text:
Dr. Rob Lancer
YOU NEVER HAVE A CHANCE TO RISE IF YOUR FEET FIGHT TO STAY ON THE GROUND Fear is not a "why." It is a limitation to reaching your dreams.
Fear is within all of us; it is one of the main emotions we all experience. In some instances, fear can work as a prompt or wake up call to take action. It can serve as one of our greatest motivators. However, it can also create a paralyzing feeling when doubt and uncertainty accompany it.
Some people are more inclined to pass on a situation where fear is present. It is most likely due to their upbringing. Now, I believe that parents should be honored and held in high esteem. However, many parents don' t realize that fear; doubt, and uncertainty can be passed down from generation to generation.
Really, fear is all about perspective. What others view as risky, others view as opportunities. Some people are taught to avoid fear and run from it. However, this is not an efficient strategy because fear is an emotion in our mind, and as you run further and further from it the feeling intensifies. The more you hide from your fears, the greater the power it has over you. Even though Teddy Roosevelt, said, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself," many have not heeded his advice. I believe this is because fear is not a pleasant emotion to think about or act toward resolving.
Some people have more inept fear than others. For some, it is easy to say, "Overcome your fears" because they have never truly faced the fear of the inner beast that lies within the intense anxiety.
Working in the area of fear, I have made a fascinating observation. A fear that intimidates and frightens one individual does not hold true for the next. Also, people with certain fears have difficulty understanding why another person would be fearful of something they find neutral and unintimidating.
Average fears are one issue. However, the more pressing issue is when irrational fears plague a child, teen, or college student. Irrational fears are hose fears that have no basis in the realm of reality. To make this problem worse, people with irrational fears have trouble asking people for help because they have trouble understanding and interrupting the fear. If that is not bad, enough, the fears and intrusive thoughts come at random times when there is no premise or basis for the concern at all.
Let' s review: , an irrational fear has no real world basis, occurs at random times, and cannot be expressed or understood by others. What a predicament this is when intrusive fears become intensified by large doses of anxiety and discomfort. So how does one go about getting help? Well, there is the specialist who is focused in on this area.
Although this is considered an illness of the mind, it is certainly not an accurate reflection of one's personality. That is why I make a point to always tell my patients that, there must be a crystal clear distinction between the person and the disorder.I believe that people do not have a disorder; rather, they must find a method to "reorder their thinking about their issue."
The importance lies in the fact that people equate the word "disorder" with meaning a malfunction or dysfunction in a person personality. They tend to make assumptions about people based on uneducated guesses and misinformation. They start treating the fully functioning person as someone who is different and is not the same as they used to be. However, I realize the strength and mental toughness these mind warriors have to wake up every morning in the face of fear and anxiety and push through the day. It is not that their personality has changed; it is that their mindset has shifted due to uncontrollable brain chemistry. Yes, my hero's are the kids, adolescents, and teens who can see through their current struggle and envision a brighter day when they will have overcome their inner obstacles and be stronger for it.
No one likes to think of or learn about the negative in life, but the negative in life leaves clues for success. Only when you have faced your inner fears and stared them down straight in the eye and defeated them will you understand the power of turning a negative into positive.
Who has ever given accolades to the people overcoming inner pain and mental illness? The stigma and misconceptions of the mentally ill stand and continue to live on because it is easier to look away and not educated yourself on what it is until it strikes home.
I am the comeback kid; I do not care if only one person's life changes due to my words. I am the unsung hero who wants to provide the inspiration to help those who look at their life as a failure. Being mentally ill is not the end; rather, , it is the beginning to get back up the 101st time after you have suffered for the last 3 or 5 or 10 or 20 years. It is never too late to get back up and fight with all the might you have to over come. I am the Rising Phoenix; I rise above the emotional pain. I challenge any individual to look to their right or left and not find a person who has suffered or been affected by depression or anxiety. However, we never know reveal our true self as we hide behind our inner masks.
We all must rise like the Phoenix and always remember that tough times do not last, tough people do." Each day that passes the more difficult it becomes. As you see people around you, see people living their lives with their mask. Emotional pain is incomparable to physical pain. However, emotional pain can be temporary. It might last for a month, a year, or years, but if you quit, emotional pain will be with you forever. How bad do you want to overcome and change your faith? You have no one but yourself.The Phoenix lives within all of us. The comeback kid lives inside of you, and you need to seek it out with all your courage, spirit, energy, and invincibility. Every day and night you move towards facing your fears, – no matter how challenging and painful it may be, you will wake up the next day stronger than before, and the light will begin to shine better on you.
You are the controller of your destiny.


text:
Smile Like
Never Before
In late 1996, Robert Ratliff and Jamie Bartley left the U.S. Air Force with a new mission of service in mind. The determined pair cofounded Gator Ceramics Dental Lab in 1997 with the goal of changing lives one smile at a time by partnering with the dental community.
"In the Air Force, Jamie and I were trained by some of the best Board Certified Prosthodontists in the world," said Ratliff. "We also had the rare opportunity to actually assist them as they did procedures on their patients. This gave us a unique clinical perspective of the restorations we were producing and allowed us to gain invaluable experience about how restorations need to be produced to look their best in the oral environment. We were trained in a culture focused on excellence, and we wanted to offer that level of skill in a civilian setting."
Ratliff and Bartley have a passion for partnering with clients through education and communication. "We communicate often with the dentist, the oral surgeon, and the patient so that all members of the team are clear about the process and desired results," said Ratliff. "We also learn from our clients as they share their dental experiences and customization needs."
In 2012, Jeff Thomas merged his company, Thomas Dental Ceramics, with Gator Ceramics. After 30 years in operation, Thomas had developed a reputation for producing some of the most esthetic restorations around and had become the area's leading expert on CAD/CAM technology.
Thomas, Bartley, and Ratliff have pooled experience and technology skills to operate one of the most revered dental labs in the nation. "We have been successful because we operate as an extension of the dental practice, working as a team with dentists and oral surgeons to create exceptional results," said Ratliff. "Our products speak for themselves."
Robert Ratliff
Robert is a native of Gainesville, FL (hence the name "Gator" Ceramics). He spent nine years stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City before leaving the military to pursue his dream of opening a dental lab.
Once he decided to act on his dream, he never looked back. "I had a lot of confidence in our business from the start simply because I knew how hard we were willing to work to be successful," said Ratliff.
Brenda, Robert's wife, shares his love for all things dental. She is employed as a dental assistant. Robert and Brenda have a 15-year-old son, Cody, and are members of Cypress Baptist Church.
Jamie Bartley
Jamie is a native of West Virginia and an honor graduate from the U.S. Air Force Dental Lab Training School. He has an associate degree in Business from Bossier Parish Community College as well as an associates degree in Dental Laboratory from the U.S. Air Force.
He and his wife, Cathy, have five children and are members of Cypress Baptist Church. When he is not on the job, Jamie can be found pursuing his second calling as a dedicated coach for youth football, basketball or baseball. "Our children are tomorrow's leaders," said Bartley. "Coaching is my way of investing in the future of our community and our country."
Jeff Thomas
Jeff is a Certified Dental Technician, a member of the National Association of Dental Labs and a sustaining member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He was also trained in the U.S. Air Force Dental Program, has earned an Associate's Degree in Dental Laboratory Technology, and is currently working toward a Bachelor's Degree in Dental Lab from the University of Texas.
Jeff has four children and two grandchildren. He is a member of Cypress Baptist Church. An avid runner, Thomas has competed in the Boston Marathon and is a member and coach at USA FIT Shreveport. He is also a free-lance sports photographer. "I believe in staying active," said Thomas. "My goal is to inspire others to do the same and have fun doing it."
Gator Ceramics ~ 1308 Driftwood Drive ~ Bossier City, LA 71111 ~ 318-747-3022

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Whilst on the hunt for worthy Linux BitTorrent clients The 5 Best Torrent Clients For Linux Read More I came across a handful of feature-packed apps, all vying for my attention. I immediately took to Deluge and qBittorrent, mainly due to the similarities with the fantastic uTorrent.
After using Deluge Deluge - An Awesome But Unappreciated Cross-Platform BitTorrent Client Read More for a good few months I started to notice the odd crack under the surface. My torrents weren't quite behaving exactly the way I wanted and it was costing me patience and disk space.
So I broke off my impromptu relationship with Deluge and switched to qBittorrent.
A Torrent Of Clients
It's no secret that there's a seemingly endless stream of BitTorrent The Torrent Guide for Everyone This beginner's guide is a great introduction to peer-to-peer file sharing with BitTorrent. Get started with torrent downloading in a safe and responsible way with our tips here. Read More clients available on the web. It can be difficult to carve away the crap when you're presented with so many options, so the qBittorrent team took a different approach. Aware of the success of the popular uTorrent client, the qBittorrent team took it upon themselves to create a similar client with the aim of developing a cross-platform client which retains full functionality regardless of the operating system.
At the moment there are still a couple of features missing, but the groundwork is done and the foundations laid provide a very stable and elegant tool to handle your downloads. The interface is clean and clutter-free, and anyone with who has used uTorrent in the past will immediately notice the similarities.
qBittorrent 2.6.4:
uTorrent 2.2:
The same default layout is present with labels and filters for sorting torrents on the left, menu buttons along the top and content, statistics and a status indicator along the bottom. On Linux by default the icons are pulled from your GNOME theme, which is a nice touch.
Under The Hood
The one main feature that qBittorrent lacks compared to uTorrent is extendibility. The only specific add-ons available are search engine scripts as opposed to the many apps available for uTorrent Put uTorrent On Steroids By Installing Extensions On It [Windows] Read More .
If you've no need for a million-and-one extra features in your torrent client then this won't bother you. There's a good few features already included (such as alternative speed limits, with scheduler) that many clients (Deluge, for example) bolt on as plugins.
There's also a web UI thrown in, which is great for controlling the client remotely via a web browser (and handy if you do your downloading on your main machine, and like to check in with your laptop).
The options panel is straightforward enough, with features and options categorised into 7 separate areas.
If you enable Display torrent content and some options in the Downloads tab then you'll be presented with a small window upon adding each torrent. Here you'll be able to choose a download location (your default location is shown automatically), contents (if you're downloading multiple files) and whether to start the download straight away.
There's also the option to download each file sequentially, in order. This is a great feature to have available, especially if you regularly download music and videos.
Once you've added a download there's the usual array of information regarding the tracker Three Ways to Find Open Registration on Private Torrent Sites Read More , peers and files and even in this view you'd be forgiven for thinking you were using uTorrent.
Windows and Mac users can download versions for their respective operating systems by making a selection from the binary packages on the download page [No Longer Available]. If you're running Linux then you can find packages and individual distribution instructions by choosing Linux from the binary packages list.
Ubuntu 8 Things That Keep You Coming Back to Ubuntu There is so much going on in the Linux world, from new features in GNOME Shell to the release of Plasma 5, and the amazing Elementary OS, so why do you stick with Ubuntu? Read More users can install via the Launchpad PPA by typing the following into a new Terminal window:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:hydr0g3n/ppa sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install qbittorrent
If you've been searching for that perfect client for Linux then qBittorrent is worth a look. Through a familiar interface, powerful features and stable performance the development team have developed a promising product.
For Windows users, plugins (or lack thereof) are irrefutably the main reason to stick with uTorrent at the moment. Then again, if you fancy a change…
Do you use BitTorrent? Have you tried qBittorrent? Any other clients that you absolutely love? Let us know in the comments below.
Affiliate Disclosure: By buying the products we recommend, you help keep the site alive. Read more.


text:
Dream Catcher By Jojoes Art Cross Stitch Kit - Jonas Joedicke (JJDRCTH)
Gecko Rouge modern cross stitch are proud to announce that we have teamed up with �©Jonas Joedicke. The matching needle minder is also available to purchase separately.
14 count: 18.57 x 25.14 inches
18 count: 14.44 x 19.56 inches
25 count: 10.40 x 14.08 inches
Stitches: 260 x 352
DMC colours: 72
This modern cross stitch kit measures:
Full glossy colour cover for reference
A black and white pattern with symbols
Pre-sorted DMC Stranded Cotton on thread cards
14,18 count aida or 25 count DMC Magic Guide evenweave complete with an extra 2-3 inch border around each side
Tapestry Needle
Full instructions with diagrams
Our kits are made to order so please take note of the processing time before purchase to avoid any disappointment. The manufacturing time will vary depending on the volume of orders pending.
The needle minder and cross stitch kit are sold separately
Needle minder details:
Our needle minders come with a strong magnets, they are used to hold your needle and your pattern while stitching. They even make great magnet clothes pin and refrigerator magnets.
The 38mm and the 58 mm will come in an organza gift bag
The 77mm are strong enough to hold most craft scissors and they will come in a gift box.
Important information about our needle minders: Our magnets are super strong and are to be kept away from electrical goods including pace makers. This is not a toy please keep away from children.
Disclaimer: The image shown is the mock up for the needle minder, we will do our up most to try match the layout each time but the image may vary slightly as these minders are made to order. Colours may vary due to the monitor screen.
Jonas' work is also available as fine prints which can be purchased directly from: http://sanguisgelidus.deviantart.com
�©Jonas Joedicke (artwork) �©GeckoRouge (cross stitch patterns)
|Identifier Exists:
|Jojoes Art


text:
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Southeastern Illinois seeing 'concerning' spike in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations
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The Southern


text:
Sulphur Odour Removal from Water
Hydrogen Sulphide or Sulphur as it is more commonly known, causes odours in your water stemming from decaying vegetation underground. It can be very unpleasant and smell like rotten eggs. It can be neutralised in several different ways:
Carbon Water Filters
A Carbon Filter will neutralise the odours in the water before entering your home, the carbon will absorb the Sulphur in most cases. The Carbon then exhausts and needs to be replaced.
Where the water will be pumped from one tank to another, allowing the water to be filtered by the natural air. Very effective but takes up allot of space.
Air Pump/Ozone
This is the newest method of removing Sulphur and the most effective by far. It uses a holding tank which is fed by the affected water supply. It utilises the same technology used by municipal water companies throughout the world to assure that you have the highest quality water possible. The system uses no chemicals or salt and requires very low maintenance. The system uses an ozone generator in combination with an air pump to continuously aerate the water which expels the Sulphur out of the water.


text:
Professor Eric Sirota joined Michigan Law School's Veterans Legal Clinic as a clinical teaching fellow. He spent the previous four years helping to run the University of Illinois College of Law's Community Preservation Clinic, which represented homeowners in foreclosure cases and other housing-related consumer protection matters. During his last year at Illinois, he also led the Elder Financial Justice Clinic, which helped protect seniors from financial exploitation in a variety of circumstances.
Professor Sirota has a diverse array of legal experience. Prior to beginning his career as a clinician, he worked as an assistant attorney general in the Illinois Attorney General's Consumer Fraud Bureau. There, he led investigations and litigation against an array of businesses, ranging from major pharmaceutical companies to late-night kitchenware advertisers to local roofing contractors. Most notably, Professor Sirota initiated and, until leaving the office, led litigation against Safeguard Properties, the nation's largest default property management company for evicting legal occupants from their homes. The lawsuit gained above-the-fold coverage in The New York Times and resulted in a settlement providing relief to Illinois consumers and prompting Safeguard to reform its practices. Prior to working with the Illinois Attorney General, Professor Sirota worked for Prairie State Legal Services, a legal aid organization in Central and Northern Illinois. Along with representing clients in a variety of matters, Professor Sirota served as Prairie State's representative on a statewide utility Percentage of Income Payment Plan implementation committee.
Professor Sirota graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2009. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in history, cum laude, from Brandeis University in 2004.
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text:
Hello Kitty's Pie Shop
by: Sanrio Digital • 17.2K
All Android applications categories
All Android games categories
by: Sanrio Digital • 17.2K
It's her famous and delicious pie! Join Hello Kitty in baking the most decadent and appetizing pastries in her newest official game: Hello Kitty's Pie Shop.
Hello Kitty's Pie Shop is a fun sim game that lets you play as Hello Kitty in her kitchen. Don a baker's apron and hat to start making the best cakes and pies in town.
Choose from a wide variety of shapes for your base, select different fillings, cover it, bake it, take your creation out of the oven and decorate your pie with various colorful, mouth-watering toppings!
After you're done, you can share your delectable creation with your friends!
1. The cute and cuddly Hello Kitty joins us to bake delicious treats!
2. Cute and lovely graphics as only Hello Kitty can deliver.
3. A wide variety of ingredients and pie options.
4. Design and decorate your creation with loads of delicious toppings.
** Please note that while the app is free, please be aware that it contains paid content for real money that can be purchased upon users' wish to enhance their gaming experience.You may control in-app purchases made within this app using password protection which can be enabled from the setting page of the Google Play Store app. **
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Weight Loss Stories
How I Got an 'A' in Weight Loss
By hitting the books, Professor Lynne Logan shed pounds fast.
Name: Lynne Logan
Current Weight: 130 lb
Pounds Lost: 60
Height: 5'7″
Occupation: English Professor
As a college professor, I have a hunger for learning. Unfortunately, I also had a hunger for treats such as doughnuts and soft drinks, which led me to gain nearly 54 pounds over 20 years.
My efforts to lose the weight always fizzled. The grapefruit diet? Got sick of citrus. Liquid meals? Chalky shakes for breakfast and lunch were not for me. As I ballooned from a size 8 to a 16 and beyond, I never admitted that I had a "real" problem. I figured I was just destined to be a rounder, curvier version of my younger self.
Then I got my wake-up call. While online one day, I landed on a Web site called eDiets.com. Out of curiosity, I typed my height and weight into its BMI (body mass index) calculator. Imagine my shock when the word obese flashed across my screen. Me? Obese? I never would have imagined it. That one word shocked me into getting serious about my weight and my health.
From Teacher Back to Student
As an English professor, I didn't know much about nutrition, exercise, and health, but as I tell my students, learning begins with doing your homework. So I decided to approach weight loss as if it were a research project. I stacked up a variety of nutrition books, determined to pull out the best tidbits and create a plan that fit my lifestyle and personality.
I pored over The South Beach Diet by Dr. Arthur Agatston, Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution, and 8 Minutes in the Morning by Jorge Cruise, and was amazed at what I learned–how your body stores excess calories, and how it breaks down sugar. The more I educated myself, the easier it was to formulate a diet plan.
Turning Knowledge into Action
I started my weight loss plan with the one rule the experts agreed upon: You must burn more calories than you eat. And I was eating a lot. I whittled my Pepsi habit down from six to two per day, and eventually switched to Diet Pepsi and water. I also eliminated fried foods, mostly by avoiding fast-food restaurants.
If I needed to eat and run, I microwaved frozen Lean Cuisine and Weight Watchers entrées instead. When possible, I replaced refined carbs with whole grain foods, such as whole wheat pizza crusts and whole grain breads. To burn more calories, I started walking for 20 minutes a day. In 2 weeks I had dropped 15 pounds. I was hooked.
I continued researching and experimenting, keeping the tips that worked, tossing the ones that didn't. I didn't care for all the protein in the Atkins diet, but eating a bit more poultry and meat did increase my energy. I put pictures of myself at my heaviest weight on the refrigerator to keep me from overeating, and I hung photos of thin celebrities like Jennifer Aniston in my office to remind me of my weight loss goals. For a while I wrote down everything I ate, as Cruise recommends. Reviewing what I had already eaten helped me stay on track when facing temptation.
Kicking It into High Gear
By March 2003, nearly a year after the word obese taunted me from my computer monitor, I'd lost 30 pounds. But my efforts suddenly stalled when I hit a weight of about 160. Now that I was thinner, I was burning fewer calories (a fact I learned from a trainer at the gym I had joined to help jump-start my weight loss again). To keep shedding pounds, I needed to rev my metabolism. The experts recommended strength training, so I began to build and tone my muscles by using free weights and Nautilus machines.
Other habits, changed, too. I noticed that the more TV I watched, the more I was tempted to snack–especially after Nestlé Toll House cookie commercials! So I whittled my viewing habit down from 30 hours a week to less than 8, eliminating all shows except for the news and a few favorites like CSI:Miamiand Crossing Jordan. I also found that by allowing myself three bites of a 3 Musketeers bar or other treat, I could satisfy a sweets attack without sidelining my diet.
As time went on, I kept learning to make smarter choices. If I couldn't get to the gym, I'd pop in one of The Firm exercise videos. Or if the weather was lousy, I'd head to the mall for my walk. I chose lean ground chuck over fattier beef, white meat over dark, rice pilaf instead of potatoes, and turkey bacon rather than the real thing. I never felt deprived, but I did feel proud of myself, my slimmer figure, and, most important, my new wealth of knowledge.
Today, I'm at my goal weight of 130. Looking back, it's surprising that I didn't see the key to weight loss sooner. It's education.
Source: Prevention
Republished by Blog Post Promoter


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Rented Heart (Rented Heart #1) by Garrett Leigh: Review by Lost in a Book
Ex-surfer-turned-businessman Liam Mallaney moved back to Holkham, Norfolk, to mourn the loss of his husband. Grief and loneliness keep him a solitary figure, and he likes it that way. There's no room in his broken heart for anything else.
Rentboy Zac Payne left London and most of his demons behind, but he still only knows one way to make a living. When he spots Liam in a club one night, it seems he's found his mark. But Liam proves nicer—and their connection far deeper—than he'd bargained for.
Their arrangement quickly becomes too complicated for Zac, who has other things on his mind: namely his BFF and wayward flatmate, Jamie. Zac owes Jamie the world, and even as Jamie's drug addiction destroys all they have, Zac won't leave him behind.
Besides, Liam knows nothing of Zac's home life, too caught up in his own head to think much beyond the crazy heat he and Zac share. But when trouble comes to Zac's door, putting his life in danger, Liam must set his grief and anger aside to pick up the pieces of Zac's shattered heart and his own.
4.5 Stars
Can someone tell me WHY I waited so long to read this? I feel like it's been on my TBR forever. Can someone also explain to me how it's even possible that I've never read Garrett Leigh before? How the hell did that happen? I've got many other reads from her just chillin' on my TBR that I need to tackle STAT. Anywhoo, my GL cherry is popped and this rent boy read was definitely the way to go.
"Oh, and by the way, it's a hundred for the fuck . . . three if you want to stay all night."
The blurb does a great job of setting the stage for this story and the events that follow. I was swooning big time with its Pretty
Woman feel. Zac and Liam worked for me in a huge way. Their connection is instant yet they are slow to identify it as more. Liam is an oasis for Zac away from the exhausting reality of his difficult circumstances. He never acts like a john to Zac and slowly begins breaking down his walls. The sneaky thing about crumbling walls is daring to hope for a better life.
"You're not a john." Liam pushed the money back. "Then you'll never be my whore."
Liam is lost after the death of his husband and Zac becomes the perfect distraction while providing physical release and then friendship. He understands what Zac is doing when they aren't together and doesn't let it interfere with what they're building. Misunderstandings and Zac's loyalty to his best friend cause some heartbreak and gut punching angst. Their HEA is hard-fought and shines a bright light through the melancholy that hangs over much of the story. I knew it was going to hurt and it hurt so good. Liam's support system outside of Zac was positive, accepting, and encouraging. They want Liam happy and don't care how that came to be.
Trigger warning for drugs. This was a successful cherry popping. They say you always remember your first. *wink* I wish there was more backstory on Zac's life prior to being a rent boy. Other than that, I definitely enjoyed this and can't wait for Jamie's story.
"There's someone worth knowing in every smile you see."
Copy provided for honest review.


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|Sighting Report
|Occurred : 5/19/2010 01:00 (Entered as : 05/19/2010 01:00)
Reported: 2/5/2011 5:46:31 PM 17:46
Posted: 2/8/2011
Location: Congress (near), AZ
Shape: Sphere
Duration:15 minutes
|I can describe it, but I still don't know what it was: alien probe, military, possible living organism.
Encounter on a Lonely Desert Road By ((name deleted))
The beams of my headlights seemed to be chasing elusive shadows cast against the desert sage as I drove through the dark moonless night towards Congress, Arizona. Retired now, a gold prospector with the time to fulfill my quest for the big nugget, my thoughts then were of gold and only gold…that was about to change. Just about midnight and just South of the middle of nowhere, I had stopped and pulled off the road to relieve myself and take a break from driving, and it was at this moment that I first saw what I thought to be a helicopter with a bright searchlight circling the area southwest of me. Having served with the U.S.A.F., I have seen many types of aircraft, but this was something I had never seen before. It was a red light intermittently beaming a brilliant, focused white light down to the ground as if to be looking for someone or something, and I thought what or who would be way out there, and why there were no strobe I.D. lights on the helicopter. I didn't ! give it much more thought and got back in the car and grabbed a cigarette, lit up and gazed back towards the southwest. The chopper was now circling closer to me and although my window was down, there was no noise…and I thought that was really strange. Suddenly, what I thought was a helicopter flying at 500 feet was much smaller and much closer; in fact, it was now just on the other side of the road and was about 10 feet off the ground, hovering. I flicked the cigarette out the window. I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. Am I hallucinating? "What the ____ is that?" My heart beating fast and my mind spinning, I watched as the object as it moved through the sparse vegetation, stopping now and then to illuminate the ground beneath with its powerful beam of white light, and then it appeared to morph into two tiny red lights, like twin LED's (light emitting diodes) and started to cross the road towards me. Now as it approached my car, it suddenly morphed back into its former shape: a spherical orb about the size of a softball, bright red (DOT emergency red, like a tail-light). Was this military? Is this a living organism? Perhaps an alien probe? It was now six feet in front of my car, four feet off the ground, just hovering. What the ____is this thing??? Somehow, I don't think it's military…no stars, insignia or guns…(chuckle) I noticed that although the red light emitted from this thing was very bright to my eyes, it wasn't casting shadows and did not reflect from the surrounding bushes or from the polished surface of my hood. I could see the surface of this thing seemed to be fluid- like, and composed of what appeared to be millions of tiny dots of light swirling around very fast and was very hard for my eyes to focus on it. The perimeter seemed to fuzz out at the edges, like an aura or halo. The light seemed to be luminous rather than projected, and was not radiating any heat that I could feel.
It's amazing what goes through your head when confronted with an un-known like this… a memory of Dr. XXXXXXXX of S.E.T.I. explaining that most UFO sightings are mostly swamp gas or weather balloons…Hey Doc! Here's one that will fit right up your telescope! At this moment, I was toying with the idea of getting out of my car to approach the orb and try to communicate with it.
Suddenly, the orb started to move a little closer to me, and my curiosity was overcome by fear… I felt panic consume me and simultaneously engaged the engine and hit the lights. The orb reacted by backing away slightly. Illuminated by my headlights, I could plainly see that there were no mechanical parts or structure. I slammed the gearshift into drive, and floored it. I wanted to put as much distance between that thing and me as fast as possible. I warily glanced in the rear-view mirror and was horrified to realize that it was pursuing me down the road at 90 mph.
I grabbed my cell phone and hurriedly called 911. NO SERVICE. I started laughing out loud. Who the hell would believe me if I reported being chased by a hovering, glowing red softball? They would think I was drunk or stoned out of mind! The little town of Congress had already rolled up the sidewalks and turned off the lights, and not a soul stirring…well, it was 1:00 a.m. Arizona time. I decided to park in a vacant lot near the Fire Station right off the main highway.
For the next two or three hours, I watched odd lights moving through the dark moonless night. I found that my eyesight had been affected by looking at the orb, and I could not focus on any bright light source. Whatever I tried looking at seemed to move away into periphery. Needless to say, I stayed parked there and tried my best to go to sleep and forget about what I had seen.
Later, when I arrived home in California a couple of days later, I also noticed that my eyesight had not only been temporarily affected, but it had improved to some extent, and now can read small print without the use of my reading glasses.
I have shared this story with a few friends, but I notice that their eyes glaze over and I realize that they don't believe what I saw. If someone told me this story, I don't think that I would believe it myself. All said, I swear that this report is absolutely true and accurate to the best of my knowledge.
DATE: May 19, 2010
LOCATION: 3 miles West of Congress, Arizona 34N09'06.16 112W52'50.13 TIME: approximately 0100hrs
CONDITIONS: Very dark, clear sky, stars visible, no clouds, wind 0-5mph
TEMPERATURE: 67 degrees f.
UFO SHAPE: Perfect sphere, Orb, approx. 4-6 inches in diameter
UFO COLOR: Bright red (DOT emergency red)
DISTANCE AT FIRST SIGHT: approximately ½ mile to the Southwest @ 30 degrees
ELEVATION AT FIRST SIGHT: approximately 500 feet above the ground.
PROXIMITY: (closeness) 6 feet
ORIGIN: unknown
PURPOSE: seemingly searching for something, curious
COMPOSITION: Plasma, pure light, ability to transform itself, ???
MODE OF FLIGHT: unknown


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"Awareness is the power you need to take control."
Throughout each day you're constantly talking to yourself. It's completely normal. We all do it. In fact we do it so much that our subconscious mind accepts what we say as truth. This acceptance forms the beliefs that we have of ourselves, and how we perceive that others see us.
If your self-talk is negative, your beliefs about yourself will be also. On the flip side, if your self-talk is positive and self-empowering, so is the image and the beliefs you have of yourself.
Take time today and tune in to how you're speaking to yourself. Identify precisely what beliefs you're forming based on your self-talk and bring them to your conscious mind. Question them, scrutinize them, and become familiar with what are they telling you.
The awareness gained by doing this is the first major step toward an empowerment that will affect everything in your life!
©Jane Powell – Meditations for Women
Today's Affirmation: I am aware of my self-talk and its power.


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We are just wrapping up one of my favorite units - Native American Indians. During each unit, our room reflects our unit and student learning.
In READING, we have been using Native American Legends during our "Story Element" unit as we study Character, Setting, Conflict, Resolution, and events that help create the plot and build toward the Climax.
After studying, how characters change throughout a story, we discovered that many Native American Indians had multiple names based off their actions throughout their lives. We then created our own Native American Names and symbols.
The Northwest American Indian tribes created totem poles to share their family heritage and to tell their stories. Using creative WRITING, along with our READING lesson on "Character Traits," we created short paragraphs that described each of our family members on our totem poles. We assigned an animal to each member of our families according to the character traits applied to what the Natives applied to that animal.
As with each unit, students are required to read at least one NON-FICTION text on our social studies unit. They fill out a sheet highlighting the who, what, when, where, why, how as well as find one FUN FACT to add to our Wall of Facts for the unit. They are also encouraged to test on the
book to get a running record of non-fiction comprehension and practice.
In WRITING, we have been working on creating strong expository (informational) paragraphs. After creating dream catchers with our grandparents, we went on to research them more and write about them.
In both SCIENCE and SOCIAL STUDIES the kids are researching how plants, animals, and Native American groups ADAPTED to their environments.
In MATH, students worked with fractions to create "maize" or corn {bread} which was a dietary staple for many Native American groups. It is one of the newly discovered products from the New World, brought back to Europe, Africa, and Asia by early explorers.
For our Thanksgiving Celebration, we enjoyed eating our corn bread muffins, created by the students during math class using fractions. We also made homemade butter using an old fashioned technique of "Churning" much like the Europeans would have used during the time of early exploration. Dairy Animals, such as goats and cows, were old world products brought to the Americans by explorers.
Do any of you teach thematically?


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Create a Ning Network!
Tennis partners that play at McFetridge in Chicago. All levels welcome, scroll through the players on the right to find a good match.
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The May issue of Health Management Technology includes a great infograpic represending data from a new IBM study finding the vast majority of CFOs (82%) see the value of integrating enterprise-wide data, but only 24% think their team is up to the task. This is a 205% increase in the gap between the importance of data and the ability to exploit its value since the question was first asked in 2005, showcasing a critical divide in the skills and capabilities for today's finance teams.
The study, entitled "Pushing the Frontiers," is based on findings from face-to-face conversations with 576 CFOs from around the world.


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Is it me, or are Americans becoming increasingly stupider as time goes by? We're told that banks and mortgage companies made a bunch of stupid mistakes which resulted in an economic meltdown. So to save us from the economic meltdown, we were told we have to give $700 billion to the same banks that put […]
Entries Tagged as 'Stupidity'
How Stupid Are We?
December 22nd, 2008 · 2 Comments
Tags: Corporations · greed · Stupidity
Rubber Ducky, You're The One
October 16th, 2004 · 3 Comments
Tags: Stupidity
Low Slung Brains, or The Fashion Police
April 23rd, 2004 · No Comments
Tags: Stupidity
Citibank Customers Beware
December 5th, 2003 · No Comments
Tags: Stupidity
Talk About Dropping A Bomb…
November 12th, 2003 · No Comments
There mere title of this article is both an appalling and chilling reminder of the ignorance of the so-called intelligent among us.
My first response is, "Yes. And annihilation of the planet will end world hunger."
Now word yet on how much the Bush Administration is paying for this new(que-lur) PR campaign.
Tags: Stupidity
"LadyLawyer" vs. Lady Luck
September 17th, 2003 · 2 Comments
Lady Luck tonight brings a comment to my blog from a "LadyLawyer."
Now, as a law student myself, I'm always excited when lawyers visit my blog. One thing about lawyers is that after approximately four years of a grueling post-graduate education with an emphasis on analyzing and building logical arguments, you can have some truly terrific and inspiring debates that are often quite enlightening to both sides, so long as each party keeps an open mind.
Like this one, for instance…
Tags: Stupidity
One More Reason to Hate Homeowner Associations
September 13th, 2003 · No Comments
Tags: Stupidity
How Do Spammers…
September 5th, 2003 · No Comments
…get my e-mail address, someone writes to ask me today.
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No Spin Spins Out Again
September 4th, 2003 · 5 Comments
Tags: Stupidity


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Beroth Oil History
Beroth Oil Company was founded in July, 1958 as V. V. Beroth Oil Co. with V. V. Beroth, Sr. as the sole owner. Beroth was founded as a Fuel Distributor for the Amoco Oil. Co, distributing gasoline and fuel oil (home heating oil) in the Winston-Salem, North Carolina area. The owner purchased three tank wagons from the previous distributor (R. W. Craft) when Amoco Oil consolidated its operations at its Friendship terminal in Guilford County, North Carolina. Beroth was an agent for Amoco until 1964 when thru the leadership of Amoco's district manger, W. B Paterson, it became a Jobber for Amoco in Forsyth, Yadkin, and a portion of Davidson and Guilford counties in N.C. The business was fitst a Cartage Contractor with Amoco becoming a Jobber in December 1964. The business aspects continued to blossom with the adding of automotive products known as TBA (tires, batteries accessories) in the early 1960's.
Since the beginning, all of Beroth's four sons have worked in the business while either holding down others jobs or attending school. Beroth's sons, V. V. Beroth, Jr., George, Thornton and Winfield started working full-time at different times with Vernice starting after graduation from High Point University with responsibilities of driving a fuel oil/gasoline tank wagon and office duties. V. V. Beroth, Jr was the first son to join the business full-time. Winfield joined the business full-time after graduation from Appalachian State University in 1965 with duties that included driving a fuel oil tank wagon and TBA sales.. Thornton joined the business in 1969 with the purchase of Joyner Oil Co, in Mt. Airy, N. C after his stint as a Charles Chip distributor. He served as the manager of Beroth Oil Co. of Mt. Airy, Inc. Then George joined the business in the middle 1970's after working, at R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Co for a number of years. In the late 1970's, Beroth and his sons purchased Myers Oil Company, Statesville, N. C., and Yadkin Oil Company, Yadkinville, N. C. After this acquisition, Beroth's sons where working all over the Piedmont section of N. C. V. V. Beroth Jr. was manager of V. V. Beroth Oil Co. Inc. in Winston- Salem, George was manager in Yadkin Oil Company in Yadkinville a division of Beroth Oil Co. of Statesville, Thornton was manager of Beroth Oil Company of Mt. Airy, Inc and Winfield was manager of the Statesville operation, Beroth Oil Co. of Statesville, Inc. In the mid 1980's, Beroth Oil Co. of Statesville, Inc. purchased J. & J Oil Company in Elkin North Carolina and George assumed the managerial duties of this operation. The first convenience store was built in Mt. Airy in the late 1970's with the building of a kiosk operation with a small area for selling other convenience items. Other convenience stores were added in the 80's and 90's V. V. Beroth, Sr. retired from the daily operations of the company in the mid 1980's but still today visits the office frequently. Convenience stores began popping up in the Piedmont section of N. C. and a common name was needed for operations. The name Four Brothers Food Stores was adopted as the trading name for all of the Beroth Oil convenience stores in the mid to late 1980's where the number had grown to more than twenty-five. All of the Beroth companies were merged in the early 90's to form Beroth Oil Co with V. V. Beroth, Jr. as President, George, V.P. western territories, Thornton, V. P., northern territories, and Winfield as VP Director of Convenience Stores with headquarters in Winston-Salem. In the 1990's a third generation of Beroth's started working with Beroth Oil with the sons of Vernice (Walter), George (Kevin) and Winfield (Vic). Vernice, George and Thornton retired in the early 00's but continue to hold stock in the corporation and serve on the companies Board of Directors. Each regularly drop by the office for updates of business activities.
In 2011, Winfield retired and the third generation took the helm. Today, Beroth Oil is operated by Walter (president), Kevin (VP), and Vic (VP).


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Cameron Diaz feels stronger than ever
Cameron Diaz says she has no regrets about the mistakes she committed in the past
Cameron Diaz may have a long list of ex-lovers, but that doesn't mean she's not learnt from her past mistakes.
The 42-year-old actress has never walked the aisle and according to her latest interview, she is in no hurry to, either. Pic/Getty Images
While speaking to an American magazine, the actress spoke about what she's gleaned from previous relationships. "You make the same mistake over and over again until you learn your lesson.
We girls sometimes do the thing where we pick the same person over and over again. They look and seem different, but deep down, they're the same. And that's on us," said the Sex Tape star.
Diaz's past flames include A-listers such as Justin Timberlake, Jared Leto and Alex Rodriguez.
The 42-year-old, who is romantically linked to Benji Madden, did not acknowledge rumours about her current relationship status, but she did share thoughts on what makes for a good partner.
"You have to find someone who is in the same place as you are. Timing is everything. If you get into a relationship where you want something the guy doesn't want, it's never gonna work," added Diaz.
Sign up for all the latest news, top galleries and trending videos from Mid-day.comSubscribe


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Manhattan Institute maintains an active placement service to assist graduates in locating career opportunities in the medical field. Placement Advisement is provided to all our Allied Medical graduates without additional cost.
This is accomplished not only by presentation of graduates as potential career professionals to employers, but also through aiding in the graduates' development of a positive self-image, and in assessing competencies, strengths, and career expectations.
Although Manhattan Institute does not guarantee employment in the students' career field, it is our goal to help every student realize a high degree of personal and professional development and successful employment.
What organizations have hired Manhattan Institute graduates?
The continued success of Manhattan Institute is mirrored in the success of our graduates. Our goal is to provide the necessary tools for students to acquire gainful employment in their fields of study. We have thousand of graduates who are now working in Hospitals, Nursing Homes, Doctors' Offices and Health Care Facilities, throughout New York, the Tri-state area, the United States, and even throughout the world. Below is a small sample of health care facilities who have provided exciting job opportunities for graduates:


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8 Pieces of Advice About Living in Ukraine
This was originally a guest post at Red Pill Reviews.
Living in Ukraine can be an intimidating experience for many. Truthfully, this country is sort of like the wild, wild West at times. The worst days make you want to pull your hair out, and the best days are still quite an adventure.
With that being said, here is a list of every little detail you could use in regards to visiting or living in Ukraine.
#1: The English Levels Are Poor, So Ask "Properly"
In Ukraine, people are terrified to speak English.
But it doesn't mean they can't.
So when you go and order food at a restaurant, it's important to do it the right way. This means that you draw no attention whatsoever to the fact that you're speaking English.
For example, when you go to McDonald's and order at the counter, you should say, "Do you speak English?" but in a quiet tone.
99% of the time, they will simply say "So-so."
This is your cue to just order. Do not put the employees in a spot where they must speak to you. Rather, it should be you speaking to them. This alleviates all of the pressure of coming up with words from their shoulders. Most people in Ukraine understand English reasonably well. So you just speak and they listen, and take down your order.
It allows them to save face and makes them look smart because other people saw them "speaking" English.
#2: Get Used To Poor Customer Service
Simply put, customer service is not a thing in Ukraine.
It will take you 10 minutes to get a menu when you sit down. 20 minutes to get the check. It's just the way things are here.
Life moves at a slower pace when you live in a former Soviet capital which, frankly, as of now doesn't have much of a hope of ever truly prospering from an economic standpoint. When you have such little financial incentive, people simply aren't motivated.
This spills over into aspects that affect tourists (such as customer service in restaurants).
Try to understand that their way of life is a bit different when you are interacting in these situations.
#3: "Get Used To It"
No, you can't substitute the sour cream and dill for cheese and hot sauce.
No, you can't have your burger with 75% of the contents "on the side".
Things simply don't work this way in Ukraine. People will look at you with a confused face if you try to pull off elaborate switches like this. And it will never come out correctly.
A simple substitution is often okay.
"I'll have a burger, no mayo."
That will usually work out okay.
But beyond that–just remember that you're not in the Western world.
#4: The Dating Culture Is Different
When's the last time you had to go on three dates to have sex with a girl in a Western country?
Imagine if that was the normal thing.
In Ukraine, the dating culture is vastly different. Very rarely are the cases where you push too hard to kiss a girl on the first night, much less try to bring her home and fuck her.
Instead, it's far better to employ a three date strategy with Ukrainian girls. The first date should be a simple coffee, or maybe a beer. You can take a walk and hold hands. At the end of the night, you can try to kiss her. However, if she turns you down it's no big deal.
This is where guys go wrong.
In the Western world, if you don't kiss a girl on the first date…well, you're probably not getting a second one.
In Ukraine, you can not kiss a girl for two dates and she will still be thrilled to keep going out with you. Confused yet? Thought so.
Simply put, it doesn't matter. As a foreigner, you have high value compared to her–so it's acceptable to go at a slower pace.
What comes after that innocent first date?
The second date can be the same thing. Just enjoy each others times. Often times in Ukraine plans are made at the last minute. So, if at 4:30pm she texts you asking if you want to "go for a walk" (yes, they will literally want to do this), JUST GO.
It's important to put in that kind of facetime with a Ukrainian girl.
On the third date, you can invite her over and cook dinner with her. By that point though, if she really likes you, she'll likely have already mentioned cooking for you. Even if it doesn't happen on the third date, just go on another date or two.
Not banging her doesn't decrease your chances of banging her in the future.
As long as you enjoy her company, you should continue going out with her. Eventually, it'll happen.
If you want to meet Ukrainian girls online, read this article for advice.
#5: The Internet Is Not Fast And Not Secure
The internet in Ukraine is simply not that fast. You'll rarely find an apartment where you can top a 25mbps download speed.
In addition, many, many places have unsecured wireless networks. So if you do any sort of online business or dealings–make sure you've got a good VPN setup and installed for your trip.
#6: Ukrainians Are A Bit Racist
There's no way around this. Most of them will admit to this, too.
Simply put, they do not like dark-skinned people. They are racist against these types, who have for many years showed up in their country and made unskilled advances on their women. They're naturally protective of their culture. This likely comes from being ruled by Russia for so long.
If you're dark skinned, or simply not white, expect to be looked at with a bit of distaste.
#7: There Is A Scamming Culture
This is difficult to explain.
But in Ukraine, scamming people who are not locals is almost seen as a badge of honor. Getting away with sneaking some extra charges on the bill, or insisting on money after giving you directions, is seen as an accomplishment.
People will 100% take advantage of Western tourists. So, watch out for your general well-being.
#8: Your Money Goes Far, But Don't Flaunt It
As of writing this, the United States Dollars is worth about 26 Ukrainian Hryvnias.
In short, everything is crazy cheap. You can get entire three course meals for less than $5.
This doesn't mean you should flaunt this money. Don't show off too much on dates. Don't throw money around at a club. Just don't be stupid. Flaunting this money is how you get scammed (see #7) and bring unnecessary attention on yourself.
Don't get it wrong–having a currency advantage is amazing. But you should do it the right way. Use this currency advantage to enjoy your time, but don't overdo it to the point that you find yourself in trouble.
Ukraine is an amazing place to visit, and an even better place to spend for a longer stay.
Despite that, it's not all butterflies and rainbows. Failure to educate yourself properly about the culture and safety of the country will make your experience less fulfilling.
But if you do, the possibilities for fun and adventure are endless.


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Sunday, September 30, 2012
work in progress...
Posted by Vickie at 8:39 PM 2 comments:
Labels: fine silver, jewellery, jewelry, new, new pieces, pmc, precious metal clay, sanding, scratch foam, texture, work in progress, working
Saturday, September 29, 2012
just a little change...
I've been wanting to re-design my blog for a while now - I liked the old design, but it felt like time for a change.
So I've gone, well, not-quite minimalist, but with a simpler, cleaner look. I thought that since what you actually visit a blog for is the content - & I post lots of photos - a clean, bright space was the way to go.
I also felt my sidebar was getting a bit long, so I've gotten rid of some of the things that were on it & shifted others. Rather than having all the blogs I follow showing, I have a short list (which will change every so often) & a link to a longer list.
It's probably not finished - I'm sure I'll be tweaking it for ages yet - but I think the dramatic stuff has happened (for now anyway).
So, what do you think?
Thursday, September 27, 2012
I finished my first piece from the silver course - a simple silver ring. I measured, cut, annealed, shaped, soldered, pickled, sanded & polished my oval silver wire. Originally I was going to give it a brushed finish, but I've decided I like it shiny (plus I spent ages making it shiny, I don't want to undo all my hard work, lol). It's not perfect, but I'm really happy with it anyway.
Currently I'm working on some design ideas for my next piece - we're going to learn to rivet :)
I've also been enjoying the beginnings of some warmer weather - warm enough for sandals even. Although it will be cold again for the next few days - the joys of spring.
& been baking again - Sticky Gooey Lemon Brownies this time (a Pinterest find). Although given the lack of chocolate, we've decided to call them Lemon Blondies. They were pretty popular - let's just say I didn't need to find a very big container to store them in!
Posted by Vickie at 10:22 PM 8 comments:
Labels: baking, course, handmade, Jam Factory, lemon, lemon blondies, lemon brownies, recently, ring, silver, silversmithing, spring, sterling silver
Monday, September 24, 2012
moody blues { melbourne }
Kathryn has started posting about her Melbourne trip & it has inspired me to have another look at the photos I took when I went last year & start posting some again.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
working 925 {or, what I got for my birthday}
'twas my birthday last week & my lovely family was very good to me yet again. My big present (& the one I knew I was getting) is a seven week introductory silversmithing course, run by/at the Jam Factory. The first class was this week & although I don't have anything to photograph yet, it was good fun.
My sneaky family did sneak in a couple of surprises too - a lovely notebook from ShePinTea & a beautiful dish by Creativewithclay. Plus of course another awesome card, drawn by my brothers :)
Posted by Vickie at 8:28 PM 2 comments:
Labels: 925, birthday, card, ceramic, course, dish, gifts, learning, notebook, presents, silversmithing, sterling silver
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Milk & Choc Chip Cupcakes
When I saw these gorgeous cupcake over on Raspberri Cupcakes, I knew they had to go on my 'to-bake' list (which is alarmingly long, darn you pinterest). As we've never quite gotten the cookie-dough obsession in this house, I felt quite safe leaving that part of the recipe out. And sadly, my cupcakes are much less fancy than the ones Steph made.
I did make the condensed milk icing & even had a go at piping it on. Although the icing did taste awesome, the general consensus was that it was a bit much in piped quantities, so I only did one each like that - the rest I spread a smaller amount on.
Even without the icing the cupcakes were delicious - next time I'll probably just make them & not do the icing at all. I doubled the cupcake recipe (adding an extra egg), which made 30 cupcakes. I only did a single batch of icing, which made a nice amount per cupcake - even with the piped ones.
choc chip cupcakes with milk icing
from raspberri cupcakes
(makes 12-15 cupcakes)
For the cupcakes:
125g unsalted butter, at room temperature
155g sugar
2 eggs
225g self-raising flour + 1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
Optional: 1/2-2/3 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips (or finely chopped chocolate)
For the icing:
350g unsalted butter, chopped into cubes
400g icing/confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 can (200g/7 oz) sweetened condensed milk
Make the chocolate chip cupcakes; Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer at high speed. Beat in eggs one at a time and then fold milk, flour, salt into the mixture until smooth.
Stir chocolate chips into the mixture and then spoon into a 12-hole cupcake tray lined with papers.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until cupcakes are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool in tin for 5 minutes and then cool completely on a wire rack.
Prepare the icing; remove the butter from the fridge about 30 mins before starting.
Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high until smooth and fluffy, then reduce speed and gradually add icing sugar. Beat again on high until well combined. Add condensed milk and beat on high until fluffy.
Place in a piping bag fitted with a 1cm round tip and pipe swirls on top of cupcakes. Or spread generously with a knife. Can be served immediately or stored in the fridge in an airtight container for several days. Remove from the fridge 30 mins before serving.
Posted by Vickie at 8:13 PM 2 comments:
Labels: baking, choc chip, chocolate, cupcakes, delicious, icing, milk and choc chip, raspberri cupcakes, recipe, sweet, vanilla
Thursday, September 13, 2012
flight { the teleidoscope }
dreaming of flight - week #37 of The Teleidoscope - Flight.
also, today was my birthday :)
on Flickr
Posted by Vickie at 9:19 PM 2 comments:
Labels: 50mm lens, feather, flickr, flight, photographs, photography, self portrait, sp, the teleidoscope, week 37
Friday, September 7, 2012
I'm battling another cold, which combined with a couple of trips to Adelaide has made for a not very productive week. Hopefully the cold won't hang around much longer, as I have far more interesting things to do than hang around coughing.
On a more positive note I've caught up with my godmother a couple of times - she's been living in the US for many years now & we don't get to see her very often. Also caught up with some family friends & collected some weary travellers from the airport - there will be a post or three about that here very shortly, I'm sure.
I've been featured by the lovely Shelley on her blog Spinatomy.
And spring has well & truly sprung, at least in the garden...
Posted by Vickie at 7:15 PM 2 comments:
Labels: 50mm lens, blossoms, bokeh, cold, peach blossom, photographs, photography, recently, spring
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
...just a drop...
Posted by Vickie at 9:52 PM 3 comments:
Labels: apricot blossom, blossom, bokeh, droplet, drops, flower, macro lens, nature, photographs, photography, raindrop, stamen
Saturday, September 1, 2012
seven deadly sins { the teleidoscope }
the dragon's hoard {greed} - week #35 of The Teleidoscope - Seven Deadly Sins.
on Flickr
Posted by Vickie at 10:19 PM 2 comments:
Labels: dragon, flickr, gold, greed, hoard, photographs, photography, seven deadly sins, the teleidoscope, treasure, week 35
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We have done a new video showing the news of Kisters 3DViewStation WebViewer v2016.1. Available here as MP4 or on YouTube.
Support for 2D file formats like PDF, Office, DWG, DXF, DGN, HPGL, Gerber, CGM... will be available for WebViewer soon. Find below some previews.
We added a video to our YouTube channel, showing some of the 3DViewStation V2015.1 news.
a few impressions showing new Kisters 3DViewStation v2015.1 features: wallthickness analysis, high quality vector export, clash, support for MS Office, DWG,
We have done a new 3DViewStation version V2015.1 with a series of enhancements, described below. The new version is available for download now.


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What We Offer
Who do I work with?
I work with a diverse group of clients: corporate, hotel owners and operators, senior living property owners and operators, small business owners, non-profits, condominium boards and condominium owners. I also help design firms and teams complete projects on time and on budget by providing project-based consulting services.
Contact me to discuss your next project.
How do I charge for my services?
Depending on the scope of the project, I can provide hourly-based services or a flat-fee full project design. I act as a designer and specifier, and do not resell product. Any discounts I receive on selected product or materials gets passed along to the client, as an added benefit. I do require a downpayment to secure a project. A downpayment is usually between 30-50% of the total cost estimate, or equal to 5 hours of consulting time, on smaller projects.
How big is my team?
I am an independent interior designer who, based on the scope of the project, can recommend an architect, a general contractor or other trades professionals to the client. Client is required to enter into a direct agreement with those individuals/businesses. I am also comfortable working within client's existing team of architects and contractors.
What makes my work different?
My focus in creating design solutions for a client is telling their story. Whether for a home-owner, or small business operator, I try to learn the brand and the personality of the client and translate it into a three dimensional design. Utilizing local talent and product is also important. It provides a client with a unique, non-catalog solution which supports local economy and enhances the story told in the space. On the most challenging projects, my extensive network of local trades professionals can do wonders.


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No Contracts or Lease Agreements
No minimum or maximum use of hours
Access to Office 7 Days a Week
Packages & Pricing
$18 per hour of use
20 Hours Per Month
$320/mo (regularly $360)
40 Hours Per Month
$600/mo (regularly $720)
Office Space for Therapists in Ventura CA
You may prefer a quiet area, or perhaps you are looking for more walk-in clients. Investigate the population density in the area you are interested in. If your business relies on walk-in clients, and you are situated in a remote area, it can be difficult to get people to go to your business. Prime office space for therapists is usually expensive. Once you determined which town to locate your business in and what kind of space will be appropriate for your business, you have to find an office space for therapists you can afford. To find the perfect premises that you can afford, may be a bit of a challenge. It is important to take the time to search for the space that suits your business best.
Best Office Rental in Ventura County for Therapists
Sufficient parking in close proximity to the office space for therapists is important. Furthermore, keep in mind that the business should be easy accessible for people in wheelchairs and the elderly may find it difficult to climb stairs in order to reach your office. An address in an undesirable area may harm your business's reputation and there is usually a good reason for it if an office space for therapists comes to be cheap. Employees may not feel comfortable working in an unsafe area, and potential clients may prefer services offered in a less dangerous neighborhood. Flexible office space for therapists offers larger businesses to downsize the office space if needed, and smaller businesses can grow into bigger space when required. The demand for office space for therapists is growing rapidly. The option of downsizing or expanding an office is the perfect solution for renting space, which meets the current requirements of your business. Flexible office space for therapists is becoming more popular among the private sectors and government businesses.
Flexible Ventura Office Space – Schedule Your Own Hours
It often happens that you have to pay for space that you may need in the future. Starting a business sometimes can be expensive, and it does not make much sense if you have to pay for space that you do not need for now. Traditional office space for therapists limits your options, and if you are beginning a new business, it is advisable to pay for what you use. By saving on space you are not using, you can divert the money towards developing the business.
If you have to make use of space for a trial period, then flexible office space for therapists can be the answer, especially when you entered into a new market. Once you tried the market you may want to move to another office space for therapists . The contract of the space can be ended if you would like to move your business to another location.
A growing business may benefit from the flexibility offered by this office space for therapists, and it is tremendously convenient if you need more space. You only pay for what you use. With traditional office space, you should pay for all the space and there are no options for expanding or downsizing.


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Yahoo! 360° is closing. Frankly, that's not a terribly big deal to me, since I left that service quite some time ago. However, I do still have content there, especially my earlier blog.
Fortunately, Yahoo! has a method to move your blog posts from Y!360° to another location. And even more fortunately for me, one of those locations is WordPress.
So, if you'd like to relive the story of how I met my wife or our trip to Paris, you can now do it all from here.
Unfortunately, the cross links to other posts within the blog do not work. They still point to the Yahoo! 360° blog posts… I guess I still have some work to do.


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Status: Closes in 20 minutes
Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
2nd Location at 77515 County Line Rd Hermiston, Oregon
Hermiston Rock Products Llc is located at the address Po Box 218 in Hermiston, Oregon 97838. They can be contacted via phone at (541) 567-7625 for pricing, hours and directions.
Hermiston Rock Products Llc has an annual sales volume of 1M – 1,999,999. .
For maps and directions to Hermiston Rock Products Llc view the map to the right. For reviews of Hermiston Rock Products Llc see below.
Be the first OregonLive.com user to add photos or videos of Hermiston Rock Products Llc
Hermiston Rock Products Llc can be found at N 1st Pl 1875. The following is offered: Home & Garden Retailers. The entry is present with us since Sep 9, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Hermiston there are 8 other Home & Garden Retailers. An overview can be found here.
Crushed & Landscape Rock
Commercial & Residential Driveways
Erosion Control Rock
Concrete Ready Mix
Drainfield Rock
Pea Gravel
Ccb #109117
No Job Too Big or Small
Sand, Pea Gravel, Gravel, Free Estimates, Erosion Control Rock, Drainfield Rock, Crushed & Landscape Rock, Concrete Ready Mix, Commercial & Residential Driveways, No Job Too Big or Small, Ccb #109117


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Ann Dunkin
Environmental Protection Agency
Ann Dunkin, P.E., currently serves the Chief Information Officer of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. She previously served as a Senior Advisor to The EPA Administrator. Ms. Dunkin is also President Obama's Nominee for the Assistant Administrator for Environmental Information at the EPA. Her nomination is currently being considered by the United States Senate.
Prior to joining the EPA Ms. Dunkin served as the Chief Technology Officer for the Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) for nearly five years. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, PAUSD is consistently ranked one of the top school districts in the nation. As Chief Technology Officer, Ms. Dunkin was responsible for managing all aspects of the District's technology infrastructure, technology professional development, libraries and long term enrollment planning. Prior to joining PAUSD, Ms. Dunkin worked for Hewlett Packard for twenty years in a variety of engineering and senior management positions in R&D, IT, Manufacturing Engineering, Software Quality and Operations.
Ms. Dunkin has served on the T.H.E. Journal Advisory Board, the Consortium on School Networking (CoSN) CTO Council and the CoSN SMART IT working group. In 2009, she served as the General Chair of the Winter Simulation Conference (WSC). She served as a board member and board officer on the WSC board of directors from 2009-2014 and as an editor of the International Journal of Advances in Software. Ms. Dunkin currently serves on the Georgia Tech Industrial and Systems Engineering Alumni Advisory Board.
Ms. Dunkin holds a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering, both from The Georgia Institute of Technology where performed research in the fields of warehousing and material handling. She is a licensed professional engineer in the states of California and Washington.


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"The minimum the metro express will cost is Rs50 or Rs55 billion"
19 May 2017 - lexpress.mu
Poorranarnenden Sungeelee, mechanical engineer and key member of the consumer association, Association des consommateurs de l'île Maurice, was passionate about the metro.
But I did not to what extent and I had no idea which direction he was going steer the debate. When I met him for the interview, he came with a file full of documents and press articles he had carefully cut and painstakingly filed. He knew the dossier inside out and information was flowing out with such speed and in all directions. I have tried to make it coherent for you. 'Tried' I said.
He did not wait for me to ask a question. It's as if he had been brimming and could not wait for the opportunity to get it off his chest. "So what do you want to know about the metro," he asked, and before I had a chance to answer he replied to his own question: "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God?"
Yes, I said but I am first going to put the questions to you. His smile betrayed restlessness and almost invited me to get to the questions quickly. Sort of 'what on earth are you waiting for?' So I had to be quick.
You are a mechanical engineer, and you have been following the statements about the Metro Express. Tell me, just to begin with, are you for or against this project?
Dead against. I am the first one to have written a public article for the people of Mauritius in August 1994.
Have you always been opposed to the idea? (I did not need to ask why.)
Yes. It's a stupid system!
Why do you say that? I mean, when you look at the road congestion and the cost to the nation, don't you think that it's the only solution?
(His answer suggested that he did not want to link road congestion to the Metro Express.) Road congestion and the light metro. Right, let's take the light metro first. It's a very slow means of transport. (He takes out some documents from his thick file). If you look at this, you'll find that the speed of a light rail transit (LRT) is something around 20 km/h – 19 km/h to be more specific.
The Delhi Metro and London Underground seem fast to me.
(He seemed amused by my ignorance.) They've got the mass rapid transit system and here we're going to have the light rail transport (LRT) system.
So, what is the Metro Express then?
Nobody knows. It's not 'express' to start with.
OK. Let's not stop at the name. What kind of project do you think what is called the Metro Express is? Do you think it will be like the London Underground or like the Delhi Metro?
(Shakes his head in disbelief.) Nothing like that! You can talk about the Croydon tramway, you can talk about the system they have in Strasbourg in France or the one they have in Tunis.
Is it a tramway?
Well, yes, a tramway! (Read: Which part of this don't you understand?)
(Sensing my disbelief.) Let's say that the LRT is more modern, a bit more fashionable and it has air conditioning. Apart from that, it's basically the same thing. Engineering-wise, it's the same thing.
You said earlier that nobody understands what the Metro Express is. How come you know so much about it?
Because I have been following it for about 23 years.
Is it the same project that we have been talking about for the last 23 years?
You can't get out of it because we don't have the means for anything more than that.
The original plan was going to be elevated like a real metro, wasn't it?
You mean, the stupid plan of the previous government? They would never have achieved that either. There are many countries where they've stopped the work in the middle. Brazil, for example, has stopped the project and now, they have two roads and they can't move from one side to the other. It's just derelict places all over.
Maybe Brazil doesn't have the money. We are getting a grant from India.
How much?
Rs9.9 billion and the project is going to cost Rs17.7 billion.
(He laughs heartily, shaking his head.) It's never going to cost that little. The minimum is Rs50 or Rs55 billion.
What? Where did you get those figures?
(Brandishing another document.) Look, before the last election, Nando Bodha (Ed- now minister of public infrastructure and land transport) wrote this. Read the last two sentences. He said the cost was going to exceed Rs35 billion.
That is just campaign talk!
OK, right, but the same person now cannot come to power and say that it is going to cost Rs17.7 billion.
(Sensing I was unconvinced, he pulls out another document.) The Goldcoast cost Rs72 billion, the Delhi Metro cost about Rs50 billion. In other places, the average is Rs57 billion. And that's the price in those countries. Now, when you ship the material to Mauritius, with the insurance and freight etc., the price goes up even more. Then add the engineers, the families and all those who are going to work here and that's going to add to the whole cost.
The government of India is saying, "We're giving you a grant of Rs9.9 billion, and you are going to put the extra money and we're going to send engineers and whatever skills you need to build the Metro Express." What is your reaction to that?
First, do you want a system of transport that moves at 19 km/h? You drive at 50 km/h in town, you drive at 80 or 110 km/h on the motorway. You want to ride in something that goes at 19 km/h?
Yes, if it's comfortable and there is no traffic...
Oh, you want to talk about comfort? Ninety per cent of the passengers will be standing!
Only 75%.
(Pulls out some brochures.) That's according to the government but let's assume that's true, in a bus, 90% are seated. So, these are the systems of transport that we are comparing.
I thought we were comparing the bus here with the London Underground and the Delhi Metro...
These are mass rapid transits. What we are talking about in Mauritius is the equivalent of the tramway in Calcutta. We shouldn't be comparing an MRT and an LRT. They're not introducing an MRT in Mauritius but the LRT. It makes sense in India because the congestion is so bad that they drive at around 7 kilometres per hour. Obviously, 19 km/h is paradise for them. You can't compare that to Mauritius. Do you remember Caudan before the flyover was built? That was a good thing that Navin Ramgoolam (Ed- former prime minister) did. Now that that part has been decongested, nobody is talking about it anymore. Once you get a flyover, the problem is solved.
Are you saying that if we build flyovers there will be no congestion anymore?
Yes. But perhaps flyovers are too cheap and therefore not interesting for some people. About 100 million rupees for the flyover at Caudan! For Rs1 billion, we could have 10 flyovers and that would make a huge change! That can be supplemented with a tunnelling system, for instance at the roundabout that goes to the harbour. For the traffic that goes to Plaine Verte, there can be an underground tunnel. Tunnelling is 15 times more expensive but when you tunnel, you don't disturb people. I'm not saying this is the best system but I am saying that these are things that should be considered.
Here's another point: With the metro, there are no accidents. So, considering the number of people dying on our roads, isn't that an incentive?
Compare like with like. With the metro, there is a dedicated lane. A bus has to negotiate its way through pedestrians, cyclists, motorcycles, cars, lorries and so on. So, there are bound to be accidents. You increase the size of bridges; that wouldn't even cost you one million. You have a dedicated bus lane. That would reduce the number of accidents tremendously. The metro is not feasible for this country. fFor a population of one million! What advantages are there?
Saving time and improving health.
You make too many jokes. Health you said? Let's see (reading from another study) damage to the neck, tearing of spinal disc, nerve related issues, varicose veins, muscle soreness, pain in the heels...
From sitting in the metro?
(He raises his voice to correct me.) From standing in the metro. Remember that 90% of passengers will be standing. On the other hand, if there is a bus rapid transit system with a dedicated lane for buses, the Curepipe/Port Louis trip will take no more than 30 minutes – 40 at worst.
Isn't that comparable to the metro?
No, excuse me! If you are taking the metro, you need to walk from your house to the bus stop. Let's say four minutes. You wait for the shuttle bus. Another four minutes. You travel in congestion to the metro station. How many minutes? Four, eight, 10 minutes? Then you wait for the metro. If you count all this, it will probably take you two hours.
How does this come to two hours?
(He continues.) In Port Louis, you wait for the shuttle bus. You take the shuttle bus and you travel. Then you walk to your place of work. Another 12 minutes again? So 12 plus 12 plus another hour and 26 minutes in the metro.
At 19 km/h, what's the time to travel from Curepipe to Port Louis? The distance between Curepipe and Port Louis is 27.3 km and the speed is 19 km/h so it is one hour and 26 minutes.
Why does the Delhi metro not take one hour and 26 minutes?
(He gets exasperated.) There, it is mass rapid transit. Mass rapid transit is rapid. It goes 43 km/h, not at 19 km/h! We are talking about two totally different means of transport!
(He was already shaking his head in despair so I thought I'd provoke him a little more.) But the Metro Express is going to be made by the same firms as the Delhi Metro!
Yes, it's the same firms making buses, motorcycles, bicycles, cars...
Coming back to the cost, how much will the project cost, according to you?
We should be talking about Rs50 to Rs100 billion.
Where are we going to get the money from?
(Laughs.) I don't know, I am not the one saying to build it. If there is anything positive about the metro, you tell me. It's all spin: the MBC has been showing us people seated on the metro, which is elevated and therefore offering a bird's eye view all around. The reality is that most people will be standing on a metro moving on ground level at a speed of 19km/hr. That is the reality. And, instead of discussing real solutions like the bus rapid transit and transferring some services from Port Louis to other places, there is a one-way discussion by the government and the MBC!
But haven't the discussions about the metro lasted for long enough?
You know, it is through discussions that this government before it was elected had said that the metro was bad; now they are saying it's good. What made them change their mind? We need to discuss the viability of such a big project. What I am saying today will remain on record. When this thing does not work and there inevitably is a commission of enquiry, hopefully what is written in these papers will be used one day.
Touria Prayag, L'express


text: Magda Kapa is a poet, photographer and teacher who was born in Greece and now lives in northern Germany. Her poetry, short stories and photos have been published in literary blogs and magazines. Her poetry collection, All the Words, was published by Phoenicia Publishing. She has also worked as a freelance screenwriter.


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Beauty Stock info added to the InfoCenter
Its a yaoi manga (woohoo) about a teacher who sleeps with a guy (Eita) he met online and wakes up with a haircut. But the hairstylist is a little too enamored with Keigo's hair.
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