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Posts Tagged 'recipe'
Shepherd's pie recipe
Posted January 13, 2010on:
- In: budget | family | food | Recipes
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This recipe is so delicious and hearty that the whole family will love it! And what makes it even better is that it's inexpensive and uses the ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
Shepherd's Pie Recipe
1 1/2 lbs ground round beef
1 onion chopped
1 cup peas *we prefer fresh diced green beans (1/4 inch) instead
1 cup diced carrots
1 can corn
1 1/2 – 2 lbs potatoes (4 big ones)
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
- Peel and quarter potatoes, boil in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes)
- While the potatoes are cooking, melt 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 a stick) in large frying pan
- Sauté onions in butter until tender over medium heat (10 mins). If you are adding vegetables, add them according to cooking time. Put any carrots and/or green beans in with the onions. Add corn either at the end of the cooking of the onions, or after the meat has initially cooked.
- Add ground beef and sauté until no longer pink. Add salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Then add half a cup of beef broth and cook, uncovered, over low heat for 10 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist
- Mash potatoes in bowl with rest of butter, season to taste (you can add sour cream or cheese to the potatoes if you'd like)
- Place beef mixture into baking dish. Distribute mashed potatoes on top. Rough up with a fork so that there are peaks that will brown nicely. You can use the fork to make some designs in the potatoes as well.
- Cook in 400 degree oven until bubbling and brown (about 30 minutes). Broil for last few minutes if necessary to brown.
Serves four.
- In: food | Recipes
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In a groundbreaking study about Super Bowl parties which came out nearly a decade ago, Pace found that the Super Bowl had become as much about the food as it is about football.
In preparation for Super Bowl XLIV (taking place Feb. 7 in Miami), here is one of Pace Kitchens' favorite recipes, to help make your party more festive and memorable:
Sweet & Spicy Chicken Wings
Prep: 10 min.
Bake: 35 min.
Makes: 24 pieces
12 chicken wings or 24 chicken drumettes
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1. Cut off chicken wing tips and discard. Cut chicken wings in half at joint. Place chicken into foil-lined shallow baking pan.
2. Stir picante sauce, honey and ginger in large bowl. Toss chicken with 1/3 cup of picante mixture.
3. Bake at 500°F. on lowest oven rack 35 min. or until crispy and cooked through, turning chicken over once halfway through baking. Remove chicken and toss with remaining picante mixture.
Easy holiday cocktail recipes
Posted December 21, 2009on:
With the holidays fast approaching, it's time to start planning your party menu. Make celebrating a cinch with these easy-to-mix cocktails from Ketel One vodka, Bushmills Irish Whiskey, and Baileys Irish Cream. These drinks are sure to get your guests in the holiday spirit:
Sugar and Spice
1 ounce Ketel Citroen Vodka
1 ounce Cranberry Juice 1/2 ounce Lime
3/4 ounce Honey syrup
Dash of St. Elizabeth All Spice Dram
1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
2. Add ice and shake vigorously.
3. Strain into a sugar rimmed martini glass.
Bushmills Maple Nut Egg Nog
1 1/2 ounces Bushmills Irish Whiskey
1/2 ounces Hazelnut Flavored Liqueur
1 1/2 ounces Cream
1 ounces Maple Syrup
1 Whole Egg
1. Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
2. Add ice and shake vigorously.
3. Strain into a Collins glass and garnish with grated Nutmeg.
Baileys Peppermint Cream
2 ounces Baileys with a hint of Mint Chocolate
4 ounces hot chocolate
Fresh whipped cream
Candy cane
Mint leaf
1. Crush candy cane with the back of a spoon.
2. Pour hot chocolate and Baileys into a coffee mug.
3. Top with a dollop of whipped cream.
4. Sprinkle crushed candy cane on top.
5. Garnish with mint leaf?
Also, do you need a last minute gift for a spirits enthusiast this season? Cross them off your list by picking up a Ketel One gift set complete with a bottle of Ketel One and a stainless steel cocktail shaker for a suggested retail price of $23.
The last night of Chanukkah is approaching, and if you're looking for a delicious dish to celebrate the holiday, look no further. This traditional latke recipe from Bon Appetit is marvelous! The combination of smoked salmon, sour cream, potato and chives is simply brilliant!
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, peeled, quartered
1 2-inch cube peeled celery root (celeriac)
1 medium Granny Smith apple (unpeeled), quartered, cored
1 large egg
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Vegetable oil (for frying)
1 8-ounce container crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tablespoons drained prepared white horseradish
8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon
Chopped fresh chives
Preheat oven to 325°F. Place baking sheet in oven. Place colander in large bowl. Line colander with kitchen towel. Using processor fitted with shredding blade, coarsely grate potatoes, onion, celery root and apple at the same time. Transfer potato mixture to towel. Gather towel tightly around potato mixture and squeeze out as much liquid as possible into bowl; discard liquid. Place potato mixture, egg, green onion, marjoram, salt and pepper in same bowl; toss to blend. Mix in flour.
Pour enough vegetable oil into heavy large skillet to cover bottom. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, drop 1/4 cup pancake mixture into skillet for each pancake. Using bottom of metal spatula, flatten each mound to 3-inch round. Fry until cooked through and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer pancakes to baking sheet in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining pancake mixture, leaving behind any liquid that collects in bottom of bowl.
Mix crème fraîche and horseradish in small bowl. Arrange 2 pancakes on each plate. Garnish pancakes with dollop of horseradish cream and smoked salmon. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Here's something delightful to serve during the holidays from the Food Channel. A traditional dish served during the days of Charles Dickens.
8 red apples (gala or rome beauty)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup finely chopped dried apricots
4 tablespoons chopped pecans, toasted
4 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons softened unsalted butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into 2 pieces
1 cup apple cider
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Core apples. Peel about 1/3 down the apple. Stand apples up in a large ceramic or glass pie plate and make 4 evenly spaced vertical cuts starting from top of each apple and stopping halfway from bottom to keep apple intact. Brush inside and outside of peeled apple with lemon juice.
- Toss together apricots, pecans, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmet in a bowl. Rub softened butter into dried fruit mixture with your fingers until combined well. Pack center of each apple with mixture. Put a piece of remaining butter on top of each apple. Pour cider around apples and cover pie plate tightly with foil.
- Bake in middle of oven, basting once, until apples are just tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue to bake until apples are very tender but not falling apart, 20-30 minutes more.
- Transfer to serving dishes and spoon sauce over and around apples.
Why try? This holiday sweet is packed with wholesome goodness of fruits and nuts.
Foodie Byte: Try placing the apples on the turkey platter for a lovely and tasty garnish.
The holiday party season is in full swing and with it comes mistletoe, tree lightings and of course cocktails! When planning celebrations, Hood River Distillers recommends making the drink menu creative and seasonal with concoctions that highlight a party's theme and set a festive tone:
SnowPak: This layered cocktail packs in three distinct flavors to warm guests up. Select your favorite tall, narrow, clear glass, preferably a liqueur glass, chilled carefully. Layer in this order:
1/2 ounce Monarch coffee liqueur
1/2 ounce Knickers Irish Cream
1/2 ounce ULLR Nordic Libation
Fall is here and if you haven't tried cooking with spaghetti squash then you're missing out! This recipe will let you enjoy a spaghetti meal without the dreaded pasta carbs:
1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons sliced black olives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2.Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3.Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4.Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.
*This meal is wonderful paired with a Riesling wine.
For more on this recipe, visit http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Spaghetti-Squash-I/Detail.aspx
Take a sip of Fashion Week
Posted September 10, 2009on:
Not everyone is fortunate enough to get into the tents at Fall Fashion Week. But at least you can have a taste of the event with a Chambord cocktail.
Chambord is the official liqueur of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week for the fourth consecutive year in the Bryant Park tents. So, mix up your own batch of your favorite fashionable cocktail, kick up your stilettos and enjoy the shows from your computer!
Chambord® French Martini
1½ oz vodka
½ oz Chambord
3 oz pineapple juice
Shake ingredients with ice
And strain into a martini glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist.
Chambord® Lemonade
1½ oz vodka
½ oz Chambord
3 oz sugar free lemonade
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a tall glass.
Garnish with fresh berries or a lemon.
Chambord® Velvet Elvis
2 oz Jack Daniel's® Tennessee Whiskey
1 oz Chambord
2 oz sweet and sour
Shake ingredients with ice and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.
- In: Recipes | Women's Health
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We've all heard that we need to drink at least eight glasses of water a day, but perhaps the most important benefit of hydration is how it helps maintain your body's proper fluid balance and guard against water retention. It also helps prevent constipation, which can cause bloating.
Well the Sassy Water Diet uses this concept to help you get a flatter belly. The recipe, created by prevention nutrition director Cynthia Sass, requires drinking one full recipe of Sassy Water a day. But the ingredients aren't just for flavor: The ginger also helps calm and soothe your GI tract.
Here's the recipe:
Sassy Water
2 liters water (about 8 ½ cups)
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves.
Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher and let flavors blend overnight. Drink the entire pitcher by the end of each day.


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Today's Embrace the Camera is all about Daddy and his girls.
(He grew up as the youngest of two boys, living in a male-dominated household and is now the only male in his home. He's tough enough to take it though.)
Today's Embrace the Camera is all about Daddy and his girls.
We've been testing out areas around the house for photoshoots. Where is the best lighting? What backdrop to use? I've got some cool ideas I just hope I can transfer them from my head to reality. In the meantime, I have plenty of helpers which is slowing down the process. But, my helpers are also the models, so I can't be too picky can I?
When I stumbled upon the Anderson Crew blog I loved her idea of Embrace the Camera. I really do need to include myself in more photos, for the children's sake. Here's to hoping this idea sticks.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Pro Bowl, an annual Uni Watch bête noir, took place yesterday, but I'll get to that debacle tomorrow. Today I want to take some time to address some sad news that came down over the weekend, namely that Karl Ehrhardt — better known to Mets fans as the Sign Man — had died on Thursday. You don't have to have grown up watching Ehrhardt's antics, as I did, to appreciate his contribution to athletics aesthetics. Although not a uni-related figure per se, he was definitely part of the Shea Stadium landscape from 1964 through 1981, just like the old Dodgers Sym-Phony was an integral part of the Ebbets Field scene.
When I went looking for photos of Ehrhardt to run with this piece, I was stunned by how few images of him were available on the web. Aside from the one shown above (here's a larger, uncropped version, and dig that usher's uni!), the only others I could find were this and this, along with two more recent shots taken at Ehrhardt's home a few years ago.
But I remember plenty of other signs Ehrhardt held up over the years. When a ball went through an infielder's legs, it was, "Look Ma, No Hands!" When Jose Cardenal struck out, it was always, "Jose, Can You See?" According to a 2006 article, "He took roughly 60 signs to each game; he once owned as many as 1,200, but only 12 remain." Does anyone have more pics of Ehrdhardt's work? If so, forward them my way and I'll assemble them into a gallery.
Will the Mets memorialize Ehrhardt with a sleeve patch? I doubt it — he was never tight with the Wilpon/Doubleday ownership group (they didn't like him holding signs that criticized the home team, although they eventually invited him back to Shea for the team's 40th anniversary in 2002). But man, think of the graphic possibilities of an Ehrhardt patch! Consider, for example, the logo that Uni Watch's own Scott M.X. Turner created for Jon Springer's Mets by the Numbers site. Now imagine something like that with "Karl" or "K.E." on the sign — would that make an awesome patch or what? And it would be especially apropos for this, Shea's final season.
In any case, Ehrhardt will live on in the minds of all Mets fans — and, I hope, all sports aesthetes. R.I.P., Sign Man.
Membership News: My apologies to those of you who've been waiting for your membership kits. A combination of factors conspired to delay the latest batch a bit longer than usual, but a bunch of kits mailed out on Friday (including today's showcase card, based on the Marquette hoops team), so watch your mailboxes.
Uni Watch News Ticker: "I'd heard that Babe Ruth was a catcher before he turned pro, but I had never seen a picture until now," writes Cork Gaines. "The strange thing about the photo is that Ruth (back row, left end) is holding a right-handed catcher's mitt. As a former catcher myself, I know there's an advantage to being right-handed (throws to second tend to tail to the correct side of the bag, better positioned to throw out someone stealing third), but I never thought the advantage was so great that a lefty would play the position right-handed." Anyone know more about this chapter of Ruth's life? "¦ The Museum of Flight in Seattle has a new exhibit devoted to flight attendants' uniforms. Details here and here, and there's a great photo gallery here (with thanks to Larry Draper and Brian Terreson). "¦ Several readers are reporting that the Georgia Tech football players voted on new uniforms for next season. "They're switching back to 'old gold' instead of 'Vegas gold,'" says Ben Beck. "Word on the street is white shirt/gold pants for both home and road. Still deciding on which helmet, though." Dan Skankar says there's also talk of a blue pants option. "¦ Good assortment of NBA All-Star Game uniforms on view in this video clip (with thanks to Josh Hansen). "¦ Report from a reader who prefers to remain anonymous: "The UAB football program is officially switching to Nike for the upcoming season, and is getting a jersey redesign. I've seen them, and they are very similar to the Miami jerseys when they were first redone, with a gold stripe coming up the sides and meeting at a point in the middle of a green or white field. I'll try to get some pictures of them soon." … Fun design-your-own-uni site here (with thanks to Brennan Sullivan). "¦ More green dots may be on the way. "¦ Depending on how you look at it, this is either history's worst attempt at radial arching or else an endearing case of typography illustrating the word in question. "¦ Want a nice glove in the face? Here's an entire article devoted to that tactic. "¦ Incredible though it may seem, there are ways to raise cancer awareness that don't involve the color pink. Case in point: The French rugby team wore a yellow daffodil patch on their right jersey sleeve in their 6 Nations match against Ireland on Saturday (with thanks to Ross Lake). "¦ I think this means he's injured, right? "¦ Speaking of pink, check out the color-coordinated logo creep on ASU coach Charlie Turner-Thorne's collar (awesome catch by Andres Douzoglou). … Xavier wore throwbacks yesterday — nice. "¦ Good catch by Ben Waschman, who spotted the ACC black memorial strip for the Virginia Tech shootings on Duke's black alternates (it's on the upper-right chest, opposite the American flag on the left). "¦ Reprinted from last night's comments: This year's Stanley Cup finals patch will apparently look like this. "¦ Coupla soccer notes from Jeremy Brahm: First, AC Milan is partnering with the fashion label Dolce & Gabanna. And FIFA has awarded a jersey badge to AC Milan for winning the FIFA World Club Championship in Japan in December (details here and here).


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by Erin Bowman, 423 pages, Grades 7 and up
The Odyssey crew receives a distress from a nearby planet. The cold, dark planet is inhabited by the mining industry, so the Odyssey expects to find a busy industrial complex when they land at the station. Instead the whole station seems quiet, and then they find bodies. So many bodies, some strewn throughout the station, throats cut, bleeding from the eyes, some piled in a mass grave in the mine shaft frozen and unmoving. Instead of running back to the ship the team decides to investigate; they will collect a body to autopsy in the lab so they can understand the disease that overcame an entire mining company, but when they try to collect a corpse, the bodies reanimate and begin to attack! Luckily they all are wearing impenetrable space suits that should keep them safe, but how can they be sure no one is infected when they don't even understand the contagion?
If you enjoy science fiction books full of suspense and adventure, you might also enjoy: Killer of Enemies, by Joseph Bruchac, Illuminae, by Amie Kaufman, or Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card.


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Lon Kurashige is the Associate Professor of History and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California. Kurashige studies racial ideologies, politics of identity, emigration/immigration, historiography, cultural enactments, and social reproduction, particularly as they pertain to Asians in the United States. He is the author of Japanese American Celebration and Conflict: A History of Ethnic Identity and Festival, 1934-1990 (2002) and co-author of Major Problems in Asian American History (2002). He received the USC Innovative Teaching Award in 2005.
In February 2011 he gave a lecture (From Yellow Peril to Multiculturalism: Chester Rowell and Japanese Immigration Exclusion) at the Portland Center for Public Humanities.


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A last minute invitation to a missions fair. A presentation to a church. A friendship formed. These are what led to my relationship with Old Saline Baptist Church and, six months later, a mission that changed us all.
Last Fall Randy Carruth contacted me about a possible ministry with Ethan Red Eagle Lawton and the First Baptist Church on the Hoopa Reservation in Hoopa, California. After meeting the good people of Saline Baptist Church it was decided that we would do a Sports Camp for the young people on the reservation.
Old Saline Baptist Church is a small to medium sized rural Louisiana church where the members are all like family. I was the outsider in this group but they quickly made me feel like one of their own. I came to know and love each one of them. They only had six months to raise funds for this mission but with God all things are possible and they did it.
We arrived on the Hoopa Reservation with great expectations and we were not disappointed. The people were loving and the land was beautiful. The kids we worked with were receptive to all we had to offer.
We spent our days preparing for the camp each evening and performing acts of kindness at the church and in the community.
We also did some site-seeing in the Valley of Giants Redwood Forest…
…and Trinidad Beach.
We also explored the reservation.
In the evenings we had camp. Each evening started off with a pledge to the Bible…
Then we had Basketball…
Crafts and Puppets for the little ones…
And of course, snacks!
On our final night there we had a family night that consisted of worship, food and fellowship and an awards ceremony…
We were blessed to be able to work with Pastor Ethan Lawton and three summer missionaries…Johanna Gross, Zion Abiy and Lina Adams. They made our work there so much easier and we all feel as if we have found forever friends in them.
The first mission anywhere is usually a learning process for everyone involved and this was no exception. From the traveling details to the food and even the camp itself you always find that there were things you wish you had done differently. The beauty of that is that is that you can! You learn, you grow and you return the following year to improve on a ministry that is now a part of who you are. To a people you have come to love. And to a place that will forever be in your heart.
I am so blessed to work with a group that recognizes that and are already raising funds for next year. Join us if you dare!


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Who We Are
Every Lucid AfterLife song is a unique degree of initiation into its inner sanctums. Its halls vibrate with electric grooves, angelic and inspiring. Lyrically it wants to involve the listener, at its core it wants to elevate you.
Formed in 2013 Lucid AfterLife is constantly evolving record to record-setting no creative boundaries to their creative designs. With a sound as eclectic as the themes within its imagination-driven walls.
"(Lucid AfterLife) are Known for their genre-bending sound, which mixes metal, hip-hop, and spoken word, among others. The four-piece is revered for their live theatrical performances, consistently captivating audiences on tours across North America."
Van City Buzz
Hailing from Vancouver Canada, the band has been blessed with the loyal attention and support of its acolytes at home as well as enclaves abroad. This attention allowed them to support top grade bands of all genres including Metal, Rock & Hip Hop (Ill Nino, Bobaex, Stonebolt, Snak The Ripper, Twista & The Crystal Method to name a few). In turn, this attracted top tier musicians and producers like legendary keyboardist Dave Stone (Rainbow), Hip-Hop artist Merkules and Mega producer Skip Saylor (Elton John, Eminem) to collaborate.
Having played in Canada, USA, Peru and Mexico Lucid AfterLife seeks to spread their Astral Space Rock message to the entire universe through its infectious live show!
After 3 records consisting of their debut EP "Meltdown" (2014), their self-produced LP "I AM" (2015) and their latest EP "Occult Maa Mistress" (2016) Lucid AfterLIfe is set to illuminate "Descendant" with American label Forbidden Place Records.
Nat JackLead Vocals
What We Play
Lucid Afterlife incorporates so many different genres they are almost a genre of their own. They are heavy at times but mellow when it's needed.
With their singers deep penetrating vocals, it always raises hairs when they switch to a freestyle rap jam – it blows away crowds when they find out the whole song was spur of the moment.
Where We Play
After multiple successful tours across Western Canada, Lucid AfterLife has been given increased support by the media, having their songs played on the radio on multiple stations across the nation.
Hands down there is no band out there like Lucid AfterLife and when you see them you will be elucidated.
"Building a name as one of the most amazing live bands in Canada is a serious goal for the Lucid boys and few to none who have seen a show will disagree that they are earning a name in the ranks."
Music Crowns


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Sep 7, 2015
You Know You're Filipino - (13) Funny Pics
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About the Author
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Global Change and Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems / Edition 1 available in Hardcover
- 0387943528
- 9780387943527
- Pub. Date:
- 10/20/1995
- Publisher:
- Springer New York
Regions with Mediterranean-type climates include parts of California, South America, Australia, and of course, Europe. The effect of global climate change on these heavily populated areas will have major social and political ramifications.
This volume addresses issues in these areas, from processes at the leaf level to the individual, ecosystem, and landscape levels. This book will serve to raise awareness on the significance of these types of ecosystems, and on their sensitivity to the threat that global change represents.
Product Details
|Springer New York
|Publication date:
|Ecological Studies , #117
|Edition description:
|Product dimensions:
|6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.36(d)
Table of Contents
1. Relevance of Regional Models for Analyzing Future Climate Change in the Iberian Peninsula.- 2. Modeling Leaf Level Effects of Elevated CO2 on Mediterranean Sclerophylls.- 3. Direct Effects of Elevated CO2 in Chaparral and Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems.- 4. Biomass Partitioning and Resource Allocation of Plants from Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems: Possible Responses to Elevated Atmospheric CO2.- 5. Preliminary Studies of the Long-Term CO2 Response of Mediterranean Vegetation Around Natural CO2 Vents.- 6. Anticipated Effects of Elevated CO2 and Climate Change on Plants from Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems Utilizing Results of Studies in Other Ecosystems.- 7. Plant Responses to Drought Under Climate Change in Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems.- 8. Functional Attributes of Angiosperm Hemiparasites and Their Hosts and Predictions of Possible Effects of Global Climate Change on Such Relationships.- 9. Effects of Global Change on PlantAnimal Synchrony: Implications for Pollination and Seed Dispersal in Mediterranean Habitats.- 10. The Coastal Sage ScrubChaparral Boundary and Response to Global Climatic Change.- 11. Vegetation Response to Climatic Change in a Dune Ecosystem in Southern Spain.- 12. Monitoring Ecosystem Response to Global Change: High Spatial Resolution Digital Imagery.- 13. Monitoring Ecosystem Response to Global Change: Multitemporal Remote Sensing Analyses.- 14.MicrobePlant Interactions in Mediterranean-Type Habitats: Shifts in Fungal Symbiotic and Saprophytic Functioning in Response to Global Change.- 15. Soil Organic Matter in Mediterranean-Type Ecosystems and Global Climatic Changes: A Case StudyThe Soils of the Mediterranean Basin.- 16. Ecosystem Response to Elevated CO2: Nutrient Availability and Nutrient Cycling.- 17. Volatile Organics in Mediterranean Shrubs and Their Potential Role in a Changing Environment.- 18. Using Catchments of Contrasting Hydrological Conditions to Explore Climate Change Effects on Water and Nutrient Flows in Mediterranean Forests.- 19. Water Balance of Mediterranean Ecosystems Under a Changing Climate.- 20. Patterns of Fire Occurrence Across a Climatic Gradient and Its Relationship to Meteorological Variables in Spain.- 21. Sensitivity of Fire Regime in Chaparral Ecosystems to Climate Change.- 22. Global Environmental Change to and the Future of Mediterranean Forest Avifauna.- 23. Monitoring Environmental Change Through Amphibian Populations.- 24. Conservation, Restoration, and Research Priorities for Mediterranean Uplands Threatened by Global Climate Change.


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The way she talks, one would think Hillary Clinton is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian rebels:
"The Obama administration is weighing its options for more direct involvement in the Syrian civil war if the rebels opposing the Assad regime can wrest enough control to create a safe haven for themselves, US officials said. "Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says it's only a matter of time before the rebels have enough territory and organization to create such areas. 'More and more territory is being taken,' Clinton said this week. 'It will eventually result in a safe haven inside Syria, which will then provide a base for further actions by the opposition.'"
There is Gen. Hillary, Amazonian warrior-goddess, directing her Hellions to take this town, seize that territory, and get on with "further actions" - such an inspiring sight for feminists and warmongers the world over! At last, a woman who can muster as much blood-lust as any man! So what are these "further actions" our Secretary of State anticipates with ill-concealed glee?
According to a briefing by the BND to the German Diet, Qaeda has pulled off "around 90" terrorist attacks in Syria since the fighting began. And their success isn't limited to suicide bombings: their anti-Christian terror campaign is taking off by leaps and bounds. Der Spiegel reports:
"There had been many warnings that the Khouri family wouldn't talk. 'They won't say a word - they're too scared,' predicted the mayor of Qa, a small market town in northeastern Lebanon where the Khouris are staying. 'They won't even open their door for journalists,' said another person, who had contacted the family on behalf of a non-governmental organization. Somehow, though, the interview was arranged in the end. Reserved and halting, the women described what happened to their husbands, brothers and nephews back in their hometown of Qusayr in Syria. They were killed by Syrian rebel fighters, the women said - murdered because they were Christians, people who in the eyes of radical Islamist freedom fighters have no place in the new Syria."
Kind of reminds me of another Clintonian production - Waco. There, too, Christians were slaughtered as the whole world watched, sending a message unmistakable in its ominous implications. Unfortunately for the Khouris of this world, the fashion in Washington isn't defending Christians where they face persecution, but Muslims - well now, that's a different matter.
This taking up of Islam's cause is highly selective: only Sunnis need apply. The Sunni "turn" was initiated by George W Bush at the height of the Iraq war and taken up by the Obamaites with a vengeance. The dumping of Hosni Mubarak, the Libyan operation, and now Syria has taken this strategy to its "logical" conclusion: a de facto alliance with Qaeda. When a suicide bomber blasted the Syrian Defense Minister into the next world, along with Bashar al-Assad's brother-in-law and several other top officials, the US refused to condemn the act - a terrorist attack almost certainly carried out by jihadists close to bin Laden's boys, if not Qaeda itself.
One of the big criticisms of the Iraq war was that, prior to the US invasion, Qaeda had no presence in Iraq, and bin Laden had no links to Saddam's regime - this in spite of the efforts of an entire mini-industry to create one where none existed. Syria is replicating this well-known history, while the very people who invoked it to criticize a Republican administration are following in the Bush's footsteps.
Yet the Obamaites are going several steps beyond anything the Bushies ever imagined: their attempt to hijack the "Arab Spring" and cultivate "moderate" Islamists, including the various national sections of the Muslim Brotherhood, has turned into an aggressive military campaign to topple governments from the shores of Tripoli to those of the Persian Gulf - and some conservatives are balking. They began asking questions when Washington and its Nato allies bankrolled the Libyan Islamists, and now that Qaeda is acting as the fighting vanguard of Hillary's Hellions in Syria, they are beginning to ask some of the right questions, such as: what role does Clinton's top aide, Huma Abedin, play in this tilt toward the Brotherhood in Egypt, Syria, and elsewhere?
Again, the Bush administration took the lead in this strategic turn, forging links with Jundallah, a terrorist organization operating out of Iranian Baluchistan, but since it was Seymour Hersh reporting on this, the Andrew McCarthys of this world turned the other way. Now that the strategy is being taken to its bizarre albeit entirely "logical" conclusion in Libya and Syria, however, our professional Islamophobes - previously solidly in the neocon camp - are about to defect.
The usual neocon suspects have issued a letter endorsing Hillary's "safe zones" initiatives, anticipating the next step in our ever-escalating involvement in the Syrian civil war: the signers include Karl Rove, as well as a few "liberal" shills like Paul Berman, tired old Shachtmanites like Joshua Muravchik, and a whole platoon of mini-neocons you never heard of. Yet the actually existing conservative movement is going to have a really hard time swallowing this one: do we really want to ally with the perpetrators of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and their fan club in order to take out Iran?
If the United States is now engaged in a relentless campaign to provoke a devastating internal conflict in the Muslim world - one that pits fanatical is a war of annihilation against Christians, Alawites, and other "heretics" - then McCain is all in favour of it, and he is certainly eager to defend its advocates in the State Department from having to answer any inconvenient questions. This has nothing to do with "Islamophobia," and everything to do with the War Party's latest scheme, which is to play the card for all it's worth. If we let them play it, the consequences for the Middle East - and the world - will be nothing less than catastrophic. The neocons know what side they're, but the question is: do the rest of us?
I see Richard Seymour, the blogosphere's pet Trotskyist, has come out for the Syrian rebels: the antiwar movement, he writes, is "understandably" suspicious of an uprising that has "made in Washington" stamped all over it, but, hey, it's really a "peoples revolution," and those bad old American imperialists are just trying to "hijack" it. "It isn't clear" that the "non-interventionist" faction of the Syrian opposition has been "marginalized" just yet, avers Comrade Seymour - I suppose we'll have to wait for Qaeda to knock them off, just like they're knocking off the Christians, the Alawites, and anyone else who looks at them cross-eyed.
There's a sea-change in the air when the Andrew McCarthys descry an American administration's war machinations and the Richard Seymours hail US-supported "insurgents" as "liberators." Remember this happened during the Clinton era, when the left supported the Balkan war of "liberation" in which we were on the same side as Qaeda - and conservatives balked. When the Republican-dominated House of Representatives threatened to withhold funding from Bill's Balkan adventure, neocon grand strategist Bill Kristol threatened to leave the GOP.
Maybe this time he'll carry out his threat. Kristol and his neocon comrades can issue all the letters they want, but it'll be a cold day in Hell before grassroots conservatives will support the modern equivalent of the Hitler-Stalin Pact - a grand alliance between Washington and the world's radicals. It doesn't matter that the Israel Firsters are demanding they get in line and join the anti-Iranian popular front: any decent self-respecting conservative has to draw the line somewhere.
As the Obama administration launches a campaign to extend the Empire to include most of what we used to call the "Near East" and North Africa, they'll get no serious opposition from the left. Even the supposedly "far" left, exemplified by Seymour - a member of the British Socialist Workers Party, a Trotskyist organization - have given up their "anti-imperialist" position in favor of the identity politics that have grown up where the old Marxism used to thrive. Muslims, you see, are an Oppressed Minority, at least in the West, and therefore they must be championed internationally, no matter what the cost to reason or a long anti-imperialist tradition.
What this means is that us anti-interventionists will be more isolated than ever, politically, with the "left" in Hillary's apron pocket and the neocons in firm control of the Republican party machinery. As the vultures circle over Syria, it won't be long before they descend to make their kill. When they do, only a very few on the "far" left and the paleocon-libertarian right will be warning of the disaster looming just down the road a bit: it's the Clinton years all over again.
– Antiwar


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A Few Words From Our Friends:
First of all I want to tell you how much I love your music! I'm a piano teacher and have used many of your pieces in teaching as well as my own performing. I also love to perform your arrangements because I get more compliments than when I play anything else!
Thanks be to God for your beautiful music. I just turned 71 last Monday and have been playing the piano since I was 6. I love to sit for hours and play the piano. I learned evangelistic style hymn arranging at a young age, but your style of music really touched my heart. I, by accident, came across the video you did of Amazing Grace in tribute to your dad. It was exquisitely beautiful. I am looking forward to downloading it and playing it. Thank you for making that possible. Keep arranging beautiful music.
"Here comes Jason Tonioli! People are for sure going to love this music at Christmas...on their ipods, on their pianos, on the radio and at live performances. Great stuff Jas!"
I just wanted to tell you that I love your music so much. It is so wonderful to play and so very beautiful. It has blessed my life tremendously. My husband wants me to play your music over and over again. Thank you! Thank you! We appreciate your talent so very much. It is a gift to the world.
I just want to let you know how much I appreciate your music. I am 15 years old and have been playing for 11 years. I first heard of your books about 4 years ago, and got your first one, and loved it! I now have all three of your hymn book and two of your Christmas books. They are a great help to me when I am feeling stressed or angry, because I can just sit down and play one. I just want to thank you for your beautiful music!
I received my first order yesterday and played all three books last night. Today my husband ordered every other book available because every single arrangement was so wonderful! Thank you for filling our home with your amazing talent for music, Jason!
So enjoyable! I was very stressed out and you cured me! This is yet another top quality release and people are going to really love it. My favorite is Simple Gifts (awesome arrangement!). Also nice job on the the background textures. OOH… "All creatures of our God and King" is grabbing me. Nice how it gets majestic. GREAT JOB my friend! Congrats!!!!


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Care for old will cost billions. Who's paying?
Grand plans for our ageing population are all very well — but the figures need to add up.
The vulnerable old deserve better than this
The Government's latest plans for care of the elderly are unfair and unaffordable
Sir Edward Leigh Suggests Re-Taking Calais
17 minutes ago


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These crisp-crusted individual pies are a much more elegant version of the pizzas at Mama Mia's in New York's Dutchess County that Shea Gallante grew up making. Here, he tops them with sweet tomatoes, aged Gouda and a little pesto. More Pizza Recipes
How to Make It
Preheat the broiler. In a medium baking dish, toss the cherry tomatoes with the panko, garlic, shallot, basil and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil 6 inches from the heat for about 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes pop and brown lightly.
Preheat the oven to 500°. Set a pizza stone on the bottom of the oven and heat for at least 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out each ball of Pizza Dough to a 7-inch round. Transfer two rounds to a lightly floured pizza peel. Spoon one-sixth of the cherry tomato topping on each round. Slide the pizzas onto the heated stone and bake for about 5 minutes, or until sizzling and just set. Remove from the oven and sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of the aged Gouda and 1 tablespoon of the Parmigiano. Return the pizzas to the oven and bake for about 5 minutes longer, until the cheeses are melted and the crust is lightly browned. Drizzle with a little Basil Pesto and serve. Repeat with the remaining dough, tomato topping, cheeses and pesto.
Make Ahead
Suggested Pairing
Pair cheesy pizzas with moderately tannic reds such as a Chianti Classico, or, if they aren't covered in tomato saucewhich tends to overwhelm white winesa crisp white like a Verdicchio.


text: With that Verde Terrace resonating with fans for more than a month now, Spitta releases the visuals to one of the tracks on the mixtape. "Ways To Kill 'Em" doesn't stray too far from a regular day for Curren$y, with weed smoke filling the air and chilling on the couch playing video games. You can also check cameos from his closet, cars and Jordans. Watch the video above.


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Women serving Northwestern and the community since 1916
Stacey Huynh received her BS in Education and Social Policy in March of this year (2017) and will pursue a Masters in Higher Education Administration and Policy. In addition to her strong academic accomplishments, she is founder and President of the Vietnamese Student Association and President of her sorority, Sigma Psi Zeta. She has also received several awards that honor her volunteer work and leadership, including Wildcat Excellence awards. Stacey has interned during the summers in various youth development programs and currently works as an admission counselor in the Undergraduate Admissions Office. She describes herself as a low income, first generation college student who is committed to help others in under-represented and under-served communities.


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Simple to set-up, simple to use
Very good detail, color, contrast, and black levels
Poised, room-filling sound
Stylish design, Bluetooth and wireless sub
Impressively feature-packed system
Great video performance
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text: IVIYTH0S Posted March 3, 2014 I've been contemplating selling my 7950 while the market's up for 7900s right now and getting a 770 4GB for little cost to me. I'll likely get around $315 for my card on ebay when all is said and done and I can get an EVGA SC or PNY 4GB 770 for $355-$350 respectively. Is this stupid?? Should I just keep my 7950 and continue to enjoy it?? I figure it won't be a huge upgrade but it is stronger in every way and then I could get to some of my physx titles I've been putting off as well. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE this 7950 but this seems like a great opportunity to upgrade slightly and strengthen my build some. Thoughts? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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The American education system is fucked. It's outdated, it's stifling, and the political response—forcing students to excel at standardized testing—has failed spectacularly. We desperately need a drastic change, but what's the solution? Greg Whiteley's documentary Most Likely to Succeed believes the answer lies in a single high school in San Diego—High Tech High. However, despite saying early in the film that the problem with standardized testing is that everyone learns differently, Whiteley remains tethered completely to High Tech High as if its teaching model should provide the new model for all education. However, his limited scope not only turns the film into what feels like a promotional video for a single school, but it also misses the point of traditional education.
After learning that his 10-year-old daughter no longer cares about school, Whiteley sets out on a quest to figure out why we still follow a model of education that's existed since 1843. He sharply and entertainingly lays out the history of American education and how it's shaped to create obedient citizens, specifically ones suited to the industrial age. But now we've moved out of the industrial age into the information age, and Whiteley argues that income inequality and the lack of jobs for college graduates is a result of our poor education model and the inability to compete with computers, although his examples don't come from business but from Deep Blue and Watson, which were good enough to win at chess and Jeopardy!, respectively. If we don't change the way we teach, Whiteley argues, then computers will take all of our jobs, so the only way to compete is to learn skills like abstract reasoning, leadership, and cooperation.
As I said, our current public education system is incredibly flawed at best and an outright failure at worst. However, it pursues the same goal as Whiteley, which is that education should create competitors and Productive Members of Society™. Learning to develop a life-long love of learning is never mentioned. It's about "skills" as if computers can't learn skills. And if we just break away from standardized testing and move to a more abstract, unconventional mode of learning, we'll have this whole education thing licked.
I agree that standardized testing is the worst, but to say that our current model of teaching lacks any merit whatsoever is to insult students who find test-based learning to be valuable. In one of the few times Whiteley breaks away from the perceived Mecca that is High Tech High, he interviews high school students who like tests. These students are treated as quaint and their views are "interesting", as if a set curriculum and conventional lesson plan are ridiculous.
Whiteley points out that since students who attempt to ace a standardized test have a poor retention rate, this kind of learning is a failure. But Whiteley falls into the same fallacy as any mopey teenager who says, "I'm never going to need this in the real world anyway!" This line of thinking believes that if you don't retain the information you learned in algebra, then that subject (or at least the way we teach it) is worthless. Except what we're learning isn't really math, but problem solving, which is something that everyone uses in every day life. The lesson isn't "2x + y = 37"; the lesson is how you persevere at something you might not understand or even particularly like, but you do it anyway.
The other criticism of the old model is flawed is that current curriculum covers too much. Whiteley criticizes AP History because it tries to teach a wide span of centuries rather than focus on a shorter timespan. But I took AP History, and you can argue that if we had focused on one or two specific eras, I might possibly know more about those eras. But if I hadn't learned a longer timeline, then I would be denied investigating more history. I love history, and part of that love came from my World History teacher's willingness to take us from the early 10th century to the end of the 20th century. To be clear, I was lucky enough to attend a private school where teachers had the freedom to come up with fun projects and didn't teach to a government-issued standardized test, but we also took notes and tests on what we studied.
By focusing solely on High Tech High, Whiteley dismisses any other kind of schooling that even remotely uses an old mode of education. Instead, we're supposed to be enamored of how 9th grade students are able to blend a history lesson with physics to make an impressive project. And the final result is impressive, but we also never see one unhappy student. There's not a single person at High School High who feels frustrated with the assignments. The only student who struggles isn't depicted as being upset; he just has high ambitions and needs to find a way to reach them. I celebrate High Tech High giving students the freedom to fail, but it's absurd to think that no student fails to connect with this school's particular style of education.
Near the end of the film, Whiteley reveals that he went to plenty of other schools that use non-standard models of education. However, we don't spend any with them. Instead, High Tech High is shown to be the new model even though Whiteley admits that we don't even have anywhere close to enough data to know if this model will be a success. Furthermore, colleges—most of which also share the same form of education—haven't reformed, so how will High Tech High students perform when thrown into that environment? Or will they all just go to Hampshire College and design their own curriculum?
For a documentary that promotes expanding the scope of education, Most Likely to Succeed is rote, misleading, and myopic. We're all looking for solutions to a serious crisis in our country, but they don't all lie in one school. They don't even lie solely in the problem of our educational model. These issues relate to poverty (the film says 40% of the students at High Tech High, a charter school, live below the poverty line, but we don't see them outside school hours), parenting (parents are only shown as being concerned about this radical new approach to education), and college (Whiteley doesn't bother to get input from any college admissions office) just to name a few. We need serious suggestions on how to reform education, but they don't lie only in High Tech High, and they certainly don't exist in this documentary.
Rating: D


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This is one of my favorite recipes I've ever created. My children love them as well! They are just so yummy – not to mention good for you.
Chickpea Burgers with Mango Chutney Honey Mustard
Original recipe by Melissa Ringstaff
Chickpea Burgers:
- 1 cup dried chickpeas {or 1 (15 oz.) can of chickpeas}
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1 tsp. salt
- a pinch of cayenne
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 6 Tbsp. besan (chickpea) flour or all-purpose flour
- Oil for frying
If using dried chickpeas {garbonzo beans}, put the chickpeas in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let soak overnight, then drain. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the besan or flour, and pulse. You want to add enough flour so that the dough forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands.So, if the mixture seems to sticky, you can add a little more flour.
Form the chickpea mixture into hamburger size patties. You want the patties thin – not more than 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick – so that the middle cooks through. Cook over medium to medium low heat in a little oil until golden brown on both sides. Repeat until mixture is used up, adding oil to pan as needed. Drain on paper towels.[Tweet "Chickpea Burgers with Mango Chutney Honey Mustard. So yummy!"]
This recipe makes quite a few burgers and you can freeze any leftovers for a quick meal later on.
Mango Chutney Honey Mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup prepared mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Mango Chutney
In a small bowl, mix ingredients together well with a whisk.
To Serve
I serve these burger over toasted buns. To toast buns, I slather each side of the bun with a little butter or margarine and put under the broiler {watching closely} until lightly browned. Serve with a choice of toppings: red onion, sliced tomato, lettuce. Drizzle generously with the Mango Chutney Honey Mustard.
Really, these are soooo good!
These burgers are allergy friendly:
- vegan/ vegetarian
- the sauce is dairy free if you use a vegan mayonnaise
- gluten free if you use besan {chickpea flour} or other gluten free flour and a gluten free bun.
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So I've started a new 365-project for this year. Take (at least) one photo a day throughout the entire year 2014. 15 days done, 350 to go.
Luckily I'm not alone with this one, as five friends have decided to join the challenge. I have to say that this motivates us all to stick to the project instead of just giving up after one missed day. Getting feedback, supporting each other and just having fun together is great.
One main difference compared to the previous 365-project way back in 2008 is trying to avoid taking photos at home, forcing myself to take outdoor shots than usual. Looking good so far in that respect.
I have to say that so far I'm very satisfied with my Sony RX100M2 camera. It really has a lot of punch for its size and is way more easily with me than a regular SLR-camera. So in hardware terms, this project will not fail because of that.
So what have I learned so far? Well, photographing is fun and making that extra bother in some situations does pay off sometimes. Post-production is time consuming, but can magically lift a bland photograph into new heights.
Click on the photo to view the set, I will be updating it at irregular intervals.


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How to Find the Best Air Conditioning Services in Dubai
The process of dispelling the extra amount of heat that causes overheating for there to be a livable state is called air conditioning. When you build a house, you need to look for these services so that you can maintain a serene environment to live in especially during the summer. The first thing to do is to have the devices installed in the house in the best manner and also to ensure that these equipment are working properly. Repeated checkup on the equipment should be done as these things are prepared by humans and therefore they are prone to experiencing problems. Since this is something that can just happen at any time, you need to be prepared with the best solution in mind all the time. The article here highlights some of the factors to consider when choosing the right air conditioning service providers.
Every repairer who wishes to work on your air conditioning system should produce a physical evidence that proves the individual has enough work experience. You should not be swerved away by the respect that a service provider commands in the market, you should always go for the most experienced in the market. An experienced air conditioner repairer or maintainer brings to the organization a thorough job that sees a long-term success of the equipment later afterward. The expertise is put to the test especially where the person who is coming for repair or maintenance purposes is not the one who installed it.
Also when choosing the air conditioning service provider, you should be keen to find the one who is legally allowed by the government to operate in serving the members of the public. An organization or an individual is termed legal and allowed to operate through the issuance of registration certificates. The most important document is the license which works as the work permit to confirm that the company can provide the maintenance and repair services when needed. When the company avails these requirements it can then proceed with the normal operations.
The availability of the expert is another aspect of having in mind to provide the services immediately they are required. During the summer, the temperature of a house should always be regulated, and therefore anytime a problem is noted, the right repairer should be availed. Therefore, especially for the company, it should have the respective workforce that can execute these duties on time to ensure that the customers experience no delay or suffer from adverse conditions.
Finally, when choosing the right maintenance and repair services, you need to consider the prices that are attached to these services. You should, therefore, have budget that describes the necessary amount of money you are supposed to spend at the end of the services. In the market, there are even cheap services that you can choose, but you should go for the high quality that meets your budget.
The Path To Finding Better Professionals


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Premier Singles
Tuesday Night 7pm
Phoenix Doubles
Thursday Night 7pm
United Junior & Youth
Wednesday Afternoons 4pm
United Mini's League 4-7 years old
United Junior/Youth League 7-18 years old
Your child not into mainstream sport? Then bowling could be right up their alley. For more info give our friendly team a call on 0800-HAVE-FUN
Club 55+ Seniors
Tuesday Mornings 11am
Are you young at heart? Come and join this group of bowlers who just want to have fun, meet new people and socialise.
Special Olympics
Saturday Morning 10am
This is a great opportunity for people with any form of disability to play in a fun, social environment.


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The first of many "lasts" begins tomorrow. It is my last Brown Bag, the student choreography showcase. I will need to do some research and find out when I took over from Karen Kriete. I have been Artistic Director for at least ten years.
The final performance was today, Friday October 6. At the end, all the students came on stage and gave me a standing ovation.
It took the idea of my retirement from an abstraction to a reality.
Another "ending" – we had our first Dallas audition this past Saturday, October 14. There are a total of four where students come to SMU and hopefully get a sense of what the program is like. There is a short ballet class, a modern segment and then jazz. I give the jazz portion and have been doing Back Beat Boogie for the past two years! I get a chance to share the history of the Savoy Ballroom and the swing era. I thought of doing something else but Back Beat Boogie works really well and we as a faculty get to see what we need to see.
Part of ending my time at SMU is a mini-retrospective of my work as the sum total of the spring Hope concert. The season brochure has a description. This is it – exciting.
It's the last week of November. I will teach my last Jazz I and Jazz II classes as well as the last Comp I class. I take the last unit of Comp I with The Elements Project. I pair up the students , they choose one of the elements, research source material and pick music, all in the service of their ideas – sources of movement.
Grades have been posted except Comp I. It is always an emotional process. The final grade is a combination of both movement mid-term and final exams, attendance and daily progress. There is also an end of semester essay. Comp I is in three units and our Chair, Brigham Mosley and I average out our grades. We also have to submit an assessment to the University Curriculum, since the course double counts. The Comp I showings were on Friday December 8. It was really great, fine work from all the students. I was very proud of them. That was the last Comp I for me!
Last week we also had three days of student evaluations. Students meet with all their teachers and we assess how their semester went. It is supportive and candid. It is also exhausting but crucial to their journey as a dance major.


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A vibrant installation by artist Ivan Toth Depeña is dazzling commuters of the West Rail Line in a suburb outside of Denver, Colorado. A grove of tree-like structures with transparent foliage sprung up at Lakewood's Federal Station. Arranged to form a three dimensional composition, the geometric panes of laminated, tempered glass are attached to arms branching from 18 free-standing steel posts.
With some help from the sun, the immediate surroundings are transformed into an experiential kaleidoscope. As daylight passes through the brightly hued panels, bands of colourful light are cast upon the 100 feet of winding pedestrian paths, ramps and stairs throughout the day, adding spice to the banal site. LEDs are embedded into the armatures, illuminating the lucid sheets to form a glowing mosaic in the night.
Photos Ivan Toth Depeña


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The new McElroy Acrobat 315 is helping meet the demand for larger polypropylene pipe fusion capability up to 315mm (12") while offering low- and high-force options for polyethylene pipe. The compact, lightweight machine caters to the HVAC, plumbing and mechanical industry as well as the underground/construction world. It functions as easily indoors in tight work spaces as it does outdoors in the smallest trenches. "We're excited to offer a design with such broad appeal and …Read More
Press Releases
A collection of Press Releases from McElroy Manufacturing, Inc.
McElroy hot tap, testing tools now available in metric sizes
McElroy's Hot Tap Tool and Test Cap lines — available for years in Imperial sizes — have recently been expanded to meet the international fused piping industry's metric needs. The Hot Tap Tools make it possible to add new service connections to live water or gas mains while keeping existing services up and running. In response to customer feedback, they are now available for 63mm to 160mm polyethylene branch lines up to DR11. The Hot …Read More
McElroy Spider™ 125 Series 2 now more adaptable, easy to use
The McElroy Spider™ 125 Series 2 socket fusion tool introduces an all-new, serrated jaw design that keeps polypropylene pipe perfectly round and improves force distribution to produce leak-free joints for top-performing plumbing and mechanical systems. The upgraded tool features a removable fitting stop for crossover compatibility with HDPE pipe and a removable fitting support system to hold fittings firmly in place for proper alignment. The Spider 125 Series 2 comes with a stronger gearbox and …Read More
McElroy gains two rental houses for polypropylene equipment
McElroy is pleased to announce the addition of two rental houses that will stock its rapidly-expanding line of polypropylene machines and tools. Consolidated Pipe & Supply of Lawrenceville, Ga., and R&B Company of San Jose, Calif., are now officially Certified McElroy Rental locations, providing operator training, customer service and support with McElroy-trained mechanics and instructors. McElroy's Certified Rental program ensures genuine parts and a factory-trained team to make sure all equipment passes a comprehensive maintenance …Read More


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This was not actually the story I intended to write today, however I couldn't help but notice the date. September 23rd. Bi Visibility Day. The day of the unicorn! The day when all the greedy bastards come out of the wood works…some would say! In light of this, why not share my own story? I've been out and proud for nearly 5 years now, but I've known that I've not been straight as long as I can remember…
My first crush, if you ask my parents, was a boy in my class named Martin. I used to say he would kiss me in the toilets at break time and we got married in the playground. Neither were true. 5 year old me had an active imagination, and I actually thought Martin had a strange face. He just was the boy I was closest to at the time. My crushes would then go on to other boys, and I had a soft spot for Gareth Gates for many years.
At least, that is what I would say when I was asked. Turns out I was great at closeting myself even at primary school age!
My first real crush actually hit me like a rainbow brick at age 10. I was in drama classes all throughout my childhood, and one day a new teacher came to take the class.
For argument's sake I'll call her Laura, since Laura and I are still very much in touch 11 years later and I frankly find this whole phase weird in hindsight.
Laura was, and still is, a tall red head. She exuded energy and confidence, had curves everywhere, and was everything I wanted to be at age 10. She was the first woman I had ever met who I actually thought of as "beautiful". We are raised to say mummy is beautiful or granny is beautiful, but when I said Laura was beautiful it was the first time I actually meant it. Obviously at age 10 I didn't think of this as a sexual attraction at the time, and now I look back I still don't. I didn't know what sex was until age 13, ah Catholic school, but this woman had me transfixed. I remember being extremely confused about how I was feeling for a very long time. At this time in my life all my friends were looking through magazines, talking about how beautiful all these boy band icons were. I just saw the same frosted tips haircut and baggy jeans over and over again, it was the noughties! We were being taught in school that people develop at different rates, so I just thought that finding boys cute was something that just happened when you grew up. I was just a late bloomer. I'd just wake up one day and suddenly go "oh! Boys! Testosterone! Wife me! Women are friends, not for marriage". After Laura came 4 more serious crushes until I hit teenagehood. It would be 4 more years until I had my first proper crush on a boy…
At age 14 I got into my first serious relationship…and the person I was in this relationship with very much had a penis. What drew me to him was his personality, the way he commanded a room, and, although I hate to admit it, he is probably one of the funniest people I have ever met. I fell in love with him fast, and honestly felt relieved. I wasn't gay! Phew! Time to ride the privileged rollercoaster until death with my BOYfriend. The BOY. See how much he has an Adam's Apple? Me straight.
Well, we broke up a year later…
Before this relationship and then after, people at school would always tease me for being gay. Why? Because when I was asked what boys I liked I would say none. Of course all these boys were absolute catches and exuded big dick energy in their teens, so the fact I didn't like them CLEARLY meant I was gay and not that they were just knobs. Gay was such an insulting term to them. I apparently looked gay, acted gay, talked gay (cause that's a thing), just all around clearly a flaming homo. I would get so upset over this, and spent so long trying to appear as straight as I could. Now if someone said I looked gay I know I would have clearly nailed my aesthetic for the day!
Then at 16 I met my current boyfriend. Again, very much a penis owner, 2 different types of chromosome. Still straight, banging! Who would've known it would actually be this man that would be the person who got me to come out…
We had been together for about a year. We were lying in bed, hugging, very much in love (with a BOY remember!) He needed to Google something so I gave him my phone to use, and then ran off to the bathroom. I came back to see my boyfriend looking very confused, but also trying not to laugh.
"K, your web history just popped up at the side. Why were you looking at lesbian porn?"
I quickly make up something along the lines of I just wanted to see if I was into it, which then quickly changed to clicking on it by accident. At this point the confusion in his face dies, and he does indeed burst out laughing.
"So you've been accidentally clicking on nothing but gay porn for the past 6 months?"
In hindsight this is hilarious, but back then I just burst into tears.
He then stops laughing and hugs me, assuring me it's all OK. I couldn't stop howling! I kept being asked what was wrong and I couldn't respond. I'd be awful in an interrogation scenario let me tell you! All I could muster was whispering "I'm sorry" over and over again. It takes me about 15 minutes to calm down, and a talk then begins. He asks me if I'm attracted to women, and I say I can't be. Our relationship was obviously sexual at that point, and I loved it. That means I can't fancy women.
"When you watch these though, do you get into it?"
"And have you fancied a girl before?"
"…mhmm. But, but I'm not gay!"
"Never said you were!"
More laughter ensues from him. I start crying again.
"K, I think you're bisexual…"
*Cries like a Kardashian*
"Are you?"
At age 17, I had worked it out. It was OK to like men, and OK to like women. Now in my 20s I don't think about it much anymore. If someone is attractive then they're attractive. No big deal.
Puberty is a time where we go through hormonal changes. We might think we like boys, next day girls, next day no one. I still haven't quite worked out what I like! I've found love and I'm happy, and I'm happy to say that I take all comers (ha, geddit!) I hope to raise my own children with the philosophy that they can marry a boy or a girl, and would hope that they would have the confidence to live life and love who they like. I still haven't come out to my parents and hide behind heteronomativity.
Maybe this is a phase, but phases are fun! We learn from phases and get to try new things. In my case, both peen and puss! Hope all my fellow superqueeros are celebrating with their pink, purple and blue capes today. Keep flying the flag!


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There are many reason why the approval rating for Congress is so low, but HR 3970: Tax Reduction and Reform Act of 2007 is a shining example of their disregard for anything but their own agenda.
This bill, among other things, extends (not fixes) the AMT patch and several other special deductions. Something they have known all year that they needed to deal with. But like last year they messed around and waited to the last minute to get started. Treasury and the IRS have been trying to get them going on these issues for a while. Neither wanted a repeat of last year where the extenders were the last piece of legislation passed before Christmas recess. This caused delays in return processing. Returns that included any of the extenders could not be processed until February of 2007.
It looks like a repeat situation this year. Experts say TRARA of 2007 is in for a fight in the Senate and the President has already threatened a veto because of income increasers (required to offset the deductions) the House included in the bill. An override looks unlikely. So then, the House will have to start over again to fix the extenders. The longer this farce continues the more likely the IRS will have to delay return processing, again.


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This is the butterfly…a bedroom full of light, the bed facing an enormous double window overlooking the chestnut trees, new oak floor and travertino paint for the walls.
…the necessary chrysalis…
And this was the ugly worm we bought…poor thing it was ugly but with lots of potential! This is the same room as above, here as a post-war kitchen.
Before the war each floor of this Altbau had just 2 enormous buergerlich flats, with chambres de bonne and the like. Each flat was then divided in 3 flats. Our worm – pardon, our Flat – didn't have any bedroom, just a big living room with a bow-window, a kitchen and bath both with windows, and a roomy dark corridor for a total of 54sqm.
We torn the wall down (even if we never liked Reagan, we did as he said 😀 ) and transformed the neighbouring bath and kitchen into a nice bedroom with a superb double window.
So now The Flat has a double bedroom and, thanks to our architect, the living room goes back to its pre-war destination. (Er…what about kitchen and bathroom then?!)


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Published on
The Internet is expanding. And this is not just in terms of getting accessible to more people; it is expanding beyond humans. Machines are becoming connected. Machines are talking to humans, but increasingly, they are also talking to one another. And this interconnectedness of machines, or the Internet of Things (IoT), is a potential multi-trillion dollar market that organizations can now tap into.
However, do organizations realize the scale of the opportunity? Capgemini Consulting conducted an extensive survey of IoT products and services of over 100 leading companies across North America and Europe. We also spoke at length with several industry executives at companies developing IoT solutions to understand the challenges companies face. This article presents the results of the survey and highlights the key hurdles companies are facing.


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Great minds think.
Great minds observe.
Great minds listen.
Great minds have no time for conformity or for rebellion.
I think I'll give it a go.
How about you?
I Will if You Will.
Waddaya think?
Travel far enough (it is said) and you will meet yourself.
And Live long enough Mother said and you will see that everything that you can imagine has become real.
And Father said Look it up in World Book.
And Lao Tsu said that arguing misses the point.
And Jesus said "Bang", (loosely translated as "I've been here since the beginning and I'm always gonna be here.".
And I say that Everytime I find a Truth, it changes. Is there any Truth beyond the search for that Truth? I wonder. No, I don't think so.
My Fortune, my Fame, the keys to my Cadillac for an hour over tea with a Know-it-all.
Peace? Perhaps an enema.
Lee Broom


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After working fine for 4 days, some technical difficulties with Graffiti LIVE appeared JUST today and has broken the auto-sharing system- actually looks like an XBL issue BUT a patch is on the way to work around it.
It shouldn't take as long as this time to get it patched.
edit: OK it looks like everything is working again. I did end up pulling the game yesterday tho, so if you are looking for it and wondering where it went. :P Check back in a few weeks. The next patch should address the heavy slowdown when you accumulate 100+ drawings.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
Graffiti LIVE! is back!
The patch has been approved and Graffiti LIVE is now available once again!
Get it on the Marketplace!
Thanks for your patience!
Whats new:
Get it on the Marketplace!
Thanks for your patience!
Whats new:
- fixed memory leak crash while drawing
- restructured the network distribution system, now should be alot more robust + reliable
- fixed the network session getting lost and having to restart
- a network session is now limited to only 2 people
- more verbose networking messages on main menu
- ability to manually create & join a network session
- new style comment boxes
- preventative error checking on comments
- menu sound effects
- online gamer presence
- hint box on first save for new users about how to submit drawing
- bound memory limit to the total available space
- while drawing the back button now displays the controls
- new "More Bwoot" menu in options
- color picking doesn't reset the opacity anymore
- fixed scrolling past the max number of images
- fixed crash when Hold/releasing guide button, while starting game simultaneously
Posted by MrBrian at 10:49 PM No comments:
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This review appeared first here – http://www.thequint.com/entertainment/2016/01/20/music-review-fitoor-sounds-above-average-at-best
You can listen to the music review here – http://www.bbc.com/hindi/multimedia/2016/01/160129_music_review_vm.shtml
Once the 'it' kid on the Bollywood music scene, Amit Trivedi has matured rather well, thanks to some soulful melodies and a refreshing presentation through varied genres. Every project of his is welcomed by music lovers almost the same way they used to wait for a new album by AR Rahman in the 1990s. In Fitoor, he teams up with Swanand Kirkire for lyrics and some of the finest musicians around.
The title song of a film is generally expected to make a strong point for the album as a whole but I am not sure what transpired into assigning a 'predictable as ever' tonal treatment to 'Yeh Fitoor mera'. Arijit sings songs like these by the dozen and there is nothing new here except the use of 'parvardigara', which appears to be an attempt to sound 'serious' and pucca, because the album is devoid of any ghazal-like composition and the boring back-up vocals towards the end don't help either. In the end, it sounds like a formularized Arijit song with elaborate arrangement.
With a rich rabaab running around like an excited kid all throughout the song,'Haminastu' is perhaps the best composition of the album. Zeb's enthralling range is on ample display here. Her subtle throaty variations in the song are reminiscent of someone narrating a story with multiple characters and altering the voice for effect.
The contemporary percussion is subtle in 'Hone do batiyaan' and what envelops the composition is playful singing by Zeb and Nandini Srikar along with an unmistakeable Kashmiri charm, thanks to the excellent rabaab play. The sheer congruity between the singers is endearing to say the least and effective to put it mildly. Without doubt, the lyrics for both Haminastu and Hone do batiyaan are the best in the album.
In Pashmina, I don't think Trivedi's voice needed the polishing it was subjected to because the sensuous fragility of the song hits a speed bump every time one uses synthetic autotune, that too in a song that's called Pashmina! Add to this the sameness of Triviedi's singing and the song doesn't leave the impact it could have because of its unique arrangement.
What is possibly the weakest song in lyrical department, Tere liye never really touches your heart in spite of the grand presentation. Sunidhi and Jubin are let down by an excessive sanitised arrangement and weak lyrics which left me unaffected.
Just when you thought the song couldn't get more laboured, Amit Trivedi joins Sunidhi Chauhan and makes Rangaa re (Hindi version) unbearable although it has few sparks of excellent arrangement. The English version of the same song sounds better largely because Caralisa Monteiro is more in sync with the mood in comparison to a near robotic Amit Trivedi.
The album has 3 songs that put the 'it' in Amit but the rest are plain, at times boring like grown-ups with no spark, now where is the fun in that? I give the soundtrack 3 Quints out of 5.


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There's a whole cult of folks who swear by using coupons and shopping Walgreens for their Register Rewards. These people are so crafty, and have figured out how to get the best value for your buck. (Register Rewards are like gift certificates that print out for certain purchases.)
Our friend Joanie Demer, the Krazy Coupon Lady posted this moneymaking deal at her site www.theKrazyCouponLady.com I'm really intrigued, since I've never done a "RR" deal before. I'll let you know how it goes!
Neutrogena Bars $1.93 Moneymaker at Walgreens
Here's a great way to take advantage of the new Neutrogena Register Reward, that runs through June 26th!
Buy 3 Neutrogena Skin or Sun Care Products, Receive $10 Register Rewards
Buy 3 Neutrogena Frangrance Free Transparent Facial Bars $2.69 each
Pay: $8.07, Receive $10 Register Rewards
Final Price: $1.93 Moneymaker!


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Algeria Rising
Along the coast, some fifty miles westward from Algeria's capital, Algiers, lie the Roman ruins of Tipasa. There are few more idyllic spots in the entire Mediterranean, and it provoked from Albert Camus one of his most eloquent and nostalgic essays. Writing almost exactly half a century ago in the tranquil prewar days of colonial Algeria, Camus described euphorically how he had experienced "the happy lassitude of a wedding day with the world." Tipasa is an absinthe perfumed paradise of expressionist colors. A peacock-colored sea sensuously "sucks with the noises of kisses." Vast ochre amphora, and columns made golden by the sun, contrast joyously with the silvery olives that spring from an iron-red soil. "Here the gods themselves serve as tryst-places, or beds," Camus wrote. "Happy is he among the living who has seen such things."
Today, on its sea-washed promontory, a small memorial to Camus still bears the now worn quotation from his works, in French: "Glory consists of the ability to love without measure." Since Camus, the glory that colonial France once created in Algeria has largely passed into limbo, and the gently peaceful beauty of Tipasa casts a deceptive cloak over a ferocious past. It was on a sunny beach close to Tipasa that French women and children, as well as men, were machine-gunned as they bathed, by guerrillas in the Algerian FLN. This was during the Algerian war, some twenty-five years ago. Meanwhile, at Zeralda just a few miles to the east, Algerian suspects died in a French torture camp; and it was from barracks in this same Zeralda that in April 1961 rebel units of the elite French paras launched a nearly successful coup against General de Gaulle's Fifth Republic.
Three decades have now passed since the FLN declared war on the French in Algeria, which is a long time in modern memory, and one tends to forget the passions stirred in France, as well as in the United States and the third world by this appallingly savage war. Lasting almost twice as long as the First World War, the war in Algeria cost the French Army 17,456 dead and 64,985 injured; while the Algerians put their own losses, mostly among civilians, at somewhere near a million out of a total population of not quite ten million. Though the French casualties were far less severe than those suffered by the US in Vietnam, the political consequences to France were incomparably graver. The seemingly unwinnable war toppled five French governments, and finally the Fourth Republic itself; it brought De Gaulle to power, and France twice to the brink of civil war.
Much of the bitterness stemmed from the fact that, during the 130 years of the presence française, France had declared Algeria to be an integral part of her territory—just like Provence or Normandy—and for many years no French government could risk abandoning it. François Mitterrand, then…
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How To Get Started With Macro Photography
Macro photography is one of the great art forms of the image-making genre. Most novice photographers rarely try it because they are accustomed to point-and-shoot photography, which is the complete opposite to approach macro photography. But this art form can be achieved by anyone interested in learning how to handle some essential macro photography techniques.
Most compact and 35mm cameras can handle macro photography, especially if they feature a macro shooting mode. A 50mm prime lens works well with 35mm cameras for macro photography. You can also purchase lenses specifically designed for macro photography, but don't let not having a dedicated lens keep you from taking macro shots.
Most digital cameras have a macro mode feature that can be useful for close-up shots. This setting is usually indicated by a flower icon inside the camera's menu settings on the camera dial settings. Note, however, that using the macro mode or any preset mode your camera may not allow manual control over other settings like the flash. In other words, in these modes, the camera may force you to use the built-in flash if it thinks extra light is needed.
A sturdy tripod and a way to trigger the camera's shutter without pressing the shutter with your finger is very useful macro photography. A camera"˜s self-timer or a wired or wireless remote trigger can also be used for hands-free firing of the shutter.
Subjects for Macro Photography
When we think of macro photography we usually think of flowers as the subject. But that's not the case. You can start learning macro photography using household items. In fact, practicing macro photography indoors is recommended before venturing outside for nature shots.
The photo below is one of about hundred shots I took of two forks. I simply put them on my kitchen table near a large window with the early morning light coming through. Using the macro mode on my Canon Powershot G9, I spent about thirty minutes shooting from different angles and arranging the forks in different formations. I kept the camera's widest aperture setting of f/2.8 for a shallow depth of field.
Keep the Camera Steady
Macro photography requires a really steady shot. And though most digital cameras have an image stabilization feature, it can't be counted on for macro photography. The closer you zoom in on a subject, the more likely you will experience noticeable camera shake. So mount your camera on a tripod to get the best and sharpest macro images. Also, check to see if your camera has a self-timer that can be used to fire the shutter, say after to 2 seconds. If you have a remote trigger, that works even better.
Auto vs. Manual Focus
Sometimes when doing macro photography, depending on the subject, the camera may have difficult time focusing. If camera is not locking the focus automatically, your lens may be too close to the subject. Try pulling back the camera and then zooming in or out. If that doesn't work, try using manual focusing. If the subject itself is lacking distinctive contrast, try locking the focus by pointing the lens to the edge of the subject and the contrasting background, then re-frame the shot after focus has been achieved.
After taking a few shots review and zoom in on them on the camera's LCD screen. Images always look sharper on the LCD screen, but at least it will give you some idea if your shots are out of focus.
Low ISO and Wide Aperture
Since you're using a tripod and are typically shooting in well-lit setting, avoid using a high shutter speed. Shooting at ISO 100 or 200 will help keep what is called digital noise out of your photo. It will make the macro shots sharper with less grain or digital artifacts. Also set your camera"˜s setting at about f/2.8 for a nice shallow depth-of-field. That will distort the background and help bring more focus on the foreground subject.
Floral Arrangements and Rain Shots
If you happen to give or receive a bouquet of roses for Valentine's or some other special day, use the gift for macro photography. Set the flowers near an open window for even lighting. I personally don't like using flash with macro photography, but if low ambient lighting is an issue, trying using an external camera flash to bring more light onto the subject.
During the rainy season, raindrops can also make for awesome and unique macro photography. If there's no raindrops to be had, fill up a spray bottle with water and lightly spray a floral arrangement to get the rain drop effect.
As with any other digital images, processing your macro images in Photoshop or similar image editor can greatly improve their contrast, color saturation, and sharpness. Cropping macro shots can also improve the overall composition of the photo.
So what's your experience with macro photography? What do you recommend for great shots, or what issues have you encountered trying to do macro photography?
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For the past six years, family issues/ties has taken the top spot among reasons for declined relocations, while spouse/partner employment has held second place. The impact of housing/mortgage concerns has lessened notably during this period. Dual-income households with family commitments continues to be a prime reason for declined relocations.
Employee reluctance in 2018 rose above post-recession levels (26% vs. 11%-18% during 2010-2013) after trending lower last year (18%) and is closer to the previous three years (2014: 28%; 2015: 22%; 2016: 20%) and the highs of 2008 (28%) and 2009 (29%). While more than a tenth of firms across sizes saw reluctance decrease last year, it appears the pressure to decline offers experienced a slight uptick overall, even as organizations worked to secure talent in the right locations.
Slightly more small firms (46% vs. 39% in 2017) saw employees decline relocation last year, jumping closer to 2015-2016 levels (48% & 55%) and above historical norms. Increased reluctance also jumped above previous recessionary levels for small firms (26% vs. 15%-19%). Increased reluctance at mid-size firms also rose notably over the prior year (32% vs. 20%), moving above the 2014-2015 level (30%) and over the recessionary ranges (20%-30%) for the previous four years. However, even though increased reluctance among large firms is elevated (18%) compared to 2016 (12%), it remains markedly lower than recessionary levels (40%+), similar to 2017 (19%), and within post-recession recovery ranges (7%-21%).
6 out of 10 firms saw employees decline relocation last year, in the mid-range historically.


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Colour-In PJs
Get your little ones in the creative spirit with these colour in pyjamas, including seven fabric pens from Selfie Clothing.
This beautifully packaged children's colour in, creative kit includes; a long-sleeved pyjama top and bottoms, seven fabric colour in pens and a colour in practice sheet available.
The lightweight jersey blend pyjama set features a unique colour in design, ready for your little ones to get creative with. The fabric pens use high-quality UV ink which can be air cured for 24 hours or ironed by a parent.
The colours will not fade and can be worn time and time again.
The products are designed, handmade and hand printed in the UK exclusively for the Selfie Clothing Co. The perfect gift for any child with a creative edge or a group activity for parties or play dates.
Available in 2 designs - Space Rocket or Unicorn
- 65% polyester / 35% cotton lightweight blend.
- Once the fabric inks are cured the tops can be machine washed
- Do not bleach or tumble dry
Made in the Suffolk


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Response to COVID-19
by Victoria Junior Field Hockey Association, 2020-03-17T18:46:29.000-07:00March 17 2020, at 06:46 PM PDT
As you are aware, the situation around the COVID-19 continues to evolve with further restrictions on events and gatherings instituted by our provincial government.
The health and safety of our children, parents, guardians, coaches and volunteers are our top priorities. We will work with Field Hockey British Columbia on a plan based on the restrictions set by the provincial government and we w... [more]


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Batting 1,000 for kids and the climate
A triple play is an uncommon event in the sport of baseball – a subject fresh on my mind thanks to our San Francisco Giants' winning the NLCS pennant this week. Only 696 triple plays have ever occurred in the entire professional history of the sport. This week, however, our Too Small To Fail Initiative pulled off the rare act with three successful high profile events on two coasts.
On Sunday, in San Diego, the Too Small team, with Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the American Academy of Pediatrics, announced the launch of a new early literacy toolkit for pediatricians and parents, a joint product of Too Small To Fail and the Academy. It is available online for free at www.aap.org/literacy.
On Tuesday, at the Dreamforce 2014 software and technology conference in San Francisco, Secretary Clinton joined Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, representatives from our local partner organizations, and hundreds of conference participants in a Too Small volunteer event. Together they filled thousands of tote bags with educational materials that will help families in Oakland, California, close the word gap.
On Thursday, in Washington D.C., the team participated in a day-long White House event with partners, early childhood advocates, pediatricians, city mayors, and more than 100 federal agency representatives to discuss new ways to close the word gap and support America's youngest citizens. For more on that event and all that Too Small To Fail has accomplished this week, check out their newsletter here.
Our Energy and Climate Team has been hard at work too, publishing newly revamped interactives on the Risky Business Project website that show not only the most likely economic impacts of climate change, but also the tail risks at the state level. And finally, Kate Gordon, Vice President and Director of the Climate and Energy Program, just published a grand-slam of a blog post, covering the new climate economy, the advancement of solar businesses, a Nobel Laureate's take on climate change, and California's leadership on advanced energy. Hopefully the Giants will continue to perform as well as this team as they head to the World Series – and maybe, next year, my Detroit Tigers will too.


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Have questions?
Comments? Tips?
Ask them in the GlobalSurfers Surf Travel Forum
You can post a new question from the country page to which the question is relevant to, or at the bottom right hand of this page.
to post a new question or answer excisting ones
Please don't spam this forum with your new surf camp / charter / villa / surf school.
The GlobalSurfers forum has been the leading surf travel resource for over 20 years, so keep it friendly and relevant. Happy posting!
Any good surf spots in Mallorca in September?« on: September 01 2014 08:09:00 »
I am going to Mallorca for a week from 16th September till 23th September. Has anybody already surfed there? Are there any good surf spots with waves in September, and also any surf shops where you can rent a surfboard?
If you know anything, please let me know, I would be very grateful! :)
Thank you and greetings form Slovenia,


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N.W.A made a resurgence into the highlight this summer time with the release of the Straight Outta Compton film. The team put itself the mainstream America's radar with the 1988 song "Fuck Tha Police."A demo recording of the song was resurfaced that performs a beforehand unheard verse from Ice Cube. Within the video, launched by 916 Sneaker Kings, the rapper speaks on the stereotypes that he faces as a Black man and refers to the police as "punk motherf*** with a badge and a gun."
In the YouTube description, they state that Ice Cube had three particular verses on the track. Check it out above and let us know what you think!