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The new year brings a sense of urgency to make changes in our lives and become better than we were before.
This article has been reprinted at forbes.com as The Secret of Successful Saving and Investing
I know, I know, you are shocked that there's an article about goal setting at the start of a new year. 'Tis the season and as such my aim is to give you at least one idea that can change your approach to goal setting.
The first idea is to change your goal structure: don't set a deadline, set a schedule. Rather than set a goal to read X number of books by the end of the year, set a schedule of when you'll read. For example, you'll read 20 minutes each night before bed, or 1 hour every Saturday morning. You'll find that by sticking to a schedule you will meet your ultimate goal of reading more and the likelihood of reading the number of books you originally set out to read will increase. A simple adjustment of more or less time to the schedule is easier to do once you've created the habit. Consistency is key.
"Productive and successful people practice the things that are important to them on a consistent basis," says James Clear, an author focused on behavioral psychology. "The best weightlifters are in the gym at the same time every week. The best writers are sitting down at the keyboard every day. The strange thing is that for top performers, it's not about the performance, it's about the continual practice."
Jerry Seinfeld was once approached by a budding comedian who asked for advice on how to become a successful comedian. Seinfeld told the young comedian to hang a large year-at-a-glance calendar on the wall and each day he wrote new material to mark the calendar with a big red "X." Seinfeld told him to write every day. No. Matter. What. Eventually one red X would turn into two, into three, then five days, maybe even a week straight. Then, once he had strung together these multiple days, Never Break the Chain.
This resonated with me. But I know me, and I know things don't always go the way I hope. Then came the revelation. While attending a conference last year, James Clear shared another adage worth remembering. He said, "Make sure you never miss two times in a row." It was that practical advice that we have all listened to, but don't REALLY hear or understand.
Just because you miss one day doesn't mean you've failed, or that you should give up. It was like Seinfeld's advice to the budding comedian, but in this case intended for regular people. I can do that! I can release the guilt and momentary thoughts of failure that come with missing that one day, with the gap in my perfect rows of big red X's and move on. I can count it a success that there aren't two gaps.
The second idea is to change the way you think about your behavior. A simple change in your mindset can not only position you for goal achievement, but also allow you to have fun while doing it. Adding up all the little successes all along the way can really help keep you on track and motivated.
One great example of this is Teddy. Teddy was living paycheck to paycheck. He really wanted to save money, but had been unsuccessful in doing so. One year he decided to simply add a dollar sign with a blank space next to it to his calendar every Saturday. Each week, he then wrote in how much he had purposefully not spent and instead put into a savings account. He was now visually accountable to himself (and to that blank space on his calendar) to save.
Some weeks he only filled in $5, others he was able to save over $100. Eventually Teddy started writing in a goal amount he was going to save at the beginning of the week, and spending only what he had left over. It was this key change that led him to a new paradigm. Teddy now saw himself as a saver instead of a spender.
The power to set a schedule to achieve your goals and to see yourself in a new way is extremely enabling and exciting. No matter what your goals are this year, I challenge you to find little ways to set yourself up for this kind of success. Hey, set a goal to check in on your progress in six months and see what you've accomplished. And if you have a lot of blank days in a row, re-establish a goal and get another big red "X" up there in June.
JJ Sessions, CFP®, is a Sr. Financial Planner in the Twin Cities office of The Planning Center, a fee-only financial planning and wealth management firm.
Email him at: firstname.lastname@example.com.
Many of the ideas in the article come from work by James Clear, an entrepreneur, author, and self-help guru. See more at www.jamesclear.com


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Before the wonderfully amazing freak show that was Jeff & Suzee's party, Alex and I went to his "family circus" party. I thought I loved Halloween… these folks take it SERIOUSLY. I've discovered we need to up our Halloween game.
We arrived a little early, and everyone was still getting their makeup on. But when done, what emerged from the back room was truly terrifying, and intriguing at the same time. His cousin Michael had been through a transformation, and emerged as a zombie of the worst kind. He was surrounded by all kinds of sugar skulls and skeletons.
What I love about Alex's family is they have the best time together, and they do it every holiday. They always make traditional food, but they also have some creative themed snacks. For this event, they had made Cake Ball eyeballs, and Bone Rice Crispy Treats. So creative.
So go ahead, be crazy. Be creative. Even be a bit scary this year. This is what Halloween is all about. Oh! And below is a cocktail inspired by all this sugary goodness!
The Sugar Skull
- 2 oz tequila
- ¼ c vanilla ice cream
- ¼ c ice
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- Light Corn Syrup
- Black lava salt
- Edible flowers for garnish
On a small plate, drop about 1 tsp of corn syrup on the plate, and on another plate drop about 1 tsp of salt. Dip the edge of a martini glass in light corn syrup and then dip in black salt to stick to the glass. In a blender, combine tequila, ice cream, ice, cinnamon and cardamom and pulse until smooth.

subset: commoncrawl


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This article discusses the meaning of the OG abbreviation in relationship to cannabis (i.e. OG Kush). The two most popular answers are:
The Quick Answer
The short and quick answer is: Ocean Grown. This answer is super subjective though. There are plenty of people who would passionately argue against it. To really understand the acronym OG you have to take a little more time to look at two different sides.
Alright, here we go. So you've probably noticed a lot of cannabis strains contain the letters OG in the name. You know, that Sour OG, Alien OG, and Super Purple OG Gorilla Skunk Presidential. Well, it all started with OG Kush. The true meaning has become more of a legend than anything else.
Basically, there are two different schools of belief. One being Ocean Grown, and the other being Original Gangster. Ocean Grown is arguably regarded as more correct by the cannabis community. Here's both sides of the debate:
Ocean Grown
Ready for a short story?
There was an old school, northern California grower who had a reputation for growing some pretty incredible weed. One strain he was particularly known for was a kush variety of debatable origin.
One day, someone offered the grower a hit off a pipe. The guy claimed that his weed was so good because it was mountain grown. The grower had instantly recognized his strain and knew the guy was full of it. So, he replies by saying that "it's not mountain grown, it's ocean grown". The name stuck.
Again, this is the story that most people go with.
Original Gangster
This is the flip side of the debate. OG was used to mean original gangster long before OG Kush came along. An original gangster is an old school gangster who has been in the game for a while.
A lot of people automatically assume it means original gangster, because it's used as slang all over the place. It's been used by the hip hop community for decades. Here's a few more examples:
Son's of Anarchy – The term OG is used throughout the show to refer to an Original Gangster.
Instagram – #OG is a popular hashtag on Instagram and Twitter. It could mean anything really, but most often it's used to mean Original Ganger.
Most who believe it means original gangster claim it came from southern California – around the San Fernando Valley. Some claim that Cypress Hill played a role in giving the strain it's name.
The OG debate is a fun to talk about, but I wouldn't get too hung up it. I think it's fair to allow OG to mean different things to different people. So, my final answer on what OG Kush stands for is: 'It depends on which part of California it's from.'
Thanks for reading. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below. Just for fun, I added a section of additional meaning that OG means.
Additional Meanings
Just for fun I listed some other things that OG stands for.
Shoes – When it comes to shoes, OG just stands for original. That is, a version of a shoes that was released before the retro version's were made available. This is often the shoes that are released by an athlete while they're still playing (e.g. OG Jordan's). They term is used most often when talking about Nike's.
Beer – This time it stands for Original Gravity. When you start brewing beer you take a measurement of the amount of sugar. This is the original gravity. When the beer is done fermenting, you take another reading called the Final Gravity (FG). This lets you determine what percentage alcohol is present.
Text Message – When it comes to a text OG could mean anything. Most often, it means Oh God.
Old Git – This is a British meaning for OG. An old git is an stupid, annoying, or senile old person.
Teen Mom – This time OG stands for Original Girls. The show Teen Mom was cancelled in it's 4th season. For the fifth season they renamed the show Teen Mom OG. The show follows around some of the main cast members from season 1 of 16 and Pregnant. They are: Farrah Abraham, Maci Bookout, Catelynn Lowell, and Amber Portwood.
Dota 2 – This is an online battle game. OG is the name of a team that competes at game tournaments. I'm not sure what the origin means though. If you have more info about this comment down below. Update: Thanks so much to the commenter who let us know that it stands for 'Optic Gaming'.


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Here's an instant classic for the celebrity photo archives.
A picture has been obtained of the scuffle that resulted in the citing of Britney Spears' rough (and aptly-named) bodyguard, JC Camera, by the Las Vegas Police Department after he raged and started beating up a celebrity news photographer from Flynet.
Julio Camera, nicknamed JC, allegedly attacked the photographer from behind after the shutterbug accidentally bumped Britney Spears' older son, Sean Preston.
Reports say J.C. Camera doled out a savage beating while he was on the ground, as hotel personnel rushed to pull the overzealous thug off the photographer.
Wow. Covering celebrity gossip is becoming a more dangerous profession by the day. The photographer was treated for his injuries and charges will likely be filed.
As this was happening, K-Fed demanded that Britney return to L.A. Neither he or Spears are allowed to travel out of state with Sean Preston and Jayden James without permission from the other, as per their temporary custody pact.
Sources say Kevin and his lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, are mulling over how to handle this matter and whether to file a written complaint against Spears. This saga may play second fiddle to Lindsay Lohan this week, but wow, what a wreck Brit is.


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Posts Tagged 'interior design'
Fall 2018 Trends Throw a Curve
We are headed for fall and here are three top trends you can expect to see in interior design: Curvy Furniture of All Kinds Retro chic, 70s-inspired couches, chairs and more are an instant upgrade to any room going into Fall. Curved sofas specifically got their start in the Victorian era. In their heavy and…Read More


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The storm on August 11 made organisers suspend a concert but not scrap the festival.
Visitors were not dissuaded, either, and the programme continued until the wee hours of Saturday, head of the Grape Festival, Ján Trstenský, told the TASR newswire.
The performers on that night included Metronomy from Great Britain and their compatriot Tom Odell. His concert was disrupted by the storm after 22:00 but the programme continued, and the Australian band The Temper Trap played as originally planned on the main stage.
On the other stages, the programme was slightly delayed – about 20 minutes – but all performers played their complete gigs. The Slovak performers included the rapper Supa, the Genius Loci and Korben Dallas bands, and the duo Kinsfolks, or Puding Pani Elvisovej.
The next day, the weather was more stable – although it rained on Saturday night – and the headliners included The Naked and Famous from New Zealand, the British band Two Doors Cinema Club, the Czech band Vladimír 518, and Slovak groups like Medial Banana and Čisté tvary, the Sme daily wrote.
Other performances involved Bad Karma Boy, Zola Jesus and Seafret.
US singer Zola Jesus gave a great show. To Sme, she admitted having Ukrainian and Slovenian roots – which can be seen in the titles of her new album – Okovi, or its first song, Doma. However, Grape was her first performance in Slovakia; and she would like to return and explore the cities, towns and mostly forests more, since she likes them very much generally, and she has preferred life on the edge of a forest to urban life.


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Zeta Psi Crowned Highest Fundraising Team at 2016 Right to Play Spin-a-Thon!
The Alpha Psi team was out in full force for this year's Spin-a-Thon for Right to Play. Right to Play is a Canadian charity who's mission is to use sport and play to educate and empower children and youth to overcome the effects of poverty, conflict, and disease in disadvantaged communities. The boys were out bright and early this year to support such a great cause. Dressed to the nines in Zeta Psi apparel, they were by far the most visible team participating. The Alpha Psi team also managed to raise more money than any other team accounting for $1070.26! The entire cause managed to bring in a total of $8185.38! Great work boys!
In Tau Kappa Phi.


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8 December 1843
Greenwood brothers (James and Joseph) settle at Purau, Lyttelton Harbour.
9 December 1867
Lyttelton railway tunnel was the first in the world to be drilled through a volcano rim. It was New Zealand's first tunnel, and at the time was described as one of the longest in the world, yet had been planned and financed by this tiny colonial settlement whose population was just over 9000, (6,647 in Christchurch and 2,510 in Lyttelton.)
10 December 1989
Sunday trading begins in Christchurch.
11 December 1979
Completion of airport international arrivals terminal, stage 1 (arrival hall).
12 December 1849
New Zealand Company agrees to reserve two and a half million acres as a site for the Canterbury settlement.
13 December 1942
Premiere in Christchurch of Landfall in Unknown Seas by Douglas Lilburn and Allen Curnow.
More December events in the Christchurch chronology: a timeline of Christchurch events in chronological order from pre-European times to 1989.


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It was a whirlwind week at the Indiana University High School Journalism Institute for the teachers taking Multimedia for High School Journalism Educators.
Each created a blog in WordPress and then added content. Writing commentary. Finding appropriate online sources and embedding links. Taking photos and optimizing them for the Web. Uploading individual photos and a slideshow to the blog. Taking screen captures. Recording an interview with a classmate, then editing it in Audacity and uploading it to SoundCloud. Creating a Soundslides presentation and embedding it in a blog entry. Creating a blogroll and resources.
Everyone's blog contained similar elements and sometimes the same required topic (such as Jack Dovrak's talk to class on "High School Journalism Matters"). But every one of the eight blogs was unique and distinctive — like the eight teachers in the class.
The week was intense with group instruction on software programs and discussion of issues ranging from school policies on computer use to considerations of how to review comments made on blogs.
The teachers experienced the deadlines that are a regular part of their media classes. They dealt with the problems that are part of working with technology and, we hope, developed their troubleshooting skills. We were fortunate to have Jenna Gerber as our lab assistant. She helped not only during class time but in open-lab hours after class. (And she took the photos of the class members for the slideshow at the top of this post.)
The last morning of class, they each made a presentation — sharing the blog's progress and discussing how they hoped to incorporate the technology skills they had been working on during HSJI in their teaching and advising. Some hope to have their newspaper staffs create a blog for the publication — posting photos that wouldn't have been run in the print publication due to space limitations, encouraging letters to the editor, and posting breaking news that wouldn't be news by the time the newspaper was published. Some hope to create a blog (or modify the blog they created in class) to use with their classes — writing about assignments so those who are absent can catch up, including helpful links and posting handouts.
As we planned for teaching the course, during the teaching that week and now after the course is over, teaching colleague Judy Robinson and I have been talking about teaching technology. What order to use in presenting concepts and teaching software. How best to use the teachers' time — for example, matching them with a classmate for an interview rather than sending them out on assignment on campus. How to structure assignments and projects that would be do-able and helpful.
And now, a week after the course has ended, we're seeing the final results — their blogs. It's great that we all can share what everyone has done — viewing the blogs and making comments. We're able to see how they have used the required tasks (i.e., links, their own photos, Soundslides, screen captures) to create a blog that captures their individual voices and styles.


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A History of Northwoods Wisconsin Cabin Rentals Refuted
The house is a large two-story cape cod style. Last, the tremendous choice of vacation homes provided in the majority of cities and vacation destinations lets you readily find a rental that's found in the middle of a specific neighborhood of a city or near a particular attraction that you want to learn more about visiting. Ashton House is a totally furnished year round vacation home rental with a lovely lake-side view. Whether you're looking for a rental home, condo, cabin, cottage or villa, we'll help you find an excellent deal and provide you with unbiased user reviews so it's possible to book with confidence.
The spacious, contemporary bathroom features two sinks along with a shower. There are lots of bathrooms in almost all the vacation homes. The living room also supplies a television and VCR. Even as you are sitting in the living room you'll feel as if you're sitting outside on account of the huge cathedral ceiling and big windows and patio doors. Some people might rather remain in a little hotel room whilst on vacation, but there are true benefits connected with staying in a sizable, private vacation home.
The cabin has a great deal of room for everybody. Our Unfinished Cabins give you the standard of a true log cabin for an extremely very affordable price. Buying a log cabin will definitely be very beneficial.
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If you are able to help one hour or two call 715-522-0535. The exact first day to make reservations is January 10. See why families return every year. Only one reservation period will be confirmed per application. Just one reservation period is going to be confirmed per application.
Rates vary, so be sure to shop around. All prices are for as many as six people. You can also locate nominal rates because of sharp edged competition in the industry.
Top Northwoods Wisconsin Cabin Rentals Choices
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Pontoon Cruises are readily available to learn more concerning the chain as well as a great deal of boat rentals so that you are able to venture out by yourself. No visit to Wisconsin is complete without a trip to Lambeau Field. If you are searching for a holiday destination that can provide ample chance of spending time with your loved ones and friends, one particular place to take in to consideration is the southern region of Wisconsin.
In terms of accommodation, the ideal method is to elect for Wisconsin vacation rental. Whether you take a rental for vacation or company, a succinct visit or a protracted stay, Bluewater Vacation Rentals provides a wide selection of properties to suit many tastes and requirements. If you'd like to design your very own romantic getaway, head to our homepage and commence selecting your criteria. Solo fishing getaways are ideal for reducing stress, solving life issues, and just regenerating. If you are searching for a relaxing riverfront vacation that's affordable enough for the whole family to enjoy, check us out! Lakeshore Lodging is here in order to make sure vision comes to fruition. First of all, it's the most affordable means of accommodation.
You've earned a vacation, and a resort is the very best location to find all the amenities and services which you'll need for a relaxing time in Minocqua. A number of the resorts provide rowboats, canoes, kayaks or peddle-boats together with their cabins, and it's not uncommon to observe a sailboat or sailboard skimming throughout the surface. Our quiet resort is off the road, and at the end of the lake.


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Tearing itself down
Innovative ways of coping with demographic decline
SOMETHING odd is happening to the cities of eastern Germany. Plattenbauten, the soulless prefabricated apartment blocks thrown up by the region's former communist rulers, are being knocked down. Occasionally one will be truncated, shorn of its upper storeys. Older streets are gap-toothed where wreckers have removed abandoned houses. Cityscapes are being pruned, removing dead and dying edifices in the hope of saving the rest.
City planners, normally keen to promote the building of homes, factories and roads, are responding to a double demographic crisis: the collapse of communist-era industry, which sent workers, especially young women, fleeing westwards; and a sharp decline in the birth rate.
Saxony-Anhalt, cradle of the Reformation and of East Germany's chemical industry, lost a fifth of its 2.9m people in the 16 years after Germany's unification in 1990. By 2025 it expects to lose nearly half a million more. In Köthen, where Johann Sebastian Bach composed the Brandenburg Concertos, so many young workers have left that "the population pyramid has become a mushroom", says Ina Rauer of the town's building department.
The cities of the east no longer imagine they can avoid demographic decline. Instead they seek to manage its consequences, and a few are inventing ways to shrink gracefully. Saxony-Anhalt, which suffered an acute shortage of apartments in communist times, has now destroyed some 45,000 homes with federal help.
The infrastructure that served now-defunct factories and empty apartment blocks must be ripped up too. "Streets cost an unbelievable amount of money," not to mention water pipes and electric cabling, grumbles Klaus Bekierz, who works for the building department of Dessau, half-an-hour's drive from Köthen. Its population has shrunk by a fifth to 76,000 since the early 1990s. "We can't pay for infrastructure for 100,000 people," he says.
Urban attrition is frightening those left behind, bringing the threat of blight and crime. Eastern cities are courting industry, but capital is footloose and productive new factories employ hundreds rather than the thousands who once manned East Germany's behemoths. "It's not clear what the recipe for success is," says Hans-Joachim Bürkner of Potsdam University.
That may account for the spirit of zany experimentalism that prevails in cities such as Dessau and Köthen. Under the motto "city islands", Dessau is nudging life and commerce towards "core areas", which means making a verdant city (which is already three-quarters parkland) even greener.
Traces of Dessau's busier past—a disused tower for smoking sausages or a dairy's chimney now occupied by storks—are being preserved. Parts of the void are being parcelled into "claims" of 400 square metres, which citizens can use free of charge for projects such as growing biomass for fuel. "Where buildings fall, gardens rise," a hopeful billboard claims.
Köthen is diversifying beyond Bach to Samuel Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy. The house where he practised his treatment methods in the 1820s and 1830s still stands as a museum. A disused monastery will house a homeopathic library and an eastern German university may soon teach homeopathy in Köthen. Restaurants have already benefited from the extra traffic this attracts, reckons the mayor, Kurt-Jürgen Zander.
Köthen city even employs homeopaths to help provide what it hopes is a more holistic approach to curing the city's ills. On their advice, the municipality sought to prepare the residents of down-at-heel Ludwigstrasse for the demolition of 15 buildings by conducting painstaking interviews to find out how they thought the newly-created space should be used. To provoke a sharper reaction, the city dimmed the street lights, highlighting only the buildings designated for sacrifice. That "was a shock", says one Ludwigstrasse resident, and it sparked off the dialogue the city fathers wanted.
The façade of things to come
Dessau and Köthen are drawing inspiration from the Internationale Bauausstellung (IBA) 2010, a project dreamt up at the Bauhaus Foundation in Dessau, which occupies the building where Walter Gropius and friends helped pioneer the stark geometrical Bauhaus style in the 1920s.
Such "building exhibitions" are a German tradition, held when social and economic change demands new ways of using space. Omar Akbar, the Bauhaus's director, sees IBA 2010 as a "laboratory" for coping with demographic decline that will one day afflict other cities in the industrialised world. He says the aim is to shape the process of urban contraction, rather than "merely let it happen".
But IBA 2010 does not just bring cities extra fame and money (around €150m or $235m, largely from the federal and state governments). Its organisers also want to cultivate intangible qualities, like greater public involvement and a sense of distinctive identity for each community.
The town of Aschersleben filled the gaps along its ring road with large attention-grabbing posters (see picture above). And unlike its picturesque neighbours, Stassfurt now has a lake instead of its old city centre; the 15th-century church, town hall and 850 other buildings collapsed or were knocked down because of subsidence, caused by decades of mining to extract potash.
From the death of cities, the hope is that new life will emerge.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline "Tearing itself down"
From the April 12th 2008 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contentsExplore the edition
More from Europe
Protests against Emmanuel Macron's pension reform turn violent
Why the French are in revolt
Russia tightens persecution of a crucial human-rights group
Raids on Memorial, a Nobel prize-winning organisation, mark a new low
The Kaiser's family accepts it will not get all its stuff back
The House of Prussia drops two post-Soviet restitution claims


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IIFL Asset Management, the alternate investing vehicle of the IIFL group, has announced a Rs 100-crore fund infisusion into wet-processing equipment maker CDE Asia.
The fund will be deployed to further the Kolkata- based company's expansion plans, the IIFL Group said in a statement on Monday.
CDE Asia is a manufacturer of wet-processing equipment and is part of the England-headquartered CDE Group.
The company combines processing technology with specialised metallurgical know-how in an integrated energy- and water-efficient patented product set, it said.
The fund infusion will help it grow in the artificial sand (m-sand) processing equipment and services business in India, Japan, South Korea and other Southeast Asian countries, CDE Asia promoter and managing director Manish Bhartia said.
M-sand is a sunrise industry but has witnessed various states promoting its use, the statement claimed.
There are other opportunities for the company as well like waste reprocessing for roads, construction, solid waste management and manufacturing sectors such as metal ore, silica and cement.
IIFL AMC joint chief executive Anup Maheshwari said the platform has made 25 private equity investments till now.
Source: MONEYCONTROL


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Let's Get This Party Started
DIY Celebrations for You and Your Kids to Create Together
Price: $22.50
Also available from:
- Additional formats:
- Publication Date: October 15, 2013
- Imprint: Stewart, Tabori & Chang
- Trim Size: 7 3⁄4 x 9 3⁄4
- Page Count: 176
- Illustrations: 250 color illustrations
- Rights: World English
Let's Get This Party Started is a guide to more than 15 parties you can throw for your kids that are inexpensive, wildly inventive, and fun. Each party includes two crafts, one game, and one recipe—all of which you can put together with your child. Author Soleil Moon Frye also offers countless tips and ideas that will inspire you. Among the thematic parties featured in the book are the fairy party, the pirate party, the movie-on-the-lawn party, the camp party, the '80s party, the rainbow party, the Halloween party, the luau, and many more, captured in gorgeous and colorful images by Frye's brother, photographer Meeno. Timely and fun, this book is a must-have for parents who love entertaining with their kids.
Praise for Let's Get This Party Started:
"Quality children's party books are high in demand, so this may be a welcome resource for families with young children . . . Recommended."—Library Journal
About the author
Enthusiastic, spunky, and positive, Punky Brewster was the quintessential '80s kid. Today, Soleil Moon Frye, who played the classic character on TV, is a married mom of two, an author, a regular contributor on NBC's TODAY show, a momtrepreneur who parlayed her successful kids' clothing line into a partnership with Target and now serves as Target's Mommy Ambassador, and a social media maven with more than 1.4 million followers on Twitter and a Facebook community of more than 600,000. Frye resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Jason, and their two daughters, Poet and Jagger.


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As the weekends approach, many people will consider whether to go out, stay in, imbibe alcohol, or stay sober. For countless people, it means consuming more than the legal limit, .08, in alcoholic beverages. The question of taking public transportation, a taxi, or getting a ride from a friend may be considered also but oftentimes it can be overlooked. This can mean poor decisions and drunk driving, leading to the possibility of a DUI/DWI charge. But, who exactly is liable if you are served alcohol at a bar/restaurant, become intoxicated, decide to drive home and then get in an accident and injure someone?
In Maryland, if you are injured, you cannot sue the establishment that served the intoxicated person too much alcohol. Even if the establishment (collectively, the bartender, bouncer, those who should have control over the situation) knew how drunk the patron was, it does not matter. Unlike 30 other states, there is no dram shop law in Maryland that holds the seller accountable.
Maryland Precedent
Recently, Noah Leotta, a Maryland State trooper, was killed by an alleged intoxicated driver, Luis Reluzco. It turns out that Reluzco had been served at a local Hooters. In Warr v. JMGM Group, LLC, 433 Md. 170 (2013), the Court of Appeals of Maryland held that taverns, bars or others who serve alcohol are not liable for serving visibly intoxicated patrons who cause automobile accidents after getting in a car and driving drunk.
In contrast, New Mexico is just the opposite, as reiterated in early December by their state Supreme Court. In New Mexico, a licensee is liable only for serving an obviously intoxicated person. The Supreme Court also emphasized a new test for causation, asking what a sober driver would have done in the same situation.
Implications that Come with the DUI/DWI in Maryland
A DUI/DWI charge is not a cakewalk. For instance, if you hit someone and/or kill them, there could be criminal charges as well as monetary damages that you may be liable for.
Under Maryland Code, Transportation Article § 21-902, "a person may not drive or attempt to drive any vehicle while under the influence of alcohol." Also, Maryland Criminal Law § 2-209 states that "a person may not cause the death of another as a result of the person's driving, operating, or controlling a vehicle or vessel in a grossly negligent manner."
Because Maryland is not one of the states that participate in the dram shop laws, personal injury damages will be directed solely against the intoxicated driver, rather than any establishments.
Let Our Attorneys Help You
If you have been charged with DUI/DWI, an experienced attorney at Alpert Schreyer will be able to explain the implications and how to proceed with your case. Contact us today for assistance with your case.


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Miranda Kerr exfoliates her skin with sand
ICONINSIDER — Miranda Kerr always exfoliates her skin with sand when she is on the beach.
The 34-year-old model – who was born in Sydney, Australia – has admitted when she is at home she will always take a dip in the sea and when she gets out of the water she will "scrub" her skin with the natural mineral, which is a ritual she has carried out ever since a young age.
Speaking to Vogue.com about her beauty hacks, the golden-haired beauty said: "Australians really like that clean, healthy, fresh skin, and slightly underdone tousled hair.
"[We] embrace natural beauty. And I feel like that's reflective of the active lifestyle and being [outdoors].
"When I am home in Australia, I go for a swim in the ocean, and after getting out of that salty water, I'll go on the shoreline and scrub my skin with the sand."
And when the fashion icon – who has six-year-old son Flynn with her former partner Orlando Bloom – is not near the salty ocean she will run a bath filled with baking soda and sea salt in a bid to cleanse her body of any toxins, which she claims helps cure any jet lag too.
Speaking about her DIY skincare programme, she said: "Another thing I do is take a bath. I make it super hot and I put a pound of baking soda and a pound of sea salt and that draws [the toxins] out of your body."
Miranda – who is set to launch her own skincare range Kora Organics this week – will "never" leave her home without her Noni Glow Face Oil, which helps to keep her flawless complexion hydrated.
She said: "I never travel without it–it's the best thing to keep my skin hydrated.
"It's a super easy and quick way to nourish my skin."
Follow us on Twitter: @iconinsider
High quality & nature friendly luxury cosmetics from Scandinavia - ElishevaShoshana.com


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This challenge was issued by Peter Harrison on Twitter, who is currently reading Treat Me Nice. The challenge is to relate Elvis Presley to a Guardian article on violence in America. It has been picked as number one as the article is topical.
Wall Street Protests reveal slice of America's barely tamed brutality – Ed Pilkington, Guardian.
The article in The Guardian talks somewhat gloomily about the presence of violence in American society and culture. Pilkington believes it is demonstrated by callous actions, for example the random cruelty by policemen and SWAT teams, and by the glamorisation of violence in American culture. Pilkington is not the first to make this point. Crime levels within the USA are high and though they vary they are quite consistent across individual States. Various factors have been identified, wide gaps in the level of income, the ubiquitous presence of the handgun and a liberal and creative society that encourages individualism and values achievement.
To relate this to Elvis we first need to make a decision. Do we accept the assertion about America?
Yes, but generalisations about the USA are like generalisations about Elvis.
The scope and achievements of both invariably contain contradictions. Overall, the assertion, though, has validity and it is confirmed by crime levels, gun ownership, its high use of capital punishment, and a foreign policy heavily dependent on its armed.
So, how does Elvis relate?
Well, he was an American and, as critics Dave Marsh, Jon Landau and Robert Palmer argued frequently, he was an American artist. Jon Landau in his review of a concert in Boston in 1971 actually used the word violent to describe his performance although he used other words more flattering in his review.
Critic Jim Morrison, who was appreciative of the talent of Elvis, also described him as narcissistic and violent.
Violence has many aspects but it can be valued by its protagonists as having something that has aggressive worth and defensive importance. The aggressive worth can be how it makes the aggressor feel – superior, important and, ultimately, cool. This aspect is not only specific to Tarantino movies but it is often in the rock and roll and blues of Elvis. Sometimes the violence has a sexual edge but this does not mean it is sadistic. The violence is more a masculine celebration of previous or remembered ecstacy. Sometimes it can anticipate ecstacy. This music can be accepted and enjoyed as innocent fun but the violence which is rooted in masculine hedonism is there and it requires an American artist to identify its existence and implications. Elvis has no inhibtions about using it to add to the urgency of rock and roll or the menace of the blues. This is why Palmer. Marsh and Landau are consistent in describing Presley as an American artist. Examples of this violence are rock songs such as 'Hound Dog' and blues like 'So Glad You're Mine.'
But his use of violence can also be defensive, a warning against potential hurt and disappointment. It is not confined to the all conquering male. The gun in American culture is of value to the defendor and the aggressor. Damon Runyan, the American writer, described the handgun as 'the great equaliser'. It enables the weak and ignored to be assertive against those who think they are all conquering, male or female. Elvis was always keen to assert the warnings of the powerless. Not necessarily the economically powerless but the emotionally dependent and vulnerable. The songs, 'Is It So Strange', 'I'll Never Let You Go' and 'Don't' are good examples of this warning. Sometimes the warning is no more than a description of chaos and implies only irretrievable damage to the person giving the warning. Many Elvis ballads contain this bleak prediction. Songs such as 'Blue Moon' and 'Loving Arms' imply that the demands of the singer need to be honoured by a sympathetic response from the woman he loves. If not honoured the price will be a horrible destructive responsibility for the woman. Sometimes, though, the warning is a threat that implies damage to the woman. A fine example is his marvellous blues record 'Reconsider Baby'. In this record the violence is quite serious; his plea that she does reconsider implies that if she does not she will be hurt. Sometimes, though, the threat is comic such as in 'Dirty, Dirty Feeling' where the naive male is both destructive and bewildered. The tradition of comic and serious violence exists within American culture so Elvis is being consistent. Comic and serious violence, of course, are not specific to American traditions. There is defensive and aggressive violence and the music of Elvis contains it all.
Violence may not involve physical assault but it does overlap with sexual conquest although, again, it may not be meant in a harmful way. 'Merry Christmas Baby' does not suggest physical violence but it does contain an erotic threat that will defeat resistance from women. Elvis was always quite willing to use this erotic threat in his music and on stage. Apart from the conquest that may follow it relates to violence because it requires Elvis to issue a challenge that we associate with a contest. If he is not erotic then his challenge fails. The risk involved is consequential and it requires a confidence we associate with violent confrontation.
In the behaviour of Elvis we see violent interests. These are – the exceptionally violent games of American football he played with the Memphis Mafia, his interest in guns, his policemen fantasies and his final incarnation as an omnipotent super hero in the 70s. Although his main interest was to entertain the final identity is a violent assertion of his importance over others. Although, this is using the word violence in its widest sense it is appropriate. For example, we sometimes describe obscene language as violent. Nobody gets physically hurt by obscene language but the word violent is used to define the attitude of the speaker. Elvis was willing to offend both the establishment and his critics. He also aspired to a narcissistic potency, to be powerful and 'special'. He did no harm with these ambitions and they do not indicate in themselves a flaw in his character but they can be considered as violent and they were obvious in his stage performances.
Elvis was an American and we are obliged to admire how he drew on the violence within both his culture and himself to enrich his music. If you disagree listen to his records 'Reconsider Baby' and 'Don't' or even the record 'He'll Have To Go' which Elvis recorded with reduced powers. 'Baby' was originally a begging, plaintive blues, 'Don't' was conceived as a pretty ballad and 'Have To Go' was first recorded as a muted plea by Jim Reeves. Elvis redefined all three songs by adding a threat. He did this by using his experience of the violence within his society and himself. This has always been an aspect of his talent that makes him important. His success facilitated other musicians introducing into their music more blatant violence. Regrettably, much of this later explicit violence has been directed towards women. The escalation of violent attitudes within American popular music would suggest that America still has a serious issue to address. Presumably, this is why Ed Pilkington in The Guardian resides there so uneasily.


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TopCashBack Review
PRODUCT_NAME TopCashBack
Overall Ranking:
Price: Free
Website: www.topcashback.co.uk
Verdict: Great site to earn cash-back from a high number of retailers. They even offer cash-back on ebay purchases
There are several cash-back sites available today, in this topcashback review we will be going through the details into why it is a great site to join.
If you purchase anything online, which nowadays is most people then it is worth seeing whether you can earn cash-back on any of those purchases. They state they have the highest rates of cash-back, and with over 4,400 retailers they will cover a retailer/Insurance broker you shop with.
Before buying the product you want, check the site to see if that retailer is offering cash-back. If they are go through the topcashback website to ensure your transaction is tracked. This way you get the cash-back assigned to it, and then it will go to your account. It covers products, services, insurance products, mobile phone contracts.
Another feature which I liked was the opportunity to earn cash-back without actually buying anything. You can complete surveys, enter competitions for free cash bonuses. You can also earn money for referring a friend, the site states £15. But at present the banner is offering £20 if you get your friends and family to join.
Another option I had was I could check my Experian credit score and receive £2.07 cash-back just for checking it.
It is worth being mindful when buying insurance products, etc. make sure it is the right product for you, and not just buy it for the cash-back benefits.
- They guarantee they have the highest cash-back rates
- Opportunities to earn cash-back without spending any money – surveys, competitions, free trials, etc.
- Refer a Friend scheme pays out £15 each time a friend signs up
- 99.84% Customer Satisfaction
- Cash-back can take a while to get assigned, due to how retailers pay the site – typical with these types of site
- Tracking problems can occur with cash-back sites
The FAQ section is detailed and covers all aspects of the site, you also have the option to log a ticket with customer service if you have a specific question.
It is free to sign up with topcashback, you then earn cash-back on items you find from the deals displayed and buy from the retailer.
Topcashback is a great site with a high number of retailers assigned, so you are sure to find cash-back on something you are planning to buy. They guarantee their rates will be higher than Quidco, and they have ebay as an exclusive partner offering 1% cash-back.
There can be the occasional tracking issue, where the transaction hasn't processed, but this is true of all cash-back sites. There are opportunities to earn cash-back without buying anything, which is another great feature.
The refer a friend deal is a good way of earning additional money, especially if your friends all join and use your link.
If you have been thinking of joining a cash-back site, and wanted to see which offers the best cash-back deals, they guarantee them, so really worth a try.
Thanks for reading this review, if you have any comments or questions please leave them below.


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Native Meadow Jade Sarong
A stunning and evocative tribute to the wild beauty of Australia's exotic flowers the Native Meadow print is a feast of twanging vines and delicate foliage. Illustrating an array of flora from the iconic Grevillea to the charmingly eccentric Kangaroo Paw. Imagined in vivid crimson and jade green, this colour way is sure to make you easy to spot at the beach, or can be worn as a beautiful wrap around scarf.
Made from 100% organic cotton, our breathable scarves are floaty and light. They are perfect for dressing up any summer outfit by wearing around your neck or in your hair. Each sarong is finished with a thin overlocked edge.
- 100% organic cotton
- 200 x 100 cm
- Designed in Australia and printed in India.
We recommend you look after your sarong by keeping it away from sharp objects, moisturisers and oils. Gentle machine wash or hand wash in cold water, dry flay, line dry and cool iron.
Due to the hand made nature of our fabric slight variations in colour and weave may occur throughout the fabric, please consider this part of the fabrics charm and its story.


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We David fans may not always agree on everything but sometimes we do… we love you, Tina (@rhiminee), and are heart broken for you and your family on the loss of your dad.
Link to group card:
We are heartbroken to hear of the loss of Tina's (rhiminee's) dad. Please keep Tina's family in UR thoughts/prayers https://t.co/rMKkoMmXoR
— David Archuleta FOD (@FODFansofDavid) April 10, 2016
Hug your loved ones tight, my friends.


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view all special coverage
Platini: FIFA must come back to football
UEFA president Michel Platini talks to CNN's Pedro Pinto about the Champions League final and FIFA corruption allegations.
Super Fan video
Barca's big clash
Real fan on Clasico
Durban mania
Out..but not down
Rock Las Ramblas
Dutch courage
The beat goes on
German delight
Ghana can shine
My World Cup
Mexican heat
Ghana's joy
Quick vote
Who will win the European Champions League final?
Manchester United
view results
French talent drain no excuse for quota
CNN Sport's Pedro Pinto says that even thinking about a racial quota to solve France's talent drain was an abhorrent idea.
Lennon intimidation has no place in soccer
Has the time arrived for change in football?
No way Jose, you've gone too far this time
Latest videos
Artificial cloud unveiled for Qatar 2022
Hammam on FIFA campaign transparency
CNN exclusive with Arjen Robben
Sports, politics mix in Olympic qualifier
Seedorf backing Milan talent
Dawson looking forward to AC Milan clash
Brazil legend Ronaldo announces retirement
Hernandez enjoying life in Manchester
Prodigal son returns to Iranian roots
2011 Asian Cup: Highlights so far
Blatter backs 2022 winter World Cup
FIFA chief talks goal-line technology
The planet's best club?
CNN's Top 10: May 3
CNN's Top 10: April 26
CNN's Top 10: April 19
Football Focus
France's race quota quandary
El Clasico: The billion dollar grudge match
Mourinho pupil the new "Special One"?
Off the pitch
India's blossoming soccer passion
The Caribbean's soccer storm
Why gay players stay in the closet


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Here are the deals for this week commencing 16 December 2015.
Click on the image to visit my online shop. Don't forget that the Year End Sale is still happening too, and there are some extra special bargains from the main catalogue which are only available until 17 December 2015.
Stampin' Up! – what's happening now:
- The Holiday Catalogue will only be around until 4 January 2016 or until stocks last. Visit my online shop to see what is retiring, what is on special and get your favourites before they are gone forever. Click on the image below to go straight to the sale page.


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The department of education for cybersecurity plans out an education curriculum in the latest cybersecurity and carries out the plan by collaboration with related departments.
Specifically, we develop a basic education curriculum for all undergraduate students, a specialized education curriculum to gain expertise and a training program to improve knowledge and skills of staffs in Kyushu University.
Also, we conduct researches toward a global cybersecurity training in addition to worldwide education and evaluation, which apply a rubric, a teaching material development and GPA (Grade Point Average) of the developed educational programs.
|Department of Education for Cybersecurity
|Next Generation and Future Network Section
Research Institute for Information Technology
|Koji OKAMURA
|Innovation Center for Educational Resource
|Yoshihiro OKADA
|Learning Spaces Design Section
Research Institute for Information Technology
|Hiroshi KOIDE


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Stocks Shake Off an Early Loss and End with Slight Gains
Major U.S. stock indexes eked out modest gains on Monday, extending the market's winning streak into a fourth day.
Stocks wavered into the red at times before steadying in the late afternoon. The price of oil also veered lower at times, but ended higher.
Investors had their eye on the latest batch of company deal news and new data on housing that sent homebuilders broadly lower. Telecommunications services and health care stocks were among the biggest risers.
Monday's action builds on the market's five-week string of gains and suggests an improved outlook by investors since the market's rocky start to 2016. Worries about the global economy prompted the Federal Reserve to slow the pace of interest rate increases this year.
"Investors have really come to terms with the fact that recession risks are receding in the U.S., and that certainly was helped by the Fed action last week," said Mike Baele, senior portfolio manager at U.S. Bank Wealth Management. "We likely move sideways until we get some clarity on earnings."
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 21.57 points, or 0.1 percent, to 17,623.87. The Standard & Poor's 500 index added 2.02 points, or 0.1 percent, to 2,051.60. The Nasdaq composite gained 13.23 points, or 0.3 percent, to 4,808.87.
Thanks to steady gains in recent weeks, the Dow is up 1.1 percent for the year, while the S&P 500 index is up 0.4 percent. The Nasdaq is down about 4 percent.
Stocks had appeared to be headed for a down day early Monday.
Homebuilders fell broadly following a report indicating that sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank 7.1 percent last month. The trend could weigh on homebuilders, many of which rely on buyers who must sell their home before they can purchase a newly built one. William Lyon Homes was among the biggest decliners. The stock shed 72 cents, or 4.9 percent, to $13.88.
Several companies rose on deal news.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide climbed $3.62, or 4.5 percent, to $84.19. Its proposed buyout by Marriott International, which could be contested by China's Anbang, would create the world's biggest hotel company. That likely weighed on fellow hotel operator Wyndham Worldwide, which slid $3.72, or 4.6 percent, to $77.07.
Paint maker Valspar vaulted 23.1 percent on news of its $9 billion sale to Sherwin-Williams. Shares in Valspar rose $29.39 to $103.22. Sherwin slumped $15.40, or 5.3 percent, to $273.29.
Traders also welcomed Markit's decision to combine with competitor IHS in an all-stock deal valued at more than $13 billion. Markit surged $4.02, or 13.6 percent, to $33.51.
Embattled drug company Valeant Pharmaceuticals climbed 7.4 percent as investors cheered a boardroom shake-up that includes plans to replace CEO Michael Pearson and the addition of activist investor Bill Ackman to the board. The stock, which has slid 71.5 percent this year, gained $2 to $28.98.
Oil prices also recovered after dipping earlier in the day.
Benchmark U.S. crude rose 47 cents, or 1.2 percent, to close at $39.91 a barrel in New York. Brent crude, the benchmark for international oils, gained 34 cents to close at $41.54 a barrel in London.
Several energy companies slumped as natural gas lost 8 cents, or 4.1 percent, to close at $1.83 per 1,000 cubic feet.
Williams Cos. shed 80 cents, or 4.4 percent, to $17.35, while Cabot Oil & Gas slid 98 cents, or 4.3 percent, to $21.79. Natural gas transport and storage company Oneok also fell. It was down $1.13, or 3.7 percent, to $29.69.
Market action overseas was mixed.
In Europe, Germany's DAX was essentially flat, while France's CAC 40 fell 0.8 percent. Britain's FTSE 100 slipped 0.1 percent. In Asia, South Korea's benchmark Kospi index slipped 0.1 percent, while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index rose 0.1 percent. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 dipped 0.3 percent. Markets in Japan were closed for a holiday.
In other energy trading, wholesale gasoline added 3 cents, or 2.2 percent, to close at $1.46 a gallon, while heating oil slipped less than a penny to close at $1.24 a gallon.
Among metals, gold dropped $10.10, or 0.8 percent, to $1,244.20 an ounce. Silver fell rose 4 cents, or 0.2 percent, to $15.85 an ounce. Copper rose a penny, or 0.4 percent, to $2.29 a pound.
U.S. government bond prices fell. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose to 1.92 percent from 1.88 percent late Friday. The euro fell to $1.1248 while the dollar rose to 111.84 yen.
The Associated Press
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text: SuperBiasedMan Posted June 24, 2017 One thing that I'm not clear in is, was it the Arm that told DougieCoop to squeeze Ike's hand off? To me it seemed more like the Arm's doppelganger, but it was such a brief shot I wasn't sure. Everyone seems to have accepted that it was the Arm itself, but they look so similar I'm not sure. And really, that violent solution seems outside the Arm's wheelhouse, I'd be more inclined to believe the DoppelArm said it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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What a year it's been for sports at Umpqua Community College. UCC hired new Athletic Director Craig Jackson in July 2016 and UCC Athletics is about to become more diverse and exciting than ever. Since Jackson's hiring, UCC has added three new sports programs: cross country, obstacle course racing, and wrestling.
"The addition of our new sports is exciting because it provides opportunities for many Douglas County residents to stay at home and go to college while also participating in athletics" Jackson said. "Recruiting is going well and next year should be very exciting."
If the addition of more sports programs wasn't exciting enough, UCC's previously established volleyball and basketball programs will surely grab the region's attention after this past year's accomplishments.
The UCC women's volleyball team finished with a 28-23 overall record, earning the fourth seed in the Southern Region and a trip to the NWAC Volleyball Championship Tournament in November 2016. The RiverHawks had the odds stacked against them as their first game in the tournament was a match up against first ranked Bellevue in the Northern Region. UCC came away with the upset, winning three sets to two, and moved on to play Lower Columbia in the next round. The RiverHawks were defeated by the eventual NWAC Champion Lower Columbia Red Devils, losing three sets to zero.
The RiverHawks had four players receive Fall Academic Excellence Awards. To qualify for the award, players must be a sophomore in eligibility, have a minimum of 36 credits earned, a 3.25 cumulative GPA or higher, and must be recommended by the college. Players honored with the award were Cheyenne Chambers, Kaylee Hagadorn, Kortney Moore, and Viviana Rodriguez.
UCC also had two players win regional awards. Libero Kaysie Cornelio was named to the Southern Region First Team, and outside hitter Viviana Rodriguez was named to the Southern Region Second Team.
UCC basketball also had a stellar season. The men's team finished with a 20-10 overall record and a 10-6 record within the Southern Region which was enough for UCC to claim a partial share of Southern Region championship and to punch their ticket in to the NWAC Tournament in March.
UCC made it all the way to the Final Four after defeating the Bellevue Bulldogs and the South Puget Sound Clippers but eventually fell to the Tacoma Titans 79-74.
UCC men's basketball had two players named to the NWAC All-Tournament Second Team, freshman guards Grant Ellison and Ethan Betts.
Additionally, the RiverHawks had three players win regional awards. Ellison was named Southern Region Most Valuable Player after averaging nearly 20 ppg on 51 percent shooting. Ellison was also awarded Southern Region Freshman of the Year. Sophomore forward Jacob Danhoff was named to the Southern Region All-Defensive Team and was also named to the Southern Region Second Team. UCC's sophomore center Jouvon Edison was named Defensive Player of the Year.
Furthermore, UCC women's basketball had a season to remember. The RiverHawks earned a perfect 16-0 regional record for the first time under head coach Dave Stricklin's tenure and finished with an overall record of 27-2.
The RiverHawks went in to the NWAC Tournament with a head of steam, coming in to the tournament on a 16-game win streak. UCC went on to defeat Treasure Valley and Peninsula to move on to the Final Four. The RiverHawks were then defeated by Spokane 63-58.
UCC had three players named to NWAC All-Tournament teams. Freshman forward Jordan Stotler was named to the NWAC All-Tournament First Team. Freshman forwards Daisy Powell and Bria Thames were named to the NWAC All-Tournament Second Team.
The RiverHawks had five members of the team win regional awards as well. Head coach Dave Stricklin was named Southern Region Coach of the Year. Stotler was named Southern Region Most Valuable Player, Freshman of the Year, and Defensive Player of the Year. Stotler also broke the record for blocks in a single season with 123. She averaged 4.39 blocks per game this past season and is only 67 blocks away from eclipsing the NWAC All-Time Record of 189 set by Rylee Peterson in 2009.
Powell and Thames were named to the Southern Region First Team and sophomore guard Tasia Bilbrew was named to the Southern Region Second Team.
"We are extremely pleased with this past school year and the accomplishments of our athletic programs" Jackson said. "For the first time in school history, all three of our teams qualified for the NWAC Championship Tournament" Jackson continued. "In addition, all of the teams won games at the tournament, with both basketball teams reaching the Final Four."
It's truly an exciting time to be a part of UCC Athletics. Established programs are performing. New sports programs are on the horizon. So many great things have happened in just one year with even greater things to come.
"As a whole, the athletics are very well put together" UCC women's basketball guard Alyssa Grenfell said. "The athletic director really knows what he's doing, and he's making the athletics bigger by adding more sports" Grenfell continued. "I think with more athletes on campus it's going to be exciting to see people from around the region coming and making UCC more diverse."


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A 32-year-old black man is referred for evaluation and treatment of growths on his upper back and chest. The majority of lesions have been present for approximately 2 years. Some are painful at times. He is in good health and denies a family history of similar growths. Examination reveals scattered skin-colored nodules and multiple papules on the patient's back and chest, as well as less frequent pustules on his face.
Keloids are fibroproliferative growths that extend beyond sites of trauma. These lesions form as a result of excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components such as collagen in response to aberrant expression of growth factors and cytokines.1 Keloids present as firm papules...
Submit your diagnosis to see full explanation.
Keloids are fibroproliferative growths that extend beyond sites of trauma. These lesions form as a result of excessive accumulation of extracellular matrix components such as collagen in response to aberrant expression of growth factors and cytokines.1 Keloids present as firm papules and nodules.
Keloids may appear at any age but most commonly arise in adolescence through the third decade.2 Patients of African descent are disproportionately affected by the condition; keloids are 15 times more frequently among Black individuals than White individuals.2 Common locations include the earlobes, chest, shoulders, upper back, lower scalp, and posterior neck.
Keloids can significantly impair quality of life.3 Although the majority of keloids are asymptomatic, lesions may interfere with range of motion and may cause pain, itching, bleeding, or ulceration. Further, lesions are often cosmetically disfiguring.
Therapeutic options for the management of keloids range the gamut from application of silicone gel sheeting to surgical excision.4 No treatment is universally successful. One of the most widely used modalities is intralesional injection of triamcinolone; repeated injections at periodic intervals may reduce scar volume and height.
Steroid injections often precede surgical removal, although even with this combined modality, a significant percentage of keloids recur.5 A recently published study documented that single-dose radiation therapy following surgery prevented keloid recurrence in a majority of patients.6
Stephen Schleicher, MD, is director of the DermDox Center for Dermatology in Pennsylvania, as well as associate professor of medicine at Commonwealth Medical College and clinical instructor of dermatology at Arcadia University and Kings College.
- Andrews JP, Marttala J, Macarak E, Rosenbloom J, Uitto J. Keloids: the paradigm of skin fibrosis — pathomechanisms and treatment. Matrix Biol. 2016;51:37-46. doi:10.1016/j.matbio.2016.01.013
- Chike-Obi CJ, Cole PD, Brissett AE. Keloids: pathogenesis, clinical features, and management. Semin Plast Surg. 2009;23(3):178-84. doi:10.1055/s-0029-1224797
- Furtado F, Hochman B, Ferrara SF, et al. What factors affect the quality of life of patients with keloids? Rev Assoc Med Bras. 2009;55:700-704.
- Ojeh N, Bharatha A, Gaur U, Forde AL. Keloids: current and emerging therapies. Scars Burn Heal. 2020;6:2059513120940499. doi:10.1177/2059513120940499
- Mustoe TA, Cooter RD, Gold MH, et al. International clinical recommendations on scar management. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2002;110(2):560-571. doi:10.1097/00006534-200208000-00031
- Son Y, Phillips EON, Price KM, et al. Treatment of keloids with a single dose of low-energy superficial X-ray radiation to prevent recurrence after surgical excision: an in vitro and in vivo study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2020;83(5):1304-1314. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2020.06.023


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11 Secret Designer Sources For The Best Flower Arrangements
"Dandelion Ranch's arrangements are perfect for a client gift—stunning, chic, layered, and rich. They're so modern, but they also have an old world feel which sets them apart."
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"If we ever have an event or need to do something special, Nicolette Owen is the person we want to work with. We really love her approach to designing arrangements that are seasonally inspired and so masterfully mixed that they end up looking like works of art."
-Nicki Clendening & Callie Jenschke, Scout Designs
"My very favorite florist in Chicago is Green. They do a magnificent job at chic, relaxed arrangements—it makes my heart sing to receive them!"
-Alessandra Branca, Branca Interiors
"I use Winston Flowers in Boston. I'm a big fan of succulents and they do a great job working them into modern, architectural-looking arrangements."
-Frank Roop, Frank Roop Design Interiors
"Stephen Sonnier of Dunn and Sonnier in New Orleans has phenomenal secret sources for flowers and can find almost anything. He's got a great eye and is equally adept at traditional, old world opulence and minimalist arrangements."
-Lee H. Ledbetter, Lee Ledbetter & Associates
"Birch is the best spot for flowers in San Francisco. Owner Torryne Choate is a genius when it comes to doing fresh, simple, sculptural arrangements—even with carnations."
-Jay Jeffers, Jeffers Design Group
"In Charleston I love to use Lotus Flower, whether I need flowers to style a shoot, or I'm looking for an arrangement for a friend or client. They always design something modern, natural, and arresting."
-Angie Hranowsky, Angie Hranowsky Design Studio
"I like sending flowers from Sidra Forman because they never feel like a stuffy, formal arrangement—her compositions are beautiful and unstructured."
-Darryl Carter, Darryl Carter Inc.
"The staff at Sammy's is not only talented and sweet, they will work with you to get the exact look you want, whether it's pulled-together and modern or natural and wild."
-Kricken Yaker, Vanillawood
"Spruce is my go-to for sending fresh, interesting arrangements—beautiful, seasonal flowers in charming wood crate boxes."
-Katie Lydon, Katie Lydon Interiors
Inside Kate Rheinstein Brodsky's Colorful Home
Feng Shui 101: How to Harmonize Your Bedroom
13 Ideas to Steal from the ELLE DECOR Penthouse
7 Bathroom Ideas to Boost Your Well-Being


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What About Me? Coping with Military Spouse Career Challenges
According to the Military Spouse Employment Survey, 90% of responding female spouses of active duty service members are "underemployed," i.e., possessing more formal education and experience than is required at their current or most recent position. The survey also notes a continued income gap between armed forces spouses and their civilian counterparts. And if that isn't enough, 55% of respondents indicated it was "difficult" to find their current or most recent job.
Well, that's just dandy, you might be thinking, Why don't you also give me a nice paper cut and hand me a bottle of lemon juice to top it off?
While we all wish that the challenges that go along with military spouse employment would be fixed yesterday, what I find encouraging about reports like this vs. when I was a young spouse is not only the fact that the issue is being discussed at all, but that the military itself and other agencies are dedicated to helping spouses keep their own careers afloat while dealing with the ups and downs inherent to life in a military family: relocations, childcare issues, and coping with the ever-changing schedules or deployments of the military member.
I recently polled a few military spouse friends about the issues they've faced in their careers and what advice they'd give to younger spouses. Here's what they had to say.
1) Don't shy away from your military spouse background.
I recall being asked at one of my first job interviews as a spouse: What brings you to the area? Followed quickly by How long will you be here? I hemmed and hawed my way through that interview, didn't give a straight answer to the second question, and (surprisingly) landed the job.
A friend of mine confessed that she's straight out lied at job interviews about how long she'll be in an area and avoided altogether any mention of her husband's military service after being passed over for opportunities several times. However, I'd recommend answering truthfully!
For one, our society is more mobile than ever, so moving often is not unheard of. And secondly, the strength and flexibility you've developed as a military spouse may be to your advantage. In "Do I Tell the Interviewer I'm a Military Spouse?" from Military.com, one job seeker notes that being a military spouse is an asset and makes you "flexible, independent, and a team player."
2) Reinvent yourself.
How many of us have thought, I would leave this job and do something else if only… Well, you get the chance! My friend Debbie Sweitzer commented,
"The advice I'd give would be to find a new short-term career every time you move! I get to reinvent myself and try out new things. And, perhaps, someday, I'll get to choose one and stick with it! I've been an engineer, computer programmer, piano teacher, homeschooling mom, full-time volunteer, pianist, youth leader, and substitute teacher. I'm sure there will be more!"
3) Look for flexible job opportunities like telecommuting or starting a home business.
If you're not keen on switching jobs with every move, perhaps you'd be interested in telecommuting or working remotely with a portable job that you can take with you wherever you go. More and more companies are open to telecommuting, with telework rising 80% since 2005! In fact, telecommuting continued to grow while the total workforce declined.
Remote jobs range across many careers, including nurses manning call centers to editors and writers to graphic artists. Google documents and video conferencing have certainly changed the face of the workforce. One company's president recently made a push for more opportunities for telecommuting in the highly competitive tech field, especially for moms wishing to be home with their children. Other spouses have parlayed their careers into work-at-home situations or started a home business.
4) Be open to building your resume through alternative means, like volunteering.
If you're not able to find the exact job you're looking for, think creatively while you bide your time. Penny Everett, who operates a home business, comments,
"Find something flexible that can be planned into your life. Not planning my life around my job has been key and essential. Loving what you do also makes a huge difference! Be flexible and prepared to accept changes in your career path."
Volunteering can help fill employment gaps or even lead into other paid work. Katie Green notes,
"If you're at a duty station where jobs are limited, volunteer! It's valuable experience that can be put on a resume."
Tanya Saenz adds,
"Volunteering is the best tool to gain experience needed, make new friends, and do something you might not have thought of before!"
5) Challenges with certifications and licensing.
"Careers which require professional licensure are especially challenging. My advice--don't give up. We work hard to get our degrees, experience, and knowledge. Push through the red tape, be flexible, and work to change the laws about professional licensing for military spouses," says Michelle Moore.
Laura Murray faced challenges with keeping certification in her field when she moved overseas and returned and adds,
"Some allowances should be in place for spouses of active duty military."
50% of the respondents on the survey indicated that their chosen career requires some sort of certification or licensing. The initiative by Dr. Jill Biden and Michelle Obama, Joining Forces, seeks to streamline licensing requirements for military members, veterans, and spouses.
At the time of this writing, less than 10 states have passed legislation that expedites professional licenses or certifications for military spouses when they move to a new state. There is much room for improvement. One hopeful sign is a recent bill introduced into the Senate that would offer a tax credit to military spouses who renew or transfer a professional license after an interstate military move.
6) Some final advice: take advantage of resources to further your education or retrain into a different field.
Recognizing the unique challenges of military spouse employment, MSEP (Military Spouse Employment Partnership), as part of the broader goals of SECO (Spouse and Education Career Opportunities) and funded by the DOD, exists to provide training and opportunities for military spouses.
You may also want to take time to further your education or finish your degree, so be sure to take a moment to learn about the scholarships and grants available to military spouses.
7) In addition to those listed above, check out these resources for education and career help:
- The Rosie Network: a nonprofit founded by military spouses to promote the entrepreneurial efforts of veterans and military spouses.
- In Gear Career: addresses the needs of spouses seeking employment opportunities which match their education and experience.
- Military.com: spouse employment resources.


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Criticism - what no one wants to hear, but every digital marketer has endured. Let's face it, criticism can be hurtful and often causes us to question our work. But what if there was a way to turn criticism into a helpful tool for self-improvement? What if those unsolicited negative remarks became career catalysts and sparked growth? The marketers willing to channel the sparks of criticism by following these 6 actions will be rewarded with tremendous career development.
Criticism can scar our work or it can ignite our growth. The choice is ours. (Tweet this)
Filter the Feedback
First, distinguish the useful feedback from the useless. There's a huge difference between naysayers and a well-meaning, insightful expert. To determine which is which, ask yourself these questions. Who is the source? Are they more knowledgeable than you? Do they care about the success of your project or work and the impact on the consumer? Are they trolling?
Useless feedback:
Doesn't leave any room for improvement
Comes from outside your target audience or customers
Goes against your core value or unique selling point
Example: "Hard to take this blog post seriously with bad color choices."
Useful feedback:
Given by customers or people who actually looked at your product or content
Points out a specific problem
Suggests an improvement
Example: "These are useful tips for learning SEO but they're not organized well."
Helpful criticism gives you ideas on how to improve while negative criticism for the sake of being negative doesn't help you.
Say Thank You
It might seem a little strange, but expressing gratitude for negative (and positive) feedback can be extremely beneficial. Saying thank you will soften your worst critics and build trust. Let the critic know you heard their concern and you're giving it thoughtful consideration. For the truly helpful critics, build a relationship (keep your eye out for a potential mentor) and use their insight to improve your product. You can even solicit their feedback for future projects.
Be Proactive
Waiting for someone to verbalize criticism is often a sign you waited too long. Seek out key relationships (manager, co-worker, clients, stakeholders) early and solicit feedback about upcoming projects. Tell them you genuinely want their candid feedback because it is critical to the success of your project and your personal growth. Proactively seeking feedback before you launch a new campaign can save you time and money further down the road (Tweet this).
Make Changes
Take some time to think through the critic's comments and really explore how to incorporate helpful feedback moving forward. What action needs to be taken to improve the project next time? What needs to change? Imagine implementing that feedback, and if it makes sense - do it. Make edits to existing content or products and tell the critic how you implemented their feedback to further build trust.
Dig Deeper
Now that you've listened to criticism and made some changes, look for other opportunities to make improvements. Ask questions to discover new possibilities (Tweet this). Could the solution to this one issue be scaled across the entire company to be more efficient and save money? Do all of your blog posts need a little tweaking? Is there a new market segment you should be targeting? This is where remarkable marketers shine- using learning experiences to add value and continue developing skills.
Take Risks
"What people are afraid of isn't failure. It's blame. Criticism," explains Seth Godin. Don't let the fear of criticism stop you from taking risks because for true growth and innovation, risks are inevitable.
We are all bound to make mistakes, but that's what makes us better in the long run. Learn from your errors and use them as a career catalyst for improvement. Of course aim to avoid mistakes when possible by actively seeking feedback before you fully launch a digital marketing campaign or publish an ebook. Watch for others who have done something similar and learn from their successes or failures.
"Learn from your mistakes and use them as a career catalyst." (Tweet this)
"Be different and follow your own path, even if that means faltering along the way, while facing doubt and criticism from your peers" -Paul Roetzer. Think playfully outside the box, proceed without fear of failure, and see just how far you'll go.
Want to learn more about career opportunities in digital marketing where risks and innovation occur daily? Download the free eBook "Breaking Into Digital Marketing" and get started today.


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Ah, travel recaps. Somehow they always get away from me, and by the time I finish posting them I've been back home for months and the finer details are rapidly escaping me. So it goes with the remainder of my Ireland/Scotland recap. When last I left you, S and I had just returned from a day trip touring the stunning Scottish highlands, and we wrapped up our day with another meal at Henderson's. The very next day, we hopped a flight back to Ireland for the remaining couple days of our overseas adventure.
I've already talked a bit about some Dublin eats, but I've held off on sharing my absolute favorite restaurant in dear dirty Dublin. In fact, it was my favorite eatery on the entire trip, edging out even Henderson's. Shocking! But for its variety, atmosphere, and general delightfulness, Cornucopia takes the vegan cake. It also, coincidentally, serves vegan cake.
With its cheerful red storefront and pleasing, almost tea-room-like interior, Cornucopia is the perfect mix of homey and elegant. Dim (but not dark!) lighting keeps things cozy, and a variety of seating arrangements (benches, chairs, booths, bar stools, tables of assorted sizes) ensure that you're comfortable while you chow down. As with most other places we ate on our trip, patrons select and pay for their meals at the front counter. I'm pretty sold on this arrangement – it lets you preview your food and see what looks the most scrumptious rather than order off a menu with limited, if any, photos. How could I resist ordering something this appealing?
Unlike Henderson's, Cornucopia also features a full staff of friendly folks who are happy to take from-the-table orders if you want dessert or a post-dinner espresso. This saves you from interrupting your meal to wait in line for a hot tea or a slice of a fruity tart:
And beyond all those perks, the food is just plain good. Cornucopia uses many locally grown and organic ingredients, and although it's a vegetarian restaurant, each day it features a variety of vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free, and raw foods. Everything's made in-house for ultimate freshness. S and I dined here three times, and each experience was as pleasant as the last. Cornucopia is often pretty crowded, so we made reservations for two of our visits. Even though it wasn't full when we arrived, we were happy to have reserved spots as we watched the lines get longer and folks filter in.
If you're wondering why I've just half-heartedly inserted photos among the text, it's because I'm a bad, bad blogger and I can't remember everything we ate. I need to start taking notes! For example, I can't with certainty tell you what this meal was, although I know that the basil scone was lovely and that S enjoyed that bowl of a raw, chilled avocado-based soup on two of our dining occasions:
I think it was a potato-cauliflower casserole or gratin-type dish, but I'm not totally sure. I am, however, sure that it was delicious. We did, after all, eat three of our four Dublin dinners at Cornucopia. :)
To make up for my shoddy food bloggery, let me share a photo that I think captures much of what you'll see if you do a tour of Ireland's historical sites. This was taken at Glendalough, a monastic settlement founded in the 6th (!) century.
Ah, Ireland.
What're your tips for remembering meals you ate on vacation? Have you ever been to Ireland?


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Photos by Mason Photography
Prior to getting engaged, I had never given much thought to whether or not I wanted to do a first look. For those of you who aren't familiar, a first look is where the bride and groom see each other for the first time before the wedding ceremony.
Once we started considering whether or not Michael and I wanted to incorporate a first look into our wedding day, I could definitely see the pros and cons. As a pro, you get to see your partner for the first time with no one else around, it's a really special moment for just the two of you. On the other hand, there's that fairytale movie-moment when the groom sees the bride for the first time as she walks down the aisle …
We ultimately decided to do a first look. And I have absolutely no regrets! If you're considering it, read on, I have a few thoughts on why it worked for us!
Perks to a First Look
There are lots of perks to incorporating a first look into your wedding day so let's chat …
- Calming the Nerves // Your wedding day is likely to be a busy day! A first look is a great way to have a minute to see your partner prior to walking down the aisle before the rest of the evening becomes even more of a whirlwind.
- Special Moment, Just the Two of You // A first look is a great opportunity for the couple to have a special moment prior to being surrounded by family and friends for the rest of the wedding day.
- Wedding Party Photos Prior to the Ceremony // With a first look you're able to knock out couple portraits as well as all of the wedding party photos prior to the ceremony. Yes, this means you and your wedding party may have to be ready a tad bit earlier in the day, but it also means that you won't miss any of the cocktail hour or reception following the ceremony!
- Timing // If you're having a winter wedding, a first look may be the best idea simply because of the amount of daylight you're working with on your wedding day. Unless your ceremony is scheduled for early in the afternoon, you're not going to have a lot of time after the ceremony for formal couples photos and wedding party photos.
Our First Look
Michael and I ultimately decided to do a first look for several reasons.
I knew I'd be nervous to walk down the aisle with everyone's eyes on me and I didn't want that to be the first moment I saw Michael. I wanted a minute to see him prior to the ceremony as I knew that would calm my nerves. In hindsight, our wedding day was pretty laid back, and I actually don't think I would have been that nervous to walk down the aisle, BUT something I didn't foresee was the fact that I'd be walking in sand. So while I don't think I would have been that nervous, I spent most of my walk looking down, trying not to trip over my dress in the sand. 🙂 So I'm glad we had a moment to take everything in prior to the actual ceremony.
Another reason we chose to do a first look was so that we could go ahead and knock out all of our formal, couple photos and wedding party photos before the ceremony. We wanted to do this for a couple of reasons: 1) so we, along with our wedding party, could head straight into the cocktail hour/reception, and 2) our wedding was in January so we were limited with the amount of daylight we had to work with after our ceremony.
I loved our experience with our first look! It was so much fun to see Michael and get to chat with him before the ceremony. It was so relaxed and one of those "ok, we're getting married!" exciting moments.
After we had some time alone, our wedding party joined us for photos. We wandered around the Baha Mar property to get all the shots. Our photographer and videographers were awesome and so efficient! We finished up with photos about 30 minutes prior to Michael and I needing to be at the ceremony.
Everyone left and headed down to the beach while Michael and I had time to walk around the resort together and take a few more breaths before the evening started. We actually ran into a few of our guests along the way who were heading to the ceremony – we scared them a bit and told them they'd missed the whole thing! Ha
If you're considered making a first look part of your wedding day, I highly recommend going with your gut. Our first look didn't take anything away from having that "walking down the aisle" moment. The most important thing is for you to do what you and your partner want to do! Either way, you won't regret it.
Photos by Mason Photography


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May is the last month for enjoying our CSA produce share. I'm looking forward to a break from driving down to the market often (a 25-30 minute drive on Saturday mornings), but I'm also going to miss the fresh harvest shares. If you're new to the idea of a CSA, let's recap.
CSA is short for Community Supported/Sustained Agriculture. Crop Share is another common term for this.
A CSA allows consumers to support local, small farms and provides these farms with the assurance (through an upfront financial commitment) that consumers are invested in their hard work and future harvest. The consumer (that's you and me) pledges to pay a farm upfront for future harvest shares provided by the farm. The farm pledges to grow, tend to, and deliver the harvest to the customer over a certain period of time. A CSA can be strictly for produce, while others may include meat, eggs, milk, and even cheese. Of course, this depends on what the farm grows or raises, or if the farm partners with another farm in the area (think: a veggie farm partners with a dairy farm).
The CSA we joined with Little Pond Farm is strictly for veggies and some fruit (think Florida fruit: strawberries, watermelon, etc.). I'll admit, when I first wrote the check to cover eight month's worth of produce I was intimidated. Financially committing to that much produce (that was our CSA program, every program differs) was a new experience for me. After two months of harvest boxes, I fell in love with being part of a CSA and realized the many advantages of purchasing food this way.
Joining a CSA has been the best way to get out of a food-buying rut, particularly when it comes to produce. Joining a CSA has challenged me to find creative ways to prepare and enjoy new veggies. After all, I don't want to waste my money or disrespect the farm's time and effort. Thanks to our produce CSA, I've fallen in love with veggies that I would have passed up if the shopping was up to me. If I don't know how to use something (like kohlrabi), I can always find helpful tips and recipe suggestions from the farm and Google.
Lately, I've been receiving a ton of leeks and potatoes in my CSA box. Naturally, leek and potato soup has become a regular meal on my meal plan calendar. I've made a number of different leek and potato soup recipes over the years, and today's recipe is my absolute favorite.
The classic, hearty soup takes less than 45 minutes to make on the stove-top. (I'm sure it could also be made in the Instant Pot.) Sour cream is added during the last few minutes of cooking time to add that classic creamed soup experience.
Soup not only makes for a nourishing dinner, but also a great prep-ahead lunch meal. When I'm not cooking a whole chicken, or putting together a bowl-style lunch, soup (and, lately, this soup) is my go-to make-ahead lunch. Serve the soup alongside a sandwich, crackers and fruit, or a salad.
Leek and Potato Soup
- 2 TB butter
- 2 large leeks * sliced (about 3 cups once sliced)
- 1 cup chopped celery about 2-3 ribs
- 1 cup chopped carrots about 2-3 carrots
- 4 cups chopped Yukon gold potatoes about 3-4 potatoes
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1.5 tsp dried oregano
- 1.5 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 1/2 tsp salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper to taste
- 6 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ½ cup full-fat sour cream
Special Equipment:
- Dutch oven or a large soup pot
- small bowl
- In a Dutch oven or a soup large pot (3 quart or larger), melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Add the sliced leeks and saute for 5 minutes. Add the celery and carrots. Saute for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften and sweat.
- Add the potatoes and garlic, and saute another for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the oregano, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, and broth.
- Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the soup for about 25 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.
- Remove the soup from the heat source. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth.
- Spoon the sour cream into a small bowl. Whisk 2 tablespoons of hot soup into the sour cream.
- Stir the (now tempered) sour cream mixture into the soup. Serve warm.


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"Daddy's magic thinking juice." This is how I often describe the bottles and cans in my fridge, much to the confusion of friends and family.
"I didn't know you even had kids," they say, cautiously. "Nor that your shame over your escalating drinking problem is such that you feel a need to use an elaborate euphemism to conceal the scale of the problem from your loved ones."
Well, neither thing is true. Often, alcohol consumption is linked to parenthood often in one's frolicky teen years but I only have a nodding relationship to both concepts. No, I describe my onhand inventory of soda that way because over the course of a long writing day, a glass of something fizzy and tasty helps to grease the gears of productivity. When I'm in my last 20 days before a book deadline, my blood is about 20% phosphoric acid.
The Soda Protocols by Andy Ihnatko.
We went down the route of the diet soda long time ago, too. Full-sugar beverages taste excessively cloying to me most of the time. A couple of years ago I started to worry about the amount of artificial sweeteners I was drinking, and cut out carbonated sweetened beverages completely for a while, but the habit didn't stick. Last summer I rediscovered Spezi, and went wild with fruit flavourings: slicing up half an orange or lemon (or both!), crushing them into the bottom of a cup, and filling it up with diet cola. This has the side benefit of making cheap off-brand diet cola taste wildly excellent.
My current preferred carbonated beverage is diet cola with a splash of orange juice, ideally the kind with lots of pulp. The pulp floats to the surface, and forms an orange-brown felted mat on the surface of the drink. To the uninitiated it looks like swamp water, but it's fruity and refreshing with all same caffeinated goodness. In terms of protocols, I have two that I'm trying to stick to for my standard daily at-home routine:
- No caffeinated beverages after about 18:00 (ish). I find I get to sleep more easily without caffeine in the evening.
- Stick to 300ml mugs and cups. If I put the drink in a larger cup or mug, I drink it just as fast, and return to the kitchen just as often. That leads to increased bladder pressure and more bouncing around in my chair.
(Exceptions apply.)
When I'm in the office in Edinburgh, I drink my cola from cans or bottles. I drink more slowly from cans and bottles, because I tend to take a single sip and then put the container aside for a while. With a cup or a mug, I'm much more inclined to take several gulps at once, or drain it from half-way full. I don't understand the psychology here. I suspect it's because of the social pressure – when I'm surrounded by co-workers, I'm more inclined to show moderation.


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We spent an afternoon at the small but interesting TMA. The museum is heavily focused on western art and southwestern art as might be expected of a small regional museum. The collections are also very inclusive of Native American art forms as well as Mexican and South American folk art. An interesting point that comes through at this museum is the differentiation that does not but should exist in defining all Native American art as a single entity. In fact there are significant artistic differences between the multitude of tribes and Native Americans prefer to be identified as a member of their particular tribe or nation.
TMA also participates with the Kasser Mochary Art Foundation to bring notable works to the museum as 'loaned" pieces. The last painting pictured below is one of the current loaned pieces. A beautiful Manet.
Definitely worth a visit when you are in Tucson.