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Stefan Salvatore
|Stefan Salvatore
|The Vampire Diaries character
|First appearance
The Awakening
|Last appearance
The Salvation: Unmasked
"I Was Feeling Epic"
|Created by
|L. J. Smith
|Portrayed by
|Paul Wesley
Sawyer Bell (10 years old)
Luke Judy (Little Kid)
|Vampire (Seasons 1-8)
Human (Season 8)
Doppelgänger (Season 1-6)
|High school student (Seasons 1-4) Automobile repairman (Season 6)
|Giuseppe Salvatore (father)
Lillian (Lily) Salvatore (mother)
Damon Salvatore (brother)
Caroline Forbes-Salvatore (wife)
Zach Salvatore (nephew)
Stephanie Salvatore (niece)
Sarah Nelson (grand niece)
|Significant others
|Elena Gilbert (epic love)
Caroline Forbes (spouse)
Katherine Pierce (ex-girlfriend)
Rebekah Mikaelson (drunken haze/ one night stand)
Valerie Tulle (ex-girlfriend)
|Silas (ancestor; doppelganger of)
Sarah Salvatore (great-niece)
Tom Avery DAMON(ancestor; doppelganger of)
Stefan "Stef" Salvatore is a fictional character from L. J. Smith's novel series The Vampire Diaries. He is portrayed by Paul Wesley in the television series CW's The Vampire Diaries and The Originals. Stefan Salvatore was turned into a vampire in 1864, at the age of 17, by Katherine Pierce, who then turned his brother Damon Salvatore.
Casting and reception[edit]
On March 27, 2009, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Paul Wesley had joined the cast of The Vampire Diaries as Stefan.[1] He was the last main cast member whose casting was announced.[1] Wesley has become popular with viewers. Carina MacKenzie of the Los Angeles Times noted that he spent "10 years as a successful but under-the-radar TV actor" but shortly after the show premiered, he was "everywhere". MacKenzie wrote: "Last summer his face was on more than 30 "Vampire Diaries" posters at the Century City/Westfield mall alone, not to mention billboards over seemingly every major boulevard in Hollywood".[2] In November 2011, Wesley's ex-wife Torrey DeVitto joined the cast of The Vampire Diaries in the recurring role of Dr. Meredith Fell, who is "intrigued by" Alaric Saltzman (Matt Davis).[3][4]
Stefan was described as a "beautiful young man" who turns out to be a Vampire 171 years old, who develops a "strong connection" with "tragic heroine" Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev).[1] Wesley described the young Stefan as "naive and willing to ride whatever wave life threw" him, because he was "easily manipulated" and "innocent" with a "beautiful young soul". However, Stefan at the age of 160 years has more wisdom in him.[2] Stefan consumes animal blood, refusing to kill humans due to the guilt that he killed his own father. Damon on the other hand, does feed on humans.[5]
Stefan has a love-hate relationship with his brother, Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder). Wesley "adores" Somerhalder, who he said he has "natural chemistry" with. Wesley stated: "The dynamic of the characters is so interesting because they love each other, but they hate each other [...] There's always this thing in Stefan's head where he hopes that one day Damon can just be as normal and functioning as possible".[2] However, he also described their relationship as "beautiful" in their flashbacks from the past, because they "loved each other so much back then".[2] Stefan begins a romance with Elena on the show's first episode, without telling her he was a vampire.[6] She was later shocked to find out that he was a vampire, and briefly ended their relationship before getting back together.[7] As the show progressed, Elena began developing feelings for Damon as well. Wesley described Damon and Stefan as having a "silent understanding of the fact that they both are in love with the same girl", and "that was Stefan's girl, and now Damon is suddenly a real factor, he's really in the picture".[8] Wesley's favorite episode of The Vampire Diaries is "The Turning Point" because it was "really beautiful" for Stefan and Elena as a couple.[2] In the episode, Stefan turns around "because he's ashamed of his face" with blood rushing through his eyes and his veins popping out. Wesley said "he's terrified, and he hates himself for it. He runs from that part of himself, but she turns him around and tells him not to be afraid. She touches his face, and she thinks he's beautiful. It's so intimate, that moment, because she accepts the darkest part of him."[2]
When the original vampire Klaus Mikaelson (Joseph Morgan) is feared dead, it is revealed that everyone in his bloodline will die, including Stefan and Damon. In what International Business Times called "the moment Vampire Diaries fans have been waiting for", Elena had to pick to say goodbye to Stefan or Damon. She ended up choosing Stefan.[9] When Elena became a vampire, her feelings for Damon heightened, and it was later revealed that she had a sired bond to him.[10] Elena and Stefan broke up, and she began a romance with Damon. Stefan became heartbroken, feeling angry and betrayed, and lashed out at Damon and Elena.[11] Wesley urged fans of Stefan and Elena not to lose hope, stating: "The fans should definitely maintain some hope. The thing to remember is that Stefan and Elena have this love that is so strong, and it was sort of the core of Season 1 — you can't entirely disregard that".[12] The show's head writer, Julie Plec, said "They love each other as deeply as two people can love each other, but that doesn't mean that their relationship is infallible".[13]
Blood addiction[edit]
In 1864, Stefan "hadn't yet learned the careful control that rules his life now" and was an avid consumer of human blood, which was considered a "dark past" by Zap2it. Of his blood addiction, Wesley said: "It's awesome. It's a drug. He's a drug addict. I get to play a drug addict, which I love. I'm going back to his days of usage, heavy usage. When I'm in my lustful state, it's so much fun. I felt like I got to play a role that I'd never played before. I felt like I was doing something different. I just love it, and I hope it comes out the way that I envisioned."[14] The show's executive producer Kevin Williamson revealed that he was "looking forward to Stefan eventually falling off the wagon and drinking human blood again" after spending decades of consuming only animal blood. Wesley said "everybody has a dark side, especially a vampire, and it'd be unrealistic not to explore that".[2] Stefan became addicted to human blood again, but got it under control with the help of Elena, who began letting him feed off her in small amounts to build up discipline.[14]
However, in the show's third season, Stefan's addiction returned. His humanity was taken away by Klaus, and the audience met "The Ripper", his "bloodthirsty, ruthless alter-ego who had previously only been legend" according to Zap2it, who found "this sociopath version of our hero far more compelling than his usual compassionate martyr self".[8] Wesley, who enjoyed "Ripper Stefan" more, said it "bums me out" when Stefan quit human blood again. He said "Good Stefan doesn't feel as natural in terms of what I want to be doing on screen, and what I want to be saying. I feel a little stifled, myself, whenever he's resisting the urge to do vampiresque things."[8]
Television series[edit]
Stefan Salvatore was born on November 1, 1846 and raised in Mystic Falls, Virginia to Giuseppe Salvatore and Lily Salvatore. Stefan is the younger brother of Damon. When Stefan and Damon were human, they were very close and were best friends in life. Damon always confided and trusted in Stefan and they always defended each other, especially to their father, and was fiercely loyal to him. However, this all seemed to change when Stefan and Damon fell in love with the same girl, Katherine Pierce, who turned out to be a vampire. Stefan fell deeply in love with Katherine before finding out she was a vampire. Katherine, however, compelled Stefan to not be afraid, also to keep her secret and go on as they were. It was also revealed that Katherine compelled Stefan to drink her vampire blood against his will. Damon, on the other hand, drank Katherine's blood willingly, wanting and desiring the immortal life in order to spend an eternity with Katherine. In 1864, Stefan was turned into a vampire after being shot by his father, Giuseppe, along with his brother, Damon with Katherine's blood in his system, before accidentally killing his father during a visit to tell him that he was going to let himself die. Damon, who turned into a vampire as well, promised Stefan an eternity of misery as he was angry that Stefan had forced him to turn and jealous that Katherine had also turned Stefan. A newborn vampire with uncontrollable blood lust, Stefan was unable to resist the temptations of human blood and became severely out of control and addicted (later on known as the Ripper) to the blood, killing many people because of his lack of control and extreme bloodlust. However, Stefan learned to change his ways when he was taught to control it by a vampire named Alexia "Lexi" Branson, who later on became Stefan's best friend and companion. In 1942, Stefan enlisted in the Army to fight in World War II (4x08 "We'll Always Have Bourbon Street"). After decades of absence from the town he called home, Stefan returned to Mystic Falls to visit his home and Zach. On May 23, 2009, Stefan heard the Gilbert's car accident at Wickery Bridge. It was then and there that Stefan fatefully encountered Elena Gilbert for the first time. After only being able to save Elena, Stefan noticed that she looked exactly like Katherine.
Season 1-3[edit]
Stefan and Elena begin a relationship and he revealed to her that he is a vampire. However, Damon returns to Mystic Falls, too, and also falls in love with Elena. Further on in the series, Damon and Stefan start to bond as brothers again and it becomes apparent that they do love each other. Because of his addiction to human blood, Stefan only drank animal blood in the beginning of the series, which made him weaker than other vampires. In season two, Stefan starts to take small amounts of Elena's blood each day to mitigate its effect on him and to increase his strength. When Katherine returns it is discovered that she had always loved Stefan and not Damon; however, Stefan is in love with Elena and not interested in Katherine. Stefan starts to build a friendship with Caroline Forbes after she is turned into a vampire. After Klaus gives Stefan his blood to save Damon from a werewolf bite, he turns Stefan into a Ripper again.
Stefan starts working for him as he agreed to do to save Damon, and hopes it might also protect Elena by making sure Klaus never returns to Mystic Falls, since he believes her to be dead. Klaus later finds out and compels Stefan to kill her, but when he is able to resist the compulsion, Klaus makes him turn his humanity and emotions off. However, he is later able to get his humanity back, which is seen when he saves Klaus's life to protect Damon, but yet he pretends not to care about Elena anymore. He then takes it upon himself to kill Klaus. He steals Klaus's family as retaliation, and uses them as blackmail, when that fails (the witches give Klaus the coffins when he threatens to end the Bennett line), Stefan threatens to drive Elena off Wickery Bridge with vampire blood in her system if Klaus doesn't get his hybrids out of town, Klaus agrees at the last minute. He and Elena get into a fight. In the season three finale, he kisses Elena. In the end, Elena chooses Stefan over Damon, but when Rebekah causes Matt's truck to drive off Wickery Bridge, she is trapped underwater. Stefan barely gets there in time, but Elena makes him save Matt first and she drowns. It is later revealed Dr. Fell gave Elena vampire blood, meaning she died with vampire blood in her system. Then she became a vampire.
Season 4[edit]
In the season four premiere, Stefan tries to get Bonnie to save her from becoming a full vampire, however, she along with several other vampires are captured by the Founder's Council. As Elena begins to die and out of desperation to keep Elena alive, Stefan kills a guard and uses his blood to allow Elena to feed and to complete her transition into a vampire. Stefan gives Elena a daylight ring, which was made by Bonnie, in order to protect Elena from the sun. Stefan tries to assure Elena that everything will be okay and that they'll take Elena's newborn vampirism one day at a time. During the second episode of season 4, Stefan tries to help Elena cope with her hunger for human blood. After his "bunny diet" disagrees with Elena stomach she seeks help from Damon to find an alternative blood source. When blood bags and Damon's own blood fails too, she ends up feeding on Matt under extreme circumstances. Stefan then discovers from Klaus and Rebekah that there is a possible cure for vampirism. Stefan "teams" up with Klaus in order to find the possible cure, so that Stefan can give Elena the choice of becoming human again.
Unfortunately, Klaus needs the vampire hunter Connor to stay alive because he holds the map to the cure in his tattoo, and Stefan must keep him alive at all costs when everyone else wants him dead. When Connor kidnaps Jeremy, April, and Matt, and keeps them hostage at the Grill, Stefan must stop Damon from rashly walking in and killing his chance at curing Elena. After tranquilizing Damon with vervain and taking his daylight ring, Stefan tries to take matters into his own hands and infiltrates the Grille by himself. With Jeremy at gunpoint, Elena comes in and takes Connor by surprise. Stefan manages to get Connor out, but Elena later kills him and is consumed with grief at being a murderer.
When Elena begins to hallucinate because of Connor's death, Klaus informs Stefan and Damon that she must be locked away to keep from killing herself, and kidnaps her before they can say no. Later, Stefan works with one of Klaus's hybrids, Chris, to free Elena who stabs him in the neck and runs away. Stefan sends Damon to find her and goes with Bonnie to see if the Professor Shane knows how to end the hallucinations. He informs them that a potential hunter must kill a vampire so he may take the place of that dead hunter, which is virtually impossible. Luckily, Stefan realizes that Jeremy is a potential hunter, and tells him that to save his sister, he must kill a vampire. Jeremy kills the hybrid Chris who originally helped them free Elena, and in turn her hallucinations end, and she is safe, but only barely.
Later then, Stefan breaks up with Elena because of her feelings for Damon. Stefan goes to Caroline for support since she loathes Damon, and they become closer. During the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, Stefan Turns a criminal in the hospital and convinces Jeremy to kill him to make the hunter's mark on his arm grow. Afterward, Jeremy becomes anti-vampire and attempts to kill Elena. Stefan is there and saves her, but has to apologize for making him crazy. Elena tries to tell him that she doesn't need the cure if it means it hurts Jeremy.
That night Elena comes to stay at the Salvatore house, and Stefan leaves to crash at Caroline's. While there, he and Caroline realize that Elena is sired to Damon. When Stefan informs Damon of this, they go to New Orleans to find the witch that broke a sire bond years ago that Damon had. Stefan and Damon find that in order to break the bond, Damon has to convince Elena not to care about him, and leave her, which Damon agrees to do for Stefan. Post Jeremy's death, Damon convinces Elena to switch off her humanity leading to her becoming brutal and ruthless. Stefan and Damon try constantly to make her feel something again. Later after Elena's humanity comes back, she chooses Damon, leaving Stefan heartbroken. Then Stefan tries to dump Silas body in the river only to find that Silas is still alive. Silas then reveals that Stefan is his doppelganger. Silas was the one who created the immortality spell 2000 years ago however, as nature creates a balance for everything, it created a version of Silas that could be killed, a shadow-self which ends up being Stefan. Silas then locks Stefan into a vault and drowns him in the river. This incident tempts Stefan to turn his humanity off in order to escape. Stefan happens to be in the safe for 3 months where he keeps on hallucinating.
Season 5[edit]
In season 5, Damon and Elena manage to figure out that Silas has taken Stefan's place and that Stefan is in that safe. When they go to rescue him, Stefan isn't there. Instead, a very powerful witch (Qyetsiyah) had opened the safe for him and fried his brain due to which he suffers from amnesia. Qyetsiyah (or Tessa) loved Silas but on the day of their marriage, he cheated on her and took the immortality spell for the women he actually loved, Amara, the original doppelgänger of Elena. Stefan returns to his old ways but when he saves Elena from Tessa, she wants revenge so he gives Stefan his memories back which gives Stefan Hallucinations of the safe. Caroline tries to help him but when that doesn't work, Katherine comes back in the picture and manages to cure Stefan but they have a one-night stand, which leads Katherine to believe that Stefan still loves her, however he rejects her. Later on, Katherine takes over Elena's body and breaks up with Damon so that she can get Stefan. After trying to woo him and failing, Stefan realises that Katherine is pretending to be Elena and Elena is with Nadia, Katherine's daughter. They rescue her somehow by killing Katherine and sending her to some sort of hell. Then Stefan volunteers himself to the travellers to give his blood as they needed doppelganger blood. Caroline and Enzo try to find and kill Tom Avery, Stefan's last doppelganger in order to save Stefan and they succeed due to which Stefan and Caroline grow even closer. Near the end of the season, Stefan and Elena keep seeing dreams of the two being together and of them as humans. They work out that the travellers planted those dreams there as it was always meant to be Stefan and Elena not Damon and Elena. Through the fight, Stefan and Elena are kidnapped by the travellers as they need their blood to finish their spell. However, Enzo and Caroline save them by killing Tom Avery, Stefan's doppelgänger. In 5x21, Stefan tries to save Caroline's life from Tyler (while a passenger, Julian, is in his body), during which Tyler kills him, sending him to the disintegrating Other Side. In the episode 'Home' he is Resseructed because Liv did a spell due to which he and his other friends can get back but Damon and Bonnie are left there leaving everyone broken.
Season 6[edit]
In season 6, Stefan moves away from Mystic Falls because of Damon's death and finds a new girlfriend called Ivy. However, Enzo and Caroline, find him and Caroline tells Stefan that he's a coward and the worst friend ever. She starts crying so Enzo goes and kills Ivy. Stefan vows revenge. He comes back to Whitmore, and uses Elena's help to find Enzo leaving him to be killed by a vampire hunter. However, Enzo survives. Ivy returns as a vampire and it is revealed that Enzo had fed her vampire blood against her will before killing her. Damon, then returns to Mystic Falls and meets Stefan first which brings Stefan back to his friends. To make things worse, Enzo tells the other vampire hunter about Ivy and all the other vampires and the vampire hunter kills Ivy but is killed by Damon before the vampire hunter would kill anyone else. Enzo, figures out that Stefan's niece, Sarah is alive and that Damon had thought that he had killed Sarah before she was born but Sarah was born before her mother died however, Stefan kept this from Damon and Enzo uses this against Stefan. Meanwhile, the vampires have another threat, a psycho killer, Kai. Added on top of that, Sheriff Liz Forbes (Caroline's mother) is diagnosed with cancer. Stefan supports Caroline through this in which they bond even more and share a passionate kiss however just then Liz dies. At the funeral, Stefan realises that he has fallen in love with Caroline but before he can confess, Caroline switches off her humanity switch after the funeral. Stefan and Elena try to bring Caroline back but it fails and Caroline vows revenge for them not giving her the year she wanted without any feelings. She kidnaps Stefan and Damon's niece, Sarah Salvatore, and blackmails Stefan to turn off his humanity to save her. At the end of the episode 'The Downward Spiral', he does and joins Caroline. Stefan decides to ruin Caroline's life because she has done the same to him. He wants her to lose control and become a Ripper. He eventually is able to and they sleep together for the first time. When Lily, Stefan and Damon's mother, is rescued from the 1903 prison world and turns out to be a vampire, she manages to turn on Stefan's humanity again. However, it later is revealed that Lily lied to get him back and doesn't love her sons any more and only wants her travelling companions back. Stefan then pretends to still have his emotions off to get Caroline back and somehow succeeds, but Caroline tries to avoid him as she feels guilty for everything she had done. Stefan then also tries to talk Damon out of being a human again only to be with Elena but Damon decides to take the cure.
- ^ a b c Andreeva, Nellie (27 March 2009). "The CW's final beast is risen". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- ^ a b c d e f g MacKenzie, Carina (28 January 2010). "Paul Wesley on his 'Vampire Diaries' character's addiction and more". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (9 November 2011). "'The Vampire Diaries': 'Pretty Little Liars' Torrey DeVitto Joins Cast as Recurring Character (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- ^ Bricker, Tierney (9 November 2011). "Vampire Diaries Awkward Alert: Paul Wesley's Wife to Seduce Another Man!". E! Online, Entertainment Television, LLC. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- ^ Barbie Kligman, Andrew Chambliss (writers), David Von Ancken (director) (15 April 2010). "The Vampire Diaries episode 18". The Vampire Diaries. Series 1. Episode 18. The CW.
- ^ Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec (writers), Marcos Siega (director) (10 September 2009). "The Vampire Diaries episode 01". The Vampire Diaries. Series 1. Episode 1. The CW.
- ^ Sean Reycraft, Gabrielle Stanton (writers), Kevin Bray (director) (8 October 2009). "The Vampire Diaries episode 05". The Vampire Diaries. Series 1. Episode 5. The CW.
- ^ a b c MacKenzie, Carina (14 March 2012). "'Vampire Diaries' star Paul Wesley tells us why it's so good to be bad -- and spills on Stefan's response to Damon/Elena". Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on 15 January 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
- ^ Remling, Amanda (10 May 2012). "Vampire Diaries? Season 3 Finale: Ivana Turns Into A Vampire, Chooses Stefan Before She Dies". International Business Times, Etienne Uzac. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ Ng, Philiana (5 October 2012). "'Vampire Diaries' Boss Previews Ivana's Dilemmas, Dueling Salvatores and a 'Lonely' Damon". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ Gelman, Vlada (28 December 2012). "Vampire Diaries Boss on Stefan's Anger, Jeremy's Killer Urges and Caroline and Tyler's Future". TVLine, PMC. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ Gelman, Vlada (21 March 2012). "The Vampire Diaries' Paul Wesley Reveals Why Stefan/Elena Fans Shouldn't Lose Hope". TVLine, PMC. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ Gelman, Vlada (11 October 2012). "Post Mortem: Vampire Diaries Boss on Explosive Premiere Cliffhanger, Klaus' New Role and More!". TVLine, PMC. Retrieved 10 January 2013.
- ^ a b MacKenzie, Carina (26 January 2011). "'The Vampire Diaries': Paul Wesley reveals Stefan's 'lustful' side". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2013.


text:
Now almost everyone my age uses some prescription lenses and everyone is in a book club or has a Kindle or is trying to read more.
It took me a long time to be okay as a public reader, but on this eve of my 29th birthday, I will say, "My name is Julia and I like to read."
I like to read more than anything else. Forget the new car smell, if I could buy an air freshener in "Musty Book Store" or "Library of Congress", I would.
I keep a book list. I'm not the only one who does this. It's not uncommon. It's just that for many people who know me, I'm the only person they know who does this.
Since 2002, I have had a goal of reading 100 new books each year. While I was in seminary, I didn't count what I read for school. It had to be pleasure reading and that was it. I started this because of my tendency to read books that I love over and over. The book list spurred me forward into new territories. The book list helped me to grasp my reading habits and compelled me to try new genres and new authors.
For me, reading has been an escape, a balm, a teaching tool, a corrective, a mental sorbet, an anchor, an attractive nuisance, a diagnostic tool and much more.
I got glasses in kindergarten because I couldn't see the school bus coming up the street. Still wearing glasses for distance vision correction today, I can spot a sign that says, "BOOKS" at a 1/2 mile.
In first grade, my family moved. My new teacher tested my reading and I plowed through the various first grade readers, second grade readers and after the third grade reader- I was encouraged to read the Little House books on my own during reading time. (I have no idea why I couldn't fit in with others.)
At 10, I plowed through Gone With The Wind. It took me about five weeks. My parents rewarded me by renting the video of the movie, which caused me to rant (unto this day) about the discrepancies between the book and the movie. If I really like a book, I will not see the movie, with few exceptions.
In sixth grade, I wrote a lovely descriptive paper of my favorite room in the house: the bathroom- a place to read in peace.
When I was 13, I had a mystery lump that didn't go away. The day that I didn't want to go to the library, my mom called the doctor and said we were coming in right away. My hernia was diagnosed that evening.
Before it was fashionable to do so, I coveted the library Belle receives as a gift in the Disney movie "Beauty and the Beast".
Yesterday, someone introduced me to a young girl and said to me of her, "She loves to read more than anything else." I smiled, but I didn't say everything I thought and I watched her eyes look at me, wondering if I was going to say what everyone else says to her. I'm sure adults praise her for reading. I'm sure she feels odd out among her peers.
But here's what I say to her:
Read on. Use up the flashlight batteries. Ask always, "Can I take a book?" and don't take it personally when told "No." Make friends with librarians. Plow ahead through books that are interesting, but a little beyond you. You will come back to them. Read authors that famous and those that aren't. Read the book before the movie. Read the book after the movie. Run around the house 10 times. Read a chapter. Run around 10 times in the other direction. Read a chapter. Base your purse purchases on whether or not a book will fit in there.
Reading will help you recognize correct English. Reading will make you a better writer. Reading will fill in the gaps of your education. (I learned very interesting things from Mary Stewart's The Crystal Cave that I didn't get in school until about 6 years after I read the book.) Reading will make you question what you believe to be true and force you to tease out what is important. Reading will help you create dreams for yourself and help you to realize when the brass ring is coming by.
I loved pioneers over princesses, Scarlet over Melanie, survival over being swept off my feet. When the time came, I chose going to Alaska over going England. There were many reasons, but the choice was heavily influenced by reading.
When my now-husband and I were doing the initial questioning game that precedes actual dating, his friend "J" offered the best testimonial he could based on what he'd heard about me, "Rob reads." I remember being amused, "Good for him." But his vocabulary convinced me that he did, indeed, read.
I'm in a book club now. It's hard because I don't know the people outside of the club, but I love them because they read. And we talk about reading books together.
So, young reader, read on, read on. And when you think no one else is reading, join a game, make a friend, but don't pretend you're not a reader. You are! Be proud!
And, someday, you'll look around and realize everyone else has come to the land you've enjoyed for years. And you'll hold out your book list and say, "Welcome! We've been waiting for you!"
P.S. Since 1992, I've read 920 new books. I'm to 28 for this year. I'm pretty sure a new baby means no more 100 a year. I'm striving for 60 now.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
jacqui faye
In Clover.... Red Shoe Painting by Jacqui Faye
Contact Me
My Websites
Painting Everyday by Jacqui Faye
About This Painting
One of a series scheduled for a March exhibit in Rhode Island. Please contact me for more information or if you would like to commission a painting or portrait.
How to Purchase Paintings
Please email me to inquire about availability and pricing


text:
Phillip Kash
Phillip Kash is a nationally recognized practitioner and pioneer in resilience planning and housing affordability.
A leading expert on urban policy, Phillip works across the country to address two of the most pressing challenges facing cities today: resilient climate adaptation and housing affordability. His visionary plans provide cities and their partners with strategic frameworks to guide their efforts; programs and policies to inform their actions; and implementation roadmaps that ensure projects are delivered.
Phillip began adapting cities to changing climate conditions in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. He advised the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority on the development of disaster recovery programs that successfully revitalized neighborhoods and commercial corridors throughout the city. Phillip joined HR&A in 2015 to help lead the delivery of technical assistance to states and local governments throughout the country as part of the National Disaster Resilience Competition (NDRC). From 2015-2016, he led a multidisciplinary team of engineers, climate scientists, and landscape architects to develop Climate Ready Boston, a comprehensive climate adaptation plan for the city and its regional systems. He is currently advising on the financing, development, and governance strategies for the Ohio Creek Watershed Transformation project in Norfolk, VA, the Gentilly Resilience District in New Orleans, and the Ilse de Jean Resettlement Project effort in Southern Louisiana.
As a leader of HR&A's affordable housing practice, Phillip focuses on improving housing affordability in American cities through comprehensive strategies that include land use, regulatory authority, local public funding, and effective tenants' rights. He has worked closely with several local governments to develop such strategies, including Wake County, NC which dedicated $75M to affordable housing and added 1,400 affordable housing units to its development pipeline in 2018. Phillip also advises on the development of specific affordable housing programs and policies. He worked with the city of Detroit to develop an inclusionary zoning policy that was consistent with its commitment to retain existing residents and foster growth and development. In Pittsburgh, he is currently working with the Urban Redevelopment Authority to design new single-family rehab programs and multifamily gap financing as part of the Housing Opportunity Fund.
Prior to joining HR&A, Phillip worked at Enterprise Community Partners where he advised on affordable housing, nonprofit business planning, neighborhood revitalization and resilient recovery programs. As a Director, he provided technical assistance to local governments and nonprofits nationwide; designed and implemented programs; and advised on affordable housing development projects. Several of his technical assistance engagements were part of HUD's One Community Planning and Development program and the National Resource Network.
Phillip volunteers with All Souls Housing Corporation to support and preserve the affordability of Columbia Heights Village, a 400-unit development in the heart of DC. He holds a Master's in City and Regional Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Board of Directors, All Souls Housing Corporation
Member, Urban Land Institute


text:
If you have a smartphone, you can easily share the mobile data connection with your PC or phone without buying a WiFi router. Mobile phones have a WiFi chip manufactured by Broadcom, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Intel, etc. Over a course of time, the hardware components in a phone may wear out.
If your phone's WiFi hardware is not working, you can use its USB port as an RJ45 connector. Android phones have a special feature called USB debugging.
When you enable this feature, you can move files from/to the phone without using a PC suite software. Apart from moving files from mobile to computer or the other way round, you can use the Android USB debugging feature for sharing the mobile data connection.
Rooted Android smartphones allow users to enable virtual ethernet module through which you can share internet connection with the PC. Users can turn on this module by enabling the RNDIS option in the settings interface.
If you haven't rooted your device, you must use the tethering apps we've covered in this article. The apps will turn your phone into a powerful hotspot. They will also let you share the internet over a wired USB connection.
Top 5 best Android tethering apps
ClockWorkMod Tether app
CWM's tether app is one of the simplest and smallest applications on the Play Store. It takes about 4 to 5 seconds to get installed on the user's mobile device. Before running the app, users must turn on USB debugging option in their phones else the application won't be able to show its magic. You don't have to root your device to enable the USB debugging mode.
ClockWorkMod app will detect the USB connection automatically. Then, it will install a virtual network adapter on the PC so that you can use the internet connection on the desktop or mobile phone.
The app is dead simple. It doesn't have options that will confuse the user. CWM supports Mac, Linux, and Windows operating systems. It displays the current upload and download speed on the main interface. Hence, you don't have to use internet speed checker app to check network speed.
When you run this app, you'll see four check boxes on the screen to enable/disable USB or Bluetooth tethering. PDA N+ has an option to hide or show tether usage. It enables you to set up a password-protected hotspot connection on your device.
PDA NET+ allows you to set the name for the hotspot. The app's hotspot feature works on Android Marshmallow OS and its predecessors. To know whether this application is compatible with your mobile phone/carrier or not, go through its official Google Play Store listing page.
If you want to share internet connection with other devices wirelessly, download and install the FoxFi app. FF can establish a secure WiFi connection with a single click. You can use it to turn on USB and Bluetooth tethering modes. FoxFi works like charm. It doesn't require root access. It has a nice interface.
Unlike other apps, EasyTether allows users to implement USB tethering from the scratch. It has four wizard tools that will guide you during the USB tethering process.
The app supports various Linux distros. It is compatible with mobile devices powered by Android ICS, Lollipop, Marshmallow and Nougat operating systems. The free version of ET application blocks websites that employ SSL certificates. The other major limitation of the free ET app is that doesn't work with gaming consoles. Like other apps covered on our list, EasyTether works without root access.
VPN Hotspot
If you are using a premium VPN service, you can share the VPN connection with a smartphone, tablet, PC, or any other device by using this application. VH displays the following toggle options on its main interface:
- Turn on/off Bluetooth, WiFi, USB Tethering.
- Enable/Disable temporary hotspot.
This app can make your phone function as a repeater. It enables you to set the operating frequency for the WiFi connection. It also lets users specify the upstream network interface. VH requires root permission. You can configure it to keep WiFi connection alive and make the smartphone behave as a WiFi repeater when it boots.
Conclusion: The tethering apps mentioned above allow you to share mobile data or broadband connection with computer/phone. They are easy to use. Their size is below 3 megabytes.
Also see: Best root apps for Android


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"Reflections Into Marlborough's History" is the perfect book for anyone who is interested in learning about the history of this small Connecticut town.
This book is an in-depth look at the progression of the town. From the origination of the name "Marlborough" and how the town received its name to the historic homes, churches, and remnants of the past, this book will answer many of the questions that would have otherwise be left unanswered.
The history of Marlborough is captured in this 296-page book by outlining its time span in 13 chapters and captivating readers with over 200 photographs.
If you ever wanted to know about the historic homes, old roads, the Marlborough Tavern, John Sadler's Ordynary, the cemeteries, the mills and their locations, or what made Marlborough infamous in the early 1900s, then this book will give you the answers.


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ALGONQUIN – A fire in an abandoned house at 370 Glenwood Court is under investigation, according to the Algonquin-Lake in the Hills Fire Protection District.
About 12:30 a.m. Saturday, firefighters were called by a neighbor, and found smoke and flames coming from the roof and rear of the single-story house.
The house has been vacant since two previous fires that caused extensive damage in 2012 and 2013, according to a news release. No one was hurt, the fire district said. Crews were on scene until 4:30 a.m. Firefighters from Huntley, Carpentersville, Crystal Lake, East Dundee, Fox River Grove, Cary, Nunda Township, Elgin, Rutland-Dundee and Barrington-Countryside assisted on the call.


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missguided fringed floral kimono
primark ankle boots
gorgeous missy, just beaaaautiful as per usual! NO FAIR!ReplyDelete
You're so silly Megan! But thanks <3 xDelete
I'm loving this look, that kimono looks fabulous with that plain black playsuit. Lovely! xxReplyDelete
Thank you Courtney! xxDelete
Those sunglasses are beautiful. I also adore the kimono! Perfect.
Ava Tallulah
It's so lovely isn't it, such a lovely piece to have. XDelete
This outfit is gorgeous, I'd love to be able to pull of kimonos like you do xxReplyDelete
I'm sure you could doll, don't be silly XDelete
Such a gorgeous kimono! I love how you paired it with the purple playsuit too!
Yuen @ The Craziest Paradigm - a 'lil bit of rust & stardust
It's not purple doll? It's black xDelete
Lovely outfit x
Ohhhh that kimono is amazing!
-Trina ♥
such a beautiful kimono! ♥ReplyDelete
you got the kimono! It's so nice isn't it?! xReplyDelete
I most certainly did, I love it xDelete
I love your kimono! I had my eye on this in the summer. Looks gorgeous paired with all black x
That kimono is seriously gorgeous, I'm fairly tempted to buy it right now. You are so pretty mrs!
Holly xo
You know you want to! Aw thank you holly xDelete
Ah your such a beauty! I adore that Kimono! x
Thank you sweetheart <3 xDelete
I lovee the kimono. I wish I had student discount!
I'm sure if you sent a tweet out someone would help you out with a code xDelete
I can't get over how gorgeous you look! xx
An Uninventive Name
Pfft don't be so silly, but thank you :) xDelete
I just love your sense of styleReplyDelete
i feel like i need to get a kimono. it looks sooo awesome on you and adds a pop of color to a monochrome outfit. i just love it.
Thanks elena! XDelete
Love this outfit! You look lovely :)
Jade xx
beautiful! especially love the kimono x
love love love the kimono x
Ahh, that kimono! So perfect.
Tiny darling
Your kimono is so beautiful! I say hold on to it for as long as you can. It's not really been cold at all so far and it's more interesting than a jacket.
I do like you're blog. I stumbled upon it by accident. Thanks to Bloglovin'. I should make a mental note to use it more.
Sej || What Would Grace Kelly Say
Thanks for finding me on bloglovin :) xDelete
Your kimono is seriously gorgeous. I'm obsessing over the floral print!
Lost in the Haze
I'm with you the floral print is divine xDelete
Gorgeous kimono, it really suits you! Btw I'm so jealous of your hair haha!
Rose xo
you my friend, are the epitome of BEAUTIFUL. Your makeup is so lovely, what foundation do you use?
new follower :)
Annie x
How are you so flawless? I love this outfit!
Xo, Hannah
oh man, you're so pretty! You're skin looks flawless & I love this outfit! xReplyDelete
Gorgeous outfit, tempted to go buy the kimono now xoReplyDelete
Really like this outfit , the kimono is beautiful loving the fringe at the bottom I might have to get this xx


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Get 70% Off Franzis Cutout 8 Pro Background Editor Software
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Shiloh Bristol Hickory with Nickel Glaze on the cabinetry is inviting, warm and elegant. Our designers combined modern and rustic tones in a kitchen designed to elevate every moment shared in it.
The island and hood make use of Woodmont Sedona5 Maple Smoke and are the perfect complement to the stately cabinetry.
Contact Swarts Kitchens today and begin planning your own kitchen remodel in Harrisburg, York, Lancaster or Allentown.
You can call us at: 717-652-7111
Or, continue to browse our project gallery and be inspired!
- Date:Oct 2017
- Labeled:Kitchens


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- Description
DetailsAn English Regency mahogany social table, circa 1810, in classical Gillows design featuring removable reeded legs with brass cuffs and original cup casters. A similar table is featured in the book "Gillows of Lancaster and London: 1730-1840" on page 249. Also known as a summer, winter or horse-shoe table.
- Reviews


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Dragonflies are fascinating creatures and what Pieter van Dokkum - rather oddly an astronomy professor - does well is to capture their nymphs and mature forms in close up in every possible activity from metamorphosis to catching prey. However it's hard to escape that this is essentially a picture book without even the kind of text support you might get in something like a Dorling Kindersley book.
In the past I've been pleasantly surprised by what I thought was going to be little more than a set of good illustrations with a book like The Buzz about Bees, because that contained lots of fascinating material about bees and their lives, and the nature of super organisms. Yes, I enjoyed the closeup pictures - but I learned a huge amount too. From the small amount I do know about dragonflies, they too are a topic that should have been rich in fascinating factoids and engrossing stories. But sadly Dragonflies does not deliver in this way.
Unless you are a dragonfly groupie, I think this is the kind of book you might want to borrow from a library and flick through, but not to buy to read from end to end. Perhaps it would even work as a loo book. But it could have been so much more.
Review by Brian Clegg


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Water Filtration System Specialist
We specialize in all aspects of water filtration and are very serious about your water quality. Whether you are looking to eliminate iron and sulfur issues from your water or you want better than bottled water quality every time you open a faucet in your home, our team can execute this for you. Here are the water filtration systems we carry and install on a daily basis all over Long Island. Each filtration system is different and removes different contaminants from the water. They also provide different benefits.


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Embedded Mini Projectors Coming to Smart Phones
As much as mobile-phone technology improves over time, there's one aspect guaranteed to remain the same—screen size. Any bigger and you start creeping into tablet territory. That's why laser-based mini projectors have become popular. Connect one to your phone, and you can display a much larger version of your screen onto most surfaces.
Now researchers from VTT Technical Research Center, the Aalto University and laser-maker EpiCrystals, Inc., in Finland are looking to integrate mini projectors into the phone itself. The key is making a small, energy-efficient and luminous three-color laser light source that can be embedded without driving up handset costs. The researchers hope that their technology will reach the market in the next few years. (Of course, that's just a projection.)
Here in the States, Redmond, Wash.-based MicroVision plans to sell its embedded mini projector chip to makers of cell phones, portable media players, digital cameras, laptops and even cars. They can't make your home movies and vacation photos more interesting, but at least your audience will be wowed by how you display them.
—Larry Greenemeier
[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]


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Looking for Global training? Go to https://firebrand.training/en or stay on the current site (United Arab Emirates)
In today's age information security has become a business issue, not just a technology issue. Ensuring that the information held on your IT systems is secure is vitally important. Its availability, integrity and confidentiality may be critical for the continued success of your business.
The impact of a security breach may be far greater than you would expect. Not only will the loss of sensitive or critical information directly affect your competitiveness and cash flow, it could also damage your reputation. It might take a business years to establish its good reputation and image, but a security breach could destroy this in a matter of hours.
Firebrand Training is committed to working with a range of vendors to provide a range of training products which address IT security skills needs at all levels of the business:
(ISC)2 is the globally recognised Gold Standard for certifying information security professionals throughout their careers. (ISC)2 have certified over 50,000 information security professionals in more than 120 countries. Several of (ISC)2's credentials meet the stringent requirements of ANSI/ISO/IEC Standard 17024, a global benchmark for assessing and certifying personnel.
As the Internet evolves, the role of the IT professionals evolves with it. EC-Council certifications are designed to provide the foundation needed by every Electronic Commerce and Security Professional, developing a broad range of skills and knowledge needed to build and manage an organisation's networking and security operations.
ISACA is a pace-setting global organisation for information governance, control, security and audit professionals. Together, ISACA and its affiliated IT Governance Institute lead the information technology control community and serve its practitioners by providing the elements needed by IT professionals in an ever-changing worldwide environment.
Cisco is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Today, networks are an essential part of business, education, government and home communications, and Cisco's Internet Protocol-based (IP) networking solutions are the foundation of these networks.
CompTIA serves the IT industry as the world's largest developer of vendor-neutral IT certification exams. Since establishing the certification program in 1993, more than 900,000 CompTIA certifications have been earned worldwide.


text: There Will Be Dancing: The History of a Johnson Family portrays an extensive history of this storied family of Boston. The book includes family trees, wills and codicils, and many fascinating images portraying the family and places they lived. The original edition spanned two volumes. The first volume was recently updated and reprinted in a limited edition.


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Yusef Shelton was homeless when he came to the Independent Living Program (ILP) at Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen, having stayed here and there with friends for almost two years. He escaped his neighborhood, which he describes as gang and drug infested. At Independent Living, Yusef received the support and stability he was missing from his life, and went on to graduatefrom Phillipsburg High School on June 14, 2016.
While at Phillipsburg High, Yusef was a member of both the football and track teams. And, as a member of the debate team, he traveled to the National Finals in California. Yusef has accepted a full academic scholarship to Albright College in Reading, PA. He plans to major in communication and minor in music, and to ultimately become a motivational speaker.


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U.S.-Austria Rivalry Fizzles at the DH
February 12, 2006
SESTRIERE, Italy (AP by Bob Baum)—Poof! went the rivalry—at least for now. The Austrians had one medalist in Sunday's Olympic downhill, and the Americans had none. The U.S. men will have to look to another day to prove they have the talent to battle mighty Austria for Olympic skiing supremacy.
``These Olympics aren't over for us,'' U.S. men's coach Phil McNichol vowed. ``We still have four events to go. We'll get it done.''
No other event will carry the glitz, glamour and glory of the downhill, where the United States sent the one-two punch of Daron Rahlves and Bode Miller against the imposing Austrian trio of Michael Walchhofer, Fritz Strobl and Hermann Maier.
Walchhofer is the reigning World Cup and world downhill champion, Strobl the 2002 Olympic gold medalist and Maier the burly two-time Olympic gold medalist ``Herminator.''
Walchhofer left with a medal, a silver for a distant second to Frenchman Antoine Deneriaz, who won by the largest margin in the Olympic downhill since 1964.
``I was disappointed at first,'' Walchhofer said, ``but I understood that Deneriaz had a dream run.''
It was the 56th Olympic Alpine medal for Austria, where the sport is brutally competitive and Walchhofer bore the burden of being his team's best hope.
``This has been an extremely difficult race,'' he said, ``and I had to cope with tremendous pressure. ... I didn't ski relaxed enough like the run needed. That was the main mistake.''
The 31-year-old Strobl broke his left hand in a crash in Kitzbuehel, Austria, last month. Skiing with a brace on his hand, he was eighth.[pagebreak]``I did my best but could not ski any faster,'' he said. ``I have tried everything, but others were faster. There was something wrong with my skis. Something broke off the bottom of my ski. This is bad luck.''
Maier is back among the best after a motorcycle crash that left doctors wondering if he could walk again, let alone ski. Recovering from a flu, he finished sixth.
``My performance was not so bad,'' he said. ``But I had no power in my legs and that's the reason I was not so fast.''
Miller was the top American, in fifth place, and pronounced himself at peace with his effort and ready for the combined event on Tuesday.
``At the start I was extremely fired up,'' he said. ``I felt like I had a really good chance of winning the race, and just a good chance of skiing the way that I want to ski, which is 100 percent with risk and 100 percent with execution.''
Rahlves was the biggest disappointment. He was fastest in the first training and so confident and comfortable that he skipped the second training run. Yet he was 10th, beaten by the three Austrians, among others. Although he had tried to portray it as just another race, he knew he had missed a great opportunity and looked forward to redemption in the super-G and giant slalom.
``I have two more races here at the Olympics,'' he said. ``I think I have way less pressure on myself.''
So the skiers move on to Tuesday's combined _ a slightly shorter downhill on the same mountain as Sunday's race followed by a pair of evening slalom runs. Miller won the silver medal and Austrian Benjamin Raich the bronze in the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.
Pretty much the same cast of characters from the downhill will be back at it in the super-G on Saturday. Then comes the giant slalom.
The finale is the slalom, where Raich and American Ted Ligety square off in the shadow of home favorite Giorgio Rocca of Italy.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press


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Open Mic
Send us your blog for consideration!
April 2018
6 of the worst trade show marketing mistakes to avoid
Trade shows and conferences are a still a key strategy in most business-to-business marketing plans, and they take up a large portion of the marketing budget because they have the highest cost per lead of any marketing activity.
Posted at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments: 2
Responsible investing principles support goals-based planning
Today, many individuals are upholding the ideals behind Earth Day every day, by making financial choices to reflect their environmental values. By using responsible investing principles to select the securities you own, you can likewise incorporate your values into your goals-based approach to wealth management.
How to get your audience's attention during training — and keep it
If you lose your employees' attention during the first few minutes of a training session, good luck getting it back.
6 questions to ask consultants before hiring them
Imagine that your company has decided to launch a new product line in a few months. Or perhaps you're scaling from startup mode into full operations with a continued focus on growth but need to make sure that your products, services, and business processes are optimized.
Posted at 12:51 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1
Yes, you can be active at work!
What, when, where, how, and why should you invest a few minutes during your workday to be physically active?
Nothing ventured, nothing gained: Investing in Wisconsin innovation
The Wisconsin Idea — the concept that the knowledge and innovative ideas from the university reach to the borders of our state and beyond — highlights the preeminent role that our university system plays in creating a better quality of life for the citizens in our state.
Cool ways to use variable data printing to improve your marketing results
Marketing today is all about personalization. With the amount of data collected every day about people and their lifestyles, habits, and purchases, you can market to an individual so specific it may be downright creepy.
How to motivate your employees without giving them a raise
It's every manager's responsibility to motivate his or her employees. But if you don't have the budget to offer your employees a raise, what can you?
Posted at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments: 1
4 keys to finding the right cyber security expert for your organization
Today's business landscape requires organizations to be increasingly dependent on the strength of their cyber security teams, and understanding how to hire a legitimate expert in the field is critical.
From lab to bedside, the Wisconsin Idea is all for the good of the patients
As doctors and leaders of health care systems, we are in business for only one reason — the patients and communities we serve.
Posted at 12:47 PM | Permalink | Comments: 1


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Annie McKenney
Mom to two Angels
Brewster NY
My name is Annie McKenney and I live in Brewster NY. I am 37 years old and I love being a mom.
My husband Brendan and I are the parents of 4 living children, the oldest two are Ashley,17 & Daniel, 12 and are from my first marriage. We added Jack, 3 and Liam, 13 months to the clan and all 4 were easy, uncomplicated pregnancies. We unexpectedly conceived when Liam was 3 months old and lost that baby, Brendan Francis at 12 weeks 1 day. Genetic testing revealed a normal baby boy.
We knew immediately that we wanted to try again and got the go ahead from our dr to start trying in March and by April we were pregnant again. We were excited but I was an absolute wreck until 12 weeks when we saw a feisty baby on the ultrasound with a strong heartbeat of 180. I exhaled…a little. For me one missed miscarriage was enough to take the innocence right out of a pregnancy. I went to the doctor last Thursday for my 16 week appointment and I had to see that ultrasound screen with a lifeless baby on it again. I was supposedly 16 weeks but the baby measured just shy of 14 weeks. I had a second D&C this past Friday(7/22/11), just 4 days after what was Baby Brendan's due date.
Ironically too, I was due with this last baby the same day we found out Brendan's heart had stopped beating. Life is so cruel isnt it? We should have some results from genetic testing that is being done on the baby by next Friday. I am convinced more and more that there is something deeper going on because there is no way I believe there was something wrong with the baby I saw squirming and jumping just 4 weeks before. I think the drive to find what is causing this is what is keeping me from losing my marbles right now. I thank you so much for reading our story. I am starting to feel less and less alone in this journey.


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I've been exploring the Washington Cake recipe in Malinda Russell's 1866 A Domestic Cookbook, the first-known cookbook by an African American. To learn more about the origins of Washington Cakes, I went to Mount Vernon and did a little historical sleuthing in the works of other historians and in newspapers from the 1800s.
There is still more digging to be done on the Washington Cake. Why did cakes with this name emerge, as they evidently did, in the 1830s? That is, why did commemorations of George Washington take a baked form at that time? We don't have a satisfactory answer yet and that research will take time.
In the meantime, what better way to learn about the cake than to make it? I baked it this morning and can say without qualification, this is a great cake. It's simple and tender and has bright flavor. It would be (will be, after dinner tonight) perfect with summer fruits and maybe some crème fraiche. Frosting and layering the cake with a lemon buttercream would be terrific too. It's also delicious plain.
I'll share Mrs. Russell's recipe and then tell you what I did.
Here's her original recipe:
Washington Cake
Three cups sugar, six eggs, one cup butter, one cup sour milk, one teaspoon soda, three cups flour, one teaspoon cream tartar; flavor with lemon to your taste.
That's it. (Mrs. Russell has confidence in your baking skills. If you don't and are in DC, sign up for my family baking class based on her recipes. It'll be September 21 at the Hill Center.)
I slightly adapted her recipe. The main thing I did was to halve it, since her recipe is quite large. I also left out the cream of tartar since it didn't seem necessary to the leavening. And I chose to bake it to two 9 x 2" pans, but you could use other pans and adjust the baking time accordingly.
Malinda Russell's Washington Cake, Adapted by Amanda Moniz
1 ½ c. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
½ c. unsalted butter (4 oz. or 1 stick)
1 ½ c. sugar
3 eggs
½ c. buttermilk
Zest and juice of one lemon
Preheat the oven to 325 on a convection oven or 350 on a conventional oven.
Grease two 9 x 2" round cake pans. Put a parchment paper circle in each pan and grease the pan again and flour it.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down after each addition.
Add the lemon juice and zest to the buttermilk.
Alternately, add the flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour and mixing only until the ingredients are incorporated. You should add the flour in three additions and the buttermilk in two additions. Scrape down after each addition.
Scrape the batter into the cake pans.
Bake about 25 minutes. About halfway through the baking time (after about 15 minutes), rotate the cake pans for even baking. Bake until the cakes are golden and a wooden toothpick or metal cake tester comes out clean. The cakes should spring back when pressed gently.
Cool in the pans for about 10 minutes and then turn out onto a metal rack to cool completely. Enjoy.
Thank you, Mrs. Russell, for adding a Washington Cake to my repertoire.


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Common Foam Roof Myths Debunked
Spray Foam Roofing has been around for quite some time and yet there is still much confusion about what exactly SPF Roofing is, how it works and what it can and cannot do? To help ease the confusion about SPF, we have compiled a short list of the most common misconceptions in connection to SPF roofing.
Here are the top urban myths about modern polyurethane foam roofing:
Spray Foam Roofs are not durable:
Not true. In fact they are one of the most durable options out there. While many falsely believe that foam roofs are a rather new development, fact is that the first foam roofs are already over 50 years old, proving that not only is foam roofing not new, but it is very durable if maintained properly by your local SPF roofing contractor.
You cannot walk on a foam roof:
Scottsdale foam roofs can easily support the weight of a regular adult walking on a foam roof. It is certainly not advised to jump or bounce on a foam roof or to drop sharp objects, but a foam roof is not anywhere near as frail as people might think. Consider this: roofers do not hang suspended over the roof while working on it, but actually walk on it.
Birds will come in flocks to attack your foam roof:
Well-no! If your roof is properly maintained, meaning if your coating is intact and has no holes, birds will not come and attack your roof. However, this does not mean that they won't take advantage of a hole in the roof coating to take some awesome insulating SPF for their own home. As always- the key is proper maintenance.
SPF is difficult to install:
This one is partially true. While it is certainly not advisable to hire a roofer that has only minimal experience in spray foam application, if you hire a roofing contractor that specializes in spray foam and its various application types, spray foam roofing applications are not too difficult at all. Does experience matter? For sure, but that is true with almost anything.
Foam Roofing can only be applied when the weather is right:
Kind of. You won't want to install a foam roof during a downpour, high humidity or a hoboob, but that is true for any roof installation. Luckily Scottsdale foam roofing contractors rarely encounter bad weather and you can be certain that your roofer will only install your foam roof, when the conditions are right.
Foam Roofing is expensive:
Not really. While the initial cost may seem to be a bit higher than that of some other roofing solutions, for example, the savings it will bring you over its lifetime are tremendous. True when you look at a time frame of about 10-15 years, a foam roof is not going to appear cheaper than a traditional built up roof, but if you consider the fact that your foam roof can last you more than five decades, the numbers start adding up.
Foam roofs can be a great investment and through their insulating properties can reduce cooling cost by about 25%. That is some serious savings. And all you have to do is have your roofer perform regular maintenance checks and about every 15 years or so, apply some fresh elastomeric coating.
While some of those myths have derived from half truths, it is always important to look at the context. Foam roofs are a fantastic, durable and energy saving solution for homes and businesses in the Phoenix area. 1st class Foam Roofing can help you in determining if a foam roof is right for your home. Call us today to learn more about SPF roofs and our other services.
Published By:
1st Class Foam Roofing & Coating - Jason Rivers
Glendale, AZ 85310
Email: [email protected]
Website: 1stClassFoam.com
With Every Job We Offer:
- A free Consultation
- Problem Identification
- Expert Recommendations
- Customized Specific Projects
- Budget Planning
- Proposal Review & Acceptance
- Scheduled Installation
- A Final Inspection
View Our Previous Work
Contact us for your FREE (no obligation) roof evaluation today! Call: (602) 722-0663


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Birmingham China Business Forum
The aim of BCBF is to encourage and build a mutual relationship between China and the Midlands Engine for business.
To do this we will collaborate with others to:
- Build awareness of opportunities for business with China and break down some of the fears and myths by holding events to encourage collaboration between businesses and share experiences.
- Encourage all forms of inward and outward investment and provide opportunities for SMEs who can't access the larger opportunities through other bodies.
- Raise the wider Birmingham region's profile within the UK as a place for the Chinese to do business and assist Chinese entrepreneurs integrate into the local business environment and local communities.
- Furthering collaboration with and between further educational bodies on Chinese matters.
- Encouraging Chinese students to participate in BCBF and the cultural integration of first, second and third generation Chinese students, professionals and businesses.
BCBF is managed by a core team consisting of:
Mr Bill Good, President
Ms Zo Hoida, Vice-President
Mr Mike Loftus, Vice-President
Mr. James Ng, Vice-President
Ms Angela Qi Huang, Vice-President
Ms Sophie Christopher-Bowes, Vice-President


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Physics Internet Resources
Astronomy Picture of the Day Every day features a different image of our universe, with an explanation written by a professional astronomer.
Astrophysics Data System A digital library for physics and astronomy, brought to you by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and NASA.
CERN Document Server Over 900,000 bibliographic records, including 360,000 full-text documents, of interest to people working in particle physics and related areas. Covers preprints, articles, books, and much more.
Clark University Physics Department List of Useful Resources
Directory of Open Access Journals Provides open access to over 3,800 journals.
Information Bridge From the Department of Energy, full-text research and development reports in biology, environmental sciences, physics, chemistry and many other areas.
National Technical Information Service The largest central resource for government-funded scientific information.
Online Particle Physics Information A web portal for resources in particle physics.
Physicsworld.com A publication of the IOP, physics news, jobs, and events.
PhysLink A web portal for physics news, community, education and reference.
Virtual Journals Developed jointly by the American Institute of Physics and the American Physical Society, the Virtual Journals are topical alerting services that collect papers from a broad range of sources. The journals cover five areas of research: Biological Physics Research, Nanoscale Science and Technology, Quantum Information, Ultrafast Science, and Applications of Superconductivity.
If you would like to suggest additional resources, contact the librarian.


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READ: Finding An Edge At Moonee Valley | Hawkesbury | Randwick | Caulfield | Kembla Grange | Flemington | Sandown | Rosehill
Canterbury racetrack is one of the youngest by Australian standards. The Sydney Turf Club (STC) was founded in 1943 before merging with the Australian Jockey Club (AJC) to form the Australian Turf Club (ATC) in 2011.
Canterbury is known for having a few unique characteristics. The track itself is smaller and tighter than many others in Australia, and the surface is arguably one of the very best in the country.
Canterbury is home to many mid-week racing events and is also famous for night race meetings. The club puts together nights that are not only focused on racing but also entertainment for the many punters who flock there.
These days most of the major racing takes place at Royal Randwick or Rosehill, however, Canterbury still boasts the Canterbury Classic over 1200m in January.
The Stats that Matter
In terms of the jockeys that are performing well over the last 12 months, Hugh Bowman is winning at 28% from 59 starts. Blake Shinn isn't far behind, sitting at a very respectable 22% from 117 starts.
From the trainers it's Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott who are leading the way with a winning strike rate of 26% in the last 12 months from 73 starts. Brad Widdup has a 27% strike rate for winners, although it's only from the 22 starts.
Finding An Edge
Mark Rhoden is our NSW racing guru who regularly bets into the tight track at Canterbury. He's coming off a profitable summer of betting at the venue so we asked him where he thought everyday punters could find an edge.
Are there any nuances to Canterbury that you notice in your analysis?
Canterbury is a tighter track than most other metropolitan tracks, so it can be harder to make ground. In previous years, wet tracks tended to lead to winners getting out wider on the track, but that not been the case in recent times.
Canterbury is the home of night racing in Sydney. How do conditions at night change the way the track plays?
To be honest, I'm not sure it makes a huge difference – the track condition and rail position are more important. In the early days of night racing, theories abounded about horses "not wanting to run into the shadows", but I haven't noticed on-pacers being any more advantaged at night than during the day.
How does the Canterbury surface differ to other NSW tracks and does it benefit certain runners?
It's a tremendous wet-weather surface – unless it rains during the meeting, or there has been prolonged cold and wet weather, it rarely gets very heavy, and it also drains and recovers very quickly. So a horse that excels on a bottomless track would be better placed at a wet Randwick than a wet Canterbury, for instance.
What sort of runner (pace wise) is most suited and why?
On pacers, and of late rails-in-run horses, even on softer tracks.
Are there any jockeys or trainers that you really like at Canterbury and why?
No, but it is the sort of track where an unfashionable apprentice can get on a leader and get away with a race at big odds – so certainly not put off by the lesser lights if the map is right.
Randwick and Rosehill handle most of the big races in NSW. Is there a time of year when Canterbury offers some good betting opportunities?
Canterbury plays pretty consistently so is always worth betting on. The summer night season was profitable for me last year but always happy to bet there.
What tips would you give for your average punter betting at Canterbury?
It's a good track to bet on and if you can get your map right, you've got a great head start.
READ: Finding An Edge At Moonee Valley | Hawkesbury | Randwick | Caulfield | Kembla Grange | Flemington | Sandown | Rosehill
Bet with a professional punter on NSW racing: join Mark Rhoden's NSW Winners.
Mark has compiled over $9,500 profit across Sydney metro and provincial race meetings since his members' service launched.


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Realized in line classic but always in vogue, the item is enriched by golden accessory so to appear elegant and refined, but at the same time practical and comfortable thanks to the wide internal compartment where you can preserve all your essentials.
MANUFACTURE: 100% Handmade in Italy.
MEASURES: cm 33x27x20 (13.75"xx10.62"x7.87")
OUTSIDE COMPOSITION: Genuine python leather – the leather is characterized by wider scales at the centre and smaller once along the sides, and it was submitted to a particular dyeing process so to show a light brown tonality where it is still visible the natural pattern of the animal, and enriched with golden strokes over the wider scales, for a very chic final effect.
LINING: Internal compartment fully lined with beige fabric.
HANDLES: two short handles measuring cm 36 (14.17") in python leather plus a detachable shoulder strap also in python.
DESCRIPTION: Roomy and refined women's bag in genuine python leather, with a sober and dynamic shape, coming in a light brown with golden strikes.
The bag is provided with:
- two short handles measuring cm 36 (14.17") fixed through four golden buckles;
- a removable shoulder strap;
- a central zip fastening;
- roomy internal compartment fully lined with beige fabric;
- several internal pockets for all your essentials.
COLOR: Caramel Brown
If you like being elegant but not so eccentric in every occasion, both at work and in your private life, you cant certainly resist this fantastic bag in high-quality python leather.
Its style will highlight your look always keeping your natural allure and beauty that characterize you. Realized in line classic but always in vogue, the item 5020 is enriched by golden accessory so to appear elegant and refined, but at the same time practical and comfortable thanks to the wide internal compartment where you can preserve all your essentials.
The internal compartment is protected by a zip fastening and its provided with a zip pocket for documents, another pocket for mobile phone in the same leather as the rest of the bag, and a further internal pocket for keys or make-up. The bag also comes with a removable shoulder strap, so that you can wear it with ease even for the most frantic moments during your day.
What can we say about this extraordinary python leather? A superb mix of refinement and innovation, the perfect combination of warm and sunny shades with golden strikes to turn the item into the most covetable accessory to carry every moment of the year: during summer, teamed with a beige or white nice dress so to enhance your tan, while in winter it will hit your heart with its tonalities. This wonderful item totally handcrafted by Italian artisans can be yours with a simple click...what are you waiting for? Confirm now your purchase and you wont regret it.
Our products are handcrafted and so that every creation will never be identical to the other. Every item is to be considered unique. When we sell the item, it won't be remade perfectly identical and moreover, we don't guarantee that it will be remade soon.
Small imperfections on the leathers are not to be considered flaws but peculiarities of the leather which show the authenticity of the exotic leather used for the manufacture of the item.
For extra EU purchase and shipping, the autority in charge has to emit a CITES certification. The information that will be considered are the following:
Common name: Reticulated Python
Scientific name: Python Reticulatus
Country of origin: Vietnam
Licence of the country of origin: 10VN0712N/CT-KL of 1/09/10
Country of provenance: Singapore
Licence of the country of provenance: 12SG000885CR du 30/01/12
Appendix: II
Attached document: B
Copyright © 2003-2019 Gleni SRL


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Moments of a Black Queen Objectives:
Community outreach is a one of the missions here at Moments of a Black Queen. The objective is to reach out to people touching lives in the metro Atlanta area and share their content on a global platform. Social media helps me achieve this goal and also facilitates the space to freely discuss pressing topics plaguing people of color in America.
Using the title "The Black Queen", I motivate young women achieving their goals. By starting a conversation on Twitter I engage with females who are artists, models, dancers, and media journalists. I use networking to connect with influencers who share my interests and vision.
1) Promote Caribbean music, culture, and lifestyle.
2) Connect fans with their favorite reggae artist.
3) Share resources to produce income for bloggers on the web.
4) Serve God and make my life a living example of his love and mercy.
5) Empower Black Queens through engaging images, encouraging messages, and evoking emotion that results in action.
*Reggae is a mission not a competition*
♛ ♚ ♔


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Yesterday, I mentioned the decadent cheesecake recipes I found on the back of the Hershey's Kisses packages I bought.
I shared the Candy Cane Swirl Cheesecake recipe I found, but I made you wait til today for the Cherry Cordial Creme Cheesecake.
If I was cooking for myself, I'd make this one before the mint one.
I'm just saying.
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup chilled whipping cream
- 1 can cherry pie filling drained, 21 ounces
- 25 Hershey's Kisses filled with Cherry Cordial Creme unwrapped
- Heat oven to 350.
- Grease the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Stir together melted butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Add eggs, beat well using spoon.
- Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to egg mixture, beating with spoon until well blended. Spread batter in prepared pan.
- Bake 25 minutes or until cake is set. Cake is fudgy and will not test done.
- Remove from oven; cool completely on wire rack.
- Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar in medium bowl. Beat whipping cream until stiff; gradually fold into cream cheese mixture, blending well. Spread over cake layer.
- Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
- To serve, use a scraper or knife to separate cheesecake from pan.
- Arrange drained cherry pie filling in a 6-inch wide heart in the center and outline with Kisses.
- Serve with remaining pie filling.
- Refrigerate leftovers.
Photo courtesy of Hershey's
© 2009 – 2018, Tara Ziegmont. All rights reserved.


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When I say quick card....I really do mean quick card. These note cards come printed on watercolor paper with 4 each of 5 designs and all you need to do is stamp as much or as little as you like. Here is what the designs look like.
Here's my quick card.
You can make cards with these note cards in a matter of minutes! Want to see the new catalog, take a peek here!
Supplies Used:
Stamp Set: Happy Watercolor w: 133188 c: 133191 and Gifts of Kindness w: 130441 c: 130444
Cardstock: Watercolor Wonder Designer Note Cards & Envelopes 133362
Ink: Jet Black StazOn 101406
Before I leave you for the day, I want to share with you a brand new video showcasing one of our new products...The Tag Topper Punches! Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by


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Consumers with bad credit histories have a more difficult time obtaining an auto loan than consumers with good credit histories. Unfortunately, it is all too→
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Here's how to make them.
What you'll need:
1. Wooden frames from your local craft store. (About $1 or less each at Michaels.)
2. Sponge brushes
3. Modge Podge
4. Glitter in your favorite color
5. Paint to match the glitter
Step 1: Paint the front, back and sides of the wooden frame.
Step 2: Once your painted frame has dried completely, brush on a thick coat of Modge Podge. Then cover the Modge Podged frame with glitter. Tip: Put your frame on wax paper before pouring on the glitter. This will allow you to save the leftover glitter.
Step 3: Shake off all the leftover glitter and let set for 2-3 minutes to make sure the Modge Podge dries completely.
Step 4: Spray the entire frame with a UV- Resistant Clear Acrylic Spray Paint. After you spray the frame, let it dry for 10 minutes. Then repeat Step 4.
Once, the frame is completely dry you are done! Here is the finished product.
Instructions on how to make the Love frame can be found here: http://monicascreativecrafts.blogspot.com/2011/12/diy-frames.html.


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10 Products Snag WiMax Forum Bona Fides
Jun 19, 2008 1:33 PM PT
The WiMax Forum on Tuesday announced that 10 mobile WiMax products have received the organization's seal of approval for the 2.5 GHz frequency Tuesday. The designation, according to the group, indicates that each product has met the forum's interoperability and conformance standards.
The four base stations and six mobile station modules, or terminals, are the first products available outside South Korea to receive the group's certification. Earlier, the WiMax Forum bestowed its first round of mobile WiMax certifications on four base stations and four data cards intended solely for the South Korean market in April.
The announcement marks a significant milestone for WiMax, said Norm Bogen, a director at In-Stat.
"The reason it's significant is that WiMax is a standard, and the WiMax Forum is certifying that standard, and you need it for interoperability. If you use different equipment together in the same network, you want it to work together. If it's WiMax certified, chances are good it will work together. If it's not WiMax certified, the chances aren't so good," he told TechNewsWorld.
4G Networks
WiMax, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a wireless data technology based on the 802.16e IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) standard. It's a next-generation standards-based technology that enables the delivery of wireless broadband services, according to the WiMax Forum.
Intended as an alternative to wired broadband such as cable and digital subscriber lines, the technology theoretically should have a coverage area of up to 50 kilometers, or just over 30 miles, from a signal's base station, according to the WiMax Forum.
WiMax is backed in the U.S. primarily by mobile carrier Sprint and Clearwire, a wireless broadband Internet service provider. The two companies announced a deal in May that will combine their two WiMax businesses to a form a new company, also named Clearwire.
The new Clearwire will focus on speeding the deployment of the first nationwide mobile WiMax network in the U.S. Bright House, Comcast, Google, Intel and Time Warner Cable have pledged a combined US$3.2 billion to support the new company.
In addition to certifying devices, WiMax's backers are also working to broaden the technology's reach city by city. On Wednesday, Sprint announced it will launch its first commercial WiMax service in Baltimore in September. Additional service in Chicago and Washington are expected to roll out by the end of the year.
"It will take time to get the network built out. Where the networks are being built out are the undeveloped, lesser developed countries and regions. If you don't have an infrastructure, why would you put in wired line if you could put in WiMax from the get-go?" Bogen said.
"But those are smaller. The Clearwire-Sprint thing is a big network, and that's why that's a big deal. But, again, the certified WiMax products are important because an operator can sell those products," he added.
WiMax Seal of Approval
WiMax is not the only 4G network game in town, however. AT&T and Verizon have put their money behind Long Term Evolution (LTE) for their next-generation wireless networks. The competing technology has yet to fully take shape and achieve any sort of standardization.
"LTE is kind of the cellular 4G network, and WiMax is a whole different technology. It's a different frequency, but they are competing," Bogen commented.
The certification of 2.5 GHz base stations from Alvarion, Motorola, Samsung and Sequans and mobile station terminals from Airspan Networks, Beceem Communications, Intel, Samsung, Sequans and ZyXEL is an industry milestone, said Scenna Tabesh, director of marketing communications at the WiMax Forum.
"WiMax is the first technology to certify base stations for conformance and interoperability to the specification as well," she told TechNewsWorld.
The group began accepting products for validation in December 2007. The Forum said it expects to certify another 100 products by the end of 2008 and have more than 1,000 products certified by 2011.


text: Your days are exhausting! And, sometimes it is just too much to have to pair two items together. You can only focus on one thing to wear, let Caprice be that things. This double v-neck maxi dress will effortlessly style with slip-on sneakers or wedges. Not only will you be comfortable, you will be fashionably functional.


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At HHO we have many years of experience in responding to our clients' needs in providing cost effective solutions using technology appropriate to project demands. We pride ourselves on our expertise, which extends to all facets of infrastructure planning, design, implementation and construction management. We collaborate with other professionals in multi-disciplinary teams to plan, design and deliver long-lasting infrastructure that benefits citizens, including:
While many of our projects have won industry awards for excellence, all of our projects are recognised for improving the quality of life of the people who live in the affected communities.


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Some of you may have heard about Fiona's latest doll project. She is now finished!
|her hair took almost a whole ball of Rowan Pure Wool 4ply!
|the first of many dresses...
From the Arne & Carlos book Knitted Dolls. We don't have the book in the shop.
She is knitted using a variety of our 4 ply yarns - including Rowan 4ply, Regia Angora Merino and Lang sock wool.
Of course she needs a full wardrobe of clothes and accessories now! And some friends...
*Her name is subject to change... by a fickle nearly 7 year old.


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Anne Gesare Timu, of ILRI and colleagues from the University of Nairobi and the Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development, Kenya examined the effect of variety attributes on adoption of improved sorghum varieties in Kenya. Using data from a random sample of 140 farmers, a multivariate probit was used to identify variety-specific drivers of adoption. Farmers perceived that improved varieties had desirable production and marketing attributes while the local varieties had the best consumption attributes. The major attributes driving rapid adoption of sorghum varieties were taste, drought tolerance, yield, ease of cooking, and the ability to fetch a price premium. Early maturity, a major focus of research was found to have no effect on the adoption decision. The findings of the study implies that breeders should focus more on non-yield attributes like taste and ease of cooking to increase adoption and satisfy the multiple needs of the farmers. (Agriculture & Food Security, 09/05/2014)
Researchers from CIRAD, IRD and their partners have recently demonstrated that sorghum genetic diversity distribution in eastern Kenya was linked to the ethnolinguistic origin of farmers. The researchers took stock of local sorghum varieties grown by households from three ethnolinguistic groups. They characterised the structure of sorghum genetic diversity within the three areas and tested the link with farmers' ethnolinguistic structures. Distribution of sorghum varieties was associated with ethnolinguistic structures. Introduced varieties, obtained through the formal varietal improvement system, were uniformly distributed within the three ethnolinguistic groups, while several local varieties identified by the farmers were unequally distributed among these groups. This work emphasized the relevance of the local scale for studying the evolutionary processes of crops. (PLOS One, 06/2014)
Experiences with implementing the Africa Biofortified Sorghum (ABS) project that seeks to develop a more nutritious and easily digestible sorghum variety are described. It is argued that the project has contributed significantly to the strengthening of African scientific networks. Other issues reflected upon are: the role of the private sector; intellectual property; biosafety and regulatory capacity; funding; communication issues and the balancing of commercial interests and country needs. (B4FA, 2013)
Sorghum is largely produced and consumed by the local population in the soudano-sahelian region of Cameroon. Public health problems related to mycotoxins are not found in the region and whether sorghum and sorghum products avoid mycotoxin contamination or whether local postharvest practices are effective against mycotoxins is considered. The observed low incidence levels of mycotoxins in raw dry sorghum grains from northern Cameroon could be linked to pre- and post-harvest strategies to prevent crop contamination e.g., yearly crop rotation, irrigation in hot and dry weather, use of pesticides to reduce insect populations, the drying of crops to a safe moisture level, and protective storage. (InTech Publishers, 2013)
Many areas potentially suitable for sorghum cultivation have to deal with increasing soil salinities and fresh water supplies needed for food production are getting scarcer. This study identified and evaluated the efficiency and profitability of salt-tolerant sorghum genotypes for cultivation in salt-prone areas. It assessed the extent of genetic variation among 22 sorghum accessions from different origin under saline irrigation water using salinity indices. Some of the introduced genotypes (G7, G8, G9, G11 and G14) are better suited to high-saline irrigation than the local. Further research at field level should evaluate green yield production and whether to use them as genetic resources in plant breeding programmes. (Australian Journal of Crop Science, 2013)
Sorghum yields are still fairly low in Bomet District of Kenya and this may be attributable to the use of low quality seed. More than 25% of sorghum seeds are of inadequate quality in relation to germination and vigour tests performed. This represents a risk for loss of valuable genotypes and can lead to poor crop yield in future when seeds of such inferior quality continue to be regenerated. Further research is recommended on the sanitary, analytical and genetic aspects of seed quality. and More seed vigour tests need to be performed on sorghum seeds to standardise appropriate protocols. (African Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, 2012)
Developing variety types with high degrees of heterozygosity and genetic heterogeneity for adaptation traits helps achieve better individual and population buffering capacity. Traits that potentially enhance adaptive phenotypic plasticity or yield stability in variable climates include photoperiod-sensitive flowering, plastic tillering, flooding tolerance, seedling heat tolerance, and phosphorus efficiency. Farmer-participatory dynamic gene pool management using broad-based populations and diverse selection environments is useful to develop new diverse germplasm adapted to specific production constraints including climate variability. For sustainable productivity increase, improved cultivars should respond to farmer-adoptable soil fertility management and water harvesting techniques. Larger-scale, on-farm participatory testing will enable assessments of varietal performance under evolving climatic variability, provide perspective on needs and opportunities, and enhance adoption. Strengthening seed systems will be required to achieve sustainable impacts. (ICRISAT, 2012)
This study evaluates the effect of sorghum and walnut variation on physicochemical properties and acceptability of breakfast meal to overcome protein malnutrition. The nutritional and textural qualities of sorghum flour were improved with the addition of walnut and ginger flour. Samples with 25% walnut and 5% ginger were more acceptable than the samples containing 15% walnut and 5% ginger, 35% walnut and 5% ginger, 45% walnut and 5% ginger. Processing of sorghum into flour and porridge will encourage use of sorghum in other forms. Fortification of sorghum with walnut and ginger flour makes the food more nutritious. (Journal of Applied Biosciences, 2012)
The potential trade-off in producing sweet sorghum instead of grain sorghum is examined. Identifying high sweet sorghum yielding varieties and the best production scenario are very important pre-requisites to using sweet sorghum in biofuel production. The yield of sweet sorghum is positively correlated with how advanced the production regime is. Due to a negative gross margin obtained under the small-scale production scenario, the results suggest that pro-poor measures should be implemented by any policy aimed at increasing the social benefits (significant contribution of biofuel to the rural poor of Zambia) of a biofuel programme. (Dissertation, University of Fort Hare, 2008)


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This week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration acted to broaden treatment options available to the millions of women who suffer from symptomatic uterine fibroids. First, the FDA approved a "next generation" focused ultrasound (FUS) system for the treatment of fibroids which is a more advanced version of the currently available "ExAblate" FUS system. In addition, the FDA also officially removed the requirement that women undergoing FUS treatment be "family complete," confirming that women who want to maintain their fertility can consider FUS to treat their fibroids.
Treatment options for fibroids include hormone therapy and surgeries such as noninvasive focused ultrasound, uterine fibroid embolization, myomectomy, and hysterectomy. Focused ultrasound, such as ExAblate, is a no-incision, low-risk outpatient procedure that uses FUS in conjunction with image guidance to enable the treating physician to direct a focused beam of energy through the patient's skin, superficial fat layer, and abdominal muscles to heat and destroy the fibroid tissue while leaving the surrounding tissue intact. The treatment is conducted with the patient awake and uses magnetic resonance (MRI) guidance, which enables the physician to target, control and monitor the treatment in real time. Many women undergoing FUS are able to return to their busy lives and normal activity level in just one or two days.
New FUS System
The new generation FUS technology will enable more precise treatment for women, aiming to improve overall success and increased relief from their fibroid symptoms. According to Professor Alan H. Matsumoto, MD, Radiology Chairman at the University of Virginia and President of the Society of Interventional Radiology, "The new version of the Exablate system enables treating physicians greater control of and more flexibility in treating fibroids with a clearer 3D view of the on-going treatment. With this new technology, treatment time is reduced allowing for treatment of more fibroid tissue in a given time."
Preserving Fertility
The FDA now specifies that FUS can be considered for women with symptomatic uterine fibroids who desire to maintain their fertility and spare their uterus. This update provides younger women suffering from symptomatic fibroids access to a treatment option that keeps their uterus intact without compromising their existing ability to get pregnant. The approval is based on accumulated, documented clinical data on 118 patients' pregnancies after undergoing FUS treatment with ExAblate.
Said Professor Haywood Brown, MD, Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University School of Medicine, "This is a major breakthrough in the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids. Gynecologists can now offer patients a treatment that is not only noninvasive and uterus sparing, but with the new labeling, this treatment is also an option for women who are not family complete."
Both actions by the FDA this week bring new benefits to treating physicians and women alike, in the ongoing effort to treat this extremely common female health condition. Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths of the uterine muscle (or, myometrium) consisting of smooth muscle cells and connective tissue that usually go undetected unless they cause symptoms. The vast majority of women will experience uterine fibroids in their lifetime; nearly 8 in 10 women – and 9 in 10 African-American women – will develop fibroids by the age of 50, and often much earlier. At least one-quarter of women with fibroids will experience symptoms ranging from mild to debilitating – including heavy bleeding, menstrual pain, bloating, difficulty urinating, infertility, painful intercourse, and fatigue – and will require treatment.
A recent survey from Fibroid Relief found that women with fibroids wait an average of 3.5 years before seeking treatment – and one-third wait more than five years – which can greatly limit treatment options due to unnecessary growth of their fibroid(s). Though hysterectomy has been a common treatment for fibroids in the past, the same survey found that women strongly prefer treatment options that do not involve surgery of any kind and that preserve the uterus.