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Home > Android Phone Reviews > HTC Vivid
What's hot: Sharp and colorful qHD display, solid reception, great LTE speeds.
What's not: Aesthetics not up to HTC standards. Small battery.
Editor's Update: Android OS 4.0 ICS came to the Vivid as an OTA update mid-March 2012.
Reviewed November 21, 2011 by Lisa Gade, Editor
in Chief (twitter: @lisagade)
The HTC Vivid is a lovely high end phone with enticing specs and a vivid (sorry, but it is) qHD display. The problem? It's one of the homeliest phones HTC has turned out in years and its 4G LTE launch mate, the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket shows it up in some, but not all, respects. But for HTC fans and Samsung not-fans, the Vivid has enough going for it that we can easily recommend it.
The HTC Vivid joined the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket on November 6 as AT&T's first true 4G LTE phones. We're lucky enough to be in an LTE coverage area, and download speeds have been rocking 25Mbps on average, with 12Mbps upload speeds. Our top download speed was 38.4Mbps according to the Speedtest.net app! Of course, once the network is peppered with LTE devices, speeds will come down, but it bodes well for AT&T's new true 4G network.
The HTC Vivid has much in common with the Skyrocket: both have 4.5" displays, Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread with promised upgrades to Ice Cream Sandwich, 8 megapixel cameras and dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon CPUs. The Vivid has a higher resolution Super LCD that's qHD 960 x 540 pixels, and it lives up to its name with rich and accurate colors that pop.
Design and Ergonomics
HTC is usually the paragon of elegant design, with complex curves, sculpted surfaces and classy soft touch finishes. The Vivid is the Pontiac Aztek of phones: a confused mix of textures, shiny plastics and an odd angular design that's neither comfortable nor attractive. The truncated pyramid that is the back is gloss black plastic that adores finger oils, isn't particularly comfortable to hold and is hard to grip. The flat finish metal back is a little jarring next to shiny plastic, but it redeems the phone from a quality materials perspective. The Vivid is also available in white, and from the photos it looks more attractive, though we haven't seen one in person yet. I hate to harp on appearances, but consumer electronics devices are an extension of personal style, so looks do count. And we have high expectations from HTC because their high end smartphones usually use top quality finishes and are good looking and well made.
In terms of quality, the phone is solid and weighty as HTC devices often are. It feels more durable and rugged than the waifish Skyrocket and Samsung Galaxy S II, though we haven't intentionally abused the trio to see who best survived a bounce off the pavement. The power button is small but easier to operate than the sometimes maddening HTC Rezound, and the volume controls don't rattle or have play. The micro USB port is on the phone's left side and the 3.5mm headphone jack is up top. The microSD card slot is blocked by the battery, so you'll have to power down the phone to insert or remove a card. AT&T isn't as generous as Verizon: no card is included. But you do have 16 gigs of internal storage and the phone sells for $100 less than Verizon's LTE smartphones.
Deals and Shopping:
HTC Vivid Video Review
Horsepower and Performance
The HTC Vivid isn't the fastest kid on the block, though the 1.2GHz dual core CPU is solid enough. It scored 2159 in Quadrant and a middle of the pack 4526 in the Sunspider JavaScript test. The Vivid has to work harder to drive the higher resolution display, and that accounts for some of the benchmark differences, along with the not huge 0.3GHz clock speed difference. On paper, the Skyrocket is faster. In use, the Skyrocket feels a bit more responsive as well, but the Vivid never struck us as anything but quick. It's just not lightning fast. HTC Sense 3.0 is on board, and that may have something to do with it. We actually like Sense and the ease of use improvements it offers over stock Android, but it does consume more RAM and the highly customized app drawer with its enforced vertical page-at-a-time scrolling style can make it feel slower than it is.
The phone has a gig of RAM and 16 gigs of internal storage with 8.83 gigs available for your use. Like all recent HTC phones, it has a protected bootloader (important for those who want to root and install custom ROMs), but we assume HTC will offer a way to unlock the bootloader at the possible expense of your warranty.
Higher numbers are better in Quadrant and Linpack, lower numbers are better in Sunspider.
Phone and Data
The HTC Vivid has HSPA+ 14.4 for those of you (most of you right now) who aren't in an AT&T LTE coverage area. The carrier now has 15 markets covered, including Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Chicago, Washington DC, Las Vegas and Boston. New York City will come by year's end. Though the Samsung GS II has a faster 21Mbps HSPA+ radio, we got the same speedtest.net results on the phones themselves and when tethering on AT&T's HSPA network. The Vivid averaged 6Mbps down and 1.2Mbps up on HSPA and got absolutely amazing results on 4G LTE as we noted earlier in our review. If you're in an LTE market or one that soon will have AT&T LTE, you're in for a treat, especially if you want to use the mobile hotspot feature that's included in the $45/month 4 gig plan. Speeds rival and currently surpass many home broadband connections; but beware using up your monthly data allotment quickly if you tether to watch streaming video on your PC or download a host of Windows updates. Should you go over your allowance, AT&T, like Verizon, will bill you $10 for each additional gig you use in a given month.
Reception was good in our tests, and the Vivid and Skyrocket had identical LTE reception as measured in -db. Call quality is good but not stellar. Like the Rezound on Verizon, we noted digitized voice and a less sharp and clear quality to voice. That said, we had no trouble understanding our callers and they understood us. When AT&T LTE phones are in a call, they use the HSPA network rather than LTE for voice. So don't be alarmed if you see the little "LTE" icon go away at the top of your screen. In our tests, the phone hopped back on the LTE network a minute after we ended calls.
Display and Multimedia
The aptly named HTC Vivid has a colorful and sharp qHD 960 x 540 pixel display. We appreciate the color accuracy and white whites that are Super AMOLED Plus' Achilles' heel. I know many of you love Samsung's Super AMOLED Plus displays for their better than life colors and high contrast, but there's something to be said for HTC's Super LCD displays, especially if you spend much time reading eBooks and reading web pages with primarily dark text on white backgrounds. The Vivid has pleasing whites that lack Super AMOLED Plus' blue color cast, and the higher resolution makes for sharper fonts. It might not be as flashy a display as the Skyrocket's, but you get greater pixel density and clarity as well as menu fonts that aren't huge like Samsung's on their 800 x 480 jumbo screen phones. If you're over 45 and don't have the best eyes though, Samsung's large fonts and high contrast might suit you better, even if fonts aren't as crisp.
These days all smartphones are miniature multimedia powerhouses, and the dual core, graphics accelerated Vivid is no exception. It can play 1080p MPEG4 videos well, and it can do HDMI out with an optional MHL adapter dongle that typically sells for around $20. The phone has an FM radio, AT&T Live TV for streaming TV shows ($10/month and powered by MobiTV), MOG Music, Google's Music app, mSpot Movies (video rentals, a partner of AT&T), YouTube, Adobe Flash Player and HTC Watch (more movie rentals with purchase options). The Vivid comes bundled with a playable demo of Need for Speed Shift that performs perfectly.
The speakerphone is full and doesn't distort at higher volumes, but it's not terribly loud. Those of you who like to use the speakerphone to make calls in noisy haunts might have better luck with a headset. It is adequate for calmer locations and both game audio and video tracks have pleasing bass and clear trebles by speaker standards. Like all modern phones, the HTC Vivid supports mono Bluetooth headsets, stereo A2DP headphones and speakers and car kits.
Like many recent top tier HTC phones, the Vivid has an 8 megapixel rear camera with a backside illuminated sensor and fast f2.2 lens for improved low light photography. It's a relatively wide aperture lens with a 28mm equivalent, and like the HTC Amaze 4G and HTC Rezound, it takes very pleasing shots that are sharp, colorful and well exposed. There's a dual LED flash to blind your friends and illuminate dark hallways, and it also helps with low light photos without whiting out your subject. HTC offers a variety of scene settings, ISO, white balance, face detection, geotagging and focus modes. 1080p video capture is slightly less impressive with some sense of haze over cloudy outdoor scenes (the cheap clear plastic cover over the lens may cause this), and motion blur, but it's not bad stuff by any means. For photos, we prefer the Vivid, but for video capture we prefer the Samsung Galaxy S II and Skyrocket.
The phone has a 1.3MP front video chat camera and comes with Qik Lite for video chat. You can also use Gtalk video chat and install Skype.
Less impressive is the oddly low capacity 1620 mAh Lithium Ion battery. We're surprised that HTC couldn't fit a larger battery inside this not terribly thin phone. Still, it's not as bad as you might think; unlike Verizon LTE phones that punish their batteries, AT&T's network goes easier on power, and the Vivid lasted us to the end of the work day with moderate use. Our phone stayed on a steady -90db, 2 bar LTE 4G signal all day, and dropped to HSPA+ only when making calls. If you're in an area with weak LTE coverage, you might see radio ping-ponging that could diminish battery life. Unfortunately, AT&T doesn't offer a setting to disable LTE. The Skyrocket has an 1850 mAh battery in comparison, and a more power frugal Super AMOLED Plus display, and thus it lasted 2 to 3 hours longer in our tests.
The HTC Vivid is in every way a high end phone with a solid dual core CPU, qHD display that we really like, a good 8 megapixel camera and true LTE 4G. The market is absolutely flooded with top tier Android smartphones, and the Vivid does little to stand out though. Thankfully its LTE radio will get it some deserved attention, even if its physical design won't win hearts and minds. The Vivid has stable reception, decent but not stellar voice quality and a sharp camera. If only the Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket didn't give it such fierce competition!
Price: $199 with 2 year contract, $549 without contract
Websites: wireless.att.com, www.htc.com/us/
The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, HTC Vivid and iPhone 4S.
The Skyrocket and Vivid.
Display: 4.5" capacitive Super LCD. Resolution:
qHD 960 x 540 pixels. Supports both portrait and landscape modes via accelerometer, has ambient light sensor and proximity sensor.
Battery: Lithium
Ion rechargeable. Battery is user replaceable.
1620 mAh.
Performance: 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon dual core CPU with Adreno 220 graphics. 1 gig RAM, 16 gigs internal storage with 8.8 gigs available.
Size: 4.47
x 2.78 x 0.53 inches. Weight: 4.67 ounces.
Phone: GSM quad band with HSPA+ 14.4 and LTE 4G on the 700MHz band.
Camera: 1.3MP front video chat camera and rear 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash. Can shoot 1080p video.
Audio and Video: Built
in speaker, mic and 3.5mm standard stereo headphone
jack. Can do HDMI out via optional MHL adapter and has DLNA.
Networking: Integrated
WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 3.0.
Software: Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread with HTC 3.0 software. Standard Android apps including Maps, Navigation, Search, YouTube, Gmail, Email and Gtalk. AT&T apps include AT&T Navigator, AT&T Code Scanner, Featured Apps, YP Mobile, Movies and AT&T Live TV. Other apps: Polaris Office, Qik Lite, Task Manager, Transfer, MOG Music, Adobe Flash Player, Car Panel, Dock Mode, FM Radio, Amazon Kindle and Connected Media (DLNA).
Expansion: 1
SDHC microSD card slot.
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- Bots & Automation
Any nefarious use of unauthorized software will result in harsh reaction from the staff.
a) Any kind of bots playing the game automatically are not allowed. You may use scripts to quickly perform moves, however if you are found AFK-botting, you will be immediately banned.
b) Bots managing rooms without the presence of a human operator are not allowed. Bots may not be /house of any room.
c) Bots are not allowed to be in players list nor use chat.
I want to bring back FranBets, which lots of people liked, and to make the bet manager bot useful some commands have to use the chat, such as !nudges, which tell the user how many nudges it has available.
I agree with changing it to allow replies/posting info when triggered by commands. Doesn't lend itself to chat spam and open up a lot more functionality for for bots/automated tools.
create a verified bot maker thing, not entirely a very wide thing but there ya go, simple fix to allow bot makers such as Fran to do fully cosmetic things with no malicious intent without the worry of unnecessary repercussions.

subset: commoncrawl


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"Yes, you worry too much."
Besides insomnia and worry, Chen Chang Sheng said a few more symptoms. All matched up with her and in the end, he also mentioned the instability of the endocrine system.
Mo Yu's face turned slightly red. She said, "I admit that what all you said is correct. Just tell me how to cure it."
Chen Chang Sheng felt a bit strange. He asked, "Even if the imperial physicians can't cure your disease immediately, they can definitely temporarily suppress the symptoms but you never went to see them.
Mo Yu didn't say a word.
Chen Chang Sheng shook his head and said, "It's not a good thing to suspect the doctors."
"What do you understand?" Mo Yu looked at him and said. She could no longer hold in her thoughts.
As the Queen's closest female official, there were countless people watching her movements. For some diseases, she could go to see doctors, but for others, she couldn't. In the beginning, as she self-diagnosed that her disease was probably related to cardio and mentality, she immediately discarded her intention to get a doctor.
Did she worry too much? What kind of worries did she have?
The entire continent knew her whole family had been exterminated. Was this her biggest worry?
Did she actually feel discontent towards the Divine Queen?
She couldn't let anyone know that. Because of her worries, she couldn't even go to sleep.
Until today, Chen Chang Sheng pointed it out.
She stared at Chen Chang Sheng's eyes and thought that she would have to take more risk by killing him than trusting him.
"Would you keep the secret for me?" she asked.
She and Chen Chang Sheng were enemies, but for no particular reason, she believed in Chen Chang Sheng's promise. What Chen Chang Sheng wanted was much simpler. Since she started to ask for medicine, the relationship between them was no longer that of enemies, but of a physician and his patient.
As a physician, he obviously had to keep the secret of his patients, so he nodded.
"How should I cure it? Do you want me to diagnose your pulse?"
Mo Yu remembered that he was Taoist Ji's disciple so she felt a bit more confident in him. Raising her hand and extending it to the front of his eyes, she said, "it's better if you don't give medicine."
Chen Chang Sheng understood why she said this. It was because it was very hard to keep it a secret when there were dregs of decoction. Thinking that this girl who seemed to live a good life was actually living so cautiously as if she was living in the abyss everyday made him disliked her less for no good reason.
He softly placed his finger on her wrist. After a short while, he made his decision. He said, "It's fine if you don't take medicine, it's just going to take longer time."
Mo Yu felt more relax hearing his words.
"Relax your mind, take a walk more often, eat more porridge of coix seeds, and then…"
Chen Chang Sheng looked at the middle of her eyebrows, the leftover of makeups was already washed off, yet there was still a bit dryness. After hesitating for a while, he said, "some symptoms will be cured naturally after marriage."
Mo Yu felt a bit surprised, then she realized that her cheeks suddenly turned red while her face looked angry.
She harshly stared at him but she didn't say anything. She just left.
Chen Chang Sheng walked to the window and looked at her shadow disappearing in the depth of the forest. He shook his head.
Walking on the thick and firm fallen leaves in the forest and hearing the sound of her footsteps, Mo Yu's heart was in a mess. The cold fall wind passed through the forest and touched her face, yet her face was still so hot. Previously when Chen Chang Sheng's spoke of her instability(her period), she already felt very humiliated but when he pointed out that she was still a virgin, she felt a mix of humiliation and anger.
If Chen Chang Sheng was an old and respectable imperial physician, then it wouldn't matter. But from all perspectives, he was just a young man who lacked experiences in the society.
The fall leaves broke along with her footsteps. Her clothes moved alongside the fall wind as she passed through the forest in the Tradition Academy. Arriving at the palace, she gradually calmed down. She glanced back at the faint little building behind the forest. Remembering what she just did, she felt very surprised.
Did she actually just leer at a young man and say so many shameless words to lure him? Although now, she already knew the secret – the young man was not her enemy. She could stay very relax when facing him, but…what she did today was way off limits.
Her cheek that had just cooled down suddenly turned hot again. Her beautiful eyes were filled with humiliation. If anyone knew what she did to Chen Chang Sheng today at the Tradition Academy, the entire capital might get crazy.
Suddenly, she became calm. Standing for a long time in front of the wall of the palace, no one knew what she was thinking. The leaves fell that on her skirt gradually stacked up and made her look even thinner and extremely lonely.
As the fall passed by, the winter and the Great Trial got closer and closer.
The Tradition Academy again welcomed a long period of peace. Chen Chang Sheng cared about the peace so much that he used all his time on xiu xing and studying. Xuan Yuan Po did the same. Although Tang Thirty Six missed the prosperous world outside of the school a lot, he was forced to work hard because of his two friends.
Inside the library, Chen Chang Sheng absorbed starlight to purify every night. Although there wasn't any change in his body or any progress in his xiu xing, he was not frustrated at all. From meditation to absorption, he did every step seriously and without error.
Xuan Yuan Po's right arm gradually healed and the healing became faster and faster. If he could recover before the winter and begin practicing the xiuxing methods under Chen Chang Sheng's guidance, he might actually catch the Great Trial.
Tang Thirty Six never stopped xiu xing. The amount of his qi and the purity consistently increased. His xiu xing became more and more stable. He had already arrived at the Gate of Heartseeking Stage, yet just like the other youngsters on the Honor Roll of the Green Cloud, before being fully prepared, he absolutely would not take the risk to take that step.
From the upper stage of Meditation to Heartseeking Stage was the most hazardous and dangerous barrier in xiu xing. No matter how talented the xiuxingists were, they still had to prepare for a long time. Even Qiu Shan Jun used one full year, and that was on top of the foundation that the Li Mountain Sword Sect gave him.
As of right now, Tang Thirty Six was definitely the first person in the Tradition Academy to face the dead or alive test. As the first student in the Tradition Academy, Chen Chang Sheng of course wouldn't watch him fight alone. In fact, Chen Chang Sheng already prepared a lot.
The first was in the form of potions. These days, he and Tang Thirty Six had secretly sneaked into the Herb Garden three times to acquire many rare herbs and fruits. When needed, he would refine potions using the methods taught by his teacher, Taoist Ji. He believed that he would definitely refine potions that were not worse than that of places such as Li Mountain Sword Sect and the Heavenly Academy. The second was in the form of methods. Although he didn't even successfully purify, he had already begun reading books related to meditation hoping to help Tang Thirty Six successfully pass the barrier.
The process of stealing herbs from the Herb Garden was very stressful. It was somewhat against his morals. Yet in comparison to the bigger idea that life was more important than anything else, he didn't think too much of it. But when looking at the oil lamp on the stone table, he naturally remembered that middle aged lady.
Then he remembered Luo Luo.
If it wasn't for Luo Luo who opened a door on the wall, if it wasn't for Luo Luo living at the Herb Garden for a long time, if it wasn't for Luo Luo leaving Official Jin at the Tradition Academy who helped them steal the herbs, the entire process couldn't take place.
One night, when Chen Chang Sheng was reading an ancestor's note on making the transition from Meditation to Heartseeking Stage, he remembered again that he forgot a very important thing.
It was still Luo Luo.
Suddenly, his back was drenched with sweat.


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Join us for a delicious meal of chicken cordon blue, baked potato, chateau vegetables, and key lime pie cups for dessert. Special musical guest: Jim Lamb and Friends! Dinner is a suggested contribution of $4.00 for those 60 and above and a charge of $5.00 for those under 60.
Please reserve your meal no later than noon on 8/13 by calling the center: 785-1777


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Friday, July 31, 2009
Advance copies of my new book.
Just received my advance copies of Mannie and the Long Brave Day. Very exciting! Here's the front cover. I love Martine's writing and I fell in love with this story as soon as I read it. I hope you do too!
Posted by Sally Rippin at Friday, July 31, 2009
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The Hair Factory Services
– Colour technician to advise on your needs.
– Special occasions catered for.
– Training evening Tuesdays and Thursdays for our enthusiastic young members.
★Treat yourself★
Treat yourself to one of our luxury treatments,
including a professional salon treatment incorporating
a shiatsu head massage
Contact us to find out more
email: firstname.lastname@example.com
mobile: 01206 500950
Wedding Specialist
To make a booking of to find out more then please get in touch
Skin Testing
Hair colouring is a very safe process today but some people may have an allergic reaction, we insist you have a skin test which is available FREE of charge. A skin test is simply a little hair colour applied behind the ear (where skin is more sensitive) to test if there is any reaction. You must have a skin test at least 48 hours before your colour service so that any potential allergy has time to surface.
The section below is designed to help you find your way in choosing the best colour for you.
We take time to look at the terminology, describe each process and outline the reasons and benefits beind choosing a particular aproach.
Semi-permanent/shine/gloss/tone-on-tone/demi/quasi. A colour that fades out and lasts approximately 6 to 8 weeks. This is a great first step into the colour world if you are feeling slightly more reserved.
Permanent, colour/tint, tint re-growth. This is an all over colour that grows out and covers grey. It can be used to darken or lighten your natural hair colour.
Tint re-growth This is the colouring of roots after having a permanent tint in order to refresh the look. This is usually required every 3 to 8 weeks depending on your hair growth cycle.
Tint & Floodlights. This technique is great if you are hoping to give your hair a natural sun-kissed look. The process introduces a T-Section of highlights. This time the hair that is not weaved is coloured. This approach is also good if you want to achieve fey coverage.
High-lights/Weaving/Foils/Meche. High-lights are possibly one of the first innovations in hair colouring; high-lights brighten and add shine to your hair. Sections of your hair are weaved out and placed in foil on meche and colour is applied. The pieces of hair left out remain as your netural colour.
They work best in warm shades of gold, honey and ambers. High-lighting requires
maintenance about every six to eight weeks, Your personal level of maintenance will depend on how lighter the high-light colour is from the natural colour.
Low-lights. the same technique used as high-lights. A colouring technique that adds real depth to your hair. Low-lights add darker tones and soften the look of over-lightened hair or add dimension to hair colour that looks flat. A skilled stylist can weave up to three different colours into your hair.
T-Section/Floodlights/Partial/Halo/Parting/herring bone. Imagine a 'T' shape when seen from above. This is great if your roots are starting to show or you just want to refresh your
look – everyone will think you just had another full head when really you've just refreshed your colour. This is the weave technique used through the parting and front hairline.
Half-Head. The weave technique is used covering the top section of the head, front, sides and crown.
Three-quarter-head. The weave technique is used covering the top section, sides and below the crown, leaving the hair natural from the ears down.
Full head highlights. The weave technique is used covering the whole head.
Panelling/slices. Sections of the hair and infuses them with new colour.
Paneling/ Slices is a hair colourings technique that gives dramatic impact to your hairstyle, often by adding bright, trendy colours to natural hair colour.
Dip Dyeing. Inspired by the art of dip dyeing clothes. This is where the ends of your hair are coloured with either subtle or vibrant tones.
Flying Colours.shu shine. Freehand colour that is painted onto random pieces of hair suitable fro shorter hair styles. This will normally last until the next cut. A great way to try out colour to see if it's for you.
Toner/Colour Balancing. Sometimes the hair colours can need a little finesse to blend naturally into your existing hair colour – toner/colour balancing is our magic in these cases.
Bleach, pre-lightening, pre-lifting. We can use bleach to achieve very light coloured hair. Your re-growth will show quicker as the coloured hair is light in comparison to your natural colour.
Colour Correction/Change. Changing colours or correcting a previous salon's colours (or home colour attempt) can be time consuming and requires a great deal of skill. Results cannot be
guaranteed because we won't always know exactly what has been used before. That said, we can normally fix emergency hair disasters!
Combination. Sometimes a
combination of colour techniques may be needed to achieve your desired look. highlights and a toner/ Colour
Balancing, bleach before trying a lighter colour on darker hair or a tint before highlights.


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Whipped Feta!
The concept of "nine-days dinners" tends to be a little cliched. Everyone seems to always be talking about how difficult it is to produce family-friendly nutritious meat-free deliciousness for a whole week. And while I grew up eating mostly Macrobiotic (meet my mother) and was even vegetarian for about 10 years, I still tend to get a little bored as the 9 days taper off… So! I was browsing some foodie sites a bit this morning over coffee, and I happened upon whipped feta and almost fell out of my seat! This stuff is just genius. I mean, Pinterest has been showcasing the usage of feta in a myriad of different salads and sandwiches, so apparently it's a big food trend at the moment, but nothing I've seen even comes close to the awesomeness of this creation!! This makes the richness of feta as easily available as chummas! Dunk some pita chips, dollop some in your eggs, slather on toast, spread in a lasagna, stuff some mushrooms… this stuff is wickedly adaptable and seems to be simple as ever to conjure up!!
And so, as soon as my kid's early morning screening of Nick Jr. is through, we'll be heading out on our Sunday morning walking ritual (with the pull-toy crocodile in tow, no doubt), and heading over to Trader Joe's in quest for the best feta ever to whip up some novel lunch and dinner. Here's the recipe:
– 8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled and at room temperature
– 3 ounces whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
Add crumbled feta to a food processor and pulse until small crumbs remain. Add in cream cheese and puree for 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides when necessary, until feta is super creamy. That's all. :)


text: I would like to give to our clients a Jailkit, which could be useful for all of her/his sites. As I see we can give new Jailkit for each site in default, for example /home/clients/client4/web18 dir. But if 1st I create a new Shell User without Chroot shell, 2nd modify the directory from /home/clients/client4/web18 to /home/clients/client4, 3rd modify the Chroot shell to Jailkit, then the client can use all of her/his sites with one Shell user. After these modifications the system sends me an email "WARNING - Directory of the shell user is outside of website docroot." So I would like to ask you: Is there a security risk if I do this?


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An all-solid-state, gain-switched, green laser is developed using a side diode-array pumped Nd:YAG laser and a (KTP) crystal as an intracavity frequency doubler. The effect of nonlinear coupling on the pulse width of the fundamental is studied and is found to be in good agreement with the experimental measurement. In this preliminary experiment, a peak power of at corresponding to a pulse width of is obtained for an average pump power of . Compared to a Q-switched laser, it is simple and does not require a high voltage RF driver or saturable absorbers in its operation. The laser may be useful where relatively longer nanosecond pulses are required such as eye surgery, micromachining, and underwater communication.
© 2009 Optical Society of AmericaFull Article | PDF Article
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Appl. Opt. 44(28) 5990-5995 (2005)
Yung-Fu Chen
Opt. Lett. 24(15) 1032-1034 (1999)
S. G. Fu, X. Y. Ouyang, and X. J. Liu
Appl. Opt. 54(29) 8804-8807 (2015)


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Producers In The Marine
There are many types of producers in the marine, but this is only focusing on 5 producers. The first producer is phytoplankton. They are microscopic organisms that float in water. They also produce oxygen and food. Phytoplankton are the most common marine producer. Diatoms are related to phytoplankton. They are the most common phytoplankton. Diatoms are one celled producers that have a covering of glass called frustule. They are important oxygen producers. Algae is also pretty common in the marine. It is a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms. They range from unicellular to multicellular forms. They are photosynthetic like plants. It can be found in fossils 3 billion years back. Have you ever heard of seaweed? Pretty common, huh? But did you know that seaweed is actually a type of algae? Seaweed may be red, green, or brown algae. Seaweed also resembles non-marine plants. It is somewhat leaf like and flattened. Ever heard of seagrasses? Much rarer. You'd probably be surprised that seagrasses are flowering plants that grow in the marine. But it's true. Seagrasses are long and narrow leaves. They grow in large "meadows". Seagrasses thrive in shallow areas in sand or mud. There is an estimate of about 60 species of seagrasses worldwide. Well, that's all folks. I hope you learned something new because you're supposed to learn something every day. I think.
Google Images
Google Images


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Mariscos Chente is a "Nayarit seafood place with a Sinaloan chef, the best in LA," says streetgourmetla. "It's rare that you have a cuisine outside of its country of origin where the quality, aesthetic, and flavor is identical to the best representations of the mother country. I would put Sergio's cooking up with the best seafood joints, high and low, in Sinaloa."
For those of you who are wondering, Nayarit and Sinaloa are two adjoining Mexican states on the Pacific coast. Their seafood dishes are almost identical. Nayarit is the birthplace of pescado zarandeado, "the world-renowned charcoal grilled whole fish entrée marinated in either a tomato-based sauce or a garlic, butter, and soy base, my favorite," explains streetgourmetla. There's a lot of soy usage throughout the area, brought by an influx of Japanese immigrants and mariners, he explains.
Most importantly, there's raw fish. "Sinaloan chefs are Mexican sashimi experts, deft with the knife, aficionados of fresh seafood, polished platters, and versed in many cooking disciplines," says streetgourmetla. There is ceviche de camaron (raw shrimp), callo de hacha (raw scallops in lime), and aquachile (whole raw shrimp with lime and chile), all garnished with purple onion and cucumber. They serve raw abalone, raw oysters, raw clams, raw mussels. The great Sinaloan chefs have unique, recognizable knifework—it is as much an art form in Sinaloa as it is in Japan, says streetgourmetla.
On the cooked side, there is chicharron de pescado (fish skin in soy sauce) and camaron a la pimienta (shrimp in an oil and pepper sauce), dishes that "go beyond the usual suspects at most Mexican seafood restaurants," says streetgourmetla.
Mariscos Chente sources fresh seafood from Mazatlán, and uses different varieties of shrimp in different dishes for Sinaloan perfection. Its ceviche de camaron is "a glorious heap of white shrimp … fresh cut and crisp cucumber, purple onion, tomato, and cilantro on a shallow pool of lime. It was ample and devastatingly good," says streetgourmetla. They're serving many of the dishes mentioned above, and bringing in more and more equipment as the days pass—so the menu will broaden, and quickly.
Of the two branches, the Mar Vista Mariscos Chente is the best, says streetgourmetla, with master chef Sergio currently installed. And once the grill gets going, the Mar Vista branch will be the only one capable of making pescado zarandeado. The Inglewood branch is still good, though.
Mariscos Chente [Westside–Beaches]
4532 South Centinela, Mar Vista
Mariscos Chente [South LA]
10020 Inglewood Avenue, Inglewood
Board Links: Mariscos Chente, the king of Mexican sashimi reopens on the Westside w/pics
Mariscos Chente, the king of Mexican sashimi reopens on the Westside w/pics


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Yep you guessed it if you read my blog I am not the best with grammar. Well who gives a shit I'm not writing the Third Amendment here. I use spell check like everyone else in this world and sometimes even that fails me. I know how to break up paragraphs but I don't! It's not my fucking style. I sit and I just write what comes to my mind. Basically I fucking rant. I'm a trainer and a BAD writer. Even though I admire people who have the time and are diligently criticising these blogs or anyone elses blogs I choose to just go with my style. It works for me. Perfection in the writing field is just not my strong point. Plus I'm not writing these to get an A+ in english class. Also this is what really gets me going! People that leave comments on my facebook or blog telling me what "T" should do with MY clients and MY workouts. Now I appreciate the feedback and I encourage the comments. I know not everyone has good things to say but please leave the know it all comment to yourself cause first off they won't be put up. Secondly if I look you up and you are some fucking slob that weighs about 400 pounds and have never worked out in his or her life and you are trying to give me, my followers and clients know it all bullshit advice PLEASE SAVE IT! I'm sorry your could be decorated to high heaven with certificates but if you yourself isn't a walking example or the venom you are spitting then shut the fuck up and go bug someone else!!!!!!!!!! YEAH hows that for bad grammar.
So here is my advice and i will keep it short and sweet! I find that I've personally had success working a little bit of Abs and core everyday but not hitting it hard everyday. Choose about 3 days to really focus on your Abs. Just like other muscles in your body they need a break once in a while. Plus its true Abs are made in the kitchen so getting on a solid diet will help the most. OH and listen to lots of Slayer. That helps the Abs!


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Tesla Motors is sending out a free fix-it to Model X owners unhappy about too much sunlight obstructing vision from the panoramic windshield.
As Consumer Reports' testers have complained about, Model X owners have been voicing similar concerns. The broad windshield adds to the SUV's aesthetic and panoramic view, but can be blinding for occupants at certain times from sunlight. Their concerns have been express via the Tesla Forum, Facebook, and a YouTube video.
Tesla has contacted owners via email to announce that a Front Upper Windshield Sunshade will be mailed to them free of charge. Currently, the Model X comes with UV coating that helps with heat but not so much with sunlight. The Model X comes with a side-mounted sunvisor, but it hasn't been blocking sunlight enough to satisfy owners.
SEE ALSO: Consumer Reports Not Impressed with Tesla Model X
The new sunshade will block two thirds light and heat coming through the front upper windshield, Tesla says. It's been designed to be lightweight and flexible to allow for easy storage and installation, the company says.
The electric carmaker provides detailed instructions on installing the new windshield sunshade through the Tesla website.


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Latest News
- MKU Awards Murang'a County Principal of the Year (POYA)
- Are you an accountant and looking for a job?
- MKU BSc. In Real Estate Management receives accreditation
- Vacancy advertisement : Deputy University Librarian and Information Services
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- List of KUCCPS 2019/2020 students placed at MKU
- MKU SPAS PhD student wins the best Poster Presentation Award in International summit in Dubai
- Open vacancies at Mount Kenya University
- Huduma Namba Registration - MKU Main Campus Thika
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Manchester United have received a significant boost in their attempts to re-sign Nemanja Vidic as Inter Milan are now ready to let him leave in January, reports Metro.
Citing Italian newspaper Tuttosport, the report states that the Serie A club have grown tired of the former Red Devils captain after several high profile mistakes. The Italian press have been on Vidic's back since he arrived at the San Siro on a big money two-year contract.
New manager Roberto Mancini does not see Vidic as part of his long-term project at Inter Milan and he is ready to move him on as soon as possible.
United could pounce
That is great news for Louis van Gaal who is looking to add experience to his defensive line with a host of stars currently struggling with injury. Phil Jones, Jonny Evans and Marcos Rojo have all struggled with injury while Chris Smalling has not impressed.
The report states that Van Gaal will have to agree to pay a nominal fee to get the deal done in the January transfer window with Inter ready to accept a loss on the wages already paid to the centre-back.
Short-term option
Vidic, 33, would be the short-term option Manchester United need. Coupled with his experience in the Premier League and stature at Old Trafford, the Serbian could provide the moral boost required to get them into the top four.
The Serbian formed a successful partnership with Rio Ferdinand in an eight-year spell. In that time he won five Premier League titles as well as one Champions League trophy.
Defensive woes
Manchester United's defensive line will be made up of the likes of Antonio Valencia and unproven youngster Paddy McNair when they visit Arsenal on Saturday. Since losing Vidic in the summer to a free transfer, plenty of critics have cited it as one of David Moyes' biggest mistakes.
While Jones and Rojo are expected to be first choice when they return to full fitness, there are concerns that Evans and Smalling could be facing the chop in the near future. Smalling has hit headlines for all the wrong reasons this season and Arsenal are reportedly ready to take him off their hands.


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A few weeks back, we told you about the Catastrophic Event Specialists Tour that was being booked in select cities. The tour will be headlined by Ces Cru and feature G-Mo Skee and Chez. Since then, they have booked nearly 40 dates, and it all starts up on Thursday, February 22nd in Lawrence, KS!
All of these dates are listed, as well as ticket links, venue info, and more at https://www.strangemusicinc.com/tours/ces-cru-catastrophic-event-specialists-tour-2018
Check the flyer below to see if it's hitting a city near you, and then check the link for tickets!
I'm definitely swinging by that Fort Worth show, so hope to see you there!
from Faygoluvers


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Our SEXY FOCUS is just barely underway and it's time to set goals, to have purposeful thoughts and to commit!! 3 Simple steps will help your mindset be prepared for success in this 6 week journey to SEXY.
It takes BRAINS to be SEXY!
STEP #1 Goal Setting~ …what do I want to accomplish?
Take an honest look at where you are at and make goals that are attainable, yet challenging.
~A good place to start is by taking your pictures and stats (this week's challenge).
Once you have that truthful baseline you can asses how you are going to get to your destination.
~Another key item to keep in mind with goal setting is to set an "EVENT", a specific timeline, to hit your goal. An event like a birthday party, a special reunion, a wedding, a photo-shoot, a trip…Build up your excitement for that EVENT!! It will keep you accountable to take the daily steps needed in order to attain your goals. It will get you through when things get "tough".
#2 Control your Thoughts~ Have purposeful thoughts…
Be sure to journal or blog somewhere about what you are thinking.
Some questions to ask yourself:
- Where am I at in taking care of my health?
- Do I need to visit the Dr.? or enlist professional help?
- What have I been doing with my time the past few months?
- I'm I "over-booked" OR "under-booked"
- Am I happy? What will make me truly happy?
- Have I been focusing on fueling your body with the NUTRIENTS it needs?
#3 Commitment to your goals~ Quitting is not an option..
Are you committed to follow through? It is important that you decide to stay committed…don't allow yourself to QUIT. Even if you miss an entire week of workouts due to a cold or a super busy time…. You MUST NOT quit! If you falter a bit, that's normal! The real winners dust themselves off and start again without looking back! The only way anyone ever attains their goals in life is by NOT QUITTING! Decide here and now that you won't quit! Let's use keep our minds positive, strong and engaged!!
It takes brains to be Sexy!!
Your braininess,
p.s. Today's workout suggestion~
Lift Lower Body and ABS


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Kate Pierson of the B-52's Announces Solo Album, Shares "Mister Sister" Video Featuring Fred Armisen
Guitars and Microphones features collaborations with Sia (who executive produced) and the Strokes' Nick Valensi
Kate Pierson, founding member of the B-52's, has announced her debut solo album. It's called Guitars and Microphones, and it's out February 17 via Lazy Meadow/Kobalt. Below, check out the video for the single "Mister Sister", which stars Fred Armisen and was directed by Monica Coleman.
On Guitars and Microphones, Pierson collaborated on songwriting with the album's executive producer, Sia. The LP was produced by Tim Anderson and also features the Strokes' Nick Valensi. Check out the tracklist below the video.
Guitars and Microphones:
01 Throw Down the Roses
02 Mister Sister
03 Guitars and Microphones
04 Crush Me With Your Love
05 Bottoms Up
06 Bring Your Arms
07 Wolves
08 Matrix
09 Time Wave Zero
10 Pulls You Under


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Sorry, we don't have a photo of this plaque yet.
Albert Henry Stanley, 1st Baron Ashfield, PC, TD (8 August 1874 – 4 November 1948), born Albert Henry Knattriess, was a British-American who was managing director, then chairman of the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (UERL) from 1910 to 1933 and chairman of the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) from 1933 to 1947.Although born in Britain, his early career was in the United States, where at a young age, he held senior positions in the developing tramway systems of Detroit and New Jersey. In 1898, he served in the United States Navy during the short Spanish–American War.In 1907, his management skills led to his recruitment by the UERL, which was struggling through a financial crisis that threatened its existence. He quickly integrated the company's management and used advertising and public relations to improve profits. As managing director of the UERL from 1910, he led the take-over of competing underground railway companies and bus and tram operations to form an integrated transport operation known as the Combine.He was Member of Parliament for Ashton-under-Lyne from December 1916 to January 1920 and was President of the Board of Trade between December 1916 and May 1919, reorganising the board and establishing specialist departments for various industries. He returned to the UERL and then chaired it and its successor the LPTB during the organisation's greatest period of expansion between the two World Wars, making it a world-respected organisation considered an exemplar of the best form of public administration.
Source: dbpedia


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Making A Return
Sunday, April 07, 2013
Yeah, I took a break.
I was so obsessed with NUMBERS.
From calorie counting and measurements to what my scale shows, I let those blasted numbers rule how I felt about myself.
Don't misunderstand.
I'm not "all-of-a-sudden" cured from weighing and measuring and counting.
I have decided that my identity cannot be measured by those numbers.
During my self-imposed sabbatical, I didn't go crazy, consuming huge amounts of food. Instead, I used what I've learned from when I started on Spark, and have actually lost a little. Perhaps I didn't lose as much as I "should" have since it has been close to a month of being away. But, I'm content with a 5lb weight loss. It's certainly not a weight gain. Yet,
And, I think I may, finally, perhaps, possibly be starting to believe what my boyfriend has been trying to tell me since we first met and became friends over 10 years ago, that
Granted, there will be men AND women who will completely disagree with his assessment. Yet, I may not believe they are all that great looking, outward or inward. You may think Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are simply gorgeous. I disagree.
But, close your eyes. . .now what do you see?
Nothing. You must base the beauty of that person you are interacting with solely on their personality, their beliefs, their morals, and their values.
Yes, I've lost weight. And yes, that has helped my spirits. But as my guy has asked me, "Do you feel better?" My answer is yes. He continues with, "Will you feel better if you lost more?" My answer continues to be yes. His response? I love you, regardless. I love your body. I love your mind. I love everything that is you.
For what more can a gal ask?
And, you know what?
I love him for loving me as I am.
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welcome back!
2225 days ago
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welcome back!
Sometimes I feel like I am a bit obsessed about the number on the scale too. It should be more important how I feel in my own skin. If I am comfortable, healthy and satisfied with my progress, then those should be the measurements that count. Glad you're back blogging again!
2232 days ago
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Welcome Back! Now the task at hand is to love you as you are!
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I'm so glad you're back and feeling better about yourself. You are so worth it as we all are! It doesn't matter what the scale says, it's what we say and think about ourselves and how the people closest to us feel about us. I'm glad you're back on track now. I missed you! HUGS!
2233 days ago
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Great! Feel good about yourself! You are so worth it!
2233 days ago
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How happy you must be!
2233 days ago
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Nice blog.
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so glad you are back! and you are absolutely right on all of your statements- and you are a beautiful woman- I would give anything for your hair. But you are also kind, generous, thoughtful etc and a great blog to read!
I admit I love the scale to move but I continue to make my long list of NSVs that get longer all the time and they are the things I wanted to get healthy for. So to me I am a success regardless of what the rest of the world thinks about my outside!
2233 days ago
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back. I have missed your blogs. He is right you know (at the risk of getting stoned for saying a man is right) if we feel better that is what counts. I had my trainer ask me the same questions this week. Because not a single number changed in 3 months. I finally agreed that if I feel better that is what is important.
and remember your are
2233 days ago
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Today is a new challenge up at The Sisterhood! My dear friend, Teri, is hosting this week's Sisterhood Social. Teri wants to see your book or movie inspiration. This was an easy one for me, who doesn't love The Scarlet Letter?
I helped my Megan (now 21) create this for a project her senior year in high school. She created two summarized tags for each chapter of the book. We had so much fun working on this book together.
What is your favorite book or movie? Will it inspire you to create a project? If so, please share it with us at The Sisterhood!
Check out the inspiration my sistahs have for you, while there, be sure to leave them some love!
Today I also have some tragic news to share. For those of you who regularly follow my blog, you know my youngest niece, Ashela (10) dances with a competition squad. This photo shows her (in the back) and her little friend, Destiny (front) at the Spring Recital in May of this year.
Destiny was at the pool swimming on Friday. Her Grandmother was driving her, her friend, and older sister home from the pool. A 26 year old male, driving under the influence, hit their suv head on. Destiny was flown to a hospital in West Virgina, she had some surgery to her brain and fought so hard to live. After having a section of her brain removed, she was only given a 10% chance to live. Destiny died yesterday morning. Her grandmother is still fighting for her life. Her sister and friend escaped with minor injury. Destiny was only 10 years old, a very talented dancer, and a beautiful little girl. Please pray for her family, her friends, her community, and my little Ashlea, as we all grieve the loss of this precious child.


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We are a small, home based, part time business. Established in 1994, we started by vending at cat shows on weekends. Although we are dedicated to alternative cat health care, our products work well for all animals.
Our Business Philosophy
Our business is dedicated to providing quality alternative health care products for your companion cat. Our goal is to promote preventive care.
Our Company
Our company evolved from our desire to provide quality and alternative natural health care for our cats. We soon learned that it required extensive research just to find natural products for preventive care. We also learned that just because the label or advertising says the product is 'all natural' that did not guarantee that it was safe, or that it would work. As we found and tested alternatives, we shared this knowledge with our friends who were also frustrated trying to find natural alternitives for their cats. Before we knew it, we had a small, part time, home based business which sells homeopathic, herbal and Bach Flower remedies at cat shows. To make it easier for our customers to order between cat shows, we developed our first web site. We are primarily concerned with providing quality products for people who care enough for their cats to take the time to look for alternatives. We encourage you to email us at any time for help. If we do not have a product, we will be happy to research the product to see if it meets our quality standards and add it to our line of products if it does.
Our Employees
As a small, home based business, our human employees are limited to the owners. Our cat staff consists os Pixie, Gremlin, Goblin (aka Bear), Bleu Geni, Hunk, Whimsey, Jazzman, Kami, Loki, Pi, Pandi, Tiki, Kali, Tribble and Shadow. The staff is actively involved in testing our products to ensure quality. They also help with all projects where computers or video are involved. Please have patience, they are typing as fast as their little paws can type.
Experience and qualifications: Our owner is not a licensed veterinarian, however, she has done extensive study into herbal, homeopathic and flower remedies, and is currently studying for the equivelant of a veterinarian diploma in the use of homeopathic remedies. Our cats experience is invaluable.
Contact us.


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ESA-announce Workshop on Economic Governance and Social Preferences
Call for Papers:
The Tilburg Law and Economics Center (TILEC) organizes a two-day Workshop on "Economic Governance and Social Preferences" at Tilburg University, the Netherlands, on September 3 and 4, 2015.
Keynote Speakers:
- Roland Bénabou (Princeton University)
- Simon Gächter (University of Nottingham)
- Avner Greif (Stanford University)
- Mark Ramseyer (Harvard University)
Research into social dilemmas is a cornerstone in the social sciences. The defining characteristic of such dilemmas is that mutual cooperation among the actors involved is efficient but that, unless adequate institutions are in place or actors have social preferences, deviating from cooperation is rational from the individual viewpoint. As a consequence of this incentive to free-ride, transactions are not undertaken and economies grow by less than their full potential.
Ultimately, the functioning and efficacy of diverse institutions crucially depends on how the institutions affect actors' behavior. Therefore, when studying institutions, it is important to be aware of the preferences of the actors. By now, it is well-accepted and convincingly shown in numerous laboratory experiments and empirical studies that at least some individuals are to at least some extent concerned about fairness, and that intrinsic motivation, empathy, but also spite are important drivers of behavior.
We strive to stimulate the debate about the role of (pro- and anti-)social preferences for the design of optimal institutions, both formal and informal, as solution mechanisms for economic governance problems. We aim to assemble scholars from several disciplines studying economic governance institutions with particular regard to the impact of the type of preferences held by the involved parties. Ideally, discussions at this gathering do not only evolve around positive questions but also touch on the normative implications of the results presented: what lessons can policy makers, regulators, organizers of private ordering institutions, and other market designers learn for optimal institutional design under specific economic, social, and political circumstances?
The submission deadline for papers is April 12th, 2015. More details are available in the attached PDF and at the website: www.tilburguniversity.edu/tilec/governance.
Economic governance WS 2015 Call for Papers.pdf


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Hi there! I'm starting my year right by updating my blog. Cheers to more food trips and travel adventures this 2016!
I'd like to thank my sidekick, Carla, who is easy to drag on a food trip. Out of the countless lists of food we like, it is meat that stands out – burger, steak, kebab, anything meat. She has been telling me about this food truck along Quirino Hway (it is walking distance from Robinsons Mall Fairview going to Zabarte) and it was last December when we had the chance to check it out.
We arrived at Flaming Moo Grilled Burgers around 7pm and the place was starting to get busy with 3 tables occupied. It's interesting to watch how food is prepared in such a compact space
Carla had the Classic Moo burger (Php65). It's a single patty burger with tomato, lettuce, cucumber, and onion.
I had the Moo Moo Burger (Php100). It's a juicy burger loaded with TLC, bacon, cheese, caramelized onion and mushroom, and topped with cheese sauce.
We also had french fries (Php25) and Raspberry Iced Tea (Php25). Yes, it's that affordable. The burgers were good, tasty, and juicy. They don't skimp on the quality of the ingredients. Bonus: mayo, mustard, ketchup (no extra charge)
Service was fast and done with a smile. 🙂
Flaming Moo is a simple and unpretentious food truck to get affordable and decent meals. We have yet to try the other burgers on the menu and the sausages too. We definitely have to visit soon.
Flaming Moo Grilled Burgers
Quirino Highway, Novaliches


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Patron: His Excellency The Honourable Kim Beazley AC Governor of Western Australia
The West Australian Society of Arts is the oldest art society in Western Australia and can trace its beginnings back to 1890.
The Society has over 100 members – from beginners to professionals.
New members are welcome.
The West Australian Society of Arts exists to advance painting, sculpture, architecture and the kindred arts in the Colony;
to associate its members together for mutual work and study; and to disseminate that elevating influence among the people
that must result from a study of the true and beautiful.
For further information about The West Australian Society of Arts please contact the Secretary by using the enquiry form
Website created and maintained
by Susan Moss


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Europe's Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (AIFMD), scheduled to be implemented by each member state no later than July 2013, will radically change the way funds are regulated in Europe. From law firm Harneys Westwood & Riegels:
" [The Directive] will overhaul the pan-European regulatory regime applicable to the managers of hedge funds, real estate funds, private equity and other collective investment schemes containing, what is loosely being described as, 'alternative investments'. On its face, the AIFMD restricts its scope to the regulation of investment managers rather than underlying funds being managed. However it is clear these regulations will have a knock on effect in shaping and influencing the forms of the investment funds under management." (Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive: EU and Offshore Perspectives)
For your convenience, a roundup of recent legal updates on the topic:
ESMA Consults on Remuneration Guidelines for Alternative Investment Fund Managers (Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP):
"Under the AIFMD, all AIFMs (whether they are EU or non-EU) will be required to produce an annual report in respect of each fund they manage or market within the EU. The annual report must contain, inter alia: 'the total amount of remuneration, split into fixed and variable remuneration, paid by the AIFM to its staff, and the number of beneficiaries, and, where relevant, carried interest paid by the AIF'; and 'the aggregate amount of remuneration broken down by senior management and members of staff of the AIFM whose actions have a material impact on the risk profile of the AIF.'" Read on>>
Authorization for US Managers under the AIFMD (K&L Gates LLP):
"There are three primary reasons why US money managers (US Managers) who manage non-EU alternative funds may want to prepare for authorization under and become compliant with the AIFMD. First, it is likely that national private placements will come to an end quite soon. That is, it is increasingly likely that the sale of Cayman funds (for example) to Europe will soon be precluded on a national private placement basis." Read on>>
HM Treasury Discussion Paper on Policy Options for Implementing AIFMD (Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP):
"… HM Treasury published a discussion paper on high level policy options for implementing the EU Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (2011/61/EU) (AIFMD)… The areas covered by the policy paper are: Whether the UK should continue to apply its current private placement marketing regime to alternative investment funds (AIFs). (Currently the UK government is not minded to impose additional requirements on third country managers and third country funds.)." Read on>>
Hedgeweek Guide to setting up Alternative Investment Funds – June 2012: Cayman Islands (Harney Westwood & Riegels):
"The Cayman Islands is the leading jurisdiction for the formation of alternative investment funds, having approximately 9,990 registered, administered and licensed funds under the Mutual Funds Law (as amended) of the Cayman Islands (the 'MFL') as at 31 March 2012. The MFL requires all investment funds falling within its definition of a 'mutual fund' to be registered, administered or licensed with CIMA, unless such mutual fund is an 'excluded fund', being a mutual fund that is not a master fund domiciled in the Cayman Islands and having 15 or less investors, the majority in number whom can appoint and remove the fund directors, general partner(s) and trustee(s)." Read on>>
Hedgeweek Guide to setting up Alternative Investment Funds: The British Virgin Islands (Harney Westwood & Riegels):
"The British Virgin Islands is a leading jurisdiction for the formation of alternative investment funds, having approximately 2,525 funds registered or recognised under the Securities and Investment Business Act 2010 (SIBA). Funds recognised or registered under SIBA are regulated by the Financial Services Commission (the Commission), the financial regulator in the British Virgin Islands. SIBA requires all investment funds falling within its definition of 'fund' to be recognised or registered with the Commission." Read on>>
"Amendments to the Luxembourg Law on Specialised Investment Funds" in Financial Services Quarterly Report – Second Quarter 2012 (Dechert LLP):
"The amendments to the SIF Law that are contained in the Law represent the first step in the implementation of the Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive (the "Directive") in Luxembourg… The Law includes new provisions with respect to portfolio management, the delegation of certain functions to third parties, risk management and conflicts of interest." Read on>>
Financial Regulatory Update – May 2012 (White & Case LLP):
"…ESMA published a discussion document on various provisions under the AIFMD including the definitions of alternative investment fund managers, alternative investment funds, treatment of UCITS management companies and the treatment of MIFID Investment Firms and Credit Institutions under the Directive." Read on>>
"Self-Managed Alternative Investment Funds: A New AIFMD-Compliant Structure?" in Financial Services Quarterly Report – First Quarter 2012 (Dechert LLP):
"Following adoption of the AIFMD, there has been significant discussion among industry participants as to whether it might be possible to comply with the provisions of the AIFMD by structuring the AIF as a self-managed investment company, in the same way that UCITS self-managed investment companies are managed." Read on>>
See also:
Find more on international finance law at JD Supra>>


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For the past six weeks I have been reading Closed Stacks and In the Library with the Lead Pipe. Both of them are collaborative blogs written by a variety of different types of librarians. I chose these two blogs because the collaborative nature appealed to me (I figured I would get many more perspectives on librarianship), as did the synopsis I read about each blog. I also hoped these blogs would be updated fairly regularly (which didn't exactly happen, but it's all good).
One thing that has struck me while reading these blogs is that each has discussed similar themes (particularly technology, advocating for libraries, and the financial constraints libraries are under), but in vastly different ways. The entries on Closed Stacks tend to read like personal journal entries, while the entries on In the Library with the Lead Pipe are much more like academic journal entries. (In fact, every post on ITLWTLP is peer-reviewed). Of the two, I find that I prefer the passionate tone of Closed Stacks. Now, all the writers on Closed Stacks use pseudonyms, allowing them to rant or vent as needed, while the contributors on ITLWTLP are writing under their real names, which can make a difference. For instance, it is clear that Brett Bonfield feels passionately about the issue he is discussing in this post, but he has to remain somewhat neutral; whereas Librarian_101 is able to vent her frustration at Meghan Gurdon's recent Wall Street Journal article about YA literature in this post.
The major underlying theme I see in posts on both blogs is library advocacy. Most of the posts don't specifically mention advocacy (except for this extremely enlightening post on In the Library with the Lead Pipe about library legislative advocacy), but the idea is always floating just below the surface. There was also this post on ITLWTLP about finding ways to quantify library impacts on student learning, something that will become more and more necessary as academic libraries have to prove their worth (or at least fight for their budget). Closed Stacks featured this post about the recent closing of the Central Falls (RI) Public Library and this post that declares a need for librarians to prove that libraries "are not just useful, but necessary."
The post on the closing of the Central Falls Public Library contained a really great quote that I think all librarians (and librarians-in-training) should keep in mind:
We cannot save our libraries if people don't understand the value. We need to get louder as a profession, or we won't have a profession anymore. And we need to realize that it's not about us, but the people who need us.
Not that these blogs are all doom and gloom. My favorite post at In the Library with the Lead Pipe was this one. Although the author is concerned about a future where libraries are the domain of the privileged (and not a way to cut through the digital divide), she is also hopeful that her dystopian vision will not come to pass. And she tells her story in such a charming way that it is almost impossible not to smile while reading it. This post at Closed Stacks was similar in that the author cautioned against making drastic changes to library services (in this case, declaring reference to be dead as opposed to declaring ebooks to be the end all, be all of the future) in a desperate attempt to seem "hip." The author acknowledges that the world is changing, and thus the concept of reference librarianship, but is hopeful that embracing technology won't mean getting rid of reference.
I have really enjoyed this activity. It was fascinating to read so many varied perspectives on various issues affecting librarianship. I will definitely continue to read Closed Stacks and I will also keep an eye on In the Library with the Lead Pipe.


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is preliminary surgery considered to be pgy1 ? and do we have to apply to apply for pgy1 again or pgy2 for catagorical surgery? thanx
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Back in April I submitted this story (see below) for CBC's Hyperlocal contest. It was about losing my wallet in a very busy section of downtown Montreal and how grateful I felt that someone not only safeguarded my wallet's contents but made an effort to get in touch with me and return what she'd found
I feel very lucky to have met my Good Samaritan and we're keeping in touch.
In an interesting twist, she says her wallet was stolen the day after she returned my stuff.
It had everything in it! My life! That was about two weeks ago and someone just mailed it back to my parents' house in Hamilton.
It must be some sort of karmic, paying it forward situation. It just goes to show there are plenty of good people, even in the concrete jungle.
The wallet was with me when I swiped a pass card at a metro station in my home neighbourhood of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
Changing lines at Lionel-Groulx, I joined a crowd on the platform before taking a train two stops to Guy-Concordia, Montreal's third-busiest metro station. Heading for street level I negotiated steps, turnstiles, and escalators, walking past hundreds of students, downtown workers and visitors, and the station's resident homeless folks.
I was having dinner with my boyfriend at one of the trendy vegetarian restaurants that have sprouted up near Concordia's Hall Building when my son phoned. The bank had just called our home, he said. Something about a client card and lost items. I checked my jacket pockets. No wallet. But the woman had left a number with a Winnipeg area code.
Why Winnipeg? After dinner I rushed to call the bank's customer service number. No note on my file about lost cards. A rep asked about the phone number my son had recorded. "That's not one of our numbers." he said. "Ignore the call," staff at the bank's credit card security division told me. "We don't call you if someone finds your wallet. If someone tells us that, we advise them to toss the cards."
Ordering new bank card and credit cards was easy. Replacing ID and membership cards not so much. Gone too were $25, grocery gift cards, business cards with cherished contact info and my OPUS transport card. I figured if a homeless person found the wallet at least they could use the bus and metro tickets, buy groceries.
Dense city blocks surrounding the Guy-Concordia metro feature university buildings, pizza joints, cafes and restaurants. Thousands of people cycle the De Maisonneuve bike path, take a bus on Guy, or head for the pubs and bars on Bishop and Crescent streets.
Retracing my steps, we searched for the wallet, scanning garbage and recycling bins and metro platform floors. I asked metro staff if they'd seen it. No dice.
At my mother's urging, I left a voice mail at the strange Winnipeg phone number. Esther sounded puzzled when she called back. She works for the bank's call centre but didn't leave any message. She'd make enquiries. A few hours later Esther phoned. A Montrealer had found my stuff and left a contact number.
It took days to reach my Good Samaritan. I was about to give up when she called. She'd been out of town. She hadn't found my wallet but rather a stack of cards. "I saw these young guys on De Maisonneuve kicking something inside a newspaper. Then your cards exploded all over the sidewalk," she said. "I yelled at the guys to stop. I thought 'that's shitty.' I gathered everything I could."She wasn't kidding. When we met she handed me a plain white envelope. Inside, wrapped neatly with an elastic band, were the entire contents of my wallet. Even the money was there. And with it, my restored faith in humanity.


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Archive for "11 2015"
High celings are a wonderful feature in many period properties but unfortuntely with new builds they often lack the space.
The trick to combat this is to camouflge, draw the eye away from focusing on it. A great way to do this is with furniture but you don't need to go miniture, the trick is to go lower.
Exposed brick is so 90's it's all about the raw industrial finishes, concrete creates a modern sophistication whilst keeping the interior warm and inviting. We aren't all lucky enough to live in an industrial converted warehouse but there are certain ways to give your home that sought after urban feel.
RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) House of the Year is a prize that is awarded each year to the best new, architect designed house in the UK. The award used to be called the 'RIBA Manser Medal' and was established in 2001. It is sponsored by Hiscox Home Insurance, who consequently feature on the judging panel, along with a selection of other industry experts.
The decade that gave us Bee Gee's, ABBA and great disco moves, the Seventies are in full swing on making a great comeback! It's only fair to ask ourselves, 'Can you dig it?'
We search for properties that offer fireplaces, reclaimed wooden floors, beautiful moulding details and big widows, searching for a place that we can make a home.
Afternoon tea is a British tradition that consists of having tea, cakes and crumpets in the afternoon and is not only a great way to socialise but also a tradition that is still strongly upheld within British society. It is both formal and relaxing. Formal in terms of the location that it usually takes place in and its luxurious décor and relaxing as you are simply treating yourself.
This is the exhibition modernist design lovers have been waiting for! The work of the dynamic duo Charles and Ray Eames went on display last week at London's Barbican centre.
We have recently introduced two new wood finishes to our collection, brown walnut and light oak. These finishes should give more flexibility if the existing wood we offer is too dark for your interior, while retaining the same high-end quality you would expect from Camerich.


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The Mozambican government will benefit, over the next three years, from grants of 1.2 million US dollars to strengthen the fight against the worst forms of child labour, particular in the areas where tobacco is grown.
To this end, the Ministry of Labour and the End Child Labour in Tobacco Growing Foundation (ECLT) signed in Maputo on Wednesday a memorandum of understanding to create a platform of interaction to strengthen the rights of children, particularly those in situations of poverty and vulnerability.
Labour Minister Vitoria Diogo told the signing ceremony that the memorandum is a response to the government's concern at the scenario of thousands of children involved in the worst forms of child labour in Mozambique, endangering their healthy development.
The government was therefore seeking "partnerships nationally and internationally so that we can put into practice measures that will restrict the worst forms of child labour".
She noted that, across the globe, about 68 million children are involved n work regarded as dangerous, and it is the responsibility of governments and their partners to take measures ensuring that children grow up, are educated and work in a healthy environment so that they become citizens useful to society.
"It is important to bear in mind that children are not banned from working, but it has to be work appropriate for their age", she said. "They must work in preparation for becoming useful citizens, they must work but continue to be children".
Parents and guardians, Diogo added, should consider that children must go to school. They can help their parents, but must also have time to play and to be children
It is hoped that implementation of the memorandum will lead to mass publicity for the first government approved list of jobs dangerous for children.
The ECLT Executive Director, David Hammond, said his organisation is attempting to eliminate child labour in the tobacco growing areas. ECLT has been working in Mozambique for over ten years, trying to eradicate child labour in the western province of Tete.
"We want children in these areas to have access to education and to everything else that other children do", he said.
The National Director of Labour, Isabel Mate, explained that the project will cover such areas as community education and training, awareness and communication, institutional capacity building and revising the legal framework.
"Through this project, we want to implement professional training programmes to benefit the households affected by the worst forms of child labour, particularly those involved in tobacco growing, so as to guarantee funds and alternative sources of income", she said.
Mate added that influential members of the community and other authorities will be trained in questions of child labour and awareness-raising messages will be broadcast on the community radios in Portuguese and in local languages.
Within ten days the two parties to the memorandum will set up technical teams to draw up a plan to put the memorandum into operation.
According to a study undertaken by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), in 2017 there were about 1.4 million children involved in child labour in Mozambique.
Child labour is at its worst in informal mining, the carrying of heavy goods, commercial agriculture, particularly in the cotton and tobacco fields, informal trade, fisheries, and sexual exploitation.
Published on All Africa on June 28, 2018
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The Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out the rights that must be realized for children to develop their full potential, free from hunger and want, neglect and abuse. It reflects a new vision of the child. Children are neither the property of their parents nor are they helpless objects of charity. They are human beings and are the subject of their own rights. The Convention offers a vision of the child as an individual and as a member of a family and community, with rights and responsibilities appropriate to his or her age and stage of development. By recognizing children's rights in this way, the Convention firmly sets the focus on the whole child.
Source: UNICEF.
June 2018


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Jewish World Review January 22, 2008 / 15 Shevat 5768
Confessions of a coke addict
By Malcolm Fleschner
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
As anyone who's attended a wedding recently may have noticed, many time-honored wedding conventions are rapidly falling out of favor. Modern brides, for example, often forgo the traditional bouquet toss, preferring to keep the flowers as a memento of their special day. Elaborate, tiered cakes are also less common these days. And many of today's time-pressed young marrieds no longer wait until the reception is over to begin returning gifts.
Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in the media and Washington consider "must-reading". Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.
JWR contributor Malcolm Fleschner is a humor columnist for The DC Examiner. Let him know what you think by clicking here.
01/02/08: Our bills are due
© 2006, Malcolm Fleschner


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I learned a couple of things when I visited El Potrero in Owosso, but the most valuable thing I learned is that when someone asks you if you want a Patron margarita, you say no. Because, at least at El Potrero, a Patron margaritas costs $10. OK, $9.75. I would have thought me holding the card with the night's special would have hinted that I didn't want a $10 drink, but apparently, I lacked the special insight that Patron margaritas are way overpriced versions of the normal drink. So in you are there, try saying "I would like a house margarita" or "For the love of God, don't give me a $10 margarita." I'm suggesting these options to you because I won't be back.
The URL for El Potrero is http://therealtasteofmexico.net/. If this is the real taste of Mexico, on wonder hordes of Mexicans are invading our country – it's the only way to get a decent meal.
It started off fine. The first waiter was very friendly, the waitress that followed seemed to tolerate me, which is all I ask. The chips were average, as was the salsa. So far, so good. Not as impressive as my typical (and rare) trip to Taco Bell, but I've had worse. When my $10 margarita arrived (I didn't know it cost $10 at the time), I thought it was below average in taste. Oh well, live and learn.
The second lesson I learned was that the food was not that great. I ordered the chicken Burrito Ranchero. It came out almost faster than I ordered it. It was impressively fast, and if I got food from McDonald's as fast, I'd be happy. Perhaps I should have been suspicious, but most Mexican restaurants in the general vicinity of Lansing area pretty fast.
The burrito didn't look good. It was the burrito equivalent of Gollum from The Lord of the Rings, pale and disturbing. Digging into it didn't reveal any hidden gems. It revealed only average-tasting pulled chicken. The tortilla was soggy and unappetizing, and, as you can probably guess, I was unimpressed. The cheese and lettuce did its best to hide the carnage below, but it could only do so much. However, the rice was excellent, by far the best part of the whole experience. Skip the entrée and just get the rice.
If there is a silver lining here, it's that I learned not to go to El Potrero in Owosso again. If I can convince one person to avoid it and hit a quality establishment (the Wendy's looked quite nice), then I'll consider this a success.


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Gulliver's invest in Farid RCVs for fleet replacements.
Published: 10 December, 2012
Gulliver's Truck Hire, a nationwide company with its head office in Bristol, has recently been investing heavily in the latest RCV equipment for the contract hire and spot rental vehicle fleets. The company has a full range of 7.5 tonne to 26 tonne refuse collection vehicles with a choice of chassis and various bin lift options, including 70/30 split, automatic split and trade bar lifts.
Other features include under body on-board weighing systems, narrow track options and a multitude of bin lifter operational equipment options.
During the past year Gulliver's has purchased a comprehensive range of Farid refuse collection and recycling vehicles, including for its spot rental fleet, which now benefits from the purchase of new Farid RCVs including the Farid SELECTO 20 (70/30 – 20m3 divided body for the collection of two waste streams on one vehicle), the Farid T1S9 (9m3. body), and the Farid T1M19N (19m3 narrow body). All supplied and fitted with a combination of Farid Evolution Comb bin lifts and Terberg automatic split bin lifts. Chassis variants chosen for these equipment's include Mercedes Econic, Dennis Elite and DAF.
Whilst the contract hire division will use the new Farid Micro 'L' (5m3 food waste collection bodies), the Farid Minimatic (8m3 multi-purpose body), the
Farid Minipac (10m3 multi-purpose body), and the Farid T1S8 (8m3body). All supplied and fitted with the integral Farid Multi-Purpose Comb bin lift system, some with additional function of adjustable/mobile combs. Chassis variants chosen for these equipment's include Mitsubishi Canter and DAF for end user customers SITA, BIFFA, Kier, Enterprise and SRCL. All these vehicles were specified by Gulliver's customers as the right trucks for the task required.
Neil Jeremiah, Gulliver's Sales Director explained: 'we have been investing in quality reliable equipment for some time now. Coupled to specific requests made by some of our contract hire customers with our own exacting evaluation of the RCV equipment currently available was the main driving force behind the decision to purchase these Farid vehicles. As part of our contract with Farid they have developed a fleet partnership programme and carried out intensive training of our own technicians to enable them to carry out 'in-house' warranty repairs on our vehicle fleet. We have also jointly invested in 'state of the art' dedicated diagnostic software and tooling for our service technician computer diagnostic systems. We have been very pleased with our decision to purchase Farid vehicles and with the UK service provided.'


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People with skin pigmentation problems have been actively looking for a good solution over the years. This is true particularly for Asians. Skin whitening cream has become a popular product sold not only in physical shops but in online shops as well. However, recent studies reveal that old ingredients used in skin whitening products carry a huge risk of cancer. If you need to buy a whitening cream, there are things that you need to know first in order to ensure your health and safety.
Here are some things that you should consider before buying a whitening cream product:
- Know your skin type.
Not all skin types give the same positive reaction to skin whitening cream products. Our genes play a big role in this. Some people don't have the genetic disposition to react to skin whitening cream. In order to maximize the benefits of skin whitening, consult a dermatologist and determine your skin type. This way, you will be able to know which product will give you the result that you want.
- Watch out for adverse side effects such as rashes.
Test in a small area first before fully applying the whitening cream on your skin. This is to determine if this is the right product for you. Many people immediately use skin whitening products on their whole body, only to find out later that they are allergic to one or more of the ingredients. No matter how expensive the product, a safety test is always necessary.
- Take a look at the ingredients used in the product.
Aside from meladerm and glutathione, make sure that your skin whitening products have the essential vitamins and nutrients that will keep it healthy. Take your time comparing them and research about the ones that don't match. What are the known effects of such ingredients? Is there enough information about them online? Are these ingredients really safe for your skin? If the answer is no, then it's time to move on to the next product.
- Choose a skin whitening product that is produced by reputable companies.
Many people choose whitening products produced by shady companies without thinking about the possible repercussions. If you buy a whitening cream manufactured by a reputable company, it can definitely work to your advantage. This is to make sure that you can express your concern directly to their customer support service or file a legal complaint against them in case something goes wrong after using the product. Also, when you choose known brands, chances are there are tons of people who have tried it. You can therefore find reviews and get feedback from them.
Having a fairer skin is getting easier and easier nowadays. Scientific breakthroughs make it possible to lighten your skin tone without having to undergo various medical procedures, and without having to spend huge amounts of money.
However, getting a fairer skin should be done without sacrificing your safety and health. Before paying for the skin whitening product, make sure that you understand not only the benefits but also all of the risks involved in using it. This way, you can enjoy exposing your skin instead of covering it up because of unforeseen side effects that could have been prevented if you just took your time to study the product.


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As a busy mother of three children who doesn't drive, Briana Tomkinson did not need much convincing to try online grocery shopping.
Tomkinson, a marketing consultant from New Westminster, was even an early adopter who started ordering online with what was then known as Small Potatoes Urban Delivery (now Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery), but she has since moved on to other stores.
Besides the obvious benefit of convenience — being able to shop and order at night or during breaks when her infant child is napping — Tomkinson finds it easier to make comparisons and find the sales that she wants.
"I find when I'm shopping online for groceries, I can get better value for my money," she said. "Because it's so easy to watch the tally as I'm adding things to my cart. I also make use of filters to find what's on sale, and it's easy to look up items on the sale sheet to make sure I'm getting the correct item."
Tomkinson doesn't always shop online. If she can't get the quantity she is looking for at the price she wants, she will make a trip to the store.
And Tomkinson is not necessarily a lowest-price shopper, but looks for prices on groceries that are within a "reasonable benchmark" of what she would find at Thrifty Foods, the family's "go-to" bricks-and-mortar grocery store.
When she's putting together an online order, she expects to pay a delivery charge of around $8 — a little more than a round trip on transit.
"I consider that reasonable," Tompkinson said.
She also makes use of the PriceBook smartphone app to comparison shop and make sure that the sales her store flyers are offering really are good deals.
Tomkinson said she has looked around a lot and finds that her options for delivery are somewhat limited in New Westminster, although there are more stores to choose from closer to Vancouver's core.
She orders from Thrifty's online and picks up orders at the store, but only because the store doesn't deliver to her area.
She has also become a fan of Vancouver independent grocer Stong's Market, where she has found good deals on meat, finds good-quality produce, and can get delivery to New Westminster. She also orders from London Drugs, which, while it doesn't have a full grocery selection, is good for cereals and snack items and has good shipping policies.
Tomkinson said she was excited about Amazon's announcement that it would start selling non-perishable groceries in Metro Vancouver, but was disappointed with her first try of its website on Thursday morning.
Amazon did not have any of the brands that she is familiar with, and in trying to browse Amazon's site, she didn't feel "that experience of walking down the grocery store aisle. It was just taking too much time."


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Exquisitely crafted from mouth-blown glass accented with carved stripes, this three-light pendant is a dynamic addition.More Details >
From the exceptional artisans at Possini Euro Design®, this chrome three-light pendant is an eye-catching choice. Boasting three vacuum-plated silver mouth-blown glass shades, further enhancement is created with carved horizontal stripes that create an element of texture. Accent a bedroom or bring modern character to a living area.


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Craig's To Do List: The Lettermen Extended InterviewPosted: Updated:
Click the picture above to see Craig Thornton's full interview with music trio The Lettermen before their show in Watertown. The artists are live tonight (Friday April 21) at the Dulles State Office Building in Watertown at 7:30pm. The show is sponsored by DPAO.
- By Craig Thornton
You may not know their name, but you know their music. The Lettermen recorded their first record in 1962, and they are still making music and still entertaining audiences today. They are iconic, they are legendary and they were in Watertown for a DPAO concert on Friday, April 21.
"Goin' Out of My Head/Can't Take My Eyes Off You," "The Way You Look Tonight," and "When I Fall in Love" are some of their most famous hits, but you don't last over fifty years by relying on your hits; The Lettermen, which is now made up of founding member Tony Butala, Donovan Tea, and Bobby Poynton who both joined in the 1980's, are constantly finding new ways to bring their unique harmony to audiences. Donovan calls this Lettermenizing songs; a concept whereby their inimitable harmonizing can infuse old songs, new songs, Broadway standards and songs from so many genres with their signature vocals and eternal warmth. Ultimately it all comes down to love; love songs that is. You may be surprised by their career longevity, but they aren't. They know love songs will always be in demand, and there isn't anyone who can do love songs like The Lettermen.
I especially love "The Best of Broadway" album from 2008. Check out my full interview, with these amazing artists; of special interest is their origin story, which is one of the most interesting I have ever heard.
The Lettermen website, where you can buy music and check out their amazing history.


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How to Make It
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°.
Step 2
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and next 5 ingredients; stir with a whisk.
Step 3
Combine sugar and next 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture, beating just until moist.
Step 4
Stir in dates and walnuts. Pour batter into an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove bread from pan immediately; cool on a wire rack.
Oxmoor House Healthy Eating Collection


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Price: Rs.695/-
Rs.1,195/- 42% Off
Lue Nectar Shubhr Anti ageing Sandalwood & Saffron Cream helps in Anti growing older, pores and skin toning and lowering wrinkles on Face. Its strong formula is specially applicable to offer anti ageing blessings for guys. . It carries 14 vital Herbs that gives skin nutrient to stay fresh, hydrated without signs and symptoms of aging. practice the cream after cleansing and firming. Take a small amount of cream and apply on face and neck region with upward strokes for 1-2 minutes.
Cash on delivery eligible. Free Delivery.


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MY FIRST TEA EXPERIENCE. Ever since I was a little girl, I've been drinking tea. As far as I can remember, we always had a pot of Lipton tea for breakfast which my mother made in the glass pyrex teapot, with the teabags still steeping in the hot water. I always added sugar in my tea and sometimes lemon and could always count on having tea every morning. My earliest memory of ice tea was the instant Lipton Lemon Ice Tea mix. You add scoops of this powder stuff to cold water, add ice and voila! Iced Tea. A bit on the sweet side, this was how I drank ice tea for many years until I was in college. Not sure when I stumbled upon brewed iced tea (vs. instant) but over time, developed a taste for it without having to add sugar.
AFTERNOON TEA. I don't remember when I started to partake in the ritual of Afternoon Tea but I loved the idea of sipping hot tea, accompanied by delicate tea sandwiches, scones, and petit desserts. I have a group of friends who also share a love for afternoon tea and it became a ritual for us to get together over afternoon tea and catch up with one another. Together we discovered and experienced the best tea places in Los Angeles and found that there were others like us who also enjoyed the experience of gathering over tea.
We learned early on that you have to have a reservation if planning an afternoon tea get together. It's very popular, especially during holidays and when celebrating a special occasion (bridal showers, baby showers, birthdays, etc.). We tried to find hotels and standalone tea houses that would serve afternoon tea. Our favorites included: The Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills, The Huntington in Pasadena, Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, Paddington Bear in Beverly Hills, The Gilded Rose in Northridge/Granada Hills, Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel and Pasadena. We had such a love of tea that we even threw our own tea parties in celebration of our own special occasions. We also have our own teapot, tea cup and tea collections at home! The teacup above is English Fine Bone China by Paragon which I picked up while spending the weekend with my friend Katie who lives south of Boston. We spent the day in Nantucket and we stopped at this charming antique store where I picked up this tea cup for a song.
Look out for more posts on my passion for everything tea!