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Private Health Insurance: Can You Avoid the Waiting Period?
Before you can make a claim through your private health insurer, you need to make sure your waiting period is over.
Most funds have waiting periods to start off with, and some may be longer than others. However, the government has enforced legal limits to waiting periods for all hospital cover policies to ensure you won't be waiting forever.
Taking out general (or 'extras' cover) is a different story. There are no legal limits to these waiting periods so each fund will vary.
It's important to shop carefully to find a health insurance policy that offers minimal waiting periods, not only if you require prompt treatment, but also for peace of mind. You want to feel secure from the moment you purchase your policy.
- Waiting periods exist to protect all members of health funds from people who want to join and immediately make large claims – which would force up premiums for all.
- Some health insurers will advertise no waiting periods for General (extras) cover. This doesn't necessarily mean you are free of all restrictions. You may find certain treatments can be claimed straight away while others do have a wait time involved.
- You will not have to reserve waiting periods when switching policies, provided you purchase the same or a lower level of coverage.
What are Standard Waiting Periods?
After taking out a private health insurance policy, there is a set amount of time known as a waiting period, where you'll be unable to make any claims. It is not only applied when you take out a new policy but also if you decide to increase your level of cover on a current policy.
When this set amount of time is up, your policy will kick in and allow you to make claims and receive the full benefits of your insurance.
The government sets maximum waiting periods for all private health funds when it comes to hospital cover only. The waiting periods for general cover (also known as ancillary or extras cover) are set by each individual health fund, and are not influenced by the government in any way.
Here's a quick look at the current maximum waiting periods for hospital treatment:
- For all pre-existing illnesses or health conditions; that is, any health condition you already deal with when you take out a new policy, you must wait a maximum of 12 months before making a claim.
- For obstetrics benefits, you must wait a maximum of 12 months before claiming any pregnancy-related services.
- For psychiatric, palliative or rehabilitation care, needed for both new and pre-existing conditions, the maximum waiting time is 2 months.
- In all other circumstances, the waiting period is 2 months.
Why Do Waiting Periods Exist?
Waiting periods may seem like a nuisance, but they are necessary. Here's why:
- They protect all members of the fund by ensuring that people cannot join a fund, make a large claim immediately and then leave the fund. That type of 'hit and run' behaviour would force premiums up for the many loyal and long term health fund members.It allows private health insurance to do what it's meant to. That is, cover members for unforeseeable health conditions or illnesses. After all, insurance exists to protect people in case of an emergency.
- It allows private health insurance to do what it's meant to. That is, cover members for unforeseeable health conditions or illnesses. After all, insurance exists to protect people in case of an emergency.
- Insurance companies rely on healthy people taking out cover to pay for those who end up needing medical services covered.
- If waiting periods ceased to exist, the price of your premium would soar, and potentially become unaffordable.
Can I Avoid Waiting Periods?
You may be able to avoid some waiting periods with General (extras) Insurance cover depending on the health insurer you go with. Some funds will advertise no waiting periods. However, even if the waiting period is waived, this doesn't mean you'll be free of all restrictions. For example, you may find that coverage is readily available for routine optical or dental care, but if you require further treatment, you may not be covered until the waiting period is over.
Check with the health fund you are considering purchasing from to see whether there are any fineprint details you should be aware of in regards to waiting periods.
So, you're thinking of upgrading your private health insurance to a higher level of hospital coverage or a new extras policy. Have you checked the following:
- Your policy terms. Know and understand your fund's rules around waiting periods.
- Which treatments you get immediate access to, if any, and which ones you must wait for.
- How long you will have to wait for these treatments before you can make a claim.
Will Waiting Periods Apply When Switching Policies?
You will not have to re-serve waiting periods if you switch funds, provided you are taking out coverage of the same level, or of a lower level. On the other hand, if you wish to upgrade your policy, you will have to wait for new, higher benefits to kick in. Your fund will be able for provide you with further information on how long this wait will be.
Use our calculator below to find out what your waiting periods might look like should you wish to upgrade or purchase a new policy.
Health Insurance Waiting Period Estimator
You will have to serve a waiting period when you start a new private health insurance policy or increase your level of cover. A waiting period protects members of the fund by ensuring that individuals aren't able to make a large claim shortly after joining and then cancelling their membership. This kind of behaviour would result in increased premiums for all members.
Use this calculator to choose a hypothetical date in the future (or leave it on the default setting, which is today's date) to determine when you will be covered for various types of coverage.
Most health insurance funds will apply the following waiting periods to new members taking out a hospital cover product:
Pre-existing conditions will be covered on: February 12, 2019
Obstetrics and Pregnancy will be covered on: February 12, 2019
Psychiatric care, rehab, and palliative care (even if they are a pre-existing condition) will be covered on: April 12, 2018
Other Hospital Benefits will be covered on: April 12, 2018
(These are the maximum waiting periods allowed by law for hospital cover.) These waiting periods also apply to any additional benefits on your new product if you transfer to a higher level of hospital cover, with your existing fund or with a different fund.
Note: If you are moving to the same or a lower level of cover, you will NOT have to re-sit waiting periods.
|Standard Waiting Period
Disclaimer: The above information is correct and current at the time of publication
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Meningitis outbreak shines light on 'compounding pharmacies'
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Meningitis outbreak shines light on 'compounding pharmacies'
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An outbreak of a rare disease called fungal meningitis continues to spread across the U.S. More than 90 patients have the illness, which is not contagious, and several people who contracted the disease have died.
The outbreak has been linked to an injectable steroid, made by a company called The New England Compounding Center, in Framingham, Mass. It is what's known as a "compounding pharmacy."
Compounding pharmacies make medications — ointments, tablets, and yes, injectable drugs, but they are not subject to the same regulations as drug manufacturers.
According to James Karboski, a clinical professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Texas at Austin's College of Pharmacy, says the margins on prescription drugs today are thin.
Chain pharmacies make up for that, by selling more than medicine, but small pharmacies can't do that as easily, so they have turned to compounding.
"With compounding, since they are individualized and unique, the provider has a lot more latitude to establish and specify the price," David Kreling explains. He is the William S. Apple Distinguished Chair in Social/Administrative Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy.
That price is often lower than what major drug-makers charge, which appeals to doctors and clinics.
Today, there are more than 7,500 compounding pharmacies in the U.S. Karboski says some of them are like "miniature manufactures." But they are not technically manufacturers.
"The difference between compounding and manufacturing has always been a bit of a battle between the Food and Drug Administration and pharmacy organizations," Karboski says.
Large-scale drug companies are regulated by the FDA, but compounding pharmacies are not. They are regulated at the state level.
Frank Palumbo heads the University of Maryland's Center on Drugs and Public Policy. He says there is a lot we don't know about compounding pharmacy linked to the meningitis outbreak, "but typically, a pharmacy is supposed to have a prescription for basically everything it dispenses to a patient."
And Palumbo says it is hard to imagine the New England Compounding Center had a prescription for each of the steroids it shipped across the country — more than 17,000 doses.
As a nonprofit news organization, our future depends on listeners like you who believe in the power of public service journalism.
Your investment in Marketplace helps us remain paywall-free and ensures everyone has access to trustworthy, unbiased news and information, regardless of their ability to pay.
Donate today — in any amount — to become a Marketplace Investor. Now more than ever, your commitment makes a difference.

subset: commoncrawl


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Things Are Looking Up: The 6 Best Places to Catch a Nighttime Star Show Along the Crystal Coast♦
In the daylight, the Crystal Coast boasts one of the most stunning—and wildest—stretches of shoreline in North Carolina. By day, the undisturbed swathes of sun-drenched coastline provide revelers a pristine waterfront playground with jaw-dropping ocean vistas. But the Crystal Coast is just as spectacular by starlight, as the remote beaches and wild spaces offering stargazers… Read More
How to Have an Adventurous 3-Day Vacation on the Pristine Waters of the Crystal Coast♦
Aptly named for the clarity of its stunning water, North Carolina's Crystal Coast serves up one of the most spectacular stretches of shoreline on the Atlantic. Featuring 85 miles of coastline, fringed with an eclectic smattering of barrier islands just offshore, the Crystal Coast offers paddlers a buffet of adventures on the water. Even better,… Read More
From Beach to Brew: 5 Places to Unwind After a Day on the Sand♦
A lot of things come to mind upon hearing the words "beach trip." Sure, all of the usual activities like reading on the beach, playing in the waves, and building sandcastles are fun, but if you're fortunate enough to vacation along the Crystal Coast of North Carolina, you're going to want to step up your… Read More


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Before blowing whatever budget you have at the first art gallery you spot off Main Street, intelligent art collecting requires mastering certain skills. To ensure your collection will be a successful investment for your home, you'll need to figure out a few tidbits:
- Is it important that your collection match your decor theme?
- Will it be displayed throughout the house or in a single room?
- Are you wanting to make money from the art market?
- Are you embarking on an exciting, passionate journey of art collecting or is this just a hobby?
- What's your budget?
Define your tastes
One of the best things about art is that it's subjective. Beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. With this concept in mind, you'll want to hone your artistic senses by observing lots of art. Take the time to develop an understanding of what aspects of art you appreciate. This could be paintings, photography, pottery/clay work, artifacts, and time eras of this artwork.
Window shop 'til you drop
There's no harm in going art-crazy by visiting loads of galleries, art fairs, and exhibits. You'll gain a better sense of price ranges, quality of artwork and the opportunities to ask lots and lots of questions.
Research (vital!)
Art collecting is an intellectual and educational pursuit. Your ability to put together a great collection depends on your skills to research and evaluate that piece. You don't want to be ripped off by being sold fraudulent pieces.
Dealing with the dealer
Just like buying a car, doing some homework can give you the upper hand in a price negotiation. Avoid accepting the "sticker price" and compare with databases to check what similar pieces are going for. Good art dealers should be more of a counselor than a salesman.
Document everything
Good documentation such as the history of the piece can raise the value of your art piece. Documentation itself also holds value from the business aspect. Save receipts, certificates, related material, autographs, and if possible, photographs of the artist.
Pro tips
- Ensure your editions are signed.
- Avoid sales people that depend on commissions. Your collection should be centered around your passion and tastes.
- Consider additional costs for framing and proper maintenance and care.
- An extensive and expensive collection should be insured with replacement appraisals, and measures taken to ensure the heirlooms are passed on to your inheritors.
Broaden your definition of what art could mean for you. Think outside the box, and stay true to your passions. Doing this will certainly make your home unique, tasteful, and exclusive.
Where to buy art
Your city is more than likely home to some amazing artists. Local coffee shops often showcase different artists' work for a few months before switching to new stuff, and if you look closely, you'll see a price underneath the title of the piece. You can also search for local artists on Instagram, the social media platform many artists use to announce work that's for sale or currently in progress. Never be afraid to ask an artist to create something new for you — that's called commissioning a piece. Just be sure to decide on price and size and any other details before the work is done. Try browsing these online shops, too:
Where are your favorite places to buy art? Have a favorite artist who you think more people should know about? Let us know in the comments.
Find today's best prices for your
home improvement project.


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Fantasy football necessarily involves our ability to be zen masters and hold contradictions in our heads. "Stick to your guns" competes with "Admit when you were wrong" during camp and the preseason. We've spent months visualizing depth charts, roles, projections, and seasons for these players. Then camps open, preseason football starts, and we have to be able to tell the new reality from the sand castle that will disappear by the morning. Here's a quick snapshot of some players I have moved up or down in my rankings over the last few weeks.
Drew Brees, NO - Rookie Michael Thomas has been better than anyone could have imagined and third-year UDFA Willie Snead IV has also impressed this summer, setting Brees up with one of his best sets of weapons in his career when you add in Coby Fleener, Brandin Cooks, and (for now) a healthy C.J. Spiller.
Running Back
Terrance West, BAL - West has been turning heads since the preseason opened and he could push his way into part of the Ravens backfield on early downs.
Devontae Booker, DEN - Booker needs to work on his pass protection, but he is poised to win the backup running back job, which means he would be a C.J. Anderson injury away from being a fantasy starter. Even if Anderson stays healthy, Booker could get a lot of work on a run-first team.
Josh Ferguson, IND - There's no guarantee that he would even be as good as Boom Herron if he got the shot, but Ferguson has played his way into the backup RB job and should hold it going into the season.
Spencer Ware, KC - Ware would share with Charcandrick West if Jamaal Charles misses time during the season, but he appears to have pulled away from a timeshare and given the Chiefs more a primary backup than a committee behind their starter.
Bilal Powell, NYJ - Powell is in line to get a similar role to Matt Forte, just as he got similar money this offseason. Forte has missed weeks with a hamstring, and while he's back that is something we never want to see in a back who is turning 31 this year.
Darren Sproles, PHI - Sproles got an extension into 2017, showing that he is in favor with the new coaching regime. He is also a terrific fit in the short passing game and Sproles has already shown that he can be an effective red zone back.
Melvin Gordon III, SD - Gordon's long catch and run touchdown was still just the result of a defensive breakdown, but confidence can be a tricky thing, and that play should give his a boost.
Christine Michael, SEA - Michael has had an "awakening" according to most reports out of Seattle, and he is slated to be the #2 to Thomas Rawls, who could be eased in coming off of serious ankle injury. Michael has the raw talent to force his way into more touches with this opportunity, and he's definitely the handcuff to Rawls, which was not a given this offseason.
James White, NE - White has gotten into late round "early reveal" consideration with the possibility that Dion Lewis stays on the PUP or misses time early in the season while he is eased back in.
C.J. Spiller, NO - Fantasy gods help me: I've been spending late round picks on Spiller. He's healthy (for now) and you can't get over that talent once you've seen it. It might be gone forever, but if it's back in that situation, Spiller will be a PPR fantasy points generator.
Tyler Gaffney, NE - Put Gaffney on your very late round running back target list in deeper leagues. He has an outside shot to displace LeGarrette Blount as the team's big back.
Wide Receiver
Mike Wallace, BAL - Wallace failed a conditioning test to open camp, but since then has taken advantage of extra time in practice with Steve Smith and Breshad Perriman to build deep and red zone timing with Joe Flacco. He's worth a late-round pick to see what happens.
Sammy Watkins, BUF - After lots of uncertainty regarding his foot this offseason, Watkins was cleared for camp and has resumed looking like one of the best wide receivers in the NFL without incident.
Devin Funchess, CAR - Funchess has had a great offseason, a great camp, and Kelvin Benjamin is still getting into game shape.
Terrelle Pryor, CLE - Pryor is having a great camp and could open the season as the Browns #1 receiver. His size, speed, and ball skills make him an instant big play threat.
Anquan Boldin, DET - Boldin has inherited a #3 wide receiver role on a team that should pass a lot. His quarterback, Matthew Stafford, should come to depend on him in the slot. Boldin could wring out one more fantasy relevant season in this situation.
Will Fuller V, HOU - Fuller has taken over the #2 job and should have a deep threat boom/bust weekly scoring profile that merits some attention in best ball leagues and DFS, if not in redraft, too.
Stefon Diggs, MIN - Diggs has had a great summer and has stood out as the #1 receiver for the Vikings heading into the season.
Malcolm Mitchell, NE - Mitchell was generating momentum towards a starting job, then he suffered a grisly looking dislocated elbow. He returned to practice within days and picked up where he left off. He should be the #1 "X" receiver for New England.
Sammie Coates Jr, PIT - Coates had a terrific offseason and open to training camp. He did fumble twice in the preseason opener, but Ladarius Green's headaches should give Coates an even bigger opportunity in a potent pass offense. Coates will get every chance to fail before Darrius Heyward-Bey gets a shot, and if Coates stumbles early, you'll be the first one to pounce on Heyward-Bey.
Tyrell Williams, SD - Steve Johnson's injury has opened the door to more playing time for Williams, who has to compete with Dontrelle Inman and new addition James Jones (who reportedly had trouble separating off of the line) for playing time. Williams has been riffing well with Philip Rivers and displaying his prodigious physical tools in camp.
Tyler Lockett, SEA - Beyond the Matt Harmon bump, Lockett has shown that he is capable of making another leap from year one to year two in an offense that will aim to be run-heavy but could end up following the more pass-centric trend of the second half of 2015.
Bruce Ellington, SF - Ellington has emerged as one of the top three options in a passing offense that will likely focus on short passing. He could rack up touches in an offense that will be playing from behind a lot.
Tajae Sharpe, TEN - The rookie came out of the spring as a starter over Dorial Green-Beckham. While this was seen as a motivation ploy for Green-Beckham, he never got the memo, and Sharpe should enter the season as a starter.
Tight End
Tyler Higbee, LA - It is probably asking a lot for Higbee to have redraft value this year, but he has come out of the gate strong and evoked images of Rob Gronkowski and Travis Kelce on a team without an anchor in the passing game.
Cameron Brate, TB - Brate has overtaken Austin Seferian-Jenkins as #1 on the depth chart. He could be a favorite red zone target of Jameis Winston, especially if Seferian-Jenkins doesn't make the final roster.
Ryan Tannehill, MIA - New head coach Adam Gase has gotten the best out of Peyton Manning and very steady play from Jay Cutler, but Tannehill doesn't seem to have taken to the new offense designed by Clyde Christensen. He's becoming a less essential late quarterback to target.
Running Back
Matt Forte, NYJ - Forte missed multiple weeks with a hamstring injury he suffered before training camp, and he was already overrated as more of a 50-50 RBBC back than a workhorse - just as he was last year in Chicago.
Dion Lewis, NE - This could all just be a bad dream and Lewis suits up and takes half of the running back snaps in Week 1, but it could also be a sign that he had a setback or will miss time - even stay on the PUP - to open the season. It is impossible to ignore, but also important to not overreact if he falls too far in your draft.
Wide Receiver
John Brown, ARI - A concussion has had him out for over two weeks. Another one during the regular season could lead to an even longer absence.
Breshad Perriman, BAL - Another year, another knee injury that finds Perriman behind schedule in his return.
Kelvin Benjamin, CAR - The news that Benjamin needs to get in game shape just to finish deep routes without getting winded and play 30-35 plays by the end of preseason is dismaying because he had conditioning problems in the past. Devin Funchess is coming on, and this pair could be much closer than their 100-pick ADP gap suggests.
Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders, DEN - The quarterback situation in Denver is getting less clear, and that's not a great sign for the team's receivers. The passing volume should drop precipitously from last year's 37.9 attempts a game.
Jordy Nelson, GB - Nelson was activated from the PUP after experiencing tendonitis in his "good" knee, but it is still ominous as he is coming back from an ACL tear. He's still not back to the top of his tier.
DeVante Parker, MIA - Parker hasn't had a bad camp, but the Miami offense has been having trouble coming together, and Adam Gase spoke about favoring the short pass offense to save Ryan Tannehill from more punishment. That kind of passing game won't maximize Parker's role as a downfield target.
Laquon Treadwell, MIN - Now running behind Charles Johnson, Treadwell has had a slow start, with drop-marred practices and a lack of momentum heading into his rookie season.
Nelson Agholor, PHI - The Chip Kelly selection hasn't been generating any buzz in Eagles camp even though he is basically a starter by default in a weak group of receivers. A group that just added another disappointing 2015 draft pick in Dorial Green-Beckham. The arrows aren't pointing in the right direction.
Dorial Green-Beckham, PHI - The Titans officially washed their hands of Green-Beckham, who actually is in a better situation because of the lack of proven outside wide receiver options on the Eagles. He still has to build himself from the ground up on his new team. It's never good for a second-round pick to lose his team's trust before the beginning of his second year, but at least he is wanted now.
Josh Doctson, WAS - Doctson's achilles issue hasn't cleared up yet, which will limit his early season impact and could make it hard for him to break into the starting lineup this year.
Tight End
Jordan Cameron, MIA - Cameron had a big opportunity in Adam Gase's offense, especially in light of what Julius Thomas did in Denver, but he has failed to expand his role or build momentum in training camp. His dropoff since coming to Miami has been stunning.
Ladarius Green, PIT - Green's lingering headaches are threatening his 2016, if not his career. The Steelers seem to be moving on, making Green an afterthought in fantasy drafts unless this situation turns itself around.
Austin Seferian-Jenkins, TB - Seferian-Jenkins was booted from a practice this spring and while he is saying the right things and getting back into a position battle with Cameron Brate, he'll share time in any event, that is if he makes the final roster. He could be traded a la Dorial Green-Beckham


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So basically I've taken it upon myself to go on eBay everyday and report scams related to Raspberry Pi. Right now, I haven't seen a lot of listings claiming to be boards, however I've seen quite a few cardboard cases, power supplies, and preloaded SD cards. Anyway, this item caught my eye.
The first thing is I realize that the 4 AA batteries mentioned the FAQ refers to the Alpha boards, which could accept way more than 5V (Most AA Batteries = 1.5V*4=6V=fried pi). However, from some quick Wikipedia searching I've found that certain AA batteries (made from nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal-hydride) typically are rated at 1.25V. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AA_battery) So, in theory, production boards could actually use the AA battery trick as well.
Second, I know close to nothing about "actual electronics" (i.e. bare wires, circuits, and whatnot) However, with the correct voltage, the eBay item may actually be helpful.
So I have 2 questions:
Could the production boards actually be powered by AA batteries easily? (without a system involving resistors, etc.)
Does the eBay item shown make any sense at all?


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Lunch Menus
A healthy lunch is very important for our children. It helps them to concentrate and can improve their learning outcomes. Along with all Islington schools, we offer a free school meal to every child. Our meals are well balanced, healthy and tasty and we encourage all of our children to join us for lunch. View our spring lunch menu
Healthy Eating
Some children prefer a packed lunch and it is equally important that this should be healthy if they are to get the most from their afternoon lessons. It can sometimes be difficult to plan a healthy packed lunch so us the button below which contains plenty of information and menu ideas to help you.


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Seib & Wessel: What We're Reading Wednesday
Recommended reading from around the Web:
By Gerald F. Seib and David Wessel
Hadley Arkes of National Review says some defenders of traditional marriage emerged from Tuesday's Supreme Court oral arguments quietly upbeat. The main reason: They think Justice Anthony Kennedy "tilted" to the conservative side. [National Review]
But Slate's Emily Bazelon found in Justice Kennedy's remarks signs that California's Proposition 8, banning gay marriage, is going down. Kennedy, she notes, argued that the children of gay couples want them to have the full benefits of marriage, a remark that provided the "high note of urgency and emotion" of the entire day. [Slate]
Another red-state Democratic senator comes out for gay marriage. This time, it's Montana's Jon Tester. [Salon]


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A new east side addition, Black & Ink at Swan Lake Avenue has palatable creations with an Asian twist to offer.
Check out their Masala Chicken Panini, Fat Otah Toast, Hae Bee Hiam Shrimp Pasta, Salted Egg Yolk Cheesecake and more.
29 Swan Lake Avenue
Tel: +65 8749 9929 Email: email@example.com
To expand the variety of training modules for its members; True Fitness is introducing for the first time, the Queenax functional and suspended bodyweight training system and Aerial Yoga facilities, both unique to True Fitness's eighth and latest club located at Viva Business Park.
The Queenax is a highly-versatile equipment that integrates unlimited training options to improve strength and mobility for everyday living, and can be adapted to suit exercisers with different fitness levels.
Aerial yoga is a modern adaptation of traditional yoga done with the support of a special kind of hammock so that you are suspended in the air. With the greater freedom of movement, you'll be able to go deeper into stretches and increase your flexibility. It is also an effective way to strengthen your core strength and get a total body workout because of the higher level of muscle engagement required to keep your body stable in the air.
Stretch your mind and body with their suite of yoga classes such as Yogalates & Yin Yoga classes and get your blood pumping with the high-energy ICE II Spinning classes. You can also opt for the popular BodyPump™, BodyCombat™, Zumba®, Hip Hop, Grit Strength, Hot Hula and Fight-Do classes.
750 Chai Chee Road, Block B, 2nd Floor, Viva Business Park
Tel: +65 6348 2900 Email: email@example.com
Harvey Norman, the electronics, computers, furniture and bedding retail chain has opened its first factory outlet here at VIVA Business Park in Chai Chee.
Spanning a total space of over 38,500 sq ft, the two-storey store stocks items at up to 90 per cent off usual prices.
Shoppes can find the chain's discontinued models, faulty models that have been repaired, display sets and regular items at one-off special prices exclusive to the factory outlet.
Harvey Norman offers an extensive range of sofas and recliners, such as IMG from Norway and La-Z-Boy from USA.
Built-in cooker hobs and hoods from brands such as UNO, Tecno, ELBA, EF and Otimmo by Europace are aalso vailable at the Harvey Norman Factory Outlet.
750B Chai Chee Road, Level 1 and Level 2 Viva Business Park
Tel: +65 6245 1516


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Michelle Rodriguez has opened up about filming Fast & Furious 6 fight scenes with MMA star Gina Carano.
Rodriguez is returning to the Fast & Furious franchise for the sixth film, which features her most intense fight scenes yet with Carano's character Riley.
"It's an action movie and I have so much responsibility just being a girl, like, in this lane of tomboyishness. I have to represent. [I said], 'We have to make this real'," she recalled.
The actress continued: "I don't mind getting the crap beat out of me, as long as it's believable. For me, that comes first and foremost in the whole thing."
Rodriguez also admitted that she was tremendously nervous for the fight scenes to come off well in director Justin Lin's finished movie.
"I was so nervous! I kept bugging Justin, [saying], 'Are you sure? Are you sure it's awesome enough? Like really - this is a big responsibility'," she said.
A seventh Fast & Furious movie is already in the works, and will feature Jason Statham as the franchise's newest villain.
Fast & Furious 6 opens on Friday in the UK and on May 24 in the US. Watch a trailer below:


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When a person loses a loved one , they go through a normal process called grieving. Grieving is natural and should be expected. Over time, it can help the person understand their loss. Bereavement is what a person goes through when someone close to them dies. It is the state of having suffered a loss. Mourning is the outward expression of loss and grief. Mourning includes rituals and other actions that are specific to a person's culture, personality and religious beliefs. Bereavement and mourning are both part of the grieving process.
Grieving involves many different emotions, actions, and expressions, all of which help the person come to terms with the death of a loved one. But please keep in mind that grief does not look the same for everyone and every loss is different. Grief is not a single instance or a short amount of time that is filled with sadness or pain in response to loss. Grieving involves an entire emotional process of coping with loss and can last a long time. Although grieving is painful, it is important that someone who has experienced a death be supported throughout the process. To the person that is experiencing grief, it may feel more like a wave, it comes and goes, and may even be triggered by anniversaries, birthdays, and other milestones in a person's life.


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Niccolo Porcella: All Grown Up
By Ryan Riccitelli
Originally Published in the August 2009 Issue of The Kiteboarder Magazine
I was on vacation in Maui back in 2000 when I crossed paths with Niccolo Porcella for the first time. I remember it like it was yesterday because he immediately lipped off to me. He yelled, "Watch your lines!" as I was getting ready to take a session on my two-line Wipika. I was not used to a young punk talking to me like this, so I immediately told him how I felt. He giggled and said he was joking. I knew he wasn't. What I did not know was that this was the beginning of a great friendship with one of the most talented and amazing prodigies of our sport. In the next year, Niccolo went on to reach legendary status around the world as the shredding 13-year old kiteboarder featured in magazines and on DVDs. He was still a little punk, but he began traveling the world at an age where most kids were in grade school. Niccolo grew up quicker than most. Hang out with him for a day and you will quickly see he is way beyond his years. In the last few, Niccolo has matured into a young adult and has grown up considerably. I check in with him periodically and have been waiting for the right moment to tell his story. Niccolo was not the first kite grom, but he was the most visible because of his close friendship with Lou Wainman. His dedication and natural talent fueled a new generation of kiters.
How long have you been kiting and how long have I known you?
I started kiting in the summer of 2000, and that's when I met you. It's been almost 10 years now… [laughs] no way.
How did you become involved in kiteboarding?
I saw it for the first time in the summer of '99 when Flash Austin came to Sardinia. It caught my attention, and that's when I said, like, that's what I want to do. I came to Maui in 2000, the year afterwards, and that's when I started. I started with Mauricio Toscano – he taught me how to kite, and then I was always at the beach with Lou [Wainman], Morris [Mauricio Abreu], Elliot [LeBoe]; all the boys.
Many people do not know your brother is a bad ass windsurfer. Is he still pushing the limits there?
Yea, my brother [Francisco] rips not only at windsurfing, but surfing as well. On those big days, he's one of the few that will get your attention real quick. He has fearless power and style. He's definitely always pushing the limits in windsurfing, for sure.
Who were some of the people you learned from during the early days on Kite Beach in Maui? Are you still close to any of riders from that original Kite Beach crew?
Well, you know, if I have to start saying the names, it would take forever, but yea, there's definitely all the crew. Elliot, Lou, Mauricio, you know, and Jim Bones. All the young riders are all there too. I'm definitely still friends with a lot of the crew from the old days.
As the grom at Kite Beach, you went through a fair amount hazing from the older riders. What were some of the things you had to put up with as the kid of the group?
They would make me do all the stupid stuff for sure, and I would get a little bit worked every once in a while, but everybody took care of me. It was pretty amazing. Now that I look back due to this interview I want to thank everybody that kept an eye on me, fed me, gave me rides, and basically told me the right things to do. As much as I was the little grom getting picked on, at the same time everybody loved me. It's actually a really nice group of people that are really passionate about the sport, and they saw me as a little grom and they all took care of me. It was really great.
What do you think about the scene at Kite Beach now compared to then?
There's for sure more younger riders and there's still a lot of us there having fun. I don't know, back in the day, it was, I have to say, a little more exciting. You came down to the beach, and it was like, what am I going to see today? Just launching the kite was exciting, you know what I mean? The whole launch, everybody was like, "Are you ready? Check this one out. Frickin' here we go! Frickin' boom!" Now it's a little more hi-tech. It's a different vibe; for sure it's focused more on tricks. Back then, every day was a little different, and now you kind of have a routine. Back then, you would discover something new every day; it was different, but it's always fun, of course.
You have always been a determined guy. How has this helped you over the years?
It's helped me to continue doing what I love to do, to follow the dream and do whatever it takes to get there. Always keep it fun, and live your dream, you know? What is/was your relationship with Lou Wainman? When I was a little kid, I think a lot of people looked at Lou as a God. To me, I was like, I want to be Lou Wainman. He's been kind of like a step-father to me. He took care of me and I lived at his place for a little bit. I was basically, you know, learning his moves. Then, I had some injuries and had to do a few different things, but we've always been brothers; more than brothers. I mean, Lou and I have a super close relationship. He's a great guy.
What was it like being featured in DVDs at such an early age?
For sure I was living the dream, I mean, that's what I wanted to do. It's funny, the other day I looked back at Unhooked, and I haven't looked at it for three or four years. I was cracking up; it was really funny to see me as a grom.
You were known for having a temper. How have you grown up since your younger years?
I'll admit, for sure, I was really cocky back then. You know, I was 13 years old and 4-foot something. From 13 through 15, I looked like I was 10, but in my mind, I was grown up. I wanted to talk up; yea, I was cocky for sure. I've definitely mellowed out, but also, I like to charge, I like to have fun, and life is good.
What is your single greatest accomplishment?
Realizing how fun life is and how you need to be grateful for what you have. Keep dreaming big and do what you want to do. Do whatever's fun, and believe in yourself. That's been my biggest accomplishment, really understanding that.
After becoming a big name in the sport and being featured in all the magazines and videos, you seemed to disappear from the sport. What happened, and where have you been for the last few years?
Well, as I said, I had some really bad injuries and I also had some stressful years of my life. You know, things happen, and sometimes life takes some turns to teach you a few lessons. If you're a strong guy and you're determined, that only makes you stronger. I went through some hard times and learned some basics about life. Now I want it more than ever, to make it and do what I've dreamed of doing since I was born.
You and Jimmy Lewis have been friends for many years. How did you meet him and how has your relationship evolved over the years?
I've known Jimmy since I started kiting. I've been riding for Jimmy for 7 years. Jimmy's another of my closest friends, I mean he's Uncle Jimmy. He helped me out a ton and I've learned a lot from him. Anyone who knows him personally knows he's one of the coolest, funniest people you'll ever meet.
What projects are you currently working on and where will see you next?
I have some things in the works, but I kind of want to keep it secret for now. I want to be pushing the sport in big waves, small waves, wakeboard style, and kickers and rails. Kiting is a big part of me, but I also surf and towsurf a lot and I do my acrobatics. I do a bunch of things that I really have fun with in life right now, and they're all helping me out to enjoy life more. I can't wait to basically be a little more free so I can go ride and film in good conditions.
What kind of gear are you using these days and what type of riding do you enjoy most?
I'm using Jimmy Lewis boards and Wainman Hawaii kites right now. Jimmy boards are for sure my main boards. I'm using the 6'0" Thruster, 5'11" Thruster, and I have my 135 and 138 wakeboards. The Wainman Hawaii Rabbit kites are like a dream come true; to have some kites that you're really proud to pump up at the beach and put in the air and fly is great. These kites are unbreakable, and they just fly so good and are so smooth. I love the kites I have right now.
I watched you grow up from a teenager into a young man. What words of wisdom do you remember me giving you over the years?
Ryan, I appreciate everything you've done for me, which is a lot. I remember that one day we were talking sh!t. I was so cocky, I think it was the day I met you, but we kind of connected. You've always told me all the good things about staying positive and just having fun and being appreciative for being at the beach and riding. Don't let the fame get to your head and don't get cocky, even if I was cocky, I mean, frick, sometimes it takes life lessons to realize it, but I was young. I think I was funny too though. I was a good kid. I was just cocky a little bit. I wanted everybody to be like, "Dude, you were killing it," and I'd be like, "Dude, did you see that, brah, how sick was that?"
What is your primary focus now on the water?
To push the sport closer to surfing, or closer to wakeboard style. I'll admit that waves are taking over right now, and I really want to make kiting look like surfing; to draw the same lines and do the same airs, I love that side of the sport, but also wakeboard style attracts me a lot. I want to keep inventing new moves and putting more style and power in everything I do. I'm trying to make it so I can kite even more, instead of teaching. I'm going through a phase where I have to work to survive, but that makes me want it even more. Lately I've been teaching more than kiting; I haven't been practicing so much because I have to pay the bills, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to get some sponsors now where I can practice every day, and I can't wait — I know I'll be going off.
Originally Published in the August 2009 Issue of The Kiteboarder Magazine


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Several students attended a young writer's workshop at Culver-Stockton College this spring. Three students were selected as winners during the day's festivities. Jennifer Brown received first place in flash fiction, Clark Bogner received 3rd place in flash fiction, and Kori Lambert received 2nd place in poetry. Each winner received a certificate of merit.
Young writer's workshop winners
May 10, 2013


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Jack Khoury
Haaretz Service
August 29, 2010
- A d v e r t i s e m e n t
- {openx:49}
Israel is planning to attack Hezbollah arms depots and weapons manufacturing plants in Syria, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al Rai reported on Saturday.
The report is based on Western sources who asserted that Israel has increased its military force level along the northern border in the Golan Heights and Mount Dov areas.
The report cited European sources who claimed that recent Israeli unmanned aerial drone flights over Lebanon and Syria signal Israel's intentions to carry out operations in the area.
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According to the report, Israel plans to attack Hezbollah weapons depots, including ones deep inside Syria that store long-range rockets.
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To reduce weight effectively it is important that the amount of energy that you use up during the day is greater then the amount of energy you take in through your food. Physical activity and exercise is crucial in helping to increase energy expenditure by burning calories and can help to use up stored fat. Physical activity is also important to build muscle which will increase your metabolic rate and will increase the amount of calories you burn even while not exercising!!!
Stamina and cardiovascular exercise is best for weight loss but strength and flexibility based activities are also important.
Stamina/CV activities
Walking, swimming, cycling, jogging, housework, gardening
Strength activities
Body weight exercises, free weights
Flexibility activities
Swimming, pilates, yoga, tai chi, stretching
Walking is an ideal form of exercise if you are starting to increase your physical activity levels and its free!! Look for opportunities to be active during your day, for example park at the far end of the car park or get of the bus a stop earlier.
You should be aiming to achieve 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on 5 days of the week. You can break this down into two lots of 15 minutes to make it more manageable in the early stages. Moderate intensity means that you should be breathing harder and feeling slightly warmer, it should not be hard and you should be able to hold a conversation throughout.


text: Warehouse Pick Pack Friday, October 16, 2020 Hazleton, Pennsylvania Temp to Perm US$ 14.00 per hour Picking and Packing in the warehouse area Responsibilities: Temp/hire for the right candidates Great benefits provided if you are offered full time employment. Working hours: Various Shifts Available Skills: Must have steel toed shoes. Education: No ... see job description


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ZURICH - Sepp Blatter says he was near death when hospitalized for stress-related problems this month.
The suspended FIFA president tells Swiss broadcaster RTS he was "between the angels singing and the devils' fire. But it was the angels which sang."
Blatter says "happily I never lost consciousness" during the 48 hours when he was most ill.
Blatter did not specify his illness in interview extracts released ahead of a program being broadcast Wednesday. The French-language broadcaster says Blatter was treated in intensive care for several days.
Blatter is awaiting hearings at the FIFA ethics committee and Court of Arbitration for Sport over a $2 million FIFA payment to Michel Platini in 2011.
He says Platini is "an honest man" and "will be elected" FIFA president if he wins the case.


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Indonesian Cement Producer PT Indocement Tunggal Prakarsa Tbk (INTP) jumped 39.9% to Rp1.64 trillion compared to Rp1.17 trillion. Net revenue grew by 11.8% to Rp5.36 trillion compared to previous year Rp4,80 trillion.
Daniel Lavalle as the President Director of INTP said, the continuing strong domestic demand in particular from residential market since the last quarter of 2009 has brought Indocement's domestic sales volume in the first semester 2010 increased by 17.1% to 6.3 million tons from 5.3 million tones whereas the national domestic cement demand only increased by 11.5%.
This resulted in higher market share of the company in 1H2010 at 31.2% compared to 29.7% in 1H09. Indocement market share increase is supported by the current excess capacity given that the company is the only cement producer in Indonesia with significant capability to meet current high growth of domestic market. The export sales volume shrank by 39.1% to 0.47 million tones from previous year 0.77 million tones as the Company focus more to fulfill the high domestic demand.
Total sales volume in 1H2010 was 6.7 million tones, higher by 10.0% than previous year at 6.1 million tones. The strong domestic demand and clear focus of the company to optimize the procurement and supply chain operations to cope with the escalating cost in almost every aspect of operation and the ongoing appreciation of IDR against USD, as over 60% of the company's purchases are in USD equivalent, have significantly bring positive impact to the company's1H10 performance compared to the same period last year.
The gross profit margin improved to 51.7% from 46.7% or in the amount of Rp2.77 tillion than previous year IDR2.24 trillion.
Operating expenses increased by 17.8% to Rp722 billion from Rp613 billion mainly due to higher logistic costs as the impact of higher sales volume and more sales to outside Java area. Therefore, income from operations climbed by 26.0% to Rp2.05 trillion from previous year Rp1.63 trillion and operating margin strengthened from 34.0% to 38.3%.
EBITDA also increased by 24.0% to Rp2.35 trillion from Rp1.90 trillion. Meanwhile, EBITDA margin improved from 39.6% to 43.9%.
Indocement believes that strong domestic demand is keep continuing in the current and near future. Therefore, the company is planning to have different projects in optimizing the production and logistic facilities to be able to supply to the strong domestic market.
In addition, Indocement also strengthens its ready-mix concrete operations in order to be ready for increasing infrastructure works in near future, the company will use the current existing strong balance sheet to anticipate these capital expenditures.
Disclosure: No position at the stock mentioned above.


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There's a huge protest in New York over whether a mosque should be permitted to be built in the vicinity of Ground Zero. The developers of the site which they hope to demolish for an Islamic culture and prayer center (though everyone refers to it as a mosque for shorthand) changed its name to Park51 from the Cordoba House. The idea is that it gives folks a sense of community. Right. But the new moniker did little to quiet about 100 royally pissed off folks who protested before a Landmarks Preservation Commission hearing. Nobody argued anything vaguely dealing with landmark status. It was a rehash and relitigation of every conceivable issue but granting landmark status.
LIONEL AUDIO: The No Shi'ite Populist Non-Argument Anent the Ground Zero Mosque (16:10)
Meanwhile the judicial fate of Ron Jeremy doppelganger KSM is unknown or dragging on somewhat. Some folks want him killed instanter. The hell with due process! And, oh, by the way, he hates our freedoms. (Or something like that.)
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I finally got around to making a heater for my lubrisizer.
It's just an aluminum plate that the lubrisizer bolts to. Actually, it's two pieces of plate, just because I didn't have a single piece wide enough. The plate is drilled & countersunk for drywall screws to attach to the reloading bench, plus is is drilled & tapped for bolts to attach the lubrisizer.
An iron is placed on the plate and set on low heat for about 30 minutes before the lubrisizer is used. It takes that long for everything to get warm, but once it does, the iron can be turned to the lowest setting.
If you leave it unattended for an hour, you may return to find liquified lube dripping out. Don't ask me how I know that.
Total cash required = $0.00. The aluminum works nicely but you could use steel, too.
heater for lubrisizer
Post Reply
3 posts • Page 1 of 1
Re: heater for lubrisizer
I bought a cartridge heater off of eBay and carved a hole for it under my Lyman 45. It's mounted on a Lee bench plate so I didn't actually carve a hole in my bench. I control the temp by plugging it into an outlet box controlled by a dimmer switch. I already had the dimmer setup for a different project and the cartridge heater was less than $10.
- mtngun
- Site Admin
- Posts: 1540
- Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2008 5:45 pm
- Location: Where the Salmon joins the Snake
Re: heater for lubrisizer
My lubrisizer has joined the digital age. Cheap PID controller mounted in an old PC power supply box. Works a treat, other than the PID seems to be Celsius-only. By trial and error I settled on 45C (113F) for Rooster HVR lube.
FYI the iron puts out waaaaay more heat than is needed, even on its lowest setting. A small travel iron would be more suitable. In any event, the PID keeps the heat under control now.
FYI the iron puts out waaaaay more heat than is needed, even on its lowest setting. A small travel iron would be more suitable. In any event, the PID keeps the heat under control now.
Post Reply
3 posts • Page 1 of 1


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This document lays out the guidelines for article contribution to the Know the Vedic Vidyas encyclopaedic section of this website as well as the editorial policies that the articles need to comply with.
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All 'Associate Scholars', 'Associate Vidvat Scholars' and 'Associate Research Scholars' would be eligible to contribute articles to the Academy's knowledgebase. However all articles must adhere to the guidelines for posting articles as detailed in Section 3 and should comply with the editorial work-flow stipulations as mentioned in Section 4.
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Articles may be contributed via any of the following modes:
1. Using the online post editor form: – One may directly compose an article, and format the same using the online article creation HTML interface which provides a rich facility for online editing and formatting. This is a WYSIWYG editor. After drafting the article, one may simply click on the 'Submit' button to submit the article to editors for their review (will be activated soon).
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Contributors must comply with the article posting guidelines and should submit the article only when they are sure to the best of their knowledge that the submitted article complies with the guidelines.
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I have been having some personal thoughts about why internal sex trafficking is made invisible, why "trafficking" has come to be just an extreme imprisonment of women forced from one country to another.
That happens on a scale which is far too big, but it is not the whole of trafficking. It is just the trafficking that the media and some of the left are prepared to acknowledge.
But, if we are to be serious about the sex trade and its constant flow of women and girls they will abuse, we must look directly into the whole of sex trafficking.
We must see internal sex trafficking in its many forms.
There is the trafficking within the sex trade. This involves moving women and girls round different aspects of the sex trade.
I was moved from working in clubs that provided under-aged prostitutes for sadistic johns, to being "girlfriend material" as I too old for that. I did occasional street work. I was labeled escort, prostitute, or just doing extras.
That is normal in prostitution.
For the individual prostituted woman or girl, there may no awareness of how she is being manipulated, and how much money is being made off her.
She is kept constantly confused, made to feel she just unlucky, that it just her choice to go into all these dangerous scenarios.
The sex trade uses internal sex trafficking to undermine her sanity, and to keep complete control over body and mind.
One form of internal sex trafficking is using young men to recruit young girls into prostitution.
This is usually done by grooming her by acting the boyfriend, giving her full attention, making her special.
Many of the girls that groomed this way come from background without love.
Not knowing what love and security is, these girls are easy to manipulate. They long so much for someone to care for, so even if their guts are saying – you are in danger – they will ignore that for a show of love.
They are easy picking for the sex trade.
They will ideal for prostitution.
For without real love, you learn far early to deaden emotions, to ignore pain – to act as nothing much matters.
Coz why the hell should anything matter, when most of these girls assume they will dead soon.
So,when these girls are recruited into prostitution, whether on the streets or indoors, they can place with the most vicious and callous johns. For they have no rights to safety, no right to dignity, no rights to having a voice – they are nothing but disposable goods to be fucked.
Most prostitutes enter before they are 16, and a majority comes from backgrounds where they have not know real love, so cannot know they their true worth.
All they know is self-hate, how can know anything else.
This is the foundation of the sex trade – that is why I am not afraid to call it an evil trade.
That is a start to what I could write about internal sex trade – it all I will for now, as it very distressing for me.
I know it in my heart, my guts, my buried tears, my continual pains in my body – I bloody know what it is to be internally sex trafficked.
We must face this evil, and fight to rid the world of it.


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Have you ever been sat at home watching an episode of the popular British TV series Downton Abbey and thought 'you know what, they should make a game out of this'. Well who hasn't, and that's exactly what YouTube user Bill Kiley must have thought, as he has created a brilliant fake trailer for what would be a 16-bit Super Nintendo game.
The trailer shows off some gameplay that manages to capture the mood of the TV show. There's also a chiptune version of the show's theme which, if you ask us, is a major improvement.
You play as the new footman and must help the residents with their problems. The Earl of Grantham has lost ten of his most precious cigars, and it's up to you to locate them; if you can find time however, as you're also spying on Mrs Patmore for Mary Crawley who believes the cook is trying to kill her husband! The head housemaid also needs you to fluff up some pillows for her - that poor footman sure has a lot on his plate.
Sadly, the game isn't real. Check out the fake trailer below and let us know what you think of it.
[source eurogamer.net, via youtube.com]


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Historical Summary:
Holiday has been family owned since launched in July 1946. My Grandfather Rex Bartlett commissioned Ed Monk Sr. to design her and was built on Lake Union by the Edison Technical School. Jim Chambers who ran the school along with Earl Wakefield and Vic Franck also worked on building her. I grew up on the boat and later helped "Gramps" maintain her, taking ownership in 1985. We are very proud of the fact Holiday has been maintained all these years and not restored. Of course mechanical repairs and replacements have been made due to normal wear and tear. She still has the original varnished Grandy lap strake dinghy stored on the galley deck which was given to my Grandfather as a gift from the school for the volunteer work he did there. Holiday has been displayed in Passage Maker magazine, Bet Olivers' Ed Monk and the Tradition of Wooden Boats and will be featured in Wooden Boat magazine later this summer. In the early days my Grandmother Verda wrote articles about their trips for Sea and Motor Boat magazines. We are currently moored in Marysville on Ebey Slough where she has been comfortably protected from the elements for over 60 years.
Holiday, family owned for over 67 years, and our son JJ is next in line to take over.


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Hundreds of our supporters have been taking action over the past week in support of our new report and campaign, Paying the Price.
Posted by Abdi Mohamed /Monday 22 December 2014 / Statistics, Financial education, Care leavers
Hundreds of our supporters have been taking action over the past week in support of our new report and campaign, Paying the Price.
Posted by Dan Breslin /Friday 28 November 2014 / Child neglect, Children's centres, Early intervention, Parental depression, Statistics, The Red Book
First launched in 2011, Action for Children's annual red book reports has helped us to see the changing needs of children and families, alongside the pressures on the services providing vital support. This year's report, the eleventh hour, asked managers where they believed the needs of children, young people and families had changed in the last 12 months. Rather, worryingly managers pointed to a whole range of issues greater support is needed.
Posted by Hannah Dobbin /Friday 23 May 2014 / Statistics, Early intervention
Another year, another chance to show the difference we make. I want to share with you how over the past year, we've made life better for 300,000 people: children, young people, their parents and carers.
Posted by Emma Scowcroft /Thursday 05 December 2013 / Autumn statement, The Red Book, Statistics, Early intervention, Cost of living
I spent an hour watching the Chancellor's statement this morning and the last two hours getting to grips with the detail and thinking through what it means for the children and families we work with.
Posted by AfC Policy and campaigns /Monday 18 November 2013 / The Red Book, Statistics
We've compiled the best of our media coverage, tweets and comments for Red Book 2013 into a handy Storify slideshow. Take a look to follow the story so far...
Posted by Hannah Dobbin /Monday 11 November 2013 / Statistics, The Red Book, Early intervention, Children's centres
Children's centres in England are under threat. What works within these vital community resources needs to be protected, to ensure that vulnerable children are given the best possible start in life.
Posted by Emma Scowcroft /Friday 08 November 2013 / The Red Book, Statistics, Early intervention, Parental depression, Children's centres
Action for Children's Red Book 2013 brings together evidence gathered over the past three years through interviews with a quarter of our frontline managers. Take a look at the stats behind the report.


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CASUAL Community & Personal Support Worker-Armstrong
Community & Personal Support Services
Closing Date: October 27, 2020
The Community & Personal Support Worker is a multi-functional para-professional who is responsible for the delivery of in-home support and personal care to ill, frail, handicapped and disabled persons of all ages so that they may remain independent in their own homes and communities for as long as possible.
Qualifications and Requirements: A minimum one-year Personal Support Worker Certificate is required. A minimum of two years direct experience in the provision of in home personal care and/or community based home care service delivery; experience in the facilitation and/or coordination of community programs and services is an asset; candidates without the specific education qualifications and where the position does not require certified qualification to practice, but who possess an appropriate combination of experience and other academic qualifications will also be considered.
Hours of Work: Casual-as needed
Must have: A Personal Support Worker Certificate or be willing and able to complete Personal Support Worker Certificate training; must demonstrate the willingness and ability to work with clients of all ages, including infants, children, adults and the elderly; must posses a valid Standard First Aid/CPR Certificate or be willing to obtain one; the ability to work flexible hours in a home, school, and/or community setting as required; be willing to complete speech language training as required; have a valid Class "G" driver's License; access to a reliable, personal vehicle; and $1,000,000 liability vehicle insurance.
For a detailed job description please click here or contact Human Resources.
Only Those Considered For An Interview Will Be Contacted.
Dilico is committed to diversity in the workplace and encourages applications from all qualified candidates.
Dilico gives preference to Anishinabek people.


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Hello, and good Sunday to you all.
I've pretty much been doing nothing, lying in bed, 'till about 1 PM today. After that, I didn't do much productive. Got back into Homestuck, browsed the internet like I usually do, and wrote a page about me.
I wrote a page about me? No, no, silly, I wrote an "about me" page.
A while back it was brought to my attention that I haven't properly introduced myself yet, and that you guys know practically nothing about me. So, here it is, my way of telling you guys something about me.
That's it. I don't have any mind-boggling facts or theories to tell you about right now.
Ah yes, one little thing. I only get around 50-60 pageviews per day. That isn't too much considering I have over a hundred followers by now. If you haven't been checking me out lately, but you happen to read this, I have a question for you: why? Am I not interesting enough, or have you just been busy with other things?
If I'm not interesting enough for you, what are you interested in? I might want to pick something up if enough people are interested in your suggestion.
Well, see you tomorrow,
~ Fang
note to self: add semi-realistic self-portrait to "about me" page tomorrow.


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Development dispute leads to a coup in historic Government Hill neighborhood
The Monday night meeting of the Government Hill Alliance Neighborhood Association was canceled, according to a sign taped to the door of St. Patrick's Catholic Church by Rose Hill, who may or may not be the association's president, depending on whom you ask.
Within seconds, a resident of the neighborhood tore down the sign. Hill taped up another, and someone else emerged from the church to rip it down.
Concerns about runaway development and rising property taxes have created a constitutional crisis in the neighborhood association for Government Hill, a historic area bordering downtown and the Pearl that is one of the fastest-growing parts of the urban core.
Nearly 50 local residents met at St. Patrick's on Monday night and voted to replace the association's board. They accuse Hill and other board members of being too friendly with developers and failing to notify residents of construction projects that have been proposed in the 130-year-old neighborhood, a mixture of colorful bungalows, weedy lots and neglected Victorian mansions.
"We're at a vital point right now where we can go forward or we can go backward. So we need to be prepared, we need to unite," said Denise Gutierrez Homer, who helped lead Monday's meeting, where she was elected to the new board. "We're getting together, we're meeting our neighbors again."
Those who attended voted 26-0 to elect a new board that includes Joe Ashcraft, who previously served as the association's president between 2010 and 2014 and who was on the board until last year. Some attendees didn't vote because they weren't members of the neighborhood association.
The recent surge of development in San Antonio's urban core has divided many neighborhood associations — earlier this month, the new president of the Dignowity Hill Neighborhood Association purged all six members of its Architectural Review Committee, which is in charge of meeting with developers to go over construction plans. The committee had played a big role in the struggle over a controversial five-story apartment complex proposed next to the Hays Street Bridge.
Read more: Controversial missions-area 'downzoning' gets delayed
Other neighborhoods, including Tobin Hill and Mahncke Park, have had contentious debates over whether to become historic in order to gain more control over development.
Ashcraft said that the Government Hill residents who attended Monday's meeting were authorized to elect a new board under Texas state law for nonprofits. But Hill called the meeting "illegal" and said the vote wasn't valid because it wasn't called by the association's board members.
"They think we're in cahoots with the developers, but we're not," she said. "I am holding my ground with my board of directors because the bottom line is we haven't done anything."
District 2 City Councilman William "Cruz" Shaw, whose district includes Government Hill, didn't respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. Representatives of the board elected Monday met with someone from the staff of state Rep. Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio, on Tuesday. He said in an interview that he wasn't the one to decide which board is legitimate.
"I don't doubt that these people did their homework, but I'm not the arbiter," he said.
Tensions were high at the meeting: Hill stood in the back filming it on her cell phone, and she called the police out of fear that things would get out of hand. Two officers arrived, but they didn't have much to do, and they ended up partaking in the buffet of cookies and fruit that had been provided.
A developer's plan to build three townhomes with ground-level parking garages on a vacant lot near the crossing of Carson Street and Pierce Avenue brought the neighborhood to a boiling point. Opponents of the project say they collected 250 signatures against it but that the neighborhood association's board supported it anyway.
"We don't want that. It's going to bring our taxes even way higher than they are now," resident Antoni Infante said.
Hill said that members of the neighborhood association voted 48-8 in favor of that project at a meeting in March after negotiating with the developers to reduce the number of residential units down from eight.
Read more: San Antonio home sales and prices keep climbing
Another major concern among those who voted for the new board is that Government Hill's neighborhood plan is being overridden for the sake of the city's SA Tomorrow plan, which was adopted in 2016 to manage population growth.
"We thought our neighborhood plan was a tight deal, and it turns out it's actually not," resident Cindy Tower said.
Local developer GrayStreet Partners is working on plans to build a massive mixed-use project on 23 acres of neglected land across Broadway from the Pearl. But those who elected the new board aren't worried about that project because of GrayStreet's reputation as a "reputable, classy developer," Tower said.
The board that was elected Monday plans to meet this week to decide who will serve as the neighborhood association's president and other officers, Tower said. Hill said she will continue operating the neighborhood association as if Monday's vote didn't happen.
"We have more transparency in this neighborhood association than they ever had," she said. "What they're looking for is control."
Next week, the association Hill leads will hold a town hall to discuss property taxes.
Richard Webner is a San Antonio Express-News staff writer. Read more of his stories here. | firstname.lastname@example.com | @RWebner


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According to recent studies, the typical household contains at least seven wireless devices like computer systems, TVs, smartphones, tablets and countless other electronic gadgets. We'd enjoy to speak to you about your selections for setting up a new property network or beefing up your existing network. Net telephone – Net primarily based telephone calls, identified as Voice over IP (VoIP) services, allow you to make and acquire telephone calls by means of your dwelling network across the World-wide-web, saving you dollars. In reality, you likely will not notice any difference if you switch to CAT6, but it does not hurt to use CAT6 if you can afford it. Also, network cables are the very same, no matter how they shape, round or flat. Switch vs. hub: A hub and a switch each add a lot more LAN ports to an current network.
Tuxera solutions guarantee a complete plug-and-play compatibility meaning that you can usually access your remote content material no matter if it is stored on NAS, USB drive, Wi-Fi storage or in the cloud. ADNS came up with fantastic guidance to resolve a problem we had with our NHS N3 network connection and installed an NHS compliant network option which saved us a excellent deal of income.
Following a thorough selection process AD Network Options have been selected as our IT partners, since appointing AD Network Options, Tekmar have implemented quite a few important improvements to the IT infrastructure that will let the company to expand and supply a … Read More


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There's been an intriguing development in the supermarket world:
Wegmans, the East Coast chain with 70 stores, has founded its own organic research farm in upstate New York. The farm, which is nearby company CEO Danny Wegman's home, is apparently the first organic farm owned by any food retailer. The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle recently filed a lengthy story on the 50-acre farm:
The farm's mission, according to Wegman, is to provide locally grown fruits, vegetables and honey to nearby Wegmans stores and, eventually, to serve as an educational model for local growers, employees and consumers who want to learn about organic food production.
The farm saves its seeds and has a separate garden where it tests varieties for their viability. But the farm, which will be certified organic in a few months, holds more than an academic interest for Wegman. He wants it to be independently profitable: If it doesn't make money, it isn't a model, he says. Wegman's hoping to use the farm's success to persuade other growers for the chain to switch to organic methods.
Hilariously, the farm only exists because Wegman wanted to build a really, really big barn (44 feet high, 7,200 square feet). But according to local zoning law, you can only have a barn that size if it serves some sort of agricultural purpose. Voilà! An organic research farm!


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The tales dead men can't tell are told instead
by bloodstains and by broken bits of skull,
by details that are small, obscure and dull.
They smashed a truncheon down across his head
or broke her spleen or liver with a kick
shot at the crowd, did not aim high at all,
or trampled where they lay against a wall
or let him suffocate in his own sick.
They did these things because they are the Law
And do not need concern themselves with facts
that paint them with the blood of deadly acts,
really don't need to worry any more
Hold them responsible for those they kill.


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Residential training at Windhorse gives people the chance to enter into a full schedule of daily zazen, work practice, sesshin (Zen retreats), and ceremonies, with dokusan generally available twice weekly (twice daily during sesshin).
People may participate in this training for a day, a week, a month or longer. A residential training application is required for any training program lasting one week or more. Someone who has been in residence for at least one year may apply for a staff position; more information about staff is available upon request.
Another alternative for those who would like to maintain on-going Zen training, and to support the Dharma work here, is to apply for either a non-residential staff position or our part-time residential program. These options involve a regular work and practice commitment (which in some cases might be done at home or even in the larger community), and are direct ways of strengthening one's practice while supporting the spirit of training at Windhorse and also helping the community.
From early spring to late fall, organic gardening may become a major focus of such work-practice commitment. If you're interested in exploring any of these ways of being involved at Windhorse, please contact us.
Residential Training Program Guidelines and Application Procedures
The following guidelines are not intended to cover all circumstances, but reflect our intent to strike a balance between the operational and financial needs of Windhorse, and the life circumstances—financial and otherwise—of each trainee. These may be interpreted or modified by the Board at its discretion, according to the situation.
An applicant who accepts a position for a particular period of time will be expected to honor that commitment. Upholding one's commitment to the training program is important not only for an individual's practice but also for the strong impact it has on others in the training program, and on the sangha as a whole.
Because residential training at Windhorse involves commitment to personal as well as group practice, those accepted into residential training are expected to attend all formal sittings and retreats, and to uphold a daily zazen practice outside the formal structure. At Windhorse, residential training also includes a commitment to interpersonal work, and Residents' Circle is a regular and important element of the training program. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is also an essential element of training. Applicants should note that alcohol, smoking, and meat eating are not allowed on the premises.
Personal Reviews
To ensure that training programs are functioning well, one or both Windhorse teachers will meet regularly with each trainee in residence. At a minimum, these meetings will occur at the end of the first month, and after the first three months. After the initial 3-month trial period, these mutual reviews will be held every 6 months.
Room Assignments
Room assignments will be reviewed on a regular basis — possibly every few months, but at least 2 at the beginning of each calendar year — to determine whether changes are necessary or desirable. The teachers, working with residents in a spirit of fairness and according to the changing circumstances at the Center, will be responsible for all decisions regarding room assignments.
Training Responsibilities and Fees
We will do our best to balance an individual's circumstances with the financial resources and operational requirements of Windhorse, taking into account fairness to others in the training program. All of this will be done within the context of upholding and strengthening the spirit of training for the group as a whole.
No one receives pay at Windhorse, and we have no financial endowment to fall back on. We must, therefore, charge a certain amount for training. At the same time, if someone is serious about practice and wishes to participate in residential training, we would not want to refuse them simply on the basis of financial constraints. With this as background, the following general guidelines relate to fees for residential training:
- All applicants to training programs three months or longer must be Windhorse members in good standing. Training program fees can be considered as membership contributions.
- Full-time trainees are expected to attend all formal sittings and sesshin (unless otherwise worked out with the teachers), as well as to maintain a sitting practice of their own outside the formal structure (e.g. on days off).
- Program participants are required to maintain their own health insurance.
- The fee for full-time training is $400 per month, which includes all retreat fees.
- In addition, we ask those applying for residential training to put $500 in reserve, as a safety cushion, should a resident need to leave for health or other reasons. This money will be held at the Center, and will be returned in full when a person leaves. In other words, we want to be sure that anyone leaving the program is able to move ahead in his or her life without great financial strain.
- The fee for part-time residential training is $500 per month. Part-time trainees are required to attend all formal training events, sittings and sesshins, and to take part in sangha workdays unless cleared with the teachers.
- Applicants who are unable to pay the full training fee may submit a written proposal to the trustees requesting a reduced fee, deferred payment, or time off for work. The proposal, along with personal and financial information, will be held in strict confidentiality.
- The teachers and trustees may make flexible or alternate training and/or financial arrangements to accommodate special needs due to life circumstances (e.g., students), or to facilitate the participation of individuals who bring specific skills deemed to be important to the Windhorse community.
Application Process for Residency
The application process for residential training at Windhorse includes:
- Application form
- Insurance form
- Medical form (same as for sesshin)
- Emergency contact information
- Familiarity with the Training Program Guidelines
If It Doesn't Work Out
A residential training program is not appropriate for everyone; for some, it simply may not be the right 'fit.' Not everyone who applies will be accepted, or someone may be accepted for a certain period of time without that time being extended. A person may also feel a need to leave before meeting his or her agreed upon commitment. Leaving early should be cleared with the teachers, and possibly also with others in the training program. Finally, circumstances might arise that would cause the teachers or the Board to ask a resident to leave. Such circumstances include:
- Not upholding the spirit of training
- Not attending sittings
- Undermining the practice of others
- Stealing or misusing funds
- Engaging in sexually inappropriate behavior
- Misusing computers, (e.g. for pornography)
- Reflecting poorly on WZC (e.g., being cited for drunk driving, etc)
- Having a medical or psychological condition arise that cannot reasonably be accommodated
- Being involved in destructive, irresolvable interpersonal conflicts


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Well Designed Threaded Comments Sections in Webpages
Comments are an important part to any website community. Within the comments section visitors of your website may share their ideas, thoughts, and related links on topic with your content. It's revolutionized the web 2.0 era!
Today we take comments as often commonplace wherever we go. Most blogs will include this feature by default. This also includes many of the popular open source projects such as Wordpress, MovableType, Blogger, and others. And although many of these are semi-closed off the most popular systems allow for customizations.
This is where threaded comments have begun. Including threads within the conversations allows for branching topics and more direct responses. Below I've gathered a hefty collection of threaded comment designs for your viewing pleasure. Feel free to leave your own comments as well if anything strikes your eye!


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In the immortal words of Ms. Britney Spears.... "You're toxic. I'm slippin' under!" We all have wasted precious amounts of our lives on people who didn't deserve it. Most of the time we can't see right away the poison that festers in their souls. And sometimes we care too deeply and just think, they'll change, and that almost NEVER happens. You have to do you first and rid yourself of the toxic!
Redditor u/Zombi3Bait wanted to spread the word on the best ways to clean house at life by asking... People who have had really crappy friends. When did you realize that you shouldn't be around them?
You're Mine!Giphy
Looking back all the signs were there, but the final straw was when she started picking on my friends instead of just me. She couldn't stand that I was making friends other than her.
Also I was talking to a former teacher who had taught both of us and I said I wasn't as close to her as I had once been and the woman looked me straight in the eyes and said "good. keep it that way." SunflowerSupreme
One Down!
When I realized I didn't want to share good news with them because they wouldn't be happy for me. Complicated-Captcha
Or they always try to "one up" you on sharing good news or story telling. Never asking follow up questions to your announcement. Aylongfortheride
Oh hell no!Giphy
They put alcohol in my drink after 14 months off drinking because they thought I was becoming boring. I was trying to quit because of addiction. kobemiller
There is a particular place in hell for those kind of people. Good job of you keeping your addiction at bay. Reddit
War and Peace.....
I realized we argued all the time, and not about actual stuff in our lives, but all this petty nonsense. Like, is this movie good, or politics or what's the definition of a sandwich.
I think that those guys just never learned in have a real conversation. All they knew was having a different opinion and arguing about it. And the thing was, they didn't even like to "win" the argument because then it was over. And they'd just keep finding new topics to argue about, and take more and more extreme positions to get people to argue with them.
So being around them was frigging exhausting. I just want to talk to you, not have to defend a position.PM_ME_UR_Definitions
It's My Party...
They threw a massive party on my birthday, for someone else's half birthday. They invited almost everyone I knew but me because "we know you'd probably want to do something for your birthday."
I just kinda cut contact with all of them, allowed myself to be a loner for a while. This year, my news friends are taking me to Amsterdam for my birthday! pollywantsareddit
F U Megan!Giphy
My "best friend" from high school knew my fiancé was cheating on me and having unprotected sex with strange men and didn't tell me. I only found out because I broke up with him for other (very valid) reasons and "Best Friend's" boyfriends little sister was around when I was talking about it.
I said something along the lines of "I'm sad cause I thought we had something. I was his first. At least he didn't cheat on me."
To which the little sister scoffed and got a "Shut the f**k up" look from my friend.
I dragged it out of her eventually, but yeah. She knew he lied about never having been with anyone else and that he was cheating on me. In fact, all his friends and mine knew. And no one told me. But I was especially pissed at her. I moved 6 hours away two weeks later and haven't spoken to any of them since.
F**k you, Meagan. charlottedhouse
Lonely is better!
When they'd constantly make plans in front of me, but told me I couldn't go with them. I knew I should've stopped hanging out with them, but I didn't have anyone else. TRHtimmy
When she made plans with me and another friend, but then canceled them with me and I found out 2 days later that she still went with our other friend. That was the straw that broke the camels back for our friendship. I immediately blocked/deleted her on all social media and cut off contact. It was actually such a relief to not have to work to keep the friendship going. GarshCT
Don't Need Them!Giphy
I asked everyone in my friend group if they were going to homecoming, every one of them said no.
Me and my boyfriend went alone, decided to take some pictures before the dance at a popular place in town. Saw every one of them, without me, walking into a restaurant in their nice dresses and tuxedos. I haven't spoken to them since.lavaflow666
Some people have no soul...
One day I took acid. He got jealous and intentionally tried to make me have a bad trip. Months down the line I confronted him about it and his words were "I thought about how wrong that was but I didn't care."
Since then I don't care about him. PM_ME_UR_LAST_DREAM
No Apologies....
The apologies really didn't seem genuine tbh - it seemed like they saw on social media how much better my life had gotten without them. After all of the manipulative crap they pulled on me and the horrible things they said to my face and behind my back, there was simply no way I could trust any of them again. That's exactly what I told one of them. She didn't even really apologize, she just said she'd changed. I told her I was happy that she was working on becoming a better person, but there was no way I could allow her back into my life after everything that had happened. I trusted my gut and have absolutely zero guilt about my decision. The damage was already done. I don't need apologies from them, I just need them to go on with their lives and leave me alone. beyourownwindkeeper
Making our own choices....Giphy
When I was harassed for not responding to a text message within 15 minutes and thus blamed for the fact that a friend had self-harmed again. crystallolivia
OMG! Grow up!
I've known them since I was 5 so nearly 20 years now. We have all grown up and aren't the teens we were. We all have had different sized barriers come up against us and not all of us are flawless after them.
I sadly have realized that some of them aren't worth the stress they put out into the world and onto me. There is fakeness there too and it's not worth being around that much. We are adults now and I don't need cliques and gossip.
I still am around them but I'm glad we are now one of those "omg we have to plan a dinner or night out soon!" And never do. freddie_delfigalo
Thou Shalt not be a Thief!
We moved in together as roommates, and slowly, the narcissistic traits started to reveal themselves. Pretty early on I started to suspect she was stealing from me. Then came the lies. She believes she is superior to others and values her own time and energy more. She fobs off her responsibilities onto others, and if challenged on any of this behavior, she either stonewalls or she plays the victim, accusing others of bullying. In hindsight, I realized that every nice thing she had ever done was for her own gain. I'm moving out this weekend and I could not be more glad to be rid of her. tw231116
Sick to my Stomach!Giphy
When I dreaded coming to school the next day and having to interact with her. She just made me feel terrible about myself and always tried to make up for it, but I can't pretend like everything is ok again. chaoticsynthetic
People be crazy!
When she asked me to abort my baby so she could heal from her child passing the year before. I waited til I was 5 months along to hesitantly and delicately share with her And she complained to my parents I was being selfish to keep it.. seeing as we are good friends and i should be sad with her. We live about 8 hrs away from each other. so no way she would have known, however mutual friends would know and I figured it'd be awful if she found out through them while I pretended I'm not having a huge change in my life. That's super deceitful. There were other things over the course of our 15 yr "friendship" that were hurtful and mean towards me but that was the last straw. Suzette243
Red Flag Waving....
When they wouldn't bother to text me back, organize to hang out with me, or bother to make an effort to sit next to me when we took the train together every morning. I realized my best friend of 8 years turned into a self-centered person that hated me because my other friend decided to talk about me behind my back and everyone believed her. Read the red flags and don't be blinded. Love and friendship does such stupid stuff to you 😔 emmypoos
Not Good Company...Giphy
When I was hit by a car, broke lots of stuff and was bed-bound for half a year. Nobody checked in how I was doing and I got 1 visitor in that 7 months.
Up till that point I assumed these people I hung out with every day for the past three years were my friends, but it turned out to just be a group of people that smoke weed together every day. Intergalaktica
Pinch me and I'll Punch you!
We worked out together a handful of times. The last time we did, she pinched the roll of fat above my sports bra and said, "aw. we'll get you there." Cut her out pretty quickly. ginfizzzzz8008
?!?!?!?! who thinks that kind of thing is okay? Wow... whereismydragon
$$$ Changes Everything!
When over a short period of time they came into huge money and did not realize that I was not on the same level with them anymore. Suddenly, overnight decisions to fly to NYC for a week was a thing, or going on expensive NYE parties in Thailand, and were surprised when I refused. It drained me financially in the first year or so, then it became impossible to keep up with merely a quarter of what they were up to. Inevitably, we went our separate ways overnight basically.
We've all had those friends, we may even have been those friends at one point. How did y'all get rid of the toxic mess in your lives?