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Long post ahead~! Don't tell me I didn't warn you! ;) No seriously, it's really long! Be prepared.
On Thursday we woke up with some trouble. The new time zone was still a bit strange, but we were getting there. The fact we had planned to go to Harajuku on this day, also helped us waking up! ^^
I took a shower while my mom got dressed, jumped into some pants and a t-shirt and we went downstairs for breakfast! Strange as it may sounds, I was really looking forward to breakfast in the hotel. I love breakfast on holiday in general anyway. :3
We arrived at the restaurant in the hotel and handed in two breakfast tickets. We put our yellow card on a table (to indicate to other guests that the table was taken) and went to get food. There was both a Western style and a Japanese style side. Although I love Japanese food, I cannot deal with rice in the morning. It's just too much for me. So basically every morning I went for the yoghurt with blueberry sauce, almond jelly (so good and jelly-ish!), cucumber, tomatoes, scrambled eggs, chicken nuggets(?) or baked eggs, little baked potatoes, juice and milk. Apparently Japanese think Western people always eat fries or other snacks at breakfast? In our previous hotel they always had fries for breakfast as well! Typical.
Breakfast tastes so amazing when you're on holiday! :3
After our delicious breakfast, we went upstairs again because I had to get redressed in Lolita~! ♥ My sweet mom waited patiently until I had done my hair and make-up (false eyelashes, ugh) and also helped me with my dress. I finally could wear my beautiful light blue Dreaming Sherbet dress from Baby, the Stars Shine Bright I had kept especially for this occasion. I love this dress so much and in this outfit I felt more like a Classic Lolita than Sweet, which was nice! Around 10:30 am I was done and we were ready to go!
Our outfits of the day! I'm afraid you're going to see pictures of me mostly: my mom took so many! *_*
After taking our outfit pictures, I realized I had forgotten my umbrella (nooo!), so I went upstairs to get it. Back in the elevator, I got joined by an older, Western couple I had seen at breakfast already and they immediately bursted into compliments about my outfit. ♥ They asked if I was dressed in traditional clothes from my country (uhuh, no XD) and where I was going now (they had never heard of Harajuku before!) and if they could take a picture, which was ok of course! They were so nice! :3
We crossed the street and entered the post office, since we discovered there were ATMs there! Both my mom and I got some money and we went on our way to Shinjuku station. There, we had to recharge our Suica cards and after we had passed the gates, we walked to the platform of the green Yamanote line. The train just drove away when we got down the stairs (we seemed to have this almost every time we took the Yamanote line XD), which gave us time to take some pictures of the station.
The Yamanote line, one of the most convenient metro lines in Tokyo!
The next train arrived really quickly and we patiently waited until we could get in. There were no more empty seats, so we had to stand. But since Harajuku was only two stations away, it wasn't a problem at all. ^^ Also, my mom managed to take some pictures of me in the moving train and they turned out so cute! =D
Ready for a Harajuku day! :3
We arrived at the station and got out of the train, when one of the typical station tunes started playing. I had missed them, they're so cute! ♫
We walked up the stairs, through the hall (passing the Innocent World advertisement) and exited the station. I really love Harajuku station: it's so different from all the other stations in Tokyo!
This picture was actually taken a little later, but I am conveniently ignoring that
because of lay out appearance. :3
The sun was shining brightly and we decided to take some pictures on Harajuku bridge. Although the light was very bright and a little hard on my eyes, my mom took quite some nice pictures!
Taking outfit pictures on the famous Harajuku bridge was so much fun!
I tried my best to look cute and smiling, but the sun was so bright I kept looking down to prevent myself from tearing up. But sometimes this can result into the best pictures! The next picture is one of my favourites my mom took of me during our entire trip!
I love this picture so much! ♥
My mom guided me a bit around the bridge to take nice and creative pictures. It was so great to be her model! *o*
Harajuku bridge is just an awesome place to take pictures!
After taking pictures, we went on our way to Takeshita Dori. We were both very excited: my mom and I had been looking forward to shopping there for weeks! While walking, we passed a building with a billboard that showed the members of the band One Direction. It's so amazing to see posters of Western bands so far away!
Finally we arrived at the Takeshita Dori gate and of course we had to take some pictures there. :3
The gate leading to shopping heaven!
We walked into the street and immediately went right, into the 'Le Ponte' part. We were hoping we would find my mom's destined camera bag there, but before we could browse for a bit, a couple of school girls walked up to me. They asked me for a picture, all while going 'Kawaii kawaii!' I was so happy, of course I wanted to take a picture with them! ^^
When people want to take pictures with me I feel so flattered! ♥
My mom and I walked on to some shops and we immediately got confronted with the cutest items! There were two shops next to each other where they sold the most amazing bags, shirts and even cutified Croc shoes! Items I would never find anywhere in my own country.
Some examples of the first things we saw.
There was also a purikura place. I love purikura. :3
Despite all the cute bags, my mom's camera bag wasn't there, so we left the alley again and walked back into Takeshita Dori. On our right was the stairs to the little purikura hall I liked so much and we went downstairs. There were different machines than last time of course. I missed the Kyary machine a bit, that one had such cute options! I exchanged some money for smaller coins, but we decided to come back a little later since it was a bit crowded.
We went upstairs again and walked on to the Paris Kids', or the Japanese Claire's as I like to call it. I swear, if we had this shop in my country I would go there every week! They have such amazing jewelry! *_*
Paris Kid's truly is accessories heaven to me! ✩
Of course, when we entered the shop, we were greeted by the entire staff working there with an 'Irashaimase~!' in unison. I had missed that and I still loved it. :3
I immediately spotted multiple things I liked, like flower head bands and cute choker necklaces. My mom was also quite tempted by several items. While we were browsing, my mom spotted a Western man sitting outside of the Daiso shop, clearly waiting for his wife. It was quite funny. XD
Even though we were quite tempted to start spending money at Paris Kid's, we decided to come back later and walk on for now.
We returned to the purikura hall and this time it was less crowded. My mom suggested I'd go alone this time. I chose the incredibly pink 'I ♥ P'-machine (P stands for Photo, Pink, Purikura, etc)!
Ready for purikura! I cannot express how much I love this invention! ♥
I had to get used to the machine for a moment (everything Japanese >_<), but I managed to choose my backgrounds and music and other options. Then I went to take pictures! It was a bit strange to do it by myself, but also fun! The machine made my dress extra long instead of my legs though, that was funny. x)
When I was done, it was decorating time! It was a lot of fun (and this time I remembered where to find the eraser, haha)! I really liked the pictures. :3
Some examples of the pictures I took and decorated! I was very happy with the result of my deco skills!
We went back upstairs again and continued our way. We briefly looked around at Daiso (in case you don't know it: it's a store that sells the most varying items for cheap) and then went into a street we had never been before.
I had made a shopping map beforehand, so this time we visited some more shops we hadn't been before. We briefly went into Conomi, a shop that sells school uniforms. There were so many cute uniforms and accessories! They were a bit expensive though, but so pretty nonetheless. We also visited the SBY Happy Room shop just across from Conomi.
After that, we went to a shop across from SBY on the second floor, called Fancy Pocket. It was completely new to me, but it was so cute! *o* They sold all kinds of really colourful accessories and writing utensils. I didn't buy anything eventually (I wonder why..?), but it was such fun walking around there)!
This cute shop was too hidden in my opinion! So much cuteness! ♥
Outside, my mom took some pictures of me on a couple of stairs with pretty flowers and then we walked back to Takeshita Dori, passing a stall with more cute accessories (so many accessories, uuhhh ♥). We walked for a bit and arrived at the Claire's, the only originally Western shop in Takeshita Dori (or as far as I know..?). Since I used to work there, I had to pose in front of it, haha! Even though I know the Claire's collection in my country really well, I wanted to see whether the Japanese Claire's had different items. And wow, did they! They had so many different accessories, it could have been a different shop! I am quite jealous of the Japanese Claire's customers. ^^'
We passed so many amazing, colourful and awesome shops. I don't even know how to describe them (and for a change, I won't try. I am already writing so much XD). I did notice there were some recurring trends. As summer was nearing, fruits like cherries, strawberries and even lemons were present everywhere (especially cherries), especially on necklaces and earrings. Also accessories with shells on them, preferably with a pearl. Clothes in pastels and with a checkered pattern were sold everywhere. So basically, everything I love! ;_; ♥ I also saw a lot of items with very wrong English texts on them, as usual, but also
a lot of French!
We passed a wall (to hide a construction site) covered in posters of dolls and arrived at Bodyline.
The Bodyline building really stands out a lot with its golden stairs!
My mom had told me that she had wanted to buy a pair of shoes there already last year, but she ended up not doing it. This year she was determined to get a cute pair of shoes! And so did I. :) We went up the stairs and entered the store, where they were still playing the same Disney remix music as the year before! 0_0 Poor staff members! They were incredibly cheerful and friendly nonetheless. Respect to the Bodyline team!
We walked around the corner and to the shoe section, where my mom and I started browsing. There were so many cute shoes, I didn't know where to start! After some browsing, my mom found some pairs she liked, but decided to try them on and buy later that week, since otherwise we had to walk around with our new bought shoes all day long.
One of the walls in Bodyline, covered in dresses and tulle tutus.
Just as we wanted to leave Bodyline again, I spotted something I thought was very funny. I don't know if you know Bodyline's owner, Mr. Yan, but he is very typical. Well, I spotted a wallpaper on a Bodyline computer, of him photoshopped in front of a beautiful Greek town. It was so weird but funny! x) Finally, we left Bodyline again.
Takeshita Dori seen from the entrance of Bodyline. It was such a beautiful day!
There were a lot of amazing clothing stores that we passed. So many cute outfit
possibilities! *o* There were a lot of things not my usual style at all, but they still looked so amazing on mannequins or shop girls!
My mom with some cute outifts. ♥
We walked on and passed Liz Lisa (where I had to go inside for a moment to look at the beautiful clothes again) and then… we arrived at Closet Child!
In case you're new here: Closet Child is a shop in Japan that sells second hand Lolita clothes. There are three shops in Tokyo and one of them is in Harajuku (well, duh).
My heart was pounding at this point! Closet Child can make dreams come true, but can also be disappointing. I was hoping for a dream scenario of course. We walked up the stairs and entered the shop, where everything seemed pink thanks to the pink curtains in front of the windows. I breathed in for a moment and then my mom and I started browsing together and showed dresses to each other.
Some pictures in Closet Child. So many dresses! *o*
It was a lot of fun and my mom was so involved! I was lucky in the Angelic Pretty part: there were multiple dresses I liked, like Fruits Parlour in red, Petit Patisserie in brown, Magical Étoile in red (my mom hated that one though) and then… Wonder Cookie in white! ♥ One of my top wishlist dresses! ♥ In exactly the colourway I loved the most! ♥ Iiiiiiih! ♥ *scatters hearts everywhere* I couldn't believe it! It looked so pretty and the colours were so vibrant and beautiful! Of course I immediately added it to my collection of 'want to try'-dresses. When my mom saw it, she immediately loved it too!
Despite having collected all the Angelic Pretty dresses, we kept on looking through all the other dresses. I had told myself to check everything so I wouldn't miss out on possible dream items. And then, while browsing the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright dresses, my mom found two Dessert One Pieces in black! I had tried on a pink version in Paris once, but unfortunately the zipper was broken. Which was a big shame because I loved the dress! I had told myself that one day I'd buy a Dessert OP, no matter the colour and since I was looking for a completely black dress, this seemed meant to be. And when I read the price, the deal was sealed! It was 4800 yen, a little less than 50 euros! Can you believe it!? Later we found out the currency was so positive for us, it was even less! Oh my God!
We also found a cute cutsew dress from Baby and finally, I went up to the counter and asked if I could try my chosen dresses on (in Japanese, I had practised this sentence). I had over three dresses, so the set got split up and the shop girl unzipped and loosened the dresses for me (not very well so I've learned, but this time I knew. Whatever you do when you are at Closet Child: loosen the corset lacing yourself!).
Already wearing a petticoat and blouse really came in handy again while trying on. It really shows you the potential (or not) of a dress. My sweet mom helped me with all the fitting, she was so sweet and patient! I am not quite sure which dresses I tried on, but I do remember Petit Patisserie. It would have been wonderful to buy that dress so I could match with Emilie's pink version, but… it didn't look nice on me at all! The colour was just weird on me, I don't know. Anyway, it was a definite no, also from the mother side.
Maybe I tried on something else, I don't remember, but then it was Wonder Cookie time. When it was on and closed, my mom's reaction ('Wow, okay! Yes, definitely yes!') made it clear before I could look in the mirror. When I did, I got so happy! The dress is just so beautiful, I needed to take it with me!
After that, I tried on the black Dessert OP. Despite adoring it already, I was a bit nervous: the dress had no shirring anywhere. But when I put it on and my mom closed it, it fit! Like a glove! Perfection! Not taking this dress with me would be foolishness, so I ended up choosing two dresses! *_*
Secret picture taken by my mom. :3 What do you think?
I got dressed into my own clothes again and told the shop ladies I would take the two dresses, but needed to get extra money first. While my mom stayed behind guarding my soon-to-be purchases, I went to look for the 7/11 to get money (initially I walked straight past it, stupid me). When I got back, I first browsed the accessories and chose two Chocomint rings and a pink bow clip to replace my broken one at home. From the brand jewelry cupboard I chose a gorgeous blue Baby, the Stars Shine Bright bow necklace (I like bows, okay? XD) and an Angelic Pretty mint Jewelry Jelly ring. My mom had also found an Innocent World bonnet for a ridiculously low price and I decided to get that one too. Finally, after at least an hour in the shop, I paid and we left Closet Child again. By the way, if you want to check all my purchases, just scroll down this post and you'll find pictures. :)
Me with my purchases! Closet Child has bright pink bags now instead of dark red. ♥
My mom and I had gotten quite hungry, which only meant one thing: Harajuku crêpe time! After all that Lolita time, I owed my mom some food! XD After some doubting, we decided to try a new shop: Santa Monica Crêpes. It looked so pink and inviting, we had to try a crêpe from them! After looking at all the examples, I went to order two crêpes. Since I didn't dare to order in Japanese, I wrote the numbers of our choices down. That helped. ^^ We quickly received our delicious crêpes.
My mom in front of Santa Monica Crêpes. The examples behind her are only a few of the complete assortment!
We walked around the corner to sit down on a little wall and to eat.
In order to protect my dress, I thought I had chosen a 'save' crêpe, with not too much stuff, but well… red berries and sauce are not so save after all. x) My sweet mom offered her red cardigan as protection until I was done. Luckily, I didn't spill anything.
After our delicious (but incredibly heavy) crêpes, we went on our way again. We passed an amazing candy shop called Candy A Gogo, where a shop girl in a cute uniform offered me some candy to try. It was really good. :)
When we arrived at the end of Takeshita Dori (still looking out for my mom's camera bag, but still not finding it), we went right, walked on and passed the building where Innocent World was located. I asked my mom if she wanted to see it and she said yes, so we entered the elevator. I had had an awkward situation there with my dad during our first trip and now my mom and I took the wrong elevator! This place is doomed, I swear! XD
We got out at the floor where Innocent World was located and entered the shop.
Innocent World, another one of those hidden shops.
We looked around for a bit, but barely dared to touch things. The atmosphere in the shop made us feel like something could break at any moment. x) The Classic Lolita and her mom were in the shop as well. My mom really loved the new hydrangea dresses line, but other than that she thought the shop was a bit boring, so we left again.
We arrived at the crossing in front of Laforet and my mom and I discussed where to go next. We decided to take some pictures in the mirrors of Tokyu Plaza, so we crossed the street. Unfortunately, some of the mirrors had been covered by blue stickers, probably as part of a promotion, so the effect was a little less nice than last time. But the view from the top of the escalators was still amazing!
Tokyu Plaza's entrance is like a portal to a different dimension! ✩
We decided to cross the street back again and go to Laforet. Before we entered, my mom agreed to take some outfit pictures in the shade this time. I know I already posted outfits pictures but I just love these so much! ;_; ♥
I lightened these pictures up a lot because of the shade, which resulted into this.
I love the result! *o*
We entered Laforet and went straight for the lower Lolita floor. The first shop we bumped into was Swimmer, where I immediately fell in love with a bag! It was a transparent, heart shaped bag in either pink, lavender or black with the text 'Toutes les filles sont des princesses', the only French text that actually made sense. It came in two sizes and I was in love!
We browsed Swimmer for a bit and then I walked into Maison de Julietta, the Lolita transformation shop. It was sooo much smaller than I had expected! Even though there was a dressing room behind it, it was tiny! It looked very pretty nonetheless. The shop girl was very friendly and offered me two folders about Maison de Julietta; one in Japanese and one
in English.
We walked around the corner and entered the Baby, the Stars Shine Bright/Alice and the Pirates shop. I looked around for a little while, they had such cute items! Especially a sceptre with a little crown on it drew my attention. :3 There was a shop girl standing next to me, folding items, and I told her my dress was Baby as well. She wasn't very enthusiastic about it, so to say. ^^' She seemed a bit moody…
We left Baby again and walked on to pink heaven aka Angelic Pretty. ♥
Angelic Pretty. Never have I seen a pinker shop than Angelic Pretty. ✿
While I browsed the shop, my sweet mom took secret pictures (it may be bad but she got quite good at it XD). Although the Sweetie Violet line had just come out the week before, there were no dresses left. Only a skirt or two and the dresses in the shop window. The print looked very lovely, especially the navy version. They did have the navy Sweetie Violet socks that I really loved, but I decided to buy them sometime later (bad decision: when I got back they were gone and I didn't find them anywhere else. *sniff*). They also had a Berry Garden dress on a mannequin It looked nice, but certainly not tempting to buy it. There were many more dresses (like the quite ugly Alice in Wonderland comic print), but nothing that drew my attention much (except for Sweetie Violet maybe).
Do you like Sweetie Violet? This print just keeps growing on me! *_*
After browsing nearly every item, we left Angelic Pretty again, walked past some shops and entered Nile Perch. The shop girl there was a bit moody too unfortunately, but I just looked around briefly and then left again. Despite loving Nile Perch items, they are ridiculously expensive, in my opinion. Although I did see some really cute buttons I considered buying, but I ended up forgetting about them.
If you're looking for pastels, Nile Perch is the place to be!
We walked on again and went back to Swimmer and browsed there some more. It's unbelievable how they manage to stack this shop. Every inch is covered in cute accessories!
This is just an example of what you find at Swimmer. :3
We decided to leave Laforet again. Once outside, I wanted to take a picture posing in front of the Vivienne Westwood store. I didn't even enter it, I just wanted to have it on picture. XD
We sat down on a little fence for a moment to rest a bit. It's these little , insignificant moments that can lead to amazing, simple pictures.
My mom took too many nice pictures on this day! I love this one so much as well! ♥
It was around 3 pm by now, which meant we had walked around for four hours already without any breaks! But we had so much adrenaline that we didn't sit around for long. I suggested to visit Baby's second store a little further away and we went on our way again, but not before we took a selfie! We needed some pictures together of course. :3
♥ ♥ ♥
We crossed the road and kept on walking, until we passed a drinks vending machine. We got some water (how adventurous) and walked on, until we reached a door with the Baby logo on it! We went inside, passing a sign with a picture of Misako on it and walked up the stairs.
The shop was smaller than I expected after having seen pictures of it, but it was also very cute. The dresses and items were displayed so beautifully. We browsed some dresses (my mom especially liked 'Labyrinth in the reminiscent mirror' in lavender) and I looked at the cute sceptre again. Two shop girls were busy with unpacking boxes, but when I told them I was wearing a Baby dress I got from Baby Paris (well, not really, but well) they got really happy and thanked me for supporting their brand. That was really sweet! ♥ After that, we left the shop again.
I quite liked the Baby shop's location. It looks fancy and you can actually spot it
from outside.
We left the shop again and walked on a little, passing the MILK shop. We didn't go inside and walked on, while I was looking for the Ribbon Cerise shop. I couldn't find it (although I didn't look that well) and we decided to go back to the crossing in front of Laforet and walk into Omotesando instead.
After some walking, I noticed an incredibly colourful shop called 'Candy Showtime'. It was on my map, because I remembered Rinrin telling us about it at the Kawaii Event. My mom and I decided to walk down the stairs and expected to walk into a big shop, but it was tiny! The smallest shop I had ever seen! There was just the stairs and then about 4m2 with a check out and candy on the walls! It was amazing! *_* I looked around for a bit (there wasn't that much to see, haha) and the shop girl was really cute! She let me taste some candy and it was so good that I decided to buy some! Back upstairs we had to take pictures of the cute shop entrance of course! After that, we had a bit of a misunderstanding with a guy. My mom thought he wanted to take a picture of us, while in reality he wanted to take a picture for us. It was quite funny. XD
The entrance and stairs of the shop. All those colours!
We decided to cross the Omotesando street by bridge. We passed a man on a bike with the cutest puppy in the front basket ever and walked up the stairs. On the other side of the street, I checked my map. We wanted to see the famous 'Cat Street', but it was a little vague where it was located exactly. We walked into a street I thought was the right one and kept walking. We passed the Candy Stripper store and I wasn't so sure this was the right street anymore. But the Candy Stripper store front looked so nice, a picture needed to be taken!
We didn't even enter the store, but I love how this picture came out!
We wandered around a little bit, looking at the shops and apartments above them (living in Harajuku must be super expensive, but what a location!). We walked into a side alley and it was so quiet there! When I think of Harajuku, I think 'colours', and 'noise' and 'liveliness'! But this place was so quiet and calm… It was amazing.
The other side of Harajuku.
We went left, passed an apartment with a super cute barking Dachshunds and ended up at 6% Dokidoki! Apparently the street we had walked in before was the right one after all. x)
I really love 6% Dokidoki's location. It's a super bright and pink apartment with yellow balcony fences in the middle of a normal, grey street. It really shows what the brand is about I think!
6% Dokidoki! I love both the shop's name and location!
We went up the stairs and entered the store. Recently they had a renovation and the store was even more colourful and flashy than before! I was especially fascinated by the fact that the two shop girls were dressed in plain black with just one or two accessories. It was such a contrast!
My mom went to sit on the outside stairs while I browsed on. She couldn't handle the rainbow attack, which was very understandable. Suddenly, a very colourful, third shop girl walked in and I had the feeling I recognized her. I asked her for her name and of course: it was Mel! The newest 6% Dokidoki shop girl! I had to ask to check, but yes, it was true!
I ended up buying a 'Kawaii Anarchy' button (I love buttons these days) and a black glittery bow. After I had paid, I asked Mel if I could take a picture with her and she said yes! I was so happy! ♥
Mel is so cute and kind and colourful! She made my dress look pale! :3
We left 6% Dokidoki, took a quick look from the outside at the Barbie Store, went back to Omotesando, crossed the street by bridge again and walked into what was hopefully the continuation of Cat Street. It looked quite fancy. :3
A picture of what probably was Cat Street. XD
We walked on for a while. We passed another Candy Showtime shop, where they were making the candy on the spot. It was amazing to see! Finally, I suggested to my mom to go back. I had gotten quite tired by now. She agreed and suggested to go back to Takeshita Dori and walk it in reversed direction, back to the station. So we did.
While walking through Meiji Dori, we did briefly visit the Prisila shop (well, after I figured out how to open the door. Apparently I cannot tell push and pull apart ^^'). I just wanted to know what kind of colour I would need if I would buy hair pieces from them. After leaving Prisila, we walked past an advertisement I had seen on many pictures before: a big mirror with Europe painted on it. Since I finally knew where it was located now, I had to take a picture!
My own country isn't even named, but I don't care~! ^^
We entered Takeshita Dori and slowly walked back while taking pictures of shops. The sun was started to set, creating beautiful light. The only shop we entered was Paris Kids to finally buy some things there. It took a while until my mom and I had decided what to get: there was so much! My mom only chose a cute set of earrings, which I bought for her. ♥
We almost left Takeshita Dori, until my mom insisted to walk into the Le Ponte side alley one more time, to see if her camera bag really wasn't there. Well, it wasn't, but she did find something else: a Robin Ruth bag with 'Japan' on it, a bag she had been looking for since last time in Tokyo! She immediately bought it, she was so happy! =D
I can't believe my mom found her dream bag!
Finally, we left Harajuku, took the Yamanote line back to Shinjuku and stumbled back to the hotel. My feet hurt so muuuch! We got some bread rolls from the Hokuo shop (Melon Pan ♥), but when we entered our room, I just lay down on my bed in my dress. I was so tired. >_< But somehow my bed gave me magical strength, because in five minutes I was up to get redressed, eat my melon pan and take pictures of my purchases!
After some time of resting, we decided to go to Shibuya, browse some shops there and also have dinner. So we went on our way~!
We quickly arrived in Shibuya, which looked so amazing in the dark night as usual. The neon lights and television screens create such a futuristic, but also well-known and familiar atmosphere! Shibuya is how I had imagined all of Tokyo before I got there. It's just so amazing!
Shibuya by night is just so jaw-dropping gorgeous!
Of course we couldn't continue our way without greeting Hachi, the famous dog, so we went there first.
My mom absolutely adores Hachi! ^^
We went on to Shibuya 109, the incredibly loud shopping centre with the most fashionable shops! Shibuya 109 really is a landmark in Shibuya.
Shibuya 109!
I really wanted to see the new KOKOkim shop, created by model Yu Kimura. We briefly browsed some floors and shops, like the amazing but quite expensive Ruby Rose, and then found KOKOKim shop. It was completely pink and cute and the clothes were sooo pretty! They really expressed Yu Kimura's style. I especially loved the dresses and berets, but I ended up not buying anything.
The super cute KOKOKim shop. All the clothes were just so adorable!
Since it was getting late and we were getting quite hungry, we left Shibuya 109 again and went to look for something to eat. But we were so tired we didn't really know where to go. We found one restaurant we were tempted by, but when we entered we had no idea whether to go upstairs or stay there and the staff wasn't very helpful, so we left again. To be honest: we had been stupid. We should have gone for dinner before going shopping. Oh well.
We passed a Krispy Kreme donuts place and since I had heard many great things about this shop, we went inside to get some cute spring-themed donuts.
Eventually, I suggested to go to Yoyogi, which is one station before Shinjuku, and get takoyaki from the place my dad and I had eaten during our first trip. So we went back to the station and drove to Yoyogi. But when we got there, it turned out the restaurant was gone! ;_; I was quite sad about it: I wanted my mom to finally try takoyaki! Oh well…
At this point we had gotten so tired that we decided to go back to our hotel and commit the ultimate sin: get food from McDonald's and eat it in our room. We were just so tired, we couldn't decide anymore. But it was the best decision after all. It was really nice to sit on our bed and eat. *_*
We were starting to feel better while eating when suddenly, our room phone started ringing! I was a bit scared; I didn't expect any phone calls! I picked up the phone and it turned out to be the front desk, telling me our package had arrived (it took me a while to understand this, they spoke English with a very heavy Japanese accent). Yay, our tickets to Kyoto had arrived! The man told me someone would bring them to our room in five minutes, how fancy! I was quite relieved when I finally had the tickets in my hands. They had arrived very much
on time! :3
After that we ate donuts and skyped. The donuts were so good~!
Cute, cute donuts. :3
After that, we discussed where to go the next day and then went to sleep. It had been an exciting and colourful day~! ♥
Home made cookies for anyone who actually read everything up to here! This post is even longer than last year's Harajuku post ! ^^' Honestly, you are amazing! ♥
Purchases of the day
Bonus: my mom's awesome new bag!


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There is an interesting looking game currently being developed by Honey Tribe Studios, in partnership with Ryan Jackson, called Ashley Ao. This is an anime inspired action game that will be landing on both Android and iOS soon and features some pretty interesting gameplay mechanics and art.
Ashley Ao is sent to a planet in order to stop a planet from being terraformed for a foreign species who wants to make it their home. There will be two types of gameplay involved but the developers have only let out one of the two so far, which you can see in the preview video below. It's like a consistent running style of gameplay but with combat skills that can be used while running. You can even pull off combos! That is the only type of gameplay the developers are showing right now although they have mentioned there is another type of gameplay mechanic for Ashley Ao aside from this. They just won't say what that is, yet.
Combat is done through two action buttons on the screen and with how the game is set up you can, if you get real good at the game, do huge strings of combo attacks between ground and air attacks. Swiping your finger up or down will also change 'lanes' between the closer lane to you or the further away lane. The graphics are all hand-painted digital images and, as you can see in the video above, look pretty unique. It does look like the animation could be a bit more smooth but other than that it looks pretty fun so far.
Unfortunately there is no release date announced but we will try to find out when we can expect it to land on the Android Market along with what the other gameplay mechanics are supposed to be.
Developer Website: Honey Tribe Studios

subset: commoncrawl


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On 3rd November 2016, at 7-00pm Rob was presented with his London 2012 Olympic Bronze Medal in the Concert Hall, City Hall, Cork.
The event was hosted by the Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Des Cahill and the medal was presented by Acting President of the Olympic Council of Ireland William O'Brien.
It was a tremendous occasion for Olympic Sport in Ireland and it was a truly Olympic Occasion in Rob's home city of Cork.
The event was attended by Cork City dignitaries, Representatives of the Olympic Council of Ireland, Athletes Ireland, top Irish Athletes from many sports but most important of all Rob's wife and family and friends.
Lord Mayor of Cork Cllr Des Cahill: " As Lord Mayor of Cork, I am honoured on behalf of the people of Cork to facilitate the Presentation of an Olympic Bronze Medal by the Olympic Council of Ireland to one of our own Rob Heffernan, a proud Corkonian and a model and inspiration to the youth of today. It is only right and fitting that we recognise the tenacious efforts by Rob in representing his country on an international stage. We all take pride in his achieving this most coveted Olympic Bronze Medal."
Rob Heffernan: "This is always what I dreamt about, being presented with an Olympic Medal. It would of course have been wonderful to have received it in London but now to receive it on Irish soil in my home City of Cork, with my own family, friends, supporters on the 100 year anniversary of 1916, is a fitting and very special way for Irish people to celebrate Irish Olympic Sporting success".
Willie O'Brien, Acting President Olympic Council of Ireland: "This occasion is very special indeed. It's the first time an Olympic Medal was presented on Irish soil. It's a very proud occasion of the Olympic Movement in Ireland, Athletics Ireland and of course for Rob, his family, friends and supporters".
It was a long overdue presentation but it was as real as if it happened in the London Olympic Stadium. It was a very proud night for Olympic a Sport in Ireland, for Cork, for Athletics and of course for Rob Heffernan and his entire family and great friends.
Sent from my iPad


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Past and past participle : rhapsodized
Present participle : rhapsodizing
3rd person present singular : rhapsodizes
Pronunciation : rápse-diz
1. Intransitive Verb: to speak or write in an enthusiastic or ecstatic manner
2. Transitive and Intransitive Verb: to write or recite a rhapsody
3. To express oneself in an immoderately enthusiastic manner
4. To show enthusiasm
Origin: 1600–10 - Latin rhapsōdia - Greek rhapsōidía recital of epic poetry, equiv. to rhapsōid(ós
enthuse, wax lyrical, eulogize, be ecstatic, go on, go over the top
• He rhapsodized about his new book for one hour.
• rhapsodise : Verb
• rhapsodist : Noun
• rhapsody : Noun
• Rhapsodise
Enjoy this list and then get around for preparing your own list of words. There is no better way of boosting your words power. The most effective way to build your vocabulary is described in the page on Word Power. Educational research has discovered that your I.Q. is intimately related to your Word Power. Take a standard Vocabulary test and then an intelligent test, the result in both will be substantially the same. The more extensive your vocabulary, the better your chances of success, other things being equal- success in attaining your educational goals, success in moving ahead in your business or professional career, success in achieving your intellectual potential.
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- Genre: XV edizione - 2017 Cortometraggi in concorso
- Duration: 9'
A young woman walks rapidly through the streets of a big city. Suddenly she stops, takes a breath, smiles and starts wandering aimlessly, in the grip of a feeble madness.
Movie card
Direction Luca Lepone
Screenplay Luca Lepone, Paola Randi
Cinematography Guido Michelotti
Editing Andrea Vacca
Cast Alice Attala, Alaa Arsheed
Production Luca Lepone, Paola Randi, Roberta Putignano, Vincenzo De Marco,
Francesco Lopez
Distribution Oz Film Italy All Rights
Location Gravina in Puglia, Bari - Italy Roma - Italy
Scheduled for June 25, 2017 at 21:00 in Bourbon Prison
The director of the film Luca Lepone will be present
Info e contacts
Amira trailer - un film di Luca Lepone from oz film on Vimeo.


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Following the arrest of Bersih 2.0 leaders yesterday afternoon, many people especially those in leadership, had hoped that the people rally Bersih 5 will dwindle away.
Somehow, the authorities have taken far more precautions than last year. Bersih 5 will be on as planned.
Stay tuned…check out the next posting on Bersih 5 updates.


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This morning marks the beginning of the 30th anniversary Carter Work Project (CWP), Habitat for Humanity's annual large-scale volunteer event, and I am ready for the roller coaster ride about to launch here in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I volunteered to be a "Social Media Volunteer" in San Jose for the week-long service event. Mostly I'll be doing what I always do as a journalist, interviewing people, taking photos, and writing stories, only on the fly around San Jose. I'll also be sending bits of content to the people in charge of Habitat's media for tweets and other social media posts throughout each day.
I've wanted to be a volunteer for the CWP for more than 20 years, but family, work, finances, and distance have all been a factor in not signing up. The special service and fundraising event is held in a different location every year, in the U.S. and abroad. When I heard this past spring that the CWP was coming to the Bay Area, I jumped at the chance to help. [Read more…]


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The army that marched against the South was the same army that perpetrated the massacres of Native American women and children at Sacramento River and Harvey and countless other sites, a well-understood reality that terrified Southern civilians. To turn the Civil War into a morality play in which one side equals good and the other evil serves only to distort history and perpetuate the dangerous divisions that still exist in our country over 150 years later.
I'd like to welcome C. S. Harris today to talk with me about her new release, Good Time Coming, novel of the American Civil War. C.S. is the bestselling author of more than twenty novels including the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series and the standalone historical Good Time Coming. Under her own name, Candice Proctor, she is also the author of seven historical novels and a nonfiction historical study of women in the French Revolution. As C.S. Graham she writes the Tobie Guinness contemporary thriller series.
A Former academic with a PhD in European history, Candice has also worked as an archaeologist at a variety of sites around the world and spent much of her life abroad, living in Spain, Greece, England, France, Jordan, and Australia. She now makes her home in New Orleans with her husband, retired Army intelligence officer Steve Harris, and an ever-expanding number of…
View original post 3,411 more words


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Agent Orange Victims Get Scientology 'Detox' Treatment
The Vietnamese government is turning to a "detoxification" method developed by the founder of the Church of Scientology to treat victims of Agent Orange, a toxic defoliant the U.S. military used during the Vietnam War.
According to local media reports, 24 patients from the central city of Da Nang were admitted to the Hanoi 103 Military Hospital last week to begin a free, month-long treatment to rid the body of dioxins that have been linked to birth defects, cancers and other diseases.
The "Hubbard Method," named after L. Ron Hubbard, requires taking vitamins and minerals, exercising and sweating in saunas. Scientologists have used it to treat alcoholism and drug addiction in the past, and offered similar services to New York City's first responders who were exposed to toxins in the 9/11 terror attacks.
Vietnam is the first country to apply the method on Agent Orange victims, according to Hoang Manh An, the director of the hospital carrying out the detoxification.
"I hope my wife and I will recover completely and will not suffer after-effects to pass on to my descendants," Nguyen Dai Sang, one of the patients, told the Viet Nam News Daily.
American troops doused the jungles of Southeast Asia with 20 million gallons of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War to deny Vietcong fighters and North Vietnamese troops cover. The herbicides contaminated about 5 million acres of forest, which is roughly the size of Massachusetts.
The U.S. launched its first major effort to clean up the soil at a former air base in Da Nang last month, more than 40 years later, but spokesman Christopher Hodges at the American Embassy in Hanoi said the U.S. had not provided any funding for detoxification programs in Vietnam.
"We are not aware of any safe, effective detoxification treatment for people with dioxin in body tissues," Hodges said in a statement. "The best way to reduce health risks associated with dioxin is to prevent human exposure to dioxin, and the best way to do that is to clean up areas where dioxin exists in the environment at potentially hazardous levels."


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LOVING, OLIVER (1812–1867). Oliver Loving, cattle driver, son of Joseph and Susannah Mary (Bourland) Loving, was born in Hopkins County, Kentucky, on December 4, 1812. On January 12, 1833, he married Susan Doggett Morgan, and for the next ten years he farmed in Muhlenberg County, Kentucky. The Lovings became the parents of nine children, four of whom were born in Texas. In 1843 Loving and his brother and brother-in-law moved their families to Texas. In the Peters colony, Loving received 639.3 acres of land in three patents and counties—Collin, Dallas, and Parker. The family stopped for a year in Lamar County and had settled in Collin County before 1850. Loving farmed and, to feed his growing family, hauled freight. By 1855 the Lovings had moved to the future Palo Pinto County, where they ran a country store near Keechi Creek and ranched. The first assessment roll of Palo Pinto County, taken in 1857, listed Loving with 1,000 acres of land. To market his large herd, Loving drove them out of Texas. In 1857 he entrusted his nineteen-year-old son, William, to drive his and his neighbors' cattle to Illinois up the Shawnee Trail. The drive made a profit of thirty-six dollars a head and encouraged Loving to repeat the trek successfully the next year with John Durkee.
On August 29, 1860, Loving and John Dawson started a herd of 1,500 toward Denver to feed the gold miners. They crossed the Red River, met the Arkansas, and followed it to Pueblo, Colorado, where the cattle wintered. In the spring Loving sold his cattle for gold and tried to leave for Texas. Since the Civil War had broken out, the Union authorities prevented him from returning to the South until Kit (Christopher) Carson and Lucien Maxwell interceded for him. During the war Loving was commissioned to drive cattle to Confederate forces along the Mississippi. When the war ended, the Confederate government reportedly owed him between $100,000 and $250,000. To make matters worse, the usual cattle markets were inadequate for the available supply. In 1866, having heard about the probable need for cattle at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, where some 8,000 Indians had been settled on a reservation, Loving gathered a herd, combined it with that of Charles Goodnight, and began a long drive to the fort. Their route later became known as the Goodnight-Loving Trail, although it had been used by other cattlemen. The trail followed the path of the Butterfield Overland Mail to the future site of Fort Concho and turned north at the Pecos, leading to Fort Sumner and on to Denver. The two cattlemen sold beef to the army for $12,000 in gold. Loving drove the stock cattle on to Colorado and sold them near Denver, while Goodnight returned to Weatherford, Texas, with the gold and for a second herd. The two men were reunited in southern New Mexico, where they established a ranch at Bosque Grande, about forty miles south of Fort Sumner. They spent the winter of 1866–67 there and supplied cattle from the ranch to Fort Sumner and Santa Fe.
In the spring of 1867 Loving and Goodnight returned to Texas, ready to start a new drive. The third drive was slowed by heavy rains and Indian threats. Loving went ahead of the herd for contract bidding. He took only Bill Wilson, a trusted scout, with him. Although he told Goodnight that he would travel at night through Indian country, Loving became impatient and pushed ahead during the day. His careless action brought an Indian attack in which he was seriously wounded. The weakened Loving sent Wilson back to the herd, eluded the Indians, and with the aid of Mexican traders reached Fort Sumner, only to die there of gangrene on September 25, 1867. Before Loving died Goodnight assured him that his wish to be buried in Texas would be carried out. After a temporary burial at Fort Sumner, while Goodnight drove the herd on to Colorado, Goodnight had Loving's body exhumed and carried home. Stories differ as to who accompanied the body back to Weatherford, but he was reburied there in Greenwood Cemetery on March 4, 1868, with Masonic honors. Loving has been inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. Loving County, Texas, and Loving, New Mexico, are named in his honor.
Seymour V. Connor, The Peters Colony of Texas: A History and Biographical Sketches of the Early Settlers (Austin: Texas State Historical Association, 1959). Wayne Gard, "The Shawnee Trail," Southwestern Historical Quarterly 56 (January 1953). J. Evetts Haley, Charles Goodnight (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1936; new ed., Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1949). J. Marvin Hunter, Trail Drivers of Texas (2 vols., San Antonio: Jackson Printing, 1920, 1923; 4th ed., Austin: University of Texas Press, 1985). Joseph G. McCoy, Historic Sketches of the Cattle Trade of the West and Southwest (Kansas City, Missouri: Ramsey, Millett, and Hudson, 1874; rpt., Philadelphia: Porcupine, 1974).
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Uploaded on June 15, 2010. Modified on May 23, 2017. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
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Call for Papers: Texas Center for Working-Class Studies
Events, Symposia, and Workshops
Hi all! You may be interested in this call for papers I received from the Texas Center for Working-Class Studies at Collin College...
Katy Jennings' Ride
Scholarly Research Request
I'm doing research on Catherine Jennings Lockwood, specifically the incident known as "Katy Jennings' Ride." Her father was Gordon C. Jennings, the oldest man to die at the Alamo...
Texas Constitution of 1836 Co-Author- Elisha Pease?
Ask a Historian
The TSHA profile of Elisha Marshall Pease states that he wrote part of the Texas Constitution although he was only a 24 year-old assistant secretary (not elected). I cannot find any other mention of this authorship work by Pease in other credible research about the credited Constution authors...


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Employers in Los Angeles have a right to hold employees accountable for doing their work and job duties. But employers also have an obligation to make sure that they hold themselves accountable for compensating their employees properly for their hard work.
Our blog has discussed many different challenges employees have been faced with in the workplace, but one problem that is affecting hundreds of workers right here in Los Angeles every week is wage theft.
According to researchers from the UCLA Labor Center, about $26.2 million is being withheld from workers in Los Angeles every week. Earlier this month, a popular sushi restaurant in Beverly Hills was fined more than $65,000 for violating wage and hour laws and withholding compensation from employees. The California Labor Commissioner reported that the restaurant unlawfully withheld more than $38,000 from at least three workers.
Wage theft occurs when employers fail to compensate employees for all of their hours worked during a pay period. Wage theft also occurs when workers are told to wait on cashing their paychecks until a certain date has passed even though workers should be able to cash their paychecks immediately. Other workers become victims of wage theft when their employers force them to work overtime but fail to pay workers overtime wages.
According to the California Labor Commissioner, Urasawa was fined for not paying its three workers overtime wages after requiring them to work shifts that exceeded 10 hours. After investigating complaints about wage and hour law violations at the popular restaurant, where customers' bills may easily total more than $1,000 after their dining experiences, investigators discovered that the restaurant had failed to pay its workers $38,585 for their hours worked.
Another worker claims that he was fired because he was starting to feel ill and asked to go home after already working nine hours. He claims that the restaurant has not compensated him for his final hours worked at the sushi restaurant.
In addition to failing to pay workers overtime wages, the restaurant has also violated laws by failing to provide workers with proper wage statements to show their hours worked and their pay rates during each pay period.
Source: Los Angeles Times, "
- Our Los Angeles / Long Beach employment law firm handles a wide variety of unpaid overtime claims and other wage violation claims. To learn more about our firm and practice, please visit our Long Beach unpaid overtime lawyers page.


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Washington (CNN) - House Speaker John Boehner told a group of Republicans the day after President Barack Obama's inaugural ceremony that the president's focus was to "annihilate the Republican Party."
In remarks to Republicans attending a closed luncheon sponsored by the Ripon Society, Boehner pointed to the president's speech as evidence Obama recognizes he can't achieve his agenda because of the GOP-led House of Representatives.
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"Given what we heard yesterday about the president's vision for his second term, it's pretty clear to me that he knows he can't do any of that as long as the House is controlled by Republicans. So we're expecting over the next 22 months to be the focus of this administration as they attempt to annihilate the Republican Party," the House speaker said.
Boehner underlined his point, adding, "And let me just tell you, I do believe that is their goal – to just shove us into the dustbin of history."
Boehner's spokesman said the transcript of Boehner's remarks posted by the Ripon Society was accurate, and noted that the speaker regularly attends the event held by the mainstream Republican group.
In his speech Boehner explained his strategy to move forward with a three month extension of the debt ceiling that includes a provision to force the Senate to vote on a budget.
The Ohio Republican also talked about how he's had to reassure fellow GOP members and donors who have expressed frustration in recent weeks about the political climate, including text he received from former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz. He's a longtime Republican supporter and Boehner friend who the speaker has tapped to give motivational speeches to House members.
Boehner noted that he had asked Holtz to come talk to the House Republican freshmen recently to prepare them for the fights ahead, but ended up having to convince Holtz the party would sort things out.
"I said, 'Lou, would you stop it? We're Americans, we'll figure this out!' And I had to spend 15 minutes giving Lou Holtz a pep talk! I had to do it again last night!" Boehner said.
The speaker also noted that he and other House Republican leaders charted out a short term strategy at their retreat last week with all House Republicans, but the party needed to begin a broader discussion about the big policy debates ahead.
"And while a lot of the retreat unfortunately got focused on the next 90 days, there needs to be further work to talk about how we're going to navigate the next 20 months and what our goals are and how do we defend ourselves in what I do believe is going to be a very hostile environment. All I know is I'm up for the fight," he said.
not to mention, any OTHER party that gets in his way. That's what dictators do.
"Our number one priority is to make him a one term President"
And they have the tiny, sweaty, insufficient balls to complain about the politics of personal destruction?
Everyone do the glass houses dance!
Wow. Can the stupid reach an even more preposterous level? It was not all that long ago that the Republican party was winning all over the place and certain pundits were making claims about "never again' would America be in the grip of those "pablum puking liberals". EVerything cycles. RESPONSIBLE leadership, understands this and makes things WORK within it. Emphasis again on RESPONSIBLE and WORK.
Between the constant lying, cheating, intimidating, hypocrisy, and prejudice from the GOP, one wonders why Boehner would say this.
The republicans do not need anybody to aid them in their annihilation – they're doing a SPLENDID job of self-destruction all on their own. They must be so proud!
Nope – the GOP is doing just fine in succeeding with that all on their own!
@ Tony in Maine
How about we lose both extremes and meet in the middle.
Oh John, he has no intent of doing that, you're doing a perfectly good job of it yourselves.
I believe Boehner 100%. THis nation is going to a one party dictatorship. Before you know it, Obama will negate the two term limit and will appoint himself President in 2016. I hope all you dems are happy to have this guy ruin what was once a great nation!
Poor republicans!
Paranoia will destroy ya!!! Wow!!!
This is what you say when you want to blame someone else for your down faults.
Speaker Boehner needs to get eh Republicans behind him. He has lost power and has not been able to get his ideas accepted. His statements are ridiculous and had he and Sen. McConnell worked with the President they would have had the right to complain. They sat on their hands and now they are trying a new tack – the President is trying to annihilate them.
The accusation is bogus. McConnell, Boehner, Cantor, Walsh, Issa and others tried very hard to get the people to vote for their candidate, Mitt Romney. They failed as did he to defeat President Obama. Instead of complaining to RIPOM and every other group which will listen the Republicans need to move toward the center and work with others for the good of the country. Did the Speak cry during the meeting as he tried to accuse the Democrats and the President. \\Mr. Speaker do your job and let us judge for ourselves who should be elected and who should not. Do what is correct and vote for actions that move us ahead and stop this whining.
Name-calling is bullying and totally unnecessary for real Americans to lower themselves to. Instead of complaining, why not get together and do something about the gripes that cause us to spew rancor. We have had our fill of people pointing out all the problems that are there. What we really need are people to act and do something about them. We cannot stand for what is right when we sit and type about everything that is wrong. God Bless the USA and the people who protect us and keep us free.
So after 4 years where the primary job of the GOP was to make Obama a one-term President (just one more thing they failed at), they're now worried that he's going to annihilate the Republican Party? Please. They don't seem to need much help accomplishing that.
Give the speaker a crack pipe.....he's lost it!!! My God someone stop the madness of the delusion these paranoid individuals spew.
"Rick McDaniel – not to mention, any OTHER party that gets in his way. That's what dictators do."
Have you been examined by a mental health professional? Your vitriol and hyperbole are far beyond a normal human being.
The GOP doesn't need any outside help to be annihilated – they are doing a fine job of that all on their own.
Well if that doesn't beat all! The Republicans have imploded. They have fought among themselves with the Tea Party threatening the more moderate faction with defeat in future elections. They have wedded themselves to the likes of Grover Norquist and the NRA instead of representing the needs of the people they are suppose to serve. For John Boehner to say blame Obama is hubris beyond belief.
"Before you know it, Obama will negate the two term limit and will appoint himself President in 2016."
Before you know it, 5 different new POTUSes will go by and that will never have happened, but the GOP/Teatrolls will still be accusing Dem presidents of trying to do it in order to stir up fear and increase gun sales.
I believe Boehner 100%. THis nation is going to a one party dictatorship. Before you know it, Obama will negate the two term limit and will appoint himself President in 2016. I hope all you dems are happy to have this guy ruin what was once a great nation!
The GOP wanted Reagan to have another term, as well as sticking his mug on Mt Rushmore. While they were not able to accomplish those things, he did set us on path that has led us to the problems we are facing now. Thank him, and don't complain when the Dems pull us out of the ditch (again).
Boehner is seeing the right trend, but has misidentified the culprit. The Tea Party Republicans are committing self-immolation. Example: Todd Aikens.
I believe Boehner 100%. THis nation is going to a one party dictatorship. Before you know it, Obama will negate the two term limit and will appoint himself President in 2016. I hope all you dems are happy to have this guy ruin what was once a great nation!
------------------------------------------------- Go back to school. Take a government class. Stop watching Fox News.
If anybody wanted to "annihilate the Republican Party" they would convince them to build their base around people who say (and ostensibly believe) the foolish sort of things you just said. With that base Republicans can only win the Primary election. The average American isn't hateful, bigoted and ill-informed enough to occupy the Republican right-wing. It's a math thing.
-Rick McDaniel
not to mention, any OTHER party that gets in his way. That's what dictators do.
Where were you when the Patriot Act got passed? Cracking open a cold one?


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Sums up my feelings about 2013. Keep watching it for five seconds and your eyeballs will fall out.
A Harold Lloyd whatever. Minifilm.
I've started making this jewelry, see. . .
Today I found this, the last of a set of three (I think). What movie it is, I don't know, but Roy Brooks is in it, so it must be relatively early. Candid shots on Harold's movie sets are hard to find. Harold seems to be cutting up as usual, but probably for the cameras. Mildred looks like she'd just like to get back to business. Roy Brooks is a bit of a puzzle - I'd like to try to find out more about him, but I'm not sure it's there.
This reminds us once again that Harold Lloyd looked NOTHING like Harold Lloyd. How tiny Mildred looks between them! The men's protective attitude is obvious, but who wouldn't want to protect Mildred Davis?
Roy Brooks appears to be holding a large bottle of milk. Presumably, the same one Harold was drinking out of in the first shot. No nipple in it, though.
Closer shot. She looks cold. Not sure if Harold is watching an airplane ("Plane! Plane!"), or just throwing a peanut up in the air.
I love the titles - love them, love them! They seem to be made of black velvet and make great Facebook covers. These are all from Dr. Jack, never one of my favorites until I watched it again recently. He is sexier in that one than in any of the others - relaxed, confident, and looking closer to his "real self" because for once he doesn't play a goof. He's a country doctor, a respected member of his community, and looking after one hot dish who isn't really sick to begin with! Does it get any better than playing doctor with Harold?


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StarCJ is selling Birla Food Processor Classic for Rs. 2291. Features Powerful 600 Watts Motor, Blending, slicing, grating, chopping and mixing function, Two speed incher with pulse, Electric lid locking system, Unbreakable polycarbonate jars, Anti slip rubber shoes & Five year warranty on Motor and 2 Year warranty on Product.
10% off Coupon: 0851-159336


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Amazing Fantasy Books and Comics
Is proud to present famed comic creator
For one day only!
David Lloyd, artist and co-creator of
V for Vendetta,
The best selling graphic novel
AND creator of the crime-noir thriller KICKBACK published by Dark Horse Comics.
Saturday, August 1st!
11am-2pm at the Frankfort location
20523 S. La Grange Rd. 60423, (815) 469-5092
4pm-6pm at the Calumet City location
582 Torrence Ave 60409, (708) 891-2260
Buy any of his books that day and he will do a FREE sketch for you inside ONE book.
Don't miss this rare opportunity to meet one of the
BIGGEST names in comics!
www.afbooks.com www.myspace.com/afbookscomics


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Started by Abigail, May 18, 2014, 08:27:45 pm
Quote from: orochii on May 31, 2014, 12:01:28 pmHeheh, excuse me but, what is the format for the pieces.png, a.k.a. the image with the piece graphics? I think it's missing at the main post. .
Quote from: winkioI do not speak to bricks, either as individuals or in wall form.
Quote from: Barney StinsonWhen I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead. True story.


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Traveling for the Holidays? Protect Your Home With These Gadgets
According to a recent PCMag survey, 60 percent of people travel over the holidays, and some of their top concerns include package theft, theft or break ins, and their pets' safety.
More than 54.3 million Americans will be traveling over the Thanksgiving weekend, according to AAA, but for holiday travelers, there's more to worry about than getting to the airport on time or avoiding traffic on the highway.
According to a recent PCMag survey of 1,500 people, 60 percent of respondents travel over the holidays, and some of their top concerns include package theft, theft or break ins, and their pets' safety.
Break-ins top the list of concerns for holiday travelers at 30 percent, followed by 22 percent who are worried about how their furry friends are coping in their absence. Another 15 percent are wringing their hands over the possibility of an electrical fire, 10 percent stress over whether they locked the door, 10 percent wonder whether they shut off that bathroom or kitchen appliance, and another 10 percent just hope they don't come home to any sort of water damage.
Another 3 percent have "other" worries, so probably zombies.
Whether you're out of town or just running errands, meanwhile, intercepting packages before they're snagged by a porch pirate is a concern for 70 percent of people surveyed. Thirty percent are interested in getting smart home security products just to catch thieves.
Luckily there are tech solutions that can help calm your fears, from security cameras and video doorbells you can monitor from afar to smart lights that make it look like you're home and appliances you can shut off with the tap of an app.
Of those surveyed, 28 percent own a security camera and 25 percent have a video doorbell. About 23 percent have a smart thermostat, 22 percent have smart plugs and switches, and 17 percent have installed a smart lock. About 9 percent have a smart leak detector. About 10 percent do not have any smart home devices.
If you're considering a smart home security solution, PCMag's latest Readers' Choice survey named SimpliSafe the top brand for smart home security systems and security cameras.


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Address verification software is being used within one state to crackdown on unpaid taxes, it has been reported.
An article by Government Technology highlighted the need for a new system to be implemented in Franklin County, Ohio, after clerical errors and ageing address data was causing an increase in the amount of returned mail.
Phyllis Roberts, the Franklin County treasurer's office customer service supervisor, explained to the website that at one stage there were 14,000 returned bills, something that prompted them to invest in Experian QAS' address verification software.
It resulted in the returned bills being cut to just 2,000 within one year thanks to the fact that the software is "mapped directly into our real estate program and just pops up," ensuring the address is correct, Ms Roberts said.
The United States Postal Service (USPS®) highlighted the importance of checking address data to make sure it was correct late last year.
It advised using ZIP Code verification software to minimize the risk of errors occurring during postage.
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My sweet granddaughter turned six yesterday. So, I thought it would be fun to send her six cards with each card having a dollar bill in each one!
The inside of this card said....A birdie told me you are having a birthday.
I stamped the bird like it was flying away with the cup cake, then popped it up with foam squares.
This one was super simple.
These are all stickers on an already made card base. I know I cheated.
But, it still turned out cute.
This isn't my favorite one but it has alot of card making elements. Those three banners, a punched out message, cut out from pattern paper and those 6 rhinestones. I also went around it with a gel pen and made it look like it has been stitched.
This one took some time. I stamped all of the cup cakes and then colored them with different color pencils.
I like this one, it turned out cute.
It's a twist card. Its really easy to make once you score it right and fold it so it lines up. The cup cake and candle came on a page to color...simple.
After I colored them all, it was time to cut them all out..one by one.
It was fun.
I must have forgotten to take a picture of one of the cards. It was red. It had candles on it.
She lives states away from me and it takes anywhere from four days to ten days to get a card. So her last one didn't make it on time. But, she love the dollars bills! I'm sure she told everyone about all of her cards.


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Fall fall fall.
I always look forward to spring, but I often forget how amazing fall can be.
Those crisp, clear sunny days.
Pumpkin spice. Apple pie.
That cozy feeling of watching the fog and rain from your favourite chair near the fire.
And fall has to be my favourite season for decorating the front porch.
So many fun, simple, and cheery welcoming elements. Planters. Pumpkins. And Mums…
So when my friend recently asked me to help her create a cozy and welcoming fall front porch at their brand new home, I was thrilled to be involved!
Plus, I'm used to our tiny little entry porch, so it was super fun to tackle such a grand space. We focused on adding interest through some beautiful DIY fall planters; as well as creating a cascading pumpkin basket as a cute whimsical touch…
If you think the porch is amazing, you should see the inside! It's absolutely spectacular, and much of it was built and finished by the homeowner himself. The backyard and pool area looks like a resort!
The lovely WELCOME sign was a gift to the homeowners when they first moved into their new home. We added the new planters and filled them with fall favourites…
For these fall planters I used:
Branches – red dogwood and twisted branches
Faux orange berry branches
Winter Kale
Mini Pepper Plants
Burgundy Chrysanthemums
Purple Fountain Grass
Mini Pumpkins
We started by filling the new matte black pots with potting soil. We then added a purple fountain grass at the back of the pot, followed by the chrysanthemum on one side and the winter kale on the other side. The mini pepper plants went in the front, sort of cascading down and out of the pot. We finished them off by adding the red dogwood and twisty branches in the middle of the pot and plopped a sweet little mini pumpkin in front of the branches. I shared a DIY tutorial for filling a fall planter here if you want to see step by step photos of assembling one!
Want to make your own? Pin this to remember it!
The other awesome element that we added to this gorgeous fall front porch is the cascading pumpkin basket.
How cute is this idea??
My friend found this beautiful huge basket at our local HomeSense store and found some faux white pumpkins to stuff inside it at Michaels. We also added a combination of leaves from the dollar store to place under and around the pumpkins. We also added some squash and mini pumpkins from our local farm market to add extra colour and texture.
Want to make your own? Pin this to remember it!
So fun, easy, and cute, right?
I wonder if I'll be invited back to help decorate it for Christmas?!


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Animal Care in Argentina High School Special
Animal Care in Argentina High School Special
- Placement location: Villa Allende City
- Types of placements: Dog shelter
- Accommodation: Host family
- Age Requirements: 15-18 years old
If you are a teenager that loves dogs, our Animal Care in Argentina volunteer project is for you. On this project you will work closely with dogs at a shelter, where you will lead them through training techniques, play with them, and help prepare them for adoption with local people and families. You will be able to offer a valuable helping hand to staff at the shelter who dedicate their lives to giving dogs in and around Cordoba a brighter future and a home.
The animal shelter in Cordoba is in desperate need of volunteer support. It cares for more than 200 dogs, and relies donations to keep the facility running, as no funding is provided by the government. Stray and mistreated dogs is a huge and increasing problem in the area, and there are not enough groups of people trying to improve the situation. The shelter therefore relies heavily on volunteer assistance to help with socialising the dogs, preparing them for adoption, and assistance with light renovation work.
These are the activities you will help with during your project:
- Train and socialise dogs to make them more suitable for adoption
- Observe a vet during treatments and surgeries
- Learn how to make winter clothes and leashes for dogs These are used for dogs at the shelter or sold on adoption days to raise funds.
- Feed and groom the dogs
- Help with general cleaning and maintenance of kennels
- Paint and repair fences
- Help with fundraising initiatives
- Assist with awareness campaigns to teach local communities about pet care and sterilisation.
During your stay in Argentina, you will live with a local host family who will provide you with an authentic Argentinian experience. You will get to enjoy traditional home-cooked meals where you can exchange stories about your day, life back home, and learn more about Argentina and the countries your fellow volunteers come from.
We have planned some exciting weekend activities for you. You will take part in an Amazing Race contest, visit a festival in Villa Gral Belgrano where you can sample many mouth-watering chocolates, take part on a hike to a beautiful waterfall in Santa Rosa de Calamuchita, enjoy a traditional Argentinian asado lunch at a local ranch, and you will get to explore the haunted Eden Hotel. You will share these amazing experiences with other high school volunteers from around the world, who you will be able to form life-long friendships with.


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1,778 people have taken this course
You know your list of "should" and "should not's." "I should have gotten out of bed on time." "I should exercise more." And you know your should not's; "I should not have yelled at my child." "I should not have eaten that second piece of chocolate cake!" When you find yourself repeating a behavioral pattern you have judgment about, it's highly likely due to a conflict between your conscious and subconscious mind. Where the conscious and subconscious mind rub up against each other, often reveals an Emotional Energy Block.
This painful dilemma of self-judgment can continue for decades of denial. The good news is, the conflict between your "should and should not's" is actually showing you where your inner work lives. There are reasons you can't "talk" away Emotional Energy Blocks with positive thinking. Just like a splinter rises to the surface to be plucked out, there is a strong body/mind sensation trying to find its way to the surface of your awareness for healing.
There is a way to stop decades of repetitive painful self-destructive behavior. Once an Energy Block is awakened, the surge of energy will help you be more open in your relationships, feel more relaxed and alive, be more physically healthy and achieve your goals.
Your host of this series, Laura L. Fine spent decades studying in the field of complementary medicine, working through her own Emotional Energy Blocks. Even though professionally successful as a leader and teacher and healer at a young age, her Emotional Energy Blocks kept her in a cycle of co-dependent relationships and secretly miserable insecurities. It was through her work with Transpersonal Energy Healing, integrating depth psychology with body/mind therapy and the subtle chakra energy system, Laura finally began to heal deeply ingrained childhood patterns that caused her so much pain.
In this eight part series, you'll recognize common denominators from each of the contributing experts to help you unwind ingrained emotional patterns that limit your life and cause you pain. You'll come to understand why and how the thought patterns of "you should or should not know better but do anyway" occur.
In this course you will learn to:
Each week for eight weeks you will receive an audio lesson where Laura will interview an expert in the field of Transpersonal Energy Healing. Most sessions will have an accompanying handout to deepen your understanding of the concepts being discussed. At the end of the course, you will have unique and powerful practices to call upon when you find yourself stuck in an Emotional Energy Block.
Reactivity happens repeatedly throughout our daily interactions if you do not have the awareness and skills to stay centered and stable. Inner peace isn't a quick fix. Deep soul searching awareness brings great reward. These sessions are filled with subtle profound knowledge that can change the course and direction of your life through new self-awareness that can be yours at the end of the eight sessions.
"I have nerve blockage to my feet from compressed discs, which is of concern to me as it affects walking and driving to some degree. In the visualization process, I got in touch with a major fall on my sacrum many years ago where I experienced the energy "jam" in that area and saw it as a coiled spring that became solid at that time. The feelings that went with it were insecurity, fearfulness, and anger. I have never gotten to the bottom of this issue before and have hopes to open this up, using the process again. This class is a valuable contribution to self-understanding and energy shifting, no matter whether the issue is emotional or physical." - Barbara
"I have been doing long distance therapy work for 8 weeks and the How To Use Energy Healing to Release Emotional Blocks Teleclass. Layers upon layers of myself have been revealed and are being healed. The person who has been inside me for years who hasn't been heard is being noticed and is experiencing a version of love of self that is brand new. Through her safe, loving and wise sessions, Laura has delicately pushed me to dig very deep into myself to figure out why I was feeling so disconnected. I had recently moved to a new city halfway across the country, with my boyfriend who I had dated long distance for several years, and started a new job. Each morning between classes and sessions, I wake up aware of my body, I feel my heart shifting, moving like I'm doing yoga in my chest. I am awakening. I am safe in the hands of my teachers, mentor, and therapist." - Kathleen: Sales Manager, Chicago, IL
Laura L. Fine is director of Lionheart Institute of Transpersonal Energy Healing, a professional certification training program with branches in Los Angeles and Austin, Texas. Lionheart teaches you to heal yourself, facilitate healing for others and build a career as a certified Transpersonal Energy Healing Counselor. Laura has trained thousands of students nationwide and practiced as an Energy Healing Therapist and teacher for over 30 years.
Laura has two Masters Degrees, one in Marriage and Family Therapy and a second Masters of Arts Degree and is author of 4 books. Laura is a survivor of a life-threatening illness and a grateful heart transplant recipient. She has a passion for taking clients deep into the core of their being where true healing happens.
Starting today, you will receive a new lesson every week for 8 weeks (total of 8 lessons). Each lesson is yours to keep and you'll be able to refer back to it whenever you want. And if you miss a lesson or are too busy to get to it that day, each lesson will conveniently remain in your account so you won't have to search for it when you're ready to get back to it.
As a free gift, when you sign up for this course, you will also receive the award-winning DailyOM inspiration newsletter which gives you daily inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy and fulfilling day. We will also let you know about other courses and offers from DailyOM and Laura Fine that we think you might be interested in.
We are offering this course with the option of selecting how much you want to pay. No matter how much you pay, you'll be getting the same course as everybody else. We simply trust that people are honest and will support the author of the course with whatever they can afford. And if you are not 100% satisfied, we will refund your money.
How much do you want to pay?


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Webinar Event: BI Dashboards Best Practices
Dashboard Best Practice Webinar
Thinking of deploying Business Intelligence (BI)? So are your competitors. Gartner's 2013 global CIO survey showed that BI is the No. 1 technology priority for CIOs – again.
And the most important, fundamental, tool for delivering your BI information to your users? Dashboards.
Dashboards were rated as the No.1 strategic BI technology in Dresner Advisory Services' 2013 Wisdom of Crowds Business Intelligence Market Study. In fact, 96% of respondents rated dashboards as "important", "very important" or "critical" to the success of their BI program.
But, data visualization expert, Stephen Few, has declared that the majority of today's BI dashboards fail.
Register for this Webinar event – BI Dashboard Best Practices – and learn how to deliver best practice dashboards, achieve high ROI and create BI success; not failure.
When and How
There are three concise forty minute Webinars scheduled throughout Tuesday 8 and Wednesday 9 October for your convenience.
But seats are limited, so reserve yours now!
Register for a session now by clicking on a link below:
Webinar 1 (Best time for Americas)
Tues, Oct 8, 2013, 5:00PM – 5:40PM, New York EDT
Webinar 2 (Best time for Asia-Pacific)
Wed, Oct 9, 2013, 2:00PM – 2:40PM, Australian EDT
Webinar 3 (Best time for Europe)
Wed, Oct 9, 2013, 10:00AM – 10:40AM, London BST (British Summer Time)
You'll learn how to:
- Design dashboards that provide instant insight (and nothing more!)
- Create dashboards that are relevant to job function, appropriate for mode of consumption, relate to business strategy and prompt accurate, timely action
- Select appropriate visualizations that best communicate the message your chosen KPI is intended to convey
- Deliver the right dashboards, to the right people, at the right time, to drive faster and better fact-based decision-making
"Underpin the success of your BI project and experience high ROI by supplying users with easy-to-understand, relevant and timely information – via best practice dashboards – that provide a decisive pathway to fact-based action"
"When built properly with effective use of graphics and information objects, dashboards deliver targeted data 'in context' to the business workers, allowing these workers to make better, more timely business decisions. A good, effective dashboard application will save the business workers time, and that is the key reason why dashboards are gaining in popularity"
What's a dashboard?
Few defines BI dashboards as: "a visual display of the most important information needed to achieve one or more objectives consolidated and arranged on a single screen so the information can be monitored at a glance."
Please note: After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining your chosen Webinar.
Following the Webinar, attendees will receive a copy of the presentation slides and a recording for on-demand viewing.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Best regards,
The team at Yellowfin


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Dog Love
Dog LoveJump to Recipe
Somehow, we made it over three months before Theo came down with any sort of sickness. This was completely baffling to me and Betsy because A) we are very far from germiphobes. (You can wash pacifiers?!) B) Theo gets licked by Porter the Dog multiple times a day… sometimes in his mouth.
But, every kid gets sick and this week was his week! Luckily, it wasn't anything too serious. He had a mild fever and lots of coughing and snot making.
He's feeling better already, but Porter pretty much hasn't left his side the whole time. Whether he knows it or not, Theo already has a best buddy.
(Sorry for the grainy photo. Dim room and didn't want to use a flash.)
One Quick Parent Rant
I remember hearing a This American Life a long time ago about the dangers and realities of overdosing your kid on Tylenol (Found it!). At the time, I remember being pretty self-righteous in thinking that it couldn't be that hard. Now, after having to brave it, it is incredibly, stupidly difficult and I completely see how mistakes happen.
Keep in mind that when most parents are doing this for the first time they are sleep-deprived and mildly freaking out.
For starters, there different products both labeled for kids but one is literally twice the dosage of the other (80mg/5mL vs. 160mg/5mL – you have to read the fine print to be sure which one you have).
More importantly, the measurer they give you is in milliliters, but the dosing instructions from pediatricians is in teaspoons.
So you have to convert teaspoons to milliliters and then eyeball it on this dropper.
It's like some sick SAT word problem except with a screaming child sitting next to you.
I get that it's important to get the dosage exact, but hey… the people who designed the package should know it's important to get the dosage exact.
Anyway, I pretty much nailed the conversion and administered what I believe to be a perfect amount of medicine which was immediately drooled out.
End rant.
The Links
A few things that caught my eye this week.
Matcha Mint and Cookies Ice Cream – Matcha is all the rage these days and I've yet to buy it and try it, but I do love the color! And I do love ice cream! (@ Girl vs. Dough)
Coca-Cola Chocolate Cake – For some reason I've been craving chocolate sheet cake lately. I have to have an event to make one though or I'll just hate-eat it all myself. (@ Brown Eyed Baker)
Overbaked Cake? Now What? – Speaking of cake, what happens if you forget one in the oven? Usually it's ruined, but that doesn't mean it can't be used. This is pretty genius. (@ Cupcake Project)
Ridiculously Intense Steak – I saw this steak in the most recent Bon Appetit and my first thought was, "I have to try that!" Then I read the full recipe and I thought, "I'm probably never trying that." But, after reading this review, I might actually do it someday. (@ Bitten Word)
Have a great weekend everyone!
8 Responses to "Dog Love" Leave a comment
I love that Porter hasn't left his side! :) Hopefully Theo is feeling better!
NPR FTW!!. Glad you were pre-informed about the dangers of the Tylenol. Pretty confusing for a sleep-deprived parent with a screaming kid. My kids are big now, but we have found that fevers under 102 are best to just let run their course – fever medication ( tylenol, motrin ) is actually counter productive. The fever is part of the body's immune response, and fever reducing medications hamper that, leaving the kids sick longer. Worth discussing with your doctor. http://www.parents.com/health/fever/fever-benefits/ –
Tylenol changed this problem about a year ago so that all the formulations are the same. It was directly in response to the infant deaths. Get a new container (or, you know, don't use it because you're probably prolonging the illness by inhibiting the body's response), and take care. Hope your little one feels better soon!
Every time we give our kids medicine I have to Google the dosage charts. I wish they'd put something on the bottle besides "ask your doctor" for all kids under 2.
You'll have at least a few more rants on either the dosages or packaging by the time your baby is 2.5 years old! I think the pharmaceutical jokes are playing a mean joke on parents haha! Over here I usually have issues with packaging and the measuring spoons they come with–often a very flat spoon which is not suitable for a person with shaky hands– or just trying to get the med out of the bottle. No joke, one med had me sweating and nearly in tears just trying to get it out of the tiny glass ampule. A children's med!
fun fact… kiddo didn't get sick because babies carry mom's immune system with them for a few months after they are born. we're not sure exactly how long this protects kids, and there are other factors (like breastfeeding) that change how long it lasts, but it's somewhere around a few months. now that mom's protection has run out, theo is working on building his own immune system!


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"aaww ! I love to read what you boys are up to, there, far away, in Tofo. You have some amazing feedback!!!! I always knew you will be simply the BEST dive shop ever 😉 the bestest ;-)miss you all.x "
"Dear Nick and Steven, Thank you and your team (Dave, Rene, Dean, João, etc) for a fantastic week in Praia do Tofo. Amazing dives in a wonderful place. Congratulations to Peri-Peri Divers for being a familiar dive center, with a very professional staff and service with always a friendly smile. Last but not least, thank you for being a dive centre that makes a difference, making all the efforts to proportionate unforgettable moments to your clients. Hope to see you all soon and all the best from Portugal"
"We already miss diving with Peri-Peri and super sexy scuba steve! 🙂 "
"Thanks to you Miriam and the Peri-Peri team, for your sympathy and professionality, but above all for the patience you guys had !! I will never forget my time there"
"Thanks for such great Diving this holiday Steve and Nick 🙂 still can't get over the Whale!! miss it already there! "
"The best diving team ever 🙂 "
".... and so it was... one million billion trillion mobulas circling us! sux to be home away from you guys 🙁 BEST DIVES EVER!!! "
"Hi Steve, How Are you doing?! I am Alex, did some diving with you last week! I wanted once again to thank you for the great experience, i really enjoyed it especially because of the great atmosphere that you and your team are creating day after day! Good luck with everything and I will tell everybody that you are the one and only that can spot a PEGASUS SEAMOTH :-)!! "
"Dear Steve Already back in Switzerland, uf uf!!! We had a very good flight in B-Class, hihi!!! Unfortunately we didn't get to see you when we checked out with you guys! Peter and I would like to thank you, Nick and your whole team! We had a great time diving, also without the whaleshark! You and your staff are doing a great job and we will tell more diver friends about this special place to go. Please say hi and thank you to Frieda as well, we didn't get to see her either. Thank you very much!!! You take care, kiss the next whalyboy for me!!!"
"Hi Guys When I decided on where to do our dive course it felt like such a big task choosing between the 4 companies in Praia Do Tofo, as diving was something I knew nothing about and wanted to get the best experience for our money being first timers. However when I arrived at your office's I knew immediately that this was the company I wanted to dive with and that massive choice became thing of the past. The decision was without any fail, one of the best decisions I have ever made. So with that being said, I just wanted to personally say thank you too everyone for the amazing experience that Peri-Peri Divers delivered to some inexperienced Divers. Firstly I would like to thank our excellent instructor, we couldn't have asked for a better instructor as David Levack on our Open Water course. He never had any hassle going over a topic again if we didn't understand, his knowledge was really great, he would explain things in such a way that a dummy could understand and made sure that we are safe divers, and my last 2 dives were well there's no words to describe. Nicholas thank you for the amazing deep dive, felt totally comfortable on my first deep dive to see manta rays, your knowledge is outstanding and great pleasure meeting you. As for Steve thank you for all the helpful advice, always ready to help with anything, and making us feel so welcome that I decision was one I'll never forget. To the rest of the team, thank you for making us feel so at home as if we were one of the team. I look forward to diving with you guys again very soon. "


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Transactional Advisory Support Breakfast
Smolin Lupin
Thursday, December 5, 2013 from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM (EST)
Event Details
Please join us for a breakfast seminar on year- end planning for the new net investment excise tax for 3.8%
We will offer CPE
Invite your colleagues!
Presentation will be given by our Head of the Tax Department Phil Drudy and Tax Manager Dan Kruesi.
When & Where
Smolin Lupin & Co. Fairfield Office
165 Passaic Avenue
Thursday, December 5, 2013 from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM (EST)
Add to my calendar
Smolin Lupin
Since 1947, Smolin Lupin has dedicated itself to developing long-lasting client relationships. We provide professional, financial and accounting services uniquely designed to meet the needs of each and every client. The personal attention and guidance helped us become one of the most successful and respected CPA firms.
Smolin Lupin is an Independent Member of the BDO Seidman Alliance and is on the NJBIZ Top 20 Public Accounting Firms in New Jersey.


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Nice shelf. We put this in a new bathroom/spa and it looks great!
Excellent product, good construction. Very well made. Exactly what I wanted. I like that buying from this company supports small business and local craftsmen.
Some would say the bathroom is the most important room in the house. Complete your room with our assortment of accessories, including bath accessory sets, mirrors, scales, soap holders, and tumblers. Our bath mats, rugs & towels supply that soft, warm texture right out of the shower. Try beautiful, lasting fine teak accessories and stainless designs that are exclusively suited for humid spaces, or go with gleaming chrome metal, plus you'll find organizing magazine racks, as well.


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The recording studio makes it possible for artists to create something in their mind, translate it to the machines and then to the listeners. Every form of art is a fusion between skills and tools and one without the other would be pointless. But, before you get to the point where your studio looks like the control bridge of the Starship Enterprise, you need to start small and start with the basics.
When most people think of a recording studio they imagine a ton of electronics, buttons, knobs, cables, flashing lights, monitors, thingamajigs, and what not, and building one seems to them like a task of monumental proportions. But, in reality, it is not so complicated at all if you know what is the essential sound studio equipment. So, here are some of the most important pieces of equipment you need for starting your home recording studio.
First of all you will need a computer for recording and editing your music. Chances are you already own one and you can use that for the time being. However, if you need to buy one anyway, basically you can choose between the PC as the cheaper option and the Mac which is more expensive and with a reason. While anyone can build a PC with different components, Macs are only made by Apple and this makes them more stable and if a certain audio software is compatible with a Mac, it will work with any of them since they are all the same. Another great thing about Mac is that they have all the necessary connectors, allowing you to plug in almost anything.
Then you need to get a desktop recording interface to turn your Mac or PC into a recording studio. An audio interface is a type of hardware used to connect your recording gear to the computer. One of the easiest ways to do that is with the Lambda Desktop Recording Interface By Lexicon. You can add a microphone, electric guitars, keyboards, compressors, equalizers, drum machines, turntables, and even use pre-recorded tracks from MP3 or CD players and monitor what you records via a separate headphone jack.
You will of course need a good microphone for studio recording with good vocal response for both singing and speech. A good choice is the Shure SM58 Vocal Microphone which has a highly effective spherical filter that minimizes wind and breath noise. It also isolates the main sound source and reduces unwanted background noise to a minimum.
Another essential piece of sound studio equipment are the headphones and I don't really need to explain to you why. There are a ton of cheap headphones available on the market, but I suggest getting a pair of quality headphones specifically designed for studio application with reduced weight, moving coil, soft ear pads, and so on in order to ensure comfort during extended periods of recording.
And finally you will need some studio monitors since they are the best way to do mixing. They are basically like speakers with a flatter frequency response and they produce a more natural sound allowing you to objectively assess your mixing.
There are a few other necessary accessories which you can incorporate in your studio after you spend some time recording and find out what your need for yourself.