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Here's how the challenge will work:
- Read the chapters each day that week. Highlight, take notes, do what you have to do to engage the material. Don't just read it. Really allow it to change you. Journal, pray, look up scriptures.
- Write a post (or more, if you like) sharing your most challenging chapter for that week and give us a personal glimpse as to why you struggle in this area. Don't worry! We all have an area of struggle, so we will all be sharing! Share what you need that could help you in that area. I will be posting a struggle, but also some extra solutions to accompany what Sarah Mae has offered. If you feel compelled, why not also share something that comes easily for you? Perhaps you could offer tips to others who may be struggling?
- Use the button in your post so that others can find their way back in case they would like to join us. The more the merrier! I have changed the code so it brings you to the list of "31 Days to Clean" posts. You can find the button in my sidebar.
- Link up your post(s) on Friday, beginning May 6th . It doesn't matter what day you choose to write your post, you can still link it up on Friday.
Monday-Friday (only)
Days 1-5, May 2-6
Days 6-10, May 9-13
Days 11-15, May 16-20
Days 16-20, May 23-27
Days 21-25, May 30-June 3
Days 26-31, June 6-11 (finish last reading on Saturday)


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edwin john shoemaker
As co-founder of La-Z-Boy Chair Company, Edwin Shoemaker (b.1907 d.1998) provided the engineering expertise that evolved into the world famous La-Z-Boy chair. Back in 1927, when he and his cousin, Edward M. Knabusch, borrowed the money to start the business, no one could have imagined the heights to which the motion chair business has risen.
Edwin Shoemaker is an inventor, acquiring his first patent for a band saw guide in 1925. His engineering genius brought the mass production methods of Detroit's automotive industry into the upholstery plant, He planned and designed the manufacturing facility that opened in November, 1941. Production was 85 chairs per day from a factory with 24,000 square feet of floor space.
Today, total floor space has expanded to well over 5,000,000 square feet, with 8,000 employees in nine states. Shoemaker had a hand in the design and construction of every La-Z-Boy plant.
Shoemaker was among the first to project the physical properties of recliners as a science. If there were such a thing as the "'Father of Motion Furniture," he would be a candidate for that title.
As a trustee for the La-Z-Boy Chair Foundation since 1953, his philanthropy has touched hospitals, schools, libraries, museums, and a host of religious programs.

subset: commoncrawl


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Kentucky Ag News
Vol. 7 No. 16 • August 29, 2014
Owen County takes Junior Chef crown
Owen County's "Cuisine Rebels," sporting aprons made out of old football jerseys, won the second annual Kentucky Farm to School Junior Chef State Tournament during the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville.
Comer hails ag emphasis at state fair
Agriculture Commissioner James Comer praised the Kentucky State Fair Board and President "Rip" Rippetoe for keeping agriculture as the focus of the state fair during a legislative committee meeting at the fair. Look for other photos from the fair on the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's page on Facebook.
Farmers' markets growing in size, significance
Sharon Spencer, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's farmers' market coordinator, said Kentucky markets are expanding their offerings and becoming social centers of their communities. (audio)
KDA, feds reach accord on hemp
The Kentucky Department of Agriculture and the federal government today finalized an agreement on a formal process for importing industrial hemp seeds into the Commonwealth.
Considerations for fall wheat planting
Given the current market conditions, double-cropping doesn't look attractive in 2014-15, particularly in northwest Kentucky.
Farm income forecast to decline in 2014
Net farm income is forecast at $113.2 billion in 2014, down about 14 percent from the 2013 forecast of $131.3 billion. If realized, the 2014 forecast would be the fourth-highest value since 1970 after adjusting for inflation.
UK researchers study local pollinators
University of Kentucky entomologists Abi Saeed and Dan Potter are studying the types of bees various woody ornament plants attract in urban areas.
- Advanced Kentucky Grazing School
- Kentucky Conservation Partnership Seasonal High Tunnel Field Day
- Kentucky Association for Environmental Education Conference
- Organic Association of Kentucky Dirt Revival
- KVMA meeting/Mid-America Veterinary Conference
- Mountain Ag Week
- Southeast Quality Milk Initiative meeting
- UK Beef Bash
- Appalachia Proud Field Day
- CSX Small Grants Program for Transporting Healthy Food (application due Oct. 1)
- Kentucky Proud Incredible Food Show
- Artisan/Farmstead Cheesemaker Food Safety Workshop
- Food Entrepreneurship for Economic Development Conference
Coming up
Kentucky Farm Fact
Kentucky has more than 155 farmers' markets throughout the Commonwealth. To find a market near you, go to http://www.kyagr.com/marketing/farmers-market.html.


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The fans of Bollywood's Baadshah are eagerly waiting for the release of Shah Rukh Khan's upcoming movie "Fan". Now, the superstar has revealed the logo of the film.
Shah Rukh shared a video on Twitter, created by Yash Raj Films, which shows the logo of "Fan". The logo consists of several faces of SRK's real-life fans and their sound bites, revealing their craziness for the superstar.
Shah Rukh shared the video saying, "Ok our FAN team being so stingy stingy & showing such lit bits of the film. Chalo abhi logo hi sahi (sic)."
Earlier, a teaser video of the movie was also released that showed some actual clips of Shah Rukh's fans gathered in front of his residence just to get a glimpse of the "Dilwale" actor.
Directed by Maneesh Sharma, "Fan" will present SRK in double roles, one as a superstar and the other as his biggest fan.
Recently, it was announced that the second teaser of the movie will be released on Shah Rukh's birthday, 2 November. Apparently, that will be a special gift from the superstar to his fans on his birthday.
"We received a great response to our teaser and the next promo, a second teaser is being readied now," Bollywoodlife quoted the film's editor Namrata Rao as saying.
"The first teaser only showed that Shah Rukh plays two characters — one of a superstar and the other of a fan. The second teaser will give you an idea of what the film is about," she further added.
Meanwhile, Shah Rukh has two other upcoming flicks -- "Dilwale" and "Raees". While "Diwale" will be released on 12 December this year, "Raees" and "Fan" will hit the screens on next year Eid and 15 April, 2016.
Check the logo of "Fan" below:


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Oliver Hermanus' gripping drama tells the story of Francois (DEON LOTZ) who lives a skilfully controlled, well managed life, in Bloemfontein, South Africa. Father of two daughters and a devoted husband, he is wholly unprepared when a chance encounter unravels his clean and ordered existence. Christian (CHARLIE KEEGAN) is the son of a long lost friend. By all accounts he is the personification of a handsome young man in the prime of his life. Francois is so disarmed by the young man that it instantly ignites within him an all consuming infatuation and misplaced lust.
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7 St Stephen's Court, 15-17 St Stephen's Road, Bournemouth, Dorset BH2 6LA
Phone: 01202 299992 or 07419139944
Email: email@example.com
WWW: www.kiteleys.co.uk
BiographyAs a Collaborative Family Lawyer (aka Family Solutions Expert), I help people to move on with their lives after a relationship breakdown, in a positive and constructive way.
I have all the skills, qualifications and knowledge of a Family Law Solicitor, but what do I and how I do it is very different from what so many of the other more traditional family lawyers are still doing.
My aims are to help people:
* Avoid Court
* Avoid Costs
* Avoid Uncertainty
How I do this includes:
* Knowing that there is no "one size fits all" solution.
* Being honest and realistic when advising you. I'm not going to waste your time and money with avoidable legal costs.
* Knowing that lawyers do not have all the answers. I have well established links with a range of other professionals, including financial planners and family consultants.
*Ensuring that the full range of family dispute resolution options are available to you, tailored to suit your unique situation. This could include a referral to an independent family mediator.
*Drawing on my knowledge and experience of helping individuals and couples solve their family problems since 1999.


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Jeff Wood – vice president, WW Product Management, Workstation and Thin Client Business HP and Josh Peterson- director, WW Product Management, Workstation and Thin Client Business, HP met with the press in a virtual press briefing prior to the announcement of the new HP Z240 Tower and Z240 SFF Workstations with next generation Intel processors and HP Z Turbo Drive options, raising the bar for entry-level workstations, while providing the reliability of a workstation at the price point of a desktop PC.
Posts Tagged 'HP'
New HP Z240 Tower and Z240 SFF Next Generation Small Form Factor Workstations AnnouncedThursday, October 1st, 2015
HP plans to split into two different companiesTuesday, October 14th, 2014
Hewlett-Packard Co said it would split into two listed companies, separating its computer and printer businesses from its corporate hardware and services operations, thereby eliminating another 5,000 jobs that would be part of its "turnaround plan." The company currently has over 300,000 employees.
HP releases new HP LaserJet Pro MFP M476 Color Laser DeviceFriday, March 7th, 2014
Brian Sahr, Future Product Marketing Manager, HP LaserJet and Enterprise Solutions, talked last week about the new release of the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M476 color laser device, delivering simple wireless printing from smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices, available this spring. The new MFP M476 addresses the following four key trends in the industry:
1) Mobility — A number of workers are going to mobility. 70% of the worldwide workforce is now mobile. That's changing how people want to interact.
2) Cloud and big data – Most information now is in the cloud. From the printing and imaging standpoint, customers want to scan to the cloud and bring information into the cloud. (more…)
Sizzling new offerings from HPThursday, May 10th, 2012
It seems that HP has invested in its hardware division big time with several unveilings this week, including notebook PCs, the HP Photosmart 5520 e-All-in-One printer, Ultrabook and Sleekbook offerings as well as for businesses, the HP t410 All-in-One (AiO) Smart Zero Client.
HP Pavilion notebook PCs include enhanced features and reflect the company's new HP Mosaic design approach.
From the press release: The company also unveiled the HP Photosmart 5520 e-All-in-One printer, featuring HP wireless direct printing (1) and HP ePrint, enabling users to print from virtually anywhere.(2)
- For stylish on-the-go computing, the HP Pavilion m6 is the ideal balance of mobility, performance and entertainment wrapped in a sleek, brushed silver aluminum design.
- The redesigned HP Pavilion dv-series and g-series notebook PCs offer performance in a simple yet distinct and colorful design.
- For users that want to balance affordable printing and brilliant quality at home, the HP Photosmart 5520 e-All-in-One is a compact, web-connected all-in-one printer for the home.


text: All the way from Texas for an engagement with me, oh you shouldn't have- there may or may not be truth in that- either way- such a fun day in Boston with Ashley & Andrew. From beers to docks, we made our way through town having fun and capturing some photos along the way. Enjoy!


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Rent a Pole
Need a pole to practice on, or to spice up your special event? Pink Fitness' stage mounted poles can accommodate any location, including removable floor to ceiling poles and stage mounted poles, and are easily portable and quick to set up.
Rates start at $75 for a 24 hour rental. Setup and delivery is also available for an additional fee.
We only rent the safest and highest quality portable poles available. We are excited to be the only place in the valley where you can rent the newest in portable stage pole technology that requires no additional weight and even offers a spinning mode!
Contact us for full details on pricing and availability for pole rentals.


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NEW ORLEANS – Frequently, coaches downplay the significance of a game because there are so many, particularly in the NFL, where 7-9 teams like the 2010 Seattle Seahawks can make the playoffs and a 9-7 team like the 2011 New York Giants can win a Super Bowl.
The Saints are not downplaying Sunday night's 7:30 game against Carolina in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
"Look, it is an important game, and I think both teams will be anxious and understand the significance of the game," Saints coach Sean Payton said last week to a question about a short week since New Orleans played on Monday night in Seattle, losing 34-7 in one of the worst games of the Payton era.
The reason the Saints (9-3) cannot downplay their game against Carolina (9-3 winners of eight straight) is because it is for the lead in the NFC South and because the Saints play at Carolina two weeks from Sunday following a road game at St Louis (5-7) on Dec. 15. New Orleans is 3-3 on the road this season and did not play well in wins at Tampa Bay, which is 3-9, and at Atlanta, which is also 3-9.
Payton and his players did not admit they have had trouble on the road this season, but those are the facts. After Sunday, only the Dec. 29 season finale is in the Superdome, where the Saints are 6-0 this season. The Saints are also trying to stay in contention for the NFC's No. 2 playoff seed behind Seattle (11-1).
"We all know what's at stake here," said Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who had one of his worst games as a pro at Seattle. "We have four games left. Here we are tied with Carolina. We play them two of the next three. This is all for the division title and potentially the two seed. They're a great team. They've been playing extremely well. We know we're going to get their best. We're going to need to bring our best."
A loss and the Saints may be scoreboard watching the rest of the season.
"The division is always our first goal," offensive tackle Zach Strief said. "We need to get out with a win."
Carolina's defense is one of the best in the NFL as it is No. 2 in total defense with 290 yards allowed a game, No. 2 in rush defense with 80.2 yards given up a game and No. 6 against the pass at 209.6 yards allowed a game.
"They don't have a weak link," Brees said. "As you watch each and every game, you see a defined game plan. You see a lot of discipline."
Carolina's offense is only 24th in the NFL in total yards a game with 327.8, but it is ninth in the NFL in rushing with 129.3 a game as running back DeAngelo Williams has 610 yards on 151 carries. Cam Newton is fourth among quarterbacks in rushing with 449 yards on 82 carries, and he is the league's No. 18 passer with 218 a game. The Panthers are tied for third in the NFL in giveaway-takeaway ratio at plus-10.
"They don't give the ball away, and their defense takes the ball away," Saints linebacker Curtis Lofton said.
"It is exciting to be in this position. I'm sure Carolina feels the same," Payton said. "Each one of these next few games here are going to be very important. It is kind of like a home and away baseball series. The focus is on this game, and it is not looking past it. Obviously, it is an important game. When you are playing the other team that is tied for the lead in your division at this point in the year, it becomes very important."
GAME NOTES: Saints right tackle Zach Strief (ankle) is listed as questionable, but he practiced all week. … Carolina guard Chris Scott (knee) will not play, and linebacker Jordan Senn (hamstring) is doubtful. Running back DeAngelo Williams (quadricep) is probable. … Saints fans will attempt to set a Guinness world record for crowd noise Sunday night as a Guinness record representative will be at the game to record decibel levels. The Sacramento Kings of the NBA set the record at 126 on the decibel scale on Nov. 15, 2013, at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. Decibel levels will be recorded shortly before kickoff with the "Who Dat" chant and throughout the game. … Former LSU wide receiver Brandon LaFell has dropped a few passes this season, but he is third on the Panthers with 43 catches for 531 yards and five touchdowns.


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About twins DNA testing
Due to New York State Department of Health regulations, we cannot offer any peace of mind paternity or relationship tests to New York residents. However, we can offer legal paternity and relationship tests in New York. Contact us or click here for more information.
Knowing whether twins are identical or fraternal (dizygotic twins) is often difficult. Appearance alone is often not a reliable method to confirm twin type because identical twins (monozygotic twins) do not always look exactly the same, and fraternal twins can sometimes look very similar. If you want to know with absolute certainty whether twins are identical or fraternal, you will need a twin DNA test. The price for a twins DNA test is $199.
Real client testimonial:
"Everyone always asked whether my girls were identical. I always said no, and used to get the reply back, "are you sure". Now i have my answer. Thank you very much." Australia, 22nd April 2015
How does twins DNA testing work?
Identical twins occur when one egg is fertilized by one sperm. The term zygotic in monozygotic and dizygotic refers to the cell formed when a sperm and ovum meet. Clearly, a monozygotic twin is formed from a single zygote and a dizygotic twin is formed from 2 separate zygotes. Due to identical twins being produced from the same fertilized egg which then divides into two separate ones, their DNA profiles will be identical. Fraternal twins have a different DNA profiles because they are formed from 2 sperm fertilizing two eggs independently. In terms of genetic similarity, non-identical twins will have as much common DNA as siblings – that being around 50%. Identical twins on the on the other hand, will have DNA profiles that are exact carbon copies of each other. Thus, by comparing the DNA of twins, with our twins DNA test we can establish whether they are identical or fraternal by determining the genetic similarity.
Note: We can only guarantee standard result turnaround time when testing takes place solely using oral swab samples. Using a discreet sample for your test may lead to an increase in turnaround time.
Reasons for testing and collecting samples
Reasons for ordering a twins DNA test include personal/curiosity purposes or medical purposes (situations requiring blood transfusions and organ transplantation). When it comes to blood transfusions and organ transplants, identical twins make better blood and organ donors to each other; blood groups will be fully compatible and chances of organ rejection will be much lower due to the identical antigens of monozygotic twins.
Twins DNA testing samples can be collected using our home sample collection kit. The kit contains 4 oral swabs per person. Each twin will need to be swabbed twice. Inside the kit simple, step by step instructions will be provide to enable you to collect samples quickly, efficiently and without any hassles. Once done, just put the swabs back in their envelopes and put these envelopes into the bigger, pre-addressed envelope and send everything off to the laboratory for testing.
EasyDNA USA is able to process a wide range of DNA samples. You can view a complete list of these items in our forensic DNA testing section.


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Kick off your weekend practicing yoga on the beach as the sun sets into the pacific! An amazing way to groove out, move your body at the end of a long week, and hang with your friends at the beach. Friday night classes are extra sweet, and the perfect time to connect back to your own rhythm.
This class be a beautiful combination of zen and groovy beats. Begin with deep cleansing breaths, stretch and strengthen with all levels yoga, and build up to a beautiful dance with the ocean to fun and funky beats comin through your headphones!
Julianne will be leading this class. Julianne has always found freedom in the great outdoors and founded Outdoor Yoga SF with the deep belief that spending more time outside at the beach, together in community, practicing mindfulness would surely be a great recipe for healing and recharging from busy city life. Her style is a combinational of zen and grounding practicings with a playful, and lighthearted vibe.


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Create and Craft Pack of 6 Glue Tape Pens335018
These versatile and easy to use Create and Craft Purple Tape Pens are crafting kit essentials!Read the full description
These Create and Craft Purple Tape Pens are all about effortless adhesion!
With each housing 10 metres (approx.) of acid-free, permanent transfer tape, you'll have countless projects covered for quite some time!
This set also includes an A4 sheet of instructions and guidance - suitable for novice and experienced crafters alike. Apply only to clean, dry surfaces, free from dust, oil, grease, polish and moisture - press firmly to ensure the perfect bond.
- This acid-free adhesive is permanent and cannot be reversed.
- Quick and easy gluing.
- Precise positioning, even in outline.
- 6 x Purple Tape Pens
Delivery and Returns
Your order will be despatched within 3-5 working days. Most deliveries require someone to accept and sign for the delivery to ensure the goods are received correctly. To help you we can arrange for delivery to be made elsewhere.Click here for more information.
ASDA toyou Service: Where you see the ASDA logo, we offer a Click & Collect service from over 600 ASDA stores. Please Note: This service is only available when ALL the items in your basket are eligible for ASDA toyou. Click here for more information.
We hope you like your purchase, however, if you are not entirely satisfied with any item, it may be sent back to us for a refund, provided it is returned within 14 days (unless otherwise specified) from the date of despatch. Please click here for more information.
- £9.99
- Club members pay £8.99


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Weddings are often lavish and opulent affairs that cost an enormous amount to fund. While this may be an expected and important investment for some couples, other couples might be more reluctant to pour a great deal of work-hours into this one single ceremony. However, this single ceremony is easily considered to be one of the most important ceremonies a person can partake in. For those looking to save a bit and have the wedding of their stylistic dreams, here are a few surprising categories in which you can shave a smidgen off of the budget.
- The Photographer
Fortunately for wedding planners, today's photographic climate is bursting at the seams with entrepreneurial, talented, and passionate photographers. Most tried-and-tested photographers will charge you an "investment" fee for providing pictures of your wedding, and that fee could possibly take your breath away (not in the good way). To a thriftier couple's delight, there are probably hundreds of other newer photographers in the area that would be overwhelmingly pleased to do the same job for less than half the price. Try seeking out a photographer with a portfolio that you admire who is attempting to break into the wedding market, as opposed to a photographer who is already making waves in the wedding world. Their art is no less gifted than a wedding photographer with a snazzy website, and their prices are sure to be more reasonable.
- The Venue
The wedding ceremony venue is the all-important backdrop of the whole ordeal itself. Many venue-providers know this, and have made an impressively streamlined business out of the situation. Unfortunately, that also means that venue-providers usually charge a plentiful price for their services. Consider having your wedding in a more unusual place, such as in a state park or a garden. The money you save renting a more simplistic and natural setting for your ceremony can help fund the more extravagant after-party- or, you can have the reception at a family member's house or a friend's cozy home to save money on both.
- The Bridal Party
This might seem like an immediate impossibility, but more spending-conscious couples should consider either downsizing the number of their bridesmaids and groomsmen or eliminating them entirely. Without bridesmaids or groomsmen there's no need to provide formal attire, and there's no need to provide costly gifts to thank them for their involvement. With one or two bridesmaids and a best man, the ceremony can be both more sweetly intimate and more cost-effective.
- The Catering
Just because a business claims to have the best burritos in the market doesn't mean that your favorite neighbor doesn't have an equally delectable burrito recipe to offer up. Admittedly, if your wedding is a tremendous affair and you have more than 100 guests, it is probably unreasonable to cook and serve your own food. However, with more moderately-sized weddings, doing your own catering can be a bright success and a great way to cut back on your spending. Gather together a couple of your friends or family members who cook like a dream and bribe them to help out with providing tasty snacks or meals for the wedding. Nine times out of ten, those guests would love to be a part of the ceremony and would be more than happy to help out with the food.
- The Parties
Let's be honest with ourselves. Bachelor parties and bachelorette parties can be ostentatious affairs with a huge amount of money and flamboyance involved- but they don't have to be. You can keep these pre-wedding parties relatively small and still have an excellent time at both, with guests pitching in both on venue costs and provisions. Or, you can be truly thrifty and sacrifice both parties to fund a more fantastic honeymoon afterwards.
There is a booming market for spectacular weddings in which thousands upon thousands of dollars have been appropriately invested, and it shows. There's nothing wrong with desiring a wedding of luxury, but there's nothing wrong with desiring a wedding of simplicity, either. Regardless, throw the wedding and party of your choice and, if you're looking to save a few bucks while you're at it, consider a few of the aforementioned tips and tricks when doing your planning.


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Click below to learn about sustainability features of the Santa Monica College campus.
The CEUS houses Student Greening Programs such as Sustainable Works, which holds workshops to teach students how to become more sustainable in their own daily lives. It also conducts academic research on campus sustainability policies and programs like the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment. The Center also consists of a Living Laboratory for sustainable practices and green building materials. Student clubs meet here weekly, such as Eco Action Club, or in the Organic Learning Garden such as Club Grow. It hosts annual events such as Earth Week and Sustainability Week, and tables at various events on campus.
The SMC community is excited by the opening of the new Organic Learning Garden facility!
The OLG provides the opportunity to learn, to grow our own food, and better understand food systems and the impact they have on our society. We can make our communities self-sustaining, have access to fresh and healthy food, reconnect to the earth and our traditions, and nourish our bodies. During our first year, there were about 1,200 square feet of planting space. Several planting options—raised beds, containers, mounded beds, and constructed herb gardens—that will be available. Plots will be assigned by the OLG Garden Plot Committee (faculty, staff, and students). By planting a garden space during our inaugural year, you will have the opportunity to provide us with valuable feedback and help us develop future policies to insure the maintenance of a thriving garden on a season-to-season and year-to-year basis. We look forward to building a sustainable gardening community at Santa Monica College and hope you will join us in this effort. Current plots are distributed by the Organic Learning Garden Oversight Committee.
In 2007-2008, Santa Monica College subsidized 3 lines servicing the highest concentration of SMC students.Then in 2008-2009, the Associated Students pushed to increase the service to Any Line, Any Time. The program costs approximately 1.4 million dollars, split between the Associated Students and the "General Fund". All you need to ride a big blue bus is a valid staff or student ID, and ride for FREE: ANY LINE, ANY TIME.
The Vermitech is a closed-loop composting system which houses approximately 600,000 worms, whose job is to convert food waste that comes out of the cafeteria, as well as paper and cardboard, into a valuable natural resource. The nutrient rich soil-like substance referred to as 'castings' are processed and used to fertilize the landscaping all around campus. By using this system, SMC prevents 2.5 tons of food waste from going into landfills each year, which contributes in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from food waste in landfills.
SMC has reduced its total waste output by 60% since 2006. There are approximately 65-75 recycle bins on campus. In 2009-10 the Board of Trustees passed a Zero waste Events Board Policy requiring events to use compostable ware and produce no more than 10% waste. The Recycling program is managed by SMC's Sustainability Department and staffed only by student workers.
On-campus food vendors are selected using comprehensive sustainability criteria. This resulted in Carl's Jr. being replaced with Campus Kitchen, which has robust environmental business practices and healthier choices. Vendors now are more supportive of SMC's recycling, composting and Zero Waste events policy.
Between two large cisterns on campus, over 100,000 gallons of water can be captured and returned to the aquifer by filtering water through tubes and layers of carbon, soil, and rocks. This mimics the natural process that is disrupted in the urban environment.
SMC's policy is to retain as much stormwater on campus as possible. When it rains, the water is channeled to the quad where it drains down under the grass through layers of gravel and permeable cloth down into the cistern. The gravel and permeable cloth provide the first layers of filtration into the holding tank (cistern). The water then slowly drains out of the cistern through the many layers of rock and sediment, thereby purifying the water to recharge the aquifers and retain rainwater.
Another cistern under the Organic Learning Garden captures rainwater, which is pumped up and used to water the garden with fresh water that does not contain fluoride, chlorine or chloramine.
Installed in the late 1990s by the SMC Botany Department, the Native Gardens are maintained by SW volunteers. The garden includes only CA natives (not only drought tolerant, but native) and requires little maintenance and hardly any water. Some plants are endangered and all plants have benefits to the local ecosystem like feeding local bees and being fire resistant.
Drought tolerant landscaping is found throughout campus. It supports local wildlife, requires little maintenance and very little water. Some plants are endangered and all plants have benefits to the local ecosystem like feeding local bees and being fire resistant.
A native landspace demonstration garden called "Garden / Garden" is located on Pearl street in front of the Campus Police Department and Outreach Center. It demonstrates the water and maintenance cost savings between a typical garden and one that is planted with natives.
The CEUS is planted with native species and each plant is marked for reference. Mulch has been spread throughout the yard to capture valuable runoff from rain events to help return it to the aquifer. Rainbarrels capture water from the roof which can be used during dry days to water the landscape.
SMC Bond Measure Building Projects are to be designed to meet the US Green Building Council's Green Building Program. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system is a widely recognized national and international benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance buildings. The LEED rating system provides a measurable way to incorporate sustainable design into the built environment.
The recently completed IT Relocation Building has been designed under USGBC NC v3 and has a LEED Silver Certification. Project measures designed into the building include:
Information Technology Building
The Student Services Building is designed under USGBC NC v3 and is seeking a LEED Gold Certification. Project measures designed into the Building include:
One of our 4 institutional learning outcomes is directly related to sustainability:
"SMC students will take responsibility for their own impact on the earth by living a sustainable and ethical life style." We are the only community college in the nation to have an Ecological Literacy component as part of our graduation requirements. SMC also developed the Solar/Photovoltaic Installation certificate, Energy Efficiency certificate, and Recycling and Resource Management certificate. The Two Environmental AA & AS degrees offered at SMC are Environmental Studies and Environmental Science. Many traditional disciplines have "greened the curriculum" by incorporating environmental themes and examples and/ or offering the Sustainable Works program as extra credit.
Photovoltaic systems can be found in various places around campus, including the carport project in Parking Structure 3 (cost $3.6 million for the structure and an additional $1 million for efficiency) which produces 400KW. In the Library, there is a 32 KW system, and the CEUS has a 3 KW system. The Creative Media and Design building, Performing Arts Center, and Student Services Buildings all have large solar roofs built into their design. All future buildings will incorporate solar power. The new PE / Health building also has solar thermal water heaters to produce hot water for all the showers placed in the building.
Main campus - Lot 3 has 6 EV designated stalls on the bottom level drivers with their own cords. (2 or Students and 4 for Employees)
Main campus - Student Services Center, opening summer 2019, will have 6 phase II charging stations on the first floor for students and 6 on each of the two floors below for employees. There will also be about 7 spaces designated for EVs and ZEVs for staging before and after charging.
Bundy campus has 5 phase I charging stations in the eastern parking lot.
CMD campus has 8 phase II charging stations. (2 for Students and 6 for Employees)
EV charging stations will be integrated into each new future parking garage that is constructed.
There are 17 water filling stations located around campus to easily refill water bottles. Associated Students provides free reusable bottles to all students at the Cayton Center.
High efficiency boilers installed in:
Lighting fixtures upgraded out of 16,000 total
Energy Management Systems to monitor and regulate building energy, temperature, and water use are being installed this year.
A Central Plant has been installed in the PE/Health building and uses chillers to freeze liquid in off-peak hours. This chilled water is then used during the day to provide cooling to all buildings on the main campus.
In addition to free bus lines from Any Line; Any Time, there are over 600 bike racks located throughout the campus, allowing students to commute on their bikes freely. DIY bike stands, repair tools, and pumps are located in the bike lot on Peart Street, and are available 24/7. In 2014, SMC was recognized as a "Bike Friendly University"- Bronze level by the League of American Cyclists.


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Narrow classic beaded wrist corsage bracelet.
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Prom season is drawing closer as students up and down the country embark upon their final exams and start thinking about that dress, those tux, the fancy car and the floral accessories.
Visit our Get Creative blog area to view videos and tutorials like this on a whole host of different items.View Our Blog
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CAN ANYONE HELP!!! Please...someone with the midas touch of editing HTML codes please reach out and save me from imploding, ba ha ha
Anyways hope you like the blog banner, I have to say I'm pretty chuffed that I finally have my beloved woodgrain in all its splendid glory on show..gosh I love woodgrain! lol
Its also been a weird couple of days I have been soooooo close to tears that when Dan rang this morning they rolled on out, I nearly drowned the poor man, but Cookie being my bestest friend in the whole wide world, soon had me laughing my big toosh off...I think whats taken my good vibe away is that I'm turning 40 in a few months and I am s*#t scared that life is slipping me by way too quickly. Yeah, yeah I know that its not old but there are many reason for this little melt down of which I wont bore you with and I guess its just time to pull myself out of this silliness and start smiling again.
Anyways I'm digressing, Dan asked me on the phone this morning what I was thinking of doing for my partay! All I have been able to come up with is a 'Motown & Funk' theme but then Dan came up with a suggestion I'm seriously considering, wait for it!
Ring a ding a ling! By Jove I think we've got it!
Faaar out 'Cookie' cracks me up! He went on to say we could all have a Bears picnic and play frisbee in the park. That seeing a bunch of intoxicated bears in and around surfers could be 'beary' hilarious sight! I love his quick witted humour. Ermm however, this is not a conclusive decision, so if anyone has a suggestion fire away I'm up for some more hilarity!
Today I have also (in between pulling my hair out over this blogger thing) been making another ATC for a swap early next month. The theme was 'House' so I thought I'd do a little digi pic of a 1950's lady in front of her cute little caravan (Mobile Home), but added some razzle dazzle with the must have kitsch garden accessory of the time the 'Pink Flamingo'. Here's the ATC not the best photo but you get the jist!
I also managed to participate in one of the cyber crop challenges at Scrapboutique. This one was our guest stylist the lovely Sharon & her Puzzle Challenge. You had to use this sheet of shapes and create a LO using them.
You could substitute 2 of the shapes with what ever embellie you wanted.
I decided to do a digital LO and am thinking it could make a great sketch so here is the LO and sketch. If you want to use it just link it back to me you know the drill, I love to see your creations!
Well thats it for me, off to lounge on the couch and snuggle up to my puggle!
And lots of loving memory to our ANZAC's...mwah


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A girl gives a brochure to a German tourist in a pedestrian shopping street in downtown Vienna on August 11. [Xinhua/Pan Xu]
Around 30 Chinese youngsters recently took part in a campaign to promote the country's traditional culture and crafts among nations participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.
On August 11, members of the group appeared in a pedestrian shopping street in downtown Vienna, serving as "cultural tourism ambassadors" for the day in the central European city.
A boy gives a brochure to an American tourist. [Xinhua/Pan Xu]
A girl presents a brochure to a pedestrian in Vienna on August 11. [Xinhua/Pan Xu]
(Source: Xinhua/Translated and edited by Women of China)


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During the interview process, I knew I was asking Strollers and Stilettos to find the impossible, or at least the improbable. We needed someone who could engage, enrich and care for our three boys ranging in age from 4 to 10 –this in itself is a tall order. Four year olds still want you to sing the ABCs over-and-over-and-over again, and still have accidents and need to be reminded to take a break from coloring to go pee. And 10 year olds want iPhones and feel like they are ready for high school. Its a broad age range for any nanny.
AND we needed the impossible job candidate who could help us get our lives in order-get the house ready, coordinate the tuning of the piano after the move, enroll in camps, figure out the best dry cleaner, and keep the refrigerator stocked though it all–all this and the other 100 million things that you must accomplish when moving.
Indeed I had requested a person that may have been impossible to find.
A year later, and very grateful Jodi took the job, despite the odd interview set up, Jodi has been an amazing partner in a most dynamic year of our family's life. She is both a Nanny and House Manager in the fullest sense. She was the impossible nanny house manager I was looking to find. She makes everything in our lives, both work and home life, possible.
The brilliance of Jodi is not only WHAT she does but HOW she does it. Jodi smiles through everything-is flexible and proactive. She helped the boys feel at home by taking them on trips to their new library branch, and hundreds of other big and little things. She is a natural at gently teasing the ten year old to play at his level by reviewing all the features of the new apple products. Jodi also literally plays on the level of our 4 year old–getting on the floor to play cars, and singing a song over-and-over-and-over again. She is thoughtful to the extreme–like bringing in a car advertisement with a red sports car she saw knowing that this is the one true obsession of our son. And although we are not too picky of eaters, she memorized all our food likes and dislikes as if she has been with our family for years and years. Jodi is proactive and insightful, even suggesting that the sticker chart was not working and a new system was needed. We now have a jewel jar where we place a plastic jeweled bead when we "catch" the boys doing something great like cleaning the table without being asked or being extra kind to one another. When the jewel jar is full-we go out to ice cream. Jodi's jewel jar idea has sparked countless sweet moments for our boys. This list goes on and on.
Above it all, my husband and I have a sense of ease and joy that our boys are with such an amazing person as Jodi. And for parents that work out of the home this is the greatest gift. A stocked refrigerator, clean dry cleaning clothes in the closet, a house with not too many hot wheels cars under foot are nice and indeed essential too. However, knowing that our boys are with someone that they can learn from, who they can model themselves after, and who cares for them as unique and individual little human beings is what makes Jodi the impossible Nanny House Manager." – Bridget C.
Strollers and Stilettos® interviewed Jodi Wittig as our highlighted nanny/house manager for the month of May. Jodi grew up in Las Vegas and holds a degree in Spanish secondary education. She is also certified to teach ESL and early childhood education. Read the full interview below!
S&S: Where did you grow up?
JW: I was born in Milwaukee, WI but grew up in Las Vegas, NV. My mom moved there when I was young. I was fortunate to have Midwestern roots, with my dad still living in WI, and I got to enjoy Las Vegas sunshine most of the year.
S&S: Why did you end up in Chicago?
JW: I went to college in Chicagoland suburbs and did my student teaching in the city. I fell in love with the city then, and after a few years of following different opportunities I ended up back here. I like to say, I moved here mostly for the food.
S&S: What is your alma mater?
JW: I went to Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL.
S&S: What degree(s) do you hold?
JW: I have a bachelor's degree in Spanish secondary education. I also have certificates to teach ESL and early childhood education.
S&S: Tell me a little bit about your professional experience – What have some of your previous roles been?
JW: I started my professional career as a high school Spanish teacher and cheerleading coach in Las Vegas. After five years I decided to move to LA, with a shortage of teaching jobs available, I pursued a nanny career and fell in with an amazing family there. In LA, I also taught preschool and tutored. I then decided to move back to Milwaukee and eventually Chicago, finding wonderful families in each city.
S&S: What did you want to be when you "grew up"?
JW: Honestly, I still haven't figured that out. I have many goals and plans but the one thing that remains consistent is that I feel blessed to spend so much time with children.
S&S: Who is one person you looked up to or still look up to?
JW: I look up to everyone in my family for different strengths they all have, everyone contributes in really personal and vital ways but as I learn more and more professionally, I really look up to all good parents. It's a very tough job!
S&S: Why did you decide to become a nanny/house manager?
JW: I know I liked working with kids and being in the public school setting I was in, I didn't feel it was personal enough. I work really well in personal relationships so nannying seemed to fit.
S&S: How long have you been in this role?
JW: A nanny: 8 years. My current position: 9 months
S&S: What is your favorite part of your current position?
JW: The family is wonderful so I really enjoy getting to know them more each day. I also like the diversity that comes with a nanny/house manager job and with the kids in school full-time, there are always new projects and opportunities to do more with the time to accomplish them.
S&S: Why do you enjoy working with children?
JW: They are hilarious! In general, I like people who are capable of feeling deeply and are honest in their words and actions, for better or worse, kids are great at both of these things.
S&S: Kids often say whatever comes to mind – Do you have a favorite line from a kiddo you previously worked with?
JW: I know there are many lines that aren't coming to mind right now but one memory that always makes me laugh is from my family in LA. The kids were getting ready for bed and putting on their pajamas. After changing, the 8- year old girl and I were sitting in the kitchen when her older brother came waddling towards us, he was so excited to join in our conversation, he had put both of his legs into one pant leg, literally jumping into his pajamas, and the other pant leg was just dangling empty. I think he got talking for about a minute before we burst into laughs and pointed it out to him, he hadn't noticed.
S&S: Do you want to have a family of your own someday? How many kids do you envision yourself having?
JW: I'm a maybe. Daily, I see how much work and effort children are and what a crucially important job it is. I want to make sure I have the right partner before jumping in. I think life can be really fulfilling with or without children.
S&S: What are your favorite things to do with kids?
JW: I love to play games and hear stories about their days. It's also very fun to explore Chicago with kids, they notice the coolest things I may never have seen on my own.
S&S: What do you enjoy doing in Chicago during your personal time?
JW: I love to go out to eat. I ran the Chicago Marathon last year so I got into running the lakefront. Before moving to the city, I couldn't imagine life without a car, now I can't imagine life without Divvy. I really like navigating the city on a bike. I like comedy shows and all the live theater and hanging with my super cool boyfriend.
S&S: Tell me about a day in the life of a Nanny.
JW: I divvy to work, help the mom prepare snacks and breakfast, then usually walk two little energetic guys to school. When I come back, the once bustling house is empty. I clean up the kitchen and pick-up the house then begin checking my to-do lists. There is always something to buy, fix, clean up, someone to call or something to schedule- I enjoy the busyness and some days employing strict time management skills. Also, I like to anticipate what the kids may want to do after school and have all my tasks complete so I can be with them after 3pm. I then pick them up, we play for a few hours, I make dinner and say goodbye until the next day.
S&S: What are some of your favorite spots in the Chicago area (i.e. museums, play cafes, restaurants, beaches)?
JW: I love anything on the lakefront. I went on a dinner cruise from Navy Pier last summer, which was surprisingly fun. I like good food and see myself traveling a little farther than my current bubble to get it. It's always nice to find a really good old fashioned and chat with a friend. There are some great yoga teachers in this city, many more for me to discover. I love Adler after Dark and the polar bear at the Lincoln Park Zoo, I visit him as much as possible. I have also been very fortunate to take the kids to the children's museum and the Shedd Aquarium; we always have a great time at both!
S&S: Where do you see yourself in five years – On a personal and/or professional level?
JW: TBD and I like it that way!
S&S: How did you hear about Strollers and Stilettos®?
JW: Before I moved to Chicago and was looking for a job, I saw a position advertised and applied to it. Strollers and Stilettos called me right away! I met Katie a few days later and knew she was a gem.
S&S: What was the process like with Strollers and Stilettos®?
JW: It was very straightforward. Katie is very knowledgeable about all aspects of placing help with a family and honest about the process to each party. I felt very supported and encouraged when she sent me on interviews but also really safe to tell her exactly what I liked and what I didn't. She has helped me through the whole process of finding the right fit: before, during, and after.
S&S: How did Strollers and Stilettos® help you with finding a family in Chicago?
JW: Through a pretty extensive interview process, Katie learned who I was and which families would be a good fit. Then, when she found a match, we would meet each other and report back to Katie. She is like a matchmaker!
S&S: Do you have any advice for families interested in hiring a nanny?
JW: Yes, it is okay to be picky and ask lots of questions but ultimately, find someone who cares about children and really sees what is best long-term for your family.
S&S: Do you have any advice for candidates interested in becoming a nanny?
JW: Again, it is okay to be picky and ask lots of questions. Look for a family you can respect and cares for your well being as a person. It really is more than just a job, but remember sometimes, it's a job.


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SacRT has been losing ridership almost annually for seven years – a 30 percent decline since 2010.
(TNS) -- The opening of the Golden 1 Center downtown last fall was billed as a rare opportunity for Sacramento Regional Transit to attract new riders. The agency stepped up its game, scrubbing trains, bolstering security and improving customer service.
By many accounts, it made a good impression. Yet new numbers show SacRT ridership on buses and trains has dropped 12 percent since last summer.
What happened?
The answer is simple. The transit agency's ongoing challenges are bigger than an arena, and will require more work to address than an image upgrade.
While light rail trains did carry 1,700 fans on some arena nights, that amounts to only a small slice – about 2 percent – of daily transit travel, and those riders materialize only when the arena is hosting major events.
SacRT has been losing ridership almost annually for seven years – a 30 percent decline since 2010. American Public Transit Association data show that transit ridership is dwindling in most other cities as well.
Dan Sperling, founder and head of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis, who is writing a book about revolutions in transportation, says public transit in America is at a pivotal juncture.
"The story is of transit under great duress," he said. "Transit is under great risk of shrinking. That is not in anyone's interest."
Nationally, transit experts point to many factors, including low gas prices that cause more people to get back in their cars. Others point out that poorly funded transit agencies, SacRT included, don't provide sufficient service to be useful to many.
The most provocative possibility is what transit officials call the "Uber phenomenon." App-based ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft have arrived on the scene in cities across the country, siphoning riders from traditional, or "legacy," transit.
Ride-hailing companies do not release ridership details, but an Uber spokesman told The Sacramento Bee earlier this year his company has 2,000 drivers signed up in Sacramento. The streets around Golden 1 Center during event nights tell a story. Cars with U stickers or pink mustache stickers on windows frequently roll through the area, picking up and dropping off fans.
Ride-hailing allows people to hit a button on their cellphone and be picked up within minutes right where they stand, and then be dropped off directly at their destination. The price is typically higher than a bus fare, but the convenience improvement is obvious.
Jim Corless, head of the Sacramento Area Council of Governments regional planning group, says transportation is dealing with a generational disruption.
"This disruption technology and the drop in ridership numbers means that every transit provider across the country has to rethink their business model," he said. "They have to understand their competitive advantage.
"It may be what RT can do best is serve high-frequency, high-volume corridors. Nothing will ever beat a frequent, safe and reliable bus or train ... that can move volumes of people."
While the ride-hailing phenomenon represents a challenge, transit experts say it also provides an inspiration and potential collaboration opportunities.
SacRT has been putting its toe in those waters. The agency teamed up on a test basis with Uber, Lyft and Yellow Cab this winter, offering discount vouchers for light rail riders to take ride-hail services to and from transit stations. Regional Transit officials say they do not have data yet for how that turned out.
Lyft spokeswoman Darcy Nenni also did not offer an analysis of how that went, but, in an email to The Bee, called it "a great learning experience for us and SacRT."
"We hope to continue working with them on future endeavors," Nenni said.
Devra Selenis, SacRT communications head, said she envisions a day when a single phone app will tell a person their best bet is to grab an Uber to a light rail station and allow the person to pay for both with a single tap on the phone.
Transit agencies say they realize they must become more tech-friendly in order to attract millennials and future generations of new riders.
SacRT recently added smartphone payment apps, and last week joined eight smaller local transit agencies in introducing "Connect Card," an ATM-like universal card that riders can use at any of those agencies. Peter Tateishi, president of the Sacramento Metro Chamber, suggests transit agencies might be even bolder by considering merging more of their operations.
But transit officials acknowledge their challenges go far beyond Uber. SacRT's existing bus route system is out of date. The agency has launched a bus route analysis that likely will result next year in the most dramatic route changes in the agency's history.
"Travel patterns have shifted, but our bus routes haven't shifted," chief operating officer Mark Lonergan said. "That is why we talk about a clean slate."
SacRT has begun meeting with business leaders on how to attract and retain young people who are less inclined to own cars, and are interested in using transit if it works for them, according to SacRT consultant Wendy Hoyt, who has been pushing SacRT to be more entrepreneurial.
The Metro Edge business group, made up of young professionals, conducted a survey that shows transportation issues are members' No. 1 concern, up from No. 3 the previous year. That suggests there is an opportunity for SacRT to gain some footing.
Rachel Zillner, Metro Edge chair, uses light rail at times. She said she loves Uber, but considers the ride-hailing service "partially a Band-Aid for the transit connection that is not there yet."
SacRT officials say the ridership slide is a catalyst for reinvention. The biggest drop in its ridership came in 2010, when the financially strapped agency cut service more than 20 percent. The agency took another ridership hit last year when it raised fares.
That points to another long-standing problem: the lack of sufficient, ongoing funding for public transit, SacRT officials said.
The agency had hoped to get an infusion of money last year from a countywide sales tax measure, but that proposal lost at the ballot box. SacRT and others in transportation circles locally are talking about trying again, especially if they can pass legislation to lower the required voter approval threshold from the current two-thirds.
Nailah Pope-Harden of the Capital Region Organizing Project, which works in disadvantaged neighborhoods, said that a lot of the riders SacRT lost over the last few years are poorer people who feel abandoned by the agency as it focuses on attracting millennials.
Agency officials say they realize their mission includes serving people who don't have cars, but say they need new, higher-income riders to help fund service that can be used by everyone.
Even with new funds, progress will be incremental, they say.
"It may take some time for people to come back," said SacRT executive Laura Ham. "It may happen gradually."
©2017 The Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, Calif.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


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July 24, 1996: Twenty years ago today. A day that altered the course of my life, though I'll never remember it - only seven years old at the time. It was the day my Dad died.
He had been battling cancer for several years and his body ultimately rejected a transplanted liver. He had just turned forty. Forty fucking years old.
It's wild - I have friends I met in college who I've known longer than I knew my Dad. Honestly, I don't know if any of my remaining memories of him are real or if they are just mental constructions, pieced together from family stories and home videos. I've heard he was an incredible guy - loving, sharp, charming, and positive - always positive.
Most people's lives are directly impacted by the presence of their father – the lessons passed down, the times together, the camping trips, the laughs. My story is different, though. My life was largely shaped by the absence of my father.
At an early age, I learned that life is short. I realized that our days are finite and they
could come to an end at any moment. It was a morbid realization, but it was
a damn powerful one.
And that is why I choose to live the way that I do - traveling, adventuring, pursuing my passions. I don't know if I'll be here tomorrow, I don't know if I'll be here 50 years from now. But I know that I'm here now. And so, I'm living.
This website is both a representation and a metaphor of my life. It has no true plan or direction yet. I don't know where I want it to go, but I'll have fun with it. As I share these adventures, may it gain direction. As I write these stories, may it gain insight.
And so I present, Spork & Flask: A collection of stories, photos, and musings from a life drifting west.


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Posts tagged Celery root
Raw Vegan Sushi with Raw Celeriac Rice [5 Minute raw recipes]
Raw Vegan Sushi Recipe This raw vegan sushi rice substitute looks almost identical to real rice! It has a great mouth feel, and it tastes very delicious. The "high" organic sodium content of the rice, makes it taste nice and flavorful. This is a great crowd pleasure. Use it as an appetizer for get togethers and parties, or just have a few […]Read More


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I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Other links on this site may lead to other affiliates that I'm associated with.
Who would have thought that three simple ingredients could be so delicious? My Mum sent me this recipe when she learned about me being wheat intolerant, and they have been a real treat when I have to watch what I eat.
I should call these 'Extremely Easy Peanut Butter Cookies' because that's more accurate.
Are you ready? Here are the ingredients;
One cup of Peanut Butter - the kind that is not full of additives like sugar and other unnecessary things.
One cup of brown sugar - I prefer the golden brown kind.
One egg. Seriously, that's it.
Mix the ingredients together with a wooden or metal spoon, until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
Form balls of the dough (about one smallish teaspoon sized rolled in your hands) put them spaced onto a cookie sheet (I cover mine with parchment paper to make it easier to clean them) and bake in a 350F. degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes.
A little less baking makes them chewy and tender. Watch them like a hawk, and don't overcook them or they will be too crunchy and dry. They should just be starting to brown on the bottom, and be soft on top.
This recipe makes one large cookie sheet full, about 24 cookies. Store covered in a dry place (if they don't get eaten immediately!). I like them with yogurt and a bit of fruit preserves - told you my diet was a little weird.


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Please enter your code to activate the discount.
The actual tickets will be handed out at the box office. Please print your email confirmation and bring it to the event to be granted admission. You can easily and safely pay via PayPal, Sofortbanking (instant transfer) or credit card.
Universität Konstanz - Audimax
Universitätsstr. 10
78464 Konstanz
Directions via Google Maps
Doors open at: 19:30
All prices include 7% VAT. Proof must be provided for each discounted order.


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Favorite Writing Spot: Opening Bell Coffee Shop
Favorite Coffee Shop: Opening Bell Coffee Shop! (I love this place, obviously)
Favorite Music to Write to: Rage Against the Machine
AHD: Your new book "Empathy for the Devil" will be coming out on November 7. Can you tell us a bit about this project? What inspired you to write this piece?
JR: Empathy for the Devil is an experiment in empathy. We seem to be losing the ability to understand people with whom we disagree. I decided to take seven of the worst villains in the Bible and try to put myself (and the reader) in their sandals, so to speak. To do that, I wrote a fictional recounting of the villains' big moments where they're the protagonist of the story (so each story becomes a tragedy). The story is then followed by a non-fiction chapter exploring the biblical context and building a bridge to practical application.
AHD: What do you hope readers will take with them after reading your latest book?
JR: If we can understand them, their motivations, their actions, then two things happen: first, we may be able to see ourselves in the villains. We can turn from their path before we walk as far as they did. Secondly, I hope practicing empathy on the likes of Cain, Jezebel and Judas will invite us to pause the next time we are angry at someone who sees the world differently from us. Maybe we can work a little harder to understand them before we rush to disagreement and judgment.
AHD: When and how did you develop a passion for writing? How has that passion evolved over the years?
JR: I started blogging in college (Xanga!) as an outlet for my random thoughts. It certainly helped me to develop my voice. Now I enjoy framing my thoughts in words, building bridges between seemingly unconnected things. For me that's mostly meant pop culture and Jesus. I love finding a new perspective on an old idea or the hidden gems of insight in a book, TV show or film. Pop culture is popular because it's speaking to very human conditions. These are the same experiences, beliefs, and perspectives Scripture addresses, and finding those cross-cultural bridges is tremendous fun.
AHD: You are also a pastor at Catalyst church. How has pastoral care informed your work as a writer?
JR: Pastoring keeps me grounded. I am an academic at heart, and my tendency, left unchecked, is to climb the ivory tower and live there. In pastoring, I remember constantly that my art should make a real difference in the world. I never want my writing to be interesting simply for its own sake. I want to contribute to the common good (which is a big reason I love Art House so much).
AHD: How important is community to your writing process?
JR: I'm a collaborator at heart. For me, community provides both accountability and critique, which I need to thrive as an artist. I am constantly striving to improve, and reading articles and books on craft only take me so far. I need to share my work with others, to discuss with them how it's working and when it's not. And the old adage is true – you learn best when you teach. The opportunity to workshop with and mentor other writers is invaluable to me in my own writing process.
AHD: You've mentioned that you relied on the guidance of writers who went before you as you tried to navigate the writing world. What is one piece of advice you'd give to an aspiring writer?
JR: Write. Write every day. Don't make excuses. The only way you get better at writing is to write, write, write. Ignore all the excuses from those voices in your head, put your butt in a chair, and write those words.
AHD: Often people are eager to support the arts, but artists and creatives as individuals often get overlooked. Why do you think it is important to support the artist?
JR: Creative work is a draining experience – we put so much thought, emotion and spiritual energy into creating something to give to the world. Very few artists have the constitution to create in a vacuum. By supporting artists, we contribute to their flourishing, and thereby play a part in sharing their good with the world.
AHD: What can we expect to see from you in the future and how can we read your book?
JR: I'm already hard at work on another book about the monsters the Church creates. I also do a weekly e-newsletter where I give pop culture picks, a devotional and a collection of all the podcast episodes, posts, and articles I wrote that week. It's some of my favorite writing I do each week. You can subscribe at stuffyoullprobablylike.com. As for Empathy for the Devil, it's available for pre-order at Amazon or InterVarsity Press' website. And you can come to the book launch (sponsored by Art House Dallas) on October 28 (at Opening Bell Coffee, duh!). That's the first place you can actually get your hands on it.


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Change Ups: Chamber names diversity award recipient
Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce has named Faye Richardson-Green recipient of its 2013 Diversity Visionary Award. Richardson-Green is a long-time diversity and inclusion leader and director of learning and development at Steelcase Inc. She has been instrumental in influencing the strategic direction of schools, health care systems, leadership institutions, foundations and nonprofit human services in roles as co-founder, committee chair, facilitator and board trustee. Her work within Steelcase has enabled it to become an equitable, diverse and inclusive place to work. Richardson-Green also is co-founder and a board chair for Partners for a Racism-Free Community.
H&S Companies has hired accountants Michaelia Breuker, Heidi Tice, Tom Garner and Jarred Hibma, and Julie Lawton, administrative assistant.
Lürzer's Archive magazine, an international showcase of worldwide advertising campaigns, has showcased Grand Rapids creative firm Extra Credit Projects.
Greg A. Yeomans and William L. Rapson have joined Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber Inc. as senior architects.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing Services announced it named Quota International of Grand Rapids 2012 Organization of the Year.
Four Michigan leaders have been recognized as among the top 40 under 40 economic development professionals in the United States by Development Counsellors International: Dusty Duistermars, site location services manager, Michigan Economic Development Corp.; Trevor Pawl, director, Pure Michigan Business Connect, MEDC; Ken Harris, president/CEO, Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce; and Jennifer Owens, vice president, Southwest Michigan First.
Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce announced Janet Hentges of Achievement Resources has been named 2012 Ambassador of the Year for providing exemplary service to the chamber, serving as its volunteer customer service liaison.
The Michigan Aviation Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2013, who will be honored May 11 at the Air Zoo in Portage: Capt. Robert D. Gibb, fighter pilot and World War II ace; David Wakefield, WWII fighter pilot and Flying Tiger; Maj. Gen. Paul Wurtsmith, military pilot and commander; Robert E. Ellis, aviation executive and innovator; and Vice Adm. Richard K. Gallagher, Navy pilot and U.S. military representative. The MAHF also presented the Harriet Quimby Award to authors Blaine Pardoe and Warren Benjamin Kidder for their contributions to the history of flight.
Consumers Credit Union announced the additions of Ben Burley, operations project manager; Kristen Davison, training and development manager; Kelly Smith, plastics manager; and Joel Pyard, IT data center supervisor.
Jonathon P. Bradford, president/CEO of Inner City Christian Federation, was re-elected to the board of directors at the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis.
Jordana Dickinson has joined Macatawa Bank as branch manager of its 8th Street office in downtown Holland. Dickinson is responsible for building and retaining relationships with customers, and fostering the bank's support in downtown events.
CSM Group announced the additions of Lisa Ruthruff, project coordinator, and Beth Willson, senior project coordinator.
Blackford Capital LLC, a national private equity firm that acquires, manages and builds middle-market companies, appointed Jono Castleton to analyst. Castleton will be responsible for conducting financial and operational reviews of new investment opportunities and monitoring current portfolio companies.
Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce announced the promotions of Andy Johnston, vice president of government and corporate affairs; Mark Allen, senior director of membership development; and Latricia Trice, senior director of marketing and communications. The GRACC also hired Tori Bennett, membership development coordinator; and Desiree Reed, membership development representative.
Custer has named Brad Laackman head of its interior architectural products division. He previously worked at CSM Group as associate partner and director for new construction.
Joel Koeh has joined the Brewers Professional Alliance as a salesman and craft brew industry specialist.
Ferris State University's Kendall College of Art and Design announced Gayle DeBruyn is its first chief sustainability officer. DeBruyn previously was assistant professor in design programs at Kendall for 22 years.
First Companies broke ground on a state-of-the-art facility that will serve as the new corporate headquarters of Heeren Brothers Produce, a family-owned wholesaler and distributor of fresh fruits, vegetables and apple packaging. The 150,000-square-foot building will house the business's office, distribution and production operations in Alpine Township.
Michigan Women's Foundation has elected to its board: Joan Budden, Priority Health's chief marketing officer; and Michelle Rabideau, Saint Mary's Foundation's executive director.
Ashley Tittle has joined Eastown Veterinary Clinic as its second full-time doctor.
Mel Trotter Ministries' 2012 renovation and addition project at 225 Commerce Ave. SW has received the silver level of LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Rockford Construction built the project.
Tori Ruesink has joined Lighthouse Group as a business insurance technical assistant.
Charles Cottrell of The West Michigan Estate Planning Center is now accredited with the Veterans Administration.
Miller Johnson announced Michael B. Quinn will chair the firm's family law practice and Catherine A. Tracey will chair its education practice group.
Perrigo has promoted Carrie Weldon, training professional, and Tonya Retherford, stage gate project manager. It also has hired Christopher Steinway, packaging engineer; Jake Cook, tax analyst; and Kevin Seckel, IS applications manager.
West Michigan Center for Arts and Technology announced the appointment of Michael Walton, shareholder with the law firm Rhoades McKee, to its board of directors.
Gov. Rick Snyder announced the appointments of Danielle Sneller of Holland to the Michigan Board of Cosmetology; Lola Audu of Grand Rapids to the Board of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons; and Dr. Lynn Happel to the Michigan Board of Veterinary Medicine.
Realtor Marilyn Hazard with Keller Williams has been awarded the designation of Accredited Buyer's Representative by the National Association of Realtors.
Hunting and outdoor retailer Cabela's Inc. will open its 88,000-square-foot Grandville store March 21 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:45 a.m., part of a weekend-long celebration featuring guests, celebrities, activities and giveaways. The store is at the east end of the RiverTown Crossings retail corridor in a new 380,000-square-foot retail center. It will employ about 200 full-time, part-time and seasonal employees.
Les Hoogland and Jim Storey were appointed to the West Michigan Airport Authority.


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Archive for the 'InfoQ news' Category
Key Takeaways Ecstasy is a general purpose, type-safe, modular programming language built for the cloud The team building Ecstacy plan to use it as the basis for a highly scalable Platform as a Service (PaaS) Ecstasy is still in development and is not yet ready for production use The Ecstacy team are looking for contributors […]
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Tags: cloud, Ecstasy, InfoQ, XTC, XTClang
InfoQ – NotPetya Retrospective
As we hit the second anniversary of NotPetya, this retrospective is based on the author's personal involvement in the post-incident activities. Continue reading the full story at InfoQ.
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Tags: NotPetya, recoverability, zero-trust
Cloudflare recently announced two additional capabilities for their "serverless" Workers: support for WebAssembly as an alternative to JavaScript, and a key-value store called Workers KV. WebAssembly will allow Workers to be written in compiled languages such as C, C++, Rust and Go. Workers KV provides an eventually consistent state storage mechanism hosted across Cloudflare's global […]
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Tags: cloud, CloudFlare, FaaS, KV, stateful, WASM, WebAssembly, Workers
This is a follow up to 'Meltdown and Spectre: What They Are and How to Deal with Them' taking a deeper look at: the characteristics of the vulnerability and potential attacks, why its necessary to patch cloud virtual machines even though the cloud service providers have already applied patches, the nature of the performance impact […]
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Tags: Meltdown, Spectre
Amazon's Chris Munns announced at the recent Serverless Conference NYC that AWS Lambda will soon support a feature called traffic shifting. This will allow a weight to be applied to Lambda function aliases to shift traffic between two versions of a function. The feature will enable the use of canary releases and blue/green deployment. Continue reading the full story at InfoQ.
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Tags: aws, Lambda, serverless
At the recent DockerCon event in Austin Docker Inc announced two significant open source projects, Moby and LinuxKit. Moby essentially marks the split of Docker the open source project from Docker Inc the company, with the docker/docker GitHub repo moved to moby/moby. LinuxKit provides a set of tools to build 'custom Linux subsystems that only […]
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Tags: Docker, LinuxKit, Moby, open source, Unikernels
InfoQ – Intel Launch Optane SSD
Intel recently launched their 3D XPoint non-volatile memory (NVM) under the brand name of Optane. The SSD label in some of the branding might imply that it's a different type of durable storage, but the technology is aimed at applications that would normally use RAM. This marks the beginning of the end for the compromise […]
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Tags: 3D XPoint, cache, Optane, RAM, ssd
The Raspberry Pi Foundation has launched the Pi Zero W, a variant of the Pi Zero that comes with onboard WiFi and Bluetooth. At $10 it's double the price of the Pi Zero, but still substantially cheaper than $35 for the original Raspberry Pi Model B which launched 5 years ago. By having connectivity onboard the […]
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Tags: InfoQ, Pi Zero W, Raspi, RPi
A buffer overflow bug has caused a small number of requests to Cloudflare proxies to leak data from unrelated requests, including potentially sensitive data such as passwords and other secrets. The issue, which has been named 'Cloudbleed', was discovered and documented by Google Project Zero vulnerability researcher Tavis Ormandy. After applying fixes and attempting to clean […]
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Tags: Cloudbleed, CloudFlare, security
Amongst the flurry of announcements at re:invent 2016 was the launch of a developer preview for a new F1 instance type. The F1 comes with one to eight high end Xilinx Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to provide programmable hardware to complement the Intel E5 2686 v4 processors that come with up to 976 GiB […]
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Tags: aws, cloud, FPGA


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No visible SD cards or anything! All new state-of-the-art Mpeg4 technology make this the most powerful covert security recording product on the market today. Built-in night light hides 24 invisible (950NM) IR illuminators, allowing unit to record in TOTAL DARKNESS! Motion activated, time/date stamped security recording has never been easier! Recording can be played back directly from the unit or SD card can be removed and played on PC. (Includes USB SD card reader) Take a look at the exclusive features:
The astonishing results. Great color video by day, and great B&W video at night EVEN IN TOTAL DARKNESS, thanks to our hidden array of totally invisible "no glow " IR Illuminators.
Packaged in our SecureShot Total Covert line of Digital Video Recorders. No more "Tell Tale" SD Cards glaring out the back, or suspicious looking out of place jacks. No lights, extra holes or ANYTHING. Out Total Covert line looks exactly as it does when it comes out of the factory box!
Now TOTAL COVERT No Visible SD Card Slot or Video Out Jack - Hidden Compartment Requires Magnetic "Key" to Open. "Security" recording has never been more secure!
Security recording made easy and economical with our line of SecureShot self-contained totally covert digital video recorder/cameras. Motion activated real time video or high-resolution "still shots" are recorded on a tiny SD card, housed in a hidden compartment. All recording are time/date stamped for professional security applications. Every system includes 2GB SD card.
High Quality
We Offer The Most Product Selections Available!
Our SecureShot system is expertly built into more than a dozen different everyday items commonly used in a household or business environment. Our wide selection insures that a product is available for most any security application without raising suspicion from criminals.
User settings are easily changed by simply connecting the unit into the "Video in" of your TV/Monitor via the supplied RCA cable and pressing the menu button on remote control. Motion activation sensitivity is adjustable to operate effectively in most any environment.
Two Playback Options - Recorded images/video can be played back directly from the unit by simply connecting the included RCA cable to your TV/Monitor and touching the play button on IR remote control. SD card can also be removed from unit and played on your PC via included SD card reader. No additional PC software needed.
- High Resolution Video at 12 fps: (640 X 480) High Resolution fluid motion recording capability. (user adjustable from 1 to 12 fps)
- Medium Resolution Video at 30 fps (320 X 240)(user adjustable from 1 to 30 fps)
- 32GB SDHC Card Support: 160 hours recording at full 30 fps- (records 5 hours per GB on lower capacity SD cards) Hundreds of hours possible with lower frame rate selections.
- Firmware Upgrade: New firmware can be quickly installed via USB port and SD card
- Embedded Time/Date Stamp: embedded in video Time/Date stamp is seen on both playback from unit and PC via SD Card.
- Enhanced Motion Activation: Not only is sensitivity adjustable, but also features a "grid" setting with multiple blocks to eliminate unwanted triggers in the camera view such as a computer screen or rotating fan.
- Multiple Playback Speeds: X1/ X2/ X4/ X8/ X16/ X32/
- Schedule Recording: Record time can be set to record at only times of interest.
- Event Search Function: Property and fist image of selected file is displayed to quickly find a particular event.
- IR Remote Control: For setting system parameters and arming and disarming unit
- 640 x 480 Resolution @ 12 ~ 1 fps (User Selectable)
- MPEG4 (30fps real time video) Resolution 320 X 240
- Low Light Color CCD Camera .05 Lux 550 LOR
- Adjustable Motion Activation
- 1X,2X, or 4X ~ 32X Playback Speed
- Image size dependant on amount of motion (25kb ~ 160kb @ 30fps)
- Uses windows media player on SD card playback (PC)
- Approximate Video Record time - 5 Hours per 1Gb
Our system includes:
- SecureShot DVR/Camera
- SD card (2Gb)
- USB SD card reader with extension cable
- RCA video connector (cable for use with your TV/Monitor)
- IR remote control
- Instruction manual.


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"To all of my Punk Listeners.. you're gonna dig this band!
Diamond In the Dirt Location: London, England
Diamond In the Dirt, is a punk/grunge band with high energy. Some of their influences are Nirvana, Reuben, and King Of Leon... Check out their Video "Hopeless" ! If you like what you hear then show them some Punk "
It's not punk in a classic old school sense, their sound instead had a more hardcore feel to it, similar to early Marmozets or Nirvana, even likeable to early music from bands like Slaves and Pulled Apart By Horses.
The screaming and thrashing rawness of the band was not compromised one bit by a lack of energy either; the band were crazy up on stage.
Expect nothing less from neighbourhood legends Diamond In The Dirt on Sunday evening as they take over Bella's Stage!
With all the anger and hate we have surrounding us on a daily basis in the lead up to the snap election we thought we would present a band that is angrier than you.
Diamond In The Dirt is a four piece band from London capturing the essence of Punk. Time and time again we have seen this band's name pop up on bills within the Hertfordshire area and thought it's high time we check these guys out.


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American Girl Power!
Mount Airy | Website
This event occurred in the past.
For ages 5 - 11. Bring your dolls and join us for a chance to learn about amazing women through stories, crafts, and activities. Explore your talents and discover that there are no limits to what you can be! Refreshments will be served. A Celebrating America program. Only kids need to register. Registration begins 7/4/2017.


text: Toggle navigation The Harry Potter Lexicon Home Blog Lexicon Podcast Harry Potter Minute Essays Sources Support the Lexicon Feedback About the Lexicon Credits Privacy Policy Terms of Use Characters Harry Potter Albus Dumbledore Lord Voldemort Severus Snape Sirius Black Hermione Granger Ron Weasley Draco Malfoy more Places Hogwarts Diagon Alley Privet Drive Ministry of Magic HQ The Burrow more Magic Spells Potions Magical Objects Magical Plants more Events Harry is sorted into Gryffindor Battle of Hogwarts Death of James and Lily Triwizard Tournament more Things Quidditch Hogwarts Express Wands Daily Prophet Aurors Currency Converter more Creatures Dragons Hippogriffs House-elves Goblins Centaurs more Sources The Harry Potter Novels Other Potter Books Interviews Other Canon more Essays The Death Eaters: A Guide To Who Was Where Famous Wizard Cards Albus Potter and the lesson in Quantum Mechanics more Lists Magical People Government Wizarding Atlas more Place Belarus Home Places Europe Belarus A country in eastern Europe. Hagrid and Olympe Maxime had a disagreement with a Vampire in Minsk, Belarus, while on a mission for Dumbledore to reach out to the Giants (OP20). Related Entries Characters Rubeus Hagrid Olympe Maxime Albus Dumbledore Karkus Golgomath Locations Europe Minsk Magic Fire Magic Events The Ministry passes Educational Decree 23, creating the position of Hogwarts High Inquisitor Umbridge torments teachers with questions Rita Skeeter's article about Hagrid appears in the Daily Prophet Things Gubraithian Fire Creatures vampire Giants Essays A Magical Worldview Commentary From the WebMinsk on Harry Potter Wikia Pensieve (Comments) View 0 thoughts swirling around the pensieve. Add your own. Tags: arguments journey Editor: Steve VanderArk Europe Albania Andorra Belarus Black Sea Bulgaria Durmstrang Institute Flanders France Germany Greece Gregorovitch house and workshop Hungary Ireland Italy Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Moldova Nurmengard Poland Portugal Romania Russia Spain Switzerland Ukraine Belarus Minsk Timeline January 4th, 1995: Rita Skeeter's article about Hagrid appears in the Daily Prophet September 8th, 1995: Educaitonal Decree 23 creates Hogwarts High Inquisitor September 9th, 1995: Umbridge torments teachers with questions Sources Order of the Phoenix Chapter 20


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Politics & Government
Twiggs voters elect new commissioner
Milton Sampson was an enthusiastic supporter to extend the 1-cent sales tax in Twiggs County.
As the newest-elected member of the Board of Commissioners, Sampson will now get a chance to help spend the money.
Sampson was elected to fill the vacated District 3 seat of former commissioner Wayne Huston Tuesday night, while Twiggs County residents voted to extend the sales tax for another five years.
Sampson, former chairman of the Twiggs County school board, said he was nervous until the final results were tallied.
"I was hopeful and prayerful, but I was not confident until it was a done deal," the 59-year-old Democrat said. "I'm glad the way things turned out. Twiggs County can now move ahead and make some progress. I want us to work together as a unit, bring the community together as a unit and bring Twiggs County to where it's supposed to be."
Sampson finished with 325 votes, ahead of fellow Democrats Booker T. Washington (241 votes) and Phil Harris (115 votes).
Huston vacated his seat after moving out of the district. Sampson will hold the seat for the remainder of Huston's term, through the rest of this year.
Sampson was chairman of the Board of Education and was one of the officials in favor of closing Dry Branch Elementary School because of the school system's financial problems.
Because of its central location in the state, Sampson wants Twiggs County to be a leader among other Georgia counties.
"We need to be leading Middle Georgia," he said.
The sales tax was passed by a 1,391 to 1,032 margin.
Sampson said he was a strong supporter of the sales tax, because he believes continuing it will be of great benefit to Twiggs County.
"It was one of the things I pushed, along with my campaign," he said. "We'll be able to do our roads, as well as athletics and other items. ... It will add recreational items that we need for our kids."
Twiggs County's five-year, $6 million penny sales tax would pay for road paving and resurfacing. It also would be funneled toward capital improvement programs designed to improve the water system, complete infrastructure work at the county's industrial parks, repair the courthouse roof and enhance parks and recreation.
"It's going to continue to do what's already on our books," Sampson said.


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Whether you're new to the whole parenting thing or you have a whole brood at home, dealing with child care can be scary. Not knowing who is taking care or your little (or not so little) one and not knowing what to expect can make even the most confident parents a little nervous.
At KiddieCorp, we want each and every one of our parents to feel comfortable leaving their children in our team's capable hands.
Whether you're attending a convention, a wedding, or some other special event, parents can rest assured that all KiddieCorp programs are run with the same high standards.
You'll probably learn about KiddieCorp through your event's informational materials or website. That's where you will learn about the unique specifics about the upcoming program.
Most of our events require that you register online beforehand, while others allow for on-site registration.
Before the event, you can expect to learn about KiddieCorp's accommodations and hours of operation. Your event's website should supply all of this information to you.
KiddieCorp programs are typically in the same building as, or a hotel near, your event. For the security of the children, the location of the room may not be advertised. However, your event information should be able to tell you where to go.
Once registered and signed in, your children will be kept in an age-appropriate room with our staff. Typically, the KiddieCorp room will supply a wide variety of toys and activities, water and snacks, pillows and blankets, and just about any other basics your child might need to stay safe and happy.
If the children are moved to another location during the program, you will be informed when you drop your child off. Parents can feel free to stop by during the day to visit, nurse, or see their kids.
We want your kids to have the best time possible while you are busy. That said, here are just a few pointers for parents to keep our programs running strong:
- Feel free to chat with our on-site staff! Our managers and Team Members are here for your children, so it's totally okay to chat before you depart or during slow times.
- Call us before the event. If you have a special request, concern, or you're just curious about something, never hesitate to call the KiddieCorp offices at 1-800-942-9947 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com. A Program Manager coordinating your event will get back to you as soon as possible.
- Don't forget! If your little one has a special blanket or still needs a diaper bag, don't leave them at home! We want everyone to have a good time and missing those oh-so-important things can be a real downer. Be sure the diaper bag contains a change of clothes, diapers, wipes, and any special food or formula items your child may need. We will label the bag upon arrival.
- Prepare your children for KiddieCorp. If this is your child's first time away from you, it can be a traumatic experience. Explain to your kids what is going to happen at our program or show them our Kid's Corner page: an informative glance at what KiddieCorp offers—just for them!
- Spread the word! If you love KiddieCorp, let us know! Connect with us on Facebook and tell your friends about us. For Since 1986, KiddieCorp has built lasting relationships with happy families.


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San Francisco 49ers
On 49ers: Team has little to show for its draft bounty
First, the 49ers have had more draft picks than any NFL team in recent years.
Second, the 49ers have as many holes on their roster as any team in the NFL this year.
Those two sentences should not add up. With 69 picks since general manager Trent Baalke started running the draft in 2010, San Francisco should be the team that always seems to have a promising young pass rusher in the pipeline, that has an endless supply of young running backs in case the starter gets hurt.
Instead, the 49ers have needs at those positions along with wide receiver and quarterback and … the list goes on and on. The 49ers rank 27th in average yards allowed on defense and 32nd (last) in average yards gained on offense. That's close to where both units finished last year, suggesting that coaching is not the No. 1 issue.
The 49ers are so bereft of talent – maybe the Browns have less? Maybe the Bears? – it's hard to figure out their greatest weaknesses. Here's an attempt:
Wide receiver: No 49ers wide receiver has made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro roster since Terrell Owens in 2003. Of the six receivers on the active roster, only two were drafted by the 49ers: former fourth rounder Quinton Patton and Aaron Burbridge, a sixth-round pick this year. Three of the current wideouts, including leading receiver Jeremy Kerley, were acquired post-training camp – unwanted by the teams with which they went through the offseason.
Quarterback: At some point early in the offseason, the 49ers decided quarterback Blaine Gabbert would be less of a project than any passer they could take early in the draft. Gabbert, however, was on the bench by Week 6 while two rookie starters – Philadelphia's Carson Wentz and Dallas' Dak Prescott – were leading their teams to winning records. This may be telling: The 49ers did not pay close attention to either prospect in the run-up to the draft. They gave the most focus to Jared Goff, who has yet to start a game for the Rams, and to Connor Cook, the Raiders' No. 3 quarterback who didn't look all that promising in the preseason.
Inside linebacker: A team that recently featured an inside linebacker tandem of Patrick Willis and NaVorro Bowman on Sunday started Nick Bellore and Michael Wilhoite, both of whom entered the league as undrafted free agents. In fact, the 49ers did not draft any of the inside linebackers on their 53-man roster. (Bowman, drafted in 2010, is on injured reserve.)
Outside linebacker: Aaron Lynch played 39 snaps last Sunday against the Bills. You may have missed that because he failed to accumulate any statistics – nary a tackle or quarterback hit or batted pass. After serving a four-game suspension to start the season, he's looking for his first sack. So is Eli Harold, who has played extensively in all six games. As a unit, the 49ers' outside linebackers have two sacks, both by 32-year-old Ahmad Brooks.
Running back: When Carlos Hyde was injured last year, the 49ers were forced to turn to a group of unheralded backups that included Mike Davis, Shaun Draughn and DuJuan Harris. Hyde won't play this Sunday against Tampa Bay because of a shoulder injury. The group likely to fill in: Davis, Draughn and Harris.
The 49ers, in danger of setting an NFL record for most rushing yards allowed since the league went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, also could use a nose tackle. Joe Staley is reaching an age, 32, at which a team might start thinking about its future at offensive tackle. And the tight-end group is nothing special. One of Baalke's most recent picks at the position, Blake Bell, was inactive last game because undrafted Je'Ron Hamm is better on special teams.
The one area in which the 49ers are robust: cornerbacks. The 49ers have drafted eight in the past four years, 11 of them in the past seven. Too bad only up to three are on the field at once.
Matt Barrows: @mattbarrows, read more about the team at sacbee.com/sf49ers.
Most draft picks in NFL since 2010
49ers: 69
Seahawks: 66
Vikings: 65
Browns: 64
Ravens: 64
Patriots: 63


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How do you soften up an industrial building? You add drape, lights, fuchsia, and a touch of sparkle! Working with Emily and Neil was such a fun process. Emily had an idea of a modern sparking wedding and Neil wanted to do everything possible to make sure she was wowed on their wedding day.
Yards of silver drape flowed from the walls as bistro lights drew the eye to the ceiling. Two hundred glass orbs with twinkle lights brought visual interest to the room. Deep blue linens with a silver sparkle runner set an amazing stage for solid fuchsia floral centerpieces. Guests enjoyed an amazing dinner and danced the night away under the lights!
It was a pleasure to work with Emily and Neil. We wish them a lifetime of happiness!
Event Professional Team ::
Venue :: Studio Loft at Kevin Taylor
Light and Drape :: Design Works
Love Sign :: Lighting and Design by Scott
Chairs :: Charming Chairs
Linens :: Chair Covers and Linens
Invitations :: Cloud 9
Cake :: Intricate Icings
Entertainment :: Elite DJ
Floral Design :: Statice Floral
Hair Stylist :: Erin Ferris
Makeup Artistry :: Hooked on Beauty
Photography :: Kaz Creative
Planning and Design :: Save the Date Events