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By HOWARD BERGER
TORONTO (Jan. 30) — Please do not consider this a swipe at the Toronto Star or hockey columnist (and my friend) Dave Feschuk. It is neither. But, clearly, the headline above Dave's front–page composition in the Sports section today was written late Thursday night by a desk–man (or woman) in mid–yawn. It is pictured here for all to see:
Not yet into the second month of 2015, the eight words, above, have comprised a hearty bid for sports understatement–of–the–year. Good luck to any newspaper challenge between February and December. Saying the Toronto Maple Leafs can "pretty much kiss [the] playoffs goodbye" is akin to suggesting that the American green–back and Canadian loonie may not be at par when we crawl out of bed tomorrow.
Or that Marshawn Lynch is an idiot.
Bottom line is, we are all running out of ways to discuss the bleak and forlorn dressed in local National Hockey League colors. And, I'm alluding to narration from merely the past month. Heaven be with those, like yours truly, that have written, chatted about or followed the Maple Leafs for close to half–a–century. It's like trying to find a word without a vowel.
If you and the person you are most physically attracted to were the only individuals alive, your kiss still wouldn't contend with the playoff smooch intimated by the Toronto Star. You could neither be sustained by Viagra nor a dozen cartons of ChapStick. This lippy rendezvous began and ended in California roughly 2½ weeks ago when impotence prevailed. Had the Maple Leafs been invited into the Playboy Mansion by Hugh Hefner, himself, none would have scored. The scene was enacted, metaphorically, at the Staples and Honda Centers in Los Angeles and Anaheim when the visitors were blanked by the Kings and Ducks.
(Resistance to Viagra… shooting blanks… impotence. The pain of it all. But, like I said, hockey angles have become sparse around here.)
The fate of the Maple Leafs was determined by that road trip from hell. L.A., Anaheim, San Jose, St. Louis. 0–4–0. Three shutouts. One goal scored (by a defenseman). Plummeting toward double–digits beneath wildcard territory in the Eastern Conference. Nothing since that four–game debacle has mattered; nor will any subsequent portion of the 2014–15 schedule. The humiliation of a three–goal, third–period collapse at home against the inept Arizona Coyotes on Thursday was merely another layer of icing. More layers will follow in this desolate campaign with still 32 events on the calendar.
BEGINNING OF THE END: JAMES van RIEMSDYK AND THE LEAFS ARE BLANKED 2–0 BY THE LOS ANGELES KINGS AT STAPLES CENTER, JAN. 12. HARRY HOW GETTY IMAGES/NHL.COM
As such, this could become, arguably, the most difficult, unpleasant stretch of all time for Leaf zealots. Call that an exaggeration but know that even in the darkest hours of the franchise — the vacuum of the 1980's under Harold Ballard — games mattered in late–January. The club, from top to bottom, was utterly hopeless yet still viable in an era when 16 of 21 teams qualified for the Stanley Cup tournament. Imagine, for a moment, the Maple Leafs going into the final weekend of the schedule needing one victory to make the playoffs (I know it's difficult, but try). That was the situation on Apr. 1 and 2 of 1988. And, the club prevailed — splitting a home–and–home set with Detroit; defeating the Red Wings, 5-2, at Maple Leaf Gardens on the last night of the season. Leafs were in the Cup chase… with a colossal 52 points. That's all it took in the 21–team NHL — a frightful record of 21–49–10.
To put it in perspective — though absurdly — the Maple Leafs today would need just five more points to clinch a playoff spot.
Instead, fans either watching on TV or graced with the opulence of season's tickets will have to endure more than two months of exhibitions. Back in the early–90's, when the Toronto Blue Jays were motoring toward consecutive World Series championships, I often wondered what it was like to be a fan of the worst Major League teams. At the time, only four clubs — winners of the National and American League East and West divisions — made the playoffs. There were no wildcard entries. A bad team would find itself beyond reasonable hope by the end of May, with four full months of games left on the schedule. Imagine rooting for the 1993 San Diego Padres — an appalling 61–101 and 43 massive games out of playoff contention by season's end.
Such is the comparative misfortune of Maple Leaf fans. The current 3–15–1 nosedive since Dec. 18 has destroyed any hope of ending the decade–long hunt for a playoff berth in a full 82–game schedule. Not that it's a foreign concept around here. Irrelevance has come early and often for the Maple Leafs in the post–2005 lockout era. It's difficult to recall that final Sunday of the 2006–07 season when the Leafs — having edged Montreal, 6-5, at Air Canada Centre the previous night — needed the Devils to beat the Islanders in a matinee at the old Continental Airlines Arena. A shootout win crafted by still–legendary Wade Dubielewicz in the Islanders goal eliminated Leafs from the Stanley Cup tournament.
Now that was truly a kiss goodbye.
JUST THE FACTS: Allow me to clean up a bit of media guess–work after Thursday night's alarming goal from the defensive blue line by Oliver Ekman–Larsson of the Coyotes. To review: Leafs began the third period with a powerplay, still leading Arizona 1–0 on Phil Kessel's 20th goal of the season at 16:33 of the opening frame. Lauri Korpikoski won the third–period face–off back to Ekman–Larsson who routinely lofted the puck 115 feet toward Maple Leafs goalie Jonathan Bernier. Somehow, it dipped beneath Bernier's catching glove at 0:05 seconds for the fastest shorthanded goal to start a period in the history of the NHL.
It brought to mind a moment of infamy involving then–Toronto goalie Felix Potvin at Maple Leaf Gardens — described in one report as happening "in 1999 in overtime" against St. Louis. In fact, it occurred on Nov. 17, 1997 when future Hall–of–Fame defenseman Al MacInnis of the Blues fired a harmless shot toward Potvin from center–ice in the dying seconds of regulation. The puck bounced over Potvin's stick and left pad at 19:58 of the third period, giving St. Louis a 3–2 triumph. On the down–slope of a respectable career, Potvin was never the same. He lost the confidence of teammates and first–year management, headed by Hall–of–Fame goalie Ken Dryden. Urged on stoutly by agent Don Meehan, the Leafs and Dryden opted to sign Curtis Joseph in July 1998 and Potvin was later dealt to the New York Islanders for defenseman Bryan Berard.
ALGER IN GOOD SPIRITS: Al Arbour, still second to Scotty Bowman in all–time NHL coaching victories, is struggling with dementia and balance issues at 82 years of age. Arbour lives in a retirement facility in Florida and was visited earlier this week by close friends Ken (Jiggs) McDonald and Eddie Westfall. McDonald was TV voice of the New York Islanders when Arbour guided the club to four consecutive Stanley Cup titles between 1980 and 1983. Westfall was an original Islander in 1972–73, coming over from the Boston Bruins in the expansion draft. Both men have remained tight with Arbour through the years.
McDonald sent me the above photo of Arbour in a wheelchair between himself (top–left) and Westfall. I posted it on my Facebook page Thursday afternoon and it went kind of viral. My personal record for Facebook "shares" of an item was 71 — from a blog (http://bit.ly/1CnF5ar) written in mid–October about the funeral of Ralph Platner, the famed program seller at Toronto Blue Jays games (and noted Bar Mitzvah "crasher" of the 1970's). As of late this afternoon, the Arbour photo had 113 "shares" — many among long–time fans of the Islanders. Accompanying the photo was this message from Jiggs:
Thanks for doing this, Howard. I think many of the NHL oldtimers will want to know about Al, who has had health issues for about ten years. More recently, a combination of early dementia and Parkinson's has taken quite a toll. Eddie Westfall and I found Al in pretty good spirits. After all the updates I've been receiving and passing along, I was a little surprised at how well he was doing. But, the nurse said he was having a second good day in a row. He was "verbalizing" and it seems that some days he doesn't talk much if at all. Sometimes, his speech was good; at other times, it was hard to understand — almost as if he'd had a stroke. He's recovering from his most recent episode: five stitches over the right eyebrow suffered when he fell about a week ago. His balance is a concern. If he stands or gets up too quickly, a fall is going to be the result. Eddie got him laughing and he was thrilled the [Islanders] were in first place in the Eastern Conference and [Metropolitan] Division. Al said, "They're playing great. Good for them." He had great interest, as we talked, about the move next year from Uniondale to Brooklyn and [wondered] how many of the former players were being honored this season. We are very fortunate that an Islanders season–ticket holder from way back is a Board member at the facility in which Al lives. She sees him at least twice a week and takes him pictures of the old Islander days; he really lights up and smiles when she talks with him about the "glory years" of the franchise. She has fed him ice cream a few times and he enjoys that; he even blew her a kiss today. She has kept me updated on his health and I'll continue to pass that along. I took him an Islanders hoodie and he seemed to be thrilled. Anyone wishing to send him a card would really be appreciated. None of the other patients know who he is or what he's achieved. But, any link to the Islanders or his NHL playing career would brighten his day. The address is: Al Arbour, The Pines (The Garden), 1501 N. Orange Ave., Sarasota, Fla. 34236.
THOUGHTS WITH QUINN FAMILY: Pat Quinn would have been 72 years old on Thursday had he not succumbed to illness more than two months ago (Nov. 24). It must have been a difficult day for his family. My thoughts and those of all hockey fans are with Pat's widow, Sandra, and his daughters, Valerie and Kalli. I found this wonderful piece of art (below) on the Internet — Quinn battling Gordie Howe in his playing days with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1968–70) and looking proud after coaching Team Canada to gold at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. I was privileged to cover that event for The FAN–590 as Canada broke a 50–year championship drought in men's hockey.


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Bad Men
- Brian Donaldson
- 23 April 2007
Clive Stafford Smith
Bad Men (Weidenfeld & Nicolson)
Clive Stafford Smith has been privy to some horrible maltreatments of human beings down the years. As a Cornishman with dual UK/US citizenship, he is seen as a saviour to the many Death Row prisoners he has tried to rescue from lethal injections, gas chambers, electric chairs or any other of the appalling fates which are decided by custodians in the Land of the Free. But surely nothing could have prepared him for the stories of disgusting abuse he learned of when meeting a batch of new clients shackled in the Cuban hell of Guantanamo Bay.
Bad Men is partly a treatise on the pros and cons of torture, or 'human resource exploitation' as the US have gently coined it in the post-9/11 era. But mainly it's a painful first-hand account from the naïve innocents at the business end of the War on Terror, who have suffered horribly at the hands of a nation and its leaders who conveniently ignore the constitutional rights and human decency they once held so dear. While the military thugs attempt to break down the detainees using a mixture of psychological terror and physical brutality, Stafford Smith watches in shock and awe as the Pentagon spins out of control, claiming the three suicides of inmates last June are 'an asymmetrical act of war' and 'a good PR move'. Above all, this is a succinct argument on how the US and UK are continually messing up foreign policy, losing the support of citizens and governments around the world who would be natural allies.

subset: commoncrawl


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Getty Images
Cats may have nine lives, but knowing how to perform the Heimlich maneuver on your kitten will hopefully leave them feelin' fine — and most importantly, alive. So don't let curiosity kill the cat, and keep reading to learn more about what to do if your cat is choking.
You may have already known that there was a Heimlich for dogs, but did you know there was one for cats, too? While the movements are generally the same when it comes to saving a choking cat, dog, or human, there are a few actions that are specific to our four-legged friends.
The first step in saving a choking cat is to inspect their mouth. Can you see whatever there's an object obstructing their airflow? If so, reach in and pull it out. But what if you don't see anything or can't get a good enough grip on your puss to look inside. Then, you need to grab your cat's hind leg and turn him or her upside down. If the only thing this accomplishes is angering your already terrified cat, put him or her down on all fours and strike the back. The force of your smack will dislodge whatever is stuck inside the throat. Your last step is to wrap your arms around your cat and place his or her back against your stomach. Then, thrust your arms against their tummy like you would for a human. Take your cat to the vet immediately if you can't force the item out.
If you manage to get your kitty to eject whatever they were choking on but they're not breathing, you may have to perform mouth-to-mouth. And before you say "ew," just think about all the times you've let your cat lick you despite having no clue where they'd just put their tongue. Your cats may not appreciate you saving their lives (because when do cats ever appreciate anything?), but deep down we're sure they love you just as much as you adore them.
More From FIRST
Attention Cat Owners: Here's How Often You Need to Clean the Litter Box
Woman Heartbroken After She 'Poisoned' Cat With Essential Oil


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Jan Karon's eleventh Mitford novel, "Come Rain or Come Shine," is slated for release on September 22, 2015, according to Penguin Books USA. The release date is for hardcover, audio and e-reader versions of the book.
"Come Rain or Come Shine" focuses on the wedding of one of the Mitford series' main characters, Dooley Kavanagh. The Mitford series began with the 1994 publication of "At Home in Mitford," and follows the life of Episcopal priest Father Timothy Kavanagh in the fictional town of Mitford. The focal character of the new novel, Dooley, is Father Kavanagh's adopted son. A list of book release tour events for "Come Rain or Come Shine" is set to begin in Fairhope, Alabama, on September 22, 2015, states Mitfordbooks.com.


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I must have missed this the other day when I was browsing Amazon for Friends sets on sale, but better late than never, right? Amazon has 3188 Heartlake Vet on sale for almost 15% off MSRP of $44.99. It's now only $38.73 and qualifies for Free Super Saver Shipping. You get 343 pieces, minidolls Sophie and Mia, and is the cheapest set that comes with the hedgehog.
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playfulandhungryView February 4, 2013
The hedgehog is really cute! But the riding camp includes one, too and I am so looking forward for the package to finally get here! =)


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By Dr. Grant Reffell
Sometimes when winter comes all people can think about is food! It is not uncommon to eat more during the winter months. In fact, many people dread the winter weight gain. Studies have shown that people all over the world gain more weight during the winter months. There is more than one reason to explain the tendency of overeating in winters:
- Winter is usually the holiday time and people are at home and they tend to eat more during the holidays. They are relaxing at home, watching TV, sitting on the couch and that's the time they feel like munching on something.
- Women know that they no longer have to wear clothes which reveal their curves. The figure is hidden behind the various layers of clothes one needs to wear in order to protect against the cold weather. This makes them carefree and not so diet conscious anymore.
- During the dark winter days, the production of the hormone melatonin increases. This hormone increases your appetite so you feel hungry more often during the winter months.
If you want winter weight loss in during winter, all your efforts of keeping fit will be in vain. Let's see how you can shed the winter pounds:
- Curb the cravings – A hot cup of coffee and a muffin seem apt to warm you, but you need to curb those sugar cravings. Desserts can make anyone go crazy. Candies and cakes are full of sugar and saturated fats and supply nothing but endless calories to the body. Due to the cold, it is very easy to settle down for quicker options. You don't want to leave your cozy space and are more interested in eating foods that require little or no cooking. Try not to become a slave to these fattening foods as much as you can.
- Involve yourself in work – When you're at home, it's understandable that you want to relax, but try not to be idle for a long time. Make sure you eat your meals at the usual time and involve yourself in some work to avoid any unnecessary snacking.
- Indulge in some physical activity – It's not a good idea to be lazy all day. You need to include some sort of physical activity in your daily routine. If you don't move an inch all day and keep on eating, then nothing can stop you from gaining weight.
- Eat only as much as required – Identify your body's needs. Eat only as much as required by your tummy. If your stomach feels full, stop right away. Don't eat more just because it's a delicious dish. It can cause heaviness and gastric trouble. One way to keep a check on hunger is to maintain a record of what you eat and the number of calories you intake. This will help you decide whether you need to eat something or not.
Now, you can indulge yourself once in a while, but do remember our little advice so that you don't find it difficult to fit into your summer clothes!


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Items of Interest At the Fence
Friday, March 8, 2013
Dial Coconut Water Body Wash
Have any of you tried the new Dial Coconut Water Body Wash? I just received some and does it ever smell great! Dial Coconut Body Wash is the first to contain coconut water of it's kind. I am wanting my daughter to try this as she has very sensitive skin and I am hoping it will work for her.
With winter still taking it's toll on my skin a hydrating body wash is just what the family needs. Something to help put moisture back in our skin. I personally have extremely dry skin, especially in the winter. Dial Coconut Water body wash will help with that. Your skin feels soft after use!
As my neighbors know coconut water is a big trend right now, known for it's natural hydration and health benefits. I have tried drinking coconut water, but this is the first I have used it for cleansing my body.
Three of my neighbors will get a chance to try Dial Coconut Water Body Wash for themselves.
Be sure to enter the Sweepstakes going on! Visit their Facebook page here!
Disclosure:I received no monetary compensation for this post. I did receive product for review purposes. All quotes in red are taken from the sponsor's email or website. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
23 comments:
- DEBIJOT said...
I love the smell of coconut.
- March 8, 2013 at 6:00 PM
- Darlene said...
I would like to win as my husband has dry skin that itches and crackes.
- March 9, 2013 at 5:45 AM
- scottsgal said...
I like trying new bath products
- March 9, 2013 at 7:46 AM
- carolwegs said...
I would like to win because i love to try new things and I love the smell of coconut. thanks
- March 9, 2013 at 12:05 PM
- DONNA CHEATLE said...
I'd like to win because I'm intrigued by the promise of hydration using the coconut water in the body wash.
lilypaddj3 at gmail dot com
- March 9, 2013 at 12:37 PM
- akronugurl said...
i would keep it for me
- March 9, 2013 at 1:26 PM
- andrea v said...
I love the scent of coconut
- March 9, 2013 at 1:31 PM
- Sandy VanHoey said...
I would love to win because I'd bet it smells terrific
- March 9, 2013 at 3:19 PM
- Elena said...
I want to win because i like Dial products
- March 9, 2013 at 4:09 PM
- ~SALLY~ said...
I want to win because I didn't get to review this as a Purex Insider and wanted to try it! Ha! I also have dry skin and think this would feel really nice to use. Thanks! :)
- March 9, 2013 at 8:17 PM
- Kimberly said...
I love coconut!
- March 10, 2013 at 12:38 PM
- rubynreba said...
I love to try new body washes. We go through a lot at our house and I'd like to win this!
- March 10, 2013 at 5:01 PM
- Carolyn Barnett said...
I want to win because this sounds awesome!
- March 11, 2013 at 1:05 PM
- Robyn-coolestmommy R said...
I think it would help my hubby and I with our dry winter skin.
- March 11, 2013 at 8:39 PM
- Allison Downes said...
Because I am a Dial user, and I also love tropical scents! Thanks for the wonderful giveaway!
- March 12, 2013 at 4:45 PM
- BritneyLuver said...
Because I have dry skin
- March 12, 2013 at 5:23 PM
- Shelley P said...
I use body wash and I'm interested in trying this because it contains Coconut Water.
- March 13, 2013 at 3:05 PM
- Kelly Grant said...
I'd like to try this body wash
- March 13, 2013 at 4:17 PM
- Jessamine Dungo said...
I like to win this because I'd like to try it :)
- March 15, 2013 at 3:52 PM
- janetfaye said...
I would like to win because I like Coconut scent.
janetfaye (at) gmail (dot) com
- March 19, 2013 at 1:05 PM
- Bo said...
I love coconut scented products!
- March 19, 2013 at 10:40 PM
- Wendy Rozema said...
i would love to win b/c i love coconut scent!
- March 22, 2013 at 5:24 PM
- Patty Schuler said...
Cause I love scented body wash!
- March 22, 2013 at 9:26 PM


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The Edmonston Recreation Council is responsible for organizing and planning several of the town's community events. The recreation council consist solely of volunteers. If you are interested in joining the recreation council you may obtain further information by contacting Town Hall.
Some events that the Edmonston Recreation Council organizes:
- Edmonston Day (Edmonston Rec Center)
- Edmonston Halloween Party (Edmonston Rec Center)
- Edmonston Christmas Party (Town Hall)
The Edmonston Recreation Council also assists with The Edmonston Police Department's National Night Out.
Rec Center
Most town events take place at the Edmonston Recreation Center Building and Grounds.
This site is also available for public rental and is a great location for birthday parties, meetings and other events. Find out how you can rent the Rec Center.


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Privacy Practices
Disclosures Required By Law. Our center will use and disclose your PHI when we are required to do so by federal, state or local law. Notice of Privacy Practices
As Required by the Privacy Regulations Created as a Result of the Health Insurance Portability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW MEDICAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOU (AS A PATIENT OF THIS FACILITY) MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED, AND HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY. You have the right to a paper copy of this Notice; you may request a copy at any time by contacting our Privacy Officer at (865) 862-1600.
Here a a link to a PDF with information that describes how medical information about you may be used and disclosed and how you can get access to this information. Please review it carefully.


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Marc Brown & The Blues Crew are currently awaiting the release of their 14th album, which was recorded in world famous Robert Lang Studios in Seattle, WA. They've had multiple Nammy nominations from their previous albums and they won the 2011 Nammy for Best Blues Recording for a song Marc wrote, Way You Walk. They've won 7 Fairbanks Battle Of The Bands, 3 Alaska State Battles, finished 2nd in the Pacific Northwest Battle in 2008 and also in 2008 they took 4th in the National Battle Of The Bands. Through the years, they've played sold out shows at BB Kings in Hollywood, House Of Blues in Vegas, Buddy Guy's Legends in Chicago and Seneca Casino in Niagara Falls, NY as well as everywhere in Alaska. They've opened for ZZ Top, Jethro Tull, Little River Band, Los Lonely Boys, J Geils Band, Fabulous Thunderbirds, John Hammond and many more. Marc has also played with Dokken, Three Dog Night, War, Billy Branch and others.
They play from 9:30pm-1:30am


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It's been a while since we've had an opportunity to blog about the things we've been up to this summer. We've been working hard to get out some of our favorite beers to all your local favorite watering holes and liquor stores. We've also participated in a few pouring events which have been great fun. In fact coming up this Friday we will be at the Craft Beer with Vineyard Liquors Tasting Event at The Brick Lounge in Plano, IL from 5-8 PM. Feel free to come out and sample some great beer and say hello.
In addition to producing beer and hanging out and pouring beer, we've been busy in the lab cooking up some new recipes. The first of which will be available later today at select locations and later this week and next week at all of our local spots. The style as you might have guessed is a hopped up APA(we can't help ourselves we love the style!). The hop profile on this beer is dramatically different than our other APAs. Buoyed by Mosaic & Simcoe hops(among various others) it's quickly grown into one of our favorite recipes and we're excited to share it with you. So head on out and welcome Vulture Dragon American Pale Ale to the Radium City family.
We've got more new stuff coming this fall and we'll have more announcements about upcoming events as they get closer. We look forward to seeing you guys out and about and on the internets on facebook, twitter & Untappd.
Until Next Time!
-The Spacemen Whiteboards


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My name is Betty, Mommy to 5, blessed beyond my wildest dreams. I am a child of God and trying to remember that minute after minute. Also I sometimes work as a Radiology clerk and enjoy stamping up a storm when I have the chance or using needle n thread, paints, glue and scissors, yarn and paper.
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Hello neglected blog! I'm in my 33 week now and am trying to get some rest this week while Asia has clown camp and Marvin is at the New Westminster Police Soccer camp but it's not really working. We have been spending lots of time worrying about dad and waiting for more information. A large tumour has been found behind his nose and is pressing on the nerves in his face causing all the eye pain he has been having. I thought if I wasn't working I would not be at the hospital so much. I am glad he is in good hands and we have been saying lots of prayers for him at home and on the road and with him. I am so glad it's not already in his brain so he can still function fairly normally and enjoy some family time. Anastasia has a big Clowning Around show tomorrow and is enjoying learning to juggle and balance with a pretty umbrella and ride a unicycle! Marvin's last day of soccer camp will be tomorrow too and hopefully it will be another lovely day. Today the firemen were bringing their hoses to spray the children down but it's not that sunny unfortunately. I am sure they will have fun anyway! The location of the camps are conveniently located by Amma's house in Queen's Park and it's so nice there! We enjoyed picking some raspberries on the weekend and the Fraser fest fireworks! It was nice to take the children down the road in their p.j.s since the majority of viewers were on the other side of the river at the Quay. Avalina wasn't so scared this time. I am off to try and get a nap before I lose my chance. I'm sticking to bread, applesauce and rice fighting off a bit of food poisoning from the chicken we waited too long to cook last night. I won't listen next time my husband tells me if it's marinated it can hang out in the fridge longer. What was I thinking, must have been tired...
Posted by StampingBetty at 1:16 PM No comments: Links to this post
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Women frequently go to great lengths to attain long, thick eyelashes that accentuate the appearance of their eyes and make them more attractive. For many times, mascara and eyelash curlers don't achieve the desired results. The Latisse™ eyelash extension product at our practice serving the Scottsdale, Phoenix, and Glendale, Arizona area is the first and only product approved by the FDA that has been scientifically proven to stimulate the growth of eyelashes. Developed by Allergan, Latisse™ is a topical prescription product that can help patients to grow longer, thicker and more alluring lashes. The solution is applied daily to the base of the upper eyelashes over a period of about 4 to 8 weeks. Once results are noticeable and you have achieved the desired eyelash length and thickness, treatments can be reduced. However, regular applications of Latisse™ are necessary to maintain results.
Contact Us
Although Latisse™ has proven to be extremely effective, some patients may experience side effects such as itchiness, redness, darkening of the skin, and inflammation. If you are interested in using this product please feel free to contact us online or by phone to schedule a consultation with board-certified plastic surgeon Steven H. Turkeltaub, MD.


text: A rejection of Biblical authority is a rejection against the very nature of God. In today's message we see that submission to the authority of God's Word is our only hope and greatest protection. The Word of God is a life-changing authority that is sufficient to save and transform my life, because it teaches me, it reproves me, it corrects me and it trains me —there is no authority like it, none!


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Read this today on TIME – and felt that "I need this" feeling in my gut. Thought it might help you, too. I want a better product, so I've got to change some of my habits. Let's do it together!
Some people get their daily dose of cardio by running into every meeting saying, "Sorry I'm late!" While it might seem like chronic lateness is just plain rude, time management can be harder than it looks—and often, lateness is rooted in something psychological, like a fear of downtime.
Luckily, there are simple habits you can tweak and others you can adopt entirely to turn you into that person—the one who shows up early and finishes projects with time to spare. Here, nine habits of those mystifying people who are always punctual.
Waking up is the first item of the day you can procrastinate. Whether you hit the snooze button and fall back asleep, or accidentally turn your alarm off and wake up 30 minutes later in a panic, getting out of bed is an easy thing to delay. Diane Gottsman…
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All manufactured goods, whether for indoor or outdoor use, are meant to provide fun, comfort, health, convenience, etc., while human services, especially health care, ought to make a person's overall condition better. This is what everything is intended for, and, by being aware of our moral and legal responsibility in not endangering the lives of others, life should, therefore, be totally safe and fun.
Safe and fun, however, are not the only realities in life. Often, there are also injuries and death. Every year either millions of individuals suffer injuries or families lose a member due to death. Majority of these injuries and deaths, however, are not the fault of the injured or dead individual, who is believed to have acted diligently and with due care; rather, these are the faults of people, whose reckless or negligent actions have all but resulted to injury-causing or fatal accidents.
Negligent or reckless acts resulting to personal injury are considered tortious acts or civil offenses. Under the laws of the United States, the tortfeasor, that is the person or party that caused the injury, is legally required to compensate the victim for all the damages resulting from the injury.
There are extreme cases, however, when the effect of a negligent act is much more damaging than a severe injury, namely, wrongful or untimely death. In the event of death a representative, who would act on behalf of the victim's survivors (legally identified as "real parties in interest"), can file a lawsuit called a wrongful death claim.
Wrongful death is the unexpected loss of someone's life either because of another person's negligence or willful misconduct. It does not only leave a family grieving over the loss of one of its beloved members, it may also throw them into a situation wherein they will be made to suffer financial difficulties, especially if the victim is the breadwinner in the family. This is why dependents or the surviving family members of the deceased have the legal capacity to seek justice and compensation (through a civil lawsuit) from the reckless or negligent party who is liable for their devastating loss.
A wrongful death claim or lawsuit is a special type of personal injury lawsuit that is filed for the purpose of seeking compensation for all the financial damages the dependents are (and will be) made to suffer. Though states may actually differ in what factors and elements are considered regarding who the "real parties in interest" may be or what may be considered as compensable, some of the commonly accepted coverage of the compensation includes medical and funeral expenses, loss of financial support, loss of the decedent's services, and lost possibility of inheritance.
The identities of the real parties in interest vary from one state to another. They may refer to:
- the deceased victim's immediate family, which includes the spouse, child/children and/or adopted children;
parents (if the victim was unmarried);
- distant family members, like brothers and sisters, and grandparents;
- those directly financially affected by the victim's death due to the cessation of the victim's care or support;
- the deceased victim's (financial) dependents, life partner or putative spouse (a person who sincerely believes that he/she and the deceased were married); and,
- parents of a deceased fetus (while there are states that consider as real parties in interest only the parents of child already born, there are those, on the other hand, that consider the fetus' death a basis for a wrongful death claim).
A wrongful death lawsuit is not a simple procedure and even if the liable party were willing to settle with the victim's survivors, the amount of compensation given is often not a just amount. In this type of legal procedure, it is highly necessary that the deceased victim's survivors are represented by an able lawyer, whose expertise, experience and dedication are unquestionable.
For more helpful information regarding a wrongful death lawsuit, like who can file it, who can be held liable, and what it should cover, you can click here:


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Restaurant News & Reviews
Dining review: Whiskey Kitchen turns out ambitiously inventive menu
Stenciled on the front wall of the former garage that has been home to Whiskey Kitchen since the restaurant opened in August, in big block letters next to a glass-paneled garage door that now opens onto a patio, is the restaurant's motto. Cleverly written in the form of a cocktail recipe, the motto starts out, "One part neighborhood bar. One part Southern kitchen."
Don't take that to mean that they do things halfway here. The "neighborhood bar" is stocked with well over 200 whiskeys, including impressive collections of single malt Scotch and bourbon (though I couldn't say whether that rare Pappy van Winkle I got a glimpse of is still available). And the "Southern kitchen" is turning out an ambitiously inventive menu loaded with surprises, including a few unforgettable creations.
The pork shank pot pie, for one, is a positively medieval-looking dish featuring a whole cured, smoked bone-in shank sticking out of the center of a flaky biscuit crust. Beneath the crust is a medley of root vegetables and butterbeans in a rich gravy made from the pork's braising liquid. Clearly intended for sharing, this rib-sticking riff on a savory pie is one of two dishes listed under the "Platters" heading.
The other is just as impressive. The shellfish platter serves up a bounty of head-on North Carolina shrimp, littleneck clams, smoked sausage, creamer potatoes and sweet corn on the cob (though our server said the corn would last only as long as the season) in a broth amped up with smoked chile paste. Piled high on a platter garnished with grill-charred lemon halves, a cruet of drawn butter and bias-cut slices of toasted baguette for sopping (don't even try to resist), this is a shareable starter for four or an outright feast for two.
Smaller parties – or those wishing to leave room for wider sampling – will find abridged variations on both platter themes under the Plates heading, in the form of clams with smoked chile paste, an N.C. shrimp boil (both with the same fixings as the platter), and a smoked chicken pot pie.
N.C. shrimp turn up again in a Southern take on a lobster roll, where they're peeled and chilled in a remoulade punctuated with fennel and pickled celery. My only quibble with the sandwich as it was served at our table recently was the meager portion of shrimp – which, given the kitchen's otherwise consistently generous hand, I'm inclined to chalk up to a one-time oversight.
There's absolutely nothing to fault with the lamb burger topped with mild, creamy Shepherd's cheese and chile-spiked aioli (and a judicious pinch of the spice blend worked into the meat for a little extra kick); or with the fried skate sandwich, which showcases the sweet white flesh of an under-appreciated fish in an exemplary cornmeal breading.
Prefer to take the vegetarian route? Memorable destinations include a beet salad with local greens, smoked blue cheese and hazelnuts in a red wine-maple syrup vinaigrette; and the grain bowl, an earthy cornucopia of farro, wheat berries, grilled vegetables and sprouts in a piquillo-yogurt dressing, topped with avocado – or, if you're not a stickler about the vegetarian thing, a poached duck egg.
Just looking for a few nibbles to share while you sip your bourbon Old Fashioned or Bulleit rye Manhattan? Bite-size florets of fried cauliflower, showered with finely shredded sheep's milk cheese, will do nicely. Or house-made farm cheese (think cottage cheese, but creamy), topped with a poached duck egg (and a sprinkle of sumac for tangy counterpoint), served with grilled baguette slices. Or smoked fish dip, amped up with everything seasoning and a touch of spicy mustard, served with bagel chips.
But beware the cracklin' biscuits. Light and buttery, their tops spangled with crunchy bits of pork crackling, they're so addictive they might as well just drop a couple of letters and call them crack biscuits.
And dessert is no afterthought here. Textbook sour cream pound cake, topped with a dollop of lemon-tinged whipped cream, comes with a miniature Mason jar of caramelized pineapple chunks on the side. A Southern take on a shoofly pie is as sinfully satisfying as it looks – a pecan-studded, caramel-drizzled slab of molasses goodness on a pastry crust. And if the ice cream sandwich, currently costarring muscadine grape ice cream and peanut butter cookies, is as good as the cornmeal cookie and smoked peach ice cream version that recently reduced the conversation at our table to a series of "Mmmms," you'd be justified in ordering one of each dessert.
The wait staff are attentive and eager to please, by and large (most of them actually appear happy to be here), though the pacing can lag a bit when the place gets busy. And more training about whiskey is clearly in order, given a bar where the price of a shot can be well into double digits.
Still, the overall experience at Whiskey Kitchen is commendably smooth for a restaurant that opened barely four months ago. The feat is all the more impressive in light of the fact that owner/chef Michael Thor was sidelined by a serious motorcycle accident a year ago and is still recovering in an Atlanta health care facility. Chef de cuisine Jonathan Botta and pastry chef Marco Zapata have done an admirable job in picking up the slack.
Thor's partner, the affable Jeff Mickel (known to many as the longtime general manager at Flying Saucer), sets a relaxed and welcoming tone, whether you're seated indoors, admiring the rows of liquor bottles against the backdrop of a dramatic feast-themed mural in Delft blue and white, or on the heated patio with a prime view of leafy Nash Square across the street. From where I sit, that motto painted on the exterior wall sure looks like a recipe for success.
201 W. Martin St., Raleigh; 919-803-3181
Cuisine: contemporary Southern
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Prices: $$-$$$
Atmosphere: casual – large, open dining room and bar with lounge in back and heated patio
Noise level: moderate
Service: attentive and eager to please
Recommended: cracklin' biscuits, farm cheese, fried skate sandwich, lamb burger, pork shank pot pie, shellfish platter, desserts
Open: lunch and dinner daily
Reservations: not accepted
Other: full bar (outstanding whiskey selection); accommodates children; good vegetarian selection; heated patio; parking on street and in the L Building deck on W. Davie St.
The N&O's critic dines anonymously; the newspaper pays for all meals. We rank restaurants in five categories: ☆☆☆☆☆ Extraordinary ☆☆☆☆ Excellent. ☆☆☆ Above average. ☆☆Average. ☆ Fair.
The dollar signs defined: $ Entrees average less than $10. $$ Entrees $11 to $16. $$$ Entrees $17 to $25. $$$$ Entrees more than $25.


text: My client would like to know how they can go about doing a bulk clean out of their groups. They are using Emma integrated with SalesForce. They want to consolidate some groups and remove others. What is the best way to go about this? Can they export to excel and clean up there and import again? What do you recommend?


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Director of Ordinands
01483 790322
PA to the Director of Ordinands and PAFT Senior Tutor
01483 790323
This section applies equally to candidates for the priesthood and the diaconate, and for all categories of sponsorship.
The qualities looked for in those who feel called to the Church's ministry are summarised in the Ministry Division's 9 criteria for selection: Vocation, Ministry within the Church of England, Spirituality, Personality and Character, Relationships, Leadership and Collaboration, Faith, Mission and Evangelism and Quality of Mind. In addition, the qualities looked for in those who feel called to the Church's ministry are evidence of the reality of faith in God, and a dependence on the Holy Spirit; signs of stability and a disciplined life, a selfless regard for the welfare of a wide variety of people, an open and imaginative mind, and a capacity for a life of demanding work.
Candidates should be commended by the Incumbent, in the first place, to the Diocesan Director of Ordinands. Before being accepted for training, they are required under the regulations approved by the Bishops:
In addition to the above, an Ordained Local Minister (OLM) candidate will:
There is no automatic age bar to ordination, though candidates for stipendiary ministry would normally be under 50, those for self-supporting ministry between 30 and 60, and those for ordained local ministry over 45.
Candidates are required to have the following qualifications:
There are three categories of sponsorship:
Further details will be required to address three specific questions about the envisaged focus of ministry for the candidate:
For those hoping to be Pioneer Ministers, there is an additional selection process and greater attention is given to criteria which demonstrate that the ordinand has the qualities and gifts required to sustain pioneer ministry.
Candidates need to be familiar with the House of Bishops' statement 'Issues in Human Sexuality' which embodies the criteria the House wishes to apply to clergy. This makes clear that all Christians are called to chastity and fidelity and to respect the will of the Church on matters of sexual morality.
In the case of candidates who are remarried or married to a spouse who has previously been married, a Faculty under Canon C4 is required before a candidate may be recommended for training.
A Bishop intending to sponsor a transgendered person for selection will certify that he has decided that s/he would be prepared to ordain and offer a Title to that person if, during the course of training and formation s/he were deemed to have a vocation to ordained or accredited lay ministry.
SAFEGUARDING The Diocese does not tolerate abuse of any kind. Enquiries
YOUR DATA PRIVACY View the diocesan general privacy notice and data protection policy.


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The Azure Swords are expert bladesmen and masters of the arts of theatre and infiltration. Their modus operandi is quite simple. One or more members establish a role for a time. Sometimes these roles are long term, for others they are just a night. They get close to the target and engage them socially. By manipulating events in a public setting, they force the target into a duel. The target either loses their honor or must face the agent. Since the agent seldom appears to be an expert swordsman, the target normally engages them in a duel. The Azure Swordsmen then cuts them down. After a while, they abandon the role (especially to avoid reprisal duels). Few are the wiser, not knowing that the target had been assassinated.
The mechanism of contact seems to vary from city to city. Somehow the Azure Swordsmen's network of contacts know when to approach people who need to challenge someone. They may use their theatre and infiltration abilities to embed themselves into noble households.
Note: The Azure Swordsmen do no use blue scabbards or blades, despite the local stories told by bards.
One persistent rumor is the Azure Swordsmen is that they are somehow connected to the King's Spies. This could color their accepting certain targets. Or maybe the whole assassination game is just a past time between their missions for the Crown.


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Shanghai Disney Resort is offering consumers visiting the park a themed transportation service to begin immersing the guests into the animated world of Disney and its characters early on into the trip. The resort is offering two different Shanghai Metro subway trains that are personalized with prints of Disney characters. The train services the resort and allows visitors to get to and from different locations. By decorating the trains to suit the aesthetic of the park, the resort is pre-immersing visitors into the experience.
The trains pass through the Line 11 and offer a variety of drop off spots near by the park. The vehicles offer added convenience by eliminating the need to drive and park at the resort. While there is only two trains on the line at the moment, Shanghai Disney Resort hopes to add several more.
Shanghai Disney Resort Offers Decorated Character Trains for Riders
Misel Saban — June 17, 2016 — Eco
References: shanghaidisneyresort & mentalfloss


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Slats Frame Daybed With Floral Frilly Duvet
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text: Hunter-Ed Applicant Fails to 'Watch' for Photo of Illegal Deer Carlos Gomez, OutdoorChannel.com This photo of a buck with a unique rack helped open and provide evidence to a poaching case. (Photo courtesy of Carlos Gomez) No matter how crafty and careful wildlife poachers might be, there are always trails of incriminating bread crumbs to be found There may be a million ways to poach, which simply means there's a million ways to get caught. Reminds me of an unusual poaching case involving a guy we will nickname, Rick, for the sake of this true story.I met Rick when he was applying to become a volunteer hunter education instructor. Our agency – Oklahoma Depart of Wildlife Conservation – requires the local warden to meet, interview and perform a background check on applicants as part of the process.I noticed on our first phone call discussion, Rick had a bit of a northern accent, so I ask him where was he from, originally. "New York," Rick said. I had a brief but humorous vision of a salsa commercial and a rope.All joking aside, I'd found a felony entry on Rick's background check, indicating he'd either lied when checking the appropriate box on his application (that would disqualify him) or simply made a mistake. So, before rejecting his application, I made an appointment with Rick to go by his house for a chat. He'd been very friendly up to this point but after mentioning the reason for my visit, he sounded a bit agitated. This was either going to be a "Dear John" visit following verification of his conviction, or a "welcome to our group" meeting, assuming we could dispel the criminal allegation. After a discussion, I learned the crime reported on the background check was accurate; he admitted to feeling embarrassment for what he described as a youthful mistake. Sitting in his living room, and wanting to divert from the distasteful topic at hand, I began admiring the unique rack of Rick's big buck mount on his rock fireplace. The unusual 14-point didn't demonstrate much in the way of quality taxidermy work, but I bragged to Rick on the size and distinctive antler frame of his trophy.Rick seemed proud of it, and admiring it together improved his mood. The main beams were interesting in how the tips crossed each other over to one side."What a cool deer," I noted. "Where'd you get him?" This wasn't an interrogation; it was a couple of sportsmen talking deer."Oh, I bought it at a flea market several years ago," Rick said.Oh, boy, I thought, here we go again. In Oklahoma, it is a common violation to buy and sell deer mounts, especially on the internet, but I knew flea markets were a common trouble spot as well. Restriction on selling mounts in Oklahoma dates back to the market hunting days when pursuit of a dollar far outweighed the importance the future of wildlife. I explained to Rick how the Oklahoma law had been violated, but his response declared it was not a crime in New York. I didn't know the New York law at the time but stressed the point to him we're not in New York; we're in Oklahoma.Yes, a citation could have been issued, but I felt the situation was handled and didn't see the need to elevate the issue. The time Rick and I spent visiting had been stressful enough, and I believed the "teachable moment' had been educational and productive; I wanted to end it on a positive. I left Rick with a handshake, hoping we had a beginning friendship rather than a resentful ending, but only time would tell.A few days later, I went back in the same community to investigate something totally unrelated to Rick's case. One of the area's habitual poachers happened to be a pawn shop broker and I found myself hanging around his store feigning interest in some merchandise.Hanging on the wall, I happened to notice a framed bulletin board loaded with pictures of hunters and anglers posing with their harvest or catch. Pinned amongst them was an interesting photograph of a dead deer. It was a large-rack buck with very unique antler tips crossing over to one side.The deer's tongue was hanging long out the side of his mouth and his lifeless eyes were partially squinting. But who was the hunter in the picture? Only one Caucasian-colored hand could be seen, but it was sporting a particular watch on the wrist.I later learned Rick had never purchased a hunting license or deer tag; the big buck had never been tagged and checked. It was rumored to have been shot at night from a local golf course. You could say my next visit to Rick's house wasn't too friendly, especially after asking him "What time do you have on your watch?"Like game warden stories? Watch "Wardens" on Outdoor Channel. You also can watch past episodes of "Wardens" on MyOutdoorTV.com.


text: We had you at "burgers & beer," right? This dark and atmospheric den with carefully placed lighting lends the tried and true combo a little extra je ne sais quois. It's the perfect date spot -- also because, if your date isn't into the menu here, you might want to just call it there.


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Sunny Leone Sizzles Shooting In Hyderabad For Upcoming Film Tera Intezar :- A few days back Sunny Leone and Arbaaz Khan have started shooting for a new venture Tera Intezaar which is a romantic musical thriller. The first schedule was rolled in Kutch and while the director, Rajeev Walia, was interested in shooting the spectacular beauty of Kutch during the rains, reports suggest that they had to alter their ideas because of some reasons at the last minute. The producers have now chosen to shoot in Hyderabad city for now and they started the 20-day schedule in Hyderabad located Ramaji Rao Studios.
Though nobody till now knows the exact reason of the last moment alteration in the schedule. Talking about the upcoming Tera Intezaar, Walia revealed to the media folks earlier,
"It's a very romantic story intertwined with a thrilling drama. There's a chilling suspense and at every step, there's a twist in the plot which unravels the unexpected. It's gripping strong musical romantic thriller. Music plays a very important part in the script."
With a romantic edge in the film, get excited to see a lot of fantasy and Sunny is definitely going to soar up the HEAT in Hyderabad while this monsoon. We gather that the cast and crew are going through the way nicely and the chemistry between Sunny and Arbaaz is sizzling. The producers are trying to finish up soon a main portion of the movie up in Hyderabad itself and multiple romantic numbers and scenes will be shot throughout this 20-day schedule.
The film also stars Arya Babbar, Salil Ankola, Sudha Chandran, Gauhar Khan and a few others. Tera Intezar's plot spins around the lives of Rounak (Sunny Leone) and Veer (Arbaaz Khan). As the duo falls for each other, Veer goes missing, Rounak's life left upside down.


text: We are part of Warrington MOT Centre which has been established for nearly 30 years so you can be assured you will receive the same customer satisfaction and high quality workmanship when using our body shop. We are conveniently located in Latchford, near Warrington town centre and are easily accessible. No repair is too big or too small from treating a scratch to a full body repaint our standards are exceedingly high and our prices are very competitive.


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These supernutrients support brain, heart, and skin health by promoting healthy circulation and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients from head to toe.*
Flavanols are plant-based, health-supporting antioxidants naturally occurring in tea, blueberries, red wine, apples and cocoa. Cocoa flavanols are a highly unique blend of supernutrients found only in the cocoa bean. In fact, raw cacao is the earths single top source of antioxidants – with 40X the antioxidants of blueberries per milligram.
Cocoa flavanol content in chocolate and cocoa powder varies considerably based on factors such as growing conditions, agricultural processes, fermentation methods, and roasting techniques. This is why FlavaNaturals® products are developed using a proprietary process for both preserving flavanols and optimizing taste.
Don't just take our word for it. Extensive scientific research conducted at top research institutions, including the National Institutes of Health, Columbia University and Harvard University, has demonstrated the remarkable benefits of daily cocoa flavanol consumption on circulation, brain, heart, and skin health.* Cocoa flavanol portions consumed in successful clinical trials of brain, heart and skin health generally range between 500mg and 1,000mg per day. There is also a growing body of evidence that suggests cocoa flavanols may also benefit exercise performance and recovery.*
Dr. Norman Hollenberg, Harvard Medical School Professor, has studied cocoa flavanols extensively over the past decade and declares, "the health benefits are tremendous."
For more information on the scientific research conducted with cocoa flavanols,
Cocoa flavanols exert their benefits by supporting healthy levels of nitric oxide, a molecule naturally produced by your body that promotes healthy blood flow and the transport of oxygen and nutrients from head to toe.*
Cocoa flavanols have both a short-term benefit that peaks in hours and a longer-term benefit that builds with daily consumption over the course of approximately two weeks.*
Important studies by Sansone et al and Heiss et al clearly demonstrate how cocoa flavanol impact builds with daily use. The studies measured percentage change in flow mediated artery dilation (FMD), a common measure of blood vessel function and flexibility. Graph A shows results from the Sansone study where FMD increased on day one from 5.9 prior to drinking the daily high flavanol cocoa drink to 7.3 two hours later, a 24% increase. FMD continued to climb with daily flavanol consumption over a two-week period and leveled off at the higher level thereafter.
So for best results, consider eating or drinking cocoa flavanols daily.
Flow Mediated Artery Dilation*
*Sansone et al. Cocoa flavanol intake improves endothelial function and Framingham Risk Score in healthy men and women. British Journal of Nutrition. June, 2015
Three thousand years ago, the Mayans believed cacao was a "gift from the gods" and used it to promote wellness. The Maya even honored a Cacao God, celebrating the beans' powerful transformation of mind and body.*
More than 1,000 years later, Montezuma drank small amounts of cacao up to fifty times a day. Cortez quickly took note of the beans and made cacao the mainstay of his soldiers' diet. History reports that those who drank it felt increased energy, focus, stamina, and happiness.*
Hundreds of years ago, the Spaniards introduced drinking chocolate to Europe as a health elixir and cacao quickly found its way into confections as well. Colonial documents noted the use of cacao to support energy and cardiovascular health.*
In 1753, Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus named the cacao tree Theobroma Cacao, Greek and for 'food of the gods,' a designation chocolate-eaters old and new would agree is befitting.*
Early 20th century, manuscripts reveal over 100 health supporting uses for cacao, including support of energy, mental health and digestive health.*
Today, dozens of controlled clinical studies and hundreds of scientific publications are validating many historical beliefs about cacao and uncovering new important health benefits of this extraordinary super-fruit.*
"Is it any wonder the ancient Mayans thought cacao was a gift from the gods?"
* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.


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Winter Warmer
It's snowing today in Vancouver and the whole place has the look of a Winter Wonderland. Being somewhat of a cold creature, I head for the indoors on days like this, staying close to the fire. Although it's pretty early, I'm already thinking about how I will warm up later. Hot Port is one of my favourite drinks from my days in Ireland where on cold days, this was the perfect remedy, always taken close to the peat fire.
So these days I'll settle for a gas fire and the 'pub' will probably be my living room but I think I can probably recreate the authentic hot port.
To make:
Fill a wine or brandy glass with a 2.5 oz measure of port. It doesn't need to be your best. Most bars in Ireland use something like Sandeman Ruby Port for this application.
Drop in one sugar cube
Add about 1 oz of boiling water.
Garnish with a clove studded lemon.
Enjoy under a down blanket or ask an obliging bar tender to make for you.


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Microsoft To Put Video Clips in Bing Search Results
Microsoft said Wednesday that it plans to beef up its Bing search results with embedded TV clips from its Bing TV service.
Extended TV listings and episode guides will be integrated into search results, along with clips and show information, a spokesman said via email.
Microsoft also announced Montage, a way for users to mix up information sources from a given topic, including news, Twitter tweets, and images.
Although dwarfed by Google's market share in search, Microsoft executives have said that they've used the competition as a spur to innovate. The most recent improvement has been a partnership with Facebook to integrate social search results into Bing.
Earlier this year, Microsoft launched an enhanced entertainment section, also known as Bing Entertainment or Bing TV, which pulls video content from Hulu, CBS Entertainment, and other sources. Bing offers more than 1,500 shows and 20,000 full TV episodes, according to the company.
Within the next week, Microsoft will begin adding tabs along the tops of landing pages, so that users can find trailers, reviews and showtimes.
More importantly, however, Microsoft will begin to deliver video results to its Bing search results, providing a counter to Google, which shows YouTube clips inside its search results. "Extended TV listings and episode guides will be integrated into search results, along with clips and show information," Microsoft said.
Microsoft also launched the Montage tool at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco. The tool is predicated upon search, and is simply another way to view search results.
Interestingly, Matt MacLaurin, director of Microsoft's FUSE Labs, which marries social networking with other technologies, characterized search as simply a microprocessor that one could program and receive results.
"Search is the new CPU," MacLaurin said. "Back when we had DOS, we really had a direct dialogue between the programmer and the CPU," where a program would spit back numerous text results that the programmer would have to analyze and interpret. Montage is a step forward to try to make search a more sophisticated tool, he said.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story erroneously identified the "Montage" tool as "MSN Montage".


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Senator Sherrod Brown: Sens. Brown And Warren Introduce Bill That Would Encourage Work, Strengthen Supplemental Security Income Benefits For Elderly, Disabled, And Blind Americans, And 1.3 Million Children
Bill Would Benefit Vulnerable Americans by Addressing Inflation's Effect on Ability to Qualify for Supplemental Security Income
Friday, March 7, 2014
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, U.S. Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced legislation that would strengthen Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for the most vulnerable Americans, including elderly, disabled, and blind Americans, and 1.3 million children. SSI provides need-based support to more than eight million of our country's poorest and most vulnerable citizens. At present, however, the amount of income a person is allowed to earn and still be eligible for SSI benefits has not kept up with inflation. Adjusted for inflation, the amount an SSI beneficiary can earn would be 5.5 times greater than its current amount. In order to pull millions out of poverty and encourage work, the Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act would increase allowable income and resource levels to their intended values and index them to inflation.
"Millions of vulnerable Americans who struggle just to get by depend on Supplemental Security Income to help take care of their families," Brown said. "But inflation has significantly decreased the ability to qualify for SSI benefits, hurting seniors, the disabled and blind, and more than one million children. Senator Warren and I introduced theSupplemental Security Income Restoration Act to strengthen the SSI program and protect our citizens who need this help the most."
"SSI is a critical program that helps millions of our poorest and most vulnerable citizens keep their heads above water," Warren said. "I'm very pleased to join Senator Brown to introduce the SSI Restoration Act, which will help strengthen SSI for families who rely on these essential benefits."
Continue reading here: http://www.brown.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/sens-brown-and-warren-introduce-bill-that-would-encourage-work-strengthen-supplemental-security-income-benefits-for-elderly-disabled-and-blind-americans-and-13-million-children


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Now on its 20th year, it's Fiesta in America again in Secaucus, N.J. on Aug. 11-12, 2018.
Lifting from its website, "since 1998, Fiesta in America has served as the galvanizing force for Filipinos in the tri-state area to connect, promote and preserve Filipino culture and enterprise through its annual trade and cultural show in Secaucus, N.J.
"The two-day event gives Filipinos in the northeast and even those from the Philippines a platform that helps them get the recognition and support they need from Fiesta in America and the Filipino community."
So, come on down to Secaucus, N.J. on Aug. 11-12!
New Consul General Claro Cristobal. (Photo by Lambert Parong)
Welcome to New York, Con Gen Claro "Boy" Cristobal
Esmyrna Encarnacion, Paul Ipanag, Viray De Leyon Victoria and I, as well as your other former colleagues and co-workers in the Philippine coconut industry now living in the U.S., welcome and send you our warm greetings, Con Gen Claro "Boy" Cristobal.
All the best in your term.
We are proud of you.
Atty. Victor Sison and wife Irene in cowboy costume last Saturday.
Atty. Vic Sison hits a home run on his 75th
It appears from all the postings that the 75th Cowboy Birthday Party of my esteemed Atty. Victor Sison last weekend was one of the jolliest and most attended (370 "cowboys and cowgirls" showed up, according to the celebrant) birthday parties in our local community.
Those of you who are Facebook aficionados must have seen the numerous pictures and selfies taken at the party held Sunday at the Hilton in Newark, N.J.
All that transpired was for a good cause.
Atty. Sison raised funds for the seminary in Vigan City where he studied at one time and became Dean of Studies.
At the same time, his guests had a great time!
God bless, Atty. Sison and family.
Mocha Uson to give lecture to Filipinos
Apparently, Pres. Duterte is sensing that the Filipinos will not approve the Constitutional shift to federalism.
So, it was reported in the Inquirer that Mr. Duterte has picked Mocha Uson, the former bold dancer turned Assistant Secretary in the Presidential Communications Office, to lecture Filipinos on the subject of federalism.
Was it this lady who mistakenly said that Mayon Volcano was in Naga City?
Will she become the excuse or scapegoat of Duterte in the event federalism is not approved by Filipinos?
Filipino professors and academe persons speak up
Some 250 Filipino professors and academicians issued a collective statement just as I was concluding this column.
The group of educators said, in part, that the conditions obtaining in the Philippines today are not conducive to constitutional change.
Everyday, more and more Filipinos seem to reject the planned Constitutional amendments or replacement.
Well, because the people could smell something selfish in the plans.
Any constitutional amendment is bad when term extension of incumbents is included.
We just returned from vacation in the West Coast, specifically northern California.
In the event you will spend your vacation in that part of the Golden State, I would suggest that you visit the following: Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park, Sacramento State Capitol (including Old Sacramento), Lake Tahoe, CA Academy of the Sciences in San Francisco, Napa Valley.
Two of the 21 Catholic Missions in CA are also in the area.
Those are San Juan Bautista and Mt. Carmel.


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NELLIE McCLUNG STUDENT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY
What can we do? Are you concerned about our playground zone start time? How about the effects of the new SW Ring Road construction (extending Southland and 90th Ave) on traffic flow through this critical area? Do you think our crosswalks and drop off zones are OK? We need to speak up now as a community. Join our working group to share your ideas and help get key items addressed by our city council and provincial government. First meeting in January 2014. Contact Jennifer Z for more details at firstname.lastname@example.com. To educate yourself and your child about traffic safety, please check out the School Traffic Safety website at http://tsk.capsc.ca/?page_id=237.
Nellie McClung, Planning
Proposed changes to playground zone and parking around Nellie McClung
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NELLIE McCLUNG STUDENT PEDESTRIAN SAFETY


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CFR charges a package fee for most mediations, which cover all costs associated with the case. Regardless, there are no surprise charges or fees. All fees disclosed upfront. More information about our fees can be found on our website or by contacting us directly.


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Do you think that the people who managed the Iraqi oil-for-food fiasco should have input into your pension? Do you believe that environmental radicals should have a say, too? The investment board that manages the Canada Pension Plan's provident fund — which is meant to keep down contributions for the young and the unborn as the Baby Boomers strain the system — seems to think so.
This week, Don Raymond, senior vice-president, public market investments, for the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), seemed to align it firmly with those who want to impose the tightening bonds of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on Big Business.
Critics of the CPPIB have always been concerned about the possibility of government looting. As Bill Robson, head of the C.D. Howe Institute, noted in a paper last summer, "protecting provident funds from political direction is a task that never ends." But the threat goes beyond merely using investments for political objectives. It includes importing the political Trojan horse of CSR, which, as Milton Friedman pointed out long ago, is a thoroughly subversive doctrine.
The growing clout of CSR mirrors a shift of political power to unelected environmental non-governmental organizations, who draw much of their support from the multi-tentacled United Nations. It also reflects the craven performance of corporations that attempt either to appease their political enemies or to take advantage of the draconian regulations promoted by them.
Mr. Raymond — who is charged with managing most of the CPPIB's $110-billion plus of assets — set off alarm bells on Wednesday by making a complimentary reference to Al Gore's alleged role in raising awareness of "the climate crisis." When senior executives of the CPPIB start using the same terminology as Elizabeth May, it's time to get worried about your old-age income. But it got worse. Mr. Raymond pointed out that Mr. Gore's Oscar wasn't the most significant announcement on Feb. 25. More important — and apparently equally praiseworthy — was the US$45-billion deal to acquire Texas utility TXU Corp. That deal was indeed remarkable because the buyers — KKR, Texas Pacific and the private equity arm of Goldman Sachs — came up with an elaborate list of commitments to make the deal palatable to the environmental lobby. They cancelled coal-fired generating plants. They backed a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions. They agreed to spend US$400-million on renewable power. They said they would tie executive pay to environmental metrics. They also agreed to continue to consult with radical environmentalists.
My colleague Terence Corcoran described the TXU deal as "a giant experiment in green corporatism that may well mark the beginning of a breakdown in U.S. electricity supply." Mr. Raymond, by contrast, sees it as a straw in a benign wind.
Will Mr. Raymond start using his investment billions to pressure Canadian companies to undertake similarly burdensome commitments in order to assuage extremists?
The CPPIB has been cozying up to the forces of darkness for some time. Last April, its CEO, David Denison, joined Kofi Annan in ringing the opening bell of the New York Stock Exchange. This was to celebrate the CPPIB's signing on to the UN-sponsored Principles on Responsible Investing. These relate to "environmental, social and corporate governance issues." The principles are all about "transparency" and aligning investors with the "broader objectives of society." But, as Mr. Robson noted in his paper, such alignment is far from "an unambiguous upholding of the principle that [pension funds'] participants' interests come first."
Also, when I called up the UN to discover the identities of those individuals and groups who had hatched the principles, I was told that it couldn't reveal them. So much for transparency. The principles are tied closely to the UN's other trapfor corporations, the Global Compact, a huge and unwieldy list of feel-good initiatives that take companies deep into the political jungle, where the biggest predator is climate change.
Mr. Raymond sounded very much on Wednesday like a climate-change True Believer. He declared that: "The global climate is in flux, and the potential consequences are massive." But since we don't know what those consequences are, it doesn't make much sense to have corporations tie their hands when we may owe our future to their flexibility. Institutions such as the CPPIB have to make careful analysis of the possible impact of climate-change policy. However, the danger is that they will shade over into becoming instruments of political pressure.
The CPPIB wants companies to report on how they plan to deal with their "carbon impact," a problematic notion since no company, even Exxon Mobil, has any measurable impact. Mr. Raymond also suggested on Wednesday that: "We need a GAAP for measuring a company's carbon footprint." This seems to be playing dangerously into the hands of the anti-carbonistas.
The latest AIDS-style ribbon that the CPPIB will attempt to force upon corporations is that they join the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, or EITI, a scheme to demand more details regarding oil and gas and mining-company operations in developing countries. EITI is intended to counter the "resource curse" by keeping an eye on mineral-rich, repressive governments. However, the CPPIB has no business promoting such initiatives, which are not so much about managing political risks as applying political pressure on — and via — companies.
This kind of pressure should be differentiated from so-called "catalyst investing," in which investors work with managers to unlock value. The CPPIB wants to increase this type of "relationship" investing, but it should distinguish between unlocking value and promoting subversive political doctrines that destroy value.


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Friday, 19 May 2017
Come on courgettes!
By far, the biggest lesson I've learned this year whilst starting to grow as much edible food as possible, is that growing from seed is best. It's cheaper, more reliable and more satisfying than growing from plugs. I know I keep on banging on about this but I've been so very disappointed by the quality of the seedlings I've bought. They've all come by post and many of them haven't been sent by courier so a lot of the time, what actually arrives here is an anaemic, wimpy looking seedling with slightly shredded leaves. The difference between these pale and hunched over seedlings and the ones that I grew myself from seed is really obvious. I recently planted three courgette seedlings. They're "Patio star" courgettes, a variety I've had success from before when growing from seed, but they look absolutely puny. I don't have a huge amount of hope for these but as it's late May already I think it's too late to start from seed if I want a decent crop. It just goes to show, laziness doesn't pay! I'll do the best I can with these seedlings this year but next year it's seeds all the way.
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Carolina Hurricanes
Hurricanes players not happy with decision to not participate in 2018 Olympics
Noah Hanifin's Twitter page has an American flag in the header, so you know how he feels about playing hockey for the U.S.
"It's always an honor putting on your country's jersey," Hanifin said.
After completing his second season with the Carolina Hurricanes, the defenseman has joined Team USA for the 2017 IIHF World Championship. Hanifin is one of seven Canes competing in the Worlds — Jeff Skinner has three goals in three games for Canada — and faced off against some Carolina teammates Monday when the U.S. took on Sweden in a preliminary round game.
At times Monday, Hanifin was on the ice defending against a Swedish line that included Elias Lindholm and Victor Rask. Lindholm scored two first-period goals for Sweden but Team USA won 4-3 in Cologne, Germany.
But playing in a World Championship is one thing. What Hanifin and others want is the opportunity to play for their countries in the Olympic Games, saying, "To be able to do that would be a dream come true."
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced last month the league would not participate in the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea, saying it would be too disruptive to the regular-season schedule. There also were concerns about injuries, about insurance and travels costs for the players.
The NHL declaration that the matter now is "officially closed" has not been well-received. NHL players have competed in every Olympics since 1998 and IIHF president Rene Fasel said Tuesday that he still hopes to convince Bettman and the NHL to not skip the 2018 Games.
"It's a bad decision," said Canes defenseman Justin Faulk, a member of Team USA in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. "I think we all know that the players want to go.
"I think it's a good opportunity for the NHL and hockey to reach markets it hasn't been able to reach, and the Olympics is the greatest stage. The Olympics is the showcase of the best athletes in the world, and to take away the hockey aspect of it is not the best thing to do."
Canes forwards Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen both were selected for the Finnish national team last fall in the World Cup of Hockey. Aho is at the 2017 Worlds and starring for Finland, and Teravainen might have been if he was not in contract talks with the Canes.
Asked about the Olympics, Aho said, "It has been a dream for me, too. I think it is for every Finnish kid. It's a pretty huge thing."
Fasel, in a press conference Tuesday in Paris, said negotiations with the NHL Players Association and the International Olympic Committee still are ongoing about the 2018 Games.
"I never give up until the end," Fasel said. "It's never too late. ... If (the NHL) wants to be global and promote the brand, the Olympics is the place to go. The players want to go, so I really don't understand. If Gary does not go, the fans will not be happy, the players will not be happy and the whole world will not be happy.
"We've played before without the NHL and we will have a great tournament with or without the the NHL. We don't have a better platform for our sport than the Olympics. There is nothing bigger."
Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals has been outspoken in saying he would play for Team Russia in the 2018 Games, regardless. It's unclear how many other players might do the same.
Aho said he wasn't prepared to make that kind of bold move if invited by the Finnish federation to join the Olympic team, saying, "It's the NHL's decision and (the Hurricanes) pay us and it's our job to play. It would be nice to play but this is our job."
Faulk was chosen for Team USA in 2014 but did not get to play until the final two games when veteran defenseman Paul Martin was unable to go.
Faulk's first game was against Canada in the semifinals, when the Canadians emerged with a tense 1-0 victory. He also played as the U.S. lost to Finland in the bronze-medal game.
"I had a front-row seat for the best hockey game in a long time, the U.S.-Canada game," Faulk said. "I enjoyed every minute of it and I was on the bench for all but two shifts. It's just awesome to be in that atmosphere. It's something I'll remember the rest of my life and one of the coolest things in hockey I'll probably ever have the opportunity to do."
Haggling over the insurance and travels costs was an initial stumbling block. The league also made an offer to the NHLPA that the players extend the collective bargaining agreement for three years in exchange for being able to go — an offer the NHLPA turned down.
"Maybe the talking isn't done yet," Faulk said. "They must be expecting the players to give something up for it. I don't think that's very reasonable."
The door does remain open for NHL players going to the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, China. If so, that could be the best chance for Hanifin, Aho and the others, given their ages.
"Hopefully I will one day play in the Olympics," Aho said. "I've watched every Olympics, especially hockey. Those games are pretty unbelievable."
Chip Alexander: 919-829-8945, @ice_chip


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Did you know that this was actually supposed to be a post about how Mass Effect 1 was the penultimate space-faring RPG? It was, indeed! In fact, it even says so right over here! But, in the last few minutes, someone posted something, and mixed in so many positive things about Mass Effect 1, that it has decidedly changed my views. Something sinister has clicked in my mind, which has forced my hand. And now, after all my years of praising it, I can do nothing more than lambaste Mass Effect 1 with the brutal truth that has always stared me in the face: Mass Effect 1 is no hero.
Mass Effect 1's story is interesting.
In the first hour, the game starts out interestingly enough. You are Commander Shepard, who can valiantly gaze through a spaceship windshield while pretty much running directly into everyone on your way to get there. You meet Nihilus and Space Keith David, who is a man of a man and the man. Then you get sent down to Eden Prime to fight our mortal enemy, the Geth. You find dead Nihilus, killed by another Turian, disarm bombs, learn things from a damaged Prothean beacon, then promptly blow it up. Already we are off to a great start. We have our hook. We have something that makes us want to keep playing. In fact, the story is the best and only reason why anyone wants to keep playing.
The reason the Mass Effect story is so interesting is because it relies on mystery and intrigue. We are learning about a time in space that we have never experienced, and never will. We are learning about this universe, the Mass Effect universe, and everything it has to offer. What are biotics? Who are my team members and what makes them tick? What are all the races of the galaxy. Who are these mysterious Protheans? And, most importantly, who, or what, are the Reapers?
In the end, we find out all these things, of course. After about 35 hours, I finished the game and learned almost everything there was to learn about Mass Effect 1. But after you've beaten it, what's the point of playing again?
You see, once you have finished the story, and learned everything about this game, what is the point of continuing to play? With the story and quests finished, why do you keep going back to it? Because, other than the story, there isn't much to love.
Mass Effect 1's combat, and level system, is terrible
I am Shepard, a Commander in the Alliance Navy. I am a Vanguard, so I specialize in shotguns, the use of medium armor and some pretty neat Biotics. So why can't I use shotguns proficiently right off the bat? Why must I be forced to wear light armor until I put enough points in my skill tree to wear it? I'm a decorated war hero who saved his entire squad, and you are saying, Mass Effect 1, that I did it with a pistol and some terrible Onyx light armor?
I could believe it. In fact, I do, because that would be how I do things in real life. But this is a game.
Games aren't supposed to hold you back from being able to use what your character should already be proficient with. It's blatantly obvious that I, Commander Shepard, have already seen some serious combat that wasn't in the game because it would be fun, and fun isn't allowed in this game. If you wanted to see fun combat, they would've already released Mass Effect 2.
But I digress. How come every weapon you use you has the same accuracy as almost every person who has ever thrown the first pitch at any given baseball game? With one squeeze of the trigger on a pistol, or an assault rifle, you immediately forget how to aim for three seconds, which is about how long it takes for you to think about being accurate again.
Because of how terribly inaccurate you are, cover is almost always necessary to take, which makes you think about being more accurate more often. However, cover is poorly implemented and seems like it was more of a last-minute idea. Getting into cover takes longer than it should, as Shepard has to run face-first into whatever the cover is, before realizing that headbutting a wall is not tactically sound. I can't begin to tell you how many times I was aiming around cover, then Shepard got cocky and abandoned it altogether leaving him, and myself, wondering how many shots it would take for him to die.
Not many.
Thus you use cover if you want to stay alive until Shepard has decided to shrug off this virtual, mortal coil, or you don't use cover and hope to the Gods of Accuracy that you can throw the first pitch harder and more accurately than your current enemy. And pray that you aren't fighting a Krogan, because they will just charge at you and pummel you to death with only two hits.
However, combat has its rewards — Or, at least rewards are comparable to how the combat is. Anyway, you get experience, which will let you level up! That is always amazing! But, then again, that reward, in the long run, isn't all that great. You are given two points to spend with each level up until the later levels. But, unfortunately, if you want the fullest flavor of the story, which is why you're supposed to be playing, or be able to manipulate conversations in your favor, then sinking your first couple level-ups into Charm or Intimidate is almost mandatory.
With all your skills you can choose from, you have to put some in some categories to unlock the ability to enhance, or use others. Case in point, the shotgun. The more proficient you are with a pistol, you will become, at some point, better with a shotgun, for God knows what reason. I don't want to use a pistol, so why do I have to spend points in a meaningless skill?
And, if you look at the stats, for the most part, each point you put in gives your skill a negligible boost in power. Many skills only get slight percent increases in power, meaning taht this game punishes you for being a jack of all trades. Hence, it forces you to level up some skills to the max while leaving some skills underdeveloped and, for the most part, useless.
Because fun, and logic, is unwanted here in this game. It wants to punish you as much as possible.
In fact, if you want to be able to open up any container, or decrypt any computer, and the like, that is above Easy, then you need to put your points into Electronics and Decryption right away, otherwise you will be missing out on some missions, and some loot. Now, getting loot might not be all that important to some people, which is fine, because that's the only reason Bioware made such an awful inventory system in the first place.
Seriously. That inventory system. It's like keeping your jeans in the bottom shelf of the dresser, then having to search through each and every drawer, from top to bottom, to get to it, even though you already know where your jeans are. But you have to keep digging through because your dresser is super proud of all the things of yours it's keeping in it and wants to show you because it only wants to make your proud.
Anyway, we were talking about loot.
The beginning loot you are better off just breaking down into Omni-Gel, because you will get pennies for it if you sell it. Until you hit about the level IV range on the equipment you find, you should never sell. Ever. And why is that?
Because you will always find something better, and, in fact, the best stuff is sold by the Spectre Requisitions Officer. Once you buy the level X items from him there is no point in getting loot anymore as, by the time you've gotten that far, you are practically full on money and Omni-Gel. Most of the times I have reached the 999 Omni-Gel mark and continued to break items down because I was maxed out on money!
But, during the lower levels, it's good to get everything you can, and if you have not a high enough Decryption or Electronics rating, some might think, ya know, I'll just come back to open this box later on. Good idea, unless that unlockable is on a planet that you are scouring using —
The Mako!
And let's not be coy, here. Imagine you are trying to tell a playful dog to come over to you. You say, "Max, get over here" and he comes over then darts away. "No, come over here." This time you are pointing. It comes over a bit, and you're about to grab him by the collar, then he ducks away again. Finally, you lose your temper and scold your dog. "Max, get over here right now!" He listens and obeys, and finally, goes to where you want him to, with a defeated look on his face.
That is the Mako. But you are giving the defeated look.
If exploring planets is supposed to be a fun, and integral, part of the game, then why does Bioware go to great lengths to make it completely miserable. How many times have we been on Therum only to accidentally make a wrong turn and go head-on into lava? Or been traversing Feros' skybridge, only to hit one barrier, even an invisible wall, and watch in horror as the Mako mounts and leaps the barricade, as ungracefully as possible, shooting us over the edge of the bridge, thus sending us plummeting to our doom?
Way too much to be forgivable. Much like everything else in Mass Effect 1. For most games, story can only do so much to save a game that features a terrible level up system, that plays into a terrible combat system, that rewards you by placing items in a god-awful inventory system.
So, why am I being so uncharacteristically brash when talking about this game? Because it is the truth. This game suffers from many missteps.
But the story in this game? The story and characters are what put this game above any other I have ever played. Everything the story is, and everything your crew is, makes up for everything that this game did wrong, and it is one of the few games that that can be said for.
I love Mass Effect 1. It is my favorite game of all time. I have replayed it almost a dozen times and each time I've done it, it has gotten better. And, if you have noticed, I barely talked about this game's story, and how it can be approached from a Paragon side or a Renegade side.
This is the Renegade portion of my write up.
The Paragon portion, though? That's where it will shine. That's where I will prove that Mass Effect is the Hero gaming deserved.


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Property Details
|Property ID
|Property Type
|Land Size
|2900 m2
|Year Built
Make an Enquiry
Sale by home owner
Vendors Information
- First Name: Paul
- Last Name: Hassett
House of Light - Converted Church
The phone enquiry code for this property is – 0271
Trying to find words that describe how it felt to live in this amazing home is proving a little tricky. I will tell you about the features of this property however living here really did soothe the soul.
This house was originally a church that was built in 1958 and is located in a quiet and serene part of the beautiful state of South Australia in the Southern Flinders Ranges.
The church sits on a fully fenced block of land approximately 2900 sqm in size and also includes, what we like to call the Sunday School.
The Sunday School was originally built in the late 1800's. This building, approx 28 sqm in size, has had plumbing installed and was being used as storage however it has the potential to be transformed into a guest room or something to that effect.
The church itself provides a fully functional kitchen with oodles of cupboard space, dishwasher included, and an amazing bench to ceiling window that, standing at the sink overlooks the designated fenced garden area which is currently a blank canvas just waiting to be turn into an oasis of your design.
The spacious bathroom features a double vanity with large mirror, shower, toilet and laundry all bathed in an abundance of natural light.
There are 2 bedrooms with wardrobe and storage space located at the rear of the building and the third bedroom can be found as the mezzanine level in what was the original congregation area. This mezzanine space could alternatively be used as an office or perhaps a creative space for arts and crafts.
The large living area includes a large slow combustion fire and has 2 double glass doors that lead you out onto a spacious entertaining area which also overlooks that oasis waiting to be designed.
The ceilings are as high as the eye can see and the amount of natural light that floods the whole building leaves you with a feeling of absolute spaciousness.
There are solar panels on the roof and the dark wooden floor boards throughout.
There is plenty of vehicle parking space.
Appila is nestled between Jamestown, one of the main shopping hubs of the mid north & Laura well known for its wonderful arts, crafts & antiques with both locations only a 20 minute drive away. There are also schools, hospitals and other wonderful local communities to be discovered.
For those looking to kick back and smell the roses with their lifestyle, living in this home is a truly unique experience.
There could also be the possibility (planning & permits etc being sought through local council) of creating a country accommodation experience for families, groups or couples to make their base and discover the abundant local region.
SaleByHomeOwner.com.au is an Australia-wide 'For Sale By Owner' service. While every care has been taken to verify the accuracy of the details in this advertisement, we cannot guarantee its correctness. Prospective purchasers are requested to take such action as is necessary, to satisfy themselves of any pertinent matters.
Property Features
Air Conditioning • Built-ins • Dishwasher • Entertainment Area • Fireplace(s) • Fully Fenced • Gas Enabled • Heating • Internal Laundry • Living Area • Modern Bathroom • Modern Kitchen • Polished Timber Floors • Rainwater Tank • Secure Parking • Separate Dining Room • Solar Panels •