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A Solvang California Cycling Adventure
By Ted Lux
Got a few days to spare on your visit to Southern California? Here's a great suggestion-Solvang and the surrounding Santa Barbara wine country is waiting for you.
Great biking around Solvang
Nestled within scenic hills and cow-strewn canyons, about a 35-minute-drive north of Santa Barbara, our gem can be found. This is the same location that many of the memorable scenes from the popular movie Sideways were filmed a decade or so ago. It's the same area, painted with green rolling hills and gentle peaks, which Lance Armstrong and team trained for the Tour de France.
If you have an interest in great road-bicycling you owe it to yourself to visit Solvang and the gorgeous surrounding countryside. Drive up and take your bikes and helmets with you or rent gear in Solvang or neighboring Buellton.
The best time of the year to plan a trip to the area is in the months of April, May and June. The wild flowers are out in spectacular fashion. The lush green grass hills are filled with specks of yellow and orange.
The weather is mild and mostly dry after the rainy season in Southern California. The area can be very hot in summer months – so unless
you enjoy cycling in 90 degree plus temperatures – it's best to cycle in the springtime or late fall. A clear December day works well too.
Very Romantic Getaway
A Solvang biking experience is fun for just about anyone. It's a great place to escape to and ride in solitude for a few days, if you are so inclined. Take the children or renew and ignite your relationship with someone special. Solvang can be very romantic. Debbie Lee, an Orange County, Calif., pleasure rider, visited Solvang frequently with her boyfriend. "He used to take me up there two to three times a year to ride," she said. "Then he asked me to marry him one night there."
|Read more GoNOMAD stories about: Bicycling - Canoeing - Hiking - Horseback Riding - Kayaking - Rafting - Sailing - Snorkeling - Skiing - Snowboarding - Surfing - Ziplining
A great ride out of town in late morning is on Atterdag Road which becomes Chalk Hill Drive and then Ballard Canyon Road. This route is fun, scenic and easy for most riders. You'll pass farmlands with cows, horses and even a few bison. The hills are gently rolling and in spring they are crackling green. Crows hover overhead and few cars will pass you on this magnificent stretch of highway.
About three miles out on Ballard Canyon you'll peddle past the very scenic Rusack Vineyards. This is a great resting place and if you are so inclined – sample some of the local vintage. Don't forget to fill-up water bottles before your group departs for more riding.
There aren't many water stations along the route. From Ballard Canyon head to the lovely town of Los Olivos which is about nine miles from Solvang. You'll find a throwback community with a flagpole in the middle of town, art and antique shops and several quaint eateries.
Lunch in Los Olivos
Lunch or snack in town. If you are traveling with children it's best to head back to Solvang from Los Olivos along Alamo Pintado Road on the Dan Henry bike path. The path is flat - even slightly downhill. You'll glide almost effortlessly in your saddle back to Solvang. The lane is named after the civic-minded retiree who displayed a passion for cycling well into his nineties.
I had the pleasure of meeting Dan on one of my many rides to Solvang, on a hot afternoon at the local market. He was very cheerful and friendly and liked the bike I was riding. As you cycle to Solvang you'll pass more wineries. The Blackjack and the Buttonwood Farm wineries come to mind. You'll also pass more farmland with grazing cows and then pass a stable with Shetland ponies. The kids will enjoy stopping there to visit.
If you are an experienced and strong rider, you and your companion should bypass the route to Solvang and head to Foxen Canyon Road from Los Olivos. You'll have more magnificent hills to climb.
Ride to the top of Foxen Canyon which is no easy chore. You will have a steep mile or so ascent to the top. You'll sweat and your heart will pound.
Look down from above and gaze out at green grass covered hills surrounding you. From this peak you will take a steep mile descent and come to a fork which allows you to continue on Foxen Canyon Road for more spectacular riding, or onto Zaca Station Road.
This route steers you back to town but, first, you'll come to the popular Firestone Vineyard which is worth a tour and visit.
Easy Loop to Solvang
The riding from Firestone to Solvang is relatively easy. The scenery is inspiring. Take Ballard Canyon Road back to Solvang and you've just had a very pleasant 25-mile bike ride.
After your first day of cycling, visit the various shops and bakeries in Solvang that line the town streets. You'll run into many tourists bustling about. Sample some of the Danish pastries. You've earned it by riding those hills. Plan to spend the night in town or neighboring Buellton. Eat dinner at one of the many fine restaurants.
I especially enjoy an evening at the Hitching Post in Buellton where the charred tuna is superb and the sirloin steaks succulent. Visit the bar and see where several comic scenes from Sideways were filmed. A great spot for the kids is Pea Soup Andersen's across the street.
More Bike Routes
The following morning calls for another great day of riding. There are so many hills and roads to choose from. Pick up a local map and study the area. Plan a ride that suits your stamina and conditioning. One great road to travel on is Santa Rosa Road, a 20 mile or so stretch, which takes you on a slightly ascending cut through green-pastured hillsides as you peddle toward Lompac. On this route you will pass several more wineries. The Sanford Winery has an extra-special setting and is worth a visit and rest stop.
Another great ride is to peddle nine miles from Solvang, heading west on Highway 246. Here you will pass through Buellton. Then turn right onto Drum Canyon Road. This route is not for the faint-at-heart and is one of the more difficult paths in the entire region.
The six mile ascent makes for a great way to wake up in the morning as you navigate the switchback road to the top. Along this stretch you may see deer. If you are very lucky a bobcat or tarantula spider may cross your path. Then descend rapidly and head into the small town of Los Alamos for a needed break.
Some of the roads you decide to tour are some of the same roads Lance Armstrong and his group whirled up and down. These are also the same roads used for the hugely popular Solvang Century cycling event. Held each year in March – thousands flock with their bikes in tow to take part in the 100-mile tour.
The next time you find yourself with a few extra days to explore Southern California – put Solvang and the Santa Barbara wine country on the map. You may find a new passion in your life. Spend a few days in spring exploring the beautiful green landscape. And, remember to do it on a bicycle and don't forget your helmet.
Ted Lux, is an avid cyclist and lives in the Los Angeles area. He formerly worked at a major investment firm and has been involved in real estate lending in the Los Angeles area for over 20 years. He is author of the investment book, Exposing the Wheel Spin on Wall Street
Read more articles about California on GoNOMAD
Read more articles about bicycle touring around the world on GoNOMAD
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Zabriskie Point in Death Valley, California Read more about California on GoNOMAD.com Travel:
A Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands, California. photo by Will McGough. Camping
Biking on the trail by the American River in Sacramento, California. Photos by Max Hartshorne
Drum Canyon Road, Solvang California. photos by Ted Lux. A Solvang California
Death Valley. LOCAL! GoNOMAD DESTINATION MINI GUIDE Johannesburg, California
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flame. If I can love this, so can you! Cuyamaca Rancho: Quintessential California Camping
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One of the famous 20-mule borax wagons. Photos by David Rich. Death Valley California
this summer A like a 800 km bike ride down the Oregon Coast and into Northern California where one
was along the Bolinas Lagoon in West Marin, California, several decades away from seniorhood
Drum Canyon Road, Solvang, California. photo by Ted Lux. Read More about California


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Ce guide résume les nombreux changements nécessaires à la migration de CakePHP version 1.2 vers la version 1.3. Chaque section contient des informations pertinentes sur les modifications apportées aux méthodes existantes, ainsi que sur toutes les méthodes qui ont été supprimées / renommées.
Remplacement de fichiers (important)
Les constantes suivantes ont été supprimées de CakePHP. Si votre application dépend de celles-ci, vous devez les redéfinir dans app/config/bootstrap.php
Bootstrapping Additional Paths.
In your app/config/bootstrap.php you may have variables like $pluginPaths or $controllerPaths.
$pluginPaths variables will no longer work. You must use
'plugins' => array('/full/path/to/plugins/', '/next/full/path/to/plugins/'),
'models' => array('/full/path/to/models/', '/next/full/path/to/models/'),
'views' => array('/full/path/to/views/', '/next/full/path/to/views/'),
'controllers' => array('/full/path/to/controllers/', '/next/full/path/to/controllers/'),
'datasources' => array('/full/path/to/datasources/', '/next/full/path/to/datasources/'),
'behaviors' => array('/full/path/to/behaviors/', '/next/full/path/to/behaviors/'),
'components' => array('/full/path/to/components/', '/next/full/path/to/components/'),
'helpers' => array('/full/path/to/helpers/', '/next/full/path/to/helpers/'),
'vendors' => array('/full/path/to/vendors/', '/next/full/path/to/vendors/'),
'shells' => array('/full/path/to/shells/', '/next/full/path/to/shells/'),
'locales' => array('/full/path/to/locale/', '/next/full/path/to/locale/'),
'libs' => array('/full/path/to/libs/', '/next/full/path/to/libs/')
Also changed is the order in which bootstrapping occurs. In the past app/config/core.php was loaded after app/config/bootstrap.php. This caused any App::import() in an application bootstrap to be un-cached and considerably slower than a cached include. In 1.3 core.php is loaded and the core cache configs are created before bootstrap.php is loaded.
Loading custom inflections
inflections.php has been removed, it was an unnecessary file hit, and the related features have been refactored into a method to increase their flexibility. You now use Inflector::rules() to load custom inflections.
Inflector::rules('singular', array(
'rules' => array('/^(bil)er$/i' => '\1', '/^(inflec|contribu)tors$/i' => '\1ta'),
'uninflected' => array('singulars'),
'irregular' => array('spins' => 'spinor')
Will merge the supplied rules into the infection sets, with the added rules taking precedence over the core rules.
Librairies renommées
Les librairies suivantes du cœur de CakePHP : libs/session.php, libs/socket.php, libs/model/schema.php et libs/model/behavior.php ont été renommées, afin d'obtenir une meilleure cohérence entre les noms de fichiers et les classes qui y sont incluses (ainsi que pour régler certains problèmes avec les espaces de nom) :
Dans la plupart des cas, le renommage des fichiers ci-dessus n'affectera en rien la manière de coder.
L'héritage de la classe Object
Les classes suivantes n'étendent plus la classe Object :
Si vous utilisiez des méthodes de la classe Object depuis ces classes, vous ne devrez plus utiliser ces méthodes.
Composant Cookie
Composant RequestHandler
Composant Session
Assistant Session et Composant Session
Le second paramètre utilisé pour SessionComponent::setFlash(), sert à définir le layout et créer un fichier de rendu. Ceci a été modifié pour utiliser un element. Si vous spécifiez des gabarits de messages "session flash" personnalisés dans vos applications, vous devrez apporter les modifications suivantes :
Le Helper Session et le Composant Session ne sont plus inclus automatiquement si vous ne faites pas appel à eux. Ils se comportent maintenant comme n'importe quel autre composant et doivent être déclarés comme n'importe quel autre composant/assistant. Vous devriez mettre à jour AppController::$components et AppController::$helpers afin d'y inclure ces classes pour maintenir le comportement de votre application.
var $components = array('Session', 'Auth', ...);
var $helpers = array('Session', 'Html', 'Form' ...);
Ces changements ont été faits pour rendre CakePHP plus explicite et déclaratif au niveau des classes que vous, le développeur d'application, voulez utiliser. Auparavant, il n'existait aucune façon d'éviter le chargement automatique des classes Session sans modifier les fichiers du cœur de CakePHP. Ce qui est une chose que nous vous permettre d'éviter. Par ailleurs, les classes de Session étaient les seuls composants et assistants magiques. Cette modification aide à uniformiser et normaliser le comportement entre toutes les classes.
Routing.admin is deprecated. It provided an inconsistent behavior with other prefix style routes in that it was treated differently. Instead you should use Routing.prefixes. Prefix routes in 1.3 do not require additional routes to be declared manually. All prefix routes will be generated automatically. To update simply change your core.php.
Configure::write('Routing.admin', 'admin');
Configure::write('Routing.prefixes', array('admin'));
See the New features guide for more information on using prefix routes. A small change has also been done to routing params. Routed params should now only consist of alphanumeric chars, - and _ or /[A-Z0-9-_+]+/.
Router::connect('/:$%@#param/:action/*', array(...)); // BAD
Router::connect('/:can/:anybody/:see/:m-3/*', array(...)); //Acceptable
For 1.3 the internals of the Router were heavily refactored to increase performance and reduce code clutter. The side effect of this is two seldom used features were removed, as they were problematic and buggy even with the existing code base. First path segments using full regular expressions was removed. You can no longer create routes like
Router::connect('/([0-9]+)-p-(.*)/', array('controller' => 'products', 'action' => 'show'));
These routes complicated route compilation and impossible to reverse route. If you need routes like this, it is recommended that you use route parameters with capture patterns. Next mid-route greedy star support has been removed. It was previously possible to use a greedy star in the middle of a route.
array('controller' => 'pages', 'action' => 'display'),
array('event' => '[a-z0-9_-]+')
This is no longer supported as mid-route greedy stars behaved erratically, and complicated route compiling. Outside of these two edge-case features and the above changes the router behaves exactly as it did in 1.2
Also, people using the 'id' key in array-form URLs will notice that Router::url() now treats this as a named parameter. If you previously used this approach for passing the ID parameter to actions, you will need to rewrite all your $html->link() and $this->redirect() calls to reflect this change.
// old format:
$url = array('controller' => 'posts', 'action' => 'view', 'id' => $id);
// use cases:
// 1.2 result:
// 1.3 result:
// correct format:
$url = array('controller' => 'posts', 'action' => 'view', $id);
Dispatcher is no longer capable of setting a controller's layout/viewPath with request parameters. Control of these properties should be handled by the Controller, not the Dispatcher. This feature was also undocumented, and untested.
Configure and App
In addition to being able to load CacheEngines from app/libs or plugins, Cache underwent some refactoring for CakePHP1.3. These refactorings focused around reducing the number and frequency of method calls. The end result was a significant performance improvement with only a few minor API changes which are detailed below.
The changes in Cache removed the singletons used for each Engine type, and instead an engine instance is made for each unique key created with Cache::config(). Since engines are not singletons anymore, Cache::engine() was not needed and was removed. In addition Cache::isInitialized() now checks cache configuration names, not cache engine names. You can still use Cache::set() or Cache::engine() to modify cache configurations. Also checkout the New features guide for more information on the additional methods added to Cache.
It should be noted that using an app/libs or plugin cache engine for the default cache config can cause performance issues as the import that loads these classes will always be uncached. It is recommended that you either use one of the core cache engines for your default configuration, or manually include the cache engine class before configuring it. Furthermore any non-core cache engine configurations should be done in app/config/bootstrap.php for the same reasons detailed above.
Most database configurations no longer support the 'connect' key (which has been deprecated since pre-1.2). Instead, set 'persistent' => true or false to determine whether or not a persistent database connection should be used
SQL log dumping
A commonly asked question is how can one disable or remove the SQL log dump at the bottom of the page?. In previous versions the HTML SQL log generation was buried inside DboSource. For 1.3 there is a new core element called sql_dump. DboSource no longer automatically outputs SQL logs. If you want to output SQL logs in 1.3, do the following:
<?php echo $this->element('sql_dump'); ?>
You can place this element anywhere in your layout or view. The sql_dump element will only generate output when Configure::read('debug') is equal to 2. You can of course customize or override this element in your app by creating app/views/elements/sql_dump.ctp.
All core helpers no longer use Helper::output(). The method was inconsistently used and caused output issues with many of FormHelper's methods. If you previously overrode AppHelper::output() to force helpers to auto-echo you will need to update your view files to manually echo helper output.
PaginatorHelper has had a number of enhancements applied to make styling easier.
The disabled state of these methods now defaults to <span> tags instead of <div> tags.
passedArgs are now auto merged with url options in paginator.
sort(), prev(), next() now add additional class names to the generated html. prev() adds a class of prev. next() adds a class of next. sort() will add the direction currently being sorted, either asc or desc.
Also be sure to check the Forms for additional changes and new features in the FormHelper.
CacheHelper's interactions with Controller::$cacheAction has changed slightly. In the past if you used an array for $cacheAction you were required to use the routed url as the keys, this caused caching to break whenever routes were changed. You also could set different cache durations for different passed argument values, but not different named parameters or query string parameters. Both of these limitations/inconsistencies have been removed. You now use the controller's action names as the keys for $cacheAction. This makes configuring $cacheAction easier as its no longer coupled to the routing, and allows cacheAction to work with all custom routing. If you need to have custom cache durations for specific argument sets you will need to detect and update cacheAction in your controller.
TimeHelper has been refactored to make it more i18n friendly. Internally almost all calls to date() have been replaced by strftime(). The new method TimeHelper::i18nFormat() has been added and will take localization data from a LC_TIME locale definition file in app/locale following the POSIX standard. These are the changes made in the TimeHelper API:
Deprecated Helpers
Both the JavascriptHelper and the AjaxHelper are deprecated, and the JsHelper + HtmlHelper should be used in their place.
You should replace
Shell::getAdmin() has been moved up to ProjectTask::getAdmin()
Schema shell
Console Error Handling
The shell dispatcher has been modified to exit with a 1 status code if the method called on the shell explicitly returns false. Returning anything else results in a 0 status code. Before the value returned from the method was used directly as the status code for exiting the shell.
Shell methods which are returning 1 to indicate an error should be updated to return false instead.
Shell::error() has been modified to exit with status code 1 after printing the error message which now uses a slightly different formatting.
$this->error('Invalid Foo', 'Please provide bar.');
// outputs:
Error: Invalid Foo
Please provide bar.
// exits with status code 1
ShellDispatcher::stderr() has been modified to not prepend Error: to the message anymore. It's signature is now similar to Shell::stdout().
The method has been modified to return the shifted argument. Before if no arguments were available the method was returning false, it now returns null. Before if arguments were available the method was returning true, it now returns the shifted argument instead.
vendors/css, vendors/js, and vendors/img
Support for these three directories, both in app/vendors as well as plugin/vendors has been removed. They have been replaced with plugin and theme webroot directories.
Test Suite and Unit Tests
Group tests should now extend TestSuite instead of the deprecated GroupTest class. If your Group tests do not run, you will need to update the base class.
Vendor, plugin and theme assets
Vendor asset serving has been removed in 1.3 in favour of plugin and theme webroot directories.
Schema files used with the SchemaShell have been moved to app/config/schema instead of app/config/sql Although config/sql will continue to work in 1.3, it will not in future versions, it is recommend that the new path is used.

subset: commoncrawl


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Tom and Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers (2006)
The fur flies in this swashbuckling tale when the famed duo set sail on a pirate ship and search for hidden treasure. But their quest is hindered by coconut-flinging monkeys, a humongous octopus and, of course, their own infighting.
Directed By: Scott Jeralds
Rated: G
Running Time:
Genre: Animation, Kids & Family
DVD Release Date: August 22, 2006


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From wikipedia:
Gem towers can now attack monster lairs and beakons to destroy them. note that monsters will always come in from the edges of the map if their nests are destroyed.
Does it mean that if I destroy a nest the same monsters that would have spawned at the nest would just spawn at one the edges?


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Quick reunion tonight for Stillman, Allen and Samsonov
The Panthers and future captain Stephen Weiss made a nice gesture today at morning skate and presented their former teammate Cory Stillman with an engraved Silver Stick to commemorate his 1,000th game that he played in a few weeks ago. The Panthers were going to have a pregame ceremony before the Devils game last Sunday at home, however, by then Stiller was gone. Apparently, they also bought him a tractor!
All of the Panthers new guys made it here in time, including Rochester callup D Keaton Ellerby. F Bill Thomas went the other way back to Rochester. Niclas Bergfors, the former Thrasher, will play on a line with David Booth and Weiss, while former Hurricane Sergei Samsonov – who just moved over to the visitor's locker room – is on a line with Mike Santorelli and Steve Bernier.
Should be interesting tonight to see if Allen takes a run at anybody! Doubt it, he enjoyed his five years in SFla., but I'm sure he and Stiller are thrilled to be in a playoff race. Stillman, of course, helped the Hurricanes win a Cup in 2006, and his son actually played on the Carolina's junior team at a recent international tournament, so his roots were still here.
Got a chance to talk to Hugh Jessiman the other day and this dude is HUGE. I asked Darcy Hordichuk if he would challenge the 6-5 rook to a fight and Darcy said he'd, 'have to step up a few classes," before he fights me!
Did anyone find it weird that the Panthers traded four players to division rivals? Stiller and Allen to Carolina, Dennis Wideman to Caps and Radek Dvorak to Atlanta. In most sports you don't see that. Asst. GM Mike Santos was talking about a realignment in hockey down the road where more emphasis is taken off division rivals so teams could play more games against the Western Conference. It's the conference playoff race that means everything in hockey while the division race is merely an afterthought and of course playoff seedings for the winners. And home ice doesn't mean nearly as much in hockey as other sports, especially playoff time.
Anyway, it's sunny and a crispy 50 degrees in Raleigh. More later.


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A popular New York television personality famous for being a medium that can talk to the dead is allegedly under investigation for fraud. According to a private investigator, the so-called medium has been scamming her fans, the Christian Post reported today.
"Long Island Medium" star and "You Can't Make This Stuff Up" author Theresa Caputo is under fire from her fans because many of them are upset about their readings and complaining that she ripped them off during various events. Private investigator Ron Tebo of SciFake has been interviewing Caputo's dissapointed fans about the readings.
"She seemed off and almost every reading was like pulling teeth to match up info. She was really grasping at straws and did a lot of fishing. Some readings were just off the mark. There were three levels of seating and 2,500 people in attendance and Teresa spent the whole time on the first floor," one of Caputo's former fans wrote to Tebo.
Many of Caputo's fans insist that she doesn't have a real gift and that her assistants are helping her pull off a giant scam to defraud people of their money. This isn't the first time that Caputo has been accused of scamming her fans. James Randi published an article in Wired Magazine about the controversial television psychic.
"Caputo does what is known in my trade as a cold reading. The very best practitioners can pick up enough information in what seems like innocent, idle conversation to convince you that they know very specific things about you. The scientific phenomenon is called the Forer effect giving credence to vague observations that seem personal. Mediums cannot show they do anything more than cold reading nor that what the TV audience sees is just selectively edited to show hits and ignore the misses," Randi said in the article.


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Home > LEAGUE SERVICES > Indepth > November 2012 > Snapshots
Indepth is always on the lookout for great photos for the CU Snapshots page! Do you have photos from credit union, chapter, community service or other events? We would like to share those with the Illinois credit union community, so please send them to Will Wille.
University of Illinois ECU celebrates 80 years
Last month, the University of Illinois ECU celebrated 80 years of service. As part of the event, staff at each of its branches dressed in attire from the 1980s, local sports teams, and in music/ concert t- shirts. At left are staff from the credit union's First Street Branch.
Rock Valley CU breaks ground in Rochelle
On October 13, Rock Valley CU held an official ground breaking ceremony for a new facility in Rochelle as a replacement of its current location there. At left, RVCU CEO Mike Rosek provides remarks at the event. He was also joined by (from left at top) Illinois State Rep. Robert Prichard, (R-70, Sycamore), Peggy Friday, Director of the Rochelle Chamber of Commerce, and Rochelle Mayor Chet Olson.
Valley Bell CU cuts ribbon at new facility
To recognize more than 77 proud years, Valley Bell CU hosted a grand opening of its new facility last month. Key features of the credit union's new 16,000 square foot building include three drive-up lanes and four, self- serve kiosks in the lobby for members to conduct their banking online. In addition, there is a large community room, which the credit union intends on using for seminars and other educational meetings. At top left, CEO Jackie Hoonjan is holding the gold scissors. Below, Joni Senkpeil, ICUL Director of Small CU Development (at right), presents a congratulatory plaque to Hoonjan and Valley Bell Board Chairman Robert Becker.
Linda Miller retires from ISU CU
Linda Miller retired September 28 from ISU CU after 23 years of service. She wore many hats at the credit union, including teller, loan manager, and VP of Member Service. She also served at the chapter level, including Chairman of the Bloomington Chapter of CUs.
Scott CU marks opening of new home office
Scott Credit Union officially opened its new 50,000-square-foot home office October 20. The location houses about 100 employees and includes the credit union's 15th branch. The new home office will be named the Betty Renth Building after current SCU Board Chairman Betty Renth (in middle holding the scissors). The branch includes drive up lanes and a 24-hour ATM.
ICUL holds host of board, governance meetings
As part of its board meeting cycle October 9-10, the League also hosted (at top left) a briefing for new board members facilitated by Dan Plauda, ICUL President and Chief Executive Officer; Steve Olson, EVP, General Counsel; and Tom Kane, Chief Admin. Officer. In addition over these two days, there was also a meeting for new CU CEOs and their senior managers to provide an orientation about all of the League and Service Corp's programs, products and services. More than 35 were in attendance (as shown at left, middle). Finally, the League was also host to the biannual meeting of Governor's Advisory Board, which is currently chaired by ICUL Secretary/ Treasurer Peggy Cummins. At that meeting, Francisco Menchaca attended and introduced himself as the new Supervisor of the Division of Financial Institution's (DFI) Credit Union Division. At bottom left, Supervisor Menchaca addresses the attendees.
Our Mission: To Serve You
We, as the financial support system of credit unions, are committed to the "people helping people" concept of credit unions as cooperative financial institutions. Our purpose is to provide credit unions with a favorable operating environment and quality information, products and services which have value, and which enable credit unions to exist, compete and prosper in the financial marketplace.
Illinois Credit Union League Home | Site Map | Privacy | Press Releases | Directions | Careers | Contact Us


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Go to:
Advice for First-Year Students
Keys to Success in the First Year
The International Podcast Project team is excited to present Advice for First-Years from Denison Students: Keys to Success in the First Year.
Our podcast team consists of students from around the world who have found academic success, friends and a sense of belonging here at Denison University.
In this first series of talks, five students share advice designed to help new international students when they arrive at Denison. We hope friends, families, and the general public here and abroad will also find this information useful. Therefore, some of these recordings are bilingual. We hope you will enjoy listening to their answers and their stories.
The students on our team were asked two questions:
- "What do you wish you knew when you first arrived here?"
- "What advice do you have to help new international students succeed?"


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With the coming of Michelle Stafford to General Hospital the women of PC had better take heed. Sexy is back and in the form of Nina Clay.
Ms. Stafford, tall, statuesque, beautiful and a redhead is coming to take them all on. She had no equal in Genoa City and Port Charles will find they are next on the hit list.
Not only sensational but a fiercely talented actress, she will be a force to be reckoned with. Hold on Port Charles you are in for a bumpy ride!
Though many feel she will always belong back at Y&R as Phyliss, Ms. Stafford had other ideas and hopefully she will be appreciated and treated with the respect she deserves. Time will tell.
One wonders how Michael Easton will stand up to such an amazon? It surely will be fun to watch.
General Hospital can be seen weekdays on ABC at 2 p.m.
To be among the first to receive news from the New York Soap Opera Examiner, please subscribe at the top or bottom of the page. It's anonymous and completely free. You can contact me at firstname.lastname@example.com or comment below. You can also visit my Facebook page Soap Savers Inc and leave comments or add some soap news yourself


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Injured Hungarians, Bodies Repatriated From Egypt
The Hungarian Defense Ministry sent an AN-26 military transport airplane to Hurghada, Egypt this afternoon to bring home the bodies of Hungarians killed in the Sunday bus accident.
Eleven Hungarians died and 29 were injured in an accident on the way to popular resort Hurghada's airport Sunday.
Those injured were also transported to Hungary by Europ Assistance, a member of the Generali Group, in a special air ambulance. The insurer pledged to bring home all those injured and still in Egypt by Thursday night.
Europ Assistance was flying to Egypt from Germany's Nurnberg to transport to Budapest four severely injured and two lightly injured tourists Wednesday.
Local news agency MENA said the bus driver appeared to have lost control as he drove the tourists along a ring road leading to Hurghada's airport. Hurghada is about 315 miles southeast of Egypt's capital, Cairo.


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2 Sep 00:34 2002
Re[4]: Unicode support in Mahogany
Vadim Zeitlin <zeitlin <at> dptmaths.ens-cachan.fr>
On Mon, 26 Aug 2002 15:12:31 +0200 (EET) Nerijus Baliunas <nerijus <at> users.sourceforge.net> wrote: NB> BTW, Vadim, wxgtk using GTK+ 2 and Unicode seem to be working, maybe it could NB> be possible to compile Mahogany in Unicode mode already? Well, it's surely impossible to do it right now (i.e. without any changes) as you've already discovered. Making these changes shouldn't be that difficult, although it undoubtedly will take quite some time, but I don't realyl understand what will we gain from it. Supporting sending/receiving messages in UTF7/8 should work in ANSI build as well. NB> How much work would it take to fully support UTF8? Sending is trivial (just generate set charset to utf-8). The real problem is editing the message -- the composer doesn't support Unicode at all. What else is there? ... NB> OK, I tried. How should I deal with: NB> /a/M/M/include/MFrame.h: In member function `const char* MFrameBase::GetName() NB> const': NB> /a/M/M/include/MFrame.h:33: cannot convert `const wxChar*' to `const char*' in NB> return You should replace char in function signature with wxChar. And do the same thing in about one zillion other places. However please do *NOT* do global search and replace because in some places (e.g. where c-client functions are involved) chars should be kept unchanged and the translation between(Continue reading)


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As a parent of a two children with disabilities, I realize that my kids are potentially more susceptible to bullying that other children. Since my daughter was in kindergarten, we have taken proactive steps to put in place strategies and to arm her with the skills that she will need to understand, recognize, prevent and address bullying situations. Along the way I have learned a lot and as our children head back to school after the summer, I want to share with other parents some valuable information and strategies to prevent and stop bullying.
Children with disabilities have a higher risk of being bullied. Bullying has become a serious problem in most schools and research supports that children with disabilities are at a higher risk of being bullied. There are a number of factors like physical vulnerability, social skill challenges and intolerant environments that can increase the risk of a child becoming the target of bullying. It's important to know these factors so that you can address them not only by giving your child the right tools but also by educating his peers, his teachers and his school.
It is important to be familiar with these laws and understand how they can protect your child. Make sure that the school personnel, specially your child's teachers, are also aware of these laws. If the bullying is based on a child's disability it may violate the child's federal rights. Federal law prohibits discrimination, including harassment in education programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender, or disability. Every child receiving special education services is entitled, by law, to a free, appropriate education and bullying can be an obstacle to receiving that education. Knowing the law will help you protect your child with disabilities from bullying.
For some children bullying can be life threatening. Children with special health needs such as children with diabetes requiring insulin regulation, food allergies or epilepsy are also at higher risk of being bullied. Bullying can include making fun of them because of their medical condition and in some cases even exposing them to things that may harm them like foods that they are allergic to. Educating kids and teachers about students' special health needs and the dangers associated with certain actions and exposures can help keep kids safe.
Peers can be your child's best allies. Teaching children in the classroom about your child's special needs may foster acceptance. Discuss why your child may look or behave differently from other children, emphasize the ways in which your child is like his classmates and give the children concrete tools and specific examples of how they can interact with your child and also support your child. When other students get involved and stand up for children that are being bullied, the bullying stops.
You can use your child's IEP to help prevent bullying. Children with disabilities often have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) or Section 504 plans that can be useful tools to implement specialized approaches for preventing and responding to bullying. These plans can help children receive additional services and support that may be necessary to prevent or stop bullying.
Strategies to prevent and stop bullying that can be included in your child's IEP (Individualized Educational Plan).
- Identifying an adult in school that your child can go to for help.
- Deciding how school staff will report and document bullying incidents.
- Having a child shadowed by school staff to make sure the child is safe in hallways, playgrounds, etc.
- Making sure that the school staff reassures the child that he has the "right to be safe" so that the child doesn't think that the bullying is his fault.
- Educating school staff and peers about the child's disability and health needs.
- Establishing a peer support group. A group of classmates can receive training on how to prevent bullying and speak on your child's behalf.
- Teach the child to recognize bullying and other dangerous situations using different strategies and tools like video, social stories and role playing.
- Teach the child social skills, assertive skills and problem solving skills.
If you have any other strategies or tools that have worked for your child please share them with us!
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Vango Press LED Torch
Fed up buying and carrying batteries? Then this Vango Press LED torch is just what you need!
Vango's press LED torch is a perfect size to fit in your rucksack pocket, hand bag or even coat pocket and is great for the kids to carry (has a strap which they can put their hand through).
It's perfect for camping (going to the toilet), around the house or in the car as an emergency light, you just simply press away (doubles as a stress ball and exercise for piano players or nut crackers) and there is light!
3 LED Rechargeable battery
Re-charged by pressing
1 minute of pressing for 3 minutes of light
ECO friendly Energy Saving
Colour: Black/Silver
Delivery Information
- Standard Next Day
- Orders under £50: £4.95
- Orders over £50: FREE
- Next Day A.M
- (By 12 Noon)
- Orders under £100: £10
- Orders over £100: £8
- Saturday A.M
- (By 12 Noon)
- Orders under £100: £20
- Orders over £100: £15
Some exlusions apply, for further delivery details for all destinations click here
- Pros
- Cons
- Best uses
- Light up your life
4th October 2013
The Vango Press LED Torch is a perfect piece of equipment for all outdoor professionals who wish to stay in the light. This torch is a fine product it is perfect to tuck away in your coat. It can be strapped to your wrist and can handle all scrapes.@Theoutdoorsman Vango camping and outdoor accessories are second to none when it comes to design and functionality.
- Pros
- Cons
- Best uses


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September 18, 2013
People sometimes call their home design style "eclectic" when their furnishings are a mix of vintage and modern or a lively collection of pieces gathered over the years. But home decorators have to walk a fine line between coordinating period pieces with trendy ones and putting together a haphazard mix of furnishings. Having classic features like Anderson Floors' Southern Vista collection, can provide a unifying theme in eclectic decor.
Finding an inspiration piece is a good starting point for homeowners who want to develop a room design that's eclectic, but highly individualized. In that way, a home will truly reflect the style of the people who live there.
Interior designer Michelle Homme is a fan of eclectic decor because it's the best way to combine old and new furnishings. Whether they are making choices in upholstery, hardwood flooring or window treatments, she said homeowners have greater freedom to combine styles than ever before. She encourages them to have an open mind about including vintage pieces with modern furniture.
"It's always helpful to collect a few things, but don't go overboard," Homme told the San Francisco Chronicle. "Stick to your gut. The biggest mistakes occur when you try to do something someone else is doing."
Focus on contrast
When consumers go shopping, they should determine how well a unique accessory will fit their existing furniture selection. They need to ask themselves whether they really like the piece or if they chose it because it reminds them of something they saw in someone else's home.
According to ApartmentTherapy.com, consumers should aim for a variety of textures and colors as well as old and new furnishings. By contrasting pieces in this way, it highlights the differences and brings out the unique beauty of each piece.
Homme's particular passion is for vintage instruments and globes that look as if they've been plucked from a social studies class. The way she displays them is a lesson to home decorators in how to best show off their personal treasures. Homme takes the globes off their metal bases and groups several of assorted sizes together or shows a particularly distinctive one by itself.
As an inveterate shopper of flea markets, she advised homeowners to frequent local shops where they will find one-of-a-kind home goods. Supporting the work of local craftsmen is another way to ensure they'll collect pieces that can't be found in furniture showrooms.
Anderson Reader
Engineered Flooring
Room Design


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Brandon Quinton Links
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This site has links to news, websites and other information about Survivor III Contestant Brandon Quinton
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Reality News Online 12/20/01 Was Brandon Really an Idiot?
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The Trades 12/14/01 Episode 9 - Brandon's Luck Finally Runs Out
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Salon 11/26/01 "Lindsey is a jackass!"
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It can't simply be that the word "quote" seems more formal than "saying" can it?
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Is there a substantial difference between what someone would call a "quotation" or "quote" versus a "saying"?
For what it's worth, "quote" and "quotation" are not strictly synonyms. Although interchangeable in popular use, "quotation" is a noun and "quote" is a verb.1 The shortening to "quote" has become more common and (dare I say it) accepted, but for the nitpicky among us "quotation" is still the only acceptable noun.
In response to your question: a saying is generally pithier, concerned with a single kernel of wisdom, and is not necessarily attributable to a single person, piece of literature, or entity.2 A quotation, in comparison, is almost always attributed and is not expressly focused on a kernel of wisdom.


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ZZZ SuperPack Instructions v1
These instructions are for use with the V2 Hybrid GrooveMount or a solid PEEK GrooveMount. If you are assembling a SuperPack that contains a V3 Hybrid GrooveMount, please use these instructions.
Tools of the Trade
Assembling your Plastruder
You'll need a finished HeatCore and modular thermistor to complete this process.
Step 1: Attach the nozzle to the heater barrel
Pliers (2 pairs)
Socket Wrench with 7/16" socket (optional but recommended)
M6 nuts (2x)
How the barrel goes into the nozzle depends on the insulator type. If your insulator is solid PEEK then both ends of the barrel are turned-down. The longer end goes into the insulator (see photo). If you are using a hybrid insulator, the turned-down end goes into the nozzle. (This may be contrary to instructions you've read at other sites. PTFE is soft, easily threaded and this way there won't be a gap between the side of the barrel and the insulator).
Thread the M6 nuts onto the heater barrel near where it will attach to the nozzle.Then use the two pairs of pliers to tighten the nuts together. Tighten them but don't use excessive force as it is possible to damage the barrel. If the nuts end up being too loose you can tighten them again later. (The barrel is hollow and if you twist it too hard you'll bend or break it!!)
Hand tighten the barrel into the nozzle. Then using the socket on the nozzle and pliers on the outside nut, give it another quarter turn. You want it nice and tight so that it doesn't leak. If the pinch nuts are too loose, the nuts will move rather than tightening the nozzle. If this happens just tighten the nuts then tighten the nozzle.
Step 2: Add the HeatCore
Thread the HeatCore down to the nozzle with the wires pointing towards the insulator. Tighten the HeatCore against the nozzle. If anything (like excess ceramic) prevents the HeatCore from making a flush, tight connection with the nozzle, remove the HeatCore and inspect it. If necessary , sand the surface that will press against the nozzle. You want a tight connection and good thermal contact. If the HeatCore comes loose from the nozzle the plastruder may need to run hot in order for the thermistor to show the desired temperature. While an increase of a few degrees won't damage the plastruder it can cause the PEEK to get too hot. If the PEEK gets too hot then filament can clog at the top. Clogging like this should not happen during normal operating conditions - it indicates there is a problem with the plastruder (like a warning light on your car).
Step 3: Attach the Insulator
Small File or narrow drill bit
Small Brush
Attaching a PEEK insulator
PEEK is tough stuff so all you need to do is twist the insulator on the end of the barrel. Put the nozzle into the socket wrench, hold the insulator in your hand and tighten it. Don't go crazy tightening it as the barrel can be bent or broken. Just twist until it is nice and tight. Do inspect the barrel/PEEK connection and remove any bits of PEEK that are sticking out. I use a small file, brush and tweezers for this process but other people use a small drill bit. There will probably be a noticeable ridge where the PEEK meets the barrel after you clean it. The PEEK is drilled a little wider than the barrel. The ridge is not a problem - you don't need to try and remove it.
Attaching a Hybrid Insulator
Since there is PTFE inside the hybrid insulator, attaching it is more a matter of finesse than brute force. Thread the insulator onto the barrel until it is tight. Then using a tool with a fine point - a file, small hex wrench, etc - probe where the PTFE meets the barrel. You don't want a gap between the barrel and the insulator.
After you've tightened the insulator, the heater barrel will likely be somewhat blocked with squeezed PTFE. Using a small file (or some people prefer a 1/8" or 3mm drill bit) gently clean out the opening to the barrel. Tweezers and a small brush are also quite handy during this operation. There will probably be a noticeable ridge where the PTFE meets the barrel after you clean it. The PTFE and PEEK are drilled a little wider than the barrel. The ridge is not a problem - you don't need to try and remove it.
It should look similar to this when you are finished. When I make fully assembled Plastruders I take my time working on this step so that there is a tight, clean insulator/barrel connection.
[At the risk of poor form (instructions out of order) - you can do this step before attaching the nozzle and then remove the insulator to attach the nozzle then put the insulator on again.The reason for doing it beforehand is that with the nozzle off you can get a much better view of what you are doing. And, if you use a small brush, you can run the brush all of the way through the barrel.]
Step 4: Attach the Thermistor
Tape the thermistor to the nozzle. Use enough Kapton tape so that you get four or five wraps - so the thermistor is secure and doesn't fall off. You don't have to use one continuous piece though! Two or three pieces is fine. [If your thermistor falls off - depending on the firmware you are using - the heater might get cranked up because the temperature is dropping. This is very bad. You really do not want this to happen. So, make sure that thermistor is nice and secure.
Step 5: Add Insulation
Your SuperPack includes two sizes of a rubber coated fiberglass insulation. The short, narrower piece goes around the nozzle and the longer piece covers the nozzle, HeatCore and exposed barrel.
There you go! A fully assembled MakerGear Plastruder ready to print!!


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I created custom wcf that retrieve items from the list. Is it possible to use spquery within the wcf to filter the list items
If your WCF is located under '_layouts' folder and configured correctly you have access to the SharePoint object model as in web parts, application pages, etc. So you can use
You can read more about WCF services and SharePoint here. How to configure your service you can find in this post.


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College Hockey:Providence, Lowell Skate To 2-2 Tie
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A dominating second period was almost enough to give Massachusetts-Lowell its first Hockey East win, but strong first and third periods for Providence resulted in a 2-2 tie.
Providence took a 1-0 lead in the first and appeared to be riding the momentum of its sweep last week at Maine. The River Hawks, however, controlled the second period in every way but on the scoreboard, leaving the Friars fortunate not to be behind heading into the scoreless third.
"The second period was the best period of hockey I might have ever seen in all my years of coaching," UML coach Blaise MacDonald said. "We played tremendous. Our puck possession was remarkable. Our poise was terrific. Our spacing was great. We just couldn't get enough pucks behind their goalie.
"[In the third] I give Providence a lot of credit. They came back with a strong effort, got their forecheck going and kept some pucks alive in the offensive zone. But when we got it down deep we still had some chances to win the game."
Lowell (2-2-4, 0-2-4 HEA) now has ties in its last three games.
"It was a pretty good road game for us," MacDonald said. "It was unfortunate for our team that we didn't get the W."
Providence (3-5-2, 3-2-2 HEA) did have the better of the two periods, but still couldn't be unhappy with the tie. Pierce Norton scored both Friar goals.
"Lowell played really well and we played really well in spots," PC coach Tim Army said. "I thought that we were sluggish in the first period, but not bad.
"But they really took it to us in the second period. If Simsie — [goaltender Tyler Sims] — doesn't play the way he did, we come out in the third period behind and that changes the dynamic. But I thought we responded and played a much better third period.
"I was disappointed that we didn't have the stick-to-itiveness that we needed. If the other team outplays you, they outplay you. But you've got to block some shots, knock some pucks out of the zone, box out around your net. We weren't doing that. Lowell was putting heat on and we didn't respond.
"The positive for our team, though, is that a year ago we probably would have lost this game. So even with not playing as well as we'd like, we still came out of it with a point. Any time you get a point in this league it's important."
The Providence Friars picked up where they left off last weekend, grabbing a 1-0 first period lead while generating most of the best chances.
The first exceptional opportunity for either side came midway through the first period when defenseman Matt Taormina, the reigning Hockey East Player of the Week, dropped down into the low slot and collected a perfect pass from Greg Collins. Taormina's shot tested Lowell goaltender Carter Hutton, but the sophomore made the glove save.
Hutton was not so fortunate five minutes later. With Providence on the only power play of the period, Taormina fed to Cody Wild after the defenseman dropped down into the left circle. Wild slid a pass across to Norton on the doorstep where he redirected it in for the early lead.
A very different Lowell team took the ice in the second period, eventually outshooting Providence, 18-5, dominating the period in every way except for one costly turnover.
The River Hawks tied the score less than two minutes in on an innocuous-looking two-on-two. With defensemen covering both players, Mike Potacco slid the puck right-to-left to Mark Roebothan in front. Despite the defensive presence, his stick was not tied up and the captain put the shot on net low and beat Sims.
Providence bounced back with a terrific effort by Kyle Laughlin, who tied up a Lowell defenseman to force a turnover. Norton swooped in, picked up the loose puck in the slot, and put Providence back on top with a nice move on Hutton.
The lead proved short-lived, however, as Patrick Cey beat Sims from the high slot, arguably a lesser chance than many that soon followed. The River Hawks swarmed, creating all kinds of traffic in front of Sims while dominating territorially.
Both sides had great chances in the opening minutes of the third period while Lowell enjoyed the man advantage. Providence's Nick Mazzolini sent Collins off on a shorthanded breakaway, forcing Hutton to make the save. Then as the penalty neared an end, Lowell generated a flurry in front that might have gotten a puck over the line, though the light never went on.
Both teams return to action on Saturday. Lowell travels to Northeastern while Providence hosts New Hampshire.
The following is a self-policing forum for discussing views on this story. Comments that are derogatory, make personal attacks, are abusive, or contain profanity or racism will be removed at our discretion. USCHO.com is not responsible for comments posted by users. Please report any inappropriate or offensive comments by clicking the "Flag" link next to that comment in order to alert the moderator.
Please also keep "woofing," taunting, and otherwise unsportsmanlike behavior to a minimum. Your posts will more than likely be deleted, and worse yet, you reflect badly on yourself, your favorite team and your conference.


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post archives:
> 2013
Menu Monday: Confetti Macaron Recipe
- posted in:
- Sweets & Treats
Cue the confetti! Today we have a party perfect sweet treat that will seriously make you SMILE! Tessa Lindow Huff (the amazing cake designer) shares her Confetti Macaron Recipe! If you want to impress your guests, skip the standard vanilla, go "funfetti", and try out this playful dessert for your next party menu!
{Stop, Drop & Roll!} Creative Kids Fireman Party
Stop, drop & roll! Lauren Haddox Designs created printables, and mommy Julia did the rest for her son Ryland's Fireman Party! From the creative fireman themed sweets to the "fire safety" favors this birthday party in the park turned up the heat! PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for: – Fire Truck Wheels (Oreos), Fireman Hoses (Twizzlers) & Marshmallow […]
{Katy Perry Inspired} Teenage Dream Sweet Sixteen
- posted in:
- Birthday Party Ideas
- Theme Parties
Melissa of The Sweet Society is just about to rock your world with her {Katy Perry Inspired} Teenage Dream Sweet Sixteen! A bold dessert table for birthday girl Teagan is decked out with candy, clouds and rainbows (just like the California Girls music video)! For more inspired rainbow party ideas go here and here! PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for: […]
{Party of 5} Chanel Party, Mustache Valentine, Pink Beer 21st Birthday, Bombshell Bridal Shower & Girl Scout
- posted in:
- Party of 5 Picks
Here we go with the latest round of Friday Party of 5 picks from our HWTM.com members! Just click on a party title or collage to check out the full album & details from the following creative events: – Chanel Themed Party – Mustache Valentine's Day – 21 Bottles of {Pink} Beer on the Wall […]
Divian Conner teamed up with S is For Sweet to create a Cute Valentine Spa & Sleepover Party! Makeup, face masks, nail painting and pink, red & sprinkled treats make this a sweet Valentine's Day that the girls will love! For more kids Valentine party ideas go here and here. PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for: – Personal […]
If you're on the hunt for Free Valentine Printables, look no further! We wanted to show a little love to our loyal readers with a valentine download that could work for kids and adults alike… because grown up "kids" and co-workers are worthy of a sweet gesture too, right?! ;) Something tells me these pairings […]
I'm seeing stars for this gingham covered Sparkly Pink Star Party {Backyard Birthday} by Jenny Raulli of Bloom Designs Online! For her daughter, Audrey's 11th birthday, she took inspiration from her girly and glam personality and celebrated with a spa treatment, super star photo booth and more 5-star party ideas! PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for: – Shooting Stars, […]
Creative Tool Time Party {4th Birthday}
Let's "dig in" to this Creative Tool Time Party that Amanda of Dixie Delights built for her son's 4th birthday! Whit was the man of the hour in his hammer shirt and yellow construction hat, building his own toolbox and hammering away at those adorable sugar cookies! ;) PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for: – Water bottles with chevron "crew coolers" […]
Girly Sock Monkey Themed Birthday Party
Tracie sent over pictures from her daughter's Girly Sock Monkey Birthday Party! I love the bright pink and pops of yellow, creative monkey "cup"cake & especially those adorable monkey cake pops! For more sock monkey party ideas go here and here! PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for: – Chevron and polka dot patterns in pink and red […]
Sweet & Simple "Be My Valentine" Party
- posted in:
- Valentine's Day
Hugs, kisses and hearts… oh my! This "Be My Valentine" Party has tons of sweet & simple ideas for a love-filled party for the kids! Alicia & Betsey of Happy Wish Company loaded up on red, pink & white candy, decorations and more adorable love-themed party ideas! PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for: – Heart & arrow sugar cookies and […]
Whimsical Winter Wonderland Party
Patricia's (of Patty K Photography) son Ryan wanted a "snow party" for his 7th birthday, so she dreamed up a Whimsical Winter Wonderland Party with snowy, frosty details! She brought the outdoors in with snowflake decorations, frosty treats and a fun snowman game (wrap each other in toilet paper and whoever looks like a snow man first wins)! PARTY […]
Ballerina in Paris Birthday Party
- posted in:
- Birthday Party Ideas
- Think Pink
If you're a lover of Paris + Pink this party is just for you! Jasmine of IDEA! event + style dreamed up a stunning Ballerina In Paris Birthday Party for sweet Kimani. Pastel and hot pinks paired with gold accents (like the Eiffel Tower candle!) allowed this gorgeous dessert table to truly sparkle! PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to look out for: […]
"Cute Critters" Kids Valentine's Day Cards & Banner
- posted in:
- HWTM Original Themes
- Valentine's Day
I made some new {custom printable} Valentine's Day cards for my daughter's upcoming classroom party and thought other moms might fall in love with these "Cute Critters" too, so they're up in our shop! For an easy giftable treat, I filled some cute pink & white chevron, stripe and polka dot bags (Thanks Jenny!) with […]
Sweet "Call Me Maybe" Kids Valentine's Party
- posted in:
- Sweets & Treats
- Think Pink
- Valentine's Day
I just can't stop squealing with delight from this amazing eye candy by Mariah of Giggles Galore and Rebekah of A Blissful Nest! Together, they designed this Sweet "Call Me Maybe" Kids Valentine's Party with an adorable gold vintage telephone, pastel pinks + bright teals and more details to make your heart swell! PARTY HIGHLIGHTS to […]
The Perfect Winter Cocktail: Cranberry Mojito Recipe
- posted in:
- Cocktails
Whether your having a wild ladies night or elegant cocktail party, this Cranberry Mojito Recipe is the perfect winter cocktail! Kelly Oshiro & Melissa Traub of Santa Barbara Chic shared this clever spin to get us in the mood for Valentine's Day, but you can shake it up however you like!


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Posts Tagged 'make up brushes'
e.l.f. brushes – review
Caution-large post ahead. I got a few questions and requests to write about make up brushes so if you skipped or forgot about the post I made some time ago-go look for it. That, however, doesnt mean I wont be writing about brushes at all. This post will be dedicated to e.l.f. brushes, as you [...]
How I wash my make up brushes.
Yeah, I know..there are like million posts/articles about washing make up brushes out there but I decided to go with it anyway because I dont use special shampoos, conditioners and unicorn pee to take care of my tools. Many people think that brushes are like i.e. human hair. While the texture of the fibers might [...]
Is Sigma F80 THE brush?
As you may know, I have entered Sigma Affiliate program for beauty bloggers/youtubers which means I get some free stuff for review and more free stuff for giveaways, like the Miss Taylor kabuki which is held at the moment so dont forget to enter! I have recently got their F80 which is flat top kabuki [...]
Blending Revealed – how to blend eyeshadows?
We all know how important blending is for creating perfect make up looks. But how to blend without scraping off colors or ending with messy shadows all over lid? Learn here!
Favorite face brushes
For todays post I decided to write a word or two about my favorite face brushes. I have about 12 of them but only three I use everyday and I wouldnt change them for MAC brushes all together.


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Skydiving.com now has a network skydiving location serving Nokomis and Montgomery County in Illinois. Call Skydiving.com at 1-800-617-7948 for details, free information and specials on skydiving in Nokomis, IL today!
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Perfect Match (Si c'etait lui...) Showtimes and Tickets
Read Movie Reviews about Perfect Match (Si c'etait lui...) Write a Movie Review for Perfect Match (Si c'etait lui...)
Release Date: Unknown
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: NR
Duration: 1hr 28min
No girlfriend, no job, no home…Valentin (Marc Lavoine) has lost everything, except his dark sense of humour. The young man is squatting in his uncle's empty apartment in a chic district of Paris. Hélène (Carole Bouquet), a strong, independent young woman, is living with her son Jeremy in the apartment next door. She's a successful writer denouncing social inequality and prejudices. But reality may not lie in books. Both Helene and Valentin will have to see beyond the appearances, as they might have more in common than just a doorstep. Humour and tenderness mingle in this bittersweet romantic comedy.
Cast and Crew
- Starring
Carole Bouquet, Marc Lavoine, Florence Foresti, François-Eric Gendron, Jean Senejoux
- Directed by Anne-Marie Etienne
- Produced by Christine Gozlan
- Written by Anne-Marie Etienne
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Today June 2, Apple announced the latest update to its ever popular smartphone operating system iOS during their WWDC conference, by announcing iOS 8 for its iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. The new version of iOS boasts a bevy of new features, and promises to be the most feature laden version of the OS yet.
Current Apple CEO, Tim Cook first took to the stage to discuss (and boast) about Apple's iOS compared to its main Rival, Android. The first comparison Cook made was in relation to adoption rates. "Google's latest version of Android (KitKat) is only running on 9 percent of all Android devices, while 89 percent of all iOS users are running iOS 7". "That means that Android customers aren't getting the latest features, or the security updates they need." When talking about Android Cook also went on to state that 99% of mobile malware is on Android. Tim Cook said almost all of Apple's new customers are switching from Android to Apple, simply because iOS has a 97 percent customer satisfaction rate, and that fragmentation and security concerns scare consumers away from Google's Android.
While Apple may trail Google's Android OS, the company is still selling an unbelievable amount of devices. To date Apple has sold over 100 million iPod Touches, 200 million iPads, and over 500 million iPhones. There is no doubt that while iOS is popular, the mobile OS has been playing catch-up for sometime, however the new version of iOS is aiming to not only catch-up, but surpass both Android, and Windows Phone with it's new (albeit somewhat borrowed) features.
While the look and feel of iOS 8 will mirror iOS 7, Apple believes that the new features such as active notifications, improved email, Spotlight (think Google Now), iMessage with instant voice and video sharing, Health Kit (Apple's take on fitness), continuity between all Apple devices (make and receive calls from your Mac), a new keyboard (and the ability to download third party keybaords), and the new family sharing option, which allows users to share calendars and apps with up to six family members, will thrust iOS back to the top of the mobile operating system world.
A lot of these features have featured heavily on Android for sometime, but the inclusion of these features in iOS 8 will certainly help bridge the gap between the two competing operating systems. While the new iPhone has not been announced along with the new version of iOS, the iPhone 6 is expected to launch in the fall of 2014. The developer edition of iOS 8 is available today, while the final operating system will be launched in the fall.
Source: Apple WWDC


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Use the tools below to refine your search by only displaying reviews with a certain number of star ratings or to only show reviews from a certain time period. Eg click on '1 star' to just display the reviews we have which received a 1 star rating click or 'Within the last month' to display just reviews posted over the last month.
As rated by our community of reviewers
" Nearly ruined my wedding dress shop experience " Read More
" Found me the perfect dress for my height, shape & size " Read More
" Ordered our dress last year, now got a call just weeks away from th... " Read More
Written by Goonatt
" Not too good. " Read More
" Loved my wedding dress! It's gorgeous. " Read More
Written by Lauren.C


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Thankyou i will be sure to do that!
This is a discussion on hello from Iraq within the New Members Introduce Yourself forums, part of the DefensiveCarry.com Forum Office category; Stay safe, and thanks for the job you are doing....... pls pass that on to all of your buddies there....
Stay safe, and thanks for the job you are doing....... pls pass that on to all of your buddies there.
Thankyou i will be sure to do that!
"Anyone worth shooting, is probably worth shooting several times."
Welcome aboard from Victoria, B.C.!!
Stay safe and get back in one piece brother!!
CCW permit holder for Idaho, Utah, Pennsylvania, Maine and New Hampshire. I can carry in your country but not my own.
Welcome from Alabama
Thanks for your service ,stay safe and pass along our well wishes
We live in a society where pizza gets to your house before the police
Welcome aboard and thanks for your service! Stay safe!
"The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government" - Thomas Jefferson
"The patriot volunteer, fighting for country and his rights, makes the most reliable soldier on earth." - Stonewall Jackson
Greetings & welcome aboard.
From SWVA
Thanks for the Service.
Keep you head down.
BTW: when you get a chance, check out On Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs
Μολὼν λαβέ
I'm just one root in a grassroots organization. No one should assume that I speak for the VCDL.
I am neither an attorney-at-law nor I do play one on television or on the internet. No one should assumes my opinion is legal advice.
Veni, Vidi, Velcro
Welcome from Minnesota. God speed
Luck is not a feeling it's a way of life
Welcome from the Michigan's Thumb.
We the willing, being guided by the unknowing, Doing impossible feats, for the ungrateful, Have been doing so much with so little for so long,
We now feel qualified to do, absolutely anything, with literally nothing


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For those of you looking to increase home security, consider hanging upside-down
pots from a tree in your front yard. Vaughn Sills, the Boston photographer behind
the series Places for the Spirit: Traditional African American Gardens, says an
upside-down vessel is meant to capture evil spirits. Sills traveled through the
South from 1985 to 2005 and took black and white photographs of African-American
folk gardens created with these mystical purposes in mind. Her works will be on
display June 28-Sept. 29 at the Cleveland Botanical Garden's Guren Art Gallery.
Along the way, Sills met intriguing characters behind the gardens such as Annie
Belle Sturghill of Athens, Ga., who thoughtfully and intentionally placed rumpled
aluminum foil and empty egg cartons in her garden (pictured left). "She told me
she goes out every day and rearranges them," Sills says. "Things that reflect light
are really important, because they're reflections of the divine."
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Public Agrees on Obesity's Impact, Not Government's Role
Public Favors Restaurant Calorie Counts, But Opposes Soft Drink Size Limits, Taxes on Unhealthy Foods
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About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. It is a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts.


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The dress was bought at David's Bridal. The wedding was called off so the dress was never worn, and always kept in it's original bag. It is a beautiful dress!
- Alterations: No alterations.
- Preservation Method: Has always been stored in original bag.
- Terms of Sale: All Sales Final
- Original Owner: Yes
- Has Original Receipt: Yes
- Location: Cascade, CO
- Will Ship to: Anywhere at Buyer Expense
- Payment Methods Accepted: Escrow.com
Please read our BUYER'S GUIDE before purchasing a dress online.


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Coed Sports
- Cheerleading
Women's Sports
- Basketball
- Bowling
- Cheerleading
- Cross Country
- Golf
- Lacrosse
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track
- Volleyball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Tennessee Wesleyan closed out the 2013-14 season as the No. 22-ranked team in the NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Wednesday.
Tennessee Wesleyan finished the season 24-5 overall and won the Appalachian Athletic Conference regular-season championship with an 18-2 league mark.
Tennessee Wesleyan qualified for the NAIA National Championship Tournament but lost in the opening round.
The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. For the entire 2013-14 Coaches' Top 25 Poll schedule, click here.
To view the full NAIA Division II Women's Basketball Coaches' Postseason Top 25 Poll, click here.


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Food trailers have become the hybrid between dine-in eating and a fast food drive-thru. Austin is home to hundreds - no exaggeration, hundreds - of these on-the-go food trucks; they spread from the furthest reach of south Austin to the no-man's land of north Round Rock. While tacos and barbeque are often a staple, the menu of each trailer is as independent as its owner. Enter Gourdough's and the big, fat donut.
Why donuts?
We felt like a donut is a blank canvas we can dress with anything. Plus, I really like donuts.
Gourdough's is a unique example of this booming business trend. What started as a donut shop in an Airstream trailer has grown into a South Austin landmark. This donut hub has a cult-like following and tops countless "best of" Austin lists, including a tip-of-the-hat from culinary critic Anthony Bourdain (2010). In October of 2012, owners Paula Samford and Ryan Palmer added a brick-and-mortar location - and with this new addition came an expanded menu (and bar) to feed the foodie frenzy. Gourdough's Public House compliments their sweet tooth items with southern samples of American favorites like fried okra, creamed corn, and frito pie.
Which is your favorite menu staple?
My favorite dish is the Dirty South; chicken fried steak sitting on a potato pancake with homemade cranberry-jalapeno jelly - all of that sitting on a donut and smothered in our creamy, house gravy.
Can you say Y-U-M? These craft concoctions are the magic that keeps the public full and happy. Not for the carb conscious, Gourdough's has turned fat food into fine dining.
Ode to the Trailer - what is the story behind that fabulous frito concoction?
Growing up, every time I would go to a fair or festival, I would always buy myself a frito pie. I thought that this Texas favorite would perfectly compliment our concept.
The House's interior is both rustic and urbane, like a hipster barn you would find in the middle of a bustling city. The location was the previous home to South Lamar's Kerby Lane; the shell has been gutted, remodeled, and transformed into what is now a new Austin favorite.
What is your favorite dining spot?
I love what they're doing with Swift's Attic, and I also love the late night option of 24 diner.
When you aren't feeding the Austin foodies, where can you be found?
I recently adopted a three month old lab puppy from Austin Pets Alive! I spend a lot of my time walking him around Town Lake.
We just have one final, unrelated question:
Texas chili: beans or meat?
Every Monday the pioneers of pub trivia, Geeks Who Drink, host quiz night at Gourdough's Public House. The House also hosts parties, events, and the occasional movie night. More than a donut shop, Gourdough's has become a destination for the fearless and adventurous palettes. Come for the donut, stay for the beer, feed your fix - whatever your fix may be.
Gourdough's Public House is located at 2700 S. Lamar in Austin, Texas. You can follow their donuts (and their feeds) on Twitter and Facebook.
© Lindsay Watson
You can find me here - on Twitter, Facebook, or via email. Like what you read? Keep the beat with Austin Style by clicking "subscribe".


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Top Definition
To beat someone, as you would a mule that did not belong to you. Without hesitancey.
Bitch, I'm gonna beat you like a rented Mule.
dari Philip Jumat, 12 September 2003
To mistreat for one's own interests without fear of reprimand.
He beat that dog like a rented mule.
dari Lew Stuwle Sabtu, 12 Juli 2003
dari Ebin Selasa, 29 Oktober 2002


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A tour to Mount Hermon in Israel.
the book is originally made in Hebrew so the preview shows the book from the end to the begining.
the only text in the book is on the cover
Comment posted.
adriantune says
Really gorgeous photography. I had no idea Israel's geography was so diverse.
If you get a chance, check out my book on my time in Italy.
posted at 02:37PM Nov 07 PST
amberpeterse says
Great book, looks chilly but wonderful. Nice snowman..snowcat? I voted. If you get the chance check out my book My Willa in the pet section, and good luck!!
posted at 10:31AM Nov 06 PST
isabelle001 says Oh, I am ready for that too... snow hot tub, wonderfull sunset. You have great pictures in that book!!! I voted for you. If you have a minute, please vote for my book Woman in the family category.
posted at 01:45PM Nov 01 PST
anitamphoto says
very nice images ...
enjoyed it & voted!
stop by the pitbull tales:
posted at 07:54AM Oct 29 PST
rleenders says Neat, to have a book to be read in reverse!
posted at 08:52AM Oct 26 PST
shirkoo says i voted for this book as well!
posted at 12:57PM Oct 25 PST
EverBGreen says I'm ready to climb in the hot tub -- maybe make a snowman if it is not too big.
posted at 09:39AM Oct 24 PST
Log in or create an account to post a comment.
Tuli's Journey Published November 09, 2010
Tahel's colors book Published November 29, 2009
Matkonim- family cook book Published November 26, 2009
Shay Ovental Published August 23, 2009
Ofira Published April 23, 2009


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It's time for another installment of our semi-regular feature where we talk directly with the people here that work so hard to develop the great new products that protect the important thing in your life. We are proud of the work we do here and it is great to be able to introduce you to another member of the team. Ryan Smith is the Product Manager for our Fire-Safe line of products and my co-host during our recent "Safe in a Fire" event.
Tell us a little background on the 1.23 cu/ft. FIRE-SAFE®?
SentrySafe invented this category back in the '30's and continues to lead the market in sales by a healthy margin. The fire resistance we deliver is unparalleled and the key feature of the product. In a house fire, this product is simply the best option to protect and organize your important and irreplaceable items. Many companies would sit back and coast with this kind of success. But, we feel that it is really important to re-learn the Fire Safe over and over again, and that's why we started back with the end-user to determine what their needs were and solved for the problem with everything new we have learned in the past 5 years as a manufacturer.
What do people traditionally put in a 1.23 FIRE-SAFE®?
The contents are usually pretty typical – tax records, insurance documents, insurance riders, CD and DVD data back-up discs, photo albums, etc. In fact, there are few things you can't put in a 1.2 FIRE-SAFE®. But, I love the stories we get out of our Customer Service call center across the street. One older gentleman who called in looking to get his lost combination told us he once found a ring on the floor in a Las Vegas casino, brought it home thinking it was probably a fake, and it was appraised at $23,000! He just wanted to get into his SentrySafe to have a look at it again because it made him happy.
Do you have anything important to you that you store in one?
My dad was much older than most for guys my age, and he actually served in World War II. On board his ship he was a Sheet Metal Repairman 3rd class, fixing PBY-11 sea planes. But, everyone on ship had a non-combat assignment, and his was working in the photography lab, helping take pictures and develop film. He came back from the war with hundreds of photos – some of sailor's antics during their down time, far off islands they came across in the Pacific or the damage they repaired on the sea planes. Other pictures were taken during tense moments when they were under attack. I don't have my dad with me anymore, but those pictures mean so much to me. They are a window into what he did as a young man to provide the life I enjoy today. I couldn't bear to lose them.
What brought about the changes to the Safe?
We maintain great relationships with our safe owners, so we continually learn a lot about where areas for improvement may exist. We also spend a good share of time talking to people who don't own our safes to see what they look for and what might be preventing them from owning one. So, with this project in particular, it was a combination of sources that uncovered some areas of opportunity to improve.
Please walk us thorough the upgrades to the Safe?
First, we made some changes to make the safe easier to use and less frustrating. The combination dial has bigger, white numbers that are easier to read, and the dial has crisper clicks so you can be surer of what number you are dialing in. The electronic lock has a really cool battery drawer that slides in and out of the side of the lock so you no longer have to take the lock face off the safe to change the batteries. And, on many of the electronic lock models we have added a very bright LED light that illuminates the interior of the safe, making it easier to find and get to what you are looking for.
Second, we made some major structural improvements to the security features. The safe features 4 large, 1-inch bolts – that's 60% larger than traditional safes. On the opposing side of the door, we have a full length pry resistant hinge bar that acts more or less as a dead bolt. We also developed an innovative clutch system for the handle that prevents it from breaking it if it gets over-torqued.
Lastly, we made the door pocket larger on the back of the door to accommodate more items that people want to easily access on a regular basis. We made sure that it could hold CD/DVD cases and most small to medium sized external hard drives. The new design leaves the future wide open for new innovations and breakthroughs, some of which we have already identified and plan to launch as early as next summer.
Where should people look for these Safe?
All major retailers across the country will be carrying the new 1.23 cu/ft. FIRE-SAFE®, as well as Canada, Mexico and a host of countries outside of North America. For the most up-to-date listing, use the "Buy It Now" feature on the product page.