text:
Join a Kayak Cleanup
Every last Saturday of the month, 8:45 – 11:00 am.
Rent a kayak for FREE if you participate in a cleanup! We provide all the gear you need. Minors must be accompanied by an adult and ALL participants must be able to swim.
Email firstname.lastname@example.com to reserve a spot.
Help us build our community by donating or sharing our resources with a teacher, young person or family member. Together, we can arrive at a future free of plastic pollution.

subset: commoncrawl


text: I'm overly amazed at how small and teeny tiny all the items in my Birch Box subscription were! That's why I'm canceling because I personally don't think it's worth the money each month. Last month I got the same mini purse mirror and the same sample of Real Chemistry Body peel. I'm even less impressed with the tiny sample of sunscreen. The small lipgloss sample is kinda ok because lipgloss last so long anyway but it's still very small. Even though the 3 Minute body peel sample appears large because of the packaging it's hard to cover your entire body with what's in the package. My final thoughts is that this is the equivalent of what you'd be given free when shopping at a dept. store makeup counter or free samples you'd get when shopping at Ulta or Sephora! Sorry if my post sounds like negative Nancy but I thought I should let everyone know. In my opinion is NOT worth $10 a month!


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This week Oracle release the latest
Oracle Critical Patch Update Advisory.
As usual :"Due to the threat posed by a successful attack, Oracle strongly recommends that customers apply CPU fixes as soon as possible."
It fixes some remotely exploitable bugs without the need for username and password.
Check it out!


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Individuals with higher levels of the broad autism phenotype (BAP) have some symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Like individuals with ASD, people with higher-BAP may have fewer sexual experiences and may experience more same-sex attraction. This study measured BAP traits, sexual experiences, and sexual orientation in typically developing (TD) individuals to see if patterns of sexual behavior and sexual orientation in higher-BAP resemble those in ASD. Although BAP characteristics did not predict sexual experiences, one BAP measure significantly predicted sexual orientation, β = 0.22, t = 2.72, p = .007, controlling for demographic variables (R2 change = .04, F = 7.41, p = .007), showing individuals with higher-BAP also reported increased same-sex attraction. This finding supports the hypothesis that individuals with higher-BAP resemble ASD individuals in being more likely than TD individuals to experience same-sex attraction.
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This study was performed in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Master's Thesis for LRQ, who wishes to acknowledge the members of her committee. Data from this research was also presented as a poster at the International Meeting for Autism Research in San Francisco, CA on May 11th, 2017.
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Qualls, L.R., Hartmann, K. & Paulson, J.F. Broad Autism Phenotypic Traits and the Relationship to Sexual Orientation and Sexual Behavior. J Autism Dev Disord 48, 3974–3983 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3556-3
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- Broad autism phenotype
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POLL: Do you support the Trump impeachment inquiry?
POLL: Do you support the Trump impeachment inquiry?
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) has officially kicked off his impeachment inquiry.
Recent polls conducted by the media claim a majority, or at least a plurality, of Americans support the impeachment inquiry.
But as 2016 proved, the national media polls are often biased. So we are coming directly to you.
By submitting this poll, Culture Watch News, Renewed Right, Patriot Pulse, and Pants on Fire News will keep you automatically updated on poll results and other breaking news with FREE email alerts. You can unsubscribe at any time. Votes with invalid emails will not be counted. Your email address and personal information is confidential. We dislike spam just as much as you! We won't share your information with anyone and you can unsubscribe at anytime.


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This page is about a website which no longer exists.
Majora is a screamer video that is based on the creepypasta BEN Drowned. The video depicts normal gameplay of The Legend Of Zelda: Ocarina Of Time. That is, until Link encounters the BEN Drowned statue of himself. After staring at it for a nice while, a white face pops up with a shriek before cutting back to the video, where Link apparently dies as he gets set on fire and collapses. A script in the source code will try to fullscreen the webpage in a loop and hide the cursor. The same SWF file that presents the screamer video also tries to open infinite popups.
NOTE: The following website contains malicious scripts that may harm your computer!
- web.archive.org/web/20160113202230/bendrowned.olympe.in/majora


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For twenty five years now, we have developed a reputation for quality service of lawn and garden equipment. We are fully qualified to work on all manufacturers product in this industry.
We service nearly all brands of equipment. Our professional factory-trained technicians will ensure your equipment is restored to manufacturer specifications in a timely manner.
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Given the nature of this business, service times will fluctuate depending on time of year. Contact us early for quicker service times and labour discounts.
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JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves discussed the latest on the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic Thursday.
Reeves was joined by Dr. Thomas Dobbs, MEMA Director Greg Michel, and Major General Durr Boyles.
Reeves said now is the time go stop playing defense and go on the offense.
Dobbs followed by saying that things are going to get worse before they get better. He urged everyone to keep taking precautions as more cases and more deaths occur.
They also announced new mobile COVID-19 testing sites in DeSoto and Coahoma Counties at Lewisburg High School and Coahoma Expo Center respectively and are open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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When I started working, my immediate reaction was to be nice and helpful. Contrary to what my instincts say, being helpful does two things. It gets you more work and it earns you a reputation for being a pushover. In the worst cases, being helpful makes you spend money that you were not obligated to spend and will not be repaid for. Learn to say no and do nothing without paper. There are exceptions to this rule--be helpful to people within your company (namely, your boss) and your foreman (because they will make your life hell if you don't).
2. Ask all questions
Problems come up. That's the nature of the beast. Before you run to buy a new fixture or send a panicked email, stop and ask questions. What happened? Did you see it? Is this on the drawings? Whose mistake is it? Did we take pictures? All of these questions drive to one singular point: You must understand the situation completely before you can propose the best solution. The first solution you think of may be quickest, but in general, it is always the most expensive. Slow down, because the person you go to with the problem is going to ask the same questions that you should. Take time to find the answers first.
3. Hedge your bets
If it's not on paper it doesn't exist. We have to commit to two things: schedules and prices. It is very tempting to be helpful (see point one) and give a lower price or an earlier date based on one week of hunky-dory work. Optimistic predictions become lies when the crap hits the fan. When giving things in writing, you need a disclaimer. "This is based on a three day turnaround on submitted documents." "This is assuming no delays in shipping." "This date is riding the concrete being poured." "This price doesn't include overtime." Things will go wrong. It is your responsibility to foresee them and cover your butt ahead of time.


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Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act ~ H.R. 4540
Lead Sponsor: Congressman Richard Neal of Massachusetts, Chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means
The Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act fixes the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) by introducing a new proportional formula, provides meaningful WEP relief to current retirees, includes a benefit guarantee so that no current or future retirees can be worse off as a result of the bill, and ensures that public servants across the nation can retire with the security and dignity they deserve.
Originally, the WEP was intended to equalize the Social Security benefit formula for workers with similar earnings histories, both inside and outside of the Social Security system. However, in practice, it has unfairly penalized many public employees. Currently, 1.8 million Social Security beneficiaries are affected by the WEP. The much-needed reform in this bill provides meaningful WEP relief to current retirees and public employees while treating all workers fairly.
Current Retirees: Immediate Relief Payments
The bill provides immediate relief to current Social Security beneficiaries affected by the WEP. Current beneficiaries (and those turning 62 before 2022) who are affected by the WEP due to their own public service work will receive an extra $150 a month, starting nine months after enactment and continuing for as long as the eligible individuals are receiving Social Security benefits. The relief amount cannot exceed the size of each person's current WEP reduction.
Future Retirees: New Formula and Benefit Guarantee
Future retirees (those turning 62 in 2022 and later) will be eligible for a new, fairer benefit formula, called the Public Servant Protection (PSP) formula. The PSP formula calculates benefit amounts based on the proportion of lifetime earnings covered by Social Security.
The Public Servants Protection and Fairness Act includes critical protections to ensure that no one receives a lower benefit a result of this legislation. First, it maintains the current WEP exemptions (i.e., for individuals not receiving a pension, and for those with 30 years of coverage) and extends them to the PSP as well. That is, people are exempt from both the PSP and the WEP if they have 30 or more years of coverage or if they do not receive any pension based on their state or local employment.
In addition, the bill provides a benefit guarantee for all future retirees: if someone's PSP benefit is not as high as their WEP benefit, they will automatically receive the higher benefit. This guarantee is permanent, applying to all future retirees.
About seven in 10 future retirees affected by the WEP will receive a higher benefit under the new PSP formula, with the increase averaging about $75 a month. The remaining three in 10 are protected by the benefit guarantee and will see no change in benefits because they already receive higher benefits under the WEP than they would under the proportional formula due to their specific earnings patterns. They will get to keep that higher amount. Finally, the bill shields millions of other public servants from being newly subjected to the WEP or PSP.
Additional Provisions
The bill also improves the Social Security Statement for affected workers, so that future benefit amounts will not be a surprise. Finally, it protects the Social Security trust funds with general revenue transfers to cover these costs, so as not to penalize other workers' retirement security even as we correct the urgent problems with the WEP.


text: Last October was a momentous month in my practice as I transitioned from the classroom to the role of mentor/consultant. After a 42 year journey helping adolescents discover their voices, I packed up my classroom and my home and moved to the town of Virgin, Utah where I am continuing my journey down new pathways as I mentor and support teachers as a consultant. It is such a blessing to have the space to be reflective and to continue to learn about what works for both teachers and students. At long last I can return to this venue and share some of what I have discovered on my journey as well as provide a place to help you on your professional journey as an educator. Check back soon!


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Ricky Murray became famous for his Youtube guides to Hornchurch and Romford.
These are the residences that carry on after Peacocks and the alleyway as if they were on the same street. From the onset there is a slope that continues until the junction that appears straight after Tucker Brothers. You'll see.
The alleyway in between Peacocks and Patterson Hawthorne i.e. High Street and Station Lane.
- No, 2, flat.
- No, 4, Richard House – a charity shop for a children's hospice.
- No, 6, Subway – smelly. The fast-food place, not the underground ones.
- No, 8, Cancer Research – eight doors away from Smokers Paradise.
- No, 10, Nationwide Building Society.
- No, 12, Bestsellers – whether they actually ARE the best sellers in Hornchurch let alone the world is very much up to debate.
- No, 14-16, Sutton Arms – changed its name from Hogshead to this in 2013. Hardly anything has changed inside. Looks like an empty church hall inside apart from the bar, tables, chairs, higher platforms, pool tables fruit machines, quiz machines and customers looking and sounding like they're auditioning for TOWIE.
- No, 18a, Ray's City Centre – formerly a Costcutter's.
- No, 18b, Le Moulin – French café with a very friendly and talkative French woman working there. If you're in your 20s or 30s (or at least LOOK like you are) she may very well ask you if you are single in order to set up/embarrass her friend.
I'm in Le Moulin (where everything's rufous coloured) on the day of the Grand National. Before going to the local library I go in and ask whether I can eat my brown breaded ham, lettuce and tomato 'credit crunch' sandwich in there having unwrapped the silver foil around it. The English man – in his 20s with brown surfer-like hair, brown stubble wearing all-black – behind the counter is fine with this proposition. This is after I order a coffee so I suppose he 'has' to be.
I salivate at all the scones, croissants and chocolate cakes with luscious thick looking icing on top. Lights in their container shine on them to make them look even more alluring. I wish I would live a little, just this once, and discard my own crushed lunch in favour of the delights that are in and around the counter. I COULD get something, but then that wouldn't be in the spirit of the 'credit crunch' would it, smart arse? So I discard the sweets and French sticks by sticking by the sandwiches and Mars Bar – the latter of which I brought along for the ride to have with my coffee for afters.
As I settle down with my food and drink at a table by the window looking out at the roundabout with Wildwood etc…on it, a white woman wearing glasses and a sky blue vest with tied back brown hair comes out from the room behind the counter. There's a blond middle-aged couple (man and woman) still wearing their dark blue puffer jackets two tables away sitting opposite a young dark haired girl in her late 20s/early 30s.
[45] No apostrophe after the 's'! Despicable.
[46]Twatty Orange Wankers In Essex.
[47]I simply said ''sandwiches'' to the man behind the counter, but that is what was inside them.
[48] 'Surfer' as in surfing the sea as opposed to an internet surfer – the latter would be extreme curly hair, obviously.
[49] Not IN the counter – that would be mental.
"HELLAWWW,'' an unmistakably French accent greets them as she walks round the counter in order to touch their shoulders.
They exchange the usual ''how-are-you?'' pleasantries and start talking about the Grand National, which finished an hour or so before. None of their bets paid off, but they know people that got lucky. They discuss this and the younger woman's love life.
I assume they're close family members, but I always think that when people talk about personal things in public. That's just the kind of guy I am.
'They must be on more than ''that's-three-pound-please (insert your own monetary value)'' terms SURELY!'
I sit listening while trying to read 'The Flâneur' and eat at the same time. It's no use. I end up knowing the names of all their cronies and pocket sizes by the time I've finished. Cosy though. I walk out in the bright evening sunshine feeling strange. Oh look, Saint Francis Hospice.
- No, 20, Saint Francis Hospice – a charity shop that has what I thought were good old music magazines with features on bands other than what they have available in vinyl. The upstairs is devoted entirely to bridal wear.
- No, 22, The Sweet Store – in a shocking twist they sell or SOLD confectionary. I added the past tense version because the shutters are down every time I walk past.
- No, 24, Ifymax – chain of hair cosmetics.
- No, 26, Coral – bookmakers. What else?
- No, 28-32 Tucker Brothers – deal in electronics. And as a sideline, whatever it's called, manufacturing, whatever.
- No, 30, Tirmizey da Costa Accountants – accoun…
- No, 34, flat.
- No, 36-38, Peking Garden – a Chinese restaurant that doesn't have a garden.
- No, 40-44, Chimichanga – Mexican restaurant. It's always fun to say you're going here…I imagine. At the time of typing (05/04/2014) I never have gone.
- No, 46, Save the Children – charity shop.
[50] I fell asleep at this point.
- No, 48-50, Simply Blues 2 – American diner.
- No, 52, Mark Ellis & Co. – solicitors. There seems to be a lot of people claiming for compensation in Hornchurch. With its town centre being a building site for a few months each year – due to numerous pavement and road works going on – it's probably not a surprise that people injure themselves deliberately or otherwise. Not sure they would come to THESE solicitors, but…
- No, 54, Swan House – recruitment agency. Never would have known this existed if it wasn't for me walking around like a madman documenting the town.
- No, 56, Noor – Indian restaurant.
- No, 58, John Stanley's Care Agency – home care.
- No, 60, Jayne Doe – tattoos, piercings and all that malarkey.
- No, 62, John Wyndham Haircare – John Paul the barber is upstairs I believe. There are a number of reasons why I don't think it's one of the former Popes. He's 'upstairs' in a different way…if you believe in all that.
- No, 64, Iphe: Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating – I wonder if anyone other than those who work for them actually know that these places exist.
- No, 66-68, flats – I er, think.
- No, 70, Dental Surgery – Yogeshroy D Patel's I am informed.
- No, 72, The Village Bar & Grill – it's like being on holiday when people are sitting outside. An Abba tribute band seem to be playing there nearly every night going by the banner that is always outside.
- No, 74, Hornchurch Police Station – are they ever open? Perfect for reporting petty crime. You turn up here, see they're closed, think about what's happened to you then realise it's not worth pursuing. It saves a lot of paper work, which is ideal for them.
- No, 76, The Wendy House – children's nursery.
- No, 78-82, flats, houses an' all that.
- No, 84, The Cranleigh – Restaurant and banqueting. Been there just the once. Looks like a members' club, but it isn't.
I am only going up to this point at this stage because the rest of the road does not serve my purpose as it mainly consists of houses and flats. Further up on this side of the road, there is also a café, The Railway pub and a cab office with Hornchurch train station right next to it. I will carry on with the other side of Station Lane up to this point also. The next part starts immediately after Moss & Coleman Solicitors from the previous section, so it is going away from the residences that came after it.
[51] One is because they're all dead.
Opposite side of the roundabout from the previous picture. Can you see the slope I mentioned earlier? The sign for Baskin' Robbins is on the far right-hand side.


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Stephanie Ford is assistant professor of Christian spirituality at Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana. She holds a BA and an MA from Oral Roberts University, an MA from Oklahoma State University, an MDiv from Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond (Virginia), and a PhD from The Catholic University of America.
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text: A huge amount of digital data is getting piled up every day and to deal with that the technology recruiters are valuing the skills in data visualization, data science, machine learning and data analysis the most. These skills in data analysis help the companies to give more insight about the data and help to predict a better future. With the courses on data science people are now showing immense interests in machine learning and data visualization tools. Professionals are willing to upskill to keep pace with the automation. Read more at: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/jobs/techies-reskill-to-log-on-to-big-data-deluge/articleshow/58103804.cms


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Food waste is a hot topic, and food processing is one important means of addressing this critical challenge in today's food system. This column will provide an overview of the food waste issue, as well as categories of solutions and specific examples of how companies and researchers are addressing these challenges through innovative food processing.
Issues and Opportunities
Every year, American consumers, businesses, and farms spend $218 billion, or 1.3% of gross domestic product, growing, processing, transporting, and disposing of food that is never eaten. That amounts to 52 million tons of food sent to landfill annually. In the United States, the breakout of food waste is as follows: 10% (10 million tons) of food waste is lost at the farm level, 2% (1 million tons) is wasted during manufacturing, 40% (25 million tons) is wasted by consumer-facing businesses, and 43% (27 million tons) is wasted in homes. Meanwhile, one in seven Americans is food insecure.
This critical issue is not isolated in the United States but is a global crisis that we are facing collectively as a human race. One-third of food grown annually for human consumption is never eaten, amounting to over 1 billion metric tons. Fifty-six percent of food waste is generated in developed countries, and 44% is generated in developing countries. At the same time, 800 million people around the globe, or one in nine, are starving. Worse yet, due to limited natural resources (e.g., land mass and water), predicted population growth, and increased soil depletion, there is even greater concern that we will not be equipped to meet future food demands on a national and international level. As a result, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the United Nations have declared a state of food insecurity. An inadequate food supply is not only an issue of food security, but of food quality, safety, nutrition, and health. At the same time, the World Bank estimates that 1,520 calories per person per day are lost in North America due to food waste and between 415 and 750 calories per person per day are lost in other parts of the world. A great deal of nutrition (protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants) is locked up in those lost calories. Clearly, there is opportunity juxtaposed with concerns over food waste.
A few years ago, the United States launched a federal initiative aimed at cutting food waste by 50% by 2030. Led by the Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Agriculture, a food recovery hierarchy was established, prioritizing approaches to reducing food waste. The most preferred method is source reduction, followed by feeding hungry people, feeding animals, industrial uses, composting, and ending with the lowest priority of landfill/incineration. Around the same time, a multi-stakeholder nonprofit called ReFED provided a comprehensive roadmap to reducing food waste in the United States. This roadmap provides a 27-point list of ways to address the food waste issue, including everything from standard date labeling to cold chain management to packaging to donations to value-added processing solutions. Also included in the roadmap are estimated costs, as well as the economic benefit and value of each of the 27 proposed solutions. In total, ReFED estimates that when these solutions are implemented they will generate $10 billion in economic value and save 1.8 billion meals. In addition, they will save 1.6 trillion gallons of water annually, provide $5.6 billion in annual consumer savings, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 18 million tons annually while increasing annual business profits by $1.9 billion.
The remainder of this column will focus on two specific processing-related solutions to the food waste issue: manufacturing line optimization and value-added processing. Many additional opportunities exist for food scientists to reduce food waste through means other than food processing; these include packaging improvements, shelf-life extension, cold chain management, and more.
Two Approaches to Waste Reduction
• Manufacturing Line Optimization. According to ReFED, manufacturing line optimization offers the ability to divert 20,000 tons of food waste valued at $1,770 per ton, saving a total of $35.4 million. In addition, it is estimated that 7 billion gallons of water will be saved and 61,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions eliminated. Food processing equipment is unique to each food plant and product line. Optimization of equipment operating conditions, solving production line issues, and repurposing discarded food for sale or donation are approaches that contribute to these savings. Machinery performance problems, such as product blockages and mechanical mishandling, result in product damage at levels up to 2.5% to 9%, depending on the process. Poor quality production, such as underbaking or overbaking, is estimated to result in reject rates of up to 3.5%.
An example of a manufacturing line optimization that reduced waste was provided by the Food Waste Reduction Alliance in its fall 2015 report. According to the report, a move by Conagra to change the way it transitioned from one pudding flavor to another during manufacturing allowed the company to significantly reduce loss levels by creating a blended-flavor pudding product, which it donated to benefit those in need.
• Value-Added Processing. According to ReFED, value-added processing offers the ability to divert 102,000 tons of food waste valued at $2,783 per ton, saving a total of $283 million. In addition, it is estimated that 299,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions will be eliminated and 171 million meals saved.
Innovative Food Processing Solutions
Many companies, including the following, are employing innovative, value-added food processing to reduce food waste while providing nutrition to consumers.
• Misfit Juicery. Twenty billion pounds of fruits and vegetables go unharvested or unsold each year in the United States. One business that is working toward reducing this waste is Misfit Juicery. The company has teamed up with farmers, distributors, and fresh-cut producers in a unique manner to make use of fruit and vegetable materials that would otherwise not be used, converting ugly or leftover produce into healthy and flavorful juices.
• Compass Group, USA. Working on a larger scale, Compass Group USA is converting ugly produce into meals and currently serves 8 million meals a day utilizing ugly or leftover produce from farmers that would have otherwise been wasted. The company has diverted more than 46 tons of waste in California and Washington thus far.
• Barnana. Barnana is a company working to utilize organic bananas grown in Latin America that are not suitable for the fresh market. The company works with farms all over Latin America to source imperfect bananas and process them into partially dehydrated banana snacks. In 2017 it processed more than 4 million pounds of bananas. The company also produces plantain chips.
• Monterey Mushrooms. Ultraviolet light processing was the topic of the Processing column in March 2015 and has been used to develop novel healthy food ingredients from mushroom waste materials. Novel Vitamin D supplements are currently manufactured from mushroom stalks, which were formerly waste materials. Monterey Mushrooms is one company that treats the mushroom stalks, processing them into dried mushroom powders that provide up to 40,000 International Units of vitamin D per gram and that can be added to foods or consumed as natural Vitamin D supplements.
• ReGrained. Each year about 6 billion pounds of brewers spent grains are produced during the manufacturing of beer. Currently, this material is considered food waste and tossed into the landfill or compost. Having most of the sugar removed, brewers spent grain largely retains its high protein, fiber, and antioxidant content, making it a flavorful and nutritious food ingredient. ReGrained is using a patent-pending processing technology to convert brewers spent grain into SuperGrain flour. A 100 g sample of the flour contains on average 20 g of protein and 37 g of dietary fiber, amounts greater than those of most other flours. In addition to selling the flour, ReGrained also sells bars containing the brewers spent grain. To date, ReGrained has upcycled 41,641 pounds of brewers spent grains.
• Renewal Mill. The winner of the 2018 IFTNEXT Food Disruption Challenge, Renewal Mill is another leader in developing novel processing solutions to food waste challenges. The company has developed a processing solution to process okara into a nutritious flour. Okara is the pulpy by-product left over after the manufacturing of soy milk. It can be dried and milled into a nutritious and delicious flour. Renewal Mill is exploring value-added processing of a wide range of other waste materials to develop additional nutritious food ingredients and products.
Toward A Less Wasteful Future
Although the quantities of food waste produced and discarded at present are disgraceful, it is clear that a global uprising of businesses, nonprofits, farmers, and consumers is occurring, one that is certain to tackle this issue during the years ahead. For those interested in learning more about the broader food waste story, two good sources of information are Tristram Stuart's Ted Talk, "The Global Food Waste Scandal" from 2012, as well as the newly released movie Wasted! The Story of Food Waste.
Tara McHugh, PhD, Contributing Editor
Research Leader, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Albany, Calif.
[email protected]


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Henry's story presented here is based on documented historical events.
Adventures into the Heritage Sites of Tasmania
Here you can read about our family adventures into the most interesting heritage sites in Tasmania. We hope to inspire you. If we can do it - so can you! We have visited old mining sites, and current and former hydro-electric sites just to name a few. Of course, we also share with you many of the lesser-known tin-mining sites in North East Tasmania, too.
Tin Mining Heritage Project
With funding from the Tasmanian Tourism Promotion Plan in 2008 Christine and Graham designed a trail to celebrate the Chinese tin mining heritage on their property. So this blog describes how Henry's story was brought back to life. Christine and Graham purchased their property in Branxholm in 2001. They chose this property because they wished […]
Traversing Tasmania's Hydro Electric Past
Enjoy a family-friendly hydro-touring holiday. You will view spectacular scenery and learn about Tasmania's hydro heritage while avoiding well-known tourist destinations.


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League Question
News, Injuries, Rosters - All baseball all the time!
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
League Question
Has anyone been in any leagues where the hitting stats of pitchers are tracked, or even given as a bonus? Has this ever been bounced around? Just curious!
Re: League Question
It's my understanding that hosts (yahoo, cbs sportsline, espn) aren't capable of doing that. But that would be an interesting league format in, say, NL-only leagues..
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I have been in freelancing job for a long time. When I worked for a client they usually pay me using many methods like Western Union, PayPal and TransferWise. Right now my favorite is TransferWise
Since I converted from US Dollar to Philippine Peso, its so good if I can get a real time currency conversion rates.
With a good conversions and less fee, I can take home a good pay.
Sign up for TransferWise and you will see what I mean.


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Happy New Year's weekend! We've been keeping busy. Even though we were late in putting up our inside Christmas decorations I felt a need to clean up and sort and decided to take them down on Thursday. As is my wont, I made the job harder than it needed to be. Have you ever had the crazy idea to cut the lights of a 7ft pre-lit Christmas tree? 550 lights? OMG All I can say is think about it before you start. What a job! My hand is still sore from the wire cutter. But I did it! I really like this tree and look forward to putting it up next year with some small LED lights, not the blazing bright light it had. I couldn't even look at it in the dark!
I meant to finish these pillowcases before Christmas so I could put one in The Tramp's stocking. Didn't do it, but they are finished now and on the bed. I bought the fabric on a whim when I saw it in the store. I just love it.
Since it was so sunny, breezy, and balmy today we figured we'd better take advantage of it and take down the outside lights. It was so gorgeous I first took a walk around the pond.
I could hear the kingfisher chattering from the trees. He's across the pond in front of the white house. He is very hard to spot and never lets you get close so I was thrilled to spot him and get near enough to snatch a couple of photos. At max zoom of course. :-)
There he is!
The mergansers are hard to get close to as well. These are the first decent photos I have of them. They swim away so fast! There have been up to ten of them on the pond at one time. I'm assuming it's because the fish population is recovering nicely.
There are always robins in the bradford pear trees harvesting the fruit.
Ah well. Back to work. The Tramp decided to sort by type and carefully tie up our light sets. We lost four sets to squirrel damage and half of one other set stopped working for no visible reason. We've learned our lesson. Next year we won't hang lights on the trees. :-)
The dogs basked in the sun on the porch.
Ngaire wondering when it will all get more exciting.
Maisy basking happily in the sun.
Are you done yet?
How long do you want me to hold this pose?
The sun is too bright!
Ivy alertly watching for movement in the neighborhood.
Gosh it was a beautiful day!
Of course then we decided to have a major clean out of the garage that took until dusk fell and aching backs said stop! :-)
Oh my! I hear fireworks outside. Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 31, 2011
2 comments:
- Caroline said...
Hi I'm Caro, a quilter from the netherlands, I like surfing aroud quilters blog, and read everybody experiences. Lovely pictures and weather, here it was just a rainy and grey X-mas (that I spend unfortunetaley) in hospital). But back home, we leave the X-mas tree for a few more days so I can enjoy it. But it's fun to read how everybody is busy with X-mas. with warm regards Caro
- December 31, 2011 at 10:36 PM
- Lynn said...
My husband said last night at 12:01 that it was time to take the Christmas lights down. I think we'll wait until next weekend. I admire you. Enjoy the weather, I think it's supposed to get cold this week. Brr.
- January 1, 2012 at 10:37 AM
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This ring is a one of a kind piece made with Solid Sterling Silver 925 and a natural Pink Tourmaline. It has a 1-year guarantee and lifetime assistance.
- Material: Solid Sterling Silver 925
- Gemstone: Synthetic Sapphire
- Size: N or 7
Every ring comes in an organic cotton pouch and a plantable box that has mustard seeds inside to reduce our waste.
If you need any help finding the right size or right stone for you, you can always contact us. If you don't find your size here, we offer other size options, so just send us a message :)
Minimal Pink Tourmaline Ring


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- Researcher
Brenden has been employed at the Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM) since January 2011. He is currently a researcher with the Water and Climate Risk group, where his research focuses on flood risk, climate change adaptation, development and the use of crowd-sourced data in disaster risk management. He also works at the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR) at the World Bank in Washington, D.C.
Brenden is involved in a range of projects dealing with adaptation to climate risks. During his time at the IVM, he completed his PhD thesis in which he developed new methods for the quantification of flood risk and the assessment of adaptation options from local to global scales. He is one of the developers the state-of-the-art global flood risk assessment model GLOFRIS, and worked on flood risk related projects with a range of stakeholders and decision makers, including the World Bank, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, European Commission Joint Research Centre, and large reinsurance companies. His latest research focuses on the use of weather forecasting and social media information for improving the preparedness and rapid response to climate related disasters.
Brenden has been an invited speaker at several universities, international organisations and major international conferences. He has authored over 15 peer-reviewed journal papers; is involved in BSc and MSc teaching; and is a reviewer for a large number of leading international journals related to water, climate and disaster risk management.
Natural hazards; climate change adaptation; flood risk assessment and management; disaster risk reduction.
Academic training
|2011 - 2014
|PhD, Unravelling the drivers of flood risk across spatial scales (cum laude), Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands.
|2009 - 2010
|MSc Management Science, London Business School, University of London, United Kingdom
|2006 - 2009
|BSc Earth and Economics (cum laude and honours), VU University Amsterdam, Netherlands
Professional employment history
|2015 - current
|Researcher, Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam
|2014 - current
|Disaster Risk Management Specialist, Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), The World Bank, Washington, D.C., United States of America
|Consultant, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, The Hague, Netherlands
|2013 - 2014
|Visiting Researcher, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy
|2011 - 2014
|Junior Researcher, Institute for Environmental Studies, VU University Amsterdam
|2006 - 2009
|Research assistant, Department of Spatial Economics, VU University Amsterdam
|2006 - 2008
|Telemarketing operative, Ditmeijers', Amsterdam, Netherlands
PublicationsLink to full publication list at IVM since 2012
Collenteur, R.A., De Moel, H., Jongman, B., Di Baldassarre, G., 2014. The failed-levee effect: do societies learn from flood disasters? Natural Hazards, 10.1007/s11069-014-1496-6 (online first)
Coughlan de Perez, E., van den Hurk, B., van Aalst, M.K., Jongman, B., Klose, T., Suarez, P., 2014. Forecast-based financing: an approach for catalyzing humanitarian action based on extreme weather and climate forecasts. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences Discussion 2, 3193–3218. doi:10.5194/nhessd-2-3193-2014
Husby, T.G., Mechler, R., Jongman, B., 2015. What if the Dutch started worrying about flood risk? Implications for disaster risk reduction. Regional Environmental Change, DOI: 10.1007/s10113-015-0769-2 (in press)
Jongman, B., Hochrainer-Stigler, S., Feyen, L., Aerts, J.C.J.H., Mechler, R., Botzen, W.J.W., Bouwer, L.M., Pflug, G., Rojas, R., Ward, P.J., 2014. Increasing stress on disaster-risk finance due to large floods. Nature Climate Change 4, 264–268. doi:10.1038/nclimate2124
Jongman, B., Hochrainer-Stigler, S., Feyen, L., Aerts, J.C.J.H., Mechler, R., Botzen, W.J.W., Bouwer, L.M., Pflug, G., Rojas, R., Ward, P.J., 2014. Reply to "Statistics of flood risk". Nature Climate Change 4, 844–845. doi:10.1038/nclimate2376
Jongman, B., Koks, E.E., Husby, T.G., Ward, P.J., 2014. Increasing flood exposure in the Netherlands: implications for risk financing. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 14, 1429–1429. doi:10.5194/nhess-14-1245-2014
Jongman, B., Kreibich, H., Apel, H., Barredo, J.I., Bates, P.D., Feyen, L., Gericke, A., Neal, J.C., Aerts, J.C.J.H., Ward, P.J., 2012. Comparative flood damage model assessment: towards a European approach. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 12, 3733–3752. doi:10.5194/nhess-12-3733-2012
Jongman, B., Ward, P.J., Aerts, J.C.J.H., 2012. Global exposure to river and coastal flooding: Long term trends and changes. Global Environmental Change 22, 823–835. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2012.07.004
Koks, E.E., Jongman, B., Botzen, W.J.W., Husby, T.G., 2014. Combining hazard, exposure and social vulnerability to provide lessons for flood risk management. Environmental Science and Policy 47, 42-52. doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2014.10.013
Ward, P.J., Jongman, B., Kummu, M., Dettinger, M.D., Sperna Weiland, F.C., Winsemius, H.C., 2014. Strong influence of El Niño Southern Oscillation on flood risk around the world. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 111, 15659–15664. doi:10.1073/pnas.1409822111
Ward, P.J., Jongman, B., Sperna Weiland, F.C., Bouwman, A., van Beek, R., Bierkens, M.F.P., Ligtvoet., W., Winsemius, H.C., 2013. Assessing flood risk at the global scale: Model setup, results, and sensitivity. Environmental Research Letters 8, 44019. doi:10.1088/1748-9326/8/4/044019
Winsemius, H.C., Van Beek, L.P.H., Jongman, B., Ward, P.J., Bouwman, A., 2013. A framework for global river flood risk assessments. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 17, 1871–1892. doi:10.5194/hess-17-1871-2013
World Bank (including Jongman, B.), 2012. Understanding Risk - Best practices in disaster risk assessment: proceedings from the 2012 UR Forum. The World Bank, Washington, D.C. https://www.gfdrr.org/sites/gfdrr.org/files/publication/UR_Proceedings_120912_reduced.pdf
Timonina, A., Hochrainer-Stigler, S., Pflug, G., Rojas, R., Jongman, B. Structured coupling of probability loss distributions: assessing joint flood risk in multiple river basins (in press).


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Random post addressing common "Asian" (East Asian, sorry Indian/Pakistani brothers) stereotypes, inspired by browsing Quora.
At the end of day, all misconceptions are a result of the lack of oneself's willingness to learn and to educate him/herself. I find that most Westerners who have spent time in Asia do not display any assumptive ignorances at all, because they've seen things and understood things with their own eyes.
Now, where do we even begin…
- Yes, we have "squinty" eyes, because of the epicanthic fold that is present in most East Asian/Mongoloid populations, likely evolved many millennia ago to protect the tear ducts against the brutal Siberian winds.
- Yes, we are "yellow", sort of — this is due to a layer of subcutaneous fat present under our skin. Again, like #1, this is a result of evolution for East Asian populations, likely for keeping warm in the Siberian climate when humans first migrated from Mesopotamia to East Asia.
- No, we are not all "good at math". Most of us in America probably are, because our parents raised us to be focused on school and academic subjects. This is a result of cultural upbringing, due to the social and economic competitiveness in countries like China and South Korea, and the resulting cultural attitude to strive for education and self development. On top of that, you will find that most Asians in the West are from educated or business-oriented families, hence the children are likely to be educated and academically-oriented. In Mainland China for example, there are just as many farmers/people of peasantry backgrounds who are illiterate and cannot process complex mathematical equations… no different from backwater Americans or Aussies. However, there was an interesting point noted by American author Malcolm Gladwell in his super interesting book "Outliers", stating that, due to the unique linguistic nature of the Chinese language, simple digits (1–10) are counted with one syllable, versus the often-two-syllable numbers of the Romantic and Anglo languages. He postulated that this may provide an advantage for Chinese people to quickly process simple maths or be able to memorize more digits.
- Yes, we eat "weird" food like animal organs, insects, etc. But actually eating things like insects is no longer common in most Asian cities. Moreover, it is actually very common to eat animal organs like stomach/heart/liver in many European and African cuisines (German, Polish, other Slavic, most of Sub-Saharan Africa, etc.) — don't blame us, these organs are highly nutritious and came in handy in times of scarcity.
- Yes, a lot of of Asians turn red when drinking alcohol. Again, this is biology and science. Supposedly, somewhere between 50–60% of East Asian populations have a mutation in the gene responsible for aldehyde dehydrogenase production. Aldehyde dehydrogenase is responsible for processing acetaldehyde, the mildly toxic metabolite of ethanol, into acetic acid, which is harmless and water-soluble and can be disposed of by the body. A lack of aldehyde dehydrogenase results in the accumulation of acetaldehyde in the body, which causes allergy-like reactions such as flushing or red rashes on the face, neck, torso, etc.
- Yes, almost everything that you use on a daily basis are made in China. No, not everything made in China is bad quality. The nature of business is, you get what you pay for. If you are buying a "made in China" plastic tool for $1 from the dollar store, then yes you can expect shitty quality. If you are buying a "made in China" but "designed by Apple in California" iPhone for $1,200, then yes you can expect excellent quality. As a matter of fact, even most Western luxury brands have major parts of their supply chain in China, processing raw materials or else. Yes, even your top Italian and French luxury ware have a little bit of "made in China" in them. In the future maybe you will see more "made in Vietnam" or "made in Indonesia" as increasing labour costs in China start pricing some products out, but for now, China has all of the manufacturing know-how and infrastructure, and will continue to dominate global manufacturing for the near future.
I'm keeping things simple and PG here so that's all for now. For dealing with less PG stereotypes you can refer to one of my other posts here. Remember that everything with humans is either nature or nurture, so any "weird" thing you see about a group of people is likely due to evolution or cultural influence. Wouldn't it be cool though if more people started reading about things and said "Asians have yellow skin because of a layer of subcutaneous fat" rather than "yo why are Asians yellow"? Less dead brain cells for everyone, woohoo!
What other ones should I address? Comment below.


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It's been a bit since my last blog. Life's been busy with a promotion at work that's brought a change in the shift I work. With all the changes, I've been neglecting my writing. But, everything's starting to level out, so I can get back on track.
I haven't been completely idle. I have managed a little editing, a good deal of reading, and I participated in a poetry reading at a local bookstore for Independent Bookstore Day.
Since there's not much I've written, I'll recommend you check out one of the books I just finished reading. If you're into Fantasy and Horror, then you should check out The Years Best Dark Fantasy and Horror 2014. This anthology is a great collection of the weird, bizarre, creepy, and sometimes grotesque. It's right up my alley.
If these types of stories don't suit you, then find a collection of the types of stories you like and read that. You get a variety of authors telling stories in different styles. I find this helps get creativity flowing and generate new ideas.
As always, feel free to share, like, and comment. Stay Focused and Write On!


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The Best Jewelry for Every Dress Color, According to an Expert
When you're deciding on what jewelry to pair with your dress, how do you make the final decision? It's a hard one, sure, especially considering the sheer amount of options to choose from. But it's very likely that you take the piece's cut and overall style into account (after all, you do want a necklace, ring, or earrings that will complement your dress, no?) As it turns out, however, sometimes, the best way to narrow down your accessory picks is to hone in on your dress's color. Yep, this style hack will change the way you accessorize, forever.
Certain jewelry simply looks better with certain hues. Are you wearing a black dress for a night out on the town with your besties? Then there's a specific jewel that simply looks best. Or how about a fresh LWD? One diamond, in particular, looks the most elevated when paired with a white frock. Ready for more? We were, too. And that's why we tapped celeb stylist Britt Theodora to find out the absolute best jewelry for every dress color, including black, white, blush, blue, and more. Trust us—she offered up some seriously good advice. Read on to see and shop her breakdown of seven popular color-and-jewelry pairings.
"There is something so chic about structural gold jewelry with an LBD. I love Jenny Bird because the pieces are lightweight. Doubling up with stacking bracelets and cuffs totally brings the look to another level."
"I love white diamonds with a white dress. It looks so luxurious and crisp. You also don't need to splurge on a pair, especially if you're traveling! I love Melinda Maria jewelry and give them to clients who need to wear them for super-fancy events but can travel all over the world with them. A delicate, single-stacked diamond bracelet completes this look."
"Blush is such a beautifully feminine color. I love cameo jewelry with this color, and Jacquie Aiche has some of my favorite cameo pieces. A little rose gold dream catcher earring to bring out the pink tones all together!"
"I love Alison Lou's playful take on jewelry. Her brightly colorful pieces are perfect with a fun blue party dress. My client Bambi Northwood Blyth has tons of piercings, so I love to layer and stack everything!"
"Red is powerful color, and I love pairing Jennifer Fisher hoop earrings with my favorite red dress. I love the Drew Hoop because it is a modern version of the hoop. I love mixing metals on my hands, so lots of stacking rings in silver and gold."
"Gold is so glamorous. I love these Dannijo earrings because they give off a very '70s vintage vibe. Layer some gold necklaces to add dimension to your dress!"
"I love pearls with a silver dress. There are so many new ways to wear pearls, and I am obsessed with how Ben Amun has created these modern deco pieces, which will totally be trending in 2019."


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My very favorite people to photograph are high school seniors. It's such a fun time in their lives as they begin to hit the world all on their own!! Lauren was up for anything as we headed out to do her senior photos. We had already had to reschedule once due to weather & today was "ify" at best! It had rained all morning, but the forcast called for dryer weather as the day went on, so we started out and hoped for the best!! We started out indoors & Lauren was amazing!!
I love shooting after a rain, the colors are so rich!!
We still ran into a little rain, but we decided to take advantage of it!!
I loved working with Lauren, she has such a carefree personality!
Lana huffman commented on October 30th, 2012
Wonderful job Tabitha! I can't wait ton see them all =)
Becky commented on October 30th, 2012
Awesome pics!! I see a new cover model for your page! 🙂 very fun pictures.
BrendaTaylor commented on October 30th, 2012
They are all so good How are you going to choose?
Linda Everhart commented on October 30th, 2012
CUTE,CUTE pictures.How will you choose? CUTE, CUTE YOUNG LADY!


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Growing Number of REALTORS® on Facebook Inspires Innovative New MLS Search App From Silicon Valley Real Estate Technology Firm. iHOUSEweb has made it easy for Real Estate Agents to quickly Add MLS Search To Facebook.
OAKLAND, CA, August 01, 2011— iHOUSEweb, Inc., a leader in website design, hosting and online marketing services for real estate professionals, announced the release of its all-new real estate website product, iHOUSE Elite Websites®.
iHOUSEweb, producers of the MLS Property Search Tool – IDXPro, have recently released a new Facebook App that lets REALTORS® add property search tools to their Facebook page.
With over 80% of Real Estate Agents using social media (reports Mashable.com) and a growing number of IDX Vendors entering the foray, one thing is for certain, Real Estate Agents have begun to embrace Facebook and are now beginning to realize it's true marketing potential.
IDXPro has struck a chord with Agents in particular by bringing something new to the table that they haven't seen before. REALTORS® now have access to a portable search tool that's not just for Facebook, but can be copied and pasted anywhere an Agent wants to offer home buyers interactive property search tools.
Key components include Google Map Search, Lead Tracker, Visitor Registration, Property Slideshows, Mobile Search and a free plugin for WordPress. IDXPro can easily be copied and pasted anywhere on the web. Since it's launch in May, the IDXPro MLS Search Widget has been downloaded and test drove over 10,000 times!
IDXPro is hosted by iHOUSEweb a Real Estate Technology firm which currently services over 30,000 REALTORS® and has access to 400 MLS feeds nationwide. IDXPro is completely free to try and users can take a fully functional test drive of the product right on their website or Facebook Page.
For more information, visit www.iHouseElite.com or call 1-866-645-7702.
About iHOUSEweb
Since 1986, iHOUSEweb has provided real estate professionals with Internet tools to build their businesses. Through continued, successful designs of user-friendly real estate agent websites and other products for real estate web site promotion, the company has built a network of more than 30,000 customers, and maintains IDX data feeds with over 320 MLS's nationwide, representing nearly two-thirds of all listings in the U.S. Headquartered in Oakland, California, iHOUSEweb can be reached by phone at 866-645-7702, email firstname.lastname@example.com, or by visiting its website at www.ihouseweb.com.
Press Contact:
Dimitri Horaites


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Across major dive sites in the Pacific, I heard a particular racism articulated again and again, across ethnicities and nationalities. "Chinese divers can't swim," "Chinese divers crush coral," "Chinese divers only care about the photo." These comments are, first and foremost, generalized crap. To that last comment in particular, let me say that regardless of ethnicity, inexperienced (and even experienced) divers with GoPros are a real menace on reefs – they get distracted, lose control over buoyancy, and provoke creatures with entitlement. Secondly, that its more a function of increased Chinese tourism in general, a style of tourism which is to my eye as materialistic or consumptive as what one might see here in Playa Blanca, for example. But witnessing the mass dive tourism industry in China on Wuzhizhou (woo-zhgee-joe) Island, I also recognize that there are ways of teaching diving in Sanya that do a disservice to the local environment and clients. Mass tourism and education aren't conducive to rigorous dive education, and mass Chinese tourism is on the rise.
But there are enough divers that even those getting the "VIP Dive Experience" are still being instructed in an almost industrialized process. Their 500 dive instructors conducts 2,500 resort or DSD courses each day (williamcline.com). Divers stream single file to pick up wetsuits, are seated in rows and shown an instructional film, and then single-file shuffled once again onto boats. There, as there's no time for a swim test, divemasters and instructors hold on to the tanks of two divers at a time and drag them through the water. I've done this for Discover Scuba programs where divers struggled to swim, and it is physically and emotionally exhausting. For those who are less interested in the complete scuba experience, you can "Snuba": a tube attaches to a helmet, letting you breathe as you walk upright along a sandy floor.
After a long day checking sites for a potential restoration project, the divers grabbed a bite and debated locations. I sat back. As TNC China expands its marine program, it's going to need to not only work on education through the installation of projects, but concrete reform of the dive education system. SCUBA certification is a multi-million dollar industry unto itself, and safety standards are established for the sake of litigation, not education. Evaluation of the industry comes from within each certifying agency, which conflicts with actually educating divers thoroughly when you want them certified quickly. Like GreenFins, a non-profit that rates dive operators on environmental practices and helps them improve, I started daydreaming about a task force that takes dive eduvation seriously. Hopefully, restoration-education projects like those installed by TNC are an effective stop-gap until then.
UNWTO Tourism Highlights, 2015 Edition, June 2015 eISBN: 978-92-844-1689-9
Cline, William, "Chinese Scuba Dive Market," williamcline.com


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Teaching with the Brain in Mind
Teaching with the Brain in Mind
The revolution is being televised. Countless stories on the Discovery Channel and PBS have revealed exciting new insights about the brain. Mainstream broadcast media such as ABC, NBC, CBS, and CNN and publications such as Time and Newsweek have carried stories about recent brain discoveries. Dozens of books, videos, journals, newsletters, and publishing companies have documented this burgeoning field.
Educators worldwide have taken notice, and models of how we educate are being transformed. With brain-based learning now an established paradigm, if a far from universal one, it makes sense to explore some basic questions. First, how strong and reliable is this field of brain-based learning? Second, how do we know what we know about the brain? Can we apply laboratory findings directly in a classroom? The themes implied by these questions are simple; they are about answering the critics of brainbased education, understanding the sources that underlie it, and reviewing the reliability of evidence.
Let's begin with two fundamental facts. First, students who attend school from kindergarten through secondary school typically spend more than 13,000 hours of their developing brain's time in the presence of teachers. Second, their brains are highly susceptible to environmental influences— social, physical, cognitive, and emotional. And, more important, their brains will be altered by the experiences they have in school. As educators, we . . .


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Premium Content
Riverfront Commons to Expand in Covington, Dayton; Apartments Going Up Nearby
The walking trail that aims eventually to connect Ludlow to Dayton continues to grow.
The city governments in both Covington and Dayton learned new information about the expansion of Riverfront Commons on Tuesday night.
Work is underway on Dayton's first phase, City Administrator Michael Giffen said.
"We hope to have the first section of trail open by the end of summer," he said.
Most of the newly accessible portions of the trail system, which is designed for pedestrians, runners, and bicyclists, are in Covington and Newport, with pre-existing segments in Bellevue and Dayton.
Ludlow has been forced to postpone work on its first phase due to the city's ongoing fiscal problems, interim City Administrator and Police Chief Scott Smith said previously.
The work in Dayton is particularly good news for future residents.
Two large apartment developments are well underway in close proximity of the trail system.
Tapestry at Manhattan Harbour, a 263-unit development at the east end of the city's riverfront development, is on track to be completed sooner than previously expected.
"I was assuming they would start leasing some time next year," Giffen said. "They expect to have one building open and ready to go by late summer, early fall. We may have some new residents coming into town sooner than we thought."
Tapestry at Manhattan Harbour (RCN)
Tapestry is developed by Birmingham, Alabama-based Arlington Properties.
Work at Gateway Flats at Manhattan Harbour is moving more slowly, and caught the ire of Dayton city councilman Bill Burns as the prospect of three new developments nearby looms.
"I don't want to see three empty buildings there," Burns said. "I have a distaste in my mouth allowing them to build something that's going to sit there two to three years and not be developed."
Gateway was first announced in 2014. When completed, it will have 74 residential units.
Gateway Flats at Riverfront Commons (RCN)
Meanwhile, in Covington, the city commission heard a recommendation from city staff about accepting a bid to engineer the Highway Avenue bridge connection. The project will connect phase one of the city's portion of Riverfront Commons west of the Brent Spence Bridge to the sidewalks along Highway Avenue near Swain Court.
Lexington-based Integrated Engineering is expected to be awarded the $109,520 contract next week to design a project that was budgeted to cost $125,000 (all from grant sources).
Riverfront Commons in Covington (RCN file)
In other Covington riverfront news, it is expected next week that the city commission will approve termination of its lease with Jeff Ruby's Waterfront restaurant. The once popular dining and nightlife destination broke from the riverfront in 2011 and floated westward down the Ohio River. It never reopened and was later moved from the site permanently, despite a highly celebrated announcement to start up again fresh.
According to city documents, Jeff Ruby is in the process of closing on financing for other restaurant projects and it was recommended to him that this lease be terminated in order to proceed.
Written by Michael Monks, editor & publisher
Top Photo: Riverfront Commons as seen in Newport (RCN file)


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Use maths games to work on adding and subtracting large numbers. Here is a free printable download of a math game board to practice how to add and subtract large numbers. Students can use regrouping or borrowing skills to move towards the finish line using dice and marker pieces. Students will enjoy this game over a worksheet any day!
Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers Game
Adding and subtracting large numbers, especially when it requires borrowing or regrouping is a challenging math skill for many young learners. If your students struggle, but you want a better approach to boring worksheets, try playing this fun new math game from Bethany at Math Geek Mama! All you need is the game board, a die and some game pieces (these can be anything you have lying around like coins or unifix cubes, or pieces from another board game), and you're ready to play! This would be great for kids in grades 3-5 to practice or review important math skills!
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"Probably one of the most frustrating games I've been through in my life, my short career," said Blue Wave coach Willie Powers.
LAKELAND — P.K. Yonge girls basketball team's return to state, six years after capturing the Class 3A state title, won't be one many Blue Wave fans will want to remember.
Not when you have 40 turnovers, 13 in the first period, and score just seven points in first half.
Tampa Carrollwood Day advanced to its second straight state final, this one in 4A, with a dominating 67-35 win Wednesday over P.K. Yonge in the state semifinals at RP Funding Center.
The Patriots, who lost a year ago to Tallahassee FAMU in the 3A final, will take on four-time defending state champion Miami Country Day for the 4A title on today at 2.
For P.K. Yonge, which had the highest of highs with Tuesday night's state-qualifying upset of No. 2 Providence in boys basketball, sunk to its lowest of lows with the girls performance Wednesday.
"Probably one of the most frustrating games I've been through in my life, my short career," said Blue Wave coach Willie Powers. "I take full responsibility for this. I'm embarrassed that I didn't get them prepared for what we embarked on.
"As they say, you are the coach. You got to make sure your team is prepared, and obviously I didn't prepare us for this with 40 turnovers."
P.K. Yonge (20-8) seemed bothered by Carrollwood Day's half-court press and early on seemed to turn the ball over nearly every possession.
"We have seen it (press) all year," Powers said. "I don't know if it was the big lights or stage fright. I'm not sure what it was.
"But I know we are a better basketball team than what we showed today."
The Patriots (28-3) led by seven after the first, 15 at half and 34 going into the final period.
Freshman Mya McGraw led P.K. Yonge with 15 points and nine rebounds. Carrollwood Day had three players in double figures, led by Cairah Mays with a game-high 18 points.
"We have been dealing with the same press all year," said P.K. Yonge senior guard Jasmine Spencer. "We didn't play together like we should have. Everyone wasn't on the same page."
Powers takes full responsibility for the Blue Wave's performance.
"At halftime, I thought we had the losers' limp already," he said. "We didn't have that fight that P.K. Yonge girls basketball has. I take full responsibility for that.
"I have to change some ways of how I deal with my team coming up next year in order for us to be successful. I need to sit back, take a couple of days and reassess what I'm doing. Or whether I'm being effective as a coach because there is not an effective coach with his team."
Jayda Teasley, one of Blue Wave's four seniors, didn't necessarily believe Carrollwood Day was that much better.
"We played better teams like Lincoln, Lincoln would have blown them out," she said. "They just wanted it more. Their mentality coming out, their warm up was stronger, we started out and our warm ups were not as strong.
"It was more of a mental thing for us, and that carried to our physical play — we didn't hit shots, we couldn't hit layups or free throws. It starts before we step on the court."
She said despite the success of the season, it kind of sours with a 32-point loss in the state semifinals.
"We worked through the whole season to get to tomorrow," Teasley said. "We are grateful we got this far because we haven't been here in a long time. But we have way more potential than what we showed."


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While I had been hiking Caddo Lake, my mom was enjoying a cup of coffee on the porch of our guest cottage Airbnb. She was starting her day off right in preparation of the "old lady" day we were about to have. The rain had held off for my hike, but was ever-approaching. Luckily, our first stop was a cute little coffee shop in the main square of Marshall, TX, right across from their general store, which had an old red pickup truck out front.
I got a latte and shared a blueberry scone at Joe Pine Coffee, which was really repping east Texas. Texas is full of pride, but small towns in Texas even more so. Our main attraction, the Weisman Center, was right next door – an antique shop with three stories of treasures to explore. My mother and I weren't really looking for anything in particular, but we both love looking at antiques. We could honestly browse any kind of shops all day (even without buying anything), and you'll see we do a lot of that this trip.
After browsing classic dishware and fur coats and antique furniture, we worked up an appetite, but luckily the Weisman also had a little cafe style shop on the first floor. My mom and I both got quiche and salad and watched the rain pour down from the big front windows. It felt a little bit like we were a mother-daughter duo in the 1950s out for a bit of fancy department store shopping and a small bite.
With my mom's luck, by the time to leave the rain had stopped and we made our way to the Starr family home. I'm not sure if all small towns in East Texas have home tours, but that's what we look for. My mom loves all the family drama and history over the years, but I love the architecture and home furnishings. It's like IKEA for antiques; you get to see exactly how a home was made up in the past. Also, everything is just so beautiful. I really think I should be in my seventies by now for how much of an old lady I am.
It was time to leave Marshall and head to Jefferson, which was only about a twenty minute drive north. We immediately went to the Jefferson Museum, which we'd passed up on last time, but kept hearing how amazing it was. We started at the train model display, which was pretty cool. I'm not super into trains (especially models), but all the detail in the miniature town was very interesting. The museum itself was a bit disappointing. It was like browsing an antique shop, except everything was behind glass, so not really worth it in my opinion. We could pop over next door and see basically the same stuff, except buy it for ten bucks.
After constantly checking her watch since the next stop was my mom's pick, it was time to visit Scarlett O'Hardy's Gone with the Wind Museum. The "museum" was just Mrs. O'Hardy's personal collection of Gone with the Wind memorabilia. There was a lot to look at, but my favorite was all the different editions of the book, categorized by year, and then by language. Ah, I do love books.
We checked into the carriage house (or guest house) for the House of the Seasons, an historic home my mom and me both had fallen in love with on our last trip. I had barely put my bags down before my mom was urging me to head back to the main street of town. Night was approaching at this point, and she wanted me to get my tarot reading. (More on that next time.)
After a (spoiler: awful) reading, we walked around an antique shop that was about to close. We were ready to jump back into being in Jefferson and get excited for our girls weekend. And what did that mean? Ordering a big fancy bread basket from Austin Street Bistro. I'm not kidding, I had dreamed about this bread basket after my last visit. We ended up sharing a meal since we were so full from the bread, but it was all worth it.
After a good, long dinner, we decided to walk around to digest and see what might still be open. This was definitely a town where people were only out and about from 10 a.m. to 5 p. m. The good ol' Jefferson General Store was still open, which was cutely set up as an old time-y store with a malt station and candy by the pound, but all the goods were modern and brands you'd recognize. My mom spotted some cute soaps, and it made me remember the big tub we had back at our home for the night. It was time for a spa night!
When we got back to the House of the Seasons, we put on the fancy white robes, stuck our feet in the big bubble bath (with jets!), and applied our newly bought face masks. I think at that point it wasn't even 9 p.m. but we were both beat. We'd seen a lot (and learned a lot), and we were ready to get in bed. We were truly embodying the old person spirit of the town.
The next morning, we headed to breakfast at the main house, only to find ourselves sharing a table with the owner! This was my mom's dream. She got to ask all about what he did, who he was, and how their paths might've crossed entertaining big wigs in Dallas. I was more interested in how he acquired his antiques for the house and the truth about ghosts in the old house.
During our tour, they were adamant about there being no ghosts in the House of the Seasons (particularly because the town is supposed to be a hot spot for ghost hunters). However, the chef had a couple of little interesting details like a certain mirror being always flipped up and heavy pressure if you laid in one particular bed upstairs. But you didn't hear any of this from me, or who I spent a private breakfast with on my last morning in Jefferson.
We explored a bit of our favorite house with Georgiana, who also gave us our original tour when we came last year. The owner came around some of the first floor with us, telling us a couple of stories from when he first purchased the house in the early 70s, and then my mom and I got to ask all the questions we wanted. It was honestly very cool. To recap from last year, The House of the Seasons is called that because of the cupola (a small square top of the house that has windows), and how each of the four windows has a different color to represent every season. Well, because we were private guests, we actually had access to go up to the cupola!
Our great moods carried us for the rest of the day around town, exploring all the antiques and stopping by my favorite ice cream. The handmade blackberry ice cream from this tiny food truck is still my fave. It lived up to its memory. Overall, had mostly highs (one major low with the tarot) and I was ready to officially cross Jefferson off my to-do list! What other East Texas towns can I explore next?


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|Harbin City
Special geographical location and the historical process of creating this exotic Harbin beautiful city, it not only minorities of the North MultiManager the history, culture, and the integration of Chinese and foreign cultures, is China's famous historical and cultural cities and tourist city.
|Xian City
Xian, the eternal city, records the great changes of the Chinese nation just like a living history book. Called Chang'an in ancient times, Xian is one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the Yellow River Basin area of the country. So far, Xian enjoys equal fame with Athens, Cairo, and Rome as one of the four major ancient civilization capitals.
|Shanghai City
Throughout the past century, Shanghai has had numerous name tags attached to it; like "Paris of the Orient" and "Pearl of China". Images of Shanghai more than any other Chinese city, are bountiful in the west. A visit here therefore, is naturally tainted to some extent, with a preconception of how the city will be.
|Guangzhou City
Guangzhou, a famous cultural city with a history of over 2,210 years, is among the first 24 historic and cultural cities published by the State Council. Its long history has left Guangzhou with a number of scenic spots and historical sites.
Originally named Fushi, Tongli is an age-old but very well preserved water township with a history of more than 1,000 years. Located on the eastern shore of Taihu Lake, just 18 kilometers (11 miles) from Suzhou City, Tongli town is 63 square kilometers (24 square miles) in area and has a population of over 33 thousand.
Zhouzhuang is a town in Jiangsu province, China. It is located within Kunshan county-level city, 30 km southeast of Suzhou.Zhouzhuang is a popular touristic destination. It is one of the most famous water townships in China.
From 2001, Wuzhen Scenic spot is noted not only for its special history and culture but also the south water town flavor. It successfully received more than 1 million foreign guests especially who attended the 9th session of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) held in Shanghai.
|Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum
The height of the terra-cotta warriors varies from 1.78m, the shortest, to 1.97m, the tallest. They look healthy and strong and have different facial expressions. Probably they were sculpted by craftsmen according to real soldiers of the Qin dynasy.
|Temple and Cemetery of Confucius and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu
Location within ChinaQufu is the legendary birthplace of Confucius; it served as the capital of the State of Lu during the Spring and Autumn Period. The Temple of Confucius, Cemetery of Confucius, and the Kong Family Mansion in Qufu, have been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1994. They are the major cultural attractions of Qufu.
|Leshan Giant Buddha
The Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest Buddha in China,towering to 71m,with his 14.7m head,and 24m shoulders.The Buddha's ears are 6.72m long, insteps 8.5m broad, and a picnic could be conducted on the nail of his big toe, which is 1.5m long.
|Suzhou garden
Suzhou garden it has more than one hundred.In China, who will appreciate if the garden, suzhou garden shouldn't be missed.The designer and artisan XinCai, conditions, since the building of individual success gardens.
Hainan was named Zhuya, Qiongzhou and Qiongya at various ancient times. In Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Hanwu (110 BC) started to set the Zhuya and Dan'er prefectures on the island. The administration was changed hereafter.
|Yun Nan Hoodoo
"World karst essence". The hoodoo by the karst landscape primarily, by"male, wonderful, the danger, Xiu, Austria, spacious" is famous,has in the world the most unusual karst landform (karst landform) the landscape.
|Huangguoshu Cataract
The Huangguoshu Cataract is on the Baishui River of Zhenning county, Guizhou province, about 81 meters in width. It runs down in thundering splashes from the 68-meter-high cliff of the fault of the riverbed into the Rhinoceros Pool, where the water is made to surge with spray splashing.
Xishuangbanna is the southernmost prefecture of Yunnan Province. The prefecture is nicknamed "Aerial Garden" for its luxuriant and multi-layered primitive woods and tropical rain forests, which are teeming with animals and plants.
|Yangtse Three Gorges
The Yangtse Three Gorges , one of Chinese 10 big scenery famous places for scenery or historical relics, of Chinese 40 nice tours landscape. Stretch from the west of Chongqing Feng Jie Bai Di town to the east of Hubei Yi Chang City moist the Yangtse Three Gorges south turn off .
|Jiuzhaigou Valley
Jiuzhaigou Valley Stretching over 72,000 ha in the northern part of Sichuan Province, the jagged Jiuzhaigou valley reaches a height of more than 4,800 m, thus comprising a series of diverse forest ecosystems. Its superb landscapes are particularly interesting for their series of narrow conic karst land forms and spectacular waterfalls.
|Zhangjiajie National Forest Park
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park Located in the northwest of Wulingyuan, it is in the neighborhood of Suoxiyu Valley and Tianzi Mountain. It has an area of 72,000 acres, an average rainfall of 1200-1600mm, an average temperature of 16oC and a frost-free period of 240-300 days.
|West Lake
The famous West Lake is like a brilliant pearl embedded in the beautiful and fertile shores of the East China Sea near the mouth of the Hangzhou Bay. The lake covers an area of 5.6 square kilometers. The view of the West Lake is simply enchanting, which offers many attractions for tourists at home and abroad.
|Landscape of guilin
Lijiang River is one of world winning side light most beautiful rivers. The Lijiang River origin in "the South China first peak" north the cassiabarktree the yuecheng ridge cat mountain, that is Lin Fengmu Xiu, the air is fresh, ecological environment extremely good place.
|Taishan Mountain
Taishan Mountain, a typical representative of the Chinese famous traditional mountains, is a mountain with a long history and a special historic status. For thousands of years, during the process of studying on Taishan Mountain in terms of adoration, taste, religion and science, the people has created extremely abundant and valued Taishan scenic culture.
|Wutai Mountain
On June 26, 2009, Wutai Mountain (Five Terrace Mountain) was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List.Wutai Mountain is located in the northeast of Shanxi province, which belongs to the north part of Taihang Mountains. It is one of the four great Buddhist Mountains.
|Tian Montain
Tian Montainis a large mountains in central Asian, cross over the central section of Xinjiang in China, the western end reach to Kazakhstan. 2500 kilometers in length, 250 - 300 kilometers in breadth, the average altitude is about 5000 meters, highest peak is 7435.3 meters above sea level. Hantengri Peak is 6995 meters above sea level, Bogda Mountain is 5445 meters.
Located in the counties of Antu, Wusong and Changbai in southern Jilin Province, Changbaishan is one of China's nature preservation zones, It has a wholesome natural environment and ecosystem with world famous precious animals like Northeast Tigers, sikas, sables etc. It's China's typical comprehensive nature existence of world importance.
|Wuyi Mountain
1996 December, Fujian Wuyi Mountains was honored as "World Cultural and Natural Heritage" by the UN Organization of Science, Education and Culture。 Wuyi Mountains is situated in the Wuyishan city, the northern part of Fujian Province; the main site is 60km2 in acreage, the average height of peaks is about 350 meters.
|Emei Mountain
Emei Mountain lies seven kilometers southwest of Emeishan City and is one of the four mountain ranges in China that Buddhists consider sacred. It was included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1996. The mountain stretches more than 200 kilometers from south to north. Its main peak, Wanfo Top, is 3,099 meters above sea level.
|Lushan Mountain
Situated in the southern part of Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province, Lushan Mountain is on the bank of Poyang Lake. It is one of China's famous mountains and covers an area of 300 square kilometers. It was included in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1996.
|Hua Mountain
The steepest sacred mountain in central China, the Hua Mountain is located 120 kilometers (75 miles) east of the city of Xi'an. Traditionally called the "West Mountain," it is well known for steep trails, breath-taking cliffs, narrow passages, and grand sceneries.
|Yellow Mountain
Yellow Mountain (Mt. Huangshan), also known as Mount Huangshan, is located in the southern part of Anhui Province. It is undoubtedly China's most celebrated mountain for all its grandeur and beauty. In 1990 Yellow Mountain was declared a World Natural and Cultural Heritage by UNESCO Heritage Committee.
|Beijing Classical Tour
|New Beijing New Experience
|Beijing Culture Tour