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Wellington's Pacific Beer Expo is always a spring celebration of the rare and unusual.
This year organisers Beer Without Borders & Hashigo Zake have been pulling strings to get unique brews from the United States, Australia, Japan and New Zealand.
Beer wrangler Steven Wells is especially chuffed with some of the offerings coming from Modern Times in San Diego. Brewer Matt Walsh is a regular visitor to New Zealand, last here for Beervana, and he's promised to send something special – Mage Hand IPA and Neverwhere bretted IPA.
"Matt hooked us up with some amazing beer. This is stuff that would not normally go to export markets. People in the States want to get it and can't. This will be the only place outside the US where you can try this stuff."
Australian wild-ferment specialist La Sirene will have a high profile with three beers, including a bretted harvest ale and it's incredible imperial praline. Founder Costa Nikias will be at the Expo, as well as hosting a dinner in Wellington on Friday 21 October. Beer Without Borders magnate Dominic Kelly says La Sirene's most interesting brews are just becoming available now, after spending a year or more aging in bottles and barrels.
Nomad Brewing, from Sydney's northern beaches, will also have three beers on at the Expo. It's bringing along Long Trip saison, which took home the Champion French & Belgian Style at the Brisbane Craft Beer Awards in July. The other two offerings are a black saison and a salt & pepper gose.
New Zealand brewers are also well represented, with craft brewers from Northland (McLeods) to Oamaru (Craftwork). Garage Project has made a Pacific Stout with breadfruit, plantain and coconut, called Mutiny on the Bounty, which Steven thinks is something to do with pirates. Newcomer Beg, Borrow and Brew from Wairarapa will be at the Expo for the first time, and Lord Almighty is making turmeric beer.
Most of the Expo offerings have been brewed specifically for the festival and will not be available anywhere else.
Dominic says the Expo is trying to cover a wide range, rather than specialise in a single style. "We want people to be able to cleanse the palate after trying something really hoppy or funky or sour. When the number of beers at a festival reaches three figures there's no way to try them all, or even find out what you should be trying. Our theory is that a selection on the low tens means people can inform each other about what they're having and what's good."
"This year we asked brewers to pitch ideas at us," Steven says. "Give us three or four ideas, so we can balance the locals around the imports."


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Sweet peppers stuffed with rice and raisin pilaf and baked in the oven.
Pre-heat the oven grill to 240°C.
Place the peppers on the grill pan. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, turning them to ensure they are grilled on all sides.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool down until warm. Peel the peppers and remove the core and the seeds. You should have a 'pocket' for the stuffing.
Set the oven to the normal/fan setting and turn the heat down to 180°C.
Peel and dice the onion.
Heat the olive oil in a casserole. (SAUCEPAN?) Sauté the onion for 5 minutes, then add the rice, pine nuts, raisins and water. Cover with baking parchment, place the casserole dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated.
Fill the peppers with the rice, then place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes before serving.
Serve on plates and decorate with chives.
«If you wish this dish to have a slightly more acidic taste, prepare with green peppers.»

subset: commoncrawl


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The best perks we get as researchers are not actually pens that are shaped like micropipettes. Nor is it syringe-shaped highlighters, sticky-note paper, or any of the other pretty awesome free stuff that I've scored from various lab equipment suppliers over the years. It is the chance to attend international conferences.
This notion was brought to my attention very early in my honours degree. If I do really good work, not only might I save the world and get a Nobel Prize but I would also be PAID to present my work overseas somewhere. And, better than that, people might actually want to hear what I have to say and I could travel around lecturing to various universities.
That was the dream. That dream lead me to a PhD and, eventually, to reality. I am becoming increasingly suspicious that my research may not directly save the world and, unless serendipity steps up sometime, a Nobel Prize may not be heading my way anytime soon. But I might contact the committee again anyway, just in case they lost my number.
One thing reality has shown me is that I do have is the real chance to present at a conference. At this time of year many of us start to peruse the conference alert websites and prepare abstracts for faraway places with relevant topics.
Conferences are where ideas are shared and networks and collaborations are formed. It's also just cool to get paid to travel regardless of the reams of paperwork that inevitably ensues.
And in meeting other researchers, there is always the possibility that a new idea will spark a stream of thought that leads to a Nobel prize-winning breakthrough, or that a new collaboration will lead to a discovery that will ultimately lead to the world being saved. Hope springs eternal.
At the very least, if all else fails, attending the conference will invariably bring me more lab-supplier-stamped free stuff. And it's almost worth it just for that.


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DLSCL J0916.2+2951 is a recently discovered pair of galaxy clusters in an advanced stage of collision. Its redshift is z=0.53, corresponding to a distance of 5.2 billion light-years. The two clusters began to collide about 700 million years previously, making this the most advanced cluster collision discovered – from 2 to 5 times farther along than previous discoveries (of which there have been only 4 that are comparable). The 2 clusters together span a distance of about 6 million light-years.
The clusters have already passed through each other, though they will eventually merge completely. The galaxies and dark matter within each cluster were relatively unaffected by the encounter. However, the intergalactic gas contained in one cluster has interacted strongly with that of the other. Consequently, much of the gas has been separated from its original cluster. It now lies between the two original clusters and has a temperature around 6 million K – 1000 times hotter than the surface of the Sun. As a result, the gas is a strong emitter of X-rays whose photons have energies in the 0.5 to 2.0 keV range.
The amount of dark matter within each of the colliding clusters can be estimated by the technique of weak gravitational lensing. This is based on the fact that a very massive object, such as a galaxy or cluster of galaxies, bends light from objects on the far side of the massive object along the line of sight. The concentration of mass distorts the shape of the more distant objects – turning a circle into an ellipse, for example. A statistical analysis of the observed shapes, compared to what would be seen in the absence of the gravitational lens, yields an estimate of the amount of mass in the lens.
The total mass of one cluster is estimated to be about 2×1014 M⊙ and the other is 3×1014 M⊙ – a total of about 500 trillion solar masses for the two clusters together. Of that, 86% is dark matter, 12% very hot gas, and 2% visible stars. This ratio of dark matter to ordinary matter is close to the average for the universe as a whole – so this is a further confirmation of the abundance of dark matter.
Since the dark matter halos of the two original clusters have mostly passed through each other without combining the way that the intergalactic gas did, it has been possible to estimate that the probability of self-interaction between dark matter particles is relatively small. This "cross section" value can be used in simulations of how the universe has evolved on a large scale.
Further reading:
Discovery of a Dissociative Galaxy Cluster Merger with Large Physical Separation


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|You are in: In Depth: Oscars 2002
Wednesday, 20 March, 2002, 14:02 GMT
Whoopi's gag man
Writing jokes for the Oscars show carries a heavy burden of responsibility.
To some, the event is the most serious night in Hollywood where the great and good gather to honour the finest film-makers in the world.
To others, it is a live showbusiness spectacle waiting to implode when something goes spectacularly wrong.
Whether it be a speechless celebrity, a presenter clutching the wrong envelope or wobbly scenery which steals the show, the ceremony is rarely short of comedic moments.
The task for head writer Bruce Vilanch is to make sure the gags he dreams up for the show's presenter, Whoopi Goldberg, get the biggest laughs.
"I guess I'm a thrill-seeker," he says.
"It's the thrill of flying by the seat of your pants. This is the biggest live show there is.
"If I were a football player I would want to be in the Super Bowl - it's the biggest football game there is," he explains.
Vilanch is a celebrity in his own right. He is the subject of a Miramax documentary, Get Bruce, and is a regular on the US quiz show Hollywood Squares.
He is also the programme's full-time writer and has also written for a string of other awards such as the Emmys, the Tonys and the Grammys.
For the Academy Awards, Vilanch is in charge of writing lines for all the celebrity presenters, although his main focus is Goldberg.
The actress is hosting the Oscars for the fourth time, although she was initially reluctant to come back.
She last presented the ceremony in 1999, the year the controversial film-maker Elia Kazan was honoured by the academy.
"The audience was ice cold," recalls Vilanch. "When she came out it was hard to coax them to laugh."
He explains that Goldberg resorted to some rather blue humour "to try to shock them."
Vilanch says he finally persuaded Goldberg, who is a friend and a co-star on Hollywood Squares, that presenting the Oscars after 11 September would be an uplifting experience.
"Everyone wants to laugh and I think she thought that was really a good idea," he says.
Vilanch notes that many of the nominated movies this year are about weighty subjects.
"A lot of people went to the movies after 11 September and saw a lot of serious pictures and were more disposed towards those films than they were towards light-hearted things."
He says films like A Beautiful Mind, In The Bedroom and Iris pose a particular challenge for a comedy writer.
Jokes don't come easily about schizophrenia, parents coping with grief and Alzheimer's Disease.
Vilanch says he is aware that these are delicate subject areas.
But he adds: "There's nothing funnier than a dysfunctional family, you just look on the other side of these things - there's something very amusing about all of that."
Vilanch has been writing for the Oscars for the past 14 years.
He says it is important to strike a balance between jokes the live theatre audience will appreciate and those which will go down well at home.
He is also aware that this is Hollywood's biggest night and one which will be closely watched by the critics.
"It's the Oscars - it's going to live with you forever. The stuff you say on the Oscars will be remembered," he says.
"There are lots of committees. There's the network programming people, the network standards people, the censors and the academy has to look over everything," he explains.
"If a joke revolves around a brand name that's always a big concern - they're more concerned with that kind of stuff, with corporate stuff, than they are with actual vulgarity."
Vilanch admits he gets irritated by celebrities who say "I told them that wouldn't work" when a joke falls flat.
In fact, he concludes: "You can't win. You do a fabulous show and you discover it had the lowest rating in 120 years.
"Then you do a show which was okay and it's the highest rating - because Titanic won best picture."
The Oscars ceremony will be broadcast live on BBC Two on Monday 25 March from 0045-0500 GMT and reported live on BBC News Online.
Top Oscars 2002 stories now:
Links to more Oscars 2002 stories are at the foot of the page.
Links to more Oscars 2002 stories
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text:
Reginald Jiles came to Rome when an indoor football team moved its offices from Enid, Oklahoma to northwest Georgia. Listen as the former professional football player talks about his past in sports, his love to learn and why he ended up making Rome his home after the team folded.
The Coosa Valley News Person of the Week is sponsored by Gondola Pizza and the Rome-Floyd Recycling Center


text:
It's my birthday today and I'm feeling lazy (and old), so only a very small post.
First up fruit flies. I was sitting with my friend at the playground yesterday evening, watching our kids trying to kill themselves and discussing fruit flies (as you do), and she suggested using a solution of apple cider vinegar and washing up liquid in the trap, which apparently kills the flies stone dead. I will combine this with the cling film method and report back.
Next, one of Megan Not Martha's lovely commenters has pointed out that there is a knitting pattern available HERE for yesterday's 'cappuccio'. I would love to knit it, but don't think it looks half as wonderful here as it does below. Do you think it's just because they've used an acrylic yarn? I think I will give it a go, but in merino or cashmere. Can anyone recommend a fabulous merino or cashmere chunky weight yarn? (Is chunky the same as aran weight in the UK?)
Finally if you want to know what your name would be if Sarah Palin were your mother, then click here.


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Spring 2015 Digital Wesleyan Programming Workshop + Internship
Dec. 18, 2014 by dphillips
Digital Wesleyan will be offering a Programming Workshop open to all students – no prior experience necessary.
In 6 Saturday sessions, you'll learn programming fundamentals, the coding language Python, and meet connected alumni working in the tech industry. The last day will be a demo day on which you can show off what you've built! It's open to all class years, is completely free, and includes lunch.
Based on workshop participation, 10 students will be chosen for a paid summer internship with a Wes alum working in technology in either SF or NYC.
Some of you may have done the program last year – we've revamped the curriculum and have brought on a new teacher who worked for MIT's Lincoln Lab and later for Girls Who Code, so feel free to re-apply. I highly recommend it. I did the workshop last year and ended up interning at Betaworks – it was an incredible learning experience and provided me with exposure to the tech world.
******APPLY HERE: http://digitalwesleyan.com/apply/******
Apps are due by December 21st – Questions? contact on-campus representative Ani Acopian (firstname.lastname@example.com).


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ID: 1395087 Open
CANNON GOD EXAXXION #2-3, 7-10, 13 (Dark Horse Comics) manga backissues 2001-02
Seller: kochcomics (594)
kochcom Store
|kochcom Store
LOT OF 7 _CANNON GOD EXAXXION_ Comic Books by Dark Horse Comics (2001-2002) _, Cannon God Exaxxion is a manga by Kenichi Sonoda that deals with Earth's fight against alien colonization with the help of giant robots and super powered battle suits._ For this listing you'll get the following issues: #2-3, 7-10, 13 all books F-VF or better. End Of Description Read this legend for an understanding for how our grading system works: M = Mint a perfect, unread comic. White pages, sharp corners, perfectly aligned cover, tight staples, sharp square corners, no creases, marks, fading of any kind - no flaw whatsoever. We have never actually graded a book as Mint. to Quote Phil Seuling: "Mint is a flavor of chewing gum." Nm = Near Mint This is what most comics look like when purchased new, presuming no harassment on the racks. Tight staples, glossy cover, sharp corners, no marks, white pages. Any flaws are HINTS of a flaw. Maybe look very closely and you the perfectionist will see a miniscule mis-alignment of the cover with the pages, or the hint of the rounding of a corner. Run your fingers down the spine and you may feel a crease which isn't visible to the eye. Those are the kind of things which mean that nearly all "as new" comics are graded as Near Mint rather than Mint. You will notice that in our 1000s of listings, we don't use this grade either. VF-NM is usually our top grade. VF = Very Fine Excellent condition. Sharp, bright and clean. May have minor spine wear or a small corner crease, or slight surface wear. Often, at first glance a Very Fine comic will appear Near Mint, although closer inspection will reveal trace ( but distinct) imperfections. This is typically the best grade seen for Silver Age comics. F = Fine a nice book, still attractive to look at. An optimistic first glance might reasonably hope for a VF or even a VF-NM. Staples still firm, there is at least some gloss, good corners, but closer look reveals yet more imperfections. Vg = Very Good a solid book. Immediately visible but not dramatic flaws - conversely no dramatic virtues either. Just clean somewhat worn and solid. Maybe some creases but no significant tears. Staples still solid. Book still solid, but clearly worn. G = Good As VG, but with flaws more pronounced. Creases are a little bigger, maybe a larger tear, staples still well attached, but may have stress tears around them. There may be small chips out of the cover. The wear is everywhere but the book is still sound. Fr = Fair a Fair comic is well worn with large flaws, but the book and cover are still, possibly a piece or two missing from the cover, a staple may be loose. OK for a reader, a cheap placeholder for a collector. Pr = Poor Any graded book should be complete. A book in POOR has its cover and all its pages. Things may be loose or waiting to get lost, there may be a piece missing here or there, but the book is there. Still readable. We do not give incomplete books a grade. Note that when a grade appears as (VG-F) or something similar, it means the book was somewhere in-between the two selected grades. And when a listing appears as (G+), it means that the book was slightly better than the grade described, or slightly less in the case of (G-). See our e bay store for daily discounts, 1000s more listings Shipping Discount for U.S. Customers! After the first $5.00 shipping, add only 25 cents for each additional win/buy. We will refund everything after $8 shipping (excludes collections, inventories, posters, cgc's and lots consisting of 70 books/mags/magazines or more - for lots & collections, see listings for applicable shipping terms).Warehouse pick ups by appointment - come on by check us out (no shipping for pick ups, obviously) Shipping Discount for Canada and Mexico Customers! Shipping for 1 comic is $6. 2 comics or 1 magazine is for $8. Shipping for up to 8 comics or 2 magazines, or 1 trade will be $10.00. (Add 65 cents for each additional comic, 1.00 per magazine or trade.) $19.95 global priority will fit 3 Trades/Books (it can also fit up to 24 comics or 4 magazines).Priority Mail International Box is $42 and will fit 7-10 trades/books (depending on thickness) or 60 comics or 25 magazines FOR THE SAME $42 SHIPPING. Shipping Discount for International Customers! Minimum shipping is $11.00 for one comic, magazine $16.95 for up to 3 comics, 2 magazines, 1 trade paperback $24.00 global priority will fit 2-3 Trades/Books (it can also fit up to 20 comics or 4 magazines) Priority Mail International BOX is $52 and will fit 7-10 trades/books (depending on thickness) or 60 comics or 20 magazines FOR THE SAME $52 SHIPPING. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Holiday (And Always) Shipping Schedule: Almost all auctions ship within 1 business day after receiving payment, usually in 24 hrs or less; Nifty FREEBIE FUN PACK of Comics and Cards accompanies ALL (yes ALL!!) packages. Payment May Be Made via Paypal or Credit Cards. Pick up by appointment for all auctions and listings. Call 718-768-8571 for pickup payment options. American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Discover Ok End Of Postage and Payment Terms The Avalanche Continues! Check out our Hip store for spectacular sales and Specials New Listings Daily!!!! ALERT! We are STILL sorting 750,000 comics - possibly the biggest one-time comic sort EVER undertaken. Watch our auctions, watch our Hip store for sales and specials. FREE giveaways and blaring trumpets in 20 key categoriesThe Kochcom Hip Store! (Everyday is a holiday in Brooklyn) Just Click Here For The Great Kochcom Hip Store Link a Kochcom Auction The Endless Convention!~ Check out our other auctions!!! More sets, more breakouts, more trade paperbacks, more movies and horror Nifty Free Fun Packs With Every Shipment!! Mutants among us. Mutants among us. Powered by Hip Turbo Lister The free listing tool. List your items fast and easy and manage your active items. On Jul-16-13 at 05:27:03 PDT, seller added the following information:
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Thursday, July 6, 2006
Mrs. Carlee Donna Campbell, 70, of Purdy passed away Saturday, June 24, 2006, at her residence in Purdy following a short illness.
She was born on Sept. 26, 1935, in Jackson County, the daughter of the late Carl W. and Marjorie L. Miller Hicks. She married Robert A. Mcfarland on Aug. 14, 1956. She later married William R. Campbell, Jr. on Dec. 31, 1966, and he survives.
Graveside services were held June 26 at Purdy Cemetery in Purdy, with Rev. Bert Ward. Arrangements were under the direction of Bennett-Wormington Funeral Home, Monett.


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I very seldom buy new books, and even more seldom buy books as expensive as this. But I had a $25 Amazon gift certificate, so I went ahead and bought it, and I'm very glad I did.
The first section of the book is useful information on growing perennial vegetables (and other perennials, for that matter), and on landscaping using these plants, many of which have great ornamental value.
Part Two is a listing of each of the more than 100 (I didn't count) perennial vegtables, with information on each species. About half the listed plants have quite extensive growing information, and about half have shorter descriptions. A map is included for each species, showing where it will grow as a perennial and where it can be grown as an annual. Toensmeier has not included plant 'thugs' such as kudzu or Japanese knotweed, and warns the reader if any of the other plants may naturalize.
The author's inclusions of certain species (as vegetables) may be slightly questionable: we are more apt to think of them as fruit or as herbs, for example, rhubarb and lovage. (However, my daughter cooks a lot of Persian food, and uses rhubarb as a vegetable in a meat and vegetable stew.) Also, this book will be of even more use to people who live in a warmer climate than I do (northern Pennsylvania in the mountains, with Zone 4 weather). I actually already grow four of the vegetables in the book: rhubarb, lovage, Good King Henry, and sorrel. I discovered some others that I'll definitely try - two of which I had never even heard of before. Those who live considerably further south than I will find a wealth of species to try.
The book is well written, and carefully edited. It includes a list of recommended reading, a list of recommended web sites, a list of sources for seeds and plants, a list of sources for garden supplies and equipment, a bibliography, an index by both scientific and common names, and a really valuable list of perennial vegetables that will grow in each of the various climate types in the USA (including Hawaii).
If you're at all interested in growing perennial vegetables - or in permaculture in general - I think you'll want to read this book and probably to own it. I think it's a very useful book and a pleasure to read. I recommend it most highly to all gardeners.
Comments or questions to: firstname.lastname@example.com
Copyright © 2007 Patricia Meadows
All Rights Reserved


text:
"What I like best about my job is knowing that I'm making a difference for FPL customers every day and helping to deliver affordable and reliable power," said Florida Power & Light's Delivery Assurance Lead, Eli Cueto.
Juno Beach, FL (June 23, 2012) — Florida Power & Light's Delivery Assurance Lead, Eli Cueto, can see things most of us would never even notice. He sees problems before they develop. Think of him as a detective who patrols the electric grid.
"Doing this, I get to fulfill a lot of things that I like, which is field work, and investigating and uncovering potential problems," he says.
This detective's tool of choice? An advanced infrared camera, which he carries in a black suitcase as he patrols the power lines across Florida in his FPL van.
"If you're looking at a section of an overhead line, everything could appear fine," he says. "You could look at it with binoculars and still everything looks good."
Cueto says if he stopped there, and relied only on his eyesight, he would miss the most important evidence of all – the clue that's the key to delivering reliable service. Opening his suitcase and flipping on his infrared camera, Cueto reveals what's really going on inside the fuse switch, fixed 60 feet high atop an FPL pole.
"The way it works is that the camera picks up the infrared energy being displayed, so the brighter the color, the hotter the temperature," Cueto says, pointing to a purplish image on the camera screen.
In the center of the image, he points to a bright white circle. "What we are seeing right here is a hot fuse switch. We can see it right here on the camera that it is overheating. The temperature, it's over 150 degrees, so we know that it's a candidate for replacement."
Cueto returns to his office and uploads the infrared image to his computer. He calls up a database that provides more information about the specific pole and switch. The information he discovers helps him create a work order for his team, which can then perform preventive maintenance on the equipment and avoid a potential outage for customers. Like a good detective, Cueto followed the clues, determined the cause and cracked the case.
"I think FPL sets a standard, because we actually take the initiative to go out there and evaluate all the facilities that we have," says Cueto. He is part of a team of 26 FPL employees and contractors who use infrared technology to help provide reliable service.
"What I like best about my job is knowing that I'm making a difference for FPL customers every day and helping to deliver affordable and reliable power."
To view photos and video of FPL's infrared technology, visit http://www.fpl.com/newsroom.
Eli Cueto joined FPL in 2005 and began his career as a meter reader. He later worked in the Distribution service planning area first, as an associate project designer, assisting with trouble tickets and working on projects to help improve service reliability, and later, as a customer project manager, helping plan for power delivery to new and existing construction. In December 2010, Cueto transitioned into his current delivery assurance lead position, where his focus day in and day out is preventing problems to help ensure service reliability.
Media Contact:
FPL Media Line
Florida Power & Light Company
700 Universe Blvd.
Juno Beach, FL 33408


text:
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text:
FINANCING & BUDGETING • November 3, 2014
4 minutes Read
Business Insurance, a Common Area of Business Planning
Every business owner has a checklist of things they need to succeed. One common area of business planning that many businesses approach with trepidation – or even a sense of dread – is business insurance.
There are many misconceptions and (usually) irrational anxieties surrounding proper business insurance. Some people mistakenly believe that businesses don't need insurance until they have employees.
When you are not giving your business insurance coverage proper attention, you could accidentally increase the risks to which your business is exposed. Giving your small business the best chance to thrive will mean lowering risk – and proper insurance coverage is a smart way to manage your business' exposure to risk and potential loss.
Taking the fear out of business insurance is easy – it simply requires a little research and a better understanding of the types of business insurance available. Once you know more about the options, you can better meet the unique needs of your own business.
Here is a short list of common business insurance, and what each type will cover.
Worker's Compensation: This insurance will cover the employees in the event of an on-the-job injury. The restrictions, requirements and details vary from state to state. For more information, visit: http://www.workerscompensation.com/
Property and Liability: Property and Casualty: Though these are distinct forms of coverage, many insurers will roll two into one policy. Many advisors would suggest taking advantage of them together, as they offer good coverage for most small businesses.
Property insurance covers against loss or damage to a business location, and includes the contents of the business. Property insurance might be specific (i.e., fire, flood, etc.) or might be general. The insured location may be owned, although leased and rented properties might also be covered.
Liability insurance deals with protecting a business from potential losses due to a third-party lawsuit. There are three types of business liability insurance: general liability; professional liability and product liability insurance. Their coverage ranges from protecting a business from potential losses from property damage or personal injury claims to medical malpractice to potential losses from negligence in the manufacture or sale of products, food, medicines or other goods to the public. Casualty insurance is to protect against damage or loss in the business due to negligent acts or omissions that might result in bodily injury and/or property damage to a third party resulting in a claim against the business.
Errors and Omissions (E&O): This is coverage against claims of harm or loss a client or customer might bring due to a mistake the business or its employees made. The money generally covers legal expenses and judgment payments.
Commercial Auto: Personal auto insurance won't cover vehicles used in business. This coverage will cover damage or loss to company vehicles, and also cover damage caused by the company vehicles.
Business Interruption: This is coverage that protects a business' cash flow from being stopped or severely diminished by a specific interruption. For example, if you lost a piece of vital equipment that made it impossible for you to carry-on, this insurance would help to keep cash flow stabilized until normal operations resume.
Umbrella Coverage: Umbrella policies are like a booster shot for existing coverage. These plans are used to cover areas not fully covered by other policies, or to offer additional money when a policy has been exhausted and there is still money owed. Many insurers may require you to have multiple plans with them before they will offer you umbrella coverage.
Key Person or Key Employee Insurance: A key person is someone who is essential to the health of a business. If their removal due to death or inability to work would cause a substantial loss to the business, then it would be wise to consider this coverage. In essence, it's an insurance policy on the key employee naming the business as the beneficiary.
Scripted Policies: If your business needs are not covered by the types of plans normally offered by insurers, you might need a uniquely scripted policy in order to ensure you are adequately covered. An example might be a baseball player insuring an arm, an actress insuring her nose, and so on.
Once you are familiar with the types of business insurance, you will need to determine the amount of coverage your business needs and the costs associated with that coverage and talking to a professional is an important next step.
Talk to a Professional
While there is certainly plenty of research you can do on your own, it is a good idea for your business to have a professional insurance agent or broker to help you select the best possible plans and policies. Insurance is a specialized and very diverse field, so arming yourself with the aid of someone familiar with its details will help you make better decisions.
Ultimately, the types of insurance coverage best for your small business will depend – on your industry, your state, and many other factors. However, there is nothing to fear or be anxious about. By doing some independent research and enlisting the help of a professional, your business insurance needs can be met without increased stress levels.
Some Insurance Terms:
Insurance Premium
An insurance premium is the amount paid on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis to the insurance company for the agreed-upon coverage under the terms of the insurance contract.
Business Loss
Business loss is a loss that impacts the day-to-day operation of a business such as a loss of income due to a natural disaster or accident, or theft or failure of vital machinery needed to produce a product.
Policy Limitation
A policy limitation is the limit set by the insurance company determining the maximum amount that will be paid out for a single claim or group of claims within a specific time period.
A deductible is the amount the insured needs to pay out of pocket for a claim before the insurance company pays the balance (subject to the Policy Limitation).
Insurer Rating
An insurer rating is an independent rating of the financial strength of an insurance company.
For More Information:
You can learn more about types of business insurance here:
A key employee life insurance checklist of items to think about when comparing potential providers:
You will likely have many things to discuss with an insurance agent or broker. Insure U covers a wealth of small business insurance topics, so you can enter deeper conversations better prepared: http://www.insureuonline.org/smallbusiness/. It is important with a business decision such as purchasing insurance to get multiple quotes from multiple sources and compare them to ensure you are making the right decision for your business.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners: and their resources
Photo credit: vinnstock/shutterstock.com


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Get in touch
If you would like to get in touch with me about anything you have seen on the blog, or would like further information, please complete the form below and I'll get back in touch as soon as I can.
I'm also happy to be contacted for any freelance content writing opportunities. If you like my style of writing and would like me to feature on your site, or to write a blog on your behalf please drop me a message to discuss rates.


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Tag Archive: Florida
In the post before this one, I displayed a digital version of this view, earlier in the day. This capture is later the same day, as the sun was setting.
The view from the dwelling in which I temporarily reside is quite lovely. Each day, depending on the time, the colors change dramatically. The digital interpretation above was captured at full sun. The picture in the post after this entry, is the same scene, much later in the day.
The Lioness has pulled up the roots and her furniture and hit the road. The winds of change have taken me back to Florida once again. I lived here 71-82 and back from 86-2005. It was then that I caught a zephyr to Richmond VA for nine years…..and now I am back where the palm trees dance in the wind and blue skies are the norm, except around 2:00-3:00 p.m. when torrential rains and wind visit each day, it seems.
This morning the sky and clouds are again strong, puffy and blue. I am not exactly a stranger in a strange land, but in some ways I have had that feeling. Miami is a very busy metropolis compared to RVA (Richmond, Virginia), as the locals call it. My guess is the population of RVA is about 250K whereas Miami I think is over 2 million. I am re-learning my way, in more ways than one, and I definitely see a Garmin in my future.
Old friends have offered warm support and detailed directions to aid in my latest crusade. I embrace these New Beginnings with optimism and joy. It is a new day and a place to live and grow, learn, laugh, and create a wonderful now. Good Morning Florida!
The Lioness
Over the Rainbow
At Last. (In remembrance, EJ) A tranquil scene 1 block away from a crowded Art Festival…….reminds me of Italy.
@iamlasolas just tweeted a message about
The Golden Lyon Restaurant on Las Olas Blvd. This has motivated me to share
some of my
amazing picture memories from my trip to Florida in January 2011. Enjoy!
(BTW, my nickname is The Lioness!)


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The appellant, the Red Lion Broadcasting Co. brought suit before the court regarding breach of its rights by the... Continued
Case Briefs - 1968
These are two consolidated cases involving the same Respondents. William Johnson and Jonathan Klosek (husband of Julia... Continued
Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) applied for, and were issued, a search warrant to assist in... Continued
The Arkansas legislature passed a law prohibiting teachers in public or state-supported schools from teaching, or... Continued
Local police officers went to Chimel's home with a warrant authorizing his arrest for burglary. Upon serving him with... Continued
The general Presbyterian Church (general church), and two local churches, Hull Memorial Presbyterian Church (Hull... Continued


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University of Nicosia Global Semesters
University of Nicosia Global Semesters
University of Nicosia Global Semesters is an innovative education abroad organization that manages study abroad programs around the world for the University of Nicosia system.
The University of Nicosia Global Semesters programs have been offered globally and served thousands of American study abroad students over the last decade.
Global Semesters has a dedicated team of 20+ staff focused solely on education abroad, with its central offices in Nicosia and New York City.
Global Semesters is deeply involved in the standards-setting bodies of the education abroad field, both through the Forum for Education Abroad and NAFSA.
- Global Semesters is also the creator of the popular AbroadOffice software program – a free software service for study abroad offices that is now in use in over 80 universities in the United States.


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Welcome back!! There's been a few changes round here, most markedly the blog name change. I decided on Tempest's 40K Bunker as the old name seemed a bit too focussed on terrain and minis, whereas I wanted to encompass the entire hobby itself. A small change, but I feel its an important one. I'm also going to play around with the layout and colours as well, so dont be surprised if its all changed when you next come back!
Cities Of Death "Modular" game board.
I've started work on a new and somewhat ambitious project, a fully modular gaming table for use in Cities of Death 40K battles, which is formed from 2ft x2ft MDF wood sections. I was initially quite hesitant about this project as I thought it would be hard to cut perfectly sized squares, however a trip to the hardware store (Bunnings) alleviated some anxiety when I found that I could buy 2x4ft sections, so only one cut per board to make each section. I actually found one of the 4x2 boards was a few mm longer than 4ft, this actually made for perfect 2ft squares after cutting when taking into account the width of the circular saw blade- the other 2 boards are both 1mm narrower across one direction. In the end it'll amount to nothing, but at least i know to search for slightly longer sections when i get my next board.
I marked out some roadways on the squares, 6 inches wide and entering/ exiting at the middle of each edge. For now I only have four squares, and have planned for two T intersections and two crossroads, the next two squares will have straight sections of road.
The roads themselves are carved into the squares using a handheld wood router with a 19mm square/flat cut router bit. I had to make up a wooden router guide to run this along, and after routing out each length of road I undo all the clamps and shift it about 17mm and go again for another pass. Tedious, but three-dimensional recessed roads are pretty sweet! The roads are about 4 mm lower than the top surface, so there's still 11mm of wooden board left to keep it all really solid, there's no chance of breaking the squares at all. Its basically the same height as a 40K round base.
So for now at least I have one square completed, the others should be done by the weekend, as its been raining nearly non stop for a while now and I therefore have some free time to spend in the garage!
Over 1000 blog views!!
Wow, it hasnt taken that long to get this many page views, some of you must like me enough to come back for a look every now and then. I really appreciate that people will spend time looking into my Blog, and I'm hopeful that I'm able to continue showcasing the kind of minis, terrain, tips, tutorials, battlereports and general info that interests people and hopefully inspires them in their own hobby endeavours. I aspire to keep going with this Blog for as long as possible and keep working on the minis and terrain that inspire me so much. I appreciate your interest, and hope that I can continue to provide another perspective on the universe of 40K.
Until next time, thanks for visiting.
Tempest :)


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This post won't debate whether Trump or Obama are good or bad guys. It will simply ask a historical question ...
The Daily Mail claims:
Barack Obama is turning his new home in the posh Kalorama section of the nation's capital – just two miles away from the White House – into the nerve center of the mounting insurgency against his successor, President Donald J. Trump.
Obama's goal, according to a close family friend, is to oust Trump from the presidency either by forcing his resignation or through his impeachment.
And Obama is being aided in his political crusade by his longtime consigliere, Valerie Jarrett, who has moved into the 8,200-square-foot, $5.3-million Kaloroma mansion with the former president and Michelle Obama, long time best friends.
According to the family source, Obama was at first reluctant to assume the role of leader of the opposition.
'No longer the most powerful man in the world, he was just observing Trump and not liking what he saw,' said the source.
'He was weary and burned out after eight years in office. But Valerie convinced him that he didn't have any choice if he wanted to save his legacy. And, as usual, he bowed to Valerie's political wisdom and advice.'
'He had hoped to write his memoirs, golf to his heart's content. and bask in the glory of his eight years in power and the progressive achievements he brought about. Instead, he is going to be leading the fight and strategy to topple Trump.' says the insider.
If true, would this be the first time in U.S. history that a former president has tried to topple his successor?


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Squeezing in Pisa and Cinque Terre in a Day
When researching what to do with my last free day in Italy, I was quite torn. Visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa and get a photo in front of one of the most famous icons of Italy or Cinque Terre, a collection of villages along the coast that are a top rated site for beauty. … [Read more…]


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The Do's and Don't's of Giving Effective Testimony
Bad news: Cases are rarely won at a deposition, but they can be lost at them.
Good news: If you follow these Ten Commandments, you can avoid the main traps that witnesses trip over when being deposed.
Commandment One: Thou shalt tell the truth. You're under oath. Be honest. If you realize you've been inaccurate or incomplete in one of your answers, say so. Say, "Excuse me, a minute ago you asked me how many times I requested my file. I said three. I may have misspoken. As I think about it more, it may have actually been four or five times."
Commandment Two: Thou shalt listen and not interrupt. Don't anticipate what the questioner is going to ask you, causing you to quit listening to the question. Listen from start to finish and don't start to answer until the entire question has been asked. If you interrupt the questioner, you run the risk of not only incurring the wrath of the court reporter who's attempting to take down everything you're saying, but you also may provide damaging information that wasn't otherwise going to come out. Though it may seem counter-intuitive, rest assured the more you talk, the more questions you'll end up being asked.
Commandment Three: He who loses his cool loses in a deposition. You may feel frustrated at times with the questions you're asked and/or the demeanor of the questioner. The worst thing to do is show your frustration or lose your concentration. If necessary, ask to take a short break to regroup. If you struggle to keep your composure, pretend your significant other, mother or preacher is in the room listening to your every word.
Commandment Four: Thou shalt remember you are the smartest one in the room. While it's easy to feel intimidated because you're new to being deposed, you're still an expert on the subject matter. Forget about degrees and pedigrees. You're the smartest person in the room regarding what's being discussed. Otherwise, someone else would be answering the questions.
Commandment Five: Thou shalt be thyself and trust thyself. Testify in your own words based on your personal knowledge. Refuse to let opposing counsel manipulate you into doubting your recollection of events, and don't let the questioner put words in your mouth or twist your words around. One tactic some attorneys use is to say, "Is it fair to say your recollection is…?" If he/she attempts to summarize parts of your testimony, don't agree unless it is true in all respects. If not, don't be afraid to state you don't agree with his/her summary.
Commandment Six: Thou shalt be high maintenance. You have a right to ask for what you need during the deposition, whether that's a break, question repeated or rephrased, document to refresh your memory, or more information before you can answer a question.
Commandment Seven: Thou shalt remember that "I don't know," "I don't understand" and "I don't recall" are valid responses. Put your ego aside and be willing to admit if you don't know, don't recall or don't understand something. Often, the fault lies not with you but with the questioner. Don't assume they know what they're talking about. They often don't.
Commandment Eight: Thou shalt not assume the best. Opposing attorneys may appear much friendlier in person than they do on television. This is one instance where you should trust what you saw on television. Don't fall into the trap of assuming they're your friend or have your best interest at heart. Treat them with the utmost respect, but don't get tricked into believing they're on your side and let your guard down.
Commandment Nine: Thou shalt forget your manners. This one is difficult to master, especially for those born and raised in the South. We all tend to dislike long pauses in conversation and have learned to fill those awkward pauses by talking. These pauses, though, are appropriate in depositions. In fact, it's good to pause before answering a question to gather your thoughts. If the questioner pauses for a long time between asking questions, don't feel the need to fill the silence. Take all the time you need to read any document you're questioned about. If the attorney acts annoyed by the time you're taking, take it as a compliment that you're getting under their skin. It's also proper to qualify your answer if needed, saying, "This is a 60-page, single-spaced document you just handed me. I've only had time to skim a few pages. If you want me to review it thoroughly, we'll need to go off the record for at least an hour."
Commandment Number 10: Thou shalt answer the question asked, and only the question asked. Generally, short, direct answers are best when the question calls for such an answer. If you need to offer an explanation, answer "yes" or "no" first (when it is a yes/no question) and then give any further explanation if needed, like, "Yes, except that…" Don't help the opposing counsel by volunteering information that's not called for by the question. For example, the proper answer to the question, "Do you know what time it is?" is either "Yes" or "No" — not 10 a.m. Don't help them with their question either by saying, "Are you asking me…?"
Got it?
No further questions.


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I don't usually do two posts in one day, but I had to share this one right away, since I haven't seen many swatches of it yet. This is Stylenomics, from Essie's Fall 2012 collection of the same name. The collection was released yesterday, and while it didn't look super exciting, I decided to pick up three of the six polishes. Obviously, the green had to be one of them – I love my Essie greens 🙂
I was expecting to get this. Gorgeous, right? Now, I know Essie's promo pictures are rarely accurate, but I was expecting it to at least look green. Um, no. It's pretty much black. You can tell it isn't actually black, but it's hard to tell what color it is. Major disappointment. It's still a nice polish, don't get me wrong, it's just not even close to the promo image.
Surprisingly, I found an almost-dupe to Stylenomics in my stash. Sephora by OPI's Dark Room is pretty darn close. Before I had Stylenomics, I thought Dark Room was super dark. But despite it's name, it's actually a little lighter than Stylenomics. It's a little dustier, too. But most people probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference. They're both super dark green cremes.
If you must have an almost-black-but-it's-really-green polish, which I think is a great vampy option to have, I'd pick Stylenomics over Dark Room. Why? Well, for one, it's cheaper; Essie retails for about $8 (I got mine for $5) and Dark Room set me back $9.50. But mostly, for the formula. Stylenomics is a little thick, but super opaque and easy to work with. Dark Room is thin and streaky and needs at least three coats. So Stylenomics wins in my book, but I am glad to have both.
I also picked up Miss Fancy Pants (mostly for the name), which is a great light greige color, like Essie Glamour Purse with a ton of white mixed in, and Head Mistress (also mostly for the name), which is a darkish red, and absolutely gorgeous. It may be my favorite.
What do you think of Essie's Stylenomics collection? I have to admit I was a little disappointed, but I there are so many great fall collections out that it doesn't really bother me.


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It was only by accident that I discovered the medicinal nature of gravel. If I remember correctly, it was a particularly crunchy jacket potato that introduced me to the wonders of gravel ingestion. I lost a few teeth that day, but it was worth every shattered molar to experience the rattling in my belly and the faint aroma of tarmac each time my dinner repeated on me.
Those were but minnows to the full whalesque stature of the real gravel experience though. The way it made my eyelids curl, my legs foam and my teeth grow back twice as resistant to moss as before, kept me grinning for weeks. And let's be honest, who wouldn't if they were sporting teeth as moss-free as mine now were?
Such was the wonder of it all I got carried away. I put myself onto a strict diet of nothing but gravel. I rolled across every road I encountered hoping to accidentally have a delicious gravel chip stray into my mouth. I experimented with gravel gravy. And I befriended lots of men who wore bright yellow jackets and sat drinking tea behind miles of cone restricted A roads. Days were happy and bright. I occasionally had to pinch myself just to check my fingers still worked.
But like most things in my life, this wasn't to last. On my daily roll across the A14 I was struck by the thought that nobody else seemed to be participating in this activity. Were they all mad? Surely. For if they knew what I knew, nobody would leave their vehicle's tyres to experience the pleasure alone.
I set about getting myself a big hairy audacious goal of evangelising the role of rolling in gravel.
Step one was to get people out of their cars.
As I rolled across the A14, I replaced each gravel chip I scooped into my mouth with the only things I could lay my hands on in quantity – some nails I found in Matron's underwear drawyer. After 17 deliriously resplendent rolls, I was well on my way to having enough nails scattered about to tempt people out of their cars on the promise of a free nail. Then I could have a meaningful conversations with them about the virtues of gravel. Genius.
But that's when rush hour started. And coincidentally the loud crashing noises. And then shortly after that the wailing siren noises and people screaming as if in pain noises. Now how was I going to talk to people about gravel with all this noise and commotion? I didn't know. I panicked. I couldn't breathe. I put my hands over my ears. I felt the need to sing Kylie songs very loud. I had to leave. I needed to think.
That was made altogether easier when some nice young gentlemen in uniforms escorted me away from that terrible scene into a lovely car with comfy seats and heavy restraints. And they didn't even notice that I had secretly kept some gravel in my mouth and that as they drove, my teeth were getting less and less covered in moss with each kilometer passed.
When Matron heard of my eventful day, she tutted loudly. She thanked the nice men who had brought me back and gave me a special treat. Some lovely new pills, just for me.
They make me very happy.
Very splendid indeed.


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Captivate is our annual women's conference held in Jacksonville, Florida. This is an event centered on teaching, worship and ministry.
Our guest speakers for this event: Judith MacNutt, M.A. and Danny & Sheri Silk.
Christian Healing Ministries is pleased to offer live and on-demand streaming of our Captivate conference. This is a unique way to experience the event when you cannot be with us in person.
Online streaming for the conference will take place from September 29 through September 30, 2017. See schedule of events for more information.
For more information, please see the Captivate Events page.
|365 days


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Since moving to downtown Los Angeles, I've had a lot of fun playing "Where was that shot?" Sometimes you know of such things in advance, such as when CSI: NY staged a St. Patrick's Day parade on W 4th. St (between S. Spring & S Main). Other times, you just say "Hey! I know where that is." Such was the case when seeing the VW "Punch Dub" ad for the Tiguan. Both Pam and I instantly recognized this shot (click the photo to access other sizes):
Why? Because it was part of the view we had from our bedroom window when we lived in the Hellman Building. The building in the shot is The Canadian. You might recognize it as the location of Tom's apartment in "(500) Days of Summer." For us, it's the home of:
- Blossom Vietnamese Restaurant (which occupies the corner & the adjacent space to the right with the awning)
- Stella Dottir (next to the tree)
- Raw Materials (you can almost make out their sign)
- An empty space for lease that used to house Main St. Tattoos (which tells us that this was shot within the past two months)
- Metropolis Books
So, was this shot from our old apartment? I highly doubt that. It's either shot from the roof of the Old Bank District Garage or the roof the Hellman Building. Still, it's fun recognizing your neighborhood.


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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Odin, Freya and Loki must be jealous.
In the new "Gods of the Vikings" exhibit in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot in Disney World, it was the slightly larger-than-life bust of Thor – especially the Norse god's hammer, Mjolnir – that was getting the most photo-opp attention during a visit by The Wild Hunt.
People young and old, and speaking numerous foreign languages, clutched the imposing, 18-inch Mjolnir as friends or family took photos – perhaps an indication of how the Marvel Comics movie franchise has made Thor a rock star beyond the community of practicing Heathens and followers of Ásatrú.
Five feet from the Thor bust, however, was another Mjolnir, one less than an inch and a half long: an authentic Thor's hammer pendant, made circa 800-1000 A.D. The artifact is on loan to the exhibit from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway.
"It is believed Vikings wore silver hammer amulets, resembling Thor's mighty hammer Mjolnir, for spiritual protection," reads the text beside the encased amulet. "The circular decorations on this particular pendant may be a reference to Thor's eyes."While "Gods of the Vikings" exhibit may be Asgard 101 to Heathens, it is such genuine, millennium-old artifacts – a sword, a spear, a drinking horn and more — that make the exhibit a respectful, scholarly-based, educational and enlightening display for the uninitiated or the curious.
The exhibit is housed in an Old World-looking building known as the Stave Church Gallery, in a space about 10,000 times smaller than Valhalla — that is, in a space only slightly larger than the living room of an average American home. It's not exactly an imposing venue to house tributes to three gods and a goddess, but the exhibit makes judicious use of its space.
At the center is a faux wooden tree – a visual reference to Yggdrasil, the world tree which in Viking cosmology supports the nine worlds that make up the universe. Busts of Odin the "Ruler of the Gods, Thor the "Protector God," Loki the "God of Mischief" and Freya the "Greatest Goddess" are carved into each quadrant of the tree's trunk. Curiously, it's Loki and Thor who face the two entrances to the gallery and are thus the first gods to greet visitors.
Though Loki's grin or Thor's Mjolnir will be a visitor's first encounter with these Norse deities, a text panel near the Thor entrance sets the exhibit's tone:
The myths and depictions of the gods and goddesses in this exhibit are inspired by two ancient Norse texts, the Poetic Edda and the Snorra Edda.
The Poetic Edda contains over a dozen poems that feature the gods and dwarves. Scholars believe these poems were chanted and performed virtually unchanged for hundreds of years before being written down. The Poetic Edda is our only original source of information about the beliefs of the Vikings.
The Snorra Edda was written by an Icelandic scholar in the 13th century named Snorri Sturluson who wanted to revive Viking Age poetry. [Editor's note: both "Snorra" and "Snorri" are correct historical usage.] It was frowned upon by medieval monks and clerics, but managed to survive in Iceland. Snorri explains many of the mythical references in the poetry, greatly expanding our understanding of Viking mythology.
That mythology is explored via display cases devoted to each deity and Yggdrasil, with each case including some of those artifacts plus modern illustrations, explanatory texts and a short retelling of a myth written in fanciful script. Recordings of those myths – recited in a raspy female "hag" voice straight out of central casting – play intermittently in the hall.
The Odin case reads: "The wise and mysterious Odin, ruler of Asgard, traveled the nine worlds seeking knowledge and truth – and would sacrifice nearly anything to attain it. According to mythology, Odin gave one of his eyes to a giant in exchange for one sip from the Well of Knowledge. What wisdom Odin couldn't find himself, he discovered with the help of his two loyal ravens, Huginn (Thought) and Munnin (Memory), who traveled the worlds as his messengers."
A horse rattle on display, dating to 800-1000 A.D. and on loan from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, is explained thus: "Sleipnir, Odin's eight-legged horse, could gallop harder, jump faster, and create twice as much noise as any regular horse. Before Vikings rode into battle they would attach metal rings to the bridles of their horse to create a similar, menacing sound."
Likewise, a drinking horn from 1400 A.D. accompanies a short retelling of "Odin and the Mead of Poetry." A related text says that "the Vikings believed poetry was a gift from the high god Odin, and that feasting was an honorable activity. In fact, Viking warriors were emboldened during battle, in hopes that they would die and be welcomed into Odin's own feasting hall in the afterlife."
The Loki case says he "was a masterful trickster who delighted in creating chaos all around him. As the son of a giantess, Loki had mixed family loyalties. For this reason the gods, giants, and other creatures were never quite sure if they could trust him."
The text then brings the Loki myth into the real world of Viking daily life: "In the Viking Age, there were no governments, no businesses and no schools, and very little central authority or organized religion. The main institution that kept the social order was family, and the sense of honor that came from being a part of a respected household. The mischievous Loki gave the Vikings a way to talk and think about loyalty to family and the danger of cross-loyalties. Friends, foes, and even blood relatives could not be fully trusted in the complex game of fame and honor."
The Freya case notes that she "was the most powerful and highest ranking of all goddesses," and that she "ruled over a magnificent hall, Folkvang, where she welcomed half of all Viking warriors and shieldmaidens slain in battle."
Freya also "rode a chariot pulled by two cats and possessed a famous golden necklace, Brisingamen, which was made for her by the dwarfs."
That tantalizing, passing mention of shieldmaidens brings up one the downsides of such a necessarily sketchy, survey-style exhibit as this: shieldmaidens? Warrior women? Tell me more! Alas, though the brevity of the exhibit's texts can be frustrating, at least they point the way to further research on one's own.
Other artifacts in various cases include arrowheads, wooden and clay game pieces, keys, a trifoil brooch, an iron axe head, an iron sword that was excavated from "what was likely a cremation burial," and other pieces.
One entire side of the gallery features a life-size "Seeress" figure seated against a painted backdrop of craggy, snow-covered mountains overlooking a fjord. The exhibit's creators likely want visitors to imagine it is she who is reciting those recorded myths.
A text panel notes that in the very first poem of the Poetic Edda, Odin seeks knowledge from a wise woman who carries a staff and who is "often called 'The Seeress' because she can see into the future. In the Viking Age, the seeress was a well-attested female figure."
The Seeress is accompanied by an authentic Broa picture stone dating to 700-800 A.D. and on loan from the Gotland Museum of Visby, Sweden. (Broa is a site on the Swedish island of Gotland.)
The two-foot-high stone depicts a female figure holding a cup of mead and welcoming a man on a horse. "Some Viking scholars believe this figure represents the goddess Freya, while others interpret the figure as a Valkyrie, one of the female deities who flew over battlefields and selected which soldiers would live or die," reads the accompanying text.
A "Thank You" posted in the exhibit cites "Viking Age Specialist" Dr. Elisabeth I. Ward, as well as the above-mentioned museums and others in Norway, Iceland and Sweden.
Given that a mere 50 yards from the "Gods of the Vikings" exhibit, a sombrero-wearing Donald Duck cavorted with kids in a photo-opp spot at the Mexico Pavilion, one might imagine that Odin, Freya, Thor, and Loki are thankful that their stories have been told so respectfully and engagingly in the land of Mickey Mouse.


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Getting Ready for a Lifetime of Learning
Your child will gain independence while getting ready for the transition to kindergarten with a more organized environment. Our passionate teachers will partner with you during this special time making their "senior year" of preschool the best it can be.
Your Prekindergartner's Day
Each day your child will explore a variety of cultures, doing simple addition and subtraction, creating simple patterns, singing songs, doing art, and making music.
Purposeful Play Is Early Education
Each day is packed with carefully designed activities structured around the six main development areas. Here are a few example activities:
Your child will have opportunities to write and talk about his or her state and states he or she has visited through journaling activities and during class discussions. Two- and three-dimensional shapes will be discussed as your child explores the different shapes on both your state's flag and the U.S. flag.
Outdoor activities involve skills such as surveying, map making, and estimating distance. Your child will also learn about landscapes while discussing the painting Hudson River at West Point by Olivia C. Starring.
In this unit, your child will have numerous opportunities to review all of the Spanish words learned in the fall in addition to learning how to say simple greetings in Spanish.
Your Kindergartener's Developmental Areas
Language and Literacy Development
- describe familiar people, places, things, and events with detail
- retell a familiar story with the beginning, middle, and end in order
- write his or her name as well as many other letters
- use writing as a way to describe experiences or feelings, making drawings and letters
Executive Function
- remember information and thoughts from past experiences
- help develop a plan for completing a multi-step project like building a community with blocks
- complete challenging activities that require greater focus and persistence
- recognize the feelings of others and respond appropriately like comforting a friend who is upset
Social and Emotional Development
- seek out interactions with a variety of adults, with both new and familiar people
- routinely share, take turns, and interact with other children in a respectful and helpful manner
- recognize and accept similarities and differences among people and showing an appreciation for diversity
- demonstrate an ability to resolve conflicts using words
Physical Development and Wellness
- coordinate different body movements to catch and throw a ball and move through obstacle courses
- participate in physical activity for at least 2 hours daily
- use scissors to cut simple shapes and writing utensils to trace letters and numbers with greater accuracy
- discuss how exercise makes the body feel
Cognitive Development
- create simple patterns and arrange objects according to size
- perform simple addition and subtraction
- use knowledge and personal experiences to predict outcomes of scientific experiments
- explore a variety of cultures by identifying ways people are alike and different
Creative Expression
- craft detailed works of art using various materials like paint and modeling clay
- move to a tempo, beat, or style of music
- follow multi-step directions as stated in a song, like hopping or clapping
- participate in a variety of musical experiences


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There will be music, dancing, vendors and educational activities at Stowe Park in Belmont next Saturday, but this community festival is a little different from others held at the park throughout the year. The event is Piedmont Pagan Pride Day, which its organizers describe as a celebration of community and an effort to promote understanding and tolerance of pagan religious beliefs.
Between 500 and 700 attendees are expected for the event. Now in its 14th year, the festival originated in Charlotte and for the past several years was held at the Gaston County Park in Dallas.
Organizers said they hope the new location in Belmont will draw larger numbers from Charlotte to take part in activities ranging from meditation to classes on herbs or composting to an interfaith discussion panel or a drum circle, as well as an example of a pagan ritual service.
The event is part of the International Pagan Pride Project, which sponsors annual Pagan Pride Day celebrations to promote tolerance and understanding of pagans.
�The purpose is to teach about spiritually diverse, neo-pagan and polytheistic paths,� said Heather Gaffney-Darnell. �There�s a huge misconception that we�re devil-worshipers or evil in some regard. We�re here to dispel myths around our spiritual paths.�
Giving back
Pagan Pride Day is scheduled around the autumnal equinox, an important time of year for pagans.
�It�s our second harvest, like our Thanksgiving � a time of giving back to the community,� said Gaffney-Darnell.
To that end, the group will be hosting a blood drive through the Community Blood Center of the Carolinas, as well as collecting non-perishable food items for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. Last year, the group collected 853 pounds of food, and hopes to surpass that amount this year. They will also host a sugar drive for the Panoleptos Apiary, which is working to preserve the declining population of wild honeybees.
�We�re here to support the community, not just the pagan community,� said Raven McGinnis, who along with his wife, Crystal �Willow� McGinnis, leads the Misfit Sanctuary, a pagan gathering in Stanley.
Pagan Pride Day is a chance for the community to learn about what some of their friends and neighbors believe.
�We have a lot of our Christian families come out and see what we�ve been doing all year. They see it�s a different side � we�re all the same, it�s just different ways to get there,� said Willow McGinnis.
Different traditions
Even within paganism, there are different �paths,� similar to denominational divisions in Christian churches, though they may not all be worshiping the same god or gods. Several of these traditions will be represented on the interfaith panel, including Strega, Gardnerian Wicca, Espiritismo ( Spiritism ), Eclectic Wicca, Celtic/Druid and Native American Spirituality.
Gaffney-Darnell, a Charlotte resident, is a Reclaiming Witch, which she described as a tradition of witchcraft rooted in goddess spirituality as well as politics.
�It�s very creative and loose and teaches you to be your own spiritual authority,� she said.
Paganism, she said, celebrates the earth as sacred.
�For me, it�s also the honoring of the feminine as god. I believe in a goddess, not just the masculine face of god. That balance is really important to me,� said Gaffney-Darnell.
�(Paganism is) about changing yourself. That�s the journey we�ve been on, to make ourselves better,� said Willow McGinnis, the high priestess of the Misfit Sanctuary, which is open to all traditions. She is also involved in Panoleptos , a group dedicated to the Hellenistic god Pan.
Finding a spiritual home
Raven McGinnis said community members may find they have more in common with pagans than they�d initially think.
�This being the Bible belt, there are a lot of pagans that use the Bible as a teaching tool,� he said, explaining that it contains useful proverbs, hymns and prayers.
�There�s a prayer you can use in the Bible to stop blood from falling,� Willow McGinnis added, explaining that she learned this from her grandmother.
�We�re no different � we just use different names,� Raven McGinnis said, explaining they hope some attendees can find a spiritual home through the festival. �Everything about us is for people to have a safe place to go and be who they need to be at that time in their life.�
There�s a good chance you may know a pagan and not realize it, said Chris Annon , the owner and lead instructor of Explosion Martial Arts in Belmont.
�We�ve got friends who are bank executives,� he said.
An energetic healing practitioner and shamanic and animal medicine reader, Annon said it took him a while to find a spiritual identity.
�I grew up in a Christian church, and felt almost trapped in the four walls. I almost felt closer to God when I was outdoors,� Annon said. �I guess I�ve been following this path since I was little, but didn�t know what to call it until a few years back when I met up with these people.�
Piedmont Pagan Pride Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at Stowe Park in Belmont. The day includes educational activities, an interfaith panel discussion, pagan ritual service, drum circle and dancing, vendors and more. Attendees are asked to bring donations of non-perishable food for Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina . For more information, visit www.piedmontpaganpride.com.


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You can make this lotion easily and for less! This DIY body lotion is easy to make and all natural.
DIY Body Lotion:
There are quite many reasons why you should avoid store bought body lotions and make it yourself. First of all, this homemade body lotion is super easy to make, is all natural and chemical free. All you need are three basic ingredients for this recipe and ten minutes. You can't get any easier than that, right?
You can use it every day right after shower or bath time.
What you need for Natural Body Lotion:
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup pure Shea butter
- 10 drops therapeutic grade lavender essential oil
- 8 oz mason jar (to store the DIY body lotion)
- 5 drops therapeutic grade chamomile essential oil (optional)


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Hello my girls! I hope you all are doing great.
As we all know that festive season is already here. Like any other girl, even I am excited to dress up and get clicked during this time of the year. Diwali 2017 is just 3 days apart from today, so I thought why not to go for a fashion shoot and post it on the blog.
I geared up for the same thing and went for shopping. I accidentally bumped into the store of Aurelia at Pacific Mall, New Delhi. I was going through the kurtis and one fine lady helped me out with the dress. She game me this set and I bought it investing no time in thinking. And I guess the choice made by me was just perfect. I completely loved it.
So here presenting the pictures of the OOTD in this post.
I always believed in simplicity. I have always loved wearing traditional dresses as these portray our Indian culture beautifully. Isn't it? I am so much inspired by the dialogue "Keep it Simple". If you are not aware then I must tell you that this dialogue is from the movie "Happy New Year", in which SRK deliver this dialogue in his own style. And on top of all this, if you following me on social media platforms, then you are aware that I am one of the biggest fan of Shah Rukh Khan.
Now let me get into the detail of the outfit I am wearing. The first thing that popped up in my mind was that BLACK color. I am obsessed with this color that I can't resist buying it over and over again. In both the kurti and the skirt, they have beautifully used the detailing with the golden color. It is complementing the overall look perfectly. They have also used the shades of blues, purples and reds on the kurti, which further enhances the feel of this festive season.
The kurti is black in color with detailing in various colors (discussed above). The skirt is magenta is color, which again flaunts the gorgeous detailing. The best thing about this skirt is that it has elasticated waist, which fits very well. Coming to the dupatta, it has undertones of both orange and red colors. The dupatta completes the look in a ravishing yet traditional way.
I have kept the makeup very simple and elegant and not many products were used. For the accessories, I opted for a diamond ring, beautiful set of bangles, a pair of earrings and a pinch of that traditional gimmick. I chose comfortable pair of off-white colored block heels for that grace.
- Kurti: Aurelia
- Skirt: Aurelia
- Dupatta: Aurelia
- Kajal: Nykaa Rock the Line Kajal
- Eyeliner: Nykaa Rock the Line Kajal
- Face: Patanjali Aloe Vera Gel
- Face: Colorbar Perfect Match Primer
- Eyebrows: Maybelline Fashion Brow Duo Shaper, Gray
- Lips: Deborah Milano New 24 Ore Lip Pencil, Shade-10
Accessories and Footwear:
- Ring and Bangles: Paschim Vihar, New Delhi market
- Earrings: Zurie Design Studio
- Footwear: Lifestyle, Pacific Mall
I really hope you enjoyed this OOTD Festive Edition post. Do let me know your views in the comments below. I would love to hear from you guys.
As always thank you so much for taking out time and reading my blog.
Always keep smiling, it makes you look beautiful!


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I searched and didn't see a thread for this. If there already is one and this has been overdone, I apologize.
I was just thinking about TV couples last night while I was watching Boston Legal.
There are no real rules for what can be considered a couple. It's however you wish to define it in your head.
So, who are your Top 10 Couples?
Here are mine. Not in order though. (except I do think Denny and Alan are the top!)
1. Denny Crane and Alan Shore-Boston Legal
2. Dr. Frasier Crane and Dr. Lilith Sternin-Crane-Cheers
3. Rob and Laura Petrie-The Dick Van Dyke Show
4. Dr. Gregory House and Dr. James Wilson-House
5. Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big-Sex and the City
6. Homer and Marge Simpson-The Simpsons
7. David Fischer and Keith (I don't know Keith's last name)-Six Feet Under
8. Bob and Emily Hartley-The Bob Newhart Show
9. Frank Furillo and Joyce Davenport-Hill Street Blues
10. Monica Geller and Chandler Bing-Friends


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Hello, The Overseer. Your genius is shining. The reason I say this is because the new addition to Solid State Records' firm metal lineup has just released an album that may put it on a future scope with bands like August Burns Red, Demon Hunter, and Underoath. We Search, We Dig is one of those albums that's so impressive in its meshing of technicality, brutality, and passion for what they do that the only way I can describe it is "genius."
Looking at the tracklist and seeing that each song title was one word, I got a bit skeptical. I worried that maybe the tracks would run together not just because of the one-word titles, but because maybe the instrumentation and memorability of each track would also suffer. After the transition between the first two tracks, "Secrets" and "Dredge," all of those fears evaporated into thin air. The former is a brash, powerful opener, featuring intense vocals that range from deep, ventilated screams to rowdy gang vocals to pure, untouched cleans. However, the latter kicks off with soft, radiant melodies and the comfortable singing voice of Darren King, speeding up into an efficacious chorus featuring ultra-speedy riffage.
The differentiation found between these two tracks is not only surprising, it's mesmerizing. The entire album thrives with uniqueness and diversity song after song, not flaunting its vulnerability and willingness to try different approaches to metal, but doing so in the most subtle of ways. As impressed as I am by the bursting melodies that supercharge tracks like the menacing, Thrice-esque "Amend" and the winding "Mendacious," I am knocked off my feet by a mix of lyrical reflection and ammunition that is extremely attractive. There's definitely some substance to be found, and I'm not just saying that. We Search, We Dig is completely real and raw; it stands strong on its own without needing enhancement from anything but the minds and souls of the musicians behind the genius.
However, while the band is finding a strong sound on its debut, the influence found in it is dazzling. If you were to put every band on Solid State Records into a blender, these guys would come out. The gut-wrenching guitars of Underoath are there. The deep, unrestrained screams of The Chariot are there. The metalcore-y feel of Oh, Sleeper and Norma Jean is there. In no way does this interrupt the album's freshness. It still retains originality, even with the elements from alternative, punk, metal, and hardcore that run through its blood. We Search, We Dig is that odd record that you feel like you've heard before, but you know deep down after searching forever that you haven't.
The biggest complaint I have about the album is its short length. Still, some of my favorite albums of all time have clocked in at under 35 minutes. I don't know if I'd consider The Overseer's debut to be on that list, but it's one heck of a debut. It's one of the most solid metal albums I've heard all year, and this is coming from a band that is just beginning to find its niche. There is definitely some room for improvement, and this will be a great album for the band to reflect upon and tighten things up. I can see the future of Christian metal painted with The Overseer as one of its big guns. And We Search, We Dig definitely makes a good impression for who and where these guys may be five years from now.


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Museum of Ventura County Wedding
Barbara Alessandra Wedding Photography
I have been photographing weddings since 2001 in many beautiful locations. From the amazing beaches of Santa Barbara and Cabo San Lucas to the lush Sonoma Valley and busy San Diego. My absolute favorite place that I prefer to shoot weddings, is in my very own hometown of Ventura, California. Ventura County includes wedding venues in the cities of Ojai, Camarillo, Fillmore, Somis and many more! Ventura has so much to offer from mountain landscapes, sunny beaches, and unique downtown areas with some eclectic & beautiful architecture like the Historical Arcade in Ojai or at the more modern and recently remodeled, Museum of Ventura County.
The museum offers a lot of great diverse backdrops. I've photographed a wedding at the Museum of Ventura County before, but this recent wedding was special because I photographed both their wedding ceremony and reception party there. Privacy for the ceremony was created by draping fabric over the fence along the perimeter of the outdoor plaza, which created a beautiful backdrop. The reception hall has some great drapery and lighting as well, and they have a huge video screen to run a nostalgic slideshow for the wedding guests. There are some beautiful examples of tile art along the wall that represent the history of California, including the indigenous tribes that lived in the Channel Islands, and its current agriculture landscape.
My favorite backdrops to photograph though, were the front and back entrances of the museum. The front entrance has a cobblestone wall with some very picturesque succulent plants in the foreground. I'd say my style is pretty minimalistic and I like to capture the moments as they come and I often use a shallow depth of field to put the focus on what's important, especially for my portrait photos. Another favorite vantage point for me to shoot is the back entrance, right in front of a particularly neat corner of the building. Its white-beige walls have a contemporary feel and it is a great place to photograph the Groom and Groomsmen. Please enjoy these lovely wedding photos on location at the Museum of Ventura County, they are of a local couple from my most favorite town to photograph a wedding in: Ventura, California!


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Monday, June 18, 2018
Ramblings from the Stacks - Reading Slumps and How to Fix Them
My reading has been on the meh side lately which was confusing as the books I was reading were actually really good. I realized that I was actually in a slump which got me thinking about the different kind of slumps, their causes, and the solutions that I have found kind of work for me.
The Slump: I hate this book, this author, the cover, the people the book is dedicated to, everyone mentioned in the acknowledgements and everyone even vaguely connected with the publishing of the book.
The Cause: This is very much a case of "It's not you, it's me". The book is normally absolutely fine but the problem is I'm usually forcing myself to read something that I'm just not feeling like reading for whatever reason.
The Solution: A bit of yoga breathing to get all the annoyance out followed by a reread. Barbara Michaels' paranormal romantic suspense with all their ghostly Gothic-ness are usually the perfect fix but if I'm not in the mood for a bit of spookiness a short story collection from Rosamunde Pilcher, L.M. Montgomery or Agatha Christie will do the trick.
The Slump: Are their words on this page? I can't make my eyes actually focus on them.
The Cause: This slump happens usually when summer starts. Between crazy humidity and the shakeup in my schedule I'm distracted and a bit tired.
The Solution: This slump is kind of annoying because it's hard to fix. I've had the best luck with going through overdue review books and just picking what looks good but not forcing myself to keep reading if it isn't working because otherwise I'll get into the first slump. Memoirs or other light nonfiction have worked well in the past.
The Slump: The "meh" slump. Everything is fine but nothing is really clicking. I'm not really enjoying the actual act of reading.
The Cause: Genre fatigue. I'm reading a lot of one genre and not mixing it up much if it at all.
The Solution: A random wander through the library or my collection of books and pick up and read any book that appeals to me even if it's not on my schedule.
The Slump: Every time I sit down to read I doze off.
The Cause: Normally I'm burning the candle at both ends.
The Solution: Take a bit of time off and just watch tv and try and go to bed early for a few nights.
What different slumps do you have? What solutions have you found?
17 comments:
I love that first one. Sometimes we're just mad at everything for no reason lol. Your solutions are pretty good though- injecting some variety into my reading does often help. I do get some genre fatigue too from time to time!ReplyDelete
I get the 'too much to do' slump where I have blogging to do, tv series to catch up with, films to watch, reading to do, other time consuming things...I can't decide which is priority and I get nothing done!ReplyDelete
I have definitely had the not being able to focus one and the meh one. Sometimes a break from reading helps me and bingeing a show or something. Or rereading a favorite sometimes helps too.ReplyDelete
Such a great post! I can relate to all of these slumps! I'm actually in one now, though I'm still reading. I did put aside a bunch to find the ones I could get through, and those were nonfiction.ReplyDelete
So usually going outside my comfort zone or choosing a nonfiction gets me going, giving me a break from my relentless schedule of psychological thrillers, suspense, cozy mysteries, etc. I need something totally different so I can feel refreshed. Maybe for you that would be a humorous title, as I remember you enjoy those too.
Also a slump can be brought on for me by thinking about sad or stressful things: the news, an illness in the family, money troubles, etc. Then I lose my mojo for a while. At least we always find our way back, right? :)
I don't get into slumps very often, though I can relate to all the ones you listed here. And I like your solutions, especially Ammie, Come Home. Ha! Anyway, it's tough around our house then 'kay can't read'. My husband definitely notices and usually asks me if I've been reading a 'literary'-type book - you know the kind - no happy ending or gloom and despair all the way through. He'll usually say 'pick up a nice murder or serial killer book' and that usually works. I do know that when life throws curves at me - sad, stressful, horrible curves, I have a hard time calming down enough to read. And it's really what I need most. I have used rereads a lot - books that I love and that have happy endings. Robyn Carr's Virgin River books work well or Debbie Macomber's books. Or, like you, Barbara Michaels or Emily Pollifax or Miss Marple. Nice post, Katherine!ReplyDelete
I loved this post - also, I think an Agatha Christie book will solve all my slumps expect that slump after I read too many of her books in a row and end up hating Poirot so hard that I cannot read any other word (that doesn't happen to Ms. Marple).ReplyDelete
"I hate this book, this author, the cover, the people the book is dedicated to"ReplyDelete
Sorry, made me laugh!
LOL well I'm always on type four. Noooo!ReplyDelete
I have some of those slump sometimes! lol I always have to run to my go to genre cozy mysteries to get out of my slump or some times a total genre change like reading a romance or something like that.ReplyDelete
All of these are spot on. I can relate to them all. I think the one I find myself in most often is the last one. Especially these days. :-SReplyDelete
Great post!! I seldom get into reading slumps because I just pace myself and don't allow this hobby to begin feeling like a job. I like what you said about taking a break from a scheduled read to read what you want. I can relate to that one for sure.ReplyDelete
I so rarely have actual slumps. The worst I have is when I just can't get into a book. These are all great ideas though for these instances! Fun post!ReplyDelete
I had to giggle at the first one! Yep, I'm familiar with all of them, though I'm mostly plagued with the "meh" and "dozing off." I try to check out something from the library that wasn't on my TBR schedule.ReplyDelete
I don't dnf review books because too many people whine that I should have read 10% more, 25% more, 70% more, 99.6% more... because thats when the book "gets good", so your first slump type is a killer for me because I have to continue reading. Ugh. 🙈 You r description was too funny. 😂ReplyDelete
I wholeheartedly agree with the changing up the genre approach. I can't bear to even think about royal court and kingdom Fantasy right now, and I know a good dose of SciFi will help. Short story anthologies help me out, too. 📚
I tend to get bored with reading and everything slows down if I don't mix things up. I know that so I rarely read more than a couple of the same genre in a row. I have had to pull out a favorite book to get me excited about reading again and sometimes I just need to do something else for a day or two.ReplyDelete
I pretty much have all of these slumps but I've never really thought of them this way. Thanks for the tips on working through them!ReplyDelete