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Are Sent Text Messages Private?
It is unclear, but we will soon find out thanks to two Washington state cases.
Think about it. When was the last time you sent a real letter? It takes a lot of energy to send a letter as opposed to a text message or an email. You need paper, pen, stamp, and envelope. What if you only have one thing to say? Forget about it; just send a text message. And that is what people do. Text messaging is a normal part of everyday communication, especially for the younger generation. It's quick. It's easy. Many people only own cell phones, giving up on the idea of a "house" phone entirely, and regularly use texts to communicate—I happen to be one of those people.
And the average person—as opposed to a lawyer or judge—likely expects that their text messages are reasonably private. At the very least, people generally think of it is a private conversation between themselves and the owner of the cell phone they texted.
On Tuesday, two cases were argued before the Washington State Supreme Court involving the right to privacy in text messages: (1) State v. Hinton and (2) State v. Roden. Both cases involve an officer using a suspected drug dealer's cell phone to text message the defendants and set up drug deals. The defendants moved to suppress the evidence, which the respective courts denied. Now the state supreme court will decide if there is a privacy right in a text message once that text message has been sent to another person's phone.
In Hinton, an officer who was holding on to a suspected drug dealer's seized cell phone noticed that the phone received a text message. The text message came from Shawn Hinton, a man that the officer knew from prior interactions. Through text message, the two set up a time and a place to meet for a drug deal. When Hinton arrived, the officer arrested him. He then called the number he had been texting to verify Hinton's identity. The State charged Hinton with Attempted Possession of Heroin. Hinton moved to suppress the text messages and the officers presence, arguing that the officer's actions violated the Fourth Amendment and article 1, section 7 of the state constitution. The trial court found that Hinton had no expectation of privacy, and the court of appeals agreed.
On his own iPhone, on his own computer, or in the process of electronic transit, Hinton's communications are shieled by our constitutions. But after their arrival, Hinton's text messages on Lee's iPhone were no longer private or deserving of constitutional protection. - State v. Hinton
Roden revolves around similar facts: the exact same officer did something similar on the exact same cell phone, but he did it to Jonathan Roden. The suspected drug dealer did not receive a text from Roden while police had the phone; but the officers searched through the phone to find the text messages. Roden moved to suppress the evidence under Washington's privacy act instead of the Fourth Amendment. The court found that Roden had no reasonable expectation of privacy and impliedly consented to the recording of the text message.
Roden voluntarily sent the test messages to Lee's iPhone with the expectation that Lee would read them. In doing so, he also anticipated that the iPhone would record and store the incoming messages to allow Lee to read them. - State v. Roden
Both of these cases represent an important privacy issue that the increasing reliance on technology to communicate has created. The Fourth Amendment has been frustratingly slow to respond to technology. The Supreme Court has consistently denied protection to information voluntarily disclosed to third parties: the numbers a person dials, to/from information on emails, IP addresses, and cellphone site records. But is the actual substance of a text message really outside the protection of the Fourth Amendment?
It seems that, at this point, most courts agree that a person's cell phone is protected from an unreasonable search. But the disconnect in this case is that the officer's did not have to search the defendant's phone. Because the police had possession of the cell phone that the defendants texted, it is as if the defendants contacted the officers directly (or, another way of thinking about it, sent a letter to the police station on accident).
The Hinton Court relied on State v. Wojtyna, a case where police acquired a phone number off of a pager, to determine that Hinton did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the text message. Of course, acquiring a phone number is fundamentally different than acquiring the actual substance of a conversation. The Supreme Court has long recognized that a person does not have an expectation of privacy in the phone numbers he or she dials, but it has not said that a person does not have an expectation of privacy in the substance of the phone conversation. There is a reasonable argument that the substance of the text message is closer to the substance of a phone conversation than to actual phone numbers. It is just that, with a text message, the substance is written down like a phone number is on a pager.
The court also compared the text message to a letter, reasoning that, "if a letter is sent to another, the sender's expectation of privacy ordinarily terminates upon delivery." The court "decline[d] to offer communication made using a technological device more privacy protections than have been provided for letters." This analysis raises a separate issue: when is a text message delivered? In State v. Martinez, the Ninth Circuit found that a person has a reasonable expectation of privacy in a letter until the addressee actually receives it. Thus, it appears that delivery might require more than just arrival in a mailbox. While the letter is floating through the mail system or in a mail box, the letter is protected from unreasonable search.
So, if a letter is protected while it is in a mail box, why is a text message not protected until it is read? After all, no one in this case is arguing that the suspected drug dealer actually received the text message. Instead, the officer was holding the suspected drug dealer's "mailbox" when the "letter" magically appeared in it.
As I mentioned in my last post, attempting to compare technological advances to established legal precedents pushes the boundaries of reality to the extreme. As communication styles and technology change faster than the law adapts, these issues will continue to arise. It will be interesting to see what happens with text message privacy. I will update once the Washington court reaches its decision.
For further reading on these cases, EFF wrote two amazing amicus briefs: one for Hinton and one for Roden.
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About this Blog
I was once a licensed attorney (in Washington), but my license is now inactive. I like to geek out about entertainment,
internet, and privacy law. This blog is a place for me to do that. All of the views expressed are my own and should not be considered legal advice.
My personal blog is located under the tab Pax's Page.
Rachel is a typer of words.
January 2014


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Director Benajmin Walter discusses his inspirations behind his latest film Pink Zone as well as insights into his professional career
Aizhan LighG is a singer/songwriter who currently resides in Hollywood further expanding her already prominent career.
Aizhan LighG is an actress living in Hollywood originally from Kazakhstan with an exceptional career.
Anya Bykova is a talented Russian artist living in Los Angeles furthering her career as an actress and model
Maria Dinulescu is a talented actress who has been awarded numerous prizes in countless film festivals around the world.
Talented singer/songwriter Maria Cozette provides a fresh new take on soulful pop while also producing hit television show Music Box
3 impportant questions to ask yourself if you've done everything to help terminate chronic pain.
Luevo, the solution for independent designers, launches live at Style Fashion Week in Los Angeles
Known as the 21st century Andy Warhol, artist Sham Ibrahim, presented a number of artists like fashion icon Betsey Johnson with amazing pop art portraits at the Style LA Fashion Week
Clarissa Thibeaux is an actress, model and stylist living in Los Angeles making her mark in the entertainment indusrty, proving to have what it takes to make it
Mrs. Pinkelmeyer and her loyal companion Moopus McGlinden are characters specifically invented to help children with seperation anxiety, low confidence and also provide help for the elderly as well
Russian beauty, Alisa Muraveva is a skilled journalist, a talented model and an extraordinary singer striving to make her mark in the music industry by crossing over.
Catherine Chen is an actress and model with background in martial arts, dance and music exploring her full potentials while living in Los Angeles
Born in New Zealand, but with a memorable Australian childhood, violist Nadene Pita currently explores her musical potentials in Los Angeles providing a remarkably fresh unique mix of sounds accompanied by an incredible voice
Canadian Country musician Marshall Dane blends country and rock 'n' roll into his own unique sound with the recent release of his new album One of These Days.
Demet Oger is an international celebrity who focuses on producing and financing movies along with owning her own business, being an international model and actress.
Summer Crosley is an actress and international model who is involved with oceanic wildlife conservation
Elina Dmitrieva is a talented actress, model and photographer that also wirtes, directs and produces short films in Los Angeles.
Making a statement without uttering a word is almost counterculture in today's social media advertising and activist world, fashion designer Mark Roscoe uses this as his personal statement in his entire collection of Haute Couture
John Hennigan, or better known as John Morrison or Johnny Nitro, is an actor, writer, and producer
Voted as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People magazine, Bai Ling's acting, modeling and production skills prove to be the cherry on top on a remarkably talented woman
Celebrity Numerologist, Michelle Arbeau, enlightens us with January's horoscope explaining our personalities and possible accomplishments
Narconon Freedom Center Michigan is offering 5 useful tips for those who are in recovery to avoid falling back into old habits during the holiday seasons
Award winning composer, Rahman Altin, recently finished composing the music for the film The Butterfly's Dream, which is the most expensive picture ever made in Turkey, earning him recognition for his talents.
Russian-Chinese aspiring model, Xuejuan Wang, hopes to puruse a modeling career while majoring in Nutrition Science at the University of Los Angeles
Emilee Bee is a dancer, chef and yoga instructor who is very passionate about her modeling career residing in Los Anegeles
In the hopes of making a cinematic debut in Hollywood, Jerome Dolbert took the risk of leaving his successful career in television in France to come to the Golden State to make films and produce plays
James Ganiere, a once successful businessman dealing with banking, financing, construction and real estate has now turned to his other talents of being involved within the entertainment world
Making her artistic US debut in 2014, Brazilian singer-songwriter Priscilla, will release the video to her new single See U on the Dance Floor, showcasing her mutlitalented artistic abilities
A simple camera, too many it is just an object used to record memories or used as a hobby, but for Miranda Medina it'd be the gate way leading her to an undiscovered passion…acting
Giving up everything you know to follow your passion might be more of a risk than doing anything else in life, but for Skyler Seymour, it was by doing so that this young man found his true reason for existence – acting
Tiger Woods becomes the first person to golf on the Bosphorous Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey and will headline Trukey's first European Tour event.
Playing the hottest music at the best night clubs Sin City has to offer is where you can find this fierce DJ spinning the night away
California citrus is at serious risk of vanishing due to Asian psyllid and Huanglongbing (HLB), tree killing diseases that have been found in Southern California.
Melanie Mar's Eyelash Growth Enhancer provides effective and safe eyelash growth without causing permanent blurred vision or irritation.
California citrus is at serious risk of vanishing due to Asian psyllid and Huanglongbing (HLB), tree killing diseases that have been found in Southern California.
Taking a deeper look into the life of singer/song-writer Shanica Knowles as she partakes in multiple films, TV series, and continues her muscial career.
Venezuelan born actress, Yenis Monterrey, shows versatility within her acting abilities taking on roles from other ethnic origins
Ethan Dizon plays the role of Pete in the new movie The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete showing the struggles two boys are faced with in Brooklyn
The Arctic Monkeys play at the Wiltern in Los Angeles and perfrom a 20 song set list.
The 44th annual Denver Oktoberfest celebrated in the streets of downtown Denver.
A Pie lovers delight in Los Angeles
The Heavy at The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood

subset: commoncrawl


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Legume diversification
Lead Organization:
Cornell University
Community of Practice:
Malawi and Tanzania
The Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project (SNAP) is investigating whether a participatory approach to testing agroecological practices and improved nutrition can lead to enhanced legume production and utilization in rural communities in Singida District, Tanzania. Previous CCRP-funded research in Malawi has shown the potential for such an approach to lead to successful development outcomes. The Legume Best Bets project has shown how the participatory development of integrated soil fertility management systems, including 'doubled-up legumes such as pigeonpea-groundnut intercrops, can raise yields and reduce reliance of inorganic fertilizer. In addition, CCRP research in both Malawi and Tanzania has identified the potential for improved infant and child feeding practices to enhance nutritional outcomes and this project will explore how a participatory education approach can deliver the desired outcomes.SNAP is building on this earlier research and uses farmer-led research and peer education to support farmers to test agricultural practices involving legume diversification. This is supported by engagement with farming families to facilitate improved child and infant feeding, paying attention to gender and other social inequalities at the household level. The benefits of these interventions are being measured by comparing a set of indicators between villages participating in the agricultural experimentation and villages which are not participating
Grant Aims:
This project aims to understand the effects of participatory, agroecological peer farmer education intervention on legume production, food security, and infant and young child feeding in Singida District, Tanzania. It seeks to do this by:Supporting legume diversification to improve soil health, while also providing food and fuelwood.Using a participatory education approach, as opposed to "top-down" delivery of information, to address farmer needs.Exploring how to reduce gender disparities by involving community members and other key stakeholders in the interventions.Address food insecurity and low dietary diversity through a combination of agricultural and nutritional interventions. Investigating the problem of sub-optimal infant and young child feeding by identifying improved feeding practices, including improving the quality of complementary foods.


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Well here we are spending our first Christmas in Greenland!
Some people might think it's sacrilege that we don't have a real Christmas tree. This cardboard one is designed, cut and sent by some lovely friends from Australia who make pop-up cards for a hobby. Ain't it cool?
We're missing friends and family dearly, but it's also nice being together.
I wish everyone a Merry Christmas with friends and family, where ever you are!


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There are total 10 letters in Forestries, Starting with F and ending with S.
Forestries is a scrabble word? Yes (13 Points) Forestries has worth 13 Scrabble points.
An Anagram is collection of word or phrase made out by rearranging the letters of the word. All Anagram words must be valid and actual words.
Browse more words to see how anagram are made out of given word.
In Forestries F is 6th, O is 15th, R is 18th, E is 5th, S is 19th, T is 20th, I is 9th letters in Alphabet Series.


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Do I need experience or some minimum level of fitness?
No! Just get started. Our workouts and exercises scale to any level – from broomsticks to barbells, we'll tailor the workout to your ability.
Is it worth it?
We definitely would say it is worth it, but we are a little biased. The only person who can truly tell you if it is worth it, is you. The only way you can objectively know is to show up and participate in a workout.
Who has benefited from CrossFit?
Many professional and elite athletes are participating in the CrossFit program. Prize fighters, cyclists, surfers, skiers, tennis players, triathletes and others competing at the highest levels are using the CrossFit approach to advance their core strength and conditioning, but that's not all. CrossFit has tested its methods on the sedentary, overweight, pathological, and elderly and found that these special populations met the same success as our stable of athletes. If our program works for Olympic Skiers and overweight, sedentary homemakers then it will work for you.
Do I need to be in shape before I show up?
Absolutely not! We have students who are in the 99th percentile of fitness and those in the 5th percentile of fitness. You are pushed and encouraged based on your current level of fitness. All we want is for you to give your best effort during each workout.
What type of results can I expect?
Although you will probably start feeling better and stronger immediately, new students can expect about a 15-20% improvement in strength and endurance following the first fifteen sessions. In addition, our findings show that flexibility, agility and body composition are improved. Subjective things like increased mental toughness, energy levels, improved sleep and reduced joint stiffness are also reported. Most of our students are shocked at their improvements even though they would consider themselves exercisers before starting CrossFit.
What if I don't have time for this?
It is a common sentiment to feel that, due to the obligations of career and family, you don't have the time to become as fit as you might like. Here's the good news: it doesn't take a lot of time to train and get something out of exercise! Your health is an extremely valuable commodity and finding time to invest in good health now before it's too late is important. Make the commitment to invest in your health and remember, "We find time for the things we value!"
What type of exercises do you do?
Squats, presses, deadlifts, rowing, running, jumping, climbing, pulling, pushing, carrying, and everything in between. Every exercise we do can be modified to meet you where you are at. Poor trainers believe that programming well thought out workouts is not important or does not matter. Our excellent staff believes in well thought out and carefully designed workouts that elicit the best from each athlete every time they train! Come experience the difference of a high quality, well thought out program.


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Last updated on May 24th, 2018 at 02:31 pm
You work hard 80 hours a week. You go home tired.
You get a fancy paycheck, sure. But you're not that happy.
Why can't you spend your time and earn money and love your job at the same time?
Honestly, the answer is not definite for everyone.
This guy Matt does all that and more. So why can't you?
If you have been feeling all these, then we are the same.
And that's when Gamintraveler was born.
A dream to mix passion and income together.
Thus the journey to a high-traffic blog.
Today, I'm sharing the journey to you.
It's been a a few weeks since the start of Gamin Traveler. You reading, and spending time, digesting all these guides are a very important part of growing this community — letting us know YOU need these guides. Today, we share to you our first HONEST REPORT.
The Honest Report is a monthly report for you to know everything that has been happening at the background of Gamin Traveler – the work we put into creating the travel guides, the time, the money spent, and the money coming in. This is a way for us to stay true to you, be transparent, and for you to know that there are real humans behind Gamin Traveler. We want to make sure this site continues to grow as a resource for you to continue the lifestyle of your dreams. We will create a blog centered in raw-ness and transparency. If you already love and find the content valuable, you will get a peak at how we do things behind the scenes. And if you are interested to find out how exactly do we do things, we will gladly share them all to you.
We launched Gamin Traveler last Nov 11, and today we'll show to you what happened for the past month, working on the blog. If you are a traveler now, or an aspiring traveler and you are looking into starting a blog and earning while traveling, we want to show you our journey so you can get a close insight and follow the same steps.
This month's HONEST REPORT is divided into – 7 Parts:
2. Preparation, Integration, Techniques, Tests
3. Challenges
4. Traffic Report
5. Income Report
6. Analyses (these are added at the bottom of the results. In-depth explanation are available FREE for subscribers to the Honest Emails)
7. Next Month Plan
1. The Goal
a. For the Blog Stories – Gamin Traveler is created to be a travel resource for cheap travels. It's not about giving you the deals of the day, and who's flight company is giving promos, though. We are all about the nitty-gritty of the cheap travel – the psychology of why you will choose to travel cheap and solo, what happens in cheap solo travels, and how you can work with budgets even as low as $10/day (without having to starve yourself). We understand that you want to TRAVEL NOW and that you have to budget your money. You love the fun and the new experience and you can't spend all your time waiting for deals or saving your salary for years. We want you to finish reading a post and to feel empowered to plan a trip or try a technique like "hitchhiking", or "sleeping for free everywhere".
b. For Marketing – Ultimately, we want to work on the site FULL TIME, and for the blog to fund itself, and all the future travels. We know that an investment like this will take a lot of time (months, years. whew!) We are prepared to take that investment. Rachel, my blog partner, works on the tech side of things: designing and optimizing the site and working on strategies. I work on creating the posts and reaching out to other travelers and bloggers. Our top goal for now is to increase site visitors and email sign-ups. This is why we spend hours on end creating great content that you need to inspire you to begin your travel journey.
2. The Work
We write very detailed blog posts. We create 3000-word posts for the big travel guides that we write. All actionable, making sure you can plan some techniques when you read the guides. We also started interviewing travelers around the world who have taken steps into starting their travel journeys. Some have been on the road for years. We'd like to learn from them and share their stories in the blog, too.
Tools that we use for the blog:
Before launching the blog, we made sure that tools were already in place. We spent a lot of time researching the tools that will work best with our strengths and our budget. We want the BEST VALUE for our money invested on the blog. If you are looking into researching for the top tools, save yourself time and read on. We did the research for you.
Now, we need to tell you that there are so many tools out there set out to help you if you want to work on getting high traffic and earn money from your blog. For now, our choice is to start very lean. We are a team of two and we do all the work together.
Here's a simple work routine we follow:
1. We schedule work.
Time is very valuable. Rachel has her own online client work which takes up a lot of her time and energy, and the schedule is impletemented (by me. ha!) to make sure she has the freedom to work on her projects and still have time for the blog.
2. We brainstorm A LOT.
Not too difficult since we are together, and luckily, the brainstorming makes us happy (about 80% of the time).
3. We spend ample time for research.
We read and study a lot. That is actually an understatement.
4. We write a lot.
Then we guest post. We comment. We post on social. And we connect and reach out to other travelers who are also working on the same things like us. Nothing beats a community of people who have the same goals helping each other.
5. We operate lean.
We are a very small team, and we try not to spend on anything that is "fancy" for now. We choose the road of "content". We build the site by providing immense value to the readers. We do spend money on some tools that are necessary (hosting, premium theme, some plugin licenses, marketing tools and lessons), but again, we try to keep it really lean. All the traffic that we got for the last month were all organic.
For the launch of Gamin Traveler, we spent at least 70 hours just working on the site design and the ebook that we created for free, Travel Without Money. That's not counting all the time we spent sending messages to people and on social about what we were doing. On average, we spend at least 60 -70 hours weekly for the blog. I spend more time on blog work. We are definitely looking at focusing our efforts on that work that will build the blog better and delay some activities that are not of top importance for now.
Tools we use on Gamin Traveler
Already have a "name" in mind but not ready to start a blog yet? Check Namecheap and buy that domain name immediately. It's the cheapest yet very secure way to make sure you get the website names you want reserved for you.
3. Challenges
4. Traffic Report
5. Income Report
6. Analyses
7. Next Month Plan
3. Challenges
4. Traffic Reports
5 & 6. Income Report and Stat Analyses
We did not really push for any income generating techniques this month just yet, although we earned some money from the blog for the first month. Talk about earning money passively!
7. Next Month Plan
Are you ready to take the leap to what will make you happy? Make sure you read our Honest Report about Blogging in 2017.
We hope you liked this post! Share it to your friends and let them know you believe in them following their dreams.
Remember: Make time and no excuses.
Til the next Honest Report!


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Reunion Essentials
What's included in the price?
Both All-Inclusive and Day Packages cover event fees, meals, open bar on Friday and Saturday, parade attire, on-campus transportation, and printed guides.
Reunion Weekend Housing
Various housing options are available for alumni attending Reunion. For those who prefer to stay on campus, Reunion classes will be housed together in dormitories to the extent possible. Register by Friday, March 31 for the best chance to be housed with classmates. When registering, you can request roommates and friends whom you would like to be housed near. We do our best to accommodate all requests.
Dorms are assigned in late May based on dorm capacity, the number of alumni returning from each class and accessibility.
Dormitory accommodations feature shared bathrooms down the hall from your room. Linens, including towels and sheets, a blanket and pillow for each bed, are provided. Dormitories are not air-conditioned and all beds are twin-sized. Please note that dormitory accommodations are very basic and offer few amenities. We encourage you to bring the following items: reading lamp, hangers, small fan, alarm clock and extra blankets or pillows if needed.
We offer Thursday night on-campus housing to all alumni and guests returning for Reunion Weekend. It is included in the All-Inclusive Package, or may be purchased separately with a Day Package. Please note that Thursday activities are only open to the 50th Reunion Class.
Local Accommodations
A list of local hotels, motels, and inns can be found at bates.edu/accommodations. If you are staying off campus, you will receive an access card to your dormitory so that you can enjoy the hospitality lounge.
Both the Hilton Garden Inn in Auburn and the Marriott Residence Inn in Auburn are offering discounted rates for the weekend.
Contact information:
Hilton Garden Inn website
Phone: 207-784-4433
Book by: The special room rates will be available until May 10th or until the group blocks are sold-out, whichever comes first. If you make your reservation by phone, please make sure to mention 'Bates College Reunion' for the discounted rate.
Marriott Residence Inn website
Phone: 207-777-3400
Book by: The special room rates will be available until April 15th or until the group blocks are sold-out, whichever comes first. If you make your reservation by phone, please make sure to mention 'Bates College Reunion' for the discounted rate.
Getting to Bates
You can get here by plane, train, bus or car! Find more information on our directions page!
You may park in any legal spot on campus or nearby public streets. The biggest campus lot is located between Underhill Arena and the Russell Street Track (enter from Russell Street). Golf carts will be available to shuttle people back and forth from campus to their cars throughout the weekend.
Pets on Campus
We certainly welcome your pet on campus during this momentous occasion. Please feel free to bring your pet to any of the events in the common areas as well as on the grounds as long as it is leashed. Unfortunately, with the exception of certified service animals, pets are not allowed in the dormitories. If you should choose to stay on campus, you will need to board your pet at a local kennel. Please read the full policy here. The local Hampton Inn (Lewiston) does allow pets to stay in rooms for a non-refundable fee of $50. The Marriott Residence Inn (Auburn) charges a non-refundable fee of $100.
Refund / Cancellation Policy
Full refunds will be issued until May 24. Refunds requested after this date may be subject to a cancellation fee. Please email firstname.lastname@example.com to request a refund. Refunds take 1-2 weeks to process once we approve your request.
Your First Stop!
Please make the Welcome Center in Commons (136 Central Avenue) your first stop! Here you will find your name tag, room keys and Reunion schedule. Registration for early arrivals will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday. Regular registration will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday.
Relaxed! Unless your class leaders have urged you to bring formal attire, pack your bag with comfortable summer clothes. Be sure to check the weather in the days prior to the weekend to adequately pack for rain, heat, cold, etc.
We're here to help! Contact us at email@example.com or 207-755-5976.


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Face Mask Standouts
Hello. I hope you are all doing well. Exfoliating is an important skin regime. Don't we all like clean, revitalised, glowing skin? How often you exfoliate is entirely up to you. I am no beauty expert but today I just wanted to share with you my two favourite face masks. The Body Shop- Mineral warming… Continue reading Face Mask Standouts


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Recently I read Good God, Lousy World, and Me: The Improbable Journey of a Human Rights Activist from Unbelief to Faith by humanitarian Holly Burkhalter. I received an advanced reading copy of the book, which comes out later this month, from the publisher (Convergent Books).. Although she grew up in a strong Mennonite family, Burkhalter slipped away from the faith for many years. The book recounts her slow journey back to God and her continuing doubts and struggles with faith. She offers these thoughts as she mixes in stories from her personal life and her work as a congressional staffer and then for various humanitarian organizations. She also works in thoughts about mental illness and faith since some family members experienced various types of mental struggles. The book is not one of those stories where everything comes together nice and neat so everyone can live happily ever after. But in many ways her faith matches what she sees in this fallen, messed up world.
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|For The V-Log Version Click Here!
Hello and welcome to the Basement...
This is Yay Or Nay For The Hall of Fame!
Yeah I changed the title to something more catchy... still the goal is the same, to go over the careers of various pro wrestling superstars of the past to see if they should be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at some point.
This week's case, 'The Rebel' Dick Slater
Many of you are going to ask... who?
Well the Rebel got his start in Florida thanks to the Graham family, getting broken in with Championship Wrestling From Florida, winning their version of the Tag Team Championships with Dusty Rhodes and other partners as well as the TV title, worked out in California... but he really made his mart in Georgia Championship Wrestling, spending most of the 70s and early 80s there, winning the Georgia Heavyweight title four time, and two versions of their tag titles with Cowboy Bob Orton, plus numerous other regional titles and was reported to be considered to become the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. So you see where his standing was during this period of time.
Following the buy out of Georgia Championship Wrestling by Jim Crockett, Slater bounced around from Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling to Bill Watt's Mid-South Wrestling, winning the United States Title and numerous other belts along the way, until finally hitting the WWE in 1986, where his biggest highlight was beating Iron Mike Sharpe as 'The Big Event', but was used primarily as enhancement talented. After leaving, he had a cup of coffee with the AWA then headed back to the Mid-Atlantic where he would stay up through the mid 90s, being a staple of World Championship Wrestling, winning the United States and World Tag Team Titles before a back injury forced his career to close.
The Case For Dick Slater: This is real simple, with the exception of his time in the WWF and the stop in the AWA... Slater was a success and a major star everywhere, winning 25 championships at least once. Considering he was a corner stone of different major territories (Flrodia, Georiga, Mid-Atlantic) and stayed relevant into the mid-90s is a testament to him as performer. In fact the only blemish on his career is his time with the WWF where signing every major star forced a lot of guys into lower positions on the card.
The Case Against Dick Slater: It's minor, but, noticeable, the fact that while he was considered to be the NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and there was a lot of politics involved with who became the standard bearer of the NWA, but he wasn't one to 'get along for the sake of going along', it's hard to mark this as a case against him. Obviously the next strike against him has to be that run in the WWF, Slater who did his best work as a heel, was used as a babyface and as cannon fodder for the established stars.
The Verdict: All things considered... I'd have to say a big yes for Slater going into the WWE Hall of Fame, particularly under the 'regional' stars quota for the next time the WWE runs a WrestleMania in the south... hell he could easily be considered for the class of 2017 since WrestleMania is in Orlando, Florida, and it was Florida where he Slater's career started.
Anyway, next week... I'll be going over the case for The Headbangers


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Custom Furniture
Introduced in 1994 and still being made, Martin Pierce custom furniture pieces are available in very limited quantities and sold "to the trade only" via design professionals. Those items with japanning detail are part of a limited edition and are signed and numbered by Martin Pierce. Martin Pierce primarily uses American grown kiln dried superior walnut for his furniture with accents in English brown oak and myrtle burl. Many of the pieces from the Hedgerow and Ascot collections are characterized by a hand-hewn chisel detail which adds a textural dimension to the furniture and has become a signature statement of Martin's. The beauty of the Aspen tree is used as a decorative theme on the Aspen tree buffet which is a limited edition of 30 pieces. The Ascot vine collection is a limited edition of 100 pieces and is decorated with japanned vines and leaves. Hedgerow was Martin Pierce's first furniture collection and the same beautiful tree design is found in the Hedgerow collection of architectural hardware.


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We are back with the News Stand sooner than we thought, here at the close of business for April, where we learn, from the Wall Street Journal, that despite hundreds of billions of tax dollars spent since 1971, high school test scores have barely budged! How does that make you feel? Yet, the Commonwealth and the VEA seek more of your hard-earned money. In other news, one has to wonder that if the gubernatorial campaign is like this now, what will it be like come September? October? We've seen the Dem candidates try to out-pander themselves to the teachers union and to homosexual activists. Now, according the Washington Post, it's really getting nasty. On another burgeoning campaign issue, House Speaker Bill Howell and Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell have whacked the ball back in Governor Kaine's court, requesting the governor's boss take the federal strings off before we accept it.
Meanwhile, the Democrat infighting is all to McDonnell's early advantage, as a news SurveyUSA poll has him leading all three Dems. However, looking at the survey's universe, it doesn't look to be the best indicator. Contrary to some other polling, it has Terry McAuliffe way out in front in the Democrat primary. Still, it confirms what the more reputable Rasmussen poll a few weeks ago suggests: That McDonnell is making inroads among the general electorate.
Finally, in a commentary, Bobby Eberle documents a disturbing aspect of the Obama administration, something of which we've commented upon: Namely, his disdain for anyone — politicians, media or now, what with the Tea Parties, common folk — who disagree with him. More than disdain, it's demonization . . . or worse. Now that the "hate crimes" bill has passed the House, we're one step closer to being arrested for expressing our opinions.
McDonnell, Howell say Congress should remove strings from stimulus money (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Democrats vying for governor debate over gun issues, energy (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Tone Toughens in Race for Governor (Washington Post)
New poll puts McDonnell ahead of 3 Democratic candidates for governor (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Teachers Offer Lessons in Race for Governor (Washington Post)
Surrogates Sling Mud in Va. Race (Washington Post)
Democrat seeking Bedford House seat (Lynchburg News & Advance)
Virginia seeks education funding (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
National News:
House bill offers gays greater protection (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Few Gains Are Seen in High School Test (Wall Street Journal)
Obama Marks 100 Days in Office . . . By Mocking Concerned Americans!(Bobby Eberle/GOPUSA.com)


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Questions? Call Mod Experts at 714-582-3330 Mon-Fri: 8am - 6pm / Sat: 8am - 5pm
Shopping cart (0): $0.00
This page showcases all of the BMW F12 Wheels and BMW F13 Wheels we have available for the new 6 Series and M6. We have a multitude of sizes, finishes, and brands of BMW F12 Wheels and BMW F13 Wheels available. We have F12 Wheels and F13 Wheels for everyone's sense of style. We quality control every set of BMW F12 Wheels and BMW F13 Wheels we ship out to ensure the wheels are ready to put right on your 6 Series when you receive them. If you are looking for a specific set of BMW F12 Wheels or BMW F13 Wheels that you do not see on the site, feel free to contact us: (714) 582-3330.


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In the following picture you can see the land that is being cleared and there are 2 small houses.
Those houses were built by squatters who just planted themselves there many years ago. We have now been in the process of trying to remove them from there. It's been very difficult and we've done all we could to resettle them elsewhere, but, in typical village mentality, they want to fight.
O. and his team were there from Tuesday morning until last night, working out this problem and building a boundary wall. One family is resettled and happy, the other is fighting tooth and nail. O.'s sister stays there and has to deal with all the abuse from the unhappy villagers while O. is not around. O. left last night and a couple hours after he reached home the phone started ringing again. They were taking O.'s sister to the police station (I don't really know why.) The disgruntled party were, obviously, just waiting for O. to leave (it's 7 hours north of us).
Please pray for O. On top of all of this, he really is sick with a throat infection or something. He's lost his voice and feels terrible. He could really use your prayers. Thanks.


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Kendra started with the firm in 2012. Her belief in justice aligns directly with the work of the firm, and she is dedicated to achieving the best possible outcome for its clients while affecting lasting social change. In addition to being the first person most of our clients speak with, she is involved in all aspects of case management and execution.
Kendra spent her formative years abroad, living in India and Egypt. She enjoys cycling (with motors and without) and scrabble, and when she isn't hanging out with her two wonderful children, she can be found curled up somewhere with a book. She is a passionate advocate for women's rights.
She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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* 7.4 Mtrs
* 4 Berth
* 4 Seat belts (NZTA Requirement)
* Spacious Rear Lounge
* Rear double or Single bed
* Car License
* Special Comfort Pack
* Pleated Windscreen night blind
* Thermal framing, moisture free
* Flyscreens all openings including door
* Awning
* 160 Watt Solar Panel
* Satellite
* Skybox
* NZ Electrical Compliance
* NZ Gas Compliance
* NZTA Complied
* 12 Months Rego
* 2,000 Road User Charges
* Large Bathroom
Fiat warranty
RV Direct Premium warranty
2017 marks the complete redesign of the Escape range, Swift's best-selling single coachbuilt motorhome range, and the results are stunning.
Attractive pricing combined with great new features and enhanced styling is sure to make this seasons Escape even more desirable.
The new panoramic sunroof, which comes as part of the great value Comfort Pack allows plenty of natural light into the interior where new 'Nova' soft furnishings in shades of warm grey and sky blue are paired with 'Aralie Sen' woodgrain.
Matt white high level lockers feature chrome positive locker catches for safe and secure storage. Adding to the quality feel are new pleated cassette blinds to the windows.
Flexible seating and sleeping arrangements feature Swift's exclusive AirWave seating with a unique construction that expertly blends comfort and support. Fixed beds including the new drop down bed are topped with the ultra comfortable Duvalay Duvalite mattress, again exclusive as standard equipment to the Swift Group.
This model features a new L-shaped kitchen area with handy worktop extension and tall slimline Dometic fridge opposite, making a great working space for feeding a hungry family. Plentiful hot water is provided by the Truma Combi heating system.


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List of Dermatologists in Winnipeg MB
Earl Minuk, MD
Address: 932 Grosvenor Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3M 0N5
Profile: Since 1989, Dermatologist Dr. Earl Minuk has been at the forefront of non-surgical skin rejuvenation. He realized at that time the desire for patients to look younger without lengthy recoveries (downtime) and serious risks associated with surgery. He began using innovative combination treatments for his patients that included collagen fillers, light chemical peels, and topical products such as Retin A and alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA's) with sun protection to make skin look years younger
Website: www.minuklasercentre.com
The Derm Centre – Dr Victoria Taraska
Address: 1385 Grant Ave, Winnipeg, MB R3M 1Z9
Profile: The Derm Centre is Winnipeg's only medical and cosmetic dermatology clinic, offering men and women the highest standards in skin care, treatment and disease prevention.All of our services are medically-directed by Dr. Victoria Taraska, a Dermatologist with more than 20+ years of experience in the recognition, prevention and treatment of more than 3,000 skin conditions, diseases and appearance-related skin concerns. Dr. Taraska and her experienced team of skin professionals at the The Derm Centre have a patient-first philosophy which guarantees friendly service, expert advice and skin care.
Website: www.thedc.ca
Dr. Victoria Taraska
Address: 425 St Mary Ave, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Profile: As a medical specialist, Dr. VT is certified by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and qualified to examine your skin and your overall health, and to formulate both medical and cosmetic treatment and management plans that meet each of our patient's needs and goals.
Website: www.dermatologists.ca


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Every season has its perks - summer makes barbecues and picnics in the sun possible, autumn brings us the freshest seasonal fruit, and in spring the lengthening days and bursting flowers remind us that the sun does in fact still exist. But winter can be pretty magical too, and one of the best bits is enjoying good hearty pub grub (if you can find yourself a pub with an open fire and a resident dog, then you're in luck)!
Luckily, most pubs nowadays serve vegan options with their Sunday roasts. These actually tend to be very healthy meals - plates loaded with colourful foods like vegetables, nut roasts, golden roast potatoes, and veggie gravy made with onions or mushrooms. All without any animal products so with just a fraction of the saturated fat than a roast dinner made with meat.
After eating copious amounts at a Sunday roast, it's easy to think that the slightly-too-full feeling will last forever. But by the evening, that feeling usually starts to subside and you surprisingly find yourself ready to eat something again. While you still may not be able to manage a big dinner, something light, healthy and tasty is just what you need.
These vegan pea and mint fritters are definitely the answer. They're seriously delicious, with the perfect combination of fragrant sweet peas and subtle fresh mint. They go golden and crispy on the outside while staying soft and tender in the middle.
Plus they're really quick and easy to make, and are really healthy, providing lots of protein, fibre, vitamins A, C, and K, B-vitamins, iron, and manganese, thanks to the green peas and whole grain flour. All while being pretty low in calories (check out the nutrition info at the bottom of the post).
They're best eaten fresh and hot out of the pan, served with a simple salad and a yoghurt dip. But they're also delicious cold used like a falafel in a pitta, or just on their own as a snack (they keep in the fridge for up to three days).
Vegan Pea and Mint Fritters Recipe
Ingredients (makes 8 fritters):
2 cups frozen peas
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 white onion
3 cloves garlic
1 cup whole grain flour
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
2 Tbsp fresh chopped mint
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
For the yoghurt dip
1/2 cup plain soy yoghurt
1 Tbsp fresh chopped mint
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
Start by cooking your frozen peas - just simmer in a pan of boiling water for around five minutes
Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil in a frying pan on a medium heat, finely dice your onion, and saute for 4-5 minutes. Mince your garlic and add to the pan and continue to saute for another 1-2 minutes, until the onion is softened.
Drain the peas and throw into a food processor. Also throw in the sauteed onion and garlic, flour, nutritional yeast, fresh mint, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Pulse until it becomes a thick paste, as in the picture below. You'll need to scrape the sides of the blender down a few times to make sure everything is thoroughly combined (you can add a couple of Tbsps of water to loosen the mixture if it's too thick).
Heat the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan. Take a heaped Tbsp of the mixture and roll into a rough ball, then carefully press down into the frying pan using the back of a spoon to flatten into a fritter shape.
Fry for 3-4 minutes, or until golden and crispy, then flip over to cook for another 3-4 minutes on the other side.
Mix the yoghurt dip ingredients together in a ramekin and serve with a simple salad.
Nutrition (per two pea fritters):
Protein: 9.1g (Women: 18.2% / Men: 16.5%)
Iron: 2.6mg (Women: 17.6% / Men: 29.9%)
Calories: 235 (Women: 11.8% / Men: 9.4%)
Sugars: 5.0g (Women: 5.6% / Men: 4.2%)
Total Fats: 7.7g (Women: 10.6% / Men: 8.1%)
Saturated Fats: 1.1g (Women: 5.5% / Men: 3.7%)
Salt: 0.2g (Women: 3.3% / Men: 3.3%)
Fibre: 7.7g (Women: 25.7% / Men: 25.7%)
See the Nutrition Info page for more details on % of Dietary Reference Values for men and women.


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When deciding which penis extender to get, it can be pretty confusing. There are so many choices out there. How do you know which penis extender is right for you? How do you know which one will be most effective? In this article, we take a look at two of our most popular penis extenders — the Phallosan Forte and the PeniMaster Pro.
Comparison of the Phallosan Forte vs the PeniMaster Pro
The most noticeable difference between the Phallosan Forte and the PeniMaster Pro is the design.
The Phallosan Forte is a uniquely designed penis extender, that uses a soft belt and extends the penis sideways, toward the hip. Designed in Germany, the Phallosan Forte is so discrete, you can wear it under regular street clothes — even jeans! Using vacuum, the Phallosan Forte is so comfortable, you can wear it for hours, which gives you the best results.
In comparison, the PeniMaster Pro is a modular-designed penis extender. It also uses a belt and vacuum, for increased comfort. However, the PeniMaster Pro uses a rigid form to help extend the penis. This means looser pants will need to be worn, to maintain secrecy, if you're hoping to wear the PenisMaster Pro while others are around.
Advantages of the Phallosan Forte and PeniMaster Pro
Although their designs are different, the advantages of the Phallosan Forte and PeniMaster Pro penis extenders are the same. These include:
- Increased penis length and girth – Both the Phallosan Forte and PeniMaster Pro use tension to create microtears in the penile tissues. This then facilitates new cellular growth, which results in permanent penis length and girth enlargement.
- Correction of Peyronie's disease and penile curvature – Whether your penis curve is due to a congenital curvature or Peyronie's disease developed later in life, both the Phallosan Forte and the PeniMaster Pro have been shown to be effective means of penis curvature correction.
- Erection quality enhancement – If your erection quality isn't as hard as you'd like it, a penis extender, like Phallosan Forte or PeniMaster Pro, can be helpful. Both of these extenders help improve circulation to the penis, as well as improving sensitivity.
In the end, both the Phallosan Forte and the PeniMaster Pro are effective penis extenders. However, the Phallosan Forte is more discreet. This can mean you wear it more often and more consistently, which is key to reaching your enlargement goals.


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Sowbug Roundup
leah kirk
This year Sowbug Roundupis April 14th, 15th, & 16th 2016 inMountain Home Arkansas. This is the 19th year that the North Arkansas Fly Fishers (NAFF) have put on the Sowbug Roundup. The first Sowbug had 20 tyers and 150 attendees. The 2014 Sowbug had over 100 fly tiers and over 1000 attendees.
The Sowbug is basically a fly tying show. The tiers come from all over the USA and there are usually two or three from overseas. The show floor us set up to facilitate access to the fly tyers. Attendees are very much encouraged to sit and talk to the tyer as he ties a fly. The tiers love to talk about fly tying, fly fishing, and how to tie a fly.
The full name of the show is the Sowbug Roundup, a Celebration of Fly Fishing. One of the goals of the Sowbug is to encourage more people, especially young people, to become involved in fly fishing. That is why we keep the entrance fee at $5.00 per person for all three days and kids under 12 free. Every day we have free introductory fly tying classes. Free fly casting lessons are available every day. The seminars (included in the entrance fee) are chosen to appeal to fly fishers or every experience level. On Saturday we hold a free drawing for kids for fly fishing gear.
The Sowbug Roundup is the North Arkansas Fly Fishers sole annual fund raising event. The income from the raffles and silent auctions allow NAFF to finance its environmental and philanthropic activities. NAFF allocates $10,000 every year for scholarships to students majoring in the fishery or environmentally related fields.


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Campaign successfully funded on: 25 Nov,2013
WE DID IT! The show is happening! For tickets email:
email@example.com with your name / / date you want to attend // number of tickets
Tickets: 15,000 LL
MAKE ME: a Beirut play about youth, language and ajnabis
MAKE ME is a dance-and-dialogue theatre performance, set to be performed in Beirut on 3rd, 4th and 5th of December 2013 at STATION.
The play explores the relationships of two Lebanese/foreigner couples living in Beirut. What's it like to date an ajnabi? Do you say 'I love you' in English, Arabic or French? And how does it feel if your best friend starts ignoring you in favour of their new love?
If you like intimate drama and comedic exchange – all intertwined with some electric body movement – MAKE ME will be your kind of show.
Written by British playwright Rich Thornton and directed and choreographed by Lebanese-American dancer Jadd Tank, MAKE ME is a multidisciplinary theatre show about Western-Arab social connections and how they make us laugh, scream and cry.
Director, choreographer and dancer, Jadd Tank, doing what he does: dancing
There isn't much funding for theatre in Lebanon. Sad, I know.
We want to promote professional independent art in the Arab region by producing MAKE ME the best we can. This means hiring the best actor/dancers (hard to find!), and renting all the lights, sound equipment and staging so we can prepare the venue (more on that below).
We're using Zoomaal because we want to support local entrepreneurship and because we think it's a great platform. But we're not getting all our funds from here …
On November 14th we will host a Book Swap at Zico House here in Beirut. One for the literary lovers, you can find out more about the event here on Facebook
Of course, some funds will come from the box office, but in order to allow people of all financial situations to attend the show, we're keeping ticket prices low - just $10!
FYI: Rich Thornton wrote and produced the play 'Who the James is Jim Darke?' in London in 2012. The show was performed on 6th, 7th and 8th November 2012 at a restaurant called The Breakfast Club - each night was sold out and the feedback was highly positive. The next day he flew to Beirut.
Zoomaal is a Beirut-based crowd-funding site that exclusively promote projects in the Arab world.
Zoomaal is an all-or-nothing funding program. We've set our target at $2000. If we don't reach the target, we don't get anything - not a cent!
This is a scary prospect, because we really want the project to be a success! But the fact that it's scary makes us excited. We know we've got to get the $2000, and we have to work hard to tell as many people as we can about the project in the hope they'll fund us.
We asked STATION if they would host our performance for three nights (December 3rd, 4th, 5th), and they liked our project so much they agreed.
STATION is a multi-purpose venue in Beirut that hosts everything from progressive cultural events to business conferences. Have look for yourself ...
Multi-purpose performance and arts venue, STATION (current exhibition: Maripolarama)
Our budget for the play is $3000.
$500 will come from the Box Office.
$500 will come from the Book Swap event listed above.
$2000 will come from you!
Here's how your money will be used:
Stage lights: $375
Sound system: $300
Seating: $100
Posters/Flyers: $100
Zoomaal fees: $125
Actor payment: $2000
Four dancer-actors will be hired to perform MAKE ME. For the two week rehearsal period and 3 show nights they will be paid $500 each. This may not sound like much, but we think this is reasonable and fair considering us (the writer, director, producers) aren't getting paid ANYTHING.
We're ok with this, because it's our baby. But we want to promote PROFESSIONAL theatre in Lebanon and that means paying actors, even if it's not what they might get on Broadway.
Of course, it's not all about the money! If you love this project but don't have any money to give, please tell anyone and everyone about using Zoomaal's sharing tools (Facebook, Twitter etc etc etc) and hopefully someone else out there will be able to spare some change!
Thank you and if you have any questions ...
Rich at firstname.lastname@example.com / (+961) 76571210
Iante at firstname.lastname@example.com
There are no updates for this project yet.
My name's Rich Thornton, I'm 27 years old, and I'm a British writer living in Lebanon. Before moving to Beirut I was writing theatre in London, teaching creative writing to kids, playing in a band, and running charity events. In…Full biography
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100% polyester interlock, 4 oz. per square yard; Contains moisture wicking, stain release, and is odor resistant; Contoured fit with hemmed bottom and sleeve; Sublimation and screen print ready;
We suggest you to change it or upgrade to a higher version. Please contact us to firstname.lastname@example.com if you are seeing this message with a recent browser version.


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Macau Hotels: One for Every Kind of Traveler
The right hotel could make all the difference so we're hoping to make planning your Macau trip a little easier with this roundup!
The right hotel could make all the difference so we're hoping to make planning your Macau trip a little easier with this roundup!
The St. Regis is one of the top hotel chains in the world. What's its foundation and where does The St. Regis Macao's fit in the brand's rich history?
Cheap flights and the myriad of travel options to travel to Taipei, make this city perfect for a weekend getaway. A beautiful hotel in convenient locale will be essential for your limited time in Taipei and this is where the unique five-star Hotel Éclat Taipei excels!
If you're looking for a weekend getaway without paying the premiums of a luxury hotel, check out our roundup of cool and quirky spots that are perfect for a mini-break in Hong Kong.
The Viceroy Bali is an oasis of luxury tucked away in Ubud. Take a closer look at this stylish and unique property.
This Christmas we witnessed a beautiful and heart-warming partnership between The St. Regis Macao and Papinee, a Hong Kong-based toy connoisseur. What was it all about, and who is Jak?
The Murray is a new hotel in Hong Kong offering excellent hospitality and attention to detail, all packaged into a 1960s government building renovated by Foster + Partners.
We slept, ate and worked at Mojo Nomad Central to give you a full report on this unique hotel concept. Read more about this new nicely designed city hot spot!
The 13 is one of the most iconic, controversial and anticipated hospitality projects to open in Macau this year. We take a closer look at the distinctively luxurious property.
Hong Kong has no shortage of luxury hotels, but one stands above the rest and that is Island Shangri-La. Opened in 1991, Island Shangri-La Hong Kong is one of the Hong Kong's iconic landmarks.
With Art Macao, the city took a gigantic leap into becoming a new art capital of Asia. An ambitious statement? Not exactly.
Shopping is another thing that's a must-do in Macau besides checking out the sights. Shop till you drop at these shopping havens in Macau.
Is Macau a country? If you're unsure of anything to do with Macau, let's get educated with a quick Q&A of the most asked questions about this fair city!
If you intend to visit, live or work in Macau, check out our guide to Macau's visa policy and work visa rules covering the basics of how to go about it.
Kids with a healthy lifestyle at a young age are more likely to be healthier in the future. Thus, here's a list of activities in Macau perfect for kids!
2019 marks the Macau Holy House of Mercy's 450th anniversary. Its main building is in the city center and remains an important part of Macau's history.
His third Michelin Star in January and in June, #1 on The World's 50 Best Restaurants, we sat down with Chef Mauro to congratulate him and ask what's next.
Are you a vintage and history buff? If so, here's all about one of the most successful businesses of the 20th century in Macau, its firecracker industry!
Macau has one more place full of Portuguese pastries, specifically from Sintra! Ramalhão is in town with queijadas, travesseiros and much more!
Alain Ducasse at Morpheus took home two Michelin stars within the first six months of its opening, and has been high on our list of "to try" establishments.
Find out where to learn languages in Macau. Be it Cantonese, Mandarin, English, Portuguese or French, there are several options to choose from!
We speak to Angela Leong on Macau as an art and cultural exchange platform, the role of women in business and her private art collection.
Getting hitched? Here are our favorite outdoor locations in Macau for your wedding ceremony that's guaranteed to take yours and your guests' breath away!


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Gut Health 101: Support Your Gut and Naturally Detox
Note: this edition of "Gut Health 101" is part 7 of an 8-part series on the microbiome.
For many of us when we hear the term "gut health" we simply think about digestion. Thankfully, gut health is much more than just breaking down the food and drink that you consume. This next section of my Gut Health 101 series on the microbiome will dive into a popular fad that is actually already being done on a daily basis: detoxing.
So far we've covered a general overview of the microbiome, the relationship between your diet, digestion, and your microbiome, what vitamins and hormones are made by your gut bacteria, how your gut bacteria protect you from infections, a short introduction to short chain fatty acids, and how your microbiome helps trains and influences your immune system. In this post we'll learn about another function of your gut bacteria: how your gut microbiome helps detox your body..
Detox diets are a big thing these days. Short ones. Long ones. They're all quick fixes or a jump start to a cleaner, healthier diet. Did you know that you don't need to go on a special detox diet in order to detox your body? Your body naturally detoxes thanks to your kidneys, liver, and your gut. We're learning more that your gut is also a part of your natural detox system – one that is influenced by your diet.
The bacteria that live inside of your gut are mostly responsible for the chemical breakdown of your food. Yes, your body does produce enzymes to aid in this process, but even our own chemical compounds are no match for some of the foods we eat. Thankfully our microbiome helps take care of what we can't digest. It also helps take care of chemical compounds that are toxic to our bodies. However, if we haven't been treating ourselves with kindness, choosing processed foods over whole foods, then that detoxing process becomes overloaded and inflammation builds in our bodies.
There's a limited amount of detoxing our gut is able to handle due to the various levels of certain bacteria in our guts. When we eat a nutrient poor diet, we naturally select against certain groups of bacteria and we end up creating a less diverse ecosystem. Then when a toxic compound is ingested, we have a harder time neutralizing it due to our unhealthy microbiome. This is why having a diverse diet is essential not only to our immediate health, but especially to our long-term health. A diverse diet leads to a diverse microbiome. A diverse microbiome leads to a healthy body in more ways than one, as we have seen in this Gut Health 101 series.
The best "detox diet" is a diet based on vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and certain whole grains. This diversifies your gut bacteria – your microbiome – and keeps you safer from those toxic compounds that are often found in processed foods.
We have one more unit to go in our adventure into the microbiome. As we travel deeper, you will begin to realize just how influential our microbiome really is to our overall health. My hope is you begin to question what you do on a daily basis and start adjusting your habits in ways that will support and diversify your microbiome.
Don't forget to grab your FREE copy of your body's Essential Nutrients list!
Receive my FREE newsletter with the latest and greatest information and inside scoop for upcoming events. Sign up HERE!


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About The Site
With this site, I hope to provide you with links to great resources about leading worship. My goal is to help you find what you need to become a better worship leader and a better worshipper, and to bring honor to God in doing that.
This site runs on WordPress and hosting is provided by Digital Ocean.
This site isn't run as a business or anything like that. It's just me, posting links I find helpful. If you'd like to support the site, please use the Amazon affiliate links or consider sponsoring the site or buying some advertising. The most helpful thing you can do is spread the word. If you find something you like here, please feel free to share it via Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, email, or however you like to share things. I've set up some buttons that will hopefully make that easier for you.
About Me
My name is Brad.
By day, I do IT work for a suburban school district.
By night, I'm the singer and one of the guitarists in Blue Sky Falls.
If you have suggestions or comments about the site, I'd love to hear them. You can share them using the form below.


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Sometimes you're the hammer…
May 16th, 2012 By Mike Murphy
"Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail"
I love that quote, and it was so appropriate on May 12 at the Barley Mill Pub Bare Bones Duathlon in Penticton.
Let me back up a couple days first though. About the middle of last week I decided that racing a duathlon (on the road) was a more appropriate event to take part in this weekend, rather than the Ore Crusher mountain bike race. The fact that i have a Half Ironman event coming up on June 3, got me thinking that some time on my TT bike wouldn't be a bad thing. Of course, i had set up my TT bike on the trainer a few times in the previous few days, but it hadn't seen the actual road since last summer. Here comes the foreshadowing: as most people know, TT bike positions take some time to adapt to, especially when coming from a mtb position.
So Friday afternoon rolls along, and seeing as my mom was in town to help with the girls, my wife lets me sneak away to Penticton for the Saturday duathlon. I grabbed a motel room, had something to eat, and was sound asleep by 9. Up at 3am, i had a few hours to kill before the 2pm start time. By the time 7am rolled along, i was more than ready to head out for a spin on my bike. I wanted to both pre-ride the course, and test out my bike position. Pretty much right out of the gate, i knew i was in a bit of trouble. My left glute/hamstring insertion was really tight. I was tempted to overhaul my position right there at the side of the road, but my common sense stepped in and said not to make any last minute position changes (even though i really hadn't adapted to the position yet anyway). As a positioning starting point, i had basically just transferred my mtb measurements over to my TT bike. Obviously this wasn't ideal, but i had to start somewhere.
For the rest of my morning pre-ride, i did my best to stay relaxed and not strain my left leg any more. Once i got back to the hotel (with a lot of time to kill before the start) i did a lot of light stretching and tried to stay relaxed. Thankfully, the Giro was on tv, and i had something to occupy my brain with while i waited. Did i mention that the race start was set for 2pm? I am definitely a morning racer/trainer, and 2pm is usually when my body is in a real down time. It's tough to gauge your nutrition for an afternoon race, but i had think i managed it fairly well. An extra big-breakfast at 11, and by noon i was feeling good and headed over to the registration to get set up.
Attach my bike number, do a run warm up, and fast forward to the gun going off.
Right off the bat, as expected, 2 guys went off the front; one of them being Jeff Symonds, so no surprise there. The 5k run was three laps (same course for both 5k runs). After the first lap, Scott Trembley, myself, and Graham Hood had formed the second pack. I wasn't wearing a watch, so i just went by feel. We didn't hammer the run, and i felt within myself as we hit T1. I was kind of excited to see how my mtb fitness would transfer over today. I had a great Cyclocross-style flying mount out of T1, and just slipped ahead of Scott….for maybe a few seconds. He blew past me in no time, and Graham wasn't far behind him.
As i watched those two guys cruise away from me on the bike, i did my best to just race my own race. I felt powerless and uncomfortable on my TT bike, but i knew that i needed to relax a bit and just let them go (not that i had a choice really). My left side was really tight, and i had to soft pedal to be at all comfortable. After about another 10km, a few more guys went past me, and my legs still hadn't come around. The strong headwind wasn't helping my cause, especially since my front race wheel is a really deep HED Stinger 9. I was getting blown all over the road, and even had to ride on the pursuit bars for a couple sections. When we hit OK Falls and started the climb up McLean creek (opposite direction to IMC) i was actually a bit relieved. Now I could sit up and stand up, and give my tight glutes a bit of relief. A couple more racers went past me on the flat section that followed the climb, and right around then i started to feel some power coming back. I managed to put a solid effort in back to Penticton, and wasn't falling backwards anymore.
Right out of T2 i put the hammer down. I moved up a couple positions right away, but then i sort of ran out of people that i could see to chase after. Add in a bad diaphragm stitch, and my laps 2 and 3 were nothing to brag about. I did my best to keep my effort honest at the end, but i felt like a bag of crap for most of run 2. If i heard Steve King correctly, i finished in 8th position. Which, in all honesty, was where i deserved to be. I just didn't have it on the bike, and i was definitely the nail today.
The silver lining from the race though, is that my TT position can only get better. Which, if my math is correct, means i will go faster. If only riding my TT bike was as fun as riding my mtb…


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Ipsy is an online beauty subscription where you sample five different products (e.g. mascara, eyeshadows, etc.) mailed in a collectible bag. There's a lovely theme each month and the products you receive are personalized according to your answers in a quiz, which is taken at the beginning of the subscription.
Hello everyone! Happy Wednesday ❤
The theme of July's Ipsy glam bag is "Hot Summer Nights," an accurate description for the Southern California weather that I'm currently experiencing. The inspirations behind this month's bag according to Ipsy's website were "Bonfires, BBQS, and Pool parties." As you can see below, the bag itself has many mini umbrellas on the front (which reminds me of peppermints lol) and a chrome/oil spill pattern on the back.
The products I received July 2016:
- Ms. Amazing & Queen Bee Masks by SHRAY – Although I have never heard of this particular brand, the sheet masks both look promising. The first mask, Ms. Amazing, is catered for sensitive and dry skin (something I personally struggle with). I'm excited to try out this moisturizing mask and the second mask, Queen Bee, since it's an acne-treating mask.
- Delectable Lemon & Cream Ultra Nourishing Hand Cream from Delectable by Cake Beauty – I typically don't care for hand creams in the summer because the heat makes lotions feel extra greasy. Luckily, I sampled this hand cream on a cool (indoors) day and found this product has some nourishing skin benefits. The fragrance "lemon & cream" lingers a bit though and is pretty strong.
- Professional Contour Eyeshadow Brush (4) by VASANTI COSMETICS – I. love. brushes. I enjoy receiving them in my glam bag and so was looking forward to trying this one out. The long bristles are meant to make contouring your eyes easier and I feel like it will work well for the crease.
- Hangover Replenishing Face Primer by Too Faced – Too Faced is one of my favorite high end, cruelty-free makeup brands out there. One of their most talked about products in the beauty community is the Hangover Face Primer. I'm excited to finally try this beauty out and share if it;s worth purchasing full-size in the future.
- Meet Matt(e) Trimony Eyeshadow (in Matt Moskowitz) by theBalm Cosmetics – theBalm Cosmetics is (also) a cruelty-free brand and one I wish to explore more of. I heard (and read) raving reviews on several of their products in the past, so I was thrilled when I discovered I was going to be able to try one of their eyeshadows. The color I received is a moody purple, plum and it's quite blendable.
P.S. I post every Wednesday and Friday now!


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Laurent Clerc
Would you believe that the first outstanding deaf teacher in America was a Frenchman? His name was Laurent Clerc. He became a friend of Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet and together they founded America's first school for the deaf.
Laurent Clerc was born in a small village near Lyons, France, on December 26, 1785. He was born hearing, but when he was one year old, he fell into a fire. As a result, he lost both his hearing and his sense of smell. The right side of his face was badly burned, and was scarred for his whole life. However, in later years, the scars only made him look more distinguished. The sign for his name was even based on the scar.
At the age of 12, Laurent entered the Royal Institution for the Deaf in Paris where he excelled in his studies. After he graduated, the school asked him to stay on as an assistant teacher. He was a dedicated teacher; and consequently, was promoted to teach the highest class.
Meanwhile, in America, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet was studying to be a minister when he met a young deaf girl, Alice Cogswell. He was upset to learn that there were no schools for the deaf in America. He was very concerned about the lack of educational opportunities for the deaf. Therefore, in 1815, Gallaudet sailed to London, England to seek ideas on how to teach deaf people. However, he was unable to get help and he became frustrated. While he was there, he met a French educator of the deaf who invited him to go to Paris to spend three months learning at the Royal Institution for the Deaf, the school where Laurent Clerc was teaching.
Gallaudet accepted the offer, and went to the Royal Institution for the Deaf, where Clerc became his Sign Language teacher. The two worked and studied well together. When the time came for Gallaudet to return to America, he asked Clerc to come with him. Clerc accepted on one condition: that he would stay in America only a short time.
The two men set sail on June 18, 1816. The voyage across the Atlantic Ocean took 52 days; however, Clerc and Gallaudet put the time to good use. Clerc studied English, and Gallaudet studied sign language. They discussed the school for the deaf which they planned to open. On the long trip, they had many conversations about education and deafness. The year after they arrived, they founded a school for the deaf in Harford, Connecticut.
At the school, Clerc led a busy life. He taught signs to Principal Gallaudet; he taught the pupils; and he taught hearing men who came to the school to study deaf education. At that time, the state would only pay for each student to stay at the school for five years. Therefore, Clerc had to teach his pupils as much as he could as quickly as possible. He and Gallaudet also assisted in founding other schools for the deaf.
Once, Clerc came to Washington, D.C. because he was asked to appear before the Congress of the United States. He met President James Monroe, who became interested in Sign Language when he observed Clerc signing.
In 1819, Clerc married Eliza Crocker Boardman, one of his pupils. They had six children. He retired from teaching in 1858. Although he had intended to return to France, he never did. He died on July 18, 1869 in the United States.
Adapted from: Goodstein, A. and Walworth, M. (1979). Interesting Deaf Americans. Washington, DC: Gallaudet University.
Used with permission from the Gallaudet University Alumni Association.
Revised by Vivion Smith


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AperoNet is a social networking group in Milan where foreigners and Italians meet bi-weekly. All our invitations are sent
via our group on Facebook! Checking our
past events, you will have an idea of our different meetups (some FREE of charge too!): movies in English, wine tastings, concerts,theater, and so on! Not only "aperitivo" then... So, if you're on FaceBook join our group! If not, or if you can't access it very often or if it's blocked from work join this mailing list that replicates all facebook
And if you want to follow all our last-minute infos and deals, leaving your mailbox untouched, follow us on twitter! Also from your smartphone! (Iphone, BlackBerry, etc).
We have also been mentioned by Lonely Planet guidebook "Milan encounter"!


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The Steam Summer Sale starts today, and we're happy to announce that both Yomi and Puzzle Strike (and their expansions) are available for $9.89 each until July 5th! That's a savings of 34% on the online versions of our games.
Don't forget you can always check out our online store for physical versions of Yomi, Codex, Puzzle Strike, Pandante and Flash Duel! Thanks for being a fan.


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IONMAX ION420 Breeze Air Purifier
Product Description
- Cleanable Pre-filter - Traps large airborne particles such as hair, dust and pet dander
- True HEPA Filter - Removes microscopic particles as small as 0.3 microns in size such as fine dust, smoke, bacteria, pollen and mould spores
- Activated Carbon Filter - Neutralises odours such as smoke, harmful gases, and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) at a rate of 99%
- UVC Light - UV Light (254nm) kills germs, viruses, fungi and bacteria at rate of 99%
- Ioniser - Releases negative ions to freshen and balance the air
- Suitable For Areas Up To 35m2
- Traps Allergens - down to 0.3 microns at a rate of 99.97%
- Kill 99% germs
- 3 Fan Speeds - Low, Medium, High
- Timer up to 8 hours
- Filter Replacement Indicator - Lets you know when the filter needs replacing
- Low Noise Levels - Suitable for use at night when sleeping
- Easy-to-use Controls - Touch panel on the front of the unit make controlling the air purifier a breeze.
The Ionmax Breeze ION420 Air Purifier features 5 stages of air purification to ensure the cleanest, healthiest indoor air quality possible for your home or office. Integrating a 3-in-1 filter that consists of a pre-filter, HEPA filter and an Activated Carbon Filter; a negative ioniser, and UV-C light for sterilisation, the Ionmax Breeze ensures complete air purification performance for your whole home. And with unique, user-friendly features - touch control panel, large air outlet, powerful fan, and low noise levels - the Ionmax Breeze is powerful, efficient, and easy to use.
Additional Information
Additional Information
|Power Consumption
|Coverage Area
|Up to 35 sqm
|Air changes per hour
|Low: 65m3/h; Medium: 183m3/h; High: 236m3/h
|Speed control options
|1 - 2 - 3
|CADR (Smoke)
|CADR (Dust)
|CADR (Pollen)
|Noise Level
|Low: 30dB, Medium: 40dB, High: 50dB
|Negative Ion Output
|Product Weight
|4.2 kg
|H: 409 mm, W: 162 mm, D: 324 mm
|1 year


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NBA Live 18 got an update that changed OVR and attributes for basketball players and added two new uniforms to the game.
One of the latest NBA Live 18 updates concerns basketball players and their attributes. The entire attribute updates list is quite hefty. Those interested in checking it out can download the .XLSX file from the official NBA Live forums. The list is found under the News and Announcements category. The sizeable file is a spreadsheet that lists players and their updated attributes. More than 40 attributes such as agility, dunk rating, and dribbling define a player. The general rating known as OVR is a measure of a basketball player performance and, most of the times, the sole stat considered by users when evaluating a particular player.
So, when a basketball player is updated, most users will first look at the OVR and then at the other attributes. The spreadsheet containing the updates has a column called Overall diff. This is most helpful as readers can compare players' OVR before and after the update. Browsing the values in this column, we can see that players got an OVR decrease rather than an increase. The biggest difference is two so it's not that dramatic. Only four players have had their OVR decreased by two. These are CJ McCollum, LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love, and Bradley Beal. Some of the players that had their OVR boosted by one are Anthony Davis, Courtney Lee, and Enes Kanter.
Along with the roster update, also came two new uniforms. Players will now be able to collect the Miami Heat and Houston Rockets Nike City Edition outfits. Prior to the roster update, NBA Live 18 got the first update for 2018. Players should now be experiencing a better online play and more stable performance. Live run was improved too. The game should not crash anymore when playing live events. The timer for being idle was reduced to 48 seconds. It used to be five minutes. Another bug that occurred in Play Now mode after players made changes to their starting lineups is also fixed. The complete list of fixes is found on the NBA Live 18 News and Announcements forum section. For nba live 18 playing, besides the guide you need you, the nba live 18 coins are also important, which can be used to buy more better players to help you to win more games.
What do you think about the NBA Live 18 roster update?
Comments Off on What do you think about the NBA Live 18 roster update?


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Krista lives in the heart of Sonoma County, surrounded by a bounty of local farms and ranchers. Food has always played a large role in her life, and she believes strongly in the value of prioritizing high quality, nourishing foods as the foundation of your diet.
After many years spent reading and researching food and nutrition, shopping local markets, food-related travel, and endless kitchen experimentation, Krista knew she wanted to share her knowledge about the connection between a nutrient-dense diet and overall health and physical and mental wellness.
Krista's lifelong interest in food and nutrition led her to study at The Nutritional Therapy Association to become a certified Nutritional Therapy Consultant. She continues to lead local nutrition programs, work with and support athletes who seek to optimize their fitness performance, and assist clients who simply wish to improve their energy, well-being, and quality of life.
When Krista isn't working – or dreaming about food – she can often be found with her nose in a book, lifting weights at the gym, working in the garden or just chilling with her family and friends.


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Here's a week that'll take care of two bucket list wishes in one fell swoop. Start your adventure celebrating with thousands of international travellers at Inti Raymi, the largest Andean festival in Peru. Tickets can be hard to come by for travellers (but not for us). Then visit the lost city of the Inca, Machu Picchu. Get in touch with your spiritual side with these two unforgettable experiences.
Arrive at any time.
Watch the city come alive with dancers and performers marching up to the ruins of Sacsayhuaman in the ceremony to honour the Sun God Inti. Join thousands of spectators and observe the elaborate reenactment of Incan rituals in a ceremony dedicated to Pachamama, the Mother Earth goddess.
Enjoy a full-day guided tour of the Sacred Valley. Stop at the G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op before visiting a local pottery making community. Break for lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant in Huchuy Qosco. After lunch, opt to head out on a hike to the Ollantaytambo storehouses and look out over the ruins. Or, wander around the cobblestone streets and visit a local Chicheria (corn beer bar). In the evening, partake in an exclusive Inti Raymi celebration ceremony with the Sacred Valley as a scenic backdrop.
Travel through the stunning Sacred Valley of the Incas, visiting a G Adventures-supported women's weaving co-op. Meet the women and learn about traditional weaving and dyeing. Opt to pick up some handmade souvenirs and textiles directly from the women who made them.
Have lunch at the G Adventures-supported Parwa Community Restaurant. Learn about the G Adventures for Good project and eat a delicious buffet-style lunch. Proceeds of this meal go directly back to the remote community.
Return to the Sacred Valley with your G representative to explore the sites of the Maras Salt Mines and the ancient Incan agricultural terraces of Moray. Continue on a scenic drive through small villages and stunning views of the Andean countryside. Stop for a picnic lunch at Piuray Lagoon and opt to explore by kayak or stand-up paddleboard. Return to Cusco for the evening.
Leave the hikers to start their trek and head out to explore Moray and Maras ancient Incan ruins. Enjoy a scenic drive through Andean farmland on the way to Piuray Lagoon.
Enjoy a free day to explore the city or take advantage of the many optional activities available.
Travel by van to Ollantaytambo to catch the scenic train to Aguas Calientes.
Enjoy a guided tour of Machu Picchu. Opt to visit the Inca Bridge before returning to Cusco in the evening.
Rise early to catch the first bus up to Machu Picchu with the guide. Enjoy a guided visit of the ruins followed by free time to explore. When ready, head back down by bus to Aguas Calientes to meet up with the rest of the group and take a train back to Cusco.
Depart at any time.
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What is the Creative Cloud? It's Adobe's new subscription model that offers designers a new way to purchase software and gain access to updates faster than ever. In this course, Justin Seeley reviews Creative Cloud, debunking the rumors and showcasing its most interesting features. Learn how to install and update the apps; access the built-in cloud storage; use the Creative Cloud mobile apps, the touch-friendly versions of programs like Photoshop, for your phone or tablet; and work with additional services like Typekit and Behance. Creative Cloud isn't for everybody, but this course will help you understand whether it's right for you.
- Go to mylmu.edu and log in using your LMU credentials.
- Click on the "Systems Login" menu.
- Scroll down and click on "lynda.com (online training library)"
- Click on the "Start Now" button and you will be redirected to lynda.com.
- Once you are logged in to lynda.com, click the screenshot at the top of this post and you will be redirected to theUp and Running with Adobe Creative Cloud course!


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Novus View-i Pro Ruby In Car Camera (Forward and Internal Facing with Infrared)
- Print
- View full size
The Novus View-i Pro is the best range of in vehicle witness cameras, perfect for insurance companies and transport managers. The Novus View-i Pro Ruby has a forward and rear facing camera and infra red illumination, allowing you to really see what's happened. You don't have to search through hours of data to find what you need, our special software export features such as the ECO drive report and a CSV file export make it easier for you.


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Loving moist and acidic soils, the river birch (Betula nigra) is a heat and drought-tolerant tree native to eastern North America. Its tan, exfoliating bark is a key ornamental feature, as is the glossy green foliage that turns yellow in autumn's chill. Lots of sunshine, moist to wet soils and fertile, non-alkaline ground and a cool-season dormancy is key to getting a river birch to prosper and look its finest.
Ideal Growing Conditions
Provide 1 to 3 inches of water per 7 to 14 days to the root zone of a river birch in the growing season. Natural rainfall, an automated irrigation system or a portable sprinkler from a garden hose can supply this moisture. This regimen is particularly important when you are experiencing a drought in your region.
Remove competing shrub and tall trees if you feel they are physically encroaching upon the river birch or are shading the tree so much that the canopy is sparse or lopsided as it grows to reach light. The birch should receive at least 4 hours of direct sunlight each day, ideally a minimum of eight hours for best growth. In hot summer climates, however, shade in the hottest part of the summer afternoon is recommended.
Test the pH of your soil with a kit from a garden center or submitting a soil sample for analysis at your local Cooperative Extension office. Acidic soils, those with a pH reading less than 6.5, are best, and if you need to lower the soil pH, the office can provide guidance for cost-effective methods.
Place organic matter around the base of the tree to a depth of 2 to 5 inches, keeping the mulch layer 3 to 5 inches away from the trunk(s). The mulch slowly decomposes, releasing nutrients into the soil for the tree to absorb. Good acid-forming mulches include decomposed oak leaf mold, pine straw, pine bark or compost.
Replenish the mulch as needed, sometimes as much as twice or thrice a year depending on climate and the rate at which the mulch decomposes and compresses to a layer less than 2 inches in thickness. Allow autumn leaf litter to remain on the ground under the tree, too.
Consider casting a well-balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer under the branches of the tree in early spring if more robust or healthier new growth is desired that growing season. Follow product label directions for dosage recommendations.
Sprinkle Epsom salt granules under the tree twice a year in sandy soils, especially those neutral to alkaline in pH (pH 6.5 or higher). Evenly broadcast 1 to 3 cups of the crystals on the soil in a radius-ring of 5 to 8 feet around the tree trunk(s). Epsom salt provides magnesium, a micronutrient especially difficult to absorb by trees in non-acidic soils.
Remove dead, diseased or wounded branches any time of year when seen. A visual examination of the tree's branches and overall structure is best done twice a year when the leaves are absent: once in spring and again in late autumn. Branches that rub against each other or cross through the upright structure of the tree require removal as well.
Make pruning cuts with a hand pruners or loppers 1/4 inch above a living branch junction, dormant bud or leaf. Branches needing removal that are larger than 1 inch in diameter should be pruned with a hand-held pruning saw.
Support long or heavier branches with your spare hand as you saw or cut them away. This avoids a situation when the weight of the branche causes premature breaking and tearing of the bark when the pruning cut is nearly through the wood.
Allow pruning cut wounds to bleed and then callus and dry on their own. Do not paint or seal wounds on the tree. Bronze birch borer is not a problem with river birch, so permit the tree to heal and compartmentalize its pruning wounds naturally.
Things You Will Need
- Acid-forming organic matter/mulch
- Epsom salt
- Hand pruners or loppers
- River birch is the most heat-tolerant birch species native to North America, so it is exceptional in the American Southeast as far south as Central Florida. Selection 'Heritage' is particularly vigorous and resistant to leaf spot disease in humid regions.
- Although drought tolerant, river birch will be more robust and foliage retained better if soils are not dry for prolonged periods, especially in summer's heat.
- Direct your landscapers to not "prune off" the decorative peeling bark of the river birch, especially in autumn and winter when it is most ornamental.
- In highly alkaline soils (pH higher than 8.0), chlorosis or leaf yellowing from nutrient deficiencies occur, often detrimentally.
More Articles
- Prune Bur Oak Trees
- Care for Lollipop Crabapple Trees
- Care for a Weeping Snow Fountain Cherry Tree
- Maple Tree Fertilizer
- Care of Bloodgood Japanese Maples
- Prune Incense Cedar
- Prune Bigleaf Maple
- Grow Fraser Fir Trees
- Prune a Red Maple Tree
- Care for Kwanzan Cherry Trees
- Dogwood Tree Planting Instructions
- Prune a Silver Dollar Eucalyptus Tree


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Own jewelry workshop of Kyrgyzaltyn OJSC was opened in 1994. This workshop is equipped with the up-to-date high-performance equipment of Italian manufacturer Mario Di Maio. Inventory of gold-workers comprises the whole spectrum of up-to-date techniques and methods for production of pieces of jewelry from various alloys of precious metals, white, yellow and red gold, as well as works of jewelry art of silver and platinum in National and Modern style. Products are fabricated in large lots and in accordance with a custom design.
Jewelry workshop possesses more than 5000 types of models, composition of which is constantly renovated by the talented goldsmith – pattern-makers, those that have received training at jewelry factory units of Germany and South Korea.
All products are sold through branded jewelry stores of Kyrgyzaltyn OJSC.
Jewelry store windows are offering various pieces of jewelry that were made in a jewelry workshop of Kyrgyzaltyn OJSC of gold and silver, which was extracted from the mineral wealth of Kyrgyzstan. Here you can pick for yourself and your beloved products that fit every taste, both in European and National style. All our products are handmade!
Work schedule of the store:
Monday through Friday – from 10-00 till 18-00, lunch time from 13-00 till 14-00
Saturday – from 10-00 till 13-00;
Sunday – off day.
Address of jewelry store: Kyrgyz Republic, Bishkek City, 195 Abdymomunov Str.
Point of contact: (0312) 666670; Fax (0312) 666684.