text:
The 5 Kinds of Annoying Dieters
When I weighed more than 300 pounds (and even after I'd lost half of that), I obsessed about losing weight. I tried every kind of diet, and I was, I admit, totally obnoxious about it.
If you're dead set on dieting, I hope that reading about the five kinds of annoying dieter I've been will keep you from making some of the mistakes I made. It might even prevent your friends and family from "forgetting" to invite you to dinner.
The Calorie Cop
I went to lunch with my boss and a few co-workers during one of my many spells on a calorie-restriction diet. Mindful of staying under my daily caloric limit, I halfheartedly ordered a simple salad. When everyone else's food arrived, I guesstimated how many calories were in each entree, and announced the number with an exasperated eye roll. Why? Because if I wasn't going to enjoy my lunch, I sure as hell didn't want them to.
Ms. Clean
Arguably one of my healthiest dieting exploits, eating "clean" didn't prevent me from being a jerk. Everything I ate had to be organic, minimally processed, and free of additives or preservatives.
That was all well and good. What sucked was that whenever I visited my parents, I gave them grief for eating the "prepared, pre-packaged trash" they were getting from the supermarket. These were busy, blue-collar workers making ends meet in a working-class neighborhood (read: no farmers markets).
As it turns out, eating clean didn't help me lose weight on its own; slamming locally sourced, whole-grain muffins kept me just as heavy as I was when downing boxes of chemical-saturated Ding Dongs.
The Lazy Slow Foodie
Back in the early 2000s, I decided my daily fast food habit was what was preventing me from getting to a more comfortable weight. I made a simple commitment not to eat food from any fast food restaurants, under any circumstances. But I lacked the motivation and forethought to pack myself a lunch. On long road trips, I'd be in the back seat whining that we needed to take yet another 20-minute detour so I could do a run through the local grocery store.
Keep in mind that this was before we had Siri to direct us to the nearest Whole Foods. We had to look at maps! On paper! And ask strangers for directions! It was wild. And a giant pain in the ass.
The Smoothie Operator
During one of my more grandiose dieting spells, I started every day with a gigantic glass of ground-up produce suspended in a semi-fluid protein matrix (aka a green smoothie). When I was out with friends, I just couldn't help asking, "How many servings of veggies do you eat in a day? I get in 20 before I even leave the house!"
Note to self: Trying to make other people feel badly about how or what they eat is no way to feel better about what or how you're eating. Meanwhile, want to guess who has a dusty $200 juicer on a shelf in her basement?
The Thin One
After I lost 150 pounds in 2003, I started to gain my weight back. One night, I was meeting a friend for dinner who was overweight and pissed about it.
I weighed myself before I left the house. I'd put on five pounds. Later, when we were sitting at "our" restaurant, she ordered our go-to dish. I ordered a salad.
"Seriously?" she said.
"Girl, I'm on a diet." I replied, without even a smidgen of self-awareness or consideration. Just thinking about it now makes my stomach churn. Understandably, she wadded up her napkin and threw it at my head. I'm just grateful we weren't eating at a bowling alley.
Now that I've maintained a healthy weight for more than a decade, I know that weight isn't the problem, and that diets aren't the solution. But as a personal trainer who works with women like I once was, I also know that old ideas die hard.
If you're still trying to lose weight by dieting, here's my advice: Do your best to eat nourishing foods in nourishing ways. And if eating better is making you nuts, don't be a dick to the people around you. Get yourself some support. Preferably from someone who's been where you are and gotten to where you want to be -- happily.
Sign up here for our daily Thrillist email, and get your fix of the best in food/drink/fun.
Kelly Coffey is a trainer and writer who knows the types, believe her. Follow her on Facebook, or come to her free online workshop, "Why We Sabotage Ourselves (with Food) (and What We Can Do About It)."


text:
Ancient Britain have a fantastic team building experience on offer. We start the day with a discussion on "What is Teamwork?" We look at different personalities in the workplace and how this can lead to different approaches to tasks and different communication styles. Examine how different personalities are both useful and essential in any team.
Then take part in our "Ultimate Survival Challenge"! Incorporate our historical knowledge, bushcraft skills to provide a bespoke day. Contact Kevin on 01434 688 386 or email email@example.com for more information.
Ultimate Survival Challenge
Imagine that your team are stranded in the wilderness after surviving a plane crash. You have no communication with the outside world and need to adapt to your surroundings and employ basic survival skills in order to hold out until the rescue party finds you… if it does!
The instructors will take a back seat to observe the dynamics of each team, communication skills and leadership skills.
This is a fantastic day offering insight into the people you work with. It is also a brilliant opportunity to boost morale, socialise with your colleagues and have something fun to talk about for a long time to come.
From £35 per person.
Please contact Kevin in the Ancient Britain Office on 01434 688 386, to discuss the details of your event.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sports enthusiasts in Kelowna will get to use their skis, bikes, running shoes and canoes all in a row this Sunday. The 33rd annual Ski2Sea Race will kick off at 9:30 a.m. on April 14th as participants race down the mountain to reach the finish line on the shores of Okanagan Lake.
Since its launch in 1980 the race has evolved to incorporate six different stages covering a total of 95 km. Soloists and teams of two to seven will be challenged to relay from alpine to nordic skiing, mountain to street biking, running and finally canoeing and kayaking.
A traffic advisory will be in effect for motorists along Highway 33 to Garner Road, and Lakeshore at Truswell, where runners will be coming through the Mission Creek Greenway.
Peck Road in Rutland will be closed between 10:30 and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Julie Whittet at firstname.lastname@example.com or call (250)718-0428.


text:
Relationships Define Our Reputation
As a member of the Snyder Roofing and Sheet Metal family of companies, SR Building Services is the region's top merit based full service roofing and waterproofing company. We are honored to service, maintain, repair, re-roof, build and protect Puget Sound buildings. We thrive on new challenges and pride ourselves on finding cost effective, creative solutions for those who own, manage and build in the commercial marketplace. Our team is committed to providing quality work with unwavering integrity. Allow us to be your resource.


text:
The DUI Defense Attorney similarly stands for the criminal defense lawyer, which is also a barrister in common. That's an individual or a company act with criminally charge people. Some of them are retained privately and they know as the public defenders. The term is imprecise because there are different practices for each jurisdiction with input level. Some other is using appointments rotation system along with assigning a private attorney or a law firm for them. Criminal lawyers hold criminal cases of the diverse spectrum which ranges from domestic violence to DUI (driving under the Influence). Moreover, they deal with sex crimes, drug crimes, embezzlement, theft, and fraud.
What is an attorney?
An attorney stands similarly as the lawyer. Attorneys get graduation from law schools and can select as a profession to practice law. But, an attorney obligatorily passes the exam of the bar to qualify for law practice in a definite jurisdiction. However, he can perform as a lawyer in the basic functions for the clients. The attorneys can act like the lawyers, but all lawyers can't complete the attorneys' acts.
What are the DUI Penalties?
For the first offense, the DUI penalties are an immediate suspension of license for 4 months and jail up to 6 months etc. Furthermore, there are fines up to $100 with other legal fees, $125 for reissue of license etc.
What Things to Consider Hiring a DUI Defense Attorney?
Are you looking for an expert DUI Defense attorney? But, don't know what to consider of them? So, let's go with these following paragraphs to get your DUI attorney near you. Keep in mind that, the DUI attorney knows well the system of the court to represent your personal case. The key points of hiring a DUI attorney.
- Get an expert attorney and particular in DUI or DWI cases.
- Make an initial discussion with your DUI attorney, which is mostly charge-free. It helps to find the right one for your case.
- Discuss representing the cost of upfront of the DUI attorney. Be sure about any hidden charges during the court hearing. Learn about payment options along with credit finance.
- Meet 2 attorneys, if possible, before getting a final decision.
- You should hire a licensed DUI attorney.
- Know where the attorney studies law.
- Get the attorney with wide DUI training and practical experience.
- Avoid hiring an attorney who is disbarred recently or for a long time.
- You should check the attorney's ethical record.
- You can hire a local attorney to get more benefits.
When & How Can You Find a DUI Defense Attorney?
You're doing your own arraignments, such as obtaining a police report copy and other requisitions. These are the preliminary measurement of your trial's winning chances. Now, it's time to appoint an attorney to precede your case. At first, for hire a DUI Defense attorney, ask your faithful people about them. If you are able to use your mouth-words to find, so he or she is the great selection. For next, search for a defense lawyer near your location while searching on the internet. And finally, check the DUI attorney list from NCDD at www.ncdd.com.


text:
Iron Worker
Posted by:
Aaryan Construction Co.
Job Category:
Job Location:
Canada-wide, , CANADA
Vacancies: 3 Vacancies
NOC Code: 7236
NOC Job Title: Iron Worker
Positions Available: 3
Salary: $34.85/Hourly
Language: English
Experience: 1 to 2 years
Start Date of Employment (Approx.): As soon as possible
Minimum Education: High School
Job Duties:
Read blueprints and specifications to lay out work
Unload and position steel units so each piece can be hoisted as needed
Erect and install scaffolding, hoisting equipment and rigging
Verify vertical and horizontal alignment of the structural steel
Connect columns, beams, and girders with bolts or by welding them into place
Signal crane operator to position steel units according to blueprints
Align and weld or bolt steel units in place
Fabricate, erect, hoist, install, repair and service structural ironwork, reinforcing materials, curtain walls, ornamental iron
Assemble and erect prefabricated metal structures
Position and secure steel bars or metal mesh in concrete forms to reinforce concrete structures
Install ornamental and other structural metalwork such as curtain walls, metal stairways, railings and power doors
Examine structures and equipment for deterioration, defects or non-compliance with specifications
May dismantle structures and equipment.
Work conditions and physical capabilities
Tight deadlines, Large workload, handling heavy loads, Overtime required, Bending, crouching, kneeling, Combination of sitting, standing, walking, physically demanding
Ability to Supervise 1 to 2 people
Work Site Environment At heights, Confined spaces, Noisy, Dusty
Personal Suitability Reliability, Accurate, Team player, Values and ethics, Judgement
Additional Skills Survey building locations and levels, instruct apprentices, Estimate costs and materials
Major Work Area Construction, Renovation, Maintenance and repair
Work Location; Various Locations with base at 6139 Prince Albert St., Vancouver, V5W 3E5
How to apply
Email: email@example.com


text:
Kompakt presents the Speicher 82 EP of Voigt & Voigt.
The new release on Kompakt comes from Voigt & Voigt. Speicher 82 EP contains 2 tracks 'Superpitch' and 'Supertrip'. Both tracks are trippy oriented due to the keys and synths. A dramatic element is added to 'Supertrip' making this track our favourite. A release for artists who have a preference towards techno and underground house. (TE)


text:
Bellator 72 Recap: Karl Amoussou, Paul Daley, Travis Wiuff, Attila Vegh and More
Former UFC and Strikeforce fighter Paul Daley earned his first victory inside the Bellator cage, scoring a first round TKO victory over Rudy Bears at Bellator 72 Friday night.
Karl Amoussou earned himself a future shot at Bellator welterweight champion Ben Askren by locking in a heel-hook on Bryan Baker and scoring a first round submission in just 56 seconds. Amoussou claimed the welterweight tournament title, a shot at Askren, and $100,000.
Main Card
Karl Amoussou def. Bryan Baker via submission (heel-hook) at :56 of round one in finals of welterweight tournament
Paul Daley def. Rudy Bears via TKO at 2:35 of round one
Attila Vegh def. Emanuel Newton via split decision in semifinals of light heavyweight "Summer Series"
Travis Wiuff def. Tim Carpenter via unanimous decision in semifnals of light heavyweight "Summer Series"
Marius Zaromskis def. Waachiim Spiritwolf via split decision
Prelim Card
Ben Saunders def. Brian Warren via KO at :22 of round one
Raul Amaya def. Kenny Moss via TKO in round two
Matt McCook def. Shanon Slack via split decision
Paul Barrow def. Jason Carapelluci via submission (rear-naked choke) in round three
Julien Williams def. Ryan DeRocher via submission (armbar) at 1:32 of round two
Related Content
- Next Up On Ronda Rousey's Hit List: Michael Phelps
- Urijah Faber Confirms Broken Rib During Fight With Renan Barao
- Video: "UFC 150: Henderson Vs. Edgar II" Trailer
- Hector Lombard To Welterweight? Yes, Says Dana White
- Rebellion MMA Radio: Sarah Kaufman, Lyle Beerbohm
- Matt Riddle Wants Dan Hardy, But Hardy Has No Interest In Fight
- Despite Loss, Urijah Faber Plans To Remain A Bantamweight
- Re-Live Ryan Jimmo's Incredible 7-Second KO At UFC 149
- Video: Highlights From "UFC 149: Faber Vs. Barao"
Get more great MMA news and analysis over at Fightline.


text:
Vehicle Shop (Prefab) v1.0 for FS 17
Vehicle Shop to place on the map.
Game Farming Simulator 17
Manufacturer Solanz
Category Prefab
Prefab Category Building
Author Solanz
Size 22.67 MB
Version 18.104.22.168
Released 07.02.2018
Platform PC/MAC
(*) This is not a Mod. This object can be used in building maps for Farming Simulator.


text:
Become a FTND Monthly Hero
We are looking for 200 new heroes this year! Will you be one of them?
Our Monthly Heroes provide us with very important sustainable funding. These donations ensure we have the resources to collect, sort and distribute healthy food to those in need all year round. The cost of a coffee each day can make a real difference to those living with food insecurity. For every $1 you donate Feed the Need in Durham can collect, store and distribute $7 worth of food. It's easy, click the image below and sign up for monthly deductions on your credit card or give us a call at 905-571-3863.
Help us feed our hungry neighbours month after month. Please join us today and become a


text:
Rajmund Kolbe had a vision of Mary at the age of 12 – she brought him two crowns, white-symbolizing purity and red-symbolizing martyrdom. He received both. At the age of 13 he joined minor Franciscan seminary, became novice at 16, at 21 received doctorate in philosophy (in Jesuit Gregorianum) in Rome, at 19 in theology. At 21 he presented his patent for spaceship, at the age 24 became a priest and at age 25 became a professor.
His parents, who were educated only in elementary schools, belonged to the third order Franciscans, they home schooled during early years, helped the poor (not being well of themselves) and sick. Looking for jobs, they ended up in a big industrial city of Łódź, but soon after decided that because of the kids they need to move to the little village nearby. They ran a small store and gave away so may things to the poor that they lost the store. Because of the political unrest they downsized to a small one room apartment and changed apartments often. They both worked 12 h daily, went to the Mass daily at 5 am, prayed together as a family, and thought their kids this order of life: work, study and play only if you have time. They belonged to a rosary group and every Sunday attended Eucharistic adoration, which they themselves organized.
The boys were responsible for keeping the apartment clean, they cooked and brought food for their parents twice a day to the factory, and they made dinners daily and walked parents from their factory to spend time with them at the evening. Marianna helped as a doula after her factory work, and studied herself at the evenings to become better help for the poor women without medical help. Juliusz supported local parochial library, and made book covers, and wrote articles for a local newspaper. He evangelized everyone around, trying to convert even local Evangelical pastor, and Marianna, feeling inadequacy for raising her boys, constantly called upon Mary's help. Her conversations had only one focus: God. She was very firm and expected nothing but the best from the boys. After having five sons, they decided to live in chastity.
They were very patriotic family (Poland was under partitions for over 100 years when the boys were small) and talked a lot about Polish history.
After their three boys went to to the seminaries (two boys died while young), both parents decided to consecrate their lives only to God. Marianna lived in the house of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Felix and Juliusz helped Franciscan monasteries. Marianna's words: "I loved my sons and husband more than my life, but not more than God." She survived all of her sons and husband, and died in 1946.


text:
|"Lost Traveler"
|SVU, Episode 13.09
|Production number: 13009
First aired: 30 November 2011
| Written By
Julie Martin & David Matthews
Directed By
Jean de Segonzac
A Romani child disappears on his way home from school. Benson and Amaro interview the distraught parents, who are distrustful of the police. The initial investigation leads Fin and Rollins to the powerful leader of the Romani community, but he denies any involvement. The family remains hopeful their boy will be found, especially when they discover his cell phone is still active. With the help of their TARU tech and a meddling newspaper reporter, the detectives narrow the perpetrators to a mentally challenged neighbor, throwing the tight-knit Romani community into turmoil.
A young Romani boy named Nico Gray goes missing on his way home from school. As the SVU detectives investigate his disappearance, they are met with resistance from the tight-knit Romani community. His parents believe that Nico is alive when they notice that someone has been deleting his voicemails. Unfortunately, a reporter for the Ledger was the person using his computer to hack Nico's phone. He offers information he received from hacking the phone of the Rom-Baro, who is a representative of the Romani King.
A slightly mentally challenged teenager named Marc (who lives across the street from the Gray family) is suspected in Nico's disappearance after the detectives find Nico's lucky rabbit's foot underneath his bed. Later, Nico's cigarette-burned body is found at a construction site.
In the end, it is revealed that Nico's classmates, Emma & Courtney were responsible for Nico's death. Marc reveals that the girls came into his room, engaged in sexual activity with him, & hid the rabbit's foot in an attempt to hide the evidence, thus turning him into a scapegoat. Emma confesses that they were teasing Nico when Courtney killed him to keep him from telling anyone. Courtney doesn't appear to show any remorse for murdering Nico.
Main Cast
- Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson
- Danny Pino as Detective Nick Amaro
- Kelli Giddish as Detective Amanda Rollins
- Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch
- Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola
- Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen
Recurring cast
- Stephanie March as A.D.A. Alexandra Cabot
- Linus Roache as Bureau Chief Michael Cutter
- Gavin Lee as Dennis Griscomb
- Gilbert Gottfried as T.A.R.U. Technician Leo Gerber
- Tamara Tunie as M.E. Melinda Warner
- Ron Rifkin as Attorney Marvin Exley
- Scott William Winters as Detective Robert "Doom" Dumas
Guest cast
- Donnie Keshawarz as Tomas Grey
- Alexandra Silber as Nadia Grey
- Michael Barra as Marc Rajic
- Quinn Shephard as Emma Butler
- Lili Reinhart as Courtney Lane
- Mark Margolis as Rom-Baro
- Gary Lindemann as Chris Lane
- Lucas Near-Verbrugghe as Greg Kandel
- Tamir as Ana Rajic
- Cameron Ocasio as Nico Grey
- Wai Ching Ho as Gladys Tang
- George Feaster as Alonso Hearne
- Laura Pruden as Sandra Butler
- Sammuel Soifer as Ryan
- Jayson Gladstone as State Trooper Levon Davis
- Nic Pagano as Little Boy
Episode references
|Why not?
–Courtney Lane
Background information and notes
- Gilbert Gottfried joins the cast as the recurring role of IT Leo Gerber.
- This episode appears to have been inspired by two separate British murder cases: the case of two-year-old James Bulger who was abducted and murdered by two ten-year-old-boys in Liverpool in 1993; and the case of 13-year-old Milly Dowler who was murdered in 2002. This episode also may been inspired by the case of eight-year-old Leiby Kletzky who was murdered in 2011.
- During the case of the murder of Milly Dowler, at the time when the case was still just a missing person incident, voicemail messages to her mobile were deleted, leading her parents into believing that she was still alive (in a way similar to Nico Grey's parents). It was later revealed that private investigator Glenn Mulcaire had hacked into her phone on behalf of the tabloid paper News of the World. The fallout from this case resulted in the shutdown of News of the World, and also resulted in a high profile legal investigation, the Leveson Inquiry in 2012.
Episode scene cards
Caswell Academy
Alonso's Bicycles
Rom-Baro Mansion
Lane Residence
| Previous episode:
"Educated Guess"
| "Lost Traveler"
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Season 13
| Next episode:
"Spiraling Down"


text:
Novel arcade game where you pilot a ball through rings while avoiding robots and thorns. Inflate and deflate the ball to adjust size and buoyancy as needed. A big ball can only pass through the large rings and it floats in water, while a little one goes through all the rings but drowns in the water. Trickier than it sounds!
Back to Games/Arcade


text:
A woman uses her knack for knitting to cheer up friends and acquaintances in her small Ohio town.
- Posted on Sep 1, 2017
My mother-in-law, Audrey, is a knitter. Friends and family have received blankets, sweaters, hats and dolls. For the past 10 years, she's been knitting "Prayer Bears." She got the idea and pattern for the six-inch bears from a newspaper article. She adds a little pouch and a note that says, "God Loves You."
I think everyone in town has a bear now. Audrey keeps a few in her purse so she's ready if God shows her a person who needs a little TLC. She's given them to neighbors, repairmen, staff and fellow patients at her doctor's office, as well as visitors and children at church. Even the new pastor! Children and adults alike appreciate the extra blessing.
Audrey's elderly friend Priscilla got two bears: a pink one to take to the hospital with her when she got sick and a blue one when she moved into a nursing home.
Friends say Audrey deserves a big bear hug for how much comfort her bears bring. I have to agree.
Learn more about Someone Cares greeting cards!
Did you enjoy this story? Subscribe to Guideposts magazine.
Audrey has agreed to share her pattern with Guideposts readers:
Prayer Bear Pattern
Size 8 needles
Cast on 36 stitches. Knit 22 rows.
Next row knit 2 together and across 18 stitches. Knit 3 rows
Next row increase 1 in each stitch across 36 stitches. Knit 22 rows
Next row knit 18 stitches. Turn. Knit 22 rows.
Bind off
Join yarn, and work 1 row 18 stitches for 22 rows (use stitch holder)
Bind off
Use stitch holder for remaining 18 stitches
Arms - make 2
Cast on 12 stitches. Knit 16 rows
Bind off
Sew center back seam of bear, leaving an opening for stuffing
Sew across to head.
Sew legs closed.
Stuff bear
Sew arm seams and stuff.
Sew arms on bear.
Sew stitches to create ears.
Make pocket
Cast 12 stitches. Knit 6 rows.
Sew on bear for pouch.
Put note in pouch: "God loves you" or other prayer message.
Decorate as desired with eyes, nose, mouth, ribbon around neck, etc.
Download Audrey's pattern in PDF format (right-click on PC; control-click on Mac).


text:
Current Information:
BOMA San Francisco Toy Drive to Benefit the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program BOMA SF has been partnering with SFFD Toy Program for over 25 years. SFFD Toy program started in 1949 with a few firefighters fixing broken bikes to what it has evolved to now, the "Largest" Firefighter Toy Program in the U.S. The program receives over 40,000 family applications annually with one to multiple children, ranging in age from infants to 13 years old. These requests do not include the shelters, schools, burn units, pediatric AIDS wards, cancer units, and families burned out that the firefighters see first hand on any given day. The Toy Program distributes over 200,000 toys each year and BOMA members' participation is integral to the success of this program. Member buildings can assist in this effort by placing official toy barrels in their lobby and encouraging their tenants to donate new, unwrapped toys during the collection period. Toy suggestions include: balls, games, puzzles, dolls (including dolls of color), books, DVD's, baby items (even wipes and diapers, blankets, rattles), stuffed animals, back packs, hair items/brushes/combs, bikes of all sizes, older girls items including jewelry, hair products, coin purses, etc.. Gift cards in the $10-$20 range (such as Target, Walgreens, Old Navy, Marshalls, Ross, McDonalds, pizza, movie cards, etc.) should be placed in an envelope labeled as such and mailed directly to the toy program at 2225 Jerrold Ave, SF, CA 94124, (415)777-0440. How Can BOMA Members Participate? BOMA will begin accepting Toy Barrel Reservations on October 14. Members will receive a reservation survey via email and the link below will be live at that time. Reservations will be due Friday, Nov. 1, 2019. Click here beginning October 14 to complete survey. If you need to submit multiple building addresses, the survey is set to accept multiple responses from the same IP address and it will loop back to the beginning of the survey upon completion. NOTE: It is highly recommended that you confirm receipt of your entries with firstname.lastname@example.com. PARTICIPATION DETAILS - Please read before completing form. All barrels will be delivered by BOMA-member volunteer drivers during the week of Tuesday, November 12 - Friday, November 15 (excluding Nov. 11/Veteran's Day Holiday). All barrels and toys will be picked up during the week of Dec. 9-13. Once all reservations are received on Nov. 1, BOMA will assign delivery routes to the volunteer drivers. Volunteer drivers will select one drop off day between Nov. 12 – Nov. 15 (excluding Nov. 11) and communicate that date directly with the contact provided via email. Similarly, the volunteer driver will select one pick up day between Dec. 9 - 13 and communicate that date directly with the contact provided via email. Member buildings may not select their own delivery or pickup dates. It is critical that you inform security/lobby personnel of the delivery/pick up dates so that the process runs smoothly for all. The volunteer drivers can only come once. As they'll be making multiple stops, we ask your help in facilitating a quick barrel hand-off. Note: due to limited volunteer resources, barrel delivery is available to properties within the city and county of San Francisco only. Questions? Please contact Member Services Director Tory Brubaker, firstname.lastname@example.com, 415-362-8567 x 1115. VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED! Associate (vendor) Members with delivery vehicles are needed to deliver barrels and retrieve toys. If interested, email Tory Brubaker to participate in this rewarding opportunity. We thank you in advance for your participation. Your support and your tenants' generosity will help brighten the holidays for thousands of children during the holidays and throughout the year. Questions? Please contact Tory Brubaker, 415-362-8567 x1115.


text:
Hi, i'm a noob.
I like playing with remote control vehicles. I'm kinda into 1/10 scale rock crawlers, but more importantly i'm really into 1/14 scale model Trucking and Construction Equipment.
There's more in the world than Semi trucks, dumptrucks, excavators, bulldozers, loaders, draglines, tractors, combines...
So i built up a Bay-window 1967-71 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter, from a german toy car. It came with surf boards, and a roof rack for them. But I'm in Indiana, what good is a surfboard? Around here it's just an excuse to find girl in bikinis.
It got bike racks added, lights wired up, more suspension travel, and some other custom touches.
Then i searched around the house for some scale accessories, and apparently it was time to set up camp?
And hit up the next meet with my log cabin and tent.
Anyway, at one of the meets, my dump truck smoked a steering servo. It was disappointing since i had really wanted to practice backing up a trailer around their loading docks and stuff.
Of my cars, the VW bus is most likely to pull a trailer, so it's gotta be really light. Maybe a baby Utility trailer, motorcycle hauler, or a Teardrop camper.
After much searching, I found a link to a 1947 Sept 'Mechanix Illustrated' pdf, "Teardrop trailer for two."
Little quick math, playing with a xerox to get scaled patterns, and off to the garage. Grabbed some scrap luan that i've saved for "something" for years. Then this fell off the table of my scrollsaw.
Started sticking some 1/8" brass together, I ran out.
Quick mock up
Better make interior cabinets
Go grab the VW, i want to see how it looks
How about we cut a window shutter, then grab some bamboo skewers, and sewing pins. Razor blade, file, little bit of glue... Oh yeah, and let's see how it looks with an aluminum full-moon hupcap from a Monster can lid.
Push the window in at the top, it pivots open and it holds open for ventilation without a prop rod. Push it closed and the inner sill stops it flush.


text:
NIW History
Top Posts on NIW
Monthly Archives: March 2013
VIDEO:Exclusive New Music From Davi "Win Your Heart"
Source Source New artist Davi in his video for the single Win Your Heart. Check out more after the break….
Posted in Celebrity, Entertainment, exclusive, music, photos, video Tagged Barcelona, celebrity, Davi, Davi official, Davi Shane, Europe, GWOP, Houston, Justin bieber, kayden boche, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, MTV, Music, Netherlands, new York, photo, Pop music, popular, singer, song, Spain, video, win your heart Leave a comment


text:
I'm so excited it's finally getting warm! Kaylynn has been asking me for a garden for a while so we decided to make one. Kaylynn and Jack had so much fun.
And this is my "garden". I planted broccoli, carrots, onions, peppers, cilantro and basil.
Now, we have to sit and wait to see the fruits of our labor! 🙂


text:
Rules of Engagement, Season 5 Summary
Rules of Engagement is a comedy about the different phases of male/female relationships, as seen through the eyes of a newly engaged couple, Adam (Oliver Hudson) and Jennifer (Bianca Kajlich), a long-time married pair, Jeff (Patrick Warburton) and Audrey (Megyn Price), and a single guy on the prowl, Russell (David Spade) and his assistant, Timmy (Adhir Kalyan). As they find out, the often confusing stages of a relationship can seem like being on a roller coaster. People can describe the ride to you, but to really know what it's like you have to experience it for yourself. Rules of Engagement, Season 5 Wiki


text:
Don't worry, I'm not moving to Nashville or telling you to start wearing cowboy hats to bed. I just have a lot of respect for country music. I think the genre artists make extremely honest music coupled with emotional vocals.
My new addiction is Kenny Chesney's Don't Blink. It is so powerful, it makes me bleed emotionally.
Please enjoy AND think!
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
Thanks for the post all, pays to surf all the posts. Plan on purchasing travel safe and backpack. Our last 4 vacations in the Keys was a constant watching the bags while trying to enjoy the water. Finally peace of mind.
This site uses cookies. Some are essential while others improve your browsing experience and allow us to advertise. For more info visit the privacy policy page.
Your preferences have been updated.
Thanks for the post all, pays to surf all the posts. Plan on purchasing travel safe and backpack. Our last 4 vacations in the Keys was a constant watching the bags while trying to enjoy the water. Finally peace of mind.
Honestly I never bring any valuables to the beach, I keep everything locked in safe in room. I do hide the safe key in room, ya I know kinda silly of me.
I keep some tip cash with in my swimsuit, velcro pocket
I'm not sure if anyone has a home depot near them. They carry the vacation vault in different colors for $20 as advertised on their website. I'll probably go sometime this week to take a look at them in person to save myself from shipping costs. It'll be good also to see them in person to see how much can fit.
Una Isla Feliz!
Thats the same site where I bought my bag from last year. Everything that I bring to the beach fits in the bag, best money spent. Just change the locks that they give you to a combination lock, no key to lose. I posted a pic of it last year locked up.....
I don't know too much about computer but this seems to be some good advice:
Don't fall victim to laptop theft!
Don't Be an Easy Target.
If you don't want your data compromised, don't be an easy target.
Does this scenario seem like it could happen to you?
"The other day I was running through the airport, late as usual, cell phone in hand and laptop in tow. I'm protective of my gear but not protective enough, as I let my guard down for just a minute and that's all he needed. I was focused on a whole slew of things: missing my flight, reserving a car, preparing for my meeting; and the thief was only focused on one; stealing my laptop.
Studies show that between 40 and 50% of data breaches in the US are caused by lost or stolen laptops, and I'm sure the half a million people whose laptops vanished in airports last year can attest to that.
Thieves don't have schedules, meetings, bosses, or rules to follow like you and I do. They only have two things to focus on: prey on the easiest target and don't steal what can't be sold.
If you were to ask me 5 tips to protect again laptop theft, here's what I would tell you: (This is my honest opinion, and you wouldn't sue me for giving free advice, would you?):
Many things are better in layers: Lasagna, parfait, chocolate fudge cake… and security. You wouldn't just eat the cherry off the top of the sundae and ignore the rest (I know I wouldn't). So don't take just one approach to laptop security and think you're in the clear. A layered approach is the best approach.
WATCH IT I'm sure you're aware that the best way to keep your laptop in your hands is to, well, keep it in your hands. There is no better security than a watchful eye; and since you can't stroll into an airport with a junk yard pit bull at your side (not all people are animal lovers like myself), you have to be the watch dog. Be aware of your belongings, and you'll be much less likely to lose them. LOCK IT Get a laptop security cable to secure your laptop when you're using it in a crowded area. The amount of laptops that have been stolen right out from under the owner's nose is enough to make a grown man wince. Using a computer lock is an easy and cost effective way to deter opportunity theft, allowing your mind to fully focus on the task at hand. Like singing in the shower, you'll find it strangely liberating. LABEL IT Applying a deterrent label to your laptop is another easy and cost effective way to show thieves that you're not an easy target. To a thief, the phrase "Tracking and Recovery Protection" reads the same as "You Can't Sell Me, neiner neiner neiner". And thieves, tempting as it may be for them, won't steal what they can't sell. TRACK IT Even the most vigilant security sometimes gets compromised. Laptop Tracking and Recovery Software has come a long way in recent years. This software allows you to GEO-locate your stolen laptop, remotely delete files, retrieve important files and track the thief down! ENCRYPT IT Most thieves don't like doing a lot of work, hence their chosen profession. If, unfortunately, your laptop does fall into the wrong hands despite your forethought, no one will be able to access your precious information. Encrypting your laptop tells a thief that you worked hard to protect your data, and he will have to work really REALLY hard to access it. He'll ditch your laptop, leaving your data untouched, and move on in search of the poor sap who didn't take the same precautions as you did. Hopefully your friends are reading this too, and they don't end up being those poor saps. (Forward them a link to this article, and help 'em out!)
Call us at (800) 466-7636 for all of your laptop security needs. With 25 years in the industry, we'd be more than happy to share our knowledge with you.
Author - Dan Hughes © 2008
Computer Security Products, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
How to Protect Your Laptop from Theft
- Use your laptop's universal security slot (USS). Your laptop should have a hole or slot into which you can connect a security cable.
Any cable or security device threaded through the USS cannot be removed from the laptop; only the cable itself can be cut (or unlocked) to free the laptop.
More info at link:
#5. Safety and Security Features
As far as security on the software side is concerned most of the companies provide a trial version of antivirus, but it's always good to keep an updated antivirus to protect you from unnecessary problems.For data security look if your deal includes online backup storage if yes then grab it.
And sadly enough Laptop thefts in hostels and colleges is quite a common thing so you must consider to get yourself Universal Security Slot (USS), which takes a cable lock most laptops in the market come with these.Just get a cable lock (these are cheap around Rs 150) and lock your Laptop.
This is a neat story! I don't know how many laptops are actually equipped with a GPS device:
Raleigh man uses GPS tracker to locate man who stole his laptophttp://www.newsobserver.com/2012/09/...racker-to.html
Read more here: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/09/...#storylink=cpy
I bought a Travel safe 12L 2 or 3 years ago. Its big enough to hold three Nooks, my digital camera, watch, glasses, and still have plenty of room for more. We attach it to the center post of the palapa and put it in inside of a oversized beach bag. It came with a key lock, but I switched it out with a combination lock, don't want to loose the key at the beach. Well worth the money.
http://pacsafe.com/travelsafe-12l-portable-safe looks like a great item!


text:
Get 25% off the first month of your new craft box subscription with code BLOG25! Green Kid Crafts delights kids each month with eco-friendly craft and STEAM activities delivered right to their door through our company's craft subscription box program. Kids are sent a monthly Discovery Box, which is packed with between 5-8 activity kits designed to foster a child's creativity and confidence. Each month brings a new theme; past themes have included Mad Scientist, Nocturnal Animals, Around the World, and Outer Space. Our program has won a variety of awards including The Academic's Choice Brain Award, Dr. Toy's Best Green Products and many more. Our team of kid testers help design each Discovery Box as well as the fun activities and projects for our blog like this one!
These upcycled Thanksgiving crafts are a great way to be mindful of the Thanksgiving sentiment and engage in meaningful conversation about the idea of gratitude.
Thanksgiving Turkey Egg Carton Placeholders
Here's another fun way to reuse every day household items which might be on their way to the recycle bin to get your kids involved in preparing for the upcoming holiday. Each placeholder will be lovingly personalized for the family and friends who join you at your table.
Using a knife, slice the rounded parts away from the carton. Trace your little hands on colored paper for the turkey's tail feathers. Use paper scraps to cut the beaks, eyes, and wattles and glue them down. Cut a slit across the top of the turkey. This will hold the piece of paper with your guest's name.
Thankfulness Hand print Tree
Gratitude can be a tricky concept to teach to preschoolers, but here is a fun way to start the conversation. Work gratitude into the conversation while you're tracing those cute hands on fall colored paper. Mention their favorite places, things and people and write them on the hand print. The more things to be grateful for, the bigger the tree! Cut out a trunk and glue/staple/tape your "leaves" to your Thankfulness Tree.
Gratitude Cornucopia
Decorate an empty box, like your Green Kid Crafts box, and create a month long collection of thankful thoughts. Each day, maybe at the dinner table, discuss the days events and write down something you're thankful for or a way you showed gratitude to someone else. Feature your creation at your Thanksgiving table and take turns sharing the thankfulness inside.
If you're not already a Green Kid Crafts subscriber, don't wait another day to join!
From $16.95 / month! Monthly boxes come with 4-8 award winning Creativity and STEM Science Kits (science, technology, engineering, and math) designed by experts around national standards to build confidence, flex creativity, and make kids smarter. All materials and instructions included, along with some fun extras! Each Discovery Box is created around an exciting new theme each month (think Outer Space, Nocturnal Animals, Backyard Science, Ocean, and Mad Scientist). You can cancel anytime. Join Green Kid now!


text:
Welcome to best offshore casinos, our online gambling site where the graphics are smooth and the casino games are sharp, fast and hassle-free. Enjoy the real offshore gambling casino experience with animated sounds and virtual 3D graphics while benefiting from the best odds and the best online casino payouts of 97.5 percent or better. Get free gambling money at selected casino sites.
Finding the best offshore casinos on the internet doesn't have to be a daunting task. We provide you with the tools to deciding on your choice of the best offshore casinos for playing your favorite casino games.
Gambling at any land casino offers you a chance to meet and deal with other players and dealers personally. You harbor no doubts about the legality of these casinos. You are sure to receive your payouts. However, if you opt for gambling sites on the Internet, you may not even know with whom you are dealing. Most of these online casino gambling sites are based in offshore locations as well. Nevertheless, game sites from offshore locations most often also operate legally from their countries.
Whatever the type of casino you choose to play your gambling games, you should always take steps to ensure your payouts. Besides, the obvious uncertainties of the games may not always give you positive results. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the game and the gambling avenues available to you. Rather educating yourself of the odds of winning can help you understand how to improve your chances at even the best online casinos.
The casinos we recommend on our site have been tested for security and honesty. They are regulated by governing regulation organizations like ecogra in their respective countries. However, we are not responsible for losses incured by players or visitors to these casinos and it is up to the individual to do his or her due diligence to ensure fair play. Many of the casinos on our site offer a casino bonus to get started and we suggest using this to 'test' the waters.
Get the Latest, Hottest FREE offer on the web
Bonus Offer Available Here


text:
News Flash : Orders may take 5-7 business days to ship out. Covid 19 Virus workplace restrictions and increase in demand may cause delays in email or phone responses .It could take 24 -48 hours based on the incoming volume of inquires. Sorry no changes to orders once placed. If purchasing a Firearms please Verify legality of the item with your FFL dealer BEFORE ordering to avoid cancelation fees. Please review the How to Buy section and other directions Before ordering. Stay Safe & Wash Your Hands!
Replica/ Display Weapons
High quality newly manufactured replica non firing Rifles, Machine Guns, Rocket launchers and other Military Style Weapons. These are excellent reproductions that are perfect for reenactments or displays. World War 2 replica firearms like the Thompson or the German STG44 would make any Military collator or history fanatic excited to add to their collection
Replica Browning .50 Caliber Machine GunReplica/ Display WeaponsThis is it, finally an affordable, safe, robust, quality display alternative to spending many thousands of dollars on a liability laden display gun.Price: $299.99View product


text:
While I have been laid up dealing with the onslaught of Bell's Palsy, it would appear that Michael Delavar has picked up somewhat of an admirer in the Columbian's Kathy Durbin. On Friday, September 11, she devoted two posts to Michael, here and here.
I can't say she shouldn't, Michael is a nice and likeable person, having met with him and talked face to face now. I even like him personally, I just have issues with his stance on fighting terror and keeping the American people safe.
After our somewhat contentious exchange through email weeks ago, I have to admit that getting the chance to meet him and having the brief discussion we had was a pleasure.
I do feel he tried to pigeonhole me a little when he asked if I were prepared for a Religious War, but seemed taken aback somewhat with my reply, "do we have a choice?"
Continuing, I explained that they have been coming after us for some time now and it isn't because of our dealings overseas, it is because they genuinely dislike Western Culture in their misguided interpretation of the Islamic Holy Book, the Qu'Ran.
We saw this in history with many misguided interpretations of our own Holy Scripture and for the most part, have corrected much of it, at least to where incidents like the Salem Witch Hunts and the Inquisitions wouldn't occur today.
Still, Michael did admit that when attacked, we should respond with "overwhelming force," a step in the right direction towards keeping America safe, I feel away from any ill-fated notion of hiring mercenaries to fight for us.
Ms. Durbin seems perplexed as to why the Clark County GOP hasn't endorsed Michael and states it is because he won't support John McCain, Sarah Palin ticket, the GOP nominee for president. She laments how the party backed Christine Webb, who I also supported.
Did she forget her own employer, the Columbian in July, endorsed Webb over Delavar as well? At that time, they said,
"For conservative voters, Webb offers a solid choice with her pro-McCain presidential views and her anti-tax, limited-government ideas. She drew an endorsement at her party's state convention. The fourth candidate, Michael Delavar, is trying to seize on the Ron Paul passion that rose but now fizzles among many conservatives."
As we all now know, Michael defeated Webb and has the spot to challenge Brian Baird in November, a task I hope he is up to, for his own sake. Unseating an experienced incumbent by a novice, while not impossible, won't be easy to do.
Ms. Durbin claims the party is "shunning" Michael, but from what I witnessed of him interacting with party members a couple weeks ago, while he may not have an official endorsement, he is hardly being shunned.
I don't claim to speak for the party and have no idea if they will issue an official endorsement, but he would do himself well to shy away from the policies of Ron Paul, if he expects to pick up more conservatives from the 3rd District. Although the Pauliacs had a good showing in the primaries, the general election will most likely be entirely different, with Paul not in the running and encouraging voters to back loose cannon candidates such as Cynthia McKinney.
Personally, I am left in quite a dilemma as who to cast my vote for in November. Baird has seen the light and now supports winning in Iraq and the War on Terror, which garnered him much vitriol from the anti-war left Democrats and which also drew Michael into the race. Like Michael, Baird was opposed to our efforts until a trip to Iraq and meeting with Iraqi's and the Troops showed him this effort is well worth finishing victoriously.
Otherwise, Baird is a down the line Pelosi following Liberal. Michael is a strong fiscal and social conservative, but misguided, in my opinion, on victory in the war. At this point in time, I have no idea who I will cast my vote for as I see winning this war just as important, even somewhat more so, than many domestic issues.
Michael says,
"One of my goals is to meet with businessmen and regular Iraqis and find out what they are dealing with on a daily basis, I also plan to meet with soldiers from the local area."
I think this is an excellent idea, as long as he doesn't travel there pre-disposed of the outcome of the trip.
Much like Brian Baird did, Michael just may come to realize what he has been fed by the likes of Paul and the National Media isn't what is happening and our efforts are well worth finishing in Victory. He may even discover that we have had a definition of Victory all along and he, like many others, just refused to see it.
If Michael returns and realizes just how foolish Ron Paul has been with this notion of Letters of Marque and Reprisal and withdrawing our Troops back within our borders, returning to a failed position of isolationalism, Baird may be facing more of a challenge come November than he thinks.
Michael, go to Iraq with your eyes and mind open. Listen and learn to what, not only Iraqi's, but our own Brave Troops, who continually volunteer to return have to say.


text:
Welcome to Local Music 'Mericans, where we get to know the people more behind the scenes in Dallas/Fort Worth local music.
Tom Morningstar's art can be seen adorning the walls of a few Gaston-area spots of Deep Ellum: The Elbow Room, Big-E's Convenience Store (killers tacos there, by the way), and most recently the new burger joint on the block, The Stackhouse.
But painting is a relatively new endeavor for Morningstar. His career history has seen him doing promotion work for various labels throughout the last couple of decades, including local music stable Kirtland Records. He's worked records from plenty of Dallas/Fort Worth-area talent, and even moreso, a ton of national acts. He's traveled the remote corners of the USA to talk to radio stations and program directors about why they should play The Burden Brothers, and so on.
But to fast forward back to the present, Morningstar is a painter now. And not too shabby of one considering a whole handful of joints are hanging his stuff, and a couple folks have even paid cash for the paintings themselves. He started out painting some of his most significant rock and roll icons like the Beatles and Hendrix. But lately he seems to have developed a real flair for abstract, or "splatter" art. It's damn fun and vivid stuff, and worth checking out on his Facebook page.
Morningstar isn't necessarily "in the know" with Deep Ellum's art scene yet. He's still new to all this. But from the looks of things, he's off to a hell of a start, and worth getting to know better.
At what point in your youth did you segue from kid's records to what I assume was rock and roll? Who was it? What did it do to you, beyond the obvious act of changing your life forever?
I did have, and still do have, by the way, the Sesame Street original cast Gatefold album, including tunes like "I Love Trash," "People In Your Neighborhood" and many other smashes. I suppose I was nine or ten when I asked my mom to buy me KISS' Love Gun record and shortly thereafter, the first record I ever bought with my own money was Queen's Jazz record, which I still love, by the way. I never really dug comic books. I guess finding KISS I was able to have comic book heroes and music heroes in one convenient package. As I got older and maybe a bit more musically sophisticated, my favorites all time have got to be David Bowie and the Clash. I guess that's not terribly original, but there ya have it.
Same question, but with art!
Truth is, with art I've always just kind of liked what I liked. I couldn't tell you what years Picasso lived or anything about art history. I just know I like something when I see it.
Art is something I never knew until recently that you have in your blood. Was it a sleeping giant during those record label years?
Honestly, I didn't know it was in my blood until recently, either [laughs]. A couple of years ago, I literally just got sick of watching TV and thought there must be more to life than working your day job, coming home and watching television only to repeat that every single day. So I turned off the TV, bought one canvas, a few tubes of paint and a few brushes and just tried my hand at painting. As it turns out, I wasn't horrible, although I'm certain not everyone will agree with that assessment. At first, I was just showing friends and family and I thought they were all humoring me, saying, "Oh yeah, that's great." It wasn't until a stranger bought one of my paintings that I thought I might not suck, after all. I started by painting iconic album covers, then quickly moved into doing portraits of musical artists. Somewhat recently, I've moved more in the direction of abstracts and I'm really loving it. The truth is, I paint because I love to do it. I hope others like my work and want to buy it, as paint and canvas is not cheap.
How about a laundry list of DFW artists youve worked with? Obviously, there was the Kirtland side, but how about a list of all the locals?
Well, if we go back to when I was a sound man for 4 Reasons Unknown in the 80's, there was them and I had occasion to run sound for About Nine Times, the Judas Engine, New Bohemians a couple of times and a few others. On the the record promotion side of things, I worked with a bazillion artists, but as far as DFW artists, Burden Brothers (two completely badass records), and Toadies. Well, the Kirtland stable is pretty much the extent of DFW artists I've worked.
How about a list of all the different labels?
Priority, Epic Records, where I got Christmas cards from Ozzy and Sharon for four years. Restless, Edel America and Kirtland. I swear there was a sixth one, but I just cannot think of who it was. Must not have been there long.
Aside from labels, were there other industry-related jobs in your history?
Honestly, no. I was working for Xerox and a friend of mine working at Priority got promoted to a national gig in LA. His boss asked him if he knew who should replace him in Dallas. He said "Yes, he's green as hell, but he knows more about music than I'll ever know." Next thing I know, I'm on a flight to LA, being interviewed at the Chateau Marmont and boom, I'm in.
Tell us about your most amazing musical experience involving DFW music, or a local artist.
This is a two-fold answer. In the '80s, working for 4 Reasons Unknown, we won the MTV Basement Tapes thing and that was an amazing time. I was pretty much still a kid and working for a band that had just won a deal with Epic through MTV. To me, at the time, it was the greatest thing ever. We even beat Extreme in the finals.
Secondly, I really loved working with Burden Brothers. I spent a lot of time on the road with those guys. Occasionally, I had a drink or twelve with them. Great band and great guys. I'm (not so) secretly lobbying for them to get back together.
At some point recently, you shifted art to the forefront. Tell us about that experience, and how you were able to get your stuff up on the walls of such a cool Deep Ellum spot.
We Believe Local Journalism is Critical to the Life of a City
Engaging with our readers is essential to the Observer's mission. Make a financial contribution or sign up for a newsletter, and help us keep telling Dallas's stories with no paywalls.
Support Our Journalism
Well, it's no secret that the music business, or at least portions of it, have been shrinking for some time. For me, it just didn't seem like a sustainable place to be anymore. So I went back into the real world, job-wise. I suppose with music no longer being what I did for a living, there was a bit of a creative void that was bound to be filled with something sooner or later, and TV wasn't getting it done.
A while back, I was hanging out at the Elbow Room, where I'm madly in love with their Sicilian pizza by the way, and noticed that they had what I assumed was local art on the walls and asked if I could maybe hang some of my stuff there. They said I could. Then Eric (of Big E's Convenience Store fame-killer tacos) asked me if I wanted to hang some stuff at his store across the street from Elbow Room. Randy Kienast (of Stackhouse fame) was renovating the inside of Stackhouse and would go to Big E's for water, food and stuff and saw some of my stuff in there and asked Eric who the artist was. Randy contacted me mostly to do his specials board in chalk. I almost didn't take the gig because I had never worked with chalk and he was opening in ten days and I didn't know if I could finish something in that time in a medium which I had never worked. But I took a shot at it, and I personally think it looks really cool: Clint Eastwood and Clyde Barrow amid some other stuff. It doesn't hurt my visibility that Stackhouse has an amazing burger and has been drawing huge crowds.
Have you met many other Ellum/DFW artists? Immersed yourself into that network much yet?
Actually no, not really. I'm what I guess they call an emerging artist. I don't know the first thing about getting my stuff out there, who I need to know or where I need to be. None of it. Truth is, my day job is marketing, which I do well, but I suck at marketing myself! I'm working on it, though. I'm getting stuff into a few new places and with a little luck, maybe the right person will see and like my work.
You also don't seem like you'd be too bad of a local food critic and adviser for the area, considering all the lunches and dinners you did in the label world, and that it seems to be restaurants that are attracted to your art! Is DFW an ideal place to live for all your avenues? Music? Art? Food?
I love Dallas and have been here for almost 25 years. There was a five year break where I lived in Charlotte and I hated it. Nothing against Charlotte, I just prefer Dallas. No Whataburger, the Mexican food is ridiculously awful and the scene in Charlotte just doesn't hold a candle to Dallas.


text:
SuraSamharam aka SooraSamharam – Famous Festival of Lord Murugan
Soorasamharam is a ritual practice followed in Thiruchendur which interprets the killing of Asuras by Lord Murugan. 'Sooran' is the name of the demon and 'Samharam' refers to the act of killing. Generally, this practice is performed in Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka and in some Murugan temples of Kerala. According to the history, this festival has been grandly celebrated in Thiruvannur Subramanya Swami temple in Kozhikode, Kerala for more than a century. Sooranpada is the name by which they call Soorasamharam in Kerala.
History of Soorasamhaaram (Sura Samharam Story)
Soorasamharam was celebrated according to Tamil Calendar and this year it falls on November 5. This divine act known as Soorasamharam is conducted on the account of Lord Muruga beheading Soorapadman with his 'Vel'. On the day, devotees enjoy the victory of good over evil. The very next day, Thirukalyanam will be performed which portrays the divine marriage of Lord Muruga and Devasena. These are the acts which are taken from the Kandhapuranam.
According to Skanda Purana, the Surapadma has a battle of demons under his control. Two of the demons namely Simhamukha and Tarakasura were sued by the Devas. They continued harassing the human and committed Adharma everywhere. Lord Brahma, the demigods, and humans prayed to Lord Shiva to come forward and put a full stop to the demons. At that time, Lord Muruga was born to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Lord Murugan was very powerful and was a great commander for all the Devas. He was so brave and destroys people who do adharma.
In the same way, Lord Muruga came to battle with the demons. The fight took place continuously for six days. It is not that Lord Muruga was not powerful to kill him at that instant. Everything happens only at the assigned time. Likewise, it happened and Lord Muruga killed all the demons and assistants of Padmasura. On the last day, serious and a long fight took place between Muruga and Soorapadman. Ultimately, Lord Murugan pierced Surapadman's body with his weapon (Vel). Then also, he didn't die completely.
Surapadma transformed himself into a big mango tree. He thought himself to be too brilliant. But, of course, what happened was not a surprise. Lord Muruga broke the trees into two pieces with his powerful weapon. The two pieces then changed into a peacock and cock. Lord Muruga sat back on the peacock ( his vahana or vehicle ) and he gave a place for the cock on his banner. This event is popularly known as Soorasamharam.
Celebration of Soorasamharam ( Kandha Sasti Kavasam )
In Tamil Nadu, Soorasamhaaram is a festival celebrated every year by a large number of devotees. The state government and Indian Railways ply special buses and trains to facilitate people in traveling to the temple. The Sooranporu was based on the story of Murugan as given in Kandhapuranam. A few days before commencing Soorasamharam, the skandhapuranam is narrated in the temple.
Soorasamhaaram is preceded by several procedures before the ending of Kanda Sashti festival. Specific Poojas will be conducted and Lord Murugan is ritually anointed (abhishekam). The devotees seek the deity's Darshan. In some parts of Tamil Nadu, women do fasting for six days and they break at the end of the Soorasamhaaram. In Palani, Lord Murugan is taken down for a procession from the hill temple to the main road before the festival. Kanda Shasti is the sixth day from new moon day. These are the Poojas which will be conducted on the account of Kanda Sasti festival.
Thiruchendur Yaga Salai Pooja
During this season devotees get crowded in almost all the Lord Murugan's temples and especially high number at the seashore temple in Thiruchendur. The function will begin with yaga salai puja and to initiate the function, a sacred flag will be hoisted in many places. The following event will be kappu kattuthal or sacred thread tying practice. Generally, the Priests will be doing the tying activity to all the devotees after having done with the pooja. Devotees with kappu in hand need to stay in the temple until the end of the festival.
Kandha Sasti Fasting
A lot of devotees especially women will observe fasts during the six days. You can take fruits alone, or some milk and liquid foods, and even some take one meal per day. It all depends on a devotee's choice. There are possibilities that some devotees will fast only for the single day that too on the sixth day.
Many spiritual lectures will be taking place for day and night in temples. Reading of Kanda Puranam, chanting the hymns of Murugan will happen. Mainly Kanda Sasti Kavacham will be chanted on all six days. Special Poojas along with abhishekam, archanai, and deeparadhanai will be done on a daily basis. In some temples, Laksarchanai will also be conducted to Muruga.
Skandha Puranam and Soorasamharam
Skandha Puranam will be chanted by the devotees during the Poojas. The festival clearly gives a picture of killing the four Asuras Anamughan, Panumughan, Simhamughan, and Soorapadman. The last one to be killed is the Soorapadman or Padmasura. The Asuras are decapitated by Lord Murugan using his Vel (Weapon) which looks like a kind of spear or javelin.Before starting all this, the vel is consecrated and the ceremony takes place like Lord Murugan placing vel on Padmasura's head and thereby it falls off on the ground. Soorasamhaaram is performed at the last week of Kanda Sashti festival.
Significance of Soorasamharam – Victory of Good over Evil
Soorasamharam own a peculiar religious significance, especially for Tamilians. The awesomeness of this day is cleared mentioned in Hindu scripture of 'Skanda Puranam'. It is essential for every Hindu-Tamilian to visit the temple and get the Lord's blessings. Every participant in the festival will find the enjoyment in the celebration. That, in turn, will automatically make you attend the function every year. It will be a real treat and pleasure for people to see all this. The only thing is the crowd which can cause some inconvenience. But, keeping Lord Muruga in mind, all the pains will disappear. Do visit this wonderful place of Thiruchendur Murugan temple which is one of the six abodes of Murugan.


text:
Netflix has announced the titles it will be adding in April 2018, which means we also have to say good-bye to a handful of titles next month as well. The service is losing some noteworthy titles including Apollo 13, Batman, Batman Returns, Caddyshack, Cool Runnings, Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, Eagle vs. Shark, John Mulaney: New in Town, Never Let Me Go, Small Soldiers, The Shawshank Redemption, The Prestige, and Exit Through the Gift Shop. If you had these movies on your list for a while, perhaps bump them up to the top so you can check them out before they leave.
Also, if you've been hoping to see these movies for a while, you may want to look into just buying them. Films like Apollo 13 and Exit Through the Gift Shop are worth owning sight unseen, and they're definitely movies you'll want to check out on repeat viewings. Some yon won't miss as much like The Shawshank Redemption. Turn on TNT right now and I guarantee you it's on.
Here's the full list of titles leaving Netflix in April:
Leaving 4/1/18
30 Days of Night
88 Minutes
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
American Pie
American Pie 2
Apollo 13
Batman & Robin
Batman Forever
Batman Returns
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Cool Runnings
Death Sentence
Dolphin Tale
Eagle vs. Shark
John Mulaney: New in Town
Never Let Me Go
Set Up
Small Soldiers
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Men Who Stare at Goats
The Pursuit of Happyness
The Shawshank Redemption
The Whole Nine Yards
Wild Wild West
Leaving 4/3/18
Starry Eyes
Leaving 4/5/18
The Hallow
The Nightingale
Leaving 4/12/18
The Emperor's New Clothes
Leaving 4/15/18
Happy Tree Friends
Leap Year
Leaving 4/16/18
Son of God
Leaving 4/17/18
Z Storm
Leaving 4/20/18
The Exorcism of Molly Hartley
Leaving 4/21/18
The Prestige
Leaving 4/22/18
Exit through the Gift Shop
Leaving 4/26/18
Kung Fu Panda 3
Leaving 4/27/18
Begin Again


text:
The Friends of Stoneydown Park (FoSP) are committed to keeping the park a place that is friendly, welcoming and pleasant for everyone who uses it.
Stoneydown Park is an attractive, well-used space in the heart of the Blackhorse Road area of Walthamstow. Membership in the FoSP is open to anyone who has an interest in the having a say in what goes on in Stoneydown Park and wants to be involved in their local community.
Over the years, the group has successfully campaigned and raised funds on behalf of the park and those who use it. We have worked to bring about many successful events and activities in the park, including hosting the annual Stoneydown Park Folk Festival, participating in the E17 Art Trail, campaigning for new play equipment and organising many family-friendly events and activities.
FoSP volunteers open up the park hut to enable park users to borrow from our collection of toys, games and sports equipment, as well as to access the toilet and tea and coffee making facilities.


text:
2013 was a very big year for marijuana in all areas. The marijuana activism front saw more victories. The marijuana business industry is experiencing exponential growth, with virtually no end in sight. From marijuana entertainment to marijuana concentrates, 2013 will go down in history as one of the best years for marijuana.
2013 is the first year that we have ever named 'Weed Blog Award Winners.' I wish we had prizes and could host a cool event, but we are basically held together with resin, band aids, and bong hits and have zero revenue projected for January, so that will have to wait for another year! But for now, what I can hand out is respect and admiration for people that have stood out in the marijuana world this past year.
A lot of categories have multiple winners because there was just no way to narrow it down to one person or cause. And I have to give the disclaimer that I likely missed someone or something that should have been highlighted, so I may have to update it from time to time. Feel free to thrash my picks in the comments and/or list your own categories and winners. I'm a big boy, I can handle criticism. With no further delay, drum roll please….
Online marijuana activist of the year
Russ Belville from 420radio.org and Tom Angell from Marijuana Majority. Very talented guys that do a lot of online activism on a level that most others don't.
Marijuana Facebook fan page of the year
Marijuana Majority and Free the Leaf. My two favorite fan pages during 2013 hands down.
Marijuana Twitter feed of the year
Marijuana Heroes. The guy that runs it is all over just about everything on the Twittisphere.
Marijuana celebrity of the year
Marijuana event of the year
High Times Cannabis Cup in Denver – the first ever legal Cannabis Cup in American history
Marijuana victory of the year in America
Portland, Maine bringing marijuana legalization to the East Coast, very significant even if it's just at a local level.
Marijuana victory of the year international
Uruguay – first country to ever legalize marijuana. Enough said.
Marijuana politician of the year
United States Representative Earl Blumenauer
State Legislature of the year
Oregon – Legalized medical marijuana dispensaries, added PTSD to the medical marijuana list of qualifying conditions, lessened penalties for possession, and eliminated automatic driving privilege suspension for marijuana. Why this didn't make more 'top 2013' lists is beyond me. But then again, it's Oregon, we never get the respect we deserve!
Marijuana reform organization of the year
Marijuana Woman of the year
Maine State Representative Diane Russell
Marijuana philanthropist of the year
Peter B. Lewis. May he rest in peace. Thank you to all you did for the movement over the years. You will truly be missed!
Marijuana citizen activist of the year
Geoff Sugerman, Sam Chapman, and Anthony Taylor for their work at the Oregon Legislature this year. These three gentlemen don't get nearly the love and admiration that they deserve for the work that they did this year at the Oregon Legislature. Four victories in one session? Absolutely outstanding work.
Reefer madness supporter of the year
Kevin Sabet – a unanimous number 1. What an idiot.
Marijuana CEO of the year
Justin Hartfield – WeedMaps. While other CEO's are just trying to cash in on an emerging industry, Justin Hartfield actually loves marijuana and does a lot to help support multiple marijuana reform organizations. Justin Hartfield is on the Board of Directors for multiple reform organizations, put up money for a $100,000 fundraiser with Rick Steves for NORML in 2013, and WeedMaps did numerous fundraisers in 2013 for worthy causes, including a fundraiser for Colorado flood victims. No other CEO in the marijuana world dominated the business industry as hard while giving back as much as Justin Hartfield.
Marijuana product of the year
Cascade Tek BHO Vacuum Oven and Magical Butter machine. The BHO that is produced by a Cascade Tek setup is far superior to anything I've ever seen. The magical butter machine makes making marijuana butter as easy as touching a button, it contains the odor that comes with making marijuana butter, and it cleans itself. I see A LOT of marijuana products, and these two stood above the rest.
Marijuana book of the year
"Marijuana Plant Care" by Robert Bergman available for free! Yes, free!
Stoner of the year
Gil from WeedMaps. When I get older, I want to be Gil from WeedMaps. He gets to travel the world smoking the best marijuana flower and concentrates on the planet. No one smokes more than him anywhere, trust me.
Marijuana strain of the year
Silvertip strain from Brightside PDX. Definitely the best marijuana I smoked in 2013. Feel free to try to change my mind by giving me samples :)
Glass Blower of the year
Marijuana grower of the year
Marijuana concentrate maker of the year
Most inspirational marijuana story of the year
Lifetime achievement award
Robert Platshorn. He served the longest prison sentence for marijuana than any other American in history. If that wasn't enough, he now serves as an activist based out of Florida. He is hands down the best public speaker in the entire marijuana world, and why campaigns and organizations don't support him more and have him touring the country speaking to seniors is beyond me.
Most under-appreciated person in the marijuana industry/movement
Ninjasmoker. This was a very, very easy pick. Ninjasmoker co-founded The Weed Blog with me in 2010, and he is the reason that we have had so much success throughout the years as far as audience size and reach. I've seen him get kicked around and abused by so many people in the industry and movement it's unreal. He has created multiple campaign sites for successful campaigns and never got paid or got any credit for it. He has helped numerous people in the industry with their sites just to get stiffed on payment and credit. He is the best at what he does, bar none, proven by math. I've seen companies in the industry that have entire teams dedicated to their technological pursuits, yet don't have half the success that Ninjasmoker is able to attain despite the fact that he's just one person with next to no resources provided to him, and no steady income from his Weed Blog labors. Whether people in the industry want to admit it or not, Ninjasmoker's brain is worth more than anything else in the entire industry. Kudos to you my friend. The world is literally a better place because of the way you have been able to use your talents to help out the movement.


text:
The law firm of Weld Riley, S.C. is pleased to announce Attorney Bryan T. Symes has joined the firm as a shareholder. Symes has more than a decade of experience representing business clients in the areas of employment law and litigation, labor relations and alternative dispute resolution. He also is a registered athlete agent and has experience advising professional baseball players. In 2009, Symes was recognized in Minnesota Lawyer as Up & Coming Attorney and named Rising Star by Wisconsin Super Lawyers in 2011 and 2013-2016. In 2001, Symes received his bachelor's degree from UW-Madison where he majored in political science. In 2004, he earned his juris doctorate with honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law.
The law firm of Weld Riley, S.C. also announced that Attorney Ryan J. Moertel has joined the firm. Prior to joining Weld Riley, S.C., Moertel practiced criminal defense in the Eau Claire area and is passionate about defending the rights of citizens in the Chippewa Valley. He is a member of the Eau Claire County Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) as well as the Wisconsin Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL). Moertel completed his undergraduate degree at UW-Eau Claire where he also served as team captain of the UW-Eau Claire Football Team for two seasons. He continued his education at the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison where he was part of the school's prestigious Mock Trial Team and graduated with cum laude honors. While obtaining his law degree, Moertel also interned at the St. Croix County District Attorney's Office and participated in the Judicial Internship Program at the Dane County Courthouse during his final semester.
The laboratory at HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital has recently earned accreditation renewals from the College of American Pathologists and the American Association of Blood Banks. The voluntary inspections and subsequent accreditations follow an intensive onsite assessment of policies, procedures and practices of all aspects of laboratory testing and anatomic pathology, as well as an onsite assessment of lab equipment, staff qualifications, safety programs and overall management.


text:
Paul Banks writes:
Hello from sunny Germany after another long day in the saddle. Today we have covered 50 miles which turned out to be 65 miles before we made it to our destination in Lilienthal, approximately 100 miles from Hamburg. We have had the pleasure of covering some of the distance on the cycle paths and some of them on country lanes and still more on some farm tracks which slowed us down a bit at times. At other times I was sure sure I would need my saddle removing from my rear by nothing short of a clinical operation! Putting that aside I am looking forward to tomorrow's ride. We are nearly there now. So near but so far too.
Bill Soane writes:
This cyclclethon has turned out to be all that I thought it would be, not what I hoped it to be.
John Hammond has once again proved to be a true diva, demanding more food than we were able to carry and demanding constant attention.
If it wasn't for the excellent support team that has pampered the team of cyclists this could have been a hard slog. I have mentioned John, but mention must be made of Paul and Jeremy, who have been absolutely splendid in their performance, this despite Jeremy having serious bum problems and Paul having to share a room with Bob.
Whilst talking about Bob (one of our support drivers), he was the man who managed to get our lead vehicle stuck in sand. As a result it had to be pulled out by a group of local Dutch gentlemen.
We have now been joined by our friends from Hamburg and I was hopeful that things would improve, but alas this has not been the case, since we have lost half of them in the wilds of Germany.
We will move off at some ungodly hour in the morning to support this grand group of men.
Please think of me in your prayers.
1 Comments
Hi All, Loving the variety of the blogs as I'm sure the readers of blog are. Good to get the support team members involved, just gives a different perspective on what's really happening – nothing from Bob as yet, I know he's the Treasurer but he used to be able to string a few words together. Also can we get some input from the German members of the team – I suspect their views might be interesting. I've asked Radio Berkshire if they want a further interview when you arrive in Hamburg on Friday (tomorrow) but no response as yet.
You're nearly there keep up the good work, take a look at the JustGiving campaign website and you'll see the total collected is nearly £1900, increased from just on £1000 when you started – well done. Cheers Trevor.


text:
After our sweet adventure in Wae Rebo, now we're heading to the next superb destination : Kelimutu National Park. The time is 12:40 PM and we need to be there before tomorrow's sunrise.
It's 340 km to Kelimutu, through the hill and cliffs road, we've got a full tank of gas, half a gallon of water supply, it's bright and we're wearing sunglasses.
Hit it!
This afternoon, God bless us with super perfect weather. The sun shine make all the ricefield we passed shows their golden color. When we through the hill road, there's only fresh air (no-more-so-called city pollution), with all these magnificent ricefields and forest scenery that really made our day. This is what I called 'the living life journey'..
Mount Kelimutu is located in Kelimutu National Park near a small town called Moni, which is about 50km east of Ende. With Mr. Graham 'the Dirty Harry' Williamson behind the wheel, we arrive in Kelimutu gate at 3:00 AM. Still to early though. So, we decide to take a nap before the gate open at 4:30 AM.
Just like other national park in Indonesia, the entrance fee for foreign tourist is different from domestic tourist. Kelimutu Park charge Rp 5000,- (weekday) and Rp 7500,- (weekend+holiday) for domestic tourist. But for the foreigner, they charge Rp 150.000,- (weekdays) and Rp 225.000,- (weekend+holiday). Sorry Graham, you're gonna need to pay more..
The sky still dark when we park our car. After bring some snack, water, and wearing our warm clothes, we start to hike. I think the track is friendly enough for newbie climber. Even the stair is made for making it easier to reach the summit. Maybe just around 15 minutes we already reach there.
Oh yes, we stand in the summit right before the sunrise. From here we can see all of these three magnificent crater. The color of water from three crater's lakes are different from each other and constantly changing from time to time. Tiwu Ata Mbupu (Lake of Old People), which is the westernmost of the three lakes, have black color this time. The other two lakes, Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (Lake of Young Men and Maidens) and Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched or Enchanted Lake) are located in the eastern side, shows its blue and brown color. But before learning the story behind these lakes, let's enjoy the sunrise first…
Kelimutu National Park is spread around 50 km² and from the summit we can see many tremendous layers of hill, especially in the northern side. Arrived here during sunrise is absolutely the best time because for its most dramatic atmosphere along the horizon. Man….we're truly in heaven!!
Okay, now it's time to take a look at these three amazing lakes. Considered to be the resting place for departed souls, the lakes are locally referred to as "the lake of old people," "the lake of young men and maidens," and "the lake of evil spirits." Bizarrely, all three lakes change color dramatically and unpredictably, from blue or green to black or red. Kelimutu itself means 'the boiling lakes.' (source : BlazingTrailsTogether)
Tiwu Ata Mbupu (Lake of Old People)
With its 4,5 Ha area and 67 meters depth, this lake has been change its color for 16 times since 1915. When we visit this place in September 2014, the lake's color is pure black. Located in the western side and apart from the other two crater, this is where it's said the spirits of the old who have led righteous lives go to rest.
Tiwu Ata Mbupu is an "acid-sulfate" volcanic crater lake whose gaseous input is presently very small relative to those for the other Kelimutu lakes. In the 1970s it appears that this lake was much more active than it presently is.
Tiwu Nuwa Muri Koo Fai (Lake of Young Men and Maidens)
This lake has been change its color for 25 times since 1951, and now it shows her blue-turquoise color. Tiwu Nua Mori is the larger lake with its 5,5 Ha area and 127 meters depth. It is categorized as a "cool acid-brine" volcanic crater lake that contains exotic sulfur compounds and probably a host of copper-rich minerals in the sediments. This lake is located side by side with Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched or Enchanted Lake) and separated by a shared crater wall. It is believed that Tiwu Nua Mori is the one where the bad people go (young, old, male or female).
Tiwu Ata Polo (Bewitched or Enchanted Lake)
Tiwu Ata Polo is an intermediate "acid-saline" volcanic crater lake whose frequent color changes are probably the direct result of changes in the oxidation state of the lake's water. This lake can often be blood red but now it appears an olive color. Located in the eastern side, it has 4 ha area and 64 meters depth.Tiwu Ata Polo is said to be the place for the spirits of soothsayers.
Kelimutu National Park also have 78 various types of floras. Two of them are endemic species of Uta Onga Flores (Begonia kelimutuensis) and Turuwara (Rhondodenron renschianum) and three types of mammals, namely rats lawo (Rattushainaldi), Deke (Papagomys armandvillei), Wawi ndua (Susheureni).
There is also a type of bird species endemic to Kelimutu, Gerugiwa (Monarcha sp), endemic bird whose voice is very melodious and often called bird of the soul, because it seldom appeared and difficult to find. With the noisy chirping birds Meandering is what always welcomes your arrival in Flores each daybreak, a chirp with 11 different voices. (source : JavaBackpacker)
Once again, thanksss for my super travelmates whose sharing this living life journey! But the journey doesn't end here, now we're heading back to west to explore Ruteng and Labuan Bajo yeaaa
On June 23rd, 2015


text:
Some of us consume cannabis for its mind-altering effects, while others seek symptom relief. But cannabis wouldn't get us high or have some of its therapeutic benefits if our bodies didn't already contain a biological system the endocannabinoid system (ECS) capable of interacting with its active chemical compounds, like THC.
Our endocannabinoid system does just that. But it isn't there just to allow us to enjoy the effects of our favorite strain. It serves a vital purpose for our health and well-being because it regulates key aspects of our biology. So, what's it doing, and how does it work?
Homeostasis: Staying in the Goldilocks Zone
To understand the human endocannabinoid system, it's helpful to know a little about one of the most fundamental concepts in biology: homeostasis. And the best way to understand homeostasis is to think of Goldilocks and the three bears.
That classic fairy tale illustrated the idea that the best outcome often lies somewhere in the middle, between two extremes. We don't want things too hot or too cold, but just right.
Homeostasis is the concept that most biological systems are actively regulated to maintain conditions within a narrow range. Our body doesn't want its temperature to be too hot or too cold, blood sugar levels too high or too low, and so on.
Conditions need to be just right for our cells to maintain optimum performance, and exquisite mechanisms have evolved to draw them back to the Goldilocks zone if they move out. The body's endocannabinoid system (ECS) is a vital molecular system for helping maintain homeostasis—it helps cells stay in their Goldilocks zone.
Key Pieces of the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)
Because of its crucial role in homeostasis, the ECS is widespread throughout the animal kingdom. Its key pieces evolved a long time ago, and the ECS can be found in all vertebrate species.
The three key components of the ECS are:
- Cannabinoid receptors found on the surface of cells
- Endocannabinoids, small molecules that activate cannabinoid receptors
- Metabolic enzymes that break down endocannabinoids after they are used
Cannabinoid Receptors
Cannabinoid receptors sit on the surface of cells and "listen" to conditions outside the cell. They transmit information about changing conditions to the inside of the cell, kick-starting the appropriate cellular response.
There are two major cannabinoid receptors: CB1 and CB2. These aren't the only cannabinoid receptors, but they were the first ones discovered and remain the best-studied. CB1 receptors are one of the most abundant receptor types in the brain. These are the receptors that interact with THC to get people high. CB2 receptors are more abundant outside of the nervous system, in places like the immune system. However, both receptors can be found throughout the body
Endocannabinoids are molecules that, like the plant cannabinoid THC, bind to and activate cannabinoid receptors. However, unlike THC, endocannabinoids are produced naturally by cells in the human body ("endo" means "within," as in within the body).
There are two major endocannabinoids: anandamide and 2-AG (Figure 2). These endocannabinoids are made from fat-like molecules within cell membranes, and are synthesized on-demand. This means that they get made and used exactly when they're needed, rather than packaged and stored for later use like many other biological molecules.
Metabolic Enzymes
The third piece of the endocannabinoid triad includes the metabolic enzymes that quickly destroy endocannabinoids once they are used. The two big enzymes are FAAH, which breaks down anandamide, and MAGL, which breaks down 2-AG (Figure 3).
These enzymes ensure that endocannabinoids get used when they're needed, but not for longer than necessary. This distinguishes endocannabinoids from many other molecular signals in the body, such as hormones or classical neurotransmitters, which can persist for many seconds or minutes, or get packaged and stored for later use.
The three key components of the ECS can be found within almost every major system of the body. When something brings a cell out of its Goldilocks zone, these three pillars of the ECS are often called upon to bring things back, thus maintaining homeostasis. Because of its role in helping bring things back to their physiological Goldilocks zone, the ECS is often engaged only when and where it's needed. Dr. Vincenzo Di Marzo, Research Director at the Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry in Italy, put it to us this way:
"With the 'pro-homeostatic action of the ECS' we mean that this system of chemical signals gets temporarily activated following deviations from cellular homeostasis. When such deviations are non-physiological, the temporarily activated ECS attempts, in a space- and time-selective manner, to restore the previous physiological situation (homeostasis)."
In other words, the ECS helps bring things back to the biological Goldilocks zone.
Below we will consider examples of how the ECS helps maintain homeostasis in two areas: the firing of brain cells in the nervous system, and the inflammatory response of the immune system.
Endocannabinoid Regulation of Brain Cell Firing
Brain cells (neurons) communicate by sending electrochemical signals to each another. Each neuron must listen to its partners to decide whether it will fire off its own signal at any given moment. However, neurons don't like to get too much input—there's a Goldilocks zone. If they get overloaded by signals, it can be toxic. That's where endocannabinoids come in.
Consider a simplified scenario with one neuron listening to two others. One of these two neurons might become overactive and send too many signals to the neuron that's listening. When that happens, the neuron that's listening will make endocannabinoids specifically where it's connected to the overactive neuron. Those endocannabinoids will travel back to the "loud" neuron where they bind to CB1 receptors, transmitting a signal that instructs it to quiet down. This brings things back to the Goldilocks zone, maintaining homeostasis (Figure 4).
As the example above illustrates, endocannabinoids travel backwards, which is why they're known as retrograde signals. Most of the time, information flow between neurons is strictly in one direction, from "sender" neurons that release neurotransmitter signals to "receiver" neurons that listen to those signals. Endocannabinoids allow receiver neurons to regulate how much input they're getting, and they do this by sending retrograde signals (endocannabinoids) back to overactive sender neurons.
But the brain isn't the only organ that needs to maintain homeostasis. Every other system of the body, from the digestive to the immune system, needs to carefully regulate how its cells are functioning. Proper regulation is crucial for ensuring survival.
Endocannabinoid Regulation of Inflammation
Inflammation is a natural protective reaction the immune system has in response to infection or physical damage. The purpose of inflammation is to remove pathogens (germs) or damaged tissue. The inflamed area is produced by fluid and immune cells moving into the area to do the dirty work and return things to their Goldilocks zone.
It's important that inflammation be limited to the location of damage and doesn't persist longer than needed, which can cause harm. Chronic inflammation and auto-immune diseases are examples of the immune system getting activated inappropriately. When that happens, the inflammatory response lasts too long (which results in chronic inflammation) or gets directed toward healthy cells (which is known as auto-immunity).
In general, endocannabinoids seem to suppress or limit the immune system's inflammatory signals. Professor Prakash Nagarkatti, Vice President for Research at the University of South Carolina whose laboratory studies endocannabinoid regulation of immune responses, told us how tweaking the ECS might be a good way to treat inflammatory diseases.
"Most of our research demonstrates that endocannabinoids are produced upon activation of immune cells and may help regulate the immune response by acting as anti-inflammatory agents. Thus, interventions that manipulate the metabolism or production of endocannabinoids may serve as a novel treatment modality against a wide range of inflammatory disease."
Consider a normal immune response triggered by a bacterial infection. First, immune cells detect the presence of bacteria and release pro-inflammatory molecules that tell other immune cells to come and join the fight. Endocannabinoids get released as well (Figure 4), which also signal to other immune cells for assistance and likely help limit the inflammatory response so it isn't excessive. By tightly regulating inflammation, the immune system can destroy germs or remove damaged tissue, and then stop. This prevents excessive inflammation, allowing cells, and thus the body, to return to the Goldilocks zone.
How Do Plant Cannabinoids Like THC and CBD Interact with the Endocannabinoid System?
The reason that plant cannabinoids have psychoactive and medicinal effects within the body is, in large part, because we have an endocannabinoid system (ECS) that they can interact with. For example, THC gets you high because it activates the CB1 receptor within the brain. Endocannabinoids like anandamide also activate CB1.
So why aren't we constantly high?
A couple big reasons. First, THC doesn't interact with CB1 receptors in exactly the same fashion as the body's natural endocannabinoids. Second, the metabolic enzymes that quickly break down endocannabinoids like anandamide don't work on THC, so THC lingers around for much longer.
It's important to remember that molecules like cannabinoids and other neurotransmitters rarely interact with only one receptor type; they often interact with many. The plant-based cannabinoid CBD illustrates this nicely, as it interacts with numerous receptor types in the brain. So, while plant cannabinoids may activate the same cannabinoid receptors as endocannabinoids, they will likely interact with several other receptors and therefore have distinct effects.
CBD is also interesting because it can affect overall levels of endocannabinoids in the brain, referred to as "endocannabinoid tone." CBD inhibits the FAAH enzyme, which breaks down anandamide. Thus, CBD can increase anandamide levels by preventing FAAH from breaking it down. Inhibiting the FAAH enzyme has been shown to be a useful strategy for treating anxiety disorders, and some of CBD's anti-anxiety properties may come from its ability to inhibit this enzyme and thereby increase endocannabinoid tone.
The endocannabinoid system (ECS), comprised of cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoid molecules, and their metabolic enzymes, is a crucial molecular system that the body uses to help maintain homeostasis. Because of its vital role in making sure that cells and systems remain in their physiological Goldilocks zone, the ECS is tightly regulated; it gets deployed exactly when and where it's needed. However, this doesn't mean that activating the ECS, through consumption of cannabis or by any other means, will always make things just right.
Like any other complex biological system, the ECS can go awry. "If deviation from physiological homeostasis is prolonged, due to either external factors or chronic pathological conditions, the eCS can lose its time- and space-selective mode of action and start affecting inappropriate cells," Dr. Di Marzo explained. "In these cases, the ECS, instead of being beneficial, may actually contribute to disease progression."
It's important to remember that activating the ECS, through cannabis consumption or by any other means, isn't a cure-all. Like most of biology, it's complicated.
By understanding the biological Goldilocks principle (homeostasis), and how the ECS illustrates this at the cellular level, we can more deeply appreciate why we have an ECS to begin with, and how a variety of cannabis-based therapies might actually work. The presence and critical function of the ECS across many systems of the body, including the nervous and immune systems, explains why such a wide variety of ailments and disease states are responsive to cannabis-based interventions.
Reference: Leafly


text:
News Hub
Community Soccer School Registration
The community Soccer School will be holding their annual registration on Monday 22nd August between 6-30pm and 8pm within the clubhouse. This registration will be …Read More
Squad is bolstered before league opener
Annan Athletic are delighted to announce the signings of two more players before our first league fixture kicks off. Ex Rangers youth Darren Ramsay …Read More