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Xbox Game Pass Adds Rocket League
The game has already seen 46 million players, and that count will most likely grow even more on the subscription service.
The game has already seen 46 million players, and that count will most likely grow even more on the subscription service.
Could this hint at Viking and Norse mythology as part of the upcoming season?
Epic Games reveals a mysterious pink cat.
The Metroidvania game has been five years in the making.
The show will launch this October along with the AR game's sequel.
Microsoft is also bringing Mixer and search option improvements to the console.
Bandai Namco also revealed that Endeavor is a pre-order bonus for the fighting game.
Epic Games provided a status update about when the mode may relaunch, explaining more tests are needed.
Nintendo also revealed that Koopa Paratrooper will come to the Switch game for free as well.
The third animation house at Disney also created a lot of direct-to-video movies, like Mulan 2 and Bambi 2.
Epic Games provides a brief update on what happened yesterday and how it's addressing the problem.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is set in 1969 Los Angeles.
You'll have to get creative to get your hands on one, though.
Epic Games also reveals that a 100 percent match XP weekend is on the way.
The device is apparently codenamed Sydney and could release early next year.
The sequel has reportedly already earned $450 million internationally.
Developer Ninja Theory, who was recently acquired by Microsoft, made the announcement on Twitter.
Bandai Namco reveals that the fighting game will arrive in a few months on Nintendo's console.
There's no word on what titles specifically could be on the way, as the company is still apparently evaluating Resident Evil 7's performance.
State of Decay 2 also topped internal estimates for the company.
There also will apparently be rewards for this mode, though Nintendo didn't get into specifics.
This all-cash bid stands in contrast to the all-stock transaction from Disney that's valued at roughly $52.4 billion.
Double Fine is adding a double dose of adventure gaming to the hybrid system.
Developer Sucker Punch confirms the audio option.
Elijah Wood's film production company is working on the game with a division of Ubisoft Montreal.
The collection will launch June 11 and be available online.
The self-published game is heading to PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One next year.
It will apparently be a new franchise for the team, with what looks like a first-person perspective.
He's holding out hope that he can appear in the eventual sequel.
THQ Nordic also unveiled a new trailer for the upcoming game.
The actress will play a character named Sofia in the movie.
They're thirsty for zombie blood too, killing over 2 billion of the undead.
Microsoft may officially announce this added functionality in the near future.
The Korean game rating board has listed Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Could a new series be born with John Goodman, Laurie Metcalf and Sara Gilbert, for instance?
PlayStation 4 owners can look forward to Trials Fusion.
Play as The Joker, Harley Quinn and other baddies in this game that's coming out in October.
The special system celebrates the Days of Play promotion that kicks off June 8.
The studio is evaluating the movie's release so quickly after The Last Jedi, among other things.
Terrell Owens is the cover star for the Hall of Fame Edition of the game.
Blizzard says there are challenges bringing the game to the hybrid system as well as mobile devices.
Microsoft also noted that it's working with Undead Labs to address bugs.
The parent company of Universal Studios and NBC Universal says it's preparing an all-cash offer.
Microsoft is offering slashed prices on some classic games from the program's past.
Ubisoft still hasn't given a specific date for the add-on, but it's arriving soon.
Called the SCUF Vantage, the pad is set to release this summer.
Once almost cast as Peter Parker, the actor might portray Mysterio.
Saber Interactive is shooting for a later date because "there are exciting things brewing."
Ubisoft also has plans to release The Crew 2 and "an unannounced franchise title" in the same fiscal year.
Epic has also released a new Star Power emote for the game.
Who knew such a happy icon could lead to such an unsettling presence.
The comic legend claims the company he co-founded stole his name and likeness.
This is the second time the game — which continues the story of Ryo Hazuki — has been pushed back.
FOX chairman Gary Newman was pretty straightforward about the decision.
FOX has renewed the show for Season 3, with Sean William Scott replacing Crawford as a new character.
This will mark the fourth location for the 2K team.
The rumor claims that the game is called Star Fox: Grand Prix.
Bethesda has confirmed the sequel with a trailer featuring a much more colorful aesthetic compared to the original game.
All Xbox One games can now be bought for friends and family.
There will only be five of these special custom consoles.
Seventeen years later, Martin Lawrence and Will Smith are planned to team back up on the silver screen as detectives Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey.
The Canadian website might have just posted placeholders, though, instead of giving any insight into E3 surprises.
The popular theory isn't necessarily the case, Joe Russo says.
The company will roll out a pre-recorded video highlighting upcoming games on June 11.
The trailer for Luke Cage Season 2 introduces new villain Bushmaster, plus another comics connection.
The Infinity Gauntlet Limited Time Mashup mode will begin tomorrow.
Controller Gear says the system skin offers triple-layered protection and scratch-resistance laminate.
The song, called Ashes, is part of the sequel's official soundtrack.
Last month, the company released a new wave of original Xbox games for Xbox One, including Morrowind and Jade Empire.
The streaming service also surpassed 20 million U.S. subscribers.
You can fight giant spiders, hulking pig men and other players right now in the Crytek game.
It was also confirmed that legal action is being taken against cheat distributors in certain countries.
Microsoft made the milestone announcement after a new update for Forza Horizon 3 launched yesterday.
Microsoft noted that the milestone was reached through the end of December.
The Mirage Solo sports a 110-degree field of view and won't need any type of connection to another device, like a PC or smartphone.
The company says that a complex chip called Xavier is the key to these collaborations.
The company says that MicroLED technology allows for people to shift the shape of the set, making it bigger or smaller.
The company claims this will be the first time ever that a wireless mouse won't need a battery charged to work.
Actress Hailee Steinfeld plays Charlie in this spinoff movie, set in 1987 and featuring an older VW bug version of the Autobot.
They were originally planned to release in the second half of next year, but that's apparently changed.
The offerings include Batman: The Telltale Series on PlayStation 4 and StarBlood Arena on PlayStation VR.
Hideo Kojima and Norman Reedus revealed almost eight new minutes of footage from the game at The Game Awards 2017.
The action series will head to the hybrid system in February.
The VR game comes from Job Simulator developer Owlchemy Labs.
The game's lead producer, Eugen Harton, says that 2018 "could possibly be the most exciting year for DayZ so far."
At Blizzcon, Blizzard breaks down Spellstones and shows off new cards for the upcoming expansion.
Coming out this month, the device has Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor, 8 gigabytes of DDR4 RAM and 64 gigabytes of internal storage.
Around half of people utilize the hybrid console in both modes: docked and undocked.
The handheld is approaching shipments of 70 million, according to the company.
The company says it will continue to support past games as well, like Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes.
The actor also heavily implies that co-star Jordana Brewster will show up in the next two movies too.
Nintendo clarifies how the toys-to-life functionality works with the upcoming Switch exclusive.
This original game combines features from the first two games in the sim series.
Deep Silver is apparently dissatisfied with sales of the game, which launched last month.
Ubisoft is promising a free update next year for the game that will teach players about the life of Cleopatra and the mummification process.
The Outbreak Day celebration piece might be teasing a few things about the PlayStation 4 sequel.
Developer Playtonic has provided an update on bringing the action-adventure game to the hybrid system.
Quantico's Russell Tovey will portray the gay superhero on the Arrowverse crossover as well as voice him on the CW Seed animated series.


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Prayers are conversations
with our God,
at night we pray
and ask God's protection,
forgiveness for what we have done
and we thank Him for His blessings.
In peace we lie down and sleep,
Only God enables us to live with confidence.
we pray as a family
Lord, thank you for the day
that is over,
for your protection and help,
when we're going to sleep
take care of this family.
Dear Lord, grant that this night
we may sleep in peace,
in blessings and
let us have a beautiful awakening.
Lord, you're the one that provides,
that lifts us when we are sick,
we thank you for healing us
and for taking care of us,
for being our helper
and the one that gives us a happy life.
Dear Lord, forgive my sins,
cleanse my heart
of everything you don't like,
help me to honor you
in my actions and
in the way I say things.
Thank you for tonight,
that your love embraces us
and your blessing gives us
a good and peaceful time.
God, thank you for your promise
to give us a pleasant dream,
without fear of anything
because we trust in you. Amen.
Mery Bracho.
Good Night Short Prayer, Bedtime prayer for the family, prayer before going to sleep by Mery Bracho.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Importance of Empathy
On CBS This Morning, the authors, David Kelley and Tom Kelley, of "Creative Confidence: Unleashing the Creative Potential Within Us All" talked about one of the keys to unleashing creativity: Empathy.
It had me thinking that a completely different discussion would be necessary to explore what it would mean to unleash empathy. Empathy is also a key to the quality of every relationship in our lives (including ourselves), and our experience of the world.
Firstly, what is empathy? It is defined on Wikipedia as:
Empathy has many different definitions that encompass a broad range of emotional states, from caring for other people and having a desire to help them, to experiencing emotions that match another person's emotions, to knowing what the other person is thinking or feeling, to blurring the line between self and other.
Yet, empathy is different from sympathy or pity:
Sympathy or empathic concern is the feeling of compassion or concern for another, the wish to see them better off or happier. Pity is feeling that another is in trouble and in need of help as they cannot fix their problems themselves, often described as "feeling sorry" for someone.
Perhaps it would shed further light by citing James Coan, a psychology professor in University of Virginia's College of Arts & Sciences, who published his study in August's Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. As posted in Science Daily:
"The correlation between self and friend was remarkably similar," Coan said. "The finding shows the brain's remarkable capacity to model self to others; that people close to us become a part of ourselves, and that is not just metaphor or poetry, it's very real. Literally we are under threat when a friend is under threat. But not so when a stranger is under threat."
Coan said this likely is because humans need to have friends and allies who they can side with and see as being the same as themselves. And as people spend more time together, they become more similar.
"It's essentially a breakdown of self and other; our self comes to include the people we become close to," Coan said. "If a friend is under threat, it becomes the same as if we ourselves are under threat. We can understand the pain or difficulty they may be going through in the same way we understand our own pain."
This likely is the source of empathy, and part of the evolutionary process, Coan reasons. "A threat to ourselves is a threat to our resources," he said. "Threats can take things away from us. But when we develop friendships, people we can trust and rely on who in essence become we, then our resources are expanded, we gain. Your goal becomes my goal. It's a part of our survivability."
Therapy can be a powerful process to experience and develop empathy.
The information provided on this site is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for professional advice or treatment. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat an issue, problem or concern without consulting with a qualified healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider with any questions or concerns you may have.


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Middleweight contender Willie Monroe, Jr. won the WBO Inter-Continental title this past Saturday night with a solid 12-round unanimous decision over Gabriel Rosado.
The bout served as the co-feature to Canelo Alvarez' 9th round stoppage over Liam Smith, where he captured the WBO junior middleweight title in front of 51,240 fans at AT&T Stadium.
Monroe boxed with precision and accuracy, befuddling Rosado throughout the contest as he continuously beat his opponent to the punch.
"Based on what he was saying at the press conference, I expected Gabe to try to knock me out," said Monroe.
The Rochester native, Monroe mixed up his attack as he countered with his left hand and set up a lot of his offense with a piston-like jab.
"Once I got into my rhythm, I knew he would be two steps behind me, and that's what happened. I started to notice that in the 3rd round that my jab was controlling the fight. Then he started reacting off a lot of my feints. He is a strong fighter, durable, and he has heavy hands."
Monroe was generally pleased to be able to win this important bout in front of over 51,000 fans.
"That was pretty cool. It was a little nerving to be able to perform in front of that many screaming fans."
With the win, plans are in motion for a fall showdown with Alvarez or a chance at the WBO Middleweight title.
"I am excited about what is next. Whether It is Canelo or Billy Joe Saunders, I am just excited about everything that will come in my future."
"I am very proud of Willie," stated Artie Pelullo, Banner Promotions President. "He showed how talented he is in fighting Gabriel Rosado. Rosado is not an easy guy to fight., and Willie dominated the pace of the entire fight. There are big fights in Willie's future, as he is one of the top middleweights in the world."


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You Are Not A Number . . . And Neither Is Your Problem
General Law Practice
In addition to the specific practice areas listed below, every day the lawyers of MWP assist clients dealing with problems that cross legal disciplines but do not fit into any particular legal pigeon hole. One of the benefits of a small practice with the breadth and depth of experience that we have is that you will get to know your MWP lawyer and your MWP lawyer will get to know you. Our clients are not assigned a number. That familiarity will allow the MWP lawyer to become a trusted advisor ready to assist you in any number of situations that require legal advice. And if we are not the attorney to deal with your particular problem, we will help you find one who is.
Real Estate
Whether a first home, your retirement get away or a complicated commercial development, you want lawyers who can guide you to your goal. MWP lawyers can provide the legal expertise you need to make your goal a reality.
We have the experience, expertise and credibility to meet your needs in a timely and cost efficient manner. Our real estate expertise includes residential and commercial offers to purchase and options, all manner of easements, covenants and other real estate documents (including condominium agreements), advising sellers of residential and commercial real estate, land divisions, subdivision plats, governmental approvals and entitlements, tax increment financing ("TIF"), mortgage loan financing, and assisting our clients with respect to home inspection issues, survey, soil and environmental matters that may arise in the course of a transaction.
We have experience and expertise in representing landlords and tenants in a variety of commercial and residential real estate transactions. We have drafted and negotiated numerous commercial leases from both sides and have represented litigants, primarily landlords, in commercial and residential litigation.
MWP assists real estate clients in Madison, the State of Wisconsin and throughout the United States, working with local counsel as the need requires.
Business Consultation
Our lawyers have been involved in a wide variety of business transactions. In a typical situation, we advise clients in the purchase of a business, the formation of the buying entity, the drafting of corporate formation documents and assist in the closing of the transaction. We will work with your accountant and other consultants to make certain that your transaction meets your goals.


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Here's how to make quick fudgy brownies:
You would need these ingredients:
All purpose flour/ maida : 1 cup
Cocoa powder: 3/4 cup
Sugar: 3/4 cup (or more if you like it very sweet)
Milk: 1/2 cup
Eggs: 3 pinch of Salt
Cadbury: 3-4 bars
Butter: 8 table spoons (melted)
Baking powder: 1/2 teaspoon
Once you've sorted the ingredients. You have to..
Mix everything except egg whites. Only add egg yolks and everything else and beat thoroughly.
Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until they make a fluffy texture. Then add this into chocolaty mixture with help of spatula. Do not mix it in a circular motion. Keep folding the chocolaty mixture over the white foam either left to right or right to left. And keep the slow pace and one direction. Once it is all blended well. Then make small chunks of cadbury chocolate and add in the mixture.
Bake it for 15-20 mins at 160 degrees and voila!
Drop your feedback if you try the recipe, guys! 🙂 x


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Ideas for Monogrammed Blankets
- Birthdays – monogrammed with name and birthdate
- Holidays – use holiday colors for fabric and monogram a special message
- Graduations – monogrammed with congratulatory message and graduation date/year
- Weddings/Anniversaries – match the fabric colors to the couple's new décor and monogrammed with date and last name
- Bridal Showers – monogram with a silly 'single' or 'freedom' message/joke
- Baby Showers – match baby's room décor and monogram name, initials, and birth year
- Christenings – simple pastel colors work well here with monogrammed name/initials and date
- Housewarmings – match colors with new décor and monogram with last name and special message
- Well Wishes – monogram with messages such as 'stay strong,' 'be brave,' and other words of encouragement or even life quotes
- Appreciations – monogram with 'thank you' or 'amazing friend' message
As you can see, the possibilities for monogrammed blankets are endless, and this list is just a starter for ideas. The only limit is your own imagination.
Certain types of businesses can even use monogrammed blankets around the office. They can be customized with their business logo, name, and/or colors to be used in lounge areas for employees or guests, whichever is applicable. Monogrammed blankets also make great gifts for athletes – they can be customized with their school colors and taken to games when it's cold outside or be used to have a comfy place to sit on the grass (cheerleaders in particular will appreciate this because then the grass can't irritate their skin).
The Fun and Easy Process
When you choose The Minky Moon to make your monogrammed blankets, you get to personalized each and every step of the process. We've made that process quick, easy, fun, and painless. Here's how it works:
- Choose your blanket size – each size will tell you how many people it will comfortably cover
- Choose your back fabric – you can choose from solids, prints, or satin
- Choose your front fabric – you can choose from solids or prints
- Choose your trim – you can choose from flat, satin (solids and prints), or no trim
- Choose your personalized message/text
The best part is, you get to see exactly what your blanket will like (and see the price – separated by per step and total) as you make changes. It couldn't be any easier to order your fully customized, made in the USA, perfectly comfy Minky blanket.
Design your monogrammed blankets at The Minky Moon today!


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It's time for another round of Writer's Workshop!
The prompt I've chosen for this week:
4.) Post a picture and a description that fits into this quote for you: "How far to heaven? Just open your eyes and look. You are in heaven" -Shankar
This is me on my honeymoon in Jamaica.
Best two weeks ever.
We were surrounded by paradise. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort, in a beautiful room, on a beautiful beach. We didn't have to think. Bored? Do one of dozens of free activities or go to one of the dozens of places to hang out. Hungry? Pick the restaurant or snack shack you feel like. No need to worry about price, not too many options. My new hubby would run down in the morning and get a selection of breakfast items. When I got up (because he was sweet enough to let me sleep in) we'd have breakfast in bed together. Then we'd decide what to do for the day. Go scuba diving? Take out a boat? Sit in the room and kick my hubby's ass play games? One of my absolute favorite activities is pictured above: pulling a beach chair into the surf and reading in the sun.
The sun kept me warm. The water kept me cool. Together they were the perfect temperature. I have always loved drawing baths and reading, and this was the perfect bath which never got cold or warm. I usually hate the sun, because I hate being hot and my skin is a lovely shade of neon white which turns a lovely shade of lobster red in the sun. But the water kept me exactly right. Heaven. With my new hubby hanging out with me, bringing me drinks, happy himself, and not a care in the world, this was heaven.
Not to mention all the joys of exploring each other :-D
I spent two weeks in heaven. And I loved every minute of it!


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Well I made this page a bit back so I could start a show. After almost a year of moving and everything I am back. Soon I will be posting both this blog and also will be doing video. I also will soon be moving to a new server so I can host my own stuff. Less chance that the powers will be able to shut me down. W00t All around. The Show will be video and be Monday, Weds, Friday every week. It will be a short show but overall shouldnt be over the top to bore you with hours of yammering. It will be to the point and fast moving. So Hope to see you soon. Peace!
Category Archives: Government Greed
Franklin Wisconsin now fines you if you accidenly call 911
Well the suburb of Franklin, WI just outside Milwaukee will give you a fine if you call 911 by accident. They are citing that 7 out of 1 calls are legit. Most of the calls they get are wrong numbers or butt dialed. I can understand that they are getting tired of answering calls that are not emergencies but come one. Your job is to answer the phone and get the proper response. The tax payers pay you to do that job. So if people accidentally call you, it is what goes along with the game. This seems like they either want to do less work or see how many people they can fire. Then to rake in money from people who called on accident. I can understand giving a ticket to someone who calls just to fuck with them but accidents, please. I think they are running out of money and grabbing at what they can. Yes, you do have 3 chances before they give you that fine. The question is that for a lifetime or a year or what. I say i accidentally call 911 1-3 times a year by accident. My kid has called 911 a couple times too. It happens. So your going to fine people for accidental dialing. What is next, you trip and fall they going to fine you. Walk too slow they fine you. How much more will we take.
Related articles
- Nearly 1 in 10 calls to 911 a mistake, county says (channel3000.com)


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Super Bowl XLV: Top 10 Reasons To Watch Besides the Game ItselfFebruary 4, 2011
Super Bowl XLV: Top 10 Reasons To Watch Besides the Game Itself
Super Bowl XLV should be the only thing shown on your television Sunday evening, whether you are a football fan or not. The Super Bowl is a momentous occasion not just for the National Football League, but for the entertainment industry as well. Outside of the football game, the Super Bowl provides top-notch entertainment for all viewers. Here are the top ten reasons to watch the Super Bowl if you do not care about the game.
10: Joe Buck's Commentating
Joe Buck may not be known as a great sportscaster and has been criticized for his commentating many times before, but you cannot deny that he has the perfect color commentator voice. Personally, I am not a fan of Buck, but he has one of the most recognizable voices in sports today. If anything, you can be entertained by some of the terrible comments he will make throughout the game.
9: Christina Aguilera's National Anthem
One of the hottest stars of my childhood will be opening the game with her rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner. I am sure she still has plenty of fans leftover from her teenage days, and there will be plenty of guys who will also be excited to see Christina as well. *wink*
8: Party Food
Burgers. Hot Dogs. Potato Chips. Vegetable Dishes. Crazy dips. Six-foot subs. Super Bowl food never disappoints.
7: Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas will be performing at this year's Super Bowl halftime show. Their album, "The E.N.D." was nominated for album of the year in 2010. They released a new album in November 2010, featuring "The Time (Dirty Bit)". They should make for one of the more entertaining halftime shows of the last few years as they are the first modern artist to perform at the Super Bowl since 2004 when the Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake "wardrobe malfunction" took place.
Yes. Fergie gets her own slide, but as an extra to the Black Eyed Peas. Most of the men out there will only look forward to seeing her on stage when the Black Eyed Peas perform at halftime. Fergie has dressed outrageously at times and who knows what she'll come out in. She may wear a bikini, a thong, a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader outfit, the possibilities just do not end. I, for one, will be looking forward to Fergie more than the rest of the Black Eyed Peas.
6: Cheeseheads and Terrible Towels Galore
Some of the most historic fan props in the history of the NFL are the Green Bay Packers Cheesehead and the Pittsburgh Steelers Terrible Towels. Be on the look out for TONS of these in the crowd and around the stadium all day long. I, for one, don't personally love either prop, but I do love how they give fans an identity and how they bring fans together.
5: Gambling
This is just something you have to come to expect on Super Bowl Sunday. Some of the most common forms of gambling on the Super Bowl are box pools and prop bets.
Check out these Bleacher Report articles for some prop bet ideas:
Super Bowl XLV Prop Bet Predictions From Whatifsports.com
Super Bowl Prop Bets 2011: Exotic Bets from Unique To Just Downright Silly
Super Bowl Prop Bets 2011: The Coin Toss and 10 Fun Bets for Super Bowl XLV
4: Ben Roethlisberger Jokes
We all know about Ben Roethlisberger's off-the-field issues and the jokes have been pouring in all season long. Big Ben jokes will be a staple at any non-Steeler Super Bowl party. I would say some of my own, but that would definitely be way too inappropriate, so I'll leave that to all of you.
3: Beer
2: Family and Friends
Sure, I am getting a bit sentimental with this one, but the Super Bowl is a great excuse to spend time with your loved ones. The Super Bowl is almost like a holiday. It has the ability to bring families and friends together just like Christmas and New Years.
1: Commercials
There is no question that the most entertaining part of the Super Bowl, other than the game itself, is the advertisements. Since the Super Bowl produces one of the highest television ratings of the year, companies will spend around $3 million for a 30-second commercial. They definitely want to make their ads worth every penny. I am sure we are in for the usuals: The E-Trade baby, memorable beer ads, a GoDaddy.com teaser, and plenty more hilarious ads.


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Holiday in Carneros
Holiday in Carneros is an exciting winery open house event featuring well over 20 wineries in Carneros, including Ty Caton Vineyards. Each winery will open its doors and invite visitors to join in on a variety of activities. Wineries may offer food and wine pairings, live music, art or craft shows, special tastings (barrel, reserve, library, and new release), discounts or special pricing, and more! Click here to purchase tickets & for additional information.


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nullPointer wrote:If I were looking to play an early example of a bullet hell shooter, which of the following titles would be a good one to start with?
Radiant Silvergun
And secondly, of the titles listed above, what are the preferred home ports?
nullPointer wrote:Last night I spent some time getting Donpachi set up for next month. After a bit of research, I decided on the Playstation port.
noiseredux wrote:I agree 100%. I was genuinely curious, not judging. If it was your intention to 1CC five of them, I thought that was pretty ambitious (crazy) actually. I *think* I've only 1CC'd one shmup ever. At least without turning down the difficulty.Exhuminator wrote:IMO finishing a shmup via 1CC is mastering it, not simply beating it.
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Chinese Developers Build in America, but Look for Buyers at Home
In a low-slung building near an artsy riverfront area known as West Bund district, a group of more than 10 families gathered on Thanksgiving Day for a tutorial about the American holiday, complete with a golden-brown roasted turkey. As WSJ's Eliot Brown and Esther Fung report:
This wasn't a cooking class.
Instead, the attendees were being sold new condos in the U.S. being built by Chinese developer Greenland Holding Group, coupled with a culinary and cultural lesson on the autumnal holiday.
Greenland is in the process of building two large apartment projects, one in Los Angeles and the other New York, and is turning to its standard client base—Chinese investors—to help fill them up.
Commercial property development has long been a local sport in the U.S., dominated by local firms catering to local demand. Greenland's savory sales pitch offers a glimpse at a nascent effort by Chinese developers to turn that model around, converting demand from China into Chinese-built condos an ocean away.


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Series: The Young Elites #1
Publication date : October 7th, 2014
Publisher : G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre : Young Adult | Fantasy
Page Count: 355
Synopsis : I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.
Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina's black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family's good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever's survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.
Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it's Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.
Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they've never seen.
Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn't belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.
It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt. (From Goodreads)
Trigger warning: Parental abuse
(No Spoilers)
I've had this book on my TBR for the LONGEST time. Since it came out actually, I wasn't even part of the community back then, I was just watching some random Youtuber when they talked about it and I thought it sounded interesting enough. But the thing is, I didn't read fantasy back then so it naturally got burried under a humongous TBR pile until a friend literally screamed at me to read it on twitter (that's the only way to get me to read a book if you haven't noticed), I finally caved and picked it up. And oh boy! I regret not reading it sooner because HOLY CRAP THIS BOOK IS AWESOME.
In my honest opinion, the writing is powerful. Adelina, the main character has a whirlwind of emotions raging inside of her and that really shows in the narration, I could feel every struggle, every pain and every darkness and there are a lot of those. And the descriptions were breath-taking, vivid and beautiful even in their ugliness. What it was lacking, and this really is the only complaint I have, is POVS. This is one of those books that should be told in multiple perspectives, there's a rich cast of character that wasn't explored to its fullest potential because of the one point of view we got. Well, almost. There were some chapters here and there that weren't from the MC's POV but not nearly enough and not from the characters I was the most interested in. (1)
The story is unique, the kind that's lacking in YA (AND THAT WE NEED MORE OF). As you've guessed it from the title of the post AND the synopsis of the book, it's a villaineous character origin story, and a well executed one at that. Marie Lu has built a very dark and heavy vibe around her story and it is shown rather than told and I. live. for. that. That being said, this is a slow fantasy and if that's not your cup of tea, better skip it. I, for one, didn't mind it because it made space for good world building and character developpement. And I like both of those things.
BUT the plot is very worth it, it went down some roads I did NOT expect and it took me by surprise and broke me because WE CAN'T HAVE HAPPY NICE THINGS. I particularly liked the opening scene because for one it's really strong and gets the reader intrigued from the start and it reminded me of one of my favorite classics which is THE LAST DAY OF A CONDEMNED MAN by Victor Hugo, if you've read both I'm pretty sure you've seen the similarities.
The world is… kind of confusing at first, it took me a little while to get a hang of the city names and situate myself properly but once that was done I thoroughly enjoyed the settings. The Young Elites' powers are based on energy and emotions which was really interesting to read about, how different people respond to different emotions and how that affects the kind of power they have as well as their strength. I liked how the author also weaved simple things that we experience and explained them by integrating them fully in this world she created.
Adelina is such a well fleshed character. I loved how conflicted and at war with her own feelings she was and the most fascinating was seeing her gradually give in to the darkness, to her "true" self, ambitious, power hungry and villaineous. One thing I particularly appreciated about her and how Marie Lu wrote her is that she wasn't strong from the get go, not even close, it took her work and time to gain control over her power and that is a nice change from the mainstream MC who's good at everything she sets her hands on. All of this mean that she's a lot inside her head, battling with her emotions and demons, figuring out wha to do and who to trust. (2)
(1) and (2) made that I didn't really know much about the other characters, which I would've liked, especially the Daggers, they were very interesting and had a lot of potential. This doesn't mean that they were cardboard characters because they weren't but ya know… I wanted more of them, but Adelina being "an outsider" didn't make that possible. The little I knew of them I liked and I made this game out of it and tried to come up with an adjective and only one to describe each one of them, and this is what I came up with: Enzo the mysterious, Raffaele the graceful, Gemma the delicate, Dante the ruthless, Michel the artist and Lucente the playful.
And that's it for this review, friends. I can't wait to pick up the sequel, which is actually happening in a couple of days (when I'm writing this, by the time it goes up I'll have read it and a few books after it haha) because the way The Young Elites ended has me very curious and excited for the future events.
That's it until next time.
Did you read The Young Elites? If so, what did you think?
What did you think of Adelina's transformation?
Hope you enjoyed, write to you soon.
15 thoughts on "The Young Elites – A dark Anti-hero Origin story"
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5 Steps to Good Goals
As you may have noticed, I love writing goals. Even more so, I love seeing good goals carried out. So why, you may ask, do I give goal setting so much attention? Well, simply it's because human beings are fickle. I'm fickle. I don't know if it's my personality or just crazed hormones. One day I'm completely motivated. The next day... well, I'm not. So every January, on a day when my thinking is clear and my emotions are in check, I set goals for the year. Goals that keep me focused on what matters. Goals that get me where I want to be. That way when the winter blues set in or the summer sun sidetracks me, I have a list that prioritizes my efforts and grounds my thoughts. These goals aren't just career driven as they once were. Now they're aimed towards building a grace-filled home and a Christ-centered life.
So if you dig deep and find you are fickle-natured like me, I challenge you to give goal setting a go! Here are five steps to help you write good goals and create a life you love:
1. Reflect
Before you start writing down goals, first let's take inventory: where are you in life and where do you want to go? How did last year go? What worked—and what didn't? What do you want 2017 to look like? Which habits (good or bad) need some attention? This is the time to be honest with yourself.
For example:
Tools to get you started:
2. Brainstorm
Scribble down everything you want to do this week, month, and year. Get it all out of your head and onto paper. And… go! Once you've got that done, sift through all your ideas and determine if they are worth pursuing in 2017.
Tool to get you started:
3. Write It Down
So you've thought about what's worked and what hasn't in the past. You've also brainstormed. Now it's time to take your ideas and transform them into goals. Put them down in ink and take ownership for your goals! And, remember to make them "S.M.A.R.T.Y." (Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic, Time-Bound, Yours!).
Tool to get you started:
4. Make Progress
Now that your goals are written down, it's time to make progress on your goals.
First put them where you can see them:
Then work on them little by little! Every bit of effort adds up.
This year I finally broke down and bought the Powersheets Intentional Goal Planner by Lara Casey after a little nudging by Anna from Spunky Sapphire Events. And I haven't regretted it. Besides its playful design and adorable stickers, this goal planner gets you really thinking about what matters most and motivating you to action! My Powersheets are already helping me make progress on my yearly goals using the "Tending List."
If you're interested in snagging your own Powersheets, Lara Casey currently has select six-month workbooks on preorder (to be shipped late 2017) for a limited time! Now, I'm not sponsored to say any of this, but if you think this will be a useful tool, go ahead and place your order!
But remember—you don't need this fancy planner to work through these five steps and write out good goals. Just take your list of 2017 goals and break them down into monthly, weekly, and daily goals and make some progress!
5. Re-evaulate
This last step might be a no-brainer, but this is me officially giving you (and I) permission to create imperfect goals. Then if you have to, redo any goals as needed throughout the year. If your goals still matter to you, keep them. But if they are causing you unnecessary anxiety with limited joy, rewrite, overhaul, or even throw the goals out. (This isn't being fickle...I promise!) I'll be doing this at least three times this year at the beginning of each season.
Now it's your turn! Have you given goal-setting a try in the past? How are you trying to do 2017 different? Let me know in the comment section below!
Leave a Reply.
Hi! I'm Erin – a follower of Christ, imperfect wife, mama of two, registered dietitian, and independent Beautycounter consultant. Welcome to my blog where I write about intentional motherhood, intuitive eating, inspired discipleship, and whatever else I feel like! I'm so glad you're here.
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August 2019


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It is always fun to cook when you have company in the kitchen. The blogging marathon truly creates such a wonderful feeling of a huge virtual kitchen wherein there are so many of us deciding on what to cook(each blogger's perception and interpretation of the theme), how to present it and last but not the least the writing of the blog post to finally present it on the virtual dining table. So, when I came across the post for the blogging marathon and the addition of new themes I didn't wish to let this opportunity go by.It is a wonderful way to interact with other food bloggers and also read and know a lot more about the theme you decide on. A truly enriching experience.
Cooking with Chickpeas is my theme for the next three days and the kala chana, chana dal and the chickpeas are all allowed as part of the theme. I decided to come up with the nutritious, healthy and delicious kala chana chaat. A quick dish that will satisfy your craving for a tasty tangy snack. You may serve it as a starter or even as a side dish with your main course.
Kala Chana - 200 gms(pre-soaked and pressure cooked with a pinch of turmeric,salt and 1/2 a tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder)
Onion - 1(chopped finely)
Tomato -1(chopped finely)
Green chillies -2 (chopped finely)
Lemon Juice - 2 tbsp(or a little more as per taste)
Chaat Masala - 3/4 tsp( to taste)
Black Salt or Kala Namak - 1/2 tsp( or as per taste)
Salt - to taste
Oil-1 tbsp
Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp(finely chopped)
Method for Kala chana Chaat:
1-Soak the Kala Chana in water for 6-8 hours. Wash, drain and pressure cook with salt and a pinch of turmeric powder for approximately 3 glasses of water for about 20-25 minutes. After the pressure is completely released, open the pressure cooker and boil to drain out the remaining water(you need to cook the chana well however do not over-cook or else it will get mashed). If there is too much water remaining drain out the excess(you may use this water while making atta for your chapatis or for making dal).
2- Add in a tbsp of oil and lightly fry.
3-Take a big mixing bowl, add all the remaining ingredients, add the cooked kala chana and mix well. Adjust the seasoning as per your individual taste. You now have a big bowl of kala chana chaat that is ready to serve.
You may try the same recipe for Kabuli Chana(chickpeas)Chaat.
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#22


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Okay so the other day I was scrolling facebook before bed and I saw this disgusting facebook status (below). The author was a girl who I went to high school with. We were not friends but we were in the same circle of friends. I never liked this girl very much because she had a bad habit of putting people down and being rude.
Well needless to say after I read this I was sick to my stomach. I did not comment because I could not bring myself to comment on the ignorant things this girl said without stooping to her level. The next morning my opinion had changed when I had seen her come straight out and say that "fat people are an inconvenience" to her and they need to be more aware that there are other people in the world. She basically started asking why fat people think they are so privileged because they choose to be fat… I LOST IT! I was trying to keep my cool and not go off on this girl. This was my first comment on her post.
I am obese. There is no reason for me to deny that. Since you asked why obese people are here I will answer that based on my situation….I am here to be a loving daughter, sister, aunt, niece, friend, classmate, and teacher. I work my ass off to accomplish my goals and dreams. I take offence to your status. However, I am not obese because of my "unhealthy lifestyle". I am obese because of a medical condition that I have had all of my life. Since I was 12 years old I have dealt with people making rude and in most cases uneducated jokes about my weight. It is not something I can't control on my own without an extremely risky surgery so I have stayed fat to this point. When I am out to dinner with friends I get embarrassed when I get looks from people because I eat a salad. People assume I am putting on a show and eating healthy only because I am in public. I am a human. I am here because I have every right to be here just like I have every right to sit down on the train. Or walk a little slower at the end of a long day. I am aware of my size and the fact that it is an inconvenience to me. However…you claiming that my being obese is an inconvenience to you is disgusting. Obviously this status was not about me. I just want to point out that you can not attempt to take on all obese people and bash them for the actions of a few. I am not a person who would attempt to squeeze in next to someone else on a train in fact I would rather stand so there is never a rude status such as this posted about me. Sure the person you described seems to be a case of an obese person who may live an unhealthy lifestyle. I understand that some obese people do lead extremely unhealthy lifestyles. I just want you to realize there is more to a person than what you see. I am not saying you can not rant on facebook I am just suggesting you think before you post.
Well I got back this whole post about how she does not mean to target people who have a disease just people who choose to be unhealthy. Now I was teased by this girl a lot in high school so obviously she is trying to cover her ass because I am sure she did not expect a comment like mine.
Now I am sorry but I feel like she missed my point…. Another persons weight is something that they need to deal with. She is saying that people who are heavy are an inconvenience to her. I think she needs to step back and look at her life choices.
I do understand what you are saying but what you had originally said. "WHY are there so many ridiculously obese people and why do I have to suffer for THEIR unhealthy lifestyles?" That is a generalization of all obese people. That is exactly what you said and therefore what I am going off of. You talking about a 350lb woman is not far off from where I am so I will take offence to it. Their weight is an issue that they have to deal with on their own. So you are still missing MY point. Their weight should not be your problem. If you are uncomfortable move from your seat and find another one! You seeing a person for two stops on the train does not show you what their life is like on a normal basis. I am telling you to not judge a book by its cover. (that is a kindergarten lesson but HELL everyone could use a reminder from time to time…) I am not insecure with myself. If I was I would just sit here and not comment. It is because I am comfortable with myself that I can point out the ignorance in your posts.
I tried to be snarky without being rude. I wanted to stay above her level.
After this response I just left it. I am not going to feed into her childish games. She went on to say that there is nothing psychological about overeating and people choose to do it. I understand her point, I do. And I know that people can choose to live an unhealthy lifestyle. However I honest to god think this girl needs some serious help! I can not even explain how rude she is. As for her saying her friends would understand her comment being a joke. I feel bad for her. I feel bad that she has friends who she could make jokes with about something like this. I am completely disgusted but I am very proud of myself for being able to throw my side into the argument. I have come a long way from the person she used to make fun of 7 years ago…


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I came across this great blog the other day and found this really cute tutorial for a table runner with appliqued circles. I have never done anything with circles but have seen lots of methods of doing them. For some reason this one had me curious……
I decided to just go for it and give the circles a try. Then it sort of morphed into this great idea-I think- to make a baby quilt out of them. Not sure how/if they are going to make for a good baby quilt or not- fingers crossed!!
So I picked some fabric I liked and got on the "circle bus". The fabric on the left was given to me by the friend I'll be giving the quilt to. She and her lovely family recently became foster parents to a beautiful baby girl. I'm happy to be able to include this fabric that I know she really likes and let it be my color inspiration for the rest of the quilt.
It was fun making these little circles.
That turned into little "frisbees" as my daughter called them.
I'm still just playing with placement of the circles and I may need to add or take away some, but I really like how they look against the linen. I'm just not sure about how linen will work for a baby quilt. This is definitely an experiment.
Have you ever used so much linen in a baby quilt? Was is cuddly enough? Well if it ends up being too "linen-y", I think my daughters will love it. The "frisbee" quilt!! I think I'll ponder this experiment for a bit and in the meantime I'll work on this back up project. I have this sweet little knitted tank dress I'm working on.
It's my first time knitting this pattern.
I figure it's time to start expanding my knitting skills…. so far, so good.
Have a great day!!!!


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The OpenSSL project has recently announced a security vulnerability in OpenSSL affecting versions 1.0.1 and 1.0.2 (CVE-2014-0160).
The Jedox R&D-team has instantly reacted to this bug and is now providing Jedox users with a new service release addressing the "heartbleed" vulnerability. Security is our top priority, therefore we kindly ask all Jedox customers to upgrade to the fixed version Jedox 5.0 SR 4 as soon as possible, since Jedox customers using SSL could be affected by this issue (older releases – 4.X are not affected).
For more information about this vulnerability, please visit https://www.openssl.org/news/secadv_20140407.txt (OpenSSL's official advisory) and http://heartbleed.com/.


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Parents interact with children physically in many ways. Just because a parent isn't physically touching a child does not mean that the parent isn't physically interacting with their child. Physical interaction is an important factor in assessing parenting, and includes both touching and non-touching. Non-touching physical interaction is sometimes referred to as nonverbal interaction or body language. The quality of physical interaction is an important factor in child-parent attachment.
KIPS Blog: Parenting Assessment in Practice & Research
Tags: parent assessment, attachment, KIPS Items, physical interaction, nonverbal interaction
This week I read an article in the Health & Wellness section of the Wall Street Journal, titled, Badly Raised Kids? Sweden Has a Word for That. This article discussed a controversial book by Swedish psychiatrist David Eberhard (currently being translated to English) who is concerned that children have become the major decision-makers in many families, such as selecting the dinner menu, choice of TV programs and vacation destinations. He worries that Swedish parents' hyper-sensitivity and unwillingness to discipline children in the early years may be harmful to their later social-emotional development. According to the Wall Street Journal article, Eberhard is concerned that Sweden's child-friendly policies (e.g., long parental leave, state-funded infant child care, legal protection from spanking, and strict child welfare laws), may have created the grounds for an unwise transfer of power from parents to young children with dire consequences. Some think these policies may have also created a climate in which children do not learn empathy and respect for other people's wishes. Apparently, the reactions to his book in Sweden have been 50% for versus 50% against.
Tags: parenting styles, setting limits, discipline, stable relationships, KIPS Items


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Miyoshi S. Polk is a hot commodity right now in the event planning and wedding consulting industry. Polk graduated from Saint Augustine's University in 2011, where she studied Mass Communications.
While matriculating at Saint Augustine's University she served as a member of the Royal Court, a blue-chip cheerleader and was initiated into the Gamma Rho chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. In 2012, she became a certified wedding consultant and later decided to launch her business Lavish Impressions Events.
In 2016, she completed her certification to become a floral designer and begin creating custom arrangements for her clients.
Today, her clientele has evolved to include a cultivation of relationships with vendors across the East Coast including, J'Marie Design Studios, Raleigh Crabtree Marriott, Master MIND Productions and Fresh Desires Catering.
Based out of Raleigh, North Carolina, Lavish Impressions Events specializes in wedding planning and has received superior ratings from its clients and guests. But it doesn't stop at the altar. Services include full planning, partial planning, full service, semi decor' and design, destination weddings, and on-site coordinating for any event you may have in mind including social events, graduations, baby showers, bridal showers, launch parties and much more.
To meet clientele needs, Lavish Impressions Events also provides traveling services. Miyoshi and her team have traveled extensively to various states on the East Coast and select domestic islands.
For more information about how Lavish Impressions Events can help bring your dream event to life contact Miyoshi S. Polk at firstname.lastname@example.com, via Facebook @ Lavish Impressions and on Instagram @lavishimpressions.


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Where in a fridge is the refrigerant liquid cooled?
The refrigerant liquid is cooled as it flows through the condenser coil. It then flows through to the evaporator coil, named so because the warm air from the refrigerator cools and evaporates as it comes into contact with the cool liquid-filled coil.


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Sandals Negril/South Coast ready to rumble
"What an amazing array of talent!," uttered a guest watching performances of the Sandals and Beaches Resorts's Festival of the Arts competition (Negril regional final) held at Sandals South Coast Resort in Whitehouse, Westmoreland, last Thursday night.
The occasion saw employees of Sandals Negril, Beaches Negril, Grand Pineapple, and Sandals South Coast facing off in categories including: Male and Female Vocalist and Model; Dance Duo; Solo Dance;, DJ Spin-Off; Musical Instrumentalist; and Spoken Word and a spot in the National Finals scheduled for Sandals Ochi Beach Resort in St Ann tomorrow.
Nicholas Nelson, Beaches Negril entertainment manager, said he was very pleased with the night's presentation overall.
"It is obvious that the Negril and South Coast properties have put more effort and time into this year's presentations," he said. "The region is expecting a good showing at the National final."
There was fierce competition among the female vocalists. But Sherion Muir from Sandals South Coast delivered and topped the field with a rousing rendition of Jennifer Holliday's classic And I Am Telling You.
There were several outstanding performances in the Male Vocalist category, but Sejeon Williams from Sandals South Coast took top honours with a rendition of Sam Cooke's A Change Is Gonna Come.
Sakae Brooks from Beaches Negril won the Best Spoken Word category, while the DJ Clash segment was dominated by Sandals Negril's Nicholas Mairs.
Triston Irvin from Sandals South Coast was the Best Male Model, while Aculia Nembhard, also from Sandals South Coast, gracefully glided her way into the Best Female Model spot.
The Musical Instrumentalist category was given to Jemarie Richards from Sandals Negril, who performed uncontested, and Glenroy Walker and Owen Brown from Sandals South Coast emerged Group Dance winners.
Javonne Richards from Beaches Negril took the Solo Dance category.
For Sandals South Coast Entertainment Divisions Manager Garett Bailey, whose team nabbed five of the nine spots, the excitement has just begun.
"I am more ecstatic, however, for the top Female Vocalist and top Male Model," he said.
"Sherion and Triston epitomise what the Festival of the Arts is all about, while it's an outlet to showcase what the entertainment division can do, it's more so an opportunity to find and develop new talents. This year our region went out and searched for that talent and based on some of the performances we've seen thus far, I feel like we've definitely struck gold."
The Negril/South Coast winners will face off against winners from the Montego Bay and Ocho Rios Regions in the National competition tomorrow.
Now you can read the Jamaica Observer ePaper anytime, anywhere. The Jamaica Observer ePaper is available to you at home or at work, and is the same edition as the printed copy available at http://bit.ly/epaper-login
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Seville is a city which is both charmingly charismatic as well as aesthetically pleasing. Therefore the Sevillanos (inhabitants) or Hispalenses (lending from its Roman name Hispalis) are able to receive the best of both worlds.
Seville is the hottest major metropolitan area in Europe, with summer average high temperatures of above 35 °C. Summer is the dominant season and lasts from May to October.
The city is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, and its harbour which is located about 50 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, is the only river port in Spain. For the majority of the year, the city is enveloped by a beaming sunlight, it is the hottest major metropolitan area in Europe with average summer temperature of above 35°C. Summers usually last from May through to October.
The Sevillanos are known for putting on brilliant performances in their cultural festivals.
The Feria de Abril is a week long party of food, drink and dance where men and women dress and parade the streets. During Semana Santa (Holy Week), there are processions followed by huge baroque floats which feature images of the Virgin Mary or Jesus Christ, and of course surrounded by cheerful crowds.
Ancient Roots
Dating back to its alleged ancient foundations rooted in Greek mythology, Seville being approximately 2,200 years old is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Legend states that the Andalucian metropolis was founded 3000 years ago by the Greek God Heracles (Hercules in Roman). Also commonly identified as the Phoenician God Melqart, it is reported that he sailed through the Strait of Gibraltar to The Atlantic, and founded trading posts at the currents sites of Cádiz and Seville. As with all of the Andalucian cities, Sevilla has several historical layers; starting with Roman origins, and transitioning from its rich Moorish era to its revolutionised Christian Kingdom.
Seville is one of the oldest cities in Europe.
Hispalis was the name which was first given to Seville by the Romans. Later, during the conquest of Hispalis in 712 it became Ishbiliya after the Muslim conquest. During the Moorish rule in Spain, Seville came under the jurisdiction of the Caliphate of Cordoba before becoming the independent Taifa of Seville. It was the capital of Al-Andalus until 717 when it changed to Cordoba. The Moorish architecture and urban influences are ever present in Seville, this can been seen in its fountains, courtyards and houses.
The Rise and Fall of a great Kingdom
In 1247, King Ferdinand lll of Castile and Leon began his conquest of Andalusia. First he conquered Jaén and Cordoba, then carried on to seize the surrounding cities of Seville which included Carmona Lora del Rio and Alcala del Rio. During this time he kept a standing army in the vicinity, the siege lasted for fifteen months until the city finally surrendered on 23 November 1248. After the conquest, public buildings including churches and cathedrals were constructed in the Mudejar style and also with Gothic architecture. Following the discovery of America in 1492, Seville became one of the economic centres of the Spanish Empire, making this one of its highest points in history.
Seville's port monopolised the trans-oceanic trading system.
Its port monopolised the trans-oceanic trade and the Casa de Contratacion (House of Trade) wielded its power, which in turn paved the way for a golden age of literature and art. Seville's importance during the 16th and 17th centuries was mainly attributed to the fact that it was designated capital of the Carrera de Indias. Also known as the Gateway to the Indies, this was the Spanish trading monopoly with Latin America and the only trading port with the Indies from 1503 until 1718. However, in the late 16th century, the monopolising stature of the port of Seville was crippled as the port of Cadiz was authorised into trade. By the 18th century, Seville's international importance started to drop; after the Guadalquivir began to to silt, upriver shipping ceased and thus the city went into an economic decline. It wasn't until the early 19th century that the city started to recover.
The revival of the city in the 19th Century
Between 1825 and 1833, several architectural modifications were planned for construction. They played a key part in aiding the city to recover from its previous downfall.
Melchor Cano was the chief architect alongside his collaborator Jose Manuel Arjona y Cuba. A lot of the industrial architecture that stands today has survived from the start of the 19th century. These include, the ceramics factory installed in the Carthusian monastery at La Cartuja in 1841 and now home to the El Centro Andaluz de arte Contemporáneo de Sevilla, which manages the collections of the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Sevilla.
The Sevillian bourgeoisie invested in developments to boost Seville's economy.
Besides this, in the years that Queen Isabel ll reigned over Spain in the mid 1800's, there was a rise in construction owing to the Sevillian bourgeoisie. They invested in developments which would be extraordinary for the city's heritage. This included the Isabel ll bridge, also known as the Triana Bridge. As a result of this bridge being built, street lighting was increased in the city and most of the streets were paved during this time as well.
Towards the second half of the 19th century, Seville began an expansion by way of a railway construction, which resulted in knocking down ancient walls and subsequently allowing the urban space of the city grow eastward and southward. In 1894 the Sevillana de Electricidad company was created to provide electric power throughout the municipality. Finally, in 1901 the Plaza de Armas railway station was launched. Later on, new public spaces such as Plaza de España and the Maria Luisa Park were created, and the Spanish government began a modernisation of the city by erecting new hotels and widening mediaeval streets to allow for automobiles to access.
The city had prepared for the Ibero-American Exposition over the course of 19 years
In 1929 Seville hosted the Ibero-American Exposition. Countries in attendance of the exposition included: Portugal, the United States, Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Perú, Argentina, Chile, the Republic of Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Panamá, El Salvador, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. The purpose for holding this exposition was to improve relations between Spain and the countries in attendance, many of which were former Spanish colonies.
Christopher Columbus and the New World.
A notable fact about Seville is that it holds the tomb of Christopher Columbus the Italian explorer, navigator, colonizer, and citizen of the Republic of Genoa. This is most likely because Seville was the port from which Columbus and the Spanish conquistadors set off for the New World over 500 years ago.
Under the patronage of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, Isabella and Ferdinand, he completed four voyages across the Atlantic Ocean in an effort to initiate the European colonisation of the New World. However, it wasn't straightforward, it took years of negotiations and requests at the Spanish court to finally have his voyage authorised in 1492. It was a strained relationship between Columbus and the Monarchs which included arrests, law suits and dismissals throughout his time of being 1st Governor of the Indies.
His four voyages marked the beginning of the European exploration and colonization of the American continents, and are of enormous significance in Western history
In 1506 Columbus died in the Spanish town of Valladolid after his fourth and final voyage at sea. However, Columbus was not buried in one place, his travels continued long after his death. Initially, he was buried in the Carthusian monastery in Seville for over 20 years. His remains were then moved to Santo Domingo Cathedral in the Dominican Republic, as requested by his widow Maria de Toledo as it is told that his dying wish was not to be buried on Spanish soil.
However, in 1795 when Spain lost control of the Dominican Republic, his remains were moved again to Havana, Cuba. 100 years later, they made their final voyage back home to Seville, and placed in the cathedral where you can visit him today.
Lastly, there was a discovery in Santo Domingo in 1877 of what could be the 'real' remains of Christopher Columbus. The remains came in the form of a box with the inscription, "The illustrious and excellent man, Don Colon, Admiral of the Ocean Sea." Although DNA examinations were done with the remains in Sevilla and matched closely, tests were not permitted to be carried out with the remains found in Santo Domingo. This in turn led to the realisation that he could in fact be buried in either Santo Domingo or Seville, or even both!
Seville's links within UNESCO
The old town of Seville, with an area of 4 square kilometres is one of the third largest in Europe. It contains three UNESCO World Heritage Sites which are; The Alcazar Palace, The Cathedral and the General Archive of the Indies. These sites incorporate vestiges of Islamic culture, centuries of ecclesiastical rule, aristocratic dominance and the trading power that Spain accumulated through its colonisation of the New World.
Seville is home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Royal Alcazar of Seville is a royal palace in Seville, and is recognised as one of the most outstanding examples of mudéjar architecture on the Iberian Peninsula. Originally, the Alcazar was constructed during the 10th century, as the palace of the Muslim governor. Today, the castle is used as one of the residences for the Royal Family. Thus, it retains the same purpose for which it was originally built, as a residence for monarchs and heads of state, and is the oldest royal palace still in use in Europe. The building itself which has been built and rebuilt many times over, is comprised of magnificent frameworks and large gardens. The Alcazar adopts several different architectural styles. From its origins of being an Almohad Palace (which can be seen in the 'Patio del Yeso or the Jardines del Crucero), to its Spanish Mudejar art in the Palacio de Pedro l and in conjunction with other constructions displaying cultural styles from the Renaissance to the Neoclassical eras.
The Cathedral, founded in 1403 which was built on the site of a former Mosque, is built in Gothic and Renaissance style, and covers over seven centuries of history. It currently stands as the largest Gothic building in Europe and since its establishment, it has continued to be used for religious purposes. The Giralda, which is the name given to the bell tower was a former minaret of the mosque, and the top section of the tower was built in the Renaissance period. This demonstrates the importance of its religious and cultural syncretism.
The Seville Cathedral is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world.
The Archivo de Indian building was constructed in 1585 to house the Casa Lonja or Consulado de Mercaderes de Sevilla (consulate of the merchants of Seville). In 1785 it became the Archivo General de Indias, and since then it has become home to the greatest collection of documentation concerning the discovery of and relations with the New World. Designed by Juan Herrera (the architect responsible for completing El Escorial), it is one of the biggest examples of the cultivation of Spanish Renaissance architecture, Baroque Andalusian architecture and Spanish neoclassicism. Ultimately, signifying the link between the Old and the New World.
Important places to Visit
- The Palace of San Telmo, named after Saint Elmo, the patron saint of navigators – was first built in 1682 as a home for orphaned children of sailors and then a marine academy to train ship's pilots, navigators and high ranking officers. Later, it became a royal palace, with private estates that reached as far as the Parque Maria Luisa; hereafter a seminary and a hospital. After its dilapidation in the mid-20th century, the palace was refurbished in the 1980's and now stands as the presidential headquarters of the Junta de Andalucia (The Andalusian Autonomous Government). It is one of the most emblematic buildings of baroque architecture, famous for its churrigueresque principal façade and grand chapel. In 2011, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall were received in the palace on their ten day tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
The Prince and The Duchess were met by regional President Jose Antonio Grinan Martinez at his offices in the 17th Century San Telmo Palace.
- The "Torre del Oro" (Tower of Gold) is a dodecagonal military watchtower built by the Almohad Caliphate. It was used as a defensive barrier on the river to control access to Seville via the Guadalquivir river. The tower first dates back to the 13th century, the 12-sided lower part was built in stone by the Almohades, while the upper brick mini-tower was added in the 18th century. Legend states that during the invasion of the Americas, the tower was used used to house gold which had been plundered from from the Mayans and the Incas. Some say that this is where its name originates from, others have interpreted it to relate to its outside tiles which flashed like gold in the sun. The tower is now home to a naval museum, showcasing maritime memorabilia, portraits of naval figures and documents relating to overseas discoveries.
- The Royal Tobacco Factory, is a stone building constructed in the 18th century, and was the first tobacco factory constructed in Europe. Now, used by the University of Seville, it is one of the most illustrious and splendid examples of industrial architecture from the era of Spain's Antiguo Régimen. It is also the second largest building in Spain after the monastery El Escorial.
Since the mid 20th century, the Old Tobacco Factory has been the seat of the Vice-Chancellor of the Universidad de Sevilla and some of its Faculties.
- Other notable industrial architecture that has survived from the 19th century includes the ceramics factory at the Monastery of the Cartuja; established by Englishman Charles Pickman after he acquired the Carthusian Monastery in 1839. Pickman established innovative manufacturing methods such as, importing raw materials, the use of moulds and incorporating specialised machinery. The old monastery is now home to the Andalusian Contemporary Art Centre (The Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporáneo).
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I have some fabric usage to report this week. My finished Spectrum quilt used 5 3/4 yards. I quilted a small wallhanging last week, which used 1/2 yard for the backing.
The back of this quilt used all the leftover fabric from the quilt, including what was supposed to be the binding :( So I found a dark purple that coordinated and bound it with that.
479 yards in
186 1/4 yards out
Total: 292 3/4 yards in
It doesn't look like I'm going to manage to used half of my incoming this year. But I might just be able to hit 200 yards used, if I can quilt a couple projects before the end of the year.
Drop by Judy's blog for more stash reports.
Sunday, 23 November 2014
Stash Report - Nov 23
Labels: stash report
4 comments:
Your quilt is fabulous. Wonderful job! I wish I could use up even 100 yards in a year!ReplyDelete
Love the wall hanging! It's very striking. Congrats on the quilt finish, it's beautiful.ReplyDelete
WOW! Both quilts are gorgeous!ReplyDelete
Lovely quilts. Your a brave woman to keep track of your stash!!! I'm not sure I'm brave enough to do that. I buy way more yardage than I make. Although I just finished 7.5 yards this week but it was an easy sew--crib sheets, changing pad cover, cosleeper sheets, and receiving blankets.ReplyDelete
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Murad Blemish Clearing Solution* | rrp £34.00
Murad Blemish Spot Treatment* | rrp £19.00My thoughts on Murad's Blemish Spot Treatment are very similar to those about the Blemish Clearing Solution. This Spot Treatment is much more gentle on my skin that I had expected and it didn't irritate my skin or dry it out like many other spot treatments have done in the past. It doesn't leave your skin with a dry patch and it's going to be suitable for many people with sensitive skin. Murad's Blemish Spot Treatment contains sulphur, which is supposed help if applied to the skin as soon as you feel a spot coming on. It also contains antioxidants from the inclusion of Vitamins C and E, and these help protect and restore skin's health, and it also contains Liquorice which helps calms redness and irritation. I didn't find that the Spot Treatment irradicated blemishes immediately but it does have some very good uses. It's good for preventing spots from forming, as soon as you feel a blemish forming you can apply the treatment and it really helps reduce the changes of a spot forming. It's also very good at fading the redness of a blemish, which significantly improves the appearance of your skin. Overall, I don't think that this will be everyone's dream treatment but I'm really glad to have it to hand and it's something that I'd probably keep in my handbag to use as and when I needed it.
I'm a really big fan of Murad's skincare and although the Blemish range isn't my favourite I do really think that these products both have great strengths. If you have any more questions about my experience of using them then please do ask them in comments - and leave me your email address or twitter handle so I can reply! Have you tried any Murad skincare yet?


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Tras diferetes encuentros y desencuentros entre diferentes Clubs de toda Europa y la LEN , parece que todo está camino de solucionarse de cara a la próxima Temporada 2012-2013 en relación al posible cambio de formato e incremento de 2 a 3 Clubs que puedan participar en representación de sus paises en competiciones europeas.
Esta es la nota de prensa de LEN , en relación a este tema :
Tras European Water Polo Club Cup Competitions
Water Polo meeting in Debrecen
Luxembourg (LEN Office) During the 31st European Swimming Championships held recently in Debrecen (HUN), the Bureau of LEN took the opportunity to meet and discuss current issues, some of primary importance. Among these, an essential one was the LEN Water Polo meeting called for in relation to the European Water Polo Club Cup Competitions and the movement brought forward by certain individuals that wish to establish an independent multi-national Water Polo league for Clubs.
This special gathering had representatives present from a total of 23 Federations: Austria, Croatia, Denmark, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Great Britain, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, and Ukraine.
LEN, represented by its President, Nory Kruchten, Bureau Member and Water Polo Liaison, Robert Ebejer, Technical Water Polo Committee Chairman, Haluk Toygarli, Director, Laszlo Szakadati, and Water Polo Manager, Marco Birri, expressed thanks for the support and collaboration and took note of the needs and wishes tabled by the Federations present. Accordingly it was announced that LEN will work on a revised system for the European Water Polo Club Cup Competitions for season 2012/2013 which with regard to the Men's Champions League will allow more playing days for the top Clubs (up to 18 games, not including the Qualification phase), more equal and balanced opportunities for the lower level teams, and the participation of three (3) Clubs from the leading water polo nations. With the goal of being more cost effective it was also mentioned that the first Qualification Rounds will be played, as much as possible, taking into consideration geographical aspects, that part of the logistical arrangements during the season will be handled by the participating Clubs, and also that the television production demands will be overseen in a manner that will partly reduce the financial burden for the Clubs. Offering the Clubs the possibility of openly negotiating their own television broadcast rights to their benefit is also a part of the system's revision.
During the meeting Dimitris Diathesopoulos, President of the Hellenic Swimming Federation, Paolo Barelli, President of the Italian Swimming Federation, Erik van Heijningen, President of the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation, György Martin, President of the Hungarian Water Polo Federation, Dejan Adzic, President of the Montenegrin Swimming Federation, Michael Zellmer, Team Manager of the German Men's National Water Polo Teams, Connor Sheridan, representative of the Irish Water Polo Federation, Tomislav Karlo, General Secretary of the Croatian Swimming Federation, Evgeny Sharonov, representative of the Russian Water Polo Federation, and Nenad Manojlovic, technical supervisor of the Serbian Water Polo Federation all took the floor in succession.
Many of the participants expressed their opinion and position towards the new system proposed by LEN and also regarding the overall situation, the background of the ongoing initiative, and the unlawful actions and the legitimacy of the persons behind the project of an independent multi-national Water Polo league for Clubs. As a result of the debate, it has been unanimously expressed that there is no way that an independent multi-national Water Polo league for Clubs can be established outside the jurisdiction of the Ligue Européenne de Natation (LEN) and all present committed themselves to the European Water Polo Club Cup Competitions of LEN.
Concluding, LEN stated that in any case if individuals or groups of persons will continue to act against the interests of LEN and not according to the Constitutional Rules, trying to establish international Water Polo Club Competitions without the approval of LEN, sanctions will be taken accordingly. All present acknowledged and agreed to this statement of LEN.
(May 31, 2012)


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I don't care what decade we're in or how many years it's been off the air, I will always find "Sex and the City" to be relevant to our culture. Every day, new women (and men, I won't leave you kids out) are discovering the show, relating to the storylines, and realizing that they are one of four women: a Carrie, a Charlotte, a Samantha, or a Miranda. Personally, I am a Miranda. I am cynical as fuck, we kind of treat men similarly, and we're very sarcastic (you guys probably couldn't pick up on that). I feel like most people have a mix of all of the women in them (despite how much you don't want to be a Charlotte or a Carrie. Really, it's how much I don't want to be a Charlotte or a Carrie. Emphasis on Carrie), but there's one whose storylines and dialogue really resonates with how you see yourself and you assume others see you.
It hasn't happened in real life (yet), but on my OkCupid I make it a point to say that I'm a feminist because I wear that title PROUD, but then I list "Sex and the City" under my favorite shows, and I get called out. There will be a never-ending argument about if the show goes against feminism or if it's helping out the cause. My stance on the show is that it is about four, strong female leads, two of which are independent (you can guess which two I find to be more independent), have firm careers, and are sexually liberated. However, I know that the show relies mostly on the relationship aspect, as it is called "SEX" and the city. Also, the women can come off as rather pathetic at times when dealing with the men in their lives and a lot of the times, the show makes it seem that having a relationship is the end-all in life. I think it walks a fine line of telling you to love yourself and love your friends, but more often than not, Carrie and Charlotte are complaining that they're lonely and need to be in relationships. I guess that's the point of the show though, as many women feel the same way and allow relationships to define their lives, so these characters are more relatable to them. However, in an ideal feminist sitcom, the women would have relationships, but it wouldn't be the death of them if the relationships didn't work out because we shouldn't rely on a man to make us happy. That's probably the most stereotypical feminist thing I can think to say. Regardless of anyone's take on it, I just love the stupid show, despite wanting to punch Carrie in the face the majority of the time she's on the screen.
Yes, this post is about Carrie. Not just Carrie really, because I'd probably hang myself from my ceiling fan with my finest Chanel scarf (see what I did there? I don't own a Chanel scarf, I'm trying to write like Carrie), but more about the age old debate that fans will always be on separate sides of the fence about: Big or Aidan. Yes. That's what this is about. The show went off the year a decade ago, but I'm going to weigh in now, in 2013, with my thoughts about Carrie's two biggest loves. And I will insult her other boyfriends along the way, don't worry.
So. There's lots to say here. Let's make fun of her other boyfriends first. I'd say Carrie's big four boyfriends are Big, Aidan, Berger, and the Russian, who absolutely does not deserve to be referred to by a real name because he is horrible in every sense of the word. I say that these are her big four because she dated each of them for more than two episodes and she also said "I love you" to all of them. So, let's do this. The Russian, as I said, is horrible. He's pretentious, has a very odd sense of humor, and Carrie is just extremely annoying with him. I think a lot of why I hate the Russian is because I hate how Carrie acts with the him. He's naturally a romantic and Carrie can't handle it because she's a fucking idiot. Like she faints because he wants to dance with her to a string orchestra. Like excuse me? No. That's a BIT dramatic, you moron. Also, he takes her to Paris, she went by choice not by force, and she is miserable the whole time. I get that she's away from her friends and he is distracted because he has a big art show coming up, but Carrie, you're in fucking Paris. I've been to Paris before, it's amazing. NEVER complain if you're in Paris. Also, you knew he'd be busy, HE MOVED THERE BECAUSE HE HAS AN ART SHOW. Guy's gotta work, not everyone needs to be at your whim 24/7.
Right, then there's Berger. I'm someone who originally loved Berger, I thought he had great potential. He was funny, a writer, cute. THE TOTAL PACKAGE, AMIRITE LADIEZ? Anyway, he goes completely insane when he's dropped by his publisher and then takes it out on Carrie. Carrie does do this annoying thing where she points out a character in his book shouldn't be wearing a scrunchie. While I'm actually not annoyed at Carrie for doing that, really (she is, after all, a writer and she was giving him her opinion after a rave review of the book), I'm more annoyed at Carrie because I fucking despise when I've already done something and people tell me I should have done something differently. Like, sorry, excuse me, can I go back in time and fix that? No? Fuck you then. But yeah, Berger goes bat shit and breaks up with Carrie on a post-it note and that's one of the best storylines on television ever, it's actually almost perfect to me. Carrie deserves that.
So now the big two. Here we go. It seems so clear cut, really. Big is a complete asshole who fucked with Carrie for multiple years and was reluctant to ever commit to her, while Aidan is (inexplicably) in love with Carrie, wants to marry her, and is a total cutie (season four, never season three. That hair is inexcusable). Therefore, most people think Aidan is the better choice for Carrie and are angry that she ends up with Big. I agree with half of that, Aidan is a much better man. But that's not the point here. While Aidan is a better person, he is not, in the end, the man that Carrie wanted to be with. Carrie seemed to get off on her twisted relationship with Big. She wouldn't have gone back to him so many times if she didn't. There was something there, the chase, perhaps, that brought her back time and again. That was never really the case with Aidan, and Carrie never seemed to ever be content while she was with him.
For example, when Carrie and Aidan first date in season three, she has extreme issues with meeting his parents, becoming serious with him, quitting smoking for him, etc. There is an episode dedicated to the fact that she's freaking out about their relationship because there's nothing wrong with it. It keeps her up at night. I'd have to say there's something wrong with you if you have a problem with not having a problem in your relationship (I was that person once, it's no way to live). Carrie could never just accept the relationship and move on. Also, from the description I gave above, it seemed like Carrie had to do a lot of changing to be the person she thought Aidan wanted her to be, and one should never compromise oneself. Except maybe if you're Carrie, it would probably be best for the world to get a complete personality transplant. Then, there is the biggest problem in their relationship, the fact that Carrie has an extended affair (I say extended because it lasted about three episodes) with Big, her ex, while dating Aidan. My biggest problem with the affair is that Carrie seemed to not give a shit about Aidan's feelings in all of it. Every time she was mad at herself for what she was doing, it was because Big was married and had a wife and he was cheating on her. Never once did Carrie say, "oh right, I have a boyfriend I supposedly love". She just wanted to keep Aidan around because she knew she could. And then once they broke up and got back together in season four, their entire relationship was problematic because Aidan (rightfully) couldn't trust Carrie, they wanted to lead separate lives (i.e. the episode where she wants to go clubbing and Aidan would rather be a hillbilly with his dog in a pair of tighty whities), and she threw up when she found the engagement ring he bought her. Like, none of these things scream "YOU TWO SHOULD BE IN A RELATIONSHIP" to me. Once engaged, despite the fact that Carrie didn't even seem to want to marry Aidan and that she's an idiot, she has physical reactions to the idea of marriage and they call the whole thing off. Essentially every episode with Aidan in it while him and Carrie are dating are about the problems in their relationship. They could never just be happy and enjoying one another, something HAD to be wrong (this probably has to do with the fact that Carrie is an insane drama queen).
So now, Big. Big is an asshole, I've already said that. He strung Carrie along, messed with her head. We've all been there (maybe just me, whatever, eff you guys), and we know it's completely unhealthy. However, we also know there is something about it that keeps you in it, despite how mentally and emotionally draining the situation is. Even after all of the shit the two of them went through after dating and after their affair, Carrie and Big decide to be friends still, they hang out, have long, late night phone calls. It's really painfully obvious during the show they're going to end up together, he wouldn't have been kept around otherwise. It's the same way I feel about Miranda and Steve, but we're not talking about them (BECAUSE THEY'RE PERFECT. JK I just love Steve). Carrie is the kind of person who needs to have drama in her life and in her relationships. She didn't get that FROM Aidan, so she needed to create it in her head to satisfy her sick need. However, she got more than her fill from Big, and that's exactly what she desired. That's my main point in all of this: Carrie wanted that messed up, dramatic relationship. As perfect as Aidan may seem on paper, he was never what Carrie wanted. In my opinion, Aidan deserved far better than Carrie, and I will not even get into discussing their fucked up storyline in the second movie (the second movie is sheer proof that some people just want to watch the world burn). It might seem crazy, but that's just how some people are. They thrive off of dramatic situations, it's how they feel alive, and I personally think it's dumb (no offense to the zero people reading this, although I feel I've insulted everyone enough at this point that you should take no stock in what I say).
To sum up, yet again, my thoughts lay in this: Aidan was the better man, but Big was the better man for Carrie. That's who she was ultimately supposed to end up with, because that is the kind of man she was looking for, despite how emotionally sick he made her feel. That's just Carrie's character, and we were unfortunately fed that character and her depressing fashion choices for six seasons. I try to enjoy the show despite Carrie, that's really how I get through it. But yes, these are my thoughts on this really relevant subject, and I hope everyone (no one) feels free to agree or disagree.
Also, I feel this isn't brought up enough, but Aidan was corny as fuck. I mean, Carrie is too, her weekly column is effing ridiculous (as is her lifestyle that her weekly column SOMEHOW supports, I won't even get into that bullshit, I'm still mad about it), some of the shit she spews out is down-right stomach-churning for how corny it is, but Aidan was corny in a different way. He seemed more genuinely corny because he actually said a lot of really cliché statements aloud, to Carrie, in public. They all embarrassed me. So like maybe in that way they made sense together, but ultimately, their mutual affection for corniness wasn't enough to make their relationship work. Sometimes it lasts in love, but sometimes, it hurts instead.
Generally, it hurts instead. Stay strong, turtle doves.


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To the Columbus Jewish Community:
When the Jewish Community Center of Greater Columbus was founded in 1913, the underlying goal was to "relate the members of the organizations meeting within its walls to each other, to their families, to the community and, finally, to humanity…" endeavoring to "develop a responsibility to family, faith and nation."
The 2016 JCC Maccabi Games is a modern reflection of our work to fulfill this lofty goal. Today we celebrate your generosity, hospitality and involvement in providing support for the continuation of those enduring values, doing T'sedakah and instilling these goals in our youth and families from this generation to the next and building bridges to other Jewish communities.
Thanks to each of you, the hundreds of volunteers, all the host families, and especially our sponsors, the JCC Maccabi Games were a tremendous success. Together, we worked for over two years planning and gathering the right the team. We raised funds from over 200 donors. Our community rallied behind this effort 110%.
The week arrived suddenly as the countdown clock in the JCC Main Lobby struck zero. We proudly donned our multi colored t-shirts and welcomed teens, coaches, delegation heads, parents, siblings, grandparents and honored guests from far and wide.
Our community dazzled everyone with performances, blessings and meaningful ceremonies. Our JCC served over 8,000 meals and riders traveled the venue bus loop over 200 times. Volunteers gave over 10,000 hours of their time. Our sky lit up with a rainbow of fireworks to celebrate new relationships and say l'hitraot – goodbye and see you again, friends!
Our Columbus 2016 JCC Maccabi Games were all of this and much more. Friends reconnected. Families who had never attended the Games were moved to tears. Junior Maccabi athletes anticipated their turn to be part of the future games. Teens bonded and learned what it means to live, Rachmanus – prideful sportsmanship and respect. Jewish values were reflected in JCC Cares programming and Midot Medals as precious as Gold were awarded. Our JCC brought the community together for one goal –celebrating Jewish teens.
Justice Louis Brandeis once said, "Most of the things worth doing in the world had been declared impossible before they were done."
Thanks for making the 2016 JCC Maccabi Games possible and a cherished community success.
Benjamin S. Zacks
President, JCC Board of Directors
Jon & Karen Meyer
Chairs, Columbus 2016 JCC Maccabi Games


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Rêve's Chanterelle
Relle is Lark's half sister, and was born in 2010. She is the youngest member of our pack, and a champ! She's already earned her AKC Junior Hunter Title, and we foresee big things for our loyal and talented friend.
Our Miss Relle is a credit to her breed, sharing her talents in agility, obedience, swimming, hunting, and loyal companionship. Along with New Mexico Sporting Dogs' "Best of Breed, Sweeps" title, she has earned her Junior Hunter Title through the AKC. We are so proud of her, but even more importantly, she is a valued, lovable, and loyal member of our family, as well as a stalwart member of Reve Labrador Retriever pack.