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Being Chloe
Loving silks, satins, and other pretty feminine things seems to have been with me all of my life. Today I suddenly got to wondering where it all started and that's when I realised that Chloe was already with me a long time before she owned a name.
Looking back, I suppose the reason that she stayed hidden for so long was because she knew that people wouldn't understand her, after all, the world of my childhood was far less tolerant and open to people like her than it is today.
Up until now, I have managed to fulfil the role that society, my parents, and my piers reinforced into me as I grew up. Acting as they expected me to only experiencing my inner woman in secret, in furtive snatches that were grabbed whenever the opportunity arose.
lately however, the ghost of the past have started coming back to haunt me as I remember my suppressed behaviours and attitudes as a child. Also, writing this blog and interacting with so many others on social media has caused things to click and long buried yearnings have resurfaced with an almost ferocious passion and desire. I don't know what the future holds for Chloe, but I do know that so many of you who follow me here and on social media have played a much bigger part in bringing her alive than you will ever imagine.
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Being Chloe


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Case in point, the top ten, where for a second week 'This Is America' by Childish Gambino is at #1. Now as I said last week, I like this song, I'm happy it took #1, but I can't be the only a little amazed at its dominance lasting a second week, right? It's finally picking up airplay, sure, but its margins on YouTube are shrinking compared to the competition... but apparently this week it picked up in on-demand where it needed to match the huge sales, so it's very much still dominant. That's not to say 'Nice For What' by Drake isn't a challenger, though - a lot of upward radio momentum, right behind in sales and streaming... although really, if you look closer at the YouTube numbers, you see that 'God's Plan' still remains bigger. It's at #3 for another week as airplay and sales are slowly declining, but again, only slowly, and it's still a streaming force to be reckoned with. This places 'Psycho' by Post Malone in an odd position at #4, as it's picking up more radio than it ever has before and the streaming has always been big, but sales are just not there to put it over the top in the same way... although it'll certainly keep it above 'Meant to Be' by Bebe Rexha and Florida Georgia Line, which despite holding #5 thanks to sales and residual radio is just in freefall in airplay right now, it's not pretty. Then there's 'The Middle' by Zedd, Maren Morris & Grey at #6, which actually spent the week wavering on the radio... but thanks to weaker sales and streaming probably won't get higher. What will is 'No Tears Left To Cry' by Ariana Grande up to #7, and while I don't want to oversell how big this track will get, the radio momentum and streaming has been considerable - probably won't be a smash hit, but given the weaknesses above her, I can see this breaking the top five. Certainly puts it above 'Look Alive' by BlocBoy JB and Drake down to #8 as it flails on the radio and is only recovering on-demand thanks to Post Malone fading, or 'Never Be The Same' by Camila Cabello down to #9 hitting a hard peak on the radio as sales faltered, or 'Perfect' by Ed Sheeran clinging to #10 despite losses across the board.
And on that subject, losers and dropouts, where in the latter category the only song worth caring about is 'Bartier Cardi' by Cardi B and 21 Savage finally exiting - shame she's promoting 'Be Careful' as the next single, but that's a different conversation. As for our losers, it was another bad week for Post Malone, so let's blow through these quickly: 'Ball For Me' with Nicki Minaj dropped to 51, 'Paranoid' fizzled to 54, 'Rich & Sad' drooped to 55, 'Stay' lost to 65, 'Over Now' fell to 89, 'Zack & Codeine' crashed to 90, 'Same Bitches' with G-Eazy and YG hit 93, 'Takin' Shots' dropped to 97, and '92 Explorer' crashed at 98. Then we had previous album bomb recipient J. Cole taking a loss for 'Kevin's Heart' to 68 - good. And from there... well, it was pretty scattered. No, I'm not pleased that 'Say Something' by Justin TImberlake and Chris Stapleton fell to 100 - at this rate it's going to be out of the Hot 100 too early - or that 'Beautiful Crazy' by Luke Combs utterly crashed off the debut to 99, because apparently country radio isn't giving it any support whatsoever. But the rest of these... I'm not going to complain that 'Dame Tu Cosita' by El Chombo is down to 57, or that 'Watch' by Travis Scott ft. Lil Uzi Vert and Kanye West fell to 42. What's intriguing is that Nicki Minaj's 'Chun-Li' fell hard to 29... mostly because streaming has really underperformed for that song, which... oh well.
Look, I'm not going to get bent out of shape about that when I have the gains and returning entries to care about - yeah, 'Moonlight' by XXXTENTACION is back at 88, but at least 'Cry Pretty' by Carrie Underwood came back to 95 along with it. And when I look at our gains... honestly, it's hard to get all that annoyed with any of this. The worst is probably 'I Like Me Better' by Lauv rising to 61 - mostly because it seems like it's getting a radio push - but beyond that, I'm not going to complain that 'Red Roses' by Lil Skies and Landon Cube rebounded to 87, or that 'OTW' by Khalid, Ty Dolla $ign and 6LACK rose to 66, or that 'I Lived It' by Blake Shelton picked up to 70, or even that 'Sit Next To Me' by Foster The People picked up to 72 - the song has real problems, but the groove is at least decent. Then we have our gains off debuts, like 'Mercy' by Brett Young to 86 and 'Done For Me' by Charlie Puth and Kehlani to 53 - that last one is considerable, I did not expect it to pick up as much as it did, but good sales thanks to the album will help and it's got radio momentum. And finally we have two gains that are actually maintaining momentum: 'One Kiss' by Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa up to 39 - mostly because radio adores it - and to my shock 'Delicate' by Taylor Swift up to 36 - again, radio and sales traction, it might actually stick around a bit.
But we now have a pretty reasonable list of new arrivals, so let's start with...
92. 'All Girls Are The Same' by Juice WRLD - okay, maybe I'm just completely out of touch, but this guy wasn't even on my radar. I was expecting Playboi Carti to get something off of Die Lit - and trust me, we'll get to it - but apparently Juice WRLD is the newest act from Soundcloud to nab a major record deal with Interscope and get two singles through this week, with this one apparently netting him critical acclaim... whereas all I really hear is a Post Malone-wannabe with somehow even drearier production as he bitches about all the girls that did him wrong with some of the most flat emo-rap content I've heard in a long time. Seriously, if you gave this to a pop punk artist in the late 90s or early 2000s I'd probably laugh at it but at least there'd be sweet guitars or a real hook instead of really cheap autotune filters and desaturated pianos, and even then, it'd still probably be pretty insufferable. So yeah, no chance in hell I'm going back to this - next!
91. 'Lust' by Lil Skies - okay, so I've actually been pretty forgiving of the more melodic trap that Lil Skies has released before, so I was actually kind of looking forward to a new single here... and like with his past few songs, I didn't mind this at all, mostly because Lil Skies can connect his rhymes consistently, the flute is generally pretty jaunty feeding into the melody, and he at least seems to acknowledge that all of this is a lot of lust and not love - hell, when he admits he screwed your girl, he actually seems a little regretful of it, actually seeing consequences when guys start taking shots at him. And again, the flexing is pretty shallow and I'd still say that Lil Skies isn't an especially compelling or expressive MC - we're still talking about trap that's actively cribbing references from Young Thug songs from a few years ago - but this is tolerable, I'll take it.
77. 'Me Niego' by Reik ft. Ozuna & Wisin - whereas this track was absolutely something I was not looking forward to, because Ozuna has continued to be one of the most annoying reggaeton singers charting hits these days and the last time he teamed up with Wisin it didn't go all that well. And this time... man alive, if there was a song that could have afforded to get rid of both of its guest stars immediately, it's this one, because Reik steps up to the microphone with the sort of natural charisma and smooth natural vocal range that neither Ozuna and Wisin can credibly match. Granted, it's not really helped by the fact this song has to lean into flat, buzzy reggaeton rather than the acoustic foundation it starts with and integrates on every pre-chorus, but whenever Reik gets back to the microphone, the song actually gets interesting! Shame the lyrics don't really get there - it's basically a song where none of the artists can accept the relationship is over and just wallow in angst, with Wisin's verse being particularly overdone and embarrassing - but again, I can see a place where some of this could have worked. Unlike...
74. 'Lucid Dreams' by Juice WRLD - round two with this guy, the big single Interscope is pushing with very brittle plucked synths operating as a foundation - it's actually a sample of Sting of all people - to a lumbering bass and trap snare... and my god, if I thought the melodrama of the last song was pushing it, Juice WRLD doing his blocky Post Malone impression on his single verse somehow got even worse. The autotune still sounds flat and lacking any deeper body, but really, the bigger issue comes in the insufferable bitchfest that is the songwriting which includes lines like 'I cannot change you so I must replace you' and that apparently this girl wants him dead - doubt it's not without good reason - because apparently she's just evil and plastic and fake and that her heart is full of mistakes and that despite all of that he won't let her forget him. So here's the thing: if he's implying some darker ending for this girl, there's little actual tension conveyed by his delivery to sell it, and yet without this implication, it comes across so overdone to feel like underweight Tumblr bait! No, if I want this, I'll stick with pop punk and emo with some actual intensity and introspection, not this dreck - next!
50. 'Back To You' by Selena Gomez - so much to my surprise, this is not a song tied to Selena Gomez's next album, but instead from the soundtrack of the second season of 13 Reasons Why, a Netflix series that I know more for the avalanche of controversy that's associated with it than having watched it myself - frankly, if I want my teenage melodrama I'll stick with Riverdale. Now what surprised me is that Selena Gomez has been an executive producer on the show, and she's now curating the soundtrack for the second season, with this being her big song for it... and yet much of the drama surrounding the track has been the lingering questions whether it's about Justin Bieber. Honestly, it seems like there's a real possibility that's true, especially with how it seems like they wound up separated yet again and possibly for good this time, but given that she's not even the main writer of the track, I'm more inclined to just consider it on its own merits. And on that note... honestly, I like it a lot. The acoustic foundation provides great gentle texture playing off the stuttered drums and pop-EDM beat and shimmering synths, Gomez is growing into a more expressive and subtle performer and the subtle multi-tracking on the hook is a huge asset for her, and I like how the lyrics acknowledge in the subtext how the relationship is very clearly over, but she wants to acknowledge the unfinished business and a lack of regrets, which honestly feels healthy. It's nothing all that sophisticated, but really between this and 'Wolves', Selena Gomez is landing some of the better pop songs charting in 2018, so I'll take what I can get - damn good song.
49. 'Yes Indeed' by Lil Baby & Drake - I literally forgot that Lil Baby had another song on the Hot 100 before this collaboration and that I actually covered it. Now for the life of me I can't remember anything about it, but apparently he's getting a second chance with the big Drake feature... and how is this week we keep getting references to Pikachu, because Lil Baby does it here too! Not a good idea either, given how similar his style is to Young Thug... and he's also inherited his penchant for awful lines like about how lawyer is 'a Jewish like he voodoo' and the line 'wah wah wah bitch I'm Lil Baby' - seriously, is anyone expecting to take you seriously after that? I guess the best thing I can say is that the muted melodic sample behind the trap beat sounds alright, but with Drake flexing in an utterly flat monotone with nothing interesting to say and Lil Baby still sounding like a less interesting version of what Young Thug does when he's not trying to be interesting, why does anyone need to care about this? And on that note...
46. 'Shoota' by Playboi Carti ft. Lil Uzi Vert - look, I get why people praise Playboi Carti, a rapper of such fundamentally limited skills that he's most well-known for ad-libs and better-than-average production. And believe it or not I'm not explicitly against this, providing there is something there that remains compelling - I've defended crunk music on the same level of lyricism. And with this... my god, if this was a stronger week and the production wasn't as good, I'd be way harsher on this. Again, the flexing is painfully shallow for as much for as much as both emphasize they're taking your girl - charming - and neither can ride this beat all that well - although Playboi Carti is arguably better with his oddly crunchy flow - but really, what anyone cares about is the production, a glossy skittering strings oscillation picking up off a darker keyboard line that actually breaks into the blocky trap beat really well with some higher shimmering elements, it sounds really sugary and pleasant. Shame nobody's saying anything worth while with any significant presence... but for what this is, it's passable - barely.
So yeah, not really a good week here... yeah, I can't pick an honourable mention, so we'll go with the best going to 'Back To You' by Selena Gomez and the worst to 'Lucid Dreaming' by Juice WRLD for just being utterly insufferable. Next week... hard to tell what'll happen, I don't see any upcoming album bombs, but we might get new Camila Cabello and BTS... eh, who knows.

subset: commoncrawl


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Capital Projects
The NPEI 2019 Capital Budget continues to follow a format focused on Projects driven from established Programs to prioritize NPEI resources in an efficient and beneficial manor to our Customers. These programs drive Rebuild/Reinforcement/Voltage Conversion & Construction as a result of, Pole Testing & Inspections, Pad-mounted Equipment Inspections, Sub-station Maintenance & Inspections, Manhole & Sidewalk Vault Inspections, Kiosk Inspections, Minor System Betterments, Subdivision Connections, and Demand Based System Expansions for Commercial Development.
1. Extension of 3-Phase primary, South on Oakwood and continuation under QEW and over Chippawa River
Projected load growth in the next 3-5 years in the Montrose & Bigger area with the proposed construction of the new Niagara South Hospital requires additional system capacity to be extended to this area. This project will extend a second feeder to Montrose for future extension. Timing of this project is driven by proposed Ministry of Transportation work on the QEW bridge over the Welland River. This project aims to complete our work prior to the MTO project commencing.
2. Re-Build—Victoria Ave—Claus Rd. to S. Service Rd
Rebuild in place using 556MCM Al Primary and taller poles to a 600Amp Main Circuit 27.6kV with maintaining of existing 8kV as underbuild. Replacement of 45 3-phase poles and associated framing. Transfer of 11 existing single phase transformers and 2 three phase transformers and associated secondary services to new poles. Maintain existing on 8kV circuit. Benefit is additional tie point for 4501F2 and provides for future extension of 27.6kV infrastructure and growth. Approx. 2200m of new spans to be strung.
3. Concession 2 Rd. Relocate
Extension of 1-Phase 4.8kV feeder on Concession 3 Rd., 1-Phase 16kV feeder on Concession 2 Rd. and rebuild of 4 poles for 1-Phase 4.8kV feeder on Green Rd. within the road allowances to facilitate removal of 35 poles and approximately 3km of feeder from inaccessible farm fields. The existing plant which was not installed in the municipal road allowance was installed in the 1940's and is at end of life.
4. Thorold Stone Rd-- Montrose to Kalar
Project scope involves the replacement of 1.1 KM. of urban overhead 13.8 KV primary line installed in 1958 with 27-new 45' wood poles, constructed in the same alignment as the existing pole line. Replacement of the undersized primary conductor with 556 MCM for increased ampacity of the circuit during contingency situations, 6-single phase transformers to replace existing, transfer 4-three phase & 2-single phase primary risers, install 1.1.KM of secondary buss, and transfer of 40 residential services to the new buss. Benefits include improved system losses, improved equipment clearances, reinforcement & capacity increase of the supply in the area.
5. Portage Rd--Mountain Road to Church's Lane
Project scope involves the replacement of 0.6 KM. of urban overhead 13.8 KV 3-phase primary line installed in 1966 with 17-new 45' wood poles, constructed in the same alignment as the existing pole line to provide a tie point between the 12-M-1 and the 12-M-4 from Stanley T.S. Replacement of the undersized primary conductor with 556 MCM for increased ampacity of the circuit during contingency situations, 3-single phase transformers to replace existing, transfer 2-single phase & 2-three phase primary risers, install 0.6 .KM of secondary buss, and transfer of 46 residential services to the new buss. Benefits include improved system losses, improved equipment clearances, reinforcement & capacity increase of the supply in the area with redundancy provisions.
6. Station #14--Voltage Conversion Phase III
Rebuild Project which targets 2.5 kilometers of urban distribution line installed in 1956, including 76 pole changes, new single phase (2.0KM @ 62 poles) & secondary (2.5KM @ 14 poles) circuits, 18-single phase distribution transformer replacements resulting in the upgraded supply to about 250 residential customers directly, in the area bounded by Hagar Ave, Caladonia St, Winston St, Concord Cres, Demetre Cres, Argyll Cres & Paisley Ave, & Jolley Cres. System benefits includes the final stage of reconstruction to eliminate Municipal Sub-station. #14 constructed in 1956, targeted for decommissioning, replacement of aging equipment, immediate voltage conversions opportunities for approximately 800KVA of connected load, improved equipment clearance, and increased Customer reliability.
7. Subdivision Rehabilitation Allowance.
Continuation of the capital program started in 2018 to provide a solution, to a problem identified during the last Asset Condition Assessment, for replacement of directly buried primary & secondary conductors supplying residential services within the oldest Underground Distribution Residential Subdivisions within the Niagara Falls Service Territory. This program facilitates future rebuild by the installation of directional bored 4" & 3" HDPE conduit on the side of the road where primary and secondary co-exist, and a 4" HDPE conduit where only secondary is installed between all pad-mount foundations. Existing Cable would be "run to failure", at which time new cable would be installed utilizing these new ducts. The first subdivisions targeted were the Rolla Woods & Mount Forest areas which were installed in 1967.
8. System Access project to accommodate load growth.
This work is part of an Offer to Connect and Economic Evaluation.
Projected load growth requires NPEI to off load and reconfigure the KM3 feeder which currently services a commercial property in order to accommodate customer needs. This will require the installation of a new 3-phase underground feeder connection which runs from Montrose Rd., under the QEW through the Hydro right of way to Dorchester Rd. to allow shifting of significant KM3 load to the 12M3. Additional overhead feeder reconfiguration work is also required in the Thorold Stone Rd. and Kalar Rd. area.
9. Murray TS – J-Bus Metering
Existing wholesale metering for the J-Bus at Murray TS is on the Measurement Canada Dispensation list as it does not meet current metering standards. This metering is required to be upgraded to current standards prior to the end of 2020. This project addresses this issue by installing individual feeder level wholesale meter points outside of the station similar to what NPEI has done previously with the Y-Bus feeders.
10.Kalar TS – Power Tx Dry Down Equipment
Oil analysis for the power transformers at Kalar TS have been indicating unacceptably high levels of moisture content which if left untreated can shorten the anticipated asset life. This project is to cover the cost of purchasing and installing an on-line oil dry down system to remove the moisture from the oil and prolong transformer life.
11. Kalar TS – Additional Switchgear Design
Kalar TS was designed with dual winding power transformers and the capability of supporting two lineups of switchgear. At time of construction only one lineup of switchgear was installed. We have reached capacity on the existing switchgear and need to begin the design process for tendering the installation of the second set of switchgear to utilize the second set of transformer windings and increase the capacity of the station. This project is to complete the detailed design and tender package for the new switchgear.
12. Pad-mounted Switchgear Replacements
The Underground Equipment Inspection Program has identified a requirement for replacement of air insulated pad-mounted switchgear units. Project scope involves the installation of applicable civil works such as manholes and duct-banks associated with the equipment replacement to current standards, using equipment constructed of Stainless Steel to avoid corrosion issues. Increased system reliability, Public & Personnel safety, and functionality are benefits of the program.
13. Additional Sectionalizing Switches
Existing feeder configurations, sourced by Stanley, Murray, Beamsville & Niagara West
Transformer Stations, Kalar M.T.S. and Vineland D.S., are reviewed utilizing system optimization software, to identify needs for additional pole mounted ganged load break switches within the system. Factors such as minimizing system losses, providing improved contingency options during outage events and providing a means to minimize the area affected are all considered when prioritizing new switch locations.
14. 1-Phase Hydraulic Recloser Installation
Existing feeder configurations, are reviewed utilizing system optimization software, to identify needs for additional pole mounted recloses within the system. The new units are solid dielectric, electronically controlled equipment, with interrogation/communication capabilities, providing Control Operators with real-time status during outage events, enabling information gathering for restoration planning.
15. Line Relocations due to Municipal Road Improvement requirements
An allowance is maintained for the relocation/construction of distribution facilities to resolve conflicts with planned road works by such Governmental Agencies as the Ministry of Transportation, Regional Municipality of Niagara and the various Municipal Agencies within the Service territory. Additions and reinforcement to the distribution system resulting from new construction requests fall under this budget. Tracking is accomplished with individual Project Numbers assigned to the various projects as required within the Corporate Accounting System.
16. Replacement of Poles identified with limited Structural Integrity
The natural degradation of wooden utility poles is an ongoing issue. NPEI performs a site visit of every distribution pole on the System every 5-years, with a total population of 37813. The pole is tested for its integrity, a visual inspection is performed of the equipment installed on the pole by qualified Linesmen, the pole is photographed, guy guards are installed & down grounds are repaired/replaced as required, and test results are stored within the Corporate Geographic Information System. An evaluation of the results are performed, with deficiencies addressed by the replacement of subject poles, in a timely manner, through this Capital Program. The average cost per pole change is approximately $ 5,000.
17. Replacement of Kiosks with Pad Mounted Transformers
Prior to the advent of pad-mounted Transformer & Switchgear Equipment, supplying loads larger than could be supplied by pole mounted equipment, or areas serviced from underground primary distribution systems, lead to the development of ground mounted masonry enclosures housing high voltage transformation, switching & protection apparatus, and secondary distribution equipment, known as the Kiosk. These block structures were meant to provide Public Safety but over time the structures deteriorate and warrant replacement. These are prioritized utilizing the results of a 5-year Conditional Assessment Survey last completed in 2018. This Capital Program is an integral part of the remediation of underground distribution systems, increasing longevity and reliability within the area serviced. As these legacy components are replaced, safety, reliability and service quality are significantly improved. In 1994 the kiosk replacement program was initiated with 725 locations identified. 56-Units remain on the 15KV System, and 59-Units remain on the 5KV System. For 2019 the plan is to replace 1 unit.
18. System Sustainment Allowance
This Capital Program manages an allowance for minor projects initiated by unexpected failures/deficiencies of overhead and underground distribution facilities. Replacement of underground cable experiencing repeated failures is a major contributor covered by this allowance. Minor overhead system modifications and component replacements are also accounted for.
19. Subdivisions and New Residential Services
20. Demand Based System Reinforcements for New Commercial Service Connections
This Capital Program manages an allowance for the construction/upgrade of distribution equipment to facilitate system access connections of new commercial developments. Expansions and reinforcement to the distribution system resulting from these new customer connection requirements fall under this budget allowance.
21. Metering - General
This Capital Program manages an allowance for the metering equipment to facilitate system access connections of new commercial and residential developments. Metering costs resulting from these new customer connection requirements fall under this budget allowance.
22. Metering – MIST
Per amendments to section 5.1.3 of the Distribution System Code that came into force on August 21, 2014, NPEI has until August 21, 2020 to install a MIST meter on any existing installation that has a monthly average peak demand during a calendar year of over 50kW. This Capital Program manages an allowance for the metering costs resulting from this change.


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Poor Mom and Dad. We're always blaming our parents for every trivial mistake we make such as baring all for hard-core porn and deciding to skip college and go straight to work earning minimum wage for the next 10 years until we get it together and go back to school. It's decidedly unfair when adults, even young adults, make poor decisions in their lives and blame their parents but sometimes the blame, at least partial blame, is placed squarely where it belongs. In fact, some porn queens, most of whom are anywhere from 18 to 21, just kids really, don't know for themselves why they are into this way of life besides easy money. Well, easy if you don't mind being forever branded a whore and contracting as many STDs as you can along the way.
I blogged about one typical porn queen in Tales from the Dark Side, a dark tale indeed about Colleen Applegate turned Shauna Grant in her hardcore porn films. A beautiful blonde, Colleen hailed from a cold, strict, self-righteous family that oppressed her to a point that when she finally broke away, she went to the extreme of degrading herself in Los Angeles pornography. Her mother stated "I wasn't aware of how bad her life was until after she died." No kidding. Meh. If you want to read more, click here.
I say typical about Shauna Grant because her sad story isn't unusual in Los Angeles porn, where young girls are chewed up, spit out, and often left with drug addictions that are as hard as the porn they've starred in. Nasty. Lately violent and degrading porn is in high demand. The silly sappy stuff you see on YouPorn is the PG version of pornography. Yep. PG. The stuff that's being filmed in L.A. is truly awful: young girls are supposedly gang-raped in videos, they're beaten, called degrading names, forced to partake in BDSM scenes, and used in the worst kind of porn you can imagine. These scenes aren't real in the sense that these women aren't truly being raped, but after the fact they often feel as though they have been: their bodies hurt, their self-esteem plummets, they feel depressed and some are suicidal. Some succeed at suicide. Do these girls sound like whores to you?
You may wonder what drives a young woman into hardcore porn, especially the aforementioned degradation? Well wonder no more. A little online digging and I uncovered some valid, yet perplexing reasons, that the daughters of certain parents become victims of pornography. A list:
1. A truly nasty divorce – absolute vindictiveness and no "amicable" anywhere to be found. These are the divorces where name-calling and false sexual abuse allegations occur. The worst kind is when parents convince their children to lie about a parent having molested them. Do children lie about this stuff? Absolutely, when they're under pressure to do so. Do they feel worse than shit for doing it? What do you think? A study by Paul Armato showed that children of divorce score lower academically, and suffer "psychological adjustment, self-concept and social competence."
2. Furthering this concern, a 2002 study in The Journal of Pediatric Psychology found that adolescents from mother-alone or mother-absent homes are more likely to become sexually active at a young age, risk taking behavior that is compounded by substance abuse and lack of social support. I do have a bone (pun) to pick with the mother-alone conclusion. As a single mother raising a beautiful, healthy daughter I take offence to that statement. Mind you, I was a single mother by choice and there was no divorce. That might account for my daughter turning out so beautifully. That and my awesome parenting, of course.
3. Mothers and fathers who weren't parents: they were friends. Allowing daughters to set their own boundaries, get a boyfriend as young as they pleased, These parents didn't teach their daughters how to set personal boundaries and that they had the right to be respected by boys. This is one of the worst parenting styles ever.
4. Families that raped and molested their daughters – a pretty obvious (and tragic) one. It's possible that someone outside the family was molesting a little girl and the parents ignored it. I mean, how do you honestly not know this stuff? If you're a distant, uncaring parent then you might just might not know about it but otherwise, you do and just don't want to deal with it. I knew a young woman who was sexually molested by a neighbour for a number of months. When she got older and confronted her parents they claimed innocence. She killed herself.
6. Parents that were prudes or mothers who were total sluts and didn't have a good handle on their sexuality. This leads parents to inadequately educate daughters about sex, either teaching an abstinence only or a laissez-faire approach. Statistics on abstinence-only programs show this approach to be insanely ineffective. I love my mother with all my heart but that was her ridiculous approach and that was because she was raised in the previous generation. She truly did abstain until marriage. Mind you I didn't become a slut or a porn star. I only had sex with one boyfriend for 5 years. Honest.
7. When Mom and Dad let men or women run in and out of their lives teaches daughters that significant others, and people in general are exchangeable. Kids need the truth about reliable sources of adult support and attachment.
8. She was permitted to watch insane amounts of television. Wholesome role models such as Madonna, Paris Hilton, and scantily-clad skanks dancing around in MTV videos have proven to be a great substitute for caring mothers and fathers. And if you believe that one, I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd love to sell you.
9. She got a smartphone when she was 10, and took awesome #selfies all day. With every picture she took to post to her social media sites, she became less sensitive to the idea of her images floating around on the web. Sexting, btw, is a booming practice, and a gateway technology usage that might lead to appearances on Internet porn sites. If a neglected daughter isn't participating yet, she's thinking it over.
10. Parents have let her peers raise their daughters and her friends want to be porn stars, Playboy models, the Bachelorette or any hyper-sexualized version of a real woman.
11. Parents didn't know their daughter's friends. When a child has excessive contact with her peers and loses touch with safe adult attachments, the likelihood increases that she will become an addict, or become involved in sex for hire, as mentioned in addiction specialist Dr. Gabor Maté's book, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts.
12. Parents taught her to worship false idols before God. She never learned a healthy way to fill the spiritual void that is quintessentially human, especially when Mom and Dad are addicted to keeping up with the Joneses, or even better, being the Joneses. Isn't it interesting that girls leave porn because they've found religion? No fake. Money, sexual exploration, and false adoration didn't provide personal fulfillment like spirituality did. Who knew?
13. The most tragic of all from parents' perspectives: they truly tried their best but for whatever reason it wasn't enough. Most likely, these were parents who simply didn't have the necessary skills to raise a girl (or a boy) and yet they don't know why their child has become a porn queen. In this category, you might include mothers who gave birth at the age of 16, or mothers who forced their daughters onto the birth control pill at the same age "just in case", humiliating and infuriating her and emphasizing a lack of trust in her sexual behaviour.
14. Mom and Dad loved her lots but they didn't love her right. They weren't in tune to her emotional and psychological needs. These parents have a problem with authentic intimacy too, and it's often an intergenerational issue, a cycle that has never been broken and probably never will be. I knew a man like this once. He wasn't a father (thank God) at that time. He was the strangest, most detached person I ever knew, able to manipulate people with insulting behaviour that he tried to cover up as if it was as natural as could be. He even manipulated a girlfriend into an abortion she didn't want. When and if he becomes a father, his daughter is in for a very rough ride.
15. The parents were married to their careers and nurtured them far more than they did their children. I'm not talking about parents who have to both work a job in order to keep a roof over their children's heads. Most of us have to do that. I'm talking about people who devote as many overtime hours into their careers as possible in the quest to get ahead and climb that promotional ladder, while forgetting that raising their kids just might be an important priority too.
16. People who shower their children with gifts as a substitute for affection and spending time with their daughters are headed for trouble – and of course so are their daughters. These are the parents who protest, "of course I love her! I gave her everything a kid could want." Materials (like false idols) are never proof that a person loves their children. In fact this approach is a convenient way to avoid spending time with their kids.
17. A complete lack of stability. These are families with no roots, they pick up and move continually without a moment's notice and no explanation to their children. Sometimes a spouse is left behind in the move and the daughter never sees him or her again. Secrecy, denial, and instability have severe effects on children, probably more than most adults realize.
18. Low self-esteem and no friends. Traci Lords, an underage porn star, has discussed being bullied, beaten up by peers, and isolated at her school at the tender age of 14. Girls were envious of her pretty appearance and early physical development. Along with those characteristics, Traci had low self-esteem and few social skills, typical of girls who run away and have little attachment to their families.
19. Growing up in poverty. Some young women live in homes that provide scant food and clothing, they go to bed hungry, and worse, Mom and Dad seem to have enough money for dope but not enough for food. These girls want a way out of poverty and into fast, easy money. Enough said.
19. Parents who were themselves sexually abused. That vicious cycle again. It's a killer.
20. Children who were unwanted and unloved. Pornography becomes a sexual substitute for affection. Sex is a barter for love.
Obviously not everyone who lives in these difficult circumstances becomes involved in pornography so don't get all riled up. For instance, some parents who are poor (not to be confused with poor parenting) manage to provide beautifully for their children. These are the parents who go hungry in order to feed their children. Poverty isn't a sign of poor parenting. Many parents living in a high needs area I know are wonderful parents, who strive hard to help their children succeed academically and psychologically. They do not want their children to "end up like they did." All of the aforementioned examples do not necessarily encourage young women to enter into porn, certainly not when isolating merely one "point" on its own. The human mind as we know, is so much more complex than that.
People who are reading this blog and see themselves in it are probably pissed and in complete denial. They're thinking "who is she to point her finger at me?" Someone's got to do it. You certainly won't. And of course there are people who are guilty of a number of these sad family tragedies yet who don't see themselves in here at all. That's probably the worst reaction to a blog like this one. If that's you, your daughter probably isn't in porn, but is it possible she's developing other self-esteem issues? They say it's never too late to turn your life around and perhaps that's true of your parenting.
Well, perhaps.
John – the Other Side of Beth Thomas
One person I have completely and unintentionally ignored in the Beth Thomas saga is her brother, John. John had to survive abuse from two family members: his father and his sister. I will word this blog very carefully so as not to have any misunderstanding: I sympathize with Beth, a child of 3 who was horribly abused by her own father after her mother's death. She learned the horrible things she did to herself, her brother and her step-parents. Both children were victims and both children suffered. To quote Rudyard Kipling, a male survivor of childhood abuse and author of the Jungle Book, children accept "what comes to them…as eternally established." watch how is emotional blindness created
Child literature has long documented authors' experiences as abused children. Fairytales and folktales use socially acceptable metaphors, wicked witches and ogres, the way a child views an abusive, powerful parent, as the hero's sources of evil. The stories reveal where the author's "imaginative" perspective originates; it isn't imagination at all but reality that shapes these stories, plots and characters. Kipling's Jungle Book and its characters are proof of his own suffering. The abuser is disguised as Sheer Khan, the dreaded tiger who wishes to "devour" Mowgli. Khan is the woman who devoured Kipling's childhood.
A very telling conversation takes place between the tiger and Mowgli, revealing an abused child's wisdom that no matter how society protects the abuser it cannot conceal the truth from the child. "Can it be that you don't know who I am?" smirks the tiger. "I know who you are alright," says Mowgli. So did John and Beth. watch the jungle book – final battle
John was an infant during the trauma he experienced from his father and a toddler during Beth's enraged attacks. He is an adult now. I wonder what happened in his psychological development as he matured. Did he also overcome his traumatic beginning? Did he learn to trust his step-parents? Beth was abused because she was small and powerless. For that reason, she learned to abuse her brother, who was smaller and less powerful than herself. Did he hate his sister? Did he believe Beth hated him? No one will ever know. At first, John was adopted by good people yet they were people so traumatized by their experience with Beth, they felt they had to defend their decision to relinquish her. watch Alfred hitchcock – hitch Hike
David Pelzer's experience, the "child called It," and his mother's "target child" (himself), is considered "one of the worst documented cases of child abuse in California history." He became a troubled youth, broke the law, went into juvenile detention, associated with the wrong kids, was transferred among numerous foster homes, unable to trust or love, unwanted and rejected. Today he is a motivational speaker and author of several autobiographies and other publications that inspire youth to love and respect themselves and above all, never to fear the truth. In spite of his miraculous recovery, Pelzner's life centers around his abusive past. He has never gotten over it, he is still processing and trying to understand it, even if he has learned to deal with it from a positive perspective. This is known as lifelong healing. At the same time, David Pelzer, like Beth Thomas, is living proof that it is possible to overcome the impossible life of a horribly abused childhood. watch david pelzer on larry king
I hope John's story is the same.
Happy Halloween to all You 420-s
Seems a little strange to be wishing all you stoners a Happy Halloween in April. Allow me to explain. I check Yahoo news daily and being April 20, naturally an article about 420 was posted. Click! I was immersed not in goofy smoker stories or the boring history of marijuana or the righteous fight for the advancement of the pot party in Canada. This article hit home in so many awful ways. It went through a string of evil tragedies that should never have been and either occurred on april 20, or around that date. Read 4 20: a spooky day for stoners and deadly attacks. Consider:
- Anniversary of the Columbine Shooting
- Deepwater Horizon Explosion in the Gulf of Mexico that began a 6-month oil spill and killed 12 workers
- Adolf Hitler's birthday
- the day after both the Oklahoma Bombing and the Waco Siege,
the former being Timothy McVeigh's answer to the "Davidians"
standoff against the FBI…the worst terrorist explosion in the U.S.A.
until 9-1-1. watch this is what really happened on 911
The odd term '420' was started by students attending California's San Rafael High School in the late '70s at a Grateful Dead (irony)concert, under the erroneous belief that 420 was police code for marijuana smoking. watch waco live coverage
So stoners, while you're busy smoking and sharing your love for the Dead, are yourself are you referring to the band, or the victims of these irreversible, unforgotten tragedies, quite Grateful you aren't one of the Dead? watch columbine shooting: the final report 1/5
Happy Halloween, 420's. watch 1970s marijuana warning commercial
Anonymous Victims and Glorified Killers….Adding Insult to Grave (pun) Injury
You know what is so glaringly wrong about abduction-murder-rape cases? Aside from the crime itself, it is almost always the murderer who creates a media sensation and becomes the famed name behind a tragedy that goes down in history books. Far too often the victims are overlooked and fade into anonymity. Clearly there are exceptions. Consider:
- Tate-LaBianca murders committed by the Charles Manson cult in the late 1960s. One reason the victims received significant attention was Sharon Tate's celebrity status and that she was married to Roman Polanski, the one-time director of Hollywood films. Another reason the victims featured prominently in the press was the gruesome manner in which they were slaughtered. In watch E! Shocking Hollywood Murders – Tate-LaBianca murders
- Elizabeth Short – The Black Dahlia – murdered in 1948 either by exsanguination (blood loss) or blunt force trauma to the head. Elizabeth's beauty, her alleged reputation and the ghastly state of her corpse were the main reasons she dominated the media. Also, her killer was never found. watch unsolved mysteries the black dahlia
- Lynne Harper – although her murder is better known as the Steven Truscott case, Lynne's name is well-known in southwestern Ontario, Canada due to her age (12) and the controversy surrounding the wrongful imprisonment of 15-year-old Steven for her murder. Her murder remains unsolved, another reason Lynne's name is relatively familiar. watch steven truscott gets acquittal
- Boy in the Box – people of the 1950s America were very familiar with this child since he became a national sensation. In 1957 he was found nude and battered in a J C Penney bassinet box, abandoned in a junk pile on Susquehannah Road, Philadelphia. Five decades later, the Vidoq Society, composed of volunteers, are still searching for the killer's identity. (read my blog Solving the Murder of the Boy in the Box: America's unknown child). read America's Unknown Child – the Boy in the Box
- Charles Lindbergh Jr. – the toddler of famous aviator Charles Lindbergh, was abducted from his bedroom and accidentally killed when the killer dropped the infant as he climbed down the ladder from little Charles' room. Richard Hauptmann was executed for the abduction and killing on April 3, 1936 but many believed Hauptmann could not have been the killer for various reasons. watch Richard Hauptmann's statement from behind bars 1935
- Jonbenet Ramsey – now that's a name everyone who doesn't live under a rock knows. Little Jonbenet, exploited as a beauty queen in several pageants, was found raped and murdered in the basement of her home. Her murder remains unsolved. Watch real crime – who killed the pageant queen?
- Amber Hagerman – the reason for the Amber Alert system whenever an infant, child or youth is reported as missing. A shame it didn't work in the Victoria Stafford case. watch Missing Amber: The Amber Hagerman story
There are several more, however we shall move onto murder victims whose names have become as obscure as a forgotten memory:
- William Lyman – do you remember him? That proves my point. His 1837 murder in Rochester, New York, was sensationalized simply for the fact that he was the first person murdered in Rochester. 18-year-old Octavius Baron, a known miscreant, was executed for Lyman's murder on June 7, 1838. Does anyone really care? Read rochester mysteries:the murder of william lyman
- Grace Brown – murdered in the early 1900's by her love interest, Chester Gillette after he discovered she was pregnant with his child. Brown threatened to expose him to the upper class society he moved in if he didn't marry her. Gillette drowned her in Big Moose Lake. On March 30, 1908, Gillette was electrocuted and buried in an unmarked grave near Albany, New York. Read The American Tragedy: the missing boat Grace who?
- Robert Colvert, Marion, Velda and Betty Jean Bartlett – Victims of Charles Starkweather, the real life inspiration for the movie Natural Born Killers with Juliet Lewis and Woody Harrelson. These people were the first four Starkweather murdered. Betty Jean was a young child at the time. Bet you didn't know that, did you? watch charles starkweather p 1
- Betty Gore – murdered by her husband's mistress, Candy Montgomery, in a 1980 axe murder. Montgomery's mousey appearance made for a media sensation. Montgomery was the star of the homicide case and, not to be outdone by Lizzy Borden, had hacked Betty 41 times during the murder. Montgomery was acquitted. You might be familiar with the murder photos, but I'd bet my life (oops) you didn't know Betty's name. read murder by the book: candy and betty
- Marvin, Marvin Jr and Lester Gibbs – all poisoned by mama Janie Lou Gibbs' good ol' home cooking. Okay so those long-forgotten names mean nothing to most of us, they were people, victims, and they mattered. Once. Watch deadly women: greed – 28:16
- George Melber – 5-year-old son of Mrs. Edith Melber who murdered her son with carbolic acid poison ostensibly to marry one Howard Kirk. Not a pretty sight and to think, it was the child's own mother who did him in. Read Rochester woman kills son with carbolic acid
Worse, there are a number of websites that list serial killers by the number of victims they killed: Read List of serial killers by number of victims. No victim identities are included. Sad, isn't it? Here is a partial list of notorious killers that are generally familiar to the public:
1. Lizzie Borden – "Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother 40 whacks. When she saw what she had done she gave her father 41." Sound familiar? The victims identities, Andrew and Abby Borden, aren't even acknowledged in this grisly crime.
2. Marie Hilley – sociopath who poisoned and killed her husband, poisoned her daughter, and poisoned and murdered several relatives in order to claim insurance money. Actress Judith Light played Hilley in a made-for-TV film in 1991. She was found guilty and sentenced to the death penalty for the murder of her husband and attempted murder of her daughter. Watch a clip of Wife/Mother/Murderer
3. Blanche Taylor Moore – Like Hilley, Moore's murder weapon of choice was arsenic. Moore murdered her ex-boyfriend, two husbands, father, and mother-in-law. Like Hilley, her motive was financial gain. Perhaps those two should get together for a picnic and swap stories. They might not want to eat each other's cooking. On November 17, 1990, a jury sentenced Moore to death. She has been on death row for twenty years and maintains her innocence. Watch a taste of poison – the story of blanche taylor moor
4. Karla Faye Tucker – convicted of murder in Texas in 1994 executed 14 years later. Because of her gender and publicized conversion to Christianity, she inspired a large international movement advocating the commutation of her sentence to life imprisonment. Garret hit Dean in the head several timers and Tucker attacked Jerry Dean and murdered his girlfriend Deborah Thornton with a pickaxe. She was executed by lethal injection on February 3, 1998. watch karla faye tucker forevermore interview #4
5. Diane Downs – shot her three children on Old Mohawk Road, Springfield, Oregon on May 19 1983 so her married lover would re-ignite an affair with her. Downs was convicted of murder, attempted murder and criminal assault on June 17, 1984. She was sentenced to life in prison and has made several unsuccessful appeals for 28 years. Watch raw video: Diane Downs testifies at parole hearing
6. John Wayne Gacy – prominent community member and serial killer of 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978. Gacy sexually assaulted and tortured his victims before burying most of them in the crawl space beneath his house. Gacy became known as the Killer Clown since he dressed up as Pogo the Clown for fundraising events. Gacy was charged and convicted of 33 counts of murder. Gacy was sentenced to death and remained on death row for 14 years until he was executed by lethal injection on May 10, 1994. watch john wayne gacy interview
- 7. Dr Samuel Sheppard – accused of murdering his pregnant wife Marilyn in 1954. Sheppard was the inspiration for the movie The Fugitive. The case drew a media circus nationwide since Sheppard had been having an extramarital affair. The defense argued that the crime scene was extremely bloody, and Sheppard bore only a small spot on his trousers. The jury found Sheppard guilty of second degree murder and sentenced him to life in prison. After 10 years of serving his sentence, Sheppard was acquitted. watch the dr sam sheppard murder case his son seeks the real killer
- 8. Timothy McVeigh – a United States Army veteran who detonated a truck bomb at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. The delusional McVeigh sought revenge against the federal government over the Waco Siege. He was convicted of 11 federal offenses and sentenced to death. His execution took place on June 11, 2001. watch timothy mcveigh: this mission was accomplished
9. Aileen Wuornos – a female serial killer executed for the shotgun deaths of seven men in 1989 and 1990 in Florida. Evidence of Wuorno's mental deterioration emerged when she accused prison matrons of tainting her food, spitting on it, and contaminating her food with urine. Wuornos was executed by death chamber on October 9, 1992. Watch aileen life and death of a serial killer
There's something about morbid fascination with killers, rather than sympathy and remembrance of their victims, that makes one wonder about our priorities.
Pain and Whitney
I've never been a big Whitney Houston fan. I always found her voice too shrill and sharp, as if she was on the verge of singing a half tone above soprano. Belting out a romantic tune at the top of her lungs never made any sense to me. And her movies? Meh. The Bodyguard was so bad as to be painful. I never could get over that poster of Kevin Costner struggling to carry the 5'10" 165 lb Houston in his arms without falling over. Waiting to Exhale fared better but Houston was far from Academy Award material.
Don't get me wrong. Houston was a brilliant talent, a gorgeous woman and boasted an illustrious ancestry. I can certainly acknowledge all that. She just didn't do it for me. However, reading the news of Houston's premature death on Rogers Yahoo! just about floored me. I knew about the "tumultuous" marriage to Bobby the Egomaniac Brown. I knew about the uncontrollable drug abuse. I knew about the rumours that Houston was bankrupt. But dead? At 48? A mere 3 years older than me. That left a pall that, after a week, still hasn't left me.
I grew up to Houston's tunes in the mid-80's. I actually liked her then. And thinking of her early career brings a flush of nostalgia that can't help but sadden me: I was a teenager, high school, fashion and boyfriends were my life. Houston appeared during that crazy, 80's "me" generation when everyone's hair was wigged out and every girl I knew, me included, was layered in the Jennifer Beal Flash Dance look. And Houston's opening number "I will always love you" for the 1994 Grammy's was aired the year I was expecting my only child. Those are probably the reasons her demise hit me so hard: those days are gone forever and I will never get them back. So is Houston. An undeniable legend, gone forever. And not only will she never be back, we're not likely to see her equal again in my lifetime.
Houston's personal pain dredges up a bit of sorrow in all of us.
No One Can Make Me Feel Bad Without My Permission…
... Eleanor Roosevelt, the First Lady of the United States from 1933 – 1945. I love that quote. How many people could use a little more self-esteem, self confidence, so that the cruel words of a stranger, a friend, even your own spouse couldn't hurt you? I don't know the number either but I suspect the answer is lots. The reason I'm preoccupied with Eleanor Roosevelt this evening is because of a conversation I had online with a young woman. She didn't like her face, people insulted her face but they liked her body. She didn't even like looking in a mirror. It's a sad thing what the brainwashing by ignorant people and an even more ignorant media can do to young people.
I want to tell this young girl what about the many great things about her? Perhaps her grades at school are exemplary, she may be popular because she is a truly wonderful person, perhaps she owns a wonderful talent in writing or playing a sport but even to me these words taste like that saccarine sweet nonsense of Disney movies. As if.
I want to tell this young girl that lots of extraordinary people in this world were confronted with ridicule, rejection and insult merely because they weren't "perfect". They didn't fit someone else's mold of beautiful, intelligent, talented, athletic but what saved these individuals was their refusal to believe in the cruelty of others, their refusal to give anyone permission to make them feel bad about themselves.
To quote Mohammed Ali, one of the world's champion boxing heavyweights ridiculed in high school for his dyslexia: "I knew who the real dummies were."
I want to tell this young girl if she lived in a Muslim country, when she wasn't wearing a Niqab she would dream of removing her veil and revealing her young face to the world. But I can't say it as well as I'd like to, and so not without some irony, I offer her brief media exposure to a few unique people and their individual, difficult journey from youth to adulthood to make my point for me:
Runaways and Homelessness
The number of runaways has been growing since 1994. The majority of missing children are runaways–in 2002, of the 66,532 children reported missing, 52,390 were runaways. That doesn't include young people whose parents or guardians did not file a missing children's report. There are a plethora of reasons why families don't report their teenagers as missing:
- can't handle teens' behaviour
- pressure from spouse
- don't want police bringing child home
- lack of finances to feed and clothe the child
- apathy; neglect
- other issues
Watch more teenage runaways
Teenage Canadians flee home for lots of reasons. Some have been abused, while others don't fit in at school, are LGBT, or they don't fit in with their home towns. Toronto has created a 12-member police squad to deal with runaways: arresting, charging and moving them to other areas. Many teens have mental health issues or borderline IQs. Street kids also are drawn into the sex trade, working as prostitutes or strippers. The teenage sex trade is rampant across Canada. watch notebook: runaways
Facts about Teenage Runaways:
- Most missing children are repeat runaways
- Most teens run away to escape intolerable conditions at home.
- Runaways feel neglected and have psychological problems.
- Teens will return home to see if difficult issues have changed and and if not, they leave again.
- Teen runaways are more likely to get arrested than other teens. watch teenage runaways in the UK
Prospects for homeless teens are very poor. Many do not get off the streets and become homeless adults, living a life of crime and poverty. Some die in their teens or 20's. Most are unable to leave prostitution and become addicted to drugs. Many teens become single mothers and are incapable of caring for their children. They face constant threat of violence/rape.
Ways we can help:
- donate money and clothing to street outreach programs
- donate food to food banks
- volunteer in youth hostels and soup kitchens
- hold Canadian government accountable for change in child abuse and homelessness laws
- ensure runaway programs are funded and supported
- work in the mental health field specializing in youth treatment programs
- report suspected or known child abuse
Obesity and Ostracism: How Guilty Are You?
Audience interaction time. There are so many prejudices in this world it's hardly surprising that obesity is among them. Prejudice results from ignorance, ignorance meaning "lack of knowledge". Obesity leads to crippling professional, psychology and social consequences. Watch jess talks about obesity and discrimination. Here are scenarios that are based on both discrimination and/or ability to perform work, and social isolation by peers.
- Unemployment. Obese people often experience difficulty obtaining or keeping jobs due to their weight. Watch Obesity and discrimination Were the courts correct in assessing this case as one of ability and not discrimination?
- Underemployment. This discrimination applies more often to women than men. Read page 3 of Bias, Discrimination and Obesity. Have you been underemployed based on obesity?
- Graduation from school. WatchToo fat to graduate. Is Lincoln University within its right?
- Watch Tyra Banks – Extreme Dieting. Which is less socially acceptable to you: an extremely underweight or an extremely overweight woman?
Watch "Kirstie Alley's Bikini Shock". What do you think of the audience's reaction to Kirsty Allen on Oprah? What is yours? Watch
- Watch Fight the Fat: Obesity and Bullying and Childhood obesity: Austin's Story. Were you bullied for being the "fat kid" as a child?
- Watch Dr Phil: 3 ways I am making my child fat. Why do parents instill poor eating habits in their children?
- Watch Mom sues McDonald's. What is your reaction to this mother's lawsuit?
It's a lot to think about. There aren't right or wrong answers to these questions; perhaps a closer look at your own beliefs about the issue of obesity. Hey, it's a start.
When Will I Learn?
I love the irony of that title since I'm a schoolteacher and my career is all about teaching children curriculum. However teachers are lifelong learners too and thank God for that. Hopefully everyone is in that category. The day you stop learning is the day you die, at least that's my opinion and its gotta be since I NEVER LEARN.
Why is it that there are certain painful lessons I just don't get no matter how many times I live them? I read an awesome Native Indian piece of philosophy once.
A lesson will be repeated until it is learned.
My God I love that. So poetic and yet it makes so much sense. Think about how it applies to your own life. I know how it applies to mine. I always make such poor, ratty choices in men. Always. And I always fall for them way too fast. I assume loyalty where there is none. I expect longevity when it is unlikely to happen. I consider a man to be my boyfriend after only knowing that person a few weeks.
Ultimately I am proven wrong again and again. Not just because of my own aforementioned illogical assumptions but also because of my poor choices in men: often very handsome, workaholics, unemployed freeloaders, unavailable, divorced, never married, unable to commit, a complete lack of mutual interests, disrespect for women, respect for women, and of course interested in sex but no strings, honey. That's quite a smorgasboard and none of it especially tempting.
By now I recognize an unavailable man who is not ready to commit and likely will never commit at least not to me. I also know the type who is into sex without committment and the type who likely has a significant other but is sneaking around on her and therefore on me too. I've been there, done it all, seen it all and I am ever so fatigued by it all.
And then I meet a completely incompatible man and am ever so excited as the whole cycle begins all over again.
So here's what I have learned:
- I am not wife material (see my previous post Always the Bridesmaid Never the Bride)
- I have good instincts about my poor taste in men
- I have superficial interests
- I am much better off playing the field even though I hate it
- I must become more light-hearted and less involved emotionally since I know these dudes are not now and never will be right for me
That is my ultimate decision. #5 is the answer. I can't entirely stop dating. How boring. I can't entirely avoid the opposite sex. How unfulfilling. I can't stay at home and hide out. How reclusive. But I can admit I have rotten taste in good-looking, shallow men with nothing in common with me and still enjoy the ride as long as it lasts. That my friends, that is the answer and the secret of my (debatable) success.
What were you expecting, a fairy tale, ideal ending, the kind you see in the movies? Get real. We can't all play the Cinderella role. Some of us function quite well as the (not-so-evil) stepsister (except hopefully we look better in a full length mirror under flourescent lighting in a La Senza dressing room).
So thus my "relationships" (more aptly named encounters perhaps) with men are not perfect, not horrible, maybe just a compromise.
Perhaps the lesson has been learned after all.
- The Body Beautiful Remains a Dangerous Obsession
- Why Pot Grow-Ops Should Never Be Legalized
- Is Sex Addiction Real?
- I Like Lions
- The Male Perspective on Marriage
- the Marquis de Sade and Social Media
- Because You're Worth It
- Dry Drowning and Internal Suffocation Happens Easier than You'd think
- Comely Cougars and Cagey Catches
- Stupid Financial Advice that will put You in the Poor House
- Eating Insects isn't a Foreign Delicacy
- Why not just leave her at the Altar?
- WordPress Blog
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- The Minimalist
- frugal for life
- Special Education Workshop: Bill 212/Anti-Bullying Laws in Ontario Education
- The Good Greatsby
- Marty Nemko's Website
- Awful Deals
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Green Army Lobby Day, Tuesday, April 1, 2014
The Green Army Legislative Lobby Day will be happening on Tuesday, April 1, 2014 at the Louisiana State Capitol. Our theme will be "Save Our Water." We have reserved ¾ of the capitol rotunda floor space between the House and Senate Chambers. Green Groups are invited to put up exhibits and displays to bring attention to environmental and public health issues of concern in Louisiana. We will start setting up displays at 9:00 am.
All are welcome to come and attend House and Senate legislative committee meetings that start at 9:30 am or 1:00 pm, or to go with us on tours of the capitol. Experienced capitol hands will be in the display area to assist our visitors in attending committee hearings or meeting with their legislators. Please come and invite your friends, especially folks you think would like to be on the Green Army action list of people who will contact legislators during the session. Everybody attending for lobby day should stop by our tables in the capitol rotunda to get a briefing and to pick up a Green Army volunteer sticker.
There will also be an evening reception for legislators and Green Army volunteers starting at 5:00 pm. Details will be available at the Sierra Club table on lobby day. This will be another opportunity to talk to legislators and to visit with members of our Green Army coalition.
For further information about the Green Army Lobby Day you can contact Andy Zellinger firstname.lastname@example.com. or Woody Martin email@example.com
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Consumers Concrete adopts fly ash-based CeraTech cement
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- Published: Wednesday, 14 August 2013 14:48
- Written by CP Staff
Following success in commercially developing and marketing a line of durable and sustainable cements, CeraTech USA, LLC is now focused on building a national distribution and support network.
Consumers Concrete Corp., Michigan's leading ready mixed concrete, block, and aggregate producer, recently became a distributor for CeraTech brands. "We are always looking for leading edge technologies," says CEO Tom Thomas, adding that the binder fits plants already using Class C ash and proved easy to plumb through batch panels.
Read more: Consumers Concrete adopts fly ash-based CeraTech cement


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Newcomer's Guide to the
International Meeting of the
Psychometric Society (IMPS)
This guide is provided to help you know what to plan for and expect when attending the International Meeting of the Psychometric Society (IMPS) and how to get the most out of your experience.
Registering and Planning Your Trip
1. Register for the conference.
Tip: Being a Member and registering early gets you extra discounts when registering.
2. If you are traveling with friends or family, invite them to the outings and excursions that are included in your registration fee by ordering guest tickets.
Tip: These outings are a great way to experience the local attractions and have fun with other attendees.
3. If you are a graduate student, apply for the Student Travel Award to help cover your travel costs.
4. Make your travel arrangements.
5. Book accommodations for your stay.
Tip: The Society offers attendees discounted rates on accommodations, friendly to a range of budgets. Book early.
6. Pack appropriate clothing for your trip, including both professional wear for the conference and casual wear for fun activities and outings during the conference.
Tip: Be sure to check the weather forecast. It may be a good idea to bring at least one outfit in a carry-on just in case your luggage doesn't arrive with you!
If you are travelling internationally:
1. Apply for a passport if needed.
Tip: Your passport may need to be valid well beyond the dates of your trip.
2. Apply for a visa if needed – find out as soon as possible what is required.
Tip: Rules vary between citizenships and countries, but for U.S. and European citizens going to China, flight and hotel confirmation are needed to apply for a tourist visa, and the visa is valid for about 90 days – it is recommended to apply 30-60 days before departure.
3. Consider learning some key words in the language of the host country to help you enjoy your trip. See the Travel page for helpful navigation information.
4. Have the address of your hotel or destination written down to help you navigate.
Preparing Your Presentation
You will be notified of whether your presentation has been accepted by April 1.
1. If you are presenting, register for the conference if you have not already done so.
2. Practice your presentation, preferably in front of colleagues.
3. Have your colleagues ask you questions about your presentation.
Tip: IMPS attendees like to discuss ideas and ask questions, so it is helpful to prepare for any questions that might come up.
4. Save a back-up copy of your presentation in the cloud, in an email, or on a flash drive.
For oral presentations:
1. Make sure your presentation is within the time limit of 15 minutes.
Tip: One rule of thumb is to plan to cover one slide per minute, or a maximum of 15 slides during your presentation.
2. Start with a clear goal or aim stated at the beginning of your presentation.
3. Explain equations and define symbols.
4. On slides, often less text is better – avoid overloading slides with technical details whenever possible.
5. Remember that you are the expert of your topic! Be sure you are clearly explaining your topic to your audience.
6. Have a concluding slide at the end of your presentation.
For poster presentations:
1. Prepare a short "elevator pitch" (a 1 to 2 minute short summary of your findings).
2. Consider traveling with a poster tube, mailing your poster to your destination, or printing your poster as separate sheets.
A Typical IMPS Day
- Presentations are typically scheduled between 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM.
- Attend the first day's opening keynote address to kick off the conference with fellow attendees.
- Plan ahead – check out the schedule and choose your favorite sessions to attend ahead of time when you can. Detailed information about the talks and poster session are available on the schedule page.
Tip: There are up to 6-7 sessions going on at once, so choosing ahead of time will maximize the number of talks you can fully attend and enjoy. Students are encouraged to attend the student events during the conference.
- Have lunch with fellow attendees during the conference.
Tip: A full lunch is served around noon, and all sessions stop during this time. Having lunch together is a great opportunity to get to know other attendees. If you're a student, be sure to attend the Student Lunch on Tuesday where you can meet in small groups with senior psychometricians.
- In the evenings, take advantage of the welcome reception and banquet and explore the city!
- Take part in the excursion – it is included in the registration fee.
Tip: The Psychometric Society plans fun activities and excursions throughout the week. These outings are a great way to see the city you're visiting and have fun with other attendees.


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- Undergraduate
- Graduate
- Research
- Extension/Outreach
- About Us
- Apply Now
Clubs and Communities
NSCI Club is for all undergraduates in Nutritional Sciences who want to develop professional and social competencies and establish networks, while providing services to the department, community, and campus. Any student with an interest in nutrition, foods, and health is welcome to join. Watch for monthly fliers which will publicize the topic, date, and the place. Dr. Gena Wollenberg is the Club Advisor. The club uses Campuslink.
The NSCI Graduate Student Organization provides a venue for graduate students who are interested in connecting with their peers within the department to enhance their professional development. The organization focuses on learning about and discussing pertinent issues to the field of nutrition. Graduate students of all levels are invited to join. Meeting dates and locations will be announced via email and flyers. Please contact Mary Hammack for more information, or to have your name added to the email list. Dr. Deana Hildebrand is the club advisor.
If you will be enrolling in NSCI 3440 Pre-professional Experience in Dietetics in the next year, self-register for the 3440 Community. You will find advance information about how this course works so that you can be prepared for a smooth semester. The instructor posts information about opportunities for summer OCES internships and other opportunities. Catherine Palmer is the administrator for this community.
If you are a Dietetics major, self-register for the D2L DPD community. This community provides information on applying for dietetic internships, helpful links to resources and opportunities, and breaking news for dietetics majors. Catherine Palmer is the administrator for this community.
This D2L community is only for current interns in the Dietetic Internship. Dr. Gena Wollenberg is the administrator for this community.
The NSCI Links page contains a long list of professional organizations. Many professional organizations have student memberships and chapters.


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Kobina has had a keen interest in football from a very young age. After completing his Sports Sciences
Degree at Brunel University, Kobina had a brief spell working with Reading Football Club's Football in the
Community Programme before being recruited by Wrightchoice Community Sports Association in the
dual role of charity Development Worker and Youth Coach. READ MORE...
Since joining Wrightchoice as a community coach in 2007, Jerome has demonstrated fantastic knowledge, an ability to communicate well on a variety of levels, as well as having a desire to better himself. After studying with Coever and Pro Direct Soccer, Jerome now takes our Football Academy Sessions, 4 to 5 Team sessions, primary school sessions, and is the manager of Wrighthoice Under 8s. READ MORE...
Michael currently works for Reading FC as Youth Development Coach for the under 15's.He has worked at Reading FC for approx 18 years coaching children from 7 years old right up to the reserve team.Michael currently holds a UEFA 'A' license which is one of the highest badges to be held by any football coach. READ MORE...
Wrightchoice Sports is a member of Wrightchoice Group.
Wrightchoice Sports Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 7078827.
Registered Address: 316 Oxford Road, Reading, RG30 1AD.
If you are the site owner, please renew your premium subscription or contact support.


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This morning I was up bright and early checking out my newest sewing machine, Charlie. Not knowing anything about this machine, I had a peek under the hood and look what I found:
That's right, the motor is mounted UNDER the machine, how clever (for that time)!
Here's the bevy of attachments that came with Charlie:
The most interesting accessory is the Cutting Gauge…
"This Gauge is used for cutting even strips of bias or straight material. Attach Cutting Gauge to point of scissors. Move gauge slide to width of band desired. Insert the material in the Gauge, and guide edge of material along the adjustable slide. Cut with short, even strokes."
And here's Charlie's Golden Ticket.
How cool is that?!


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collection images: elie tahari, resort
always interesting take on color, the elie tahair resort collection was based in a palette of golden yellows & sand tones that warmed to a set of bold salmon, eventually cooling to blues with khaki sprinkles. an air of exotic style is always felt fromt the tahair label & even in the pre-season this was still an active theme. a boundless showing of style versatility was seen as gowns, blazers & even hot pants seemed to make their way into the collection. i love the air of sophistication felt in the collection & really admire the number of looks that have been created. i feel as though the resort collections act as a pacifier for us fashion hungry consumers. with as wide ranged as the styles & number of outfit options these first few collections have spawned, designers have made a valiant effort thus far. the commonality of exageratted lines is well executed.
imagesource | style


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There are a few theories concerning restaurants' salad menus. A menu should cover all manner of diners, from the mildly peckish to the famished. Or, rather, salads should include off-the-wall ingredients to pique patrons' curiosity. Conversely, a selection of salads should embrace the familiar, relying on quality ingredients to rise above the competition. Fork's salad menu manages to embrace all these theories. The B.C.S. is a standard chopped salad with buttermilk basil-pesto dressing. For the adventurous, Fork has developed Bogus Bosc, which includes Waterwheel Gardens Bosc pears, candied City Peanut Shop hazelnuts, smoked gouda and Champagne vinaigrette; and for the shaking-with-hunger fine diner, there's the Northwest Crispy Chicken Salad, which, atop the aforementioned crispy chicken, also contains cherry tomatoes, onion, dried sweet corn, roasted red bell pepper, tortilla strips, Ballard Family cheddar cheese, barbecue sauce and ranch dressing. According to Best of Boise voters, it's no mere theory that Fork's salads are sublime--it's a fact. boisefork.com
2nd Place: Bardenay Restaurant and Distillery, bardenay.com
3rd Place: Flatbread, flatbreadpizza.com
Comments are closed.
© 2019 Boise Weekly


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I'm not an absolute expert on home microdermabrasion kits but I've tried so many of them to at least deserve the most experienced user award. I have never bought a personal microdermabrasion system without thoroughly researching it first (this includes official websites, blogs, forums and conversations with others who've tried it).
One thing I do religiously these days is a patch test (I use the product on a small area behind the ear and see how the skin reacts). This has saved me days of recovery from products that would have caused irritation or breakouts if I had used them on my face.
When I couldn't afford yet another microdermabrasion product or when I came across one that didn't suit me, I asked one of my 5 best girlfriends to try it instead. This is what we think the best home micro dermabrasion product is (see my review of Personal Microderm System, the latest I've tried).
One thing to remember is that most manufacturers claim their microderm abrasion kit is the best. Some, at least, don't blatantly lie by saying their product is the overall best, but that it's the best for a specific condition like fine lines, acne scars and wrinkles, clogged pores or age spots.
Usually, home microderm kits fall in one of these 4 categories:
Most companies have an at-home microdermabrasion kit designed for use on the face (and maybe the neck) but only a handful have a body microdermabrasion kit as well (Neutrogena and Dermanew). Be careful not to make the same mistake my friend Donna nearly did (she nearly bought the Dermanew Body system instead of the Facial Rejuvenation System).
The term of body microdermabrasion can be misleading. It doesn't refer to a product you can use anywhere on your body, but from the neck down. Body micro dermabrasion formulas are more aggressive and can cause skin damage when used on the face whereas facial micro abrasion formulas are gentle and they probably won't have any effect on the arms, chest or back.
Me and my friends believe that the best microdermabrasion products are those that closely imitate the professional procedure -- and its results. Most microabrasion kits use the same type of crystals used in the office treatment but the way the cream is used varies significantly.
With some products you use your bare hands to apply the micro dermabrasion cream while with others you use a sponge or cloth. Dermanew and Youthful Essence have the most advanced resurfacing tools I've seen. However, some products that are basically a microdermabrasion scrub have surprised us in how well they work for what they are (particularly Philosophy's Microdelivery Peel, Lancome Resurface C, Microdermx, Micro Pearl Abrasion).
I am always eager to try new at home microdermabration products and I am impatient to see results, even though I should know better. It takes a few weeks of regular use to start seeing what the product can do. I (almost) always follow the instructions to the letter and never use it more often than I should. After a few weeks you either see no or mild improvement, or something slightly more dramatic (a faded scar, fewer lines or more even skin tone).
A: Microabrasion is safe for young people of all skin types but most doctors recommend it for patients aged 14 and older, mainly because they want to make sure that all major hormonal changes are over and the results of the procedure are as good as they can be.
A: Both DIY and doctor's office micro dermal abrasion work on the same principle and have the same reported results: reduction of fine lines, superficial scars, age spots and acne scars. But personal microabrasion procedures cannot offer the same effectiveness you get from doctor microdermbrasion treatment on more severe skin imperfections.
A: Personal micro derma brasion creams can be used on your feet as long as it's especially formulated as a body microderm product. Using a facial microdermation tool on your feet will not have the desired effects because it's much too mild to have a significant effect on your feet. Doctor-performed microderm abrasion is not suitable for use on the feet because the skin is too thin in that area. However, having microdermasion on your heels should work but better ask your doctor first.
A: The Home microdermabrasian cream from Micro Pearl Abrasion is effective for some people and isn't for others. There are many happy customers who say that Micro Pearl Abrasion creams does make their face feel smother and look young. On the other hand, there are some unhappy people who say the kit is either too harsh, causing them skin irritation and breakouts, or not very effective in reducing superficial scars and fine wrinkles. The only way to find out if the kit is effective for you is to try to obtain a free sample and test the formula on your skin.
A: Psoriasis patients should not have micro dermabration This procedures is somewhat invasive to the skin (any skin rejuvenation treatment is to some extent) and can worsen their condition. This applies to over the counter micro derma brasion as well, despite its mild effect.
A: Dermatologist office micro skin abrasion is performed by a trained aesthetician or beautician who uses a hand-held, sandblaster-like device to spray and circulate a high pressure flow of aluminum oxide crystals onto the skin. The crystals gently exfoliate the very top layer of the skin. This hand-held tool also contains a vacuum system that sucks away the debris, dead skin cells and used micro crystals.
A: Macrodermabrasion product is effective on hyper pigmentation. The micro-crystal flow abrades the top layer of the skin where unevenly pigmented skin cells are stuck. Several dermatologist-performed microbrasion sessions are required to even out skin tone and get rid of hyper pigmentation.
A: Micodermabrasion tool stimulates collagen growth which is why it's effective on enlarged pores. Collagen production is stimulated through skin exfoliation. Furthermore, the vacuum function of most microdermal abrasion tools sucks out hardened oil, dust and other dirt which may clog your pores. This way, the oil in the glands can again reach the surface of your skin and your pores can return to their natural shape and size.
A: By resurfacing the top layer of the skin, home microdermabrasia does help the skin. After a full treatment of 6-12 sessions, most people notice significant improvement in skin tone and texture. The face looks younger, feels smoother, and has fewer superficial scars, fine wrinkles, enlarged or clogged pores. More severe skin imperfections require more invasive procedures like laser or chemical peeling. Self microderm abrasions is also not as effective as specialist microdermation.
A: Microderma brasion is not recommended for patients taking Accutane. This acne treatment works by reducing the amount of oil produced by the skin's sebaceous glands which reduces the skin's ability to recover after body or facial exfoliation. Having micro abrasion while on Accutane may cause permanent scarring. This applies to over the counter system and professional treatment.
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Information and advice on microderabrasion and skin resurfacing
Microdemabrasion is a safe alternative to chemical peels & laser rejuvenation for acne scars & fine lines
Find microdermabration in New York - Los Angeles - Atlanta - Dallas - San Francisco - Chicago - Houston - Sydney - Toronto - London
My micro dermabrasion kit reviews: Neutrogena - Youthful Essence - Dermanew


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We are friendly, down-to-earth and we love working with others.
About us
Who we are
We are a digital creative agency based in
Wellington, New Zealand
We specialise in the design and development of websites, mobile applications and online marketing. We incorporate the most proven user experience methodologies into our designs, the most efficient platforms in our development, and persuasive marketing methods in our online marketing campaigns.
No divas here! Just a team of talented
and friendly people
Our team consists of talented web designers, front-end developers, back-end developers and online marketers, each with a rich history and passion for digital and mobile technologies. We are a friendly bunch of people, who are down-to-earth and love working with others to achieve the best solution for our clients. But don't take our word for it, see what our clients are saying about us.
We understand web-based businesses
Whether you are a tech start-up or an established international business, the steps below are essential to the growth and revenue generation of any business:
- Attracting quality prospects to your website/product
- Impressing them with a modern user interface and an intuitive user experience that fully explores the benefits of your website/product
- Converting them into happy customers with irresistible offerings
- Keeping your existing customers happy with a solid development platform that does not break, is easy to maintain and is securely backed-up on a regular basis
- Future-proofing your website/product by making sure your current system is built with flexibility and scalability in mind
We can help you with your conversion process above from start to finish, or work with your in-house team to deliver what you need the most, fast.
Passion for our craft
"Perfection is lot of little things done well"
- Marco Pierre White
Just like a perfect meal - little things done perfectly, can makes a big difference to the final product. A thorough web strategy, stunning designs, a solid code base and a clever marketing plan are all required to help you capture attention and stand out from today's competitive markets. We are fiercely proud of our passion and craft for anything digital and we'd love the opportunity to help you make your next project the very best it can be.
We don't have spin doctors, our work speaks
for our people
Notice how most agencies send their best spin doctors to try and sell you services and products they know next to nothing about? Then, suddenly you are left with time and budget blowouts because they are not the actual people who are working on your project? I mean how crazy is that and why would you put up with it? At Zing Design, we don't have spin doctors, you will always meet the team who will be working on your product and receive a solid project plan from day one, so there are no nasty surprises during the project. By the way, why not check out our portfolio to see a list of our most recent work.
Our business is understanding yours
We love helping businesses and founders with shaping their ideas, services and products, ranging from one of the biggest banks in the world to smart local start-ups who are looking to export their technologies worldwide. We believe in order for us to help you, we need to understand your business, learn about your industry, gain a deep and intuitive sense of your goals, competitors, and business plan and for that, we can't wait!
Our philosophies
Flexibility is our motto
At Zing Design we challenge ourselves to stay competitive, flexible and efficient by constantly iterating the way we work as we grow because we don't put businesses into cookie cutters. We will adapt to the needs of your organisation and work alongside you to achieve the best result for your needs.
Big or small, we love them all
Since our inception, we've had the privilege to work with businesses of all shapes and sizes. We know how to deliver projects on time, on budget and with a superior quality that people have come to expect of us, and we believe this should be the same for every business, regardless of their size.
Our simple formula for success
Like the Kardashians, it seems like every day there is a new cutting edge technology or social network to keep up with. But at the end of the day, the principle remains the same: Usable & beautiful design + solid code x well targeted marketing = Success.
We're personal, friendly & open
"Those who say 'it's not personal, it's just business' are lying. All business is personal, and the best is very personal." — Richard Lenz. We love this saying because we believe it is important to treat people the way that we like to be treated. We've built some truly special relationships over the years with our clients because of our friendly and personal approach. Why not come in and see for yourself?
How we work
Communication is the key
We love to talk and keep in touch with our clients throughout the project cycle. We use an agile approach to design and development, which involves weekly scrum sessions with our clients and monthly reviews of our work. It's this face to face communication that helps us keep our fingers on the pulse and have our clients recommending us to other businesses.
We measure everything
While the success of print design is hard to measure, web design is surprisingly easy. For us, web design is all about results and conversions. A website might look good but if it doesn't increase leads, it is a failed product. We measure everything to ensure that our digital product contributes positively to the bottom line of the business. In other words, data identifies the problem and design solves it.
We produce work fast
One of the many feedback that we have receive from our clients is that they couldn't believe how fast we were able to produce high quality work that is on-brand and exactly what they were looking for. We are very experienced at providing solutions to complex and/or unusual problems due to our agile approach to communication and development.
Have more questions?
We'd love to hear from you. Simply contact us with your questions or come in for a chat.


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I received the Cute Blog Award from the lovely Ashesela from Art Evolve. These awards always put a smile on my face. I am so happy to belong to such an amazing group of bloggers.
1. Link back to the person who awarded you
2. Answer the award questions
3. Tell something about yourself that you haven't told anyone on your blog yet
4. Award as many blogs as you think are worthy of this award
5. Make sure to let those you gave this award to know that you awarded them.
The Award Questions:
1. What is your go to makeup product?
Lip balm and gloss. I always have something on my lips. My go to all day everyday for moisture is EOS Smooth Sphere. If you don't own one, click the link and see what your lips are missing. :)
2. What was your favorite fashion trend of 2011?
I never keep up with actually fashion trends. I wear what I like. So I'm going to pick a nail fashion trend. I love all of the glitters and flakies.
3. What is your favorite dessert?
Cheesecake. I have a big sweet touch, but I will never say no to cheesecake.
4. Favourite color?
Pink! I love tons of colors, like yellow, turquoise, red, and purple. But pink is my absolute favorite.
5. What is your middle name?
Lynn :)
6. What was the last song that you listened to?
Something by Maroon 5. Moves Like Jagger, I think.
7. Cats or dogs?
Something about myself that you don't know:
I'm the only girl out of my siblings. I have three brothers. Two older and one younger.
On to the lovely blogs!
A Polished Touch
Addicted to the Allure of Beauty
Adventures in Acetone
Alice in Lacquerland
At Your Fingertips
Bee Polished
Captivating Claws
Confessions of a Nail Polish Junkie
Confessions of a Sarcastic Mom
Elemental Styles
Fresh Air and Fashion
GaGa for Nails
Geeky Owl
Glam Polish
Glazed Talons
Groupie Glam
I'm Feeling Nail-ventrous
Jessica's Nail Art
Kattatonic Fierceology
KK Nails
Lacquered Lover
Lacquered Me
Liquid Jelly
Nail Polish is My Crack
Nail Reflections
Nails by Kayla Shevonne
Neverland Nail Blog
Okay Now Joy
Peace, Love & Polish
Polish and Charms
Polish Fixation
Polish Me Up
Polish Polish Polish
Portuguese Doll
Pretty Purple Polish
Prncess Nails
Purple Fairy Dust
Rainbow and Sparkles
Rebecca Likes Nails
Red Hair and Black Nails
Refined and Polished
Reflections, Sassy Nails, and Silly Diversions!
Sam Nails It
Samarium's Swatches
Something Creative
Sun-Dried Lacquer
The Diary of a Dreamer
The Polish Diary
Tough as Nails, and Twice as Pretty
Its a ton, I know. And believe it or not, there are more! If you've received this award already, you deserve it again! :)