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Two thousand years ago, there was a chance that the Romans would make England into another Italy. Four hundred years later, they gave up trying. Now, with the climate warming up and the Brits going alfresco, a lost opportunity has come again. Clive Irving tracks Britain's original Roman high life—and finds plenty of fleshly pleasures along the way.
They are here, but they are not here. There are some identifying fragments, physical evidence of their culture and social refinement. But what kind of connection can you make with a people who have been gone for two thousand years? I am looking for the Romans in England.
In a.d. 43, the emperor Claudius sent an army of forty thousand from Rome across what is now the English Channel. Very swiftly, a new province was established that extended westward to the Irish Sea and northward into the wild Scottish borderlands. Then, in the fifth century, the whole civilization upped and left. Just why is a matter of conjecture. It was probably a combination of fissures within the Roman empire itself and the rigors of governing an unruly bunch of ingrates. In any event, everything went to hell when they left ... the Dark Ages, etc.
My personal interest in this disappearing act began long ago in the small English village, forty miles north of London, where I grew up and where, in a field a short walk from my home, the remains of a Roman villa were discovered. It had probably been built in the first century a.d. What impressed me as a young boy were its amenities—considerably more advanced than those common in England at the time, the late 1940s. The villa had baths alternating hot and cold water—and underfloor heating from the same hot water source that supplied the baths. Central heating was a rare luxury in postwar Britain, and many homes still had outdoor toilets. (It seemed an essential part of British stoicism that even if you had an indoor bathroom it ought to be as cold as a meat locker; stiff upper lips were formed early by gritted teeth.)
As a result of this discovery, I developed a precocious sense that the Romans knew stuff about living well. Consequently, the more I learned about them, the more I wondered, why can't England be more like Italy?
Well, that was then and this is now. Climate change has already transformed London into a place where alfresco dining is common, and where refinements of cuisine and hospitality are as bountiful as anywhere in Europe, thanks in part to the contributions of some fine Italian chefs. It's even possible to make wine in southern England. And so came the idea. I would go in search of that lost Roman province and, simultaneously, assess whether the cultural flowering of England would pass muster with the ghosts of ancient Rome, should they be around. Not I, Claudius, but I, Clivius.
To begin, I decide to follow, for 250 miles, one of the great arterial roads the Romans built from their landing point, on the coast of the English Channel, into the heart of ancient Britain. These days, that Roman route is overlaid by modern roads, the A2 between Dover and London, and the A5 north of London. The whole route, one of the oldest in England, is known as Watling Street. (Watling is a pronounceable version of an early Anglo-Saxon word, Waecelinga, meaning the street of the people of Waecel, a Celtic tribe whose language must have involved strenuous tongue exercises.)
In London, only a fragment of Watling Street exists by name. It begins just a few hundred yards east of St. Paul's Cathedral (not far from what was the core of Roman London), and after a few short blocks disappears and doesn't surface recognizably again until well beyond the capital's northern suburbs.
I pick it up some forty miles from London, in Bedfordshire, near that village of my childhood, where the Chiltern Hills, a great chalk escarpment formed in the Ice Age, finally seem to check the inexorable spillage of London and open up a broad swath of countryside. (The value of good farmland like this has soared in recent years, to nearly thirty thousand dollars an acre.) Ahead lies about two hundred miles of road that gradually angles northwest and then west—in effect defining what would have been the boundary between the southern centers of Roman power and the more dispersed northern garrisons.
A glimpse inside Britain's original Roman high life and fleshly pleasures. view slideshow
Just what constitutes "English countryside" in expectation often depends on which costume dramas you watch on TV or film. From Jane Austen country house liaisons to bodice-ripping versions of Tudor kingship, we tend to move through a contrived landscape of dreamy pastoral bowers and miasmic castles and palaces, all part of the marketing of Albion. Certain regions, like the Cotswolds, have become overhyped and overgroomed versions of an idealized rural England, rather as if Ralph Lauren had moved from aping the wardrobe of the English gentleman to molding the whole country as an accessory.
This road, I see with relief, is taking me through places not yet part of the brand. The views on every side are of a long and natural pastoral evolution—as a natural English garden, rather than a disciplined one, mixes the wonderfully wild with the needs of each season. Given the pressures of population over the two thousand years since the road was laid down, it is remarkable how much of the land is still being farmed, and how well spun is the weave of meadow and field, hedgerow and spinney, wooded hill and grassy slope.
Intermittently, the traffic snarls at choke points in small towns unchanged since the days of horse-drawn coaches, the inns and pubs still redolent of those overnight stops and coaching parties. (The boisterous Mr. Pickwick comes to mind.) The town of Towcester (pronounced toaster), for example, in Northamptonshire, host to famous horse races, has not succumbed to gentrification. It is a real, living way station, as it had been for the Romans when it was called Lactodorum. The racecourse, with handsome grandstands, sits amid sumptuous pastures.
A historic site is nearby: Bosworth Field, where the Tudor dynasty began with the defeat of Richard III in 1485. But where, exactly, is the battlefield? There is a visitors center near the village of Sutton Cheney, but I decide to skip it because even the best current sources I have checked can't agree on the real location or much else about the battle. The fact is that under these ripe English grasses, the exact bearings of many a battle have long since been lost. It makes you think about how much blood has seeped into the soil to gain a grip on this turbulent kingdom. Before Bosworth, there was the Hundred Years' War; after it, in the seventeenth century, the far briefer but savagely destructive English Civil War.
Talk of desecrated landscapes: Not many miles to the west, mercifully out of view, are the two cities, Coventry and Birmingham, that were at the heart of the Industrial Revolution and the first landscape in the world to have been industrialized. Much of their region remains blighted—part derelict rust belt, part unbridled urban sprawl, part high-rise hell all wrapped in fume-choked highways. And yet the A5 remains mostly uncontaminated in its progress northwest toward the border with Wales. There are grazing sheep to be seen in meadows from Bedfordshire all the way to Staffordshire, where the A5 ends.
Before I get there, in Shropshire, I take a diversion to the very nemesis of pastoral England (and of many virgin swaths of North America). These days it looks innocent enough: an iron bridge across the River Severn with a span of one hundred feet. The village is named for its landmark structure: Ironbridge. Nearby, in the early eighteenth century, Abraham Darby invented a cheap way of mass-producing iron, and his grandson, Abraham Darby III, built the bridge, the first in iron, to celebrate the revolution that flowed from the innovation and changed the world.
Not everybody applauded at the time. Oliver Goldsmith, in a poem called "The Deserted Village," saw that the English Arcadia was finished—"... times are alter'd: trade's unfeeling train usurps the land and dispossesses the swain ... ."
Ironbridge is a charming little backwater, more leafy than metallic. Standing on the bridge and gazing down at the Severn, which seems too listless to power anything, I realize the reversal of fortune that I have so far missed: With the industrial age gone, agriculture thriving, and country living a mark of style and money, many English villages now prosper. That night I settle in one, Albrighton, on a broad Shropshire plain as mossy and soft as felt, where the Romans built their road onward toward my northernmost destination, the city of Chester, a key Roman port and fortress.
Dinner at Albrighton Hall, a magnificent three-hundred-year-old country house, in a room with creaking floors and oak-paneled walls, is fine, but it's the gigantic English breakfast (eggs, blood sausage, bacon) that satisfies I, Clivius with a gluttony worthy of Nero, and then (more intimations of Rome) there's a spa, replete with steam room, to purge the effects. Instead of footsore legionnaires, these baths are popular with those requiring trendy beauty treatments—"hot stone therapy and full-body massage." The lubricious, often drooling Claudius himself, I reflect, would have been into full-body massage.
Indeed, the next day, in Chester (Deva to the Romans), I get my first lesson in the sophistication of a Roman bath and its underfloor heating system—hypocaust, to use the technical term. In 1863, at a site on a ridge overlooking the River Dee, traces were found of a hypocaust and the full works of a classic spa built in a.d. 75. At the center was the sudatorium, similar to a sauna, with a hot, dry atmosphere, which was followed by a plunge into cold water. There were also three large bathing halls (cold, warm, and hot) and a basilica for indoor games in bad weather. Very little is left of this system, but the science is explained on plaques posted on stone fragments set out like Henry Moore sculptures in a small garden planted with cypress.
What exactly did these guys feast so much on that they needed to take the waters? The Roman soldier in Britain had ample supplies of bread, porridge, pasta, red meat, fowl, fish, and shellfish—Deva was an estuary port, so seafood would have been day-boat fresh. Then there were the imports: Each soldier had a daily ration of two pints of wine and an eighth of a pint of olive oil, both of which arrived in huge amphorae. To the English berries and fruits were added olives, pomegranates, cloves, and figs from the Mediterranean. Local Celtic beer was also quaffed.
As I survey the dinner menu in the brasserie of the Grosvenor Hotel, the swankest joint in Chester, I am hard-pressed to live up to Roman quantities. In a bid to reassert Anglo-Saxon muscularity, I choose the Herdwick mutton pudding, which sounds like—and on arrival resembles—something on which the aforementioned Mr. Pickwick might happily have gorged. The mutton has become glutinous in its own juices, sealed inside a suet crust that, when punctured by my fork, emits a gravy-scented steam. A bottle of gutsy Gigondas from the Rhône Valley (pride of Gaul!) helps to punch up the spirit of rebellion against the interlopers.
Chester is still discovering its Roman past. Excavations now under way have revealed a large amphitheater near the site of the baths, worthy of what was the base for the Twentieth Legion (four legions were stationed in Britain), and the original Roman city walls remain substantial. But the trumpeted attraction of Chester these days is The Rows, a street of shops occupying what were, in the Middle Ages, craft workshops. Their facades were tarted up by the Victorians in a pastiche of timber and wattle and daub. The effect is of a mall that's hijacked the idiom of Ye Olde Merrie England. Some of the premises seem dank and dispiriting; I recall the contrasting style and pleasures of the row of craft stores on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, of similar age, and have to give this one to the Italians.
The remaining limb of Watling Street, now the A2, runs east out of London and to the coast through the county of Kent. Kent is the rump of England, thrust out invitingly close to Europe. Thus it offered, from the Romans to Adolf Hitler, prospect of conquest. Hitler, like Napoleon, never made it. But as the Romans built their British province, it was Watling Street that was their expressway from the English Channel to London. It has been the fate of Kent ever since to accommodate the corridors, variously built, linking France to the British capital. Today it's the Eurostar trains hurtling from the Channel Tunnel that provide the most physical and umbilical bond of Britain with Europe. Watling Street here, meanwhile, survives—but only just. Going toward the coast from London, its first thirty or so miles are subsumed in a gruesome cobweb of truck routes.
The north shore of Kent is also the littoral of the Thames estuary, the towns—Gravesend, Chatham, Rochester—with huge naval importance since the Romans built bases there. The only one still conveying this storied past in a compact, accessible way is Rochester, Durobrivae to the Romans. Rochester is worth a pause for at least two things, the ruins of its eleventh-century castle on the banks of the River Medway, for they define what ruined castles should look like and seldom do, and its small but fine cathedral, also dating from the eleventh-century but much elaborated since.
It takes me another twenty miles of driving east of Rochester for the A2 to finally break out into countryside that lives up to another of Kent's monikers: the Garden of England. And it is here, just outside the town of Faversham, that all of Kent's pastoral blessings come together at a place on Watling Street where any passing Roman consul, weary of the passage from boat to chariot, would have found that yes, indeed, this is a fecund land from which a great cook can render a belly full and happy. What would such a fellow make, for example, of a panna cotta with rhubarb jelly? It is rumored that before this Italian dessert was perfected by using gelatin to emulsify the cream, milk, and sugar, the binding agent came from boiled fish bones. We know from the debris of Roman sites in England that fish oils and sauces were a big item. I doubt, though, that anyone had the genius to add rhubarb until David Pitchford did, and I happen to dine at his table when he does.
Pitchford had just won a Michelin star for his restaurant (with rooms) called Read's. I will not linger on the flavors of the local asparagus, eel, lamb, duck, elderberry, and gooseberry nor of the unlocal chocolate and prune tart nor the caramelized pears with Parma ham. Two things, though, occurred to me: that this idea of a fine restaurant with a few rooms, catching on in England now, is a welcome version of the best French auberge tradition ... and that the reason Romans wore skirts was that they better mask the gravitational pull of gastronomy.
Done with Watling Street now, there is one final place to go where the sheer charisma of Roman Britain may, at last, be touchable.
To the conquered Celts, there was something suggestively epicene about the time and skill devoted by the Romans to the pleasures of the bathhouse. A Roman emperor, asked by a barbarian chieftain why he bathed once a day, replied that it was because he was too busy to bathe twice a day. The tale is obviously apocryphal, but the sentiment is not: Frequent bathing was regarded by the natives as unmanly. Celtic males wore their hair long, and daily grooming wasn't their thing. The emollient oils and perfumes imported by the Romans were a novelty of the boudoir. I am thinking about this—and the elusive cultural implications—in the city named Bath. In 1878, a local surveyor stumbled upon what turned out to be the remnants of an elaborate bath complex and temple built on thermal springs very early in the occupation, around a.d. 70. The ruins had lain unsuspected fifteen feet below the Victorian street level.
At last, the Rome Beneath really erupted into full view.
The engineering skills involved—transforming what was, essentially, a steaming swamp into a model of plumbing, masonry, and architectural vision—had clearly been well rehearsed elsewhere in Europe, but they were astonishing to the local tribes. Instead of bathing in primal soup, it was like soaking in champagne—albeit champagne bubbling out of the earth at a temperature of 115 degrees. Bath's Roman name was Aquae Sulis, Sulis being a goddess whom the barbarians had worshipped at the site. It was a gesture of conciliation to the tribes that had tried to drive the Romans back into the sea.
Nineteenth-century painters who fantasized about Oriental baths (notably Ingres and Delacroix, with their steamy odalisques) didn't catch the classical simplicity of the original Roman idea. They, like the set designers of the cheesy TV series Rome, imagined a more ornate and orgiastic scale and style. In contrast, the colonnaded central pool in Bath is perfect in proportion and detail, the finest to be found in northern Europe. (You can be just as lascivious in a refined culture as you can in a vulgar one, something Hollywood has never understood.) Originally, a barrel-vaulted roof covered it from the fickle British weather. Today it is open to the skies, the water in the pool turned a lime green by algae blooming in the sun. The effect is cheapened by some life-size sculptures of consuls draped in weather-eroded togas, placed on a terrace above by the Victorians who, in their sudden thrill of discovery, couldn't leave well enough alone.
The Roman restraint and gift for elevating function with high taste could not have happened in a more appropriate setting, because Bath is itself a rare animal in Britain: a town still largely all of a piece, thanks to another Italian genius, Andrea Palladio. In the eighteenth century, John Wood, a carpenter who became an architect, developed a city center of squares, crescents, and a circular piazza, called a circus, adhering to Palladio's rules of classical proportion. Like the Romans, Wood used the local limestone, which imbues the whole town with a quiet, suffusive warmth. This coloring works like a form of energy conservation, retaining a patina of sunshine under cloud and then reflecting a honeyed glow when the sun appears.
The site of Bath, close to the Cotswolds and overlooked by the steep Mendip Hills, had no strategic value for the Romans. (Indeed, it proved difficult to defend.) They were there mainly for the waters—a pungent blend of forty-two minerals including calcium, magnesium, silica, and sulfate. These days, if you want to take the waters, you can do so at the Thermae Bath Spa, a four-story pampering machine built into a Palladian terrace—the only place in Britain where you can swim in natural thermal water. Nearby, in 1687, Mary of Modena, the wife of James II, took the cure after trying, unsuccessfully, to give the king a male heir. It worked, although the effective insemination (according to the chattering classes) had less to do with the mineral salts than the reputation Bath enjoyed for "wanton dalliances."
Which brings me back to the Roman love of bathing. You have to remember that whether they were swingers or not, Roman males were weapons in the world's most fearsome fighting machine. Bathing and coddling were the equivalent of keeping an M1 Abrams tank well tuned and lubed. The Celts may have looked (and smelled) more virile, but they got whacked.
After the Romans left, the whole magnificent complex in Bath slowly sank back into the mud from which it had risen. The submergence was so complete that when hot baths came into fashion in the seventeenth century, the Brits had no idea that, just a few feet below their Rabelaisian frolics in Bath, the most noble of their conquerors had invented the spa culture.
In the admirable museum that has been built on the excavated site of the baths and temple, a palpable contact is possible with the social graces of the occupiers. There is—to take but one treasure—the stone head of a wealthy woman with elaborately braided hair, and many items of jewelry fashioned with lapidary devotion. And there are always the mosaics, at every domestic site. Geometric patterns built up from hundreds of tiny tiles combine Mediterranean tradition with inlaid images of local plants and animals. Some mosaics have cultic purpose, incorporating symbols of pagan worship, sometimes intermingling local and distant deities. But it strikes me that these Roman floors are like an embedded evocation of instinctive beauty, a scintillating fusion of vision and craft. Their very survival seems a rebuke to the dead, unaware eyes of those who trampled the land later, clearly without a care about such stirrings of the soul.
The fate of Roman Bath demonstrates, sadly, that even after more than three centuries of occupation, the Mediterranean graft really did not take. It's a puzzle: Were the natives not infected in the least with a love of line, proportion, and color in all things from temples to combs? I think of Spain and how the gifts of the Moors passed into the Iberian bloodstream forever. These early Britons were a brutish, vulgarian island race.
So how is I, Clivius doing? The conceit of my journey—that were the Twentieth Legion to suddenly reappear, they might never want to leave—is bearing fruit (literally). It's not news that British cooking is on a roll. But to call it British is to lurch into chauvinism. Take, for example, a few of the innovations of my last dinner in Bath: a red pepper and mandarin sorbet with fennel pollen; a glass of tomato essence, almost colorless, that nonetheless exalted the flavor; vegetable paillette with nettle tempura and olive ice; crayfish with lime pastille; pea and cucumber paste; red mullet with fennel fronds; and the improbable and sublime marriage of chocolate and celery in a sorbet. Its cuisine is one reason that the Bath Priory Hotel is winning the kind of esteem long held by its sister hotel in Devon, Gidleigh Park. Though these concoctions sound exotic, they all have one purpose: to capture and amplify tastes that often get diminished in a kitchen. And to mix them surprisingly. Underlying this exotic ambition is a local phenomenon, an enviable supply chain direct from producers of first-class fruit, vegetables, salad greens, beef, pork, poultry, dairy, and seafood. The West Country, as it is called (loosely, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall), is these days as prolific with epicurean treasures as any region in Europe. I recommend a long, lazy wandering of these pastures.
However, before I get too carried away, there is a slight problem: the wine. It's true that the climate may have changed for the better, the soils may technically seem sympathetic, and grapes may ripen. Usually reliable sources had told me to try the English sparkling wines because the chalk hills of Sussex closely resemble the geology of the Champagne region of France. Indeed, last year a British sparkling wine beat out five French Champagnes to win the top rating from Decanter magazine in a blind tasting.
So thus it is that I go to one of the sniffiest sources in London for epicureans—the venerable merchants (and grocers to their many Majesties down the road in Buckingham Palace) Fortnum & Mason, in Piccadilly.
The formally suited vendor is French. When I ask which of the half-dozen English sparklers on offer (surrounded as they are by many more illustrious French Champagnes) I should choose, he pauses. Am I mad? He doesn't say it, but the French have a way of implying things with a twitch of a muscle that can't be mistaken.
Making more of an effort, he suggests a bottle of the Ridgeview Merret Grosvenor 2004. Unlike a lot of sparklers, including leading Champagnes, this is a blanc de blancs, made with only one grape, chardonnay, rather than being blended with others, notably pinot noir. It comes from Ditchling Common, on the chalky downs of Sussex.
"How is it?" I ask.
"If you really want to try an English wine ..."—at this point he probably conceded that I did—"it will do, sir."
I am, admittedly, far less suave in appearance than he and most of his customers. Cargo pants, sweatshirt, and baseball cap, actually. He may have decided that I am an American, and therefore beyond redemption. (I have a London accent, but what does he know?)
He wraps—a better word might be enrobes—the bottle in layers of tissue, as would befit a fine claret or, of course, Champagne. The price is forty bucks.
He is not done with me.
"On no account, sir, should you try an English red wine."
He grimaces as though he can still taste the stuff, from some bad memory.
"Really?" I say. "I thought the soil and the climate are now up to making any color of wine. What's the problem?"
"The problem is in the making of the wine. What happens to the grapes. Technique."
"Well, thank you. I will heed your advice."
A few hours later, I open the bottle in the company of family and friends. To remain loyal to my conceit, I have bought some Italian bread flavored with fig and fennel, which ought to be a nice munch with the bubbly.
"Well... ?" I ask, after we all have a first sniff, swirl, and gulp and let the tastes assert themselves.
"Austere," says the most polite of the party.
"Oh, that's quite enough already, Dad," says my daughter.
"Lacking toast and yeast," says someone straining to remain my friend.
The bread was good, though.


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Creativity and Teaching Sessions
What You Can Expect From Our Sessions
Song Receiving
Through the years, I have been so privileged to have many of my songs sung around the world by the body of Christ. I do not consider myself a song writer, though. My personal identity as a musically creative person is that of song receiver. It is my desire to share the freedom I have found in this type of perspective with any who desire to know the methodology of creating music in this manner. As a result of all God has done through my music, I receive many requests for my time in one on one sessions. To help facilitate such a session, I am making myself available for Skype sessions.
Worship Leading
In addition, I have been blessed to be able to lead worship gatherings both large and small, traversing many denominational settings. Worshiping Jesus has been my preferred weapon of spiritual warfare as well as the key to the abundant life I have lived in spite of the enemy's schemes against my life. I feel I have gained wisdom through my life experiences that may be helpful to others. How does one facilitate relationship with Christ through worship in this generation?
Someone once told me I would one day run out of song ideas – out of inspiration. I looked at them and said, "You have just limited the God I know…because He is so immense and massive in nature that I would never run out of inspiration or ways to express my praise for Him and His love for me!" Through the years, I have developed quite an immense arsenal of tools that help spur me on to deep creativity. I honestly can say I never experience writer's block as long as I am walking relationally with Jesus!
How To Write a Book
When I began the incredible journey of knowing Christ, little did I know that one day I would be so full of healing and joy that it would take volumes to write it all down. Before I ever had a publisher, I had written my first book. My authoring began simply as devotional studies/guides based on and borne of my music. From there, I eventually branched out into writing my autobiography…and from there, four fantasy novels for young adults…and most recently, a novel for adults full of real-life drama based on my own life and others I have been blessed to minister to through the years. To date, I have written some 25 books! I'd love the opportunity to share what I have learned through the process of growing as a writer.

subset: commoncrawl


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What Will You Discover?
Northwestern launches new site for University research stories
EVANSTON, Ill. --- Research information junkies now have a new place to get their fix. Northwestern University today (Sept. 25) launched Discover, a new website that acts as a gathering place for research news across the entire University.
Named for the "Discover" pillar in the University's strategic plan, the site showcases Northwestern research in the University's 10 areas of greatest strength: nanoscience, design, biomedical sciences, global health, energy and sustainability, writing and oral expression, media, performing arts, international studies, and markets, social structures and public policy.
"While research is a part of each of the four pillars of the strategic plan, the discover pillar succinctly outlines 10 areas where Northwestern has a significant research impact," Northwestern Vice President for Research Jay Walsh said. "Research and innovation in these areas will address difficult problems, creating solutions that have the potential to improve lives, entire communities and the world."
To curate the site, the Office for Research works with schools and departments across the Evanston and Chicago campuses to pull together a diverse range of articles. The site will be continually updated to showcase new and exciting research and discoveries.
Northwestern Research also uses Facebook and Twitter pages to further disseminate research news.
If you would like Discover to feature your research, contact Amanda Morris, publications editor in the Office for Research, at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Visit Discover online.
- Amanda Morris, publications editor in the Office for Research, is the author of this story.


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Stress can be a problem for many people living in the UAE. Whether stress is related to work or just simply day to day living taking regular exercise can help you reduce stress. Martial arts as an exercise type in Dubai & Abu Dhabi can help reduce stress levels effectively.
I love the idea of using martial arts to combat stress. I incorporate it into a lot of my Dubai personal training clients plans whether it be boxing, muay thai, kickboxing etc. and they all admit that they go home feeling relaxed and at ease. I myself even use it if I've had a tough day/week and throw a few rounds on the heavy bag into my plan.
Not at all. Some people like to punch stress away, some kick and some grapple. MY opinion? Whichever one makes you loosen up and put a smile on your face? That's the style for you.
Definitely! I know of a few places that have considered things like boxercise and the staff love it. Yoga is great and relaxing but it isn't for everyone so having the added option of some martial arts fun can be a great addition.
A key thing I notice in stressed clients in the UAE is that they tense up and go into a kind of ball of frustration. Allowing them to release this in a productive manner by firing endorphins with powerful punches and kicks in a safe controlled environment relaxes their muscles and puts them at ease. I very rarely (if ever) find a client comes out of one of these sessions as tense or stressed as they came in.
Of course. Martial arts is not an age restricted activity, it is for everyone. Whether it be male, female, old or young everyone can use it as a way to release some stress and help relax. A key part to a lot of disciplines is also about controlling aggression so teaching this from an early age can greatly benefit children for future stresses of adult life.


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A woman who, as a newborn, was deserted in the bathroom of a Pennsylvania Burger King more than 27 years ago finally has been reunited with her mother.
Katheryn Deprill, 27, who launched a viral manhunt for her mom with a desperate message on her Facebook page, met her mother for the first time at a law office in Allentown, Pa., on Monday afternoon.
"I got the hug that I had wanted for the last 27 years," an ecstatic Deprill said. "I asked if I could have it, and she said, 'absolutely,' and just held her arms open, and the rest is history."
Deprill's online plea was shared by more than 30,000 users on the social network after she posted it March 2.
"Looking for my birth mother," Deprill wrote. "She abandoned me in the Burger King bathroom only hours old, Allentown PA. Please help me find her by sharing my post."
Deprill declined to give the name of her mother because the missing mom was afraid of all the recent media attention.
The mom said that she was only 17 when she gave birth in 1986 and she hid the pregnancy from her parents, according to WFMZ-TV.
Deprill said her mother expressed regret during their meeting. But Deprill said she forgave her "110 percent."


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No plan to end Coal India monopoly: Jaiswal
New Delhi: Coal India Ltd (CIL) may have been given a government direction to commit a minimum fuel supply to the power producers, but the government has put on hold its plan to end CIL monopoly in the wake of stiff opposition from the trade unions and political parties.
"Opening up of coal sector for commercial mining is not possible now in the wake of stiff opposition by trade unions and lack of consensus among political parties," Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal told PTI.
A bill for amending the Coal Mines Nationalisation Act, which gives the exclusive rights of commercial coal-mining to the government-owned companies, has been pending in the Rajya Sabha for over a decade. "We do not yet have environment for commercial mining of the coal sector. There is a fierce opposition from the trade unions. (Besides) unless major political parties are ready for it, commercial mining would not start in the country," Jaiswal said.
As a holding company which 90 per cent government stake, CIL has seven subsidiaries which produce coal. Its eighth subsidiary is into design and planning of the mines. Together, they produce 436 million tonnes coal accounting for 80 per cent of the country`s production. The coal sector was nationalised in 1973.
CIL is not able to meet the total demand from the consumers and the country faces annual shortage of 140 million tonnes. Consequently, the bulk consumers like the power plants are forced to go in for coal imports.
As the government wants to improve the efficiency of CIL as also ensure fuel supply to the power producers, it has issued a Presidential direction to the PSU to enter into fuel supply agreement with the power plants. Coal India has to commit at least 80 per cent delivery failing which it will attract penalties.
The move, however, did not go well with the independent directors of the Rs 50,000 crore company. The board of directors is likely to meet next week. There has been a demand from certain quarters, particularly from the private sector to denationalise the coal sector.


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|Study leaves no doubt: For the biceps femoris, Romanian deadlifts rule.
Now, if we assume for the moment that my arguments are convincing enough to include a single hamstring exercise on their every-day-international-chest-and-biceps-day, what should it be, then?
|Navigate the SuppVersity EMG Series - Click on the desired body part to see the optimal exercises.
|Figure 1: EMG activity of biceps femoris and semitendinosus during eccentric (light) and concentric (dark) phase of the Romanian deadlift, the prone leg curl, good mornings and glute-ham raises in 12 subjects w/ 9y+ training exp. (McAllister)
The leg curl, on the other hand, was significantly less effective when it was done with the tighs lying on the pad (as it was done in the study at hand) - exercise selection and execution did thus both contribute to the surprisingly different study outcomes, which do yet have one thing in common: The insight that activities of similar kinematics, don't necessarily produce similar muscle activation. As McAllister et al. point out, this revelation may...
"[...] also indicate that the kinematics are not as similar as they appear to be, especially when you consider possible variance of internal and external rotation. For instance, the ST [semitendinosus] and SM [semimembranosus] insert at the upper medial surface of the tibia, and the BF inserts at the head of the fibula. The greater amount of activity from ST may be related to the fact that ST contributes to the internal rotation of the knee, whereas BF contributes to the external rotation of the knee. Although the potential impact is unclear, the absence of control for hip rotation (internal or external) may have obviated the identification of specific patterns of muscle recruitment. Foot position was not standardized in this study because the investigators felt that the subjects' experience would allow foot position to be habitual and consistent. This delimitation must be considered when interpreting our results." (McAllister. 2014)In contrast to the biceps femoris (BF), the EMG activity for the semitendinosus & semimembranosus were similar for the concentric prone leg curl and concentric Romanian deadlift. As McAllister et al. point out, "[t]hese results are consistent with a previous investigation that reported no significant difference in activity from the concentric actions of the BF between the leg curl and stiff-leg deadlift." The authors of the corresponding study did also find that the biceps femoris was significantly more active during the eccentric portion of the leg curl in comparison with the stiff-leg deadlift - the exact opposite of the findings McAllister et al. present in the study at hand, which showed significantly greater activity from the BF during the eccentric RDL as compared with the eccentric prone leg curl.
|EMG activity (concentric) of erector spinae muscle during Romanian deadlifts, leg curls, good mornings and glute-ham raises (McAllister)
Start with the Romanian deadlift and the glute-ham raise (see videos), learn how to execute the exercise correctly and keep perfect form; and if that does not "feel right" switch to another exercise.


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A burglary at Encinal Elementary School at 195 Encinal Avenue in Atherton led to the arrest of a Redwood City man two blocks away from the school around 7:30 a.m. on the morning of Friday, Aug. 20.
Police arrested and booked into San Mateo County jail Joseph Figueroa, 23, on charges of commercial burglary and vandalism, said Lt. Joe Wade of the Atherton Police Department. Mr. Figueroa did not resist arrest and was not carrying weapons, Mr. Wade said.
The incident began with a construction worker on the campus confronting the suspect and asking him why he was on school grounds, according to an account by Mr. Wade. The suspect replied that he was looking for his skateboard.
The suspect later left the campus, but was deemed to be "acting kind of funny" by the construction worker, Mr. Wade said. The worker called police with a description of the suspect after finding evidence of vandalism -- a screen on a classroom window that had been cut with a sharp object.
Police arrested Mr. Figueroa two blocks away on James Avenue. While driving back to the school, a detective discovered a trail of items believed to be from the school, including colored dice, crayons, playing cards and a bag of candles, Mr. Wade said. "Nothing that was worth a ton of money," he added.
Police also found a skateboard and a backpack believed to belong to Mr. Figueroa, Mr. Wade said. The candles are believed to have been taken from a science classroom on campus, Mr. Wade said.
In a one-person lineup after the arrest, police presented Mr. Figueroa to the construction worker, who identified him as the burglary suspect, Mr. Wade said.


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23 Amazing Food Hacks That Will Make Your Cooking Easier!
If you often have a hard time at the kitchen, this 24 food hacks will change everything. You will save money, time, and effort. Enjoy!
1- Use greens to hold your tacos
2- Skin a mango like a pro
3- Heat up your pizza in a waffle iron
4- And your hash browns
5- Make a french toast with cereal crumbs
6- Replace eggs easily!
7- Cut it using a warm knife
8- Cut soft food easily
9- Learn the perfect timing for teas
10- Put your salad in a jar
11- Make holiday pancakes using cookie cutters
12- Make these delicious spaghetti
13- The perfect way to eat a cupcake
14- Nutella pastries
15- Make the perfect taco
16- Cheese bread bites
17- Use your chinese food box as a plate
18- Tasty mashed potatoes
19- Pastries hack
20- Prepare the best iced coffee freezing milk and cookies
21- Make this perfect eggs for breakfast
22- Best baked potato ever
23- Remove the stem in strawberries with a straw


text: Jim Ryce is a Toronto-based freelance portrait and travel photographer. He spent most of his career as a graphic designer and he tries to bring that same design sensibility to his photos. His series on Slab City, the California desert community, was recently published in Wayward Arts magazine. He photographed Dennis Lee for this issue's cover and feature story.


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This video is to sad to watch.. the first half brought back so many memories, but the second half made me rage..
Infinity Ward & Treyarch,
Please don't give up on these games. We know it's no longer a source of income for Activision but a LOT of fans (myself included) would love to go back and play these some times while waiting for the next DLC to hit. We're confident we shouldn't see hacks this extreme anymore in future Call of Duty games because a system is in place for hot fixes now, but try and listen to the fans who dont want their last memory of their favorite games to end up like this..
comments below


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Whether you wake up with it, suffer from it during the day or find yourself getting it in moments of tension, dry mouth always has the same results: bad breath and worsening oral hygiene. Perhaps because this problem is so universal, researchers have been hard at work examining what causes the palate to dry up and how people deal with it.
A full-blown clinical problem
If you find yourself with an unusually dry mouth more than once or twice a week, you may have what doctors refer to as "xerostomia" - that is, a subjective sensation of dry mouth symptoms. It isn't an urgent medical condition, but it's certainly a nuisance, as it can give you dental problems and persistent oral odor.
Plenty of things cause dry mouth. Sleeping with your mouth open is a common reason that saliva dries up. So is taking certain prescription medications. Stress, anxiety, exercise, smoking and mouth-breathing may also leave your tongue and cheeks dry.
Whatever causes it, you'll know when your mouth is too dry. According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of chronic dry mouth include bad breath, thick saliva, cracks at the corners of your mouth, trouble talking or swallowing, a sore throat, increased plaque buildup and difficulty tasting your food.
Yikes. This calls for a specialty breath freshening rinse, toothpaste or lozenge. Any of these products can wet your mouth without using synthetic ingredients or chemicals to target odor.
What the research says about dry mouth
Of course, treating dry mouth is easy, provided you have the right specialty product at hand. What's tougher is determining the prevalence and effects of dry mouth.
Fortunately, several scientific teams are on the case.
A team of Finnish researchers reported that among elderly people (who are most at risk for dry mouth), about 12 percent report having a chronically dry palate - 6 percent of men and 14 percent of women. The team noted that mouth-breathing and medication use increased the risk of dry mouth, and that, in turn, dry mouth led to more (and more severe) dental problems. Their report can be found in the Journal of Dental Research (JDR).
Another study, published in the Journal of Autoimmunity, reached a very similar number - 15 percent of all adults. Its authors added that about 2 percent of participants also had Sjogren's syndrome, an inherited dry-mouth disorder that shuts off salivary and tear glands.
Finally, a brand-new investigation in the JDR has determined that certain pharmaceuticals - like anticholinergic medications - can reduce salivary flow by up to 50 percent. Talk about turning off the tap!


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The Tubes formed in San Francisco almost 40 years ago, and return to the area to play at Yoshi's SF location on December 6. The stage there is pretty diminuitive, but we're still sure the group will find ways to take command of it.
Back in the '70s and '80s, The Tubes grabbed headlines with its risqué live shows, which incorporated elements of surprise ranging from light S&M activity to acrobats executive serious flying maneuvers. The band was also known to skewer pop culture and critique mass consumerism, all while keeping their rocking guitar chords intact.
But even as The Tubes made fun of these things, they were also willing participants. At its peak, the group enjoyed top 10 hits like "She's a Beauty" and "Talk to Ya Later," toured with David Bowie, and held down month-long residencies at Bimbo's and the Palace of Fine Arts here at home. An album of rarities called Mondo Birthmark emerged four years ago.
This week's show will provide a fine opportunity to see The Tubes minus the huge stage antics, all the bells and whistles, and distilled to its essence.


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It's been another good quarter for OpenText, even with the cost of the Global 360 and Operitel acquisitions taken into consideration. According to the figures, which were released late yesterday, revenues jumped by 32.5%, with profits of US$ 35 million up from US$ 21.7 million a year earlier.
While the results are good, they are by no means exceptional in what has been a good six months for the enterprise CMS industry in general as enterprises bite the bullet and invest in enterprise CMS technologies.
The reasons for this are many, but we have already seen earlier this week that, according to Gartner, the focus on business productivity is a least one of the main drivers and OpenText has shown itself able -- and willing -- to cash in.
OpenText Figures
The result is some impressive figures, not least of which are license revenues, which rose by 53% to US$ 65 million, up from US$ 43 last year. Other notable figures include:
- Maintenance revenues was US$ 162 million, up 25%
- Services in the quarter was US$ 61 million, up 36%
The overall result will please shareholders, with net income rising by 18% to US$ 59 million, up 17% per share for the same period a year ago.
In a conference call late yesterday evening, CEO John Shackleton outlined where OpenText had performed well over the quarter.
Acquisition Integration
The first thing on most investors' minds would have been return for money spent on acquisitions. It's unlikely that anyone was expecting notable gains from this, but some kind of indication of movement on this front was definitely needed.
And Shackleton didn't disappoint.
The consolidation of Metastorm and Global 360 is going well. As mentioned on the last quarter call, we expect some typical disruption in first year license sales. The license revenue run rate for both Metastorm and Global 360 business are expected to decline in a 5% to 10% range," he said.
What he really means is that the process of integration is still ongoing, but once that process is complete, the company expects its business process management business to return to a normal growth rate in the 2013 financial year.
Operitel, a specialist in learning management, is also in the process of being integrated, which will add social and mobile learning management to the OpenText portfolio once the integration is complete.
Commercial Strategy
By way of explaining OpenText's commercial strategy over the past quarter, Shackleton said that it had spent a good deal of energy servicing its existing installed base as well as focusing on sales in emerging markets.
Breaking that down into different geographies, OpenText achieved US$ 65 million in license revenue in total, with North America responsible for 51% of revenue, Europe 41% with the remaining 8% primarily coming from Asia Pacific.
While we're still navigating the economic challenges of global IT spend, we're seeing particular pickup in emerging markets, with areas like China being well-served by our partners and territories such as Brazil, flourishing under our own internal sales team," he said.
In Q1, OpenText saw license revenue broken down by vertical at:
- 19% from business services
- 19% from technology
- 14% from public sector
- 12% from financial services
The rest came form base materials (10%), consumer goods 7%, healthcare 7%, industrial goods 4% and 8% from other industries.
It also increased the number of transactions over US$ 500,000 from three to 15, and seven transactions over $1 million, up from two last year. License revenue from partners and resellers was approximately 44% in the quarter, with SAP providing 10% of our annual license revenue.
Notable releases this quarter included a new version of OpenText Email for Microsoft Exchange that offers support for large or geographically dispersed environments as well as legal content management for Microsoft SharePoint designed for law firms and corporate legal departments using Microsoft SharePoint 2010.
With Gartner predicting enterprise CMS license revenue to grow in the 7% to 11.5% range at a compound rate up until 2015, Shackleton says it expects revenues to reflect that in the coming quarters.


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Informational texts and short fiction to accompany Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies
Set in the Dominican Republic, In the Time of the Butterflies is the story of four Mirabal sisters living through the Trujillo regime. Rafael Trujillo ruled the Dominican Republic as a dictator from 1930 through 1961; Trujillo's rule stands as one of the deadliest in history, and many Dominican citizens lost their lives as a result of his orders. In the novel, the Mirabal sisters work together to politically undermine Trujillo. Resisting Trujillo means the sisters face danger and death.
Reading Practice
- Naomi Shihab Nye and the Power of Stories (Grades 6-8; CCSS.CCRA.R.5)
- Early Women Soldiers (Grades 6-8; CCSS.CCRA.R.5)
- For Dark-Skinned Mexicans, a Taint of Discrimination Lingers (Grades 9-10; CCSS.CCRA.R.8)
Writing Lessons
- Multiday Short Memoir: Bridges (Grade 9; CCSS.RL.9-10.2; CCSS.W.9-10.1)
- Multiday Short Memoir: Picnic Geese (Grade 10; CCSS.RL.9-10.2; CCSS.W.9-10.1)
- Homeward Bound (Grade 11; CCSS.CCRA.R.2; CCSS.W.11-12.1)
- The Stories That Bind Us (Grade 11; CCSS.RI.11-12.2; CCSS.W.11-12.1)
- Multiday Short Memoir: The Party (Grade 12; CCSS.RL.11-12.2; CCSS.W.11-12.1)
Differentiated Writing Modules for Grades 4-12
- Cultural Memoirs: How does culture help shape the people we become?
- Family History: How do family history and traditions contribute to your identity?
Direct Instruction on Key Skills & Concepts
- Making Arguments About Theme (Grades 6-12; CCSS.CCRA.R.2)
- Central Ideas (Grades 6-12; CCSS.CCRA.R.2)


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We arrived to blue skies at the Ferry Building in San Francisco after a mammoth 52 hour train ride from Chicago to the City by the Bay. Living at the foot of the Chilterns myself, I dismissed the infamous hills of SF and we elected to drag our cases along the Embarcadero and up Broadway to our motel. Half a hot and sweaty hour later we had triumphantly made it, and were ready to hit the town.
Broadway is positioned on the Edge of both North Beach and Chinatown, providing both good pizza and good dim sum. Perfect. It's also home to the famous City Lights Bookstore and the city's red light district, but they weren't going to fill our bellies.
First stop was Grant Street, a main artery of this Chinese Quarter, home to the Chinatown Gate as well as numerous restaurants, discount stores, bars and the Eastern Bakery. Purportedly this is the oldest bakery in the United States, with their moon cakes being a speciality and the steamed or baked pork buns being 'the best in town'. There's a few battered tables and chairs at the back, but we grabbed a selection of pastries and buns, and a bubble tea for the Ewing, and nibbled our wares on the street outside.
The lotus moon cakes were good, although I confess I don't really have a benchmark to compare them to. I did enjoy reading the spiel on the poster outside though: 'The Orient chemical water contaminated is no match to our San Franciscan water. The cleanest in the world! No other bakery cooks its own filling in the USA. It's expensive and hard'.
My favourite type of moon cake were filled with dense sticky coconut and pieces of dried fruit, and they also sold those wonderfully friable giant almond cookies that crumble into buttery crumbs at the slightest touch. Lovely, but less good when the Ewing took to eating them as a midnight snack, leaving an alarming number of crumbs stuck to me the next morning.
My favourite type of moon cake were filled with dense sticky coconut and pieces of dried fruit, and they also sold those wonderfully friable giant almond cookies that crumble into buttery crumbs at the slightest touch. Lovely, but less good when the Ewing took to eating them as a midnight snack, leaving an alarming number of crumbs stuck to me the next morning.
They had run out of baked pork buns by the time we arrived, but the Ewing, an avowed steamed bun fanatic, pronounced their effort 'pretty good'. Although they may not have been the best, it didn't stop her eating two massive buns, along with drinking about a gallon of bubble tea.
It may come as a surprise to unfamiliar readers that we were still remotely hungry after our extended bun stop, but we were. Deciding we really should attempt to eat some thing vaguely green and healthy, we stalked around the streets a bit before finally using the tried and tested 'if the locals are eating there it must be good' method to chose a place for dinner.
As luck would have it that place happened to be the Man Kee Cafe, which was almost directly opposite our motel. Inside was utilitarian, bright lights, Formica tables and the NBA playoffs on the TV. Most reassuringly, everybody else eating there was Chinese.
The menu came helpfully with pictures of most of the dishes, and as well as pages of a la carte options there was also a section of dishes offered at three for 19 bucks. Bargain. Feeling a little too digestively ginger to experiment too much I sadly avoided the frog's legs with bitter melon, and the stewed pig's intestines for the more familiar Szechuan green beans with pork and Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce.
For our third choice the Ewing let me decide, and I was quick to chose the honey and walnut shrimp; like the lox and bagels I had read about in a book as a child this dish was something I had heard about, but had never seen with my own eyes. Giant prawns fried and served with crispy honey walnut pieces. Then covered in mayonnaise. (I kept the whole mayo thing quiet at that point, wary the the Ewing was mindful of my previous dining disasters, and not wanting to scare the horses.)
It seems funny that one of the most innocuous sounding dishes, on a menu featuring all kinds of offal and off-cuts, potentially held the biggest surprise....
But before we had to navigate the perils of hot, nutty mayonnaise prawns we had to get through the soup course. You might not remember me mentioning ordering any soup, and that's for one very good reason, we didn't. Almost as soon as we had confidently pointed at the pictures of the food we actually wanted to eat a giant cauldron of soup appeared, unbidden, from the bowels of the kitchen.
Although no one else appeared to be eaten this soup we gamely ploughed through a few bowlfuls, without seeming to make any impact on the depth of the soup still in the cauldron. To be fair, it didn't taste too bad. Rather like a mixture between Heinz tomato and oxtail, with a few lumps of potato and carrot bobbing about and some mysterious, and alarming, 'meaty' chunks hidden in its depths.
Feeling we had done our duty another, equally vast and equally unordered, vat of rice appeared. By now both of us were rather green and sweaty and none of the food we had actually requested had turned up. Thankfully some greenery was next to appear. Some rather nice, charred and oily beans with crispy pork and a lick of numbing Szechwan pepper, and a forest of bitter cruciferous greens with a salty oyster gravy.
The fabled Honey walnut shrimp. These were, truly, some of the biggest and sweetest shrimp I have ever eaten. The mayonnaise coating, although slightly unnerving, was pleasant enough, and the nuts provided a sweet crunchy contrast, but we were eventually defeated by the richness of the whole dish. This was a bastardised American-Chinese experience right up with eating takeout from those iconic paper cartons on your hotel bed. So wrong, yet so right.
For our penultimate feast on American shores we decided to hit the streets for a dim sum that we could enjoy in the motel room while packing our suitcases.
Louie's Dim Sum had cropped up in the guide book as a good stop for some steamed buns, so we set off round the corner to Stockton Street. While there we also decided to try a few cakes and pastries from the Wai Lee Bakery, as we had been looking at it from our motel window for the past week.
Our rather impressive haul of goodies, minus an almond cookie that had been accidentally consumed on the, very short, journey home.
The Chinese tamale, or zongzi. There had been some confusion in ordering this, I had just stepped outside to take a picture when the woman at the counter had started barking something unintelligible to the Ewing, to which she kept hopefully repeating 'yes?'. It turns out she had been asking peanut or green bean, the two different choices of filling available. Eventually she just picked up the first one to hand and stuffed it in a bag for us.
On breaking it open back at the motel the tamale turned out to be mostly filled with chunks of pork and some small nutty bits, that may have been peanuts but tasted more like sweetcorn. It was 'interesting', if not a little bland and stodgy sans any kind of dipping sauce.
One of the finest baked pork buns I have ever eaten, this almost wasn't even purchased. After picking up our buns from Louis we were on the lookout for a bubble tea when I spotted these bronzed beauties sitting in the window of a You's Dim Sum, a couple of doors down from the motel. The Ewing was reluctant, reasoning (rightly) we already had far too much food, but I needed that bun.
Turns out it was a good call. Louie's buns were fine, but this was a different beast. Fat, sweet and shiny, and stuffed full of succulent shreds of red braised pork. I also couldn't resist a couple of their dumplings stuffed with Chinese chives. Another winner; the springy, glutenous rice wrappers gently holding the salty, garlicky greens.
We also enjoyed a couple of the traditional favourites; juicy and deeply savoury har gau; and sweet siew mai, whose wrappers a touch thicker than I'd have liked, but understandable due to the takeaway nature of Louie's Dim Sum. (Nothing more distressing to find gossamer thin dumpling wrappers have stuck to everything and torn apart, spilling their cargo everywhere, when you finally get your booty home.)
A good dim sum feast would be nothing without a egg custard tart to round things off. The tart was very good; rich and creamy with gloriously short and flaky pastry. We also tried a piece of pineapple sponge cake, very light with a lovely, tangy filling; a dense and sticky moon cake; and a sweet, fried sesame ball.
The sesame ball looked rather promising from the outside, golden and glossy, studded with seeds, but the coating was disappointingly thick and greasy. The inside wasn't much better, comprising of a white and chewy tasteless mulch, complete with a bulls eye of brown and chewy tasteless mulch in the centre.
Needless to say it was cast aside, probably a good thing as we were fit to burst at this point. The only real low point of an unusual, delicious, and bargainous dim sum brunch.
Like many inner city Chinatowns, crowding and costs are pushing people out into the suburbs, with places such as Richmond, Daly City, and across the Bay Bridge, now being the new spots to find the locals congregating, and the 'best' and most 'authentic' food.
But for all the developments and change it has seen, San Francisco Chinatown still holds a mystique and allure that is hard to replicate in strip malls and out of town shopping centres. From the fortune cookie factory to the Gateway Arch, the largest Chinese enclave in North America still has a unique sense of place and history.
If you ever find yourself in the vicinity you can do far worse than an early morning stroll along the bustling market stalls of Stockton street, followed by a pork bun from the corner of Stockton and Broadway and moon cake and bubble tea from the Eastern bakery. And if your really brave there's always the honey walnut shrimp....


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Discussion Forums
IntelliJ IDEA Blog
Issue Tracker
The IntelliJ Platform is a platform for building smart, language-aware IDEs with a comprehensive set of components, including:
The IntelliJ Platform is open source, and the code is covered by the Apache 2.0 license. This means that you can build both open source and commercial products on top of the platform without paying any royalties to JetBrains.
Please note that the IntelliJ Platform is not a general desktop application framework, and is only designed to be used for IDE-like applications. Basically, if your application requires a code editor, there's a very good chance that the IntelliJ Platform will be suitable as the underlying framework.
For more information about using IntelliJ Platform APIs and building plug-ins for IntelliJ IDEA, please refer to this page.


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Weekly Daf #229
Eiruvin 56-62 Issue #229
5-11 Tammuz 5758 / 29 June-5 July 1998
This publication is also available in the following formats: Explanation of these symbols
Measuring Jerusalem
In measuring the distance of 2,000 amos which constitute the techum of a city - the distance which one may walk beyond the city limits without the need of an eruv - there are specific requirements for both the nature of the measuring instrument and its length.
The instrument must be a rope made of flax and its length must be fifty amos - no more and no less. As an explanation for the size of the rope, the gemara tells us that if it is shorter it is so flexible that it can easily be stretched by the people holding it at opposite ends and this increases the distance. If it is longer than fifty amos its weight is likely to cause some sagging in the middle and the distance is shortened.
But why not use a metal chain for measuring which would eliminate both the danger of stretching and that of sagging?
The answer is that our Sages saw in the words of a passage in the book of Zecharia (2:5) an indication that measuring in connection with a city must be done with a rope. The prophet Zecharia describes his vision of a man with a rope in his hand who informed him that he was measuring Jerusalem to determine its breadth and length. This was a Heavenly message that the return of the Jews from Babylonian exile to Jerusalem which took place in Zecharia's day would result only in a limited settlement in the city.
Then came an angel, Zecharia continues, to inform him that there will be another redemption and return to Jerusalem which will render measuring the city obsolete. At that time "Jerusalem shall be inhabited like unwalled towns because of the multitude of men and cattle in it."
Will this population explosion which leaves Jerusalem without protective walls endanger the security of the city's inhabitants?
"I, says Hashem, will be to her like a wall of fire all around her and will be the glory in her midst."
Balance of Forces
An interesting problem of violent conflict between two Jewish communities in Eretz Yisrael came before the leader of the generation, Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi (Rebbi). The inhabitants of Geder were a rather rough bunch, and when they became a little inebriated on Shabbos they would attack the residents of the neighboring city Chamsan who came to visit their town.
Rebbi's solution to this problem of violence was to forbid the residents of Chamsan to enter Geder on Shabbos. Since he did not wish to create a complete rift between these two neighboring communities he did permit the residents of Geder to enter Chamsan on Shabbos.
But does this eliminate the danger of violence, asks the gemara, if the spirited visitors from Geder are let loose on their neighbors in Chamsan?
"A dog removed from his habitat will not bark for seven years" is the folk saying applied to explain Rebbi's strategy. Although the fellows from Geder may be aggressive on their own turf, there was little likelihood that they would make trouble away from home.
"What about the residents of Chamsan?" asks the gemara. Won't they take advantage of this weakness of their visiting neighbors to attack them in retribution for the pain they suffered at their hands on earlier visits?
The answer given is a brilliant application of the principle of coexistence based on a balance of forces. The edge which the Gederites had over the Chamsanites in terms of aggressiveness was offset by their being on foreign ground, so that each side was deterred from any action against the other.
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Eli Ballon
© 1998 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved. This publication may be distributed to another person intact without prior permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other publications, such as synagogue newsletters. However, we ask that you contact us beforehand for permission, and then send us a sample issue.
This publication is available via E-Mail
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T-130 Trail Suspension - 130mm
The new T-130 takes the playful, do-it-all attitude of its award-winning predecessor and massively updates it with more capable suspension, latest generation Whyte OTO geometry and sleeker packaging.
The T-130 geometry was designed around a shorter 37mm offset fork. The extra front end grip this creates, allows us to make the most of the 140mm travel fork, fully exploiting the capabilities for the new chassis, the more neutral handling and the 2.6" tyres.
The Works bike gets a wish-lish spec on our best and latest Whyte frame, creating what is for us, the ultimate trail bike.
SPEC HIGHLIGHT - SRAM XX1 Eagle Gold Drivetrain / RockShox Pike Fork with Charger 2 Damper and 37mm Offset / RockShox Deluxe RT3 DebonAir Metric Shock / Reverb Stealth Dropper Post with X1 Remote
COLOUR - Matt Granite with Silver/Grey
FRAME - Carbon, Uni-directional Multi Monocoque Front Triangle with Internal Cable Routing, Tapered Head Tube and Intergrip Seat Clamp System, ISCG 5 Guide Mounts, Alloy Symmetrical SCR Rear Triangle, 148mm Boost Dropouts
FORK - RockShox Pike RCT3 27.5", 140mm Travel, 37mm Offset, DebonAir, Charger 2 Damper with 3-Pos Compression Adjust, Fast Black Coating, Tapered Steerer, 110mm x 15mm Boost, Maxle Ultimate
REAR SHOCK - RockShox Deluxe RT3, DebonAir, Fast Black Coating, Adjustable Rebound and 3 Position Compression
HEADSET - FSA No. 42 Orbit ZS Plus, Integrated, 1 1/2" Lower and 1 1/8" Upper Sealed Cartridge Bearings
REAR HUB - Hope Pro 4, Sealed Stainless Steel Cartridge Bearings, 12mm x 148mm Boost Through Axle, 28 Hole
FRONT HUB - Hope Pro 4, Sealed Stainless Steel Cartridge Bearings, 15mm x 110mm Boost Through Axle, 28 Hole
SPOKES - DT Swiss Competition Butted 2.0-1.8-2.0mm, Black Stainless, Brass Nipples
RIMS - Whyte 30mm Carbon Hookless, Tubeless Ready, 3M Rim Strip with Tubeless Valves Included, 28 Hole
TYRE - Maxxis High Roller II TR 27.5" x 2.6" 120TPI, EXO Sidewall Protection, 3C Maxx Terra, Front, Maxxis Rekon TR 27.5" x 2.6" 60TPI, EXO Sidewall Protection, Rear
SHIFT LEVERS - SRAM XX1 Gold Eagle, MMX, 12 Speed
REAR MECH - SRAM XX1 Eagle Gold, 12 Speed
CASSETTE - SRAM XG-1299 Eagle Gold, 10-50, 12 Speed
CHAIN - SRAM XX1 Gold Eagle, 12 Speed
CRANKSET - SRAM XX1 Eagle Gold Carbon, X-SYNC 2, Direct Mount 34T, DUB, 170mm, Boost, 12 Speed
BOTTOM BRACKET - SRAM DUB, BSA, 73mm
SEATPOST - RockShox Reverb Stealth, 30.9mm, S 125mm Travel, M/L/XL 150mm Travel, X1 Remote
SADDLE - Whyte Custom, Team, Lightweight Foam, CrMo Rails, Triple Panel Design
HANDLEBAR - RaceFace NEXT R Carbon, 20mm Rise, 35mm Bar Bore, 800mm Wide
STEM - Whyte Gravity Stem, 35mm Bar Bore, 35mm Extension
GRIPS - Whyte Lock-on V Grip
BRAKES (FRONT) - SRAM Guide RSC, 4 Pot, 180mm Rotor
BRAKES (REAR) - SRAM Guide RSC, 4 Pot, M/L/XL 180mm Rotor, Internal Routing
BRAKE LEVERS - SRAM Guide RSC, MMX
PEDALS - None
TOP TUBE - High Modulus Uni-Directional Carbon
DOWN TUBE - High Modulus Uni-Directional Carbon
REAR STAYS - 6061 Alloy Double Butted


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Harvey Norman Holdings (ASX:HVN) has revealed a net profit after tax (NPAT) of $257.29 million for its first half year 2017 results, for the six months ending 31 December 2016.
The company said its "best ever trading results" for a first half-year period in its 30-year history was up $71.79 from the $185.51 million it posted in the previous corresponding period, representing a 38.7 per cent increase.
Its profit before tax amounted to $366.23 million, an increase of 39.8 per cent from the $262.01 million it recorded in the previous corresponding period. Its company-operated retail revenue amounted to $976.28 million, up seven per cent from the previous corresponding period.
Harvey Norman chairman, Gerry Harvey, said the company model, integrating retail, franchisee operations, property, and digital, is adapting to and managing the evolving retail environment.
"Our franchisees' dominance in the home and lifestyle categories and early recognition of the potential of IoT and connected devices has seen franchisees capitalise on consumers' passion and demand for technology," he said.
"Technology is increasing at an ever-changing pace and … consumers remain enthusiastic about enhancing their home and participating in this exciting technology available for home security, entertainment, health, and fitness and communications."
He mentioned that franchisee sales increased 5.2 per cent YoY to $2.86 billion, adding that the continued growth in franchisee sales contributed to a 14.4 per cent increase in the result from the franchising operations segment to $172.13 million from $150.42 million the previous corresponding period.
Harvey Norman's company-operated retail business achieved a net profit before tax of $51.56 million, up 22.6 per cent from the $42.06 million it recorded in the December 2015 half.
"We understand this enthusiasm and our franchisees aim to be the retail destination for consumers interested in these products."
On 14 January last year, Harvey Norman franchisee, Bunavit, was slapped with $52,000 in penalties by the Federal Court for making false or misleading representations regarding consumer guarantee rights, in proceedings brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
The announcement followed proceedings that were commenced by the ACCC against Gordon Superstore on 20 November 2012 and nine other Harvey Norman franchisees (including Bunavit) on 13 June 13 2013.
Subsequently, the ACCC and each of the ten Harvey Norman franchisees agreed on joint submissions and proposed orders to be put to the court for consideration.
Harvey Norman added that property underpins the company's strength, with the portfolio valued at $2.6 billion at 31 December 2016, representing 54 per cent of the consolidated entity's total asset base at the end of the period.
"We are seeing strong gains in brand recognition and market share and this is translating into increased sales revenue. The business has also achieved material cost efficiencies and improved supplier relationships, which has driven profitability," Harvey said.
The company's board has recommended the payment of a fully-franked dividend of $0.14 per share, to be paid on 2 May to shareholders, registered on 7 April.
At the time of writing, Harvey Norman's shares were trading at $5.18.


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Consumer Watchdog is in mourning. Last week we lost one of our good friends. We never publicised it but Baledzi Gaolathe MP, the former Minister of Finance and later Minister of Trade and Industry was an enormous source of support and advice to Consumer Watchdog. His office was always open to us, his advice flowed freely and he gave us great moral support. He was a reminder that politicians can still be decent human beings, can still demonstrate a commitment to the people and can be what my late father would have called a true gentleman.
We miss him and his family are in our thoughts. Our nation is poorer place because of his absence.
Consumer Watchdog is a (fiercely) independent consumer rights and advocacy organisation campaigning on behalf of the consumers of Botswana, helping them to know their rights and to stand up against abuse. Contact us at email@example.com, call us on +267 3904582 or find us on Facebook by searching for Consumer Watchdog Botswana. Everything we do for the consumers of Botswana has always been and always will be entirely free.
Friday, 4 June 2010
We've lost a great friend
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Jeff and Inna Larsen Old Site
Jeff's Music Page
Do it yourself cat fence
Fykerudn Spelemannslag
We have split up this website to two new sites devoted to our music and books as well as the DYI Cat Fence. Please visit us there!
Jeff Larsen -
Inna Larsen -
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This sign at the end of the railroad tracks here at the Monterey County Museum located in this park, pretty much sums up our day. This morning we fled the intense congestion and mayhem that is the Bay Area and headed south prepared to stop when we could find a place of peace and quietness. We had pre-selected King City and San Lorenzo Park, based on distance and planned to stay one night before moving on. As soon as we were parked in our site we piled out of the coach and went for a walk through the park, by the time we had only gone a quarter of the way through the park and talked to some volunteers, we had decided to stay a week. Jeanette chased down the head Ranger and sweet-talked him into a deal, so we are only paying twenty-one dollars a night for the week instead of thirtyfour dollars a night! We have definitely come to a stop!
Thursday, November 25, 2010
San Lorenzo Park – King City, California
Posted by The Rambler at 4:41:00 PM
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"Coffee people." That's the voice I hear inside her head when she thinks of us. "Oh, they're coffee people." My mother doesn't drink coffee. Or tea. She does drink nonfat decaf vanilla iced lattes, which I don't think anyone can refer to as coffee. Even non coffee people. That's more like vanilla flavored iced milk with a hint of bitter, once the slightly melted thing is delivered. And she sends us Starbucks gift cards for Christmas every year which makes me think she must really like those lattes quite a bit.
They call the day after Christmas "Boxing Day" in the Commonwealth. It is the day the Rich English give boxes full of the cruddy stuff they got for Christmas for which there isn't a return receipt to the Poor English. They give to them in boxes. Ergo Boxing Day. In Palm Desert the only place to get tea or coffee early in the morning on Boxing Day is Starbucks. My mother was ecstatic for her wishy vanilla milk winking-at-coffee drink.
"Is it crowded?" she asks. This is a real stumper for me. How crowded can a Starbucks get in Palm Desert at 7 AM on Boxing Day? I can't imagine it gets crowded on any day. But metrics are different in the desert. You can drive for a few miles only seeing a few other cars. Maybe driving a mile and seeing ten cars is "traffic" here. So I answer "Yes it was packed." This satisfies her.
Basketball is the most boring game. I didn't used to feel this way. I used to love basketball. I played with avid consistency. But something happened... they moved the SuperSonics out of Seattle, I stopped watching in protest, and now, when I try to go back, I just don't have the love anymore. It's just flat boring. So how is it that the best parts of the Amy Schumer vehicle "Trainwreck" are the ones with LeBron in them? Not that Amy Schumer isn't funny. She's genuinely funny. Funnier than most. But something about LeBron. He was even funnier.
In Hawaii there seems to be one team: the Seattle Seahawks. There are so many Seahawks jerseys and t-shirts it takes me by surprise. It is equally a surprising bit of comfort. I think to myself "Hey! If I get into a little trouble, I'll just bring up that I once served Steve Largent dinner and he complimented me on keeping his water glass filled!"
Waikiki is a great place to shoot guns. If you're looking for a gun holiday, head to Waikiki, soak up some rays, peruse the boutiques, drink some mai tais and squeeze off a few rounds in one of the numerous indoor firing ranges just steps from the the beach.
The drive through the middle of Oahu to the North Shore from Honolulu is surprisingly short. Forty five minutes about. We start by visiting a little coffee shop in the Ward part of town. A Vietnamese man is behind the counter, next to his Vietnamese cousin in the kitchen. He asks us if we're tourists. He has been on the island for 15 years, by way of Chicago. I ask him why Chicago, he says "work!" The Vietnamese Coffee he makes is very very good. I order iced tea, but I openly covet my wife's Vietnamese Coffee.
Is there something magical about the North Shore? Yes. Seven Mile Miracle? Sure. I've always been intimidated by the idea of surfing on the North Shore. When I finally see it face to face, it seems entirely doable. There seems to be plenty of places to paddle out and not get in the way and get a few messy rides. It is characteristically (characteristically of all fêted but truly hallowed places) modest when first experienced. "This is it? This stretch of two lane road and that bit of rock and sand?" But this is expected and I don't let the mildness of an hour spent squinting my eyes fool me. All of Hawaii has an abnormal vibe. The North Shore feels particularly charismatic.
Waimea Bay is truly beautiful.
We stop at the Kuhuku Superette per instruction. I order a plastic container full of poke. A Poke Bowl. We eat it outside Tita's walk-up under the shade of a bus stop. All four of us: woman and man and two children taking turns slurping down the alternately chewy and satin fish. We gobble at the onions and rice. Carnivorous familial bliss.
Along the way I see someone I follow on Instagram and he stops by the side of the road and we chat for a moment. It is as awkward as you might think, stopping to chat on the side of the road with someone you only know vaguely from social media. But he is generous, offering me a board to paddle out and a t-shirt souvenir. My wife rolls her eyes at me, my older son is shy, younger son squirms in the sun.
As I said, I stay no more than an hour on this liminal holy land. The humility of a husband on unexpected holiday with children in tow. Another piece of evidence in the case against my surfing bone-fides, a legal matter forever being wrangled in an esoteric court.
We play in the sand near the President of the United States. He does not throw me a shaka. I do not catch him bodysurfing. Instead, in town, I buy new flowery swim trunks that fit me snuggly. My wife says they make me look less fat than the baggy ones I had been sporting. I wonder aloud if I wore speedos if I wouldn't look slimmer still. She says she wouldn't go to the beach with me if I did that. We order another Poke Bowl from another grocery. The fish is even more slippery and we gobble with even more enthusiasm.
There is a moment during my time on Oahu when I nearly break down. It is our last day and I want to surf. There is, and there isn't, enough time. I am ready to mutiny and I nearly catapult into the sort of fit reserved for my sons. Just as I shudder into apoplexy, my age takes hold and I remember my single New Year's resolution, a one-word mantra : elegance. I accept my fate.
In fact I was able to surf a few times on this little accidental family vacation. Ala Moana all, Rockpiles and Bowls and In Betweens. Maybe Kaiser's. The spots seem to mush together in my haole mind. There is an odd south island swell happening our first two days. I luck into four foot fun. Hawaiian waves do have the push.
Just paddling out into the water in Hawaii makes you feel like a champion surfer. It doesn't matter if it's three foot (Hawaiian) semi-mush. I mean, it didn't feel like mush to me, the wave jacking up for a fun moment then lining up for a mini stand up wall before closing out into the next reef. But to a Hawaiian surfer it was probably junk and I felt like a champ.
My son paddles out for a couple sessions. He does not let me help him. He paddles well and knows what he's doing. He still lacks the voracious appetite for surfing. Even after all we've been through, after all he's seen. He still decides whether he will paddle out. The calm, safe confines of the hotel pool still hold strong appeal. I wonder what surfing will become for him. I wonder if he will do to me what I did to my father with skiing. I can see it. But my father had three children and one of them still skis, perhaps saving for me a bit of acceptance in the old man's heart. Perhaps I should be more grateful to that brother. And to tell the truth, I adore my first son so intensely, I worry he can do no wrong in my eyes. Please do not let him know, who needs that headache?
On my last wave of my last session I lose my board and swim to retrieve it. I forget how shallow the reef is and my hand brushes an urchin leaving me with spiny black needles sticking out of my left middle finger. When I return my board to the shop, a real live son of a real Waikiki beach boy is hanging around the shop unnerving the demure Japanese expat shopgirl standing uneasily behind the counter. He is talking story to her and she is nodding her head and approving nervously. He has clear light eyes and the sharp features of waterman. I ask him about my urchin pins and he says "Pee on it! Something about your pee drives the urchin out. If you don't they live in there. They're living and will grow inside you." The intensity of his gaze makes me stick around for a while to talk to him about his fathers and grandfathers. He tells me about earning his first board by riding it in without falling off on his first try. Eventually, his intensity drives me away.
I pee on my finger religiously. Still.
We buy macadamia nuts. We drink POG. We hold our breath under water. We do not get sunburnt. I try the hotel's various versions of mai tais but end up preferring the local beer. Our last night, an asian man gets so drunk in the room next door, a friend has to come and get him bleating out in that curious asian-man-drunk-tenor. I've only heard that sound in the movies. But now I've heard it in real life. It is at turns fascinating, comical and deeply annoying. That last turn being the thing one is left holding.
In Carlsbad, I pull out a real board. By real, I mean a hard one, not a softtop. But I also pull out a softtop. I strap both to the top of the Nissan Pea economical rental car and surf Cardiff Reef and Swami's. On the softtop. I don't know if I can go back to a real board. My degenerated ankle is so grateful for the squish. My degenerated ego is so grateful for the reduced expectations. The waves are small, clean. The water is so clear I feel like I'm back on Waikiki. Where the water was actually not so clear. But such is the magical mnemonic spell Hawaii must conjure.
I have a hard time watching movies on plane rides. It feels better to read. But every time I scan the movie list on the seat-back video station for a Japanese movie about a single lady living a solitary, nearly monastic life and the goodness she spreads around her while she struggles with a hidden inner torment. This is a real genre in Japanese filmmaking I've noticed and if I'm lucky, I happen upon one. In the last six months I've watched two films about older single ladies with coffee roasters perched on cliffs overlooking the sea and a film about a single lady who makes beautiful dresses but refuse to mass produce them despite the attentions of a young handsome suitor who works for a department store. These types of films hold my attention just fine.


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AboutSUAY HAIR AND SKIN CLINIC
Our mission at SUAY Hair and Skin Clinic here in Castlebar, is to help our guests look and feel their absolute best. We deliver a personalised, private and relaxing atmosphere where you can expect to be pampered and walk out feeling amazing as the SUAY team enhances the unique beauty that exists in us all.
Hair, Skin and Beauty is our business and has been for over a quarter of a century. If you are looking for a high end experience with a down to earth vibe and atmosphere, then look no further!
SUAY was established 35 years ago under the management of Mary Gannon – the award winning hair stylist, colour technician and make-up artist. The company has a dominant position in the hair, skin and beauty market in Castlebar, Co. Mayo. We take great pride in the treatments we provide, offering an unparalleled selection of hair, beauty, body, skin and therapeutic treatments. A sense of well being will stay with you long after you leave us. The SUAY team is dedicated to see that you receive the best possible service.
We are proud to be one of few salons in Ireland that provides Murad's skin scanner, which is only available from Murad. This clever machine enables in-depth skin analysis so that you can see the true condition of your skin, including the effects of sun damage and premature ageing. You can also see how your skin has responded to any skin repair treatments or products you may have been using. Working with your concerns our SUAY therapist will create a bespoke facial treatment just for you, leaving skin smoother, brighter and younger-looking.
SUAY focus on providing services of the highest quality, with trained staff, using the latest innovations and utilising cutting edge techniques.


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The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) conducted a training of Imams on radicalization and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) on 2nd May, 2019 at the Sir Ali Muslim Hall in Nairobi County. The training was attended by over fifty religious leaders and Madrassa teachers. The training was vital as it enhanced awareness and knowledge of the religious leaders on radicalization, CVE and social cohesion issues. It also provided for identification of solutions to CVE and specific contributions and challenges they face as religious leaders in countering violent extremism. The presentation was made by Sheikh Ibrahim Lithome, who was a contracted facilitator. The presentation entailed definition of radicalization and its mutation to violent extremism, its fluidity nature, nonlinear and individualization. It also captured the drivers of radicalization, challenges faced by Imams in CVE and concluded with solutions on CVE.
The commission has been focused on providing trainings on radicalization, countering violent extremism and social cohesion targeting the youth, women, religious leaders and learning institutions. It is also keen to bring about a peaceful and integrated society by using homegrown solutions.


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With the lovely Kurt Kojzarek filling for the Smiling Conservative once again, we are looking forward to a lively discussion with U-46 Board Member Cody Holt. It would seem to be a fitting endeavor on the first day of the new school year.
We'll talk about his role on the Board, the District, his U-46 wish list and much more!
That's Left, Right and You, Mondays from 9 to 10 a.m. and Thursdays from 3 to 4 p.m. with the Smiling Conservative, Larry Jones, and me, the Curmudgeonly Liberal, on WRMN AM1410. We'll see you there!


text: 4.8 /5 96 Italy Bellissimo Summer 2020 Experience a kaleidoscope of colours, fragrances and tastes on this Country Explorer trip. Read more Duration: 11 days From: $3125 pppd per person iWhat's this? Costsaver tours offer you value without compromise. Each itinerary includes must-see sights. 3- to 4-star hotels, expert Travel Directors and free time. Deposit now to lock in the 'ready to go' rate before it changes. CostSaver is operated by Trafalgar. View trip details Ask about this trip 4.8 /5 96


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Hey there! It's Kelly from The Little Things Blog and I'm so excited to share one of my favorite new projects! I saw these "I'm So Fancy" tumblers on Etsy and wanted one so badly but I just couldn't justify spending over $30 on something I thought I could make myself. While the quality of the shop's work is amazing and it is well worth the money (and don't forget shipping), I'm just the kind of person that has to "DIY before I buy!" What You'll Need: Large Mason Jar Tumbler, Spray Paint, Glitter, Modge Podge, Vinyl Lettering, Mason Jar Straw Lid Insert
Make sure your surface is clean and tape off the area you want to paint. Spray it down and let it dry.
Rub on your vinyl letters. I was able to purchase these from an Etsy shop for $2.00. It was my cousin-in-law's shop so she sent me all different fonts and sizes too! Her shop is currently on vacation but you can find other shops that offer just the vinyl lettering/phrases with out having to purchase them already on an item. Be sure to rub on the vinyl throughly since the jar has a bumpy surface.
Mix the glitter with the Modge Podge and brush a generous amount over the spray paint. This will also help seal the paint. Let it dry and place the lid insert in the top. Make sure you look at what kind of top you have. This is particular jar is a wide mouth and any regular sized mason jar accessories will not fit it. I found these jar inserts from an Etsy shop, 2 for $2.50 shipped! Perfect since I was making one for my best friend too!
She also graciously agreed to model them for me!
Washing/Care Instructions: Hand Wash ONLY! Also, when the drink you put in it is very cold or when you wash it, the Modge Podge will start to appear white again. Don't worry, this goes away.
Cost comparison:
Mason Jars – 2 for $3.00 (glass was half off at Hobby Lobby)
Spray Paint/Modge Podge/Glitter – Already had it, so FREE!
New Lids – $2.50
Vinyl – $2.00
Total: $7.50 for two tumblers!


text: Digital The Sims Social and Bubble Island this week's gainer and loser among May's Top 25 Facebook games By Mike Thompson|May 17, 2012 Share By Mike Thompson|May 17, 2012 Share Now that we're well into May, it's time to look at the middle titles of the May Top 25 Facebook list.Although not as volatile as the games we looked at last week, games in the middle of the list are still relatively close together in terms of daily active users, so these spots see a fair amount of flux each month.Here's what we've looked at so far: May 10, 2012: No. 25 (Candy Crush Saga) through No. 19 (Empires & Allies) This week, we look at No. 18 through No. 1318. Bubble Island Wooga's Bubble Island has bounced up and down since May 1, but it's returned to its starting position of 2 million DAU. The game's been noticeably losing traffic since it peaked on March 9 with 2.8 million DAU and has yet to recover. Before the traffic loss began, the 2010 game was steadily gaining users, so the rapid drop-off is a surprising turn for the game. It looks like Bubble Island may be stabilizing, though, so it's tough to tell how its traffic will continue to perform as the month continues. If the numbers stay at 2 million DAU, Bubble Island's position may not change at all for June's Top 25 list. 17. Pool Live Tour Geewa's Pool Live Tour is down from 2.1 million DAU to 2 million, though it has temporarily spiked back up to its former peak a few times. This is another title that has shown steady gains since it launched in 2009, and it doesn't show any signs of slowing down, so traffic levels will presumably continue to climb as the month continues. Pool Live Tour has gained 1 million DAU in the past three months, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the game increase by another 100,000 or so in time for the Top 25 list in June. If that happens, Pool Live Tour could move up a spot or two.16. Slotomania – Slot Machines Playtika's Slotomania – Slot Machines continues to hold its position at 2.1 million DAU. AppData shows Slotomania may be one of the older slots games on Facebook, but it's still the most popular one on the social network. In spite of a couple of temporary drops, the traffic numbers have returned to their previous levels and don't show any signs of a serious or long-term fall off, so Slotomania probably won't move much on next month's list. If the game does move up or down at all, it will be because of others games' performances on June's Top 25 list.15. Monster World Monster World is another Wooga title that's bounced around a bit since the start of the month, returning to its 2.3 million DAU peak and dropping to 2.1 million. The game is now back to its May 1 point of 2.2 million DAU. Monster World launched in April 2010 and steadily gained traffic since then. It originally hit 2.3 million DAU in February and hasn't managed to crack the number since then, so the game may not climb any higher than that point in time for June's Top 25 list. Even if the game manages to return to and hold 2.3 million DAU, it probably won't move any further up the June Top 25 list simply because traffic differences between titles at this point of the chart are starting to get pretty significant. 14. المزرعة السعيدة ("Happy Farm") Halfquest's Arabic-language Happy Farm is recovering from its traffic dip in April. Though it still hasn't returned to its March peak of 3 million DAU, the game is now at 2.6 million after hitting a low point last week of 2.4 million. Happy Farm is another title that has demonstrated consistent DAU gain since it launched in July 2011, but March saw traffic rocket up with a gain of 400,000 DAU. Happy Farm's traffic seems have returned to a slower, steadier gain rate, and may not reach March's high point in time for next month's list. That said, it could very possibly gain another 200,000 DAU before the end of May, which could move it up a couple of spots on June's list. 13. The Sims Social EA's The Sims Social is up from 2.8 million DAU to 3 million since May 1. EA's been heavily promoting the game on Facebook in recent weeks, which has helped offset its steady traffic loss since its 11.2 million DAU peak in September. Although EA launched an expansion in late March that allowed players to provide Sims with careers, the game's traffic didn't really seem to change. With the closure of Restaurant City, though, EA has begun offering bonuses for players who switch over to The Sims Social. Between this and the recent limited-time special items in The Sims Social players could only obtain with the help of their friends, traffic has begun to climb again. Whether or not this traffic increase will continue remains to be seen, but The Sims Social probably could move up to the No. 12 spot if it does.All data in this post comes from our traffic tracking service, AppData. Stay tuned for next week's continuation of our Top 25 gainers and losers, when we look at No. 12 through No. 7 on the list. Share http://adweek.it/2k99PeH copy Adweek Adweek


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Practical formula for hand washing in the healthcare field. Deep cleaning with reduced pH compared to most soaps for better skin tolerance. Additional antibacterial efficacy for improved hand hygiene security.
|Cleans and removes bacteria for an effective hand wash.
|Formulated with a lower pH that is gentler on the skin with added moisturizers that health and protect.
|Made from natural ingredients for high biodegradablity and skin compatibility.
|Available in :
|How to use :
|Use as is. When hands are visibly dirty, apply a small amount to moist hands and rub all parts all the hands for 15-30 seconds.
|Active ingredient :
|Isopropylmethylphenol 0.18-0.22%
|Fragrance :
|Fragrance Free
|Color :
|Container / Volume :
|Product code :
|23244 (5kg)
23277 (500ml)
23273 (480ml)
23059 (250ml)
23063 (400ml refill)
23060 (220ml refill)
|Units per case :
|3 (5kg)
10 (500ml)
12 (480ml)
24 (250ml)
12 (400ml refill)
24 (220ml refill)
|Others :
|Check with your Saraya sales representative for accessories.


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Sale: $ 161,386
Full description
Listing ID: Manhattan
Apartment for sale in The Fabric Village, Liverpool, England
Apartment for sale of 30.01sqm in The Fabric Village located at Liverpool, England.
Facilities include: Air Conditioning, Parking and Wi Fi.
About The Fabric Village
The Fabric Village offers 449 contemporary apartments (over three phases) located in the heart of Liverpool's City Centre. Lime Street Station, 2 major universities, the Royal Liverpool University Hospital and the Knowledge Quarter's many tech & science research institutes are all within 10 mins' walk, while a diverse mix of bars, restaurants, theatres and shops are all on your doorstep, catering to your every need.View more detail on The Fabric Village
Key features
- 30.01 m2Usable area
- Air Conditioning
- Parking
- Wi Fi