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Publisher: Harper Teen
Publication date: April 29th 2014
My rating: DNF/2 stars
A flash of white light . . . and then . . . nothing. When sixteen-year-old Kyra Agnew wakes up behind a Dumpster at the Gas 'n' Sip, she has no memory of how she got there. With a terrible headache and a major case of déjà vu, she heads home only to discover that five years have passed . . . yet she hasn't aged a day. Everything else about Kyra's old life is different. Her parents are divorced, her boyfriend, Austin, is in college and dating her best friend, and her dad has changed from an uptight neat-freak to a drunken conspiracy theorist who blames her five-year disappearance on little green men. Confused and lost, Kyra isn't sure how to move forward unless she uncovers the truth. With Austin gone, she turns to Tyler, Austin's annoying kid brother, who is now seventeen and who she has a sudden undeniable attraction to. As Tyler and Kyra retrace her steps from the fateful night of her disappearance, they discover strange phenomena that no one can explain, and they begin to wonder if Kyra's father is not as crazy as he seems. There are others like her who have been taken . . . and returned. Kyra races to find an explanation and reclaim the life she once had, but what if the life she wants back is not her own?
DNF at 70%
The Taking was one of those books which I went into with really high expectations, but it ended up being bit a of a disappointment. Just by reading the blurb, anyone would want to give this book a try; memory loss, kidnappings and unexplained disappearances. And whilst The Taking did start off by winning me over in the first few pages, it kind of petered off into something that I really wasn't enjoying. Kyra has it all, a great family and she's about to go off to college with her awesome boyfriend. But then she ends up getting into an argument with her dad and running away, all she can remember after that is a bright light and then waking up in the Gas n' Sip five years later. I was intrigued what could have happened to Kyra, as time would tell Kyra seemed pretty much the same in the five years since she went missing, but everything else had turned into a train wreck around her. I did feel sorry for Kyra, everyone she knew had moved on, her parents had separated, her mother had got together with somebody else and had a child with him, her dad was no longer the strong figurative father that he used to be and her boyfriend had got together with her best friend. Seriously this is the thing that miffed me the most, why does this always have to happen? How many thousands of girls could there be living in their town, but Austin Kyra's boyfriend decides to get together with his girlfriend's best friend Cat instead. Then to top it all off, Kyra falls for Austin's brother Tyler!! Seriously, okay Tyler was a sweet enough guy and had apparently been in love with Kyra forever, but still.
Okay so swapping boyfriends aside, despite being annoyed by this, I found myself invested in finding out what had happened with Kyra, why was she still the same, (she still had a bruise from five years ago and an x-ray at the dentists showed her teeth were exactly the same too, even the crack in her tooth from five years ago). There were a lot of conspiracy theories flying about; her dad had thrown himself into research for the last five years looking for an answer. And I did want to know what was going on, but I think it just took too long getting there. I'm one of those readers that doesn't DNF a book that often and instead tell myself to read another 10% and maybe something will happen, I always have that thought at the back of my head that by giving up now, I'll probably miss out on something major just around the corner. And that's exactly what I did with The Taking; I decided to continue reading a bit more, hoping that we would get a better insight into what was going on with Kyra. Instead we got random people lurking about claiming to know what was going on but never really explaining anything. Or Kyra being in constant denial about her feelings for Tyler! It's a shame really as I really did want to know how things would end. But the more I read the more frustrated I became.


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Today's big story concerns ongoing attempts by the Liberal Media Complex to alienate President Trump from his voters; which is a primary, if not the ultimate, objective of their 'Russian collusion' meme. On this point, the record was set straight today, by none other than the President's son-in-law and advisor, Jared Kushner. To watch a video of his statement … click here.
When the administration promotes this message, their's is a winning argument. One may wish to wager that the President's new Communications Director, Anthony Scaramucci, had a hand in crafting Mr. Kushner's statement. For the Trump administration … a good sign.Follow @PolitiQuick

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Two Charm Personalized Initial Necklace Hand Stamped Sterling Silver
Two small sterling silver square charms will each be hand stamped with the initial of your choice. This initial is stamped in the lower right corner.
The charm hangs on an 18" sterling silver chain.
Your necklace comes with a complimentary sterling silver polishing cloth.
Made in McMinnville, OR
By Studio 463
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by expert makers.
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Every maker has a story. Be a part of Studio 463's story by placing an order, leaving a review, and seeing your review appear here.


text: Level Ground Trading was founded by four Canadian families for the purpose of improving the lives of disadvantaged producers through trade. The company's first trade relationship was setup through Hugo Ciro with a cooperative of small-scale coffee farmers in Antioquia, Colombia. From interviews and visits with community members Hugo heard that the farming families' greatest desire was to see their children go to school. Hugo found a group of dedicated teachers and community members who joined together to form Famicafé.


text:
Is it possible to make homemade gluten free bread in 1 hour? Jaime shows you the recipe she uses every week for gluten free bread, how she stores it, and what she does with the leftovers.
I've been gluten free for 13 years now and over the course of 13 years, ah gluten free bread has come a very long way. Back when I was first gluten free some of the different brands that I used to buy off the shelves tasted like cardboard. Absolutely terrible. And it's improved quite a bit but also the price has gone significantly up. It just seems like there's a market for it and definitely people are taking advantage of individuals like myself who have to have a gluten free diet.
So my quest has been to create my own gluten free flour, my own gluten free bread that I can make here at home and do relatively cheaply. Because the gluten free breads that I was buying recently were anywhere between $5 and $6 dollars a loaf. And even if you were to buy the gluten free bread mixes they're somewhere up there around $8 for a box to buy just one premixed powder to add and make your own flour. Or if you were to buy the bread mixes then can run upwards of $12 for a 4 lb bag of flour. The bread that I make is under $1.50 a loaf probably closer to $1 just because I buy everything in bulk and I make everything myself. So let me show you how I make that. This is a very rough recipe. If you are looking for one of those recipes where you're weighing out each individual ingredient, this isn't that. My whole method of cooking, my whole way of cooking is not pretty. It's functional and it comes out tasting good. So if you are looking for something you are going to put in a bakery window, this isn't that. This is something you can whip up in under 2 hours and have a really good loaf of bread.
Ok so what do you need? Well to get started you need some gluten free flour. Now I make my own gluten free flour blend, I'm gonna link that up above if you guys are interested in that. The only thing that's in that is rice, tapioca starch, and oatmeal. In the original recipe I also add xanthan gum. Since then I only add the xanthan gum when I actually make the recipe. I don't actually put it in the flour mix. But that's, as always, optional.
Um, you're gonna need about a cup and three quarters of oatmeal, and I use gluten free oatmeal for that. You're going to need some dry active yeast. Quick note on this, first of all don't get the instant yeast. You need the dry active yeast. This was a 1lb bag that I purchased for $4.70 from Azure. Now if you were to go to Walmart or any of the other big box stores, grocery stores, they sell the little Fleischmanns jars for $4.70 for 4 ounces. If you guys are going to get into bread making, you're gonna want to buy your yeast in bulk. It's so much cheaper. You're going to need some baking powder, a little bit of sugar or honey for feeding your yeast. You're going to need an egg. You're going to need some butter and if you want, this is optional, you can add some lard. This is lard that I saved from my drippings. This adds a little bit of extra flavor if you like it. My kids do not like this. Ah, Iove it I think it adds a little bit of extra flavor to the bread. You're going to need some salt. Again the xanthan gum is optional. You'll need some olive oil and a little splash of apple cider vinegar.
Ok so let's get started. The first thing your gonna want to do is you're gonna want to make your yeast. And I use about a tablespoon and a half of again active dry yeast, not instant yeast. Not really measuring here. Now we need to feed the yeast. And so I use a little bit of sugar. Um, you can use honey if you like. And now we need to put some warm water in there. Um, I use my finger usually to just figure out how much or what temperature the water is warm enough at, but until you guys are used to that, use a thermometer. It needs to be around 110 degrees. If you get it too hot you're going to kill your yeast. So let's take it over here and we're gonna fill this bowl up about three quarters of the way with some warm water.
Alright so it's at about 110 degrees. I'll measure this out for you guys, I don't normally do that. It's about a cup and a quarter. Ok so now we're just going to stir this a little bit. And we're just going to put this off to the side and let it rise.
So everything we're going to make here is going to be done in a food processor. So the first thing you're going to do is put your egg in there and we're going to blend it. Next we're going to add one and three quarters cup of gluten free oats. And we're gonna blend it.
Now you're gonna want to make sure you scrape down the sides. There you go. Now we're going to add one and three quarter cup of your gluten free flour blend. If you want you can add a little bit of xanthan gum, it does help hold the bread together and give it a little more chewy texture. Completely optional. I just sprinkle a little bit in. It's probably about a half a teaspoon to a teaspoon. You're gonna want to add a good pinch of salt. I probably add about a teaspoon and a half. You're gonna want to add about two thirds of a tablespoon of baking powder, not baking soda, baking powder. Guys if you don't get this exact, it's ok. It's still gonna turn out. Just rough ingredients here. Make it easy on yourself.
We're going to blend it altogether. Again we're going to scrape down your sides. Now we're going to add a little splash of apple cider vinegar. Ah, the apple cider vinegar, the baking powder and the yeast are all what's going to ah, give this bread some rise. Just a splash, if you add too much apple cider vinegar it will kill your yeast. It's probably about a teaspoon.
Now we're going to add our yeast. You can see that it has risen. So it's good yeast. Dump the whole thing in.
Ok so here's where you add your fats. Now I add between 4 to 5 tablespoons of fat. You can add that in all butter or you can substitute one or two tablespoons with lard. Totally up to you depending on what kind of taste you like. You can even add bacon grease if you have that. Um, whatever kind of fats you save. Um it just adds a little bit of flavor in, you know what I mean. Like a little bacon flavored bread. Good stuff.
So I'm going to add about three tablespoons of butter and about one tablespoon of lard. Smells good.
And blend.
Ok so you want the dough to be about the consistency of cake batter. This is a little too thick. So we're going to need to thin it down with some hot water, hot water. Anything you know about cooking regular wheat bread, you're not going to do that for gluten free bread. And that was my biggest mistake when creating this recipe. In all my discoveries in learning how to cook gluten free bread. You don't make it anything like the way you make regular wheat bread. Gluten free bread requires a very thin consistency, at least the way I make it it does. And that give it, ah, if you make it too thick it won't rise. It becomes a very dense bread. So you want it to have a cake like batter consistency and then you cook it on a lower temperature than bread, so that it doesn't get really rock hard on the outside. And then it only gets one rise. Do you don't punch it down and let it rise a second time. You only get one rise out of a gluten free bread. So for this particular batter, it's a little too thick, we're going to add a little bit of hot, hot water to it.
We're gonna start off with about um two thirds of a cup of water.
And there you go.
Ok so now we're gonna put this into a cast iron pan. I've used other pans, like metal pans before, I can say that different types of pans will give you different results. I personally like the cast iron pan. It only costs about $12 or $13. I personally think it's a really good investment. What you're gonna do with your cast iron is you're just going to pour a little splash of olive oil in it, maybe about a teaspoon. And just use your hand to coat the inside. And now we're just gonna dump this in.
My house is a little bit too cold for this dough to rise. So what we're gonna do is we're gonna put it in the oven and warm up the oven just a little bit to give this time to rise.
Ok so I put my oven on the lowest setting, which is 170 and I just give it a little bit of, I just give it a few minutes to warm up and then I will turn the oven off. And I'm gonna put this in here. And just give it a minute and then I'm gonna turn the oven off. And then we're just gonna turn the oven off and we're just gonna let it sit in there for probably about 30 minutes until it starts to rise. So we'll see you in about 30 minutes.
Ok it's only been um maybe about 7 or 8 minutes and you can see the bread has risen to the top of the pan. So what we're gonna do is we're gonna leave that in there and turn our oven on 350. And as soon as that get's up to temperature I'm going to set the timer for 50 minutes. What we want is we want the internal temperature of our bread to reach about 180 degrees.
Ok we're at 350 and we're just gonna set our timer for 50 minutes.
Alright guys let's take it out.
So it should be somewhere around 180 degrees. I have this little thermometer here. There we go.
Now you want to immediately take it out of the pan because if you don't it's going to get all soggy. And you can see that the inside of our cast iron is wet, you want to wipe that out so it doesn't rust. So first we're gonna flip this over on it's side and we're gonna let it cool. I'm gonna get a napkin and wipe out this cast iron.
Now I don't wash this guys, I leave this just as is and I just continue to add the oil whenever I bake the next loaf of bread like you see, like you see me do earlier. That gets put away as soon as it cools off.
Now this is not going to win any pretty awards, but this loaf of bread took me a little bit more than an hour to make. It was about 50 minutes to bake, about 7 minutes to rise, and I dunno maybe 5 to 10 minutes to blend it up in the blender. And for something that's that quick, um compared to say other recipes where you're measuring out 20 different ingredients on a scale, or you're using expensive blends, to me there's no comparison. I'm not worried about pretty here, I'm worried about functionality and this is a really good tasting bread. It's really soft and once this cools down I'll show you how nice it is.
Ok so this has been cooling for I dunno maybe about an hour now and I just flipped it back and forth um like a couple times so that it didn't get too soggy on one end. It's pretty dry. We'll cut it open.
You can see how soft it is.
So there you go. And now when I store this I just store this right on this cutting board and I wrap it in ah this wax cloth. Now I make these. All it is, is you take a piece of cloth, I think I got this from Walmart, and you cover it in beeswax and I'll show you how to do that at the end.
But I just take this, put it on here and just store it like this on my counter top.
Alright so let's talk about stale bread. This is a loaf of bread that is about 6 days old. You can see it's starting to get hard. Don't throw this out. I mean of course you can give it to your chickens or whatever to eat but I'm going to show you what I use this for. So one thing you can do with this is you can make it into croutons and put it on your salad.
And to do that you just are gonna want to cut it into cubes, put a little bit of olive oil in a bowl, a little pinch of salt, a little pepper, and if you want you can add a little bit of garlic powder or garlic salt. And we're just gonna toss these in here. Spread them out on a tray and we're gonna bake these on 400 degrees for just a few minutes until they get nice and toasty. Something else you can do is you can dice up your stale bread, just like I just showed you, you can spread it on a tray and bake it on 250 for um, about 30 or 40 minutes until the bread dries out completely and then just grind it up in a food processor or blender and you got yourself some breadcrumbs. Gluten free bread crumbs. These things I've seen in the store for like $6 or $7 dollar for a plastic container of gluten free breadcrumbs and you guys have your own and it's free. So ya go ahead and do that and you can even add spices to it if you like. I just store these in a mason jar and in my cupboard.
Now I'm going to show you guys a couple other really cool depression and WWII recipes, breakfast recipes that you can also make with stale bread. That's going to come up in another recipe. For the most part, this is it. You got yourself gluten free bread for somewhere around $1 or $1.50 a loaf of bread. Super cheap. Super easy. Make it in one hour. And ya, it's good stuff.
1 Hour Gluten Free Bread Recipe:
1.75 cups gluten free flour blend (see flour video for recipe or use your own blend)
1.75 cups ground gluten free oatmeal
1 egg
4-5 Tbsp butter or lard (or combo)
0.75 Tbsp Xanthan Gum (optional)
0.75 Tbsp baking powder
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
For the Yeast:
1-1.25 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
1.5 Tbsp active dry yeast
1 Tbsp sugar (or honey)
Mix yeast ingredients in a bowl and allow yeast to rise. Blend all bread ingredients in a food processor. Add yeast mixture and blend until just incorporated (do not over-blend). Bread should be the consistency of thick cake batter. Add more water or flour as needed. Pour into greased cast iron pan and set in warm oven (100 degrees F) until batter has risen to top of pan. Once risen, turn heat up to 350 degrees and bake for 50 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180-190 degrees. Remove from oven and remove from pan to cool. Allow to cool completely before cutting (or it will be very soft).
*Note if pan is too full it will rise over the top. If this happens, just clean up edges and continue baking.
Lodge Cast Iron Bread Pan on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2kv0X1H
Xanthan Gum on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2kHPv3r
Organic Beeswax on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2lj4zIa


text: WFTV News (Orlando) reports that "Two of the cash lanes at State Road 408 and the Conway toll plaza will be turned into customer service drive-thru lanes, the Central Florida Expressway Authority announced. The two lanes will allow drivers to put cash on their E-Pass accounts." CFX tells the newspaper the change is designed "to get more E-Passes into cars and cut down on the number of daily cash transactions."


text:
After watching Frozen, I personally take Hans' side in all this. I mean, if someone finished MY sandwich, I would likely go on a major rampage.
Where we can geek out over horror films together :)
Where you can escape into a new world !
Movie Reviews
Thought Catalog is a digital youth culture magazine dedicated to your stories and ideas.
film reviews and movie discussion
Australian movie blog - like Margaret and David, just a little younger
A blog for film, tv, geeky gayness and all around deadpan levity.
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The latest news on WordPress.com and the WordPress community.


text:
February 26, 2016
Things I love in February
Filed under: Lifestyle, Fashion, Baby, Kids, Baby, Books, Decor, Design, Notebook, J'Adore, Products, Toys, Home, Style File, Inspiration, Mama, Travel
By Desiree Spinner
Can you believe February is almost over?! How did that happen? I thought a great way to share what I love this month was with a "top 10". Here are the things that I loved this month, you can shop this post from the links below or by clicking on the images. Oh and TGIF!
1. dpHUE: Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse 2. Spell Designs: Blossom Bralet 3. Madewell: 'The Transport' Leather Tote 4. Ray-Bay: Original Aviator 5. Mon Petit: The T-Strap Shoe 6. Wilt: Big Black Slant Solid Sweater 7. Briar: Natural Stripe Bonnet 8. GAP: Floppy Straw Hat 9. Hunter Boots: Original Tall Gloss Boots 10. F. Scott Fitzgerald: This Side of Paradise


text: This is one of many Songs without Words (or "Lieder ohne Worte") composed by Felix Mendelssohn. The "Songs without Words" were a popular form of expression for Mendelssohn, and in total he published 48 of these piano pieces in 8 sets of 6 spread throughout his tragically short life as a composer. The song titles were added later by publishers rather than by the composer himself, and the last song in each of the first two groups of 6 are both entitled Venetian Boat Song. This piece is the first "Venetian Boat Song" Op.19 No.6. The video below illustrates this piece with a piano roll animation, while below the video you can play the mp3 file and see the music before downloading.


text:
About Us
About Us
In 1986, Jim Kelm took a leap of faith and created Studio 1, a company on the cutting edge in the realm of photography. Starting out in the family portrait business, Studio 1 made a name for itself with superb customer service and high quality portraits. Actively involved in his children's schools and sports here in Rancho Cucamonga, Studio 1 evolved into what it is today.
To this date, Studio 1 has been owned and operated by the Kelm Family. Our 15,000 sq.ft. facility in Rancho Cucamonga houses the entire production team and also has a 2,000 sq.ft. portrait studio. Our printing lab is located in house, thus cutting down turn-around time and improving quality control.
Studio 1 hires and trains all of it's 150+ staff. If there is somebody out there doing something we are not, we can meet or beat their work and their pricing! We stand by our 100% satisfaction guarantee. Call us today!


text:
Thanks for visiting the website of the Courtyard Cafe, St Albans! We look forward to welcoming you with our unique blend of food, drink and style, whether you're after fairtrade coffee, locally-sourced meals or simply deliciously delectable baked goods.
Our Address:
11 Hatfield Road
St Albans
Normal Opening Times:
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 0830 – 1630
Wednesday: 0830 – 1630
Thursday: 0830 – 1630
Friday: 0830 – 1630
Saturday: 0830 – 1630
Sunday: Closed
Original Artwork including logo and map by
Web Design by
WordPress Theme adapted from Matala Theme


text:
- This event has passed.
Grand Rounds March 15: Leveraging RWE to Support Regulatory Decisions-An Update on Efforts to Inform Policy
March 15 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Gregory W. Daniel, PhD, MPH, RPh
Deputy Center Director, Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy
Clinical Professor, Fuqua School of Business
Duke University
Topic: Leveraging RWE to Support Regulatory Decisions-An Update on Efforts to Inform Policy
Date: Friday, March 15, 2019, 1:00-2:00 p.m. ET
Meeting Info: To check whether you have the appropriate players installed for UCF (Universal Communications Format) rich media files, go to https://dukemed.webex.com/dukemed/systemdiagnosis.php.
To join the online meeting:
Go to https://dukemed.webex.com/dukemed/j.php?MTID=m1a4a0665a615ae0382440edecedbdd33
You must log in to the URL first.
Click 'Audio Conference'
Choose 'I will call in', select the Toll Free number.
Dial in using the information from the dialog box that appears.
Be certain to use the Access Code AND the Attendee ID.
If the URL above does not work, go to dukemed.webex.com and enter:
Meeting Number: 739 348 059
Meeting Password: 1234
For Audio ONLY:
Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada): 1-855-244-8681
Access code: 739 348 059


text:
The Crown Towers Resort has it all: Private sanctuary of manicured lawns and gardens, tropical beach and expansive pool and is all within easy reach of the beach , shopping, theme parks, restaurants,cafes and casino.
Centrally located to take advantage of all the attractions that Surfers Paradise has to offer.
From the vibrancy of the striking foyer which evokes the "holiday mode" the moment you walk through the front doors, to comfort of the apartments.
This is one of the best, well appointed large 1 bedroom air conditioned apartment located on the 8th floor with balcony offering views of the ocean,Surfers Paradise and the river.
This apartment features a King size bed and fold out Queen sofa bed with inner spring mattress( Linen and towels provided.) 1 flat screen television set in lounge area with Foxtel includes sport channels, DVD Player & Stereo.1 flat screen TV with built in DVD player in the bedroom.
A spacious lounge/dining/living area, with a fully equipped kitchen includes microwave,wall oven and hotplates, dishwasher, refrigerator, crockery, and cutlery. Bathroom has two way entry with separate shower/bath/toilet.Internal laundry with washing machine and clothes dryer.
Check in for this apartment is privately managed and no way connected to the reception,instructions for check in and contact details in case of emergency etc are supplied on confirmation of booking. Full terms and conditions are supplied at the time of booking.
Please note that we do not accept parties and that our calendar and pricing are
up to date at all times.
The Best 1 bedroom apartment, clean comfortable easy access and well priced for your next break short or extended stays
LOCATION Surfers Paradise
AAA 4 1/2 star rating
Free and secure under cover parking
On site security
Coffee Shop
2 Fantastic restaurants, the award winning Chang Mai Thai restaurant open for dinner
Pool Kiosk open daily for breakfast and lunch
15 metre indoor heated pool
Huge lagoon style pool offering walk in beach
Pirate Ship kids heated pool and play area
Games Room
Saltwater lagoon
Steam Room
Well appointed BBQ area for your use.
Internet access available in foyer
Tour desk for attractions, theme parks, transfers, etc
Accommodation Type Apartment
Bedrooms 1
King size bed and a Queen sofa bed in living area
Max Adults 4
Distance to. Local Attraction 50m(beach) same distance to Surfers Paradise shopping and attractions.
Easy access to Light Rail, Taxis and buses to theme parks at your door.
Lowest Price from $135pn
Family Friendly Large 1 Bedroom Apartment in the Crown Towers Resort Private
Central location close to shops,public transport. Surfers' most exciting holiday apartments,with their spacious living areas, gourmet kitchens and generous bedroom.
Included in the accommodation are the full use of all the facilities of an international resort , tropically landscaped grounds with a huge lagoon pool, island ,sandy beach, water slide, heated indoor pool , spa, sauna(M&F), steam room(M&F) and gymnasium, outdoor spa and a well established BBQ area. There is also a kids heated outdoor pool and play area, games room that provides hours of entertainment.
The kiosk offers all foods and refreshments, enjoy breakfast by the pool while the Kids enjoy the pool and play area.
Also available Secure underground parking. Located in the spectacular artirium is a coffee shop, restaurant and bar in the resort is the best Thai restaurant on the Gold Coast.


text: Green prolific strawberry Small 295×320 Medium 590×640 Large 944×1024 Download TIFF Original 2212×2400 | (2.5 MB) Description "Large round; pale crimson or deep scarlet; seeds slightly sunken, rather soft, acid, without richness, but highly perfumed. A wonderfully hardy and productive variety; extensively cultivated a few years since for market, as it succeeds on a great variety of soils, and when left to grow with little or no cultivation." —Fuller, 1910 Keywords agriculture, fruit, gree, prolific, seed, strawberry Galleries Fruit Source: Andrew S. Fuller The Illustrated Strawberry Culturist (New York: Orange Judd Company, 1910) 50


text:
Thank You Weekend
Feb. 10, 2012
I wanted to take this weekend to thank everyone who has supported The Prepper Website since the launch on Sept. 19, 2011. The first post said – "I spend a lot of time surfing the internet, learning and gathering information from many different websites. As I do, I realize that this valuable information would be great to share with others in one organized place. This website is my attempt to do that."
Since then, the website has really grown in readership. As of this writing, the Alexa ranking for The Prepper Website in the U.S. is 61,988 and 561,098 in the world. This is all due to all of you who are visiting the site on a regular basis and spreading the word around the internet. I really appreciate your help in continuing to get the word out….leaving links on websites, forums, word of mouth, Twitter, Facebook and email. The mission of The Prepper Website is to provide links to quality articles and websites that focus on preparing for emergencies, survival, homesteading, simple life and alternative news. With your help, more and more people can have easy access to preparedness websites and articles.
I would also like to thank the advertisers and sponsors. Please take a moment to click on their links (pic and text) and visit their websites.
Lastly, I really appreciate the kind emails and feedback that I get from readers. It's always cool to get some positive feedback. If you haven't already and are willing, take a moment to follow me on Twitter and LIKE the Facebook page.


text:
Reviewed by Mickey R. (age 6)
As the reader I identified with the boy in the book. When I read this book I wonder how it would be to be the boy running through the leaves, crunching them and throwing them in the air. I was born in the midwest but now I live in southern California. I miss the seasons like the fall. In the fall, the leaves on the trees change colors from red to orange to yellow. The best part about playing in the leaves is crunching them with your feet. It's better than computer games!
I recommend this book to other kids who enjoy the fall time of year and playing outside. It is a short book and leaves me wanting more and more! You will really like the illustrations!


text:
Ground Floor Missions & Free Community Clothes Closet
- Located in First Baptist Church
- Address: 5th and Ash St., Okemah, OK
- Phone: 918-623-0826
Greetings from the volunteers of GFM
As a community outreach mission group we serve the Lord as we strive to help those in need.
Some of what we offer:
We are 'open' every Tuesday from 9 am to 12 pm.
- The clothing rooms are available all morning.
- 9:30 We offer a bible study and time of prayer for anyone who wishes to join us.
- 10:30 We serve brunch (Biscuits and gravy Oct – Mar) and a continental style brunch for spring and summer months.
- Hospitality and fellowship
- Emergency clothing and household items for families that have lost their home due to fire or other reasons.
- Clothing for those in need at nursing homes and half way houses.
- Newborn/infant boxes (clothing and baby blankets along with other items we may have on hand)
- Furniture and appliances when we have them available
- Food drives
- School supply drive
- Back to school shoe drive
- Pot luck meals and fellowship
- July… Picnic indoors
- Oct…Thankmas meal
- Christmas gift boxes or gift bags for children and sometimes seniors when we have items to offer.
We are also seeking volunteers and or sponsors to reach out to the community with us.Share about our church:


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Back when my site UseTheSource was a "blog" (this was late 90s/early naughties) I wrote a number of song parodies. Someone emailed me and asked where they were.
So, here are my complete song parodies from back in 2001:
March 7, 2001: "Candle in the Wind"
Yahoo! was in trouble with banner ad sales falling, profits disappearing and the then CEO, Tim Koogle, was off to spend more time with his family.
Goodbye Tim Koogle
Though I never Yahoo! at all
You had the faith, to sell banners
While those around you failed
They crashed into the deadpool
And they whispered into your brain
You need to begin to charge
For things you give for free
And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing what to add next
To your list of links
And I would have liked to have told you
But I was just a geek
Your web brand burned out long before
Your stock price ever did
Jerry Yang was tough
The toughest boss you ever had
Softbank created a superstar
And pain was the price you paid
As the whole web died
Oh CNET still hounded you
All they had to say
Was that Google was the site to use
[Repeat chorus]
Goodbye Tim Koogle
From the young man on the DSL link
Who sees you as something more successful
More than just our long lost CEO
[Repeat chorus]
March 22, 2001: "Don't Cry for Me Argentina"
Steve Jobs was back at Apple, the blue iMac was out, Microsoft was in big anti-trust trouble and had just invested $100m in Apple, Steve had bought out NeXT. But the future wasn't yet assured:
This won't be easy,
you'll think it's strange.
When we try to explain what we need
that we now need your help
after all that we've said.
You won't believe us.
All you'll see is Apple you once knew,
although we've crashed down in the dumps
begging for Microsoft cash.
It didn't have to happen.
We should have won
Better software and patents than Bill
Looking down on Windows,
staying far from Sun.
So we chose NeXT.
Running aground, trying computers in blue.
But nothing revived us at all.
You never expected it too.
Don't cry for us, William H. Gates.
The truth is we're dead without you.
We need your dollars
We need Mac Office
You need a rival, for your survival.
And as for Fortune,
and as for Time,
We never invited them in
though it appeared, to the world,
they were all Steve desired.
Even Adobe,
they're making solutions for Windows right now
The answer was here all the time.
We need you, and hope you need us.
Have we begged too much?
There's nothing more we can think of to say to you.
But all you have to do,
is look at us to know,
we're through without you.
April 1, 2001: "I Just Called To Say I Love You"
In the midst of the crash, .coms were going out of business like crazy:
No IPO to celebrate
No friends and family stocks and shares to give away
No big opening
No first day ping
In fact here's just another ordinary day
No Aeron chair
No onsite chef
No working Saturday until the site is done
But what it is, is something blue
Made up of these few words that I must say to you
We just failed to get more funding
We just failed to keep our doors open
We just failed to get more funding
And we need it just to avoid bankruptcy
No free massage
No free soda
No caffeine trip to keep us working every night
No dry cleaning
No stock option
Not even time for us to pack our things and leave
No beanbag room
No Maui trip
No giving thanks to all that NASDAQ did for us
But what it is, though old so new
Grab what you can before your jobs right here are through
April 6, 2001: "Uptown Girl"
Ah, to be in love with a marketing .com girl:
.com girl
She's been living in her .com world
I bet she never had a software guy
I bet her mama never told her why
I'm gonna try for a .com girl
She's been living in her wide web world
As long as anyone in marketing can
And now she's looking for a comp. sci. man
That's what I am
And when she knows what
She wants from her time
And when she wakes up
And makes up her mind
She'll see I'm not a nerd
Just because
I'm in love with a .com girl
You know I've seen her in her online world
She's getting tired of her high tech toys
And all her presents from her VC boys
She's got a choice
.com girl
You know I can't afford to buy her a Porsche
But maybe someday when my stock cashes in
She'll understand what kind of guy I've been
And then I'll win
And when she's walking
She's using her Nokia
And when she's talking
She'll say that she's mine
She'll say I'm not a nerd
Just because
I'm in love
With a .com girl
She's been living in her latte world
As long as anyone in marketing can
And now she's looking for a comp. sci. man
That's what I am
.com girl
She's my .com girl
You know I'm in love
With a .com girl
April 13, 2001: "Gangsta's Paradise"
Linus Torvalds was the flavor of the day as one of the thorn's in Microsoft's side:
As I drive through the Valley of the Silicon Dream
I take a look at my life and realize there's nothing left
'Cause I've been coding and debuggin' so long
That even my manager thinks that my mind has gone
But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it
Linus treated like a punk, ya know that's unheard of
Ya better watch how ya postin'
And what ya codin'
Or you Dr Tanenbaum'll be lined in chalk
I really hate Minix and FreeBSD
As they croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke
Fool, I'm the kinda hacker script kiddies wanna be like
On the Net in the night, writin' layers of the core code
Been spending most our lives living in a Windows paradise
Been spending most our lives living in a Windows paradise
Keep spending most our lives living in Bill Gates' paradise
Keep spending most our lives living in Bill Gates' paradise
Look at the situation they got me facing
I can't live a normal life, I was raised on the PC
So I gotta be down with the kernel team
Too much crazy Usenet posting got me chasing dreams
I'm a educated fool with Posix on my mind
Speak Swedish in my home and English on the phone
I'm a loc'd out hacker, wrote my life story
And my homies is down so don't arouse my anger
Fool, death ain't nothin' but a heart beat away
I'm livin' life, do or die, what can I say?
I'm 28 now, but will I ever see 29?
The way things is going, I don't know
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That Microsoft's a monopoly
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That Microsoft's a monopoly
Tell me why are we so blind to see
That Microsoft's a monopoly
April 18, 2001: "Copacabana"
Carly Fiorina was fighting for her life as she tried to merge HP and Compaq with Walter Hewlett attempting a proxy fight to stop her in the name of the family:
Her name was Carly, she was a VP
With Lucent and AT&T and a degree from MIT
She went to HP and wowed the board room
And while she tried to be a star, sometimes went a bit too far
And then September 4, Compaq became the score
They were failing and needed each other
Leaning drunks galore!
At the HP, HP/Com-pa-q
The merger that upset the family
At the HP, HP/Com-pa-q
David and William were always the fashion
At the HP... they ran the show
His name was Walter, his dad was famous
He wasn't present for the board, but he wouldn't be ignored
And what she pro-posed, "Dad would've hated"
Then Walter went a bit too far, "Carly: time for au revoir!"
And then the insults flew and careers were smashed in two
There were ads and a lot of bankers, but just who screwed who?
At the HP, HP/Com-pa-q
The merger that upset the family
At the HP, HP/Com-pa-q
David and Walter are today the fashion
At the HP... they run the show
Her name is Carly, she was CEO
But that was 30 weeks ago, when she used to run show
Now she's a VC, but that's our Carly
Still in the suit she used to wear, new blonde highlights in her hair
She sits there so refined, and drinks to Walter's health
She lost her job and she lost the proxy, now she enjoy's her wealth!
At the HP, well just the HP
The toughest job belongs to Walter
At the HP, well just the HP
William and David were always the fashion
At the HP, don't buy the stock...
If you find these funny and can sing... feel free to set them to music and give me a laugh.


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travel + learn to code
Destination: Dev is a training academy that brings together students from all over the world for programs providing a unique combination of technology education and cultural immersion. Our students will live and work together full-time expanding their skillsets in technology and experiencing a foreign culture and environment. This tight-knight community creates a unique synergy allowing participants to venture outside of their comfort zones both intellectually and culturally.We are looking for students who are open-minded, excited about deep explorations abroad, and passionate about technology. Our mission is to empower others to impact the world and build their ideal lifestyles through software.
Our unique combination of extended travel and technology education will push you to grow in ways you never thought possible.
Live, work, and play with a supportive group of like-minded aspiring nomads and create connections that will last a lifetime.
Forget textbooks and dry problem sets - DDev is all about creativity and hands-on learning.
our offerings
Web Development Bootcamp
This 10-week course is for beginner programmers who are serious about learning the fundamentals of Computer Science and the Web. We focus on collaborative, project-based learning that allows our students to prepare for junior software development jobs or to bring programming skills to their current career or entrepreneurial endeavor. Our extended program also aims to immerse our students in a foreign culture and build a lasting community.
Ethereum Blockchain
Our week-long introduction to blockchain technology focuses on Ethereum - an implementation of the blockchain that makes it far simpler than previously possible for developers to build fully distributed applications. Learn about the fundamentals of the blockchain, Ethereum, and smart contracts and build your own distributed app. This course is geared towards professional developers, but no prior blockchain experience is required.
Immersive 10-week Web Development
Tuition is $4900 USD. We have scholarships available for Colombian and Thai citizens. Apply to learn more!
Thailand: OCT 01 - DEC 15, 2019
Applications Due Nov 1, 2019
Interested in blockchain? Check out our blockchain program page.
We're proud to announce that the inaugural Destination Dev class was successfully funded on Kickstarter and wrapped up as a resounding success this summer right here in Medellín! We'd like to give a big thank you to everyone who supported us. You can check out more about our Kickstarter here, and be sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates about upcoming programs!
Our Destinations
We chose Medellín as the original Destination Dev location for a reason. This city has made an incredible metamorphosis from the violence of the 80s and 90s and has transformed into one of the most vibrant, up-and-coming destinations in South America. With beautiful scenery, perfect weather, and some of the friendliest people in the world, Medellín serves as an ideal introduction to digital nomad lifestyle.
Starting in 2018, Destination Dev will be going into South East Asia - visiting Thailand during our 10-week program. Our students will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the incredible Thai culture while learning programming in Chiang Mai. There will also be plenty of opportunities to visit Bangkok, and the southern islands. Come and join us to experience all of the sites, smells, tastes, and incredible experiences Thailand has to offer as we explore the cities, the mountains, and the beaches.
To launch a program in your city, contact firstname.lastname@example.com
Who Should Apply
Digital Nomads work remotely from anywhere in the world. Web Development is the perfect career to travel and work remotely while earning high wages regardless of your current location's cost of living.
Software is eating the world, and is an integral part of nearly every industry. Learning to code is an investment that will pay dividends for career-switchers, product managers, or just about anyone looking for a competitive advantage.
If you're a college student or recent graduate, Destination Dev is a great option for you. We combine the best aspects of study abroad while arming our students with a skill set that makes them highly competitive in the job market.
Email updates
Interested in Destination Dev but looking for more information from instructors, students, and alumni? Getting stuck with learning to code and need some resources to get you moving forward? Wondering how a coding bootcamp abroad differs from a typical bootcamp experience? We're here to help! Fill out the form below to receive periodic updates on our programs and chances to connect with instructors, students, alumni, and other prospective applicants (we promise to never share your email address with any other party and to only contact you with relevant content).


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Movies watched: Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The Invasion, Thy Womb, and Sisterakas.
There are many things wrong with the Philippine movie industry, but it's not fair to dismiss ANY and ALL Pinoy films as exceptionally awful. I am personally not a big fan of the concept of the Metro Manila Filmfest but I appreciate the attempt. Let's just hope that the reforms currently explored by small and big film companies alike make way so we won't need an MMFF to get Pinoys to watch their own.
The lesson learned with MMFF 2012: sometimes, there's a good reason why ticket sales soar with some titles, but don't with others. Big studios may smudge the numbers for the press, but audience lines don't lie. It's not always artistically founded but it represents a need that moviemakers may want to consider when taking on their next project.
Reviews after the cut.


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This sponsored post was made possible by our friends at Klenspop! I was quite happy when they offered to send us circle lenses to review (again!) because I still do love to wear them in daily life. Actually, since our first review of their shop, I purchased quite a few pair of lenses from them. I love their low prices, quick shipping and great customer service. I only wish they had more "cosplay" colours!
Ellen Panda PM 12 Blue & 14 Violet
February 26th, 2016 By Fé 0 comments


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Few heart-breaking pictures of Pakistan's worst flood disaster.
Pakistani children sit on a bed to eat their food Saturday in a flood-hit area of Qasim Bella, on the outskirts of Multan, Pakistan.
A child weeps in a relief camp.
A Pakistani mother carries her children through flood water in Muzaffargarh flooded in Pakistan.
A Pakistani volunteer uses a small boat to evacuate locals in a flood-hit area of Nowshera.
Pakistan army soldiers pass a baby across a channel in the flood water as they help people flee from their flooded village following heavy monsoon rains in Taunsa, Pakistan.
A family takes refuge on top of a mosque while awaiting rescue from flood waters in Sanawa, a town located in the Muzaffar Gar district of Pakistan's Punjab province.
Affected families being rescued by army soldiers.
People waded through water while fleeing floods in Risalpur, Nowshera District, Pakistan.
Large parts of Pakistan's north-west remain swamped after flooding caused by the worst monsoon rains in the country's history.
Residents scramble to recover water bottles dropped from a Pakistan Air Force helicopter in Nowshera.
A Pakistan army helicopter evacuates stranded villagers in Nowshera, Pakistan.


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A HUGE shoutout to Natalia of Piece n Quilt for choosing me! Or randomly integerring me! Whatever it was I'm just super excited to get my hands on that quilting book and I can't wait to see the jelly roll and figure out what I'm going to do with it! Yay!
click HERE to see what I won!
Check out her site and the amazing things she does with her quilting business!!!! The designs she puts on some of these quilts are incredible! Not to mention her Mother's designs are winning contests over at McCalls! These are some amazing women!!
Thanks again for the win! I'll be sure to post as soon as I use my jelly roll! :)
It's amazing, too, that my sister in law won a contest just a few short weeks ago!! It must be our family's lucky year!


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World AIDS day 2009 in Beijing
Beijing (China), 2 December 2009 - As it does every year, this year too UNODC has taken part in events marking World AIDS Day on 1 December.
In particular, UNODC participated in two events, one in the framework of the United Nations Joint AIDS Programme in China and one as the lead agency on HIV as it relates to illicit drug use.
During the first event organized by the Red Cross of China, UNODC staff delivered awareness messages and material in the departure hall of Beijing South Station, which is a common transit area for about one million migrant workers a day, who represent a significant high-risk category for exposure to HIV.
The second event, organized by the Beijing Harm Reduction Group, was an outreach gathering, where UNODC staff provided training, donated first aid packages and distributed publications. It took place at the Uygur Community Center in the Daxing district in the Beijing outskirts. The event activities were specifically tailored to the needs of injecting drug users and AIDS patients of minority groups who suffer a double stigma.


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We designed an office building for Timberlands, providing an elegant working environment for staff
The front entrance projects the Timberlands corporate image to clients and visitors with understated elegance accented by bold colour highlights. The entry poles and beams emphasise a forestry theme and welcome visitors with simple proportions and detail.
The poles supporting the roof are reminiscent of a tree supporting its canopy. A single angled entrance pole juxtaposed with a straight pole gives the sense of a moving architectural element, evoking a 'next dimension' to the space as people move through the building. Both poles and beams are radiata pine, with stain finishing enhancing the timber's look and improving its performance.


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Ron Paul's Excess Campaign Donations Pay National Debt Shortfall
Written by Helena Handbasket
Story written: 01 October 2007
30 Sep 07, CLUTE, TX, USNA– Ron Paul's presidential campaign announces its volunteers have begun paying the national debt shortfall of the United States of North America on an ongoing basis. Campaign director Jesse Benton describes the effort as "just another grassroots idea that had legs and took off running".
Last Monday, Paul's campaign made a typical appeal for additional donations to end the third quarter of 2007 in excellent fundraising condition. A relatively standard fundraiser "thermometer", web-enhanced with bells and whistles, graced their homepage. The widget code for this applet was quickly replicated by early viral bloggers, some of whom decided to place it in juxtaposition with the "National Debt Clock" applet that measures the rate at which the federal debt of $9 trillion is accumulated.
Within 24 hours, at least 100 bloggers had been inspired to copy this fortuitous combination. (Advertising policies at The Spoof forbid us from linking any of them.) Apparently there is intense interest in comparing the rate at which Paul's supporters move fiat money voluntarily out of their pockets, and the rate at which the government moves money by fiat out of Paul's supporters' pockets.
Before the fundraising deadline, the campaign suddenly found itself in a vicious cycle of reaching the challenged donation amount, raising the challenge, and reaching the challenged amount again, observed Benton. Meanwhile the idea bubbled up among the volunteers– The Spoof was unable to determine who originated it– of synchronizing the two clocks.
It took only a few more days of appeals to Paul's forty thousand unofficial meetup groups before the two funds reached parity yesterday at 10:32 p.m. EDT; they have remained comfortably synchronized. The most successful contribution method was for volunteers to schedule ongoing regular direct-draft pledge deductions from their payroll checks– coincidentally, the same method the federal government uses to obtain its own "contributions". The Paul campaign continues to receive donations from supporters worldwide at a stable rate of about $1 billion per day.
Paul said via blog that he was "floored and sky-high" about the free-market solution to the debt problem, praising it as an exciting workaround to the Federal Reserve's monopoly stranglehold. He assured his hundreds of millions of supporters that any excess above campaign costs would be promptly directed to pay down the deficit– as long as the trend continues, and as soon as they can figure out how to do it under Federal Election Commission regulations.
Incidentally, the Federal Election Commission had no comment, but a brief which appeared under "Recent Regulatory Activity" on their website may be responsive to Paul's unique situation. Last night via this link the FEC promulgated regulations creating an "improper format" fine on election reports that show receipts in excess of the permitted numeric character count of eleven digits (including pence). The fine is $1 billion for each offending billion.
Other candidates belittled Paul's success. Rudy Rompson claims to have had his "best fundraising night ever" this weekend after Paul supporters threw him into Lake Huron. Rompson's third-quarter receipts are still expected to trail behind Paul's.
Candidate and trance-channeler Johnny R. "John" Edward accused Paul's donors of being spammers who have created hundreds of false identities, bank accounts, and home addresses per person, merely to escape the $2,300 individual-donation cap. He also ridiculed the donors' supply-side solution as wholly ineffective, because it merely maintains deficit parity without touching the underlying national debt liability.
President-Elect Clinton shrugged, "Who is Ron Paul?" However, Clinton is also expected to report less than $1 billion in third-quarter receipts, being a paragon of FEC compliance. Clinton was recently required to deduct from her campaign receipts the sum of $850,000, disallowed by the FEC after she disclosed that, while trying to find out why her foot was hurting, she discovered the amount of cash in her left Hsu.
Campaign fundraising director Jon Bydlak also had no comment, but Benton assured The Spoof that Bydlak was unexpectedly busy with menial fundraising tasks, like bullion shipment insurance, international settlement reconciliation, and creation of Caymans shell corporations. Bydlak had also applied for permission to be designated as a new Federal Reserve system bank, but was turned down yesterday, so, Benton speculated, he may need to buy the Fed instead.
[this story is satire, in case you couldn't tell]


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From day one it was clear that Graybird Foundation was completely committed to a marketing plan that would give Surviving Skokie every chance to make a memorable impact with audiences."
Eli Adler
Co-Director, Co-Producer, Surviving Skokie
From day one it was clear that Graybird Foundation was completely committed to a marketing plan that would give Surviving Skokie every chance to make a memorable impact with audiences."
Co-Director, Co-Producer, Surviving Skokie
Founder and CEO
As founder of Graybird Foundation, Jill is thrilled to give back to the Bay Area community that has given so much to so many. At Graybird, she is responsible for strategic planning, identifying opportunities, and executing fundraising efforts.
Jill has played an active role in several projects — most notably as executive producer of the documentary Surviving Skokie and as a task force member of the LifeMoves (formerly InnVisionShelterNetwork) rebranding initiative.
Even before founding Graybird, Jill was involved in several nonprofit marketing projects including the acquisition of two digital mammography systems at the San Mateo County Hospital and the 25th Anniversary fundraising video for ShelterNetwork. As a member of the Crystal Springs Uplands School board of trustees, Jill led the creation of Crystal's mission statement, tagline and the 2009-2014 strategic plan as well as co-led the marketing/capital campaign efforts for the institution's new Middle School. Her high technology communications experience includes executive roles at Silicon Graphics, Macromedia and Catapult Partners.
Jill has a BA in History with a minor in Business Administration from UCLA. Apart from Graybird, Jill enjoys hiking, skiing, traveling, movies and spending time with her three fabulous children and extended family. Oh, and she also loves the Golden State Warriors.
See Jill's full professional background on LinkedIn.
I wear a size 10 shoe
Music on a hike
Sandra Bullock (I wish!)
Try to figure out who will win the Oscar in every category every year
Sun Valley, Idaho
Losing things
Working with my friends
Chief Marketing Officer
The Graybird Foundation clients inspire Renée to dig deep and make bold marketing moves on their behalf. After a successful Silicon Valley career in high-tech marketing, she now combines her skills in branding, communications and project management with her passion to mentor nonprofit professionals. Clients on the Graybird roster include Berkeley Symphony, Crystal Springs Upland School, Foundation for a College Education, Gatepath, Golden State Youth Orchestra, LifeMoves, Reach for Home, and Surviving Skokie.
As Chief Marketing Office at Graybird Foundation, Renée is responsible for guiding client marketing strategy, bringing together skilled teams, and mentoring clients as they take ownership of their new brands. She draws from a background in public relations, customer marketing and product launches, with previous management roles at Silicon Graphics, BEA/Oracle and VMware, and consulting with numerous startups. Renée's evolution into the nonprofit sector is her way of giving back.
Sailing the South Pacific
Joan Cusack
Is recite Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Pray for my children and my sanity
Talking too much in class
Sam's Chowder House in Half Moon Bay
Mentoring up-and-coming marketers
Chief Operating Officer
As Chief Operating Officer of Graybird Foundation, Helen manages business operations, finance and our grant process. She collaborates with project teams, contributing to strategic planning and development of creative solutions that drive the foundation's programs and goals.
Helen brings two decades of management and operations experience to Graybird, spanning the corporate, non-profit, public and private sectors. Having lived internationally and travelled to more than 25 countries, she has a diverse professional background ranging from leadership roles in product planning, distribution and process management to assisting underserved children in Ecuador, Costa Rica and Vietnam. Helen's volunteer service deeply informs her life practice. She is honored to help individuals and small enterprises in her community, in addition to her work at Graybird.
Helen graduated from UC Davis, with a BS in Textile Science. When she isn't at Graybird Foundation you'll find her riding her bike to the beach, listening to jazz at her favorite café, or up-cycling a new find. And, plagued with a serious case of wanderlust, she is always planning the next stamp for her passport. See Helen's full professional background on LinkedIn.
I know the words to nearly every song in the musical "Funny Girl"
My sisters
Angkor Wat in Cambodia
File my greeting cards by category
Baraka, Shantaram, Into the Woods, Guayasamin
Chat during my commute with one of my best friends (for 38 years)
Talking too much, especially to strangers
Working with people who are guided by their hearts
Head of Education Practice
Shelley is obsessed with education; she believes that increasing the percentage of young people earning college degrees is a solution to many of the major issues plaguing our country today. Combining her 20 years in high-tech marketing with her role as Head of Education Practice at Graybird, Shelley is elated to lead projects for community based organizations working hard to get more students to and through college.
Since 2006, Shelley has been deeply involved in education nonprofits. She manages the volunteer college advising program at Foundation for a College Education where she also works directly with students. Shelley serves on the board of Mid-Peninsula High School, a CAIS school in Menlo Park. Prior to joining Graybird Foundation, Shelley served eight years as the Director of Admission at Trinity School, an independent elementary institution.
Shelley holds a BA in Communications from CSU Fullerton, and a certificate in College Admissions Counseling from UC Berkeley. When she is not touring college campuses, Shelley enjoys hiking, cooking, and dinners on the patio with her husband and four sons.
The goofiness of my kids and husband
Hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro
Cooking a pretty good meal in anybody's kitchen with whatever I can find in the fridge and pantry
Read statistics about college admissions
Stand By Me/Operating Instructions/Driving Miss Daisy/Elton John
was never in trouble because I never got caught!
Wunderlich Park Trails
Working with people I admire
Marketing Specialist
Gisela loves to channel her creativity through music, photography, and graphic design. In college she gave back to the community by helping the homeless population raise their spirits with music. She enjoyed visiting children in shelters to teach them music, performing at shelters, and helping feed families. In her free time, she likes to make music with friends, explore new places in the Bay Area, travel, and spend time with family.
As a Marketing Specialist at Graybird Foundation, Gisela is responsible for marketing execution, client research, social media strategy, website development and event planning. She has a deep appreciation for marketing and is excited to help nonprofits leverage marketing to further reach and benefit the community.
Gisela holds a BA in Economics and Marketing from the University of California, Riverside.
My family
Brazil for Carnival
Does knowing the "Cup Song" count?
Reread Harry Potter
Ted Radio Hour/Bridesmaids/The Book Thief
Gina Rodriguez… a girl can dream
Marketing Specialist
Natalie was born and raised in the Bay Area, attending Trinity School and Castilleja. She left California for college, attending the University of Colorado Boulder where she earned BA in Ecology and Environmental Biology and a minor in Religious Studies.
Natalie chose to study both science and religion in her college career. While gaining a deep understanding of the world's ecosystems through research projects and lecture, Natalie simultaneously expanded her knowledge of worldly affairs and historical communities by writing and engaging in discussion with her peers and professors. Along with her studies, Natalie enjoyed exploring Colorado. Now she's back in the Bay Area, working with Graybird as our Marketing Specialist. She brings a unique, analytical perspective to our office.
As Marketing Specialist, Natalie conducts client research, compiles research results and manages interview schedules. She schedules, prepares and attends client meetings, presentations and events, while also reviewing and providing input on all Graybird projects.
Outside of work, Natalie enjoys traveling, painting, and spending time with her friends and family.
Coffee Coffee Coffee
Exploring Southeast Asia
Discuss scientific theories
My favorite movie is Funny Face, and my favorite musical group is Fleetwood Mac
Skyline Boulevard
I was born on leap day!
Working with a group of remarkable women


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Cloud-based technology is rapidly replacing local office servers as cloud computing proves to be more efficient, more cost effective and more secure. More and more Fortune 500 companies, as well as military and security-related companies, are using this technology for their office processes.
Velarium's cloud-based VUE Union Membership software is not only a secure and reliable hosted service, it is the world leader in union and membership-based software.
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Your data is secure with VUE as we aggressively monitor our systems and have a staff dedicated to control security. Building upon our over 16 years experience in hosting, we employ highly trained personnel, state of the art technologies and industry best practices to protect your data and prevent downtime.
VUE is an enterprise software so it is highly adaptable. Our product can be customized to your needs and how you manage your business to ensure your ongoing growth and success.
In today's ever-changing world of technology, cloud-based systems provide you the ability to make changes without incurring steep costs in hardware or labor. Cloud-based systems give you the flexibility of changing your business processes through instant access to the latest software, upgrades and enhancements so your software stays at the cutting edge of performance and productivity.
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As a VUE Membership Management customer, you will have direct access to our seasoned professional support team and all of their knowledge and experience – from implementation to upgrades and with every-day needs. This will ensure an unparalleled hosting experience for you and your team members.
To request a free demonstration of our VUE Labor Management software via "Go To Meeting," please complete our Client Information Form .
2014 © Velarium, LLC ALL Rights Reserved


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It depends on a variety of factors including the particular vaccine in question and your dog's lifestyle.
Rabies vaccination is subject to state and local laws and both 1 year and three year vaccines are available.
"Distemper/Parvo" vaccines have traditionally been given on an annual basis based on the manufacturers recommendations. There is ample evidence, however, that these "one year" vaccines provide long lasting protection. Several organizations including the American Animal Hospital Association, the American Veterinary Medical Association and the World Small Animal Veterinary Association have proposed that an interval of 3 years or even longer is more appropriate. The guidelines proposed by these organizations recommend that puppies should be vaccinated every 3 – 4 weeks up to the age of 16 weeks and should subsequently receive one additional distemper/parvo vaccination at their first annual exam, after which time an interval of three years or more is considered advisable. There are many experts who believe that the immunity produced by these vaccines may last much longer than 3 years and might in fact be lifelong.
Other factors for you to consider are whether you will be boarding your dog or plan on taking them to the dog park. Proof of current distemper vaccination may be required in such cases. You should check with the boarding facility to see if they accept the "3 year protocol".
What other vaccines does my dog need?
Another issue which has been debated, is whether all available vaccines should be given to all dogs. This has led to the idea of "core" (necessary) and "non-core" (depending on the circumstances) vaccines.
The "distemper/parvo" vaccine and the rabies vaccine are considered "core" vaccines.
"Non-core vaccines" include Leptospirosis, Bordetella ("kennel cough"), Lyme and Canine Influenza vaccines.
Leptospirosis is a serious disease that can cause liver and kidney damage. It can be difficult to diagnose and it can also be transmitted to people through infected urine. The new vaccine guidelines consider the leptospirosis vaccine to be "non-core". This is largely because there are areas of the country in which this disease is virtually non-existent. The disease does occur in our area and I therefore consider it a core vaccine. vaccine.
"Kennel cough/bordetella" can be thought of as "infectious bronchitis"…..or a really bad chest cold. Although it may occasionally lead to pneumonia it is usually self-limiting but may requires medical treatment. Proof of vaccination is required for dogs that will be boarded or for entrance into most dog parks. Groomers may also require this vaccine. In general this vaccine should be considered if your dog will be exposed to other dogs on a routine basis.
There is a canine Lyme disease vaccine. Although we occasionally encounter dogs that test positive for exposure to the disease, our area is not considered a "hot spot" for this infection. However there are areas in Michigan and Minnesota where the disease is quite prevalent and it would be prudent to vaccinate dogs that will travel to these areas. It is worth noting however, that the majority of dogs that are infected never show clinical signs. However, a small percentage of those dogs that do develop systemic disease may suffer severe kidney damage in addition to other symptoms.
There are two strains of Canine Influenza and vaccines are available for both types. There was recently a widespread outbreak of the newer strain of influenza which was occurred in the Chicago area. The epidemic has quieted down but cases are still occurring and there is now an outbreak in Bloomington. It is impossible to predict whether our local area will be affected, but should that happen the disease spreads very quickly and it takes a minimum of two vaccinations (approximately 3 – 4 weeks) to induce immunity. Many local boarding facilities and doggie daycare centers are now requiring vaccination with the new strain and some require vaccination with both strains. I believe anyone whose dog has lots of contact with other dogs should strongly consider getting this vaccine
If you have any questions do not hesitate to call us.


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Hi everyone!! I apologize for my very long absence from blogging without any notice. I'm very sorry I was unable to answer many of your comments. I'm also sorry about not visiting the blogs of my fellow bloggers.
The reason I was gone for so long is I have recently undergone a major surgery and I'm still in recovery.
But I'm trying to get back to my normal routine now and I'll be blogging regularly now onwards.
I would also like to welcome new readers and followers of my blog. I'll soon be visiting all your pages and catch up on what I've missed for so many days.
Look out for new posts and fashion updates..


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Julian Cope Cancels Belfast Show
Julian Cope, singer of 1970's band The Teardrop Explodes, has announced he will have to pull out of his 'Out to Lunch' Festival appearance in Belfast. His website states it was 'circumstances beyond his control' . He was due to appear on the 16th January as part of the Cathedral Quarter Arts annual festival.
A statement on their website concludes, "We are hugely sorry to have to announce that Julian Cope has cancelled his Belfast appearance on January 16. We have been given a statement from Julian which reads: 'It is with regret that I feel obliged to cancel my forthcoming Belfast show of January 16th due to the current security situation there and the logistics involved. I'm very sorry about this.' JULIAN"
All ticket holders will be refunded directly onto credit cards or from Visit Belfast if purchased by cash."


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Meet Annex. He's your average college kid, except for one thing. He's scared, and he can't figure out why. He talked to his therapist, who told him that if he started a blog, he could skip the sessions. In no time flat he started Too Tired To Be Afraid. As we go through his day-to-day life with him, a skilled troper will notice something. He's losing time, acting odd, and mentions being afraid of guys in business suits. Yeah, you can see whats happening.
At least, that's what is was at first. The guy has been gone for weeks at a time, and when he finally returns he knows nothing about what was on his blog beforehand. And now it's a vlog too. First post here: http://tootiredtobeafraid.blogspot.com/2011/10/monday-october-17th-2011.html Channel-https://www.youtube.com/user/tootiredtobeafraid?feature=watch
The story provides examples of:
- Crossover: A side character, who talks of Annex on his comments and on her own, is Aly.
- Schedule Slip: Annex disappeared for quite a while during the December-January period, and hasn't posted in over a month as of this edit.


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I am challenged by IA Nyckelpiga to tell you all about my 4th picture in my 4th folder. The photo is of my son Luca blowing bubbles for the first time at the "placeta" in Esporles, Mallorca (we lived there for 4 years). He was three years old and it was during Easter in 2007. And it was a very special moment. You see, Luca was born with a wide bilateral cleft palate (which you can't really see on this particular photo) and for him to be able to blow bubbles was a BIG thing. A great moment for us all.
Here he is, only 3 months old. He is wearing a retainer with a hook which helped his right nostril to gain the "curve" and it also covered up his open palate on the inside to help him being able to eat (it is a long story...).
And here he is at 4 years old (after 3 big surgeries). Smiling and all happy. He has only started his journey of treatment but he is a good sport with a very special spirit. More about this part of my life another time. But until then, please read about Smile Train below.
About cleft palate children
Cleft palate is not only a superficial birth defect. Cleft palate children often have problems feeding, thriving, speaking and being accepted in society.
It is unfortunate we live in such a superficial world but needless to say a fact. Because these children have a special spark and spirit that no other child has. Maybe because they know pain, they know what suffering is all about. Not just physically but also emotionally.
However (without getting to emotional) I would like to encourage you all to help children with cleft palate in the third world by visiting the Smile Train, an organisation (rated by the New York Times to be one of the worlds most productive charities) that tells us:
" It costs as little as $250 to give a desperate child not just a new smile but a new life".
My family has helped many children with small donations from time to time since our dear Luca was born, you can help too.


text: If you have read any of the posts about this heavy duty Infinite Speed Hub then you know it's the Holy Grail for over powered bikes. I have 2, NEW, Factory Fresh, Unopened N171's for sale. These include the mounting hardware for disc brakes. You will need to find your own cable control hardware. I'm selling these for the cost of the N380 and will trade one for a complete N380 with all necessary hardware. Send me a message on this forum for more information.


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There's a really cool Souptacular Crockpotalooza going on over at Boomama's spot. So in the interest of supportin' my friend and sista (hoot, hoot), I thought I'd share a recipe. Just one. I don't cook much so I'm doing good to find this one, but it's super yummy.
Herbed Tomato Soup
3/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 sprigs fresh thyme (1 tsp dried)
4 large basil leaves, chopped (1 tsp dried)
salt and freshly gound black pepper to tast
2 1/2 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled, cored or 1 can tomatoes (35 oz), with liquid
3 Tbs tomato paste
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock, divided
1 tsp sugar
1/2 pt heavy cream
croutons to garnish
Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large saucepan and add olive oil. Add onion, thyme, basil, salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is wilted. Add tomatoes and tomato paste and stir to blend. Simmer 10 minutes. Place flour in a small mixing bowl and add 5 tablespoons of stock, stirring to blend. Combine flour mixture with tomato mixture. Add remaining stock and simmer 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Puree soup in food processor, then return to heat and add sugar and cream. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Swirl in remaining butter. Serve hot or cold, garnished with croutons.
Enjoy with a sigh of yummy delight!


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Credit: Supplied
Ohbijou become 'Metal' headsTwo years ago, following the success of their critically acclaimed breakthrough album, Beacons, Ohbijou was the likely successor to Canada's indie pop throne. Well, Arcade Fire held fast to the seat by winning a Grammy and the Polaris Prize, but the six-piece Toronto-based collective has made another winning bid with its lushly orchestrated, sonically thrilling chamber pop follow-up, Metal Meets. WE spoke with lead singer/songwriter Casey Mecija over the phone before the band takes to the road for a lengthy tour, with a stop in Vancouver Nov. 19 at the Biltmore.
The song that kills me on this album is "Slygo." The intensity and urgency and the refrain — it's very emotional.
It's a small town in Ireland that me and my bassist went to on tour just out of university. There's this legend about this Queen buried on top of this huge mountain that overlooked the town and when we went there, we could see this huge pile of rocks on top of this mountain and it was this really beautiful thing. And in that time, also, they had this beautiful tree where people go and hang up charms and rosaries to commemorate people who have passed.
There's also this unrelenting hope, like climbing your way out of something.
For sure. That song, and with a lot of our other songs, there's a desire to communicate something darker and meatier, but also with hope intrinsically attached to it.
That might be the kind of record people need right now.
(Laughs) Yeah. It's better to latch onto things that are more hopeful than not.
When you write songs are you coming from the observer standpoint or from the first-person?
I think from both. A lot of lyrics are inspired by what's going on in my life and how I relate to the world outside. A lot of it begins with the proverbial "bedroom" writing. (Laughs) I'm by myself with a guitar and a piano and I usually write lyrics, melodies and all of the music at the same time. It's this very isolated process to begin with, before entering the writing process with five other people, which transforms it into something completely different.
You travelled the world with Beacons. Did that change your relationship to your writing and with Canada?
We were able to travel abroad and play for different audiences in Japan and all of these crazy places. With travel came a desire to look at the world with more complexity and put that into the lyrics and use different lenses to write songs. We wanted to communicate emotions differently from previous records.
There's so much texture throughout. Like in "Obsidian" there's this beautiful moment that reminded me of birds calling out en masse.
We really tried to whip up unique environments for each song. We tried to practise restraint, because that's really important for us as writers. It's so easy for six of us to pile on top of each other, so being able to maintain an airiness about each song was really important... Sometimes we have these writing sessions and it's like, well, we all have these melodies, let's play them all at the same time! (Laughs)
You've got Metal Meets and Feist came out a month later with Metals. Should we arrange a throwdown between you guys?
(Laughs) I don't think we would win!
Ohbijou play Nov. 19 at Biltmore, 7pm. $14 (Z, H, RC, TW).


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Hotel Sabai@Kan in Kanchanaburi
Sabai@Kan takes it name from the word 'Sabai' which means to relax and feel content .
Sabai@Kan Resort located close to the renowned River Kwai Bridge, guests at this hotel are in for a memorable vacation with the ecstatic scenery and serenity of this town surrounded by nature.
Our rooms have been carefully designed to give a natural calm ambience that is relaxing and elegant.
Everyone can experience a true Thai style 'Sabai Sabai' feeling at our hotel.
Hightlight rooms
Triple Room
from THB 2,100 per night
Superior Pool View room
from THB 1,700 per night
Standard Room
from THB 1,400 per night
2018 RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE HotelsCombined
9.0 Rated by Guests


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Ok, so my sister is currently on a no wheat diet. So, while mindlessly pinned I found a pin about three ingredient pancakes. it showed it was really simple. so I figured I would give it a try. Here is the link to the blog that I took the original recipe from: http://www.recipebyphoto.com/3-ingredient-pancakes/
Ok, so I made a double batch. It made ten small jacks, they have to be small, otherwise they are too fragile to flip. My sister LOVED these pancakes, and she is a really picky eater. We just have them with butter and maple syrup, like any other pancake.
So here is the recipe:
2 bananas (good size)
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
makes about 10 small jacks, three jacks a serving, so about thee servings.
And they are way more filling then I thought they would be!
Instructions: peel the bananas and put in the Magic Bullet, blend until it is smooth. (the blog said just to mash it up small and then whisk it, but magic bullet is quicker and easier, it also makes it more smooth.) Now once you have the bananas puréed add the eggs into the magic bullet cup along with the cinnamon. Then close and blend together until consistent. (I used the regular sized cup for the MB, and it was the perfect size for what I had.) Then I refrigerated it for about fifteen minutes. Once it as really cold I heated the pan up to 3 and a half and buttered the pan, but if you are staying away from dairy you can just oil it with corn oil. Then I used a fourth of a cup measure and scooped about one and a half to two for each pancake. I cooked two at a time so they are kinda weird shaped. they cook about two minutes on each side, bubbles will appear like when you cook regular pancakes, as soon as it has enough integrity to put the spatula under it flip it. the second side I found took a lot less time then the first. and then flip onto plate and vola!
so this is a doubled batch from the blog I got it from, with my improvised cinnamon amount because the blog doesn't say how much to put in.
Sorry the picture below is kinda fuzzy.
3 Ingredient Pancakes!
Corn Dog Muffins repost
All you will need:
A four my three muffin pan
A box of Jiffy cornbread mix, And ingriederants called for
Paper cups
four hot dogs
Mix up Jiffy Cornbread mix, then cut four hot dogs into thirds, I found it was the perfect size to fit into the cup cake cups.
after putting the cupcake cups in, pore only enough cornbread mix to just coat the bottom. Then, place one third of the hot dog you cut earlier. Pore in the cornbread until the cup is a little more then half full. Repeat until all the cups are filled, then place in oven for 10-14 mins at 400 degrees F. Eat as soon as they come out, makes about three servings.
Homemade McMuffin
I love the Mcdonld's Mcmuffin-but it is greasy, sometimes cold-and lets face it, that cheese is plastic.
So, I make my own at home.
Time to make: 15 min
Servings: 1
What you will need:
1 English Muffin
1 egg
1 Slice of American cheese
I sausage patty(I use about a 1/4 of a cup of breakfast sausage, and flatten it about 1/2 bigger then what you want-it will shrink)
Instructions: Form the breakfast sausage (or use premade) and start in pan, no oil needed. Flip when opposite side is all gray and browning. After flipping put egg in pan, carful to contain spreading of the egg. Usually I put the English muffin into the toaster at this point.
Careful not to break yolk, flip the egg, once cooked to your liking lay cheese on the egg-while still in the pan. Then take English muffin from the toaster(once toasted to liking) and for extra awesomeness/calories slather the inside with butter. then put the sausage and egg onto the bottom half-put on the other half and enjoy!
Christmas Almond bark Os
One bar of almond bark
half bag of M & M's
and pretzel Os
heat almond bark until liquidy and I used a dinner spoon to scoop it into the Os. then plop in one of the M&Ms. it makes about a cookie sheet and a half. easy, fun and yummy!
Yummy oven bake chicken Breasts
Got a variant of this recipe from a friend who does a blog, (Whom I will be talking about soon)
Here is the recipe I used:
7 chicken breasts (Cut into halves and the big ones into thirds.)
3 eggs
1 Tsp of yellow mustard.
1 tube of ritz crackers.
3/4 of a cup of parmesan cheese.
3/4 of a cup of rice crispys.
Put on your favorite music, then cut chicken into halves like instructed above. In medium bowl whip eggs with mustard and a dash of water until the consistency of scrambled eggs before going in the pan. Next, crush crackers, Parmesan cheese, and rice crispys in ziplock bag until a little larger then sand grains. Next dance like no one is watching. Then once done with the dance, pore the crumbles onto a plate. Coat chicken with egg then role in crumbs, than place in pan so they are not touching and cook at 400* F for 30-40 minutes.
Makes: 6-7 serving's.
Healthy Bean Sprout Toss
Bean Spouts are an amazingly healthy food, packed with protein and other great things for you. So why not have them as a
Take about three fourths of a cup of bean sprouts, and a table spoon of olive oil, put in ziplock bag and coat the bean sprouts
evenly, then salt and pepper to taste.
And there you have it! and
Elvish Bread
Elvish Bread
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 Tsp baking-powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick of cold butter (or 4 Tsps of lard & 4 Tsps of butter)
1 tsp of cinnamon (More if desired)
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1 tsp of honey
2/3 cup of half & half
1 1/2 tsp of vanilla
Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix flour, backing-powder, and salt in large bowl, add cold butter and mix together with fingers until crumbly. Then add cinnamon, brown sugar, half & half, honey and vanilla. role onto counter with rolling pin to about half inch thickness and cut with sharp knife into four inch squares and cut only half way corner to corner. Then put on baking sheet. Cook for 12-18 minutes-until golden brown. Let cool and enjoy.
Makes about 6 squares, or 24 triangles.
Love this recipe, makes a good tasting biscuit like bread. great for Ren faire.
Hawaiian Oven Chicken
Amazing Hawaiian chicken.
2 ½ pounds of chicken
1 cup of Pineapple juice
1 finally cut pineapple ring (or a ¼ of a cup of crushed pineapple
1/3 cup of soy sauce
1 cup of brown sugar
Add pineapple juice, 1/2 the brown sugar, and soy sauce into a large baking dish, with lid. Thaw chicken slightly and cut into bite sized cubes, then mix the chicken in the sauce, it will be watery don't worry.
Put in oven at 375* for 2 1/2 hours, pulling it out and stirring it every hour, then, uncover and let cook for another two hours. make sure to stir the sauce on top of the chicken ever hour. Then, pull out, stir once more and add the rest of the brown sugar to the top of


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Field Guide takes place at the IDEAS Center at Gould Academy, 39 Church Street in Bethel, Maine. The experience begins Tuesday morning, June 27, 2017, and lasts until midday Friday, June 30, 2017. Find the full schedule here.
The cost of registration includes all Field Guide workshops and activities, three nights of lodging in Gould Academy's dorms*, and all meals from registration breakfast the morning of June 27 through lunch on June 30, 2017. Field Guide will keep you energized, healthy, and happy with smart foods like homemade granola, fresh organic eggs from Gould Academy's barn, superfood snacks, and ample lunches and dinners. Lodging offered at Gould Academy's dorms is single occupancy (twin bed with linens provided, shared bathrooms with private showers).
- Standard Registration is $1500, and includes lodging and all meals.
The town of Bethel is 1.5 hours north of Portland. We recommend staying at or near Gould Academy to fully experience what Field Guide offers, including sweet outdoor activities early in the morning and bonfire chats at night.
*You may arrive the evening of Monday, June 26 if that suits your travel planning best. With your notice, your room will be ready for you after 4pm. A $50 fee applies. Food will be on your own that evening and Tuesday morning. There are many great spots to eat in Bethel.
|Ticket Type
|Extra Night Lodging - Monday, June 26, 2017
|Shuttle Ride: Portland -> Bethel on Monday, June 26, 2017
|Shuttle Ride: Bethel -> Portland on Friday, June 30, 2017


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Book review, Books, Disc Golf, Disc Golf Hall of Fame, Disc Sport, Dr. Stancil Johnson, Freestyle, Frisbee, Guts, History, International Frisbee Association, International Frisbee Hall of Fame, Practitioners Manual, Sports, Stancil Johnson
Frisbee: A Practitioner's Manual and Definitive Treatise
Johnson, Dr. Stancil. Frisbee: A Practitioner's Manual and Definitive Treatise, New York, NY: Workman Publishing Company, 1975. 221 pp. 0911104534. Paperback. $4.95 (original price).
DESCRIPTION: whats inside?
Published in 1975, this is one of the earlier substantial musings in print on the subject of disc sports. It addresses the contemporary origins of the object (Frisbie Pie Company, Fred Morrison, Wham-O), design and flight aspects of the "Frisbee", throws and catches, games using the disc, organizations of the 1960s and 70s, collecting the precious plastic and shop talk about the proliferation of the hobby. Black and white images, diagrams and data tables appear regularly throughout the text adding greatly to the quality of the entire work. The appendices cover essays about the physics of Frisbee flight and how weather effects Frisbee flight, offers a chronology of Frisbee and describes ways of comparing Frisbee disc quality.
The author, Dr. Stancil Johnson, has contributed to the disc sports community as a competitor and a respected historian. He has competed with world championship Frisbee teams from 1968 – 71 and was a prominent member of the now defunct International Frisbee Association, which was dissolved in 1983. He was inducted into the International Frisbee Hall of Fame (Guts) and the Disc Golf Hall of Fame in 2003. At the date of this posting, Dr. Johnson continues to practice psychiatry and toss disc.
DISCUSSION: What did/does this offer the disc sport community?
In this section I will briefly discuss a few of the chapters in Johnson's book. Being one of the first, substantial works addressing all aspects of disc sports it offered a lot to the "Frisbee" community of 1975 and can still offer an interesting perspective for today's players and disc enthusiasts.
The opening chapter discusses the facts and fictions surrounding the beginning of the Frisbee. For those that don't know about pie tins or Morrison, this section offers great insight into the contemporary birth of the disc. I use the word "contemporary" because the discus has been around since before Discobolus was carved in the 5th Century BC out of marble. Johnson doesn't focus on that period too much because he, and most of the readers out there, are more interested in the modern day disc's origins. Since most books printed after 1975 on the history of disc sports usually reference this book, it still has something to offer.
Chapter 2 covers the material, production and models of discs. There is a substantial focus on Wham-O (the main producer at the time), but there is an interesting section about distinguishing between antiques, serious discs, toys, knock-offs, foreign discs, etc. (table on pg. 60). Sadly, since this section only compares those discs up until 1975, some big production companies of today like Discraft or Daredevil are, of course, left out. However, the diagrams on multiple pages offer great cross sections of the disc, and show the fascinating evolution of the disc from a Pluto Platter "toy" to the Pro Model, which incorporated Lines of Headrick and all of the other improvements.
I found chapter 4, "Flight", interesting because it describes the flight periods of a disc. The diagram on page 60 visually maps out each period from "Whelm" to "Was" and is described in detail over the pages of this chapter. In fact, a lot of the scientific detail in this and other chapters really puts an eye-opening perspective on just how cool a flying disc is and how much we take the science of it all for granted every time we release a huck down field.
Chapters 6, 7 and 8 are all historical, discussing the games and sports (6), the tournaments (7) and the teams and organizations (8) of the late 60s and 70s. At the time of the printing these would've all been very relevant to the players of the day; now, it is more of a look back on the early growth of the sport. I especially like the IFA's "Proficiency Qualification Requirements" that would certify a competitor as a Novice, Amateur, Expert or Master. At the time of Frisbee's publication, "…only the thirty-two players who qualified at the 1974 Rose Bowl World Championships have earned [the] title [of master]" (Johnson, 126). By today's abilities, there would be a lot of masters out there. Can you throw a straight, high release, inside-out and outside-in back hand; skip the disc off of pavement (I wouldn't be able to, but that is because I don't ruin discs on purpose); catch the disc one handed, on one finger and behind the back? Well, I guess you are a master, too.
The last chapter I want to comment on here is "The Dog and Frisbee" (9). Outside of the disc-playing community, one of the top retorts by non-disc-tossers has to usually do with dogs. When someone says, "I play Ultimate (the expression of confusion takes over the other person's face) …Frisbee", the more common response or question has to do with playing catch with dogs. Yes, it is getting better. A lot of people know about Ultimate or Disc Golf, but playing catch with a dog on the beach is a more common representation of disc sports. Even with this stigma looming, I still enjoyed the chapter and learning about the exploits of Ashley Whippet. I love Frisbee dogs.
CRITICAL EVALUATION: Does this only contain dated material?
Containing material over 35 years old makes some publications outdated, but here the information is both historical and partially pertinent. Some of the terminology seemed odd or outdated to me, but I am also an Ultimate guy and not a Guts, Freestyle or Disc Golf guy so they could be still used in those circles. There are pieces of information about teams, organizations or tournaments that are outdated, but overall the book is a great addition to any Disc-Sports collection and a fun way to sail through the past of disc sport development and competition.
Where to buy it? Well, it is out of print, so you'll have to find it used on Abebooks or Amazon. I got my copy on Amazon, but Abebooks is a great website to find rare or out of print titles.
READERS ADVISORY: History of Frisbee.
This book focuses on the origins of the "Frisbee" disc and the evolution of disc sports till 1975, so to complement these topics I would suggest the Complete Book of Frisbee by Malafronte to continue to learn about the evolution of disc sports, Wham-O Super Book by Walsh that celebrates the history of Wham-O products (including the Frisbee) and Ultimate: the First Four Decades by Leonardo and Zagoria, which chronicles one of the fastest growing of disc sports.
Thank you for reading and as always, please, leave comments!