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The iTunes store has no shortage of fairy tale-themed apps and eBooks. A quick search for any of your favorite Hans Christian Andersen or Brothers Grimm stories will turn up hundreds of options for both "free" (quotations marks very intentional) and paid options. Unfortunately, many of them feature artwork right out of a bad Disney rip-off film. As for the game-play, I never get that far. Of course, pretty art doesn't always equal an engaging app either, so after going on a few fairy tale app journeys, we came back with a few favorites.
Hansel and Gretel: Lost by PB&J Publishing The beautiful, bright hand-drawn illustrated style of Chilean artist Alvaro Pantoja Busch is what initially brought this app to my attention. The experience itself measures up to the art, with 21 interactive pages including 60 points of interaction. For my two girls, stuffing the two lost siblings full of witch house candy is a twenty minute activity in itself! The classic Grimm tale is also updated for modern children with the evil, child-dumping step-mom removed and Gretel re-positioned as a joke-cracking girl-power role model.
Grimm's Sleeping Beauty: 3D Interactive Pop-up Book by StoryToys With this app, StoryToys Entertainment proves they are a company that fully realizes the power of the tablet platform. This app takes the traditional pop-up book concept and lets young users play around and interact with the illustrations within the book. Created to appear like an open book on a table, users read along and participate in 11 interactive 3D pop-up scene activities. My 2-year-old could not get enough of dressing up Briar Rose's fairy friends and finding her way through a magic maze. Less scary than the Disney version and with added humor, Sleeping Beauty is a great intro to the StoryToys line.
Lil' Red – An Interactive Story by Brian Main Lil' Red caught my eye after seeing a screenshot of its big-eyed heroine – the creation of talented artist and illustrator Brian Main. Created solely in the stark pallet of black, white and red, the story of Little Red Riding Hood is given a humorous kid-safe update. Best of all, this app leaves it to the parent – or the child – to interpret the story; with animation, music and basic interactions being the main driver of the tale. The wordless eBook approach, combined with the 3-color pallet and unique character illustrations, makes for a one-of-a-kind app experience.
Cinderella by Nosy Crow Nosy Crow's Cinderella features a beautifully sophisticated hand-drawn look and feel that is comparable to classic children's property Charlie & Lola. Artist Ed Bryan's brunette take on the one-shoed princess is infused with just enough visual humor and magic to set it apart from the countless other takes on this classic tale. In-story interactions are a must for eBooks, and Cinderella doesn't disappoint, even utilizing the front facing camera. Young players will spend hours helping Cinderella clean the kitchen, dress her sisters for the ball, build her pumpkin carriage, and even choose the music for her dance with the Prince.
Do you have a favorite fairy tale app? We'd love to hear about it in the comments!


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New Canaan forecast: A slightly white Christmas
The Christmas Eve forecast calls for partly sunny skies, with an overnight dusting of snow likely to herald the arrival of Christmas.
The National Weather Service said the daytime high temperature will be in the upper-30s, with a north wind 5 to 7 mph, then becoming calm in the afternoon.
Light snow is likely overnight, the NWS, as the temperature dips to a low of about 30 degrees. The odds of precipitation are about 80 percent with new snow accumulation of less than one inch.
On Christmas Day, the precipitation is expected to become an early mix of snow and freezing, changing to all rain by later morning. Skies later will become partly sunny, with a high temperature near 40 degrees and a north wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.
Christmas night should be mostly clear, with a low temperature in the mid-20s.
On Wednesday, rain is likely, mainly after 4 p.m. Skies will be partly sunny, with a high temperature near 40 degrees. It will be breezy, with an east wind 6 to 11 mph, later increasing to 16 to 21 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. Nighttime will also likely be rainy, with a low temperature in the mid-30s. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent,
Thursday morning is also expected to be wet. Skies will be cloudy, with a high temperature about 40 degrees. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. Nighttime will bring a 30 percent chance of rain and snow showers. Skies will be mostly cloudy, with a low temperature in the mid-20s.
The outlook for Friday, according to the weather service, is sunny and temperatures in the mid-30s.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tu sei qui
Courage and Commitment
Yogi Bhajan Quotes from Man to Man: A Journal of Discovery for the Conscious Man—the Men's Teachings of Yogi Bhajan
"Here we are in a men's course. We want to build a strong man of you. Not so that you become "macho;" not so that you become self-destructive; but so that you can handle every challenge you face. We believe the strength of the man is in the challenge: the higher the challenge, the higher the man's capacity to meet it, the higher is his achievement in life. Challenge is not something that destroys you; challenge is something that gives you an experience.
"We are required to have a different kind of strength. We are required to have within us what we need. We cannot go with the free flow of insanity. Life requires much more commitment. Life needs the nurturing of commitment and commitment needs strength of character. Character needs strength of values and values have to be learned from the learned, and then practiced and lived.
"I believe that you are wise enough to answer every question. Your failure is when you don't mean to commit. Because without a base, without nailing yourself to the situation, you will never find the answer. You may want to have the answer, you may badly need the answer, you may try to have the answer; but without your nucleus, there is no answer. Are you going to live with this woman or not? Are you going to be with this situation or not? If you are going to be, then go through with everything!
"In our lives we do not believe in the flow of commitment. The commitment of life is a flow, and we do not guard the commitment. We only guard the life. You don't guard the commitment of life and you don't guard the values of life. Life flows in order for you to develop values; and as the life flows and you develop your values, the deeper and deeper should be your commitment."
© The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan
You may also be interested in:
- The Invincible Man Exercises
- Yogi Bhajan Quotes on Men
- Guidelines of Behavior for a Man of Spirit
- Yogic Living: The Aquarian Man
- Three Kriyas to Become a Man
- The Joy of Celibacy
- Yogi Bhajan Lecture: Marriage - A Carriage of United Consciousness
- Yogi Bhajan Lecture: Commitment, Progress and Protection
- Kundalini, Kundalini, Little Ship, Little Ship
- ‹
- 2 di 2


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Scalability and Performance Enhancements (Database Engine)
Scalability and performance enhancements in the Database Engine include filtered indexes and statistics, new table and query hints, and new query performance and processing features.
Filtered Indexes and Statistics
In SQL Server 2008, you can use a predicate to create filtered indexes and statistics on a subset of rows in the table. In earlier versions of SQL Server, indexes and statistics were created on all of the rows in the table. Filtered indexes and statistics are especially suited for queries that select from well-defined subsets of data, such as columns with mostly NULL values, columns with heterogeneous categories of values, and columns with distinct ranges of values.
A well-designed filtered index can improve query performance, reduce index maintenance costs, and reduce index storage costs compared with full-table indexes. For more information, see Filtered Index Design Guidelines. Filtered statistics can improve query plan quality because they cover only the rows in the filtered index. The Database Engine automatically creates and maintains filtered statistics for filtered indexes. You can also create filtered statistics on a non-indexed column to improve the query plan quality for subsets of data that do not need a filtered index. For more information, seeUsing Statistics to Improve Query Performance.
Table and Query Hints
OPTIMIZE FOR Query Hint Option Includes UNKNOWN Variable Value
The OPTIMIZE FOR query hint option is enhanced with the UNKNOWN syntax, which specifies that the Database Engine use statistical data to determine the values for one or more local variables during query optimization, instead of the initial values. The syntax can be specified for all local variables in a query, or for one or more named local variables. For more information, see Query Hints (Transact-SQL).
Query Hints
Table hints can now be specified as query hints to provide advanced query performance tuning options. We recommend using a table hint as a query hint only in the context of a plan guide. For more information, see Query Hints (Transact-SQL) and Using the INDEX and FORCESEEK Query Hints in Plan Guides.
Table Hints
The FORCESEEK table hint is added to provide advanced query performance tuning options. The hint specifies that the query optimizer use only an index seek operation as the access path to the data in the table or view referenced in the query. For more information, see Using the FORCESEEK Table Hint.
Query Performance and Processing
Lock Escalation Option
A new LOCK_ESCALATION option of ALTER TABLE allows you to disable lock escalation on a table. On partitioned tables, you can configure locks to escalate to the partitions instead of to the whole table. This option can improve concurrency by reducing lock contention when you are using partitioned tables. For more information, see ALTER TABLE (Transact-SQL).
Optimized Bitmap Filtering
The query optimizer can place bitmap filters dynamically in parallel query plans to improve the performance of queries against a star schema. Optimized bitmap filtering can significantly improve the performance of these data warehouse queries by removing nonqualifying rows from the fact table early in the query plan. For more information, see Optimizing Data Warehouse Query Performance Through Bitmap Filtering.
Parallel Query Processing on Partitioned Objects
SQL Server 2008 improves query processing performance on partitioned tables for many parallel plans, changes the way parallel and serial plans are represented, and enhances the partitioning information provided in both compile-time and run-time execution plans. SQL Server 2008 automates and improves the thread partitioning strategy for parallel query execution plans on partitioned objects. For more information, see Query Processing Enhancements on Partitioned Tables and Indexes.
Plan Guides
The sp_create_plan_guide stored procedure has been extended to accept XML Showplan output directly in the @hints parameter instead of embedding the output in the USE PLAN hint. This simplifies the process of applying a fixed query plan as a plan guide hint. In addition, a new stored procedure, sp_create_plan_guide_from_handle, allows you to create one or more plan guides from a query plan in the plan cache.
You can create multiple OBJECT or SQL plan guides for the same query and batch or module. However, only one of these plan guides can be enabled at any given time.
The new system function sys.fn_validate_plan_guide can be used to validate a plan guide. Plan guides can become invalid after changes such as dropping an index are made to the physical design of the database. By validating a plan guide, you can determine whether the plan guide can be used unmodified by the query optimizer.
New event classes, Plan Guide Successful and Plan Guide Unsuccessful, make it easier to verify that plan guides are being used by the query optimizer. When SQL Server cannot produce an execution plan for a query that contains a plan guide, the query is automatically compiled without using the plan guide. The Plan Guide Unsuccessful event occurs when the initial plan guide compilation fails.
New counters, Guided Plan Executions/sec and Misguided Plan Executions/sec, in the SQL Server, SQL Statistics Object, can be used to monitor the number of plan executions in which the query plan has been successfully or unsuccessfully generated by using a plan guide.
Operations such as creating, deleting, enabling, disabling, or scripting plan guides can be performed by using SQL Server Management Studio. Plan guides appear under the Programmability folder in Object Explorer.
Hash Values for Finding and Tuning Similar Queries
When searching for resource-intensive queries, you should consider how to find and tune similar queries that individually consume minimal system resources, but collectively consume significant system resources. The sys.dm_exec_query_stats and sys.dm_exec_requests catalog views provide query hash and query plan hash values that you can use to help determine the aggregate resource usage for similar queries and similar query execution plans. For more information, see Finding and Tuning Similar Queries by Using Query and Query Plan Hashes.
See Also


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What Your DNA Says About Medieval History – "A new study uses genetic data from living people to trace millennia-old migration patterns…. [M]uch of what Capelli and his colleagues discovered meshed with what historians already knew. For example, among northern Europeans, highest rate of admixing took place 'around the late first millennium C.E., a time known to have involved significant upheaval in Europe,' while admixture between north African and southern European populations was dated to a time span 'consistent with migrations associated with the Arabic Conquest of the Iberian peninsula.' But there were surprises, too. Most notably, Capelli and his colleagues discovered evidence for an influx of Mongolians into Europe that predated the reign of Ghengis Khan." – orig. research article: The Role of Recent Admixture in Forming the Contemporary West Eurasian Genomic Landscape.
Inuit Study Adds Twist to Omega-3 Fatty Acids' Health Story – "A study published on Thursday in the journal Science reported that the ancestors of the Inuit evolved unique genetic adaptations for metabolizing omega-3s and other fatty acids. Those gene variants had drastic effects on Inuit's bodies, reducing their heights and weights. Rasmus Nielsen, a geneticist at the University of California, Berkeley, and an author of the new study, said that the discovery raised questions about whether omega-3 fats really were protective for everyone, despite decades of health advice. 'The same diet may have different effects on different people,' he said…. The researchers found several genetic variants at different locations in the genome that were unusually common in the Inuit, compared with people in Europe or China. Several of these variations occurred within a cluster of genes that direct construction of enzymes called fatty acid desaturases. (The genes are called FADS, for short….) Even more intriguing was the fact that one of these gene variants was present in almost every Inuit in the study. It is much less common in other populations: About a quarter of Chinese people have it, compared with just 2 percent of Europeans. Natural selection is the only known way this gene variant could have become so common in the Inuit. Dr. Nielsen said this adaptation might have arisen as long ago as 20,000 years, when the ancestors of the Inuit were living in the Beringia region, which straddles Alaska and Siberia…. The adaptation did more than just change blood levels of fatty acids, the scientists found. Inuit who carried two copies of the variant gene were on average an inch shorter and 10 pounds lighter than those without a copy." – orig. research article: Greenlandic Inuit show genetic signatures of diet and climate adaptation. see also Your Genes Are What You Eat from razib.
Height-reducing variants and selection for short stature in Sardinia – "[K]nown height-decreasing alleles are at systematically higher frequencies in Sardinians than would be expected by genetic drift. The findings are consistent with selection for shorter stature in Sardinia and a suggestive human example of the proposed 'island effect' reducing the size of large mammals." – h/t andrew sabisky!
Are humans still evolving? Yes, both globally and locally. – from jerry coyne.
5 key facts about the nuclear DNA from Sima de los Huesos – "If confirmed, the results will push back the H. sapiens-H. neanderthalensis ancestor beyond 400 KYA. Meyer suggested that the ancestors of H. sapiens could have diverged from the branch leading to neandertals and denisovans 550 K to 765 K years ago. It may be possible that H. sapiens evolved in western Eurasia and later migrated back into Africa. The fossils from Europe, Asia and Africa in the 400 Ka. period are physically very diverse and may represent multiple species, only one of which could be the ancestor of today's humans. For example, Chris Stringer thinks it may be needed to look at Homo antecessor and not Homo heidelbergensis as our last common ancestor with neandertals."
New DNA tests on ancient Denisovan people 'shows them occupying Altai cave 170,000 years ago' – "Prehistoric Siberians lived in Denisova Cave earlier than scientists realised – new claim based on state-of-the-art technology." – h/t paleoanthropology!
Origins, admixture and founder lineages in European Roma – "We found a set of founder lineages, present in the Roma and virtually absent in the non-Roma, for the maternal (H7, J1b3, J1c1, M18, M35b, M5a1, U3, and X2d) and paternal (I-P259, J-M92, and J-M67) genomes. This lineage classification allows us to identify extensive gene flow from non-Roma to Roma groups, whereas the opposite pattern, although not negligible, is substantially lower (up to 6.3%). Finally, the exact haplotype matching analysis of both uniparental lineages consistently points to a Northwestern origin of the proto-Roma population within the Indian subcontinent."
Why I'm sceptical about the idea of genetically inherited trauma – "A recent scientific paper claiming that the children of Holocaust survivors showed evidence of inherited stress was deeply flawed – here's why."
Population genetic differentiation of height and body mass index across Europe – "Here we find that many independent loci contribute to population genetic differences in height and body mass index (BMI) in 9,416 individuals across 14 European countries."
North-South divide, Japanese style – from dr. james thompson.
Genetics of IQ and lifespan and Genius? Avoid rare functional genes and Heritability of Specific Cognitive Abilities and Schizophrenia and cognitive decline and g for Latinos and White matter efficiency predicts women's IQ, but not men's – all also from dr. james thompson!
SNP hits on cognitive ability from 300k individuals – from steve hsu. h/t holtz!
Do smart girls postpone first sex? and Do women find bright men sexy? – and even MORE from dr. james thompson!! whew!
Green Arabia's key role in human evolution – "Scientists have been illuminating the vital role played by the Arabian Peninsula in humankind's exodus from Africa. Far from being a desert, the region was once covered by lush vegetation and criss-crossed by rivers, providing rich hunting grounds for our ancestors."
The UK10K project identifies rare variants in health and disease – h/t kevin mitchell!
Genetics of aggressive behavior: An overview – h/t brian boutwell!
Sons of the Soil, Migrants, and Civil War – "In nearly a third of ethnic civil wars since 1945, the conflict develops between members of a regional ethnic group that considers itself to be the indigenous "sons of the soil" and recent migrants from other parts of the country." – h/t whyvert!
It's finally out: The big review paper on the lack of political diversity in social psychology – "Psychologists have demonstrated the value of diversity – particularly diversity of viewpoints – for enhancing creativity, discovery, and problem solving. But one key type of viewpoint diversity is lacking in academic psychology in general and social psychology in particular: political diversity." – from jonathan haidt.
The genetics of alcohol dependence: Twin and SNP-based heritability, and genome-wide association study based on AUDIT scores – h/t amir sariaslan!
Chronotype Associations with Depression and Anxiety Disorders in a Large Cohort Study – h/t emily deans! who tweeted: "'Morning people' less likely to be depressed in this large and relatively thorough observational study." – (morning people depress me. (~_^) )
The Hormone That Bonds Humans to Dogs – h/t old whig! who tweeted: "Evolutionary change is faster than we think? Case study: oxytocin."
Does the Gender of Offspring Affect Parental Political Orientation? – h/t ben southwood! who tweeted: "Studies on offspring gender & political orientation plagued by publication bias; actually there's no relationship."
Do Angry Birds Make for Angry Children? A Meta-Analysis of Video Game Influences on Children's and Adolescents' Aggression, Mental Health, Prosocial Behavior, and Academic Performance – "Overall, results from 101 studies suggest that video game influences on increased aggression (r = .06), reduced prosocial behavior (r = .04), reduced academic performance (r = −.01), depressive symptoms (r = .04), and attention deficit symptoms (r = .03) are minimal." – h/t joseph schwartz!
Ancient campfires show early population numbers [in australia] – "ANU archaeologist Alan Williams used radio carbon dating technology to examine charcoal dates from more than 1000 prehistoric campfires and based on this he says populations appear to have increased steadily until 25,000 years ago…. After this initial increase, he says, population levels remained steady or even declined from 25,000 years ago, during the more arid Last Glacial Maximum (25,000 to 13,000 years ago) when temperatures were about ten degrees cooler…. Campfire numbers began to grow again 13,000 years ago when the northern wet season re-emerged."
Aboriginal 'memories' of Australia's coastline go back more than 7,000 years
History became legend, legend became myth: Crater Lake – h/t razib! who tweeted: "8,000 year old explosion preserved in folk memory of klamath indians?"
Ancient Script Spurs Rethinking of Historic 'Backwater' – "At a temple site in the Republic of Georgia, letters carved in stone could change the way we see the development of writing."
bonus: Microbiologists Keep Finding Giant Viruses in Melting Permafrost
bonus bonus: Ancient Cats Drove Ancient Dogs to Extinction – woof? (O.O)
bonus bonus bonus: this year's ig nobel mathematics prize went to the authors of The Case of Moulay Ismael – Fact or Fancy? – "Textbooks on evolutionary psychology and biology cite the case of the Sharifian Emperor of Morocco, Moulay Ismael the Bloodthirsty (1672–1727) who was supposed to have sired 888 children. This example for male reproduction has been challenged and led to a still unresolved discussion. The scientific debate is shaped by assumptions about reproductive constraints which cannot be tested directly — and the figures used are sometimes arbitrary. Therefore we developed a computer simulation which tests how many copulations per day were necessary to reach the reported reproductive outcome…. The results indicate that Moulay Ismael could have achieved this high reproductive success. A comparison of the three conception models highlights the necessity to consider female sexual habits when assessing fertility across the cycle. We also show that the harem size needed is far smaller than the reported numbers." (~_^)
and the tweet of the week!:
(note: comments do not require an email. moulay ismael the bloodthirsty!)


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Earlier this week I had a coveted invite to view all of the entries for the AGTA Spectrum Awards, and believe me, I wouldn't have missed it. This design competition is for the best in colored gemstones, and there were some real stunners that made me remember just how much I love gems.
One of my favorites was the intense ring above by designer Paul Kleka. Made from 18K green gold and featuring eighteen radiant-cut Zultanites (91.85 ctw.), the three-finger ring may have been dangerous, but I loved the matte finish on the gold and the repeating pattern.
Another favorite is Victor Velyan's 24K yellow gold and silver cuff featuring a 20.54 ct oval star Ruby cabochon and natural colored diamonds. These two pieces just go to show you that colored gems don't necessarily need to be all about the sparkle factor–pattern and texture are also key in finding a good piece of jewelry.
Did you know you can shop by gemstone on Portero.com? Check out our selection of gorgeous colored stone jewelry now!


text: Humphrmi's 1963 Chrysler Newport has antique license plates, meaning he can't drive to or from anywhere other than car shows, shops and parades; but State Farm won't insure the car as an antique unless it gets a new coat of paint. "You have to paint the car," they said, to avoid a 33% higher premium. Does this strike anyone else as insane?


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Presidential Mitt
BY WILLIAM KRISTOL, Editor
The Weekly Standard
On September 2, 1939, the day after Hitler invaded Poland, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain made clear in the House of Commons that he still entertained hopes for negotiations with the Führer: "If the German Government should agree to withdraw their forces then His Majesty's Government would be willing to regard the position as being the same as it was before the German forces crossed the Polish frontier. That is to say, the way would be open to discussion between the German and Polish Governments on the matters at issue."
The acting leader of the opposition, Arthur Greenwood, rose to reply to the prime minister. He began by saying he would be speaking on behalf of the Labour party. The prominent Conservative and opponent of appeasement Leo Amery, appalled by what Chamberlain had said, dramatically interrupted Greenwood from the Tory backbenches, shouting across the chamber:
- "Speak for England, Arthur!"
It's not 1939. But the clouds are darkening and storms are gathering. Americans sense the dangers we face. So in the foreign policy debate for the rest of the campaign, Mitt Romney's task is not merely to speak for the Republican party and conservative opponents of Barack Obama. Nor is his task merely to speak to undecided suburban women. Mitt Romney's task is to rise above partisanship and gamesmanship, above debating points and electoral calculations. Mitt Romney's task is to speak for America.


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Here's To the Dancing Guy
Here's to the Dancing Guy. He makes the concert more fun for the rest of us.
You know the one. There's a smallish concert - maybe a few dozen people - and he's the one guy right in front of the stage, dancing as if controlled by the music or perhaps non-prescription drugs.
You can see the fire in his eyes and the rolling papers in his pockets, which is surprising since he should have used them all by now. He's had so many drugs that he's begun to offer them to other people. It's not because he wants to share. Rather he wants other people to feel the music, which he can only do through non-prescription drugs.
Here's to the Drugged Out Dancing Guy.
You know the one. He's dancing with more gusto and non-prescription drugs now, and decides to take his sweatshirt off. Soon after, he realizes that he can also remove his t-shirt. The rest of the crowd collectively prays it stops there.
But he doesn't just remove his shirt. He throws it defiantly at the speakers, knowing he can get it back later since no one else wants to go within fifty feet of him. He points at it a few times as if to say, "bad shirt - you weren't feeling the music. Your punishment is to sit in the corner and watch me have more fun than you." Which is a much better fate than actually being on him.
Here's to the Half-Naked Drugged Out Dancing Guy.
Now that his shirt is wearing the dunce cap next to the speakers, you realize just how big this guy is. But he doesn't. He continues to dance, stomach wobbling over his jeans. And then, the unthinkable happens. He begins to sweat.
Despite being shirtless in fifty-degree weather, he's dancing so hard that he begins sweating. His sweating process is also aided by the facial hair he hasn't trimmed since the other Bush was president.
He grabs a bottle of water from the stage and dumps half of it over his head to cool himself down. But isn't taking something from the stage wrong? Not for him. Because he's the only one who truly feels the music. He and the band have an understanding. And to stop him, they'd have to go within 50 feet of him.
Here's to the Wet Half-Naked Drugged Out Dancing Guy.
Now done pouring some water over himself, he tries to offer the rest of the bottle to other people. It's hard for them to hear the offer, since they're more than 50 feet away. But the offer does not go completely unheard. A large black dog begins barking at the water. (Here's to the Guy That Brings a Large Black Dog to a Concert). But after seeing it in this man's cupped, sweaty hands, even the dog refuses the water. Dogs may drink from the toilet, but they're not stupid.
So the Guy points to the dog, which would make the water he was holding splash on everyone around him, were there anyone around him. The Guy points to the dog as if to say, "That dog refused my water, but he's still cool. You know why? Because he feels the music. And he is also not wearing a shirt."
Here's to the Animal-Loving Wet Half-Naked Drugged Out Dancing Guy.
Once the dog acknowledges The Guy's prayer by hiding behind his master's legs, the Guy turns back to the stage and resumes dancing. Occasionally, he slips on the water he just spilled. He points to the ground defiantly, as if to say, "who put that there? Oh, right, me. I'd have remembered that were it not for the non-prescription drugs. Oooh, colors."
And that's when the guy begins praying. He puts his hands together, bows, and begins pointing at the sky as if to say, "Hey, god, thanks for this music. And that water. And the dog." Then he turns to the dog and bows to him, too, before making a very audible "arf!" in the dog's direction. As if to say, "'God' is 'dog' backwards, so this dog must also have some magical powers. Man, I'm stoned."
Here's to the Hallucinating Animal-Loving Wet Half-Naked Drugged Out Dancing Guy.
He makes the concert more fun for the rest of us. Because he makes it very easy to start a conversation with the Kind of Shy But Happy to Be There Rocking Slightly to the Music As if Not to Draw Attention To Herself Hot Girl.
"Hey, Kind of Shy But Happy to Be There Rocking Slightly to the Music As if Not to Draw Attention To Herself Hot Girl. Did you see that Hallucinating Animal-Loving Wet Half-Naked Drugged Out Dancing Guy?"
"Why, yes I did! (Time lapse) Hey, want to go back to my place?"
So here's to you, Dancing Guy. You make the concert more fun for the rest of us.


text:
54 days till my birthday
This user is over 18.
"'Only a man who has felt ultimate despair is capable of feeling ultimate bliss' - A. Dumas "
My name is Britney, and I live in the outskirts of Philadelphia, PA. I currently have 11 piercings; eight in my ears (including tragus), my nostril, my septum, and one microdermal surface anchor on my cheek. I have 6 tattoos; a tiny star on my left wrist, a tiny heart on my right hand, a tribute to my mom on my right wrist, a large vine of cherry blossoms on my chest/shoulder/back, and two large swallow birds on my right and left shoulder blades. One of the best feelings is the feeling you get after a new tattoo or piercing!
9/25/2013 | 0 comments
Hey everyone. This is my first post on here! Yesterday I got my first microdermal piercing at No Ka Oi in Philly, PA. It was done by Haley Street, and she was SUPER sweet and informative. I'm so glad I had a good experience there. No Ka Oi has an AMAZING selection of piercing jewelery and will pierce anything you want done. Everyone is very educated in what they do. I have 9 piercings, and by far my anti-eyebrow surface anchor was the least painful. I got a cute little light blue opal gem (14g).
The day before that I got my 6th tattoo, on my right wrist by Matt Brownlee at Baker Street Tattoo in Media, PA. He was one of the nicest tattoo artists I've ever dealt with! The place was very clean and he made sure I was comfortable and calm. My tattoo reads, "X.XXVII.MMI" with a heart above it. It's in Roman numerals and means October 27th, 2001; the date my mom passed away. The date that forever changed my life, and has made me a stronger person. The day that has taught me that life is short and fleeting, and should be cherished always.
Modtrackerview all
291 headshots.
10/28/2013 @3:03 a.m.: Burt (NORA) via /iam/pritbeters/
10/27/2013 @10:48 a.m.: newty (Winsen,DE) via /iam/media/pritbeters/piercings/
10/27/2013 @10:27 a.m.: joeis67 (Anaa) via /iam/pritbeters/
10/27/2013 @9:16 a.m.: patricegfr via /iam/media/pritbeters/photo/3410344?ref_gallery=tattoos
10/26/2013 @5:56 p.m.: barcode (3012 Bern) via /iam/pritbeters/
10/26/2013 @4:44 p.m.: bufflowbill via /iam/media/pritbeters/piercings/
10/26/2013 @12:21 p.m.: Caduses (PHOENIX) via /iam/pritbeters/
10/26/2013 @10:21 a.m.: mapfeil (STUTTGART) via /iam/media/pritbeters/piercings/
10/26/2013 @10:06 a.m.: ericzago (PARIS) via /iam/media/pritbeters/photo/1355397?ref_gallery=tattoos
10/26/2013 @1:48 a.m.: robertmvp (29212) via /iam/britpeters/


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|System: PC, PS3, Xbox 360*
|Dev: Rockstar Vancouver
|Pub: Rockstar Games
|Release: May 15, 2012
|Players: 1-26
|Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p
|Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs and Alcohol
However, and I hate to say this, subtleties don't make the transition to multiplayer. It's not that the multiplayer component isn't fun; it is. It's just that the lighthearted pandemonium of the multiplayer seems to undermine the tone of the rest of the game. Though, even though I had my reservations, I still managed to spend several hours addictedly glued to a multiplayer game. So you should probably just ignore me.
As far as the controls go, if you've ever played a third-person shooter, you're probably ready to go. Some of the buttons that are typically allocated for grenades and hand-to-hand combat have been co-opted for the Bullet Time mechanic, but it's an easy switch to make. You utilize the slow-down controls so often that they become part of your repertoire quickly.
I should also mention, just to cover my bases, that this is not a Rockstar Game in the same way that Grand Theft Auto or Red Dead Redemption is. Players are strapped to a fairly linear storyline that lasts between 15 and 70 hours, depending on how frequently you use bullet time. However, the narrative has Rockstar's stamp all over it. There's a nouveau kind of interactive storytelling happening in Max Payne 3 that could only really be told by the people who brought you GTA and L.A. Noir.
The cutscenes, while possibly too numerous, are seamlessly integrated into the overall narrative in a way that often makes you forget when it's time to take control of your character. This, coupled with a graphical universe that undoubtedly pushes the limits of this generation of consoles, creates an immersive experience that will give titles like Uncharted a run for their money.
However, if you're looking for a fast-paced, explosion-filled, Michael Bay-type experience, you're probably going to want to steer clear of Max Payne 3. Remember, this is a game where you slow things down.
When you actually add them up, Max Payne 3 contains more played-out references than I'm typically comfortable endorsing. You've got a burned-out cop with a drinking problem who plays by his own rules, a highly funded crime syndicate bent on personal revenge, and a gameplay mechanic that's made its way into almost every video game and film over the last decade. Rockstar even added a last stand mode, à la Call of Duty, as if one overused mechanic weren't already enough. But clichés exist for a reason, and Max Payne uses them all flawlessly.
In fact, I would almost say that anyone who's used one of these clichés up till now was just trying to be like Max Payne 3.
Josh Engen
Contributing Writer
Date: May 15, 2012
Game Features:


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And another one...
U.S. airman accused of attacking Japanese teen after breaking into home
November 2, 2012
Tokyo (CNN) -- Compounding the American military's difficulties on the Japanese island of Okinawa, a U.S. airman is under investigation over allegations he broke into a local family's home early Friday and assaulted a teenage boy before jumping off a third-floor balcony.
The incident is likely to further deepen resentment among Okinawan residents about the significant U.S. military presence on the island. The situation was already extremely delicate following the arrest last month of two U.S. sailors accused of raping a local woman.
That case prompted angry protests from Japanese officials and local residents. The U.S. military responded by imposing a nighttime curfew on its thousands of troops in the country -- a restriction the airman appears to have disobeyed Friday.
According to Okinawa police, the suspect is alleged to have broken into the family's apartment in the village of Yomitan around 1 a.m. Friday, hit a 13-year-old boy who was in bed and damaged a television set. The boy was left with an injury to his cheek.
The airman suffered "possible broken bones and internal injuries" after jumping from the apartment's balcony and has been admitted to a military hospital on the nearby U.S. Air Force base of Kadena, U.S. military officials said.
U.S. military shifting Asia focus
2008: Japanese to U.S.: Get out
Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba called the incident "outrageous," noting that it took place despite the U.S. military curfew. He said the Japanese authorities would lodge a complaint with the United States.
The U.S. ambassador to Japan, John Roos, said he was also appalled by reports of the incident.
"Let me be absolutely clear: I am very upset -- it's an understatement to say I'm very upset," he told reporters in Tokyo on Friday, expressing concern about the well-being of the Japanese boy who was allegedly attacked.
He stressed that the U.S. military forces in Japan are "undergoing a complete review of the liberty policies and other policies that will minimize, if not eliminate, any such incident in the future."
"It is incredibly unfortunate that the purported actions of a few reflect badly on thousands of young men and women here in Japan, away from their homes, that are here for the defense of Japan," he said.
American military officials on Okinawa, which lies south of the main Japanese islands, were trying to deal with the fallout from the situation.
"It is extremely regrettable when an alleged incident like this occurs," said Col. Brian McDaniel, vice commander of the 18th Wing of the U.S. Air Force, which occupies the Kadena base, the largest American military installation in the Asia-Pacific region. "We are fully cooperating with Okinawan authorities on this investigation to ensure justice is served."
Maj. Christopher Anderson, the head of public affairs for the 18th Wing, said he had met with the mayor of Yomitan on Friday.
"This isn't how we want our people to conduct themselves," he said of the airman's alleged behavior.
Japanese and U.S authorities declined to disclose details of the airman's identity Friday, other than that he was assigned to Kadena.
The issue of violent crimes by U.S. troops in Japan has divided the two countries for decades. It came to a peak in 1995 when a U.S. sailor and two U.S. Marines were convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl. Tens of thousands of Okinawans took to the streets at the time demanding that the United States leave the island.
Relations between the U.S. military and the people of Okinawa have also been strained in recent months over the U.S. Marine Corps' deployment of MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to a base on the island. Some Okinawa residents are concerned because the Osprey has had a reputation for crashing.
The Okinawan community has long been against the presence of the U.S. military, which recently announced that thousands of Marines will be moved to a base in Guam.


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Dot Hill, which supplies drive array subsystems, is moving into storage virtualisation by buying Cloverleaf for its software technology.
Dot Hill competes with LSI and Xyratex in the supply of disk drive array subsystems to OEMs such as HP, NetApp and Sun. It has recently moved into software RAID supply and is now extending its software portfolio by buying privately-held Cloverleaf Communications.
LSI previously bought StoreAge, an Israeli company, and its SVM SAN (Storage area Network) virtualisation product in 2006. It now supplies it to HP.
Cloverleaf is also an Israeli company, formed in 2001 when it acquired its core product technology from Elta Systems/Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). It has administrative headquarters in Woodbury, New York.
Cloverleaf was primarily funded from venture capital firms in Israel. The product technology is software-based, running on standard Intel architecture hardware. Its software suite, the intelligent Storage Network (iSN), is designed to work heterogeneously across all vendors' storage arrays and support a common suite of data management services under a single user interface. This means Dot Hill will have software that can manage its own and other vendors' drive arrays.
The product suite includes "features such as storage virtualisation and pooling across mixed vendor SAN and NAS storage, thin provisioning, automated tiered provisioning, data migration, advanced snapshot, FCDP (Frequent Consistent Data Protection), synchronous and asynchronous replication and remote disaster recovery at host speeds of up to 24GB/sec rates."
It supports both file and block I/O with Fibre Channel and NFS/CIFS protocol support. It is claimed that the iSN products can also be clustered for near-linear performance gains with up to 12 controllers being deployed in a single configuration.
LSI recently bought OnStor, a NAS filer hardware company and that might reflect Dot Hill's interest in the NAS aspect of Cloverleaf's software.
Dana Kammersgard, Dot Hill's president and CEO, talked of: "extending our reach into adjacent and emerging markets such as cloud-based storage and storage virtualisation," with the acquisition. He added: "This transaction is intended to quickly elevate us beyond the storage array market and establish Dot Hill as a technology leader in the higher margin storage software market... We expect that our existing and prospective OEM and channel partners will be very interested in considering these products as we prepare them for launch later this year."
That suggests Dot Hill will not be entertaining any direct sale ideas.
Kammersgard, who wants Dot Hill to become a "software and solutions" company, seems to have Compellent and other newer storage array suppliers in mind when he added: "We believe we can compete very well with both the virtualisation appliance companies as well as with the newer storage companies who bundle similar features that operate solely on their own array products."
The strategy then is to bulk out revenues from low-margin hardware-based drive array subsystems sold to relatively few OEMs by selling storage system application and management software to a, presumably expanded, channel.
There is a cost at first of course. SVP and CFO Hanif Jamal said: "We expect this acquisition could be accretive to our financial results in 2011." Let's note that "could be." Talking of the last quarter of 2009 he said: "We believe we will meet our guidance of $62m to $67m in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2009, a non-GAAP loss in the 1 to 7 cent range and expect to end the year with $55m to $60m in cash and cash equivalents."
The cash cost of the acquisition is what we might class as trivial; Dot Hill will purchase Cloverleaf for $2.5m plus approximately $9.5m in shares of unregistered Dot Hill common stock. That means $12m, which represents a thumping loss for Cloverleaf investors as they had put a total of $25m into the firm when an $11m C-round of funding completed in June 2005; no four leaves for them. They don't even get a cash exit as the bulk of the payment is in Dot Hill stock.
In effect they are now gambling on a return on their Cloverleaf investments from a rise in Dot Hill stock, currently trading at $1.90. Dot Hill shares peaked at $17.23 in August 2003 and entered 2009 at $0.90. They were trading at $2.66 in October but have trended down since then. It's quite a gamble, with Dot Hill facing competition for iSN from Symantec and LSI as well as suppliers of combined hardware/software storage virtualisation and tiering products such as 3PAR, Compellent, Dell, EMC, HP, NetApp, Pillar Data and others.
As part of the acquisition, a number of Cloverleaf's founders, including Elic Yavor and Yosi Klein, will be joining Dot Hill Systems. Yavor and Klein were part of the core development team from ELTA Systems/IAI. ®
Sponsored: Webcast: Simplify data protection on AWS


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Due to higher than normal order volumes, please expect a shipping delay of 10+ business days. We appreciate your understanding.
1 oz Prospector Silver Round
These one ounce rounds are a terrific value, and one of the lowest premium ways to add to your stack!
The idea of a lone prospector carries enduring appeal as one person with a dream battling the odds and Mother Nature in an attempt to secure their fortune.
The obverse of this round displays an 18th or 19th century prospector, gold pan in one hand and pick axe in the other. His trusty mule is at his side.
The reverse features a wooden table as the background of the field along with the tools of the trade for a prospector including rope, a map, a compass and a sextant.
Great value and an interesting design set this round apart from the rest, order yours today.
In multiples of 20 these rounds will ship in a plastic tube.
|Lightly Used
|Prospector beside a mule in a rocky valley and the word "Prospector"
|Map, sextant, compass and rope sitting on a table and the words "One Troy Ounce 999 Fine Silver"


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Amazon Web Services has launched Amazon CloudFront, a self-service, pay-as-you-go web service for content delivery. With CloudFront, developers and businesses can distribute content through a worldwide network of edge locations that provide low latency and high data transfer speeds. CloudFront works seamlessly with other AWS services such as Amazon S3, and is self-service with no up-front commitments, no long-term contracts and pay-as-you-go pricing.
"Our customers asked us for a way to globally distribute their most frequently accessed content with all the benefits that Amazon Web Services provides -- low, pay-as-you-go pricing, high performance, and reliability," said Adam Selipsky, Vice President Developer Relations for Amazon Web Services. "Amazon CloudFront provides low latency, inexpensive content delivery and simple integration with Amazon S3 -- without complex sales negotiations or up-front commitments."
Built on Amazon's own infrastructure, CloudFront lets developers deliver HTTP content through a worldwide network of edge locations. The service caches copies of content close to end users for low-latency delivery. CloudFront works seamlessly with Amazon S3, where users store the original versions of objects delivered through the service. Customers need only put their objects into an Amazon S3 bucket and then register that bucket with the new service using a simple API call, which then returns a domain name used to access content through the network of edge locations.
CloudFront enables use cases such as video distribution, software downloads, music downloads, and delivering frequently accessed website images and objects. Over 440,000 developers have registered to use Amazon Web Services.


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tour de mario – jumping
My co-blogger Ben and I are working on an entry for the Mario AI Competition 2009. The idea is to develop a Java program that simulates button presses to guide Mario through randomly generated levels of increasing difficulty. The competition is aimed at exploring Artificial Intelligence methods in gaming, but before Ben and I can even get to that, I think a short tour of the code we will be working with is in order.
Jumping is key in Mario. Maybe more precisely, landing is key. Controlling where you land will stomp an enemy or clear a gap. Jumping is easy, landing is hard.
Since this is so integral, let's take a look at the code that makes Mario tick.
The class
ch.idsia.mario.engine.sprites.Mario controls Mario's behavior.
tick() method of Mario's superclass,
Sprite is called once for every frame of the game, 24/sec.
tick() is pretty simple, it just calls
move(), which Mario happens to implement.
move() method has a lot of code in it — 224 lines — but at it's core, it just sets the xa and ya variables — x-acceleration and y-acceleration — and then uses them to increment Mario's current x and y position variables.
move() starts on line 156, but doesn't start doing anything we're interested in until line 211:
float sideWaysSpeed = keys[KEY_SPEED] ? 1.2f : 0.6f;
Mario moves horizontally at a rate 0.6 per frame at normal speed and 1.2 when the
SPEED key is pressed.
The jumping code starts on line 234. I've left out the conditions we don't care about:
if(keys[KEY_JUMP] || ...) { ... if(onGround && mayJump) { xJumpSpeed = 0; yJumpSpeed = -1.9f; jumpTime = 7; ya = jumpTime * yJumpSpeed; onGround = false; sliding = false; } ... else if(jumpTime > 0) { xa += xJumpSpeed; ya = jumpTime * yJumpSpeed; jumpTime--; } }
This is the heart of the jump.
jumpTime is a frame counter variable, and a jump lasts 7 frames.
I'm not positive, but I think that the y-origin is in the upper right of the screen, hence the negative
yJumpSpeed. After 7 frames,
jumpTime is reset to 0.
There are extra bits of code that
limit Mario's maximum acceleration to 8, cut Mario's xa and ya to 85% of their value and every frame that Mario isn't on the ground his y-acceleration is is decreased by 3.
ya *= 0.85f; if (!onGround) { ya += 3; }
But it's enough to figure out where you're going to land.
I made a couple of mistakes, which are crossed out above, and besides the mention of
sideWaysSpeed I didn't mention anything about horizontal speeds. As you can see above, when you are in the air
xJumpSpeed starts out as 0 and you don't gain any acceleration from it for the duration of your jump. The code that sets your horizontal acceleration regardless of whether you are on the ground or not is at line 288:
if (keys[KEY_RIGHT] && !ducking) { if (facing == -1) sliding = false; xa += sideWaysSpeed; if (jumpTime >= 0) facing = 1; }
which merely sets your acceleration depending on what direction you are pressing.


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The Centers for Disease Control reports the number of West Nile cases have almost doubled since last week. The virus, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, has been spreading quickly across the country. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports.
As cases of West Nile virus continue to mount in what may be record numbers, government health officials are urging people -- particularly those in the worst-affected states -- to cover up, use insecticide and remove the standing water that helps fuel the mosquito-borne infections.
Cases of West Nile virus in the U.S. are about three times higher than normal for this time of year, officials with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday, with at least 1,118 illnesses in what's being described as one of the worst outbreaks since the virus was detected here in 1999.
About half of the cases have been in Texas, where drought and heat, followed by rain, have contributed to the outbreak that has killed 19 people in that state. Forty-one have died nationwide, CDC says.
In normal years, fewer than 300 cases are reported in the U.S. by mid-August, with most illnesses typically reported in late August and September. It's difficult to tell how this season will progress, officials said.
Pesky mosquitoes are behind one of the worst-ever outbreaks of West Nile virus, health officials say.
A handful of states have seen the most infections, including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Dakota and California -- but the virus can occur anywhere, CDC officials said.
West Nile virus, which is most often spread through the bites of infected mosquitoes, usually isn't deadly. Only about 20 percent of infected people even realize they have it. Those who do develop symptoms of West Nile fever typically complain of headache, fever, tiredness and, sometimes, a rash.
But 1 percent of cases develop into severe disease, usually meningitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord. They may die quickly or result in nerve damage.
The severe cases usually strike the elderly and those with impaired immune systems, but it's important to prevent West Nile infection when possible.
Here are CDC's top tips for avoiding West Nile virus.
- Use insect repellents that contain an EPA-registered active ingredient whenever you're outdoors.
- Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants outdoors at dawn and dusk, or consider staying indoors during those times, when mosquitoes are most active.
- Install or repair screens on windows and doors to keep mosquitoes out.
- Remove the standing water that allows mosquitoes to breed. That includes small pools of water in unlikely places such as flower pots, buckets and barrels. Change the water in pet dishes and replace the water in bird baths weekly.
- Drill holes in tire swings so that water drains out. Keep children's wading pools empty and on their sides when they're not being used.
Related stories:
In Oklahoma's robots are being deployed in fight against West Nile infected mosquitoes. KFOR's Jesse Wells reports.


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It's an extraordinary feeling to step off your river cruise ship just moments from fairytale-like surrounds, framed by a castle standing proudly over sparkling waters. As your small ship travels along the world's most scenic rivers, the gentle ride is made even smoother with AmaWaterways' high level of service and amenities that are always included in your experience — and you'll only have to unpack once. With river cruising becoming more popular, we're here to make sure you get the most out of your vacation! Let us arrange your journey from beginning to end, from personalized land excursions with a local guide to dedicated service aboard your intimate ship.
One of the most essential privileges of sailing with AmaWaterways is that each vessel carries no more than 164 discerning passengers. The intimate atmosphere fosters a sense that you've been welcomed to something truly special: your spacious, Twin Balcony Stateroom offers panoramic views of European villages floating past. There is always ample opportunities to engage with your fellow travelers as you relax, dine and enjoy enriching activities at your leisure. Through it all, a dedicated crew is at your service, intuitively aware of your every need.
Within each port, the charms of Europe's classic cities, enchanting villages and celebrated wine regions are just beyond your ship, thanks to AmaWaterways' inclusive philosophy on land and dedication to active excursions. Only with AmaWaterways can you choose up to four included tours in every port, whether your interests lie in cooking, biking, art, history or all of the above! During your excursions you'll create lasting memories with knowledgeable local guides, from learning the legends of Napoleon in his former home to cycling through the Old Town of Linz and sipping exclusive vintages in a St. Émilion wine cave.
Whether you're sailing as a couple, a family or with lifelong friends, we can help you extend your vacation, allowing you to linger with a longer stay in Europe's alluring ports before or after your cruise. From beginning to end, and even in-between, we'll make sure your river cruise vacation is filled with moments that turn into lifelong memories.


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2009-10 Issue
Issue contents
Faculty and alumni composers discuss the ways in which Oberlin is a haven for those on the other side of the score.
Oberlin's West Coast tour yields a world premiere and performances by the Oberlin Conservatory
Symphony Orchestra, eighth blackbird, the Prima Trio, and members of the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble.
Significant new collections from generous donors enhance Oberlin's holdings.


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When you have a special friend in your life, you need to hold on to them TIGHT! :) This card by Beth is sure to brighten their day!
Instructions:Die-cut Tri-Shutter Card out of patterned papers and cardstock. Use the cardstock card as the card base. Fold along crease lines to assemble. Cut away various pieces of the patterned paper version of the card and adhere as shown. Stamp a sentiment, trim to size, ink edges, embellish with a button and attach to the far leaf panel. Decorate the middle panel with a strip of decorative trim on the lower panel and tie a ribbon around the center panel. Decorate the far right panel with a die-cut flower and leaf and a hand-cut stem.
Supplies Used:
Other Supplies: Cardstock, Patterned Papers, Button, Decorative Trim, Ink, Ribbon, Stamp
Happy Crafting!


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Lately, I've been really noticing the effects of my teenage years on my skin. It wasn't uncommon for my friends and I to lay outside, in the hot summer sun, on tin foil and slathered in baby oil. If we came in without color on our bodies (who cares if it was red or tan) we weren't satisfied. All through high school I spent plenty of time in the tanning booth as well. It was my "relax" time and I'd go as often as I could.
As a teenager my skin was never bad. I had clear skin through most of my teenage years and didn't have the same skin problems a lot of teenagers complain about. As a 38 year old woman, that has all changed. I get random breakouts, have bags under my eyes, my skin tone is uneven and ruddy and the signs of aging and too much time under harmful rays is starting to make an appearance.
I've honestly never paid a whole lot of attention to the care of my skin. I wash my face, use SPF moisturizer and take care of things that way, but it's been a long time since I've had an official skin care regimen. When the folks at Mom Central contacted me about doing a 30 day test drive of Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty Anit-Aging Skin Care System I was excited to try it. I've been working really hard on taking care of my body… losing weight, exercising, eating right… but my skin needs attention too.
Over the next 30 days my Instagram friend, Paola, and I will be trying out the Meaningful Beauty collection and will let you know how it's working for us. Most of the women who have tried this skin care system have raved about having healthier, younger looking skin, as well as smoother, more radiant skin. That sounds good to me! I'll let you know our results soon!
Disclosure: I wrote this review while participating in a test drive campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf Meaningful Beauty and received a 5-step treatment kit to facilitate my review, a second 5-step treatment kit to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.


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Oh, my sweet Gosling. Is this limited edition Drive print cool or what? Designed by artist Ken Taylor, the poster will be available for online purchase starting today! But where to hang it? Over your bed? On the ceiling above your bed? Have it silk screened onto a pillow so you can hold it all night long? So many options.
Do you prefer Hamm over Goose? Look into a Don Draper necklace instead.


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The Shadow Order have captured all the Wizards in the land and they have the ancient egg too. What is a lone Wizard to do? Break free, defeat the evil Shadow Order and find that egg of course ...Hmmm I wonder what's inside?
Bring back the joy of arcades and join Teo and his wizard friends in this action packed, fun fueled platformer.
There are no awards for this game!


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Now that 2007 is well under way, it is time to ask, "Where have we been, where are we now, and where are we going with the senior market?"
Where have we been? We have come a long way in our awareness of seniors and have acknowledged that they are an important part of our business. The numbers dictate that we cater to this niche to grow business. Clubs could and should play a major role in the lives of 78 million Baby Boomers who will live beyond the once expected 80-year-old mark. The 55-year-old-plus population is growing by 74 percent while the under-55-year-old population is growing by 1 percent.
Research shows that seniors need us, probably more than any previous market. We can be the deciding factor in the quality of life for people who are living in the "third-third" of their lives. Most importantly, we've learned that no one is too old for fitness, and individual's interests and abilities are broader and more demanding than we imagined.
The senior population has been redefined, and seniors have forced us to redefine how we serve them. Manufacturers have created specialized lines of equipment to accommodate seniors' range of motion, comfort and functional needs. Club owners have created classes and programs that emphasize mind-and-spirit fitness, in addition to exercises strictly for physical challenges.
Where are we now? After nearly 10 years of telling seniors that we are here for them, our clubs aren't showing the participation or the profitability that the statistics suggest. Exercise participation from the 55-year-old-plus market has increased 315 percent since 1990 and club memberships have increased 33 percent in that time, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. But these numbers don't match with the potential, and the retention rate is not contributing to the growth of the bottom line.
Where are we going? The market is here and here to stay, but we have to take another giant step forward to attract and keep seniors. We must develop more diversified programs.
Although some similarities exist in how to market to the 55-year-old-plus population, the market varies, ranging from the physically elite to the physically frail. We must create better marketing tools directed to seniors who didn't grow up in our industry instead of spending our time, energy and marketing dollars on the physically elite and those who have been exercising most of their lives.
Seniors are concerned with how to get started exercising, whether exercise can be fun, whether they can do the activity, whether other participants will be like them, whether they will feel comfortable, whether the leader will understand and support them, and whether they can trust the leader.
Group activities appeal to seniors. Although single gender clubs have their benefits, many seniors enjoy mixed company. Friendship and fun is the antidote, and clubs are perfect for that. We need more groups of people exercising together, socializing, laughing and learning, and we need more classes in time frames other than between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
As we focus on the older adult market of today and tomorrow, we must focus on more professional leadership with training in communication skills and relationship building techniques. The military approach of training won't work, no matter how academically correct it may be. Professionals who will grow the market will be leaders with bright smiles, sparkling eyes and happy, energetic demeanors that will help older adults get started, feel a sense of belonging and enjoy a social environment that will keep them active.
Sandy Coffman is president of Programming For Profit, a training and consulting firm in Bradenton, FL. Coffman specializes in customer service, programming and retention. She can be reached at 941-756-6921 or at [email protected].


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Address : Yiting industrial park, yiwu city,zhejiang province, China
Mobile : +86-18368636211
Email : firstname.lastname@example.com
Skype : double_seventh
sun shade car
sun shade car
Size: 130x60cm
Packing: each pcs in individual polybag
Sun shade car are like a mobile billboard for your business's logo, name or message. A hugely popular item in the summer, ePromos can imprint Custom Car Sun Shades with almost any logo or message. The large imprint area and high visibility translate into great brand exposure. Call a promotions specialist today to pick out the perfect Personalized Car Sun Shades for your next promotional campaign.
Choose from a large selection of sun shades at ColorSmart. We carry shades for the front windshield as well as roller shades for side windows. Consider reflective Custom Sun Shades for your next promotion. They are wildly popular and practical. Recipients will love their Custom Car Sun Shades and will use them every time they park their car in the summer. Just imagine how many people will see your business's logo when it is being displayed in a front windshield in the middle of a shopping mall parking lot!
Side roller sun shades are perfect for anyone with young children. These personalized car sun shades will keep the sun out of their eyes while riding in the back seat. Not only does it keep the sun out of their eyes, it also ensures your logo is on display for anyone else on the road or sitting in traffic.
Making promotional items with ColorSmart is fast and easy. You can order online or give our friendly promotional experts a call. We can walk you through every step of the customization process and help you find the perfect sun for your next promotional campaign. Make ColorSmart your one-stop-shop for great promo gifts, fun marketing giveaways, and trade show swag.
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For the week ending 30 July 2005 / 23 Tammuz 5765
Whats (Not) in a Name
When a Jordanian couple named their son Yitzchak Rabin, they probably did not anticipate the consequences. The social pressures from their anti-Israel neighbors became so intense that they were forced to leave Jordan and become refugees in Israel.
When they applied for citizenship in the country whose former prime ministers name was the cause of their statelessness, there was an initial reluctance to accommodate them. "After all," it was argued, "who asked them to name their baby that way?"
In the end, however, humanitarian considerations and media pressure moved the Minister of the Interior to grant the family at least temporary citizenship.


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Conference organizers may add or update their conferences at any time. It is free and will ensure maximum worldwide coverage of your event.
Search only by subspecialty of interest and check out where upcoming conferences are around the world
To search for annual conferences which do not have a set venue yet simply omit the country and date from the search fields


text: Chances are, if you've got something with sufficient volume and a rigid body, you can probably put a speaker in it. With a little trial and error you can come up with a unique speaker enclosure that will be both pleasing to the eye and appealing to the ear. In the above video Chicagoland maker Floyd A. Davis IV of Artpentry shows you how it's done using a toolbox, some salvaged drivers, an amp, and some speaker wire. [via Übergizmo]


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We apologize that you did not reach the page you were looking for. We have launched a new site to better serve you by making it easier for you to navigate and find the information you need.
To help you get started, here are a few links that you can start with:


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And you have a search engine for ALL your recipes!


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Back when I used to live and die with coffee (no... seriously), I spent a lot of time writing for this blog, posting on coffee sites, writing for Barista Magazine, etc.
The other day someone asked me what the best thing I ever wrote was. My first choice was my last article for Barista Magazine - my piece on CoE Brazil and Espresso. As I have been told, however, that this is "my Valis"... I figure I might not have great perspective on it.
So I remembered that I was asked (on Home Barista.com) "how do you explore the extraction space" with espresso? And I remembered that my response was seen by folks as pretty good. So I went back and re-read it. And, to be honest, I thought it was pretty good indeed. It seems to have become buried in that site - so I figure I'll re-post it here from it's original thread.
To be honest, it's largely trial and error leading to some vague understandings of general rules. I wish I were better at it or it were more scientific.
I tend to follow a pretty clear process and will happily describe this if it will help.
If I have a new coffee I tend to always start with the LM ridged double basket and a target extraction volume of between 1.75 and 2.0 oz.
First I'll establish a brew temp starting point.
I'll evaluate the coffee for two characteristics. First - roast degree and second - bean composition.
With the former, I tend to make some quick rough decisions. If the roast is light, I tend to start with a baseline temp of 202F. If medium, I will stick with 200F. If dark, I'll drop it down to 197F.
Now... I'll also adjust this based on the bean composition. If, for example, I'm working with high-grown washed arabica I'm going to reduce the brew temp. If I'm working with aged or monsooned coffees I will up the brew temp (both from the baseline above).
So a light roasted coffee with monsooned beans will move up to 203F as a starting point.
Once I have a temp starting point I'll establish a dose starting point.
For this I'll look at two aspects - the bean composition again and then the "signature taste."
If the coffee has a lot of naturals or pulped naturals I'll go with a lighter dose. If the coffee is mostly high-grown arabica I'll up the dose.
So, for example, with the Terroir Daterra Reserve I'd go with a 17.5 gram dose. But with the Stumptown Hairbender I'd go with a 20 gram dose.
The "signature taste" is a harder one and requires some knowledge of the roaster. Is the person roasting this coffee a fan of low acidity espresso? Are they a "chocolate bomb" aficionado? If you know what they like out of their espresso you can do minor adjustments to your dose. So, for example, based on this I would actually drop the Terroir Daterra down to a 17 gram dose but would up the Stumptown Hairbender to a 20.5 gram dose.
Once I've got temp and dose I'll start experimenting.
I always start by re-evaluating temp. So I'll pull a shot and evaluate it for brew temp. Is it alkaloid? Is it thin? Is it sour? Astringent? Based on the taste, I will alter the temp by small degrees to find the sweet spot.
Once I've found what I feel is the brew temp sweet spot, I'll start working on dose.
The way I tend to do this is focus on two things. First - clarity of flavour and second - roundness and balance.
If the cup is "muddied" I'll reduce the dose. If the cup isn't fully developed and sweet and rich I'll up the dose.
With many coffees this will get me to the point where I'll have a cup profile I really like.
But there are exceptions. There are times when I won't be able to get to where I want to be with just these factors.
It's usually only at this point that I start looking at changes to extraction volume and basket size.
For example, I've found that some lighter roasted delicate coffees tend to end up poorly developed no matter what I do - especially when they are pulped naturals. But if I then swap to a triple basket and deliberately down-dose (19 grams) I "open up" the coffee and it becomes more defined and clear. Or with monsooned coffee I find that the only way I can get the desired sweetness without getting a "wet cardboard" aftertaste is by going with a triple basket, normal dose and then pulling a ristretto shot.
A lot of the time I'll find a "sweet spot" that I like but then start wondering about what a coffee would taste like when pulled differently.
To be honest... I'm incredibly lucky. Most of the coffee I experiment with is free to me. If I were roasting my own, especially in small batches, I don't know if my approach would work at all. And if I were paying retail... I don't know if I could force myself to throw away so much money.
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German-born filmmaker Michael Haneke continues the bleak, formalist experimentation of his 1994 breakthrough 71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance with this similarly fragmented tale of racism, intolerance, and hatred in modern-day Paris.
The focus of the narrative is split between three sets of people: the French actress Anne (Juliette Binoche), her husband and in-laws; a Romanian woman, Maria (Luminita Gheorghiu), who struggles to raise money for her family back home; and Amadou (Ona Lu Yenke), a teacher for the deaf who is at odds with his resolute African clan.
The catalyst for the stories begins on a streetcorner, where Anne's brother-in-law Jean (Alexandre Hamadi) insults Maria, who is begging for change; incensed, Amadou picks a fight with Jean, resulting in negative repercussions for the triptych of protagonists. Throughout, Haneke punctuates the action with his unique editing and use of sound.
After its Cannes debut, Code Inconnu made its North American premiere at the 2000 Toronto International Film Festival.
|Michael Haneke


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Portland police investigates 2 home invasions
Police say crimes are related
The Portland Police Department is investigating two home invasions that happened Sunday morning.
At approximately 5 a.m., a woman told police she was approached by two men dressed in dark clothing wearing masks as she was standing outside of 218 Park Avenue. She said one of the men pointed a handgun at her then struck her in the head with the gun.
Police said the men forced her into the building where they kicked in an apartment door, stole several electronic devices from the apartment and took off.
The woman was treated at the Maine Medical Center for a non-life threatening injury.
Police said at 10 a.m., officers were dispatched to 223 Cumberland Avenue for the report of a robbery. Men, matching the description of the first home invasion, forced their way into an apartment and stole money and several electronic devices from the occupants while threatening the victims with a handgun.
Witnesses at the scene saw the suspects take off in a small, gray, two door car. No injuries were reported in this incident.
No one was injured in this incident.
Police said the two invasions are connected.
Anyone with information regarding these cases are asked to call 874-8533.


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Aquaman (2018)
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There is something powerful in being a part of helping others to know about, and hear, that we have living prophets upon the earth, today -- and broadcasting their messages around the globe. I trust that many of you feel the same as I do, and that many of you are part of that effort, online, to do the same.
Who would have thought when we started using social media to share the gospel, online, that things would have exploded the way they have. Certainly not me. I don't think any of us could have predicted the power that the Internet would eventually have, when we were initially inspired to get involved. In just this last week I was contacted by Deseret News for an interview with Trent Toone, KSL TV's Carole Mikita invited me into the studio for an on camera interview -- and just today, between sessions of General Conference, Roxeanne Vainuku, of KUTV approached me and requested an on camera interview, that aired tonight on CBS channel 2 -- all to talk about social media and General Conference. That's what a big deal it has become!
This afternoon Jesse Stay shared these stats on how successful the efforts of so many were, on Twitter, to broadcast the first two sessions of General Conference: "This conference has seen 30,678 total Tweets today (so far), by 7,835 users, and a total reach of 3,448,285 people." That's incredible!
So, I'd like to share some of the 'messages' or 'pearls of great price" that I, and others, shared, online, during the Saturday morning session of General Conference. These are direct quotes from living prophets -- "noised abroad" by faithful Latter-day Saints. Imagine with me, if you will, what it must be like for many people, who have no idea what living prophets teach, or what Mormons truly believe, to hear these words of life...
Thomas S. Monson - As We Gather Once Again
"We are here to learn."
"Some may be seeking answers to questions and challenges you are experiencing in life."
"Each can be enlightened and uplifted…"
"How blessed we are to have come to earth at this time"
"No cause, no force in the entire world can stop the work of God".
"There is much that is difficult and challenging in the world today…"
"I thank you for your faith and devotion to the gospel"
Boyd K. Packer - And a Little Child Shall Lead Them
"The creation of life is a great responsibility for a married couple."
"It is the challenge of mortality to be a worthy and responsible parent"
"Neither man nor woman can bear children alone."
"Some, due to circumstances beyond their control, are raising children as single mothers/fathers."
"These are temporary states"
"In the eternal scheme of things, not always in mortality, righteous yearnings will be fulfilled."
"Husbands and wives should understand that their first calling - from which they will never be released is to one another and then to their children."
"One of the great discoveries of parenthood is that we learn far more about what really matters from our children than we ever did from our parents."
"We urge our members to show devotion to their families."
"Fathers and mothers next time you cradle a newborn child in your arms you can have an inner vision of the mysteries and purposes of life."
Dallin H. Oaks - Sacrifice
"Sacrifice of Jesus Christ has been called "the most transcendent of all events…"
"That sacrifice is the central message of all the prophets."
"That sacrifice - the atonement of Jesus Christ - is at the center of the plan of salvation."
"The Christian faith has a history of sacrifice including the ultimate sacrifice."
"Christians have voluntarily given sacrifice motivated by faith in Christ and the desire to serve Him."
"For most followers of Christ our sacrifice involve what we can do on a day-to-day basis in our ordinary personal lives."
"Today, the most visible strength of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the unselfish service and sacrifice of its members."
"The best known example of unique LDS service and sacrifice is the work of our missionaries."
Other examples of service and sacrifice appear in the lives of the faithful members who serve in our temples."
"Such examples strengthen all of us. They remind us of the Savior's teachings."
"…most important examples of unselfish service and sacrifice are performed in our families."
"Mothers devote themselves to the bearing of children and nurturing their children."
"Husbands give themselves to supporting their wives and children."
"…as you sacrifice for each other and your children, the Lord will bless you."
"Latter-day Saints look on their sacrifice of time and means as a part of their schooling and qualifying for eternity."
"Just as the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ is at the center of the plan of salvation, we followers of Christ must make our own sacrifices to achieve the destiny that plan provides for us."
"I know that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God the Eternal Father."
Henry B. Eyring - Mountains to Climb
"Many of you are now passing through physical, mental, and emotional trials that could cause you to cry out…"
"The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?"
"There seems to be no better answer to the question of why trials come and what we are to do than the words of the Lord Himself, who passed through trials for us more terrible than we can imagine."
"You and I have faith that the way to rise through and above trials is to believe that there is a "balm of Gilead".
"The Lord has promised: "I will not… forsake thee."
Quotes Monson "A foundation of faith in the reality of those promises takes time to build"
"If the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts the power to endure will crumble."
"My purpose today is to describe what I know of how we can lay that unshakable foundation."
"…the ground must be carefully prepared for our foundation of faith to withstand the storms that will come into every life."
"That solid basis for a foundation of faith is personal integrity."
"Our choosing the right consistently whenever the choice is placed before us creates the solid ground under our faith."
"Those choices, hundreds in most days, prepare a solid ground on which our edifice of faith is built."
"The metal framework around which the substance of our faith is poured is the gospel of Jesus Christ, with all its covenants, ordinances and principles."
"Trouble itself can be your way to strengthen and finally gain unshakable faith."
"The particle of faith most precious and which you should protect and use whatever extent you can is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ."
"When hard trials come, the faith to endure it well will be there…"
"You built a foundation of faith from loving as the Savior loved and serving for Him."
"It is never too late to strengthen the foundation of faith."
"In their perfect love for you, Heavenly Father and the Savior want you fitted to be with them to live in families forever."
LIKE and SHARE!
LIKE and SHARE!
Kathryn Skaggs
Saturday Afternoon April 2012 General Conference Highlights
The Saturday afternoon session of the April 2012 General Conference brought with it plenty of Church business with, among other positions, the release and call of the Presiding Bishopric and the General Relief Society Presidency. On the lighter side, the Internet was frantically trying to confirm rumors that David Archuletta was part of the MTC choir, singing during the session -- which he was -- made evident by snapshots taken by attendees, flying across cyberspace!
The Saturday afternoon session of the April 2012 General Conference brought with it plenty of Church business with, among other positions, the release and call of the Presiding Bishopric and the General Relief Society Presidency. On the lighter side, the Internet was frantically trying to confirm rumors that David Archuletta was part of the MTC choir, singing during the session -- which he was -- made evident by snapshots taken by attendees, flying across cyberspace!
Continue reading at the original source →


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20th December 2012
pinkjimiphoton wrote:just got off the phone with ATT. they claim they didn't, but it was absolutlely them blocking access to FSB.
pinkjimiphoton wrote:i won't take any credit for it, but found it insanely interesting that the minute i called to bitch suddenly service was restored.
of course, explaining to them that FSB is an electronics DIY site, and NOT the "movie downloading (dmca)" site they assumed it was may have helped.
21st December 2012Kingsac wrote:in with no problems today.
Kitrae wrote:The site has timed out every time I tried to login for the past few weeks. I figured the FSB service provider had yanked the site down over some IP issue again. No problem today.
30th December 2012soulsonic wrote:I am also with AT&T and wasn't able to visit until today.
Thanks for complaining to them! I didn't know what was going on... thought maybe they pulled the plug on the whole site finally.
Aharon wrote:wheew! got in finally,.................wtf........what an ordeal.
Glad I'm back


text:
One of the telltale features of a Kigu is its signature shape. Loose fitting with a low-hanging crotch, Kigus are specially designed to fit everyone, comfortably. Our Regular Kigus are 'One Size Fits All' and a perfect fit on anyone over 5ft, regardless of your normal clothing size.
While 95% of people will be more than comfy in our Regular Size, there are always going to be a few extra tall people whose legs are just a little bit too long for the Regular size and a few extra small people who don't need so much bagginess around the crotch. As a result we've recently introduced a limited range of XL Kigus for those over 6ft and XS Kigus for people under 5ft 2".
Furthermore, we don't want adults hogging all the fun of animal onesies. It's unfair on kids. So we've made a selection of styles available in sizes suitable for children aged 2 to 9 years. These come in 2 sizes: 110cm for ages 2 to 5; and 130cm for ages 5 to 9.
One of the best things about Kigus is their high quality and durability which means that, unlike other fancy dress costumes and onesies, they won't fall apart after a couple of days – they are built to last and to be worn again and again.
They are made from a luxuriously soft polyester fleece that is extra cozy in the winter, but breathable enough for Kigus to be worn at parties or festivals.
What's more, all of our Kigus are machine washable. Just pop them in on a cool 30° wash on your machine's most delicate setting and lay them flat to then air dry.
Special attention needs to be paid to styles with big areas of black and white, like the Panda and Black Cat – we recommend dry cleaning these so as to avoid the black running into white areas.
*UNDER THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES WE ARE UNABLE TO GUARANTEE THE DELIVERY TIMES WE OFFER DUE TO THE PRESSURE ON DELIVERY AND COURIER SERVICES - PLEASE BE UNDERSTANDING*We offer four delivery options within the UK: Royal Mail 2nd Class (2-5 working days) for FREE and Royal Mail 1st class (1-2 working days) for £7.50, both of which are recorded signed for and while normally the estimated delivery times are accurate they are not guaranteed. We also offer UK Next Day delivery for £10, which is guaranteed for delivery on the next working day if ordered before 12pm midday, excluding weekends & bank holidays. We also offer Royal Mail Saturday Delivery for £15 which is guaranteed to arrive before 1pm on Saturday for all orders received before 12pm midday on Friday.
For delivery to the EU we use Royal Mail EU Flat Rate which normally takes around 5 working days and costs £12.50 and for the rest of the world we use Royal Mail World Flat Rate which usually takes about 7 working days and costs £12.50 per item. Click here for our full Delivery Terms and Conditions (including last posting dates for Christmas.)
Delivery to France and Germany: £12.50 for delivery in 3-4 days
If for some reason you would like to return or exchange your Kigu, you can do so within 14 days from purchase so long as the Kigu is unworn, still has its tags and is in its original packaging. Unless your Kigu is faulty or incorrect, you will be responsible for all postage costs to return or redeliver your Kigu. Click here to see our full returns policy.
Can I exchange or return my Kigu?
Yes, you can! We'll happily refund or exchange any unworn Kigu returned to us within 14 days, so long as it comes with all its packaging in tact and its tags still attached.
There's a return address on the packing slip you receive with your order. Simply put a note in your parcel with your name and order number, so we know whom the parcel is from, and let us know what you'd like to swap for if making an exchange.
Unless your item is faulty or you're sent the wrong thing, you'll be required to cover all inbound and outbound postage costs. For full details of our delivery and returns policy – click here.
What happens if I'm not in when my parcel arrives?
1st Class, 2nd Class and Saturday UK deliveries are sent via Royal Mail's signed for service. If you're not in when your parcel arrives then it will be taken to your local collection office where it will be held for 1 week before being sent back to our warehouse.
Next Day deliveries are sent via InterLink Express courier.
If you leave a mobile number with your order, you'll get a text on the morning of your delivery with an expected time of arrival. If it's not suitable, you can text back to arrange for the parcel to be delivered another day.
Do you have a retail store?
While we do run occasional Kigu Pop Up Shops, generally we only sell online. All of our stock is held in the Kigu Warehouse in Kent and we do not hold any stock in our office in London. Collections from the Kigu Warehouse are available by appointment. If you're interested in making a collection, get in touch!
My order has not arrived. How can I track my delivery?
If you would like to get the tracking number for your delivery, please send us an email with your order number and we'll get in touch with the Kigu Warehouse who will be able to give you full tracking details.
How much does shipping cost?
We have a wide range of delivery methods available to suit all budgets and timing requirements. Within the UK, these start with FREE second class postage! Delivery to other countries within the European Union costs £12.50 per item. And delivery to other countries outside of the EU costs £12.50 per item.
How long will it take for my Kigu to arrive?
This all depends on which postage option you go for. Next Day deliveries and Saturday deliveries are the only delivery options we offer that are guaranteed to arrive on a specific day. 2nd Class deliveries usually take 3 to 5 working days and 1st Class deliveries take 1 to 2 working days, but these are only guidelines and are not guaranteed.
I need a Kigu for tomorrow, is that possible?
Yes, it is! Next Day deliveries are available on orders placed before 12pm (that's midday) on orders placed Monday to Friday. If the 12pm deadline has passed, get in touch and we'll do our absolute best to squeeze your delivery onto that day's post for you.
How can I pay?
We accept all major credit and debit cards, except American Express, and you can also pay using PayPal.
Can I amend my order?
Providing your order has not yet been dispatched, we'll happily make any adjustments to it you require. Simply get in touch via phone or email.
What should I do if I receive a faulty or incorrect item?
In the extremely unlikely event that you should receive a faulty or incorrect item, we'll do everything in our power to put it right! We can either send a courier to collect your item or, if you'd prefer, you can post it back to us. Put the postage receipt in with the parcel and we'll refund you the charge. Once the item has come back to the Kigu Warehouse, we'll send out a new item via next day delivery.
Do you do a bulk discount?
If you're ordering over 5 Kigus in one transaction to the UK, we'll gladly deliver them to you on a next day delivery service for free. If you're ordering over 10 Kigus in one transaction, we can give you one for free! These discounts are not automatically applied though so get in touch and we can arrange this for you.
Do you deliver to my country?
We deliver to every country on Earth.
Is it safe to shop on your website?
Yes, it's totally safe. All traffic between our website and your computer is encrypted using a 128-bit SSL connection, which is industry standard among all of the biggest e-commerce websites. We don't store any card details. For more information on our Privacy Policy, click here.
What fabric is the Kigu collection made from?
All of our Kigus are made from high quality fleece. They keep you warm in winter, but are breathable enough to wear outside comfortably at summer music festivals, as thousands do each year.
How can I wash my Kigu?
Unlike most of the cheap onesie rubbish you'll find elsewhere, all of the Kigus in our range are machine washable, so you can enjoy wearing yours again and again. Make sure you wash cold on your machine's most delicate setting and air dry flat.
Where do your Kigus come from?
We work exclusively with SAZAC, Japan's oldest and most respected kigurumi onesie manufacturer and all of our products are sourced from them. The quality of our products is more important to us than anything, which is why we won't work with anyone else. There are a lot of fakes out there, so please be careful, and read our guide to fake Kigus.
I've got a great idea for a Kigu!
We're always keen to hear feedback on our current range or ideas for new weird and wonderful Kigus, or other products. So please do get in touch and tell us what's on your mind!


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Recent events have made it evident to me that it borders on miraculous that we humans are successful at communicating via the spoken word to any meaningful extent. Human language carries with it so little direct information about our actual intended meaning, that it becomes very easy for misinterpretation of our words. So easy, in fact, that misunderstandings are pretty common. It takes considerable effort and some honest, civil discourse to determine that what may appear to be disagreements are simply misunderstandings.
That many misunderstandings occur as a result of Internet-based typed communications is both evident and legendary. Without the nonverbal cues that accompany face-to-face conversation, people can get so upset by someone's typed words that they react in a very negative way, often stimulating a similar reaction - culminating in the classical "flame war" so common on message boards. It seems that nonverbal cues can reduce the likelihood of misinterpretation. Nevertheless, even face-to-face conversation can be misinterpreted. I think most all of us recognize this.
Since we have no telepathic powers (outside of science fiction), we humans find it challenging to understand the intentions of those with whom we interact via the spoken (and written) word. Obviously, the barriers between people who are native speakers in different languages are even higher, even when they are both reasonably fluent in a common language. In addition to the language barrier as a direct impediment to communication, the cultural contexts put a level of subtlety on the spoken word that can be quite difficult to communicate. Verbatim, word-for-word translations between languages are notoriously bad at conveying meaning. I wonder how many wars between nations speaking different languages have begun because of a misunderstanding that has its origins in such communication barriers.
Even when considering only native speakers of the same language, the spoken word can convey impressions that are inconsistent with the intentions of the speakers. Some recent experience makes that very clear to me - and it's something that concerns me. How easy it is to assume that you've been understood in all aspects, when the reality is that your message was lost because the hearer heard something in your words that you never intended to say.
I can only suggest that when your blood is boiling because of what someone has said to you, perhaps it's a good time to slow down that reactionary response, and consider what the speaker's intended meaning might have been. Rather than a direct response to a perceived insult or provocation, you should consider a more measured response, seeking clarification about their intended meaning. Yes, this is probably more easily said than done, but it might prevent you from having the conversation descend into a tit-for-tat exchange of angry verbal grenades, or worse. Don't respond to what you think you heard; instead, seek a clarified understanding of the speaker's intentions.
Human language is reknowned for its capacity to convey subtle shades of meaning. But that subtlety includes the potential for ambiguity of intention. Certain words can stimulate a particular reaction, whereas different, but similar, words might engender a radically different reaction. When you think carefully about it, it's remarkable that we're as successful at communication via language as we are. The subtleties conveyed through the spoken word can be lost if the recipient doesn't grasp them, for some reason. It's dangerous to assume that the recipients of your words have understood your intended meanings.
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