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Topman Design Spring/Summer 2015
Topman's high fashion Design arm took to the runway recently, reliving the 1970s as part of its outing at London Collections: Men.
The high street store's offshoot referenced the popular Woodstock movement as well as element of the 1990s on day one of the fashion event.
Psychedelic sports knits, flared trousers and spread-collar shirts provided nods to previous decades, as did patchwork knits and upcycled cereal graphics paired with beaded necklaces and old school trainers.
Washed-out blazers and suit trousers were combined with wallpaper-style shirts, worn beneath toned-down pastel kimonos.
Tailored towelling, floral prints and velvet printed suitcases also appeared at The Old Sorting Office location.
The silhouettes were complemented by mop top hair styling and square, dark-lensed aviators, all of which drew from Brit Pop culture.
The rock 'n' roll looks alternated with clear lensed glasses and yearbooks tucked under model's arms, for a preppy feel.
The SS15 show introduced 3D printing for the first time. During the slot, models were scanned before being turned into computer-generated avatars and preserved in prints.
Topman announced it will be making the digital gallery available to view online in the days following the event.


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Dec 03, 2009 (LBO) – Sri Lankan stocks extended gains and rose above the 3,000-point mark on the benchmark index Thursday boosted by high volume transactions on Hatton National Bank (HNB) and John Keells Holdings (JKH), brokers said.
The All Share Price Index closed at 3,004.61 up 1.78 percent (52.45 points) while the Milanka Price Index of more liquid stocks closed at 3,415.18, up 1.35 percent (45.50 points).
Turnover was pushed up to 2.57 billion rupees by the JKH and HNB deals, according to provisional Colombo Stock Exchange statistics.
"The market reacted positively mainly due to the confidence created by the large scale investors who entered the market during the week," Thakshila Hulangamuwa, vice president at stock brokering firm Asha Phillip Securities said.
"The main reason behind the investors making a positive approach towards the market was mainly due to the premiums paid by large investors, particularly the funds who took strategic positions."
Brokers said 7.76 million HNB shares changed hands at 162.00 rupees, and over 2.76 JKH shares changed hands at 154.00 rupees.
HNB closed at 163.25 rupees, up 25 cents, while conglomerate JKH closed at 152.00 rupees, up 2.00
Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka closed at 94.75 rupees, up 4.75 and diversified Hayleys closed at 155.25 rupees, down 1.75.
Commercial Bank of Ceylon closed at 175.00, up 4.25, Housing Development Finance Corporation closed at 130.00 rupees, up 5.00, and National Development Bank closed at 182.25, up 2.25.
Brokers said trading was thin apart for the large volume deals.
Plantations stocks also went up in price.
Agalawatte Plantations closed at 20 rupees, up 50 cents, Balangoda Plantations closed at 22.50 rupees, up 50 cents, Kegalle Plantations closed at 33.00 rupees, up 1.50, and Udapussellawa Plantations closed at 31.50 rupees, up 3.50.
Sri Lanka Telecom, Sri Lanka's largest fixed line operator closed at 42.25 rupees, up 75 cents, and Dialog Telekom, a unit of Telekom Malaysia closed flat at 7.00 rupees.

subset: commoncrawl


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Brown breaks silence, suspends arrested UT tackle
UT tackle turns self in on aggravated robbery charge
Coach Brown breaks silence, says freshman is suspended from the team indefinitely
AUSTIN — Texas freshman defensive tackle Andre Jones turned himself into Austin authorities on Friday and was booked in Travis County Jail on a felony aggravated robbery charge.
Jones, a highly touted recruit from El Paso Andress, was considered a fugitive by the Austin Police Department. He is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, a first-degree felony, in connection with a July 27 robbery that involved former UT football player Robert Joseph. Bail has been set at $40,000.
Texas coach Mack Brown said Jones has been suspended indefinitely from the team.
"We are disappointed to hear about the recent allegations against Dre Jones," Brown said in a statement. "They are very serious charges. We will cooperate with authorities through the legal process and support Dre any way we can. We've talked with Dre and his family and have decided to suspend him indefinitely. He will not be involved in any team functions at this time, pending the completion of the legal process."
Jones, who turned 18 on Friday, and Joseph are accused of entering an apartment in southeast Austin and threatening several people, including a 14-year-old, according to the arrest warrant. Joseph allegedly displayed a weapon. Jones did not, but he made threatening remarks that suggested he might, Albrecht said. Items stolen included cash, video game equipment and cell phones.
Joseph, a sophomore from Port Arthur Memorial, was dismissed from the team last month and remains in the Travis County Jail. He was charged with two counts of burglarizing a vehicle in a separate incident in June.
There have been five off-field incidents involving current or former UT football players this summer. Along with Joseph and Jones, defensive end Henry Melton and linebacker Sergio Kindle were charged with driving while intoxicated.
"I am extremely disappointed that four of our student-athletes have had issues with the law this summer," Brown said. "That is not reflective of the high standard of class, character and integrity we have established at Texas for many years. It's a shame that these recent events have generated a great deal of negative attention, because I do think that overall, this is as good of a group of kids that I've ever coached. I think that will show over time."
The Longhorns will report for preseason practices on Sunday.


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Recap: Bryant Park BBQ, presented by 'wichcraft and Edible Manhattan
Sweet summer time is upon us! I don't know about you all, but when I think of summer, I think of trips to the beach, outdoor happy hours with refreshing cocktails, and good old-fashioned barbecues. This past Wednesday, Edible Manhattan partnered with 'wichcraft to bring this barbecue vision to life, with The Bryant Park BBQ.
Walking to the park Wednesday evening, I could see hints of that backyard barbecue aesthetic through the gate. Large tables covered with red gingham tablecloths spanned the grassy area, and festive string lights were tacked on the lattice patio cover. Keeping with the summer theme, there was also an abundance of fruity cocktails being passed out (but unfortunately no beach).
Upon entering, it was fairly clear the dining experience would not be as relaxed as other outdoor barbecues. Guests immediately filed into the lengthy buffet line after getting through the gate, and to find seating, you either had to be lucky and find someone leaving, or get innovative with where you sat. Luckily, everyone was in good spirits despite the long waits and crowded space. It also helped that Wölffer Estate Vineyard had a table conveniently set up before the buffet, and passed out crisp rosé cider to lighten the mood.
To my delight, the buffet kicked off with a huge kale salad, followed by pork ribs, BBQ chicken, classic baked beans, salt potatoes, corn bread, and mini chocolate cupcakes. The pork ribs were a crowd favorite. So much so, that within 45 seconds of being served, the plate was empty. I had to wait for two rounds of refills, but I was finally lucky enough to nab two ribs. Tender and well-seasoned, I understood the hype.
After making my way through the buffet, it was time to traverse the patio, where a small marketplace of vendors was set up. One of the first vendors to catch my eye was Tuthilltown Spirits, serving their Mid-Summer's Punch. Made with fresh raspberries, lemonade, mint, club soda, and Half Moon gin, the pretty pink cocktail played perfectly into the summertime theme.
Q Drinks also made a splash, sampling their entire organic soda line. Not a soda drinker whatsoever, I was shocked that I could actually drink (and enjoy!) their bubbly refreshments. Lower in sugar and calories than traditional soda, the ginger ale was my particular favorite. Encompassing a variety of spices — ginger, coriander, cardamom, cayenne, rose oil, and orange peel — the soda had the perfect bite to it, and nice to enjoy both on its own, and in a craft cocktail.
A final and favorite vendor of the night was Dutch's Spirits. Mixing up a 'Moonshine Mule', this cocktail was a twist on the classic moscow mule, made with lemon juice, simple syrup, bitters, ginger, mint, and most importantly, Dutch's Sugar Wash Moonshine. Smooth and sweet, I could have easily kept drinking these through the night, and made a point to grab the recipe card before leaving.
As the night progressed, the crowds began to ease and the barbecue finally began to take on that authentic, home-like feel. Especially after becoming engaged in some competitive games of corn hole, the barbecue was an unexpected, yet welcome, down-home experience to come across in this typically bustling area of Midtown.
'wichcraft at Bryant Park
11 W 40th St.
New York, NY
(212) 780-0577


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I wanted to surprise my friend with a small and cool cake for her birthday. Something geared for adults. Last year I made her this cake, so I wanted to make her something that was completely different. I knew that I wanted a fluffy vanilla cake with a unique filling. I decided to go with lime curd, which was a bit risky because not everyone likes lime. I figured that if I added raspberries, it might make it safer. Of course, I topped it with Swiss meringue buttercream (lime flavoured) because it recently became my favorite frosting. So light and fluffy, and not too sweet.
Check out the verdict at the end of the post! Kind of nervous!
Fluffy Vanilla Cake
Slightly adapted from here.
I used 2, 5-inch baking pans
2.5 egg whites (75g), room temperature
½ egg
½ cup whole milk, room temperature
1 teaspoons vanilla (I used ½ teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon LorAnn Princess Cake emulsion)
1.5 cups cake flour, sifted
1 cups sugar
½ Tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup + 2 Tablespoon (85g) salted butter, cut into cubes, cold
1. Line the bottom of 2, 5-inch baking pans with parchment paper and grease and flour the sides. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a bowl, mix egg whites, egg, milk, and vanilla. Set aside.
3. In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, mix flour, sugar, and baking powder.
4. With the paddle on, add cubes of cold butter one at a time, waiting about 10 seconds between each addition. Keep mixing until you get a crumbly texture – there should not be any chunks of butter.
5. Add the egg/milk mixture in 3 batches. Mix until light and fluffy.
6. Divide between baking pans. Bake for 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean – do not over bake.
7. Cool for 10 minutes before taking out of pans. Once completely cooled, slice off domed top and into 2 layers.
Lime Curd
From here.
1 cup sugar
Zest from 2 limes
2 eggs
½ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (from 2 limes)
¼ cup salted butter, cut into cubes
Optional: green gel food colouring
1. Combined sugar, zest, eggs, and lime juice in a metal bowl and place over a pot of simmering water (double boiler).
2. Whisk continuously until thickened, 10-15 minutes.
3. Place butter in a bowl and strain the curd over the butter. Mix until combined. Add a touch of green gel food colouring to enhance the green colour.
4. Cool in refrigerator before using.
Lime Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from here.
2.5 (75g) egg whites
½ cup sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1. Wipe down bowl of stand mixer and whisk attachment with vinegar using a paper towel.
2. Combine egg white and sugar in the bowl and place over simmering water. Whisk continuously by hand until the temperature reaches 140 degrees F.
3. Place the bowl in the stand mixer and whip until stiff peaks form and the meringue has cooled.
4. Switch to a paddle attachment and add cubes of butter one at a time while beating. Beat until smooth and silky.
5. Add salt and vanilla and beat to combine.
6. Optional: Take 1/3 cup of buttercream out and reserve for making raspberry buttercream.
7. To the remaining buttercream, add ¼ cup of lime curd and beat to combine.
8. Add a little bit of green food colouring.
9. For raspberry buttercream, whip with about 5 fresh raspberries.
1. Fill cake by placing a ring of buttercream on the edge of the first layer. Fill will lime curd. Top with raspberries. Repeat with remaining layers.
2. Crumb coat cake by adding a layer of buttercream on the entire cake and scraping off excess. Put in freezer for 5 minutes before adding final layer.
3. Embellish with raspberry buttercream and fresh raspberries.
Verdict: My friend was super surprised by the cake and it was perfect because we ended up having an impromptu birthday celebration for her. The vanilla cake was fairly moist and had a nice crumb, although I kind of wished that it was a bit fluffier. The lime curd was delicious and added a contrasting sourness to the sweetness of the cake. The raspberries were a perfect complementing flavour to the lime. The cake fed 8 adults and 3 kids (with 2 slices left over) and everyone liked it, even the kids!


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Parenting can be a wonderful yet a challenging adventure. Through conscious parenting you can turn your relationship with your child around. What we do, right now, as parents matters in a really big way. It is the single most important job that you will have in your lifetime and there is no time to waste.
Lets connect if you know in your heart that you want to scale up your parenting skills and want a life where you can
- connect with your child
- empower your child to thrive, love and have success and self-esteem
- where you can set healthy cooperative limits
As a parent seeking more from your relationship with your child, you can fill your toolbox by taking:
- consequences and punishments and replacing them with clearly defined values and expectations
- conflicts between you and your child and replacing this by being in partnership with your child through ANY conflicts you face
Based on the results I've achieved in my own family and the transformations I've helped to facilitate on the part of my clients, I've put together a step-by-step path for any committed parent who wants the same results in their family, with their children…
Introducing "The Bring Harmony Home Parenting Method"
A 3 month one-on-one coaching engagement to help you learn how to parent without yelling, punishing or threatening so you can enjoy being a parent and really connect with your kids.
I've created a 9 step process called "The Bring Harmony Home Parenting Method" to help you parent from a place of peace — no more yelling, punishing and threatening.
Here are the steps:
STEP ONE: Letting Go of the Way You Were Parented
Here we look at how you're own childhood experience is affecting your parenting. It's amazing how learning from your own experience as a child transforms your own parenting. It takes awareness. Once you know better, you do better. No more yelling, threatening or punishing.
STEP TWO: Parenting from YOUR Family's Values
Coming together to agree upon, and define your family values becomes the foundation for your parenting. When your child asks you for something you can reflect back on your family values for the answer. Knowing your family values is like having a captain at the helm of the ship during turbulent times.
STEP THREE: Working with Empathy, Feeling and Needs
In this step you'll learn how to use a new language of connection that will resolve conflict between you, your child, and siblings. When you know how to express genuine empathy, you teach your child how to do the same. This along with the ability to connect and understand your feelings and needs as well as your child's, will bring about less conflict in your home.
STEP FOUR: Understanding Brain Development
In this step you learn the crucial difference between parenting from your "middle" and your "higher" brain. You'll learn how your brain impacts your parenting — yours and your child's. All so that you can parent from the part of your brain that is calm, centered, creative, open so you can stop the cycle of punishing and yelling.
STEP FIVE: Forgiveness & Parenting In this step you learn to identify, process and move through your anger. You also learn to become comfortable with your child's big emotions like frustration and anger! You learn how to teach him to move through his own big feelings while not reacting to them.
STEP SIX: Empowered Conversations
It's about being clear about what you want. You'll learn how to get your needs met from a peaceful and empowered place (these techniques can be taught to your child as well, a skillset they do not learn in school). When you learn this life skill you get rid of resentment and conflict in your home.
STEP SEVEN: Setting Limits that Peacefully Stick
Limits are not threats or punishments. It's about taking the child's feelings and needs into account without punishment, blame. When you set limits with your child you build long lasting relationships based on trust and mutual respect.
STEP EIGHT: Recovering from Mistakes and Finding Forgiveness
Let's be honest, we all lose our stuff from time to time. All of us! In this step you learn how to own your mistakes, talk to your kids in a productive way, make amends and move on. By practicing this method you are modeling healthy repair after the rupture and instilling a sense of peace within your family.
STEP NINE: Emotional Intelligence
In this step we bring all the lessons together to understand and embrace emotional intelligence (EQ). Emotional Intelligence grows and develops through the experiences your child has with you.. You learn how to foster an environment that invites open communication between parent and child so your kids know they can always come to you.
You learn how to create ideal conditions for your child's emotional and brain development so he can make good decisions now and in the future. Teamwork is possible when a child feels heard!
Work with me via phone and email from the privacy of your own home or office "Creating Connection and Harmony in your Home"
When you enroll in the program, you'll get:
- Three months of individual VIP attention with an empathetic, non-judgmental listener; objective support from a coach who knows what is needed to make the transition.
- Twelve weekly 60-minute phone coaching sessions leading you through the structured "The Bring Harmony Home Parenting Method" to meet YOUR family goals.
- Audio recordings and written exercises designed to bring clarity and understanding to the process of mindful parenting. Created to have an immediate impact on your family as you implement the tools. As you practice what you've learned you will then bring your family experiences to the private coaching session where we'll work thru barriers and celebrate success.
- Customizable, self paced exercises for your family, based on YOUR goals, designed to introduce new concepts to your family, introduce family values, open up communication and allow everyone to feel heard.
All phone conversations, your assignments and your personal information is 100% confidential. Contact us for more information.
Workshops & Seminars
Repairenting offers one and three hour workshops and seminars for parents, grandparents, guardians, teachers and childcare centers. These workshops are customized for groups of a minimum of five people.
Workshops and seminars provide a safe and supportive environment that uses real-life examples to help participants learn how to manage situations that trigger old responses and break the cycle of reactive parenting. As a result of participating in this program, individuals will gain new empowering insights and transform their relationship with their children or the children they care for. This will allow them to create deep connections, encourage cooperation and bring harmony back into their lives.
The variety of topics related to parenting workshops:
- How to create a foundation for a deeper connection with your children through the use of 7 peaceful tools
- Redefining your parenting skill-set to encourage mindfulness, compassion and empathy
- Why consequences and punishment don't work
- Setting limits that peacefully stick
- Dealing with anger and embracing forgiveness
- Bridging the gap through play
- "Having it all" – finding a healthy balance between your responsibilities at work and home
The workshops and seminar requests come from school communities and groups where parents are involved. However, these seminars can also be customized for corporate settings that wish to create a supportive environment for parents and guardians.
Seminars will be interactive and usually run for 1-3 hours. Contact us for more information.


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You can't manage what you can't measure.
Umbrela gives you the ability to track Home Energy usage, and allows you to manage and take control of your domestic energy consumption through power metering.
Be Bound No More. No Contract, No Monthly Fee.
Home Security monitoring fee can add up to hundreds of dollars every year and thousands of dollars in equipment and installation. With Umbrela built in HD security camera and surveillance system you can enjoy your own intelligent and fully customizable security for no added cost.
Projected energy savings
Umbrela allows for optimized energy usage, no matter what kind of household you have.
Save Energy, Save Money, Save Hassle
Optimize your energy use with Umbrela:
- Save on energy bills through energy efficient settings based on your energy use
- Turning off lights when not needed.
- No Standby. Save energy by turning off all non essential electronic devices
- Dimming of lights saves electricity
Turning the heat down by few degrees every night can save you approximately 10% on your heating bill. If you set back the temperature while you are away from home in the day or vacation can result in even bigger savings
Umbrela's adaptive Smart HVAC control provides:
- Energy efficient climate control based on your energy use.
- Temperature and humidity monitoring of space other than the one in which the thermostat is located.
- Temperature and humidity averaging for optimal comfort.


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If you're short on space, here are the 6 gardening tips you should know
It's not necessary to have a huge backyard, or a ton of space to start gardening. More and more people are turning towards container gardening — the practice of growing plants in potted containers instead of planting them directly into the ground — to enjoy the benefits of growing their own vegetables when they don't have a large backyard to work with. This is perfect for apartment dwellers or people just looking to try their hand at gardening before ripping up a chunk of their lawn.
With these 6 great tips, almost anyone can transform a small space into a successful container garden area and reap the benefits.
1. Look for smaller containers
To start your project off on the right foot it's important to get containers that are going to maximize the space you have available. It's not necessary to spend the money on expensive potting containers to grow vegetables on your back patio. Get creative and look for containers that are wide and fairly shallow, that will hold potting soil. Plastic dishpans are perfect for this and can be picked up fairly inexpensively at the local dollar store or big box retailer. Look for thick walled polyethylene containers as this plastic is considered safe and won't leach chemicals into the potting soil.
2. Use good quality soil
An important part of growing any plants in containers is starting off with good quality potting soil. As tempting as it may be to dig up soil from the ground somewhere, avoid doing this; spend the money and buy potting soil instead. It's made specifically for containers to be free of diseases and pathogens, and will not compact like earthen soil does. Soil compaction means the roots struggle to grow the way they want to, and can stunt the plant. According to Bonnie Plants, a good potting soil is light, holds moisture and provides roots the perfect balance of air, moisture, nutrients, and anchorage.
3. Grow high yield plants
To get the most out of your limited real estate, it's wise to stick with plants that will give you the most bang for your buck. You want plants that yield as much as possible while only needing a small amount of space to grow. Common Sense Homesteading has a great list of plants that have high yields for small spaces. Plants such as bush beans, lettuce, radishes, and onions will yield more in limited space that broccoli or cabbage that only has a single harvest per season. Some varieties of tomatoes grow well in containers too. Your local garden center can provide recommendations on varieties that are shorter and may not need to be staked or supported.
4. Plant herbs
Planting herbs is a great way to take advantage of a small outside area and transforming it into a garden space. Herbs will regenerate quickly, providing you with a (fairly) constant source of harvestable material.
5. Take advantage of vertical space
If you are limited on space it's important to maximize what you do have available. One great way to do this is taking advantage of vertical space and plant upwards. This can be done by building vertical units, purchasing specialized planters, or simply buying plastic shelving and placing it in a spot where the entire shelving unit receives sunlight during the day. Then put containers on each of the individual shelves. Voila! Instantly you have way more space to work with.
6. Invite pollinators
If you are gardening on a patio or balcony, there's a good chance there are limited plants around. This means natural pollinators might not frequent your patio/balcony already. To make sure your vegetables are pollinated — so the fruit can form — it's important to invite pollinators to the containers. Intersperse some flowers amongst your veggies to bring bees, butterflies, and/or hummingbirds to your garden.


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I was in Portland for work and my boyfriend came along for the ride. My job is absurdly demanding, so I was tired by the end of day one and desperately in need of a cocktail. Our hotel was pretty much in the middle of everything, just between downtown and the Pearl district, so we had *tons* of options.
My dude lived in Portland for considerably longer than I did, and more recently, so I relied on him to give me the scoop. We walked into what should be called the McMenamins district – the Crystal Hotel, Ballroom, Ringlers, etc. – when he remembered this awesome underground bar attached to Ringlers Annex – the Cellar Bar. It was closed when we got there, so we had a drink and a snack upstairs at Ringlers Annex Bar. It was enjoyable, and the food and wine was great, but it wasn't particularly whimsical.
Once the Cellar opened up, we wandered on down. I have to say, the descent feels a little illicit or something – like you know a secret that the world hasn't discovered. I suppose they intended it to be that way. Once inside, my inner child was pleased to find that this place feels sort of otherworldly – like a vaguely circus-themed cave. The drinks were great, the place was quiet, and I couldn't think of a better way to spend a late afternoon.


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Unschooling Moms & Mother's Day
Mother's Day for unschooling moms may look different than it looks for mainstream moms. Our newsfeed is full of mom/kid photos from Muffins with Moms events or cute worksheets … Continue reading
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Mother's Day for unschooling moms may look different than it looks for mainstream moms. Our newsfeed is full of mom/kid photos from Muffins with Moms events or cute worksheets … Continue reading
Michael, 28. Bachelor's degree in Journalism, minor in Archaeology/Anthropology. Lived in Central America, working for the Peace Corps. Now works for Boy Scouts of America, setting up Explorer … Continue reading
This is the Million Dollar Question! And the answer seems elusive for many people. Partly because there's no set answer. But here's some info that might help.
We know … Continue reading
Unschooling and math. We really seem to have some national phobia about it! And the only logical conclusion is that it comes from the way schools teach math. So … Continue reading
Do you have a family tradition for New Year's Eve?
Unschooling is all about learning and connections! This tradition helps with both! … Continue reading
Letting go of schoolish ways can sometimes leave families feeling like they have a void. This feeling is often even stronger if this is your first year to … Continue reading
For some, unschooling makes perfect sense. Learning what you want, when you want, and staying with it until you're no longer interested – or something else beckons your curiosity. People who have a natural tendency to want to know more usually fall into unschooling easily.
My husband was like this. … Continue reading
Are you new to unschooling and you're not so sure about it?
Maybe you've heard some of these mischaracterizations about unschooling, … Continue reading
The learning curve can be steep as we try to embrace so many new concepts about learning and parenting. But fear not! We have 10 PRACTICAL solutions that can really help your days go more smoothly. And remember, everyone doesn't always do this perfectly! We have our "off days." But … Continue reading
When we first start to think about unschooling, it's scary for most of us. We're so used to relying on "experts" to handle everything. … Continue reading
Whether you're new to unschooling or you just need a little more support – check this out!
The Creating Confidence private group will be going through the Chaos to Confidence materials week … Continue reading
Let's put this concept that Unschooling equals Unparenting to rest once and for all.
People have been saying this for decades. And those same people usually have no first-hand knowledge about unschooling. Or perhaps they've … Continue reading
December is a cozy time of year! Instead of stressing about the holiday gifts and get-togethers, let's lean into the idea of building a lovely nest for our families. Nest-building … Continue reading
Sometimes it helps to get really clear what we believe about unschooling. Here's my list of 25 items that are important in my own personal Unschooler's Manifesto.
Would you add … Continue reading


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Navigating and scaling a business in this day and age is a daunting task.Barriers to entering the market rest lower than ever, yet that also means the level of competition is incredibly high. The economic and technological landscape changes at a rapid pace, forcing business owners and managers to wear many different hats and solve dynamic problems on the fly. The statistics are grim for sure and only stress the importance of knowing what really impacts the bottom line. Getting caught up in juggling a bunch of short-term priorities could spell doom for entrepreneurial dreams.
Master money management
Cash is the undisputed king. It fuels business endeavors and when it runs dry, grave woes arise. To prevent these turbulences, get familiar with cash flow management tasks: capitalizing a business, bookkeeping, anticipating hurdles like downturns, surviving in a poor lending climate, meeting financial obligations, etc. Note that you can use a variety of apps and online tools to streamline some of these activities. QuickBooks, for instance, allows you to organize timesheets and get on top of accounting. It is one of many digital platforms that make your life way easier.
Keep close tabs on expenses
Furthermore, bear in mind that you have to track your expenses and closely monitor financial reports. After all, every business, regardless of how big or small, must find a way to keep their spending in check. Thus, see how much money is going in and out and make savings where possible. For instance, do an energy audit to see how energy-efficient your operations are. Hire a professional power quality analyser to assess your electrical system and ward off any costly disturbances. Buy used equipment and order supplies in bulk. Explore other tactics for trimming the overheads and improve your financial health.
Form a sales funnel
Next, it is time to create a sales funnel around buyer personas. This takes some time as well as serious consideration and conceptualization, but it tends to pay dividends in the long run. Namely, it structures your growth and scaling efforts and automates various business processes. You want to pay special attention to the top of the funnel, where tools like killer landing pages can make a swell impression on people. Follow it up with a well-optimized front-end, up sell, and downsize offers and facilitate the rest of the buyer's journey.
Smart marketing and promotion
Another key area to focus on is marketing. You must get your offerings in front of people and earn their trust. There is a plethora of channels to make it happen, including social media, apps, email, print media, etc. When pondering them, try not to fall for fads. The most essential ingredient is research— you have to figure out who the target audience is and what it wants and needs. These insights help you select the optimal channels and tailor/target your messages. The chief goal is not just to acquire new customers but also to encourage existing ones to make repeat purchases.
Foster consumer loyalty
This brings us to a final point. It is several times more expensive to get a new customer than to retain an old one. That is why customer loyalty programs generate so much value for business organizations. You must offer great customer service, as well as various incentives, rewards and benefits to people. This can take the form of discounts, special promotions, coupons, gifts, etc. They enable you to build recurring and passive income streams. Ultimately, you should be able to move past mere survival and pave the way to expansion and prosperity.
The best shot you have to hit it big is to rely on tried and true growth strategies. Start by doing an extensive market research and getting the financial house in order. Save as much money as possible to sustain growth and tap into lucrative market opportunities. Develop a sales funnel and successfully scale up. Interact with customers on a daily basis and add value to their lives. Always strive to play the long-term game and get ready to cover all your bases. There is no better way to overcome growing pains and start reaping those gains.


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Hello everyone, a very short posting from me this week as I'm pre-scheduling this as I'll be away in Brussels having attended the Stampin' Up! Annual Convention and then I'm staying on to spend a few days with family. My hubby remains at home keeping everything in order and taking in my pre-order parcels!
Why does he need to take in some parcels? Well, tomorrow the 20th October we launch our Seasonal Supplement to our Autumn / Winter Catalogue, with some extra additions you're just going to totally want to have, and I pre-ordered mine before I left for Convention! (One of the bonus' of being a demo is I get to see everything first!)
My favorite are the star boxes, I know you've all probably seen the You Tube video of how to make some by hand out of the Star Framelits and inspiration in the Autumn/Winter catalogue, but this new Many Merry Stars Simply Created Kit gives you 26 boxes in various sizes with all the hard work done for you, even sticking the sticky strip is done! All you have to do is put them together – they can be hung on a door or a tree – you can close up gifts inside them ready to be opened on Christmas Day – they are gorgeous and went on my Must Have List when I first saw them!
They go from from 5.1 cm to 38.1 cm in diameter which is huge! You can see them all TOMORROW at the Stampin' Up! European Pintrest page – click here. There is also a new coordinating Many Merry Stars Stamp Set – so you can use the pre-printed side or stamp on the kraft side to make them unique to you!
There is also a new Project Life special page protector and Card Pack set. The Supplement provides a different kind of Project Life than you may have seen before. Instead of making a scrapbook after Christmas, you can use these products to capture the month of December as you live it! You can take pictures each day and use Project Life cards and journaling pens to document it. By the end of the month, you can have a complete book for the month of December!
The Twelve Days of Christmas is traditionally considered to be the festive Christmas season and—depending on where you live—might be commemorated on the twelve days leading up to Christmas, or on the twelve days after. No matter how you want to use it, the 12 Days of Christmas Stamp Set combined with Project Life cards and pocket pages are perfect for making a memory book commemorating the Christmas season. You can also use the set for drop-off gifts for the 12 days leading up to Christmas, either for your neighbours, teachers or family you're visiting on the run-up to Christmas Day.
Have a look at the Catalogue here.
Stampin' Up! have never done this before, so it's an exciting time for us to have a look forward to Christmas as October starts to wind down and get excited about the coming season. I will be sending out the supplement to anyone who has ordered from me in the last 6 months, if you'd like one, just let me know via my Contact Me Form on my About Me page.
Some things you need to know …. you can order online from My Shop tomorrow 20th October and all the items are on a "while stocks last" basis only. Because of the short timeframe, Stampin' Up! won't be able to reorder anything that runs out, so if you want it – buy it because I think these items are going to fly off the shelves.
So until next week, happy shopping and I'll be back soon with lots of information about Convention and all the fun we got up to! Don't forget our Joining promotion ends on October 24th, so why not buy from the new Supplement as part of your Starter Kit?
Take care and happy stamping, thanks for popping over, Pip xx


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The number of couples marrying decreased in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year, according to a report recently published by the Ministry of the Interior.
In the period between January and last month, 38,594 marriages were registered, down by about 2.2 percent year-on-year, the report showed.
For the whole of last year, the number of marriages was 143,384, which was a drop from 165,327 in 2011, data showed.
However, the ministry report said that 2011 was the centennial of the Republic of China (ROC) and was considered a very special and auspicious year in which to get married.
As a result, there was a 20 percent annual increase in the number of marriages that year, the report said.
In contrast, 2009 was a "lonely phoenix year" in Chinese culture, which is considered unfavorable to lasting marriages, and only 117,000 couples tied the knot that year, the ministry said.
The following year was perceived as auspicious for marriage because it was the ROC's 99th anniversary, and the Chinese words for "nine" and "longevity" sound similar, the report said.
These cultural factors, coupled with an economic recovery and a drop in unemployment, contributed to an increase in the number of marriages to 138,819 in 2010, according to the report.
The data for the first three months of this year showed that there were 3,084 marriages involving spouses from China, Hong Kong or Macau, while 1,839 involved spouses from other countries, mainly Vietnam, Japan and the US.
The highest number of weddings involving foreign spouses was registered in northern Taiwan, the statistics showed.
However, Kinmen and Matsu recorded the highest percentage of such weddings — 29.29 percent, the report said.
The report indicated that 90.24 percent of foreign spouses on those islands were from China, Hong Kong or Macau, probably due to the geographic proximity of those areas to the islands.
The ministry said the number of marriages involving foreign and Chinese spouses had been on the rise prior to 2003 and reached a high of about 31.86 percent that year, with Chinese spouses accounting for more than 60 percent of such marriages.
However, since the government took measures in 2004 to prevent immigration fraud, the percentage of marriages involving foreign and Chinese spouses has been declining, the ministry said.
For the first three months of this year, marriages involving foreign spouses accounted for 12.76 percent of total marriages, down 0.95 percentage points from the same period last year, data showed.


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For some, the
hard drive is the most important part of their computer as it stores
critical data. To help protect this asset, we introduce the FP53 to not
only help increase the reliability of hard drives, but also to quiet
them down during operation. Features such as the thick aluminum casing,
internal fan, and vibration dampening pads all contribute to make FP53 a
solid investment for any computer user seeking extra hard drive


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PEGI unveils new games ratings symbols
PEGI's posted a first look at its new games ratings symbols for the UK, after being named the sole board for British classification in the Digital Britain report yesterday. The ratings range from 3-18, and are from green through yellow to red. They'll appear on the front and back of games packaging. It's still unclear […]
Symbols headlines
Symbols latest


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Fill in the Blank: An email bounce is ______.
An email that was suppressed by your Email Service Provider.
An email that a recipient moves to the trash without opening.
An email that was rejected by a recipient's mail server.
An email that has been scheduled for a later send time.
Related content
[Total: 0 Average: 0/5]


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As everyone knows, Team USA crashed out of the World Cup. But it wasn't that they couldn't prevent Belgium from scoring (Tim Howard has that covered) — the problem was scoring themselves. This could have been solved if they had had one of these.
The contraption, called the "Football Crossbow" by inventor Joerg Sprave, is designed to fling a soccer ball down the field and to take penalties — something it does with a quite unbelievable standard of accuracy.
So Coach Klinsman, you're German. This is made in Germany. How about you get Tim Howard a couple of these for World Cup 2020?
Because Tony Stark said it best.


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A few miles east of Tuxtla Gutierrez is the spectacular Cañon Sumidero, created by the mighty Rio Grijalva which runs northwards through it.
Cañon Sumidero can be toured by boat on the river that runs through it, or from above, by the beautiful lookouts and trails.
The 2-3 hour round trip on the boat will take you on a spectacular journey through the canyon, with some of the walls towering 2,500 feet (760 m) above you. Your boat may take you on a tour past one or two caves. The wildlife you will see is equally as spectacular which includes crocodiles and spider monkeys.
If you want to get a bird's-eye view of the canyon, travel by car to 'miradores', where there are 6 viewing points located in the national park. A new Ecological Park has been opened inside the canyon. The only way to get to the park is by boat.
The most common embarkation point is at Chiapa de Corzo, a 40-minutes drive from Tuxtla Gutierrez.
Chiapa de Corzo is known as the peaceful colonial town on the banks of the Rio Grijalva. It was the first city ever founded by the Spanish in the State of Chiapas (1523) founded by the Spaniard, Diego de Mazariegos. As the story goes, when his army invaded the local indigenous peoples' settlement a few kilometres downstream from here, they all jumped to their deaths in the canyon rather than surrender to his forces. Mazariegos eventually left to found what is today San Cristobal de las Casas, preferring the climate and less hostile reception he encountered there.
If you travel to Chiapas in January, a visit to Chiapa de Corzo during the festival of San Sebastian is A MUST. It is one of the most spectacular Mexican traditions.


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The mega nuclear power plant was shut down on August 4, due to hydrogen concentration in the stator.
The unit was earlier expected to restart generation on September 4.
India's atomic power plant operator Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) has two 1,000 MW nuclear power plants at KNPP built with Russian equipment.
Kudankulam is in Tirunelveli district around 650 km from here.
However, officials of NPCIL at Kudankulam were not available for comment as to the reason for the delay in the plant's restart.


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This wreck happened at about 3:45 this afternoon at the intersection of Highway 130 and Maku'u Street.
The red car was heading towards Pahoa and turning into Maku'u Street and she obviously wasn't paying attention as she slammed right into on coming traffic.
The accident happened two cars in front of me and thankfully I was able to brake my car and swerve around the action. On my way back home I noticed that they had re-routed traffic going into Maku'u and the cars were still there.
And a little closer…
Filed under: Announcements, Hawaii, Highway 130, State Affairs, Transportation Tagged: | Highway 130 Accidents, Maku'u Drive


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Shoppers can give percentage of sale to charity through company's Create Change program
PALO ALTO, Calif., Nov. 18, 2009 - With an estimated 46 percent of consumers planning to purchase electronics and computers this holiday season,(1) HP has the perfect solution for every lifestyle and budget.
This year's major tech trends include touch-enabled products, easy-to-use mobile devices and affordable, do-it-yourself publishing solutions.
HP is making it easy for shoppers to choose the best gifts with an online HP Holiday Gift Guide that features PCs, printers, supplies, accessories and more. The guide is divided into three categories: Stocking Stuffers, PCs under $599 and Ultimate Gifts.
Additionally, through Jan. 31, 2010, consumers who purchase HP products through the HP Direct Store can donate 4 percent of their total purchase to an HP non-profit charity partner of their choosing through the company's new Create Change program.
Customers also can take advantage of rebates and special offers when purchasing products from HP. Now through Jan. 2, 2010, with the HP Trade In and Save Now program, customers can trade in any printer from any brand and in any condition for responsible recycling and will receive a $50 instant or mail-in rebate with the purchase of a qualifying HP Photosmart, HP Officejet Pro or HP LaserJet printer.
For the tech trendsetter HP offers sleek multitouch PCs and printers designed to offer the most intuitive user experience:
HP TouchSmart PCs combine the latest touch innovations and advanced features with a sleek, award-winning design that integrates a stunning high-definition (HD)-capable(2) or HD widescreen display with a multitouch-enabled screen. HP TouchSmart PCs offer exclusive built-for-touch applications(3) including Hulu Desktop, Netflix, Rhapsody and Twitter. Plus, the HP TouchSmart 600 easily connects to gaming consoles. Starts at $899.(4)
The HP Photosmart Premium with TouchSmart Web printer is the world's first web-connected home printer with one-touch, wireless, on-demand access to popular web content.(5) The growing number of HP Print Apps on the HP App Studio includes Disney, CNET.com, Google Maps, Coupons.com, Fandango, Snapfish and DreamWorks Animation. Additionally, the printer reduces packaging waste by shipping in a reusable bag. Starts at $399.(4)
The HP Photosmart Premium All-in-One printer is simple and intuitive to use thanks to its convenient HP TouchSmart control panel. With the sweep of a finger, users can view, edit and print lab-quality photos directly from their online albums at Snapfish.com without connecting to a PC.(5) Starts at $199.(4)
For the budget conscious For those seeking gifts that won't break the bank, HP offers a variety of cost-efficient photo publishing solutions – part of the HP Eco Solutions program – and high-quality personalized and do-it-yourself options:
The HP Deskjet D1600 Printer is HP's most affordable printer. Easy to use and reliable, it delivers laser-quality prints using Original HP inks for everyday documents such as web pages, online maps and homework assignments. The printer is made from 25 percent recycled plastic and ships in packaging that is 100 percent recyclable.(6) Starts at $39.(4)
The HP Officejet 6000 Printer is HP's most affordable business inkjet printer, offering enhanced productivity options for multitaskers in small businesses or home offices. The printer offers features including embedded wireless networking(7) and automatic two-sided printing,(8) and uses 40 percent less energy than laser printers.(9) Starts at $89; $119 for wireless.(4)
Snapfish by HP offers high-quality, personalized gifts, including new desktop calendars that capture favorite photos from the year and holiday photo cards with recordable greetings. Photo cards start at $0.29.(4)
For the mobile lifestyle HP offers a full lineup of slim and stylish notebooks for the ultra-mobile consumer:
The HP ENVY series redefines the premium notebook PC experience with precision-crafted, high-performance notebooks designed to satisfy the most demanding customers. The thin and light ENVY 13 is less than one-inch thin and boasts the brightest display in its class.(10) The ENVY 15 is HP's fastest consumer notebook ever. Both offer the optional Slim Fit Extended-Life Notebook Battery, a "slice" that provides extended battery life. Starts at $1,699.(4)
The HP Mini 110 by Studio Tord Boontje is the first companion PC from the critically acclaimed Dutch designer. It features the industry's first 3-D PC surface technology, which brings depth to an intricate pattern of plants and animals. Its 10.1-inch diagonal, mercury-free, LED display and 92 percent of full-size keyboard make it an ideal travel companion.(11) Starts at $399.(4)
The HP Pavilion dm3 notebook PC provides consumers the ultimate balance of mobility and performance in a thin and light design. With up to 10 hours of battery life, the notebook provides rich entertainment capabilities without sacrificing performance.(12) Starts at $649.(4)
The HP Photosmart A640 Compact Printer features a large 3.45-inch HP TouchSmart control panel that allows consumers to view, edit, create and personalize photos on the go. This portable printing powerhouse also includes more than 300 features for printing colorful photos and 30 photo editing and enhancing options to make personalizing and printing home photos easy and fun. The printer is made from 32 percent recycled plastic and reduces packaging waste by using an innovative, reusable tote made from recycled plastic bottles. Starts at $149.(4)
The HP SimpleSave Hard Drive offers simple and automatic backup for photos, video, music and other irreplaceable files. Users can protect precious memories by simply plugging the drive into a USB connection. Starts at $119.(4)
The HP Wireless Comfort Mouse lets consumers make a statement. These special-edition mice feature Water Lily, Jasmine and Orchid designs. Starts at $39.99.(4)
For the entertainment enthusiast The HP DreamScreen, a connected screen and companion to the PC, connects easily to a wireless or wired network to bring photos, music and video into any area of the home. Consumers can stay current with Facebook friends and photos, listen to Pandora Internet radio, share Snapfish personal photos and enjoy their music and pictures from networked PCs. Starts at $249.(4)
HP service and support On Nov. 19, HP will host a day-long Windows® 7 Expert Day (from 12:01 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. ET) on the HP Consumer Support Forum. More than 75 experts from HP, Microsoft and Symantec and key forum contributors will answer questions and give tips to help people get the most out of Microsoft's latest operating system and their HP printers, desktops and notebooks.
The HP Windows 7 Expert Day will cover topics such as:
An introduction to Windows 7;
Upgrading existing systems to Windows 7; and
Connecting a wireless printer to a Windows 7 PC.
HP products are backed by HP Total Care, the company's award-winning service, solutions and support, both in and out of warranty. HP's online support options include consumer support forums,online classes offered at no charge, a dedicated support video channel, the PC Tune-up Center and the newly designed HP Customer Care site, recently named one of the "Ten Best Web Support Sites of 2009" by the Association of Support Professionals. HP support professionals also are available 24/7 by phone.
Windows 7 PCs come with built-in support through HP Support Assistant,(12) a simple software application that allows PCs to run smoothly right from the start. The software maintains PC performance and resolves problems with automated updates and tune-ups, onboard diagnostics and guided assistance. Customers also can access HP printer diagnostics and software driver updates with HP Printer Check. More information is available at www.hp.com/go/totalcare.
Original HP supplies Original HP printing supplies for the home or office help ensure holiday memories are printed out right the first time, every time. From creating precious family photos to greeting cards to everyday documents, Original HP printing supplies consistently deliver high-quality prints that are made to last.
HP and the environment For decades HP has been an environmental leader, driving company stewardship through its HP Eco Solutions program, which spans product design, reuse and recycling as well as energy and resource efficiency. HP influences industry action by setting high environmental standards in its operations and supply chain, by providing practical solutions to make it easier for customers to reduce their climate impact and through its research on sustainability solutions that support a low-carbon economy. More information is available at www.hp.com/ecosolutions.
About HP HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world's largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans printing, personal computing, software, services and IT infrastructure to solve customer problems. More information about HP (NYSE: HPQ) is available at http://www.hp.com/.
2009 Workplace Holiday Shopping survey, WorkPlace Media.
High-definition content required to view high-definition images
Internet access required and not included.
Estimated U.S. street prices. Actual prices may vary.
Requires a Snapfish.com account and an Internet connection to the printer.
U.S. only; outside U.S., only box and protective end caps are 100 percent recyclable.
Wireless networking not available on base model. Wireless performance is dependent upon physical environment and distance from access point.
Automatic two-sided printing available on the HP Officejet 6000 Wireless All-in-One printer.
Energy use based on HP testing using the ENERGY STAR® program's TEC test method criteria.
Weight will vary by configuration.
Battery life will vary depending on the product's model, configuration, loaded applications, features and power management settings. The maximum capacity of the battery will decrease with time and usage.
HP Support Assistant also is preinstalled on select PCs with Microsoft Windows Vista®.
Microsoft, Windows, Windows 7 and Windows Vista are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. ENERGY STAR is a registered mark owned by the U.S. government.
This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance or market share relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include macroeconomic and geopolitical trends and events; the execution and performance of contracts by HP and its customers, suppliers and partners; the achievement of expected operational and financial results; and other risks that are described in HP's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2009 and HP's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to HP's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2008. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
© 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.


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UNESCO urges French journalism educators to innovate
Journalism classes need to be innovative in curricula design, if they are to impact on journalistic practices in the newsroom. This was the message delivered by Jānis Kārkliņš, Assistant Director-General for Communication and Information at UNESCO, during the fourth edition of the Conférence nationale des métiers du journalisme (CNMJ), which started today at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.
In his welcome remarks to over 250 French journalists and journalism educators, Kārkliņš said that the future of journalism had become uncertain but, he added, it was "in this very uncertainty that a new journalism can be shaped – one that responds to new social, economic, political and technological shifts".
He outlined UNESCO's own attempts to shape the future of journalism, citing the Organization's Model Curricula for Journalism Education published in 2007, which had been adapted by at least 70 journalism schools in 60 countries in diverse linguistic, social and cultural contexts.
He told the gathering that, as part of its innovative efforts to respond to new challenges, UNESCO had since launched a compendium of ten new syllabi, which could be accessed online.
He said: "This publication represents UNESCO's response to emerging global challenges for specialized journalistic literacies associated with Climate Change, Data Mining, Intercultural Communication, Human Trafficking, Digital Safety, among many others".
Kārkliņš also pointed out UNESCO's efforts to promote World Press Freedom Day, including the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity. He urged the participants not to underplay the issue of professionalism, saying that journalism ethics was a challenge in a communications environment that in many places was distorted by public relations "spin", excessive commercialization, and new media devices that forced journalists to try to beat near impossible deadlines.
He also disclosed that UNESCO was proposing a Global Initiative for Excellence in Journalism Education, whose aim would be to promote the "aspect of collegial discussion and sharing of perspectives among all the members, in an effort to pursue 'excellence' in teaching, researching and practising journalism globally".
The Conférence nationale des métiers du journalisme (CNMJ) is a forum for dialogue and debate. Born in 2010, it includes 14 French journalism schools recognised by the profession. It caters for trainers, professional associations, public authorities, researchers and other qualified stakeholders.


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A donation made now will help the Foundation support young and inspirational people succeed in encouraging and enabling their peers and communities to affect change within society for the good of the environment.
Projects supported include the Oceans Initiative's study of river dolphins which will inform the protection of these wonderful but critically endangered creatures in the Amazon and Asia; the Oldest Living Things in the World project, a unique index of millennia-old organisms such as has never before been compiled in the arts or the sciences, in the form of photographs of continuously living organisms 2,000 years old and older; 'Straw Wars', a campaign to eradicate plastic straws from restaurants and bars which started in London and plans to roll out globally.
For U.S. taxpayers who want to support the Foundation
The Sculpt the Future Foundation is supported by the American Fund for Charities' International Program. The American Fund is a US non-profit, and donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. You can make a donation to the American Fund, check, credit card or appreciated stock by going to www.americanfund.info. Please follow the instructions on the American Fund website and if you have any questions contact the American Fund. You will receive the receipt you require for your tax return.
Charity Number: 1113144
Inland Revenue Number (for the form): XT11895


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Pregnant Khloe Kardashian Hates This "Rude" Aspect of Air Travel and "Would Love Some Boundaries"
The pregnant Keeping Up With the Kardashians star is asking "the universe" for help, even though she knows it's unlikely.
Air travel can be tough for anyone — there's a reason those sick bags are casually displayed alongside magazines in seat-back pockets, and of course modern commercial air travel can just feel across-the-board brutal sometimes. But, the friendly skies can be notoriously difficult on pregnant women in particular, and Khloe Kardashian is no exception.
Now nearly seven months along in her first pregnancy, the reality star is doing everything she can to feel as glowing, fit, and decidedly non-swollen as possible. But, that air-cabin pressure will get to anyone — even a Kardashian! — and the down-to-earth fitness junkie recently came clean about how air travel has been affecting her lately.
Remember: Kardashian regularly takes trips to visit with her boyfriend and the father of her bun, Tristan Thompson, in Cleveland. And while flying the friendly skies used to be a breeze for the Revenge Body star, that's not so true at the moment.
The star got real about the trials of flying with a baby on board — and being hounded by the paparazzi at airports — on Twitter:
Somewhere in the distance, we can hear pregnant women everywhere cheering her on. But, lest you think Kardashian is all gripe, she was quick to qualify her statement:
And why shouldn't she respectfully ask for some boundaries for the next few months? Or, at least for an extra ginger ale or two while in flight? The soon-to-be mama has every right to ask for whatever makes her comfortable as she grows a little human.
Jet Set is Bravo's launch pad for the most extravagant, luxurious, and unforgettable travel experiences. Ready for takeoff? Then Like us on Facebook to stay connected to our daily updates.


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You didn't think they were going to make this THAT easy for you did you? You did not say exactly what version you were using but this should do the trick regardless.
Issue these commands as follows and then you will be able to mount your windows partition for read/write access.
su root
cd /media
mkdir windows
nano /etc/fstab
type or paste the line: /dev/hda1 /media/windows ntfs ro,dmask=0222,fmask=0333 0 0
mount /dev/hda1
then cd /media/windows
ls (all your windows files+folders will be listed)
It was hda1 for me, since the Linux partition was hda2 (as listed in /etc/fstab) but it can be hdc, hdc1, hda, etc so you'll have to check what the other partitions are labeled as.
Register Hereor login if you are already a member


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Thriving or Threatened? Perspectives on the State of U.S. Manufacturing in a Global Economy
Featuring: Lewis Leibowitz, Consuming Industries Trade Action Coalition; Lloyd Wood, American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition; Robert Scott, Economic Policy Institute; and Dan Ikenson, Cato Institute.
Since the depth of the U.S. manufacturing recession in 2002, the sector as a whole has experienced sustained and robust growth. The year 2006 set a record for output, revenues, profits, profit rates, return on investment, exports, and imports. The United States remains the world's most prolific manufacturing country, accounting for two and a half times more output than Chinese factories in 2006. Should these figures put to rest assertions that the U.S. manufacturing sector is eroding because of trade? Do they support a conclusion that the sector is thriving? Four experts on U.S. manufacturing will offer differing perspectives on the real state of U.S. manufacturing in today's global economy.


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The Science of Mudras
Sadhguru: The word mudra literally means "a seal." It is a certain position of the hand. Mudras are a subtle science of arranging your body in a certain way. The way your systems functions can be altered just by changing the positions of your palm. This is a whole science by itself which essentially involves the geometry and circuitry of the body. By holding a certain mudra, the energies tend to move in a particular way. In yoga, there are systems where you can regulate your breath in a certain way, with certain counts and proportions. By doing this, you can pinpoint your energy to any cell in the body if you want.
Mudras: Opening up the cosmos
Hands are capable of many things apart from eating and doing physical work. You can make these hands in such a way that if you move it here, you can make something happen somewhere else and pinpoint it wherever you want it, because these hands are the instrument to everything. This is like the control panel to everything.
Either you can keep this human system as a small little human being or you can enlarge this into a tremendous possibility. Whichever way it is, the control panel is still here. If you do the right things with this system, you can do miraculous things with life. That will take a lot of exploration, and a lot of sadhana is involved.
The many kinds of mudras
There are hundreds of mudras, some for health, some for wellbeing, some for creating certain other kinds of processes. For different aspects of life there are different mudras. In Indian culture, for everything they identified a particular asana, a mudra, and a particular kind of breathing, so that a human being brings out the best within himself. This still lives everywhere across the culture, but it is being practiced without the necessary understanding and awareness.
Editor's Note: "Mystic's Musings" includes more of Sadhguru's insights on the human energy system. Read the free sample [pdf] or purchase the ebook.
If one understands the intention of someone like Subash, which is not real comment( from his knowledge and experience) don't we have to comment? don't we have to stop him, probably little politely; not like ,how he started with 'sorry'. If I am wrong please correct me.
Dear Subhash - In Guru stotram there is a line "Guruve sarva lokanam" - whatever you look (lokam - world that which we perceive) or experience is your Guru. Grab any experience and practise which shall take you to a better state than what we were the previous moment. We don't know when a tool will be helpful. "Mrigi" mudra - not to be done more than 5 minutes shall ignite your Agna Chakra and if you perform dhyana intensely you become what you have been performing dhyana on. At least without intensity this mudra increases your focus/attention. Learn few mudras to speed up the inner awareness
Mudras and asanas, what a straightforward and safe way of bringing out the best in human beings.Wow!!. Im shocked when I think of when and how exactly we lost knowledge of these powerful yet subtle techniques. I mean, they have been there right? so at what point did we just loose the awareness? (im beginning to think what I don't know is practically everything!!!)
Sadguru when you say that lot of 'sadhana' is involved & will take a lot of 'exploration' I presume you are talking of dedication & concentration . Hence I presume that if one is totally involved & dedicated , the time factor to learn & apply automatically disappears so why is it that a lot of people when told something will involve a lot of 'Sadhana' & 'Exploration' , liken it to time factor & not ones' own effort to reach that level! Why does human mind equate effort or dedication to learn with time alone?
I'm here to find the real science of Mudra (if any to realise) but in comment section there is war going on between the commenters. Everybody has rights to think differently. If somebody finds that it has nothing to do with it then its ok... let it go. Let it go whatever people says about you or your followers. It does not changes your belief until you experience it. Blind faith never makes us liberated because we are already chained with it.
Sorry, if you get stuck in practicing mudras, asanas and pranayam techniques, you won't reach anywhere, achieve anything even if you practice it a lifetime. The real purpose behind these is to invoke your consciousness. Therefore it is not this or that mudra which is important but it is the inner awareness which you reach through it. Once you settle in your consciousness, deeply, the external body postures (asanas), breathing (pranayama) and mudra (bending and or touching of fingers or finger tips) become insignificant.
I hope you must have heard about the Yugas. All these knowledge were at the peak during the Satya yuga. But as we approached the Kali yuga people could not understand the intricacies of these subtle sciences and lost their power to understand it. People started involving themselves more on to bakthi and the blind rituals rather than the scientific aspect of it. Slowly we lost all the knowledge. According to Sadhguru in this ascending Dwapara and Tretayuga we again started reviving this science. Hopefully we will keep it alive for the future.
Sorry Hari he is lost in thinking that walking into that level is like climbing into train from the railway station! the reality is that it involves being able to develop the ability to transcend this human level to energy form & become one with the cosmos. These concept of Mudras as explained by Sadguru offer the way to it.
As sadhguru has told many times, you are talking about some ''consciousness'' which is not in your experience yet. There will be scope for assumptions and beliefs only. Let us start to move from what is in our experience- body, mind, emotions. Certain mudras with certain breathing pattern will make you feel the energy flow in a certain way. Start from that, no point in dreaming about something which you hav not yet experienced.
Subharsh sir, I understand that you are Gauthama of 21st century, we all totally agree, okay.I have found your comments in many Sadhguru blogs, why are you reading such blogs and just with a prejudice mentality comment in vain..either you are not fully conceiving the context or just commenting on the outer layer.
But mudra is a sing and language of body to communicate with mind.if you are performing a mudra that means you are telling that you need some thing has been done in your body. for example if you perform linga mudra you are ordering or commanding the mind that increase the fire element in body if you want to more about mudra visit http://complete-education.blogspot.in/2008/12/diseases-that-can-be-cure…
Please click Mr subash name and see his comments on Sadhguru's previous articles before replying to it. He is just responding to blogs post with some agenda. He reads the article then try to find out how to criticize and leaves his comments. He is delbratly misunderstanding things to mislead people. So best way is just ignore him. Its not worth responding to him. Good luck Mr Subhash and keep fooling yourself
Pranamams to all.
There is no way you can comment on anyone. Everybody trying to explore in their own way when you at not clear on what sadguru said. If you have conflict of understanding what he said , that shows you are not clear on what sadguru said. You need to do proper Sadhana. Guru is like ocean of knowledge. Don't try to get siddhi on 'easy button'. It doesn't work that way. Understanding bits and pieces Will get you nowhere. If you want to know proper sadhana follow procedures not easy-to-use button.
I'm fortunate to know and practise a few (4-5) mudras. Everything works. My Guru taught me these Mudras. But only when I was hearing Sadhguru Jaggi say this body has the possibility to correct itself just by watching itself, I started using these Mudras in combination with dhyana for cleansing the body and healing I started to reap the benefits from them. It is too great. To sit and watch is an achievement by reducing your mental activity even for a few minutes in this age. I try to teach 1 or 2 simple mudras to my friends whenever I hear there health problems.


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Tarantüla - Demo CS (2016)
Abrassive yet still catchy while at the same time dark, this Midwest hardcore band combines the sounds of both Discharge and the Ramones, with some Jerry Kids' vibe.
Ex-members of Chicago's most infamous band Cülo, so you know this one's gonna be a proper rager!
Buy the tape here.
Marks: culo, demo tape, hardcore punk, midwest punk, tarantüla
Ill Wind - S/T CS (2016)
Second release on my new label Cosmic Brood Records.
To cut it to the chase I'll just copy paste press info i wrote for this one. Hope you like it!
Ill Wind's debut tape release brings seven tracks full of melancholic bliss, dreamy melodies and punk rock infused with infinite sadness. This relatively new band comes from Zagreb, Croatia and its members have played in a bunch of bands during the past ten years; Vaseline Children, Junk Messiah, The Pathetics, Benchwarmers and more.
So, this is proper moody punk and a great soundtrack for sad people. If you like like Leatherface, Mega City 4, HDQ or Husker Du, Ill Wind might be right up your alley!
Followers of this blog might be also interested in another newer release on Cosmic Brood and that is Neon Lies debut tape. Neon Lies is a sick new solo project of Goran Lautar, the guitarist and the man responsible for the vocals, lyrics, recordings and hocus pocus behind the dystopian brooding garage rock group Modern Delusion. See more posts about Modern Delusion here. Listen to NL here.
You can buy both Cosmic Brood releases from the Doomtown store here.
Silent Era - S/T 7" (2016)
Yet another recent release on Doomtown Records!
"Upbeat, fast and moody political punk from the Bay Area with members of Deskonocidos, Neon Piss, The New Flesh, Criaturas and more. Here at Doomtown Records headquarters, Silent Era's music heavily reminds us of the late eighties sound we really dig and that is melodic side of UK hardcore and greats such as HDQ, Sofa Head and Instigators, as well as bands like Poland's Post Regiment."
Their approach for writing songs is definitely too fast to be called post-punk, but the chorus laden guitars and dark, melodic vocals could appeal to fans of that particular genre, whilst it's also too melodic to be filed under straight up hardcore punk.
Also, make sure to read my previous write-up on Silent Era's killer demo from 2015!
Check other posts related to Doomtown releases here.
Buy the 7" here.
Faux Départ - Démo CS (2016)
Killer garage punk riffage mixed with pop sensibility that equally brings to mind both popish side of early british punk rock, moody vibe of Wipers and some classic french sound unlike Camera Silens.
One of those demos so fully realized it doesn't sound like a demo at all. So good it deserves a proper vinyl treatment!
For fans of: Wipers, Wire, Cock Sparrer, The Briefs, The Aggravation, Clorox Girls etc.
Buy the tape here.
One of those demos so fully realized it doesn't sound like a demo at all. So good it deserves a proper vinyl treatment!
For fans of: Wipers, Wire, Cock Sparrer, The Briefs, The Aggravation, Clorox Girls etc.
Buy the tape here.
Marks: demo tape, faux depart, french punk, garage punk, retro punk, wipers
Generacion Suicida - Los Primeros Anos CS (2016)
These South Central LA ghetto punks made a name for themselves in the modern DIY punk scene with their trademark sound and that is blistering fast, melodic and super cathy retro punk rock sung in Spanish.
This limited tape compiles the songs from their first demo, S/T 7" and the Catholic Spit split 7", which are all sold out now. Read more about Generacion Suicida in my previous posts here and here.
For fans of Masshysteri, The Vicious, Gorilla Angreb, Eskorbuto, No Hope For The Kids, latino punk, 77 punk, Bloodstains Across California compilation etc.
Recently, Doomtown Records released Generacion Suicida's amazing new LP called Sombras. Listen it here!
You can buy this tape and other Generacion Suicida releases from Doomtown Records here.
Related posts:
Generacion Suicida - Todo Termina 12" (2015)
Generacion Suicida - Tour Flexi 7" (2015)
Gazm - Dirty Beach 7" (2016)
I've been spinning this one a lot. Gazm plays gritty, dirty and blown out style of hardcore and they are from Montreal. This is their demo tape repressed as a 7" and is full of rough aggressive sound, crashing beats, grimmest killah riffs and the craziest fucking vocals straight from the loony bin.
For fans of: Poison Idea, Discharge, GISM, Bad Brains, Infest, Big Zit, Hoax etc.
Buy the 7" here.
The Coneheads - Colekted Mix CS (2016)
Band made compilation cassette of the first three Coneheads tapes dubbed on thrift store tapes. Also contains a bunch of live recordings and some Liquids stuff. For the in-depth analysis of this release go to punkest youtube channel of 2016.
You can buy Coneheads LP that compiles first two tapes here.
Related posts:
G.S.B. - Goldman's Beat CS (2016)
D.L.I.M.C. - Cassingles (2015)
Liquids - Demo CS (2015)
Cal And The Calories – Greatest Ass CS (2016)
The Coneheads - Total Conetrol (2014)
Will post some new Doomtown Records and Cosmic Brood (my new label) stuff in the next few days but till then you can read about two recent Doomtown releases here and here.
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Step 1Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds and pistachios on a baking sheet and toast them until golden, 10 minutes.
Step 2Lightly oil the sides of an 8-inch-square cake pan and line the bottom with an 8-inch-square piece of wafer paper. Set aside another 8-inch-square piece of wafer paper to be placed on top of the candy. (If wafer paper is unavailable, oil the bottom of the pan as well as the sides, and lightly oil an 8-inch-square sheet of wax paper to be placed on top of the candy; set aside.)
Step 3Whisk 2 cups of sugar and the water together in a small bowl. Pour the mixture into a 2-to 3-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir with a spatula over medium heat to dissolve the sugar. When the sugar is completely dissolved, stop stirring and bring the mixture to a boil. Use a clean pastry brush dipped in water to wash down the sides of the pan to prevent crystallization of the sugar mixture.
Step 4While the sugar cooks, pour the honey into a 1-to 2-quart heavy saucepan. Place a candy thermometer in the honey (to get an accurate reading, you may have to tilt the pan slightly so that the honey covers the bottom of the thermometer) and cook over medium-low heat until the honey reaches 280 degrees and turns a darker color, about 16 minutes. It will look like a dark syrup. Remove it from the heat.
Step 5Meanwhile, whip the egg whites in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until frothy. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and continue to whip to stiff peaks, 1 to 2 minutes.
Step 6With the mixer on high, carefully pour the honey into the egg whites in a slow, steady stream. Turn off the mixer and check the temperature of the sugar (to get an accurate reading, you may have to carefully tilt the pan so that the sugar covers the bottom of the thermometer). After the sugar has reached 330 degrees, turn the mixer back to high and carefully pour the sugar into the egg white mixture in a slow, steady stream.
Step 7Continue to whip at high speed until the mixture thickens and becomes almost too stiff to whip, 5 to 10 minutes. The mixture will start out looking wet and glossy, but as it cools and stiffens the surface will take on a dull, matte appearance. Add the vanilla and whip about 1 minute longer, until the vanilla is well incorporated.
Step 8Working quickly, fold in the almonds and pistachios and scrape the nougat into the prepared pan. Smooth the top of the candy with a spatula, and top with wafer or wax paper (oiled side down). Use your hands or a clean spatula to press down and flatten the top. Let the candy stand 8 hours or overnight.
Step 9Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the nougat. Remove the wax paper, if used, and turn the candy out onto a cutting board. (Cut through the edible paper.) Use a sharp, sturdy knife to trim off the edges and cut the nougat into 1-inch squares. Store the nougat pieces between sheets of wax paper in an air-tight containe