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Fed Dad. Took him to dialysis with Mom in the car, since she took a half day for us to do plumbing.
So after dropping off Dad we go to lunch at a rather up-scale Greek restaurant/diner. The food sucked. My BLT was rock hard. The toast was like shingles, and the bacon was like 2x4s. The tea, such as it was, had been bottled Lipton. Now, I like bottled Lipton, but I expect better from a restaurant. The server/waitress even brought the tea to our table -in the bottle-.
Then we went to Home Depot. Shopped. Came home. Were getting ready to start when my sister decided she was going to take her after-work shower. We ended up not doing anything.
Saturday... woke up. Don't remember much til about 9 when a friend of Mom's (who is in construction) came over to start digging for the pool. We then proceeded to spend the next 7 hours working on that. Got pizza for 'lunch' at 4. Boy was I hungry. Had two and a half slices. After all, I'd only had a single pop tart for breakfast. Or was it two? I don't remember. Then had another slice at 7:30.
At nine, Mom made dinner. Chicken and veggies. *sigh* Needless to say, I was waaaaay full.
Sunday... Woke up easily enough for Sunday. SS&S to get ready for Church. Went to Church. Stopped at the Acme afterwards for milk, bread, eggs, scrapple. Headed home. Mom and Casey made breakfast.
The next few hours, again, are a blur. I vaguely recall watching American Wedding. I think I dozed in and out.
5ish Mom calls me down to cook the steaks for dinner.
Man I'm good. I'm so good at grilling and having food come out 'great', I can't imagine what I could do with a decent grill. See, ours is really really old. I don't even know where we got it - it just showed up one weekend in the backyard. The jets are all rusted, the control knobs are gone, and I use a small screwdriver to adjust the flames.
But hey! It works, and I can make some really good food with it.
I also read some more of my book, 'Renegades of Pern', while cooking. I need to start 'The Da Vinci Code' soon. Probably Tuesday, at the rate I'm going.
But other than that, a relatively normal and quiet weekend.
A heartfelt, Happy Birthday to ~A~!
And also a Happy Anniversary to ~S~!
and *hugs* for haf cause I know she could use one!
Oh, and sorry ~L~, but it's starting to thunder again, and I can smell the rain coming. *comforting hugs*


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Hello Scraptastic Friends! Amanda here with your Thursday challenge!! :)
I struggled a little bit when trying to decide what to select as my challenge. I thought of doing a recipe challenge, sketch challenge, etc...but then I thought about what is a challenge for me when it comes to my paper crafting...something I always want to do, but that I struggle with...and for me its making cards, hands down.
So, my challenge for you is to find that thing that you struggle with, be it cards, 8.5x11 layouts, tags, using certain items, such as trims, where ever your struggle lays, and confront it head on! Make that layout, tag, etc.
Here is the card I made for the challenge example. Its by no means fancy, its actually very simple, but I am actually very happy with the way it turned out, and it helped to start building up my confidence just a bit in my card making aspect of crafting.
Have fun with this challenge friends, use it as an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone a little, and you might be surprised at how much you end up actually enjoying it! :)
Have a great day and create something you love!
Use the inlinkz tool below to submit your entry for the 4th January 2012 challenge. You have until midnight on February 1st to submit all of your January challenges. This month's prize is a $20.00 GC to the Scraptastic Club store.

subset: commoncrawl


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Why not visit our Christian guys gallery to see the photos of the Christian man you will be taking out on a Christian date or talking to in our Christian chat rooms.Looking for an online dating site with a large Christian user base?As a single Christian, do you feel like God has someone special in mind for you but you just haven't found them yet?Well that special someone is out there looking for you too. Founded by a Christian psychologist, e Harmony is committed to helping Christian singles find love every day.
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Each site offers a 100% free trial and is easily searchable by religion, denomination, and more.


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Patented method
for foundation engineering
The cellular confinement system (geocell), 200 mm (8 in) deep, was laid on a separation geotextile (300 g/m). After installation, the cells were backfilled with a dune of 100 mm above the upper edge of the cell. Crushed gravel, fraction 0-32 mm, was used as the filling material.
Please contact us for further technical information about this construction.


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Neyveli Lignite, a public sector lignite mining and power generation utility, has plans in the pipelines to develop solar parks throughout India totaling 600 MW.
The company has been thus far using lignite as the fuel of choice for its power units. The current plan sees the need to increase the company's total power generation capacity to 12,221 MW, up from the current 2,740 MW, according to local Indian press.
Neyveli Lignite has held talks with the government in Tamil Nadu, as well as in other states on its PV development plans. The company is currently setting up smaller solar projects totaling 50 MW in the 10 to 15 MW range, each in Tamil Nadu and Rajasthan.
Chairman and managing director of Neyveli Lignite Surender Mohan stated, "In addition to these solar projects, we propose to install a 100 MW solar project at Neyveli, for which identification of suitable land is under progress." There is already one 10 MW PV project in Neyveli, located in the north east of the Tamil Nadu state, that is expected to be commissioned soon.
The remaining capacity goal that will not be covered by solar PV will come from wind and coal. Neyveli Lignite already has a 51 MW wind power pipeline to be developed mainly in the Tirunelveli district in Tamil Nadu.


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Anxiety Disorders
- 3/19/19
- How we see, hear, and think about what we experience within and outside ourselves determines who we are and how we relate to the world. Disorders such as anxiety not only interfere with but also impair these processes, creating a distorted view of our internal and external worlds. "
- Click this go to the page.
- 6/3/18
- "Social anxiety or social phobia is one of the most common mental health issues in America today. The cognitive/neurological team at JAN receives a number of calls concerning anxiety disorders, many specifically relating to the difficulties people have with being around and interacting with others in the workplace."
- Click this go to the page.
- 10/24/17
- "Parents, therapists and schools are struggling to figure out whether helping anxious teenagers means protecting them or pushing them to face their fears. By BENOIT DENIZET-LEWISOCT. 11, 2017
- Click this link to read the article.
Possible genetic cause of Social Phobia identified
- 3/18/17
- People with social anxiety avoid situations in which they are exposed to judgment by others. Those affected also lead a withdrawn life. Researchers have now found evidence for a gene that is believed to be linked to the illness. It encodes a serotonin transporter in the brain. Interestingly, this messenger suppresses feelings of anxiety and depressiveness.
- Click this link to read "With Anxiety, Are Your Thoughts Trustworthy?".
Social Anxiety Disorder
- 2/21/17
- Social anxiety disorder (also called social phobia) is a mental health condition. It is an intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. This fear can affect work, school, and your other day-to-day activities. It can even make it hard to make and keep friends. But social anxiety disorder doesn't have to stop you from reaching your potential. Treatment can help you overcome your symptoms.
- Click this link to read "With Anxiety, Are Your Thoughts Trustworthy?".
Blog Post: Insights into the Anxious Mind
- 3/29/14
- Tanya Peterson wrote this very nice piece on her blog about Anxiety. Her article "With Anxiety, Are Your Thoughts Trustworthy>" does an excellent job laying out some of the circular thinking and anxiety thinking that will be very familiar to individuals who struggle with anxiety.
- Click this link to read "With Anxiety, Are Your Thoughts Trustworthy?".
Adding Psychotherapy to Medication Treatment Improves Outcomes in Pediatric OCD
- 1/3/12
- Youth with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) who are already taking antidepressant medication benefit by adding a type of psychotherapy called cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), according to an NIMH-funded study published September 21, 2011, in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
- To read more click on this link.
Teen brains have more difficulties understanding true threats and are more vulnerable to stress
- 11/5/11
- Teen brains rely on early-maturing brain structures that process fear differently than adult brains, according to an NIMH-funded study. As a result, teens may have more difficulty than adults in differentiating between danger and safety, leading to more pervasive stress and anxiety. The study was published online ahead of print on February 23, 2011, in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
- Click this link to read the study.
- To read more click on this link.
Brain Activity Patterns in Anxiety-Prone People Suggest Deficits in Handling Fear
- 8/16/11
- Anxiety as a personality trait appears to be linked to the functioning of two key brain regions involved in fear and its suppression, according to an NIMH-funded study. Differences in how these two regions function and interact may help explain the wide range of symptoms seen in people who have anxiety disorders. The study was published February 10, 2011 in the journal, Neuron.
- read the study here.
NIMH Radio: Anxiety Disorders in Children
- 5/11/10
- NIMH Radio: Anxiety Disorders in Children
People with anxiety disorder less able to regulate response to negative emotions, study shows
- 2/19/10
- New research suggests that individuals with General Anxiety Disorder process negative emotions differently in the brain than individuals without an Anxiety Disorder. The research more specifically found that individuals with General Anxiety Disorders process emotions differently than their nonanxiety disordered peers.
- New research suggests that individuals with General Anxiety Disorder process negative emotions differently in the brain than individuals without an Anxiety Disorder.
FDA Approves Cymbalta(R) For Treatment Of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- 12/9/09
- FDA approves Cymbalta(duloxetine HCl)for the treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults.
Understanding the Anxious Mind
- 10/11/09
- NY Times Article on Understanding the Anxious Mind
NIMH Booklet on Anxiety Disorders
- 7/18/09
- NIMH Booklet on Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety Disorders, A detailed booklet that describes the symptoms, causes, and treatments of the major anxiety disorders, with information on getting help and coping.
- Booklet on Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety Disorders, A detailed booklet that describes the symptoms, causes, and treatments of the major anxiety disorders, with information on getting help and coping
Runaway Vigilance Hormone Linked to Panic Attacks
- 1/3/09
- New research suggests that panic attacks are due to a high level of a wayward hormone in a brain circuit that regulates vigilance. While too little of the hormone, called orexin, is known to underlie narcolepsy, the new study suggests that too much of it may lead to panic attacks that afflict 6 million American adults.
- New research
How Anxiety Impacts the Way We Perceive and Think
Accommodating Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) in the workplace
NY Times: Why are more American Teenagers than ever suffering from severe anxiety
Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderObsessive/Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessions (which cause marked anxiety or distress) and/or by compulsions (which serve to neutralize anxiety).
Information on the OCD can be found at the National institute of Mental Health.
- 12/20/17
- NASAT reports that "Some children and adolescents think that they will have an accident if they do not count all the lampposts on their way to school. Or cannot leave the house unless they have washed their hands precisely twenty-five times. They suffer from OCD, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which is an extremely stressful psychiatric disorder that affects between 0.25 and 4 per cent of all children. Fortunately, the treatment method -- cognitive behavioral therapy -- is both effective and well-documented. The hitherto largest research study of OCD treatment for children and adolescents aged 7-17 now shows that cognitive behavioral therapy also has a long-lasting effect. The Nordic research project, which involves researchers from Aarhus University and child and adolescent psychiatry clinics in Norway and Sweden, has shown that children and adolescents who benefited from the therapy were also free of patterns of compulsive behavior and compulsive thoughts one year after the treatment ended."
- Click this link to read more about the study.
- 9/24/11
- Youth with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) who are already taking antidepressant medication benefit by adding a type of psychotherapy called cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), according to an NIMH-funded study.
- Click this link to read more about the study.
- Click this link to read the abstract in the 9/11 issues of Journal of the American Medical Association.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for children and adolescents with OCD works in the long run
Adding Psychotherapy to Medication Treatment Improves Outcomes in Pediatric OCD
Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections (PANDAS)
- 3/29/17
- PANDAS is short for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections.
- Click this link to read more about PANDAS.
- 10/11/15
- A child may be diagnosed with PANDAS when: obsessive compulsive disorder and/or tic disorders suddenly appear following a strep infection or the symptoms of OCD or tic symptoms suddenly become worse following a strep infection.
- Click this link to read more about PANDAS.
- 4/4/14
- PANDAS is an acronym for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections. These disorders involve the sudden onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or tics in children following a strep infection such as strep throat or scarlet fever.
- Click this link to read an interview about PANDAS.
- Click this link to read the NIHM information on PANDAS.
PANDAS:- Questions and Answers
PANDAS: Fact Sheet about Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections
Information on PANDAS
- 10/19/14
- A first person account from a delightful 16 year old discussing her dealing with her Trichotillomania.
Video on Trichotillomania
Anxiety Research
- 1/18/19
- Another reason to learn to manage your anxiety: heightened inflammation has been linked to anxiety in a recent study; inflammation has been linked to several serious health concerns including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimer's
- Click this link to read about the study.
- Click this link to read the study.
- 6/3/18
- This is not a surprise at DeMarle INC, and we often find high levels of comorbidity among our patients. That is why a thorough and complete educational evaluation is so important so that the treatment plan designed can address the whole child's needs and not just one problem area. "Children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had more than twice the risk of an anxiety or mood disorder in a new study published in Pediatrics."
- Click this link to read the material.
- 5/15/18
- NASAT reports that "About 2.6 million American children and adolescents had diagnosed anxiety and/or depression in 2011-12, reports an analysis of nationwide data in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. The journal is published by Wolters Kluwer. The number of children with diagnosed anxiety -- but not depression -- has increased in recent years, according to the new report. The lead author was Rebecca H. Bitsko, PhD, of the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention."
- Click this link to read the material.
Anxiety disorders, PTSD, and OCD linked to inflammatory dysregulation, study finds
Children with Autism and ADHD show higher rates of anxiety and mood disorders
More than 1 in 20 US children and teens have anxiety or depression
Treatment for Anxiety Disorders
- 12/26/18
- A 'brain training' app developed at the University of Cambridge could help people who suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) manage their symptoms, which may typically include excessive handwashing and contamination fears. In a study published in the journal Scientific Reports, Baland Jalal and Professor Barbara Sahakian from the Department of Psychiatry, show how just one week of training can lead to significant improvements. One of the most common types of OCD, affecting up to 46% of OCD patients, is characterized by severe contamination fears and excessive washing behavior. Excessive washing can be harmful as sometimes OCD patients use spirits, surface cleansers or even bleach to clean their hands. The behaviors can have a serious impact on people's lives, their mental health, their relationships and their ability to hold down jobs.
- Click this link to read the article.
- 10/11/18
- Anxiety disorders affect nearly one third of adults and adolescents, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, but psychologists can help people understand, reduce, & even eliminate their symptoms.
- Click this link to read the article.
- Click this link to read the pdf of the article.
- 7/18/18
- For the majority of affected youth, anxiety disorders are chronic, even after a successful course of evidence-based treatments, reports a study published in the July 2018 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP). Pediatric anxiety disorders are common psychiatric illnesses, affecting approximately 10 percent of children. In one of the largest comparative treatment studies, researchers found that 12 weeks of sertraline and/or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) were effective in reducing anxiety and improving functioning. In the newly released follow-up study, researchers re-contacted these youths an average of six years later and then re-assessed them annually for up to four additional years. Researchers found that 22 percent of youth who received 12 weeks of treatment for an anxiety disorder stayed in remission over the long term, meaning they did not meet diagnostic criteria for any anxiety disorder (defined as any DSM-IV TR anxiety disorder, including post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder)."
- Click this link to read the article.
- 6/26/18
- "No matter which treatment they get, only 20 percent of young people diagnosed with anxiety will stay well over the long term, UConn Health researchers report in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. "When you see so few kids stay non-symptomatic after receiving the best treatments we have, that's discouraging," says UConn Health psychologist Golda Ginsburg. She suggests that regular mental health checkups may be a better way to treat anxiety than the current model. The study followed 319 young people aged 10 to 25 who had been diagnosed with separation, social, or general anxiety disorders at sites in California, North Carolina, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. They received evidence-based treatment with either sertraline (the generic form of Zoloft) or cognitive behavioral therapy or a combination of these two, and then had follow-ups with the researchers every year for four years. The follow-ups assessed anxiety levels but did not provide treatment. Other studies have done a single follow-up at one, two, five, or 10 years out, but those were essentially snapshots in time. This is the first study to reassess youth treated for anxiety every year for four years."
- Click this link to read the article.
- 1/6/18
- NASAT reports that "Did you lock the front door? Did you double-check? Are you sure? If this sounds familiar, perhaps you can relate to people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Help may be on the way. New Concordia research sheds light on how the fear of losing control over thoughts and actions impacts OCD-related behavior, including checking. Although more traditional types of fear -- think snakes, spiders, dogs, etc. -- have been well investigated, this is one of the few studies to focus primarily on the fear of losing control. "We've shown that people who believe they're going to lose control are significantly more likely to exhibit checking behavior with greater frequency," says Adam Radomsky, a psychology researcher in the Faculty of Arts and Science. "So, when we treat OCD in the clinic, we can try to reduce their beliefs about losing control and that should reduce their symptoms." "
- Click this link to read the material.
- 11/5/14
- A list of anxiety medications includes several types of medication including antidepressants, antipsychotics, beta blockers and benzodiazepines. The antianxiety medication list below includes all drugs approved by the FDA for the treatment of anxiety disorders as well as those commonly prescribed off-label.
- Click this link to read the material.
- Published on Apr 3, 2014 - Presented in partnership with AnxietyBC and The FORCE Society For Kids' Mental Health
- Video Description: Anxiety is the most commonly diagnosed mental health condition in children and youth. 1 in 4 children experience significant anxiety at some point in their lives. This video explores common childhood fears and how parents can respond with empathy, and coach children to think helpful thoughts and gradually face their fears.
- Presenters:
- Christine Yu, M.A., R.C.C.: Christine has worked extensively in the field of anxiety, both as a researcher and a practitioner. In addition to individual and family therapy, Christine conducts workshops and presentations about childhood anxiety for schools and parent groups around the Lower Mainland.
- Victoria Keddis, PiR: A Parent in Residence with The F.O.R.C.E. Society for Kids' Mental Health is a parent with lived experience. Victoria is a certified FRIENDS for Life and FUN Friends Parent Trainer which has reinforced the learning along the way.
- 1/25/14
- Parent-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) guided by therapists is effective in treating child anxiety disorders, new research suggests. A randomized study of almost 200 children between the ages of 7 and 12 years in the United Kingdom showed that 50% of those in the full guided group recovered from their clinically diagnosed anxiety disorder after treatment vs 39% of those in the brief guided group. The full guided group was also 85% more likely to recover than those assigned to a treatment wait list.
- Click this link to read the abstract of the paper.
- 11/22/13
- New research found that for children with Functional Stomach Pain 6 sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy provided by trained graduate students was just as or more effective than 6 sessions of intensive medical management with either a pediatrician or gastroenterologist in the treatment of functional stomach pain.
- Click this link to read the abstract of the paper.
- 10/2/09
- A new study suggests that roughly half of children with OCD will outgrow these traits by early adulthood.
- Click this link to read the study.


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Nothing brings Carla Hall back to her childhood quite like her grandma's sluggish-cooked pork chops. Set the chops aside to warm whereas the oven finishes heating. So we lightened issues up in Fried Pork Chops with Cream Gravy by utilizing nonfat buttermilk within the batter and fats-free milk in the gravy; a little less fat, but just as much style.
So, for me doubling up the veggies on my plate with a view to substitute the potatoes and starches hasn't proven to be much of an issue….but. Get step-by-step directions for cooking juicy, tender pork chops every time. Get a crate of ten hand-crafted beers for just £14 with free p&p.
The panko-breaded pork chops are easy to make and full of crispy taste; no marinating crucial. Additionally, love the truth that I found another person who mixes rooster & beef stock together! I do not learn about you, however I definitely do not have the time (or the desire) to spend as much as an hour in the kitchen every night time, just to serve a meal that my household devours in about 10 minutes.
You are on the lookout for a superbly golden brown chop. Grilling , broiling , roasting and gradual cooking are common methods to cook a pork chop. Add some baked potatoes, and you have got a wonderful one tray meal. Remove the skillet from the oven: Using oven mitts, fastidiously remove the hot skillet from the oven and set it over medium-high heat on the stovetop.
Add broth, potatoes, carrots and onions to skillet. The most effective part of this recipe simply is perhaps the mouthwatering pan sauce that you simply make proper within the slow cooker. On the simplest, season, pan-fry, grill or roast your chops. Working with one chop at a time, dredge it in flour, then dip it in eggs, then again within the flour.


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Small Business
Award-winning Wichita small businesses share secrets of their success
The owners of the winning companies in the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce's Small Business of the Year awards couldn't be more different.
One is a seasoned owner of a 41-year-old bookstore, while two others have just a few years running a 9-year-old metal recycling company with 80 employees.
But Watermark Books & Cafe owner Sarah Bagby and Allmetal Recycling owners and cousins Clint and Kolby Cornejo have learned some things running companies that chamber judges decided stood out. They were named winners in a field of nine companies at a Wednesday luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Wichita. Allmetal won for companies with 26 to 100 employees and Watermark won for companies with 25 or fewer employees.
Here's some advice Bagby and the Cornejos said has worked for them and could work for other small business owners.
▪ Don't try to be something you're not: Bagby said Watermark survived competing with big box bookstores such as Barnes & Noble and online bookseller Amazon by not losing sight of why she and her employees were there in the first place, which is a "passion for literature" and their love of reading books. "We just stayed focused on what we wanted to be and what we wanted to do."
▪ Observe other businesses: Clint Cornejo said when he makes a sales call to a company he's "taking mental notes when I go into these places," such as how they motivate and treat their employees. "I learn a lot from just watching other companies and how they do things and how they grow."
▪ There are no dumb questions: When Clint Cornejo's networking with other business people, it goes beyond shaking hands and handing out business cards. He's asking questions, even ones that could be construed as dumb. "You've got to put yourself out there. Don't be afraid to ask a question and have an open mindset. There's no such thing as a stupid question . . . you don't know if you don't ask. And that's what makes a difference."
▪ Don't apologize for employee pay: Bagby said one piece of helpful business advice she has received is to not feel bad about what you can afford to pay your employees. "It's all relative for what the business can sustain . . . when we do well, everybody does well. When the store performs better, then we have more to spend on that."
▪ Hire well: Kolby Cornejo said a small company and its owners benefit from good employees across the board. "From the top all the way to the bottom, no matter what type of employee (or) what they do for you, surround yourself with good ones. That's what makes a company turn every day."


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I installed Jolicloud a little while ago to an 8GB stick and have dipped in and out of it on a fairly regular basis. And now it's getting more use than Mint.
And all it took was some updates.
The first one to catch my eye was the appearance of Spotify, the music streaming service. Jolicloud had obtained invitations for the free version, supported by ads, for Jolicloud users and a one click install was added to the applications tab on the dashboard. It's not a native version, it runs under Wine, but it's still a step in the right direction. Purists may disagree. New users will be happy.
The other update introduced the Google Chrome browser with Flash already added. Yes, it's still nowhere near ready, but I've had no problems while writing this entry and I can watch flash video (YouTube, BBC iPlayer and Channel 4's 4OD service) in full screen with none of the choppiness that seems to blight a great many other distros at the moment. It starts almost instantly and it kicks FireFox's arse in the speed department.
I keep reading forum posts that say Jolicloud is just Ubuntu NBR with codecs, netbook drivers, Prism etc. added.
I say Jolicloud is greater than the sum of it's parts.


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Reinforced concrete structure, with waffle slabs.
Ventilated enclosure façade with ceramic covering on the outside, thermal/acoustic insulation and plasterboard internal partition wall combined with aluminum.
Top-quality anodized aluminum windows and balcony, with thermal bridge breakage and double glazed type "Climalit".
Distribution of properties based on plasterboard partitions. Separation between houses with perforated brick and insulation plasterboard, plasterboard paneling. Separation between kitchen and living room with glass, depending on model (see plans / blueprint).
Armoured main door lacquered in white in the interior.
Interior passing or sliding doors depending of the housing design (see plan/blueprint), white lacquered.
Fitted wardrobes with internal lining and white lacquered sliding doors.
Inside the houses, laminate flooring/floating wood floors in three colors to choose (during the construction period) in the living room, hallway and bedrooms, and top quality porcelain tile in bathrooms and kitchen with different models to choose (during the construction period).
In the balconies and terraces, porcelain tile of wood imitation of premium quality and non-slip surface.
In hallways and common stairs, marble floor.
Walls and roofs with waterbased interior paint.
Bathrooms finished with ceramic tiles, large format, different models to choose from (during the construction period). In kitchens, ceramic tiling, large format in livingroom, and waterbased interior paint on walls and ceiling. False ceiling throughout the house.
Kitchen units with stratified exterior doors, gloss white finish, or two other color options to choose from (during the construction period), with Silestone countertop or equivalent one. Undercounter sink, stainless steel, with mixer tap.
The kitchens are equipped with the following appliances:
• Ceramic hob
• Electric oven
• Concealed air extractor integrated in a kitchen unit tall cabinet (Depending of the housing design – see plan/blueprint)
Plumbing for washing machine/dryer.
Top-quality sanitary porcelain and mixer taps.
Ducted air conditioning installation, for cooling and heating.
Gas boiler for hot sanitary water and central heating.
Complete installation of heating with aluminum radiators.
Solar panels for hot water.
Complete electrical installation in accordance with low voltage regulations of 9,2 kw. Plumbing installation according to actual regulation. Telecommunication installation for TV/FM and telephone according to regulations. TV outlets in living room, bedrooms and kitchen. Installation of video intercom.
Smoothed concrete pavement with anti-slip resin. Motorized automatic door for vehicle access, with access ramp to garages. Equipped with CO detection, extraction and fire-extinguishing arrangements.
Pre-installation for electric vehicles according to current legislation.


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Basic Butter Cake
- 320 g Castor sugar
- 250 g soft butter, cut into pieces
- 2 tsp. vanilla essence or more if you like
- 4 eggs
- 450 g self-raising flour
- 250 g milk
- Set your oven to 160°c then collect all your ingredients as follows.
- Add your butter and castor sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and set aside.
- Crack the eggs into bowl or jug and add the vanilla. Give them a little whisk with a fork to break them up a bit and set aside.
- Weigh the flour into a bowl and set aside.
- Start to cream the butter and sugar with the creaming paddle until it's light and fluffy. Once the butter and sugar mix has been creamed
addthe eggs a little at a time until incorporated.
- Alternate adding the flour then milk in 3 additions mixing as you go until the cake batter is smooth. Don't over mix though.
- Pour the batter into a prepared tin and bake till cooked through. Timing will depend on what size and shape of your cake tin.


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I got an email this week from a vendor whose product I reviewed a while ago. I'd mentioned in the review that one of the features wasn't covered by the manual, and as they were in the process of revising the documentation, he was wondering which feature that was.
It's increasingly common for features of a device or application to be omitted from the manual. The reason's obvious: a simple change that takes ten minutes of developer time might take an hour of a documenter's time - ensuring that the change is reflected in all the documentation, perhaps taking new screenshots of the relevant bits of the GUI, and so on. So for the first release, manual and application perform in sweet harmony; but from version 1.1 onwards, the tech writers are running to keep up.
Just because documentation takes a long time to produce, though, this doesn't justify allowing it not to keep up with the product. Even simple changes can lead to hours of frustration on the part of the user.
Worse still, because the effort required to documentation new features often exceeds the effort expended in adding those features, it's all to common to find that the stuff that does make it into the manual gets just a cursory mention, with only scant coverage and much of the functionality left to the imagination. For instance, take the "Enable Stealth Mode" button on a popular firewall. The total coverage in the manual of this feature was: "Enable this to set the firewall to operate in stealth mode". Did it give any clue as to what Stealth Mode actually was? No. Thankfully they've seen the light, and in the new version of the manual things are much better: "If enabled, the router will not respond to port scans from the WAN, thus making it less susceptible to discovery and attacks".
The vendors are, of course, in a Catch-22. The users are asking for fixes and new features, and the vendors have a choice of (a) be quick to market but without proper documentation; or (b) hold the release back until the docs are finished, thus being slow to market but accurate in the manual. So there's no right answer - which means that no matter what approach they take, the vendors are fighting a losing battle.


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This past month has been very interesting at Asirikuy as the use of a new back-testing data feed (forex-historical data) has revealed several problems with some of our strategies related to feed dependency and robustness. These problems have led to the development of several important modifications to Asirikuy systems in order to enhance their robustness and make them more reliable (see my last blog post). After this analysis it has become clear that some strategy characteristics are necessary for robust/reliable trading and for this reason I have decided to re-think our criteria for strategy trading at Asirikuy in order to enhance our chances of long term profitability. Through this post I will go through the changes I've decided to implement and what this will mean for Asirikuy.
Let me start by talking about our previous requirements for system trading. Previously the only criteria we had in order to allow a system to trade live (to test it on cent accounts at least) was for the system to show profitable and reliable back-testing results on a 3 year out of sample period after a 9 year regular optimization. If the system didn't show good results we would not trade it. However we could often find profitable parameter sets for most strategies devised in this way. This procedure allowed us to develop several strategies but as time went by it became obvious that there were several things wrong with this way of developing trading strategies (especially when building portfolios with them).
The first problem we found was related with the evaluation of portfolios because most strategies were not designed to be trade chain independent. This means that strategies easily fell out of sync and historical correlations were nothing more than a wild guess when you moved outside of a very rigid trade chain defined by the back-testing starting dates and data structure. The second problem we found – related to the actual feeds – was that some systems can show different long term results on slightly different trading feeds due to the way in which they take their trading signals. The last post describes this problem extensively and how I found some solutions using alternative statistical measurements. However there was still another problem related to the way in which strategies were optimized. We found that 9/3 regular optimization was often not the best solution while rank analysis – where a parameter set is chosen when it is a "constant best" in the parameter space – was a much better alternative. Obviously walk forward analysis is also the way to go for evolving optimization, but this will be discussed further on future posts.
After all this experience it then became clear that we need to develop a criteria for trading systems which is very demanding, in order to have the highest possible chance of success. This becomes even more obvious when we look at strategies that have been profitable for the past 2/3 years, where all of them comply with some very specific trading characteristics. With this in mind I have decided to implement a much more rigid threshold for strategy trading at Asirikuy that will give us a much better chance of having successful results going forward (and to make less mistakes when implementing new strategies). Any new system or existing system traded on a live account within Asirikuy will need to comply with the following :
- Reliable back-tests compliant with open-price only simulations (this means large profit/loss targets, use of only past closed candle data, etc)
- Lack of trade chain dependency (system should act on all entry/exit signals by updating or closing positions)
- Only one trade opened at a time per instance (this allows for clear control over risk)
- Rank-stable results derived from a 2000-2009 rank analysis with a 2009-2012 out of sample using our Alpari data.
- Profitable results in 1987-2012 forex-historical data (this means we have an additional 13 year out of sample). Note that even if the 1987-1995 data represents a lower liquidity market (therefore lower likehood of accurate simulations on the 1H time frame), surviving it does represent a higher level of inherent robustness. Since this data does not take place in the optimization process it does not affect parameter generation.
- Have profitable walk forward analysis results (although we will have to wait for the strategy tester module to carry these experiments out).
It is clear that the above will not guarantee any future success (as no one can see the future) but it does guarantee that we will not fall into some pitfalls that exist in the world of algorithmic trading. First of all we will not have exceedingly feed dependent systems since our systems would have been tested on a data set which is different from the data set in which they were optimized. In addition to this our strategies would have also survived to 13 years of additional out of sample, meaning that we are covering a much wider spectrum of market conditions. This protects us from trading systems that may have failed under past market conditions, highlighting that the inefficiency they trade is more sensitive to market changes. The above generates strategies that are robust to feed changes, robust to changes in market conditions and also stable amongst different market conditions (meaning they have more stability in their income generation capacity). Since we now know that systems outside of this regime are prone to failure before profitability can be achieved (meaning that exiting with a profit is unlikely) it doesn't make sense to trade strategies that fall outside of these definitions.
For Asirikuy this will mean that we will need to "cut out the fat". We will need to eliminate from our trading repository all systems for which the above conditions are not met. This will clearly mean that we will stop trading several strategies which we have been developing during the past year, some of which even have profitable results on live accounts up until now. This is obviously because we need to think about the long term stability of our results and how we should only trade strategies that are as reliable as possible. However this doesn't mean that we will only trade daily strategies aiming for longer term trends, on the contrary the majority of systems that comply with this are in fact hourly systems which we have been trading for the past 2/3 years.
Up until now there are already 13 instances of Asirikuy strategies (besides Quimichi and Comitl which were designed with a similar criterion in mind from the start) showing all the above results to be true. This includes genetically generated strategies as well as Sunqu (our neural network trading strategy). This means that after the next F4 update we will be able to trade with much more confidence on our trading strategies, knowing that what we are trading has the highest possible chances of success going forward. All future strategies developed in Asirikuy will have to comply with this same criteria.
If you would like to learn more about trading strategy design and how you too can improve the reliability of your trading systems please consider joining Asirikuy.com, a website filled with educational videos, trading systems, development and a sound, honest and transparent approach towards automated trading in general . I hope you enjoyed this article ! :o)


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You've heard of Madeira what about the Azores?
The plane lands only briefly after having taken off. The shortest flight of our lives lasts a mere 15 minutes and takes us from San Miguel, the largest island of the Azores, over to Santa Maria. About 5,000 people live on this island. Two of them are Andre and Miguel, who welcome us at the airport with a Landrover and a minivan. With us is Luis Melo, who knows the island like no other. The enthusiastic teacher works in tourism now and wants to further develop mountain biking on the Azores.
On the way to the hotel my travel partner Jenny and I learn that there are over 20 trails on the island. Andre tells us that the Pico Alto is the highest point with 587m and that we surely won't have enough time to see everything. We look at each other in surprise. We're not supposed to have enough time in two days to see everything in an area that covers 97km?
We assemble our bikes and make our way to breakfast. We make our first, typical tourist mistake and order cappuccino. It comes from a bag and not from the tempting, glistening coffee machine behind the counter. We have to order 'pingado', espresso with a shot of milk, Andre lets us know. We take a bite of our sandwich with cheese from the farm across the street as Luis excitedly rushes over to us. The mailman is here, Nuno Aguiar, and we're told we have to meet him. Nuno doesn't just deliver the post – he also brought mountain biking to the island. Having moved from San Miguel a few years ago, he began clearing old paths from the sprawling vegetation with a shovel and pick to be able to continue pursuing his passion - downhill riding. Riders still profit from his efforts to this day, even though Nuno now has little time left to take care of the trails.
Start high, finish low
We shuttle to the highest point on the island, the Pico Alto. The further we climb the denser the vegetation gets until the thick green completely entraps us. Trails keep crossing the street and we begin to imagine the potential for mountain bikers. Once we get to the top we start immediately - a quick push and we dive into the jungle-like forest. Luis accelerates away, boosted by his local knowledge of every stone and each corner. We need to get used to the soft ground that's spread with roots., but Luis waits for us at every crossing so we don't get lost. The paths are like a spider web covering the mountain. 'Santa Barbara', our trail that leads into the town with the same name, zigzags through the dense brush but also gives us a few views of the green island. At the next stop Luis asks us to be careful given the next part of the trail passes through a barely shoulder-wide, three metre deep mini canyon that gets very slippery when wet. It doesn't allow mistakes. And yes, the drop into the tunnel-like passage is strewn with slippery stones. The only way down is to release your brakes and head into the fun. I slip and slide, my handlebar touches the wall of the canyon twice until it spits me out into a meadow. We stop and breathe. I begin to notice my surroundings and see the first houses of Santa Barbara lying in a thick green as my pulse slows again.
The colourful windows form a stark contrast to the white facades of the houses and we learn that the rich tones used to be a sign of wealth of the families living here. We sit down in front of the impressive church in the centre of town and take in the rural charm of the little town until our shuttle arrives after just a few short minutes. We go back up the Pico Alto for our next run.
Trails of history
We're massively impressed by the variety of the paths. They're laboriously taken care of by hand and some passages are optimised for mountain biking. Banked curves, small drops, jumps, and short pedalling parts fit the surroundings perfectly and almost feel like they grew naturally. All trails have a name and most of them also a small story. The 'Aeroplane' got its name from an airplane crash in 1989 for example when a Boeing 707 crashed on Pico Alto - with a plaque commemorating the terrible incident which killed all 144 on board.
The next day also passes much too fast. We ride along steep paths down to lonely bays and cross the Barreiro de Faneca. It's a soft and flowy landscape made of red clay sediment also known as the Red Desert and the diversity of the trail is unbelievable. We take a break at noon on the Praia Formosa, one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. The annual music festival "Mare de Agosto" takes place here, when you can experience a week of typical Azorean music, jazz, rock, and pop as well as other cultural performances. Thousands of visitors from around the globe come to this otherwise dreamy bay with its colourful bars.
Fast farewells
We have to say that Andre and Miguel were right as we say our goodbyes at the airport that evening, heading back over to San Miguel. Two days on Santa Maria were much too short to get to know this unique island with all its possibilities.
The next morning begins just as impressively. After a short bus ride we reach our starting point high above the Lagoa do Fogo, the Sea of Fire. It lies far below us, in the middle of a crater and we seek shelter from the howling wind to watch the sun rise. We don't have to wait long until we see the red, glistening sun on the horizon. It immerses the lower lying landscape in warm light - what an amazing spectacle of nature! We get to enjoy a magnificent view of large parts of the island from up here.
We chose this outlook not just because of the spectacular sunrise. The beginning of the so-called 'Kathedral' trail begins right here at the highest point and a firework of impressions explodes around us as we enjoy the longest trail on the island. Seagulls scream loudly as they circle above and follow us for a while, while farther down we dive into the thick green and the silence of the forest that surrounds the mountain. The varied trail leads all the way to the ocean. It alone is reason enough to bring your bike to the island. We indulge in a late breakfast in a small bar with huge grins on our faces.
We visit the tea manufacturer Chá Gorreana on our way back. It's a 45 hectare large tea plantation on the north coast and the family-run company lies idyllic and far from any industry. They produce about 40 tons of tea annually and the plants that grow here are raised without any pesticides or herbicides thanks to the special climate. Around 30 workers manually process the tea to this day.
The most well-known enduro race on San Miguel is the 'Faial Da Terra Enduro Fest' where eight different stages are ridden over the course of two days. We don't want to miss the mecca of enduro sports on the island and head off to the town on the south-east coast. The closer we get to the place the more nervous Luis gets, pointing in all direction and counting umpteen different trails and their combinations. Many of them are part of the enduro race.
Our heads spin as we get out of the car. The fresh, clear air helps us stop the carousel of thoughts in our minds and brings us back to reality. We discover a wooden sign that reads 'Pico Grande' on the other side of the road, featuring a pictogram of two mountain bikers.
"We built a few new jumps, but it's all possible," beams Luis. He's here a lot and basically knows every rock. Shortly after the trail drops, we see a riverbed with a jump over it. Luis accelerates and whirls though the air. The rest of the crew rides around the ramp. I usually don't like jumping over gaps I wasn't able to look at before, but I pluck up my courage and give it a go, motivated by the waiting team. I scan my surroundings in a rush and then comes the moment when it's too late to brake. I clench my teeth and jump. I land softly after a few metres in the air. "Built perfectly," I think to myself with a huge smile on my face and we carry on. Every now and then you find a banked curve or a jump until the fun ends in Faial Da Terra. High Five! We're full of adrenalin.
Local support for a global sport
The Pedra Torta, a stony and completely natural path is on the program before noon, too. The descent puts broad smiles on our faces until we are soon sitting on a wooden patio in the middle of town as Luis cordially greets a man in jeans and shirt. We learn that it's Paulo Nazare, the mayor. He sits down with us and tells us about the development of mountain biking in his region. He supports anything that helps improve the sport and is in accordance with environmental protection. A network of trails has developed here over the years which is cared for by the community and which is constantly enlarged. All trails have been equipped with signs over the past years that mark their beginning for better orientation.
We make the best of the stormy weather the next morning and take a walk along the beach. The spray of the breaking waves is huge and the wind pulls at us. I find it fascinating over and over to feel the power of nature this close.
Sun, rain, wind, and fog constantly take turns here on the Azores. It's possible for fog to spread over the plains in the morning, to have the sunshine in the afternoon, and to experience a short downpour in the evening. These changes aren't unusual in the middle of the Atlantic, close to the equator though. Nature profits from the consistent climate and the warm rain and it makes the unique flora and fauna of the Azores possible - year round. There are no heat waves or cold snaps. Snow only falls on the highest mountain of the Azores, the Pico. The forecast promises warm temperatures, blue skies, and dry weather when a high-pressure system from the Azores is on its way to Central Europe. There is no such thing on the Azores themselves, though. It's only called that because warm air spreads from close to the equator to Central Europe.
The shuttle arrives on time at 11am. Today we want to visit the town Furnas and its lake with the same name. Hot sulphur springs bubble from the ground - something we've usually only seen from pictures from the USA or from Rotorua. Right next to it lies a highlight for mountain bikers: the '16 Seconds Trail', which is the scene of various downhill races. Banked curves, doubles, and tables are perfectly built into the compact ground in different lines, while the 550 vertical metres pass through a jungle-like forest and guarantee a rollercoaster feeling. There's another trail parallel to it and a third is being planned. We're so enthusiastic that we have to ride down through the huge ferns a second time.
We find the perfect ending to the day in truly magical surroundings. The Caldeira Velha are natural thermal springs with several pools. A waterfall feeds the top pool and serves as a shower. The temperature is 34 degrees! A little lower, a smaller pool with about 38 degrees invites you to linger - so we lie on our backs, look into the thick jungle surrounding the thermal springs, and feel like we're in a different world.
We let the memories of the last couple of days on the two islands wash over us as we lay in the warm spring water - tired but also captivated by the scenery. We bathed our senses not only in warm water but also in impressions, smells, and tastes. The affectionate people of the diverse islands have impressed us greatly. The possibilities for mountain bikers, no matter if race bike, cross country, or enduro, are so varied that we've already booked our next trip to the Azores in our heads.
Azores need to know
The Islands
The Azores are a group of Portuguese islands in the Atlantic Ocean. They are composed of nine larger and several smaller islands about 1,369km west of the European mainland and 4,382km east from North America. The Pico with its 2,351m is the highest mountain on the island with the same name. It is also the highest mountain in Portugal. Sao Miguel and Santa Maria offer the best infrastructure and selection for lovers of singletrack. There are bike shops, shuttle services and guides on both islands.
Getting there
The easiest way to get there is to take a plane to Sao Miguel (Ponta Delgada, PDL). Azores Airlines will transport bikes.
Best time for riding
The ideal months are May, June, September, and October. Temperatures are around 22-24 degrees and humidity is lowest. It's also the quietest time on the islands.
On-site service
smatur.pt organises shuttles, guiding, and other outdoor activities on Santa Maria.azoresadventureislands.com offers entire trips as well as individual tours and shuttles. All guides are top-notch enduro riders.
Trail maps
Trailforks offers all trails you can find on the islands. Perfectly administered database with GPS tracks and up-to-date reports on condition and state of trails.


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Hotels & Accommodation in Séranvillers-Forenville
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What's Séranvillers-Forenville Like?If you're looking to discover somewhere new, look no further than Séranvillers-Forenville. Whether you're planning to stay for a night or for the week, the area around Séranvillers-Forenville has accommodations to fit every need. Search for hotels in Séranvillers-Forenville with Hotels.com by checking our online map. Our map displays the areas and neighborhoods around all Séranvillers-Forenville hotels so you can see how close you are from landmarks and attractions, and then refine your search within the larger area. The best Séranvillers-Forenville hotel deals are here with our lowest price guarantee.
Where are the Best Places to Stay in Séranvillers-Forenville?
Below are the number of accommodations by star rating in Séranvillers-Forenville and the surrounding area:
- • 8 4-star accommodations from USD 79 per night
- • 31 3-star accommodations from USD 53 per night
- • 17 2-star accommodations from USD 46 per night
- • 5 1-star accommodations from USD 28 per night
Things to See and Do in Séranvillers-Forenville
Things to See near Séranvillers-Forenville:
- • Cambrai Cathedral (3.7 mi/6 km from the city center)
- • Abbaye de Vaucelles (4.3 mi/7 km from the city center)
- • Aristide-Briand Square (3.9 mi/6.2 km from the city center)


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Fireworks at Shinoda Shrine, Oumihachiman City, Shiga Pref.
4th May, 2018 | at Shinoda Shrine, Oumihachiman City, Shiga Pref.
Omihachiman developed as a commercial city surrounding the castle built by Toyotomi Hidetsugu, who was a renowned general and daimyo (feudal lord)
from the Age of Civil Wars (1467 to 1590) to the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1573 to 1603).
The townscape where the historical flavor of the area remains is also where groups of Japan's important traditional buildings are preserved, making them excellent places for a stroll. In particular, the architectural works of Vories erected in the early 20th century are essential.
The Omihachiman Riverside District was selected as the most prestigious Important Cultural Landscape established in 2006, and is often used as a location for movies and TV dramas. official website ›› http://www.biwako-visitors.jp/search/event_160.html


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Tourist Attraction Karumba Birds
Karumba Birds – Photos The Gulf area is home to numerous and diverse species of birds including migratory species – parrots, finches, honeyeater, herons, birds of prey, brolgas and much much more. Karumba being located on the coastline with savannah grassland, meandering wetlands stretching up to 30km inland, savannah scrub and coastal mangrove environments is a virtual birdwatchers paradise. Following are various […]Read more


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(Cover photo and story photos credits: Micah DeYoung and Frances Haley)
Every week, the Louisville Women's Sports Network highlights a local woman by asking her six questions about her health and fitness routine. This week's guest is Morgan DeYoung. If there is a woman you'd like us to feature, email suggestions to firstname.lastname@example.com.
Tell Us a Little About Yourself
I've been married to my best friend for four years. We met in Africa on a missions trip. I have three wolf dogs and they are my babies. I've been practicing yoga for two years after coming off 10 years of competitive swimming, and just completed my 200-hour yoga teaching certification in February. Social media (aka posting photos to Instagram) is my full time job. I travel often to work on different yoga shoots and collaborate or partake in campaigns with different brands. I share my life with over 180,000 people on Instagram (@the_southern_yogi). It's a very humbling experience and I try to take it one day at a time.
Six Questions About Your Fitness & Health
1) What is your weekly training/exercise routine?
I actually stray away from a set routine. As long as I'm staying active 5-6 days a week, that's about as routine as I get in the fitness world. I do anything from yoga or Acroyoga to hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, strength training, HIIT circuits, or trail running. I like to keep my body guessing!
2) How do you prepare for a workout?
Before any workout I ALWAYS remind myself that fitness is a gift. It's not something any of us are entitled to and our health could be stripped away at any moment. It gives me an extra boost of motivation before I begin.
3) What do you eat, drink or do for quick energy?
For a quick snack, I love bananas with peanut butter, almonds, fig bars or apples with cheese slices.
4) What is your daily nutritional meal plan when training?
I live off breakfast foods. I love to drink English breakfast tea with a splash of milk and sugar. And I try to drink water with any type of infused fruit. I love oatmeal, granola, yogurt, pineapple with cottage cheese, waffles with peanut butter and bananas, toast with beans and avoacado on top. Like I said – I'm a breakfast person.
5) What do you snack on between meals when training?
Same as #3: bananas with peanut butter, almonds, fig bars or apples with cheese slices.
6) What are your fitness & health goals?
My main goal is to always be happy with whatever I'm doing. With fitness, that means finding a way to stay active that I'm passionate about. I used to force myself to step onto treadmills or lift weights or do things I thought "had to be done" in order to "in shape." Right now, I'm the happiest and in the best shape I've ever been in just from listening to my body and having fun with life.


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Jingle all the 5k
Mark Your Calendars for the Jingle all the 5K!
The Jingle all the 5k will be December 15th will be in downtown Seymour, it will start and stop in the downtown and each participant will get set of jingle bells for their shoes, and then at the end of the race, they will receive a Jingle all the 5k sock hat with logo, and a lanyard with a Downtown Discount card. We will also have Santa and his elves there to greet you at the finish line.
This is a family fun event, so sign up today!
Event Information
|Event Date
|Saturday December 15th 9:00 am
|Event End Date
|Saturday December 15th 12:00 pm


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Dressing properly for the rain and temperature certainly helps to make the ride more tolerable and enjoyable, as well as having a bike equipped for the rain. My waterproof helmet cover, gloves with their waterproof covers, Endura rain jacket and rain & windproof pants, and my Bog boots all worked together to keep my head, core, hands and feet warm, dry and comfortable. Fenders kept my clothing free of road grime and waterproof panniers kept the items I was carrying protected.
On my ride home, I stopped at Lynn's Custom Meats & Catering
for a couple of dinner items.
Another rainy day that feels more like Juneau than Hayward.


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Create a wall illustration of a part of london
Budget £750-1500 GBP
We are architects and interior designers working with a lega firm who love the history of their area.
we would like an illustrative / creative map of the area to include certain symbols of the old guilds and companies that used to exist their, and still have their original historical obscure signs in the area.
60 freelancers are bidding on average £943 for this job
- **DETAILS ABOUT THE WALL?** Hello. My name is Aveliya. And I will be happy to realize your idea , but first I need more information about your project. Since it's not entirely clear what exactly you want to dra More
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Hello Vectorial for final pack is ok? for final print ?
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Hi! Do you have any examples of what kind of map and level of details you are looking for? I would be glad to illustrate a map for your project. I am a passionate illustrator and 2D artist, experienced in digital pai More


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"It was raining and there was wind. I went out to the wagon shed. You could still see the hills in the distance, not too much rain for
that–many black clouds, low and torn, like smoke from a disaster, flying angrily over the wide open ruin of the old horsebarn, where I
love to walk alone."
Introduction to the Readings
As we hear God's Word for Thanksgiving 2008 let me suggest some questions for each of us: How can we give Thanks in a year not of abundance but of scarcity? With so many problems with our economy and in our world today, is it realistic to think that we can honestly say "Thanks Be To God" on this Thanksgiving Feast?
Can we actually identify with the words of Sirach: "Bless the God of all who has done wondrous things on earth?" Can we find truth in Paul's assertion that we have been "enriched in every way?' Can we, like the cleansed leper, return thanks because we realize what God has done for us? I believe we can – but not easily. Hear God's Word and wonder.
Did you hear the story about the woman who looked out of her kitchen window on Monday morning to notice her neighbor hanging out her laundry to dry? She noticed that the whites looked gray and the coloreds looked dull. "Such a shame that woman doesn't know how to wash her clothes clean," she said to husband. The same thing happened the next Monday. But the third Monday – oh my, what a change! The whites sparkled in the sunlight and the colored clothes were radiant. Finally, the woman thought to herself, that neighbor lady has discovered how laundry should be done. When she told her husband how much better the neighbor's laundry looked, he said, "Well, it should. Last Tuesday I washed your kitchen window."
So often the way we see things is conditioned by our own "dirty windows." What seems to be a problem "out there" is actually a problem "in here" – in us – in the way we perceive the situation.
On this Thanksgiving Day 2008 there appears to be so much "dirty laundry" out there in our economy — in our world. And many are and will be suffering from the filth of untruth which has undergirded our economic ways. Everyone is calling for "a fix."
But what can effectively "fix" the flaws in our capitalistic economy? Are bailouts merely putting bandaids on a corpse? Is the answer really in a stimulus package to get you and me to spend more money? On what? For what? Is this really just a gargantuan task for the Treasury Secretary? Or does it call for a major economic conversion for each of us?
Perhaps what is really called for is a window washing of our own consciouness – a different way of seeing — clearing the clutter of our own over-stuffed lifestyles. Only if we take a good clean look at the ways in which we honestly and credibly make money, spend money, save money and share money can we truly Give Thanks in this difficult year of increasing scarcity. I believe that we CAN say "thanks alot" if we hear this financial crisis as a wake-up call from our God – challenging us to reimagine our economy according to God's economic plan.
The huge economic bubble has burst upon us all across the globe. I suggest this is due to the fact that, with our craving for more and more "stuff" to own and manipulate, we have failed to hear and heed my Dad's homegrown wisdom: "Don't Get Too Big For Your Britches." Greed – living on credit beyond our means as persons, corporations and nations – that is what has done us in. The chickens have come home to roost. Our laundry looks pretty sad! For God does not long tolerate lived lies. The truth will always win in the end.
The United States Bishops recently addressed a letter to the current administration in Washington D.C. describing our diseased economy:
"The scandalous search for excessive economic rewards even to the point of dangerous speculation that exacerbates the pain and losses of the more vulnerable are egregious examples of an economic ethic that places economic gain above all other values. Sadly, greed, speculation, exploitation of vulnerable people and dishonest practices helped to bring about this serious situation." (September 26, 2008 Letter of Bishop William Murphy, chair of the USCCB committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development)
How can we on this Thanksgiving Day wash the filth from the windows our own economic perceptions? We MUST reevaluate our economic visions and practices from a spiritual perspective. We need to see our economy with the clear vision of God's eyes. And that vision allows us to see and to say: what is best for me, for us, is what is best for all.
In our economic trauma these days we are in a situation resembling that of the ten lepers in today's Gospel. How so, you say?
In Jesus time, lepers were not allowed to live a normal social life in the community. They were pushed outside the normal way of living in community because their disease was contagious. And so too is our own consumerism and materialism contagious. Shopping more in NOT the answer. We live in what some call an economic totalitarianism. Everything depends upon and is measured by money and things. We are afflicted with the sores of over-extended credit, gas-guzzling vehicles and too much "stuff" in our cupboards. More and more folks are slipping into a leprous situation – tossed out of their homes and losing the security of their savings.
Like the lepers who met Jesus and asked for mercy, we need to do the same in humility. Jesus simply told them to do what the law required for persons in that diseased condition: "Go, show yourselves to the priests." That ritual washing was required and their cleansing had to be certified by the sacred authorities before they could return to normal living with the rest of the community.
While we may not need to "show ourselves to the priests" to fulfill a rule of ritual purity, we do need today to place our diseased economy under a spiritual x-ray – a penetrating light which can cleanse the filth of our own selfishness and greed. Our economic woes are not just structural. They are also deeply spiritual. Why? Because private gain has prevailed over the common good. We've lost sight of what the common good is. We are driven by a self-interest and unregulated greed – primarily looking out for good old Number One. Now there is nothing wrong with self-interest and success as long as one does this in the context of what is good for all. Healthy self-interest will always be in the context of Other-Interest.
The priorities in our economy need to be revised – or perhaps better said, reversed. Whereas our normal way of seeing the economy give first place to profit – no matter how it is gained. But, if we wash the windows of our soul, our priorities would read like this: People, Planet and then Profit. Profit gained at the expense of persons and of the global village in which we live must be seen as "dirty laundry" – indeed, as immoral because it is dehumanizing. Money must be at the service of people and the planet – not the other way around.
Back to the story of the ten lepers: Only one leper came back to thank Jesus for the healing. For him more than his body had been healed. He realized that his very way of seeing and being in the world had been transformed by God's grace. The other nine healed lepers seem to have returned to business-as-usual. They didn't realize what had really happened to them. Their vision had not been transformed. They could not acknowledge the One who had worked that wondrous deed. Only the one Giving Thanks had the windows of his vision purified to see the source of his New Life and The Path Ahead. It is Thanksgiving that makes all the difference.
Our global economy must grow again but in ways that serve three P's: People, Planet and only then Profit. That will call for us to allow God to wash the windows of our perception. That can convert our old ways of selfishness and greed toward a vision of seeing all in the light of the common good. It will be a way of graciously respecting nature and supporting a sufficiency for all. That's in strong contrast to the model of the traditional economic powers which translates to efficiency for the few and deficiency for everyone else.
Economic growth according to God's pattern will call for a whole new way of relating to money. We must cure the leprous type of profit-first, profit-only economic growth that we have unleashed. And this new way of thinking, seeing and acting must come from the bottom up – from each one of us changing our visions, our values and our behaviors. We cannot spend our way out of this crisis. We must transform the ways in which money is made, saved, shared and spent. That's God's economic bailout!
If that can happen within our own consciousness and in our own consciences, then these unsettling times will have proved to have been not just scarcity but a Gift of God opening our eyes toward a more just and equitable abundance for all. Then, with Sirach on this 2008 Thanksgiving we can honestly say: ""Bless the God of all who has done wondrous things on earth Who fosters people's growth from their mother's womb, and fashions them according to his will." (Sirach 50)
— Fr. Patrick W. Collins, Ph.D
Then a ploughman said, "Speak to us of Work."
And he answered, saying:
You work that you may keep pace with the earth and the soul of the earth.
For to be idle is to become a stranger unto the seasons, and to step out of life's procession, that marches in majesty and proud submission towards the infinite.
When you work you are a flute through whose heart the whispering of the hours turns to music.
Which of you would be a reed, dumb and silent, when all else sings together in unison?
Always you have been told that work is a curse and labour a misfortune.
But I say to you that when you work you fulfil a part of earth's furthest dream, assigned to you when that dream was born,
And in keeping yourself with labour you are in truth loving life,
And to love life through labour is to be intimate with life's inmost secret.
But if you in your pain call birth an affliction and the support of the flesh a curse written upon your brow, then I answer that naught but the sweat of your brow shall wash away that which is written.
You have been told also life is darkness, and in your weariness you echo what was said by the weary.
And I say that life is indeed darkness save when there is urge,
And all urge is blind save when there is knowledge,
And all knowledge is vain save when there is work,
And all work is empty save when there is love;
And when you work with love you bind yourself to yourself, and to one another, and to God.
And what is it to work with love?
It is to weave the cloth with threads drawn from your heart, even as if your beloved were to wear that cloth.
It is to build a house with affection, even as if your beloved were to dwell in that house.
It is to sow seeds with tenderness and reap the harvest with joy, even as if your beloved were to eat the fruit.
It is to charge all things you fashion with a breath of your own spirit,
And to know that all the blessed dead are standing about you and watching.
Often have I heard you say, as if speaking in sleep, "he who works in marble, and finds the shape of his own soul in the stone, is a nobler than he who ploughs the soil.
And he who seizes the rainbow to lay it on a cloth in the likeness of man, is more than he who makes the sandals for our feet."
But I say, not in sleep but in the over-wakefulness of noontide, that the wind speaks not more sweetly to the giant oaks than to the least of all the blades of grass;
And he alone is great who turns the voice of the wind into a song made sweeter by his own loving.
Work is love made visible.
And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.
For if you bake bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man's hunger.
And if you grudge the crushing of the grapes, your grudge distils a poison in the wine.
And if you sing though as angels, and love not the singing, you muffle man's ears to the voices of the day and the voices of the night.


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Vietnamese School Registration - Mar. 29
It's time! The New York Vietnamese School starts its second quarter. Following a very successful first quarter, the new set of classes starts on April 12. An assessment test is being held March 29 at the Chinatown YMCA.
Open Registration & Assessment Test
NYVS - New York Vietnamese School
Saturday March 29 4:00pm - 6:00pm
Chinatown YMCA
273 Bowery at Houston


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Awards Show How Far China Has Come, How Far It Has to Go: China Daily Editorial
Hybrid rice, high-speed railways, or the Chang'e 4 lunar probe which made an unprecedented landing on the far side of the moon last week are likely what first come to mind when considering China's science and technology achievements.
Yet the names of the scientists and engineers who are behind these scientific and engineering wonders may not necessarily be known to the public despite their distinguished contributions. Thus a grand ceremony has been held each year since 2000 in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing to honor those unsung heroes who have helped China stand tall in the world with its scientific knowledge and technology.
On Tuesday President Xi Jinping presented the top awards to two military technology experts, Liu Yongtan, for his achievements in radar technology; and Qian Qihu, for his contribution to national defense infrastructure projects. They joined the 29 elite scientists who have won the award over the previous years.
The high-profile ceremony, and the high prize given — each of the two scientists received 8 million yuan ($1.17 million), 3 million yuan more than last year — serve to recognize and encourage the hard work and innovative spirit of the hundreds of thousands of Chinese scientists who in just several decades have helped build China into a world science and technology powerhouse.
Today, China leads in the world based on many criteria for science and technology performance.
China now publishes more scientific papers than any other country apart from the United States. It ranked second as a source of international patent applications filed via World Intellectual Property Organization in 2017, again only behind the US. And China is also the second-largest spender in terms of research and development, accounting for 20 percent of the world's total R&D expenditure.
Yet this does not mean it will be a smooth path ahead for China to transform its economy into a center of innovation and become a global leader in science and innovation in the years to come.
The setback that ZTE, China's telecommunications equipment giant, suffered after a US ban on the export of US-made chips and other technologies reveals the Achilles' heel of China's quest to master some of the core technologies. Although it is the world's largest semiconductor market, China still relies heavily on imported chips needed for making high-tech products. Chinese scientists have to double their efforts to design a domestic chip if they want to turn "made in China" into "designed in China" at an early date.
And for that, the scientists have to ensure the fruits of expanded research and innovation are timely industrialized to help production upgrading, and thus propel the economy and better serve society.
Science and technology have been two of three pillars supporting the country's rapid development over the past 40 years of reform and opening-up; they still are the keys to unlock its future.
Source: China Daily


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Alysa Deeter to marry Vince Baddeley-Baker
Dave and Chris Baker of Salem are announcing the engagement of Alysa Deeter to their son, Vince Baddeley-Baker. She is the daughter of Matthew (Doni) Deeter of New Galilee, Pa., and Cindy (Jim) Vincent of Lisbon. The future bridegroom is also the son of late Vincent Baddeley Sr.
The bride-to-be is a graduate of Southern Local and employed as a customer service representative at Time Warner Cable in Canton.
The prospective bridegroom is a graduate of Ohio Virtual Academy and Mahoning County Career and Technical Center. He is a certified multi-skilled medical technician and employed as a monitor specialist at Mercy Medical Hospital in Boardman.
A winter wedding is planned in December at Faith Chapel Fellowship in Salem with Pastor Michael Hileman officiating.
A reception will follow at Ezio's Catering.


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Bexhill-OSM is a community based, open mapping, passion project. It aims to help people discover a wealth of information on places in and around the seaside town of Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England.
See for more assistance.
Contact details can be found under .
Map Controls
Points of Interest (POI)
Walking Routes
Historic Tour
Results will be displayed as a scrollable list and on the map as markers. The buttons at the top allow you to clear the results, or zoom to their area on the map.
Edit: Opens openstreetmap.org where you can make immediate changes to the item.
About & Contact
Bexhill-OSM is part of a community of mappers that want to create a free, editable map of the world. You can learn about the global project at the official OpenStreetMap website.
This independent website looks to continuously archive Bexhill as it stands today; heralding history, community and business in an informative, accessible form.
Although Bexhill-OSM is not a business directory as such, nor a place for direct advertising, we do welcome listings on all public visitable places.Web-development and the underlying map data are managed by Alexis Markwick. I hope you enjoy using it as much as I do creating it.
info [at] bexhill-osm.org.uk
Bexhill-OSM (OpenStreetMap)
- The map anyone can edit!
- Use the data from this map offline on your mobile.
- A dynamic 3D version of this map.
Discover Bexhill-on-Sea
- Local visitor and tourist guide.
Bexhill Community
- Bexhill's Community Notice Board.
Bexhill Heritage
- Caring for Bexhill's past, present and future.
The Old Town Preservation Society
- Maps and information from past to present.
The Bexhill History Trail
- A guide to many of the historic gems.
My Amazon Wish List
Bexhill-OSM is openly available under the GNU General Public License.
Bexhill-OSM © Alexis MarkwickThanks to these developers:


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field guide to NYC standpipes
Jeff Maki has posted a field guide to NYC standpipes. These systems act like a fire hydrant to an individual building and there color coding and associated signage tell us city dwellers a bit about the fire protection in the building and perhaps more.
via infrastructuristtags:infrastructure
«previously the last 50 years in everyday design
Francisco Infante-Arana next»
Written by admin (contact).
It was written on June 12th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Filed in the Category grid of things, interesting, mapping, urban


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Dream of Broom
Dreaming that you are sweeping with a broom may indicate the need to eliminate everything that disturbs you, whether at work, in relationships with others, or inside yourself. The message of the dream is clear: hiding the "mess" under the carpet is no solution. You must reflect on this in order to address your own problems. (See sweeping )


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Tonight was Canadian Tia McGraff's Jumpin' Hot Club debut and what a debut it was. Along with husband and ace guitarist, Colorado native, Tommy Parham, Tia took the audience on a whistle stop tour of her musical catalogue. With stories and banter aplenty, she owned the stage and had the audience in the palms of her hands from the very beginning. They were visibly both captivated and moved as Tia introduced them to her stunning and diverse vocals, with such varied songs as The FIre, Reckonin', Wing Walker, Radical Road, Crazy Beautiful, It Can't Rain Everyday (written with recent UK visitor James House,) The One I've Waited For, Break These Chains and the Cajun flavoured Catfish Deacon, which had everyone singing along at the end of their set.
I have rarely, if ever, seen an audience so spellbound by a support act; there was no talking, no moving around, everyone was listening, hanging on her every word. Her voice just cut through the silence like sun through rain. Magical. Watch this space in 2017, Newcastle!
Cale Tyson, whose roots are in Townes Van Zandt's hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, was a new name to me, but he and his band took to the stage to deliver an energy and banter filled performance which all present seemed to very much enjoy. He is what is, it seems, currently classed as part of the wave of 'bro' country.' Mixing up new and old material, he joked about the original name of his first CD, Introducing Cale Tyson. I guess, in all fairness, it did what it said! Varying his style between country, rockabilly and a rock edge, he showed different sides to his musical personality. Backed by a skilled band, who displayed their talents without ever drowning Cale out. Andrew Hunt on bass guitar kept the beat going in style, whilst I particularly enjoyed watching the drums (Pete Lindbergh) and pedal steel (Bret Resnick), which at times were moving so fast, it was a mesmerising blur. Standout songs included Easy and Why You Been Gone So Long.
I suspect that Cale Tyson is a name we will be hearing more of here in the UK.
Helen Mitchell
There are only so many hours in a day and only so many gigs we can get to. We'd really like to expand our national coverage of the live scene as it remains the life blood of music.
Are you able to help us and the artist you're seeing out by dropping us a review once you get back home, and maybe even a picture. If you are able to help, Mail Us your review and we'll get it up as quick as we can
The Fatea Showcase Sessions are a series of downloads featuring acts that we've really enjoyed and think that more people should get the chance to hear.
Click Here to get the latest session


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Stunt Kites :
Tips and Tricks
Why Would I Want To Fly Kites?
Kite flying is for all personalities. It's a terrific solo sport but can also be done in teams and competitions.
If you prefer to watch, a kite festival is great way to enjoy the sport.
Kite flying is therapeutic; it's good for the body, mind and soul.
Flying kites is a great way to get out and meet people. Kites always attract onlookers.
Kites get you outdoors.
Kite flying is environmentally friendly.
Kite flying is good exercise.
Kite tricks and competitions can add an element of challenge.
The vibrant colors of kites are awesome to look at.
Kite flying is relaxing.
Flying kites to your favorite music is artistic.
Kite flying is fun for the whole family.
Kite flying takes you back.
Kite flying is a memorable experience.
Kite flying is a great way to enjoy a sunny
Take your kites to work; kites can make a vibrant exhibit welcoming in the spring or summer.
Kite flying is a great way to have quality time with the kids. (You can even try building a simple kite together.)


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Copyright 2017 JermaineCobbs Photography. JGCobbs, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
After a recent overseas trip and missing once in a lifetime opportunities to capture special moments, I launched JermaineCobbs Photography. With this newly realized passion, I utilize a Canon Rebel T7i Digital Camera to perfectly capture moments. I take great pride in capturing moments as they happen, unstaged, untouched and unedited, in doing this it truly captures the authentic moment.
Please look through my gallery, I'm available for Corporate Events, Weddings, Showers, Realtors, Digital and Print Media. Use the form to the right and I'll contact you within 2 hours during normal business hours.


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Natural Hardwood Flooring in Forrest City
Do the floors of your home need new life? From the unique looks of ash and pine to the fine-grained varieties of maple wood, hardwood flooring lends your home's aesthetic a natural beauty that you can't find in any other flooring. With rich textures and luxurious hues, you'll discover that you can't go wrong with the traditional style and classic durability of hardwood.
Forrest City Carpet One knows how the right hardwood flooring can improve your home. That's why we offer so many options for your Forrest City, AR home. With such a great variety of hardwood species, glosses, edge and end types, top brands and more, you'll find your perfect hardwood floor here at Carpet One in Forrest City. Hardwood flooring can make a home contemporary or elegant, and improves the look of any room in a home.
Why should you choose Carpet One? By choosing Forrest City hardwood flooring from Carpet One, you ensure that your new hardwood floors are of the highest quality. Whether you are giving an old home new life, designing a brand-new home, or replacing floors that need an upgrade, Carpet One carries what you need. We are ready to help you find the perfect flooring for your home in Forrest City, AR. You can rely on the expertise of our sales professionals at Carpet One when it comes to flooring. Forrest City Carpet One is the best place to get the advice and service you need. By assessing your requirements and evaluating our selection, we work with you to choose the best type of Carpet One Forrest City flooring for your home. Additionally, there are various SelectAFloor™ warranties that range from Bronze to Titanium, so you know you can protect your new hardwood floors. Carpet One is also the right choice when it comes to installation. The installation completed by our professional installers is backed by the same quality and dependability that you have come to expect from Carpet One.
Need more flooring options for your Forrest City home? Flooring is what we do best at Carpet One in Forrest City. The selection of carpeting, laminate flooring, ceramic tile flooring and vinyl flooring that we carry is the best that AR has to offer. Call your Forrest City, AR Carpet One and find out how our Forrest City hardwood flooring and more can make a difference in the way you feel about your home.


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Late Night Links – Sunday December 1st, 2013
Welcome to the first late night links of December! Yay! Christmas is nearly here, and so is our trip to NYC for NYE! But that stuff will have to wait, we have internet junk to get through first…
- What Did People Do Before This Brilliant Solution Was Released?
The internet at large may laugh, but I did this years ago in the garage at home to help me avoid driving the cars into the freezer. I didn't buy a pre-assembled kit though, I made my own out of string and a ball.
- Amazing Reasons to Get Detention
- Meet Paul
- Pause Problems
- In a Meeting
- Streak Tracks Your Email, Lets You Know Who Read It, When, and Where
I used to use something like this a while ago, but it only worked on SMTP and couldn't be used with webmail. This seems like a nice solution and I like the functionality, but I'm fairly sure it relies on the recipient choosing (in most cases) to display remote content when they open your email… which they probably won't.
- Lean Over 60 Google Now Commands with This Infographic
This, I have been looking for. With my new phone always listening, I've started using the voice features of Google Now much more frequently. And apparently new versions of Chrome are going to work the same.
- Paper Hat of Happiness
- This Formatting Rule Determines Whether Your Followers See Your Tweets
I have been teaching Flo the mysterious ways of the dot this week.
- XKCD #1296: Git Commit
I don't even leave a message. Although I only use it for version control and synchronization on demand.
- Man Starts Writing Hillside Message to Win Back Ex-Girlfriend – But Gets Tired and Gives Up
Who says chivalry is dead?
- Man Charged for Watching Movie While Driving on Highway
OK – so we know using a phone to talk on is legal if you're using a hands-free device, and we now know watching a movie is illegal. Where does a video call fall on this scale? Because I've definitely made hands-free video calls while driving before…
- Snowpy
- Post-It Prank
And we're done for another week! Goodnight all.


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Not really sure how we're already in June…these would all be pretty great for summer, though, with bright colors, scallops, and some beach-friendly basics. Go figure that I pick a bunch of beachy things considering I have zero plans to be near a coast! I do love how summery each of these things are and can never get enough of a basic tote, pretty necklace, everyday earrings, and a solid sundress. I started leaving a little makeup bag of random things in my purse a few months ago (mine's from Pottery Barn Teen, which is awesome), and it's been a lifesaver. It has essentials like Tide To-Go, bandaids, tissues, Listerine Strips, a KIND bar, etc. It's the little things like this that make crazy busy days a little more manageable!
ONE: Lilly Pulitzer Tote / TWO: Sabine Agate Pendant / THREE: J.Crew Factory Clutch / FOUR: J.Crew Tunic / FIVE: Brooks Brothers Earrings / SIX: ASOS Dress (on sale!) / SEVEN: Mark & Graham Makeup Bag


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Why my Products Don't Work When Trying to Lose Weight or improving your overall health
On our way to church on Christmas eve, I decided to check my email from my cell phone. I received several messages. Most of them coming from blogs that I'm subscribed with messages about the Holidays. Only one email caught my eye and my desire to open it immediately. It came from a friend who is a Zumba® student of mine and a client. Her name is Cathy. The subject of the email read: "Thank You". I opened the email and my heart was full of joy. Only one word came out of my mouth: "WOW!" My husband who was driving asked: "What's wrong?". With tears in my eyes and my voice a little shaken I read the email to him and another "WOW!" resonated but this time it came from my husband and then he asked: "What do you think?"
Throughout this year, many people have given me the opportunity to work with them to help them improve their lives and I'm deeply grateful for that. My motivation and deepest desire is that each of them achieve that change, achieve results or at least stay on track with the new life style adopted. I'm dedicated to them. I'm in constant communication to make sure everything goes well. I provide the necessary information. And most importantly they have my unconditional support.
Unfortunately, not everyone experiences the change they are looking for or they don't want it bad enough to make the necessary sacrifices. Not everyone wants me checking on them asking how they're doing, how they're feeling and how their meal plan is going. Some of them ignore my messages. And some of them the only time they respond is to tell me that the products didn't work or the products are no different than any other products in the market. Of course, there are out of control circumstances that can affect the "getting healthier/adopting a new life style" process and I totally get it but that is not what I'm referring to, I'm referring about things that we have control over.
I want to clarify that Cathy's success story is the result of her dedication and commitment. She didn't allow excuses to hinder her process of getting the results she wanted. During the time she used the Xyngular products she traveled around the country and even internationally. She even took the products with her in some of her trips. She celebrated birthdays, attended dinner invitations, etc and still she was able to lose weight and control her cholesterol level. I only provided her with the tools she needed and my unconditional and sincere support.
So, what did I think about when I read her email?
1) That I love the area of health and wellness. Nothing more rewarding to know that I'm making a difference in people's well beings, in their lives. For the last 6 months I have been praying to God for confirmation and I feel that HE answered my prayers.
2) That it is totally out of my control how some people excuse their weaknesses and are not willing to make the necessary sacrifices to get the desired results.
3) That my focus and motivation should be channeled towards those that really want a change in their lives.
In health and wellness, there is a saying: "facts tell but stories sell" and some people could think that the most important thing for me is that my clients get the results they want so I can sell more and nothing could be further from reality. Obviously, this is my business but financial rewarding is not my main motivation. Much less in this highly sensitive area such as Health and Wellness. My biggest motivation, what I look for and want to hear from my clients is what my friend Cathy summarized in her email.
Xyngular products or any other weight loss product for that matter will not work when trying to lose weight if when everything is said and done you are not fully honest with yourself and blame the products, other people, circumstances and anything else but yourself. Your actions WILL MAKE a difference. NOT your INTENTIONS.
I end this blog post with Cathy's Thank You email:
1. I have you for a wonderful Zumba® instructor and best of all, a good friend!
And because of this success story and many more that I haven't even shared, I begin this year with a heart full of GRATITUDE to those who gave me the opportunity to make a difference in their lives both in the health and financial area.
I will continue my mission of empowering others to take control of their health and well being. Best wishes to you for a healthy and prosperous 2014.
What steps are you planing to take to improve your overall health this year? What about your finances?
Many Blessings,
Mary Pirela