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Tag: conversation prompts
Portrait of Lotte
2.41K Views0 Comments1 Likes
This short video has no words in it, yet it speaks volumes and it serves as a great conversation starter. Father and filmmaker Frans Hofmeester took a 15 second clip of his daughter every week for 14 years. The resul...

subset: commoncrawl


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Friendship Bracelets
Our Friendship Bracelets/Wristbands are individually handcrafted and sourced directly from Peru. As such, no two bracelets are truly identical.
The legend behind friendship bracelets states that they should be bought for a friend and tied on to their wrist. At that time the friend makes a wish - the bracelet is worn until it falls off - at which time their wish will come true. Let us know !


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|Holy Kitab I Iqan
English translation provided by Bahai World Center
taken from http://www.sacred-texts.com/bhi/iqa.htm
Arabic text taken from
He standeth exalted beyond and above all separation and union, all proximity and remoteness. No sign can indicate His presence or His absence; inasmuch as by a word of His command all that are in heaven and on earth have come to exist, and by His wish, which is the Primal Will itself, all have stepped out of utter nothingness into the realm of being, the world of the visible.
Gracious God! How could there be conceived any existing relationship or possible connection between His Word and they that are created of it? The verse: "God would have you beware of Himself" [Qur�an 3:28.] unmistakably beareth witness to the reality of Our argument, and the words: "God was alone; there was none else besides Him" are a sure testimony of its truth. All the Prophets of God and their chosen Ones, all the divines, the sages, and the wise of every generation, unanimously recognize their inability to attain unto the comprehension of that Quintessence of all truth, and confess their incapacity to grasp Him, Who is the inmost Reality of all things.


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"NBC Nightly News" is hanging on to its ratings leadership without Brian Williams.
The evening news broadcast anchored by Lester Holt while Williams is suspended averaged 10.1 million viewers for the week of Feb. 16-20, according to Nielsen.
That topped "ABC World News Tonight" with David Muir (9.7 million) and the "CBS Evening News" with Scott Pelley (8.5 million).
It's also an improvement of 673,000 viewers over the previous week.
Holt took over for Williams on Feb. 9. Williams has been suspended for six months without pay for having aired an erroneous report in which he said he was on a Chinook helicopter that was hit and forced down by enemy fire when he was covering the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. His work is being reviewed by NBC News to determine if there have been other discrepancies.
Holt has been Williams' primary substitute in recent years and he has often maintained the broadcast's ratings when he was in the chair.
But "NBC Nightly News" did lose its advantage among viewers in the 25- to 54-year-old age group that advertisers favor when they buy spots in news programming.
"World News Tonight" won the week in that category, edging "Nightly" by about 17,000 viewers. It was the first weekly victory in the demographic for ABC since the week of Dec. 29.


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Innovation Days Brings Record Attendance
May 14, 2013
DMG/Mori Seiki USA, recently announced record attendance at its Innovation Days 2013. The event, which ran May 7-10, welcomed 3,208 visitors from more than 10 countries. The attendance represents a 45 percent increase from 2012. This is the ninth year DMG/Mori Seiki has hosted employees, partners, customers and potential customers at its U.S. headquarters. Randy Harland, executive vice president of sales, attributes the event's success to both substance and consistency. "People know they can come here and see changes in manufacturing processes from each year to the next, so we get a lot of repeat customers coming back and also spreading the word that this is the place to be," says Harland.
Highlights and hot topics at Innovation Days 2013 included:
•Five U.S. machine premieres: While Innovation Days boasts 45 machines under power, five made their U.S. debut at Innovation Days. Those machines include the DMC 85 monoBLOCK, the Vertical Mate 125, the NVX7000/50, the NLX1500SY/500 and the NLX2000SY/700. Attendees experienced dynamic demonstrations on all machines.
•Presentation of NIMS accreditation: The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) was on hand to present DMG/Mori Seiki University (DMSU) with its official accreditation for its CNC machining and maintenance training programs.
•Gear Milling technology advancements: DMG/Mori Seiki Manager of Gear Production Nitin Chaphalkar, and Nicklas Byland, InvoMilling project manager at Sandvik Coromant, presented the InvoMilling process, a new machining technique that allows faster, more efficient production of spur and helical gears in multitask machines and machining centers. The new technology was a highlight for many attendees as the need for flexible manufacturing increases.
•Student Day: DMSU welcomed more than 200 Chicago-area high school students to increase awareness of and enthusiasm for the machine tool industry. To further students' interest in manufacturing, 18-year-old Andretti Autosports Indy Lights driver Zach Veach spoke to students about the importance of machining and manufacturing in the racing industry.
Ronda Turner Peterson, CEO with Peterson Machining located in Boulder, Colorado attends Innovation Days to help her company forecast new offerings. "We're a job shop, so our product changes all the time. We like to see what's up and coming and what areas we might want to move into for our next (machine) purchase," Peterson says.
DMG/Mori Seiki looks forward to hosting future successful Innovation Days events as well as sharing more groundbreaking technologies at EMO 2013 in Hannover, Germany September 16-21.
For more information:
|DMG/Mori Seiki


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Four months!!! How has time passed so quickly? What have I been doing? Not blogging, obviously. Sorry about that! Well, here I am back again … and here's a bit of an update on my writing and editing and other activities. Tutoring … yes, a lot. The 2018-2019 school year has been my busiest yet … Continue reading
Category Archives: Writing activities
What Am I Doing These Days?
I was reminded the other day that I haven't done an update recently about my personal writing and editing activities. So here's a quick summary! OWL: Okanagan-South Writers' League: I continue to be actively involved with our local writers' group. You can find out more about us at our OWL Facebook page. Word Guild South … Continue reading
Beta Readers
Beta readers are wonderful, helpful people who will read your manuscript, and give you honest feedback, as part of your editing process, to help you make your book (or other writing) the best it can be. They will take a look at the whole manuscript, and think about themes, plot (and plot holes), characterization, and other … Continue reading
Changes for Authors
Writing in the Online World: Changes for Authors: • Traditional publishing, self-publishing, hybrid publishing: so many choices: Writing used to belong to a select group of recognised authors who were chosen and supported by gatekeepers, the traditional publishers. There have been some self-publishing options, but too often these were "vanity publishers" who charged a high … Continue reading
Happy New Year 2017 update
My Christmas holidays really did turn out to be more of a "holiday" than I expected as I came down with a major cold, vertigo, and some pretty wicked back pain. So I ended up doing a lot of enforced relaxing. I did quite a bit of colouring on postcards I got last Christmas (2015); … Continue reading
Christmas Planning
This week has been a bit of a change from the last while. Could it have something to do with the time of year? Oh yes … Christmas planning! Clean out closets and shed — getting ready for Christmas guests 🙂 I finally decided on this year's family Christmas gift. Some years ago for NaNoWriMo, … Continue reading
Actually Doing!
Oh my goodness! Another 2 weeks have passed! What have I done (besides my usual tutoring and editing business)? As I mentioned in my last update, I really want to back off a bit on my "learning" and get busy actually doing some writing, speaking, and more editing. And I'm starting to succeed with that … Continue reading
More workshops and learning
It is astonishing how quickly time passes! How have more than two weeks passed in the blink of an eye? What have I been doing? Writing: Reading through over 830 blog posts in My Church Journey and contemplating on how I might put some of them together as a book. Copy and pasting possible posts to … Continue reading
Workshop preparations and more
It's been a busy two weeks for Pen and Paper Mama Services. I've been taking all that reading and research I did over the summer while my right arm was out of commission, and am turning it into practical and informative workshops to be presented in October and November here in the Okanagan Valley (this … Continue reading
Weekly Update and Finding My Passion
A week ago I made my update list of my writing and publishing related activities of the previous week–and forgot to post it. Then, thinking I had posted it, I deleted it to the Recycle Bin. Today I was starting my list for this past week, and suddenly realized I'd not posted the previous week's update. … Continue reading


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FEATURED! Fashion Reverie loves our Winston Coat!
Fashion Reverie Magazine loves our Fall 2014 Winston Coat! With Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week less than a week away, there are those seasoned...View Garment Details Read More
FEATURED! Fashion Rooftop loves Fall florals
Fashion Rooftop loves Fall florals including our gorgeous Fall 2014 Winston...View Garment Details Read More
FEATURED! Fashion Anarchist Says, "Christiana J. Paul RTW Fall 2014 redefines what you know about elegance."
Being elegant takes a lot of effort. First you need to know what you wearing in order to know where to shop. There is nothing better than...View Garment Details Read More
FEATURED! Detroit's Styleline Magazine Oct 2014 Issue
Read all about the designer, the Christiana J. Paul label, and view a few elegant selections from our Fall 2014...View Garment Details Read More
FEATURED! Getting ready for the holidays?
Fashion Rooftop has some gorgeous ideas for WHAT TO WEAR including our laser cut leather Bernard...View Garment Details Read More
Fashion on Rock raves about Christiana J. Paul
Fashion on Rock write rave reviews on Christiana J. Paul Spring 2015 collection. "The Christiana J. Paul Spring 2015 collection is full of...View Garment Details Read More
Christiana J. Paul featured in Trend Prive Magazine
We placed in the top 10 of the most voted designers and editorials in the Fall 2014 issued of Trend Prive...View Garment Details Read More
Video – Christiana J. Paul talks F/W 2014
FEATURE VIDEO! During our last trade show we had the opportunity to talk about the Christiana J. Paul brand and our latest F/W 2014...View Garment Details Read More
CJP – featured in fashion shoot!
FEATURED! Our gorgeous Spring 2014 Edward Dress, Preston Dress, and Alberto Coat were featured in a recent beauty shoot! Our breath was...View Garment Details Read More
On The Green Carpet with Chef Anne Burrell and Nancy Grace
Shannon Oleen, a motivational speaker, looked beautiful in a custom made Christiana J. Paul dress while interviewing Chef Anne Burrell,...View Garment Details Read More
Interview Spotlight: Fashion Designer Christina Liedtke
Award-winning motivational speaker, Shannon Oleen, interviews Christina Liedtke, Founder and Designer of Christiana J Paul. In this...View Garment Details Read More
On the red carpet with Shannon Oleen
Shannon Oleen looked gorgeous in Christiana J. Paul's Preston dress at the Variety Children fundraising event on March 27th. They...View Garment Details Read More
Carol Roth catches up with Christiana J. Paul
One year after her first interview, Carol Roth catches up with Christina Liedtke, lead designer for Christiana J. Paul and hears more...View Garment Details Read More
New York Fashion Week 2014
Wearing the Asher dress from the Fall 2014 collection, designer Sasha Iastremska of Kiev, Ukraine attends New York Fashion Week February...View Garment Details Read More
Asher Dress
With soft, sleek lines, cap sleeves, fitted waist, and impeccable finishes, the Asher Dress is simultaneously classic, flirtatious and direct.View Garment Details Read More


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Reasons Why I Believe the Theory of Evolution is False
My background is in biochemistry, so the most compelling (to me) evidence that the Darwinian theory of evolution is false comes from DNA. DNA is described as the most compact holder of information in the universe. In all our experience, information comes from an intelligent source. When we see words written down into meaningful ideas, we don't think they came there by random chance of ink molecules on a page. The information needed to build a human being is so incredible and immense, it is difficult to imagine it coming about by random chance.
Nearly all the work in living systems is performed by proteins. Proteins are strings of amino acids folded into complex forms that then act as molecular machines in the body. They can be antibodies, which take down foreign invaders. They act as the transportation systems and messenger systems in the body. They build the structural components of the body.
Proteins are manufactured from the DNA. A certain sequence of DNA brings together certain amino acids to form a certain protein. The DNA is like the blueprint for building the protein. Once the string of amino acids are formed, they will then fold themselves into the working protein. If it's not folded right, based on its sequence of amino it won't function.
Darwin's theory of natural selection says that once in a great while, a mutation to the DNA will have beneficial effect. The organism with that mutated DNA will be better able to survive, and its genes will be passed on to the next generation. Darwin's natural selection can only apply to living organisms that already have DNA (nothing lives without DNA). Evolution totally fails to explain how chemicals formed themselves together into life. Darwin did not really even address the issue.
Darwin believed that we evolved from single celled life. Yet natural selection cannot explain where the new genetic information came from. Even the most simple life forms - single celled organisms have DNA molecules to form them that are millions of base pairs long. How did that come together by random chance? There is not even natural selection to guide it, because none of the molecules involved have life.
The mutations he described in natural selection delete information, they don't add new information. Say you have a DNA sequence ATTAC and you manage to get a mutation so that sequence become ATTAT. What happens is that the protein that that section of DNA was supposed to encode for becomes non functional. And if through millions of years of chance, that one time it forms a different protein, how would it get folded properly to function? Most mutation leads to death of the organism.
New research has shown that the DNA molecule is read backward and forward! You read it one way and it makes a protein, you read it backwards and it makes a different protein! This to me is the most compelling evidence against evolution. A beneficial mutation might happen once in a million years, but the mutation that would have to happen to the protein being formed in the opposite direction would have to be positive also.
Irreducible Complexity
Another idea that speaks volumes against Darwinian evolution is the idea of irreducible complexity. Take an eye, for example. A complex organ such of this has hundreds of component parts that must all be assembled together for the whole to function. The component parts don't have any function by themselves. A simpler illustration is a mouse trap. The component parts don't do anything. There's no reason to select for the component parts -- they are useless by themselves. A whole mousetrap with all its component parts are needed to come together at once for the trap to operate. Darwin himself admitted that if a structure was so complex that it couldn't come together by incremental changes, then his theory is invalid. Even in "simple" organisms like a bacteria, systems are so complex that they need many component parts of an organ to come together all at once for the organ to function, an example being bacterial flagellum.
Questioning Evolution not Allowed
No one is allowed to question theory of evolution in universities or in scientific journals. I find this interesting and quite non-scientific. Maybe there's another agenda involved.
Expelled, No Intelligence Allowed
Some Useful Sources
If you are really seeking answers about evolution or creation, I recommend the first two videos at least. All of them are helpful though.
Lee Strobel The Case for a Creator
Unlocking the Mysteries of Life
Privileged Planet
Darwin's Dilemma
Dr. AE Wilder-Smith on the Origin of Life
Billy Crone on Intelligent Design
Evolution vs. God


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My mum cooked fried macaroni quite regularly when I was growing up. It was very popular with some of my friends who used to request it before they came over. I haven't made it before but I thought I should give it a go this weekend. I only got a rough recipe from her so I recorded what I did for others who might be interested to try it. It's similar to fried rice but instead of rice, you use macaroni. It's really simple and you can tweak it to your own taste. Richard and his mate, Stephen, gave it two thumbs up!
300g macaroni
1 medium sized brown onion, sliced
2 tsp minced garlic
300g minced beef
200g frozen vegetables, defrosted
1 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
7 tbsp tomato sauce
3 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
Salt & Pepper
2 tbsp fried shallots (optional)
1 stalk spring onion to garnish, sliced
1. Cook macaroni as directed. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Fry onions for a minute and add minced beef. Sprinkle curry powder over mince and fry till mince is browned.
3. Add garlic and fry till fragrant.
4. Add vegetables and fry till cooked.
5. Lower heat and add macaroni. Stir well.
6. In a bowl, mix well tomato sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar. Pour into wok and stir to coat the macaroni.
7. Season well with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Turn off heat and add fried shallots. Stir through. Garnish with spring onion.
Serves 4-6.{ 5 comments }
I normally bake muffins using the store-bought muffin mix. I don't really like baking them because they taste pretty ordinary. But the last two weeks I've had a craving for muffins. It's been a while since I've had them and when my friend gave me this recipe, I thought I'll just have to bake them as a Thank God It's Friday! reward to myself and Richard.
I'm almost ashamed to say this but I don't think I've ever made muffins from scratch. I was quite nervous at how they'll turn out. My friend gave me this recipe from a magazine and she had never tried this recipe out herself.
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All I can say is that I wish you were here to taste this! It's absolutely beautiful! They are by far the best muffins I've ever had! I'm not kidding. The recipe is super easy and I think just about anyone can make this. I don't think you'll ever see a box of muffin mix in my trolley ever again!
Recipe (PDF)
Begedil is basically mashed potato shaped into patties, coated with egg and fried. It's one of my all-time favourite comfort food. I was looking for a recipe on the internet and didn't find one I really liked so I made it up as I went. It turned out very good, especially with the minced beef variation and Cereal Prawns coating!
4 large potatoes – skin peeled, diced, boiled and mashed
3 spring onions, sliced
2 tbsp fried shallots
150g minced beef + 1 tbsp curry powder – mix together, fry till beef is cooked
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
1/2 packet of Cereal Prawns (optional)
Oil for deep frying
1. Mix together mashed potatoes, spring onions, fried shallots and cooked minced beef.
2. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Shape into golf balls and flatten into patties.
4. Heat oil to medium-high heat.
5. Coat patties in egg then cereal prawns coating (optional) and fry a few at a time.
Makes about 21.
Tip: Make sure you check the temperature of the oil between batches by placing a drop of egg into the oil. If it fries quickly and floats to the top straight away, it's too hot. It should sizzle with small bubbles and slowly rise to the surface.{ Comments Off on Begedil Recipe }
Happy New Year everyone! I made tuna loaf for lunch and it was delicious with chutney and salad. It was ridiculously easy to make. I got the recipe of a woman's magazine.
1/2 cup skim milk
3 eggs
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pitted sliced black olives
425g can tuna in spring water, drained
1 cup grated cheese
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mustard powder
1/3 cup plain flour
2 tbspns chopped chives
Salt & pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour into a 12cm x 22cm loaf pan. (I used a large quiche dish.) Place pan on oven tray.
3. Cook in oven for 45mins or until golden and firm to touch. Stand in pan for 5mins. Turn out onto a plate.
4. Serve with chutney and salad. Serves 6.
Very yummy – A moist alternative to regular muesli bars.
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup sultanas or raisins
½ cup chocolate chips
½ cup self-raising flour, sifted
½ cup raw sugar
½ cup shredded coconut
155g butter, melted
1 tbsp honey
1. Combine oats, sultanas, chocolate chip, flour, sugar and coconut in large bowl.
2. Add melted butter and honey into dry ingredients; mix until mixture clings together.
3. Preheat oven to 190 deg C.
4. Press evenly over base of well-greased 28cmx18cm lamington tin.
5.Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden. Cut into bars while hot, remove from tin when cold.
Recipe adapted from "The Australian Women's Weekly: The Big Book of Beautiful Biscuits"{ 1 comment }


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Apple fanboys, I have something for you.
According to data released by Forrester Research on Friday, during 2008 Apple enjoyed a decisive lead in the firm's Customer Experience Index (or CxPi). In short, this means Apple is supposedly the most lovely PC maker in the world, while Dell is the worst.
Forrester conducted its survey in October 2008 by asking 4,564 U.S. consumers about their interactions with a variety of companies, gauging the usefulness, usability, and enjoyability of those experiences. Based on these consumer responses, the firm calculated the CxPi for 113 firms in 12 different industries, including PC makers.
The ratings were compiled based on the answers to the following three questions: How effective was the company at meeting your needs? How easy was it to work with this firm? And how enjoyable were the interactions? Participants selected responses to these queries from a five-point scale. The individual indexes were calculated by taking the percentage of consumers who selected one of the top two points and subtracting from that the percentage of consumers who selected one of the bottom two points.
The research firm concluded in its report that Apple--whose rating is 80 percent, which is 14 points higher than that of the next firm on the list, Gateway--is the only PC vendor that earned a rating of "good"; the rest, including Gateway, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq, and Dell ended up with designations of either "OK" or "Poor." Apple's reported "ease of use" largely helped it take the lead.
Personally, I think it's interesting that Apple was put in the PC-makers group despite the fact the that company itself has consistency avoided "PC" as a label, and makes an effort to be in a different category. A while ago, Greenpeace also lumped Apple in with PC manufacturers in its Guide to Greener report.
While both Macs and PCs are designed to do pretty much the same thing, the PC industry consists of thousands of different hardware and software vendors around the world. Apple, on the other hand, exists in a very controlled environment in which it's the only company that makes Macs. This means Apple has significant advantages over PC makers when it comes to user experience; thus it should probably be considered in a category of its own.
It is also interesting that Forrester's survey looked at HP and Compaq as two separate companies, considering HP acquired Compaq way back in 2001.
Nonetheless, the results of Forrester's survery clearly indicate that that PC makers have a lot of work to do to make their customers happy. I think they should start by not selling their computers preloaded with a lot of junk software.
11 TV shows to watch after Game of Thrones ends: Need to fill your Game of Thrones void? These shows might do the trick.
Devilish David Tennant is a hell of lot of fun in Good Omens: Apocalyptic new miniseries adapts Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's book.


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Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Legal, Financial, Idioms, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia.
1. A chopping stroke made with the edge of the hand in massage.
2. Illicit entry into computer systems to access health care data or other personal information.
hacking (haˑ·king),
n a massage technique consisting of quick, rhythmic chops, using the blade of the hand. See also tapotement.


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Students seeking teacher certification in economics should note that besides economics, the new standards established by Michigan State Board of Education require basic knowledge of geography, history, and political science. Students can qualify for certification by taking the following coursework:
Economics Minor with Teacher Certification
In addition students must take the following or equivalent to obtain basic knowledge in political science, history and geography:
Besides course work, students are required to obtain a satisfactory score in the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in economics. For further details, please contact the Chair of the department.
Click here for the program description.


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俄羅斯學園 22 身體檢查
The Russian Institute is abuzz with excitement. A young and gorgeously sexy doctor has just joined and all the female students in uniform can't wait to get to know him. Time for some real competition. It's up to the girls to be as bitchy and flirty as possible to win the young doctor's attention and have their wicked way with him. Longing glances, sensual stripteases, and deep throating. There are lots of ways to convince him to give in to temptation. Once in his expert hands, they will undergo a full examination with his stethoscope, hands, and fingers before surrendering themselves to an unadulterated sexual pleasure.


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The difference between having the right and wrong keyword, can be directly correlated to how easily a searcher finds a business.
New York, NY (PRWEB) March 11, 2014
Internet marketing agency Eye To Ad Media announces they will now be offering complimentary keyword research to their clients' custom SEO campaigns. Having a business is one thing, but being able to be easily located online is another. The right industry words can make all the difference. When potential prospects search for products and services, the internet is a friend that is commonly turned to.
Often times the consumer does not know a business name and will search more general terms in relation to what they are looking for. Major search houses store a tremendous amount of information that they will retrieve when an inquiry best matches their database. In many cases, there will be several thousand results. This can sometimes make getting to the top of the SERP's a difficult and daunting challenge.
Fortunately, the company simplifies the process for business owners. Upon a strategic internet campaign being devised, a specialist will take the specific industry information and formulate the best target words for optimal results. Ultimately this can be the beginning of bringing together ambiguous searches to the specific businesses they are seeking.
Being found on search engines is only part of the equation however. Having an aesthetically pleasing website that appeals to the target audience is another. Sites that don't encourage conversions can be prone to a host of problems. One of which is that it can have a direct correlation to performance of an internet marketing plan.
The company offers a wide variety of media services ranging from website development, broadcasting, graphic design, copywriting, video production, logo design, direct mail, flier creation, voice overs and protocol refinement. Business owners that are looking for creative and diverse ways to increase lead generation can potentially greatly benefit from contacting a consultant.
Business owners are finding out that traditional forms of advertising, such as the phone book and direct mail are beginning to be replaced by digital media. While there will most likely always be a place for old fashioned paper campaigns, companies that overlook online marketing will surely be losing out on market share. On any given day, there are hundreds of thousands of people all over the world getting online to find the answers and solutions they are looking for. Savvy entrepreneurs are taking advantage of one of the warmest pipelines available for lead generation, the World Wide Web.
Lead generation can be a tricky business. A campaign done correctly can be efficient with high conversions, whereas marketing done incorrectly can be inefficient and yield poor results; not to mention very costly no matter which way you do it. Fortunately this exceptional advertising company has highly trained consultants that can help business owners streamline and simplify their marketing efforts. Please visit their website at http://www.eyetoad.com or contact a representative at the phone number provided within this article.
Contact Information:
Zach Wennstedt


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- Research
- Open Access
Interferon signaling patterns in peripheral blood lymphocytes may predict clinical outcome after high-dose interferon therapy in melanoma patients
- Diana L Simons1,
- Gerald Lee1,
- John M Kirkwood2Email author and
- Peter P Lee1Email author
© Simons et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2011
- Received: 9 February 2011
- Accepted: 5 May 2011
- Published: 5 May 2011
High-dose Interferon (HDI) therapy produces a clinical response and achieves relapse-free survival in 20-33% of patients with operable high risk or metastatic melanoma. However, patients may develop significant side effects frequently necessitating dose reduction or discontinuation of therapy. We recently showed that peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from some melanoma patients have impaired interferon (IFN) signaling which could be restored with high concentrations of IFN. This exploratory study evaluated IFN signaling in PBL of melanoma patients to assess whether the restoration of PBL IFN signaling may predict a beneficial effect for HDI in melanoma patients.
PBL from 14 melanoma patients harvested on Day 0 and Day 29 of neoadjuvant HDI induction therapy were analyzed using phosflow to assess their interferon signaling patterns through IFN-α induced phosphorylation of STAT1-Y701.
Patients who had a clinical response to HDI showed a lower PBL interferon signaling capacity than non-responders at baseline (Day 0). Additionally, clinical responders and patients with good long-term outcome showed a significant increase in their PBL interferon signaling from Day 0 to Day 29 compared to clinical non-responders and patients that developed metastatic disease. The differences in STAT1 activation from pre- to post- HDI treatment could distinguish between patients who were inclined to have a favorable or unfavorable outcome.
While the sample size is small, these results suggest that interferon signaling patterns in PBL correlate with clinical responses and may predict clinical outcome after HDI in patients with melanoma. A larger confirmatory study is warranted, which may yield a novel approach to select patients for HDI therapy.
- Melanoma
- High-Dose Interferon
- Lymphocyte Signaling
High-dose Interferon (HDI) therapy produces a clinical response and achieves relapse-free survival in 20-33% of patients with operable high risk or metastatic melanoma [1–9]. However, patients may develop significant side effects frequently necessitating dose reduction or discontinuation of therapy. Therefore, approaches to select patients for initiation and/or maintenance on HDI therapy would be very useful.
While interferon has been shown to induce anti-tumor effects such as anti-proliferative, anti-vascular [10] and pro-apoptotic effects [11], it has also been suggested that HDI therapy mediates its effects through modulating the immune response [12]. Indeed development of autoimmunity [13] and a certain serum cytokine profile [14] have been shown to correlate with clinical responses in HDI adjuvant treated melanoma patients. Nonetheless, the mechanism of HDI's immunomodulatory roles is unclear and it is uncertain how these correspond with the autoimmune effects induced by IFN therapy.
We recently showed that peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from patients with melanoma and other cancers have reduced phosphorylation of signal transducer and activators of transcription 1 (pSTAT1) upon Interferon-α (IFN-α) stimulation, demonstrating a defect in Type I IFN signaling [15, 16]. Moreover, such defects could be partially restored by prolonged stimulation with IFN [15]. This offered a possible mechanism for the beneficial effect of HDI therapy in melanoma patients, and also suggested a way to select patients for therapy based on their PBL IFN signaling patterns.
Type I IFNs (α/β) have been recognized to have important and diverse immunoregulatory functions. These include promoting proliferation and clonal expansion of CD4 and CD8 T cells [17–20], enhancing antibody production of B cells [21, 22], and increasing cytotoxic activity of natural killer cells (NK) and CD8 T cells [23, 24]. IFN also has negative effects on the activation and proliferation of T regulatory cells (Tregs) [25], which are known for their immunosuppressive roles in cancer. With the advancement of flow cytometry-based assays, signaling profiles of immune cells can be measured with increased sensitivity through phospho-flow (phosflow) analysis, which provides the ability to concurrently measure signaling activities within multiple cell types.
In the present study, we measured IFN signaling responses in peripheral blood lymphocytes from stage IIIB-C melanoma patients taken before treatment and at day 29 of neo-adjuvant HDI therapy. In addition, all of these patients continued on a maintenance regimen of HDI post surgical resection. Archived peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were assessed using phosflow to measure Type I IFN signaling responses through IFN-α induced phosphorylation of STAT1-Y701 in patients undergoing HDI therapy with known short-term clinical responses and long-term clinical outcome. This exploratory study found that there was a correlation in PBL T cells between response to IFN-α induced STAT1 activation and clinical responses during the induction phase of HDI. Moreover, we were able to correlate STAT1 activation in T cells from HDI treated melanoma patients over the 4-week induction phase to clinical outcome, demonstrating that measuring the IFN signaling patterns in peripheral blood lymphocytes may be useful to select patients who are more likely to benefit from HDI maintenance therapy.
Patient Characteristics
Patient characteristics and clinical outcome of HDI treated melanoma patients
Patient ID
Age (y) *
Clinical Response
Status at Follow-up
HDI Completed
Duration of Disease Free (mo)
Current status
Y, DRx2
Y, DRx2
These patients participated in a clinical trial for neoadjuvant therapy with HDI and their treatment has been thoroughly described [12]. Briefly, the HDI induction phase consisted of IFN-α2b 20 million units (MU)/m2 per day intravenously, 5 days per week (Monday to Friday) for 4 weeks. Following surgical resection, patients were placed on a HDI maintenance regimen consisting of IFN-α2b 10 MU/m2 per day subcutaneously, three times per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) for 48 weeks. For each patient, blood samples were taken before (Day 0-pre) and after the 4-week induction phase of HDI (Day 29-post). Due to adverse events, 5 patients underwent 1/3 dose reductions and two of these patients required dose reductions twice (Table 1). Phosphorylated STAT1 levels were measured in lymphocytes, T cell subsets (both CD4 and CD8) and B cells with or without stimulation of IFN-α for each of these two time points. All patients signed informed consent and the study was approved by the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) Institutional Review Board.
Interim responses were determined using WHO criteria [26] and patients were classified as clinical responders or non-responders based on a measure of tumor reduction both clinically and histologically over the 4-week induction phase of HDI therapy[12]. Among these patients, 9 showed a complete response (n = 1) or partial response (n = 8) and both were grouped into a single responder group (R). Five patients did not exhibit a clinical response and were grouped as non-responders (NR).
For long-term clinical outcome, patients were further classified as exhibiting no evidence of disease (NED) or metastatic disease (MET) based on their status at the time of follow-up (range 9-86 months) after completing a maintenance regimen of 48 weeks. Six patients were classified as NED and exhibited no evidence of metastases at a minimum follow-up of 4.5 years. In contrast, all of the 8 MET patients developed metastatic disease within 3 years and three of these were disease free for up to 1 year (Table 1).
IFN-α Stimulation and Detection of pSTAT1-Y701 in HDI-treated Melanoma PBMCs
IFN-α stimulation and detection of pSTAT1-Y701 in cancer patients have been previously described [16] with modifications. Briefly, cryopreserved PBMCs were thawed and rested overnight in IMDM 10% FBS at 37°C 7% CO2. Cells were ficolled, resuspended to 2 × 106 cells per 50 μl in IMDM 5% human AB serum (HS) and stained with mouse anti-human CD3 FITC, CD8 PE-Cy7, CD4 PE-AF700 and CD19 PE-TR (Caltag-Invitrogen) for 30 minutes. IMDM 5%HS was added to each tube and 1 × 106 cells were aliquoted per test. PBMCs remained unstimulated or were stimulated with IFN-α (NIAID Reference Reagent Repository) to a final concentration of 1000 IU/ml and incubated at 37°C 7%CO2 for 15 minutes. Cells were fixed by formalin and incubated at 37°C 7% CO2 for 10 minutes. PBMCs were washed twice with 1× PBS, resuspended in 1 ml of 1× Custom Perm Buffer (#643435, BD Biosciences), and incubated for 30 minutes at room temperature. Cells were washed in wash buffer (1× PBS, 2% FBS, 0.09% sodium azide), resuspended to exactly 50 μl and incubated with mouse anti-human STAT1-pY701 Alexa Fluor® 647(BD Biosciences) for 1 hour at room temperature. Cells were washed in wash buffer and put on ice until analyzed by flow cytometry on a LSRII flow cytometer (BD Biosciences). Paired pre-and corresponding post- PBMC samples were assayed on the same day.
Data and Statistical Analysis
Flow cytometry FCS files were analyzed using FlowJo 8.5.3 (Treestar, http://www.treestar.com). Gating strategy for the selection of lymphocytes, T cells and B cells are shown in Additional File 1 Figure S1. The mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) of STAT1-pY701 Alexa Fluor® 647 was calculated for all stimulated and unstimulated samples and fold changes were determined by dividing the MFI of stimulated samples by the MFI of the corresponding unstimulated samples. Basal levels of STAT1-Y701 were determined by the MFI in unstimulated cells. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were generated and the correlation of IFN-α induced pSTAT1 with disease-free and overall survival was estimated using the log-rank test. For the purpose of these comparisons, a ratio for each patients' lymphocytes were determined by dividing the fold change in pSTAT1 post-treatment by the fold change in pSTAT1 pre-treatment. A median of these ratios was generated using all patients in the study (n = 14) and patients were segregated according to whether they fell within a range of ± 0.1 around the median. Data was analyzed using Graphpad Prism 5.00 and the R statistical package 2.7.1 http://www.r-project.org. P-values, estimated differences and 95% confidence intervals were calculated with R software from the Comprehensive R Archive Network using nonparametric unpaired or paired two-sided Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney T-tests. The False Discovery Rate (FDR) was calculated in R and used to adjust for multiple comparisons testing [27]. Adjusted P-values < 0.05 were considered significant. Coefficient of variations (CV) was calculated by dividing the standard deviation with the mean of the fold changes multiplied by 100.
Differences in IFN responses between clinical responders and non-responders
Changes in Type I IFN responses from day 0 to day 29 in clinical responders and non-responders
IFN signaling patterns and clinical outcome
Previously, we have demonstrated in two independent cohorts impaired IFN signaling and downstream functional consequences in PBLs from patients with minimally metastatic stage III and widely metastatic stage IV melanoma as compared to healthy controls [15, 16]. In the current study, we analyzed serial PBMC samples obtained from patients before and after the induction phase of HDI in a new independent cohort of minimally metastatic stage IIIb and IIIc melanoma patients to advance our current understanding of immune dysfunction in cancer. This exploratory study demonstrated that patients with high-risk operable nodal involvement with melanoma who had a clinical response to high dose IFN-α2b therapy over the 4-week induction phase of neoadjuvant therapy had a significant increase in STAT1 activation in peripheral blood T cells, but not B cells, upon IFN-α stimulation from Day 0 to Day 29. Moreover, this increase in pSTAT1 in peripheral blood T cells also correlated with good clinical outcome suggesting the efficacy of HDI in the clinical responders may be due, as least in part, to augmentation of their pSTAT1 responsiveness.
Moreover, the differences in STAT1 activation from pre- to post- HDI treatment could distinguish patients who were inclined to have a favorable or unfavorable outcome. As expected, patients who had minimal or negative changes in pSTAT1 (median ratio < 1.15) had poor outcome. Of patients who showed increased pSTAT1 signaling after HDI therapy, only patients who displayed modest augmentation (median ratio 1.15 - 1.35) had good outcome. Interestingly, patients who had 'hyper' IFN signaling responses (median ratio >1.35) of pSTAT1 pre- to post- HDI therapy had poor outcome, similar to those who has minimal or negative changes. These results warrant further confirmation in a larger patient cohort to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which HDI alters IFN signaling patterns in patients with different clinical outcomes.
Assessing the IFN signaling patterns in peripheral blood T cells from melanoma patients from Day 0 to Day 29 HDI therapy may be a clinically useful approach to select patients who would be more inclined to benefit from further treatment, and hence should be maintained on HDI. A trend was observed which showed that responding patients, prior to HDI therapy, have a lower response to IFN-α induced pSTAT1 compared to those of the non-responding patients. We have previously found two subsets of IFN responses in melanoma patients, IFN low-responders and IFN high-responders [15]. We showed that in IFN low-responders, prolonged in vitro stimulation with high doses of IFN partially restored IFN signaling, suggesting a possible mechanism for the beneficial effect of HDI therapy in these melanoma patients. Prior to initiation with HDI (pre), reduced activation of STAT1 in the responding patients compared to the non-responding patients may be explained in that this patient subset exhibited a severe impairment in IFN signaling which was restored during the initiation phase of HDI therapy. In contrast, patients who had higher levels of STAT1 activation prior to the HDI initiation phase may not have had an IFN signaling defect and therefore, would not have benefited from HDI therapy. In our previous study [16], the differences in the median activation of pSTAT1 between melanoma patients and healthy controls were 1.6 fold were as, in the current study, the median differences in STAT1 activation between the responders and non-responders were 1.4 fold.
Though B cells showed a significantly lower trend in overall STAT1 activation in responders compared to non-responders before HDI, there was no significant increase in STAT1 activation during the induction phase of HDI in the responding group, and interestingly, non-responders exhibited decreased overall STAT1 activation. It has been reported that subsets of immune cells respond differently to IFNs [28, 29] and that in the presence of high amounts of exogenous IFNs, downregulation of the receptors may occur as a negative feedback mechanism [30], thereby reducing responsiveness to IFNs. Additionally, reduced responsiveness in leukocytes may reflect the effects of a high tumor burden whereby tumor cells secreting immunosuppressive cytokines, such as IL-10 and TGF-β, have been shown to induce expression of STAT1 negative regulators such as the suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins and Src homology 2 (SH2)-containing phosphatase-1 and -2 and CD45 [31–33], thereby inhibiting the anti-tumor activity of immune effector cells [34]. Tregs and myeloid-derived suppressor cells, known for their suppressive roles on immune cells [35–37] in cancer, may also contribute to reduced responsiveness to HDI. Altered plasma or serum cytokine profiles in cancer patients [38, 39] may predispose peripheral blood leukocytes to impaired IFN signaling.
There was variation and overlap between the responder and non-responder groups. We and others have previously described variation of signaling responses in melanoma patients' PBMCs using phosflow [15, 40, 41], suggesting that signaling abnormalities may not arise in all patients, but rather in a subset of patients. Variable responsiveness may explain the small differences observed between the clinical responders and non-responders. The sample size of this study was too small (14 patients) to be conclusive, but these results warrant a larger confirmatory study.
The importance of STAT1 in IFN signaling has been demonstrated in STAT1 knockout mice where STAT1 deficient mice were more likely to develop spontaneous tumors than wild type mice [42], and were more susceptible to viruses and pathogens showing an IFN-dependent link to STAT1 [43]. Previous studies have attempted to link pSTAT1 (and pSTAT3) levels in tumor cells and lymphocytes to clinical outcome of melanoma patients receiving interferon treatment [44, 45]. Patients with higher pSTAT1/pSTAT3 ratios in pretreated lymph node biopsy tissues had better clinical outcome [44]; however, these studies did not find a correlation between pSTAT1/pSTAT3 ratios among lymphocytes of regional lymph nodes and survival. One novelty in the present study is to consider pSTAT1 levels in different subsets of peripheral blood lymphocytes.
The use of immune profiles as a prognostic tool to determine melanoma patient survival has been studied, such as using quantification of tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in metastatic lesions [46], as well as gene expression profiling of TILs and CD3 T cells from primary cutaneous melanoma where the genes that were positively associated with survival were mainly related to the immune response [47]. Beyond these prognostic implications, assessing STAT1 activation in PBL of melanoma patients may provide an additional predictive tool to guide the application of HDI therapy.
While the sample size was size, we have found encouraging results which point to measuring STAT1 activation in PBL T cells from Stage IIIB-C melanoma patients to stratify patients according to their potential to benefit from HDI. These results build upon prior studies of patients with advanced melanoma, and warrant confirmatory studies with a larger cohort of melanoma patients who are to receive HDI therapy. This is currently planned in the context of new intergroup studies of HDI. Other agents that enhance IFN signaling in T cells may be developed as novel therapy for melanoma, especially those that do not have the side effects of HDI.
Acknowledgements and Funding
We thank Dr. Skip Maino and Maria Suni (BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA) for helpful advice and the Custom Perm Buffer for phosflow. We thank Ning Yan, Andrea Miyahira, Neta Zuckerman, and Hongxiang Yu for their insightful contribution to the manuscript. We thank Cindy Sander for her technical assistance.
This work was in part supported by Award Number P50CA121973 from the National Cancer Institute. This work was supported at the UPCI by the P50 SPORE in Skin Cancer CA121973 from the National Cancer Institute. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Cancer Institute or the National Institutes of Health.
Authors' Affiliations
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Cycle Camp with Kimberly Cartwright
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Preregister at the front desk for this 6 week program. First session starts October 11th.
A whole body fitness program using indoor bikes. This program includes heart rate training, breath practices, yoga for cyclists, core and upper body strength exercises. Improve your fitness, burn fat and feel fantastic!
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Kasey's Flashback Friday
I have never actually seen a typewriter in person. I know I've seen them in movies, but I have never worked on one myself. I am not familiar with any of the hassles that my older (but wiser) relatives might have gone through when it came to typing. So we had a request for our listeners to help me fix this problem.
Rachel Joaquim of Mercy Meals and More came through for me. She hooked me up with a Royal Safari to play with for the next few weeks. Pete was kind enough to film me typing a letter during Friday's show. We have the clueless video here!


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Jose A. Gomez, Ph.D., Chair
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Umpqua Bank is located at the address 1444 Nw Garden Valley Blvd in Roseburg, Oregon 97471. They can be contacted via phone at (541) 957-8593 for pricing, hours and directions.
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Annual Report
Board of Directors / Staff
Financial Accountability
Our History
Bobby Lisek
Sgt. Jason Pepper
Mike Hanes
Claudia Carreon
Sgt. Erick Castro
Sgt. Tyler Hall
Corpsman Robert Hague
Justin Arnold
John D. Barnes
Mark Brogan
Dan O'Connor
Corey Houghtaling
Donate Now
By Mail
Workplace Giving
Special Occasion
Shop and Give
Charitable Gift Annuities
Matching Gifts
Bobby Lisek
Sgt. Jason Pepper
Mike Hanes
Claudia Carreon
Sgt. Erick Castro
Sgt. Tyler Hall
Corpsman Robert Hague
Justin Arnold
John D. Barnes
Mark Brogan
Dan O'Connor
Corey Houghtaling
Mike Hanes
Every time Marine Corps veteran Mike Hanes got excited about a new recipe for his hot sauce, the chance to get it bottled or the plans to distribute the sauce through a food retailer, his exclamation was always the same,
So it should come as no surprise that Dang!!! hot sauce is what customers can find on the label of Hanes new all-natural hot sauce.
"It's a southern expression," said Hanes, who was born in Marietta, Ga. "Sometimes it's a curse, sometimes it is for joy."
Lately, most of the "dangs" in Hanes life have been the good variety. The former recon Marine recently completed a nationwide rollout of his new hot sauce that included a Nov. 2011 kickoff in honor of the Marine Corps' birthday.
A decorated combat veteran who served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Hanes is one of many success stories from the Veterans Sustainable Agriculture Training (VSAT) program in Escondido, California. And something about his journey from combat to homelessness to entrepreneur is uniquely American.
Hanes enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1994 and served four years as a communications operator, establishing field communications for war fighters.
He left the Marines for one year before re-enlisting in 2000, where he plied his radio work for 1st Force Recon out of Camp Pendleton, Calif.
But his elite-level military service didn't prepare Hanes for transitioning out of the military service with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"A drill instructor shot himself in the head while I was in the pool doing swim qualification at (Marine Corps Recruit Training Depot) Parris Island, and I just had to push that down and move on," Hanes said. "In the military, you carry a stigma if you complain about mental trauma. But years later in Iraq, I saw someone suffer a head wound, and it all came back to me."
Shortly after getting out of the Marines in 2004, Hanes became a homeless college student.
"I went to college and studied in the computer lab at night," Hanes recalled. "But I left school and curled up under a bush to sleep every night."
Hanes said he hid his homelessness from his family, who had tried in many ways to help him cope with post-combat stress.
Hanes eventually found employment at a raw food store in southern California. While there, he developed a philosophy about health and nutrition that continues to influence him today.
"You are what you eat. We've all heard that one before," Hanes said. "I try to eat foods that are more alive and wild."
Once Hanes enrolled in the six-week VSAT program the last piece of the puzzle fell into place. He and the owners hit it off right away and trusted each other as only combat veterans and Marines can. With training and support from VSAT, Hanes was able to develop his passion for natural foods into a business plan.
For veterans like Hanes, the tuition for VSAT training can be too high. That's where the DAV's Charitable Service Trust comes in.
Through a grant to support VSAT, the DAV Charitable Service Trust has paid the tuition of those veterans who otherwise would not have been able to afford this unique educational experience.
"The DAV's Charitable Service Trust has stepped up in a big way to make an investment in not only the lives of these young men and women, but in the food safety and security of all Americans," said VSAT's instructor.
Hanes wasn't surprised to learn that the DAV Charitable Service Trust has stepped in to help fund the VSAT program. He was assisted by DAV at a crucial time in his life.
"The DAV really came through for me when I had nowhere else to turn," Hanes said. "I had spent a lot of time trying to figure out my benefits. I wish I'd known all along that it was as easy as turning to the DAV for help."
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There are a couple of ways that tortillas properly. One suggestion is to place tortillas on an oven rack that has been preheated to 350 degrees and watch it closely until it is heated to perfection. You can also cook your tortilla via stove top on the grill of a gas stove. These methods will give you a much tastier tortilla taste better.
Cook your veggies in chicken broth.Chicken broth is an excellent base to use when preparing vegetable dishes that helps keep them from sticking of vegetables and gives them some great flavor with them.
They will act somewhat like sponges and absorb the water. Wipe off each mushroom with a damp cloth to prepare them for cooking.
Do your prep work first to save time when cooking. You may even be able to prepare ingredients for upcoming meals a day or more in advance. There are certain instances in which the flavor of the ingredients is actually improved by early preparation.
Use fresh ingredients as much as you can, which are also less expensive.
You can make cinnamon rolls the easy way. It can be quite a challenge to cut your unbaked cinnamon rolls. You can cut the dough easily by using a heavy thread right under the spot where you want. This will let you prefect slices of cinnamon rolls.
Learn a little bit about any vegetables or fruits you haven't worked with before. You may find that new food.
Sauteing vegetables in chicken broth is a healthful way to cook them. This technique is a delicious way to prepare veggies.
Put the juiciest ingredients like tomatoes on the bottom, juicier ingredients like tomatoes on the bottom and lighter ingredients like lettuce and croutons on top.
Buy your fish and meat on the bone.
It is important to take proper care for your wood cutting boards. A wood cutting board can warp or split by too much exposure to moisture, heat and dryness. Do not submerge the board to clean it, just sponge it off using warm, clean it using a sponge and warm water. You can do some restoration to a damaged board by regularly oiling it with a product specifically for cutting boards to maintain yours.Allow it to dry completely between uses.
Learning how to prepare homemade food is easy with these helpful tips. Once you get better through practice, you will realize how delicious and healthy home cooking can be, not to mention the money you save. Cooking meals at home is a positive step towards a healthier, more satisfying lifestyle for yourself and your family. Learn to make wonderful meals for your family by following these tips.


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At the beginning of August last year I was visited by two people from the West Auckland Hospice who explained the services that the Hospice provides. Like most people I was completely unaware of the many services the hospice provides for patients and their families throughout the end of life process, including all kinds of social care services. I decided to try the art therapy sessions which is described as "a creative process that helps people managing changes in their lives. It offers time with a qualified Art Therapist and provides a space for reflection and expression to help you understand your feelings and coping skills." Best of all – no skill in art necessary!
Having become totally alienated from my body during the first five months of chemotherapy I decided to see if these sessions could help me overcome my discomfort and disgust with what my physical body had become and how hostile it felt to me. It was actually quite exhausting living inside a body that I felt completely disconnected from. I was also encouraged to take advantage of the free fortnightly half-hour massages on offer. But I repeatedly turned down the offer as I simply could not imagine anyone wanting to touch me.
After several art therapy sessions in which I drew raw and simple pictures of my body complete with my hostile digestive tract and the cancer (drawn in black crayon) and talking about my feelings, I felt a shift starting to occur. Some weeks later I felt ready to try a half hour back and shoulders massage. The very first massage was just amazing. For the first time since my diagnosis I reconnected to some positive feelings arising from my train wreck of a body. These positive feelings continued to grow and after three sessions I realised that I was now comfortably living in my body again. What a relief that was!
I continue with fortnightly art therapy sessions as I get so much out of being able to express myself on paper. The fact that I can't draw and I am not creating works of art is not an issue. Nor is it the point of the exercise. These sessions have seen me through some really tough times as I work on expressing my feelings through my crude but immensely satisfying – and revealing – crayon drawings.
The hospice also provides many other free services such as counselling for patients and their families, carers information services, nursing and social work clinics, as well as sessions on grief and loss, and things that matter.
These services help the living make an art of dying. For me they have contributed to my well-being and to my ability to stay positive even as I approach the end of the line.


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It's been said of Illumination's latest animated outing, Sing, that there is not an original element in the plot – but given that there are also apparently a limited number of plots in the world, this hardly seems a particularly strong brickbat to lob.
Indeed, it's possible that no collection of tropes and clichés has ever been quite as much fun before.
Written and directed by Garth Jennings (who also provided some of the voices) this is, in essence, a sort of American Idol talent contest with anthropomorphised characters.
It's a contest that only comes into being because theatre owner Buster Moon is desperate and broke, while all of the auditionees who win places in the show itself have Big Personal Problems.
Johnny the gorilla's dad is a mobster and wants his son in the gang; Rosita the pig is mother to 25 piglets and wife to a workaholic husband who barely notices her; Mike the street musician mouse is more than a tad crooked; Ash the porcupine rock chick has a bastard of a boyfriend and Meena the elephant has the voice but nowhere near the confidence.
Meanwhile, there's Buster's friend, Eddie Noodleman, the son of well-to-do sheep, who's looking for a role in life. His grandmother, Nana Noodleman, is a for star of the musical stage, and is very wealthy, very bored and downright misanthropic in equal measure.
You get the gist, don't you?
What Jennings manages is to make this all seem remarkably fresh and funny, while you actually find yourself caring about the characters.
The use of music – there are more than 60 classic songs here and the cost of the rights accounted for a substantial part of the overall budget – is very clever. It's one aspect that ensures this is not simply a film for children.
Watch out for the snail's audition as a prime example.
The performances are great – who else but Seth MacFarlane could give voice to Mike: 'Hey, Seth – fancy playing a bit of a shit character and getting to sing some Sinatra-style stuff?'
Reese Witherspoon is delightful as Rosita – and gets strong support from Nick Kroll as Gunther, the bubbly, camp German pig she's teamed with.
Scarlett Johansson makes a great rock chick of Ash – and I really like what happens to her character – while Taron Egerton makes Johnny suitably torn between vastly different worlds (it's all a bit Billy Elliot) and Tori Kelly does a lovely job with Meena.
Matthew McConaughey bridges the gap between con man and dreamer as koala Buster, Rhea Perlman has a nice cameo as an unsympathetic banker, John C Reilly pops up as Eddie and Jennifer Saunders goes a tad Dame Shirley on us as Nana Noodleman.
Jennings himself adds much humour as Ms Crawly, an elderly iguana with a glass eye who is Buster's assistant and also gives Johnny piano lessons.
As I said – it's a very good voice cast and if the animation seems simple on the surface, there are some very neat things going on.
The final section is particularly cleverly constructed, allowing the leads to all fully enjoy their musical moment in the sun while neatly pulling together assorted loose ends.
If Disney has Mickey Mouse, then Illumination has the Minions, and so much are they now established as the studio's mascot that they even get another moment on the big screen at the start of the titles here.
Presumably, they'll be back for longer in the summer when Despicable Me 3 arrives.
We saw it late on a Friday afternoon at the end of yet another week in an increasingly surreal world: it was a perfect spot of therapy.


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To the present expanding cycle of hard-boiled and cynical films, Paramount has contributed a honey of a rough-'em-up romance which goes by the name of "The Blue Dahlia" and which came to the Paramount yesterday. And in this floral fracas it has starred its leading tough guy, Alan Ladd, and its equally dangerous and dynamic lady V-bomb, Veronica Lake. What with that combination in this Raymond Chandler tale, it won't be simply blasting that you will hear in Times Square for weeks to come.For bones are being crushed with cold abandon, teeth are being callously kicked in and shocks are being blandly detonated at close and regular intervals on the Paramount screen. Also an air of deepening mystery overhangs this tempestuous tale which shall render it none the less intriguing to those lovers of the brutal and bizarre.In the manner of previous Ladd pictures, the rough stuff begins at the start, when our hero returns from the Pacific and finds his wife something less than true. A clip on the jaw for her boy-friend and a passing twist upon her shapely arms are sufficient to register the displeasure of the husband before he walks out. But the facts of his presence and anger make him the suspected one when, a few hours later, the gay wife is found in her bungalow—slain!And so it is that the hero is launched on a catch-as-catch-can chase, trying to spot the killer before he himself is caught. Enroute, he falls in with a lady of considerable nerve (Miss Lake, of course) who insists upon rendering assistance which she is peculiarly qualified to give. He also has the rooting interest of a couple of ex-Navy pals who do very little to aid him but inject grimly comical twists. Thus confused, the perilous rat-race runs in and out of gaudy Hollywood dives, fáncy hotels and police chambers until the inevitable rat is caught.Mr. Ladd, through it all, is his usual (as they say) imperturbable self, displaying a frigid economy in his movement of lips and limbs—except, of course, in those moments when it is essential that he protect himself. Then he goes into action like a hawser that has suddenly snapped. One adversary is nothing. Two thugs make a fair and equal match. The low art of knuckle-duster fighting is elaborately displayed in this film.As for Miss Lake, her contribution is essentially that of playing slightly starved for a good man's honest affection, to which she manifests an eagerness to respond. And it is indeed remarkable how obvious she makes this look without doing very much. Howard da Silva is considerably more dramatic as a high-powered night club proprietor, and William Bendix looks and acts brutely eccentric as Mr. Ladd's slug-nutty pal. Doris Dowling as the faithless wife, Tom Powers as a nerveless detective chief and Will Wright as a crooked gumshoe worker give able performances.George Marshall has tautly directed from Mr. Chandler's crafty script. The tact of all this may be severely questioned, but it does make a brisk, exciting show.When a talented director and a resourceful company of players meet up with a solid story, say one such as "The Dark Corner," then movie-going becomes a particular pleasure. The new melodrama which Twentieth Century-Fox presented yesterday at the Roxy is a tough-fibered, exciting entertainment revolving around a private detective who is marked as the fall guy in a cleverly contrived murder plot. Mark Stevens, a comparative newcomer looking and acting very much like Fox's Dana Andrews, is convincingly hard-boiled as the baffled gumshoe, Bradford Galt, who knows he is being framed into a murder rap but has no knowledge of who is pulling the strings or why. His one clew blows up when he is chloroformed by a strong arm "tail" and wakes up beside the battered body of a former partner who once had him railroaded to prison for manslaughter.The trio of authors credited with "The Dark Corner" have not dealt all their cards above board. Their trump is a trick doublecross, but they have worked in that surprise with cunning and logic, so that the scattered story elements all fall together like so many pieces in a well-ordered jigsaw puzzle. The action, and there is plenty of it, is violent and explosive, starting with a going-over Galt gives a mysterious toughie who has been shadowing him. This character is identifield only as White Suit, obviously because he affects such a suit and he is played with rugged naturalness by William Bendix.In fact, Director Henry Hathaway has drawn superior performances from most of the cast. Lucille Ball has one of her happier roles as an acid-tongued secretary who shares the private eye's troubles, and Clifton Webb has another chance as an art gallery proprietor to indulge his talent for acerbic characters. But if Mr. Webb doesn't change his style soon, his admirers are likely to grow impatient. A strikingly good-looking girl named Cathy Downs is introduced as a sort of second "Laura" in Mr. Webb's cinematic marital affairs, but she is badly in need of dramatic training.Mr. Hathaway has made such skillful use of the process screen in simulating a New York background that it looks as though the action was photographed in such locales as Third Avenue, Fifty-second Street and Broadway. And he happily eschewed murky photography for mood effect, using instead a muted and highly evocative musical score. His fine craftsmanship is very evident throughout "The Dark Corner," and it is regrettable that he had to mar the atmospheric realism by resorting to scene-faking in a few sequences. But this is a minor shortcoming in an otherwise sizzling piece of melodrama.Mark Stevens, who got his first good break in "From This Day Forward," proves in "The Dark Corner" that he has a rare combination of talent and personality which, if properly developed, will place him in the forefront of leading men in short order.
THE BLUE DAHLIA, an original screen play by Raymond Chandler; directed by George Marshall; produced by John Houseman for Paramount Pictures. At the Paramount.Johnny Morrison . . . . . Alan LaddJoyce Harwood . . . . . Veronica LakeBuzz Wanchek . . . . . William BendixEddie Harwood . . . . . Howard da SilvaHelen Morrison . . . . . Doris DowlingCaptain Hendirckson . . . . . Tom PowersGeorge Copeland . . . . . Hugh BeaumontCorelli . . . . . Howard FreemanLeo . . . . . Don CostelloDad Newell . . . . . Will WrightThe Man . . . . . Frank FaylenHeath . . . . . Walter SandeMari Cathcart . . . . . Cathy DownsFrank Reeves . . . . . Reed HadleyMrs. Kingsley . . . . . Constance CollierLucy Wilding . . . . . Molly LamontMr. Bryson . . . . . Forbes MurrayMrs. Bryson . . . . . Regina WallaceFred Foss . . . . . Charles WagenheimMilkman . . . . . Matt McHughContinue reading the main story


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Leon Bailey's meteoric rise, from Kingston to Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen winger Leon Bailey has been one of the Bundesliga's breakout stars this season. The Jamaica-born midfielder's performances have been attracting a lot of attention from Europe's elite, while there could also be an international tug-of-war for his services in the future.
But why is he so highly-rated? Here are five things to know.
1. He arrived in Europe with nothing but a small bag
Kingston-born Bailey joined Craig Butler's Phoenix All-Star Academy at the age of six. Some eight years...


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You live in a secular culture. You don't want to run away and join a monastery. We want to help you see Christ in culture so you won't have to – and you won't have to feel guilty about it. We want to help you recognize Christ in unexpected places.
Christ plays in ten thousand places. Sign up for our email list and we'll let you know where he's showing up in what we're reading and watching.
Seeing Christ in Fight Club is our current book project. Mail list subscribers will get updates on the project and we'll email you the first chapter before it heads to the publisher.
Be sure to check out our blog and sermons. A podcast is in the works. Stay tuned.


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September 8, 2017
Welcome to Team Oregon, to motorcycling, and to a community of riders dedicated to rider education. We share your passion for riding and are inspired by the idea that what we teach has the potential to save lives.
Successful motorcyclists approach riding with uncompromising honesty. It's this honesty that forces us to recognize a sobering fact about riding: When things go wrong, riders (and their passengers) often incur significant injury or death. Fact number two: Riders' poor judgment and poor skills are to blame for the majority of motorcycle crashes. For some, these realities are enough to discourage them from riding. For others, such truths form the basis of an effective riding strategy.
Team Oregon's rider education has two central priorities. One goal is to boost your knowledge and awareness, addressing dangers inherent in motorcycling. We highlight the traps and offer solutions. We look at recurring problems in the motorcycle community and ask hard questions. Why, for instance, would a rider get on a bike after drinking, when a third of all motorcycle fatalities result from alcohol impairment?
A second goal is to help you understand dynamics particular to motorcycles. We ask you to put this understanding to work immediately, on a bike, in a controlled environment, through exercises that instill and build on fundamental skills. This training is intense. It requires you to be rested and ready. It demands your full attention and a willingness to respond to coaching. Please bring to it the level of respect it deserves.
Basic and intermediate training do not make you an expert. At best they provide rudimentary tools that enable a graduate to critique his or her own riding. And while experiential learning is critical to a rider's growth, far too often a near miss or a minor crash becomes the teacher. Expert motorcyclists do not rely on emergencies to further their growth. Instead, they embrace more training. They challenge what they know (or what they think they know) in formal settings and in exchanges with better riders. They invite feedback and are open to periodic resets in their assumptions and habits. Above all, they continue to hone their judgment.
I salute you for taking the first steps in educating yourself about riding. But let me stress, basic and intermediate training are first steps on a long path to proficiency. Perhaps this course leaves you excited by the commitments motorcycling asks of you. You value more training, practice, and knowledge, and you can hold yourself to the discipline and self-control riding requires. You are a champion. Instead, maybe you learn through this course that you are not ready for the rigors of motorcycling. You, too, are a champion!
Whatever the outcome of your short time with us, let honesty and humility guide you. Motorcycling is an activity that is not kind to those who disrespect it.Aria Minu-SepehrDirector


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Winter Home 2002
Click below to view the print pages, which have been converted to .gif format.
Page 1 - Winter gardens provide subtle glory; Gardening in the Great Indoors
Page 2 - The sky's the limit with new ceiling ideas
Draperies on Wheels, California Closets, DeYoung's, Phillips Energy
Page 3 - Winter garden continued
FMS Construction, Classic Building Supply, Northwoods Paint & Supply, Williams Kitchen and Bath, Floor Covering Brokers
Page 4 - Increasing current home space instead of buying bigger; Locating a stud
Northern Michigan Hardwoods, Outdoor Specialties, Max's Service
Page 5 - Your home through your child's eyes; Train your dog to be on best behavior
Lark Lawn and Garden, Kitchens and Baths by Design, GeoFurnace Heating and Cooling LLC, Preston Feather Building Centers
Page 6 - Indoor projects make winter fly by; Colors create mood and rhythm
Rustic Designs of Elk Rapids, Real Estate Staging and Design, North Country Services Inc., Advanced Inc., Brown Lumber Company
Page 7 - What spring should bring for buying and selling area homes; A look at home inspection
Ferguson's Fireplace and Stove Center, America's Carpet Barn, Tile Mart, Northwoods Spa
Page 8 - Make home care a priority, Home inspection continued
All Season Window Tinting, Kitchen & Co., Maplewood Home Inspections, Wickes Lumber, Larry's Pool & Spa
This information was published in print form in February, 2002
Return to Record-Eagle home page
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The Traverse City Record-Eagle. All rights reserved.


text: Shaanxi Sciphar Biotechnology Co., Ltd. is a biological high-tech company which is primarily engaged in the research and development, production and marketing of various natural plant extracts, chemical intermediates and chemical synthetic materials. We are committed to the insurance of human health protection with our corporation culture: "manufacture sophisticated products with carefully selected natural resources; meet customers' needs with advanced quality". Our R&D department and marketing centers are located in Xi'an High-Tech Industrial Development Zone. Relying on sufficient talents, as well as technological and researching advantages in Xi'an High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, we have cooperated closely with a number of research institutes and universities. At the same time, we take full advantage of natural pharmaceutical resources that grow in Qinba Mountainous area and Qinling Mountain. After years' development, our core competitiveness has been formed and maintained. There are several well-known experts and consultants working with us, and we have formed a technology and management team which is multidisciplinary, comprehensive, specialized and professional. We are qualified to take national, provincial and municipal scientific research projects and have achieved success thoroughly every time. The name of "Sciphar" means "scientific pharmaceutical" and we succeed in what we desire. We have advanced extraction, separation, purification and drying equipment and technology, we have sufficient experience in natural plant extracting and strict quality control system, and we have built a comprehensive sales service system. All those keep our leading market position in world market. Our products are sold to the United States, Europe, Japan and Asian-Pacific countries and regions, enjoying a high reputation. Our goal is to become a global, professional and reliable company that provides international customers with best pharmaceutical raw materials, chemical intermediates, food supplements and additives, as well as cosmetics raw materials. Finished forms of dietary supplements, nutritional supplements, functional foods, health foods, herbal medicines are capsules, tablets, oral solutions and oral powders. We promise every customer with reliable quality and quality service, meanwhile, we strive to care all the people from all over the world. We firmly believe that our customer's success is our success. At Sciphar, we are always committed to giving our customers the reliable products and services that they expect and deserve.


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What do haute couture sandals look like? Apparently like these Rene Caovilla Swarovski crystal-embellished suede sandals! I think these sandals are the epitome of exotic glamour and the fact that they're flat just makes them even more lusty especially for travel. Pair it with all of your shimmery beach coverups this season.
Glam up your off-duty repertoire with these crystal embellished satin flat sandals from René Caovilla. With a simple design and a subtle sparkling gleam, this pair will be ideal for a casual luxe outfit.


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SEO Specialist Jobs, Schmobs - Hiring Career Minded Winners
Check out our ad for copywriter jobs (experienced/entry level). We have historically hired both experienced SEOs and entry level copywriters. The perfect applicant will be able to wear a lot of hats:
- writer
- creative
- account rep
- data analyst
- user experience specialist
Strong proficiency in some areas can make up for weaknesses in others. If you think you can add value and help us with our mission (Improving the Economy One Business at a Time), please submit a resume and cover lever.
A writer with an analytical bent will never find a more suitable career—get it started at iNET.
SEO Specialist Jobs, Schmobs - Hiring Career Minded Winners
Compensation: Varies
Experience: All experience levels will be considered.
Type: Full Time
Careers, Jobs, Gigs and Hustles >>>> SEO
- Strong aptitude for writing, demonstrated through writing samples
- Basic HTML or SEO experience is preferred, but is not required
- Basic understanding of computers and content management
- Meticulous and detail oriented
- Time management skills
- Quick learner
- Presentability and Professionalism in a business casual environment
- Writing Accountability (Self-edit, self-edit, self-edit!)
- Desire to grow to increasingly levels of autonomy and responsibility
- High level of creativity and imagination
- Able to work under pressure
Full Time BENNIES:
- 5 paid holidays after 90 days
- insurance available after 60.
- 1 week of paid vacation after first year, 2 weeks after 3 years, 3 weeks after 5.
- The centerpiece of the "benefits package" is the ability to increase your skills and pay above all else. You can love your job - ultimately pay is why we go to work.
SEO Specialist Compensation:
At iNET pay is based on demonstrated ability to help grow the business by delivering return on investment to our clients. YEARS OF EXPERIENCE do not matter, only ability to do the job. We hire people from all kinds of backgrounds and unique career paths. Apply today if you're looking for a job to put that liberal arts degree to good use. At all experience and skill levels iNET is a better opportunity than the wannabes. You should apply and find out if there's a fit.
About iNET
iNET is an extremely competitive, rapidly growing company with Marketing, PC, and Web divisions based in Waukesha, WI. Employees have immediate potential to advance and achieve compensation increase. iNET offers a competitive pay structure, benefits package, paid vacation, a great working environment and a core team of individuals dedicated to world domination. iNET is improving the economy one business at a time® – join us!