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Behind every infrastructure are workers who sweat it out day in and day out just to ensure that these structures are completed and safe. Noel Ecinas is one of such workers
Noel, 49, lives in Brgy. Castanos Lejos, General Emilio Aguinaldo, Cavite. He has four children but only earns Php2,500 monthly a construction worker. It is not enough and he felt he needs to earn more for his family. But unfortunately, he does not have the required certification for construction workers. Thus, he decided to try his luck in another line work. In 2015, he began working as a security guard earning Php9,000 monthly.
Going back to his expertise
But for Noel, construction work is his first love. He is confident in doing such works as he knows the nitty-gritty of it. Thus, when there was an opportunity to return to this kind of work, he made sure he did not miss it.
"Noong nalaman ko po na magkakaroon ng training sa TESDA, hindi po talaga ako nagdalawang-isip na sumali dahil gusto ko pong magkaroon ng certificate at makapagtrabaho nang maayos," he said.
For 21 days, Noel and 13 other participants were trained in masonry and carpentry at St. Peregrine Institute (SPI) in Bacoor, Cavite, a partner institution of the DSWD under the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP). Their training includes exams that would earn them a certification from the Technical Education and Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) for the said skills trainings.
"Masaya po kasi nakatapos po ako ng mga kursso. Meron po kami kahit paano ng pagkakataon na mabigyan ng mas maayos na hanap-buhay", he happily shared.
Aside from his years of experience and skills, Noel now has two national certificates, the weapons he could use find a better job.
Fearless father in a risky job
In less than a week after the graduation, Noel was hired as a mason by the Danilo D. Tamayo Konstract, Inc. (DDTKI), a partner construction company of SPI.
Since June 2017, he is working on building a condominium in Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.
"Kumpara sa mga dati ko pong trabaho, napakalaking kaluwagan po nito sa aming pamilya. Pwede pa pong mag-OT pag gugustuhin kaya mas malaki po talaga ang sinesweldo ko dito," he proudly shared.
Noel works extra hours to earn more for his family. Every month, he earns P 10,000 to P20,000, almost 8 times more than his previous salary as an seasonal construction worker in Cavite.
Aside from his salary, Noel now also enjoys having benefits such as Philhealth, SSS PAG-IBIG and 13-month pay, which he never had in many years of being a laborer.
"Mahalaga po sa akin ang benefits na aking natatanggap para po prepared po ako sa aking retirement," he shared.
Reaping his sacrifices
Working far from home, Noel admits that he misses his family. But his desire to provide for his family pushes him to persevere and work hard in order to achieve what he and his wife aspire that is to prepare their children for their own future.
"Hindi ko hinahangad na magbigay sila ng pera o suportahan nila kami. Ang nais lang po naming mag-asawa ay mapaghandaan nila ang sarili nilang mga buhay, he said.
For now, Noel is slowly seeing the fruits of his sacrifices. His eldest child is now a college graduate and is already working. He looks forward to the completion of studies of his other children.
As a participant of SLP, he also challenges participants like him to value the opportunity given to them by the program and its partner institutions.
"Kung hindi po magpupursige, mawawalan po ng halaga ang binigay na tulong. Hindi lahat nabibigyan ng pagkakataon na matulungan na magkaroon ng maayos na trabaho kaya hanggang kaya ko pa po, magtatrabaho po ako bilang construction worker", he firmly stated. with reports from JTeaño


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My tests are broken. Again. Time to fix my tests.
Actually, I have tests that have not passed for months at this point. Tonight, I am just going to fix the test that broke in the last 4 days (since I upgraded to Polymer.dart). Hmmm... this might not bode well for a solid test suite for Patterns in Polymer. I'll save that for another day. For now, I just want to get one Polymer element under test...
The first thing that I need to change is the no-longer-used
initPolymer() from my test setup:
library x_pizza_test; import 'package:scheduled_test/scheduled_test.dart'; import 'package:polymer/polymer.dart'; main() { initPolymer(); // DOM element to hold test element PolymerElement _el; // Page object for better testing XPizzaComponent xPizza; // Tests here... }After deleting that line, I need another way to start the Polymer platform in my tests. In application code, this is now done with a
<link> import, so I add that to the test page that holds my browser tests:
<head> <!-- Load Polymer --> <link rel="import" href="packages/polymer/polymer.html"> <!-- Load component(s) --> <link rel="import" href="packages/model_example/elements/x-pizza.html"> <script type="application/dart" src="test.dart"></script> <script src="packages/unittest/test_controller.js"></script> </head>With that, I get a nice failing test:
FAIL: [defaults] it has no toppings Caught ScheduleError: | Class 'HtmlElement' has no instance method 'async'. | | NoSuchMethodError: method not found: 'async' | Receiver: Instance of 'HtmlElement' | Arguments: [Closure: (dynamic) => dynamic]I think this is an indication that Polymer has not finished initializing when the test runs. The
async() method on Polymer elements is something of a cure-all when it comes to dealing with the asynchronous nature of Polymer elements. It updates all observed variables in the associated Polymer and tells the polyfilled platform to flush—to process all queued UI updates. Since this is failing—and failing on an
HtmlElement element instead of a
PolymerElement—it seems likely that I need to wait for Polymer… to be ready.
I have to confess that I am unsure how to check for Polymer to be ready in Dart. In JavaScript, it is done by listening for a
polymer-ready event, so I create a scheduled_test (unittest suped up for async) schedule to listen for
main() { PolymerElement _el; XPizzaComponent xPizza; setUp((){ schedule((){ var _completer = new Completer(); document.body.on['polymer-ready'].listen((_){ _completer.complete(); }); return _completer.future; }); // More setup... }); // Tests here... }That seems to work. At least it changes the error message, which I count for progress.
The error message is now the Dart VM complaining about two
main() entry points:
Dartium currently only allows a single Dart script tag per application, and in the future it will run them in separtate isolates. To prepare for this all the following script tags need to be updated to use the mime-type "application/dart;component=1" instead of "application/dart": Error: http://localhost:8081/:-1: Only one Dart script tag allowed per documentTaking the advice the error message, I make my test part of the web component isolate with the mime type of
<head> <!-- Load Polymer --> <link rel="import" href="packages/polymer/polymer.html"> <!-- Load component(s) --> <link rel="import" href="packages/model_example/elements/x-pizza.html"> <script src="packages/unittest/test_controller.js"></script> </head> <body> <!-- The actual tests --> <script type="application/dart;component=1" src="test.dart"></script> </body>That still does not work. The error message is now a baffling:
Exception: Unhandled exception: Exception: The "smoke" library has not been configured. Make sure you import and configure one of the implementations (package:smoke/mirrors.dart or package:smoke/static.dart). #0 throwNotConfiguredError (package:smoke/src/implementation.dart:34:3) #1 typeInspector (package:smoke/src/implementation.dart:26:5) #2 query (package:smoke/smoke.dart:85:20) #3 _getPublishedProperties (package:polymer/src/declaration.dart:409:31) #4 PolymerDeclaration.publishAttributes (package:polymer/src/declaration.dart:175:39) #5 PolymerDeclaration.buildType (package:polymer/src/declaration.dart:95:22) #6 PolymerDeclaration.register (package:polymer/src/declaration.dart:72:14) #7 _hookJsPolymer.registerDart.Ya know, if every time the library changes it takes me a hour of fiddling to get a single test passing, then I really have no hope of testing the Dart version of the book. But test I must, so...
(package:polymer/src/loader.dart:100:75) #8 _rootRun (dart:async/zone.dart:719) #9 _ZoneDelegate.run (dart:async/zone.dart:453) #10 _CustomizedZone.run (dart:async/zone.dart:663) #11 _hookJsPolymer.registerDart (package:polymer/src/loader.dart:99:22)
I will have to pick back up with this tomorrow.
Day #34

subset: commoncrawl


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Note: This article was written back in 1998 and is woefully out of date.
Here's a newer version which isn't quite as out of date.
In the past few months I've received a number of questions from clients
about why they can't find their site when they use a search engine.
There are a number of reasons why this might be, including the site is
too new, the topic too broad or their search query is too vague. Sometimes
there's no good reason, and a resubmission of the site takes care of the
problem. Many search engine gurus suggest resubmitting your site once
a month to avoid disappearing.
In this article I'm going to give you a basic overview of search
engines. There's more information on search engines that I could
ever put into one article, and if you're interested in this topic
I suggest you look at http://www.searchenginewatch.com by Danny
Sullivan. It's just one of the search engine resources you can
find on my resources page at http://www.writeitdown.com/resources.html.
While search engines are a very common method that people use
to information on the web, they're not the only way. The latest
statistics (as reported in the Wall Street Journal) put the number
of web pages at 350 million and growing exponentially, so it's
going to become harder and harder to get your site into the top
ten most relevant pages in a given search. Especially if your
type of business is well represented on the Web; i.e. graphic
designers, X-Files collectibles, or sadly, web site designers.
In other words, don't ignore search engine considerations, but
don't lose sleep over them either. (That's my job.)
Before we start, some quick definitions. (Don't worry, this
will be painless.) Search engines are applications that "search" the
web, using programs called spiders or robots to gather information
from web pages and bring it back to a search engine's database.
When you enter a search query, (i.e. Tibet,) the engine generally
searches against its own index, not the entire web. This is why
some search engines won't show your pages for up to a couple
of months even if you submit the pages to them. Also, services
like Yahoo! are not search engines, but directories. This means
there is a team of humans–those living, breathing bipeds–who
take submitted URL's (uniform resource locators or "website
addresses",) review them and add the page to their directory
if they see fit. There are several major search engines and directories,
and everybody has a favorite. Some of the most popular are Yahoo!
(http://www.yahoo.com), Alta Vista (http://www.digital.alta-vista.com),
HotBot, (http://www.hotbot.com), Excite! (http://www.excite.com),
Lycos, (http://www.lycos.com), Webcrawler, (http://www.webcrawler.com),
and Northern Light (you guessed it, http://www.northernlight.com).
When you enter your query the engine looks through its database
and pulls up documents–web sites in most cases–that it thinks
meets your criteria. The number of documents returned depends
on how broad (Tibet) or narrow (Tibetan rap bands) your query
is, bringing the results to your browser window, generally 10
or so at a time.
Search engine administrators are constantly trying to improve
their products so that they return more targeted and relevant
results while many website creators are constantly trying to
tweak their websites so they come up higher in the ranking. These
two goals often come into conflict as many website owners continually
try to push the limits of acceptable behavior while the search
engines are trying to keep the playing field level. Some tricks
website owners use fall into the category of spamming. Some examples
include over-repetition of keywords, using same color text and
background (so the search engine sees the text but not the viewer)
or using keywords that don't reflect the site's topic. For instance,
sites may add a mention of "Monica Lewinsky" because
they know people will perform searches on her, (so to speak).
Search engines have moved to disallow pages using these techniques.
However, what passes for spamming isn't universal. Also, many
of the engines continually change their own rules to further
frustrate spammers. They believe that if people searching for
information feel the search engine isn't returning relevant documents,
they'll stop using that engine for another one, which then brings
down the search engine's value to advertisers. (Doesn't it always
come back to money?)
Tips: Although every search engine has its own mechanism for
determining relevance, there are some tips you can use to improve
your ranking. Perhaps the most important aspect of your page
is the title. "Welcome!" or "My
Company's Home Page" are not good. Nobody searches for these words. (If
they did, they would receive over a million irrelevant documents.) "Tibet:
The History of a People" or "New Techniques
for Fighting Halitosis" are more likely to bring people to your site
who are interested in these topics.
Meta-Tags: These tags aren't seen by visitors, but many search
engines use them for relevancy ratings. It allows the creator
to give the search engine a brief description of the page, the
keywords, who the author is, and any other information the creator
wants to pass along. Certain search engines ignore meta-tags
since some website designers use inappropriate keywords. For
example, a children's clothes shop may use "child safety" to
lure parents to their site. Many sites use adult-oriented keywords
to attract visitors even if their site is about real estate.
(Adult topics are still the most popular queries.)
Since some search engines count the number of words on the page
as part of their relevancy testing, a short page that mentions "New
England Patriots" twice might be deemed more relevant than
a longer page that mentions next year's Super Bowl champs five
Duplicate pages: I'm not sure if this is considered spamming,
but I've had some luck creating duplicate versions of the same
page, changing around some keywords or shortening the page, and
submitting both pages. (I generally don't submit them on the
same day as some search engines consider that to be spamming.)
Sometimes it's just interesting to see where almost identical
pages match up.
For example, if your media relations company has offices in
Boston and L.A. you could duplicate your home page and put Boston-related
keywords on one page, saving it as boston.html and L.A.-related
keywords on the other, saving it as la.html. Submitting both
pages might get you a higher rating if someone searched under "Boston
Search Engine specific pages: If a search engine ignores meta-tags
it might be good to duplicate a page, take out the tags and submit
it specifically to that search engine.
There are many other variables that affect relevancy including
JavaScript, use of frames or tables, subject matter, the waxing
and waning of the moon….If you are still hungry for information
please go to http://www.writeitdown.com/search_engines.html [Defunct]
and check out some of the links there.
Remember, search engines aren't the only methods of bringing
people to your site. Traditional media, banner swap programs,
online malls, and web rings are just a few alternative methods
to alerting people to your offerings.
–Rich Brooks
President, flyte new media


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Getting started
At first! If you use free STB plugin, deactivate it before installing STB Pro. These plugins are not conflicting at run time but they are using the same shortcodes. The using of the common shortcodes by both plugins at the same time can lead to unpredictable consequences on Front Side!
- Unpack plugin's archive file
- Upload folder special-text-boxes-pro to your server into wp-content/plugins folder
- On Admin side go to "Plugins->Installed Plugins" page, find plugin Special Text Boxes Pro and activate it
If plugin's menu is appeared in main admin menu, STB Pro plugin was installed successfully.
To be convinced that everything turned out as it is necessary, visit the Themes page of a plugin. The page shall look as is shown on the figure:
If the buttons "Save Current Theme As…", "Upload New Theme" and "More Themes…" are not available, then something went wrong.
Something went wrong:
If buttons on the Themes Page are not available, it means that plugin's themes folder was not created and you can use only the built-in plugin themes. Why it happened? Probably plugin did not have access rights to create a folder. How to resolve this problem? Create folder manually!
For manually creating themes folder use FTP-client or File Manager of ISPManager (Plesk, etc.). Create folder "stb-pro-themes" in the "wp-content" folder and set it access rights to 755 or 777.
Re-visit the plugin themes management page and make sure that the buttons are appeared (as on Fig. 1). If so, you have access to all functions of the themes management of plugin. Thats all.
© 2014, minimus. All rights reserved.


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I don't know about you guys but I am a HUGE fan of FROYO ( vegan of course). There is something about the texture and creaminess that just tickles my fancy;) I can remember last winter in the city (NYC that is- my part time home) when I would walk around the city with a cup of vegan frozen yogurt in about oh -5 degrees. My love is that deep. Being this lover of froyo- I was ALL over a new vegan place that opened up in Hollywood not to long ago. "Milky's" is a self serve Frozen Yogurt shop that offers 4 VEGAN flavorseach week, along with a lovely topping bar! I was totally ecstatic to check this place out today! My parents and I had a lovely vegan lunch and decided to head on over!
It's a quaint and cozy little FROYO place with a few tables/chairs to sit and- and that lovely soft serve… The vegan flavors today were "Chocolate", "Vanilla", "Strawberry", and "Pumpkin" (which was not quite ready yet). It is $.49/c per ounce (a nice sized cup was about $4.50) . This stuff is incredible! The creaminess, the deep rich flavor, OH SO DELISH! My parents were also quite impressed with the tasty flavors! Let me just say, Milky's you are amazing– NEVER leave! The topping bar is also full of goodies! Carob Chips, Granola, Fresh Fruit.. I could go on but honestly you should just get yourself to Milky's for a cup of Heaven! Eat Clean and creamy!!
Peace, Love, and Vegan FROYO,
1429 S. Robertson Blvd
Los Angeles, CA.


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About the sPEAKERS
Creflo Dollar
World Changers Church International
Creflo Dollar is the founder and senior pastor of World Changers Church International (WCCI) in College Park, Georgia; World Changers Church-New York; and a host of fellowship churches located throughout the United States and Australia. WCCI also has offices in Australia (serving the Asia-Pacific region), South Africa, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Creflo Dollar is a world-renowned Bible teacher, a much sought-after conference speaker, and a best-selling author, with hundreds of books, CDs, and DVDs in distribution worldwide. His award-winning Changing Your World television broadcast reaches nearly 1 billion homes in practically every country in the world.
Taffi Dollar
WCCI Women's Ministry
Taffi Dollar is a celebrated author, teacher, and well-known conference speaker. Together with her husband, Creflo Dollar, she pastors more than 30,000 active members at World Changers Church International (WCCI), World Changers Church-New York, and a host of fellowship churches throughout the U.S. and internationally. She is the founder of the WCCI Women's Ministry and Prestige Ministry, both geared toward assisting and inspiring women. Through these ministries, she eloquently brings light to women's everyday struggles and gives heartfelt, life-improving advice. Voted one of Atlanta's most influential women by the Atlanta Business League, her influence expands beyond ministry into music. She serves as the CEO of Arrow Records, a cutting-edge Christian recording label, and has been a guest panelist at numerous music festivals and workshops. Taffi and her husband have five children and reside in Atlanta.
Gregory Dickow
Life Changers International Church
Gregory Dickow is the founder and senior pastor of Life Changers International Church. After overcoming several life trials, he accepted Christ at age 16 and never looked back. Dickow founded Life Changers International Church in 1992; it remains one of the largest churches in the Chicagoland area. He is also the host of The Power to Change Today, an international television ministry that reaches 900 million homes weekly. Greg and his wife Grace have five children, Olivia, Robert, Gena, Joseph, and Roman.
Michael Smith
The Church Group Worldwide
With over 25 years of ministry service, Michael Smith has a deep love and passion for people. As the founder of THE CHURCH Group Worldwide, he is committed to building mature, skillful believers who are able to take the words off the pages of the Bible and see them manifested in their everyday lives. Through his use of humor and transparent personal examples, he presents "Wisdom from the Word of God" to help people find their way to triumphant living. Michael currently resides in Atlanta, GA with his wife, Connie, and their two children, Olivia and Michael, II. As a couple, they continue to travel throughout the United States and around the globe to minister the word of God. Their continuing desire is to see God's people manifest his word and will in their lives.
Andrew Wommack
Gospel Truth & Charis Bible College
IIt all began when Andrew Wommack was born again at just eight years old. Although he avoided the rebellious phase often associated with adolescence, he believed that through his own righteousness, he could develop a relationship with the Lord. Then, on a Saturday night in 1968, everything changed. Andrew realized he had fallen into the bondage of legalism and began confessing his self-righteousness, expecting the wrath of God to fall. But instead of wrath, God's presence flooded him with love. This encounter changed his life forever and motivated him to follow God's lead in his life. Andrew and his wife, Jamie, were married in 1972, and together they began teaching Bible studies. In the last 30 years the ministry of Andrew Wommack has grown to reach millions of people through the daily Gospel Truth radio and television broadcasts and Charis Bible College. The ministry continues to expand as God provides more opportunities and resources to take the nearly-too-good-to-be-true message of God's unconditional love and grace to the world.
Anthony Adams
World Changers Church Youth Experience
Using the word of God, comedy, and his awesome testimony, Pastor Anthony Adams is a man who impacts the lives of thousands of youth every year. As the Senior Youth Pastor of World Changers Youth Experience (W.C.Y.E), Pastor Anthony is responsible for preaching and teaching the Word of God on a weekly basis to the students of W.C.Y.E., overseeing 9 other locations across the United States, as well as, training and developing other leaders to make a mark in this generation that will never be erased. Pastor Anthony is passionate about RE-presenting God to this generation, not as a God of judgment and wrath, but as a God of grace and love, who has a plan and purpose for each and every teen. He is a graduate of World Changers Bible School, where he received an associate's degree in Biblical Studies. Pastor Anthony and his wife, Constance, are excited about the assignment God has for them, working as a team in ministry as Senior Pastors of W.C.Y.E. as well as, in other requested engagements.


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The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Longview Area Association of REALTORS®. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Noon & Associates are marked with the IDX logo and detailed information about them includes the name of the listing brokers.
All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be independently verified. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) nor Noon & Associates shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless.


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How To Reduce Packaging When You Order Online
With Cyber Monday here, this is one of the busiest times of year for online shopping. But more often than not, the deals you snag come with something you didn't pay for: a whole lot of packaging, some recyclable, some not.
Ubiquitous packing items like Bubble Wrap, duct tape, Styrofoam, and plastic baggies cannot be recycled and are destined for landfill, where they contribute to the hundreds of millions of tons of trash we dump every year in America. Avoiding these unsustainable materials is more difficult than it needs to be, so let's do something about it.
A simple action to minimize packaging.
In a recent article on mbg, Céline Jennison, an environmental activist and educator who studies ocean trash in remote areas of the world, posed a simple ask: If you order something online, email to ask that the supplier doesn't package it in plastic. Curious, I reached out to Céline to see whether she's had much luck with this approach. She explained that, with Amazon orders in particular, she still does receive plastic packaging, but it's less frequent.
Intrigued—and slightly ashamed I hadn't thought to do so sooner—I shot an email to Amazon customer service (email@example.com) with the following:
"Hi there,
I'm writing to see if you can make a note in my account that says I would like to receive orders in brown paper packaging (zero plastic or zero plastic or Styrofoam) whenever possible. I love the ease of using Amazon but have been disappointed by how much unnecessary plastic packaging it can come with at times.
Thank you!"
I got a note back within a few hours, saying that my request had been forwarded to the appropriate team. Hoping to get something a bit more specific, I sent the same email to Jeff Bezos himself (or at least the address he has made public) and received a similar response. The next day, I put the service to the test and ordered a book. I was disappointed when it arrived in a cardboard box with a wad of plastic Bubble Wrap inside. The two emails I got back did say it could take a little while to handle my request, though, so I'm crossing my fingers for next time.
Another part of the Amazon emails that I was heartened to see came in the footer: "Your feedback is helping us build Earth's Most Customer-Centric Company." This served as a reminder that if enough people write in expressing their disdain for plastic packaging, companies are going to feel pressured to make the change. Their livelihood depends on keeping customers happy, after all.
Amazon in particular has received 33 million user comments on its packaging since 2009, and—while not perfect—systems have been put in place in response. There's now a frustration-free packaging page you can browse to find items that come in recyclable, reasonable packaging.
So before you hit that checkout button today, copy and paste my message above, replacing Amazon with any retailer you're shopping with.
Longer-term habits to adopt once you press send.
Of course, sending an email isn't the only way to cut down on packaging waste. Make sure your items get shipped together whenever possible, and take any materials that aren't recyclable curbside to a drop-off location that will take them. (Find one near you here.) Until the day that minimalist packaging is the norm, lead by example and send all of your mail using brown paper, paper tape, and reused boxes. If you receive a lot of mail through work, consider updating your email footer asking people to be mindful of packaging when they send something through. Here's a sample to get started:
Shopping locally and supporting small producers is another way to lessen impact, but the No. 1 thing you can do to be a more conscious consumer is to buy less altogether. As the holiday season approaches, consider giving an experiential gift or donation instead of a present.
And do you want to learn how feng shui can help you create a high-vibe home and set powerful intentions to manifest your dreams? This is feng shui the modern way - no superstitions, all good vibes. Click here to register for a free session with Dana that will give you 3 tips to transform your home today!


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iSLAND is the second release from G-Side this year, the first being The ONE…COHESIVE. The group took yet another left turn and went less bombastic with iSLAND. It's still dramatic and spacey, just more focused. I daresay… more cohesive?
Check out an exhaustive feature on G-Side and Huntsville rap in Spin.
Sphere: Related Content
Related Posts
There is 1 commentAdd yours
G-Side – Trip.
[...] Psychedelic 'tryna make it' rap from G-Side. "Trip" appears on the Japanese retail version of iSLAND. [...]


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Go Back
Go To Articles Directory Home Page
To get the current article, - See Below (at the bottom of the page) -.
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Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun
If you have one stick of gum and receive another stick of gum from Tina, how many sticks of gum do you have? Does their sum equal the enjoyment of two sticks of gum? Yes. Now, if you have one wife and steal your best friend�s wife does their sum equal the enjoyment of two wives? No. Sticks of gum, apples, oranges and wives, cannot be compared. Grade school should have taught us that monogamy is the best path to a successful relationship. In today�s society though we seem to want more and more and more.
About the Author: Author Terrance Lile brings you Ask Uncle Terry, one of the newest, fastest growing sexual education sites on the web. Unlike anything else, the site has blended information for the enjoyment of great sex, while at the same time encouraging abstinence until in a committed relationship. The site uses humor and cartoon-like images to make its point. If you are looking for x-rated stuff you will not find it here. Still, it is crammed full of sexuality information that is sure to give you a lift. http://www.askuncleterry.com


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About Storage | February 26, 2018
ezStorage Corporation is proud to announce the Silver level certification for its Burtonsville self-storage location under USGBC's LEED v4 BD+C: Warehouse and Distribution Center rating system. The Burtonsville location was built from the ground up to meet the rigorous LEED v4 requirements. This accreditation continues ezStorage's longstanding commitment to the USGBC and sustainability making Burtonsville the 3rd ezStorage location to receive a LEED certification. ezStorage has been a member of USGBC since 2007.
"We always look for ways to improve the customer experience at our self-storage facilities. The LEED v4 certification process is an excellent roadmap for creating the most efficient and innovative storage buildings in the markets we serve. The end result is a superior self-storage facility for both our customers and employees. " – Steven Cratin
LEED building certification provides third-party validation of a building's sustainable design and construction features in categories such as energy use, air quality and water efficiency. Companies who choose to certify their projects under the LEED rating system are choosing to help create a better and greener future.
ezStorage Corporation, headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, is one of the nation's leading self storage operators with over 43,000 units throughout Maryland, Virginia and Washington DC. Since 1987, ezStorage's attention to customer service, architectural detail, cleanliness and safety has earned them an unmatched reputation among customers and in the self-storage industry. Visit ezStorage.com for locations and details.
The USBGC is striving to create a more sustainable and prosperous future through the implementation of the LEED certification. LEED is a green building rating system that seeks to save energy, water, resources and generate less waste to support human health. LEED provides businesses with a framework for a high efficient, green building.


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Ariana Grande Celebrates 21st Birthday at Disney World [PHOTOS]by Thomas Chau | PopCrush
Tomorrow, June 26, Ariana Grande will turn 21 years old, but before she reaches a new milestone in being an adult, she's spending her last few days being a kid at Walt Disney World!
In photos released by Disney, Grande seems to be having a blast as she celebrates at the park. She even tweeted about it yesterday, saying, "having the best birthday trip, sorry I haven't been tweeting too much.. looove to u lovess"
having the best birthday trip, sorry I haven't been tweeting too much.. looove to u lovess
— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) June 24, 2014
In one photo, she's seen posing with Prince Charming and Cinderella in front of Cinderella's castle in the Magic Kingdom with a beautiful Cinderella-themed birthday cake that says, "Happy 21st Birthday Ariana!"
In another photo, she's seen giving Mickey Mouse a kiss on the cheek while wearing the famous Mouseketeer ears.
Click on the photos below to check out photos from her trip to Walt Disney World. Happy Birthday, Ariana!
See Celebrities Who Look Like Disney Characters


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|Almost every day our new "Birdie" stops by for bits of meat he'll eat from my hand. Already, he responds to my voice. It was fun to capture him sitting atop this small stature.
When we spotted this notice on the tracking website, we moaned in frustration over yet another wait. The website states, "Clearance Delay. No scheduled delivery date available at this time."
|This magpie wanted in on the action.
The cost for the laptop without tax was under AU $920, US $700 so this shouldn't be an issue. If we do have to pay customs fees, we may qualify to have them returned to us once we leave the country. We'll see how it rolls out today.
|With his mouth open, he welcomes a bite to eat.
He entertains himself with his smart phone, reading and responded to the zillions of email messages he receives daily, Facebook posts and can access Ancestry.com and Cruise Critic, two sites he particularly enjoys.
The second package is due to arrive today. Based on the fact it was shipped from Tasmania which is an island in Australia, we're hoping we don't experience any customs issues. Most likely that package's contents were examined somewhere along the way.
|Kookaburras are carnivorous thus we feed them tiny raw pieces of meat.
In Australia, a patient cannot order their own tests making a doctor visit mandatory as is typical in most countries. I have no desire to see a doctor but its imperative to have this completed now, hoping to discover the infection is truly gone.
|Plumeria are often used to make leis in Hawaii.
Gee...it sounds as if we're "whinging." That's not my intention. In our continuing efforts to be real and open we share our experiences exactly as they occur.
|Pretty pink flower.
|Rainbow at dusk during storm from Cyclone Debbie.
I stopped while preparing this post, long enough to call Fed Ex. Our package was at a complete standstill, waiting for us to call. They didn't read the included invoice which stated the purchase price of the laptop was under AU $920, US $700.
The rep advised me to send the actual invoice which I prepared as a PDF and sent promptly to her email. Now, back to the waiting game as she determines based on receipt of our invoice that we do not owe any Australia custom taxes or fees.
|Cloudy day at the beach.
|A few determined surfers on a rainy day at the beach.
Hopefully, you don't have to wait impatiently for products or services today!
Photo from one year ago today, April 4, 2016:
|Tom got a kick out of how many chickens and roosters began to follow us during our visit to Taranake Pioneer Village in New Zealand, one year ago. Please click here for more photos.


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A Preview of ~Jayne~
I'm currently in the midst of plotting for this year's Fashion for Life event, so this post is going to be short and sweet: The new 'Jayne' gowns will be coming soon, to Kouse's Sanctum. But first, you can find this special promo version at the main store, for 99L
It's another release day, and that means that the draw for fatpacks has taken place! The winners are:
Tessa Sugarplum
Karenza McCullough
I've decided to have another draw for this release, so once again, anyone who purchases one of the new 'Brooke' gowns before the next release date, will have their name entered into a draw for a free fatpack of any gown in the store. Purchase two and have your name entered three times. 🙂 Two fatpacks will be awarded.
So, just what is the new release, this time around? Brooke is a 10 piece set. Each dress features a golden bodice over top of a cream chemise with puffed sleeves.
There are two bodice prim types included, one is more dramatic than the other, and adds some flare to the ball gown and short skirt versions. Speaking of which, Brooke features three skirt types: full ball gown, a more slim skirt, and a fun short skirt.
You can see all the ads, and more pretty pictures, on my Flickr. You can find the gowns, at the Kouse's Sanctum main store.
I am so very happy to finally release the 'Shannon' gowns, which are available with either gold, or silver trim.
This style of gown encapsulates much of what I love about gowns…subtle details, less subtle details (haha), vibrant colors, and multiple ways to wear.
Each Shannon gown includes two skirts, a long, evening gown style skirt, and a fun short skirt. If you're feeling like a little experiment, you and try wearing both at the same time. 🙂
Everyone who purchases a Shannon gown between now and the next release date will have their name entered into a draw. If you buy two gowns, your name will go in three times. There will be two prizes awarded at the next release date. What are the prizes? Two lucky ladies will win a fatpack of any gown style in the store that they choose. 🙂
If you want to see all the available colors, you can find them on my Flickr, or visit the main store to take a look at the display.
It just hit me that it's been entirely too long since I blogged, yet again. Real life has been busy – and isn't showing much sign of slowing down yet! I thought this morning I'd set aside some time to blog about the current 99L specials, and the new Kari gowns.
It's Autumn in my part of the world, and getting chilly fast. The trees are bursting with vibrant colour, fallen leaves dance across the ground, and for my family, Christmas planning is happening already. In keeping with the Autumnal mood, the Kari gowns are available in some deep, fall-inspired shades (such as the chocolate, wine, grape, cranberry, and forest) as well as staple colours such as white and black.
You can find the full nine available colours at the Kouse's Sanctum main store, and preview them on my Flickr.
A Thanksgiving Treat
This past Monday was Thanksgiving, here in Canada. There's a Thanksgiving treat in the store, right now, at just 99L, which I'll leave there for the rest of the month.
There's also a knee length skirted version of the brand new Kari gowns in Atlantic (blue), for only 99L. You can find both of these goodies at Kouse's Sanctum, right now, but these prices are limited time only. They're on the New Release board, just below the new Kari gowns.
So I named this newest gown after a dear friend, Maelenn Catteneo. They're part redux of a really old gown, called Calliope (if anyone even remembers that one), and part new thing.
I made them for regular avs, and also for the petites avs, as well. There are also modesty options available in store. The regular sizes include the following pieces: system shirt bodice, glitchpants, chest bow, skirt, and sleeves. The Petites include: bodysuit, chest bow, skirt, and sleeves.
These gowns are available in a total of 14 colors, all of which, you can find after the break.
More pictures after the break!
Keep Calm and Keep Shopping!
Ack! I meant to blog this so much sooner…for a limited time (until May 28th) you can find a limited edition style of gown at Kouse's Sanctum, made especially for the Keep Calm and Keep Shopping event. The gown is named Chantelle. Chantelle offers multiple wear options, including optional sleeves, and optional bustle for the skirt.
There are seven available colors, in total. These gowns will -only- be available until May 28th, after which they no longer be for sale.
You can find more information about the event here.
You can view the rest of the colors after the jump!
A Valentine Treat
This dramatic recolor of the popular Brianna gown, called 'Deep Love' is just 25L this Valentine's! This price will be in effect until the next regular release (possibly at the end of this week).
Happy Valentine's Day!
Back to Black
I suppose it's been long enough since my last post, right?
Firstly, my Flickr pro account expired, and it'll be a little while before I renew it, so if a ton of my pics seem missing, that's why. But right now what I want to let you know about is Chic Management's Back to Black event, and that I'm participating in it, offering a brand new, never before released gown, called Tranquil.
I put a lot of thought into whether or not I'd include a notecard with the gowns outlining my own experiences with depression, but then I decided it would be better to put it on the blog, so anyone can read it if they want to, regardless of having purchased a gown or not.
During my teen years I battled with depression that was brought on in part by the stress of school, being bullied, and the stress of my home life. Between the three, I felt hopeless, useless, and worthless most of the time. There were many times when I thought I'd be better off dead, or that I should try to run away from my problems.
I talked to the school's guidance counsellor ad nauseum, trying to seek solutions to my problems. Most of the offered advice included moving away from town and going back to a city I lived in as a child. Family members that had left town to return to the city reinforced this notion to me in phone calls and letters. I could see where this could be good advice, and sometimes I actually managed to convince myself that it was what I wanted, but in the end, that was false conviction and I always stayed here, knowing if I returned to the city, I still wouldn't be happy.
I ended up trying antidepressants. The only thing they achieved was that I ended up sleeping most of the day, and wishing I was asleep the time I was awake – sleep became the escape from reality. However, this only went on for several days before I tossed the pills, knowing they wouldn't, and couldn't really help me.
The year I finished High School I started Second Life, and my business was born that summer, in 2007. SL served as another escape from reality, where I could look however I wanted, do whatever I wanted, go wherever I wanted. That led me to Medieval roleplay, ballrooms, forests, and countless stores. It led me to begin creating gowns and jewelry. I thought it made me happy. But in reality, it was a bandaid on a broken limb.
The beginnings of the turning point for me, when my depression ended and my life really, truly began, wasn't until October, 2010. I'm placing the date here, because that's where the events began that lead me to where I am today. Someone, who shall remain unnamed, came to our house (at that time, it was just my mother and I), and was verbally tearing apart a man from our town. They cried foul at the man's behaviour in church the previous Sunday, about how 'he shouldn't have done that, he shouldn't have said those things to that man of God'. This sparked my interest. I had become somewhat indifferent towards Christianity, and I'd previously grown wary of 'that man of God' because of his attitudes and behaviours.
Now, my spiritual life was a mess. I'd spent my teen years being depressed and many times trying to seek God, crying to Him, begging Him, feeling like I'd come really really close – but ultimately failing. I bounced back and forth between trying to please God and pleasing myself with my escapes from reality so much that I grew tired of trying. I now know the real culprits behind that failure, but that's another topic for another time. Anyway, at the time I didn't call myself a Christian anymore. I knew some scripture, but not much. But something inside me told me I needed to really get in touch with this man. He had enough faith in his convictions to stand up in front of many and speak his mind. That impressed me.
I searched for him on facebook, and sent him a friend request. After he accepted, I spent time observing him. During this time, I found myself convicted of my lukewarm attitude towards God. The seeking began again – in earnest. My bible started seeing a lot more use. I took more than a passing glance at devotionals. I researched things online. I acquired a collection of 8 movies about Jesus. I watched these movies one at a time, and then a while later, ended up watching them all in a marathon session.
I broke. It was finally brought home to me in a real way what Jesus did, and that He did it for -me-. Worthless, useless, hopeless (I thought) me. I was worth -dying- for. I went into a room alone and cried, begging God to forgive me of my sin, and to help me to change and live how He would want me to – not just for a week, but for life. I didn't feel like I failed this time. I felt forgiven. I felt comforted after my tears. I felt peace – real, deep peace.
A song by Mark Lowery called 'Make it Real' became dear to my heart. I pasted some of it's lyrics into my SL profile.
As for the man – Richard. I pretty much stayed quiet with regard to him until something he posted caught my eye – a screenshot of the Blizzard website showing the thumbnail links to their games. I couldn't help but comment – and indeed this post garnered many comments, because he was bold enough to call it what it is in light of scripture. It's Satanic. There are people who fail to see this, but he wasn't one of them. While there are plenty of people who will defend their games, TV shows, music, etc, the fact remains that secular media does nothing to encourage Christianity or Christian values. Rather, much of it attacks both.
One clear way to show this is the massive anti-Christian sentiment that is in SL. I know full well that posting this won't make me popular, but popularity isn't what I'm after anymore. What I want to achieve here is to let anyone who is willing to read the whole post understand that my personal experience is as follows: My depression wasn't cured by counselling, pills, or people. It was cured by Jesus Christ. My life now is happier than it's ever been before, and I give God all the credit for it.
After my comment, I watched the thread for a while. I ended up messaging Richard, wanting to encourage him. What began was a long dialogue that led to both parties being encouraged and inspired. He gave me the link to his personal testimony. There was a mix mp3 of his testimony in music that was available for download on his page, so I downloaded it, and listened to it.
I'm going to try to keep this post from becoming a book and speed up my recounting of what happened. For a while I distanced myself from listening to a lot of secular music. I stopped listening to the radio. But I didn't give it up entirely. I still listened to a handful of artists that I enjoyed because I liked their 'catchy tunes'. This was actually hindering my spiritual growth, though, so I was given a much needed push to give it up, and I did.
Richard and I got together in the dating sense on March 10th. He gave a beautiful account of what happened at that time at our wedding, and it's on video. We got married on July 16th, 2011.
The past 13 months have been a whirlwind of change for me, and in good ways. My faith in God is firmer than it's ever been before. I'm glad I didn't go back to the city. If I had, I'd have missed out on the wonderful man that I'm now married to. More importantly, I might have missed out on God. But I know I am exactly where He meant me to be. I'm more than content with that – I'm happy. And with this I'll conclude, that hateful comments won't be approved. 🙂
Gabrielle is the newest release from Kouse's Sanctum. Reflecting Medieval and Rennaisance charm, it's a gown that incorporates vibrant color with detailed gilt trim to create a lush look fit for a princess.
I've decided to make one version of it, the burgundy one, named 'Wine', only 99L for a limited time. So if you'd like to pick up a copy before the price matches the main release, do hurry. 🙂
Also new, are the Shiloah jewelry sets, which include a necklace, tiara, and matching earrings. The sets are available in three metal choices, and are all gem change scripted.
You can find them at the main store.


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The SBS Core is excited to work with two new clinical investigators with interests in social and behavioral sciences.
Dr. Megan Huchko is an associate professor in the departments of obstetrics & gynecology and global health. She practices as an OB/GYN generalist and specializes in cervical cancer treatment. Her research focuses on optimizing the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer, and the co-occurrence of cervical cancer and HIV. She has been working in western Kenya for over 10 years.
Dr. Gita Suneja is an associate professor in the departments of radiation oncology and global health. Her clinical specialties include the treatment of breast and gynecologic malignancies, while her research focuses on health services, access to care, and patient outcomes. She outlined this work in her talk at the 2016 CFAR Fall Retreat titled "Cancer treatment disparities in the U.S. HIV Population."
Dr. Megan Huchko
Dr. Gita Suneja


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Bunnies and Squirrels, Oh My
June 24, 2008
We didn't think much about different races of squirrels. But note that the squirrels in the city are gray.
When we moved to our country estate, consisting of five acres of mostly alder woods and had a house built for us, I asked the contractor, "Have you ever built such a small house before?"
Alders are to woods what dandelions are to lawns.
The contractor replied to my question, "Yes, but it was somebody's weekend vacation home; not the home people live in year round."
(The contractor was not being sarcastic; he is a very nice guy who did a good job; he was just answering my question in a factual way.)
I said to my wife, "My dear, we are now landed gentry." She beamed proudly.
Squirrels and chipmunks are our nearest neighbors. The Friendly Neighbor shoots rabbits but feeds his squirrels. The squirrels have a lot of nerve. If he doesn't feed them right away, they run up his pants leg and stick their heads into his pockets looking for nuts. He stores the supply of nuts in his workshop. One day he didn't close the workshop door all the way. The next day, most of the nuts were gone. Guess where they went.
Mrs. Random doesn't feed the squirrels. Our bird feeder has a baffle. Every day the squirrels run up the baffle hoping they can get through solid metal to the bird feeder. Squirrels are very smart, but often they are as stupid as people. The squirrels also scold us every day for being on their property and for not feeding them, even though they spend all day eating the seeds that fall out of bird feeder because the birds are sloppy eaters.
The squirrels that live near us and the neighbors are red. Even though they are pests, Mrs. Random considers them to be "OUR pests."
One day, I heard my wife fussing and scolding with considerable forcefulness. I went downstairs and asked, "What's the matter?"
She was looking out the window. She said, "I just saw two gray squirrels!"
It turns out that gray squirrels are sort of the starlings of the squirrel world. Just as starlings drive out other birds (even those that are pest birds, like English sparrows), gray squirrels drive out other squirrels. Apparently there are hierarchies of pests.
I asked, "Do you want me to shoot the gray squirrel?"
"Yes! Yes!" she said. "Don't go out on the porch, you might scare them away. Here I removed the screen from the kitchen window. You can rest the rifle and aim better." [This is more foreshadowing.]
One of the squirrels ran into the woods. The other, a piggy squirrel, too greedy to flee, continued eating fallen bird seed
I cocked the pellet rifle. I aimed. I have bad eyes and thick glasses; it is hard for me to see through the scope. I shot. I missed. The squirrel ran away. A few minutes later, it returned. For very smart animals, squirrels sure are dumb. I shot four times and missed. A few minutes later, my wife said, "It's back."
This was a REALLY dumb squirrel.
It was at the very back of the cleared area. A borderline distance for me, though six feet is borderline for me. I aimed carefully. The squirrel thrashed for a second and then lay still. I put on my shoes and went out, carrying the rifle, to examine it. Often I don't kill my prey on the first shot. I don't like to make the animals I shoot suffer, so I kill them as quickly as possible if I just wound them.
It's hard to make a kill shot with a tiny pellet, so I usually have to finish them off.
On examination I could see that I had hit the squirrel in the head and it was very dead. I tossed the squirrel in the woods for the coyotes or crows. (Another terrible example of my not eating the animals I shoot, which in some people's eyes might provide at least a little justification.)
I returned to my wife and told her the gray squirrel was now an "ex-Squirrel." She uttered words of delight and praise.
The next day, the Friendly Neighbors were over on an errand. Mr. Friendly Neighbor said, "I heard you killed a gray squirrel with one shot. Pretty impressive." My wife had apparently bragged about my shooting prowess to the friendly neighbors. Apparently she had provided information in a selective fashion.
I said, "Well, I completely missed the squirrel four times before I got it." I thought, A stopped clock is correct twice a day; if Mr. Random shoots his pellet rifle enough times at a very dumb pest eventually he will look like a great white hunter.
6 Responses to "Bunnies and Squirrels, Oh My"
June 24, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Congratulations on your marksmanship and be thankful for such a willing target! 🙂
June 25, 2008 at 8:26 pm
NICE SHOT! You make me proud!Be careful though, because even though they are smart yet stupid, they have tricks. I shot one the other day and it thrashed then laid there. I tuned and said something to my wife, who, like Mrs Random was cheering, and her cheer turned to disbelief, as mr. squirell came back from the dead and ran away. (Although his gait wasn't looking too good!)


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Month 10, Week 3
Everybody oohs and aahs with wonder about the joys of being a new mom or dad and having a cuddly baby.
But parenting isn't always what we expected. It's exhausting, frustrating, confusing, guilt-inducing, and messy.
If you're getting frustrated:
- Be realistic. Your home isn't a Pottery Barn Kids catalog. Don't expect perfection of yourself, your spouse, your child or your home.
- Take time for yourself. Even Super Mom and Super Dad need a few minutes off now and then. Schedule at least an hour of "you time" into every week; more if you can.
- Talk to another mom or dad about your stress. You'll probably find you're not alone!
- Try stretching, yoga, and/or any form of exercise (even a daily walk) to help reduce tension and have some alone time for yourself.
- If you find yourself getting angry and having thoughts of hurting your child or yourself, seek professional help immediately.
Your Baby's Development This Week
Your baby is learning what things are and what they are for. He still puts everything in his mouth, of course -- but he's also starting to recognize that objects have names and purposes and that they can be found if hidden from him.
Look for signs of his growing awareness:
- Show him picture books and see if he looks at the right picture when you say "cat," "dog," or "cow."
- Do the same at home. Does he look at or point to Daddy or big sister when you say their name? Does he respond to his name? Does he have gestures for 'no,' and does he enjoy waving?
- See what he does with common household tools. Does he pretend to brush his hair with your hairbrush or hold the phone up to his ear?
- Clap enthusiastically every time he shows you his new skills! Encouragement goes a long way!
If you suspect your child is behind on any important milestones, what should you do?
- Consult your pediatrician. Often, he or she will reassure you that everything is on track. Children all develop at their own pace and some learn certain milestones sooner than others.
- Act quickly. If there is a concerning medical problem, early intervention often can make a big difference.
If your child seems behind, ask your pediatrician what resources are available where you live to have your child evaluated.
If a delay is identified, look for support groups in your area and online for parents of children with similar issues.
Month 10, Week 3 Tips
- Do your child's feet look flat? Don't worry. His arch is just hidden under that squishy-cute baby fat. It'll show up in a couple of years.
- By now, your baby may try to help you get him dressed by pushing his arms into sleeves. Give him a chance to try his new skills before finishing the job.
- If your baby can't stand when supported, doesn't look for hidden objects, and is not pointing or using gestures, ask your pediatrician about an evaluation.
- Turn the TV off when your baby's in the room. Experts recommend against screen time for infants. Interactive play -- with you -- is much better.
- No need to splurge on expensive toys. They're not proven to make babies smarter. Paper towel rolls, empty boxes, and egg cartons may be just as interesting to your baby.
- One-piece blanket sleepers are still safer for your baby than a regular blanket.
- Babies still experience separation anxiety at this age. As a result, your baby may be more attached and may have some waking at night.
- Sign up for the Consumer Product Safety Commission's subscription list for baby-related product recalls. Go to www.cpsc.gov/Newsroom/Subscribe.


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Train Nice → Luxembourg
Duration 14h32 - From NZ$87
- Departure station : Nice ville (Avenue Thiers BP 1463 6008 Nice cedex 1)
Nice, a combination of sea, city and mountains
Nice, the capital of the French Riviera Nice, capital of the French Riviera, is the place to be whether you are an art lover, a shopping addict, night clubber or just fond of the Dolce Vita lifestyle. Nice is a creative, dynamic and cosmopolitan city. The city is a symbol of Mediterranean art of living, with a perpetual invitation to travel and relaxation. Its surroundings also provide various opportunities for cultural discoveries. Nice has an exceptional microclimate, open to the sea and protected from the winds by the surrounding hills. Learn more about Nice
Don't dare dream of skipping this grand duchy
Luxembourg, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg Luxembourg, also known as Luxembourg city is the capital of Luxembourg. The city is located in western Europe, south of Belgium and north east of France. Luxembourg is home to more than 90,000 inhabitants for an area of approximately 50 km square, making it one of the most densely populated cities in the world. One of the best places to live in Europe, Luxembourg is an important place of business and politics. Many international institutions have their headquarters in Luxembourg, including the European Investment Fund and the European Court of Justice. Luxembourg is also a millennial fortress city, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This heritage adds a charming and contrasting dimension to its international capital city status. Learn more about Luxembourg
Book your journey from Nice to Luxembourg From NZ$87 NZ$87


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Oxenhope.... mip skip gets going!... 2011-09-14
W F5/6, 7ok, 10degC. 60km reducing quickly, QNH 1010 rising 1014
0630 - 1030hr
Showers overnight, broken to scattered with rising temperature and QNH rising quickly throughout. Red ball sunrise through open sky to far east with better condition over that way to start with but degenerating as the western weather advanced that way. Wind speed increasing throughout brought a general improvement of mip rate, poor to start with and in small numbers to increased frequency in much larger parties before mid morning. Mostly all high through skip but all hard and fast due south south east.... a sign of things to come!!! possibly soon? Very little of anything else though. A single group of Redpoll over the village were interesting...
Mipit 848 > SSE mostly in the last part of the count
Swallow 62 > S
Kestrel 1 . S
LBB Gull 12
Golden Plover 5 > W
alba 4 > S
Starling 2 > W
Redpoll 16
Dave, Howard and Lester


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Almost one year ago to the day, my then 11-month-old son Leo started at family daycare so I could return to work. I remember those first drop-offs as highly emotional times that involved a lot of tears; from Leo as he became more aware that I was leaving him, and me as I felt all kinds of guilt and worry about whether he would be okay.
Fast forward to January 2019 and while Leo occasionally still gets upset after holidays or sick days, he is very happy to play and learn with his little friends every week. I certainly don't worry anymore, and there is zero chance of tears from me as I whizz off to grab a coffee before going to work in peace.
The challenging experience of those initial daycare drop-offs stayed with me, so I spoke to new-to-daycare mum Alicia Marchetta, as well as two experienced childcare educators for their six top daycare-related tips:
1. Introduce them slowly.
Starting any type of daycare will be a big change to your routine and Jessica Woodford, an educator with Jellybeans Family Daycare, advises that it is best to start slowly.
"I always recommend parents have some stay-and-play time with their child in the environment before the big day. Becoming familiar gradually with the new place and the people, helps the child and parents feel more comfortable prior to the first official drop-off."
Alicia Marchetta, mum to baby Ace, decided to start him at daycare the week before she returned to work, to help them both feel more relaxed with the new arrangement.
"I dropped him off and then spent the day pampering myself with some long-awaited hair and beauty appointments, which certainly helped me to enjoy my time away from him!
"I know that when it is time to start work, I will be feeling much better about leaving Ace, thanks to the trial run and I will be able to focus more at work, knowing he is okay."
2. The first goodbyes are always hard: be quick, consistent and reassuring.
Feeling anxious about how Ace would handle his new daycare environment, Alicia posted on a private parenting Facebook group seeking advice.
"I was worried about how Ace would cope without me so I asked the group for some 'first day stories' and tips.
"The best reply for me was 'don't hang around too long and drag out the goodbye. Kiss them, tell them you'll be back later and then go.' In fact, the longer I was there with Ace, the harder it was to leave."


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Online consultation on Oxford Flood Alleviation scheme opens
With an estimated 4,500 homes in Oxford at risk of flooding each year, along with major roads, railway lines, schools and businesses, the 2016 announcement of a Flood Alleviation Scheme was very welcome news. A number of events were held in May to allow the public access to information about the scheme and now the online consultation has been launched. The consultation runs until 20 July 2017 and asks for your views about the scheme in general and, specifically, some … Continued


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Back to bidorbuy.co.za 087 350 0099
Support home
Back to bidorbuy.co.za
087 350 0099
Telkom Line issue [Expired]
Posted by Johan Du Toit on 10 December 2015 04:50 PM
Hi All,
We have been experiencing Telephone line outages in our area and this has affected our phones. We are having Technicians attending to the problem and we hope to have the lines back up as soon as possible.
Please contact us via email at firstname.lastname@example.com and you can also use the livechat functionality on our support pages.
We apologise for the inconvenience caused.
The bidorbuy Team.
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Imam Hussein Media Group has launched a new live show, on Imam Hussein TV3, that discusses world events in current times and during the past.
The show is being hosted by Ahmed Ali, who told Shiawaves that "the show discusses the countless events that have accrued and the ones that are accruing, it provides an open floor for those who want to debate, discuss, or share their opinions." The host has further added that "some events go unnoticeable but many have changed us and changed the way we view this world forever.".
The live show is broadcasting for the holy city of Karbala every Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday at 11:00 pm Karbala time.
It is worth mentioning that Imam Hussein Media Group broadcasts in five different languages namely, Arabic, Persian, English, Azari Turkish, and Urdu for the purpose of disseminating the teaching of the true religion of the holy prophet and his holy progeny, peace be upon them.


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|1. Vortex Diamondback 20-60×60 mm Spotting Scopes
|2. Vortex Viper HD 20-60×80 Spotting Scope
|3. Vortex Optics Razor HD Spotting Scopes
|See the current price here!
|See the current price here!
|See the current price here!
Just like the international market of binoculars, the spotting scopes have a multitude of manufacturers varying on their brand name and brand value. One such brand name which is closely knitted to the world of optics is 'Vortex'. An American Company, Vortex Optics first came into being in 2004 and ever since then it has been striving hard to be a tough competitor to the already established market owners, Nikon and Bushnell to name two. The company deals in manufacturing of optical instruments like binoculars, spotting scopes, riflescopes and other optical instruments. In this article, we will review the best vortex spotting scope available online.
Like the other optical instruments, spotting scopes to have basic architectural features like an objective lens, eyepiece etc. Additionally, it also has a refracting objective lens to erect the images. The light gathering power and resolution of a spotting scope is spot on with very less deviation.
What to look for in the best Vortex spotting scope?
All vortex spotting scope features are one of a kind and form the USP of the brand products, exclusive to the product they are being featured in. Yet there are certain features that despite being exclusive to the 'Vortex Banner' are common to all products falling in line. Having said this, here is a detailed description of what one must look for in best vortex spotting scopes.
XR Fully Multi-coated Optics
One common thing to all vortex products of all range, from the cheapest to the costliest is that there is a substantial use of coatings on every air-to-glass surface. This proprietary coating ensures that the instrument is capable of gathering maximum light from the atmosphere. This unparalleled power of gathering maximum light empowers the device to achieve higher magnifications even under low light conditions without compromising with the quality of the image captured.
Dielectric Prism Coatings
The common spotting scopes come with lower end roof prisms. The scopes based on this technology are known to perform comparatively okay. As a matter of fact, these end roof prisms do not allow total internal reflection to occur smoothly and perfectly, which in turn means that the image quality produced by the device is hampered in terms of brightness and contrast.
A typical 'Vortex' solution to this problem is that it uses multiple layers of dielectric coatings. These multiple layers of coating ensure that the fidelity of image is not compromised by the prisms devised inside the scopes. This feature, like others mentioned, remains common to all scopes under the banner of the company, irrespective of their price range.
Weather Resistance
Being an outdoor instrument, it is likely that the scopes would be used under all conditions varying from mild to harsh. Therefore, to make an instrument stand out under all weather conditions it is important for it to be weather resistant. To ensure utmost water resistivity, all Vortex products are O-ring sealed. This sealing of the instrument keeps moisture, fluids, small debris at bay from the delicate inner functionaries.
Furthermore, to ensure that there is absolutely no internal fogging, a result of any reminiscents of moisture or any fluid over a range of temperature, the internals of the devices are purged with either Nitrogen or Argon, depending on the end cost of the product. For higher-end offerings, dry Argon is used and for lower end offerings, dry Nitrogen is used.
All of these features stated above, make spotting scopes from Vortex feasible to be used under all weather circumstances without causing any potential damage to the instrument.
VIP Warranty
All Spotting Scopes from Vortex, like other products from the brand comes with a lifetime warranty, without a concern regarding their varied prices. This enables customers to avail the service of repairs/replacements throughout the lifetime of the product without second thoughts.
A key point of this facility is that the company is ready to serve for all sorts of defects or damages to the product without posing a single question about the same. Additionally, the policy is completely transferable, i.e. the warranty of the product can be transferred from one owner to another in case of reselling.
Apochromatic Lens System
In general, all images are composed of seven different colors all of which differ in their wavelength. Due to this reason when the visible spectrum of light diverges from the prism, chromatic aberration occurs which results in loss of color fidelity. To deal with this rising issue of color fidelity Vortex uses apochromatic lens system that focuses all light waves of different wavelengths back on one point.
This color correction by the lens system deployed enables users to enjoy images with right colors and with utmost clarity, so much so that one can easily identify individual species of birds even during flight.
Extra-low Dispersion Glass
In addition to the advance system of the apochromatic lens system, the company uses high-density glasses to obtain color correct the images.
Giving to the fact that high-end spotting scopes are way more delicate and prone to damages, all such devices from Vortex feature a tough coating on their exterior lenses which keeps them unaffected by dirt, scratches and oil reminiscents, allowing the observers to get in close vicinity with nature to have a more vivid experience.
XR Plus Fully Multi-coated optics
Though all Vortex scopes come with XR multicoated optics to ensure maximum light transmission, yet all high-end spotting scopes come with additional XR Plus multi-coated optics. This superior coating maximizes light transmission to guarantee brighter and crisper images. As a matter of fact, these high-end scopes provide quality at par with the ultra-end $2K plus offerings from renowned brands.
One must remain assured of the fact that the quality of images from the scopes remains uncompromised irrespective of the price range category. Even the least expensive products have all the features enlisted as in any high-end products.
As the expense increases, there is a substantial betterment in the quality of the features provided so as to provide best within the range.
The bottom line being, unlike other major brands in the market, one does not have to compromise with the image quality even when the user intends to spend comparatively less. Hence, giving best in getting least.
The options, however, to select from are comparatively less as compared to other brands which in the longer run. May turn out to be a drawback for the company. To name the major options from the banner:
- Diamondback
- Viper HD
- Razor HD
All other scopes from the banner are majorly the variants of these three enlisted.
Top 3 Best Vortex Spotting Scopes 2020
1. Vortex Diamondback 20-60×60 mm Spotting Scopes
Being cheapest scope of all from Vortex, these Diamondback scopes have scintillating features for their cost price. Having a zoom range of 20x to 60x, the scope provides a decent magnification and zooming power to the observers.
Being in the bloodline of Diamondback from Vortex, this spotting scope has ample amount of features delivering outstanding performance to the observers. The scope forms a go-to choice if one desires for performance level at par in a light and compact design and at pocket-friendly cost price.
Powered by a 60mm objective lens, the device encaptures sufficient amount of light from the surroundings to ensure brightness of images at all magnifications. The XR multi-coatings allow maximum light transmission hence, avoiding glare and producing maximum brightness in the images. The dielectric prism incorporated in the device makes color correction prevalent and hence producing better contrast and color in the images. In addition to this, a maximum zoom of 60x makes viewing even more vivid, clear and crisp.
Since the basic architecture of the device includes O-ring seal along with purging of dry Nitrogen in the internals, the instrument remains totally waterproof and fog proof. Covered within the domains of a tough outer coating, the device has a rugged and tough covering making it resistant to environmental changes. These particular features enable the device to be used under all circumstances.
This particular model comes in two variants- straight and angled. These two variants allow the users to opt for either linear field of view of the angled field of view. The device offers a 105-yard field of view at 20x magnification and a 51-yard field of view at 60x magnification, which in contrast to others in the industry is of much higher value. The eye relief range of 20-16.5 mm though is a little scanty but gets compensated with other valuable features.
The device, like others from the bloodline, comes with a VIP warranty to the product, making it even more desirable.
- Amazing visual quality in terms of brightness, color retention, and contrast
- Decent field of view for the cost range
- Unlimited lifetime warranty
- O-ring seal and purged Nitrogen
- Tough outer covering
- Limited eye relief
2. Vortex Viper HD 20-60×80 Spotting Scope
The Viper HD series from Vortex is a middle tier offering from the brand to the customers. The range aims at customers who long for a device with clear long-lasting sighting with a robust and strong built so as to sustain all conditions of a rough field.
The devices under this tier, apart from coming packed with XR fully multi-coated optics and multi-layer dielectric prism system as in its siblings from the lower range, come with HD lens elements. This HD lens system utilized by the scope add-on for the cost of the device majorly in comparison to its lower substitutes and marks for the improvements in the viewing experience over the Diamondback series in terms of visual fidelity, even at high magnifications up to 60x. The HD lens system ensures better color renditions for the subjects that are projected as subjects to the eye when seen from the device.
Furthermore, the device uses a long objective lens of 80mm. This highly powered objective lens captures maximum possible light from the surroundings to make the images appear brighter and crisp even at maximum magnifications of 60x. Thus, maintaining the image quality.
The basic architecture and the most advanced features of the device include O-ring seal along with purging of 'superior' Argon, which claims to provide better fog proofing but is actually nothing but a marketing stunt. The instrument remains totally waterproof, fog proof and away from all other impurities that may enter the device. Covered within the domains of a tough outer coating, the device has a rugged and tough covering making it resistant to environmental changes. These features enable the device to be used under all circumstances. Additionally, Viper HD uses ArmorTek coating around its exterior lens surfaces which protects the lens surface against dirt and scratches. This much-needed protection to the lenses adds on to the overall tough aura of the device.
The Viper HD models just like the Diamondback ones come in two variants- straight body and angled body. This basic difference in the body structure of the two variants adds to the difference in their performance based on the focal length.
- Better output in comparison to Diamondback models
- Additional ArmorTek coating around lenses
- Strong built
- Unlimited lifetime warranty on the product
- Too expensive for the features incorporated
- Relatively limited eye relief
3. Vortex Optics Razor HD Spotting Scopes
The Razor series are the flag bearers of the Vortex banner. With excellence in all domains, ranging from external built to inner details, the Razor HD scopes are unambiguously the best buy for a person, pertaining to the fact that there is no specific limitation on the expenditure. Having a paired embodiment of ultra-high resolution, visual quality along with tough exterior built providing strong protection against tough environmental prospects. This spotting scope is the ultimate solution to a thirst for perfect spotting scope be it for any purpose- bird watching, Digiscoping, range shooting, hunting and even for low-level astronomy, making it a one-stop answer to all.
The scope provides high-end imagery with the use of XR Plus fully multi-coated optics, which is far better than what is incorporated in either Diamondback or in Viper HD. The scope also has dielectric prism coating, HD glass, and triple apochromatic lens system. To add on, the instrument also houses an objective lens of 80mm to 85mm- serving as a nitro boost to the device. According to the basic optics, the brightness of the image produced depends on the amount of light gathered, which in turn is directly proportional to the square of the objective diameter.
As in Viper HD series, the Razor HD series also has an ArmorTek coating on the exterior surfaces of lenses to safeguard them from scratches, dirt, oil etc. To ensure utmost waterproofing and fog proofing, the device is O-ring sealed along with dry Argon gas purged in.
The Razor HD series just like other Vortex series is available in two variants- straight bodied and angled bodied. Both of these variants work equally well and the choice solely depends on the customer depending on his use and demand.
- Detailed imagery at all magnification levels
- Generous eye relief
- ArmorTek coating for tough exterior
- Lifetime unlimited warranty
- Too expensive to be called a Vortex mainstream spotting scope
All said and done, the things worth noting and mentioning about the Vortex product is their unbeatable core performance powered by the tough exterior, great optics. The company's motto says to learn through experience and this is what their products speak off. With limited product heir line, the Vortex banner believes in delivering the best, the unmatchable at highly affordable and competitive prices. The limited availability of choices is rather an added advantage to the customers, for it creates way less confusion as compared to other brands where there are tons of options with more or less similar features with no considerable difference between them.
These features, common to all Vortex products have made them the best choice. They are the go-to brand for people of different walks with different requirements and pocket allowance, making the brand an ultimate solution to every 'scope' requirement.


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Like many other young researchers all over the world, junior scientist Antonio Silva is working to build himself a career in science. In order to push his research further, he recently published two papers in the field of ethnography, one with an open and one with a closed access model. Yes, this makes him a perfect research object for our lab, the more as what he experienced changed his view. In a short interview, he shared his experience.
OpenAcces vs. Closes Access (sorry for the sound, we are still in a learning process).
PLoS ONE, one of the scientific journals Silva talks about, is one of the biggest open access peer reviewed scientific journals and was launched by the Public Library of Science in 2006. The journal is well aware of the problems Silva mentions in the end, an argument which can be pinnacled as follows: the ability to get your research published shouldn't only be for the rich. Of course not! They decided to rely on a country-based pricing model: while PLoS ONE generally charges an 'article processing fee' of $ 1350, a number of poorer countries only pay a fee of $ 500, or even no money at all. Does this pay off? It seems to be the case. After writing off a loss in the beginning, in 2010 PLoS ONE covered its operational costs for the first time largely due to its growth. In 2011, the journal published over 13,500 articles, and in 2012 it continued to publish over 2,000 articles a month.
Evolution & Human Behavior, on the other hand, published Silva's other article for free. His research "Facial attractiveness and fertility in populations with low levels of modern birth control" appeared in the closed access journal of the Nature Group in Volume 33, Issue 5, on the pages 491-498. To read it digitally, one would have to pay $ 31.50.
Where should science go from here?
Which model is best for research? What kind of science do we want? There are some principal questions the Hybrid Publishing Lab has to face, and as often in science there will be no easy answer. Our research will have to ponder some social and political aspects of science, as well as the economical reality it finds itself in after digitalization.
Should science be good for business, or should it be independent? But how independent is a researcher, when instead of an independent publisher the university would have to pay for it all? While universities are of general importance, all democratic systems befit some balance of power. However, it is out of the question that the Open Access Initiative benefits society: open access broadens the access to research for scientists as well as for the general public. What other models are available to fund research? Can specific research, for example the one in the humanities, also be funded by crowd sourcing? One of our researchers, Christian Heise, himself well experienced in the digital world, thinks it is a model that should at least be considered, and I would agree.
… and these are the people who will think about it.
This blog will follow the debate and development around open access and publishing as it will be a notepad to the Hybrid Publishing team currently doing research at the Leuphana University, Germany under the guidance of PD Dr. rer. nat. Martin Warnke and Prof. Dr. Timon Beyes. Here, you will find postings from Dr. Armin Beverungen, genuinely interested and experienced in the subject of open access publishing thanks to his own journal ephemera, who will manage our academic publishing experiments. To his side you find Simon Worthington, a name likely known to some of you from London's magazine Mute, where he already had started the vision of an open source publishing platform. With the support of Jens-Martin Loebel and Heinz-Günter Kuper, Simon will manage our Hybrid Publishing Platform, as their programming skills and Simon's experience and connections are a research director's a dream team – Heinz and Jens have already coded the Hyper Image platform, we also plan to develop further. Last but not least, we will profit from Marjatta Kiessl insightful experience in publishing and education alike, as well as Christian Heise, who brings in strong ties to the Open Knowledge Foundation.
Wanna work with us?
Soon we will be more, if you are interested, this is the link to our job ads. And here you can read about the progress we make, and problems we meet. Yes, we will use this blog to ponder current ideas, note our work in progress, share and report events and discuss actual debates concerning the issue. Yes, expect a range of different opinions as we are indeed open – please feel welcome to take part in the discussion.
We all believe that Open Access is a great opportunity for our societies, but to make something available can only be the beginning. From there we need to go further and shape the process in greater detail – to make something accessible and sustainable is equally important, for example. We are looking forward to take part in shaping this new landscape digitalization has opened up.


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I am a self proclaimed Ms Perfect, an extrovert and an Arian fitting to a 'T' to the description. I am a person with many an interest in varying degrees of passion. I don't call me a master in any subject but I am open to trying and learning new things, like this blog. Wanna hear about some other things that keeps me hooked?
1. Internet:
2. Android apps:
You can call this am extension of trying to know my phone better. This is how I learnt to handle addiction to texting, or to find ridiculous uses for serious apps. Some of the apps that I can not live without are: Dropbox, Evernote, Whatsapp, Moonreader Pro, Goodreads Mobile, Wunderlist and the latest addi(c)tion Tunewiki. Oh, the list is ever growing.
3. Books:
This should be the most obvious once you have seen my collection and profile, and the more apparent-allocation of a page on Books. Some pictures of my book shelf (*to be added in a post, *) and stories from my book world. Though am not a voracious reader when you compare most book addicts, I read more than the average adult. From Mills and Boons to Jack Welsh, I could give a try and JW had me trying for almost a year. More on my books here. Want to know more about my book reviews policy or read some of them?
4. Blogging tweaks:
People who know me can vouch for it, I live by changes. Not only I cope up with changes, I look forward for them. That us one reason you find a different layout everytime you visit. Of course most of these changes were extremely unnecessary, I had fun 🙂 If you remember some of my old templates.. Ugh right? I have definitely improvised 😛 And where from this lass who doesnt even know Photoshop tricks get to learn few tricks.
5. Organizing:
This is one of my weak points. I am basically a messy and severely disorganized person, but hell yeah I have been so lucky that I have never – almost never – been affected. But the point is 30% of Internet would be spent on finding ways to organize myself. I have, I am and I will organize myself, some day some time, with the aides like zenhabits, Lifehacker, here and here. And many more 🙂
6. Cooking:
Ahemm actually I added this out of habit. No I am not a culinary expert, Maybe someday I might – till then you can visit her and others of course.
And if you still have not had enough of me, read on..


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