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In my hands I felt the heft of the large box of hydroponic gardening equipment I had recently purchased. "Microgarden?†I thought, "This thing weighs at least 30 pounds."
I set down the box on the carpet of my living room. Leaning over with hands on knees, as a long time soil gardener, I didn't know what to expect from something so reliant upon science and way too much of what I didn't know and understand.
As I cut through the tape holding the contents of the box, images of chemicals and glass beakers and a rather Frankenstein-ish approach to growing vegetables held firm in my mind.
The single page of directions was enough to intimidate me—Plug this in, fill that up, add this nutrient, adjust that. What in the heck was hydroponics and why? I stopped everything I was doing and met with a gardener friend the following day that had several years of indoor gardening experience.
Ten minutes in and the severity of my line of questioning was to the point of persecution as my gardener friend calmly fielded and fended off what I asked of him regarding hydroponics.
Somehow, this method of gardening began to make sense. I went home and set up my half-opened hydro garden, and followed the directions one step at a time.
Setup was actually easier than I imagined. I popped into the reservoir what was basically an aquarium pump and easily attached several other parts. Next, I filled up the reservoir with some good clean water and plugged in the pump in order to test the little sprinkler-like misters in the grow chamber. I chose the advanced, aeroponic hydroponic system because of my soil-based gardening experience and because I have the extra time to methodically take care and study the growth of my plants. Otherwise I would have chosen something that's a little more automated like the ebb & flow system.
The misters worked exactly as described. Each one sprayed a mist of water onto its corresponding net-pot where the grow medium (replacement for soil) and plant root mass would grow. Into each of the net pots I placed one vegetable starter plug that I had previously sprouted in a sunny window.
Following this, I hung up my small bank of high-output fluorescent lights the appropriate distance above the Microgarden. This fluorescent light, running at 16 hours per day, would act as the sun and provide the necessary light energy for the plant to conduct photosynthesis. Finally, I flicked on the switch and was surprised by the brightness of the light.
Next, I mixed into the reservoir the appropriate amount of liquid nutrients. At first, because of my misconceptions of hydroponics, I thought the nutrients would lend a funny chemical taste to whatever I grew in my Microgarden, but then I read the ingredients. Botanicare's Pure Blend Pro Grow was derived from organically sourced things such as fish meal, composted seabird guano, kelp, amino acids, rock phosphate — all of which I had previously used in my soil garden in the back yard. Wow, I thought, this isn't so different from soil gardening, just a different way to grow what I wanted to eat. Visions of organic homegrown salads sitting next to my juicy steaks began to fill my head.
At first, my spinach, lettuce, basil and mustard greens grew at about the same rate of soil starts. This held true for about three days, and then, much to my surprise, the slow expected creep of vegetative growth was completely over run with the fast and smart efficiency of what my friend had explained to be the magic of hydro-farming.
At two weeks, my Microgarden was growing at such a rate that I was comfortable harvesting a small bowl of salad greens every night with dinner. "Simply remarkable†I thought. Each fresh and delicious crispy bite further displaced my own misconceptions of taste and quality. This produce tasted nothing like the glass beaker chemicals I had once imagined.
At three weeks, the growth rate exploded and seemed almost unbelievable. I would drive home from work, cook dinner on the stove top, then walk over to my hydro garden with scissors and disbelief, thinking all the while that my harvest still had to be limited to the one bowl of salad greens, only to realize that what I had harvested the previous night, had already grown back with a vengeance.
At four weeks I just couldn't eat enough salad, and began offering my fresh home-grown greens to friends and co-workers. My Microgarden had grown into a robust jungle of fresh leafy greens that could feed a family of four, no problem, and it was not stopping for anything.
At five weeks, I was certain that I would never purchase old and questionably-sourced produce again from the super market, no matter how whole the food claimed to be, because look at my results, look at what I grew. I could see and taste the difference. And it was so easy.


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Kito Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican, Chicano, Americano artist, singer- songwriter, multi-instrumental musician, producer and audio engineer originally from New York City now based in Los Angeles who blends funk, soul, rock, pop, reggae and electronica, seasoned with Latin and world music flavors. In the tradition of socially conscious songwriters like Curtis Mayfield, John Lennon, Bob Marley and Peter Tosh, Kito soulfully sings topical lyrics that speak truth to power, heighten social awareness, raise consciousness, and inspire love with the explicit purpose of moving hearts, minds and bodies. Member of BMI and NARAS (the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc., also known as The Recording Academy "the GRAMMYS").
Kito has performed worldwide, venue highlights include:
- Carnegie Hall NYC (2009 and 2014)
- Penang World Music Festival (Penang Botanical Gardens, Malaysia), Da' an Park (Taipei, Taiwan)
- University of New Orleans Lakefront Arena (opening for the Dalai Lama)
- Moscow International House Of Music and Elista Soccer Stadium (Russia)
- Google Headquarters (Mountain View, CA)
- Roxy Club- Prague (Czech Republic)
- The House Of Blues Sunset Strip (Hollywood, CA)
- Zebulon (Los Angeles, CA)
- The Cumberland County Civic Center (Played Bass and sang backup for Patti Smith on "The People Have The Power")
- CBGB'S NYC, among many other community and cultural centers, universities, and festivals.
Kito also made the list of considered Grammy nominees for the 2014 World Music award as bass guitarist and mix/mastering engineer on ARC Music release "Lam La Che (On The Road)" with Tibetan/ World Music Group "TECHUNG", featuring blues master Keb Mo' on the title track.
Kito performs on the soundtracks for:
- "Eat Pray Love" (Sony/Columbia pictures film "starring Julia Roberts directed by Ryan Murphy)
- "Dalai Lama Renaissance" (starring H.H. The 14th Dalai Lama, narrated by Harrison Ford)
- "A Good Day To Die" (documentary film about the life of Native American leader Dennis Banks and the formation of the American Indian Movement, A.I.M.) available on Netflix and Epix
For more professional experience as a recording engineer, boom operator and music producer please visit:
Kito Rodriguez was born in "El Barrio" East Harlem, NYC. He was raised in East Harlem, the South Bronx and Jamaica, Queens by a Chicana mother from Los Angeles and a Nuyorican father from New York City. Growing up , Kito was surrounded by the sounds of Salsa, Motown, Disco, Hip Hop, traffic and gunshots.
After the premature death of his mother from HIV/ AIDS in the late 1980's Kito began playing bass guitar with his junior high school friends in a garage heavy metal band, he started studying privately and quickly became hooked on other music genres such as funk and jazz, and was then heavily influenced by the roots reggae, dancehall and Soca music blaring from the "Dollar Vans" run by the Caribbean immigrant community that would take him from the bus stop to his home during his high school years. During this "teen time" a disillusioned young Kito got into trouble running with the wrong crowd at school and was sent by his immediate family to an alternative high school in "El Barrio" that happened to be housed within "Johnny Colon's East Harlem Music School" which turned out mega Salsa music stars such as Tito Nieves and Marc Anthony. While there, Kito studied the basics of Salsa music with legends such as Gilberto "El Pulpo" Colon, Pepe Castillo and of course, Johnny "Mr. Boogaloo Blues" Colon where he also earned his high school diploma, on time at 17 years old, from the City Of N.Y.
During the mid- to late-90's, Kito studied upright bass at Nassau Community College with Bassist Carlos Castillo and simultaneously immersed himself in the NYC House music/ Rave scene. He eventually ended up at the Institute Of Audio Research where he graduated from the Audio Engineering and Music Production Program in 1998 after which he interned and assistant engineered at several major NYC recording facilities.
Kito performed around NYC with his original funk groups for a few years. In 2000, he moved north with some close friends and started the first working Salsa music group based out of Portland, Maine called "Dulce De Leche". They performed for a few years touring around the Northeast region and left a lasting legacy of "Mainer Salseros" who were friends, students and former bandmates.
In 2007, he again moved with his wife and growing family to Los Angeles where he performed around the L.A. music scene with various local groups. His best friend and bandmate Michel Tyabji already living in L.A. recruited Kito to play bass and perform with Tibetan/World Music artist "Techung" where they toured around the world and produced a few albums one of which was pre nominated for a GRAMMY in the World Music category. In 2014, Kito left the Tibetan music group to focus on his now larger family and his solo singer- songwriter/ multi instrumentalist/ producer project.

subset: commoncrawl


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To support suicide prevention efforts: both nationally and locally.
To end the stigma associated with seeking help.
To recognize and remember loved ones that are no longer with us.
To support our friends and neighbors who have lost someone close to them.
These are just some of the reasons that folks take part in the Out of the Darkness – Marquette County Community Walk for Suicide Prevention.
This year's event will be held on Saturday, September 8th, 2018 at the Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming, MI.
Marquette County will join THOUSANDS of people who take part in the walks, nation-wide.
Pictures from previous Marquette County Out of the Darkness Community Walks:
Proceeds are used to fund:
- Local suicide prevention programs (such as community training, a community resource library, a website and more) coordinated by the Marquette County – Suicide Prevention Alliance (SPA)
- The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) research, education, and advocacy aimed at a world that is free of suicide.
Contact Emily Pratt at 906-315-2630 if you are interested in volunteering at this event!!!


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Holmans Wood Holiday Park
England, South West, Devon, Chudleigh
- Tel:
- 01626 853785
- Open:
- Mid March - 5 January.
Ref: UK0940
Alan Rogers Review
This attractive, neat park is close to the main A38 Exeter-Plymouth road and makes a good, sheltered base for touring south Devon and Dartmoor. The hedged park is arranged on well kept grass surrounding a shallow depression, the floor of which makes a safe, grassy play area for children. There are many attractive trees and the park is decorated with flowers. In two main areas and accessed by tarmac roads, there are 150 level pitches with 115 for touring, 100 equipped with 10A Europlugs. Seventy fully serviced pitches are on hardstanding, while 25 are reserved for tents. There is some traffic noise.
A picturesque eight acre meadow provides space for tents and rural walks with views across the countryside. Adventure play equipment is provided for children, with badminton and tennis nets and an extra meadow for recreation. There may be some traffic noise on pitches to the west of the park. This pleasant, well run park with no other on-site amenities would suit couples or families who prefer a peaceful stay.
The single, well maintained toilet block includes facilities for babies and disabled visitors. Laundry room. Play area. Caravan storage. Woodland and meadow walks. WiFi over site (charged).
- American Motor Homes
- Boat Launch Nearby
- Bar Nearby
- Seaside Beach Nearby
- Fishing Nearby
- Twin Axle Caravans Accepted
- Golf Nearby
- Childrens Play Area
- Riding Nearby
- Facilities for disabled visitors
- Outdoor Pool Nearby
- Pets allowed
- Shop Nearby
- Takeaway Food
- Wifi (all site)
- Wifi Chargeable
From Exeter on A38 Plymouth road, 0.5 miles after the racecourse and just after a garage, take Chudleigh exit (signed). Park is immediately on the left. From Plymouth turn off A38 for Chudleigh/Teign Valley, then right for Chudleigh. Continue through the town and park is 1 mile.
Location Coordinates
Decimal Degrees (DD)
Latitude Longitude 50.61941 -3.58295
Degrees, Minutes & Seconds (DMS)
Latitude Longitude


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Hi There! Is this Your First Time?
Did you know if you Register you have access to free search tools including the ability to save listings and property searches? Did you know that you can bypass the search altogether and have listings sent directly to your email address? Check out our how-to page for more info.
- Price$785,000
- SQ. Feet71,718
- Acres1.65
5410,5412,5500,5502,5504 Viewpoint Dr, Austin
5 adjacent buildable lots less than 5 miles from downtown! Total land 1.65 acres, located just southeast of Ben White Blvd. off Woodward/ St. Elmo. Great location for an investor, builder. This much land north of Ben White will cost you 2x's as much! City utilities. Lots located across from KB subdivision: Los Arboles which is a small community of well-kept homes and streets. This property is not in the HOA.
Essential Information
- Price$785,000
- Square Footage71,718
- Acres1.65
- TypeLot
- Sub-TypeMultiple Lots (Adjacent)
- StatusActive
- UtilitiesElectricity Available, Electricity on Property, Phone Available
- ViewCreek/Stream
School Information
- DistrictDel Valle ISD
- ElementaryDel Valle
- MiddleDel Valle
- HighDel Valle
Community Information
- Address5410,5412,5500,5502,5504 Viewpoint Dr
- SubdivisionViewpoint Dr.
- CityAustin
- CountyTravis
- StateTX
- Zip Code78744
- Lot DescriptionCurbs, Level, Sloped
Additional Information
- ZoningUnknown
Property Listed by: Compass RE Texas, LLC
The information being provided is for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Based on information from the Austin Board of REALTORS® (alternatively, from ACTRIS) from August 11th, 2020 at 8:00pm CDT. Neither the Board nor ACTRIS guarantees or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. The Austin Board of REALTORS®, ACTRIS and their affiliates provide the MLS and all content therein "AS IS" and without any warranty, express or implied. Data maintained by the Board or ACTRIS may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified.


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A male bee is called a drone. Male honeybees do not have stingers and are the product of an unfertilized egg. The female worker bees collect nectar and pollen, but the sole purpose of a drone's life is to mate with the queen and produce offspring.
Mating occurs mid-air and is very violent for the drone. After copulation occurs, the drone's phallus rips from his body and stays inside the queen. The drone dies quickly afterwards. The queen bee mates with multiple drones during her flight and stores the sperm for later use. Drones that do not die are driven from the hive before the winter.


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The WVCOA is a great meeting with a huge turnout of senior resource professionals ! Join us for the biggest networking event in the west valley !
Through the collaboration between Scott Savel - Griswold Home Care and Mosaic Care Resources, and Steve Laughary - Americare Hospice and Desired Resources (Founders of NVCOA), this same networking opportunity is now available to those wishing to be an influence in the West Valley!
Please join us for the meeting of the West Valley Coalition on Aging. Come join our group designed to inform, educate, network and just plain have fun! We want to combine the power of our knowledge of the industry to help become a valuable resource for the aging population.
Don't forget to mark it on your calendar and come join us every second Thursday of the month from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM at
Glencroft Senior Living - "Come and Feel the Difference at Glencroft"
Glencroft puts out an awesome FREE FULL Breakfast !
(Very Tasty Bacon !)
RSVP to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Office Hours:Mon-Thurs: 9:00AM - 5:00PMFri: 9:00AM - 1:00PMPhone: 480-483-9035Fax: 480-922-5283
Connect with Us!
Website Development by Financier SEO - a digital marketing agency focused on helping financial advisors and planners excel with digital campaigns. We are proud of our ongoing relationship with FPA of Greater Phoenix.
Copyright © 2018 All Rights Reserved


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Bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray continues her Amish Brides of Pinecraft series with a special addition—a tale of wishing and wanting…and what the heart really needs
Good things may come to those who wait, but Mattie Miller is confident that great things come to those who go after what they want…and Mattie wants Danny Brenneman. Danny is the reason she's returned to the sunny Amish community of Pinecraft, Florida—well, that and to see her best friend Leona get married.
Mattie's met Danny only once before but she knows the spark between them is sure to lead to something special. Despite a missing cat, wedding day chaos, and Danny himself, she's confident this vacation can only end one way: in an engagement of her very own!
Home •• Meet Shelley •• Bookshelf •• News •• Photo Gallery •• Connect
© 2020 Shelley Shepard Gray. All rights reserved.
Site designed and maintained by


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Media Spaces – The Science Museum
We went on a course trip to the science museum, to study about media spaces and they way they use interaction to engage the audiences. Above is a small gallery of images I took when in the museum of places that I felt best represented the interaction and use of space.
The first image is of a piece to do with the internet and texting, it had a video on the screen about people texting and using the internet. The following two images are of an interactive piece revolving around the idea of profiles. The audience user was able to text in to the number and their phone would then be linked to the screen momentarily, it is able to access non personal data from your phone such as the usage and storage, or the games that are in use. I found this space very interesting as it is linking the idea of individuals interacting with their personal spaces of their mobile phone and making it part of the public space for the audiences to see and also use. I like this use of audiences interaction and would love to be able to incorporate this into my final idea, the use of texting can make it quite complicated but I would like to find other ways of having user interaction that requires the audience do fully participate for something to work/happen. Lorenic et al (2010) state that "designers have generally used moving image technology to push the exhibition in two directions; the large scale spectacle and the immersive environment", the main element I am mainly interested in is the immersive environment; as this is when the user is fully surrounded and contained within the design.
Images 6 and 8 are both from the 'Launchpad' part of the museum which I personally found the most interesting, as every element in the room was fully interactive and immersive for the audience, but also highly educational. Image 6 is of small chemical rocks reacting with a liquid and creating smoke, but the audience could control it by blowing in the gap between the glass. This is the kind of interaction I would love to create in my interactive project, with the audience learning something as well as it being fun.
The science museum was a great trip, helping me to explore interaction further and give me more ideas into what I would like to do for my final project. See my Interactive Design Ideas post for my ideas so far.
Lorenic, J., Skolnick, L. and Berger, C. 2010. What is Exhibition Design? [online]. RotoVision, Switzerland. Available from: https://itp.nyu.edu/classes/ied-spring2013/files/2013/01/What-is-Exh-Des-selects12-62-reduced2.pdf [30th November 2014].


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Tag Archives: skepta
With 'Godfather', Wiley is Celebrating the Legacy of Grime
A few months back I wrote a piece lamenting the lack of in-depth knowledge of Grime in the wake of its achieving mainstream popularity. There was an eagerness amongst mainstream music journos to spread the word to their audiences, but … Continue reading
It's Not Just Bars — Some Meditations on Grime
The whole Grime explosion that's going on right now is so intense that it's pretty overwhelming and often kind of hard to tell where it really came from. Some people seem to think that it was Meridian Dan's "German Whip" … Continue reading
Posted in Lifestyle, Music Tagged boy better know, crazy titch, dan diggerz, dot rotten, durrty goodz, ghetto, grime, griminal, jendor, jme, logan sama, london, meridian dan, ne, ogz, president t, prez t, ra, radio 1, rinse, roadside gs, roll deep, shystie, skepta, slix, trim, uk grime, westwood Leave a comment
Think Zine Vol. 1 by The Goodhood Store
The Goodhood Store has just launched their new initiative Think Zine, a project aimed at encouraging some casual discussion within the scene about different aspects of culture and its intersections with lifestyle and fashion. I was approached to take part in … Continue reading
Posted in Fashion, Lifestyle Tagged 2015, clothes, clothing, culture, fashion, gary warnett, GOODHOOD, gwarizm, jo sindle, lifestyle, link, may, music, silas adler, skepta, soulland, streetwear, summer, think zine vol. 1, thoughts Leave a comment
Nasir Mazhar x Red Bull S/S'15 After-Party – Hosted by Skepta
Yesterday evening, East London designer Nasir Mazhar presented his Spring/Summer 2015 Collection as part of the LCM presentations. Working with Red Bull's Catwalk Studio project, Mazhar also collaborated with Grime artist Skepta to create a soundtrack for the runway show. This … Continue reading
Posted in Fashion, Lifestyle, Music Tagged 2014, 2015, alternative, bbk, boy better know, catwalk studio, clothes, clothing, culture, event, fashion, fuji, fujifilm, garage, grime, hoxton, images, indie, instax, jme, jun, kingdom, lcm, life, lifestyle, link, london, london collections mens, menswear, metropolis, music, nasir mazhar, photo, photography, preditah, rap, recap, red bull, skepta, sportswear, spring, ss15, streetwear, strip club, style, summer, uk, uk grime, venus x, womenswear 2 Comments


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Police warning after sinister twist in online romance scam
POLICE are issuing an urgent warning to the public following an investigation which has uncovered a disturbing development in romance and online scams.
The Queensland Police Service's Financial and Cyber Crime Group charged a 32-year-old Durack man last night following an investigation sparked after a victim contacted police.
Operation Swift commenced following information received from a 34-year-old Brisbane woman who believed she had been dating an offender who had claimed to be a United States soldier.
It is alleged the victim befriended a man she believed to be a U.S solider on a social media platform in October 2018.
Over the course of the following months the victim was groomed into believing the stories provided by the criminal and formed an online romantic relationship.
The victim sent over $200,000 to the man she believed to be a solider via a series of transfers through a money transfer service.
ROMANCE SCAM: It's easy to think "this will never happen to me", but the reality is - it can and it does. It happened to a Queenslander. Let's support her and the many potential victims she has saved today. pic.twitter.com/EtFbSn0gSb— Queensland Police (@QldPolice) January 11, 2019
"While this is becoming far too frequent, it is what came next that caused us concern," State Crime Command's Financial and Cyber Crime Group Detective Superintendent Terry Lawrence said.
The concerning twist is that the offender (and clearly not the U.S soldier in the images) travelled to the victims home to obtain more money, this time over $105,000.
The victim became suspicious and after confiding in a close friend, she reported the matter to police.
Yesterday, detectives conducted a tactical operation which lead to the interception and arrest of the offender whilst he was attempting to induce the victim to hand over more money.
Detectives executed search warrants at a Durack address and located a number of items used in the commission of these crimes.
Investigations are continuing.
The 32-year-old man was charged with one count each of fraud and attempted fraud.
He is due to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court today.
"The U.S Army Criminal Investigation Command receives hundreds of complaints a month from people who find themselves involved in an online relationship with someone purporting to be a U.S Soldier," he said.
"This is a common scam worldwide. Usually the offenders interaction with the victim is all online so this further step of travelling to the victim's home is certainly something we need the public to hear and be warned of today.
"I encourage anyone using social media platforms to develop friendships or relationships online to maintain control at all times.
"I know emotions may make that harder but arm yourself with the knowledge that these scams are occurring to everyday members of the community like you.
"Take the time to evaluate the relationship, talk to friends and other loved ones about your new relationship online. We are thankful the victim in this instance took this step."
Members of the public can learn about scams at www.scamwatch.gov.au, mypolice.qld.gov.au or R U In Control.
Scams can be reported to www.acorn.gov.au
If you have information for police, contact Policelink on 131 444.
You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 1800 333 000 or via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24 hours per day.


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Our 230L authentic natural wine barrels are made from French or American Oak. Approximately 4 to 8 years old straight from the winery. In a natural state our wine barrels tell a story ready for the entertainer. Our barrels are perfect as tables or recycled into a unique furniture piece.
Product Measurements(Approximate Guide)
- Height 870 – 940mm
- Length 650 – 700mm
- Width 650 – 700mm
- Capacity 220 – 230L
- Weight 40 – 60kg
With age and weathering the oak will shrink, which will allow the bands to become lose and in some cases fall off. Bargain Barrel recommends stainless steel screws in the bands, a light sand to remove unwanted foreign markings, followed by a chemical gurney. Once the barrel is completely dry apply 2 coats of decking oil. This will ensure the integrity of your wine barrel for many years. Bargain Barrel recommends the clean and coat process to protect your investment long term. Our family business provides this service at an additional fee if time is precious and confidence is low. Please follow the link 230L Wine Barrel (C&C).


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Moms, you won't like this. But this resonated with me this morning. You can read the entire blog post at Walking Therein.
Written by a mom of 8 named Jacque:
I am sorry, but "Me-Time" is a myth. We are mothers. We do not put ourselves first; we make sacrifices because that is how God has created us. Jesus is the best example we have of sacrifice, and we will certainly not be called to make the sacrifices he did, but, just as he did, we have to spend time with the LORD and prepare for the days ahead.
I fall down miserably in this many times a day, and I want to cry to – or scream! – but, if I take God's view, I will see it is very different than my feelings.
I am stressed out!! WHAT CAN I DO!!!
First of all, do as I said above: RENEW your mind in the WORD! If you are feeling like you need "Me Time", it's probably because you need "Me-and-God-Time". Do an in-depth study of what the WORD says about children and if you can't figure it out, ask God how they are being blessings right now. "Show me them as blessings, LORD!" I will tell them they are blessings from God when they misbehave and tell them I expect them to be a blessing too.
Secondly: Stop listening to what others say about how you need a break and how tough it is and just building up your own pity-party. Yes, it is tough, and yes, you feel like you need a break, but that is unreasonable. You are the mom, you have the responsibility, put yourself second and your children first and ask God to remove those feelings, and if need be, those friends. Instead, if they see you struggling or ask how you are, just tell them you are studying God's Word and ask them to pray you will find God's plan for you and your children.
Third: Change your environment – and theirs!
*Go outside. Even with young children, we can go on a walk or go outside and play in the dirt.
*Play hide and seek in the house.
*Give them a rag and clean something. No, the job won't be done well, but that isn't the goal. The goal is to have fun and change your perspective at the moment.
*Go to your bed, grab a favourite book of theirs and snuggle and read. And Read and snuggle.
*Make some hot cocoa.
*Go out for ice cream.
*SMILE. It is amazing how different you feel when you smile, even in the midst of a fit! You will start to see a different reaction in your children as well, as you smile at them and they smile back.
Fourth: If you are dealing with physical changes in your body that wreak havoc in your system, be sure to:
*Spend alone time in the WORD and soothe your spirit.
*Eat healthy! Eating organic will help rid your body of pesticides that will ruin your system and play on your hormones. Cut out the caffeine, junk food and even dairy if it sets you off. I can't eat anything with nitrates in it or I get terrible migraines.
*Get fresh air.
*Take natural supplements if you need to. I got to where I knew if I was lacking in B-vitamins, because stress drains your system of B's, and I could tell when I needed them.
In addition: Are you nursing a baby?
If you are, you need extra calories and nutrition. You will need more water. You will need time alone to sit with baby while the other children have QT. No, this won't happen at each nursing time, but at least once a day.
Fifth: Do your children have a QT or take naps? Set rules, stick it out until they know they have to and do it. Make it a Quiet Time on their beds. Let them read a book or hold a favourite toy. The rule is quiet.
Finally – or Firstly, whichever fits for you: Talk to your husband about it. Let it all out. Tell him you are struggling. Tell him you need his advice. Ask him to pray for you and with you. Don't expect it to be all the right answers, and you might even feel worse after talking to him – but, he needs to know and will likely come back after mulling it over with some good advice, and at the least, you have unburdened yourself to a trusted friend whose interest in your children is above all others!
A Word of Warning about having someone else watch your children while you "take a much-needed break":
It is habit-forming. If that is the first answer you turn to, then God cannot work in you to overcome the feelings you have and renew your mind. He wants you to enjoy your children and have patience with them and love them as he loves you. He desires your heart to change. He gave these blessings to you for his glory. Taking an absence from that will not allow his will to be done in your life or your children's. Period.
Beware of the quick-fixes and allowing your children to learn that is the answer. It is not. Being a mother is a hard job because it is a God-given one. It is shaping the hearts and minds of God's people and building his kingdom for his glory. It is the most important thing you will ever do.


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YEA Camper Activist Spotlight: Lauren Scheller-Wolfe Is a Star
When we first met Lauren Scheller-Wolf at YEA Camp, she was a little bit reserved, but we have learned over the years that sometimes our quieter campers do the most activism! Lauren shows that activists can make a difference while working to address several different causes and pursuing multiple passions. Not only does Lauren volunteer for an animal sanctuary, she also performed in a play to raise awareness about dating violence, and is on an all-girls robotics team that challenges the male-dominated fields of STEM. And she's also an amazing intern for YEA Camp! And she's been volunteering since she was 11!
Sorry, we don't mean to give away all the spoilers! We were happy she fit this interview with YEA Camp into her busy schedule and are glad to let her tell you more.
YEA Camp: Tell us about the activism you've been doing.
Lauren: I've volunteered with two organizations for several years now – Animal Advocates (an animal shelter where my family and I take care of cats) and Global Links, which packs and sends donated medical supplies to hospitals that can't afford to buy their own, or to places that have recently gone through a natural disaster. For instance, right now, we're sending a lot of stuff to Puerto Rico.
In addition, I've written several articles and blog posts about activism, animal rights, and veganism for different websites and organizations.
I'm also on an all-girls high school robotics team (The Girls of Steel). Our mission is to empower women and girls in the pursuit of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) by exemplifying female success in robotics. STEM fields are still very male-dominated – our mission is to change people's attitudes about women in STEM and helping young girls know they can be successful in a STEM career.
How did you get involved with activism and what you're currently working on?
My parents were vegan and doing animal rights activism before I was born, and I've been explaining veganism to people since forever, so I guess you could say I was born an activist! However, I started volunteering when I was about 11, and I started writing and doing other forms of activism after attending my first session of YEA Camp in 2015.
Right now I'm working on a few things, along with writing, volunteer work and Girls Of Steel. I'm on Farm Sanctuary's Youth Advisory Board, giving input on pamphlets etc. they want to create for younger activists, as well as kids that want to learn about veganism.
In addition, I've done a few art-activism things. I just finished performances of a play called "You Belong to Me" with a local theater company. This play aims to raise awareness about, and prevent, teen dating violence, and it's an incredibly powerful piece that has been performed in schools all around the Pittsburgh area. I want to be an actor when I grow up, so this was a great way for me to combine acting and activism!
I'm also a YEA Camp Intern!
What challenges have you faced as an activist and how have you dealt with them?
Time management has always been a bit of a problem for me, but I've discovered it helps me be the most effective if I have one specific goal (maybe it's to "Write one article before Sunday") and then I budget my time over the week to make sure I get it done; vs having an open-ended goal ("Write as many articles as you can this week").
What advice do you have for new activists just getting involved?
Go for it! Even if you don't think you'll be good at it. Even if you can only do something you consider small or unimportant. You'll get better (and gain confidence) with practice and every single action matters and will make a difference, no matter the size or scope.
How did YEA Camp help you in your activism, if it did?
YEA Camp helped me in tons of ways! I gained more knowledge (about many things, but specifically about how to answer tricky questions), as well as a lot more confidence in myself and my abilities as an activist. YEA Camp also connected me to a ton of organizations and people that I have worked with or could work with in the future. It's also helped me a lot to just know that there are amazing people out there who care as passionately about issues as I do.
What activist goals do you have in the future?
Gain more confidence. Reach more people. Take part in more activism.
Have you been involved with any organizations or used any as resources for your activism?
Yes! YEA Camp (obviously), Animal Advocates, Global Links, Farm Sanctuary, and Girls of Steel Robotics are the main groups with which I have worked that have helped me to grow in my activism.
Do you care about making a difference just like Lauren does? Want help getting more involved? Come to YEA Camp this summer!
Lauren Scheller-Wolf is a 17-year-old activist for many causes, though her focus is on animal rights. She lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attended YEA Camp New York in 2015 and 2016.


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'Star Wars' actress Billie Lourd on Princess Leia rumors, her famous family and 'Scream Queens'
Billie Lourd, offspring of actress Carrie Fisher and CAA co-chairman Bryan Lourd, is ready for her closeup.
The 22-year-old is joining the family business with an acting career of her own, starting with a slew of upcoming projects like J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and Fox's much-anticipated horror-comedy series "Scream Queens."
"It's been a secret dream of mine," Lourd said in her first-ever editorial feature, which appears in Interview magazine's Youth Wave issue featuring up-and-comers like Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson.
See Gallery
Also Read:Josh Trank Explains Why He Left 'Star Wars' Spinoff: 'I Want to Do Something Original'
Her parents discouraged her from an on-camera career, she admitted. "My whole life, they said, 'Do not act. You need to get a college degree,'" she said. "I went to performing arts camp, secretly taking classes — I got the lead in the musical, and my dad was like, 'Wait, I thought you were going here for music and knitting.'"
Lourd earned a degree from NYU last year, but pursued her secret dream nonetheless — landing a part in the very franchise that made her mother a star decades ago.
"This is the first job I've ever had — right into the fire," Lourd told Interview of the top-secret "Star Wars" project. While she declined to share details about her character, she was quick to shoot down rumors linking her to Fisher's iconic Princess Leia, who will also return in the new film.
"I'm not Princess Leia's daughter," she said.
See Gallery
Also Read:'Scream Queens' to Premiere at San Diego Comic Con 2015
Lourd is currently in production on Ryan Murphy's "Scream Queens," about a pack hellish sorority girls who fall victim to a string of campus murders. She co-stars with Emma Roberts, Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin and Nick Jonas.
"It's scary," Lourd said of the series, "but there's a lot of comedic breaks."
"Scream Queens" premieres this fall on Fox. "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," starring Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong'o, Adam Driver, Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Andy Serkis, opens Christmas Day.
Read original story 'Star Wars' Actress Billie Lourd on Princess Leia Rumors, Her Famous Family and 'Scream Queens' At TheWrap


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This model shows how to test a closed-loop ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) algorithm in Simulink®. In a closed-loop ADAS algorithm, the ego vehicle is controlled by changes in its scenario environment as the simulation advances.
To test the scenario, you use a driving scenario that was saved from the Driving Scenario Designer app. In this model, you read in a scenario using a Scenario Reader block, and then visually verify the performance of the algorithm, an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system, on the Bird's-Eye Scope.
Before beginning this example, add the example file folder to the MATLAB® search path.
This example uses a driving scenario that is based on one of the prebuilt Euro NCAP test protocol scenarios that you can access through the Driving Scenario Designer app. For more details on these scenarios, see Euro NCAP Driving Scenarios in Driving Scenario Designer.
Open the scenario file in the app.
Click Run to simulate the scenario. In this scenario, the ego vehicle collides with a pedestrian child who is crossing the street.
In the model used in this example, you use an AEB sensor fusion algorithm to detect the pedestrian child and test whether the ego vehicle brakes in time to avoid a collision.
The model implements the AEB algorithm described in the Autonomous Emergency Braking with Sensor Fusion example. Open the model.
A Scenario Reader block reads the non-ego actors and roads from the specified scenario file and outputs the non-ego actors. The ego vehicle is passed into the block through an input port.
The Scenario Reader block is located in the Vehicle Environment > Actors and Sensor Simulation subsystem. Open this subsystem.
open_system('AEBTestBenchExample/Vehicle and Environment/Actors and Sensor Simulation')
In the Scenario Reader block, the Driving Scenario Designer file name parameter specifies the name of the scenario file. You can specify a scenario file that is on the MATLAB search path, such as the scenario file used in this example, or the full path to a scenario file. Alternatively, you can specify a
object by setting Source of driving scenario to
From workspace and then setting MATLAB or model workspace variable name to the name of a valid
drivingScenario object workspace variable. In closed-loop simulations, specifying the
drivingScenario object is useful because it enables you finer control over specifying the initial position of the ego vehicle in your model.
The Scenario Reader block outputs the poses of the non-ego actors in the scenario. These poses are passed to vision and radar sensors, whose detections are used to determine the behavior of the AEB controller.
The actor poses are output in vehicle coordinates, where:
The X-axis points forward from the ego vehicle.
The Y-axis points to the left of the ego vehicle.
The origin is located at the center of the rear axle of the ego vehicle.
If a scenario has multiple ego vehicles, in the Scenario Reader block, set the Coordinate system of outputs parameter to
World coordinates instead of
Vehicle coordinates. In the world coordinate system, the actors and lane boundaries are in the world coordinates of the driving scenario. When this parameter is set to
World coordinates, however, visualization of the scenario using the Bird's-Eye Scope is not supported.
Although this scenario includes a predefined ego vehicle, the Scenario Reader block is configured to ignore this ego vehicle definition. Instead, the ego vehicle is defined in the model and specified as an input to the Scenario Reader block (the Source of ego vehicle parameter is set to
Input port). As the simulation advances, the AEB algorithm determines the pose and trajectory of the ego vehicle. If you are developing an open-loop algorithm, where the ego vehicle is predefined in the driving scenario, set the Source of ego vehicle parameter to
Scenario. For an example, see Test Open-Loop ADAS Algorithm Using Driving Scenario.
To visualize the scenario, use the Bird's-Eye Scope. From the Simulink toolstrip, under Review Results, click Bird's-Eye Scope. Then, in the scope, click Find Signals and run the simulation. With the AEB algorithm, the ego vehicle brakes in time to avoid a collision.
When you are done verifying the algorithm, remove the example file folder from the MATLAB search path.


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DENVER — A day after coach Mike Yeo explained all the reasons he didn't want to move Jason Pominville off the Wild's top line to anchor the second line, he did just that.
Welcome to the second line, Mr. Pominville.
"Things changed," Yeo said Friday.
The Wild's second line struggled mightily in back-to-back losses in California, 2-1 at Anaheim on Wednesday and 3-1 at San Jose on Thursday. Minnesota, 13-3-2 at home, has lost five road games in a row to fall to 5-8-3 away from the Xcel Energy Center.
The answer — for now — is pairing Pominville, a 10-year veteran, with 21-year-old Charlie Coyle and former Gopher Erik Haula, called up from the Wild's minor league team in Iowa on Friday.
"I don't know where it's going to go," Yeo said. "Maybe a period into (Saturday's game at Colorado) we go back to having Pominville (on the top line). I don't know. But we want to definitely give it a shot and see what he can do."
The line change masks a bigger problem.
When the Wild's top players don't produce, the young players — often on the second line — haven't stepped up. Some of their best games have come when the top line plays its best, too. One group hasn't been able to pick up the other.
Having fallen into a three-team tie for seventh place in the Western Conference, the Wild need their young players to provide a spark — especially on the road.
It's a common problem with young players, Yeo said. He met with them Friday to talk about it.
"They kind of go with the flow," Yeo said. "They're playing such a significant role for us (that) they can't just go with the flow. They've got to come in and be a force every night."
Coyle, who was a standout last season as a rookie, has just two points in the past 11 games, Nino Niederreiter, 21, has no points in the past seven games. And Jason Zucker, 21, was sent down to the Iowa Wild on Friday after not scoring in 17 consecutive regular-season games dating to last season.
"I'm not trying to make excuses, because I think one of the strengths of our team is the youth we have and the room for growth," Yeo said. "As these guys get better and as they grow, then our team is going to get better and grow, and they've already proven they're very capable NHL players."
Output dropped considerably after second-line center Mikael Granlund, 21, suffered a concussion Nov. 20. He has played one shift since then, and that ended when he reinjured himself.
Without Granlund, the Wild are 4-6-1, scoring 17 times in those 11 games.
"He was an important part," Yeo said. "He was starting to kill a lot of penalties for us. And obviously, he was quarterbacking and working the half wall on that second power play, too. He was a big piece, but we've got to battle through that, and we've been sort of adequate at best doing that. But I think we're still plugging along and still in good shape."
Follow Chad Graff at twitter.com/ChadGraff.


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Can training create great leaders or managers
January 23, 2012 Leave a comment
Recently I have been involved in several discussions around developing leaders and managers within organisations and the role that training, coaching and mentoring plays in creating and developing people to be great leaders or managers or both. I rocked the boat a little when I expressed the opinion that while it was possible to create great managers through training and development, the same was not the case with leaders. Training can make people who already are or who have the potential to be great leaders better, but it cannot create them.
This appeared to challenge the pervailing feeling of several members of the group who suggested that everyone could be a leader they simply need the to have leadership skills taught to them and dveloped in them and as a result of this they would become leaders.
While I think this is definately the case with management and managers where there is a set of skills that can be taught to people and then those skills developed over time, that most people have the potential to be good managers. What stops or inhibites people from becoming good managers is their level of motivation to achieve that goal.
This is not the case with leadership and leaders. While there are many skill sets that people point at as the set of skills that leaders should possess, just teaching and developing these skills to people does not by necessity make them leaders. There is something else they need and whether you call it vision or intutiion or whatever name it takes, it is something that you cannot give to people who dont possess it, no matter the amount of training, coaching or mentoring provided.
I would be really interested to see what other people thought about this.


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Welcome to the 2018 NFL Combine episode of Film Don't Lie. Justin will discuss the NFL Combine and what happened over the past weekend. Who proved him right? Who proved him wrong? Who moved into the first round? Who got the measurements they needed to stay in the picture? AND who is in dire need of a pro day?
College Football's 5th Quarter article on the 2018 NFL Combine


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IFSEC Southeast Asia 2017 -- Securing the cities, infrastructures, businesses and more
15 Aug, 2017, 08:27 BST
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Aug. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The world leading security, fire and safety event portfolio, IFSEC in its Southeast Asia edition will take place at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) this coming 6-8 September 2017. The fifth edition is a must-attend event for players in the entire industry, which include buyers and other visitors such as architects, business owners, contractors, engineers, facility managers, finance professionals, human resources, IT professionals, procurements, property developers, senior management and more.
The three-day event will feature more than 350 world-leading brands showcasing cutting-edge products in access controls and biometrics, CCTV and surveillance, cybersecurity, drones, fire alarms, fire detection, fire protection, gates and doors, home automation, intelligent buildings, intruder alarms, network security, personal protection equipment, physical security, perimeter protection, x-ray equipment and many other latest technologies in security, fire and safety. This is the best opportunity for visitors to meet directly with experts representing global brands such as Entrypass, Seagate, Dahua, Comnet, Nemtek, Nocturna, Hikvision, BFT, Falcon Safe, FAAC, Alarms and Automation, Golmar, Entrasys, Magnetic Control, Mobotix, MicroEngine, Propel Network, Senzo, Smartstripe, Ozak, Stratel, Union Light, Videx and many more.
IFSEC Southeast Asia received strong support from Malaysia's Ministry of Home Affairs, Royal Malaysia Police, CyberSecurity Malaysia, Asian Professional Security Association (APSA) Malaysia Chapter, British Security Industry Association (BSIA) and ASIS International (Malaysia Chapter).
For the fifth edition this year, IFSEC Southeast Asia will include a few new features on the show floor, which will attract more than 10,000 visitors. For the first time, there will be a drone zone, where drone companies and operators will showcase their drone's capabilities and its integration into the security, fire and safety industry. Another new feature is the business matching service, which visitors could select their preferred product to source. This service was created to help visitors find the best solutions or products for their needs, directly with the manufacturers or distributors.
The Malaysia's Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA), PPKKM, APSA and IFSEC Southeast Asia is organising Conference Perdana, where the conference will feature a panel discussion, dialogues with MOHA and a keynote address from the invited guest of honour, YAB Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia.
"We expect more than 2,000 security companies to join Conference Perdana, the first-ever conference specific for the security industry players and operators," said Dato' Seri Haji Mustapa Bin Haji Ali, President of APSA (Malaysia Chapter). "The conference is set to be the best platform for the industry players to gather and obtain the latest information and gain new knowledge that will benefit their businesses."
IFSEC Southeast Asia 2017 is organising a three-day seminar on the show floor, where there will be more than 10 hot topics to be presented by experts. The seminar is free for all visitors. Be sure not to miss these seminars and listen directly from industry experts at IFSEC Southeast Asia 2017.
IFSEC Southeast Asia 2017 is a free-to-attend exhibition and seminar for all industry players and visitors. Come on 6-7 September at 10:00am-5:30pm and on 8 September at 10:00am-4:00pm.
For more information on IFSEC Southeast Asia, please log on to www.ifsecsea.com or contact the organiser at +60321768788.
About UBM Asia (www.ubmasia.com)
Owned by UBM plc listed on the London Stock Exchange, UBM Asia is the largest trade show organiser in Asia and the largest event organisers in China, India and Malaysia. Established with its headquarters in Hong Kong and subsidiary companies across Asia and in the US, UBM Asia has a strong global presence in 25 major cities with 36 offices and over 1,600 employee.
With a track record spanning over 30 years, UBM Asia operates in 11 market sectors with over 290 events, 28 targeted trade publications, 18 round-the-clock online products for over 2,000,000 quality exhibitors, visitors, conference delegates, advertisers and subscribers from all over the world. We provide a one-stop diversified global service for high-value business matching, quality market news and online trading networks.
Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/545168/IFSEC_Southeast_Asia_2017.jpg
Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/495130/UBM_Logo.jpg
Related Links
SOURCE UBM Asia (Malaysia)


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I have 2 books that I read aloud:
The first thing that I do is get some black, red and white construction paper, along with black, red and white crayons or colored pencils. I have all of the children gather at carpet and I hand out the paper and crayons - making sure that the children with black paper get black crayons, white paper gets white crayons and red paper gets red crayons. I give them the instructions to draw me a beautiful picture while I read to them. At this point, a few smarties might pipe up and say something but I shush them and pretend not to understand.
Once I settle them down again I pick up "Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."
and begin to read it aloud. If you don't have this book, you need it!! It has gorgeous illustrations,the stained glass windows are breathtaking and the story is told so well that one by one the children stop drawing and just sit, so involved in the book! By the end, when Martin Luther King Jr. gets shot, there is usually complete silence for a moment as the children sit in shock, almost disbelieving that it truly happened. There are usually several tears and a lot of angst - we have a discussion on how people don't always agree with each other, but it's important to solve problems peacefully. We talk about the changes that came about because of Dr. King - usually I point out that some of the best friends in the class wouldn't even be going to the same school because they're not the same race.We talk about how we feel about his assassination and his dream. It is truly amazing the way these young children can verbalize how his message touches them and how they're glad that he changed things so we can all go to school together and be friends.
I collect all of the pictures and let everyone calm down a bit. Then I pick up "The Crayon Box that Talked" and read it aloud. It's such a simple story, and yet it really emphasizes how important diversity is - and the students automatically make the connection between Dr. King's story and the crayons! Next I give every child a large crayon to color - they may color it any colors they want to, but I ask that at the tip they draw a self-portrait. Those are usually the best coloring job I'll see all year! The children work really hard to use a bunch of colors and make the crayons unique. Once all of the crayons are colored I display them inside a poster board "crayon box" that says "Mrs Knopf's Crayons" and hang it on our door for everyone to see! Unfortunately, I can't find my picture of my crayon box from last year, but here's an example from site where I found my crayon pattern - I found that making the box from a single poster board and markers was easier than using construction paper - especially since my husband helps make the box each year!
At the very end of the day, just to see if they remember the message of Dr. King, I randomly hand about 1/2 the class a piece of candy. I usually base it on whether they're wearing the same color shirt as I am or some nonsense like that. When the other children ask why they don't get a candy I explain that I'm only giving the candy to children who look like me today - so since I'm wearing a green shirt, everyone who's wearing green can have candy! Someone always starts in about how it's not fair and I let them get ramped up a bit - until eventually someone mentions Dr. King and how he wanted everyone to be treated equally. I ask them what they think we should do and some of the children with candy will volunteer to give share their candy with those without. At this point I give everyone a candy and tell them I was just checking to see if they remembered Dr. King's dream!
I'd love to hear about how your lesson plans in honor of Dr. King!


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This Amy Winehouse Album Discography infographic includes Amy's Frank album track listings and singles, Back To Black album track listings and singles, also Lioness: Hidden Treasures album track listing and singles.
Album Discography
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Price: $5.99 * Buy At: Ulta
The Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge is an orange cosmetic sponge. The sponge is cut flat at an angle on one end, and comes to a point on the other end.
The back of the packaging gives instructions for how to use each part of the sponge. The flat edge is designed for contours around the eyes and the nose. The sides are designed to blend large areas of the face, and the pointed tip is is designed for covering imperfections. The sponge has a fairly hard feel to it when it's dry, but it gets much softer when damp. Some people aclaim that the sponge doubles in size, but I don't notice much of a size difference when the sponge is wet. When first testing out the sponge, I tried using the "bouncing" motion I've seen many others use, but I didn't find it to blend my foundation or concealer at all. I find the sponge to work better using small circular or sweeping motions, similar to how you would use a brush. The sponge doesn't take away any of the coverage of the product you are applying and doesn't appear to absorb much of it either. The sponge also comes in handy when applying or blending out cream blush. I still think I'm more of a brush person when it comes to face products, but the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge is a good, inexpensive choice for people in the market for a sponge.
Price: $18 * Buy At: Ulta * Size: 0.31 fl oz / 9.2 ml
This year the CK One Mascara is the free birthday gift for all Ulta members. Ulta will send you the coupon during your birthday month and you can go to an Ulta store to pick up your free mascara!
The CK One Mascara comes in a long matte black tube with a white lid. The wand on this mascara is quite interesting because it can be in two different shapes. As explained on the sticker on the lid, you can twist the top to change the wand's shape. Before twisting the top, the wand is longer and the bristles are further apart from each other. After twisting the top, the bristles twist and shrink closer together. I actually do notice a difference on my lashes with the two different wands, although it's a little harder to see in the photos. The un-twisted wand gives my lashes a bit more of a natural look, while the twisted wand makes the lashes thicker (and sometimes kind of spidery). In the pictures of the mascara on my lashes, the un-twisted wand was used on the left eye and the twisted wand was used on the right eye. The mascara doesn't leave the lashes feeling dry or crunchy and does not flake.
Price: $1.99 * Buy At: Walgreens * Size: 0.11 / 3.3 g
The Wet n Wild MegaLast Lip Color in Pinkerbell is a bright yellow toned pink with a cream finish.
I already knew I wasn't the biggest fan of the MegaLast Lip Color's formula, but this color is supposed to be a dupe for MAC Viva Glam Nicki. Just like the previous shade I've reviewed, Just Peachy, Pinkerbell has a dry formula that doesn't apply very smoothly to the lips. Applying lip balm prior to Pinkerbell really helps the formula and application. Although there are some issues with Pinkerbell's application, it actually looks pretty good on the lips. The color is opaque and it adds a nice glossy shine. While I much prefer lip product formulas from other brands, I don't mind getting certain colors from this line.
Price: $2.49 * Buy At: Coastal Scents' Website
The Coastal Scents Shader Medium Synthetic Brush is a flat, dense shader brush made of synthetic bristles. This brush is new to the Coastal Scents line of brushes.
The Coastal Scents Classic Shader Medium Synthetic Brush is the perfect size and shape for packing on a lid color. The brush reminds me of a concealer brush since it's thin, dense and the bristles almost have a silky feel. All the Coastal Scents brushes I've tried have a great quality and I have not experienced shedding or splaying of bristles.This is the kind of brush I was expecting when I ordered the Coastal Scents Classic Shadow Medium Synthetic Brush. You can see a comparison of the two brushes below. The Shadow Brush is wider and thicker than the Shader Brush and also has a fluffy feel versus a silky feel.
Price: $42 * Buy At: Ulta * Size: 0.32 oz (16 x 0.02 oz)
Following the massive success of the Lorac Pro Palette is the new Lorac Pro Palette 2! Just like the original, the second version contains sixteen shadows, eight are matte and eight are shimmery. The palette also comes with a sample size of the Lorac Behind the Scenes Eye Primer (0.19 oz).
The packaging is the same as the Lorac Pro, except it's grey instead of black. It's thin, sleek and cardboard. It does have a tendency to get dirty, like the Nars packaging. For the most part, all the shades in the Lorac Pro Palette 2 are unique and different than the original. This palette also ventures away from typical neutral shadows more than the Lorac Pro. The top row is all matte and contains the shades Buff (yellow ivory), Lt. Brown (warm tan), Cool Gray (dark off-grey), Nectar (peachy pink), Plum (plum), Navy (navy), Charcoal (medium grey) and Black (black). The bottom row is all shimmery shades and includes Snow (iridescent white), Beige (nude), Rosé (rose gold), Mocha (warm brown), Chrome (silvery brown), Silver (silver), Jade (mossy green) and Cocoa (brown).
Just like the shadows in the original palette, every shadow in the Lorac Pro Palette 2 is flawless. Every single shadow has a very smooth, buttery texture in combination with amazing pigmentation. All of the matte shadows and shimmer shadows blend very easily as well. Some of the shadows can tend to be a little bit powdery, but that is to be expected with the extreme pigmentation and soft texture. For some reason Navy looks a bit chalky in the swatches, but I promise it's not. It's actually the brightest and best navy shadow I've ever tried. I think Lorac did a great job with the Lorac Pro's follow up and I am in love with this palette!
Price: $4.99 * Buy At: Ulta * Size: 2.9 g / 0.1 oz
The L'Oreal Pink Plush Colour Riche Caresse Lipstick is a quite sheer pale pink with no shimmer or glitter.
The Colour Riche Caresse Lipsticks come in a sleek gold tube that has the color of the product at the bottom of the lid. Although it is called a lipstick, Pink Plush is more like a tinted balm. It has a very smooth and moisturizing feel on the lips, but it does need to be built up a lot to change the color of the lips. I do like the look of this color on the lips when it's built up, it makes them lighter and adds a subtle shine, great for an everyday look.
Sunset Eye Makeup Look | How To
Although it won't officially be summer until June 21st, the warm weather is here and I have an eye look incorporating a lot of warm colors, that will work perfectly in the summer! You may notice that my nose and cheeks are pretty red, and that is because my face is sunburned! In case you are wondering, I used the Maybelline Fit Me Shine Free Stick Foundation in 115 Ivory and Rimmel Stay Matte Powder on my face. On my brows I used the Sephora Brow Editor in Honey Blonde and the Clear Maybelline Great Lash Mascara.
Step by Step Picture Tutorial
I started off the look with a base. After priming my top and bottom lid with the Elf Eyelid Primer, I applied the Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk on the inner half of my lid and the Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in My Two Cents on the outer half of my lids.
To avoid messing up the bright colors, I did the crease and bottom lid color before the lid color. I first applied my transition shade, the Nyx Nude Matte Shadow in Blame It On Midnight, a matte peachy tan, with the Sigma E25 blending brush. I also smudged the same color on my bottom lashline. To darken up the crease I used Buck from the Urban Decay Naked Palette with a Coastal Scents crease brush.
For the lids I used three different colors. I started off by packing a copper shadow, Chopper from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, over the the copper base. Next I applied a vibrant yellow shadow on the inner half of the lids. The yellow shadow is from the Sleek Supreme iDivine Palette. For the middle of the lids, I applied the Nyx Loose Pearl Shadow in Rust. This pigment can be really intense, so I didn't use too much. I also used another color for the inner corner. I chose a matte light yellow because it's different from cream, but still wearable. This shadow is also from the Sleek palette.
I kept it pretty simple with the liner since the lid color is intense. I used the Sephora Color Proof Liner in Matte Brown (which has been discontinued) to create a thin line and a small wing. I also chose to use a white liner in the waterline, but black would also look good. I used a mix of the Nyx Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk and the Sephora Nano Liner in Pure White.
Like always, I finished the look with mascara. First I curled my lashes and applied 2 coats of the Benefit They're Real Mascara and 1 coat of Maybelline The Rocket. I used the Wet n Wild Mega Volume and Mega Protein mascara on the bottom lashes.
Price: $5.49 * Buy At: Walgreens * Size: 0.14 oz / 4g
The Rimmel 110 Lasting Finish by Kate Lipstick is a classic red with a matte finish. The matte lipsticks in the Rimmel Kate Moss line come in a red tube with Kate's signature in black on the lid.
This line of lipsticks have a fairly strong scent that doesn't appeal to me, but luckily it wears off after application. 110 has a thin formula, but is still quite pigmented, providing an opaque look on the lips. It does have a drier feel on the lips than a lipstick that isn't matte, but the formula also has a bit of moisture. For the best feel on the lips, I suggest applying a lip balm prior to this lipstick. Since 110 has a matte finish, it lasts longer on the lips than a red lipstick with a creme finish.
Price: $3.49 * Buy At: Walgreens * Size: 0.23 oz / 6.5 g
The Softlips Cube in Vanilla Bean is a rounded lip balm in a cube shaped package. The website claims that this lip balm hydrates with Shea Butter, replenishes with antioxidant Vitamins A, C & E, smoothes, protects with SPF 15 and adds shine for a 5-in-1 result.
Of course with the product being a similar shape to EOS lip balms, many people will wonder how they compare. In my opinion, the Softlips feel a bit thinner than the EOS formula, but both feel moisturizing and balmy. Product aside, the packaging of the Softlips cube can be more convenient than the EOS packaging since it's a little smaller and won't roll around since it's a cube. The Softlips Cube has a smooth feel and feels like the classic Softlips in the tube form. As you may guess, Vanilla Bean smells like vanilla.
Price: $2.49 * Buy At: Kmart * Size: 2.2 g / 0.08 oz
The Jordana Blush Powder in Blushing Rose (37) is a mauve with subtle golden shimmer.
The Jordana Blushes come in a round compact with a clear, screw on lid. I was blown away by the quality of Blushing Rose. It has a soft, silky texture in addition to amazing pigmentation. The color doesn't have to be built up at all, in fact I have to sheer it out a little to work with my light skin tone. To make this blush even better, it blends out so easily! While this kind of mauve color isn't typically popular in the summer, I think that it looks gorgeous on the cheeks anytime of year. I really suggest this line of blushes to anyone, especially since they are so inexpensive.
Product Reviews
May 2017


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This citrusy bath features handy storage hidden by drapes that give the illusion of a shower curtain. Beautiful beige tile frames the space.
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In the girl's bathroom, the walls are white, and there's a beautiful generous sink vanity that's painted in a khaki color and has a white marble top. Above the vanity, there's a mirror and set of matching sconces. The floor is white tile. And set into that is the khaki tile that's put into sort of a band. It almost works as like a frame around the room. A little bit of a graphic pattern set into the floor. And there's the same storage in this bathroom as in the boy's bathroom, with a built-in nook of shelving along one side of the wall. And there's a large set of drapery, almost like a shower curtain that covers it. And this is white linen and is used in the same treatment as the window treatments in the room, with pink grosgrain trim along the edge. It's just a really beautiful way to add a little bit of pattern and hit of color into this room. The shower in this bathroom has a frosted glass door and the same white tile from the floor is carried into the shower floor, with a, just a simple white subway tile running up the wall. In the girl's bathroom, there's a set of prints that just kind of add to the whimsy of the room. They're quite modern in style but just have a little bit of color and playfulness to them, and they're still framed in just the white frames with light mats, which Suzanne has really used throughout the house and is just a very simple way to have the art blend in to the walls, but also stand out and pop off of that white backdrop. [MUSIC]


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6 pieces of organic brown rice mochi and black soybeans, individually wrapped.
The mochi is a glutinous rice paste is consumed especially in winter.
The mochi can be grilled and accompanied with nori seaweed, or with kinako (soybean flour).
Instructions: You can prepare your mochi three ways.
- Grill : Broil 4-5 minutes (180-200 degrees) and let the mochi another 2 minutes in the oven without opening.
- Microwave mochi : Put on a plate and put water until the mochi soaks in the water. Cook it 2 minutes in the microwave.
Keep out of direct light before opening and in the refrigerator after opening.
You can cut it in half easily by hand.
Ingredients : organic glutinous rice 91% (brown rice), black beans 8%, salt
Manufactured in a facility that also processes soy.
Product of Japan
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This product : Organic brown rice black soya bean mochi - gluten free 250g (6 pieces) Clearspring 9.50 €
Clearspring organic silken firm tofu 300g 3.20 €
Clearspring organic gluten free brown rice noodles 200g 4.10 €
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Barbaric Motif
The Jaguar Jungle
Playing around with different styles of armour and came up with this piece. I'm really loving Khajiit and all the gorgeous fur patterns. This lovely Jaguar is wearing a mix of Argonian, Barbaric & Redguard armour. I specifically love the Barbaric Top, a crop top style with a tooth necklace. Reminds me of a Saber Tooth. I'd love to use it again.
-Argonian Light Gloves
-Argonian Light Shoes
-Barbaric Light Chest
-Redguard Light Pants
-Three Hoop Earrings
-Short Hair Center Crest
(All dyed a mix of Starlight Gold, Coldharbour Ash Black, Craftmaster Gold)
The Dark Elf Betrayer
"Betrayer… In truth, it was I who was betrayed. Still, I am hunted. Still, I am hated. Now, my blind eyes see what others cannot"
-Illadan Stormrage
This is more of a character idea rather than an outfit. Illadan Stormrage from World of Warcraft is a Night ElfIllidan, also known as the Betrayer, was the twin brother of Malfurion Stormrage. He was a practitioner of Highborne magic. In his youth, he attempted to master the druidic forces as his brother had, but the sorcery called to him in a way that the magic of the land did not.
Illidan was born with amber eyes, which is so rare amongst Night Elves that anyone born with it is considered destined to do great things. As he begins to play with Fel Magic, his eyes change from amber to bright green.
Illidan makes the perfect Dragonknight, benefitting from the Dunmer racial fire passives & the dragon-winged abilities. I would have liked to take some screenshots of him with the wings, however I'm not prepared to level a model character just for pics! Perhaps one day I will run a Dunmer DK.
Another suitable hairstyle would be the Wrapped Horsetail bought from the Crown Store, I missed out on this item so I've given him Long Elvish hair.
-Hollowjack Daggers
-Sightless Master Blindfold
-Coil with Long Fall Hairstyle
-Light Barbaric Gloves (Dyed Book Cover Brown)
-Medium Dunmer Leggings (Dyed Book Cover Brown)


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Everyone knows that the cost of going to college has gone through the roof in the last 15 years. And it shows no signs of slowing down.
In fact it is projected that by 2030, with a 5% yearly increase in college tuition, out-of-state college costs at a public university will come to around $71,373 while in-state at the same college will cost $41,228 for families.
If we thought college is expensive now, the next decade for college education is proving to place more financial responsibility on families.
So, what's the solution? We have discussed many ways of paying off your student loan debt and funding your college education. However, today I want to discuss something you might not have considered as a way to pay your way (or your child's way) through college - crowdfunding.
Crowdfunding has exploded over the last few years. It's become easier than ever to raise small amounts of money from lots of people online. In fact, beyond personally raising money, crowdfunding has become key for investors in many different areas.
If you're considering using crowdfunding to pay for college, here's what you need to know.
1. Know What You're Getting Into
Just like any contract or agreement, you need to know what you are getting into if you decide to crowdfund your education. It is nice that total strangers will be willing to invest in your education over the internet, however, it is important for you to read the rules and conditions so you don't violate any platform-specific guidelines - an action that could very well land a person in court.
You also need to remember that you will be required to pay taxes on the money you raise via a crowdfunding campaign as well as (typically) pay a percentage of your donations to the crowdfunding platform, whether or not you meet your goals in the campaign.
2. Create A Killer Crowdfunding Campaign
You will have to convince people that you are worth investing in. This means creating a killer campaign. There are hundreds, maybe even thousands, of crowdfunding campaigns that never get seen and never get funded. It is important that you write a campaign that catches the eyes of potential funders.
Here are 5 tips to help you create crowdfunding campaigns that attract attention and get funded.
- Define A Clear Purpose For Your Campaign: How much money do you need? What will the money go toward? When you finish your degree what will that mean for you, your family or society? What's in it for the people who will fund your campaign? Defining a clear purpose for why you need the money and why completing your college degree is so important will help guide you in using the right words that trigger action in your campaign.
- Think About Your Unique Story: A hallmark of successful crowdfunding campaigns is a unique story. What about you would move someone to donate to your cause? Are you a straight A student who has found themselves in a difficult financial situation? Are you a mom of 3 who really would like to go back and get the degree you put on hold to raise your children? Think of your unique story and incorporate that as you write or create the video for your campaign.
- Use Video To Convey Your Message: Video conveys emotion, facial expressions, intonations and even personality traits. Written pieces don't always capture all of these things. If you can get in front of a camera lens and briefly explain why you need the money and how the investment will serve not just you but other people around you, you are more likely to meet your funding goals.
- Use Social Proof: Social studies have shown that people will do things just because they see other people doing it. When people see that more than one person has already donated to your campaign they are more likely to donate as well. To successfully raise money via crowdfunding, it is important to have this kind of social proof. You might want to reach out to some relatives, friends (even friends of friends because you could ask your personal network to share this with their own network) prior to having your campaign go live so that right out of the gate you will have donors.
- Be Grateful: People are taking time out of their day to pay attention to you. Make sure you communicate in your campaign that you are absolutely grateful for every person who spreads the one about your campaigns or donates.
3. Where To Get Crowdfunded
So where can you go to find crowdfunding to pay for college? If you live in the United States, you can use any of the following platforms. Create an account, read their instructions, terms and conditions, and get started.
- DreamFund: DreamFund charges 2.5% for their Premium Members and 5% for basic members to crowdfund on their platform. They charge a standard 2.9% +$0.30 for payment processing. Check out DreamFund here.
- GoFundMe: Setting up a GoFundMe campaign is easy and can be done in minutes. They deduct a 5% fee from each donation that you receive . Since their fees are deducted automatically, you don't need to worry about being billed after your campaign is over. There is also a 3% processing fee that will be deducted from each donation. It takes 5-7 business days after your campaign is over to receive the donations made to your campaign. Check out GoFundMe here.
- Indiegogo: Indiegogo is famous for funding entrepreneurial endeavors but you could use them to fund your education as well. Their set up is very similar to GoFundMe. Check out Indiegogo here.
- PlumFund: On Plumfund there is no "platform fee" to give or receive payments. Since they use Paypal and WePay to process payments, any deduction made goes towards processing fees. Check out PlumFund here.
- YouCaring: If you are looking for free platforms, Youcaring.com is another place to look. Check out YouCaring here.
4. Integrity
Occasionally, there are stories of people who misuse the funds they received via a crowdfunding campaign. This should not be you. Once the funds are paid to you by the crowdfunding platform you used, make it a point to ONLY apply the money towards tuition costs and the cost of living as you pursue your degree.
Even better, share your progress and results with your backers. If people invested in you, they would love to know how you are doing!
5. Keep Up Your End Of The Contract
We started this article by urging you to make sure you know what you are getting into when you choose a particular platform. Once you have successfully gotten people to donate to your cause, make sure to keep your end of the contract/agreement and fulfill all platform-specific requirements PLUS any promises you made in your campaign.
It's always better to overdeliver than under-deliver.
Final Thoughts
Yes, you can ask complete strangers to help you go to college. And these crowdfunding platforms can help you crowdfund your way to a college education.
But for many people, this should be a last resort. Make sure that you look for scholarships, grants, and other financial aid first. The tips we just shared should provide you with a strong foundation should you decide to go this route and secure crowfunding to pay for college.
Let us know if the comments if you've gone this route to pay for college!
Robert Farrington is America's Millennial Money Expert® and America's Student Loan Debt Expert™, and the founder of The College Investor, a personal finance site dedicated to helping millennials escape student loan debt to start investing and building wealth for the future. You can learn more about him here and here.
He regularly writes about investing, student loan debt, and general personal finance topics geared towards anyone wanting to earn more, get out of debt, and start building wealth for the future.
He has been quoted in major publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Fox, ABC, NBC, and more. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes.


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*press sample*
It's Friday, which automatically makes it a good day. ;)
I have some of the Color Foil collection from Sally Hansen to show you guys today. I'm sure you've heard the buzz about these by now! They are reminisecent of their Chrome line in the early 2000s. I had a bottle from that line in high school that I was obsessed with so I was super excited to see this finish return!
I have 5 of the 9 polishes all cool colors because that's what I gravitate towards usually. I did 2 coats of each polish. One almost covers entirely, the second was mostly to perfect the finsh.
Cobalt Chrome is a blue with a slight hint of turquoise.
Leaden Lilac is a blue-violet color. Very unique!
Titanium Flush is a rosy pink shade. Pretty sure I had this exact color from the Chrome line back in the day!
Purple Alloy is a medium purple. Also part of my current mani!
And finally, Minted Metal is a lovely light green.
Chrome finish polishes do best without a base coat to get the smoothest application, however they do show imperfections on the nail, so buff beforehand to get the smoothest finish. These do have a very mirror like finish and dry almost instantly! Which is great for a quick mani when your short on time.
Who else is loving this new collection from Sally Hasnsen?
*Polish sent for review in exchange for my honest opinions.


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refreshing yet rich coconut and white chocolate macaroons with a coconut topping
Preheat the oven to 155'C.
Whisk the egg whites with 150g caster sugar and the food colouring. Whisk until you have a stiff and glossy meringue mixture.
Place the icing sugar and the almond powder in a blender. Blitz and then sieve this mixture into a bowl to ensure that you have a very fine, lump-free powder.
Incorporate the dry ingredients into the meringue mixture. Use a spatula to cut and fold the mixture until it is smooth, shiny and ribbon-like.
Fill a piping bag with the macaroon mix and pipe the macaroons onto a lined baking tray. Leave the macaroons to dry slightly for 15 minutes at room temperature. Sprinkle the macaroon shells with the sesame dessicated cocnut and then bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
Place the cream and coconut milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and then stir in the white chocolate. Combine well and then transfer to a piping bag and allow to cool thoroughly before piping on to half of the macaroon shells. Add a second macaroon shell and sandwich together gently to serve.
«Make sure you do not over fold your macaroon mixture as you do not want to lose the air.»


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FOR the ancient Romans sex was not something to hide.
Visit the city of Pompeii, preserved by the cataclysmic eruption of Mount Vesuvius that buried the city in AD 79, and you will encounter erotic imagery around every corner.
"There are phalluses greeting you in doorways, above bread ovens and carved into the surface of the street," says historian Mary Beard, making the point in her book Pompeii: The Life Of A Roman Town.
There is also rather a lot of sex-related graffiti carved into walls and doors; 150 examples of which are contained in one brothel. They are of the "Felix went with Fortunata" type, with other translated examples including: "Marcellus loves Praestina and she doesn't give a damn" and "Restitutus has cheated on lots of women".
So it is perhaps no surprise that the latest Roman archaeological discovery is of a sexual nature. Found on the banks of the River Thames and believed to date from the invasion of Britain in the first century AD, it at first looks like a bronze coin until you notice the picture on the front which depicts a man and woman engaged in a rather intimate act.
Roman London was considered a bawdy place, taking its lead from Rome 900 miles away, but the brothel token idea is only one theory for what the erotic coin might have been.
What the coin was used for is open to discussion but one theory is that it is the first British example of a brothel token. A lusty Roman settler would take it into one of the many brothels in Londinium (as the English capital was then crowned) and hand it to one of the prostitutes in return for the act depicted on the front.
The token, which had been preserved in mud for almost 2,000 years, has a number on the back (the numeral XIIII) which probably indicates that the holder would have handed over 14 small coins for it, the equivalent of seven loaves of bread.
"The picture is probably there because the clients and the prostitutes would often have been illiterate. It's a quick way of saying, 'I want one of those please,'" says Caroline McDonald, curator of the Museum Of London to which the coin has been donated and where it is on display.
SHE adds: "This is the only one of its kind ever to be found in Great Britain and it's a really interesting find, not least because people's private lives are very hard to discover in archaeology. These kinds of tokens are well known in Italy where there are different combinations of pictures and numbers. The number would probably show how expensive a particular act was. Because we know the way the Roman Empire worked we can extrapolate that when soldiers and merchants moved into Britain once it was part of the Empire, they would have brought the ways of life they were used to."
Roman London was considered a bawdy place, taking its lead from Rome 900 miles away, but the brothel token idea is only one theory for what the erotic coin might have been. "It seems the Emperor Tiberius passed an edict that said that nobody could take a coin into a brothel that showed the Emperor's image because he deemed it disrespectful so it is possible these tokens came about because of that," says McDonald.
Another suggestion is that brothel owners wanted to ensure that no money went directly to the prostitutes. Whatever the truth of the matter it is evident that Roman sexual culture was rather different from our own. Prostitutes were generally slaves and could be of either sex. "Boys were absolutely fine as long as they weren't citizens. You couldn't pay a fellow Roman for sex," says Robin Lane Fox, a scholar of ancient history at New College, Oxford.
Beard agrees. "In the search for pleasure the wives, daughters and sons of other elite men were off limits," she says. "The bodies of slaves and up to a point of social inferiors were there for the taking. It was not simply that no one minded if a man slept with his slave. That was in part at least what slaves were for. Poorer citizens with a less ready supply of servile sexual labour would no doubt use prostitutes."
The brothel was also considered a good place for young men to lose their virginity or, rather, "lose their head" (perdere caput). "The phrase came into existence because the Romans believed that the sperm descended from where we now know the brain is," says Lane Fox.
When free citizens became prostitutes they were immediately looked down on. The profession was deemed "infamis" (disgraceful) which does seem somewhat hypocritical in a culture where, as Beard says, "sexual fidelity to a wife was not prized or even particularly admired". Women who went into the profession were stripped of the privileges of other citizens and were not even allowed to wear women's clothes in public but had to dress in a man's toga to distinguish them from respectable citizens. Beard, however, believes that a lot of Roman women would not have considered themselves prostitutes.
"Most of the prostitutes in Pompeii were probably the barmaids or the landladies who sometimes slept with customers after closing time, sometimes for money, sometimes on the premises, sometimes not. I doubt many of them really wore togas, thought of themselves as prostitutes or defined their place of work as a brothel."
Rather, sex was everywhere. Erotic murals and images were commonplace in homes. The phallus was a symbol of "power, status and good fortune" and when 19th century excavations uncovered an abundance of objects dating from ancient Rome they were considered so erotic that they were kept in a "secret cabinet" at the National Archeological Museum in Naples and only those who were deemed to be of "mature age and respected morals" were allowed in.
H owever Lane Fox warns against viewing ancient Rome as a bonk-a-thon. "Attitudes to sex were varied. Yes, there is strong evidence that behaviour could be louche but also that many Roman citizens were appalled by such behaviour. The philosopher Cicero was shocked when Mark Antony brought a tart to dinner.
"There have also been suggestions that upper-class women were as promiscuous as men but again we should be sceptical. There was one spectacular story which alleged that the wife of a consul and of a senator held a brothel party and after dinner they serviced all the men who'd been invited. Whether this story is true or not is debatable but at the time there was a strong undercurrent of opinion which was shocked by it. Like today you had your outraged of Tunbridge Wells."
Attitudes towards sexual behaviour could also change under different emperors. Lane Fox likens the rule of the Emperor Nero to Swinging Sixties' London - "only more dangerous because Nero was a psychopath" - which then gave way to a more prudish era.
Nero was fond of staging wild orgies and one famous tale tells of him being rowed down the River Tiber on a raft pulled by naked male slave prostitutes while the banks were lined with women happy to nip into little sheds along the bank to be pleasured by anyone.
In that instance who needs brothel tokens?
If the discovered coin is not a brothel token another suggestion is that it might have been a gaming token, used in board games by gambling Romans.
"In this case," says Museum Of London curator Caroline McDonald, "the picture would have been merely there for the titillation of the gentlemen playing the game, a bit like how today you get playing cards with naked women on the back. It would have just given them a little frisson while they were playing."
Historian Mary Beard believes this is the most likely explanation, pointing out that the best throw of a Roman dice was called a "Venus throw".
She also cautions that: "Just because something has a sex scene on it doesn't mean it was used for sex."
Romans were fond of erotic images on all sort of objects. Beard has also put forward other theories, including the view that it could have been used at the Roman baths (where the numbers could have correlated to "lockers" in the changing rooms) or that it could have been an amphitheatre token, where the number would indicate which entrance you were to use.