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First Stage:
The first stage of labor is the longest and is broken down into three phases:
Early labor phase: Starts from the onset of labor until the cervix is dilated to 3 cm.
Active labor phase: Continues until the cervix is dilated to 7 cm.
Transition phase: Continues until the cervix is fully dilated to 10 cm.
Each phase is full of different emotions and physical challenges. It is one big adventure you are about to take and we would like to give you a guide for it.
Early Labor Phase:
What to do:
During this phase you should just relax. It is not necessary for you to rush to the hospital. It might be nicer for you to spend this time at home, in familiar territory. If it is during the day you should do daily simple routines around the house. Keep yourself occupied but still conserve some of your energy. Drink plenty of water and eat small snacks. Keep track of the time of your contractions.
If it is during thenight it is a good idea to try and get some sleep. If you can't fall asleep, do things that will distract you like cleaning out your closet, packing your bag, or making sack lunches for the next day.
What to expect:
- Duration will last about 8-12 hours
- Your cervix will efface and dilate to 3 cm
- Contractions will last about 30-45 seconds, giving you 5-30 minutes of rest in between contractions
- Contractions are typically mild, somewhat irregular, but progressively stronger and closer together
- Contractions may feel like aching in your lower back, menstrual cramps, and pressure or tightening in the pelvis area
- Your water may break; also known as amniotic sac rupture (this can happen any time within the first stage)
When monitoring contractions observe the following:
- Growing more intense
- Following a regular pattern
- Lasting longer
- Becoming closer together
When your water breaks (amniotic sac ruptures) note the following:
- Color of fluid
- Odor of fluid
- Time rupture occurred
Tips for the support person:
- Practice timing contractions
- Be a calming influence
- Offer comfort, reassurance, and support
- Suggest activities that will distract her
- Keep up your own strength, you will need it!
If you can not be with her during this early phase, simply do these things on the phone. Don't feel bad if you are not there. If the contractions are fairly far apart then you have plenty of time to get there.
Active Labor Phase:
What to do:
It is about time for you to head to the hospital. Your contractions will be stronger, longer and closer together. It is very important that you have all the support you can get. Now is also a good time for you to start your breathing techniques and try some relaxation exercises for you to use in between contractions. You should switch positions often during this time. You may want to try walking or taking a nice bath. Continue to drink water if your doctor allows you to. If you feel like you need some pain relief such as an epidural or analgesic, just ask. Remember to urinate periodically.
What to expect:
- Duration will last about 3-5 hours
- Your cervix will dilate from 4cm to 7cm
- Contractions during this phase will last about 45-60 seconds with 3-5 minutes rest in between
- Contractions will feel stronger and longer
- This is usually the time that you head to the hospital
Tips for the support person:
- Give your undivided attention
- Offer verbal reassurance and encouragement
- Massage her abdomen and lower back
- Keep track of contractions (if she is hooked up to a monitor ask how it works)
- Go through the breathing techniques with her
- Help make her comfortable (prop pillows, get her water, apply touch)
- Remind her to change positions frequently (take her for a walk or offer her a bath)
- Continue with distractions (music, reading a book, playing a simple card game)
- Don't feel bad if she is not responding to you
Transition Phase:
What to do:
During this phase you will rely heavily on your support person. This is the hardest phase to go through but you are almost to the end. Think "one contraction at a time." This may be hard to do if the contractions are running together, but just think about how far you have come. When you feel an urge to push, wait until you are instructed to. Forget that this is the hardest phase and remember that it is the shortest.
What to expect:
- Duration will last about 30 min-2 hrs
- Your cervix will dilate from 8cm to 10cm
- Contractions during this phase will last about 60-90 seconds with a 30 second-2 minute rest in between
- Contractions are long, strong, intense, and may overlap
- This is the hardest phase but thankfully the shortest
- You may experience hot flashes, chills, nausea, vomiting, or gas
Tips for the support person:
- Offer lots of encouragement and praise
- Cut out the small talk
- Continue breathing with her
- Help guide her through her contractions with encouragement
- Encourage her to relax in between contractions
- Don't feel hurt if she seems to have really strong anger toward you, it's just a phase she is going through!
Stages of Childbirth:
Going through the birth of your child is a wonderful and unique experience. No two deliveries are alike and there is no way to tell how your delivery is going to be. What we can tell you is the stages you will go through during this process and what you can generally expect. Childbirth can be divided into three stages:
First stage: Begins from the onset of true labor and lasts until the cervix is completely dilated to 10 cm.
Second stage: Continues after the cervix is dilated to 10 cm until the delivery of your baby.
Third stage:Delivery of your placenta.
Second Stage:
The second stage of childbirth is pushing and delivery of your baby. Up until this point your body has been doing all the work for you. Now that your cervix has fully dilated to 10 cm it is time for your help. Time to PUSH!
Pushing and what to expect:
- The entire process of the second stage lasts anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours
- Contractions will last about 45-90 seconds with a 3-5 minute rest in between
- You will have a strong natural urge to push
- You will feel strong pressure at your rectum
- Most likely you will have a slight bowel or urination accident but don't be embarrassed
- Your baby's head will eventually crown (become visible)
- You will feel a burning, stinging sensation during crowning
- During crowning you will be instructed by your healthcare provider not push
Pushing and what to do:
- Get into a pushing position (one that uses gravity to your advantage)
- Push when you feel the urge, unless told otherwise
- Relax your pelvic floor and anal area (Kegel exercises can help)
- Rest between contractions so you can regain your strength
- Use a mirror so you can see your progress (this can be very encouraging!)
- Use all your energy to push
- Do not feel discouraged if your baby's head poked out and then goes back in (this process can take two steps forward and then one step back)
Tips for the support person:
- Help her to be relaxed and comfortable (give her ice chips if you can and support her in her position)
- Encourage, encourage, encourage
- Be her guide through her contractions
- Affirm what a great job she has done and is doing
- Don't feel bad if she tells you to shut up or some other unexpected remark
What your baby is doing:
While you are in labor your baby is taking steps to enter this world.
1. Your baby's head will turn to one side and the chin will automatically rest on the chest so the back of the head can lead the way.
2. Once you are fully dilated, your baby's head leads the way and the head and torso begin to turn to face your back as they enter your vagina.
3. Next you your baby's head will begin to emerge or "crown" through the vaginal opening.
4. Once your baby's head is out, the head and shoulders again turn to face your side. This position allows your baby to easily slip out.
Delivery and what to expect:
When your baby is delivered, he/she is not going to come out looking like the Gerber Baby. Keep in mind your baby has been soaking in a sac full of amniotic fluid for nine months. He/she has been through contractions, and your very narrow birth canal. The results of this journey include:
- Cone-shaped head
- Vernix coating (cheesy substance that coats the fetus in the uterus)
- Puffy eyes
- Lanugo (fine downy hair that cover the shoulders, back, forehead, and temple that will shed by the end of the first week)
- Enlarged genitals
Stages of Childbirth:
Going through the birth of your child is a wonderful and unique experience. No two deliveries are alike and there is no way to tell how your delivery is going to be. What we can tell you is the stages you will go through during this process and what you can expect. Childbirth can be divided into three stages:
First stage: Begins from the onset of true labor and lasts until the cervix is completely dilated to 10 cm.
Second stage: Continues after the cervix is dilated to 10 cm until the delivery of your baby.
Third stage: Delivery of your placenta.
Third Stage:
The third stage is the delivery of the placenta and is the shortest stage. The time it takes to deliver your placenta is anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes.
What to expect & what to do:
After the delivery of your baby, your healthcare provider will be waiting for small contractions to begin again. This is the signal that your placenta is separating from the uterine wall and ready to be delivered. Pressure may be applied by massage to your uterus; and the umbilical cord may be gently pulled on. The result will be the delivery of your placenta, also known as afterbirth. You may experience some severe shaking and shivering after your placenta is delivered. This is common and nothing to be alarmed about.
You have now completed all the stages of childbirth and will be monitored for the next few hours to make sure that the uterus continues to contract and bleeding is not excessive.
Now you can relax and enjoy your little bundle of joy!


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The smell is unmistakable: greasy, smoky pork pulling you by the nose into the front door Camel City BBQ Factory, but you're on a mission. Follow the signs for the bar up the external stairway. The table service portion of the restaurant is here, too, and if you want to avoid the demon children running around, screaming and speaking strings of English like a scene from The Wicker Man, then it's best to come after their bedtime.
That should be no problem, considering the Winston-Salem "barcade" — bar and arcade — doesn't close before midnight during the week.
The bar draws a fair number of late-night customers. On a recent Friday, nearly all the seats were taken, with more patrons standing behind. Still, it was easy to get the bartender's attention and start a tab.
Camel City BBQ Factory is likely not on a beer nerd's short-list. The offerings, even those on tap, are pretty mainstream, and many are owned by Big Beer: Devils Backbone, Lagunitas, Blue Moon and others. The Ballast Point Mocha Marlin Porter, another product of Big Beer, had a solid coffee flavor and made for a perfect second drink of the night.
Asterisks on the draft list denote North Carolina craft beers. These, too, are fairly typical, like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Red Oak Amber Lager. The Appalachian Mountain Long Leaf IPA and New Belgium Rampant looked interesting; unfortunately, both kegs were empty when I returned on Sunday. The Deep River Pumpkin Pie Porter was decent, and one I haven't seen elsewhere. Wines unsurprisingly fall in the middle of the road, Cupcake Vineyards and the like.
Daily specials trend toward the bottom of the barrel, most with "lite/light" and "ultra" in the names. But all drafts are $5 when not on special, which is hard to beat.
Camel City BBQ Factory is best for liquor fans, who can find great spirits like Larceny bourbon or local products such as Sutler's gin and Broad Branch whiskey. It also suits those who aren't as concerned with what they're drinking, as long as it has alcohol and the setting is right.
The bigger draw, aside from the food, is the arcade, located up a short flight of stairs from the bar. Adults flock to the darts, pool, air hockey and skeeball. Old-school electronic '80s games are plentiful: Donkey Kong, Asteroids, Pac Man, Centipede. Pinball machines boast TV and movie themes like Ghostbusters, Starship Troopers and "Game of Thrones." For those with no cash on hand — or when the change machine is broken, as it was on Sunday — giant Jenga and Connect 4 are good options, and they're out of the way enough to give introverts some breathing room.
Reboot, a full-service bar and arcade, is slated to open mid-February on Liberty Street in downtown Winston-Salem, just down the street from Camel City BBQ Factory, according to recent news reports. It's a move that will hopefully push the local forerunner to offer a better craft beer selection and ensure their games and other machines, including the Atari Flashbacks in the table service area, are in working order.
Even so, Reboot may find it hard to beat a place that offers a barcade with such delicious food, where the pulled pork and mac & cheese are among my favorites.

subset: commoncrawl


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AUCIA ORGANICS Double Rosehip Oil £20.00
Rosehip Fruit Oil is high in carotenoids and Natural Vitamin E which are powerful antioxidants that fight free radicals, one of the causes of premature signs of ageing. Making this one of the best face oils.
CAUDELÌE Grape Water £10
This gentle plant-based mist, extracted from grapes, works to sooth, refresh and moisturise the skin anytime, anywhere, whilst also reducing sensitivity. It can also be used a toner.
Dr. HAUSHCA Lipstick £20.50
Intense colour, moisturising with mineral pigments and botanical ingredients such as rose petals, almond oil and carnauba wax and lots of shades to choose from.
GREEN PEOPLE Sun Lotion SPF30 £22.00
It contains moisture-retaining ingredients to ensure your tan lasts, is water repellent and is rich in natural antioxidants and vitamins A, C and E – all these combine to help protect against ageing and cell damage.
INTELLIGENT NUTRIENTS Revitalising Moisture Cream £45.00
It will add radiance and moisture back to any skin type, especially dry & mature will benefit from this collation of pure ingredients. Great for reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
INIKA BB Cream Foundation £27.50
BB Creams generally have a smoother consistency than a liquid foundation. It's a multi-tasking 3-in-1 formula – a silky primer, moisturiser and foundation – all in one product. It moisturises and hydrates the skin while providing coverage.
PAI Comfrey & Calendula Calming Body Cream £22.00
This is an intensely hydrating and therapeutic cream that calms and soothes dehydrated skin. The anti-inflammatory properties of calendula and the healing powers of comfrey to soothe and regenerate aggravated and dry skin.
NYR Lengthening Mascara Black £16.00
The perfect mascara for stunning lashes that are beautifully nourished, conditioned and protected, and it's clinically proven to lengthen lashes by up to 85%.


text:
Chairman Long on the upcoming April 19 Presidential Primary.
Mayor de Blasio has some explaining to do says the NY Post and the NY Daily News.
This is very disturbing. The fact that a US Attorney General kept the public in the dark about Iranian hackers until after President Obama had his Iranian Deal, is more than disturbing. One has to ask what other investigations will be manipulated for the benefit of President Obama? Hillary's rolls in myriad issues?
The Daily Signal exposes the good side of trade agreements.
US vows to block new Russian arms sales to Iran. How, President Obama? Will you draw a red line and tell Russia the arms cannot go past the red line? Mr. President: YOU gave Iran the money to make the deal with Russia. Putin will laugh all the way to the bank.
Townhall's Katie Pavlich sums up Fox News' weekend special featuring President Obama's former Defense Secretaries in one word: Brutal.
Governor Cuomo: This is courage. Banning non-essential travel is so juvenile.
File this under: Competition Works.
Emmett Tyrrell exposes the changes the Obama Administration is making in your neighborhood under the radar.
Did you know that President Ronald Reagan had a connection to Merle Haggard? Some of Haggard's best music came after Reagan gave him a second chance.


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KVITFJELL, Norway (Reuters) - Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal finally won a race in his homeland on Sunday, with victory in a super-G that also gave him the World Cup title in the discipline.
The downhill world champion, who had been on the lower steps of the podium seven times before on the course of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympics, made the top spot at last in one minute 29.79 seconds.
Thanks to his fifth win of the Alpine ski season, the super-G Olympic champion also secured the ninth World Cup trophy of his career.
"It's fabulous to win the race and the super-G World Cup in front of my home crowd and my father, who was here to see me," Svindal told reporters.
"Unlike at the world championships, the number 22 bib brought me luck," added the Norwegian, who had to settle for the bronze medal at the worlds in Schladming last month.
Austria's Georg Streitberger was second in the race, 0.52 adrift, ahead of Italian Werner Heel, who was a further 0.05 back.
Svindal, second in Saturday's downhill behind Frenchman Adrien Theaux, increased the pressure on overall World Cup leader Marcel Hirscher of Austria, whom he trails by 29 points with seven races left.
"Hirscher, the way he is skiing this season, can score 180 points next weekend in Kranjska Gora so he remains the clear favorite," Svindal said.
In 2007, Svindal earned the first of his two overall titles by winning three of the five races at the World Cup finals but he said it would be hard for him to repeat the feat in Lenzerheide two weeks from now.
"I'm not at the same level I was then in the giant slalom but it's already great fun to remain in contention so close to the end of the season. It will be a nice fight" he said.
Editing by Clare Fallon


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As Thomond Park welcomes the return of Munster Rugby in Heineken Cup action we call on all supporters to arrive early, claim your spot and get behind the team as you have done so before on countless memorable Heineken Cup evenings!
Heineken Cup Match Day Information
10th November 2011 By Munster Rugby
As Thomond Park welcomes the return of Munster Rugby in Heineken Cup action we call on all supporters to arrive early, claim your spot and get behind the team as you have done so before on countless memorable Heineken Cup evenings!
Heineken Cup Round1 Munster v Northampton Saints, Saturday Nov. 12th, ko 6pm.
Gates will open at 4pm. Please check your tickets for the details of the turnstiles (T1 – T12). Your ticket will only be accepted in the turnstiles identified on your ticket. View plan of Thomond Park here.
Limited remaining tickets are currently on sale for this game and will be on sale on match-day from midday from the mobile ticket unit.
Ticket collections can be made from the Ticket Office in Thomond Park on Friday from 10am to 4pm, and on match-day from 2pm from the mobile ticket unit in front of the East Stand.
Supporters are advised to arrive early for ticket collections in order to avoid lengthy queues in the run-up to kickoff.
Please try to arrive early and allow sufficient time for your journey. Please note supporters travelling via Buttevant, the Cork County Council have informed us that roadworks may still be in place on match day with inevitable delays for those travelling from Cork to Limerick. The roadworks are on the Mallow side of Buttevant.
The Park and Ride facility will be in operation from the following locations:
Kilmurry Lodge Hotel from 2pm
Radisson Hotel, Ennis Road from 3pm
Raheen Ryans Centra from 2.30pm
Woodlands Hotel Adare from 4pm
There is a public bus service operating directly from Limerick City centre to Thomond Park Stadium from 4pm, picking up outside the Dunnes Stores on Henry Street, with a return service following the game.
There is no parking in the vicinity of Thomond Park Stadium but parking is available at all city centre car parks.
Train are available from Cork to Limerick on Saturday departing from Kent Station, Cork or Mallow, (which operate every hour on the half hour) to Limerick Junction and change trains at Limerick Junction for the train to Limerick City.
Iarnrod Eireann has put on an extra train after the game – departing Colbert Station, Limerick at 10.15pm, which arrives at Limerick Junction at 10.46pm, where fans can get a connection at 10.52pm to Mallow and Cork (scheduled to arrive in Kent Station, Cork at 11.55pm).
Munster Rugby Fans, who live in Dublin, can also travel by train from Dublin Heuston Station to Limerick on Saturday(changing trains at Limerick Junction) and return by train from Colbert Station, Limerick departing at 9pm and scheduled to arrive in Dublin Heuston Station at 11.20pm.
Iarnrod Eireann is asking all intending customers to purchase their rail tickets or reserve their seats on-line at www.irishrail.ie or through Iarnród Éireann's Telesales number which is (021) 455-7185.
The Dug-Out bar is open from 3.45pm with live music from Celtic Fusion, free burgers for the first half hour and promotions from Live 95fm.
There are numerous bars and catering facilities in Thomond Park and all open at 4pm.
On the pitch entertainment starts at 5.10pm and features The Celtic Tenors, the Munster Rugby Supporters Club Choir and Arcana.
Match programmes will be on sale from booths inside and outside the stadium for €;5.
The Thomond Park Stadium Museum will be open on match-day from 3pm to 5.30pm with admission only €;3.
The Munster Rugby Store in the East Stand will be open from 3pm and the mobile shop outside the West Stand will open from 4pm.
Stadium Information
Customers are not permitted to exit and re-enter the stadium at any point.
No one will be able to enter the stadium with alcohol or glass and customers will be requested to remove the lids of any soft drink containers on entering the stadium.
Please do not enter the pitch area at any time and adhere to the stadium ground regulations found here.
There will be stewards and security on site to assist you with your enquiries on the day, and to ensure that the event runs smoothly and safely, so please respect their requests.
Forecast for Limerick on Saturday – Cloud covered dry evening with temperatures approx. 7 degrees
Munster Rugby thank you for your continued support.


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Hey gang...Travis back with some great things to do in Tampa Bay that will keep you, and your kids, entertained all weekend (although it's for next weekend, but you can start planning early).
Parents and their kids can join Larry, the security guard, and watch MOSI come to life during a 'Night at the Museum' Camp-In inside the largest science center in the Southeast!
You can play in a variety of hands-on museum games such as mummy wrapping and dinosaur hunting, and become part of the action as you watch Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian in MOSI's 5-story IMAX® Dome Theatre.
You'll sleep amidst MOSI's exhibits, but make sure nothing escapes the museum! Dinner and breakfast are also included in this fun-tastic overnight MOSI experience. BUT, advance reservations required.
For MOSI members, it's $59 per parent-child team and $35 per additional child. For those of you who aren't members, it's $79 per parent-child team and $45 per additional child. This experience is sure to be worth it though.
if you go, make sure you stop back in and let us know how it was...I may even have to show up myself!
See you next time as we bring you some great Tampa Bay entertainment options during the summer. See you then...


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Career Counseling vs. Career Coaching Services
I offer both career counseling and career coaching. There is a good deal of overlap, but there are distinctions. Read the career counseling section if you are either (A) a young person interested in identifying a career direction (B) a person of any age thinking about a career change (new occupation). Refer to the career coaching section if you believe you are basically in the right occupation but are unhappy in your present situation.
Career Counseling
What do you like to do? What are you naturally good at? What kinds of tasks annoy or bore you? What kinds of projects excite and motivate you? Do you see yourself directing the work of others? Making big decisions? Making small decisions? Creating a product? Giving presentations? Managing a crisis? Helping those in need? Running your own business? Providing information to customers or clients?
Do you see yourself in a corporate environment? In a small business environment? In a medical environment? Wearing a business suit? Wearing a uniform? Working outdoors? Working from your spare bedroom? Strategizing? Calculating? Writing? Debating? Advising? Improvising? Instructing? What do you like to do?
These are some of the many things I discuss with my clients. Our first goal is to identify these "wants" along with your skills and abilities that have carryover into the workplace. In doing so, we create a picture of what your fantasy job might look like. The next step is for me to use my knowledge of careers and give you some real-life alternatives—some actual job titles that are close fits to the constellation of features you desire in a career.
You are a One-of-a-Kind Person and Your Career Plan Requires a Custom Fit!
Sometimes clients are on the cusp of figuring out their career direction themselves but need me as a sounding board to provide confirmation that the path is a good choice. If I think your career idea fits you and is attainable, these are relatively easy sessions. We tend to quickly wrap up the decision and move on to strategies such as résumé, cover letter, and LinkedIn writing services.
Other clients, however, feel truly lost. This group is very diverse and includes individuals who do not have a good grasp of their marketable skills, individuals who have little knowledge of the variety of careers that exist, and individuals who are stuck because career decision making causes high levels of anxiety. Also in this group are individuals who thought they knew the right career but have been unsuccessful in attaining that employment or have been terminated from that employment and now need to reevaluate the original choice entirely.
In addition to the variety of career problems I tackle is the variety of people I see. I work with clients of all ages and life circumstances. This includes individuals in their teens, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. It includes clients heading off to college and not sure what to major in, clients emerging from college without a career plan, clients who have spent a few years in the workforce and do not feel they are in the right place, clients who are reentering the workforce, clients who are in industries and occupations that have become a dead-end, clients closing their own businesses, and clients coming out of retirement.
The Process
My experience in more than 20 years of career counseling is that it is beneficial for some clients (about 50%) to complete several written career assessments in conjunction with in-person career counseling. When I say career "assessments" don't get anxious. These are not tests. There are no grades, there are no wrong answers, and the questions are all about you! If any questions are difficult it will be because they force you to think about yourself deeply, which is a good thing. I can almost assure you that you will gain insight from these exercises and be glad you did them. Prior to making your appointment, in your free phone consultation, I will evaluate your situation and determine if you are in that 50% where written career assessments will be beneficial.
Plan A:
During our initial phone conversation, if I make the determination that written assessments are not necessary, we will make an appointment for your career counseling session with me. (Note: I will still be "assessing" your career situation as well as career options during our in-person meeting.) The fee for the 1.5-hour session is $250.
Plan B:
Plan B is career counseling with written career assessments. In advance of our session, I will email you eight assessments. They will be PDF documents that you will print out and complete. You will then send them back to me and I will evaluate your responses, thereby learning quite a bit about you in advance. The fee for the 1.5-hour career counseling session is $250. The fee for the assessments is $55, which is not a fee for the materials sent but is compensatory for my time in evaluating what you send back.
More Help:
Additional sessions, if needed, are typically shorter and are billed at the rate of $100/hour. Once you are a client in my practice at any point in the future you can take advantage of mini-sessions with me. Mini-sessions take place in person or on the telephone and are billed in 15-minute increments (15 minutes is $25). This is ideal in certain situations where you need a small amount of guidance/support from me.
Career Coaching
Things are not so great at your job these days. Maybe you've been passed over for a promotion…maybe you're not part of the inner circle…maybe you've been handed some undesirable projects…maybe you're being underpaid…maybe you're getting buried in extra work that someone else is supposed to be doing…
If your present situation is causing you on-going stress, a professional evaluation can help enormously. My first goal is to help you determine whether your problems at work are fixable or whether you should move on.
If your job is worth saving, career coaching can help you improve the status quo and give you some concrete approaches to turn things around. These interventions may involve coaching you through a dialog you will then have with your boss. Or, we may decide to work on your prioritizing, time management, or delegating abilities, have you take on a high-profile project, or work on interpersonal strategies to restore relationships with key colleagues.
Alternatively, if it is time to find a new work environment, I can assist you with many transitional issues including the identification of employers to pursue as well as additional training or education that might be warranted.
Career coaching is similar to career counseling in that it involves one-on-one sessions, usually face-to-face in my Huntington, Long Island office. The first session is 1.5 hours and the fee is $250. Subsequent sessions are usually one-hour long with a fee of $100.
Final Words on Career Counseling and Coaching
Career decisions are one of the most important decisions a person ever makes because of the life-long implications related to income, personal fulfillment, and emotional happiness. Such an important decision deserves careful consideration and judgment. The money you spend on good career counseling or coaching is an investment you make in yourself and in your future.
For more information, or if you are ready to get started, contact MJ Feld at (631) 673-5432.
205 East Main Street, Suite 2-4, Huntington, NY 11743 | 631-673-5432 | email@example.com
© 2019 Careers By Choice. All Rights Reserved


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While the proliferation of mobile devices has certainly increased productivity in the workplace, it is one of the gravest security challenges facing organizations. Consumers are taking to smartphones and tablet computers – with their intuitive, user-friendly access to the internet and other services – as fast as manufacturers can produce them. Employees, especially younger workers, increasingly want to use these devices for business applications as well. Unfortunately, research indicates that the attitude toward security of most of those using so-called BYOD (bring-your-own-device) is lax.
This newest ebook from SC Magazine gathers expertise from a number of security pros in the mobile arena to help explain the latest threats facing the enterprise from this evolving paradigm, and what can be done to ensure best practices are in place to both enhance user experience and protect the integrity of corporate assets.
Click here to download this ebook on mobile security.


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Chris and I had the rare opportunity to slip out of town on a weekend getaway! We chose some rock climbing and trails at Robber's Cave! The December weather was perfect and the scenery was even MORE perfect!
December 7-9
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Hello Everyone!
Ever have a rough day? I am sure that everyone has had a rough day, at least once. Well that was my day yesterday. There was nothing in particular that was bad, it was just rough overall, and that is the way it stayed until the end of the day. At the very end of the day I went shopping and my friend was able to join me and it just made my day a whole lot better. It was wonderful to see her and it made a great way to end my day.
And that got me thinking, that even though my day may have been rough I can always give thanks. I am thankful for my family, friends, and my work, and this blog. Even if everything is not going according to plan, I am still thankful. So after I got home I went straight to my craft room and made this piece that says Give Thanks. It was cathartic to make it and it is a great reminder to always be thankful, even when it is hard.
I used stuff that I had in my craft room, which was nice to use up what I already had
- I had these plastic dog tags that I found at Who Gives a Scrap. If you don't have anything like this you can make your own with card stock.
- Metallic Paint
- Gesso, brushes, mod podge, glue, letters, sandpaper
- Paper, ribbon, burlap, and anything else you need for the background
I saw these dog tags awhile ago and I thought they would be perfect for a project, but I wasn't sure what. I think they worked perfectly for this project.
I roughed up the surface with sandpaper then I applied a layer of black gesso
Once they gesso dried I sponged on different metallic paints. I kept on going until I found a look I was happy with. Then I added glitter letters to the tags to spell out Give Thanks.
For the background I Mod Podged on different papers I had in a random fashion. Then I added some ribbon and burlap and a faux pearl necklace to add more interest and texture.
Then I added string to the dog tags and then I glued it all together and put it in a frame. Now it is ready to hang and be a daily reminder.
I am pleased with how it turned out. How do you give thanks and what are you thankful for?


text: I've decided not to tell people what to get our kids for Christmas this year. This comes after a few year stretch of asking and hinting to our family to get the kids "experiences" or things that they can do, you know, something practical. It is a common topic right now around gift giving, and it … Continue Reading


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Hello everyone
Over the last days I worked on a limited model Sergeant Space Marines, which dig up out of my collection. It's a very nice model and nice to me it painted .
The colors have remained the standard for Sergeant Ultramarines, only added white insertions and purple shadows for variety of color.
I hope you like it.


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Friday Flashback is hosted by Jen over at The Introverted Reader.
Originally Reviewed: September 23, 2009
This is the kind of historical fiction that I love to read. I've always had a passing interest in mythology, but sometimes it can be so dry! "So & So, son of Such & Such, did A, B, C, & D, had son Whatchamacallit with Whatshername who was the daughter of Whosthatguyagain?..." That's one of the reasons I've put off reading the Bible. Too many begats.
But McCullough manages to work all of the necessary begats in, while at the same time still moving the story along, and further making you CARE. She brings these characters to life in a way that mere Mortals could only dream of. History and myth gives them names, but McCullough gives them LIFE. Personality, aspirations, hopes and dreams, conniving brilliance, worshipful adoration, undying loyalty, etc. These are the things that McC gives us and inspires our adoration of her.
First, let me say that I wish I'd have taken notes when reading this book. Each chapter is narrated by a different character, and it's not always easy to keep track of who is who in the beginning, or which side they are on. (I said I have a passing interest in Mythology - I'm not a scholar with Heroes' names, important dates and country of births memorized!) This is the one thing that dropped this down to 4 stars for me. Granted, once I got to the midway point, I was just along for the ride and following everything without a problem, but getting there would have been easier if perhaps the chapter headings had say "Priam of Troy" instead of just "Priam" for the narrator.
That being said, even once I was up on the who's who and which side is which, McC made it VERY difficult to pick a side to root for! She portrayed everything so realistically that there is no "right" side to an impartial judge; rather "right" is dependent on which King you serve and which version of the story you get from them. Much like wars today *cough*, the Greeks' war against Troy was less for the proclaimed scapegoat reason and more for profit and political gain (read: land and money). Come to think of it, we're quickly coming up on 10 years too... But I digress.
I was surprised by the humor and modernity in this book. Odysseus especially was fairly snarky and at times I felt like he would just step out of the pages and start pulling strings everywhere. I got a few chuckles out of him. I liked that while the feel of the book was true to the traditional story, it did feel updated and accessible to everyone- not just mythology buffs.
I also appreciated that the magic and the miracles were left open to interpretation. There is always a plausible scientific, or at least non-magical, explanation for miraculous events. That's a fine line to walk, actually, to say "Here's a possibility" but not try to sell it or convince us. I appreciate McC for being able to do that well, and for doing it at all. Too often authors want to spread their opinions like little seeds, hoping that they will take root in someone else. It's a rare thing for an author to write a book without a stance.
I also enjoyed the fact that there was homosexuality and bisexuality in the book, but that it wasn't done in such a way as to be a slur or a joke. It was simply presented as an everyday occurrence and accepted. Too bad that's relegated to history, we could use a little of that mindset now.
Speaking of which, my four favorite characters in the book were portrayed as bisexual and gay: Diomedes, Odysseus, and Achilles (bi) and Patrokles (gay). I loved how these men were able to be Men (RAWR!) on the battlefield but then off the field share a part of themselves with another man that men of today wouldn't dream of. Get your mind out of the gutters! I mean their feelings, not their tools. Really though, knowing that these men were gay did not make me feel any differently about them as warriors - and I love warriors. If anything, it made me respect them more for their duality. They were able to truly love and be loved by men, yet go out and kill hordes of them daily. Crazy.
I notice that my favorite characters are all Greek, which is interesting because I am still very undecided as to which ideological side I wanted to win the war. I mean, obviously I knew which side would win, but there is a part of me that just loves the underdog and will always root for the losing side. But neither side was faultless, and both sides were harmed by the other prior to war, so who is right? Conundrum.
Anyway... I really enjoyed the book... It certainly is fuel for thought and shows that mythology is just as relevant today as it was 4,000 years ago. Give or take a century.
Friday, March 9, 2012
Friday Flashback Review: The Song of Troy by Colleen McCullough ★★★★
Posted 3/09/2012 08:13:00 AM
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Labels: 4-star, FridayFlashback, Historical Fiction, Romance, War
2 comments:
I've only read The Thorn Birds, which is a good read. I'm not interested in mythology. Not much interested in ancient Greece or Rome. Doubt I would read The Song of Troy. I appreciate your open-minded approach and honesty about the book, though.ReplyDelete
Hi there, there is a collection of book links happening right now at Carole's Chatter. This time we are collecting links to posts about your favourite historical fiction. Here is the link Your Favourite Historical Fiction Please do pop by and link in – maybe this nice one? Have a lovely day.ReplyDelete
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Main Page » Touhou KS » A Different Demon-Sealing Record »
A Different Demon-Sealing Record - Chapter 4: Offense and Defense
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Reimu explained the situation to Keine and Kotohime, Keine and Kotohime reported to the Council of Elders, and the Council declared a state of emergency; if the Human Village's live-in defenders had been mind-controlled into doing evil, who knew what would happen. Broadly speaking, a state of emergency mostly just meant that Kotohime and Keine didn't need to ask the Council's permission before moving around Defenders and police officers, or for rushing out of the Village to chase down Mima if they figured out where the hell she was. It also meant you were allowed to fly over the Village, which Reimu thought was an improvement.
Keine had then gone off to "hide the Village's history," which Reimu didn't quite understand, but the entire Human Village territory was now enclosed in a strange-looking reddish barrier, which apparently rendered everything inside it invisible. Reimu had been dispatched to investigate Rika's workshop, which was within Keine's barrier, while Keine and Kotohime had gone to chase down any Defenders who mysteriously failed to respond to the general summons.
The Youkai-Extermination Defense Force had been founded about twenty years ago. Broadly speaking, it was mostly a formalization of a practice which had more-or-less already existed, insofar as the original settlers had all been youkai exterminators. The new form of the Defense Force included things like rules and regulations, mentorship and training for those who were too young but who had useful powers, and a whole network of support and backing. They weren't as powerful or skilled as the Shrine Maiden — the best among them was Keine, and even she couldn't have taken Hakurei Chiyo in a fight — but they were closer at hand, and they could deal with fairies and weaker youkai without any trouble, so that the Shrine Maiden didn't need to be everywhere at once. Reimu tried not to feel bitter at the fact that they also tended to get fewer injuries than the average Hakurei Miko, and were thus longer-lived.
The problem was that it was mostly volunteer work, and a given Defender invariably needed to juggle it with another job. This particular wrinkle in the system went all the way up to its leaders, Kamishirasawa Keine, who was a schoolteacher and historian, and Kawaji Kotohime, a medium-ranking officer of the Human Village Peacekeeping Department. Regardless, a mere fifteen years later, the Defense Force was now considered one of the fixtures of the Human Village. The building which housed their headquarters was near the center of the village, in a squat building next to the main police office.
At 7:30 PM, by prior arrangement, Reimu returned to the Defense Force HQ on Genjii's back. The sun had already mostly set by that point. Keine and Kotohime were standing by the front door, each carrying a magic-powered lantern. Kotohime had changed into red and purple robes; Keine was now wearing a cobalt-blue hat which looked like a witch had started transforming a bento box into a miniature single-tiered pagoda, gotten distracted partway through, and then topped it off with a red bow. Both of them wore white armbands bearing the kanji for "Youkai-Extermination Defense Force" wrapped around a red circle.
"Welcome back," said Kotohime. "Find anything?"
"Uh, the charms around the workshop got zapped by danmaku," said Reimu, as she followed them inside. She'd mostly been lighting the way with the Yin-Yang Orb.
Genjii shrank down to a smaller size so that he could fit through the doorway. "I have surmised that young Miss Kirisame must have been the one to neutralize them," he said. "It was difficult to read the remains of the ofuda, but I believe their combined strength should have resisted a direct assault from a youkai. This probably means that Miss Kirisame was coerced or persuaded to work for Mima, rather than controlled by Noroiko's curse."
"I think I can guess how they persuaded her," said Kotohime. They went into a small meeting room, and Kotohime sent individual danmaku bullets to light the paper lamps dotted around the room.
"Yeah, Rika said her dad wasn't letting her learn magic, right?" said Reimu. "And she's a witch now, so Mima must've promised to teach her." They each took a chair, and Reimu set down the Yin-Yang Orb in the chair next to her. Genjii simply floated up to hover above the Yin-Yang Orb.
"Did you find anything else?" asked Kotohime.
"Nope," said Reimu. "No residue, other curses, anything like that. I did a little purification ritual and blessed the workshop anyway, though."
"And no clues about where the three of 'em could've gone, I'm guessing," said Kotohime.
"I'm afraid not," said Genjii.
Keine nodded. "I tried to look into the census and extermination records to see if Mima was originally a Villager, but I haven't been able to find anything," she said. "It's hard to search for anything when all you have is a single given name. The good news is that we've found three other Defenders who'd been cursed by Noroiko. We're having the police and Defenders making a sweep through the village to see if we can find any others."
"Yeah, it's about one Defender to five police," said Kotohime. "They'll let us know if they find someone they can't beat. Oh, and I put out the word about your god. Got a feeling I know who people are gonna be praying to tonight."
"Oh, good," said Reimu.
"All of the cursed Defenders had essentially the same story," said Keine. "Noroiko attacked them near the edge of the Village, they were inexplicably hit by one of Noroiko's 'curse' bullets, and Mima gave them orders to attack you for varyingly nonsensical reasons. We sent them all home, by the way," she added. "Their families had ... various reactions, but the ones who were angry mostly just directed it at the attackers."
Reimu nodded. She hadn't though to ask Rika about family; setting aside the fact that it wasn't an actual thing for Reimu herself, well ... it didn't happen that much, because the Human Village was safe in and of itself, but in Gensokyo, it was just common enough to lose a sibling, or a child, or for children to live with uncles and grandparents, that it was impolite to inquire too deeply about family matters. Too much of a risk of opening wounds, both old and new.
"I guess we're left with chasing down the enemy, then," said Kotohime. "If Mima's just a ghost, even Rika could dispel her, but I kind of feel like we're dealing with something more than that."
"Oh, yeah, that's what my intuition is saying, too," said Reimu. "She might even be a vengeful spirit!"
Kotohime nodded. "Is that something you can deal with yourself? Vengeful spirits are kind of above the Defense Force's pay grade, as it were."
"Um ... kind of?" said Reimu, slightly backpedaling. "I mean ... I could probably exterminate Noroiko, but my training hasn't gotten to dealing with vengeful spirits and other, uh, super-powerful ghosts. I mean, besides just keeping them out of places with stuff that works on pretty much all youkai."
"Could you seal her away?" asked Keine.
"Yes," said Reimu firmly.
"Then I guess that leaves the question of how we're going to find them," said Keine.
They all sat in thoughtful silence for a moment. "What do we know about young Miss Kirisame?" asked Genjii.
"Well, that's as good a starting point as anything else," said Kotohime. "Let's see ... she started running away in November or so, which in retrospect is probably when Mima started teaching her magic ... but until her complete disappearance last month, she was always brought home within a few days by Mr. Morichika Rinnosuke, a friend of the family. Um ... she lives in the top floor apartment of the Kirisame Shop on Second Market Street with her parents, Mr. Kirisame Nakamoto and Mrs. Kirisame Ayumu ..."
"She was an A-student until she started running away," added Keine, "and she had the gift of magic, potentially fairly powerful, but, well, you know the rest. According to Mr. Morichika, her father has had some sort of unexplained grudge against magic and youkai since he was young."
Reimu blinked. "Does Mr. Kirisame know ... about ..." She gestured to Keine.
"Both of her parents know I'm half youkai," said Keine. "Nakamoto doesn't have a problem with us, as long as we're useful to the village, or once he gets to know us — Mr. Morichika is also half youkai, for the record. But people like Mr. Kirisame are the reason why I don't advertise myself, yes." She shrugged. "Not that I can really blame them."
"Was there any pattern to where Mr. Morichika found Miss Marisa?" said Genjii.
"We thought of that months ago, actually," said Kotohime. "Unfortunately, she usually ended up going straight over to Mr. Morichika's shop Kourindou. The rest of the time, she was found wandering the Village."
"Where is Kourindou?" said Genjii.
"Over by the Forest of Magic," said Keine. The Forest of Magic was a few tens of kilometers southwest of the Village; as its name implied, it was a forest, which was filled with magic.
Reimu frowned. "What if they're in the Forest of Magic?"
There was a pause. "Right, we're switching gears towards finding someone else," said Kotohime wryly. "We never investigated too far in that direction because we always found Marisa in the end. Of course, the other reason we never checked in there is because the Forest is pretty big and kind of dangerous. It could take all night just to track them down, and that's if we don't wake up anything nasty in the process."
"Did anything in particular prompt that, Reimu?" asked Keine.
"Um ..." Reimu nervously glanced at the Yin-Yang Orb. "My ... intuition?"
"Well, that's a perfectly good source of information," said Kotohime. "Especially if it comes from the Yin-Yang Orb, I know you've got —"
There was a knock on the door, and a policeman poked his head in. "Excuse me, Miss Kawaji, but there's just been a sort of disturbance near the eastern gate."
Kotohime peered at him. "A sort of disturbance?"
"Well ..." The officer shrugged. "According to the guards, a nine-tailed kitsune just appeared, walked into Ms. Kamishirasawa's barrier, and then called out that she had information for the Shrine Maiden. The guards said she appeared from, quote, 'a portal full of eyes', unquote."
"Oh dear," said Genjii. "Did she who she was?"
"Uh, yes," said the policeman, who seemed slightly unnerved at talking to a hovering tortoise in the middle of the meeting room. "She said she was called Yakumo Ran, and that she represented a youkai sage named Yakumo Yukari."
Genjii closed his eyes and sighed. "We had better go and see what she wants."
The crystal ball showed kilometers upon kilometers of empty fields.
"Any luck?" asked Noroiko.
Mima stared at the crystal ball, which showed a wide, empty field. "In spite of my most valiant efforts, the ongoing 'nothing' festival hasn't ended yet," she said. "I know Kamishirasawa's power is history-based, but beyond that I have no idea what she's doing except that it's pretty fantastic."
"I thought your scrying spell was supposed to be fantastic, too!" said Noroiko petulantly.
"Which means that it's vulnerable to something lesser, but specialized," said Mima. Noroiko wasn't a good listener, but it didn't hurt to try to explain something. She glanced over at Marisa, who'd gotten up and started pacing restlessly two minutes after the Village had vanished. "Even if I did know what caused it, there's no guarantee that I could ... hang on."
At a gesture, the view zipped over eastward. Yakumo Ran was standing there, staring at the empty field with roughly the same befuddlement that Mima felt. She took a few tentative steps forward, looking around, then called out, "To whom it may concern: we are Yakumo Ran, the shikigami and representative of our master, the —"
Mima burst out laughing. "Well then!" she said.
"Oh, jeez," said Marisa.
"We're dead, aren't we?" said Noroiko, looking slightly terrified.
"I know I am," said Mima, without missing a beat. "But seriously, as I told said earlier, we just need to lower our standards."
"I will return once the Shrine Maiden arrives," said Ran, and she disappeared through another gap.
Keine, Kotohime, Genjii, and Reimu flew back out to the eastern gate. Kotohime seemed to be standing vertically on a fluffy white cloud that had formed around her feet, and it glowed just bright enough that they could see around themselves. They were, Reimu realized, the best youkai exterminators in Gensokyo, all gathered together. Well ... she wasn't sure if Genjii counted, but still.
For that matter, Genjii had been nervous and silent the whole way. Hmm ...
Reimu drew in power from the yin-yang orbs and pulled a couple of anti-youkai ofuda from her satchel. She knew that kitsune gained an extra tail every century up to a maximum of nine, which meant that this "Yakumo Ran" was at least eight hundred years old. Youkai tended to grow stronger and more dangerous with age, and foxes in particular were a cut above the rest, with a wisdom and cunning that made each extra tail a signifier of much greater danger. They were loyal to a fault and quite reliable if you could somehow acquire this loyalty (and if you could stop them from doing things like "bringing you wealth" by stealing from your neighbors) ... but this one seemed to be loyal to a self-proclaimed youkai sage.
Kotohime glanced up at the waning gibbous moon, which was still distinctly visible through Keine's barrier. "Too bad this didn't happen on Monday," she said. "You probably could've caught every cursed Defender and then taken out Mima yourself before dinner."
"I suppose she must have timed it so that the moon wouldn't be full enough anymore," said Keine.
"Huh?" said Reimu.
"I'm a were-hakutaku, a beast of history," said Keine. She sounded uncomfortable. "I ... change, under the full moon, except for my face."
"Oh." Reimu tried to imagine it, but she didn't know what a "hakutaku" was supposed to look like to begin with.
They reached the guard shacks by the eastern gate, and policeman wearing a guard helmet stepped out. "Well, here we are," said Kotohime, descending down to a comfortable level for conversation. "Is the fox still here?"
"She went back through one of the ... portals," said the guard. He looked nervously out at the gate. "She said she was going to come back when the Shrine Maiden arrived," he added, nodding to Reimu.
"Hmm." Kotohime gazed out at the barrier.
"She walked into the barrier, but it looked like she had a barrier like yours wrapped around her," said the guard.
"Did it look like she could see anything?" said Keine.
"Not really," he said. "She mostly just looked perplexed."
"Then it was working, don't worry," said Keine. "She just saw an empty field."
Kotohime shrugged. "Well, I guess it can't be helped." She rose back up and moved towards the gate, and Reimu and Keine followed; Reimu split the Yin-Yang Orbs into four. A couple of other guards stepped out, watching from a safe distance.
From the inside, the barrier looked like a shifting wall of red-tinted glass, with strange shapes floating over it that Reimu realized looked like woodcuts, or the outlines of paintings, showing scenery in the Village territory. Kotohime flew through without hesitation, and it rippled like water.
Reimu flew through on Genjii's back. She could feel the presence of the barrier as it ran over her, but all sign of it vanished the instant she was on the other side. She glanced back, and just saw a wide open field, several dozen kilometers wide. Even the walls were gone. "Well, hiding the village is amazing, Miss Keine!"
"Thank you," said Keine, expressionlessly.
And then a portal full of eyes opened in front of them.
There was just a horizontal slit in space, as if someone had run a pair of scissors several meters through the fabric of reality, revealing a dark void with dozens of eerie red eyes staring out. Three human-looking hands were grasping the edges from inside, seemingly pushing it open, but they slipped in and vanished after it was a couple of meters wide. It was tied off at both ends by a pair of cute pinkish-red bows.
Creepier than the appearance was the fact that Reimu could feel a boundary being opened. She wasn't sure what kind of boundary it was; it wasn't as though there was a barrier in front of her, although Keine's ability raised the question of whether she could know for sure. But it felt like nothingness itself had opened.
"Dear gods," muttered Keine, who looked like she was currently in fight-or-flight mode.
"Well, that is ... certainly a portal full of eyes," said Kotohime. She summoned nine black pearlescent mines, and they began spinning around her at high speed.
Reimu drew the full power of the yin-yang orbs, trying to access her combat instincts and get any insights about the portal.
What? She tried again.
All she got this time was a bit of a strain, since she was already pulling at their maximum.
O ... kay, why wasn't she getting any ideas or battle plans? Reimu tried turning her Yin-Yang-Orb-instincts to this question. Two hazy possibilities fizzled into her mind after a moment: either the other Shrine Maidens had all gotten used to these ... portals-full-of-eyes, to the point that they didn't see them as a threat in and of themselves ... or, more unsettlingly — and she couldn't believe she was considering something more unsettling than that — maybe the creator of that portal had some way of overriding her combat-instincts.
A woman with nine large fox-tails descended out of the portal. She wore white robes, and a white hat with two points roughly in the shape of a fox's ears. Her shoulder-length hair was the same shade of gold as the fur on her tails, and she had the golden-orange slitted eyes of a fox. She was standing perfectly vertical, with her hands clasped in front of her, hidden in loose sleeves.
Let's see ... kitsune, obviously. If it came to a fight, a few options specific to foxes sprang into Reimu's mind, and of course as a youkai, this woman would be weak against a lot of the rest of a Shrine Maiden's arsenal. However, she hadn't actually done anything threatening yet. Reimu noted that her instincts were working just fine with the fox, despite not reacting to the portal.
"Greetings, shrine maiden," said the kitsune, with a serene but businesslike tone of voice. The portal closed behind her and vanished, as if it had never been there. "We are Yakumo Ran, the shikigami and representative of our master, the youkai sage Yakumo Yukari, Youkai of Boundaries."
The countermeasure that popped up in Reimu's head for a "youkai of boundaries" was to talk it out rather than fighting directly, or failing that, to be ready for literally anything and preferably to run like hell, which was not encouraging — hang on, boundaries? As in, that one source of the Shrine Maiden's power!? What did — "Wait wait wait wait, you're a shikigami!?" she blurted out. "That's just ... no. Nine-tailed foxes are, like, crazy-powerful, you can't just make one into a familiar!"
"Reimu," said Keine, in a warning tone of voice.
"Well, you're correct as far as that goes," said Ran. "Lady Yukari acquired our services through persuasion, with no deception or force on her part."
"How?" exclaimed Reimu, though she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know.
"Shenanigans," said Ran.
Reimu laughed helplessly. A portal had appeared which was the scariest thing Reimu had seen for at least three separate reasons, and out had popped a nine-tailed fox who was someone's familiar, and who had just said "shenanigans" in a calm, professional tone of voice. You could either laugh, cry, or run away, and options 2 and 3 weren't on the menu for the Hakurei Shrine Maiden.
"I suppose one of us ought to tell you that's not an answer," Kotohime said mildly. Her mines were still spinning around her.
"I'm afraid we cannot divulge information regarding our nature as a shikigami," said Ran.
"Even why you're calling yourself 'we'?" said Reimu.
Ran showed the faintest hint of a smile. "Especially why we're calling ourself 'we'," she said. "But our purpose here, at the command of our master, is to divulge information regarding the crisis you face."
"Really, now?" said Kotohime, cocking her head and putting her hands on her hips. "What does a 'youkai sage' care about a crisis caused by another youkai?"
"Lady Yukari's reasons are entirely born of self-interest, we assure you," Ran replied. "We shall speak plainly: the Great Hakurei Barrier has grown weak. It is considerably weaker than it was immediately before the death of the Thirteenth Shrine Maiden of Hakurei, and only slightly stronger than it was at the time of the inauguration of the Fourteenth Shrine Maiden." She looked each of them in the eye. "If Hakurei Reimu dies at this time, the Great Hakurei Barrier will only grow weaker. There's in fact a 45% chance that it will collapse, destroying Gensokyo."
"Yeah," said Reimu. It was just as she'd told Rika. "The Barrier is ... definitely weaker than it should be."
"Well, that chain of logic is sound, if nothing else," said Keine. "What information do you have?"
"The identities and locations of the culprits," said Ran.
"We already know that," said Reimu. "Mima, Noroiko, and Kirisame Marisa. They're in the Forest of Magic, right?"
"I see," said Ran. "Did you know that Mima is currently using a crystal ball to watch this entire conversation?"
"W-what!?" Reimu went on full alert and looked around, trying to sense whatever magics were being used to spy on them.
Kotohime looked straight up. "There," she said, pointing. Before Reimu could even detect what was there — she couldn't see or sense anything — Keine and Kotohime pulled ofuda out of their sleeves, sent them flying into the sky —
"Whoops!" said Mima. With a gesture, the image in the crystal ball vanished.
— and only then did Reimu feel a faint perturbation, a faint sense that something had just winked out, before the ofuda even reached them.
Kotohime harrumphed. "Looks like she's faster than thrown charms."
"Um ... yikes?" said Reimu. "I ... almost didn't see it at all."
Keine shot Reimu a warning look, and she realized it probably wasn't a good idea to wear her heart on her sleeve while there was still a potentially hostile youkai around. She frowned, and turned back to face Ran.
"We believe Ms. Mima was also watching your other battles, as well," said Ran.
Kotohime shook her head. "Yeah, okay, what do you want?"
"Merely to give you information," said Ran. "The vengeful spirit Mima, the unrepentant ringleader; the curse-youkai Noroiko, the childish fool, who caved to the simplest threat; the human witch Kirisame Marisa, too easily swayed by the offer of that which was forbidden. They are located in the northeastern quadrant of the Forest of Magic. We merely wish to have your assurances that the threat will be neutralized."
"Yeah, we're gonna do that," said Reimu, trying to glare at her. "No matter where the threat comes from, even!"
"Indeed," said Ran. "And you, Miss Hakurei, must continue your training. At your current rate, we estimate that the Great Hakurei Barrier will reach its previous strength in the next twelve to eighteen months. You are forbidden from dying during that time."
Kotohime snorted and crossed her arms. "How very droll," she said. "I was friends with Chiyo, you know."
"I apologize," said Ran, looking genuinely taken aback. "I did not mean to offend."
Kotohime glared at her for another moment, then gave a curt nod.
"You said Mima's a vengeful spirit?" said Reimu, noting the 'I' in place of 'we'. "Not just a ghost?"
"Ah ... correct," said Ran. "Though we don't know what motivation or desire has prevented her from passing on, nor the method she used to retain her powers as a magician."
Reimu thought about this, then pointed her gohei at Ran. "Okay, fox, what do you really get out of this?"
Ran didn't react to having a youkai-extermination tool shoved in her face. "Is it so unbelievable that continued survival is enough for our master?" she asked.
"Well, honestly, yeah," said Reimu. "I mean, if it's that important, why doesn't she deal with it herself!?"
Ran nodded. "Therein lies the paradox," she said. "It is the place of humans to defeat youkai, not that of our master. And would you even believe a sage of youkai if she were to report that she had resolved the crisis behind your back?"
"No," said Reimu, Keine, and Kotohime.
"For myself, that would depend on far too many other factors," said Genjii.
"Just so," said Ran. "Furthermore, Miss Hakurei, besides the maintenance of the Great Hakurei Barrier, you require combat experience against a true youkai opponent, not a human you can neutralize with a single ofuda."
"Actually, we beat most of 'em before hitting them with ofuda," said Reimu. She decided not to be more specific than "we."
"I see. Well done." Ran peered at her. "Incidentally, did Lady Yukari detect the use of your boundary-powers during the battle against the swordswoman? Our master is quite sensitive to such things."
"I don't think we need to keep a youkai up to date minute-by-minute about Reimu's training," Keine said coolly.
"Understood," said Ran.
Reimu sighed, and looked down at Genjii. "What do you think, Gramps?" she said. "You've dealt with these guys before, right? Can we trust them?"
Genjii grumbled. "The truth is that in every single crisis in which Yakumo Yukari has given us information, matters have been resolved much more smoothly than they would have been otherwise." He looked sidelong at Ran. "Or at least, except for those cases in which she showed her own face, but those instances were more difficult for ... entirely unrelated reasons."
Ran looked slightly pained. "Yes, she is indeed quite a handful," she said.
"Guess we'd better head back inside to make preparations, then," said Kotohime. "Unless there's anything you've conveniently left out?"
"Nothing of the sort, but there is one other thing," said Ran. "Our master has instructed us inquire about this, regardless of whether you wish to answer: are you working towards restoring the deity of the Hakurei Shrine?"
Kotohime laughed humorlessly. "Don't see why we ought to keep your master up to date about that, either," she said, poker-faced.
"Very well," said Ran. "Just know that Konngara of Hakurei is no less important to Gensokyo than the Shrine Maiden, and she is more difficult to replace." Another portal-full-of-eyes opened, and she bowed to each of them in turn. "As you were, then, defenders of the Human Village. We shall see you again, Ms. Hakurei, after this crisis has been resolved."
"Um, bye?" said Reimu.
Ran slipped through, and the portal vanished.
Five seconds passed, then all four of them exhaled, and Kotohime dispelled her mines. Reimu took a moment to let her heart stop thumping loudly enough that Genjii probably heard it. "What are those portal-things, anyway?"
"Yakumo Yukari refers to them as gaps created in the boundary between 'here' and 'there'," said Genjii.
"Where is 'there', exactly?" asked Kotohime. "I almost blew her the fu—" She glanced at Reimu. "... the heck up when she popped out like that."
Keine created an opening in her barrier, and they passed through; as they flew in, the guards retreated back into their shack.
"About four years ago, during a visit to the Hakurei Shrine, Miss Yukari described it as the actual concept of 'there', in comparison with the fact that 'here' is defined as wherever you are, relative to yourself," said Genjii. "I'm trying to remember her precise words ... ah, 'Wherever you go, here you are.' And because of this, the concept of 'there' must be outside of any location in time and space."
There was a pause. "What?" said Keine.
"Yes, that was more or less my own reaction," said Genjii. "For her part, Miss Chiyo said that she was not drunk enough to understand it."
"Ha! Me neither," said Kotohime. "It does make a weird kind of sense, though."
"That is largely the only kind of sense Yakumo Yukari makes, I'm afraid," said Genjii.
"So, wait, this 'youkai sage' is in the habit of just ... showing up at the Shrine?" said Reimu.
"Yes," said Genjii. "Though it has historically been quite rare."
"When was this?" said Reimu. "You said it was four years ago? Why didn't I see her?"
"That was during one of the brief periods in which you were attending school in the Village," said Genjii.
"Oh, right," said Reimu.
She thought about this for several moments as they flew back towards the center of the village. "What is she ... I mean ... what's Yakumo Yukari's whole deal?" she asked finally.
"Yakumo Yukari is an incredibly ancient and powerful youkai, and is obviously therefore incredibly dangerous," said Genjii. "However, on the broad scale, her actions appear to be directed towards maintaining the current state of relative peace in Gensokyo. As for what she's like in person ..." He shook his head. "I have only met her a handful of times. She is simply ... indescribable. She is indescribably strange. She is a very youkai-like youkai."
"Well I wouldn't expect a youkai to be human-like," said Reimu. "Um. No offense to you, Miss Keine ..."
"None taken," said Keine. "There actually are a few types of human-like youkai, by the way. But, Genjii, you're saying that ... to the extent that most youkai are not very human-like ..."
"... Yakumo Yukari is very, very youkai-like," Genjii finished.
"Wow," said Reimu. "Gramps, you should've told us that before we went out." Something else was nagging at her, a connection that had been made in her mind, but she couldn't pin it down ...
"I apologize," said Genjii. "Still, what I said was true: her information is valuable, when she deigns to say anything of substance at all."
"Then I guess we'd better make the most of it," said Kotohime.
Mima sighed, staring at the darkened crystal ball. Marisa was sitting on her rolled-up futon, looking unsettled and annoyed. Noroiko was leaning against a wall, seeming even more nervous.
"So, uh, boss," Marisa said finally, "now what?"
Mima shrugged. "I suppose there's nothing for it but to get ready for the youkai exterminators." She grinned as a thought struck her. "Come to think of it, Yakumo Ran's proviso was fairly ... specific, wasn't it? Noroiko, you can dispel your curses remotely, can't you?"
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- This event has passed.
Balsam Bash – Friends of Bowdon Bollin
July 11, 2018 @ 10:30 - 12:30
What is it?
Himalayan Balsam is a pesky invasive plant that takes over large areas and stops our native plants from growing. The only way to stop it is to pull it out before it goes to seed.
How can I help?
Join the Friends of Bowdon Bollin team for a big Balsam Bashing session! It's easy for anyone of any age to pull up, it's fun and will also really help the local environment.
Please wear suitable outdoor clothing and shoes with proper ankle support. Gloves will be provided or bring your own if you prefer.


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I know it looks intense colorful. I am at the white stripe in the center.
Goes really fast. Love the twill. It should last........and because of the fiber, you can wash it in the washing machine. Super soft.
|Woven section in 3 over 1 twill. I want he warp to show the movements of waves while the plastic liners in their murky colors are supposed to be a reflection of the Gulf of Mexico.
This is the underside of the weaving or back.


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Info for Iran, from UNLV
Info for Iran, from UNLV
Author in asylum program uses Web to filter news, warnings back to her homeland
By Timothy Pratt
In the chaos after both incumbent and challenger crowed victory in Iran's June 12 presidential election, an e-mail written in code landed in Moniro Ravanipour's e-mail inbox.
"Busloads of people will be there if there's a rally tomorrow," it said. "People" meant soldiers. Soldiers meant violence.
Sitting in her Las Vegas study, Ravanipour considered the e-mail's author reliable, an insider up on government plans. And the thousands who saw as a sham Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's announcement of overwhelming victory with only 20 percent of the votes cast needed to know there could be danger if they gathered to voice opposition.
Ravanipour immediately posted the warning in Persian on her Web site.
So began a cyber vigil that continues to this day. The Iranian novelist, writer-in-residence in UNLV's City of Asylum program, has not slept much in weeks, mounting a one-woman round-the-clock information service that relies on a network of more than 100 students, writers and others who know what's happening and what's going to happen across her country of 68 million.
The New York Times and other mainstream media have documented in recent days how ordinary people in Iran have become part of the news mix in the shifting sand of events postelection, blasting images and words into cyberspace via e-mails, blog posts, YouTube and Twitter, eventually landing them on newspaper and network Web sites and TV programs around the globe.
But Ravanipour is trying to ensure a more circular route. She wants information from Iran to make it back to Iran. The nearly 10,000 visitors to her Web site have few sources of news, whether it comes from across the country or their own neighborhoods.
Of course, like the postings from Tweeters and camera-phone-wielding Iranians linked to by the Times or shown on CNN, it is impossible to verify every word or image. Ravanipour posts them all. In a recent visit to her office at UNLV, she had posted a rumor about government forces torturing a former head of intelligence.
On another day, a fellow writer described the details of a bloody exchange of gunfire, hours after it happened. She posted it, making sure to delete the writer's name.
As the days pile on and unrest continues, the number of sources for her site dwindles. "I've lost contact with friends, students. I don't know what happened to them. Maybe they've been killed," she says, resigned.
Twice, her Web site has been blocked in Iran, once last week for two days.
The continuing violence made her decide to make her efforts known in the U.S. "I didn't give an interview for a long time. Now I have to say something," she says.
Ravanipour would like to see greater international outcry against the violence, which she is convinced will continue unchecked. She wishes she could go back to her country. She left nearly three years ago, first taking a residency at Brown University and then, in July 2007, beginning another at UNLV.
The City of Asylum program "provides safe haven for writers whose voices are muffled by censorship, or who are living with the threat of imprisonment or assassination," according to its Web site. Ravanipour's eight books are unavailable in Iran; the state removed them from libraries and bookstores years ago. Some of Ravanipour's "students" in Iran — a sort of correspondence-course relationship — have never seen her books, reading only scattered stories online.
"If I go to Iran today," she says, "I would never get out."
Sometimes, she can't help but be struck by the contrast between the world surrounding her students in Iran and the ones at UNLV.
"American students don't have any pressure; they have everything. Because of that, they don't know about the rest of the world. They think we ride camels in my country and that I speak Arabic."
The novelist has tried to deliver humor to her countrymen. When Michael Jackson's death was announced, she posted a satirical note claiming that the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah had been found responsible for the pop star's demise. The jibe was aimed at Ahmadinejad, who days before had begun blaming Western governments and media for the violence in Iran.
"I try to keep them strong, give them hope," Ravanipour says of the thousands who go to her Web site. "They are nervous and depressed."
Ravanipour said she cannot concentrate on writing these days. She is trying to deal with cold facts in a crisis, far from the fiction she creates the rest of the time.
"I'm a writer, not a journalist," she says. "But it was my duty to do this."
References: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2009/jun/30/info-iran-unlv/
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|Panorama of Turin
The first future inhabitants of the torinese territory were the tribes ligurians of Taurinii. The Romans founded after a city that was called Augusta Taurinorum (29 BC) and then Turin. Destroyed in 69 ad by a fire, it will undergo other destructions in sec. IV and V.
Then under the Dominion of various invaders (Byzantine, Lombard bardi); until, after being a free comune, passed in 1280 under the Dominion of the Savoys. In The Risorgimento Turin was, thanks to Vittorio Emanuele II and Cavour, the Center from which began the political unification of Italy.
In our century, Turin became the capital city of the automobile. Today Fiat is the most important industry not only in Italy, but on the all Europa.
Turin boasts splendid monuments which recall its long history. Among the many: the Roman theater, the Porta Palatina, the remnants of the Porta Praetoria, Castle, the Royal Palace, Palazzo dell'Accademia delle Scienze, the Mole Antonelliana (167.50 m) built in 1863-88 by architect Antonelli.
The other provinces of Piedmont have considerable importance and historic and economic and artistic.
Novara, for example, was already in Roman times, when it had the name Nova air. Ivrea, not far from Turin, is home to the more important for national industry Office and electronic equipment: the Olivetti.
After the 1955, Piedmont, and especially Turin, have enthusiastically to a very strong immigration of southerners, attracted from the abundance of jobs offered by Industrialization.
Find an accommodation in Turin: Hotels in Turin


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Reviewed by Jen
The premise of this book intrigued me. Our hero is a fallen angel who now harvests the souls of the wicked. Nathaniel is constantly exposed to the very worst of humanity. It was only by chance that he happened upon the car accident destined to take Chloe's life. Even then, he had no inclination to interfere… until he saw the beauty of her soul as it tried to leave her body. A soul so bright should have been bound for heaven, but she had no ties of love to help her pass over. Unable to simply let her spirit fade to nothing, Nathaniel cuts out a piece of his own soul and ties it to hers, tethering her spirit to her body.
It's months before he sees her again. Unfortunately, his soul has darkened hers and now she is on his list of the damned. He can't let her suffer for his mistake, though. So he thinks to enter her life as a human, long enough to help her make connections to the people around her. That way, when she does have to die, her spirit can finally go where it deserves. The problem is that Chloe is agoraphobic and that keeps her cut off from other people.
When they come face to face, their soul connection kicks in right away. And the story follows their journey to love, while the clock ticks down to Chloe's inevitable death. There is much more to it: complications and secondary characters with supporting storylines. But the love story is the heart of the book. It's also where I was sadly underwhelmed.
Agoraphobia is a real mental illness and the concept of a main character with this problem is different. But it's not exciting. It's not sexy. Chloe came across as weak to me as I got to know her character. She needs her hand held constantly and she is utterly naive about the outside world. That makes it even more awkward when her relationship with Nathaniel advances at the speed of light. She loses her virginity to a guy she's known barely more than a week and the I Love You's are right around the corner. There wasn't even much sexual tension to speak of… just an acknowledgement of an attraction and her ever-present anxiety. The relationship fell flat, both in the sexual and the emotional realms.
Like I said, I liked the concept. And I thought the resolution was cool. But it wasn't enough to make this one a good read for me. If you want to give Hailey Edwards a try, I definitely recommend A Hint of Frost over this one.
Rating: C-
*ARC Provided by NetGalley
Soul Weaverby Hailey EdwardsRelease Date: August 7, 2012Publisher: Forever (GCP)


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Filtration Process
The Whole House Full-Auto water filtration system is installed on mains plumbing, sediment and chlorine are removed from all taps and showers throughout the house, at up to 45 litres per minute, protecting your tap washers, hot water systems and appliances.
The backwash valve within these systems extends the life of the granular activated carbon media by enabling it to be back-washed and cleaned. All sediment and sludge is flushed to waste, either into the garden or storm water drain. This allows the mechanical clockwork operation to back-wash, stopping automatically at the end of the short cycle. Using this method the carbon media will last the average household three to four years, depending on water quality and usage.
With a large range of water filters specific for the whole house systems available.


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I'm interrupting my Myanmar posts to bring this announcement:
Summer is over.
Australia is now officially in autumn!
Inverloch, Victoria - Summer 2016
We seemed to gallop through summer this year, but it was a good one.
Although come to think about it the reason it went by in a flash
was I had December in the UK and February in Myanmar.
I was out of Australia for one month of it!
Hey, quiet in the back rows.
I know some of you are smirking that I'm practically 'out of it' year round :)
|Gunnamatta Ocean Beach - Mornington Peninsula
Of course just to lull us into a false sense of security
with our sudden rude onset of early winter.
It's 34 degrees here in Melbourne today.
With the same highs forecast tomorrow - Yay!
It is the warmest start to March in eleven years, so it's not all bad here.
|Portsea Ocean beach - Mornington Peninsula
Every Summer has it's own story.
As you gallop towards yours in other countries,
I wish you the best summer ever and some wonderful summer memories.
Now anyone seen my sunnies? I seem to have left them somewhere.
Have fun and take care
Linking with thanks at Our World Tuesday


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