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I've been meaning to write a post on fussy eating for a while now but other things have caught my attention. I don't know about you, but when ideas or sparks of inspiration hit me, if I can, I try to go with that and see where it leads (rather than shooing it away so that I can get on with my to do list). I've been working on some exciting new ideas recently and feel very much in the flow with my new life at home with the boys. I think it must be good for my soul because the Big Magic has effortlessly been finding its way to me, and I'm more than happy to indulge it.
So, fussy eating. Well firstly I should say that I don't like this term or 'picky eating' because they are both so negative. Yet I have not come up with something better and most parents will know what I mean when I say it, so we'll run with it, for now.
If you follow me on Instagram you'll see a lot of the food I feed to the boys and it may leave you with the impression that they aren't fussy eaters. Well let me stop you in your tracks there, my friend. Laurence and Jonathan are just like most other young children. They are as fickle as a pickle, and most mealtimes are privy to some element of food being poked at or in the case of Jonathan, tried and then spat out.
Most young children will go through a stage of fussiness. For some it is fleeting and for others, more drawn out. The most important thing to understand is that it's a completely normal part of their development and that is why I don't like labelling it in a negative way – nothing about eating real food should be negative.
To be sure, no-one said that building a love of real food was going to be easy. It does take perseverance and you may need to muster your stamina to work through it without mealtimes resorting to a stand-off. However, forearmed is forewarned as they say, and given your success at navigating this period comes down to how you respond to the fussiness, I thought it might be helpful to see how fussy eating manifests itself differently in our home and show you how I deal with situations as and when they arise.
So firstly I'll start with Jonathan who is nearly 2 now. Most babies are really good food explorers in the early days, say from 6 months to their first birthday – a reason why I think introducing real, whole and recognisable foods as early as possible (from around 6 months) really maximises a time of natural curiosity. But after that, it can for most toddlers (although not all) be like Russian roulette, and Jonathan was no exception.
Learning to like leaves
Although he has most of his teeth now and is very good at feeding himself, there are still a few things he physically struggles with. Leaves are a bit annoying – tearing through plants is quite tiring relative to eating other foods and ultimately there is little reward in terms of the fatty, salty, sugary flavours we're programmed to enjoy. But for me, it's really important that he learns to like them. They are incredibly nutritious and for that reason I always struggle to see a meal as being complete if there are no leaves on the plate.
I believe that it is within all children to come to like almost any food if they are given it often enough. Indeed, you only need to look as far as other cultures to see examples of infants and children eating foods that we might find strange in the Western world. Infants and children learn to like foods through repetition and role modelling, and so the simple truth behind my approach with leaves (and any other food for that matter) is to continue to put them on his plate like it's as natural as putting on pyjamas before bed. So long as he's seeing the leaves regularly and seeing us eat them, and hopefully giving them a little try – that's all my aim is in these early years.
Pick your battles
That then begs the question of what I actually do when we are at the dinner table. We are only what we eat (and digest, of course) and so it's not much help if the leaves never make it into his mouth, is it? Well firstly, it's hard to reason with a toddler. Have you tried it? It's like negotiating with a psychopath… they care little of consequences. With Jonathan I am mindful of gently encouraging him to try foods that are subtly being avoided. I might play with the food a little… tickling his cheek with some kale (just writing that sounds so twee, I'm sorry) or make a forrest with the broccoli, or use a silly counting voice every time something goes into my mouth. Anything goes really, so long as it brings in some fun and giggles to the table (table manners are for another time). My aim is one nibble… just a nibble and even if it gets spat out… that is progress.
Now, if it's just not going to happen, even after some silliness and ridiculous affirmative reactions from me as I munch down on the tofu, then I leave it. I don't want mealtimes to turn into a battle ground. It's not a nice atmosphere and in reality, I'm on the losing side of this battle. I've taught them since they were babies that it's up to them to feed themselves, so I can't go back on that now. Plus, I don't want to – I want them to eat food because they enjoy it, not because they think they should or they won't get their 'afters'. I try to eat up any leftovers in front of him to reinforce that there's nothing wrong with the food, and then the hands get wiped, the table gets cleared and we move on.
Share and share alike
This brings me onto another point which is that we all share the same meal in our home probably 95% of the time. Jonathan has much smaller portions than us and I find that his appetite can vary wildly. I really try to not let this bother me. For example, some mornings, he'll lick his porridge bowl clean and others he just picks out the little bits of dates or raisins, smearing the rest in his hair and demanding 'out' of his highchair. It's difficult to not encourage him to eat a little more but I put faith in the fact that he knows his body better than I do – which is true, in as much as young children have much better appetite control than adults, who have learnt to override it.
I tend to have more success with mealtimes when the boys are hungry (for obvious reasons) but timing meal times right is definitely a fine art. Too early and there is a lot of picking at what is on the plate, too late and there are meltdowns intersperced with gnawing the dining table. This generally means that we sit down for our dinner somewhere between 4.30 and 5pm, which is probably quite early for some people, but I find that works for us.
Out the other side
Laurence is 5 now and so is almost out the other side of his fussiness. It's been an interesting ride. He was similar to Jonathan in going through that fussy toddler stage but what has been more intriguing has been his instant dislike for foods that he previously liked. But not only that, foods that you wouldn't consider to be typically 'challenging' such a sweet cherry tomatoes.
Reassuringly for me now with Jonathan, there was a time when Laurence wouldn't touch kale but after a really positive experience with some homemade kale chips, he's since completely converted and doesn't need any prompting to eat it up. There are still a few foods that we're working on.. zucchini (courgette), millet and quinoa and probably several others that escape me right now. But on the whole, we've come a long way.
Tallest, fastest, strongest, smartest
I just briefly want to say that my approach with Laurence at his age is markedly different to with Jonathan. Most of the time you can reason with a 5 year old to some extent (I'll probably regret saying that). I've found that what motivates Laurence to eat foods is answering his questions about why – it will make you stronger, taller, smarter and so on. It's all about competition for him at the moment. We also have a little chart on the wall where we are tracking his height and for him, visually seeing the lines creep up the wall is very motivating for him. And by and large, when he's had a food a few times, you don't need to convince him anymore.
Brave little eaters
And of course, there's always new recipes to try – new foods that he hasn't had before. And so this whole process is not just about introducing and growing a liking for a wide variety of foods, it's also about dampening that fear of the unfamiliar. Getting them to a point where they are happy to have a little try.
The other day we picked up a jar of spicy apricot kasundi from the farmer's market, the sort that is just enough heat to bear as an adult, let alone a child. Anyway, we popped a bit on both of their plates along with their curries. Jonny was quite alarmed when he brazenly scooped some onto his chapatti and stuffed it into his mouth. Laurence on the other hand, had a similar reaction but when his taste buds calmed down, he went back in for more. And more…
There is so much more to talk about in this whole space, so I will definitely do a follow-up post with some clear and simple strategies that I would recommend to keep little ones on a path to broad and healthful taste preferences. All children are different of course and it's finding ways that work well for you – the more strategies you have to do this, the less likely you are to throw the dinner in the bin and reach for the gin.
Do you have any tips to share or any questions on particular foods that you're struggling with? Let me know in the comments.
In good health,


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By Leigh Russell
The modern day high performance coach is charged with a great many responsibilities on and off the field from marketing the club, to leading and managing a diverse range of staff, to being part scientist/psychologist/master tactician and motivator of a large group of individuals that need to all sing from the same hymn sheet in order for any chance of success to happen. Leadership and vision is created and sustained in the top roles such as that of coach. Its a pivotal role in the high pressure cooker of sport.
Within the sporting environment however, coaches are given very little time to get it all right. The truth of the matter is this the skills that got you the job in the first place (those being passion, dedication and knowledge of the game), are probably not the ones that are going to keep you there. Coaches need a specific sort of fitness that is going to complement all the other skills many have spent years refining.
The one thing that makes all the difference emotional intelligence (otherwise called emotional fitness) is often overlooked as a soft skill. Recent history though will tell us it is the coaches with high levels of emotional intelligence (EI) that have a chance of conquering the challenges the role presents.
All we have in sport is people the rest is just smoke and mirrors. People create the culture, make up the team and support the conditions that will either see a group be successful or not. Sport is played, coached and managed by people. The ability to not only relate to people but to engage and inspire them in a vision is paramount to success. However, across many sporting environments, I have met very few people that believe their EI, or lack thereof, may be hindering their success. The blame game usually includes other people, processes or players that dont perform.
However, without a doubt a lack of emotional fitness is the top reason senior coaches in AFL get sacked. Boards and CEOs attempt to package this up in a myriad of ways but it almost always comes down to the coach not having enough EI to get them through.
When you get to the top of your game, you can assume your technical capacity will be about the same to others. What separates you is something else and that is your skill base around emotional intelligence. Your ability to leverage EI, both on and off the field, is critical to your success as a coach.
In an era where we are all looking desperately for a competitive advantage, the secret sauce is staring at us right in the face.
You could dismiss the potency of needing such fitness if you were in a role where there wasnt a great demand for emotion such as a scientist or mechanic but you dismiss the benefits of EI to your coaching at your own peril. Lets face it the responsibility of coaching demands the use of emotions skilfully, engaging the hearts and minds of others to hopefully do extraordinary things.
Research indicates that using emotional fitness more purposefully gives competitive advantage in four areas:
Emotional intelligence focuses on identifying, understanding and using emotions resourcefully. In team environments, strong emotional intelligence in groups starts with emotionally intelligent coaches.
When you are a player, you train the muscles in your body to be able to do specific tasks, whether it is speed, strength or endurance. When you are a coach, the muscle you need to train is your EI muscle to get in the game and to stay in the game. It is the thing that will set you apart from your colleagues and make people want to be led by you.
The great news is this: that EI can be taught and developed, unlike IQ which remains fairly stable over time. And it is important to discern between EI and IQ, as they are not the same thing. You can have a high IQ but be emotionally unfit. In fact, a lack of EI can make really smart people sometimes do really dumb things, which we can observe from time to time in the theatre of the match day coaches box.
Emotional fitness separates outstanding performers from adequate ones. And in the sporting system, as we know, adequate is nowhere near good enough.
There are four key areas of emotional intelligence which are important for coaches to consider:
Self-awareness is arguably the most critical aspect of emotional intelligence. It is the ability to know yourself to really know yourself - warts and all. We are creatures of comfort, so this is a challenging proposition for most of us.
Recognising your own emotions and behaviours for what they are and dealing with this as they are, not as you wish them to be is about the best professional development a coach can undertake.
Knowing what you do well, what drives you, and what brings you satisfaction is all important to know. But shining a light on what you dont do well, what pushes your buttons, or simply being unable to deal with your emotions is unhelpful to you, but most importantly, to those around you (particularly players and fellow coaches).
Knowing all parts of self and the impact you have is often a place of discomfort for most people so we try to avoid at all costs. But if you are a coach, you can guarantee that people are talking about how aware, or not, you really are.
I havent witnessed a club environment yet where people dont make it a sport to talk about how the head coach is faring and this is the thing those conversations are most often not towards the coach, but out of their earshot.
People will go to great lengths to avoid giving others the feedback they desperately need to succeed. We live with a warped view that it is not the right or kind thing to do, but in reality, avoiding it is the greatest injustice you can do to a colleague. As a coach, you need the moral mandate to lead, alongside having the title. The only way to get that is through being aware of your strengths and opportunities to develop.
Self-management builds on the basis of self-awareness and is simply the ability to control your emotions, so they dont end up controlling you.
Consider the worst boss you ever had. Think about the impact they had on you. Almost always, these are the people who were poor at self-management, which had major repercussions on how people behaved around them.
Self-management in the sporting environment is really the ability to control emotional impulses which lead to poor performance, and the capacity to create specific emotions which lead to high performance and of course, to know when to switch on to do either option.
People who have poor impulse control are hard to be around, and change the dynamic of the environment. People stop acting comfortably around them, they hold information back for fear of upsetting them, and dont speak up when they should. The mood of the leader, determines the mood of the team.
This is particularly problematic in a high performance environment where any elephant in the corner has the ability to derail success. I have been in far too many football meetings where people do not say what they want to, for fear of upsetting either the senior coach or someone up the hierarchy. This compromises high performance and contributes to a negative culture.
It is important to remember, people dont leave clubs or organisations or companies they leave people.
They leave their leaders. They leave YOU!
Of course, while a certain amount of emotion is required in coaching, it is a physiological impossibility to make good, effective decisions when under large amounts of stress, such as when you have allowed yourself to become angry or anxious. The ability to manage your emotions, and therefore your behaviours is critical for the coach leader who is also trying to manage the emotions of others.
Social awareness is the skill-set used to pick up on, and understand the emotions and feelings of other people both individually and in group situations. With well-developed social awareness you can accurately read situations and people because you are able to understand and empathise with their emotions. This gives the coach a strategic advantage, as you will be see the power dynamics within your environment with clarity and be able to navigate a way through the politics.
This means using all the tools of communication at your disposal, including elevating the need to listen effectively to not only the verbal, but the non-verbal messages body movements, gestures and other physical signs of emotion.
Using empathy effectively is an underrated leadership tool but being able to ask better questions, using feedback to clarify what is understood and acknowledging feelings of others even if you disagree all enhance leadership. Likewise, so is holding back from making comments or statements that are judgemental, rejecting, belittling or undermining.
Coaches who do not have good social awareness set unreasonable demands on their players and coaching team, and miss the signs people give when they are disengaging. When coaches are sacked and it comes as a surprise to them, that always surprises me, but gives great insight into where they might sit in relation to their own social awareness.
Relationship Management is about your capacity to connect and build trust. How you get the best out of others - your ability to inspire and influence, to communicate and build bonds, and your ability to help them change, grow and develop is crucial in the high performance environment. Think about the number of different stakeholders a coach needs to engage with. If the ability to connect isnt well developed, this can present significant challenge to coach success. Relationship management isnt luck however it is a deliberate success strategy.
Great relationship management allows you to connect with others in ways that help them feel understood and supported. Managing relationships is an essential emotional intelligence skill that enables you to effectively become a coach leader.
Effective management of relationships relies on your self-awareness, self-management and the level of social awareness you might have. Once a coach is using all four areas to their advantage, they are operating with sound emotional fitness.
The cornerstone of emotional fitness is self-awareness. Any tool that helps to build this for you and your team is valuable in enabling your high performers. There are many formal tools (such as DISC or MBTI, 360 feedback) or informal tools such as mentoring and coaching (dont underestimate the power of conversation with the right questioning). Also, give someone in your environment permission to be a barometer for you around your behaviours and impact you are having positive, neutral and negative.
Emotions are a filter that shape what we see and how we evaluate information. Emotional intelligence allows coaches to perceive and manage these filters so they get a more accurate and useful understanding of players and staff, leading to high performance.
By placing emotional fitness as a priority, or seeing it as just as important as the other aspects of a coaching role, you will have a greater chance of utilising effectively the one resource that is unique to you and your club: the people within it.
Emotions are contagious choose them mindfully. When coaches develop emotional intelligence they are more skilled at accessing and generating the emotions that let them connect with, and influence the people around them to deeper reflection and more powerful motivation. Leadership is set from the top but conversely, the fish rots from the head first. As a coach, you set the tone of the environment.
Consistent reflective practice habits are under rated for coaches. We ask players to be reflective on their performance as part of the routine, but dont often integrate this practice at the coaching level. The culture of busy-ness is killing our capacity to lead with high emotional intelligence. Actively managing this part of the high performance environment is pivotal for success.
If you'd like to know more about emotional intelligence, here are a few suggestions:
This article is based on a keynote address presented by Leigh Russell at the 2015 AFL National Coaching Conference.
Leigh Russell GAICD - is an organisational development specialist, board director, performance coach, and public speaker / facilitator with qualifications in the arts, teaching, counselling, career counselling and business.


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Boat Care Invention: Scrubbis™ Makes Hull Cleaning No Big Deal
Boat owners put a lot of work into cleaning and polishing their boats, but they seem to enjoy this aspect of ownership a lot - except when it comes to cleaning the hull (bottom) of their boats. They have to either remove their boats from the water to scrub the hulls down or they hire a professional hull cleaner, usually a scuba diver who cleans the hull while the boat is docked. But a Swedish inventor, Svante Bahrton, has created an ingenious device, Scrubbis™, that makes hull cleaning less of a drag.
And a dirty hull can be a drag; literally. As many a boat racer knows, the muck (there are not too many nicer words for this gunk) that collects on the bottom of a boat from dead bugs to algae to fuel oil and other marine polutants, can slow your boat down quite a bit. In addition to slowing down your boat, this gunk can lead to corrosion of the hull over time, so it needs cleaning.
The three-part telescopic Scrubbis makes use of a patented ribbed sponge at its end that has about 4.5 pounds of bouyancy under water, and therefore clings to the hull without sinking with the weight of the water. Your movements back and forth create the friction against the hull that removes the grease, algae (note the slit in the sponge that picks up the long stringy stuff), and barnacles from its surface.
Currently, the Scrubbis is available in Sweden and Great Britain, but hopefully it will be in the States soon. If you can't wait for this great tool, you can order it from the Scrubbis website or from Force 4 Chandlery in Britain.
sources: Scrubbis via Boating Business


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MELBOURNE, FL- (May 23, 2016) – Digital 1 Media Services signs Tuff Gong International Distributors for Home Entertainment distribution to distribute their movies to physical retail and streaming sites/platforms.
About Tuff Gong International Distributors:
Bob Marley founded Tuff Gong International Records in 1965; today the Tuff Gong brand includes the imprints Rita Marley Music and Ghetto Youths International, a state of the art recording studio, in Kingston, Jamaica, which houses a vinyl record/CD manufacturing plant, an analog and digital mastering room, a wholesale/retail record outlet and a thriving worldwide distribution network; Tuff Gong handles the Caribbean distribution of Universal Music Group and the Disney Music Group.
CONTACT: Digital 1 Media Services
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For the Emperor! The Ultra Marines and Imperial Fist chapters of the Adeptus Astartes have convened for force on force training to prepare to engage the corrupted Chaos Marines. Crush them from afar, then destroy them in a hail storm of projectiles. Do you best for the Emperor!
InRangeTV attended the first ever Hard as Hell 2 gun at the Southern Utah Practical Shooting range recently and we recorded this important event in the growth of 2 gun as a venue. This is the same facility and staff that brought us the first Rifle Dynamics Red Oktober AK match in 2016.
This first HaH 2 gun was a success and plans are already afoot for 2018 with lessons learned from this first effort. 2 gun isn't 3 gun and the demographics are the same but also different.
We have content regarding each and every stage, 1 through 9, as well as some conclusions at the end about the match and the gear.
We hope you enjoy this series and find it entertaining as well as educational.
Each stage had a sci-fi theme to throw a little fun into the mix.
Southern Utah Practical Shooting Range: https://southernutahpracticalshootingrange.com/
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text: Hi, I am going to get a new LCD TV soon and will be selling my old one. However due to the falling prices of LCD TV's over the last couple of years I am unsure how much my old one is worth. My old LCD tv is a philips 26PF9946/12 and cost me £600 18 month's ago, and was a good deal at the time. Here is a link to a picture with some spec's http://www.p4c.philips.com/files/2/26pf9946_12/26pf9946_12_pss_eng.pdf How much do you think I should try and sell it for? Regard's


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I love this time of year! It's like Boxing Day and Chanukah all rolled up into one. Why? Harley-Davidson has dropped the new 2015 models.
Looking at the lineup, I think H-D has a few great ideas mixed in with some stinkers, and like every other wag who can type and has internet access, I'll tell you why I'm smarter than the oldest continuously operating American motorcycle manufacturer. Harley, are you listening to Lemmy?
Electra Glide Low
I never thought I'd see this happen, but H-D now offers a "Low" version of the E-glide Ultra and Limited. Harley has made no bones about the fact that it's trying to build bikes for people who have not traditionally been H-D customers. This bike follows on the heels of the LiveWire project and the Street series of bikes. Harley-Davidson already proudly points out that it sells more motorcycles to women in the United States than all the other manufacturers combined, and the Motor Company is still looking to expand market share. This bike is the hot ticket for smaller riders and women who may not fit a standard Touring rig comfortably, but still want to cover big miles. This is more than just a "dropped seat" lowering job that you see from most manufacturers. Instead, all the ergonomics are more compact. The controls sit closer to the pilot, and they use smaller grips on these models. I won't be surprised if they sell a gajillion of these.
Street 500 and Street 750
Yeah, yeah, these aren't brand new. Still, they are only just now trickling into dealers. These bikes are like candy-flavored crack to me. Oddly, I think of these as more "Sportster" than a real Sporty. The poor Sporty used to be the hot bike, the racing steed. Now, models like the 48 and 72 have dragged it so far from its sporting roots that I whimper a little when I see one. The Street 500 and 750 are small, surely nimble, and they are going to be crazy-popular in markets outside the United States. As a matter of fact, if I had to bring home a new H-D, a Street would be the one I dragged out my wallet for. I think a Street seb'm fiddy would be a hoot for the mountain twisties on the Gypsy Run. They gotta do something about the brakes and the fairing, though. I want dual stoppers up front, and the fairing desperately needs to be color-keyed to the paint.
Road Glide/ RG Special
Yessssss! I knew the sharknose wasn't gone for good, but I still missed it while it was away. I cut my teeth on metric bikes, so in my brain, the frame is the only proper place to mount a fairing. Riders are usually either sharknose people or batwing people. I am sharknose people. I love how much more flickable the front end feels on the Road Glide and Tour Glide without the added weight of the batwing fairing. I also appreciate that the wind doesn't add its own steering inputs, whether I want 'em or not. The Rushmore updates should make this a super-formidable Touring bike. I want to ride one of these heads-up against a Honda F6B, though. I have a feeling that's the Road Glide's stiffest competition.
Meh. I support the uptick in trike proliferation because I feel like they keep motorcycling accessible for a decent chunk of folks who would not otherwise be able to ride. Aging Baby Boomers, injured vets, those who have suffered a crash and lost a limb — lots of those people still want to ride, and if a trike keeps them from hanging it up, I'm all for them. This trike sort of bores me, though. It's a stripped-down version of the more-dressed trikes. The cut-down fenders look visually more appealing, I will grant that. However, the huge advertising logo on the nacelle needs to go far, far away. I will also grant that at eight Gs cheaper than the Tri-Glide, this thing may be attracting a new customer who's unable or unwilling to spend that kind of coin. Maybe say, a potential Can-Am Spyder RS-S customer? I'll reserve judgment for the time being. By the way, this trike's letter code, which H-D has done a good job of obscuring, is FLRT. I will be referring to this as the FLART Trike, so that should be fun.
Though Harley is doing a fair job of adding variety to the lineup and the customer base, I still want more. I want the equivalent of the new Indian Scout, but I want mine to come from Milwaukee. I want something fast, new, and fast. I want to bump into a guy on a BMW S1000RR who is considering trading it in for Harley-Davidson's newest foray. I want liquid cooling and triple-digit ponies, with the delicious H-D fit and finish that makes me warm and fuzzy inside, like I just ate a Muppet.
Until then, a few of these bikes will tide me over. For a little while.
Harley, are you listening to Lemmy?


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It's almost Halloween and I know what you are thinking: Why don't the undead sleep in coffins. How will my coffin look one day. Do I even need a coffin. Why are we talking about coffins.
"The delightful and dreary sides of gay life. The views and experiences of a thirty something guy trying to navigate his way through life. Sometimes funny, sometimes serious, but always entertaining."


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Just my opinion:
Kathy Griffin is awesome for her rant video. She has bigger balls than most straight men I know. She is funnier than sh*t. She posed with that stupid Trump mask and I think people got a little carried away. Her shows shouldn't have been canceled, and her fans shouldn't have been denied the shows they had paid to go see. Media outlets- not social media like nobodies like mine, but the real legit news and gossip sites/shows, went crazy on her. They kind of went after her. People she has known for years, friends, colleagues, employees, employers- just dropped her and walked away. Why? It was just a f*cking picture. @Madonna put out a whole book of herself naked, and she barely got bashed for it. Didn't she also "threaten" to shoot Trump? WHO CARES. None of this, Madonna's or Kathy's stuff was a serious threat.
I've met a few of the people Kathy talks about during her rant. I think she's telling the truth.
Here's the thing, my little horse & pony show VocalVirgo.com isn't just a website about my RV adventures. Or about the animal rescue I throw myself in. Or about my HILLARIOUS random rants about the sex I never had with those black guys. It's about EVERYTHING. It's a blog about my peculiar, kind of unconventional life in general. It's about ALL those things and more. I have fans from the #VanLife world. And fans from the Animal Rescue community. Some fans follow my (f)art solely for the #PottyMouth and #ToiletHumor stuff. And of course, there are those fans that have 20/20 vision and are just here to stare at all my perfectly chiseled beauty. I don't blame them. I'm looking into a gorgeous mirror right now. BUT the one subject I don't do (aside from jokes) is politics. I can't stand them, I'm dumb about them (just like Trump) and I couldn't be less interested. SO, politics aside: Kathy Griffin did good. And I think she's being persecuted unfairly. We want her to come back so we can hear more p*ssy jokes and to hear her make fun of celebrities and clueless people and invade the gays personal lives. Oh how I miss her invading me…
Anyway- That's my thoughts on Kathy Griffin. From my #VanLife. With my cat, 2 rats, 2 turtles and this cute little underage Mexican girl I picked up crossing the border. I give it a day in the Van with me before she's begging to go back over the Wall that's not there yet. I won't understand what she's saying during her pleas, of course, because I don't understand Mexican, but I'll get the gist. <— Did I spell that right?


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My name is Keir Moore and i am a Bromley based guitar teacher and i have a new teaching studio in Bromley. The studio is going from strength to strength however i still have a couple of vacant time slots still available so if you are thinking about lesson's for you or a family member please do get in contact or just come down to the studio and have a look around and we can have an informal chat over a cup of tea.
I teach all styles of guitar from absolute beginners to the most advanced players. If you are wanting to learn to read music or even study for a grade then i can help or if you are the hobby guitar player who wants to learn a couple of songs or some of your favourite riffs then i can help. I teach in a lot of local schools for the BYMT and as a result i am fully CRB checked and used to teaching children.
Please take a look at my website www.mooremusix.com or keep up to date with my by following my blog here
Thanks Keir Moore


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Dear Friends,
Many years ago I worked in New York City during Ed Koch's final term as Mayor. One of the cornerstones of a Koch speech or interview was his trademark question, which was actually more of a statement, "How am I doing?" Sometimes you can learn so much by asking a simple question.
While writing this column, I was surprised to find numerous references online about the topic, including this one that caught my attention: "How am I doing? The one question that can change all your relationships."
For the last seven years, we have asked you about our program services, questions about the Inside SOPTV members' guide, what makes living in southern Oregon so special to you, and we've asked you to rate "how we are doing." This is the fourth year we have asked you to rate our member service, and this year we had 183 respondents: 121 used the telephone to contact us, 37 e-mailed, 9 sent letters, and 16 contacted us personally at the station or at an event.
When asked about the satisfaction of the interaction, 44% said "excellent," 46% said "good," 7% said "average," and 3% said "poor." The combined "excellent and good" scores (90%) are up by 8% over the previous year's combined total of 83%.
While we're glad to see 90% rated our service "excellent to good," the fact that we've failed to meet the expectations of 10% concerns me. Over the days and weeks ahead, we'll focus on improving service and working to eliminate things that seem to fall though the cracks.
So let me make you a promise. If you're not happy with our response to your requests, contact me personally and we'll resolve your concerns to your satisfaction — or die trying.
Your membership support means a great deal to SOPTV, and we want you to continue your membership while you enjoy the programs and enjoy all the benefits of supporting SOPTV. During these uncertain times, earning your continued confidence in SOPTV's services and being good stewards of your voluntary support is very important.
If you participated in our survey, thank you! And if you didn't, and there's something you'd like me to know about, I'd appreciate hearing from you.
With gratitude,
Mark Stanislawski
President & CEO


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Temples in Odisha (Orissa)
Temples in Odisha (Orissa):
Known world over for its architectural wonders, Odisha (Orissa) houses some of the best temples in the country. The temples in Odisha (Orissa) are said to have given supreme expression to architecture. Taking the Kalinga pattern of architecture to its zenith, these Odisha temples are unique in both plan elevation and decoration details.
Putting it in rather more simple words, we can say that all these temples have a somewhat similar structure. They consist of a structural due, the main temple or shrine and the frontal porch. The main temple, known as Vimana or Deula, is the sanctum enshrining the deity. And the porch or Jagamohana is a congregation place for the devotees.
Vimanas are constructed on a square base and are marked by a curvilinear tower or shikhara and is known as rekha deula. The porches of the temples rest upon rectangular bases which are horizontal platforms arranged successively in a receding formation to constitute a pyramidal superstructure.
Check out Famous Temples of Odisha (Orissa) :
Jagannath Temple Puri
Belonging to the 11th century and enjoying the honor of being one of the 'char dhams', the pilgrimage that every Hindu intend to visit; Jagannath Temple is the honor of Puri and Odisha (Orissa). The holy sight of Lord Jagannath, accompanied by Subhadra and Balabhadra raises loads of joy among the devotees. The two gods and the goddess... Know more
Architecture of Jagannath Temple
The architecture of the temple follows the pattern of many Orissan temples of the classical period. The main shikhara, or tower, rises above the inner sanctum where the deities reside. Subsidiary shikharas rise above ante-halls. The temple complex is surrounded by a wall, on each side of which is a gopura or gate, over which rises... Know more
Konark Sun Temple
One of the most stunning monuments of religious significance, a true masterpiece of architecture proudly stands in the form of Sun Temple at Konark. A culmination of Oriya architecture, the temple is a wonderful place as the language of stone defeats the human language here. Built in 13th century by King Narasimhadeva, the temple is designed... Know more
Legend of Jagannath Temple
According to the legend, Indrayumna, the king of Malava in Sata Yuga, was a great devotee of Vishnu. Once the king dreamt of Nilamadhava Vishnu and was curious to know where that particular form of the Lord was worshipped. Therefore, he sent his emissaries in four directions to find this. ... Know more
Temples in Bhubaneshwar
One of the oldest temples (late 8th century), its striking feature is the shape of its sanctuary tower. The semi cylindrical shape of its roof, a leading example of khakhara order of temples, bears an affinity to the Dravidian gopuram of the South India temples. ... Know more
Brahmeshwar Temple
Architecturally, the temples of Bhubaneshwar can be resolved into three broad styles as rekha, pidha and khakhara. Most of the temples of the first two orders have two main components--the sanctum, with a convex curvilinear spire, locally known as the deul, also called bada deul (the big temple) or the rekha deul ... Know more
Mukteswar Temple
Mukteswar Temple -- An important landmark to the architectural development in Odisha (Orissa), the Mukteswar Temple is often described as one of jewels of Odisha (Orissa) for its exquisite sculptures and elegant looks. The plan is now a full fledged five sectioned form, pancharatha and the platform or the pabhaga consists of five... Know more
Parasurameswar Temple
Built in the 7th century, the Parasurameswar Temple is small but lavishly decorated. Enclosed within a compound wall, the deul, facing the West is a square towered, while the jagamohana, instead of being a stepped pyramid, is a rectangular structure with a terraced roof, sloping in two stages. The deul about 13 m high has ... Know more
Rajarani Temple
Set amidst the well maintained gardens, the 11th century Rajarani Temple is famous for its sculpted figures and the successive tiers of projections rising to form its 18 m tower. The accentuating miniature replicas of itself decorate the spire, reminiscent of the temples of Khajuraho. It has a square sanctuary and its... Know more
Vaital Deul Temple
One of the oldest temples (late 8th century), Vaital Deul Temple's striking feature is the shape of its sanctuary tower. The semi-cylindrical shape of its roof--a leading example of khakhara order of temples--bears an affinity to the Dravidian gopuram of the South India temples. ... Know more


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Blogging Canadian House & Home: Kitchen Storage
Canadian House and Home has a great online gallery of kitchen storage solutions, including this one: wall mounted steel cabinets that flip up to reveal their contents. We're on board because we like our locker-inspired IKEA PS cabinet that much.
Another favorite is this "appliance garage," an apt name for a cabinet dedicated to storing away space-eating countertop appliances.
And here's something we can do without a major kitchen remodel: pegs in this deep drawer keep pots and pans turned the right way for maximum storage.
See the rest of the gallery here.
Via: Poppy Talk.
Images: Robert Lemermeyer (top), Michael Graydon


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Women's World Cup: USWNT Top Nigeria on Wambach Goal
Abby Wambach scored; the USWNT won. If that sounds familiar, it should. Wambach now has 183 international goals, and her lone goal tonight was enough to lift the USWNT to victory, securing the top finish in Group D. It was also her 12th Women's World Cup goal as the USWNT hung on to win Group D with seven point.
The team came out in Coach Jill Ellis's favored 4-4-2 formation, featuring the 2011 flashback pairing of Wambach and Alex Morgan at forward. This was Morgan's first start of a Women's World Cup game. They had many chances early that they failed to capitalize upon. Most of the opportunities on set pieces fizzled, which was surprising given Nigeria's reputation for having trouble defending on those plays.
It seemed as though the score would remain 0-0 going into halftime; this would have provided a significant moral victory for 33rd ranked Nigeria. However, Wambach came up big in the 45th minute.
Megan Rapinoe served a ball into the back post off a corner kick where Wambach was waiting with an outstretched leg. She hammered it home with the inside of her left foot on a volley and placed the ball where the keeper had no chance of a save. The whistle for half blew just moments later.
Nigerian goalkeeper Precious Dede may not have been able to save Wambach's shot, but she held up well against the USWNT's attack. Her notable saves in the match included one in the 48th minute where Dede stretched to her full length and grabbed a ball out of the air shot above her head by Morgan.
The majority of the second half was about the same as the first, although things got chippy as the game wore on. Nigeria received two yellow cards in the first half and three in the second, including a yellow in each half to Sarah Nnodim. Her second yellow came in the 68th minute, and Nigeria played a player down for the remainder of the match.
However, the USWNT was unable to take advantage of Nigeria's short-handed side, and it did not seem like the Americans were playing a player up. Yet, the effort was sufficient to carry them through.
The defense for the Stars and Stripes continued to be a bright spot in the tournament. Over the three group games they did not concede any goals in the run of play. The back four of Meghan Klingenberg, Julie Johnston, Becky Sauerbrunn, and Ali Krieger were solid and well-organized. Veteran defender and team captain, Christie Rampone made a cameo appearance, coming on in the 79th minute for Tobin Heath, which forced Klingberg to move up into the midfield. Even with this change the defense did not lose a step.
Also of note, Shannon Boxx saw her first minutes of the tournament when she replaced Megan Rapine in the 74th minute. Lauren Holiday played higher and Carli Lloyd maintained more of a holding midfielder role, a swap many have been calling for. Wambach was involved in a head to head collision in the 59th minute with Nigeria's Josephine Chukwunonye coming in late to challenge a header. Chukwunonye received the worse of the collision effects and then was rewarded with a yellow for her trouble.
The USWNT will now wait to find out their opponent for the Round of 16. No matter who they play, the USWNT will next play on Monday night.


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What does it mean to a Veteran from World War II or Korea or a Vietnam Veteran to know people care about them while they are living in a Veterans Home?
"This is a great day" said one 94 year old Veteran. One gentleman with a sparkling Cowboy hat put his arm around my shoulders and said, "She's a quarter horse isn't she, I said Yes Sir, He proceeded to tell me how he and his horse rode at the Cowtown Rodeo and he was a team roper; the smile on his face was priceless!
The staff at the Vineland Veterans Home was just as amazing as everyone else, we thought we were going to an outside function under a tent with a cowboy theme, when we arrived, they said we are going inside to visit with the veterans and take some photos! I said well, you know when horses get worried, they poop, the young man in charge said, we all do that. It was beautiful.
This gentleman got right out of his wheel chair to stand so proudly next to Valentine. As person after person lined up and backed their wheel chairs in between the horses (with great skill I might add) to get their pictures taken I was more and more moved by each of the stories; none of which I knew. I only knew they all served in our countries military. They were not all volunteers, many were drafted into service. I got thinking about what that meant and more tears fell.
I looked around the room at who was there and I saw many people wearing denim vests covered with patches; I got a glimpse of one of the patches that said "I wasn't there but I still care." More tears fell for me.
And then there was Freedom the Therapy Dog who is a regular visitor at the Vineland Veterans Home. Young and attentive, I looked over and saw a patch on a denim vest of his person that said "Freedom's Handler." I thought about the veterans and wondered if they should be wearing the same patch. This thought brought more tears for me. I thought of our current wars and drones and I thought of George Washington our earliest president and how he encouraged our earliest American warriors from the backs of his majestic war horses. I looked over at my girl Valentine standing tall, still and proud while yet another veteran and their family members crowded in to have some photos taken. The pride I felt for the horses who just as bravely were drafted into military service; how they stood steadfast, like my Valentine was doing this day. Tears fell once more.
I wished I had a tissue, I didn't even have a sleeve, so I just let the tears land where they wanted.
The last person of the day who came outside to visit with the horses before we left was a little tiny woman in a wheel chair; she was hugging a stuffed white animal and singing a patriotic tune, she was kindof bouncing all over like a little girl might. The woman helping her stretched out her hand to pet Mya, the pony, she said "good kitty kitty kitty" then she said "you are too big to be a kitty" I told her Mya was a pony; I moved Mya closer and put her head in the little woman's lap, she didn't really have a lap because she had no legs, just these two little bouncing stumps; as she tickled Mya under the chin she said "Tickle tickle little pony."
As we drove away I was moved once again at the magnitude of what one of the patches I saw on those denim vests said "All gave some; Some gave all."
In the Company of Horses Inc. had the distinguished honor and privilege to take two of our girls Valentine and Mya to the Vineland Veterans Home here in NJ. Rolling Thunder NJ is a group of women and men who care about our veterans. With deep gratitude I can say this experienced changed me. I will think about Freedom for anyone in a new way.


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Play the typical monkey game with a Tower Defense style! Position your primates along the paths to exterminate all your enemies. In the latest version of this strategy game you'll be able to choose the level of difficult and lots of other options.
Copyright (c) 2005-2019 | www.minigamers.com | Privacy policy, conditions of use and legal matters


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Blood and Ashes
Our last SideQuest in this current round of releases is Blood and Ashes by Scott James Magner. Scott takes us back to the heady days of Pompeii for a little bit of gladiator and zombie action, as well as a reveal of some of the underlying conflict between the Shield-Brethren and them—you know, the bad guys. Though in this era, they weren't quite so bad. Not yet . . .
As Mt. Vesuvius rumbles ominously, Pompeiian Councilor Valerius needs assistance in performing rituals to protect the city from the wrath of the fire-god, Vulcan. But his agenda is far from benevolent, as he cares less about quieting the volcano than taming it and taking the power for himself.
Now it's up to Horatius, a former legionnaire and gladiator, to prevent Valerius's sinister rites from coming to fruition. But with Vesuvius looming over the city—and the dead rising to defend the corrupt councilor—the warrior might have fled a troubled past only to have entered a doomed future . . .
Blood and Ashes will be out late February from 47North.


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Hmm, looks a little wonky on the picture but it really isn't at all wonky irl.
Here is largely what I used:
Free Pixie image coloured with Copic marker pens.
Plain cardstock
Tim Holtz paper from the Shabby Vintage pad
Brown Prima Lace
Large Imaginisce Brads (Glass Pebble)
Prima flowers
Blue flower outside and flowers inside were cut with Nestabilties
Alpha's are K&Co
Prima Pastiche Pebble
Martha Stewart Punches Bird Branch - edge and corner punches.
Thanks for popping by. Have a great Sunday ♥


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Dates have been confirmed for the visit to Woodhorn by the iconic poppies sculpture Weeping Window as part of a UK-wide tour organised by 14-18 NOW.
Woodhorn will host the sculpture from Saturday, September 12, until Sunday, November 1.
Woodhorn Museum is honoured to be the first venue outside London to present Weeping Window by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper, from the extraordinary installation Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red which was created to mark the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.
The installation was originally at HM Tower of London from August to November 2014; 888,246 poppies were displayed, one to honour each death in the British and Colonial forces of the First World War.
The museum is now looking for volunteers to help greet and direct visitors during the installation.
Anyone who wants to find out more can visit the website, emailing firstname.lastname@example.com for an application pack or calling (01670) 624455.
Applications must be received by Tuesday, September 1.
For more information about Weeping Window at Woodhorn, visit www.experiencewoodhorn.com
Updates will also be available via the museum Facebook page.


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I managed to squeeze out a blog post on the issue of dog fouling in Cornwall and a few ideas on how to counter it, and today I got another post out on the Whitehouse's response to the 50 states that posted petition to secede from the union, and a comparison with what is happening in the UK both internally and externally.
|Atheism / Secularism
|Local /Cornwall
|Why I don't care if Jesus existed or not
Not the first time I have heard this said, and I have to admit, it is a sentiment I also hold/
The fact that one person existed out of the probable 100 billion that have ever existed is of little consequence to me. Jesus may have been a real and existent person, or he may not have been. The evidence for his existence, though, is conspicuous by its absence, or it lies in texts that are generally considered to be forgeries or latter-day interpolations by those that would seek to give Jesus more historical weight than he deserved.
No, the reason why I don't care whether he existed or not is because his existence is not particularly relevant to the miracles ascribed to him. It is this that interests me.
How can any person do any of the following:
Control of Nature
1.Calming the storm – Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:37-41; Luke 8:22-25 2.Feeding 5,000 - Matthew 14:14-21; Mark 6:30-44; Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-14 3.Walking on water - Matthew 14:22-32; Mark 6:47-52; John 6:16-21 4.Feeding 4,000 – Matthew 15:32-39; Mark 8:1-9 5.Fish with coin – Matthew 17:24-27 6.Fig tree withers – Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-25 7.Huge catch of fish – Luke 5:4-11; John 21:1-11 8. Water into wine – John 2:1-11
Healing of Individuals
1.Man with leprosy – Matthew 8:1-4; Mark 1:40-44; Luke 5:12-14 2.Roman centurion's servant – Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10 3.Peter's mother-in-law – Matthew 8:14-15; Mark 1:30-31; Luke 4:38-39 4.Two men possessed with devils – Matthew 8:28-34; Mark 5:1-15; Luke 8:27-39 5.Man with palsy – Matthew 9:2-7; Mark 2:3-12; Luke 5:18-26 6.Woman with bleeding – Matthew 9:20-22; Mark 5:25-34; Luke 8:43-48 7.Two blind men – Matthew 9:27-31 8.Dumb, devil-possessed man - Matthew 9:32-33 9.Canaanite woman's daughter – Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30 10.Boy with devil - Matthew 17:14-21; Mark 9:17-29; Luke 9:38-43 11.Two blind men – including Bartimaeus - Matthew 20:29-34; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43 12.Demon-possessed man in synagogue – Mark 1:21-28; Luke 4:31-37 13.Blind man at Bethsaida – Mark 8:22-26 14.Crippled woman – Luke 13:10-17 15.Man with dropsy – Luke 14:1-4 16.Ten men with leprosy – Luke 17:11-19 17.The high priest's servant – Luke 22:50-51 18.Nobleman's son at Capernaum – John 4:46-54 19.Sick man at the pool of Bethsaida – John 5:1-15 20.Man born blind – John 9:1-41
Raising the Dead
1.Jairus' daughter – Matthew 9:18-26; Mark 5:21-43; Luke 8:40-56 2.Widow's son at Nain – Luke 7:11-17 3.Lazarus – John 11:1-44
New Research Links Spiritual-Not-Religious to Mental Disorder
In the British study, SBNRs (spiritual but not religious) were found to be significantly more likely to be drug-dependent (77%) and to suffer from phobias (72%) or anxiety (50%). No wonder they're significantly more likely (40%) than the religious to be being treated with psychotropic drugs.
Read the abstract here.
|Zilch UK launches the first ever national survey on attitudes to fines for littering
Yesterday, I posted a blog about dog fouling and put forward a few suggestions on how to tackle it. Today, Twitter user, Leave only a shadow, tweeted me with the following:
@tris_stock Got a view of whether people should be fined for littering Express that view here http://ow.ly/gKHgrThe link at the end goes to a survey on littering in general, but I made a comment informing them that I also included dog fouling as a litter problem.
Buyers in Devon and Cornwall struggle to pay deposit on new homes
It should come as no surprise to anyone, but a report released today by Lloyds TSB reveals that 'second steppers' on the property ladder are unable to do so because they lack the necessary equity in their current properties to place the deposit on their desired property.
The average cost of a 'send step' property is estimated to be £219,647, but the real problem - apart from this being an enormous amount of money considering the wage levels in Cornwall - lies in the fact that their equity in their current home accounts for just 7% of the asking price of a typical 'second-stepper' home, compared with 42% in 2005. The average required for this 'second-step' is currently at 34%.
The bank has created an "annual affordability measure" which sets average equity as a ratio of average earnings. The South West is one of the worst affected, with a measure of 5.7 times the average gross annual full-time earnings for 2011, compared to 3.3 in 2002. Only the South East, at 6.3, and London, at 6.1, were worse.
All this is compounded in the fact that first time buyers are unable to get on the property ladder because the houses that once would have been available to them, have now been cut off by the inability of present owners to 'buy-up'.
Cornwall on snow and ice weather warning for the weekend
Yellow Warning of Ice
12 Jan 2013, 15:00
Issued at - 11 Jan 2013, 12:10
Valid from - 12 Jan 2013, 15:00
Valid to - 13 Jan 2013, 12:00
Outbreaks of rain, sleet and some now will gradually clear southwards during Saturday night, and with temperatures falling rapidly through the evening and night, there is a risk of icy surfaces. he rain, sleet and snow may linger in parts of southern England well into Sunday morning, by which time it will be light and mainly falling as snow. While local accumulations of up to 2 cm of snow are possible on some higher level loads, it is the risk of ice which is expected to present the main problem.
The public should be aware of the risk of disruption to travel. The public is advised to take extra care, further information and advice can be found here.
Build A Death Star I am no fan of Star Wars - I haven't even seen any of the films - but I am a fan of science fiction and more so in science reality. Blurring the two is exciting and truly awe-inspiring. I would rather build a Borg cube - as it is described in Revelation, but a Death Star is kinda cool too.
What about a USS Enterprise, or a Millennium Falcon? And I suppose I ought to mention the T.A.R.D.I.S. of Dr Who; it would certainly be a wonder of modern achievement but it does look kind of dull from the outside.
If you want the U.S. Government to support the construction of the Death Star, keep hassling the them. They clearly want to do this. They simply lack the cojones.
Civil war is - at the least - an act of insurgency, so the question need be asked; Should registered Republicans be named as enemies of the State?
If Republicans were speaking the way they are in Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan or Iraq about the USA, they would be killed without a trial. If they gathered guns to fight Obama in Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan or Iraq about the USA, they would be killed without a trial. What action should be taken against these Republican insurgents that speak this way about their Government and threaten taking up arms against it on American soil?
I used to be a Republican leaning type. In some ways I still am (a fiscal conservative, if not a small Government conservative), but having spent more time actually paying attention to US current affairs, I find it hard to believe I was ever so naive.
The second any Republican movement fires a shot in anger against their own Government, it should come down on it with all the force and venom that has been inflicted on those it has attacked abroad. It is, after all, their very freedom that is at stake.
What do you think of the new approach? Is there anything you would like me to approach with more consideration? What else on this site do you think needs changing? Leave a comment below to let me know.
n.b. I am working on a new site that will further delineate between my increasingly diverse interests, but for the time being this blog will have to suffice. I'll let you know more when the roll-out date approaches.


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Magnum Gallery
France, Paris
Magnum Gallery represents the entire group of Magnum photographers, members, founders and estates. Through more than sixty years of famous and historical cooperative, several generations of photographers are claiming their photographical engagement. The Magnum history has driven photojournalism to documentary, from black and white icons to the last contemporary creations.
ARTISTS 2012: Alessandra Sanguinetti, Olivia Arthur
Magnum Gallery
13 rue de l'Abbaye
75006 Paris
t: +33 (0) 1 46 34 42 59
e: firstname.lastname@example.com
w: www.magnumgallery.fr
fb: facebook.com/MagnumGallery


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Wild Florida Photo
Nature Photography by Paul Rebmann
Click your choice below to select a category of photos to view.
Note that some photos may appear in more than one category.
Show only the 10 newest in all categories
Show all entries in all categories in alphabetical order
Select images by Paul Rebmann are now available for purchase online through Paul Rebmann Nature Photography at pixels.com.
Images shown in the above slide-show are now available direct online through Paul Rebmann Nature Photography at pixels.com.
|Wow! That is a Big Bird
|St. Augustine FL
|Girl With Crayfish
|Mt. Rogers Recreation Area VA


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More information
University Suites Condos at Queens U Kingston
Leasing Guarantee & Management Services
University Suites is a brand new condo development project by Brookfield Multiplex and PRK Developments currently in pre-construction in Kingston, Ontario. Condominium lifestyle is coming to Kingston at the corner of Princess Street & University Avenue.
The project is schedule for completion in 2017. A profitable investment in the City of Kingston. Unlike typical student rentals, University Suites provides a unique opportunity to invest in and own a residence, offering attractive benefits for the future generations of Kingston and earning potential as an investor.
Oliver Baumeister von Bretten, Broker, Senior Vice President - Sales - (416) 460-1213
Sotheby's International Realty Canada, Brokerage* | 1867 Yonge St, Toronto, ON, M4S 1Y5 | Tel: (416) 960-9995 | Fax: (416) 960-3222
firstname.lastname@example.com *Independently Owned and Operated. We do not represent the builder directly.
Sotheby's International Realty® is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates, Inc.


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Duncan Sample, the developer of the Firefox Add-on, Mobile Barcoder 0.1.4, writes:
"Glad you like it. Don't forget that you can also use it with links and text selections. Just right click on them and select the 'create barcode…' from the menu and you'll get a barcode of that link/selection."
From his site:
More requested functionality, now you can create a barcode for a link or even selected text
The latest version of my Mobile Barcoder Firefox Extension has now passed verification and is compatible with Firefox 3. New features and changes include:
- Link barcode – Right click on a link, and directly in the context menu you can display a barcode for that link. This will be especially useful for people who have been wanting to create links for application downloads on sites which don't display them already.
- Text selection barcode – Right click on a text selection and just like with links, you can display a barcode for that text directly in the context menu. Not quite as useful
- Now using Nokia Mobile Codes generator – Since the barcode generator is server-side, this should help ease the problems that have been experienced by users when my personal server goes down, and should also increase the speed of generation. Thanks Marku and team at the Nokia
Thanks for the info, Duncan.


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Dinner Ceramah at Ijok last night. In my speech last Friday, I said a big portion of the so-called RM36 million development fund would have gone into certain pockets, instead of being spent in real projects. My suspicion was proven correct. I was informed today that all the jobs were outsourced to some 30 contractors and most of them were not from Ijok. And the engineers from JKR and local councils were completely by-passed. It was estimated that only half of the RM36 m will be spent on real works.
1.I was informed by Lee Khai Loon of Youth for Change that his team (some 40 of them) was threatened by the MIC Cameron Highlands MP Devamany when they were doing a house-to-house visit in Ijok. He warned them that they must leave Tuan Mee Estate immediately or "their safety will not be guaranteed".
Devamany must be condemned for his shameless act and MIC President should ask him to apologise to Y4C. And don't you deny, Devamany. Because your ugly act has been captured in a video clip (go to Malaysiakini ).
2.Tan Sri Khalid has endorsed the signature campaign launched by the Bandar Mahkota Cheras Open Access Road Action Committee. He also pledged to raise the matter in the Selangor state assembly if he is elected. The BMC OARAC team was led by its chairman Tan Boon Wah. Tan gave a briefing to the Ijok people, telling them how they were victimised by the toll concessionaire who enjoys the full backing of the BN government.
In their outing earlier, they managed to see Samy and Najib seperately. Samy, as usual, put the blame of not removing the blockade to the developer Tan Sri William Cheng of the Lion Group. Najib refused to endorse the memo of the group without giving an answer.
3. Apart from DAP SG Lim Guan Eng who rushed back from Ipoh, Khalid's campaign in Ijok was boosted by the presence of foremost Chinese educationist Loot Ting Yee and academician Prof Lim Teck Ghee. PKR has donated some fund to Lim Lian Geok Foundation.
4. In my speech last night, I condemned the action of Devamany, Hishamuddin, Khairy Jamaluddin and those Pemuda Umno members who attacked Khalid with mineral water bottles. A freelance photographer who accompanied Khalid was injured on Saturday afternoon. I reiterated the importance of opposition unity and why Khalid should be elected. I said we Malaysians have had enough of the "same old shit" from the racist Umno-led BN Government for the past 50 years. The time has come for real political changes in Malaysia. A victory to Khalid would provide new hope to all Malaysians and say goodbye to the Umno hegemony.
5.Khalid has challenged Partiban for a debate on who should be elected as the wakil rakyat of Ijok. But I dare to say that Partiban is no different from the MCA leaders; he too would not have the courage to face Khalid in an open debate. Please prove me wrong, Mr Partiban.
6. Also last night, Ng Lam Yong of PKR passed a copy of the Altantuya leaflet to Najib in the market place in Pekan Ijok. He quickly threw it away after a glance. hahahah….
7. Do you have friends and relatives living in Ijok? Pls call them up to persuade them to vote Khalid/ Opposition on 28 April 2007.
Shock for students conducting poll survey
Wong Yeen Fern- Malaysiakini
Apr 23, 07 2:15pm
The youth-based Youth for Change (Y4C) came up against aggressive response while conducting an election-related survey at an estate near Ijok, where a by-election will take place on Saturday.
The group, which had conducted similar surveys in Ijok town and Bukit Badong, was attempting to get the views of Tuan Mee Estate workers as to whether they were receiving sufficient information about the by-election.
However, the 40 students led by convener Lee Khai Loon, were threatened with trouble if they did not stop "disturbing" the workers.
"Do you want 100 of us to come here now?" asked a man who saw them.
Cameron Highlands parliamentarian SK Devamany, who was at the estate, told the youths that they were on private property.
"I advise you to get permission from the estate management. There is a by-election going on, it is not a (suitable) time for you to come here," he said, adding that the youths were welcome to do community work after the polls.
Lee explained the visit as an exposure trip for youths to take an interest in the by-election process.
"It does not have a political agenda," he said.
Devamany appeared dissatisfied and reprimanded Lee for breaching the provisions of the Universities and University Colleges Act, which prohibits student participation in political activities.
After Devamany walked away, several people warned the students to leave, accusing them of perverting the by-election process by conducting irrelevant surveys.
A man snatched the survey forms from the students and questioned their basis for asking those questions.
Lee said he had obtained permission from an estate worker to conduct the survey.
The by-election was called after the seat fell vacant with the death of MIC's K Sivalingam on April 4. Candidates from Barisan Nasional and Parti Keadilan Rakyat are involved in a straight fight.
Watch the two-minute Youth For Change video here.


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SVGT 1.2 uDOM SVGMatrix has the following differences from the SVG 1.1 version: - float getComponent(in unsigned long index) raises(DOMException) in place of separate a, b, c, d, e, f attributes. - mMultiply, mTranslate, mScale, mRotate in place of multiply, translate, scale, rotate which mutate the matrix instead of multipy, translate, scale, rotate which return a modified copy (although the mutation behavior is only made clear in a note, not really in the method descriptions themselves). However, inverse is left the same and still gives a new matrix. This means you need to write totally different code for matrix manipulation in SVG 1.1 Full DOM vs. SVG 1.2 Tiny uDOM. Is there a deep reason for these differences? Why not stick with a compatible subset of the 1.1 SVG DOM? Regards, MaciejReceived on Wednesday, 28 December 2005 22:13:30 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Wednesday, 8 March 2017 09:47:05 UTC


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Ameynra is a fashion company, founded in 2005 in Los Angeles.
1) Sarah Goldberg
2) Sofia Goldberg aka Sofia Metal Queen
Fashion skirts
High-low skirts
Hair accessory
Wedding accessory
Fashion accessory
Dance accessory
Cosplay costumes
Cosplay accessory
Belly dance costumes
Stage & Carnival costumes
Evening dresses
Fashion dresses
Gothic fashion
Metal fashion & stage costumes
Gymnastic suits
Figure skating dresses
Decorative pillows (throw pillows)
Photo frames
Home decor
Macrame & embroidery art
Ameynra belly dance fashion is the most bright & sparkling line of our Ameynra company products. We make belly dance costumes, skirts, hair decor, accessories. Retail, wholesale and custom.
Sarah Goldberg of Ameynra
& Sofia Goldberg aka Sofia Metal Queen
Our online stores open 7/24/365
Retail and wholesale.
We sell our company products (ready-to-ship) & also make custom design costumes, skirts, dresses from S to 3X, also wedding & dance accessories.
Payments accepted: Paypal, direct pay, U.S.$ money orders, cash....
We ship worldwide by USPS
For our products we use quality fabrics, beads, crystals & other materials - domestic & imported from Middle East & Europe.
We ship by USPS to any city/town worldwide.
Delivery time:
in the U.S.- 2-8 days
to Canada, Europe, Japan and other countries - delivery takes 6-20 days
Sales manager: Miriam Bellaskoni
Webmaster: Alex Vertz
Samples of Ameynra company products:
More of Ameynra belly dance fashion collections are on videos on Youtube
Subscribe on our designer's channel ! Thank you ;)
Below are samples of our designs that you can buy from our online shops. Available in all sizes and all colors. We also make custom colors and color combinations, custom length and size. If you want to order large quantity as wholesale, or make a custom order - contact us through website or facebook or through online shops. Keep in mind that if you want discount to buy for less price than listed on eBay - ask Sofia, the owner of Ameynra. If payment for any item is sent to Sofia, using paypal or paid by cash - you can save 10% or more!


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Merriwa is situated on the Golden Highway approximately 2 hours from Tamworth, Newcastle, Mudgee and Dubbo. It is the ideal place for a stopover.
Settled in 1839, Merriwa flourishes as an agricultural centre. The Merriwa Festival of the Fleeces celebrates this rich agricultural history and is held on the June Long Weekend each year.
Merriwa has many fine examples of colonial architecture, from homesteads, courthouses and police stations, to hotels and churches. Many of these can be discovered on the Merriwa Town Walk. Copies of the walk can be obtained from Merriwa Visitor Information Centre. Be sure to visit the Old Colonial Cottage, originally built in 1847 and home to the Merriwa Historical Society and Museum.
Merriwa not only offers the historical museum but also a fascinating Bottle Museum. The Bottle Museum contains in excess of 5,000 bottles, ranging from hand made bottles with specially moulded neck pieces and the round bottom torpedo bottles of the early 1800s, to the famous marble stoppered cordial bottles of the 1870s. The collection was donated to the district by local residents and contains many rare and interesting bottles.
The Battery Rock is a collection of spectacular basalt rock formations estimated to be around 35 million years old. These rock formations are a natural phenomenon, known as columnar jointing. They are basalt rocks formed from volcanic lava. This formation is fascinating and is a great place to stop and have a break. Visitors will find a picnic area with toilet facilities.
While in town why not:
- Visit the Old Colonial Cottage, originally built in 1847 and home to the Merriwa Historical Society and Museum.
- Discover more history as you follow the Town Walk.
- Sample local produce including award winning Rosto Olive Oil and free range Merrifield Farm Pork.
- Rest at The Battery - a picnic area surrounded by spectacular basalt rock formations estimated to be around 35 million years old.
- Take a drive to the Goulburn River National Park to explore 'The Drip' and 'Hands on Rock'.


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This Is Swarm
By John Bauman
Photos by Todd Turner
"This Is!"
"This is!"
"Thisssss Issssss"
Brian "B Daht" McLaughlin stands at center court, starting the call and response chant the Greensboro Swarm have embraced in their inaugural season in the NBA D-League.
Everyone is standing – all fans of the Swarm must do so, McLaughlin says, until they score their first basket. The fans oblige and finally take a seat when Mike Tobey opens up the scoring for the Swarm with 11:11 to go in the first quarter.
It's Saturday, March 4th, and professional basketball is being played in Greensboro. The Grand Rapids Drive flew into town to play the Swarm, the NBA-D League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, at the Fieldhouse in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The Swarm come into the night with a record of 13-26. They know they won't make the NBA D-League playoffs as the season winds down, but on this Friday night, they still play hard.
The starting five for Greensboro is guard Cat Barber, guard Rasheed Suliamon, forward Archie Goodwin, forward Cheick Diallo and Tobey, the center.
If some of these names look familiar, they should – Barber, Suliamon and Tobey once ruled the ACC. Although it feels like forever ago, Tobey and Suliamon faced off once in an ACC Championship game in Greensboro. Tobey's Cavaliers beat Suliamon's Blue Devils, 72-63, to win the 2014 ACC Championship. Tobey had eight points and four rebounds in 18 minutes of play, while Suliamon scored two points and grabbed five boards in 23 minutes.
All that, or the fact that Goodwin was a five-star and 15th rated recruit in the ESPN 100 for his class, 2012, or the fact that Diallo was a McDonald's All-American too but played 7.5 minutes per game and averaged 3.0 points at Kansas before declaring for the NBA Draft… all that doesn't matter right now. They are here tonight in the D-League and they are going to play hard because Swarm head coach Noel Gillespie insists upon it.
Gillespie stands during the game, wearing brown shoes, grey slacks, a blue shirt, a dark grey coat and a multicolored tie that brought the whole look together. He walks the sideline like a veteran, but he's a rookie, developing in his first-year as a head coach just like the rest of his team.
He watches his team jump out to a 19-8 lead after a Diallo jump shot with 7:47 left in the first quarter. The lead keeps growing, all the way to 29-15 after Damien Wilkins' hits a pull up jumper.
The Swarm are hustling, playing how Gillespie likes them to and maybe how they haven't played enough this season. With 3:04 left, Barber, with his cat-like reflexes, steals a long Grand Rapid's pass in a crazy transition sequence.
"Way to hustle," someone shouts from the crowd.
At the end of the first quarter, the Swarm leads 33-22. Wilkins, off the bench, has nine points in almost six minutes of action. He led the team in points during the first quarter. Leading, on and off-the-court, is a role Wilkins has grown accustomed to this season.
At the Swarm's season-opening media day on Tuesday, November 1st, by far the biggest crowd of reporters surrounded Damien Wilkins.
Wilkins played nine years in the NBA, including four years in Seattle before the team moved to Oklahoma City. Wilkins went undrafted but spent five years with the Supersonics/Thunder franchise. He never started more than 31 games in one season in his career. Three times – in the 2006-07, 07-08 and 09-10 seasons – Wilkins started that same number of games.
There were highlights and lowlights and everything in between. On November 17, 2007, Wilkins scored 41 points to help the Supersonics earn a 126-123 over the Atlanta Hawks. Some no-name rookie just 10 games into his first NBA season hit the game winning shot. Anybody know how Kevin Durant's career turned out after that shot?
Wilkins last played in the league in the 2012-13 season for the Philadelphia 76ers. He bounced around professional basketball after that, playing overseas and with other D-League teams. He even earned a bronze medal at the 2015 Toronto Pan Am games playing for the US National team.
The Swarm signed Wilkins back in October as one of the building blocks of their new team. Remember, the Swarm didn't exist last season. They've built a basketball team out of nothing, thanks in large part to Wilkins.
One of Gillespie's priorities as a coach has been establishing a professional culture in season one.
"One player who I really attribute that to is Damien Wilkins, who's been our leader and our veteran and been an NBA guy," Gillespie said.
Wilkins is happy to share and be that veteran the younger guys in the locker room can look up to.
"A lot of guys gravitate towards my experience and leadership, and I'm always welcome, open to share that, because there's probably some things I could learn from them as well," he said
The Swarm have experienced a lot of roster turnover this season, a given due to the nature of the D-League. Aaron Harrison and Christian Wood were sent back and forth from the big-league club in Charlotte to Greensboro to get playing time. Mike Tobey was called up to Charlotte for two ten-day contracts. Xavier Munford was the team's point guard the first half of the season but then signed another deal overseas.
The only constant, it seems, has been Wilkins. As of March 11th, he's averaged 12.6 points, five rebounds and 3.5 assists in the 2016-17 season. He's played in 39 games, started in 29 and been there through it all for some of his younger teammates.
"I just try the best I can to share my experiences with guys on the team, just to keep guys encouraged and guys mentally and physically ready to play as best I can and share some of the knowledge that I've gained throughout my experience," Wilkins said.
"And then, show and let them know not to take it all too seriously. Try to enjoy it as much as we can. Have as much fun as we can. I think that's the biggest thing that they've taken away from me, and the biggest thing that I can share."
The Swarm start the second quarter the way you usually don't want to start a quarter.
The Drive's Jordan Crawford drains a three-pointer 17 seconds into the second period, cutting the Swarm's lead down to eight.
After Wilkins hits a free throw to extend the Swarm's lead back to 13 with 9:26 left in the second quarter, Cat Barber subs in for Archie Goodwin. Extending a hand to help him up off the ground at midcourt as he checks in is his old N.C. State teammate, Lorenzo Brown, who is playing for Grand Rapids tonight.
Greensboro may be a professional basketball town now, but the team still has its ACC roots. In January, when Barber was playing for Delaware and the 87ers came to Greensboro, the Swarm sold over 300 group tickets, mostly Wolfpack fans wanting to see their old point guard. Then, the Swarm traded for Barber after Munford left. In the crowd Friday night was a homemade sign by a fan that read "Thank you Cat Barber." The youngster, clad in Wolfpack attire, wasn't thanking him for his time with the Swarm.
Shonn Miller's turnaround hook shot extends the Swarm's lead to 19 points with 6:42 left in the second quarter, the largest the lead would be all night.
While the lead dwindled as the quarter went along, Greensboro still found a way to end the quarter with a bang. With 5.9 seconds left, the Rapid's Crawford misses a short jump shot. Archie Goodwin, showcasing a bit of that McDonalds All-American talent, grabs the rebound and drives the length of the court. He hit a driving layup with .9 seconds left in the half, and even earns an and-one and a trip to the foul line, which he converts.
The Swarm enter the locker room with a 65-50 lead. As the team jogs off the court, Cheick Diallo threw his big arm around Rasheed Suliamon.
Onto the court walks breast cancer survivors, all clad in pink.
Something unique to the NBA D-League is the opportunity to do themed jersey nights. A franchise can have a night where they design special jerseys and then auction them off after the game to raise money for a charity.
For example, on Friday, January 6th, the Delaware 87ers hosted the Erie Bayhawks on Star Wars night. The 87ers wore special R2-D2 themed jerseys that were auctioned off to benefit Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children.
"One of the things that we know about this game of basketball is that it's a connector," Michele Wolfert, director of partnerships with the Swarm, said. "And one of the unique things about the D-League is the opportunity to have jersey partners, where through our team and our brand, we can connect a corporate partner to a non-profit through this special jersey night."
On Friday, March 4th, the Swarm connected one of their corporate partners, Allegacy Federal Credit Union, with Susan G. Komen Northwest North Carolina.
The Swarm wore special pink jerseys against Grand Rapids. It wasn't a straight pink jersey, but a pinkish camouflage blend that looked good.
They featured the team name "Swarm" across the top, the white team numbers in the middle and the Allegacy logo on the bottom. The NBA D-League logo was tucked into the top right hand corner of the front of the jersey. Greensboro even wore matching pink shorts, creating a pink on pink look for a good cause.
The jerseys were auctioned off during the game. The themed jersey nights are an example of the communion between the business and basketball operations of the Swarm. The benefit all went to a good cause, too.
In a halftime ceremony, the Swarm welcomed breast cancer survivors onto the court along with Cathy Pace, the chief executive officer at Allegacy, and Diana Parrish, the executive director of Susan G. Komen Northwest NC. Everyone loved the pink jerseys.
"I love the pink jerseys, love the pink jerseys," Pace said. "I actually found out when Chrystal [Parnell], who is in charge of our PR, said, 'You are going to be getting a pink jersey tonight out on center court.' I said, 'Do I get to put it on when I'm out there?' She said no, it's going to be framed. We'll take it back to our organization and we will feature it very, very proudly."
Grand Rapids jumps out on a quick 4-0 run to begin the second half, cutting the Swarm's lead to 11.
Later in the third quarter, Damien Wilkins commits a charge and the Swarm take a full timeout. During the break, there is a dance contest between two young girls on center court. Players in both huddles can't help but take a peek as the little one dances to "Juju on that Beat."
The Drive cut the lead to nine five different times in the quarter. Each time, though, the Swarm push it back to double digits. Greensboro ends the quarter with a 4-0 run of their own. The buzzer sounds and the Swarm hold a 90-75 lead with the same 15-point lead that they had entering the half.
At this point, Greensboro has four players in double digits for scoring. Mike Tobey, the Charlotte call-up, leads the way with 18 points on 8-12 shooting from the field.
For a long time, Steve Swetoha was a one-man operation.
A veteran of the professional sports universe, Swetoha was hired in October of 2015 to lead the Swarm as team president. The team didn't start playing until a year later and was a start-up. Swetoha had to oversee the whole operation from the ground up.
For a while, he spent time in Charlotte, working with the Hornets organization to get everything up and running. The Hornets were instrumental in the smooth transition that has occurred the past two years from idea to fully functioning D-League franchise.
"It takes people to be successful," Swetoha said. "We really took our time and deliberately made sure that each hire was going to make a huge impact on our culture and driving results."
Under Swetoha's leadership, the Swarm hired staff on both the business and basketball side and even did the simple stuff like finding office space and getting wi-fi. The facility was one of the major challenges for the Swarm, because it came down to the wire whether the building would be ready on opening night or not. But the building, a fieldhouse next to the Greensboro Coliseum, was ready and everything went off smoothly that first night.
In each step of the process of building a basketball franchise, Swetoha emphasized embracing the Greensboro community. The basketball players and staff in Greensboro do community outreach events.
"It's in everyone's DNA to give back," Swetoha said.
Greensboro has returned the favor, offering friendly and growing crowds and embracing their new professional sports franchise. One of the challenges for the Swarm in year one is explaining and introducing their product to the basketball-crazed yet new market in Greensboro.
"The positive response [from] those that supported us in season one and wanting to come back in season two has been overwhelming," Wolfert, the Swarm's director of partnerships, said. "I think that's just a credit to the entire team, front office and basketball ops in that people want to be a part of this season two."
In that second season, the Swarm hope to do more work with corporate sponsors and nonprofits to create more themed jersey nights. They also want to stay affordable and as a family-friendly experience. But an emphasis in reaching out with the Greensboro community is still a priority that won't go away.
"There's still more to do, but [after] the first year, I'm pleasantly surprised with the results and the interactions and the involvement and the impact in the community," Swetoha said.
After two Perry Ellis free throws with 10:01 left in the fourth quarter that pushed Greensboro's lead to 94-77, it looks like the Swarm were on their way to an easy home victory. But then Jordan Crawford took over.
Two nights later, on March 6th, Crawford will be in Utah playing for the New Orleans Pelicans on a 10-day NBA contract. He'll score 19 points on 8-15 shooting from the field in his first game back in the NBA. But none of that matters on March 4 in Greensboro — tonight, he's just getting buckets.
He leads the Drive on a 14-2 run. In the blink of an eye, the Swarm saw their lead dwindle to five with 7:15 left in the fourth quarter. If Greensboro wanted a win this night, they were going to have to fight for it.
Greensboro pushes back with a 7-0 run of its own. Grand Rapids punches back to cut the lead to six, then four, then two after Crawford hit a pull-up jumper with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter. Crawford looked tired as the game came to a close, but he just kept finding a way to score.
The Swarm call a 20 second timeout with 59 seconds left in the game and with a five-point lead. On the ensuing possession, Greensboro commits an eight-second backcourt violation, giving the ball back to the Drive.
Jordon Crawford had the ball at the top of the key, the clock ticking underneath a minute to go. He accepts a screen and got Cheick Diallo to switch onto him on defense. Crawford fiddles with Diallo and fires, missing his three-point attempt. The Drive's Chris Anderson got the rebound, though, and kicks it back to Crawford for another three-point attempt. It just misses but Anderson got another offensive rebound. Lorenzo Brown reset his team's offense as the clock hit 30 seconds.
Brown made a spin move and got fouls with 26 seconds to go. He misses his first attempt but makes his second. The Drive were forced to foul, and the Swarm executed to secure the victory, their 14th of the season.
After the game, the Fieldhouse was still alive with energy.
At center court, Swarm players presented their game-worn pink jerseys to the fans that bought them. The fans and player were brought out to center court for a photo op and as a thank-you for supporting the fight against breast cancer.
Team president Steve Swetoha is all smiles. He's pleased that 2,137 came out to watch tonight's game. More importantly, he's pleased his team raised $4,029 for Susan G. Komen Northwest North Carolina thanks to sales from the jersey auction.
Coach Noel Gillespie sits in his office in the back of the Fieldhouse, content with tonight's victory. The defensive toughness he's been craving was there tonight, and he loves how that toughness manifested itself in the Drive shooting just 41.3 percent from the field.
All the Swarm's players made a lap around the court, taking time to sign autographs with fans that stayed for the post-game session. It's as if this sort of thing is in their DNA.
Cat Barber took pictures with every kid, especially those wearing red, that wanted one. Veteran Damien Wilkins cheerily led the way around the court.
There were children with UNC, N.C. State, Duke shirts on, representing the varied allegiances for other teams throughout the state. But, as seen in the smiles of the little kids as they interacted with the big professional basketball players, some new Greensboro Swarm fans were made this Friday night.
This is Swarm.