings at Tufts University on November 10th, 2012. The performance featured (from left to right):
Gian Pangaro - double bass
Tev Stevig - National steel guitar, Turkish oud
Geoff Brown - mandolin, Bulgarian tambura, tenor banjo
All pieces are originals composed by Geoff Brown except for Nadelina Kopanitsa which is a traditional Bulgarian tune.
1. "Hazelnutta" (double bass, National steel guitar, mandolin)
2. "Tamburica" (double bass, Turkish oud, Bulgarian tambura)
3. "Bulgari Anishtun" (double bass, Turkish oud, mandolin)
4. "Nadelina Kopanitsa" (bass, guitar, tambura) - trad. Bulgarian
5. "Shores of Newcastle" (double bass, slide guitar, tenor banjo)
The 4 videos below feature former band member Mark Whitaker on 5-string banjo along with current members
Geoff Brown (mandolin) and Gian Pangaro (double bass):
Hickory Strings Live Performance Video (HD) - "Bright Eyes"
Hickory Strings Live Performance Video (HD) - "Doozer"
Hickory Strings Promo Video - live concert clips
Full Song - Lark in the Blueberry Patch (unreleased)
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text:
The Herald
Nduduzo Tshuma in Jotsholo
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa yesterday handed over 1 444 head of cattle to farmers in Matabeleland North as he officially launched the provincial Command Livestock and Fisheries Programme at Arda Jotsholo Estate in Lupane.
The President last month officially launched a $10 million Command Livestock facility to cater for Matabeleland region in Gwanda where he also handed over 1 660 head of cattle to farmers in Matabeleland South.
The 1 444 head of cattle were distributed to beneficiaries from Matabeleland North's seven districts.
Addressing beneficiaries and guests, President Mnangagwa said his Government has an all-inclusive approach in its development programme for the country.
He said after considering that not all provinces are the same, Command Livestock is meant to cater for those dry areas that do not receive much rainfall like Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, southern parts of Midlands, Masvingo and part of Manicaland.
"In Command Agriculture producing grain, we have succeeded, we now have enough grain in the country. We have eliminated hunger.
"Under that model of grain production, we are happy, we will continue to support it and make sure that Zimbabwe shall never suffer from grain insecurity. That is done and what we are now doing with regard to grain production is to make sure every hectare produces more, modernise and mechanise our agriculture to produce more," said President Mnangagwa.
"But provinces like Matabeleland North, Matabeleland South, Midlands South, are not suitable for grain. Yes, you can grow small grains but not much. It's more suitable for livestock and that is why we are bringing cattle here. We started with Matabeleland South, we gave 1 660 head of cattle three weeks ago to women, the youth were given cattle."
President Mnangagwa said under the crop component of Command Agriculture where farmers start paying after six months of receiving inputs, Command Livestock takes five years for farmers to start paying.
"After five years, if you get three heifers or 10 or like our chiefs and farmers under A2 that we give five or 10 heifers, after five years they would be having three to four calves and you will only be required to pay one," said President Mnangagwa.
"This is a beautiful programme meant for the empowerment of our people, we are empowering the households at home. We are going to give cattle to the women and the youths but they are not for consumption but for breeding so that they multiply.
"That's the programme of the new dispensation. This is just the beginning, we will continue like this until almost every single household can say this is what my Government is doing for me but we had to begin from somewhere and we are beginning now."
President Mnangagwa said he had discussions with his deputy, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, and agreed that chiefs would receive up to three bulls to service their respective areas.
"The chief will have two or three bulls to transform the breed in that particular area. After five six years from now we will be going round seeing the beautiful breeds of cattle across the country," he said.
President Mnangagwa called on farmers in Matabeleland North to utilise water bodies in the province to initiate fish farming supported by the Government through Command Fisheries.
"They will give you fish fingerings in hundreds of thousands and after six months you start harvesting the fish. We are distributing for free to empower our villages," he said.
"It is how the economy must grow, no one must be left behind, no community must be left behind, we must all move together. Besides, we are now saying economy, economy, economy, we want to develop. Politics yes but economics first, the stomach first, then pamberi ne Zanu-PF follows when you have a full stomach. That is what we are doing."
Giving a vote of thanks, Chief Mabhikwa hailed President Mnangagwa for distributing the cattle.
"We thank you for the gift of livestock and we want to assure you that they will be put to good use. I'm happy that you said this is the first phase of the distribution because it means that many people will benefit from this programme," he said.


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But, I reserve judgement because the same thing happened to me in high school.
Thode took the class in the fall of 2009. Her instructor, Amanda Eckhardt, testified this week that she stood by the grade, saying Thode failed to behave professionally and thus earned zero out of 25 points in class participation, bumping her down a full letter grade.California high school students are required to take a one-semester class in US government and civics. My HS teacher was so right wing, he made stuff up and proclaimed them as facts. I disagreed with him in class one day when he said that Swedish socialism was so bad, that young women were constantly begging him and his wife to please take them to the US as a nanny so they wouldn't have to live under socialism.
"I ... believed she received the grade she earned," Eckhardt said.
The C-plus prevented Thode, an otherwise A student, from going on to the next class and advancing in her professional therapist studies, the newspaper reported. She wound up getting a master's degree in human development instead.
Her attorney, Richard Orloski, argued that Eckhardt targeted Thode because she is an outspoken advocate for gay marriage.
Eckhardt testified that while she believes marriage is between a man and a woman, she would never allow her personal views to influence her treatment of students. She said Thode had outbursts in class, did not participate appropriately, was emotionally unstable and failed to heed a warning letter.
I told him that I had just returned from Sweden and didn't see anything like that. People seemed pretty happy with their lives. In fact, I stayed with several families with many members who had worked or studied abroad, and they all said that they preferred their social safety net to the US environment. (Some did express a preference for California weather*.)
When I received a B in that class, when I had earned 100% on all exams and quizzes, I asked the teacher why. He replied that 20% of the class grade was participation and I had earned a 0.
I asked how that can be, when I participated.
He said that I did not participate correctly and grading is at his discretion.
That's how bullies react to evidence that contradict their views. They try to shut down voices that bring up contradictory evidence. When that fails, they abuse their power.
In high school, I could use the B as an extra chance to stand out among college applicants. Do you remember the question in the application that asks if there is anything in your academic record that you wish to explain? Anyway, it worked. That low grade helped me get into every college where I applied.
I don't know what happened between Thode and Eckhardt. But Thode's story is so similar to mine, that I give her the benefit of the doubt.
* My in-laws met and married in Sweden. They immigrated for the weather and for a chance to live in a less homogeneous society. But, they do fondly remember the way Swedes look out for each other.


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Visa requirement to travel from Micronesia to Bangladesh
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Friday, 15 April 2011
Worth it
You and your dog.....
.... and some clown in the dunes pointing his camera at your alone-ness.
© Sunshine Coast Daily Photo - Australia
2 comments
- Stefan Jansson said...
Been there, done that.
Nice beach.
- 15 April 2011 at 01:45
- Leif Hagen said...
Man does that look like a heavenly walk along the beach!
I think the ice is almost melted off our local lake with a nice beach.....
- 15 April 2011 at 02:10
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)
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Craig Raine
Nature Study
Poem by Craig Raine
(for Rona, Jeremy, Sam & Grace)
All the lizards are asleep--
perched pagodas with tiny triangular tiles,
each milky lid a steamed-up window.
Inside, the heart repeats itself like a sleepy gong,
summoning nothing to nothing.
In winter time, the zoo reverts to metaphor,
God's poetry of boredom:
the cobra knits her Fair-Isle skin,
rattlers titter over the same joke.
All of them endlessly finish spaghetti.
The python runs down like a spring,
and time stops on some ancient Sabbath.
Pythagorean bees are shut inside the hive,
which hymns and hums like Sunday chapel--
drowsy thoughts in a wrinkled brain.
The fire's gone out--
crocodiles lie like wet beams,
cross-hatched by flames that no one can remember.
Grasshoppers shiver, chafe their limbs
and try to keep warm,
crouching on their marks perpetually.
The African cricket is trussed like a cold chicken:
the sneeze of movement returns it to the same position,
in the same body. There is no change.
The rumple-headed lion has nowhere to go
and snoozes in his grimy combinations.
A chaise lounge with missing castors,
the walrus is stuck forever on his rock.
Sleepily, the seals play crib,
scoring on their upper lips.
The chimps kill fleas and time,
sewing nothing to nothing
Five o'clock--perhaps.
Vultures in their shabby Sunday suits
fidget with broken umbrellas,
while the ape beats his breast
and yodels out repentance.
Their feet are an awful dream of bunions--
but the buffalo's brazil nut bugle-horns
can never sound reveille.
Comments about Nature Study by Craig Raine
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Read poems about / on: metaphor, poetry, winter, change, remember, spring, nature, dream, fire, time, god, running
Craig Raine's Other Poems
Famous Poems
- Phenomenal WomanMaya Angelou
- Still I RiseMaya Angelou
- The Road Not TakenRobert Frost
- If You Forget MePablo Neruda
- DreamsLangston Hughes
- Annabel LeeEdgar Allan Poe
- Caged BirdMaya Angelou
- Stopping By Woods On A Snowy EveningRobert Frost
- IfRudyard Kipling
- TelevisionRoald Dahl


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In ballet, everyone wants perfect pointing feet. The big toe flexor is one of the keys that helps to point the foot perfectly and also one of the muscle groups that support the whole body weight en pointe in ballet.
As a dance physiotherapist, I always find out that the big toe flexors problem is one of the main reason for dancers suffering from back of ankle pain, decreased pointe range and drop of foot arch.
Also the big toe flexors tightness affect balance and sickle especially when demi pointe. As the foot weight bearing is not even due to the tight big toe flexor restricting the range of big toe extension.
FULL Big Toe extension with
1st MTP joint extension at least 90 degree
Full demi pointe with flexible big toe flexors
RESTRICTED Big Toe extension
1st MTP joint extension limited less than 90 degree
Sickling demi pointe with tight big toe flexors
Another issue is that the long division of the big toe flexiors i.e. Flexor Hallucis Longus (FHL) runs across the back of the ankle. When it inflamed, it caused back of the ankle pain, limited pointe range and a lot of the time it can be misdiagnosis as Achilles Tendinitis. I have experience seeing quite a few dancers and dance students experiencing back of ankle pain and being misdiagnosis as Achilles Tendinitis (misdiagnosis by someone who do not know anything about sports or dancers) and wasted their time with treatment not targeting at the right structure.
A lot of dancers has big toe flexor tightness without knowing it until it becomes painful with tendinitis. It can be so painful that stop dancer dancing and affect their career. Most of the people do not know what it is and how important it is to stretch and massage it.
However, a lot of people do strengthening it by using a stretchy resistance band. If it is not perform cautiously (sometime even performed cautiously), the exercise increased the tension and tightness of the big toe flexors. It sometimes does more harm than good to a dancer's foot.
Also in this exercise, it is a pulling rather than push action. That is not simulating the dance movement when the foot is always pushing the floor. So this may affect the proprioception (joint sense and balance) of our leg.
See this video to get more information in action:
If you insist to do this exercise for strengthening, please stretch and massage especially the big toe flexors afterwards.
I met one English dancer who did the surgery for the long big toe flexor (FHL) tendinitis and recovered. She continued the resistance stretchy band strengthening exercise. After sometime she got the exact same pain and tendinitis again! She was so glade that when she met me in Hong Kong during performance and I told her about the possible problem of big toe flexors (actually also other toe flexors) tightness aroused by this exercise. She stopped this exercise after my advice and treatment. She was back to the UK and email to tell me that the pain was gone.
Of course, surgery is always the last resort. The thing is dancers need to know how to prevent this from happening.
One of the way is not to do the wrong strengthening and also to do the right massage, keep relieving the tension of these muscles especially after dancing.
In the next article, we will talk about the anatomy of Big Toe Flexors and how to stretch and massage it. Also how to do correct strengthening exercise for foot pointing and pointe work.
Copyright © Perfect Pointe Physiotherapy Limited. All rights reserved. No portion of the article may be duplicated, redistributed or manipulated in any form.


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HITACHI WARNING! Yet One other Finance Rip-off?
A) Purposeful knowledge – the finance area as such is large and has immense potential for the right candidate to develop. As of 31 July 2016, statistic from Securities Commission Malaysia has shown that there are a total of 636 approved funds from 35 administration companies which amounted to RM352 billion of total internet asset value (21% of Bursa Malaysia Market Capitalization).
Experimental finance goals to establish different market settings and environments to observe experimentally and provide a lens by means of which science can analyze agents' conduct and the ensuing traits of trading flows, information diffusion and aggregation, worth setting mechanisms, and returns processes.
The Editorial Board is thus dedicated to matching the usual of the easiest international finance journals. The building was due for completion in 2013 however is at present on maintain as a consequence of finance points. Merchant seems on the alternatives available, management and future prospects of the small business it will finance.
The challenges, however, can be (a) the way to improve revenues to justify the acquisition, (b) the right way to mesh Yahoo's operation with that of AOL, which had its personal set of financial woes, and (c) how to answer regulators who might all of a sudden specific concern about Verizon amassing monumental quantities of customer information from its mixed Verizon-AOL-Yahoo information bases in its efforts to sell probably the most-targeted form of digital advertisements.
The research of finance is subsumed underneath economics as financial economics, but the scope, pace, energy relations and practices of the monetary system can uplift or cripple entire economies and the nicely-being of households, companies and governing our bodies within them—generally in a single day.


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Welcome to Fandor. Watch thousands of award-winning films online. ×
Click here to take a look at our newly redesigned movie page.
also known as Revolution in Russia
La révolution en Russie1905
Produced shortly after the events it portrays, this 1905 short may not be as visually rich or emotionally stirring as Sergei Eisenstein's BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN but it shows more accurately the role that the ship played in inciting the Russian Revolution (as a narrator helpfully explains in the introduction). After the sailors' leader Grigory Vakulinchuk is shot, the Battleship Prince Potemkin fires on poor sections of Odessa and Russian troops attack the residents. LA REVOLUTION EN RUSSIE evidences the very long cinematic tradition of re-staging news events. - Marilyn Ferdinand
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Newsletter Signup
The Woodland Park Business Association is always trying to improve and offer you the best service possible. In this regard, we have added a newsletter which offers exclusive insights, promotions and events around town. We know, you have probably requested a few on other websites and got swamped with junk, unlike the others we do not email just for the heck of it.
We wanted to share a few reasons why you really should get the Woodland Park Business Association newsletter.
- It is not "spam". We only send newsletters once in a while. Usually quarterly, and only if it brings our customers value.
- You will be the first to know all the news. Because, as soon as you receive our Newsletter in your email, we will update you of each and every one of our improvements.
- Comfortable, fast and orderly reading. Your time is valuable, so is ours, so we only email when we have something worthwhile to say or offer.
|Anti Spam Policy • Privacy policy


text:
|Luigifan18 (talk)
|Date Created:
|October 22, 2012
|Skill points need to be assigned
|Please feel free to edit constructively!
|Huge Dragon (Water)
|Hit Dice:
|20d12+160 (264 hp)
|+10 (+6 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative)
|60 ft., 200 ft. fly (average), 400 ft. swim
|Armor Class:
|58 (-2 size, +6 Dex, +28 natural, +6 greater mage armor, +10 deflection), touch 24, flat-footed 47
|Base Attack/Grapple:
|Bite +28 melee (4d6+10) or tail +26 melee (5d6+15)
|Full Attack:
|Bite +28 melee (4d6+10) and 2 claws +26 melee (3d6+5) and 2 wings +26 melee (2d6+5) and tail +26 melee (5d6+15)
|15 ft./15 ft.
|Special Attacks:
|Breath Weapon, Spacial Rend, Dimensional Cannon, Water Pulse, AncientPower, Spells, Animate Breath
|Special Qualities:
|Spacial Glide, Plane Shift, Spacial Guard, Pressure, Dragon Pokémon Traits, Water Pokémon Traits, spell dampening 10
|Fort +20, Ref +18, Will +14
|Str 30, Dex 22, Con 27, Int 23, Wis 14, Cha 14
|Improved Initiative (1 HD), Multiattack (3 HD), Arcane Bore (6 HD), Magical Aptitude (Tome) (9 HD), Combat Casting (Tome) (12 HD), Ability Focus (Spacial Rend) (15 HD), Empower Spell (18 HD)
|The peak of a sacred mountain
|Solitary (only one known to exist)
|Challenge Rating:
|Quadruple standard
|Chaotic neutral
|21-25 HD (Huge), 26-30 HD (Gargantuan), 31+ HD (Colossal)
|Level Adjustment:
A mighty aquatic dragon appears before you, glaring questioningly at you with piercing red eyes. Space appears to ripple erratically around it. The pearls embedded in its shoulders pulsate with an odd energy.
The Pokémon revered as the deity of space in the Sinnoh region, Summary::Palkia is an incredibly powerful dragon with power over space. It is said that space is formed by Palkia's breaths, and that space begun to expand when Palkia's lungs first began to breathe.
Combat Edit
Out of the Sinnoh "Creation Trio" (Dialga, Palkia, and Giratina), Palkia is the most mobile and the most magically inclined. It has a potent arsenal of spacial magic that it can use to befuddle and dismantle its opponents, and when that isn't enough, it has a few special techniques it can use to seal the enemy's fate.
Breath Weapon (Su): Palkia can breathe a 60' cone of spacial fracturing once every 1d4 rounds. The cone does 2d6 damage per Hit Die Palkia possesses to anything caught in its area, Reflex save for half. Creatures who fail their saves by 5 or more are paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is 10 + ½ Palkia's Hit Die + Palkia's Constitution modifier (28 in the sample Palkia's case). For anything that cares, half of the damage is considered to be acid damage and the other half is considered to be force damage. The entire attack is a [Dragon] effect.
Spacial Rend (Su): Palkia's signature move, this may not pack as much raw power as Dialga's Roar of Time, but it is still a move of above-average power that has a knack for hitting harder than it ought to. As a full-round action, Palkia may use its power to rip space apart at the seams and insert a chunk of raw nonexistence directly into the bodies of its foes, savagely cutting them up from the inside out. All foes within 60' of Palkia take 2d12 damage per Hit Dice Palkia has, but are allowed a Fortitude save for half. There is also a 20% chance (roll on a d%) that this move will critically hit; when this happens, the move does twice as much damage as normal (roll 4d12 per Hit Dice Palkia has) and the Fortitude save DC is doubled. The save DC is equal to 10 + ½ Palkia's Hit Die + Palkia's Charisma modifier (24 for the sample Palkia, 48 on a critical hit, enhanced by Ability Focus). Palkia may use Spacial Rend once every 2d10 rounds. This move is a [Dragon] effect.
Dimensional Cannon (Su): Palkia's other signature move, few who push Palkia far enough to use this technique live to tell the tale. As a standard action usable once per day per 10 HD Palkia possesses, it may rip a hole in the fabric of space at any space within its melee reach. This hole is a gate to Palkia's home dimension that sucks in magical energy. The gate itself becomes impassable terrain; none may enter its square (anyone standing where it's generated must make a Reflex save (DC equal to 10 + ½ Palkia's Hit Dice + Palkia's Wisdom modifier (22 for the sample Palkia)) or get sucked in and utterly obliterated, adding their HD to the spell level accumulated by the gate). Any magical or psionic effects generated within 200' of the gate that were not cast by Palkia or its allies (including spells, spell-like abilities, powers, psi-like abilities, or supernatural effects, including supernatural maneuvers) are sucked into the gate. An effect that suffers this fate has its energy completely absorbed by the gap in space and fails to have any effect. In this respect, the gate functions just like an energy transformation field[1]. After 4 rounds, the gate fires its accumulated energy in the form of a massive beam of pure spacial energy, dealing 8d12 damage per absorbed spell level to all entities within a 500-foot cone (except for Palkia and its allies). The cone is generated from the gate in any direction; Palkia chooses the direction when the beam fires. Creatures caught in the beam are entitled to a Reflex save for half damage (DC equal to 10 + ½ Palkia's Hit Dice + Palkia's Intelligence modifier (27 for the sample Palkia)). Once the beam is fired, the gate closes and its energy transformation field goes away. This move is a [Dragon] effect.
Water Pulse (Su): At will as a standard action, Palkia can launch a swirling ring of water at an opponent as a ranged touch attack, range increment of 50'. An opponent struck with this water ring takes 1d6 points of damage per HD Palkia has and must succeed on a Will save or become confused for 1d4+1 rounds. This move is a [Water] effect. The save DC is equal to 10 + ½ Palkia's Hit Die + Palkia's Charisma modifier (22 for the sample Palkia).
Aura Sphere (Su): Once per minute, Palkia can briefly expand its aura. All within 30' are automatically struck and take 1d6+1 Force damage per level; however, this is a [Fighting] effect. There is no way at all to avoid this effect, although the rare resistance or immunity to Force damage can still apply to the damage. In a Contest, this always gets a minimum of one point.
AncientPower (Su): Once per three rounds, Palkia can telekinetically launch up to 3 chunks of stone within 100 feet. These are launched as ranged attacks at separate targets, and, if at least as large as a Medium character, deal 6d6 damage each. Furthermore, upon activation, Palkia gains a +1 enhancement bonus to natural armour and to all ability scores for the next five minutes. Using AncientPower while the bonus is still in effect improves the bonus by 1 (to a maximum of +6 total for natural armor and each ability score) and resets the duration - Palkia knows to throw random rocks around every minute or so just to keep the bonuses at the maximum. This is a [Rock] effect.
Spells: Palkia casts spells as a sorcerer of a level equal to its Hit Die. However, it uses Intelligence, not Charisma, as its spellcasting stat. It also takes spells from other spell lists, most prominently the druid and cleric lists, when those spells suit its elemental themes. Spells per Day: 6/8/8/7/7/7/7/6/6/6. Typical Spells Known: 0th: lesser dispel magic, sponge, weakening, prismatic point, Ell's dramatic action, daze, launch item[1], stick[1], mending. 1st: magic missile, frighten, spell flower[1], blood wind[1], blossom of razors. 2nd: wraithstrike[1], baleful transposition[1], snowball swarm[1], earth lock[1], boiling sphere. 3rd: explosive runes, refresh magic, expanding breath, magic hovermissile, greater mage armor[1]. 4th: rocks fall, Ishara's instant infarction, arcane theft, dimensional anchor, wall of ice. 5th: earth power (flame strike from below as a [Ground] effect), teleport, greater dimension door[1], analyze teleportation. 6th: greater dispel magic, disintegrate, transmute water to acid. 7th: greater teleport, mass drown, choking death. 8th: monsoon, polymorph any object, prismatic wall. 9th: reality maelstrom[1], tsunami[1], singularity. Sponge, Boiling Sphere, Transmute Water to Acid, Mass Drown, and Tsunami are [Water] effects. Snowball Swarm and Wall of Ice are [Ice] effects. Blossom of Razors and Rocks Fall are [Rock] effects. Earth Power and Choking Death are [Ground] effects. Blood Wind, Disintegrate, Reality Maelstrom, and Singularity are [Dragon] effects. Palkia usually casts greater mage armor at the start of each day.
Spacial Glide (Ex): Palkia's mastery of space enhances its agility. Its swim speed at 1 HD is 200 feet. It improves to 220 ft. at 2 HD, then increases by 10 ft. for every HD gained after that. Furthermore, its fly speed improves from 150 to 200 feet at 10 HD, and its maneuverability improves by 1 grade every 10 HD after that (until it reaches perfect, at which point its fly speed improves by 5 feet per HD after that). Palkia's maneuverability was poor until it gained its 20th Hit Die.
Plane Shift (Sp): Used as the spell, caster level equal to Palkia's HD, usable 3 times/day.
Animate Breath (Sp): Used as the spell[1], caster level equal to Palkia's HD, usable 1 time/day.
Spacial Guard (Su): Palkia is the master of space, and uses this mastery to protect itself in combat. It has a deflection bonus to AC equal to ½ of its Hit Die. Unlike a deflection bonus from any other source, the deflection bonus from Spacial Guard is halved (round down) if Palkia is flat-footed (Palkia can't manipulate space to defend itself as effectively if it's caught off-guard).
Pressure (Su): Anyone who makes an attack against Palkia must make a Will save vs. DC 22 after the attack is resolved. If they fail, they become fatigued for 3 rounds. If already fatigued, they become exhausted instead. This applies to any harmful ability, whether it be a regular attack, a spell, a supernatural ability, or anything else that targets Palkia or includes it in the area of effect. The save DC is Charisma-based.
For reasons that will never be explained, Cranidos, Rampardos, Reshiram, Zekrom, White Kyurem, Black Kyurem, and some specimens of Pinsir are immune to this. Scholars and loremasters, if they even know of this, would be puzzled for many years.
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Monsters


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I need to put a 5 or (ideally) 7 or 10 day forecast on a page. The user needs to be able to change the zipcode in a spot or 2 in the code to have a forecast at another location (zipcode/city). What are a few easy ways to put something like this on a page? Either in an iFrame or using JavaScript, etc.? I guess what I was hoping to find was code that "just worked" kinda like an iFrame, where the graphics are there and everything. Meaning very little re-working of code on my end. Does this solution exist on Wunderground? Or can anyone share?
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The American Legion hosted its annual softball game against city staff, elected officials and community members the morning of the Fourth of July at Copper Sky. Just for fun, the game included Legion baseball players, police and fire officials and current and former mayors while giving the Be Awesome Coalition a spotlight.
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Musical newcomer, Zach Wilson is making his debut with first single, "Home". With his unique sound and strong lyrics, Zach is sure to capture the attention of those everywhere.
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A question has popped up on two sites about how the cannon was placed in such a fortification.
I thought I would just answer it briefly by saying thick planks to either side of the redoubt were placed to act as a ramp and the cannon was hauled over was one option or simply moving the artillery in before completing the redoubt.:-)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Quick note on the redoubt
Posted by Christopher(aka Axebreaker) at 5:02 PM 0 comments Links to this post
Labels: Notes
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Bunker Hill full picture redoubt
This is the Bunker Hill redoubt and one of the three fletches I made for an up and coming event using the British Grenadier AWI rule set at next years TACTICA event in Hamberg where we will be putting on a demo of The Battle of Bunker Hill.
The redoubt is pretty simple as was the actual one on the day of the battle.I'm not even sure they reinforced it with planking,but I wasn't happy with just a simple earth embankment and so I took a bit of artistic license and added a very simple planking scheme to the walls of the redoubt.I added some of my miniatures to get a sense of scale and I think the size will work nicely with what we have in mind.
BTW this Bunker Hill is the actual model for the game and the other one in the diorama's is only a corner piece used for an advert.The background is largely for color as I'm putting the focus on the redoubt.
Posted by Christopher(aka Axebreaker) at 1:44 PM 5 comments Links to this post
Monday, November 23, 2009
Taking a closer look at dipped Trojan spearmen
Here a a few closer looks for those that asked and that I haven't had time to put in.However,they are not to close,because pictures to close up can appear distorted.
There is a slight shine on the mini's that isn't very noticeable in person,so I think the lighting is doing some of it.I also use GW satin purity seal on my mini's as it doesn't come out shiny if your careful and offers nice protection in addition to not dulling a model down to much.I need to give a further inspection on the models and tone down any that are still to shiny.It was late when I applied the protective coat and took pictures.(My excuse at any rate):-)
I painted the skin tone a bit darker to reflect their Mediterranean background and choose some pretty bright colors for the clothes as this seems to really work for biblical period miniatures in my view.
I only added quick highlights to the speartips,crest,and clothes.I did not highlight the flesh,bone,leather and wood as this would have been very time consuming and defeating the purpose of army painter to produce units quicker then normal.
The shield cow hide patterns do not have army painter used on them and are hand painted to look like cow hide(I tried anyways).I wanted this hallmark of the Trojans to look nice and put a good foot forwrd here.:-)
A special thanks to Saxon Dog for the tips and advice on using army painter.:-)
I need more practice as I'm still leaving pools here and there on the mini's and I'm still unsure of just how much to use on them.Next up are some skirmishers where I can get some more practice.I'm hoping to be comfortable with the process before tackling any chariots as they are the center piece of Biblical armies.
Miniatures:Wargames Foundry
Posted by Christopher(aka Axebreaker) at 6:42 AM 4 comments Links to this post
Labels: Ancients
Friday, November 20, 2009
Trojan combined Spearmen /archer unit
Well folks here they are!This is my Trojans using the dip method.When you factor in time spent vs results then I must say I'm quite happy.I wasn't able to time myself,but it sure did speed up the process.The thought of painting all the flesh in my normal method makes my heart skip a beat!
The dip was brushed on and will require a few more practice runs before I get it just where I want it.
Army painter was brushed on everything except the shield cow hide patterns in which I hand painted this.The reason I hand painted the shields is I wanted the shields to look nice, because this is largely why I collected a Trojan army as I really like the cow hide on a large shield pattern and think of it as the hallmark of a Trojan army.I tried to achieve the hair like appearance these shields would have.
As far as highlights,I only applied a few light highlights to the clothes and spear tips.I applied no highlights to the skin,bone,leather or wood as that would have been very time consuming and thus defeating the purpose of using army painter.
The spears are very long as I've seen in some depictions.They run close to looking like pikes,but I like this look and choose to go with it.
The concept behind my army is a Trojan army close to the time of the Trojan war itself and therefore I will be mixing in early and late style equipment which many historians and the Iliad itself imply.
I personally don't care for light bases,but I cannot have a dark brown one for the Middle East/Asia and so I did some viewing on the internet and saw areas of a reddish desert color and I liked it and went with this tone as a compromise.I decided also to keep the grass dried and sparse in keeping with the region.
I also went with a very wide frontage as I both like the wide look and also to prepare for the soon to come updated rules(WAB2).
I hope some of you like it and I'm curious to hear what you think.:-)
Miniatures:Wargames Foundry
Posted by Christopher(aka Axebreaker) at 6:10 PM 13 comments Links to this post
Labels: Ancients
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"Social skills are necessary for school success. They affect how you do on the playground, in the classroom, in the workplace" --Dr. Barbara Howard an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and an expert on behavior and development." The New York Times
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The scene was one that is quite familiar with golf fans.
Tiger Woods came into a Sunday with a lead, and like he has so many times before, he finished to job to get the W. Tiger did it yet again at Bay Hill, winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational for an unbelievable 7th time.
Only this time, it was different.
Tiger Finally Wins Again
Until Sunday, Tiger Woods had gone 132 weeks without winning a PGA Tour event, by far the longest drought of his career.
Everyone knows the story of how Tiger took a huge fall from grace, how he hasn't been able to win since that fateful November 2009 night. Sure, he had won the 2011 Chevron World Challenge, but only 18 players compete in the tournament, and he should be winning way more than one tournament in over two years.
He's Tiger Woods; he's not supposed to be going that long without winning a major, let alone a regular tournament.
This kind of thing at one time seemed unfathomable to golf fans, and rightfully so. Tiger Woods at his peak was the greatest golfer to have ever played the game, and he was supposed to pass Jack Nicklaus' record for majors with ease. But in the past few years, some have questioned whether he'll ever pass Nicklaus at all.
But now, the monkey's off his back. Tiger finally has that elusive PGA Tour win, and it comes just a couple weeks before the Masters.
But what does this win actually mean for Tiger? Is it a sign of things to come? Is it just a fluke? Nobody knows for sure, but this win will certainly spark a lot of speculation.
The Tiger Woods of old used to pump out wins like it was a natural bodily function, but it's been a huge struggle for him as of late. While he used to never post a bad Sunday round and was the definition of clutch, this has been one of his greatest weaknesses in these last couple years. He's been at or near the top of the leaderboard several times during the great drought, but he just couldn't finish the job. (Side note: I wish Arnold Palmer a very, very speedy recovery and I hope to see him among the excitement of Augusta)
So as Tiger took a 1-shot lead into Sunday at Bay Hill, nobody was quite sure what to expect. Tiger played alongside Graeme McDowell, a major champion and a guy who knows how to get it done. McDowell even beat Woods in a playoff at the 2010 Chevron World Challenge. However, Sunday would be a different story. Graeme faltered right out of the gate by double-bogeying the 1st hole, and Tiger never was pressured too much on his way to the win.
So, what should we take from Tiger's win at Bay Hill? Here are a few things:
While Tiger used to be automatic with the putter, that has arguably his Achilles heel during the drought. But during the weekend, the putts were finally falling for him again. He didn't have to make any extremely clutch putts, so that's something that we'll have to wait and see on, but the putter looks to be starting to work again, which could be huge.
Off The Tee
Another big part of Tiger's game is his driving. He's always been one of the best in the game at driving in terms of distance, but he always has been a little prone to missing the fairways. During his struggles, his driver became much more sporadic, and missing the fairway became a common occurrence.
He finally looks like he's getting that back under control, which is also a big deal. If he starts out the hole in the middle of the fairway, his job gets a hell of a lot easier.
Most importantly, however, is that this win gives Tiger a plethora of confidence; and for Tiger Woods, it has always been about confidence.
He has a skill set that is unlike any other, and he always would get the most out of it. During his immense drought, however, that confidence wasn't there. He wouldn't hit the shots or make the putts that at one time he made with ease. But at long last, he looks like he has the confidence back.
While the other golfers around him were shooting above par, Tiger shot 2-under on Sunday. You could see the relief on his face on the 18th green, and there's no question that it was like an enormous weight being lifted off his shoulders.
So Is Tiger Woods…Back?
Now I'm not saying Tiger Woods is back all the way, because not only was it just one win, but also because I don't know exactly what "back" is.
If it's supposed to be the level at which he used to play, he isn't (and never will be) at that. Tiger is 36 years old and his best days are behind him; thinking that he'll ever get back to that level is a pipedream.
But the thing is, Tiger Woods doesn't have to get back to that kind of play. The old Tiger was far and away the most dominant golfer in the game's history, and he only has to be a fraction as good as his old self in order to be the best in the world.
Will he pass Jack Nicklaus's record? Assuming that injuries to his knee don't force him to retire very young, I'm incredibly confident that he will. Tiger Woods has always played his best golf in majors, and I don't see that changing.
Even during his struggle, Tiger finished tied for 4th at the Masters twice and once at the U.S. Open. This win gives him the confidence he so desperately needed, and he'll certainly be among the favorites at August, and rightfully so.
So, is Tiger Woods finally back? We all can make educated guesses, but only time will truly tell.


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I know, I know, I'm late. But, just like Angie, I can't upload pics fast enough!
If you've been reading, you'll know that we have been planning a birthday party for Beans on Halloween. It was the first Halloween Party ANY of our family members have ever thrown and it was a doozy! It wasn't as I expected, but hey, those Halloween decorations could add up!
I wanted to decorate my parents' house with one room all pumpkin-patchy like and another more dark and haunted, but, kids…I didn't want to scare the kids too much NOR could we afford to go all out with decorations.
Anyway, decorated to the nines or not, it was a success! Exhausting, but successful nonetheless 😉 We had BEAUTIFUL 70 degree weather during the day and the rain held off for the most part until night. We had kiddies/adults dressed as the White Ninja (Strom Shadow from GI Joe), Cats, Wondergirls, Groovy 60s girl, Simba, Pumpkins, Fairies, Batman, Pregnant Nun, Priest, Dead guy, Superwoman, Tinkerbell, Snow White, a Knight, Pocahantas/Native Americans, etc…I'm not going to post all their pics on Flickr b/c I didn't ask their permission. Trust me though, it was awesome and fun to see almost everyone in costume.
The following are pictures from Halloween…aka Beans' 4th Birthday Costume Party…aka Pumpkin Picking 😉 Just like Angie said, better late than never 😀 (To see more participants for Wordful Wednesday, check out Angie's blog).
Beans was Cinderella and would be a Diva w/a costume change later on.
pDaddy was a Clone Trooper while I was a Pirate, Wench or "Deck Hand Darling" (as the costume description said).
Here are the 3 of us – minus Razz because she decided she didn't care too much about the party and wanted to nap for 3 hours instead!
Cake was made by my MUM especially for Beans. Cinderella and a Pirate theme all-in-one – talk about custom made.
Here's a pic of Me & Little Me after her costume change 😉 My eyes are closed, but it's the only picture of the 2 of us in our matching attire. It was around 8pm already. Her party started at 1pm and she had NO nap.
We didn't get pictures of the goodie bags, but we did them like Razz' – brown paper lunch bags w/die-cuts on them. This time, instead of apples, we had die-cuts of pumpkins, ghosts and skulls.
To see a few more – check out my Halloween 2009 set over @ Flickr.


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2019 Scholarship Deadline Extended!
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This scholarship is open to students currently in years 9-11 in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.
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This amazing method of clearing sinus congestion takes no more than 20 seconds and uses only your tongue and thumb.
The Reasons for Nasal Congestion
Nasal congestion normally happens as a result of sinus infection and colds. Various infections caused by bacteria and viruses block the nasal passages, making breathing quite hard.
Although this condition typically eases within a week, you can treat it much faster using this great method.
How to Clear Your Sinuses in 20 Seconds
You simply do the following:
- Push your tongue against the roof of your mouth and put your thumb between your eyebrows.
- Apply pressure with your thumb for 20 seconds. Your sinuses will begin to drain.
How to Explain This
It all comes down to the vomer bone, which is a bone that runs vertically within the nasal cavity. According to Lisa De Stefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine, this technique can help the vomer bone to move back and forth, which motion alleviates congestion and allows your sinuses to drain.
Four Additional DIY Remedies for Nasal Congestion
In case you find this method ineffective, you can try other treatments at home. These four folk remedies are extremely beneficial for clearing nasal congestion.
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
This remedy is quite simple as you only need to mix 8 ounces of warm water with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of honey, or you can take one tablespoon ACV three times a day. It will take just a few days before your sinuses clear up.
Alternatively, you can mix half a cup ACV with half a cup of water, heat it to a boiling point, and inhale the vapor with closed mouth and eyes.
The strong anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric come from its active ingredient, curcumin. You can alleviate your sinusitis by simply sprinkling some turmeric on your meal.
Nasal Saline Rinse
This can be a bit uncomfortable because the rinse goes through one nostril and out of the other in order to clear the sinuses. However, this method has proved quite successful for many people. Simply mix ¼ tsp sea salt with a cup of warm water.
Tip: If you are doing saline rinse for the first time, it's best to ask someone for assistance.
Oregano Oil
Although hard to obtain and quite pricey, oregano oil is highly beneficial for treatment of sinusitis. You can simply add it in your food, or steam it over the stove and inhale it so as to alleviate your sinus infection.


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While I like to refer to being a member of the Saverocity Forum, this post is not about being a member of the forum. Although it is a good idea if you aren't already. I dislike signing up for multiple memberships to various sites and stores because that means another username, password, and possibly another phone number I must remember.
For managing usernames, if a site allows connecting to GMail, Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn I will jump on that opportunity, this saves me from creating another username and password.
For phone numbers, I always give my Google Voice number for any marketing calls.
Besides that, I encourage you to join any loyalty member program to a store you frequent. We already do it with frequent flyer programs, why not with other programs? If you are hesitant about giving your email address out, don't forget that GMail accounts are quite novel in how you receive emails. For instance, I could use this as my email sign up: firstname.lastname@example.com and I could instantly filter all those emails some place else instead of the main inbox.
It's worthy to sign up because you could receive plenty of free things as you make your normal purchases like Starbucks. Once you become a gold member you get a free birthday treat. Panera gave me a free birthday pastry. For the longest time, I had not purchased anything from Best Buy. Then the American Express offers came up and now having the Best Buy Rewards account I am an "Elite" member and I get free 2 day shipping on virtually everything.
Ebay also has their Ebay bucks account as well for 2% cash back on virtually all of your purchases.
I don't encourage opening up every loyalty program because sometimes they offer a new accounts and you could grab some easy points through that. I can't find the recent bonus for opening an account to Intercontinental Hotel Group.
This might sound contradictory, but some retailers offer discount codes that are unadvertised on initial sign up so you'll have to use your best judgement. Don't forget to log in and shop around and leave items in your cart as they might send you an email about you forgetting something and offer you a discount to commit to the order.
Another perk for the retail front, if they have a credit card, there's the shopping cart trick that PFDigest and Doctor of Credit can tell you about. I'm keeping my eye out for a Comenity card with the shopping cart trick – but they recently redid their site so I'm not sure if it's still valid. If it is, I'll be sure to update and let you know.


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Privacy Policy
Privacy Policy
This privacy policy discloses the privacy practices for the concierge services, web sites and any other sites and services operated by Second. This privacy policy will provide you with information on our policies regarding:
- 1. What personal information is collected
- 2. Who collects the personal information
- 3. How the personal information is used
- 4. With whom the personal information may be shared
- 5. The choices available to users regarding collection, use and distribution of the personal information
- 6. How you can correct any inaccuracies in the personal information
- 7. What kind of security procedures we use to protect the loss, misuse, or alteration of your personal information under our control
Personal information
"Personal information" is information that would allow someone to identify or contact you, including, for example, your full name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address. Personal information does not include aggregated information that, by itself, does not permit the identification of individual persons (like statistics about how many persons visited our web site last month, or how many visitors are male and how many are female). If you feel that this company is not abiding by its posted privacy policy, you should contact our security and privacy staff by e-mail at hello(at)mysecond.com.
This privacy policy is a part of our terms of use agreement and by using the Second website and services, you agree to be bound by its terms and conditions. This privacy policy only addresses activities from our servers. Other sites (including those that we link to and third party sites or services which we co-brand) may have their own policies, which we do not control, and thus are not addressed or controlled by this policy.
(1) What personal information is collected
You provide certain personal information to us when you: (a) register to use the services, (b) register for free newsletters, (c) complete questionnaires, (d) order products and services from us (e) register to be notified of changes in our website and (f) send e-mail messages, (g) place requests online from your my account page, (h) submit personal contacts, credit card numbers or other sensitive information, submit forms or send other information to us. In reference to item (h), these pieces of your personal information are submitted by you at your own discretion and will. Please note that these pieces of information will be securely stored in our databases, however, are subject to general online viruses, hack attempts and unknown threats. Please also note that in order to process your requests that require us to access these pieces of information, a select group of our operators will be required to gain access to this information. We will do our very best to secure your personal information and minimize the number of people that have access to your personal profile. Again, you are offering this information and although we will do our best to protect your information, we will not be held responsible or liable whatsoever should your sensitive profile information become compromised. We use a feature of your browser called a "cookie" to assign a unique number that automatically identifies your computer when you visit the site. A cookie is a piece of data stored on your hard drive containing information about you. For instance, by setting a cookie on our site, you would not have to log in a password more than once, thereby saving time while on our site. If you reject the cookie, you may still use our site. The only drawback to this is that you will be limited in some areas of our site, or may have to enter passwords or identifying information more than once. We may collect personal information from you at other points on our site that state that personal information is being collected. In the event of a complaint, we may also receive personal information about you from other clients or third parties who may communicate information to us about you in relation to that complaint.
(2) Who collects the personal information
Second inc., which owns and operates the Second web site and related sites, is the company that collects personal information on our site hello(at)mysecond.com
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We use your personal information to provide you with content and services that are tailored specifically to the profile you provide. We do not sell or provide your personal information to third-party marketers or other third parties unless you expressly agree in advance to let us do so. From time to time, we will have a corporate partner sponsor our site and we may send you information in the form of a newsletter or dedicated email with their information. Should your membership derive expressly from such a corporate sponsorship, we would provide the corporate sponsor with your general sign up details (address, name, date of sign up details & types of requests placed), but never your sensitive profile information. We use your information on an aggregated basis (not personally identifiable) to do such things as operate our site, enhance our site and sell and deliver messages. We may disclose aggregated information about our users but that information contains no personal information. Although your privacy is very important to us, due to legal rules beyond our control, we cannot fully ensure that your private communications and other personal information will not be disclosed to third parties. For example, we may be forced to disclose information to the government or third parties under certain circumstances, or third parties may unlawfully intercept or access transmissions or private communications. Again, we may also need to provide some of your personal details to corporate sponsors that are affiliated with our company or have directed you to our company to register on our site. Additionally, in the unlikely event we need to investigate or resolve possible problems or inquiries, we can, and you authorize us to, disclose any information about you to law enforcement or other government officials as we, in our sole discretion, believe necessary or appropriate. In addition, we may share personal information with our contractors on a need-to-know basis in order to maintain our services provided that such contractors have agreed to the non-disclosure and confidentiality requirements we require of our employees.
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If personal information changes, or if you no longer desire to use our service, we will provide a way for you to correct, update or remove your personal information. You can update your personal profile at anytime by logging into your Second account and clicking on the update profile link. You may also select to subscribe or unsubscribe to any of our newsletters at anytime by clicking on those corresponding links at the footer of each of our newsletters. For other changes to your profile, or to be erased from our database, please email us at info(@)mysecond.com.
(7) What kind of security procedures we use to protect the loss, misuse, or alteration of your personal information under our control
Second takes precautions to protect our clients' information. When clients submit sensitive information via our website, that information is protected both online and off-line. When our registration and personal profile forms ask clients to enter sensitive information, that information is protected using industry-standard ssl encryption. Please note that ssl encryption is sporadically initiated throughout various portions of the site. Not all pages are ssl encrypted, so please be careful what information you submit on our site(s). In addition, please note that Second will also use external sites hosted with other companies which may or may not utilize similar encryption if any. Although we use encryption throughout our infrastructure, it is left to your discretion in terms of what you intend to share with Second.
We hope this policy clarifies our procedures regarding your personal information. We will notify you by e-mail of any significant changes and obtain your "opt-in" consent to any significant new uses of your personal information, if it was collected from you prior to a significant change in this policy. We may also make non-significant changes to our privacy policy that generally will not affect our use of your personal information.


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When visiting Réunion Island, which should be done at least once in life, one of the obligatory stops on any tourist's agenda should be the Friday morning market at St Paul. There is a reason for that; it is well worth a visit, if for nothing else, the abundant concentration of bright colors to be found there. Right on the sea front, one can shop for all manner of local produce, while enjoying the ocean views and breeze. Could that possibly be la Grenouille in a blue dress looking at handbags ???
Smaller purses could be had for 2 euros . . .
I could nibble on candied fruits all day long. The goyave was particularly good . . .
The ubiquitous dodo logo of the local Bourbon beer was present at the market, as it was most everywhere on the island. Quite a marketing stretch to name a beer after an extinct flightless bird . . .
Paintings could be had for a song. And if you look carefully, in the lower right is a painting of a place called Chez Loulou, which I had photographed earlier in the trip, and did a post about back in February shortly after getting home dedicated to Loulou of Indiaphragme out in India.
And after you've had a shot or two, don't be surprised if you start seeing hordes of multi-colored turtles starting to come out of the woodwork, I'm not certain that alcohol is the only psychoactive ingredient in that rhum arrangé . . .


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Chicago Area Clean Cities, Forest Preserves of Cook County to Showcase Success of Alt-Fuel MowersWednesday, July 20th, 2016
LEMONT, Ill., July 20, 2016 – The Chicago Area Clean Cities Coalition and the Forest Preserves of Cook County will host Picnic in the Park – a Workshop on Propane Vehicles and Mowers – at Sagawau Environmental Learning Center on Thursday, Aug. 4.
At the workshop, the Forest Preserves will highlight how it converted 32 gasoline-fueled large riding rotary mowers, as well as future plans to convert an additional 19 vehicles, pending a grant application to be accepted for the conversion to propane power. The conversion of the vehicles is a part of an ongoing effort to make the Forest Preserves' operations as green and economical as possible.
"The Forest Preserves of Cook County is the largest forest preserve system in the nation," said Tom Thompson, maintenance supervisor for the Forest Preserves of Cook County. "By converting our fleet to propane powered mowers, we have been successful in making them both environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient. This is a benefit to our community, the environment and a value to taxpayers."
Most people already think of the Forest Preserves as being green. The Preserves' nearly 70,000 acres account for the largest forest preserve district in the United States. However, maintaining all that green space requires a lot of vehicles and fuel. To mow the landscape areas in and around picnic groves and other recreational public spaces, the agency maintains a fleet of approximately 41 large riding rotary mowers (32 of which are now propane-fueled), 90 large tractors with flail mower attachments, 55 push mowers and 100 line trimmers, all in heavy use from April through October.
In 2013, the Forest Preserves began the conversion of its Gravely Pro-Turn 472 mowers to propane power, which has significantly lowered the environmental impact of its grove maintenance.
Shifting to propane has both environmental and economic benefits. Propane, also known as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), comes from both the refining of crude oil and processing of natural gas. It is nontoxic and water insoluble, making it much less likely to contaminate soil and water than gasoline. Unlike gasoline, propane is a liquid only when under high pressure (as in a tank), so any leaks evaporate and dissipate, preventing fuel from entering ground or surface water. Propane also burns cleaner than gasoline or diesel, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 25 percent and carbon dioxide emissions by 60 percent, as well as reducing emissions of other air pollutants.
"Propane has a high octane rating, making it an excellent choice for spark-ignited internal combustion engines," said John Walton, vice chairman of Chicago Area Clean Cities and formerly the fleet manager for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. "It is a clean-burning, reliable domestic fuel that provides excellent performance in light-duty and medium-duty vehicles, as well as riding mowers like those used by the Forest Preserves."
The fuel switch also has saved the Forest Preserves money. By converting to propane from unleaded gas in 32 mowers, the Forest Preserves has saved approximately $1.00 per gallon. The use of propane also extends engine life and reduces refueling time in the field. A federal conversion incentive cut the cost of conversion by $1,000 per mower, making each new mower $826 to convert.
To fuel the mowers, the Forest Preserves constructed 11 propane-fueling stations. The propane supplier, AmeriGas, paid for the entire cost of the propane tanks and related equipment.
The move towards propane in the Forest Preserves' fleet has taken place in phases. The district has been using biodiesel fuel in all its diesel vehicles for more than 10 years and has been studying the costs and benefits of adding additional fuel-efficient vehicles.
The workshop will be held Aug. 4 at Sagawau Environmental Learning Center, 12545 W. 111th St. Lemont, IL 60439. Representatives from Clean Cities, AmeriGas, and STAG Alternative Fuel Solutions will be available to demonstrate and showcase the benefits of using clean-burning propane fuel. To register, go to: https://chicagocleancities.org/events.
About the Forest Preserves of Cook County
Established in 1915, the Forest Preserves of Cook County is one of the oldest and largest forest preserve systems in the nation, maintaining nearly 70,000 acres of open land for the education, pleasure and recreation of the public. The agency strives to protect and restore the county's diverse ecosystems, so all our unique native plants and animals can live and thrive. Each year, millions of people use these lands and facilities to enjoy or study nature, bicycle, hike, fish, cross-country ski, picnic, golf, canoe, or simply relax in a large preserve that leaves urban life behind. For more information, visit fpdcc.com.
About Chicago Area Clean Cities
Chicago Area Clean Cities (CACC) is a nonprofit coalition focused on promoting cleaner energy for transportation and automotive fleets in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. CACC is one of nearly 100 coalitions across the country that are affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program, which brings together stakeholders to increase the use of alternative fuel and advanced-vehicle technologies, reduce idling, and improve fuel economy and air quality. CACC concentrates its efforts on educating businesses and municipalities in the six-county Chicago area, including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties. To become involved or learn more about the coalition visit www.ChicagoCleanCities.org.


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Diego Cardoso Azambuja and Wallace Liimaa did a great job to organize the 2nd "Quantuum" conference in Brazil. Although it was in the remote Gramado hill-resort town of Rio Grande do Sul they managed to get an attendance of about 2000 visitors. Wallace plans a 3rd conference next year in Sao Paulo and given the difference of size of the 2 place he expects about ten times as many – this would be the biggest event of this kind in the world. Given that the World-cup is the year later in Brazil and also the next Olympic Games – all is lined up for putting Brazil on the map of things to come – Brazil just replaced UK as the worlds 6th largest economy
Amit Goswami gave his usual talk, focusing on the New Age doctrine that "You have infinite choices and your life is up to your control" (Turning the Uncertainty-principle down-side down). He repeated many times "All is possibility" – because Quantum Physics works with "Probability fields" – however he did not mention that the Probability value of all waves and particle Eigen-functions are almost everywhere ZERO. But he follows the new age idea that if you say something that makes your audience happy and proud about themselves – even if it is not true – it can never hurt.
But I had to leave when he gave the answer to the question that he posed himself "Why if – quantum philosophy proves – that it is up to us that we choose health over sickness – WHY DONT WE DO IT ?" – and he truly said "Because it is weak thinking" – What an insult to so many people that struggle hard to get healthy and be told that "You are sick because you have a weak thinking" – Funnily enough his wife could not give her speech because "she had chosen" to return to India as her father "had chosen" to be very sick (because of weak thinking). I did not wait for the examples why some Quantum-Physicists "have chosen" to not go to the toilet or not to die because of "their strong thinking ability". Amit I do not wish you get very sick but I know it has to happen because you have to be cured from the USA virus. (however spreading this virus in India would do some good there – because many have succumbed to the Indian virus that whispers in their ears "it all needs to stay this way")


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Every once and a while we inexplicably come across an athlete that we like for no particular reason. We don't know why or where the infatuation comes from, it's just there. It's even more of a head scratcher when this player doesn't even play for your favorite teams – or even anywhere near you. There's just something about the player that you feel some sort of weird bond with that causes you to follow him closely from afar.
Hopefully I'm not in the minority here, otherwise this probably sounds a little creepy.
My strange attachment began as I was reviewing year end stats of minor league players at the conclusion of the 2005 season. I was sifting through the endless compilation of stats and one player happened to catch my eye. He was a young converted third baseman named Andy LaRoche who happened to have his coming out party in 2005 as he tore through A+ and AA ball for the Los Angeles Dodgers system hitting .305/.374/.553 with 95 runs, 30 homers and 94 RBI in only 127 games. I was very impressed and wanted to know more. LaRoche had a great swing and a fantastic approach at the plate. I was hooked.
Entering the 2006 season I did my best to follow LaRoche from afar (via video and stats), but of course life takes you in different directions and I started pouring more of my baseball time into writing for The Diamond Cutter which I was moving from MLBlogs.com to WordPress. But our story doesn't end there.
Our paths crossed again following the 2006 season while I was working on my first top 25 prospects list and reviewing all my notes and devouring everything I could on each of the top prospects in the game. This was a daunting task as all the notes I had taken on prospects at the time were a jumbled mess and hadn't been organized like I do now (this was in the very beginning of The Diamond Cutter's prospect coverage and I really had no rhyme or reason to any of my notes). Needless to say this was not a fun time.
But as I came across my notes on LaRoche from footage I had watched, I was quickly brought back to how impressed I was with this kid. I had periodically tracked his progression through the previous season but did not know how he finished up. At the time I remembered how well he had done throughout the 2006 campaign and was happy he was building on his strong numbers the year before. LaRoche definitely had another strong year at the dish posting a .315/.410/.514 line with a slight decrease in power with 19 homers and 81 RBI. But despite the decrease in power, he had shown a lot of improvement in his plate discipline and pitch selection. He split time between AA and AAA and saw his OBP jump 36 points, his walks go from 51 to 66 and his strikeout totals drop from 92 to 64. LaRoche was starting to show what type of player he was – more of a pure hitter and less of a masher.
Needless to say I included LaRoche in my top 25 prospects list before the start of the 2007 season ranking him #20 overall and had him the top prospect in the Dodgers organization. I was officially back on the LaRoche bandwagon.
So with my backing of LaRoche back in full swing, I was ready to follow him closely as much as possible on MiLB.TV and anywhere else I could get video. While I did this through the 2006 season, it was much easier to obtain in 2007 and would help me get to know his game even more.
LaRoche started 2007 with his second invitation to spring training with the Dodgers. After a strong spring training I figured there was a good chance he would be able to make the big league club. I kept a close eye on the situation but ended up being wrong as LaRoche would start the season in AAA only to be called up for his Major League debut about a month later against the Atlanta Braves. LaRoche would pick up his first big league hit with a ground rule double off Kyle Davies but would soon be sent back down to AAA. This was the first big instance that I questioned the Dodgers dedication and valuing of LaRoche.
In an odd decision, LaRoche would spend the rest of the summer in AAA posting a .309/.399/.589 line with 18 homers and 48 RBI until being recalled during the September call-ups. LaRoche was able to receive a lot of playing time for the rest of the season thanks to the fragile Nomar Garciaparra breaking down over the final month of the season. It seemed as if LaRoche would finally receive his time to shine heading into 2008.
Heading into spring training for the 2008 season, LaRoche would compete for the third base job with the veteran Garciaparra. One player was looking to get his career started while the other was trying to get it restarted. Then on March 7, Nomar was hit by a pitch on his wrist which would force him from the game. Not that you ever wish injury on a player, but it seemed as if it was LaRoche's turn to shine with his only real competition out of the picture. I remember reading about this game after the fact and knowing Nomar's frailty issues, knowing he would most certainly be spending time on the DL. But LaRoche's "luck" wouldn't last very long as the next inning he himself would experience a horrible injury as he tore his ulnar collateral ligament off the base of his thumb on his throwing hand as a pickoff throw deflected off a player and hit his hand. To say this was a freak accident is an understatement.
LaRoche would of course be put on the DL right next to Nomar and would have surgery to reconnect the ligament. After nearly two months of recovery, he would spend a short rehab stint in AA and AAA. While I was anxious to have LaRoche back from his injury, the Dodgers apparently were not quite as much as he once again was slighted and optioned back to AAA. The Dodgers instead decided to back Blake DeWitt as their everyday guy which confused me a great deal as DeWitt was nothing special. It baffled me that the Dodgers decided not to go with LaRoche – the superior player – now that he was back. It soon became clear to me why.
While LaRoche did get recalled on June 10, it was in more of a utility role as he spent a lot of time at first base rather than his normal third base position. It was becoming clear that LaRoche wasn't really in the long-term plans for the Dodgers.
Then on July 31, LaRoche was reunited with his brother Adam as he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates with pitcher Bryan Morris as part of the huge Manny Ramirez/Jason Bay trade. As a distant Pirates fan, I couldn't have been happier with the deal. LaRoche was finally going to be part of an organization that would give him an opportunity to play and wouldn't be held back any longer by the oppressive Dodgers. What he really needed was a chance to establish himself and get comfortable at the major league level so that he could translate his success from the minors to the big leagues.
LaRoche ended up struggling the remainder of the season with his new club as the lasting effects of his injured finger appeared to linger and he never seemed to get comfortable at the plate. While his struggles have caused some to doubt his abilities, I still stand strong that his ability to drive the ball and get on base will translate to the majors now that he is healthy and has the opportunity to be the everyday starting third baseman. LaRoche just needs to rebuild his confidence in his ability (which he himself has said has dwindled since all of this has happened) and Pittsburgh is the perfect low-pressure market to do this in.
It has to be. After all, we both have a lot invested in his success.
Well I guess he has a little more than I do.
But it's close.
By Matthew Whipps
"The Diamond Cutter"
Major & Minor League Baseball Columnist