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Parents tend to sleep well when their children sleep well. Fortunately, things work out just fine for most kids and parents because sleep is hard wired. That is, your child's brain will get the sleep necessary to help him or her develop into a vital and healthy human being. However, that is not to say that your child's environment—particularly parents—doesn't play an important role in sleep too. Here are a few suggestions for parents who want to help their child develop and master the skills necessary to maintain an adequate amount of sleep throughout his or her life.
What You Can Do
Build a bedtime routine. A bedtime routine signals your child's brain that sleep time is coming. In addition, children, particularly young children, are comforted by a predictable bedtime routine, which lowers a child's anxiety at night. However, families don't all operate on the same timetable. Some parents have long commutes home and dinner may not get on the table until 7 pm or later, which means that in spite of their best efforts, their children don't get to bed until 9 pm or so. Take heart. It is less important that your child's bedtime routine begins at the same time each night than it is the hour that it begins. If more often than not, you get your child in bed by 9 pm, set that as the beginning of your child's bedtime routine. Similarly, strive for a regular awakening time, particularly if your child has trouble settling down at night. A regular awakening time, even when your child was awake later than usual, ensures that sleep will come on time and perhaps a bit earlier the next night.
Build in transition time. Children benefit from a transition period before bed. Sing to your child her favorite songs and then read to her for 15 minutes. Give your child a 5-minute back massage or a quick eyes-closed game, like tracing letters or words on each other's backs and guessing what was written. Savoring is a wonderful eyes-closed transition exercise too: Lie in bed with your child and review your day with her speaking aloud while you highlight the positive and wonderful—savoring each—then ask your child to do the same. Savor the flutter of leaves as they fell to the sidewalk during the walk to school. Savor the crispness of the green apples she had for a snack or the fun game she played with her best friend. Any soothing or calming activity is great. Sing to your child the song at the end of this book and make it part of your child's transition time. In addition, insist that your child stop any activity that involves a screen (television, computers, and video games) for at least 60 minutes before bedtime.
Don't tell your child to "go to sleep." We all say this from time to time, but the truth is, we cannot get a child to go to sleep just by telling them to do it. Children (and adults for that matter) cannot control sleep. In other words, we don't "go" to sleep. Sleep comes to us. If your child is anxious or eager to please you, commanding your child to do something she cannot control may make her anxious and more difficult for sleep to come. Instead, encourage your child to do what she can control – to lay quietly in her bed and wait. If your child is tossing and turning, encourage her to cope quietly using a soothing strategy, such as singing to herself or savoring, and reassure her that sleep will come.
Don't talk about your sleep or ask about your child's sleep. Children are listening and learning from parents all the time. Parents who don't sleep well can teach their child to become anxious about sleep or unknowingly set unrealistic and unhelpful expectations about sleep. Children may learn to believe that every night's sleep should be sound and deep or that terrible things might happen if they don't sleep well. Don't ask your child, "How did you sleep last night?" or talk much about your own restless night. If you want to talk about your sleep with your partner, do so when your children are not around. Also, de-focus on sleep within your home. If your child complains that he didn't sleep well, remind him that sleep has a mind of its own and that tonight sleep likely will come a bit easier because it took a bit longer to come last night.
Go to your child's bed—don't bring her to yours. If your child awakens at night and comes to your room for comfort, take her back to her own bed and lay down with her there. Try not to bring a restless child into your bed. You are less likely to awaken your child when you ease out of his bed than when you carry her from your bed to hers and then tuck her in. Even if your child is not feeling well, it is better to lay with your child in her bed. You always want to associate your child's bed, not your own, with soothing and sleep. If you love snuggle time with your child, welcome your child into your bed in the morning where you can snuggle, read the comics, or just hang out for some one-on-one time.
Also, consider which parent is the best candidate to help a child when he awakens. A well-rested and calm parent is the best parent to help a child who awakens at night. A sleep-deprived parent may be frustrated that the child has awakened him again or too anxious to get back to sleep to give the child sufficient care and attention. Your child may notice this and become over anxious and clingy. When possible, share the duty of attending to a restless kid.
With a parent's help, most children develop sleep habits that contribute to happy and healthy kids. However, some children may have persistent problems with sleep because they are anxious or depressed; they have a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea; or some other physical or psychological condition. If your child continues to have significant difficulties falling asleep and staying asleep through the night, speak first with your child's pediatrician and then consult with a mental health professional with expertise in treating pediatric sleep problems.
Adapted with permission from Tompkins, M. A. (2011). Note to Parents, Good Night Giants © 2011 Magination Press, American Psychological Association. No further reproduction or distribution is permitted without written permission. http://www.apa.org/pubs/magination.


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| 7°C Belfast
One of China's most prominent human-rights lawyers, who went missing a year ago, resurfaced mysteriously yesterday with a series of cryptic telephone calls from a Buddhist mountain retreat.
Gao Zhisheng, a prominent dissident, said he was "free at present" but refused to say exactly where he was in northern China amid speculation that he was being followed by the authorities. "I just want to be in peace and quiet for a while and be reunited with my family," he said.
Belfast Telegraph

subset: commoncrawl


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Last week, I attended the European Cancer Organisation (ECCO) conference in Stockholm. Most of the time, I was either at the conference, or at side meetings that took place between meeting sessions. My schedule was pretty tight, but I packed my QRP bag in case I had some free time.
My plans almost ended at Dulles Airport. The United Airlines baggage clerk gleefully told me that my suitcase was about 500 grams over the limit, and that it would cost an extra $200 to ship it to Europe. I reached in, took out my QRP bag, and brought the suitcase weight back under the limit. I had hoped to pack the QRP equipment in the checked luggage rather than to carry it through security, but having travelled many times with the same equipement, I wasn't really worried about it. That was something of a mistake.
When my QRP bag went through TSA screening, as expected, they wanted to hand-inspect it. They pulled the sealed lead battery out and said that it couldn't go on the plane — they were unable to get a good image on their x-ray machine. I replied that this made some sense, it was, after all, a lead battery. I suggested they rescan it, rotating it 90 degrees in one axis or the other, so that the lead plates would be parallel to the beam. I got a puzzled expression. I explained that the exact same battery had gone through security many times, including at that same airport on other international flights, and had not been a problem. I wasn't getting anywhere, though, so finally I let the issue drop, handed the battery to the TSA agent, and said he could keep it. I suppose they must have a nice collection of confiscated electronic gear by now, so they are probably in need of some batteries as well.
On the flight over, I wracked my brains trying to think where I might find a suitable power source, with limited times between meetings. I recalled that batteries were expensive in Belgium, and assumed that the cost would be similar across the EU, related primarily to ecological concerns about battery waste — in fact, I had guessed batteries would be even more costly considering exchange rates and Sweden's reputation as a green country. One option I considered was visiting the hotel's business center and borrowing the battery out of a UPS for a day or two, but I'm glad to say it didn't come to that.
Right before jet lag caught up with me on the first day, Thursday, it occurred to me that no one would know better about where to find a battery than a local ham. A quick Google search led me to the blog of SM0FOB, Kjell Bergqvist. I strongly recommend reading through his blog entries — they're interesting, even if you're not headed for Sweden. Anyhow, I noticed that he lived very close to the town in which I was staying, so I shot off an email and turned in for the night.
Kjell wrote back the next day and identified two stores within a five minute walk from my hotel, both of which sold a variety of lead acid batteries and chargers. Kjell also suggested that I could just borrow an already charged battery from him, but since I had donated my last battery to the TSA, I thought it better to buy a replacement, plus a smaller charger. The cost was comparable to what I would have paid in the US, so I guess the cost of batteries in Belgium may have been driven more by local taxes or that lead acid batteries are considered more ecologically sound since they are rechargeable and in the end, somewhat recyclable.
Beyond giving me helpful advice about where to buy batteries, Kjell suggested that we go out for lunch on Saturday and visit a couple local hams and their club station. The timing couldn't have been better, since my first meeting on Saturday was late in the afternoon, so we set a time to meet.
Friday morning, I visited the conference, caught up on email, and picked up a battery. The battery was fully charged when I received it, and since I had some time before an afternoon teleconference, I took my QRP bag and went for a hike. The hotel is just east of the Handen commuter rail (pendeltåg) station, and just across the railway tracks is a park and a lake. I took a footbridge over the tracks and then followed some trails in the park. I assume that in the winter, these trails are for cross-country skiing. I followed the trail that looked like it led to the greatest elevation, and walked more or less parallel to the lake front. Eventually, I found a nice rocky area to one side of the path, and threw an antenna into a tree.
The location was perfect: a rock to sit on and a few other rocks at just the right distance to serve as a desk. The rocks were coated with moss, and the whole area was so undisturbed that I was a bit worried that perhaps people weren't allowed off the trails. I tried not to bruise the moss and brushed pine needles over my footprints on the way out.
Once set up, I realized that I had not packed an RCA phono cable to go from the keyer to the rig. Luckily, I had some wire leads with alligator clips in the bag. I opened up both the keyer and the rig and made the connection directly (that's why the keyer is open in the photo). The rig was the usual — my TenTec 1320 and a longwire antenna tuned with a Hendricks SLT+.
I spent about an hour there and worked four stations: two in Russia, and one each in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Sweden. I didn't realize that the final station, SK0QO, was Swedish at first. I thought the SK prefix was in Eastern Europe. After a while, I realized that the station was sending to me in Swedish, though, assuming from my "SM0" prefix that I was a Swedish operator. I copied the name of the operator, Jonas, wished him a vy 73, and figured I would look it up when I got back to the hotel room.
When I got back, I did search it on qrz.com, and realized that SK0QO is the same station that Kjell had mentioned in his blog, and that we would be visiting the following day. While I was at the computer, I checked the reverse beacon network, which showed that my 5w signal had made it as far as Canada.
More on that and the rest of the Swedish QRP adventure in the next entry…


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I really love to dress up and I do it almost every day with a smile on my face. It just feels nice to put some efford into an outfit. I still enjoy the days when a casual outfit works best and I can just put on a simple shirt, some casual pants and maybe a pretty cardigan to enhance the look.
My favorite pairing for the summer is a look with capri pants and a cotton top. Add some sandals and take a cardigan/scarf for the cold evening hours! Perfect!
What I wore
Shirt & Bag: Thrifted
Pants & Cardigan: H&M
Shoes: Deichmann
Ring: gift from mom
Necklace: Bazaar in Turkey


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By Janine Coughlin
Are you more likely to buy a new bottle of shampoo or a box of chocolate to reward yourself for making it to the end of a stressful work week? How much are you willing to spend?
These simple questions keep marketers up at night as they seek to understand what motivates us to buy things, and how to manipulate us into choosing one brand over another. Now e-commerce has disrupted decades of marketing and retail science by adding another question to the decision making process: would you prefer to go to a traditional store to make your purchase or order it online?
US consumers seem to prefer buying online; suburban shopping malls are turning into ghost towns as a lack of customers has forced their anchor department stores like Sears and Macy's to shutter numerous locations, and once-strong retailers like Toys R Us, Payless ShoeSource and The Limited have recently declared bankruptcy. Bleak retail sector employment reports from the US Bureau of Labour Statistics show general merchandise stores cut 76,800 positions between January and May of this year.
Chinese consumers have also enthusiastically embraced e-commerce. Data from China's Ministry of Commerce shows that in 2015, the total transaction value of e-commerce in the country expanded at a rate of over 35%, and the growth rate of online retail was 20.9% higher than total offline sales of consumer goods. But fierce competition between China's e-commerce giants has led to the development of a new business model that combines online and off-line strategies with payment services, big data, and logistics. Alibaba founder and CEO Jack Ma christened it New Retail in his October 2016 letter to shareholders. "We are not merely trying to shift buy/sell transactions from offline to online, nor are we changing conventional digital marketing models to squeeze out a little additional profit. We are working to create fundamental digital and physical infrastructure for the future of commerce," he said.
New Retail is also bringing innovation to retailing in the US, as Amazon's recent US$13.7 billion acquisition of upscale American grocery chain Whole Foods shows. "The New Retail model is truly ground breaking, because it is initiated by internet pure players," says Adjunct Professor of Marketing Michel Gutsatz. "All brick-and-mortar retailers have their own internet operations, but New Retail is a completely different approach. The internet pure players that have huge customer bases (Alibaba in China, Amazon in the US) realise that they need to complement their operations with physical stores – because customers still need the retail experience."
So what does this mean for brands? How will it change the way they attract consumers? "For brands, they really need to understand what the purpose of the retail store is," says Associate Professor of Marketing Jane Wang. "What role does it play in a consumer's decision making journey? New Retail doesn't mean getting rid of your inventory, and sometimes getting rid of your inventory doesn't even reduce your costs by that much."
Prof Wang adds that there is no one-size-fits-all New Retail strategy; the approach depends on the type of brand. For example, she expects FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) brands like shampoos and other utilitarian products will be especially hard hit by this shift to New Retail. "These are the goods that people are most likely to switch to buying online because they're bulky and the physical and functional differences between them are small," she says. "Even if I go to my local supermarket and see and touch these brands, I cannot really tell the difference between Brand A and Brand B." She explains that customer experience design for these utilitarian products doesn't add value. Instead these brands must compete on back-end aspects like channels, promotion, and delivery in order to be able to pass on savings to the consumer. "People are likely to stick with what they're used to and when they go online, they buy the cheapest one available," she says.
On the other hand, what she calls hedonic goods, things like chocolate, provide more than functional benefits. "We can live without them, but we buy them because they make us feel good," she explains. "The emotional benefits have a much wider space to be defined by the brands or by the marketers themselves." These brands may employ KOLs (key opinion leaders) or use experience design — for example setting up a temporary pop-up store — in an effort to do this.
"I predict a lot of the competition between brands will shift into the emotional benefits," Prof Wang says. "This is really a challenge and an interesting time for marketers to redefine the product categories they are in and what kind of values they can provide to consumers and how to define them both online and offline."
Retailers must also adjust their strategies to survive in this New Retail environment. In her case study "FamilyMart: 'Internet Plus' Strategy" which won the 2016 Global Contest for the Best China-Focused Cases, Assistant Professor of Marketing Lin Chen explores how the convenience store chain has begun implementing a New Retail strategy in China. Though it has decades of experience in offline retailing, it is a new player in the world of online sales, and it is competing against several well-established Chinese internet giants, including Alibaba's Tmall Supermarket which has a 58% market share, and JD.com which has 22.9%.
Prof Lin says that most traditional retailers enter the online market by setting up a website that offers the same merchandise at the same price as their offline stores, which is one reason why most traditional retailers will struggle to thrive in the New Retail environment. "This creates channel conflicts; their biggest online competitors may not be the same as those offline, and what attracts consumers may be different as well," she says. "When FamilyMart China decided to expand into e-commerce last year, they thought about consumer behaviour – what would someone be more likely to buy at their neighbourhood FamilyMart store vs. what would they be more likely to buy online." FamilyMart decided that the physical retail stores should be geared to meet individuals' needs for small, last minute items, while their online store is focused on goods that meet the needs of a family, she explains.
FamilyMart also uses pricing to differentiate its offering from competitors. For example it offers wine online at a significantly lower price than its competitors, but requires consumers buy it by the case rather than the bottle. This business model is similar to what big box retailer Costco does in the US in its offline stores. Partly in an effort to better track and understand its customers' habits and preferences, FamilyMart China's parent company, Ting Hsin International Group, launched a VIP card scheme that works across several of its brands including the fast food chain Dicos. FamilyMart has also set up a New Retail division that is focused on developing innovative ways to collect and analyse its customers' data to better meet their needs.
Big data has been another big challenge for traditional retailers. "People are so crazy about big data, big data, big data," says Prof Wang. "But I think few people really understand its value. It's important because it reveals some patterns about why people behave a certain way. While the data in itself shows you an existing pattern, I think it requires insight to understand this pattern and how it can really be useful to you."
Prof Gutsatz says traditional retailers lack the online DNA to shift gears and move into the New Retail world. "They do not have the know-how or the ecosystem, they are focused on their retail operations and stores," he says, noting that there have already been some high-profile failures. For example in an effort to "learn" how to do online sales in China, in 2012 US retailer Neiman Marcus took a 44% stake in the Chinese fashion website Glamoursales.com (now mei.com) which it ended up offloading just two years later when profits didn't meet its expectations. The following year, in 2015, Alibaba made a strategic investment of more than US$100 million in the platform. Another example he cites is Swiss luxury brand holding company Richemont buying Net-a-Porter, then, not being able to figure out what to do with the online luxury retailer, made a deal to merge it with YOOX Group, an online pure player.
As internet pure-players like Amazon and Alibaba buy up more traditional retailers, Prof Gutsatz wonders how they will manage these acquisitions. "How do they integrate them? What new marketing do they use?" He says another issue is how to merge the two business cultures. "With companies like Amazon moving to a less human-operated model, with robots in warehouses and drones for delivery, retail is a human-operated business where sales persons are central. How can these two cultures merge?"
Even before it acquired Whole Foods, Amazon made news for a proto-type retail store it set up in Seattle last year that required few staff to operate. It can track electronically how customers move through the store, and what items they pick up from the shelves and put in their baskets. The store has no checkout counters; it can automatically charge customers for items they carry out of the store. China already has un-manned retail outlets – the convenience store chain BingoBox debuted last year, and quickly found itself with a couple local competitors.
As we are still in the early days of New Retail, it's hard to know what it will really mean for consumers in the future. Prof Lin notes that Alibaba and JD.com are both making significant investments in artificial intelligence and predicts that we may see virtual reality used to bring the online shopping experience close to the offline one.
Prof Wang has a rather bold prediction. "We might actually see the death of the brand," she says. "With big data, the smart company that has superior analytic tools and can really 'read' their customers, then at least for functional FMCG products like shampoo, I don't know how long it will take but in the foreseeable future it may happen."
She says that platforms like Alibaba, JD.com and Amazon will have very detailed information for every consumer about what they buy and how frequently they buy it. They could share that data with the brands and work together to deliver individualised products to consumers.
"Imagine if there is a product that has no brand, but it's perfectly tailored to me and my preferences. Nike offers consumers some customisation, and customised Nike products are particularly powerful. But is this because Nike is a powerful brand, or is it because customisation is powerful? I'm not sure," she says. "When the platform can ask big data to provide perfectly beautiful, functional products, you don't really need the brand to gauge the quality."


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Personal Shopper (Female) – Debenhams – Kuwait
You will work with the Sales Manager to achieve objectives, ensuring the highest levels of customer service are provided by staff and that they have the skills and support required to maximise sales. You will work with a variety of different departments to maintain the effective operation of the store and will provide feedback to the store, brand and area managers around staff and products. You may also be required to deputise for the Sales Manager during periods of leave.
You will have/be:
* At least 3 years' retail experience (ideally at a supervisory level)
* A good level of secondary education.
* Excellent English language skills, both written and verbal (Arabic language skills are also an advantage)
* PC literate.
M.H. Alshaya Co. is a leading international franchise operator for over 75 of the world's most recognised retail brands including Starbucks, H&M, Mothercare, Debenhams, American Eagle Outfitters, P.F. Chang's, The Cheesecake Factory, Victoria's Secret, Boots, Pottery Barn and KidZania. The company operates over 3,400 stores across diverse customer sectors: Fashion & Footwear, Health & Beauty, Food, Optics, Pharmacy, Home Furnishings and Leisure & Entertainment. Alshaya's stores can be found in markets across the Middle East and North Africa, Russia, Turkey and Europe and the company employs more than 47,000 people from over 120 nationalities.
The company has established itself as the industry leader across these territories through a combination of local market understanding and a comprehensive commitment to customer service. Growth in each of its operating divisions and brands is supported by continuous investment in talent and infrastructure. It applies best practices in retail operations, merchandising, marketing, information technology, logistics, real estate, human resources and financial controls.
M.H. Alshaya Co. is the retail business of the Alshaya Group, which was founded in Kuwait in 1890 and today represents one of the most dynamic companies in the Middle East. In addition to its retail operations, the Alshaya Group is active in a number of other sectors including real estate, automotive, hotels, trading and investments. Learn more about the company at www.alshaya.com or on Facebook.


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Peter Bushe is a lateral thinker. Get this: when tasked with finding a way to clean the graffiti off of the city's electrical and traffic signal boxes, he thought to himself, "Instead of rushing around to clean it up, why don't we just avoid it in the first place?" Chalk one up for bureaucrats with imagination.
Bushe is a Streetlight Project Specialist with The City of Calgary roads department. He'd once heard about a highly successful project that took place in Brisbane, Australia in the 1990s. After that city's most vandalized assets (yup, electrical boxes) were tarted up by commissioned artists they were largely left alone to bask in their colourful glory. In 2010, Bushe was given the green light to pilot such a project here in Calgary; his department promptly put out a call to artists interested in painting one of nine of these unlikely metal canvases along 16th Avenue N.
As stated on the four-page online application form, the hope is that artwork on the utility boxes will function "as a form of communication to a moving audience..." and foster "community pride, discourage graffiti and contribute to a sense of identity for all citizens." So far, says Bushe, it's worked like a charm. "It's definitely been a positive deterrent to graffiti," he says. "Only one painted box was 'tagged' (scribbled over) by vandals."
In 2011, 37 boxes were painted; this year there are 41 more. With between 800 and 900 boxes in the city, though, there are still plenty of artistic opportunities to go around. Every week of "nice painting weather" Bushe says he receives at least a couple of applications from artists. No wonder it's a coveted gig: aside from the infinite curbside glory, artists are provided with a painting kit (colours include titanium white, Mars black, quinacridone red, bismuth yellow and phthalo blue) plus masking tape, drop sheet, safety vest and traffic cones. Oh, and they also receive up to $1,000.
Now these "civic assets" aren't just practical, they're beautiful, too. After all, utility isn't everything.


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Read Daily Updated Light Novel, Web Novel, Chinese Novel, Japanese And Korean Novel Online.
This chapter is updated by NovelFree.tk
The young man's voice was resolute; his fists were clenched and his face flushed. Faint rays of light radiated from his body.
"So stubborn. Are you sure you won't go back on your words? The moment you go to the eastern capital, I probably will no longer teach you!"
Leylin had a toying expression on his face.
"A Grand Knight isn't anything much. There are probably a whole dozen in Jenny's family. Let's not even talk about the dangers on the way that will probably cause you to lose your life. What are you planning to do after you send her back? Be a captain of some guards at the Argus Family? Or perhaps, even worse, become a mercenary?"
"Have you thought of all these?"
Leylin asked.
Baelin had turned pale, but his voice was steady, "I know all that! But… but if I don't send Jenny home safely, my heart will never be at ease. I know this for sure…"
"Fine! You can leave, but you are to never return."
Leylin looked at this toy of his that was full of righteousness and gave an ultimatum before returning to his room.
The door slammed shut, leaving Baelin standing outside, silently.
"Thank you, Baelin!" At this moment, a small, cold hand covered Baelin's calloused palm.
"Jen…Jenny, you…" Baelin began to stutter as he spoke.
A finger that was equally icy — and was rather fragrant — was placed upon Baelin's lips.
"You don't need to say anything else!"
Jenny mumbled, and then rested her head on Baelin's shoulders.
"When I was younger, what I liked the most was leaning against my Father's body and resting my head on his chest. Now, can you lend me your shoulders to rest on for a while?"
"Of-of course. It'll be my pleasure to…" Baelin stood there in a daze, his nostrils breathing in the fragrance from Jenny's hair. He did not dare move even a muscle.
A night passed and Baelin looked at his crush who had left his side, and also the trace of dampness on his shoulders, before smiling wryly.
"Let us set off!"
On a mini horse-carriage carrying goods, Baelin wore rugged cloth and dressed as a horse keeper. As for Jenny and James, they were hiding inside a compartment of the horse carriage.
On the four sides of the horse carriage, large torches were lit, dispelling the darkness in the surroundings.
"Don't worry! They won't be able to discover you!" Baelin tried his best to console them.
As for Jenny and James, they could only look at each other and smile wryly.
As the Lord Marquis's condition was worsening, Jenny and James only had a short respite to nurture their wounds before continuing on the journey.
Their employed adventurers and mercenaries were slain in the earlier journey, which made it obvious to everyone that someone was obstructing Jenny and her party. There were no more fools stepping forward to be their valiant protectors.
Furthermore, even the Baron who had lost a Knight and most of his elite troops felt a deep remorse. The way he looked at Jenny now was as if he was seeing the god of plague.
To him, the sooner Jenna — who was like a magnet for bad fortune — left, the better it was. In any case, it would be best that none of the incidents were to happen in the area he oversaw so that he can be acquitted of the blame.
This attitude was even more apparent after he received an anonymous letter from the eastern capital. It was to the extent of rejecting to grant Jenny an audience with him.
In this feudalistic area, it was like many small kingdoms which were independent. After seeing the Baron act this way, all of the Potter Town's citizens did not offer any help to Jenny thereafter.
For this small horse carriage, Baelin had to fork out three times of the market price to purchase it.
The seller even stressed that he would only sell to Baelin; he did not want to even have a buyer-seller relation with Jenny!
They simply had no confidence that Baelin could complete this simple purchase!
However, what else could they have done to ensure their safety?
Looking at the shops selling torches and the weaponry shop which were closed, Jenny and James were in dismay. As for Baelin, he looked even sadder.
However, he clenched his teeth and looked at Jenny sitting behind him, before cracking his whip.
The horse carriage began to move, taking the three passengers out of this town.
"Wait a minute, can I hitch a ride?"
Just when the town behind Baelin gradually grew smaller and when his indecisiveness was at its peak, he heard a voice that sounded heavenly to the ears.
Baelin rubbed his eyes and looked at Leylin wearing black robes with a small knapsack. Immediately, his eyes were filled with guilt and excitement, relief and many other expressions.
"Lord Leylin! We're extremely grateful for you coming with us!"
At this moment, Jenny and James popped out from the narrow compartment of the horse carriage and smiled, as if relieved of a heavy burden.
From the looks of it, if this mysterious Mister Leylin was to join them, what more did they need to worry about?
It was evident that Jenny and James had joy on their faces no matter how hard they tried to conceal it.
Through Baelin, they have successfully made Leylin, this mysterious person who was most likely a Magus, come with them. Even after returning to the eastern region, involving Leylin in their scheme was extremely beneficial!
As for these petty schemes, Leylin had not even needed to guess before he knew their train of thoughts. However, he did not express it explicitly and allowed Baelin to escort him up the carriage.
With this powerful expert Leylin holding the fort, the other three felt much better in an instant.
They threw away all that was used to conceal themselves, and also changed the interior of the horse carriage to make it seem like it was carrying passengers instead of goods. They no longer had to squeeze into that small space throughout the journey.
* Da Da Da!*
The wheels of the horse carriage spun as the two old horses galloped with all their might to travel forth.
"Master Leylin, why are you willing to give up on your shop and come with me to the eastern capital?"
Baelin glanced at Leylin who was resting at a side, restraining himself as much as he could before he asked.
"Of course it's for you, you fool! How can I be reassured if I let you go alone?"
Leylin opened his eyes and spoke indifferently.
"Bo-boss, I'm so touched…" Baelin choked with emotion, sparkling tears gathering in his eyes.
"If you thought I'd say something like that, you're gravely mistaken!" Immediately after, Leylin's next words caused Baelin to be stunned.
"Business at Blazing Hammers is not doing well. I've been wanting to go to the eastern capital and find a suitable place to do some business or open a branch. Since you're going, I'll go too since you're already going there."
"No, you must be lying to me! You must be here because you're worried about me, right Boss?"
Baelin looked ready to breakdown, while Jenny and James looked like they wanted to laugh, but did not dare do so.
"Just think whatever you want to think."
Leylin stared, speechless, at this fellow who was a bit too egotistical.
He spoke indifferently and snuggled into his clothes, seemingly entering a deep sleep.
However, in his heart, he thought, "A.I. Chip, show me my current stats!"
[Beep! Leylin Farlier. Rank 2 Warlock, Bloodline: Giant Kemoyin Serpent. Strength: 21.1, Agility: 14.4, Vitality: 27.9, Spiritual force: 77 (104.3), Magic power: 77 (Magic power is in synchronisation with spiritual force) Status: Sea of consciousness is fragmented. Part of spiritual force is solidified.]
Over these two years, Leylin constantly used potions to heal his injuries. At this point, the injuries on his body had mostly recovered.
However, healing the damage done to his sea of consciousness and his spiritual force was a very slow process, causing Leylin to start feeling impatient.
Hence, after his emotions due to his Warlock bloodline had erupted, he had decided to go to the eastern capital and find a way to increase the rate of this process.
After expelling the mark from the rank 3 Magus Alric, he could now release part of his spiritual force and return his strength to that of a peak rank 1 Magus.
Whether in the south coast or in Twilight Zone, Magi with this power could go on a rampage. As long as one did not meet with a Magus above rank 2, they were basically tyrants!
Though the Twilight Zone had a lot of high-grade meditation techniques, there were still some differences in the overall strength as compared to the south coast.
Leylin, who also trained in a high-grade meditation technique, was very clear about these differences.
The high-grade meditation techniques passed down from ancient Magi could help a Magus get stronger at every rank with all sorts of amazing powers along the way, but there were still a few obvious disadvantages!
After training up to a certain point, regular mortal resources were of no use to them, and only bizarre or even items from another world would be able to help one progress in one's meditation technique. If not, one would get stuck at some point.
In ancient times, Magi took over world after world and amassed vast amounts of resources. Also, the connection between Twilight Zone and the external world still existed, so this wasn't a problem. However, the troublesome matter was: Not only had Twilight Zone lost its supply of resources from other worlds, it had even lost contact with the subterranean world itself!
Certain high-grade meditation techniques were extremely harsh when it came to the materials needed, and they also could not be substituted!
Hence, though the percentage of Magi here was a lot higher than in the south coast, there was probably the same number of rank 2 Magi on both sides.
As for rank 3 Magi, Leylin guessed they would be even lesser in number here than in the south coast!
After all, the higher the rank of a Magus, the rarer the materials they needed. This was even more so for Magi who used high-grade meditation techniques.
Without the help from these precious resources, Magi could only use time and make the occasional tiny amount of progress in these techniques. Such a speed would be enough to make a Magus have a nervous breakdown.
Most Magi used most of their lifetime and still could not break through the first level of their meditation technique, and were filled with unwillingness to accept their fate and were full of regrets at the time of their deaths!
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WSDL J2C Extension
- WSIF Extensions for J2EE Connector Architecture
- Modeling
- Runtime
- Import Service
- Deployment Descriptor
- Sample Resource Adapter
WSIF Extensions for J2EE Connector Architecture
The WSIF Extensions for J2EE Connector Architecture (J2C) allow Enterprise Information Systems (EIS) to provide the following:
- Modeling of interactions with the EIS as services, using WSDL.
- Execution of interactions with the EIS using WSIF.
- Implementation of the Import Service that exposes EIS metadata in WSDL.
J2EE Connector Architecture 1.0 (specification available at: "http://java.sun.com/j2ee/download.html#connectorspec") provides a runtime architecture that allows EIS Resource Adapters to plug into a J2EE Application Server environment. The WSIF Extensions for J2C extend it to bring the Resource Adapters into the world of services and also make them pluggable into tool environments. The extensions specify the format of metadata that an EIS must provide and define how a tool environment interacts with an EIS to get this information, i.e. define the Import Service with operations to list and import the EIS metadata in the tool environment independent manner. The extensions also show how the EIS provides code generation contributions. To support the execution of interactions, the extensions provide a set of classes and interfaces that allow EIS to easily, especially if Resource Adapter supports CCI, implement its specific WSIF provider.
Metadata support is important from two perspectives. First, tools want to be able to discover meta information about the functions offered by an EIS. The tools then aid a developer in building components (for example, Java Beans, EJBs and others) that use these functions. runtimes either drive a connector through code generated by the tools from the metadata, or they are engines that drive a connector by interpreting the metadata.
The following picture shows the WSDL document architecture. Shown at the top are the sections that allow you to describe a service interface in an abstract way. WSDL prefers to use XML Schema as its canonical type system. The sections at the bottom describe how and where to access the concrete service that implements the abstract interface. Looking at the W in WSDL may cause you to think that the language is for describing Web Services only, but this is not true. The inventors equipped the language with a smart extensibility mechanism, which allows you to describe any kind of service, be it a Web Service or some legacy EIS service (function).
WSDL and J2EE Connector Architecture - A Natural Fit
WSDL provides a standard way for describing which services are offered by a specific EIS instance, and how you access them. The J2EE Connector Architecture provides a standard client programming model for accessing EIS services.
If you look at the WSDL information that is relevant for the single execution of an operation you end up with a very natural fit between the two:
Connector Binding
To invoke an operation through a connector we have to be able to capture meta information about the following aspects:
- The connection properties to be set on a ManagedConnectionFactory.
- The interaction properties to be set on an InteractionSpec.
- The Records, for example, their structure and the specific way that they have to be formatted.
- The operation, which combines InteractionSpec, input Record, and output Record (provided by WSDL).
- A specific endpoint that offers particular operation (provided by WSDL).
ManagedConnectionFactory describes location or providing endpoint of the operation. The requirement for the Connector Binding is to provide a port extension to capture this information.
The InteractionSpec specifies the operation in a way that is understood by the endpoint. The Connector Binding is required to provide an operation binding extension to capture this information.
For Records you need to know their structure and the way that they have to be formatted so that an endpoint is able to interpret them. The structure is defined by XML Schema from which you can derive a Java representation, as described later. It is the format aspect that imposes a requirement on the Connector Binding. It has to provide a format binding extension to capture the specific formatting information (see format binding section).
A Connector WSDL Sample
How the Connector Binding Extends WSDL
<definitions .... > <binding ...> <connector:binding /> format:typeMapping encoding="..." style="..."> <format:typeMap typeName="..." formatType="..." /> * </format:typeMapping> <operation .... > <connector:operation functionName="name"... interaction attributes ... /> <input> ... </input> <output> ... </output> </operation> </binding> <port .... > <connector:address hostName="uri" portNumber="..." ...connection attributes ... /> </port> </definitions>
The purpose of the connector binding is to signify that the binding is bound to a J2C based Resource Adapter. A "connector" is the short name for the namespace that identifies the particular connector, for example <cics:binding />
The connector operation contains the InteractionSpec attributes that are necessary to execute the operation on the EIS side, for example <cics:operation functionName="GETCUST" />
The connector address contains the attributes of the ManagedConnectionFactory, necessary to configure the connection factory, for example <cics:address connectionURL="..." serverName="..." />
Format Binding
The format typeMapping identifies the style and encoding of the native types. The typeMapping contains format typeMaps which associate the logical format (XML Schema) with the native format.
The native format is identified by a format type identifier.
Here a sample where the native format type is described by COBOL: <format:typeMapping encoding="COBOL" style="COBOL" > <format:typeMap typename="Customer" formatType="CustomerInfo.ccp:CUSTINF"/> </format:typeMapping>
This standard way for describing the services that reside in an EIS using WSDL simplifies the current client programming model (CCI) by using Web Service Invocation Framework (WSIF), a WSDL based service invocation runtime.
The first thing necessary to set up for a service invocation is a port. Ports are factored from services (implementations of the WSIFService interface). WSIF ships the base service factory (WSIFServiceFactory) which is configured using the WSDL document, the service name, and the portType name from which you want to create a port to access an operation.
Additionally, the WSIFService is configured using a binding specific dynamic providers (implementations of the WSIFProvider interface). These providers are the actual factories of the binding specific ports (implementations of the WSIFPort interface)
The actual port implementation is not visible to the client. The client uses the WSIFPort interface to create a specific operation for driving an execution.
WSIF and J2C
Enabling a J2C connector for WSIF is very straightforward. The element that a Resource Adapter must implement is the dynamic provider. Depending on the native format, a Resource Adapter may need to provide a specific message implementation. In general the Resource Adapter does not have to provide a specific port and operation implementation, since the WSIF Extensions for J2C provide a generic one that is based on J2C CCI.
If the Resource Adapter's native format is stream based then it can use the provided WSIFMessage_JCAStreamable as it's message implementation. This class extends a class named WSIFMessage_JCA. If a specific message implementation is required, it should extend WSIFMessage_JCA.
The J2C WSIF Provider runtime implementation contains the following classes/interfaces in the package org.apache.wsif.providers.jca.
- WSIFMessage_JCA.java - Top level superclass for all J2C WSIF messages which implements javax.resource.cci.Record interface and is extended by the connector specific messages.
- WSIFMessage_JCAStreamable.java - Specialization of WSIFMessage_JCA for connectors that use the Streamable interface.
- WSIFOperation_JCA.java - Implementation of the WSIFOperation interface, which executes the interaction with the EIS.
- WSIFPort_JCA.java - JCA specific implementation of the WSIFPort, which is used to create an operation.
- WSIFProviderJCAExtensions.java - Interface implemented by the specific connector to provide creation of the Connection and InteractionSpec objects
- WSIFFormatHandler_JCA.java - Interface implemented by FormatHandlers for connectors that use the Streamable record interface.
- WSIFBindingOperation_JCAProperty.java - Interface used to expose the InteractionSpec properties as parts in the WSIF message.
- WSIFUtils_JCA.java - A utility class which contains methods to lookup ConnectionFactory in the JNDI context
- WSIFResource_JCA.java - Resource implementation for error messages
- WSIFResource_JCA.properties - Separated Error Messages
Format Handling
Format handling is about marshalling the Java representation of a data structure described by XML Schema to/from its binding dependent native format. Separating the Java representation and format handling enables late binding, and prevents the service client logic from using objects that are binding specific.
On service invocation, messages (input, output, fault) get exchanged with the provider of the service. Messages consist of typed parts. In order for the provider to understand them the invocation runtime has to transform them into the providers native format.
Looking at the WSDL, it can be seen that a binding section defines type mappings that map the XML Schema types to respective native types. Given the meta information from the WSDL the user can generate two runtime elements. One is a bean as the Java representation of the structure described by XML Schema. The other is a FormatHandler which is generated based on the defined format typeMapping.
In order for a message implementation to produce its native format it uses the format handlers for its respective part types. The message is a generic implementation for a particular provider. So how does the message know which format handler to use for its parts? A runtime message knows about the meta information of the concrete message it was factored for. So it knows what type its parts have. These types have qualified names (namespace and localname).The rule for constructing the name of the format handler is:
<reversed xsd typenamespace>.<binding shortname>.<format encoding+style>.<xsd typelocalname>"FormatHandler"
The WSIFUtil class, in WSIF, provides a set of utility methods that can be used in the message implementation (for example to use the above formula) as well as in the implementation of the format handler generator. Besides being able to handle a bean derived from the XSD Schema type, the format handler can in addition also support instance of the XSD Schema type in form of a DOMSource or SAXSource. This allows for direct usage of XML in your service invocation if required.
FormatHandler Generator
To support EIS native formats the Resource Adapter has to provide format handler generators with its WSIF J2C Extensions. Each format handler generator generates format handlers for a specific encoding and style, possibly using the type mapping information from the FormatBinding. The generator implements FormatHandlerGenerator interface described later.
Import Service
Many EIS's have very rich metadata support describing the services they offer. EIS's provide programmatic access to this meta information. This poses a problem for tools in that the form of the metadata and the access to it is proprietary for each EIS. The EIS import service solves this problem by providing a standard interface for accessing the meta information, and it delivers the meta information in the standard form of WSDL. The EIS implements (i.e. provides bindings and service of the import service) the import service with its EIS Resource Adapter.
The Import interface consists of three operations getPortTypes, getDefinition and getRawEISMetaData.
The getPortTypes operation allows you to get an overview about the interfaces and operations the EIS offers. The operation returns an array of portTypes, the number of portTypes returned can be controlled through the queryString input argument (supporting the queryString is optional).
Note, if your EIS does not have the notion of interfaces you can just return one portType containing all the operations your EIS offers.
The getDefinition operation allows you to retrieve the complete service definition for a chosen portType selection. Besides selecting the portType, the portType selection allows a subset of the portType by identifying the operations that you are interested in. The operation returns the WSDL definition, and an array of XML Schema sources for the case when the portType uses XML Schema complex types.
The optional operation, getRawEISMetaData returns a binary data that may be used by the Resource Adapter to cache the EIS metadata repository.
Import.wsdl file
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <definitions name="ImportRemoteInterface" targetNamespace="http://importservice.jca.providers.wsif.apache.org/" xmlns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/" xmlns:tns="http://importservice.jca.providers.wsif.apache.org/" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"> <import location="Import.xsd" namespace="http://importservice.jca.providers.wsif.apache.org/"/> <message name="getDefinitionRequest"> <part name="portTypeSelection" type="tns:PortTypeSelection"/> </message> <message name="getDefinitionResponse"> <part name="result" type="tns:ImportDefinition"/> </message> <message name="getPortTypesRequest"> <part name="queryString" type="xsd:string"/> </message> <message name="getPortTypesResponse"> <part name="result" type="tns:PortTypeArray"/> </message> <message name="getRawEISMetaDataRequest"> <part name="queryString" type="xsd:string"/> </message> <message name="getRawEISMetaDataResponse"> <part name="result" type="xsd:base64"/> </message> <portType name="Import"> <operation name="getDefinition" parameterOrder="portTypeSelection"> <input message="tns:getDefinitionRequest" name="getDefinitionRequest"/> <output message="tns:getDefinitionResponse" name="getDefinitionResponse"/> </operation> <operation name="getPortTypes" parameterOrder="queryString"> <input message="tns:getPortTypesRequest" name="getPortTypesRequest"/> <output message="tns:getPortTypesResponse" name="getPortTypesResponse"/> </operation> <operation name="getRawEISMetaData" parameterOrder="queryString"> <input message="tns:getRawEISMetaDataRequest" name="getRawEISMetaDataRequest"/> <output message="tns:getRawEISMetaDataResponse" name="getRawEISMetaDataResponse"/> </operation> </portType> </definitions>
Import Service support classes
To simplify the implementation of the Import service, the WSIF Extensions for J2C include a set of convenience classes in the org.apache.wsif.providers.jca.toolplugin package. These classes provide Java representation of the XSD types used in the import service and simplify the development of the Import Service.
- ImportDefinition.java
- ImportResource.java
- ImportXSD.java
- OperationSelection.java
- PortTypeArray.java
- PortTypeSelection.java
Deployment Descriptor
To allow an arbitrary tools environment to detect this additional capability a connector implementation has to provide the following deployment descriptor xml file (j2c_plugin.xml) in its rar file. It describes details of the implementation, for example the names of classes implementing extensibility elements or the name of the WSDL file providing bindings for the Import service interface. A sample of the xml file is shown below:
<j2c_plugin tns="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/wsdl/myeis/" name="MyEIS"> <Description>MyEIS</Description> <version>1.0</version> <wsdl_extensions> <address classname="com.myeis.wsdl.extensions.j2c.myeis.MyEISAddress"/> <binding classname="com.myeis.wsdl.extensions.j2c.myeis.MyEISBinding"/> <operation classname="com.myeis.wsdl.extensions.j2c.myeis.MyEISOperation"/> <extension_registry classname="com.myeis.wsdl.extensions.j2c.myeis.MyEISExtensionRegistry" /> </wsdl_extensions> <wsif_extensions classname="com.myeis.wsif.providers.j2c.myeis.WSIFProvider_MyEIS" /> <import> <service wsdlfile="com/myeis/j2c/importservice/myeis/ImportMyEIS.wsdl" servicename="ImportService" > </service> </import> <formathandler <generator encoding="myeis" classname="com.myeis.j2c.myeis.formathandler.MyEISFormatHandlerGenerator" /> </formathandler> </j2c_plugin>
Sample Resource Adapter
The distribution of the WSIF Extensions for Connector Architecture includes a sample Resource Adapter, MyEIS, illustrating how to extend the Connector to enable it for pluggability into tool environments, implement model and runtime extensions and the Import Service.


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Simple, Free & Powerful
30 Jun 2005|Christoper Ireland
iTunes caught me by surprise this morning. Instead of my normal email announcing some new music they thought I'd like, I got a note headlined "This just in: Podcasting on iTunes." Hmm, that's fast, I thought. Podcasting has been around awhile on the geek circuit, but most normal people don't have a clue what it is yet.
I decided to follow iTunes advice and check it out. The result is what makes Apple so amazing…
I clicked on a link in the email that took me to a site where I could download iTunes 4.9. Normally, I'm not up for this type of task in the morning as most downloads are guaranteed to screw up your day. But, I held my breath and took the risk: 3 minutes later, the new version of iTunes was installed and working.
I opened the application, reasonably sure that I would be unable to figure out how to subscribe to a podcast. I've tried on other sites before and given up after getting immersed in a sea of unintelligible acronyms or reading instructions like "the best way to get TWIT for now is still using a podcasting client that does like iPodderX." But, here again, I underestimated Apple. Clearly visible in the left column it says "Podcasts". How refreshingly simple.
I clicked on Podcasts and up came a list of well organized podcasts. I found three that I liked, clicked on the "subscribe" button and I was done. No need to enter any information. No choices or options to decipher. No pop-ups offering me even more cool stuff. I quickly synced my iPod and within 10 mins of getting the introductory email, I was out the door listening to KCRW's Left, Right & Center, followed by This Week in Tech, and a quick dose of Consciousness: the Inside Story.
How much did this cost me? Nothing. How much value did it creat for Apple? Let's see, I make most of our family's IT decisions and we're about to buy a new computer. Want to guess what brand it's going to be?prev next


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Bedecked Haberdashery was set up by Judith Lewis following a career in fashion - in the buying offices of two well-known high street brands, then as an independent retailer.
' The choice of buttons and trimmings can make or break the final look of an outfit or home design project. Yet I was finding it really difficult to source exciting haberdashery for my own use. So I thought I'd have a go myself - hence the birth of Bedecked Haberdashery a staggering fifteen years ago.'
We are an online business based in the old coach house offices at Barningham Park, near Richmond, North Yorkshire. We have worked hard to put together a range of distinctive buttons, braids and trimmings, sourced mainly from France, Germany, Italy and Spain. We are constantly adding new lines to our website, so every visit should bring new and exciting things to catch the eye.


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TMZ reports a Los Angeles judge granted guardianship to T.J., 34-year-old son of Tito Jackson, after T.J. petitioned in the absence of his grandmother, Katherine, who had been in Arizona, allegedly under doctor's orders.
There are also suspicions Katherine may have been involuntarily sent away. The judge said the 82-year-old grandmother was not suspended for wrongdoing, but that she was prevented from performing her guardianship duties by "intentional act from third parties."
Randy Jackson told "Good Morning America" Wednesday his mother went to Arizona for some much needed rest and that her health was not good.
The judge initially indicated he could not act on T.J. Jackson's request because nobody had notified Diana Ross, who is named in the King of Pop's will as the successor guardian of the children, but then the judge amended his statement and said T.J. cannot not take the kids out of California without notifying Ross.
The judge added that T.J. should file a petition for permanent guardianship.
T.J. Jackson Awarded Temporary Guardianship of Michael's Kids
Michael Jackson's nephew, T.J. Jackson, has been named temporary guardian of the late pop star's three children, Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket.


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Texoma Valentine's Day specials
February 12, 2019
Valentine's day, for many, is one of the most stressful days of the year. Significant others are trying to plan the perfect night or find the perfect gift, while single individuals are either throwing a pity party or celebrating their freedom.
Regardless, we are here to take away some of that stress by outlining some of the best February deals in Texoma fit for any Valentine's Day celebration. From entertainment, special gifts or great restaurants, here is what Texoma has to offer this lovely season.
- The District is offering the Lovers Lane package. For a total cost of $40, it includes two games of bowling, two pairs of shoes, a heart-shaped pizza, two drinks, two sweet treats and a $20.00 game card to the arcade. In addition to Valentine's Day , this deal is available every Friday and Saturday in February.
- Pops Place in Denison is hosting their annual date night for the evening of Thursday Feb.14. It is by reservation only. You may choose between two dinner options. The first includes prime rib, grilled shrimp skewer, loaded baked potato, seasoned vegetable, house salad, dinner roll, dessert and a drink. The second choice includes Pop's homemade chicken alfredo, grilled shrimp skewer, house salad, roll, dessert and a drink. This deal will come out to $60 per couple.
- Kay Jewelers is offering 25% everything (except Movado watches) from Feb. 7 until Feb.14.
- Benchmark Jewelers is also giving discount prices on their products. Discounts vary from 25-35% with some exclusions.
- If you want a more laid back celebration of love or single-ness, head on over to Applebee's for their 2 for $20, 2 for $30, or 2 for $40 meal deals which includes margaritas.
- Another classic option is Rib Crib. You can have the 2 for $10; valid through the month of February.
Whether you plan to spend Valentine's Day with a significant other, your friends, or even solo, do not miss out on some great food, fun and shopping opportunities this holiday season.


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REN Rosa Centifolia Foaming Cleanser 150ml
RENSize: 150ml
Currently not in stock. Receive an email when back in.
A gentle, detergent free foaming cleanser infused with Rose Extracts that removes grime and make up in one stroke delivering purified, toned skin that feels fresh and revived, without stripping skin of essentials oils.Gently removes dirt, pollution and makeup. Balances, tones and soothes. Tightens pores.
How to use REN Rosa Centifolia Foaming Cleanser 150mlGently massage over the face and neck, rinse off with warm water.
Ingredients in REN Rosa Centifolia Foaming Cleanser 150mlRosa Damascena Flower Water, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Parfum (Fragrance), Sodium Hydroxide, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract.
Reviews for REN Rosa Centifolia Foaming Cleanser 150ml
eKomi Review
19 Aug 2015 by Christina
Good for dry skin but may be too mild for oily skin.
eKomi Review
14 Jul 2014 by Chloe
The best cleansing product for hubby
eKomi Review
26 Jun 2014 by Daniela
i haven't receveid it yet
eKomi Review
28 Dec 2013 by Chloe
Hubby's black heads were reduced 90% after used half of it


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Caribbean boy gets 15 CXC Grade Ones
(L-R) Dad Dr Conrad Nedd, Brother Sujith Nedd, Delaan Nedd, and mom Mrs. Kaushalya Nedd
In one sitting, a Caribbean boy gained 14 CXC Grades ones after securing a Grade One in Mathematics the previous year, to give him a grand total of 15 CXC Grade Ones.
Delaan Nedd is a Vincentian with Sri Lankan heritage. He even has a Sri Lankan name which means 'Sparkling', and his grades sparkled brightly indeed.
Chatting with Loop News after her son aced all his exams by the Caribbean Examination Council, Kaushalya Nedd said that Delaan was "elated" when he learned of his results.
Related Article
Thanking God for the success, the proud mum beamed: "He said he was expecting the grades because he was working through the term and kept up his grades above 90% through his secondary school."
Delaan completed Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Principles of Accounts, Principles of Business, Electronic Document Preparation and Management (EDPM), Social Studies, French, Spanish, Human and Social Biology, Information Technology, English A, English B and Add Maths.
With his grades, he was named the Valedictorian for the St. Vincent Grammar School and he won nine additional awards at his graduation. He was the deputy head boy for academic year 2017/2018. He was awarded the RBTT Most Outstanding Young Leader Award in 2017. He won the 2017 George Philip Excellence Award presented by the SVG Rotary Club.
Delaan is not new to being a top student in his home island but this time, he was amongst the top performers regionally. He actually placed second for boys and sixth overall in 2013 when he sat the Common Entrance Examination. He scored 100% in his Mathematics paper.
Besides academics, he is a well-balanced teen. Delaan is an active member of the Good News Bible Youth Group, a member of the Black Sand Swimming Club and while he prepared he still played the piano and his video games.
Asked if he has any tips of advice for students sitting CXCs next year, Delaan said: "God, my family, teachers and friends helped me to achieve, my friends especially - my study group members, and the students of 5 Science Class.
"And also seek God's guidance and work continuously. Do not procrastinate."
Delaan is the second son of Dr Conrad Nedd and has an older brother is Sujith Nedd. As it relates to his next step, Delaan is leaning more towards a Physics-related career, and he will be the St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) Community College.
Get the latest local and international news straight to your mobile phone for free:
Download the Loop News Caribbean app on Google Play Store: http://bit.ly/GetALoop
Download the Loop News Caribbean app on the App Store: http://bit.ly/GetiLoop


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A Heart for Freedom
By Helen Mitternight
Only a country that places very little intrinsic value on its vulnerable could support a whole industry in human trafficking, right? Imagine what that country where sexual slavery flourishes must be like.
Did you imagine the United States?
You should have, because sadly, humans are a cash crop in this country. Atlanta is the country's top city for human trafficking, but Charleston should take note: We're the second-most trafficked city in the state, right behind Greenville.
For the past three years on Memorial Day weekend, Myrtle Beach has the dubious distinction of being the highest-ranking city in the nation for human trafficking, according to a study by Carnegie Mellon University.
In fact, 117 cases of trafficking were reported in South Carolina last year.
These statistics represent only a fraction of what is actually happening, says Julie Todaro, executive director of the Charleston Heart for Freedom, established to support A-21, a global nonprofit seeking to stop human trafficking. The statistics show only the survivors. Far too many don't survive, she says.
"The sad fact is, even though that many cases were reported in South Carolina last year, we don't have that many rescues," Julie says.
Human trafficking is the sale of humans for organ harvesting, sex trade and cheap to free labor. Charleston Heart for Freedom focuses mostly on the sex and labor trafficking.
How does someone get lured into the trade?
According to Julie, the traders insist that a debt is owed. Paying off the debt takes servitude and sometimes that servitude means recruiting someone else into the life so that their labor reduces your debt.
Survivors have told A-21 that they were trafficked after answering false job ads, sold by their own families, lured by a lover, abducted, betrayed by a friend, or manipulated with false immigration information. In South Carolina, appallingly, most survivors say they were sold by their own families.
And it's not just those with little money who get targeted.
"It can happen to a middle-class family," Julie says. "A daughter is looking online for a job, she thinks she's going to get a great modeling job, and it ends up being not that."
But aren't there laws against this kind of thing?
There are. In fact, in 2012, the state passed legislation aimed at human trafficking that increased penalties and established a state task force, which A-21 works with. The problem is that it can be hard to recognize human trafficking. Someone can be arrested for, say, prostitution, and it can be hard to determine whether the person arrested is on the streets as part of a human trafficking ring.
It's something Julie says they're working on.
"We're partnering with the task force and working with the police to ensure they're trained consistently," she says. "We're working with them as well as medical professionals and teachers about the cues you can pick up on. For instance, if there's a lot of drugs and alcohol involved, a lot of times, the girls are having to do this to themselves in order to survive in this world."
The work is essential – Julie says human trafficking is second only to drug trafficking in scope and is the fastest-growing criminal enterprise in the world.
Part of the work is getting the word out, and Julie's group raises money for that education. Earlier this year, dozens walked or ran in the A21 Heart for Freedom 5K at Summerville Catholic School and, in November, the organization participated in a breakfast and raffle at The Passage Apartment Community in Summerville to raise funds.
Julie says she has empathy for the survivors – although she was never part of human trafficking, she herself is a survivor.
"I was a survivor of sexual abuse for many years," she says matter-of-factly. "When I got to the other side, I had no moral compass for what sex should look like, no idea of what a real relationship was. I was a recovering drug and alcohol survivor. I've been sober for the last eight years, but my heart feels the pain of these girls' emotional bondage. I had to retrain myself to be normal in society."
Donate or volunteer at the Charleston Heart for Freedom website at charlestonheartforfreedom.com.
If you suspect human trafficking, call the toll-free National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline at 1-888-373-7888.


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Turkey Bacon & Health
Bacon has long been a breakfast staple of the American diet, but the meats' high salt and fat content comes with a health risk for individuals with high blood pressure or cardiovascular disease. Turkey bacon -- strips of seasoned turkey meat -- offers a number of nutritional advantages while still retaining the flavor of regular bacon. Due to its nutrient content, turkey bacon consumed as part of a balanced diet benefits your health.
The protein in turkey bacon benefits your health. Your body relies on dietary protein as a source of amino acids. Following digestion, your body utilizes many amino acids to form new protein molecules in your cells, and uses small amounts of specific amino acids to generate other compounds -- for example, you convert the amino acid tyrosine into serotonin, a brain-signaling hormone responsible for mood regulation. Each 3-ounce serving of turkey bacon contains approximately 25 grams of protein -- 42 percent of the daily protein requirements for the average 150-pound individual, according to Iowa State University Extension.
Turkey bacon has a relatively low fat content compared to pork bacon. A 3-ounce serving of pork bacon contains a whopping 35 grams of total fat, including 11 grams of saturated fat. Foods high in saturated fat pose a health risk, because they increase the levels of harmful cholesterol in your bloodstream, putting you at risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Ideally, you should limit your saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of your total daily caloric intake, recommends the Harvard School of Public Health. Turkey bacon contains approximately 7 grams of saturated fat, accounting for 3 percent of the daily caloric intake for an individual following a 2,000-calorie diet. Eaten in moderation, substituting turkey bacon for pork bacon reduces your saturated fat intake to protect your heart.
Vitamin B-12
Turkey bacon provides a source of vitamin B-12, or cobalamin, an essential nutrient. Cobalamin contributes to healthy myelin, a fatty substance that surrounds your nerves and facilitates nerve communication, and also helps regulate the activation of genes within your cells. You require 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B-12 each day, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Each 3-ounce serving of turkey bacon boosts your intake by 0.3 micrograms, or 13 percent of your recommended daily intake.
Selecting and Cooking Healthier Turkey Bacon
One of the nutritional drawbacks of turkey bacon is its high salt content. Just 3 ounces of the bacon contains 1,919 milligrams of sodium -- more than the 1,500 daily recommended intake, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. To combat the dangers associated with high salt intake -- including high blood pressure -- select reduced-sodium varieties of turkey bacon. During the cooking process, forgo adding extra salt.
When you cook your turkey bacon at home, allow each cooked slice to rest on cloth or paper towel before consumption to blot away excess oil. Never pan-fry turkey bacon using added oil, such as butter; the meat's natural fat content replaces the need for oil to prevent sticking. Alternatively, cook your turkey bacon on an indoor grill, so excess fat can drip away from the meat.


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When China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001, conventional wisdom held that global trade rules would act as a credible commitment to domestic reform, generating a "disciplining" effect on state behavior that would restrain Chinese industrial policymaking. And indeed, initial assessments of Chinese economic policy in the early 2000s pointed to the emergence of what might be called a regulatory, market-oriented state. By the second half of the decade, however, scholars were increasingly calling attention to a "rise of industrial policy" and the growing assertiveness of a Chinese "state capitalism". What lies behind these seemingly contradictory assessments? In this talk, I seek to answer two questions: First, why did the rise of market-oriented institutions in response to WTO entry not constrain the subsequent activism of more interventionist developmental agencies? Second, what explains the timing of these non-linear policy trajectories?
Dominant approaches in international political economy commonly treat the state as a unitary actor, and in particular, tend to 'black-box' the behavior of the central state as sovereign representative. In my explanation, I disaggregate the Chinese central state into its major agencies and unpack the divergent policy consequences of relying on WTO rules as a credible commitment to reform. Specifically, this divergence turns on the durability of global trade rules and the political relationship between China's party and its state. I demonstrate that rather than a uniform convergence to liberalization, WTO rules have intensified the competition within the central state over the direction of economic policy. The result is an enhanced dualism in the governance of the Chinese economy, with intensified market competition promoted by one set of central economic agencies, yet a more consolidated industrial policy promoted by rival agencies.
Yeling Tan is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Princeton-Harvard China and the World Program (starting Fall 2017). In the fall of 2018, she will join the Department of Political Science at the University of Oregon as an Assistant Professor. Her research interests are in international and comparative political economy, with an emphasis on China and the developing world.
Her dissertation, State Strategies under Global Rules: Chinese Industrial Policy in the WTO Era, examines the divergent strategies that the Chinese state adopted in response to global trade rules that demanded far-reaching modifications to its domestic policies and institutions. This project is part of a long-term research agenda on the domestic politics of globalization in authoritarian states such as China and on the multifaceted strategies deployed by these states to respond to and shape global economic rules. Her research also examines what, in the absence of electoral pressure, causes authoritarian institutions to adapt and evolve.
Prior to her graduate studies, Yeling worked in the public and non-governmental sectors in a range of roles including: global governance and governance innovations research at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy; international development projects at The Asia Foundation; and international security policy in the Singapore Government.
Yeling holds a Ph.D in Public Policy from Harvard University (expected Summer 2017) and an MPA in International Development from the Harvard Kennedy School. She received her B.A. with distinction and honors in International Relations and Economics from Stanford University.


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ian gilbert
Victoria Voice – Summer 2015
Milton Voice – Summer 2015
Who's doing what in the new cabinet on Southend Borough Council?
Introducing the new make-up of the Cabinet on Southend-on-Sea Borough Council:
- Cllr Ron Woodley (IND – Thorpe) — Leader of the Council
- Cllr Ian Gilbert (LAB – Victoria) — Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Councillor for Community and Organisational Development
- Cllr Graham Longley (LD – Blenheim Park) — Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive Councillor for Enterprise, Tourism and Economic Development
- Cllr Martin Terry (IND – Thorpe) — Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport
Cllr David Norman (LAB – Victoria) — Executive Councillor for Housing, Planning and Regulatory Control
- Cllr Anne Jones (LAB – Kursaal) — Executive Councillor for Children and Learning
- Cllr James Moyies (SIG – West Shoebury) — Executive Councillor for Health and Adult Social Care
That makes 3 Labour councillors, 2 Independent councillors, 1 Liberal Democrat councillor, and 1 Southend Independence Group councillor.
I'll leave it up to readers to decide who they think is driving this administration's agenda…
Vote Ian Gilbert for Rochford & Southend East
Why you should vote for Ian Gilbert in Rochford & Southend East
I actually met Ian at the same time as I met Julian, at the Labour Party conference in 2012. And when I moved to Southend a few years later he was my councillor for the first year I lived here.
Honestly, voting for Ian is a bit of a no-brainer. He is the only progressive candidate on the ballot paper who has a hope of unseating James Duddridge. But even he he wasn't, he would be my choice.
If you want an MP who is out for themselves, to climb the career ladder, then vote for Tory James Duddridge. If you want an MP who will fluster and shout, but ultimately be out of his depth, then vote for the Green candidate
Cross Simon Simon Cross. If you want an MP who likely won't even turn up, and not say anything even when he does, then UKIP's Floyd Waterworth is your man. If you want… Actually, I can't think of who exactly would want a Liberal Democrat MP…
Ian is a man with a record. As leader of the Labour group in Southend he has not only led the party into administration, but succeeded in building the first council house in the borough since the 1980s, keeping paid staff in libraries, saving care homes from closure, and all under the cloud of a £11m cut from the Tory-led government.
A vote for Ian represents a chance to put an end to the cruelty of the coalition's policies, to move towards a better future for the people not only of Southend, by the whole United Kingdom. Ian is a compassionate man, and a commensurate hard-worker. I know that he would make a fantastic MP, and so I urge you to do as I will be doing, and cast your vote for Ian Gilbert in Rochford & Southend East.


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Thai alternative bourse to list Raja Ferry Port on November 12
BANGKOK, November 11, 2015 - Market for Alternative Investment (mai) will list Raja Ferry Port pcl, a leader of ferry service for carriage of passengers and water transport in the gulf of Thailand, on November 12, under the ticker symbol "RP." The company has a market capitalization at its initial public offering (IPO) of THB 2.04 billion (approx. USD 56.7 million).
mai President Prapan Charoenprawatt said that RP would list and start trading on mai in the Services industry group. RP has 12 ferries provided in two routes for both scheduled and charter services in Surat Thani, a southern province of Thailand, and also owned two private ports as well as operating restaurants, coffee shops and convenient stores to maximize passengers' convenience.
RP has a paid-up registered capital of THB 170 million, consisting of 132 million existing common shares and 38 million newly issued shares, with a par value of THB 1.00 each. During November 4-6, it offered newly issued shares to the general public at THB 12.00 each, for a total of THB 456 million. Triple A Plus Advisory Co., Ltd. was the financial advisor, while Asia Wealth Securities Co., Ltd. was its lead underwriter.
RP Managing Manager Apichart Chayopas said that RP focused on continuous quality development of its ferry services from ensuring maintenance for safety and lawful operations, qualified staff according to the government regulatory compliance including annual training and emergency practice drill. This listing on mai would strengthen the company's financial capabilities, enabling the company to buy new ferries to cope with industry demand, as well as for debt repayment and working capital.
RP's three major shareholders after the IPO are Chayopas family (67.23 percent), Tangpraprutgul family (7.18 percent), and Kiatsak Yuenyong (1.62 percent). The IPO price was equivalent to price-to-earnings ratio (P/E ratio) of 27.91 times calculated by using the company's net profit in the past four quarters (July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015), divided by fully diluted shares, representing earnings per share of THB 0.43. RP's dividend policy is to pay no less than 30 percent of net profits after taxes and reserves.
For more information on RP, please see the company's prospectus at the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.or.th and general information at the company's website at www.rajaferryport.com , as well as www.set.or.th.
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Welcome to Hamel Chiropractic Clinic
Your Carrollton Chiropractor
For more information or to schedule an appointment with our Carrollton chiropractor, call 2179426272 today!
Dr Justin Hamel is a chiropractor serving Carrollton and the surrounding communities. Our chiropractor and the rest of the friendly team at Hamel Chiropractic Clinic are dedicated to chiropractic solutions to target your unique needs, whether you are suffering from back pain, neck pain, headaches, or even just plain old muscular tightness and tension. You may need pain relief after suffering an accident, experiencing an injury, or if you have a specific condition such as chronic back pain or a spinal condition; even if you just want to improve your overall health, our chiropractor can help you achieve your wellness goals! Please visit the testimonials page to see what our patients are saying about our Carrollton chiropractor and getting regular chiropractic treatments.
At your first visit to Hamel Chiropractic Clinic, Dr Justin Hamel will explain the science behind how chiropractic care works, and give you a full evaluation to see if chiropractic care is right for you. If there is a good fit, we can develop a plan of chiropractic care that is specific to your condition and health goals.
If you are new to seeing a chiropractor and want to find out more, please email us or call 2179426272 to receive personalized answers to your questions from our friendly team. We also welcome referrals, so feel free to use the "Send to a Friend" link located at the bottom of every page to share our health information with your friends and loved ones.
If you would like to stay informed about modern chiropractic care or if you want to start receiving free articles about health and wellness news, please subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, even if you are not a patient. Once you are subscribed, you will be able to explore our member wellness section and take advantage of our animated exercise videos, wellness articles, and other resources.
"Observational study found that low back pain patients receiving chiropractic care, which typically includes spinal manipulation, are more satisfied than those receiving medical care."
-New England Journal of Medicine
Dr Justin Hamel
Carrollton Chiropractor | Hamel Chiropractic Clinic | 2179426272
306 5th Street
Carrollton, IL 62016


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Indispensable tools for travellers
THE problem started with Yelp. Finding ourselves in San Francisco on the night of the Rugby World Cup final, we had done our homework on which was the best bar to watch the game. Yelp had given the Kezar Pub in Stanyan Street four stars so we headed there at 11.45pm, about an hour before kick-off.
The place was already packed, but we were hopeful there might be somewhere to sit at the back.
There wasn't and soon it was hard to breathe. In truth I should have read the reviews a little more closely - "this place can get stupid/crazy crowded for world cup games" and "people were packed like sardines". We decided to make a run for it - the three of us linking hands and me bulldozing through the crowd like a front row forward.
Yelpers gave several other options nearby - Danny Coyles and Mad Dog in the Fog - but both were full too. They also suggested the Abbey Tavern on Geary Boulevard about eight minutes away by car. We gave them a call and found they still had room. How did we do all this? By iPhone - including navigating there by Google Maps. In truth it was our daughter-in-law doing all the work. She's of the generation that's permanently tethered to their iPhone, and thus can make it solve any problem.
This was mobile meets internet meets location services meets consumer-led innovation in action, helped in no small part by our guide's scorching iPhone skills and cool head in a crisis. Although we missed the haka, it was thanks to her that we did get to see the nail-biting final - sitting comfortably watching a big screen amidst mostly French supporters which provided a great atmosphere. Thanks to Yelp also - just wish someone had written an app for crowd control.
Yelp, which isn't available here yet, is one those indispensable services that smooth the way for a stranger in strange land. An online company that begins with a simple idea - in this case a recommendation service aggregating user reviews - that burgeons into something huge. It launched onto the San Francisco market in October 2004.
Today it has something like 63 million monthly unique visitors, with Yelpers having written over 22 million local reviews. Its brilliance is literally being in the right place at the right time so you can ask it via mobile things like: "Where to eat in Monterey open now?" Answer: Old Fisherman's Grotto - the clam chowder is superb and so, apparently, is the deep fried cheesecake, but we didn't go there.
Trusted user recommendations are the new indispensable tool for the savvy traveller - providing information that's both a boon and a bother. Who hasn't pored over Trip Advisor and dismissed staying at certain establishments because of the mentions of bed bugs? I've always been perplexed about such consumer-written reviews - never entirely certain if they're true, the result of a malicious disgruntled customer or a campaign to put a competitor out of business.
Both Trip Advsior and Yelp are facing legal action over disparaging reviews - Trip Advisor over its 2011 Dirtiest Hotels rankings and Yelp over whether it extorted advertising from businesses in exchange for favourable treatment.
So far it looks as though the law is on the reviewers' side, with the United States Communications Decency Act providing immunity to internet services which publish the opinions of others.
But such services are not without pitfalls as the highly successful Airbnbfound out in July when a host's home was vandalised by a guest.
The service was born out of the idea two cash-strapped friends had to put people up in their San Francisco loft for a small fee. The response was so positive that they realised they had stumbled onto something - the concept of staying in real homes, and with like-minded people.
Started in 2008, the company, described as a disruptive innovation for the hotel industry, now has over 100,000 listings in 16,000 cities and 186 countries - ranging from rooms, couches, homes and islands to castles and even an airplane sticking out of a tree.
I haven't yet had the courage to use the service, but my brother-in-law uses it all the time as both a host and guest. When we met in New York, he had a basement apartment in Queens for $US70 a night whereas we had picked a nice, but compact midtown hotel room at $US250 a night. Ouch. His advice: read the reviews - reputation is everything. The same goes for CouchSurfing, which requires an even more adventurous spirit.
But perhaps the ultimate example of easing the alienation of a stranger in a strange land, or indeed of a stranger in an increasingly strange world, is Quora. While most of us might begin our web journey on Google, chances are when you type a question there today; you'll get an answer back from Quora - or depending on your question - from Yelp or one of the growing throng of website pioneers pushing alternative ways to find what you're looking for.
Quora describes itself as "a continually improving collection of questions and answers created, edited, and organized by everyone who uses it". Others describe it as a knowledge market and reckon it's going to be bigger than Twitter.
It also promises to be yet another disruptive innovation for the media industry. It was Quora that first provided answers to the question: "Why did Steve Jobs choose not to effectively treat his cancer?"
And if you're still wondering: "Is Occupy Wall Street for real?" Quora gives a remarkably solid set of answers.


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|"Emergence" B Upton
I painted "Emergence" a few years ago, before seeing either of the other two pictures. I was striving to represent the divine mystery and deep beauty of our universe... and of ourselves!
Welcome to our Waking Planet! I hope this blog feels like an oasis of peace and beauty that renews and re-engergizes you! I also include links to my other blogs- that often include action we can take as we co-create the saner, more just and heavenly world this world is meant to be. Join the Waking Planet community on FB! May peace and love prevail! So glad you are here.
|"Emergence" B Upton
Beautifully put, my sister!
Thank you my dear. May I ask what your name is? Don't want to call you BANG!
LOL, most on blogger refer to me as "BNG", but my name is Heather. I follow your group on Facebook too, but I have a different picture of myself there :o)
Thanks Heather! Glad you are on the Waking Planet Facebook page too- I too show a different side on my personal FB page. Still trying to figure out how to blend them!


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Kept it super simple for errands the other day. Carrying this wristlet in black made me realize how bad I needed one for myself in this color. I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it! More colors available!
What I Wore: H&M top, Forever 21 bralette, Free People shorts, Love,Cortnie'Three Points Wristlet' in black (HERE)


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"After my daughter became sick, it was a complete eye-opener. I have never learnt anything so much as I have learnt since then."
Young people go through changes in many areas of life, especially between the ages of 12 and 18. Balancing school, family, friendships, hobbies, etc. while also trying to find your identity can be a lot to deal with.
With so many things going on, it's natural for a young person to have ups and downs. It's important that they learn more about looking after themselves and staying healthy – both in mind and body. It's equally important to be able to recognise when a young person in your life is going through something particularly difficult.
Noticing the signs early on can make all the difference. Schools are a great starting point for noticing behaviours. It can be worth speaking with the school counsellor to ask if they are concerned. You can also reach out to other key people who interact with them regularly, and check in on how the young person has been behaving.
If you're concerned that a young person in your life is experiencing mental health issues, there are things you can do right away. The resources below have information and advice. If you want to support a young person, but aren't sure where to start, take a look at our page on support for carers.
A closer look
Schools are crucial in recognising and supporting mental health
Most behaviours of young people are not mental illness
Young people can display signs and symptoms in differing ways
Many young people use self-help tactics and resilience to improve their own wellbeing
11-18 years old is the age of onset of mental illness for many people
Lived experience
When I was young it would have really helped me if people had been more open about mental illness. Back then, when I first became ill, it wasn't really talked about or recognised. I didn't understand what I was experiencing or what was happening to me. It's a lot better now.
When my daughter first became unwell we didn't recognise it. We just thought she was a regular teenage girl: locking herself in her room, not talking to her parents. We didn't think there was anything unusual. Now, we know what to look out for.
My daughter's school rang and said that she was very distressed. Shortly after, she was in a mental health facility for seven weeks.
Next steps
You might find online and phone-based mental health resources helpful. Some suggestions are below. You can find more with our Search tool.