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Being a teen and/or tween in today's society can be tough. Between the pressure of school and the pressures of Todd (who one day hopes to run his own comic book/porn shop), today's youngsters often find themselves turning to the incredibly comfortable embrace of drugs.
Good for them, I say! You don't want to spend the rest of the "best years of your life" stressed and closed-legged. You're only young once! Live now while you still have your whole future to destroy!
But remember, each one of you is very different in very similar ways. Some of you are natural-born leaders, willing to lead the pack down the various dark alleys and cul-de-sacs that make up life.
Others are the pace-setters who establish the speed the pack will run, neither leading or following, but rather, middle-managing.
Still others will cull the herd, picking off those without proper clothing, musical taste or an older brother who can buy them beer.
The rest will run with the pack, nose-to-anus, following blindly. They are still an essential part of the whole, like pawns in a chess match or civilians in a war-torn but heavily televised country.
With all these essential pieces forming an inseparable and indistinguishable whole, it's easy to forget those who take the "road less travelled." In fact, it's incredibly easy to forget them as you most likely will never see them again until you're delivering Pepsi to their multi-store retail chains or detailing their Jag while they get a blowjob from your girlfriend at the nearest Holiday Inn Express.
There are some people from all walks of life (Note: "all walks" = ages 13-19) for whom drugs are not the answer. Surprising, I know, what with all the enhancements, side effects and crippling withdrawal that drugs have to offer.
For some, the thrill comes from skirting the law. It may start with random jaywalking or curfew violations. From there they may move on to cheating on their finals or entering false information on their Census forms, always seeking a new "high" or "rush" or other co-opted drug metaphor.
Before they know it (which is most likely before you know it, especially if you're the victim), they've fallen into a life of petty crime, filled with illegal football pools and un-itemized deductions. It's as if they can't stop themselves. Soon their auto insurance has lapsed and they're carelessly smoking well within the confines of the 200-foot "No Smoking" zone.
If this goes unchecked long enough, these no-goodniks, these "Goofi" will have clawed their way to the top of the criminal heap with the most heinous of misdemeanors: shoplifting.
It's now a very dim future for these malcontents as they travel down a lonely, but heavily populated, road to ruin.
Watch for these warning signs:
It's not too late! Grab your teen/tween (gently and appropriately, of course) and set them back on the drug path, with its relative safety in numbers and proven track record of lazy ineptness and occasional home invasions. Remind Grandma to put the Oxy-Contin in the gun safe.
Remember: You can't prevent drugs from being the problem. You can only prevent them from being the solution.
Up next on Life's Little Lessons:
The Third-Person Miracle of Childbirth: Renting Out Your Uterus for Fun and Profit.
In an effort to educate, divert stoner pageviews and retain our title of "Enabler of the Year," we at Fancy Plans present our well-rounded guide to illegal drugs. Please note that the editors of this site encourage drug use, especially among teenagers, whose disposable income levels are fast approaching the baby boomers.
In the issue of balance, we would also like to point out that there are several reasons not to take drugs, but we can't really think of any at the moment.
aka: Blow, Coke, Snow, Yayo, Nose Candy, Baby Laxative, White Man's Burden
First discovered in the 1980s by stockbrokers, cocaine has been the go-to drug for jet-setting youngsters and jet-setting oldsters, who wish to reclaim their youth with a combination of poorly cut product and occasional heart failure.
In its heyday, cocaine had a drawing power unrivalled by other substances, thus ensuring the men's room was at least as crowded as the ladies'. Coke is also handy for generating "big" ideas, perfecting conspiracy theories and removing unwanted septum.
Pros: Energy; hooker "bait"
Cons: Nose bleeds; insta-death
aka: Weed, Pot, Chronic, Mary Jane, Crepes Suzette, Medicine
Easier to obtain than pseudoephedrine and only slightly less illegal, marijuana is much like Kevin Bacon: only a few people away. Grown in the wilds of Mexico and Canada and domesticated in a million basements and walk-in closets around the U.S., marijuana is one of America's most popular drugs.
Perhaps the most social of social drugs, marijuana can create an instant party. Like cats around a can opener, all it takes is the sound of fire igniting cannabis to fill your house with acquaintances, well-wishers and "friends of friends" who are only too happy to smoke your weed, drink your beer and empty your pantry before vanishing the moment the bowl is cashed.
Recently an effort has been made to legalize marijuana due to its medical qualities, which acolytes believe can cure several ailments, from the legitimate (cancer, glaucoma) to the dubious (rickets, chlamydia, male pattern baldness, boredom).
Be aware that heavy users will often clockwatch until late afternoon, when an impromptu (and hazy) celebration will break out as the clock hits 4:20 (also known as "giggle o'clock").
Pros: Relaxing; sociable; inspiring
Cons: Scooby Doo; whoever the hell that is passed out on the couch
aka Acid, Trip, Tabs, 13th Floor Elevator, Fun
LSD is a psychedelic whose sole purpose is to "fuck shit up" perceptively speaking and provide lazy music critics with a go-to analogy. ("Band X sounds like band Y. On acid.")
Based on what I'm informed is personal experience, LSD derails spatial awareness and thought processes to a point where it can take up to 1.5 man hours to collect cigarettes, lighters and ashtrays and take them to a hopefully non-flammable area. For this analogy to hold true, said band "on acid" would most likely resemble this:
or this:
Pros: Makes everything more fun; pitch the occasional no-hitter
Cons: Lots of stuff shouldn't be that fun; flashbacks (regular and 'Nam)
Crystal Methamphetamine
aka Crystal Meth, Meth, Dental Damn!, NOS for Rednecks
One of a small set of truly American drugs (crack, Oprah), crystal meth is harvested year-round from its natural habitat: trailer park bathtubs.
A fast-acting and smokable amphetamine, meth provides users with a potent combination of energy and insomnia which allows them to "power through" such diverse activities as cramming for a shop class final, sorting the change jar chronologically or making more crystal meth.
Pros: High amounts of energy; made from common deadly household products
Cons: Hockey Players' Mouth; Camaro ownership
aka Smack, Horse, Dope, Junk, Kentucky Fried Chicken (regional dialect – Manchester), Cliff Richards
Originally developed as a dietary supplement, heroin has been used for over 40 years to develop lanky, Kate Moss-ian supermodels. As supermodels began dating rock stars, heroin's influence spread. It reached its peak in Seattle during the late 90s when it was crossed with coffee beans to develop lanky, suicidal rock stars.
Though not generally known as a social drug due to its side effects of vomiting, unconsciousness and death, junkies (as they like to be called) are usually large-hearted (and weak-veined) individuals who are always willing to share their needles.
Pros: Hits like a motherfucker; methadone "gateway" drug
Cons: Randomly fatal; second only to Joe on Blue's Clues as the leading cause of soul decay
aka E, X, Disco Biscuit, Dolled-Up Speed, The Unscrupulous Club Owner's Best Friend
Originally developed as an empathy drug for therapy, ecstasy soon headed for the underground after therapists discovered it turned their patients into ovulating cats, constantly rubbing themselves against textured furniture, each other and anything emitting a low-frequency pulse. There were also numerous complaints that it made the patients "really thirsty," which the therapists responded to by selling water at 8$/bottle.
Having escaped its legitimate usage, ecstasy threw caution to the wind, left its inhibitions at the door and worked its way through several other metaphors on its way to clubland. Once there, it was ingested by clubgoers seeking to enhance their night, which often included such activities as applauding someone playing other people's records and getting anonymously pregnant.
Pros: Cheap and readily available; makes you really horny
Cons: Inconsistent product; increased horniness tends to make the user "cheap and readily available"
Hi. I'm Detective James Morniwheg, Homicide.
I have some information to pass on to the newest members of our precinct. As you know, we field our fair share of homicide investigations. The world is not a pretty place and you'll need to get used to it real soon. As quickly as I can, I would like to hand out a few pointers on how to handle a homicide investigation.
First of all, you need to have the proper tools. Every detective should be prepared for a homicide call. Here's a list of items you should have on you at all times:
Every crime scene you deal with will contain all matter of evidence. Some criminals, especially drug dealers, will have thoughtfully pre-bagged some evidence for you.
Mark any evidence appropriately, for easy identification. For example:
Most forward-looking police departments have realized that it is most efficient to have individual policemen secure evidence in their own homes, storage units or bus station lockers. This leaves the evidence in an area where it can be easily accessed as needed, rather than at a central location staffed by an officious and nosy prick.
If you find yourself with a surplus of evidence, especially during Internal Affairs' investigations, feel free to ditch some of it at your current crime scenes. The other responding officers will appreciate your generosity and it may help take the case in a surprising new direction.
The Smoking Gun
The most famous form of evidence, the smoking gun can often refer to other things metaphorically. We will be dealing only with the literal interpretation.
If you find a gun on the scene, pick it up and sniff the barrel thoughtfully. Has it been fired recently?
If it hasn't or is still "undetermined," go ahead and fire a few shots into the wall or available corpse. Try out some creative angles to confuse the boys in forensics. Mark gun as "recently fired." Place in evidence bag. (Allow time to cool.)
Be sure to indicate, when asked, that the gun was fired "circa the time of death," rather than, "shortly after I got here."
Shell Casings and the Importance of Pen Selection
Choose your pen carefully as it will be serving a greater purpose than dressing up your shirt pocket or staining your shirt pocket.
The main purpose of your pen will be to pick up empty gun shells at the crime scene. You'll want to have a thin pen with a low center of gravity. This act is harder than it looks. You may want to practice at home, using any of the "evidence" guns you have secured. Fire a few rounds into the wall or available corpse. (This will also help you get the sense for the "recently fired" smell.)
Once proficient with this maneuver, you should be able to pick up casings in one smooth move.
(Important note: never use your hands to pick up shells, gloved or not, as this will probably "tamper" the evidence. It is a serious crime scene faux pas. This is a "rookie mistake," and you will be the butt of jokes in the precinct for months to come.)
Dealing with the Coroner
As someone who deals intimately with death, day in and day out, your average coroner will often be a pasty, emotionless, wise-cracking weirdo who will insist on eating something no matter how gruesome the homicide.
He will often use phrases and ask questions full of words you won't understand. Just nod and ask occasional leading questions, such as:
If stuck for words, you can always defer to the responding officer. A second tactic is to remove your sunglasses and chew on them thoughtfully while gazing over the scene, perhaps guesstimating the wholesale price of the Persian rug that is now completely ruined. I know this tactic sounds ridiculous, but do it in front of a mirror a few times and you'll see how "thoughtful" it can make you appear.
Dealing with Responding Officers
Your normal, workaday cop will most likely be the first responder to a homicide call. They are often unimpressed with your position and will try to undercut your authority at every opportunity.
Send them out to "knock on doors." This will keep them out of the crime scene and thus unable to show you up with their "attention to detail" and "logical conclusions." Also, their street smarts will clash badly with your world-weary cynicism/desire to help people.
Motives & Suspects
You will often be called on to draw a bead on a most likely suspect and motive. In order to get the ball rolling, observe the crime scene, victim and neighborhood. You should be able to get a "jump" on some conclusions by following these simple guidelines:
Black victim/Lousy neighborhood – "Gang-related"
Possible suspect: Gangbanger
White victim/Mainly black neighborhood – "Possibly gang-related;" "Wrong place at the wrong time"
Possible suspect: Gangbanger
Black or white victim/Drug paraphernalia – "Drug deal gone bad"
Possible suspect: Tony Montana
White victim/Upscale neighborhood – "Crime of passion"
Possible suspect: That guy whose wife you're banging; local retard
White victim/Influential parents – "Accidental"
Possibly due to: "Ingestion of two .38 bullets in the back of the head"
The First 24 Hours
90% of homicides are solved in the first 24 hours.
Whether this is actually true or not doesn't matter. Everyone already believes that it is, so act accordingly.
This would seem to indicate that you will have a hectic day (and night) beginning with the homicide call. Look at it this way: you only have to look busy for 24 hours before you can return to your normal schedule of playing computer solitaire and ticketing your ex-wife's vehicle.
If you can make it past those critical hours, you are out of the woods, so to speak (even if your victim hasn't even made it out of the woods yet). Label the paperwork "Cold Case" and throw it in the precinct fridge for some cheap laughs.
Coming up:
Advanced Taser Techniques – Your Quickstart Guide to Subduing the Handicapped and Elderly
Your New Partner – How to Deal with These Goddamn Conscience-Ridden Little Go-Getters
The Last 24 – Making it to Your Retirement Alive
[Tip of the hat to RF Interference who first informed me of DJ AM'spassing, and in turn, his existence by asking, "Are the pacifier brigade in mourning?" (Or words to that effect.) A further tip of the hat to Tannerleah over at Stop Annoying Me for bringing my annoyance with the past existence of DJ AM bubbling back to the surface.]
The world is suddenly abuzz with news of DJ AM's overdose. "Who?" some of you are probably asking. "Whom?" others of you are asking, more properly and possibly with a British accent. I asked myself this same question.
As a follower of electronic music and DJs in general, even I hadn't heard of him. Turns out I was travelling in the wrong circles. DJ AM was known best for his squiring of such luminous figures as Nicole Richie and Mandy Moore. A professional celebrity DJ.
Here's a little more background on DJ AM:
DJ AM's (a.k.a. Adam Goldstein) first tenuous claim to 15 minutes came as the "DJ" for "his" "band" Crazy Town, a band as edgy and threatening as a temporary tattoo. You may notice that I have multiple sets of quotation marks in the previous sentence. It's no mistake. Let's go ahead and diagram the hell out of it:
"DJ" – Meaning AM was the jackass in the back, fiddling madly with the turntables and mugging for the camera during his allotted 10-20 seconds per music video. His contribution is unknown. Perhaps the "band" felt its street cred would rise above "lunch money donor" on the musical playground. All anyone asked of their DJs is that they stay in the back and shut the fuck up.
"his" – Crazy Town wa no more his band than the Beatles were Pete Best's. He was one of those added features that several bands of that era (Papa Roach, Limp Bizkit, etc.) deluded themselves into thinking was essential. So they all got a DJ and who's heard anything from those turntablists recently? But nevertheless, there it was. Have band, need DJ. As de riguer as the loud-quiet-loud dynamic, faux-rapping and the "I'm singing from inside an old-timey radio" vocal effect.
"band" – Crazy Town was a band in the sense that they all played instruments (except DJ AM) under one name as a somewhat cohesive unit. Much like Scary Movie 3is a film, in that it's shot on film and played on a projector. Still no one'sgoing to confuse it with other films, like The Godfather or even Mobsters.
That's the backstory.
On August 28th, DJ AM is found dead in his apartment of an apparent "accidental" overdose. The tweet goes out and is soon answered. Here's a few of the fringe celebrities and would-be rock stars, who were among the first to max out their vocabularies, building deep thoughts out of 140-word sentences: Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy), Paris Hilton, Perez Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Mandy Moore, John Mayer, Ryan Seacrest, Jordin Sparks, P. Diddy.
Let's take a peek at some of their incredible eulogies, presumably iPhoned in during a rigorous workout/massage/blowjob:
@johncmayer I really want to use words right now but I can't get em.
THX, John. I really want to not beat you with your own guitar, but English is hard.
@solangeknowles I hope people don't taint his legacy…..because there isn't any concrete proof yet. That guy was a walking miracle.
Wonderful, whoever-the-fuck-you-are. He died of drugs surrounded by drug paraphernalia, so I'm guessing "concrete proof" is just an autopsy away (and there is one). Also, Jesus would like to inform you that miracles seldom include dying, at least not if you can't shake it off in 3 days. Also, also: an ellipsis is three dots, not however the hell many you want. You're working with a 140-character limit. Don't use it all at once.
@BonnieFuller DJ AM DEAD & SO SAD! I wonder if the poor thing was suffering from survivor's guilt after that terrible plane crash
Awesome. Thanks for the amateur diagnosis, BF. If this is "survivor's guilt" then get a 24-hour suicide watch up at Travis Barker's place. He "walked" away from that crash as well, and these things always come in three's. (Someone find a third person to tie into this. I can't have my pet theories continually crushed by your speeding Buick LeSabre of logic.)
These are the people whose lives he touched. Presumably. All of them bemoaning the "tragedy" and the "why god why" of a relatively young (36) starfucker cut down in his prime, by his own failure to do correct maths while drugging himself up.
Nowhere in this outpouring of shallowness is there a single twit (they liked to be called this) pointing out that suicide is the selfish chickenshit's way out. Or that he was only batting .500 against life's tough pitching, having failed to make a gun do the only thing it's supposed to do in his first attempt. Or that he died committing a crime* and, therefore, deserves no more eulogizing that the thug who gets killed holding up a liquor store.
*We can debate the stupidity of the Drug War elsewhere, perhaps in the comment thread, but at this point, drug possession and use are illegal. And usually treated more seriously than liquor store holdups.
And now they're going to do an autopsy? What the fuck for? Looks pretty open and shut to me. Lifelong drug abuser dies surrounded by drugs, having used his last moments to use drugs. Previous suicide attempt on the rap sheet.
Why? Can't be the parents. Apparently, Daddy AM was an abusive asshole who is currently dead. Mommy AM sent him to rehab, so she may have a stake in this.
His friends? God help me, I really want to put the largest set of quotes ever made around that word. Friends. Nothing but a bunch of ready-made has-beens clinging to each other in the hopes that somehow they'll matter, at least to themselves. The fuck do they care? They'll move on. Their memories are as short as their careers and as lasting as their talent.
Maybe they'll start a memorial fund, dropping cocaine-tainted $100's into a lockbox from some teen rehab facility. Maybe not.
Is someone out there hoping the toxicology report will somehow turn the c-list sinner into a saint? A martyr for the privileged starfucker way of life? That he somehow OD'ed on "life"?
In a (very) brief memoriam, let's take a look at DJ AM's contribution to the music world:
One album with a one-hit wonder and two compilation albums that were apparently released by his label, Street Corner Trunk Sales. No wonder he was beloved by fans of music and DJs alike.
R.I.P. DJ AM. The light that burns half as bright gets extinguished by the slightest breeze.
Over the past seven months, we at Fancy Plans have made over 300 posts, most of them riddled with errors, false statements and speculation. Whether this can be chalked up to laziness, stupidity or ignorance remains to be seen. One thing is for sure: our mailroom is starting to fill up.
In an attempt to clear the slate heading into the back half of the year, Fancy Plans would like to issue the following corrections and retractions:
Our slogan is: "You've got questions? We've got answers." Not: "You've got questions? We've got questions. Wanna fuck?" (Radio Shack)
Arizona and Indiana are not the freak states, despite their refusal to join the rest of the nation's proud, but outdated, tradition of Daylight Savings Time. A joint statement issued by representatives of both states reads: "Not only will we not show up at work at the wrong time twice a year, but when the revolution comes, you know who will be ahead of the curve. That's right, baby. The "freaks!" I think. Unless the revolution starts in the spring. And in the fall… I guess we'd be arriving at the same time… Viva la revolucion!" (The Freak States)
ASCAP and its worldwide associates are not solely comprised of "thug-like shakedown artists, whose dispassionate soullessness allows them to finally empathize with lawyers (even patent lawyers)." ASCAP points out: "We also have lawyers." Touché. (ASCAP)
Snapple points out that, while they are "made of the best stuff on earth," most Snapple drinks do not include elements of "titanium, platinum, uncut diamonds, black tar heroin, really fucking good acid, vegemite, Krispy Kreme donuts, weapons-grade plutonium, additional brain cells, pixie dust, or the sperm of several Nobel Prize winners." (Snapple)
Dirk Cussler, unlike Jimmy Carter, can "fart and chew bubblegum at the same time." Video evidence was provided, but required the installation of RealPlayer. So you'll just have to take our word for it. (Dirk Cussler Trust Fund, LLC.)
The estate of Jim Morrison would like to point out that his nickname was not "Van" as previously stated several times. It was "Jimmy," like all good American boys. His mother would also like to point out that she "does not believe that Jimmy ever showed his penis in public," and that she "was only propositioned once or twice by Jim, at the most," blaming it on his absinthe usage. (Estate of James "Jimmy Van M" Morrison)
Nietzsche did not coin the phrase: "Say it with flowers." (FTD)
At no time, in the New Testament or Old, does the Bible refer to God "laying his pimp hand down." (Strong's Concordance)
Clive Cussler's middle name is not "Fucking." It is "Eugene." (C. F. Cussler's Adventure Novel Mill)
ASCAP does not consider the statement, "Sure, other people can hear my music, but I can guarantee they're not enjoying it," to be a legitimate denial of wrongdoing. (ASCAP, again)
Printing someone's unlisted address and phone number is not a victimless crime, according to lawyer Joseph Merritt, who lives at 3431 Placid Terrace, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. The best time to reach him is after 6 pm (EST) at his home number (805) 421-1991. (Stevenson Law Firm of Ft. Lauderdale)
General note: the pants have rarely matched the plan. Sorry for the confusion. (CLT)
Chad Kroeger (Nickelback) has apparently won several fights with kiddie pools (and other inanimate objects) despite earlier reports. Also mentioned in this retraction request: Gwenyth Paltrow v. mirror, Keanu Reeves v. folding chair and Scott Stapp (Creed) v. "Pull" door. (We Can Smart Anti-Defamation League)
President Barack Obama has not "gone one toke over the line." (Office of the President)
Smoking, drinking and drugs are not cool, despite all evidence to the contrary. So go to bed, kids and give mom/moms/dad/dads back his/her/their computer and paraphernalia. (D.A.R.E.)
Neither is all that excessive swearing. (Mom)
WordPress.com would like to point out that we do not actually have a "mailroom" and should drop this conceit as soon as possible. (WordPress.com)
Eric Clapton's nickname is not "Pimp Hand." Please refrain from using this or any other derogatory terms when referring to His Holiness, God II. Also, you already used the pimp joke earlier. (Clapton Publicity, LLC. aka "Voice of God")
My blog may not contain the exact address of my Bacharach Men's Fashion store, but I have left several clues like "Vernon Hills" and "Cubs game." In fact, I'd like to think my site combines the visceral thrill of reading ad copy with the blustering excitement of a round of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? (Phil Alper:4U2C)
Your continued refusal to purchase medicine at outposts and general stores will greatly increase the chance of a party member dying of dysentery. (Oregon Trail Historical Society and Event Generator)
Help! I'm stuck in your spam filter! (Ramblin' Rooster)


text: Mailman is holding for approval for the administrator messages on lists that are not set for moderation. I have in Privacy Options - Sender filters the default_member_moderation set to No and in the Membership List the flag mod isn't selectioned. Anyone know why this would happen and have any suggestions on how to fix this? Thank You -- ________________________________________ Pilar Sancho Moreno Servicio de Informática - Área de Sistemas. Universidad de Zaragoza Tf: 976 761000 ext 3210 mailto:psancho at posta.unizar.es ________________________________________

subset: commoncrawl


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Glory 25
By Jayos on March 12, 2010, 7:09 p.m.
And then there was one...
By Jayos on March 7, 2010, 7:08 p.m.
Glory and all that...
By Jayos on March 6, 2010, 7:07 p.m.
The first batch of truly evil looking drakes has entered the guild (US 7th Glory of the Icecrown Raider). Grats to the team! Except that guy in the middle, he doesn't care.
Class Dismissed!!
By Jayos on March 4, 2010, 7:07 p.m.
We made this one harder than it needed to be, but we got it in the end, along with a US 14th ranking. Just 2 bosses left to go!
Heroic: Once Bitten, Twice Shy!
By Jayos on Feb. 21, 2010, 7:06 p.m.
Grats on your achievement, Purplemonger! I know it was a long, arduous road, but you got it! Also, good job on getting Heroic Blood Queen, team! 3 more to go!


text:
A lock screen is a user interface element used by various operating systems. They regulate immediate access to a device by requiring that the user perform a certain action in order to receive access, such as entering a password, using a certain button combination, or performing a certain gesture using a device's touchscreen. While most lock functions on PC operating systems only utilize a login screen, lock screens on mobile devices often provide more functionality beyond unlocking the phone: such as notifications for emails and text messages, a date and time display, or shortcuts to certain applications.
Operating systems that run on smartphones and tablets typically use a gesture-based lock-screen. Mobile phones manufactured by Neonode were unlocked by swiping to the right on its touchscreen. Apple's iOS, used by the iPhone and iPad lines, utilizes a similar unlock mechanism using an on-screen slider widget to the right. Beginning on iOS 5, sliding in the other direction sends the user directly to the camera app. On iOS 7, the slider widget was removed as part of a larger overhaul of the iOS interface, and users can now swipe from any point of the screen. The lock screen also displays a clock, notifications, and provides audio playback controls.
At first, Android did not use a gesture-based lock screen, electing to just require the user to press the phone's Menu button. On Android 2.0, a new gesture-based lock screen was introduced, displaying two icons: one for unlocking the phone, and one for setting the volume mode, activated by dragging the relevant icon to the center of the screen on a curve (similarly to a rotary dial). On Android 2.1, the rotary dial was replaced by two tabs on either end of the screen. Android 3.0 introduced a new design: a ball with a padlock icon is dragged to the outside of a circular area. On 4.0, the option to unlock straight to the camera is provided, while 4.1 adds the ability to unlock into a Google Search screen by dragging up. Android 4.2 makes additional changes to the lock screen, allowing users to add widgets to pages accessible on the lock screen by swiping from the left edge of the screen. The camera is accessed in a similar manner by swiping from the right edge of the screen. Android also allows devices to be locked using a password, a pattern on a grid of 9 circles, or with facial recognition.
Android distributions by other manufacturers typically use different lock screen designs than what stock Android utilizes; newer versions of HTC's Sense used a metallic ring dragged from the bottom of the screen to unlock the phone, and also allows users to launch apps by dragging their respective shortcut icon into the ring instead. On recent Samsung devices, the lock screen involves dragging in any direction from any location on the screen (with TouchWiz Nature devices, such as the Galaxy S III and S4, it is also accompanied by a visual effect such as a pond ripple or lens flare); similarly to HTC's lock screen, app shortcuts can be dragged up from the bottom of the screen to unlock directly into them.
Windows NT has offered the ability for users to "lock" their computers by displaying a login window, which requires that the active user's password be entered to re-gain access to the system. Since Windows XP, the lock function has also been bound to the keyboard shortcut ⊞ Win+L. On Windows 8, the lock screen was re-designed to closer resemble those used by mobile operating systems; users can choose a distinct wallpaper for use on the lock screen, which now also displays a clock, calendar events, and notifications from other apps. The screen can be dragged upwards with a mouse or touchscreen to unlock the device. Screen locking functionality is also built into screensaver systems on some Unix-like operating systems, such as XScreenSaver and gnome-screensaver.
Apple holds several patents related to the sliding lock screen used by its iOS devices: it was granted U.S. Patent 7,657,849 in 2010, and U.S. Patent 8,046,721 in 2011, describing a system that involves continuously dragging an image to a certain point to unlock the device. As part of ongoing patent wars between numerous companies surrounding patents related to mobile devices, Apple has asserted these patents in several patent infringement lawsuits outside the United States with competing vendors. However, its lawsuits with Samsung in the Netherlands and HTC in the United Kingdom both led to failure: both courts ruled the patents to be invalid, citing the similar lock screen on the N1, a mobile phone manufactured by the Swedish company Neonode, as prior art for Apple's design. The British court specifically ruled that Apple's lock screen was an "obvious improvement" over that of the Neonode N1 due to its additional visual feedback through an on-screen slider graphic (unlike the N1, which only displayed a written instruction explaining the gesture). Early work on touchscreen technology from the University of Maryland Human – Computer Interaction Lab was also cited as prior art, in particular a 1991 touchscreen slider developed by Catherine Plaisant
In January 2012, Apple won a permanent injunction from a German court after it ruled that Motorola Mobility violated the patents on some of its recent devices (although the Motorola Xoom tablet was ruled to not have infringed on the patent). However, Apple was warned that they would have been required to put up a bond as insurance if they were to allow the injunction to take effect, and any potential sales ban as a result would be limited to Germany.


text:
Star Pierced Tin Star Light, Silver, 16"
$ 94.95
This Moravian Tin Star Light has star cut-out designs and a silver color finish. Diameter is 16". Since each star fixture is hand crafted by a Mexican artist, slight variations in color, size and finish may be expected.
Standard Features for this Tin Star:
• All UL-Approved parts
• Heavy duty ceramic socket
• Light bulb
• Hinged bulb access door
• Metal hanging loop
• 3' Chain
• 8' power cord with plug


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Ankle Boots to Love this Winter
For many years, I thought ankle boots belonged to old biddies doing their Saturday morning grocery shopping, or middle aged working women who tended to wear them with long (but not long enough) skirts with knee-highs. Clunky, with thick heavy soles and unattractive heels, ankle boots were a NO NO. In caps.
But now, take one look up a busy street and you'll see women of all ages, races, sizes and ages wearing ANKLE BOOTS. And these are sexy. In a variety of colours & textures. Pointed, stillettoed, capped and cowboyed. Ruffles, tassels, zips & buttons. Studs & leather. "I LIKE". The clear emphasis is on showing them off, although they do look good when worn under a good pair of jeans. I've found that leggings with a jersey dress or similar works really well with ankle boots, as do black tights with tailored shorts. I eventually found my pair at a place in Wynberg for a bargain (I'm not saying they will last me forever, but since I already have a pair of expensive leather riding boots, I decided I could skimp on these for the season).
I've found some really stunning pairs here, all pulled off fashion or retail websites, some off pinterest. Quite a few of them I'd probably be a bit hesitant to wear because the heels are rather intimidating, but they just look so good! Anyway, enjoy the fashion candy ladies. Good girls look good in Good Boots.
boot 1 | boot 2 | boot 3 | boot 4 | boot 5 | boot 6 | boot 7 | boot 8


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Jessica Alba and her family hit Malibu!
Jessica Alba, husband Cash Warren and baby Honor were spotted out in Malibu recently. I gotta give it to this family, they almost never give up any smiles for the Paps!
Celebrity Gossip……Reporting on the Good, the Bad and the Ridiculous on WWW.MACHRONICLES.COM!
Jessica Alba, husband Cash Warren and baby Honor were spotted out in Malibu recently. I gotta give it to this family, they almost never give up any smiles for the Paps!
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Sarah Brown, wife of British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and model Naomi Campbell pose at the US Doctors for Africa honoring the First Ladies of Africa Gala at the Beverly Hilton Hotel on April 21, 2009 in Beverly Hills California.
Jessica is seen with her baby Honor taking a walk in the Park in Beverly Hills. I love that Jessica has such great quality time with her daughter all the time. I can't think of any other Celebrity Mom who puts in this much time at the park with their baby.
Celebrities attends the Miu Miu Ready-to-Wear 2009 fashion show during Paris Fashion Week on March 12, 2009 in Paris, France.
Eva Mendez was there
Jessica was spotted leaving a friend's home in Beverly Hills with her baby girl Honor. Can I just say that Honor is getting cuter and cuter everyday! She is adorable. Well, I guess if Jessica Alba is your Mother, it's pretty inevitable that you will be a cutie pie! I can't wait until she starts smiling more, because she has got the mean mugging look down!
Jessica Alba looked like she was really having a great time with her baby Honor. Alot of times, Jessica kind of looks pissed off that the cameras are always following her around. Typically, even if she is with her baby, I rarely see her smile. But today, Jessica looks like she just focused on Honor and shut everyone else out and enjoyed her little luvcub. It's good to see her smile! I love to see Mommies enjoy their kids. On a side note……Honor looks like Cash Warren spit her out!
Okay, are you sitting down? This is Jessica Alba's Mother. I know that parents can change over the years, but man….at first glance, this woman does not look like she gave birth to Jessica Alba. But the funny thing is that after you look at her for a little while, Jessica actually does look like her with weight on her (in 25 years). The first thing that I thought of was that Brady Bunch episode where Jan finds a photo of a relative who looked just like her when she was a little girl, but now she looks a little like a trainwreck. Of course, Jessica Alba doesn't think her Mother looks like a trainwreck, because she loves her and no doubt she has wonderful memories of the Mother who loved and raised her. But Warren, he thinks about it every night as he prays to God that Jessica keeps her girlish frame.


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On this page, we cover private schools in the Mississauga area that offer Montessori programs and support. This includes Montessori schools in Etobicoke, Erindale, Malton, Meadowvale, Clarkson, Lorne Park, Streetsville, Port Credit, Erin Mills, Hurontario, Sheridan, Erindale, Credit Valley, and Lakeview.
For a more complete guide to Montessori education, including a discussion of curriculum and teaching practices, start with our introductory guide.
There are lots of private Montessori schools in Mississauga. These schools vary in terms of their classroom practices, curricular approaches, program offerings, and special needs support. The schools listed below reflect this diversity. They can be filtered for a wide range of features.
|School Name
Shepherd Montessori Private Catholic School (est. 2000)
Shepherd Montessori Private Catholic School in Mississauga offers Casa Montessori programs for children a ged 2.5 to 6. Before- and after-school care and summer camps also available. [View profile]
|$6,800 to $11,500
Clanmore Montessori School (est. 1997)
Clanmore Montessori School in southeast Oakville offers a full spectrum, co-ed Montessori program from Toddler to Middle School. Tuition starts at $8,250. CCMA accredited. Member Oakville Independent Schools. Licenced. [View profile]
|$8,500 to $18,000
Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS) (est. 1969)
RMS is an award-winning progressive private school, and voted the BEST private school in Brampton. We offer a structured programme that is ahead of the Ministry set guidelines. [View profile]
|$7,900 to $14,600
Peel Montessori Private School (est. 1992)
Peel Montessori School offers an enriched, personalized program. Emphasis is on strong academics, and the development of personal excellence (leadership skills, creativity) in a supportive, family-like environment. [View profile]
|$8,500 to $18,500
Kaban Montessori School (est. 2002)
Kaban Montessori School in west Mississauga/Erin Mills is a CCMA accredited school for children aged 6 months to 12 years. Come for a tour, you'll love it! [View profile]
|$15,000 to $17,000
Meadow Green Academy (est. 1995)
Meadow Green Academy offers programs from pre-school to grade eight in Mississauga. Its average class size is 12 students. [View profile]
|$8,800 to $15,490
SimplySmart Child Care & Montessori (est. 2012)
We provide infant, toddler, preschool and CASA programs for your child. Our CASA program is based on the curriculum developed by Maria Montessori. We are located in Oakville, Mississauga, Brampton, Vaughan and Toronto. [View profile]
|$570 to $720 /2 Weeks
The Montessori Country School - Milton Campus (est. 2007)
Montessori Country School has provided a first-class academic experience to students in an environment that is distinguished by its compassion, integrity and unwavering commitment to the individual child. [View profile]
|$8,160 to $13,600
ABC Montessori (est. 1995)
ABC Montessori is one of Mississauga's premier private schools. The school offers both Montessori and traditional school programs from preschool to Grade 5. [View profile]
|$6,600 to $10,000
Rotherglen School - Oakville (est. 1979)
Rotherglen School - OAKVILLE offers programs from pre-school to grade eight. Its average class size is 18 students. [View profile]
|$13,700 to $22,800
Rotherglen School - Mississauga (est. 1979)
Rotherglen School - MISSISSAUGA is a montessori school that offers programs from pre-school to grade eight. Its average class size is 18 students. [View profile]
|$6,700 to $16,800
La Villa Montessori School (est. 2012)
La Villa Montessori is an AMI recognized School that adheres to Dr. Montessori's principles. We provide a nurturing environment that fulfills the child's emotional, social, physical and intellectual needs. [View profile]
|$8,100 to $15,608
Silver Maple Montessori Private School
Housed in the elegant colonial mansion, Harrop House in the beautiful town of Milton, Ontario. Offering low teacher to child ratios with an emphasis on personal and social development of each child. [View profile]
|$6,800 to $12,900
Tall Pines School (est. 1987)
Tall Pines School in Brampton provides enhanced Montessori and traditional classes from Infant to Grade Eight, is the longest accredited CCMA Montessori school in Canada, and is a leader in 21st Century education. [View profile]
|$13,921 to $19,988
Guiding Light Academy (est. 2007)
Guiding Light Academy is a Catholic private elementary school in Streetsville, Mississauga. We offer an enriched curriculum for JK, SK and Grades 1 to 8. We are located just minutes away from the Streetsville Go Station. [View profile]
Northstar Montessori Private School (est. 1996)
Northstar Montessori offers authentic Montessori programs from Toddler to Grade 8 in Mississauga. We pride ourselves on strong character development and supporting life long learners! Now, Swim program is now included. [View profile]
|$9,500 to $14,900
Dearcroft Montessori School (est. 1968)
Offering Montessori programs from Toddler to Grade 8, Dearcroft is accredited by CCMA and staffed by dedicated teachers. [View profile]
|$8,800 to $21,250
Some schools aren't Montessori schools, but use a Montessori approach for their preschool or daycare program. This approach gives young learners plenty of freedom to choose tasks and activities that interest them, which promotes their independence and confidence. It also strongly emphasizes concrete learning, where children work with lots of hands-on materials, and do practical life activities. Children usually work independently or in small groups in these programs.
|School Name
Ashwood Glen (est. 2019)
Ashwood Glen offers a Montessori program for children aged 18months - 6 yrs. The Grades 1 - 8 Learning Program applies IB framework to extend the learning outcomes of the Ontario curriculum. [View profile]
|$9,900 to $18,900
For general advice on how to choose and evaluate private schools, check out our choosing a school guide and our expert advice guide. For advice on choosing Montessori schools (including preschools), see our Montessori choosing guide. You can also read our guides to questions to ask private schools and questions students get asked at school interviews.
Private school expos are a great starting point for finding a school, at any level. We have annual private school expos in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, and Halton-peel. These expos allow you to speak with lots of private schools in Canada, many of which are Montessori schools, all in one place. Find a Montessori school near you.
Another great resource in your school search is the Our Kids parent discussion forum. The forum is an ideal place to discuss options and debate topics related to Montessori schools. Our community of parents, education experts, school officials, and alumni can help answer your questions and stimulate your thinking.
Attending open houses is a great way to learn more about schools. For general advice on open house visits, check out our guide on school visits.
|School name
Ashwood Glen
|April 04, 2020 10:00 am
|Ashwood Glen School
3430 Fairview Street BURLINGTON Ontario L7N 2R5
The cost of Montessori schools in Mississauga tends to be lower than the cost of other private schools in Mississauga. In fact, Montessori schools are usually on the lower side of private school tuition in general.
Private school tuition can range from $5,000 to over $30,000 per year for day students. There are no public Montessori schools in Mississauga, though some public schools use certain Montessori principles.
Many schools offer needs-based financial aid, such as bursaries or tuition relief. Other schools, though not as many, offer scholarships, which are given based on merit—for instance, in academics or athletics. You can learn more about need- and merit-based financial aid in our dedicated guide. You can also read our guide on preschool costs.
Below, you'll find the range of costs for Montessori private schools in Mississauga (including Etobicoke and Port Credit):
|Tuition (day school)
|Students receiving financial aid
|Grade eligibility for financial aid
|Avg. aid package size (annual)
Primary curriculum
Secondary curriculum
Curriculum pace
Academic culture
Average class size
Language immersion
Special needs support
Tech integration
Shepherd Montessori Private Catholic School
|10 to 15
|No support
Clanmore Montessori School
|No support
|Light integration
Ashwood Glen
|10 to 16
|Indirect Support
|Medium integration
Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS)
|8 to 18
|No support
|Heavy integration
Peel Montessori Private School
|No support
Kaban Montessori School
|15 to 24
|No support
Meadow Green Academy
|Resource Assistance
SimplySmart Child Care & Montessori
|Resource Assistance
The Montessori Country School - Milton Campus
|9 to 24
|No support
|Light integration
ABC Montessori
|10 to 14
|No support
|Light integration
Rotherglen School - Oakville
|No support
Rotherglen School - Mississauga
|No support
|Light integration
La Villa Montessori School
|Resource Assistance
Silver Maple Montessori Private School
|No support
Tall Pines School
|15 to 18
|No support
|Light integration
Guiding Light Academy
|5 to 16
|No support
Northstar Montessori Private School
|No support
|Heavy integration
Dearcroft Montessori School
|10 to 20
|No support
|Light integration
Shepherd Montessori Private Catholic School
Clanmore Montessori School
Ashwood Glen
Rowntree Montessori Schools (RMS)
Peel Montessori Private School
Kaban Montessori School
Meadow Green Academy
SimplySmart Child Care & Montessori
The Montessori Country School - Milton Campus
ABC Montessori
Rotherglen School - Oakville
Rotherglen School - Mississauga
La Villa Montessori School
Silver Maple Montessori Private School
Tall Pines School
Guiding Light Academy
Northstar Montessori Private School
Dearcroft Montessori School
Mississauga Montessori schools often have mixed-age classes witgh lots of interaction, student-to-student teaching, and group and independent work. Below, the Montessori philosophy and teaching approach is discussed in more detail. For more comprehensive coverage, see our main Montessori school guide.
The Montessori philosophy of education is unique. Some of the main principles of this philosophy are the following:
Student-centred: Similar to Waldorf and Reggio Emilia schools, students are free to move around the class, choose their own work, and determine the pace of their studies. This can make for a dynamic learning environment. Kids often choose work that's engaging and stimulating, in this setting, which can give rise to a love of learning.
Uninterrupted work time: Montessori schools give kids lots of uninterrupted work time, especially at the elementary level. In many schools, they're given at least one 3-hour, uninterrupted work period to focus on their chosen work, free of interruptions. Uninterrupted work periods are believed to improve children's concentration, self-discipline, and work habits.
Concrete learning: Learning tends to be concrete and hands-on. At the primary and elementary level (and sometimes at the secondary level), kids work with lots of different concrete materials, including "manipulatives"—or self-correcting puzzles. They also work with blocks, rods, spindle boxes, and many other materials. Concrete learning engages many of the senses. And, research has shown that it can speed up learning, especially for younger kids.
No external rewards: In primary and elementary school, kids aren't given tests or assignments, or graded on any of their work. Kids also aren't praised very much, and when they are praised, it's for effort—not outcome. Progress is assessed informally, through observation and developmental rubrics, rather than formally, through grades or report cards.
Montessori teachers rarely provide direct instruction. They almost never stand at the front of the class and lecture to all the students. And when they do lecture, the lectures are usually short, interactive, and engaging.
More often, though, teachers move around the class, and give lessons to or guide students. They usually work with students one-on-one or in small groups. They often encourage students to repeat and practice activities, and they plan projects to meet each student's learning needs. Their primary role is to connect students with their work, rather than to impart knowledge to them. Teachers are thus viewed more as "guides" or "mentors" than "teachers" in the traditional sense.
Montessori schools, in Mississauga and nearby Oakville and Milton, have mixed-age classes, with kids aged 0-3 (toddler), 3-6 (primary), 6-9 (lower-elementary), 9-12 (upper elementary), and so on. The mixed-age classroom informs the teaching approach and learning environment, from preschool to high school.
Most Montessori classes have lots of group work. Kids work together in small groups on projects and tasks, with some guidance from the teacher. Kids help each other, and older kids often mentor their younger classmates, by helping with them with their work and modelling appropriate behaviour.
This can reinforce knowledge and skills learned in the classroom, for both older and younger kids. This approach can be great for children with special needs.
Montessori schools in Mississauga are numerous, probably bolstered by the fact that Montessori got its North American beginning in Richmond Hill. Mississauga Montessori schools listed with Ourkids.net are by and large accredited with the Canadian Council of Montessori Administrators (CCMA).
Not all schools using the name Montessori follow Maria Montessori's original teachings to the same degree, so check into each school closely to see how authentically it follows the Montessori approach.
Principles of integrity, co-operation, responsibility, and respect are modeled by teachers, emulated by students, and practiced by all."
Some schools focus on the classroom environment, student-centered academics or the freedom of learning and interaction that Montessori opens up while others preach a very strict adherence to the exact principles espoused by the movement's founder. These include the above but may also include a focus on learning by touch, teachers as mentors and a variety of other strategies that adhere very closely to Maria Montessori's teachings.
True, Montessori education focuses on three-year age-groupings that encourage learning as a deeply social process. Montessori schools, in fact, go against the notion of small class sizes espoused by other private schools.
In a Montessori classroom, a number of age groups are all included and older students are encouraged to take on a teacherly role. A wide variety of research confirms the benefits of Montessori's emphasis on independent thinking, self-motivation and social learning.
Mississauga's Montessori schools are indeed varied, including schools that are faith-based as well as traditional Montessori classrooms. When choosing a school be sure that you understand its implementation of the Montessori method and philosophy. There are a variety of approaches possible and you may be able to find a school in Mississauga that ideally matches your own understanding of the Montessori method.
Parents and students praise the many benefits of Montessori learning. As one parent has said, "Principles of integrity, co-operation, responsibility, and respect are modeled by teachers, emulated by students, and practiced by all."
Luminary Montessori graduates include Google co-founder Larry Page, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Wikipedia's Jimmy Wales and many other creative leaders in a variety of fields. Obviously, this presents an education with a variety of unique benefits for children.
Meet with Mississauga's top ranked private schools and the best boarding schools across Canada at the Halton-Peel Private School Expo and Toronto Private School Expo in October. These one-day events are a must for any parent or student considering an alternative education.


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Hosting WordPress Yourself Part 5 – Cron, Email and Automatic Backups
In the previous installment of this series, I walked you through the process of setting up server monitoring and caching. In this post I will demonstrate how to configure cron, outgoing email and automatic backups.
WordPress has built-in support for scheduled tasks, which allows certain processes to be performed as a background process at designated times. Out of the box WordPress performs the following scheduled tasks:
- Automatic updates which are pushed out by the WordPress core team to fix security vulnerabilities.
- Check WordPress is running the latest stable release.
- Check for plugin updates.
- Check for theme updates.
- Publish any posts scheduled for future release.
However, the cron system used by WordPress isn't the most performant or accurate of
implementations. Scheduled tasks within WordPress are triggered during the lifecycle of a page request, therefore if your site doesn't receive any visits for a set period of time, no cron events will be triggered during this time. This is also true of sites that use full page caching, such as Nginx FastCGI, which was introduced in the previous post. The reason for this is that WordPress is no longer processing each page request if the page cache is hit. Generally, this means that cron will not fire until the page cache expires. If you have have configured the cache to expire after 60 minutes this may not be an issue, however, if you are caching for longer periods of time this may become problematic. Other issues can arise on high traffic sites, where full page caching isn't an option. This is due to needlessly checking the cron queue on every single page request, which is very inefficient.
To overcome these issues it's advised that cron is configured using the system daemon (background process), which is available within Unix based systems. Because cron runs as a daemon it will run based on the server's system time and no longer requires a user to visit the site. Before configuring cron it's recommended that you disable WordPress from automatically handling cron. To do so add the following line to your wp_config.php file.
define('DISABLE_WP_CRON', true);
Introducing crontab
Cron events are added to a text file called crontab and each line within the file equates to a single cron event. If your server hosts multiple sites you will need one entry per site.
Begin by connecting to your server.
ssh firstname.lastname@example.com
Open the crontab using the following command. If this is the first time you have opened the crontab, you may be asked to select an editor. Option 2 (nano) is usually the easiest.
crontab -e
I'm not going to go into detail on the crontab syntax, but adding the following to the end of the file will trigger cron every 5 minutes. Just remember to update the file path to point to your WordPress install and that each site has a separate entry.
*/5 * * * * cd /home/ashley/ashleyrich.com/public; php -q wp-cron.php >/dev/null 2>&1
Some articles suggest using
wget or
curl for triggering cron, but calling PHP on the command line is often more flexible. The reason for this is both Wget and cURL are bound to the same timeout limits as normal user requests. However, in some situations you may want your cron jobs to run for longer periods of time, for example if you're performing background processing. By default CLI scripts have no timeout limits and will execute until complete.
You may be wondering why I
cd into the directory and then run wp-cron.php. This is due to how older versions of WordPress used relative paths for including files, as seen here. The following should be safe to use on WordPress versions 3.7 or later:
*/5 * * * * php -q /home/ashley/ashleyrich.com/public/wp-cron.php >/dev/null 2>&1
>/dev/null 2>&1 part ensures that no emails are sent to the user account initiating the cron job.
Save the file by hitting CTRL X followed by Y.
Cron is now configured using the Unix native cron tool, but I'll demonstrate how to check it's running correctly later on.
Email servers are notoriously difficult to setup. Not only do you need to ensure that emails successfully hit your recipients inboxes, but you also have to consider how you'll handle spam and viruses (sent as email attachments). Installing the required software to run your own mailserver can also eat up valuable system resources and potentially open up your server to more security vulnerabilities. This article over at DigitalOcean discusses in more detail why you may not want to host your own mailserver.
For that reason I do not recommend that you configure your server to handle email and instead use a 'best of breed' service provider, such as G Suite. However, WordPress still requires a method for sending outgoing emails. Depending on the type of site you're hosting they're used in various situations:
- Admin notifications
- New user signups and password resets
- Order updates (WooCommerce etc)
Before moving on, you must have a valid email address to be used as the reply to address.
Outgoing Email
Although you can configure WordPress to use an outgoing SMTP server provided by your email service provider, I prefer to use Mailgun, which is a product by Rackspace. In addition to simplifying the setup process Mailgun provides statistics on how many emails are delivered, bounced or rejected. It's also free for your first 10,000 emails each month.
Start by signing up for a free account. Then verify your domain, as detailed in the Quickstart Guide.
Visit the API Keys page and copy your Active API Key.
Login to your WordPress site and head over to the Add Plugins page. Search for "Mailgun for WordPress" and install the plugin. Navigate to the Mailgun screen from within the Settings menu and enter your domain name, API key and sender email address.
Job done. Emails will now get routed through Mailgun's mail servers.
Testing Cron and Outgoing Email
In order to test that both cron and outgoing emails are working correctly, I have written a small plugin that will send an email to the admin user every 5 minutes. Obviously this isn't something that you'll want to keep enabled indefinitely, so once you have established that everything is working correctly, remember to disable the plugin!
Create a new file called cron-test.php within your plugins directory, with the following contents:
Upon activating the plugin, you should receive an email shortly after. If not, check that the crontab configuration and Mailgun credentials are correct.
Automatic Backups
Performing backups on a regular basis is essential. It's inevitable that at some point in the future you will need to restore data – whether that be due to user error, corruption or a security breach. You never know what could go wrong, so having a recent backup to hand can really make your life easier as a system administrator. There are generally two types of backups I like to perform. The first is a full system backup and the second is a backup of each individual site hosted on the server.
Full system backups are best performed by your VPS provider, and both Digital Ocean and Linode offer this service for a nominal fee. This sort of backup is generally only used when a catastrophic failure occurs, as it's not usually desirable to restore the entire system if only a single site needs restoring, hence the reason for single site backups.
Single site backups only backup the items required to restore a single site and in terms of WordPress this usually consists of the database and the uploads directory. If you're using a plugin such as WP Offload S3, you can skip the need to backup the uploads directory as the files are automatically sent to Amazon S3 when added to the media library.
For sites that aren't updated often a weekly backup should suffice, but you may want to perform them more frequently. For example, the backups on this site are performed every 2 hours because changes occur more often due to new orders and product activations.
To setup single site backups, first create a new directory within the site's root directory.
mkdir backups
This will sit along side the existing cache, logs and public directories, which is standard I like to follow with all self hosted sites.
Now create a new file called backup.sh.
nano backup.sh
Paste the following contents into the file, ensuring you update the path to your site.
Hit CTR X followed by Y to save the file.
Ensure the newly created file has execute permissions.
chmod u+x backup.sh
The last step is to schedule the backup script to run at a designated time. Begin by opening the crontab.
crontab -e
Add the following line to the end of the file.
0 5 * * 0 sh /home/ashley/ashleyrich.com/backup.sh
This will run backups every Monday morning at 05:00, server time. Just remember that you'll need to add this script and crontab entry for each individual site you wish to backup. In a future post, Brad will demonstrate how to send the backup files to Amazon S3 and remove those that become redundant.
That concludes part 5. In the next post I'll show you how to setup HTTPS which will encrypt data sent between your server and the web browser.
If you handle email or backups differently, let me know in the comments.


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Lately I've been seeing adult coloring books and pages all over my social media feeds on Pinterest, Instagram, and elsewhere!
There are so many amazing coloring pages and artists out there, so I thought I would spread the love and put together a list of some of my favorites from around the web. Many of these websites have a selection of other coloring pages, so feel free to browse them for more. These are just a few of my personal favourites.
Please note that not all of these images are created by me, and each image links directly to the source. Please do the same if you are looking for images to compile your own list.
So — bust out your markers, Sharpies, coloured pencils, or whatever else you like to use and get ready to color in these 10 + awesome FREE printable coloring pages!
Click on each image, or the corresponding text to be directed to the website to download it from.
These adorable Cats
This pretty Forest Fairy
This sugar skull style Storm Trooper
Cupcakes! Enough said.
There are a few on this website but this one in particular is just beautiful
This undersea drawing featuring seahorses.
Can't forget this lovely Mermaid
Or this Seahorse
Peacocks are always fun, and pretty too!
Now I couldn't end this post without some shameless self promotion, so I invite you to check out my own free coloring pages available below (click on the images).
Find more of my free coloring pages here!
Also, you can follow my Adult Coloring Page Pinterest board for more free and purchasable coloring pages, books and more. I am adding new pins all the time!
Happy coloring ya'll :)


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Plant Description
Buckwheat is a very fast growing plant that has hairless stems. The leaves vary in size and shape, ranging from an arrow-like shape to a heart shape.
The flowers are small and white, and the seeds are small 3-sided angular shapes, which turn brown when they are ripe.
This plant can be found throughout North America. In some areas it is considered an escaped weed, while in some areas it is purposefully planted to provide ground cover or for harvest for buckwheat flour.
It usually can be found in disturbed soils, but very rarely does it persist for long. It is usually found along roadsides and ditches.
All parts of the plant are toxic in both fresh and dried states. The only exception is the ripe seed, which does not contain any of the toxic substance.
This plant is toxic because it contains a pigment called "fagopyrin" (thus its scientific name!). Fagopyrin causes photosensitive dermatitis in horses. The photosensitive dermatitis is caused by the toxin in the blood vessels reacting with ultraviolent rays. The resulting radiant energy causes damage (sometimes severe enough to slough off skin!) to the blood vessels and the skin.
The most prominent symptom of this photosensitive dermatitis is a weeping itchy skin inflammation on any area that has been exposed to sun. Horses will also become very agitated in the sunlight, often trying to get under or behind anything that will block the sun exposure.
Horses with white skin are most often affected. If a horse with dark skin suffers from buckwheat poisoning, his eyes may be affected if he does not have pigmented eyes, but otherwise he will be relatively unaffected.
The horse should be immediately moved out of the sun, and kept away from all UV light. Any St. John's Wort should be immediately removed from the diet.
Antihistamines as well as anti-inflammatory drugs may be useful in the initial stages after poisoning.
Another image, showing more arrow-like leaves:
USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 1: 672.
Return to Poisonous Plants from Buckwheat


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Author: Erin Riley, Brand and Communications Director, ZAG NY
BBH Labs has become a watering hole for inquisitive, enterprising, and forward thinking minds. Thus, it is a fitting place for ZAG NY to make its first open call for ideas.
ZAG, a wholly owned subsidiary of BBH, is focused on brand invention. We invent brands by exploiting brand lags – where consumer activity outpaces brand activity. The trick of course is not only scouring technology, media, breaking trends, and cultural & consumer insights for what consumers want and need, but then uniquely satisfying those needs in a delightful and profitable way.
ZAG is fortunate because via BBH we have a unique network of collaborators who provide expertise in areas fertile for brand invention. Now, ZAG NY is looking to extend that network beyond the BBH walls and tap an even larger bevy of creators, innovators, entrepreneurs, and anyone else with a brilliant idea.
This slideshare serves as an official call for ideas which will be formally evaluated this November to feed the 2011 pipeline. While we'll entertain ideas throughout the year, this marks one of three annual formal reviews that will garner the most focused attention from the ZAG team. Pitches will be heard live or by phone/skype/virtual meeting starting week of November 8th.
To stay up to date on ZAG news and thought starters follow our Blog.
(Presentation is best viewed by clicking MENU and FULL SCREEN)
– Do you think ad agencies can bring new products to market?
– What should ad agencies do to cultivate owned IP?
– What do you wish this deck included that it doesn't?


text:
I finished another coat! Here is the Farbenmix Querida with an appliqued puppy for my other daughter. She loves anything to do with puppies, so her applique suits her.
I used an anti pill fleece fabric, lined with flannel, and Warm & White cotton batting in between. This coat is so cozy, soft, and warm!
Nice and long to help keep her legs warm. I kept the arms long as well. It helps when they forget to wear their gloves.
You can't have a puppy without puppy paws!
Puppy and paws are made from felt. This time I had to use a darker felt as a background. The felt I chose for the puppy matched the coat fabric perfectly and blended in completely!
Now on to making a wool coat for my son!
Thanks for stopping by ~ Shirley


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– Please like and subscribe. I need YouTube to validate my existence. What's it gonna take to get
you to like and subscribe? Do I have to drink jewels? 'Cause I'll drink jewels,
I'll drink jewels all day! ("Born Depressed" by Drill Queen) ♪ Born different ♪ ♪ Born innocent ♪ ♪ Born perfect ♪ ♪ I'm not like you ♪ ♪ I'm a born lover ♪ ♪ Born living and I know ♪ ♪ I'm not like you ♪ ♪ I was born clever ♪ ♪ Born knowledgeable ♪ ♪ Born better ♪ – Jewel. Anyway, I'm looking at my phone today. Got this article up about
the risks of loot boxes. A study has been published
in the July issue of "Royal Society Open" magazine, which talks about the startling risks associated with loot boxes. Those gambling mechanics
that the game industry tells us aren't gambling mechanics even though they're gambling mechanics because they look and
behave exactly like gambling and they are gambling, they're gambling! They're gambling is
what they are, gambling. They're gambling. "We would argue that regardless "of the profitability
of the loot box trade, "the risks associated with
them are worryingly high." According to this report,
what I am doing a reading of, the risks with loot box
spending and problem gambling are more than twice as
strong as the relationship seen recently in a similarly
recruited adult population. Now, any long time viewers of this show will know that there are risks associated with aggressive
monetization of video games. I've talked to the victims,
I've talked to the targets, I've talked to the people that
the game industry preys upon. I've published their
stories, and it sickens me. The video game industry, the AAA mainstream video game industry, makes me sick to my tummy wummy wummy! Why do I have to undermine my own points by saying things like tummy wummy wummy? Anyway, that aside, let's talk about the video
game industry's recent attempt to wallpaper over the cracks
of the loot box debacle. As loot boxes face a more
and more credible criticism and the practice of in-game gambling comes under investigation
across the world, the video game industry has revealed that major platform holders
are working on policies that'll require more disclosure. In future publishers will be
required to reveal the odds of winning on their little
premium poison boxes with Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft all working together to enforce it. This announcement was made by the Entertainment Software Association, the game industry's trade association that specializes in
lobbying, astroturfing, and incompetently leaking
the personal information of thousands of E3 attendees. "I'm pleased to announce this morning "that Microsoft, Nintendo,
and Sony have indicated to ESA "a commitment to new platform policies "with respect to the
use of paid loot boxes "in games that are developed
for their platform," said the ESA's Michael Warnecke. "Specifically, this
would apply to new games "and game updates that
add loot box features. "And it would require the
disclosure of the relative rarity "or probabilities of obtaining
randomized virtual items "in games that are available
on their platforms." Policies are expected to go
into effect by the end of 2020 and a number of major
publishers have agreed to reveal their loot box odds by then. Such companies include
Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, Bungie, Electronic Arts, Take-Two Interactive,
Warner Brothers Interactive, Ubisoft, and others. A number of publishers have not
thus far committed to comply including Gearbox, Square
Enix, Capcom, and THQ Nordic. But certainly, in THQ Nordic's case, the company said it's never
had loot boxes in its games and doesn't pan to
implement them in future. The publishers who have
pledged their commitment are certainly the ones notorious for exploiting gambling mechanics. Epic Games, for its part, has
already been making changes, revealing the exact items
found inside loot boxes in "Fortnite: Save the World", and promising to remove them
entirely from "Rocket League". That last move, the removal of them entirely from Rocket League, is the only move that's
actually worth a shit. The ESA may now express how pleased it is to announce this extra transparency, but it's worth noting
that it's come only after the Federal Trade Commission got involved. Amidst controversy and
criticism surrounding the game industry's
predatory business practices, the FTC promised it would
start looking into loot boxes which has borne fruit
with a recent workshop titled "Inside the Game: "Unlocking the consumer issues
surrounding loot boxes." Here the FTC learned about
video game monetization from a variety of academics
and industry figures and it was at this workshop where the ESA was so pleased to make its announcement. Before now however, the
ESA, which, by the way, recently docks thousanded
of games media members, has been pretty adamant that in-game gambling
mechanics aren't a problem. In November 2018, when the FTC first promised
to look into loot boxes, the ESA preemptively
rushed to their defense, seemingly way more
protective of loot boxes than of people's private data. "Loot boxes are one way
that players can enhance "the experience that video games offer," said the ESA at the time. "Contrary to assertions,
loot boxes are not gambling. "They have no real-world
value, players always receive "something that enhances their experience "and they are entirely
optional to purchase. (comical giggling) "They can enhance the experience "for those who choose to use them, "but have no impact on those who do not." Just the same weak, tired,
long debunked excuses for loot boxes that
game industry defenders have been pedaling for years with no plan or stated intent to
tackle them whatsoever. And yes, the ESA used
"enhance the experience" that many times, fucking cretins. Before then the ESA was even
more dismissive of concerns. In May of 2018, the trade
association wrote off in-game gambling criticism
as a mere over-reaction, something it wasn't planning
to take seriously at all. "In the U.S., loot boxes are not gambling "for more than the reason
I put here," the ESA said, referencing the same tired old bullshit. "The other one is it's not
converted to value in the world. "It can only exist in the digital world" No, that's the premise of "Reboot". "That's the component that many "of these definitions look at. "There's not an exit path to turn that "into something outside of the game. "We have both of those reasons present, "predominantly for loot boxes "and in-game transactions
around this industry. "So going to the one or two
isolated over-reactions, "seeing how those over-reactions "play to one or two governments, "and then making that the standard "and doing that industry-wide? "That's not going to be productive "for the industry, or for gamers." In this statement, the ESA, which cannot be trusted to
protect your private data, also said that self-regulation
was the only viable solution, adding "Let's inform first, "continue to self-regulate,
and move ahead that way. "It's worked great for us
over the last 20 years. "That's the prescription we
should use going forward." Yeah, self-regulation has worked great for you over the last 20 years. For you and you alone, game industry. You see self-regulation
sounds great in theory, but in practice it only really works for the businesses doing the regulating. Expecting a corporation to
affectively self-regulate is like expecting Jason Voorhees to say, "Oh, that's enough murdered
teens for me tonight, thanks. "I'm gonna have a sit
down and a sandwich." This shifty fucking industry
has proven time and time again that it will do anything to make money if it can get away with it. It will indulge in any
toxic business model, sink to any depth of avarice,
no matter how unethical, and will only stop after
enough public outcry makes such behavior untenable. Something most clearly demonstrated with the backlash to "Star
Wars Battlefront II". And the industry's own regulatory bodies are woefully, often
deliberately, defeasible. The Entertainment Software Ratings Board is the game industry's self-regulation arm when it comes to appropriately
age rating content. And they have been just as dismissive as the ESA in the past. Also using the same pitifully
transparent excuses. Despite this, the ESRB did eventually try to cover the industry's tracks, once the political
climate around loot boxes got a little bit too hot, by adding an in-game purchases
content label for games containing loot boxes, micro-transactions and any other premium content purchasable within the software. It was an all encompassing move, however, lumping together loot boxes with other less
gambling-oriented transactions. This obfuscating move was by design. The ESRB's stated reason for lumping all transactions together inadvertently betrayed
the sneaky motive at play. "I'm sure you're all asking "why aren't we doing something
more specific to loot boxes," said ESRB President Patricia Vance. "We've done a lot of research "over the past several weeks and months, "particularly among parents. "What we've learned is that
a large majority of parents "don't know what a loot box is. "Even those who claim they do, "don't really understand
what a loot box is. "So it's very important for us "to not harp on loot boxes per se, "to make sure that we're
capturing loot boxes, "but also other in-game transactions." Quite how Vance thought this would make the ESRB look justified is beyond me, as it's basically the ESRB admitting they won't explain things to people who need that explanation the most. I mean, we're not explaining
what loot boxes are because parents don't
know what loot boxes are is a hell of a stance to take, but it effectively demonstrates exactly what the ESRB is doing. Deliberately failing to effectively inform the public about in-game monetization. Just offering a blanket label to cover the game industry's tracks and provide the appearance of regulation, without doing anything of
actual substance, note or use. Very much like the ESA and
its new loot box disclosures, the ESRB's in-game purchases
label was only implemented after years of willful
ignorance on the issue, of hand waving concerns away until the political
pressure got real enough that it was time to put
on a show of proaction. And even with the ESRB
going out of its way to protect publishers' interests, those very same game publishers are making a mockery of the effort. Thanks to post-launch micro-transactions adding premium currencies
weeks or months after launch, companies like Activision
are getting their games rated without the appropriate warnings, totally undermining the very thing that was instituted to cover their asses. Activision gets to enjoy weeks of suckering customers into its economy before anyone realizes
that's what's happening. And the ESRB ratings can't reflect it, because the ESRB doesn't
know it's coming either. They can only digitally
re-rate it after the fact. And, in the case of physical boxes, those already out there can't be amended. "Crash Team Racing" could be
bought in a store right now and the appropriate labeling
isn't on the package despite micro-transactions
getting added in. I cannot get over how
fucking weaselly that is. The in-game purchases
label was fucking designed to protect publisher interests and they still can't help undermining it. Even with the ESRB looking out for them, they still can't see past their own greed-fueled
short term gains enough to consider for a moment maybe
not fucking with the system that's designed to work in their favor. I mean, how addicted to
being a sneaky rat fuck do you have to be? God dang it, Bobby! That, and that alone, demonstrates how woefully inefficient game
industry self-regulation is. I'd almost call the regulation inept, if I didn't suspect that it's doing exactly what it's meant to be doing. Which, is to say, not very much. EA was ahead of the curve on this one, revealing "FIFA Ultimate
Team" prize odds as of 2018. The odds themselves
showed just how brutally in favor of Electronic Arts they were, with the most desirable prizes having a less than 1% chance of dropping. But knowing the odds has never stopped people with spending
addictions, problem gamblers and it's never stopped children. The very people companies like EA have been making their money from. And, EA will continue to unethically sucker money out of people with "FIFA". Which, by the by, is rated
suitable for young children, which leads to stories of kids cleaning out their parents' bank accounts, unless given more adult supervision than is needed for "Wolfenstein". The fact that odds are disclosed has done jack squat for families impacted by the duplicitous nature of loot boxes. Unlike with sticker
packs and trading cards, which the industry loves
to compare to loot boxes, video games are constantly updated and publishers have 24/7
access to their end users. Odds can always be shifted. We already know that in-game
purchases are fiddled with, thanks to companies
like Scientific Revenue, which uses tactics like dynamic pricing to alter digital storefronts
on a per player basis. All with the goal of psychologically manipulating people into spending money. Given the inherently raptorial
nature of micro-transactions, I am simply not one to trust the game industry here on any level. At what point have
publishers ever done anything to deserve trust, especially by now, when they've fucked so many people over so many times over so many years. Moreover, odds can
always be misrepresented. For example in casinos, the common promise of a 95% slot machine
payout can be misleading. Not all slot machines have
the same odds of payout, with some paying out 95% and others paying out practically zero. The casino just takes a
select sample of slot machines and uses them to arrive at its
average chances of winning. That's just one way that
odds can be misrepresented. But, at least at a casino
when you win something, there's financial value. When you buy a Panini sticker pack or a collectable card game pack, you get a physical good that
could be traded or sold. The industry loves to hide behind the fact that you can't benefit
financially from a loot box prize. But what are they really admitting there? They're just saying that loot boxes are like gambling, but shit. And, as I've said in the past, if I go to the Beau Rivage casino, they've go that sweet crab buffet with that sweet buffet crab. I don't even need to have
a go on the slot machines, I'll just head straight to the buffet and eat all that crab,
thank you very much. All crab all nice up in my tummy. Sweet buffet crab is
better than loot boxes. Every time. Playing "Call of Duty" has never once given me the sweet taste of crab. Instead, it just makes me
feel like I've got crabs. Odds disclosure is wallpaper over a crack, a newspaper put down over
a puddle of cat piss. It's the illusion of something being done without anything actually being done to address the fact that gambling is part of the AAA game experience now. If something were to actually
solve the issue of loot boxes, EA, Activision and their trash brethren would be fighting it, not pledging to comply
with it for appearances. They've resisted any legitimate attempt at regulation in the past. And this self-regulatory grand-standing, that's just more resistance, swaddled in the sheep's
clothing of compromise. Loot boxes are gambling. Gambling, but shittier. It's gambling and should
be regulated as such. "FIFA" has zero business
marketing itself toward kids, not when it needs such
intense parental supervision. By the very strict legal
definition of gambling in most countries, loot boxes are not, no, they're not, technically gambling. But, that's all it is. Game publishers are getting
off on a technicality. That's what they're exploiting. Psychologically and mechanically, these things are not
different from slot machines. And that's why you never see EA, Activision, the ESRB or the ESA talk about the mechanical
implementation of loot boxes or the psychological
impressions they make. No, they sweep all that
shit under the rug. They only stick to legal definitions, weak comparisons to sticker albums or the disingenuous claim
that it's all just optional. They do this because they
know damn fucking well that loot boxes are comparable
to gambling in every way except that strict technicality. And, more than any other point, odds disclosure isn't
enough for the simple fact that micro-transactions of any stripe shouldn't be in a paid
game to fucking begin with. The game publishers raking
in billions of dollars off the back of predatory business models is wholly unethical and
that the very real harm these sneakily incremental
purchases could inflict is fucking abominable. Loot box odds disclosure isn't
enough because, ultimately, premium loot boxes need
to fuck off and die. The only regulation that matters is regulation that
strangles the entire concept until it's nothing but a
twitching goddamn corpse. Loot boxes are vile, they
should be eradicated, the game industry has a
clear gambling problem and it cannot be trusted
to regulate itself. I realize not everyone takes me seriously when I go on my tangents. I mean, I don't know what
about this whole setup isn't to be taken
seriously, but, for reals, people dismiss me as rambling and ranting and getting all angry over
the video game industry. But, I truly do mean it. I've said this in other videos, I've said this in the addiction video, that I really would like
people to still share and put out there, because
of the testimonies in there and the research in there,
you know, it needs to be seen. And, as I've said there, I'll say it here, it's not an act when I get furious at the AAA game industry. I know I throw in little catch phrases and there's some humor in what we do. We like to have a laugh
on the show where we can, a bit of levity, if you will, but that doesn't mean that I'm insincere. I'm genuinely concerned about
what aggressive monetization has done to the game industry, to the quality of video games themselves. And, more importantly, to
the people they target. To the so-called whales,
to problem gamblers, to people with spending
shopping addictions, people with compulsive personalities. Just all the people that
the video game industry is raking in tens of
billions of dollars from. I use to stress a lot that
I am not fully in favor of government regulation
of the game industry, but it is quite clear by now, that self-regulation is a crock
of shit for the most part. It's something the industry
wants to do to avoid scrutiny, to avoid accountability, to
avoid taking responsibility for the harm that the industry is doing. And that can't carry on. And at this point, I
just don't give a shit if the government steps in or not. The industry had its chance,
it had multiple chances. And these little things
they're trying to do, the in-game warning labels that the industry is actually
just ignoring and undermining, this new thing about
loot box disclosure odds, it's a farce, it's a performance, it's grand standing and it means nothing. It's just the game industry
trying to cover its own tracks so it can continue exploiting people, preying upon people, generally
being a massive pile of wank. And, at this point, if
they do get slapped down, I won't weep for them. I won't even bother getting a tiny violin, they're not even worth that much. Thank god for me and all
that, but, more importantly, thank god for people who are
still coming forward to me, telling me about their
stories and their experiences with aggressive video game monetization and what it's done to them. I still have lots more, many more stories to share in that regard, and hopefully I'll get to do that soon. More testimonials, or another
"Jimquisition", who knows? I've got so much to share and it's heartbreaking and despicable and at some point, one day, the so-called AAA video game industry is gonna have to answer for it. I've just noticed one of the jewels went into my actual water. I'm literally drinking jewels. ("Stress" by Jim's Big Ego) ♪ Everybody's thinking about me ♪


text:
Imagine there's no box to begin with. Take everything you've learned about the business of architecture and "what can't be done" and throw that out the window. We are looking for two above-average, tech-savvy technologists to join us in our journey to elevate the industry.
To be better we realized that we have to create a place where greatness can be fostered; we need a place where people feel safe enough to generate ideas without being ostracized and push the bar forward without being judged. We are creating an ecosystem where incredibly talented individuals are empowered to put their best work into the hands of thousands of people who can enjoy buildings that are safe for everyone, fun to experience, foster a societal shift forward and are delivered with incredible quality, predictability and certainty.
We are looking for motivated, self-learners to join our highly collaborative family. Are you able to show the initiative to independently learn a piece of software? Are you a first adopter of technology? Are you able to communicate respectfully within an office environment? Are you able to check your ego at the door and join us in collaboratively brainstorming how we'd like to do things?
Join us. Don't worry, we are intentionally medium sized and always will be. You'll never become just a drone in the back of our studio.
TECHNOLOGIST POSITION – Calgary & Edmonton
- Minimum 4 years' experience (not including time in school)
- Volunteer projects or community involvement/leadership or industry memberships
- BIM wizard with a keen interest in continuously growing software capabilities. Highly developed Revit skills are absolutely necessary and canBIM certification is a bonus
- Must be able to work collaboratively on a team and be independently self-motivated
- Must be organized with the ability to track and manage many tasks and projects simultaneously
- Must have a working knowledge of new materials and construction processes
What's next? Tell us why you'd be a good fit and send us a resume: email@example.com


text:
Home - Link Care
New Member Care Staff: Getting Started Right
Most new Member Care staff come into their position in an organization with a lot of ideas, passion, and concern. But over the first year or more, they run into organizational realities, such as time, funds, priorities, crisis, which end up de-energizing the first blush of excitement. This course is designed to help the newcomer (in their new assignment under two years) understand and navigate the transition into the organization effectively. We will be addressing questions like the following:
- Counseling, consulting, training, mentoring -- where do I begin?
- Developing reasonable and practical privacy and confidentiality management strategies
- Current MC policy review and adjustment
- Managing organizational conflict around Member CHD issues
These and others issues will be processed as they arise out of the members of the class.
A 4 session monthly virtual classroom for New (or newer) mission organization member Care/ Health/ Development staff.
Thursdays, 8:30AM California, Pacific time - Sept 7, Oct 5, Nov 2, Dec 7 - One hour in length.
Class size limited to 20 participants. If this number is exceeded, additional class times may be considered.
Cost: $150
This course is only for Crosswired members. Already a Crosswired member? Sign In Here.
Dr Brent Lindquist
Brent Lindquist, Ph.D., President, Link Care Center. Misison Advisor, Missio Nexus, and Global Learning Architect for Member Health, Crosswired. Brent works with mission agencies globally, consulting in member Health, training, and crisis response issues. On behalf of Missio Nexus, he conducts Member Health Audits for member mission agencies. This course has come largely from the questions, needs, and concerns of audited agencies.
As an adult, wearing the label and license of a psychologist, Brent has spent over 30 years helping people in their healing journeys, looking at atlernative behaviors and thoughts. He has also spent a lot of time as a cross-cultural consultant, trainer, and coach, helping people expand their ability to cross cultural boundaries effectively.
Brent also serves on the Board of Directors for the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies [EFMA], Avante Health Care Network [Fresno, CA], and on the Advisory Board and Editorial Boards of the Evangelism and Missions Information Service, Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL. Brent frequently conducts training workshops and speaks at professional conferences and events all over the world. In addition, he continues to write learning curriculum and produce and international radio program for Trans World Radio-Europe.
Related Material
Free Online Virtual Clinic Enroll Now
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Full courses only available on Crosswired.com
- Managing Anxiety
- Planning for Emergencies
- Valuing Differences
- Feelings Thoughts and Attitudes
- Managing Loneliness
- Managing Other Feelings
Virtual Classroom
In session - Contact Instructor for information


text:
This event has passed.
Purple Day
February 6, 2019 @ 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Purple Day is an international grassroots effort dedicated to increasing awareness about epilepsy worldwide. On March 26th annually, people in countries around the world are invited to wear purple and host events in support of epilepsy awareness. Last year, people in dozens of countries on all continents including Antarctica participated in Purple Day!
Link: http://www.purpleday.org


text:
The "Hard to Find" website has amazing products and it was hard to pick just one ... but this beautiful "Emerald Dreams Pendant" necklace really caught my eye.
And here's the sketch from Clean & Simple (FTL190):
Here's my card for both challenges ... this is a little busy for the Clean & Simple challenge, but I saw the example from the designer, and I think it's about the same as her's ... so I should be ok :)
Stamps: Oak Branch (Stampscapes); Tranquility stamp - retired from SU!
Paper: Basic Black, Certainly Celery, Whisper White (SU!)
Ink: Certainly Celery, Always Artichoke, Basic Black (SU!)
Accessories & Tools: Big Shot, Oval Nestabilities (Spellbinders), Floral Screen embossing folder (Cuttlebug), sponges
I cut out an oval from Whisper white cardstock and sponged the top with Certainly Celery ink, the bottom with Always Artichoke ink and then stamped part of the tree branch in Basic Black ... adding a little sponged black at the bottom and top. I framed it with an oval of Basic Black cardstock.
Ran Certainly Celery cardstock through my Big Shot with the embossing folder and then sponged over top with Certainly Celery ink to highlight the embossing.
Mounted all the pieces as shown in the photo above, popping up the oval with dimensionals to add depth.
The inside panel is Certainly Celery cardstock with a 1 1/4" strip of embossed cardstock on the left-hand side, framed with black.


text:
Many rumors have appeared in the net about the upcoming Nokia E71i, which is the E61 's successor.
As there is no official information about the device we will just tell you what we heard. :) So, the phone should be announced at 3GSM and will probably be released sometime in Q2 2008.
Nokia E71i features will include HSDPA and Wi-Fi support, GPS functionality, 3Mpix camera, and full support for device and memory card encryption. It will be smaller than E61i/E61/E62 models measuring 57x112x10mm and weighing in 120 grams.
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text: My company is looking into supporting Android as well as our current Blackberry standard. We have one issue that hopefully someone here can answer. On the blackberry we have an application called "Message Alerts" it job is to check incoming email to the blackberry mail application and process them based on rules. We have a standard rule that matches any 'high priority' message and sets off a corresponding alert/notification. Other rules can be set to delete message, etc.. Here is a link to the software I am talking about. http://www.webmessenger.com/products/mablackberry.htm I was hoping something like this existed for the android platform, or if something like this could be developed, I'm not against putting in the time to write something if that is what is needed. Thanks,


text: Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, and this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic is "Top Ten Comics on My TBR." Some of these I've started like The Walking Dead, but most have been on my TBR for years. Preacher and Outcast are new additions to my TBR, as I never heard about them until they were adapted for television. Reading comics isn't an issue considering I have some already downloaded on my iPad, and a Marvel Unlimited subscription. The problem is reminding myself to read them as I read novels. I tend to get so caught up with books, that I forget about these little gems just waiting to be read.