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Additional Details
|Focus on the Family
|Publication Date
|Sep 1, 2015
Customer Reviews
My whole family loved doing this together!!! It was something all of us looked forward to at night. My older kids enjoyed it as much as my younger kids. Thanks
My 4 year-old-son and I used this for the 2016 Christmas season. I can't rave about this product enough. The stories were well written and full of Biblical truths. Each daily reading had an activity geared towards older children and another geared towards younger children, so it was quite versatile. The poster and the large stickers were colorful and are in fact, still hanging in our kitchen as a reminder of what we learned. My son's favorite part of each story was the phrase that he had to repeat each time I pointed at him during the story. He memorized them each day and by the end of Advent, he would proudly point to each sticker and repeat what he had learned from that day's lesson. I wish I could find a daily devotional for the rest of the year that was as engaging as this Advent product! Well done FOCUS on the Family!
My family has used this advent calendar for two years now and it is becoming a treasured tradition for my now 5 year old daughter. The stories for each character can be simplified enough for a three year old and the stories deepened as the kids get older. I even learned a thing or two. We love the graphics and the colorful poster that helps make learning the story of Christ that much more fun!
I used this calendar for the 2015 Advent season with my two boys ages 5 and 7. We loved it! I like the scriptures about the prophets and awaiting...a subject that is sometimes hard for kids to understand, but important for them to be exposed to. The stickers and poster are very cute. It was a nice variety of additional activities. Some activities were too hard for my kids ages, but it was not a problem. When short on time, you can easily just do the sticker and scripture of the day. Highly recommended!
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Friday, October 29, 2010
What Do You Wear With Peep Toe Ankle Boots?
I "Goggled" my question "what do you wear with peep toe ankle boots" and was overwhelmed by the number of people who recommend wearing them with tights. Basically, the advice is to wear them with solid colored tights and not with panty hose as the idea is to be intentional about it. Also, while it is easy if your boots are black or brown it may not be as easy if they are an unusual color like fuchsia? What do you wear with them then? Well, then you should match your tights to your bottoms. And most people say that you can and in some cases should wear patterned tights. Simple right?
Armed with this info go out and buy yourself a pair of peep toe ankle boots. I really love mine!
Saturday, October 23, 2010
10 No-Sew Halloween Costume Ideas
Cristi Driver
There are so many cute Halloween costume ideas for kids that you can make at home – no sewing required! All that is required is some resourcefulness and creativity by using items you already have or buying a few inexpensive items that can be found at most big box stores or second-hand shops.
All of these ideas are cheap, easy, quick and allow for lots of imagination.
Try one of these classic costume ideas this Halloween and your kid won't be the fifth Spiderman or Disney princess in their classroom or neighborhood.
Black Cat Pair a black leotard or black turtleneck top with black leggings, tights or sweatpants and black shoes. Buy the cat ears and a tail at a costume shop or make your own. Use old black pantyhose to make a tail by cutting out one leg, stuffing the hose with cotton balls to form a long tail, safety pinning the top together and then pinning it to the back top of the pants. Another idea is to get a black feather boa from a costume shop and cut it to the right length to make a furry tail (you can use the leftover fur to wrap around ankles, wrists and waists to make the cat "furry" – the only drawback to this is that it sheds a lot). Use black eyeliner to draw in whiskers and a nose on your little kitty cat's face.
Pirate You can find pirate accessories at most costume shops that include a pirate hat, eye patch and sometimes other items like a hook or play sword. Instead of a pirate hat you can also tie a bandana around your child's head. Find a striped shirt or white ruffled top (thrift stores are a good resource), pair it with black pants for boys or for girls, a denim skirt with black or striped tights, and add boots. A cute addition is to find a small stuffed or plastic parrot and attach it to your child's shoulder. Arrrgh!
Bunny Rabbit Find a white or pink sweatsuit or use a white or pink top or leotard and tights. Purchase bunny ears and a tail at any costume shop or make your own. Make long bunny ears by cutting them out of white and pink construction paper, attaching a bent paperclip to the back of each ear to make them stand up and fastening them to a headband. Make a bunny tail from an old powder puff or with a bunch of large cotton balls glued together and pinned to the seat of the pants. Use pink lip liner to make a bunny nose and brown or black eyeliner to make whiskers on your bunny's face.
A Bunch of Grapes Buy a bunch of purple latex balloons at party store. Use a purple sweatsuit or purple top or leotard and tights as the base. Blow up all the balloons and then carefully pin them all to your child's purple clothing. Make a stem out of green felt and bobby pin it to your child's head.
Gypsy The key to this costume is layers, lots of them. Layer on several flowy, mismatched skirts, scarves and strings of costume jewelry like plastic beaded necklaces and dangly bracelets (if you don't have these items at home, head to the thrift store). Tie a long scarf around your child's head and add one big hoop earring. Funky tights with boots are a cute touch. Add bright red lipstick and heavy eye makeup and use brown eye liner to make a signature beauty mark.
Ghost or Charlie Brown Ghost A ghost is the easiest costume ever – white sheet, cut holes, you're done! You can make it a little more creative and have your child be Charlie Brown from the classic "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown," and cut holes all over the sheet and have him or her carry a bag with a rock in it.
Construction Worker Cut the sleeves off an old plaid flannel shirt and put it over a long-sleeve thermal shirt. Pair it with jeans and strap on a tool belt with play hand tools. Add work boots and work gloves and a few smudges of brown face paint or eye liner on your child's face. Top it off with a plastic yellow hard hat that you can buy most anywhere.
Scarecrow Use an oversized plaid flannel shirt, jeans (add some patches for a cute touch), a rope for belt and to tie at the cuffs of the jeans and sleeves then stuff the shirt and jeans with plastic grocery bags or paper. Add a little bit of straw to hang out of the jeans and shirt. Use face paint to make a scarecrow face and add a straw hat.
Miss America Recycle that old bridesmaid or prom dress and add a pair of long white gloves, a tiara and high heels. Make a banner using a long piece of white satin ribbon and use glitter paint to write in "Miss America."
Deviled Egg Use a white sweatsuit or white t-shirt and white pants. Use yellow felt or a huge yellow marker and make a circle in the center of the top. Buy or make a pair of red devil horns, a red spiked tail and a pitchfork and voila, a deviled egg!
Saturday, September 11, 2010
Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Yellow Mustard Can Help Fight Cancer?
Although the anti-inflammatory effects of mustard (turmeric) go way back only recently has it come about that this same agent could have anti-cancer effects. Some even claim that they have seen tumors shrink as a result of the curcumin in turmeric which is thought to be its primary pharmacological component. The low rates of certain cancers in India are seen by some as evidence of this.
In addition, it is now believed that curcumin also has strong anti-oxidant effects and that it destroys free radicals which we all know the physical benefits of…
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
3 Healthy Eating Tips for Today
2. I love guacamole but I don't love the calories and my friends feel the same way. In my Shape magazine this month I found a recipe for guacamole made with edamame! Brilliant! Here it is:
1 12-ounce package frozen organic shelled edamame, thawed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 /2 teaspoon sea salt
1 /4 cup water
1 /3 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Place edamame in a food processor. Add the oil, vinegar, salt, and water and pulse until smooth. The mixture should look like a thin hummus; if it's too thick, add more water. Taste and add more salt if necessary. Add parsley and pulse briefly to blend (flecks of parsley should still be visible).
Transfer to a bowl; garnish with more parsley, if desired, and serve with pita wedges and/or crudités.
Nutrition Score per serving:
(1/2 cup): 184 calories, 12 g fat (58% of calories), 2 g saturated fat, 9 g carbs, 10 g protein, 3 g fiber, 108 mg calcium, 2 mg iron, 259 mg sodium
3. Switch to whole wheat pasta. I have always heard it is better for you but when I am pasta shopping and reading the labels that is not evident so I decided to do a little research into just what is so much better about it. I found this info from WebMD very helpful:
Pasta (2 ounces dry) Calories Fiber Protein Fat
Barilla Plus Spaghetti* 210 4 g 10 g 2 g
Westbrae Natural Organic Whole Wheat Lasagna 210 6 g 8 g 1.5 g
365 Organic Whole Wheat Shells (from Whole Foods) 210 5 g 7 g 1 g
Lifestream Organic Whole Grain & Flax Linguini* 208 8 g 9 g 3.5 g
Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Rotelle Pasta 210 5 g 8 g 1.5 g
* Barilla Plus Spaghetti contains 0.2 g plant omega-3s. Lifestream Organic Whole Grain & Flax Linguini contains 0.7 g plant omega-3s.
More About Healthier Pasta Brands
Here are more details about these whole-grain or higher-fiber pastas:
Barilla Plus Penne: While this enriched multigrain pasta isn't 100% whole wheat, it contains a grain and legume flour blend, along with semolina. This blend generally includes lentils, chickpeas, oats, spelt, barley, egg whites, ground flaxseed and wheat or oat fiber. What this means is that the pasta is high in protein (from the legume flour and the egg whites,) contains some plant omega-3s (from the ground flaxseed,) and will boost your fiber significantly (thanks to the legumes, whole grains, ground flaxseed.) Cooking time for the penne variety is 11-12 minutes.
Westbrae Natural Organic Lasagna: The first and only ingredient is organic whole durum wheat flour. Hard to argue with that, isn't it? I love lasagna, so I've noticed over the years that it is definitely difficult to find a higher fiber lasagna noodle. So I was happy to have found this choice at Whole Foods. Yes, it's definitely whole-wheat pasta, but this fact seems to be less noticeable when it is layered in lasagna. Cooking time: 10 minutes for the lasagna.
Lifestream Organic Whole Grain & Flax Linguini: This pasta has the highest amount of plant omega-3s in a serving of the brands I checked out. The fiber ain't too shabby, either (8 grams per 2 ounce serving). The brand is distributed through Nature's Path Foods Inc. in Washington, and has just two ingredients: organic wheat durum flour and organic brown flax meal. Cooking time for the linguine is 7-9 minutes.
365 Organic Whole Wheat Shells: Even the Whole Foods store brand is jumping on the whole-wheat pasta bandwagon. The pasta contains just organic whole durum wheat flour and water. You'll find it in assorted shapes including long narrow tubes (also known as penne). Cooking time for the shells is 14-16 minutes.
Trader Joe's Organic Whole Wheat Pasta Rotelle: You can find a few different shapes of whole-wheat pasta in the Trader Joe's brand, including rotelle, penne, and spaghetti. The only ingredient in this pasta is organic durum whole wheat. Cooking time is 9-11 minutes for the rotelle.
All found at http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/healthier-bowl-pasta?page=2
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
"3 Slimming Tricks you can Use Today" found in the August 2010 issue of Shape Magazine:
"3 Slimming Tricks you can Use Today" found in the August 2010 issue of Shape Magazine:
Tip from the foodie:
"Cut out the distractions! I never eat in front of the TV, at the computer or while reading the newspaper." - Dominique Crenn, chef de cuisine, Luce at the Inter-Continental, San Francisco
Tip from the nutritionist:
"Take small bites, chew your food thoroughly, and put down your fork between mouthfuls." – Lilian Cheung, Ph.D., co-author of the book Savor: Mindful Eating, Mindful Life
And from the Yogi:
"Immerse yourself in the details by being mindful of texture, aroma, and taste." – Joni Dittrich, Ph.D., Instructor Ubunu Restaurant & Yoga Studio, Napa, California
Saturday, August 21, 2010
How to Clean Organic Broccoli - Weekly Tip
Do you buy organic food as often as possible? I do. Now, I am not claiming to only buy organic or to make sure that my kids only eat organically but when I have a choice I usually choose the organic option when it comes to what my girls eat. So, you can imagine my delight when I discovered that the broccoli that they so love to eat can also easily be found in the organic variety. I immediately began buying, steaming and feeding my girls the healthy treat!
Have you ever looked closely at organic broccoli? I thought I was looking closely at and giving a thorough cleansing to the florets that I was encouraging my girls to eat and I guess since we can't go back and look it is possible that I was but I think that possibility is pretty small…The last time I bought organic broccoli I bought it from Wal-Mart since it is less expensive there than the usual Harris Teeter price. I make a point of telling you this because this was the time that I noticed that after I steamed the florets there were hundreds (literally) of little bugs that were all over the florets and that had fallen off into the water! I was shocked and disgusted! I promptly threw all the perfectly steamed florets away and like I usually do when I buy bad food from Wal-Mart I blamed the source and vowed not to ever buy broccoli from there again. The next day I went to Harris Teeter and bought organic broccoli. I brought it home and began to inspect it and low and behold it too was covered in bugs! I looked up the phone number for the store where I bought the produce and intended to get my money back when my more level headed other half (Tyler) said "why don't you just look on line and see what it says?" Hesitantly I did what he suggested and found that I was certainly not alone.
As it turns out pretty much every bunch of organic broccoli you buy will have these bugs (some call them aphids but I don't care what they are called) on it. I had been missing them because they look just like broccoli and because they borough so deeply into the florets that they can easily be missed. From what I can tell these bugs exist on the organic variety of broccoli because of the very fact that it is "organic" meaning they do not use pesticides which means that pests can live on the vegetables. Duh. So if I want organic broccoli I need to find a way to clean it thoroughly.
Ok, so I have been experimenting and think I have a solution to getting these tiny bugs off of my broccoli for good! Here is what worked for my step by step:
1. Cut the florets off of the stems and soak them in cold water in the fridge overnight
2. Bring some water to a rolling boil and scoop the florets out of the water and put them into the pot of boiling water
3. Boil for 5 min, scoop (I emphasize scooping because that way you will leave the largest number of bugs behind in the water) them back into cold water and proceed to rinse several times.
4. Put the broccoli back into cold water and into the fridge for when you want to cook it.
5. Get broccoli out, rinse it a couple of times making sure no new bugs are falling out and then steam or cook as usual.
Whew, it is a lot of work but if you want bug-less organic broccoli this is what you are going to have to do.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Parent-Child Yoga
Many adults use yoga practice to increase flexibility, relax, and cope with stress. The Sara Lee Center for Women's Health is excited to announce a new opportunity exclusive for parents and their child! Parent-Child Yoga is a great way to bond with your child while incorporating yoga practice that instills feelings of calmness and relaxation. This class will be very fun and interactive as the yoga instructor uses animal shapes and noises to help the children learn and explore the yoga experience. All yoga classes are offered at the Sara Lee Center for Women's Health, and the schedule is listed below. To sign up for any of these classes or for more information please call Angela Gallagher at 414.5942 or by e-mail at email@example.com.
Date Time
02-Aug 10:00-11:00 A
09-Aug 5:45-6:30 P
16-Aug 10:00-11:00 A
23-Aug 5:45-6:30 P
30-Aug 10:00-11:00 A
06-Sep 5:45-6:30 P
13-Sep 10:00-11:00 A
20-Sep 5:45-6:30 P
27-Sep 10:00-11:00 A
02-Oct 5:45-6:30 P
11-Oct 10:00-11:00 A
18-Oct 5:45-6:30 P
26-Oct 10:00-11:00 A
We hope to see you there!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Coping With Bullying
I would like to start by defining "bullying." Bullying is when a person is picked on over and over again by an individual or group with more power, either in terms of physical strength or social standing ( http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/bullies.html .) This is as good a definition as any. The most important thing to remember here is that the definition can be adjusted to fit the set of circumstances you are in. For example, if your child is 2 years old he or she may not be the only object of the bully's frustrations but they are still being mistreated by a "bully" and therefore the situation needs to be handled with as much care and attention as if they were teenagers who were afraid to go to school. It is also important to make this note because from what I have seen myself and heard from my dear friends bullying is starting even earlier these days so as the parent of toddlers I suggest getting some basic education on how to handle it.
The best advice I got while handling a recent episode we had was given to me by my retired school teacher mother-in-law. She said "the most important thing you can do right now is let her know that you care about what has happened and that you will handle the situation for her if she wants you to." Now, this is probably easier for me than it would be for some of you out there with teenage children as a child under 5 is much more likely to ask for their parent's help than a 16 year old but the advice is still the same for parents of teenagers. By acknowledging the hurt feelings and the need for protection you have successfully crossed the first hurdle by acting in a way that restores confidence. Children (even toddlers) need to know that they are taken seriously especially by their parents. Once this is established they feel a little more secure and the bullying is less likely to leave lasting marks on their emotions. Ignore them or belittle their feelings and you are inviting a whole host of problems for the future. Ignoring a bully in a situation where the children are older can have much more severe circumstances as well since, "numerous high-school students have died when stalking, threats, and attacks went unreported and the silence gave the bully license to become more and more violent" ( http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/bullies.html# ). So please, if you take nothing else away from this then don't ignore your kids!
Here is what The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry says about talking to you child who is being bullied:
- Ask your child what he or she thinks should be done. What's already been tried? What worked and what didn't?
- Seek help from your child's teacher or the school guidance counselor. Most bullying occurs on playgrounds, in lunchrooms, and bathrooms, on school buses or in unsupervised halls. Ask the school administrators to find out about programs other schools and communities have used to help combat bullying, such as peer mediation, conflict resolution, and anger management training, and increased adult supervision.
- Don't encourage your child to fight back. Instead, suggest that he or she try walking away to avoid the bully, or that they seek help from a teacher, coach, or other adult.
- Help your child practice what to say to the bully so he or she will be prepared the next time.
- Help your child practice being assertive. The simple act of insisting that the bully leave him alone may have a surprising effect. Explain to your child that the bully's true goal is to get a response.
- Encourage your child to be with friends when traveling back and forth from school, during shopping trips, or on other outings. Bullies are less likely to pick on a child in a group.
By following some of these simple suggestions you can ensure that you child is actually better for being bullied as these are situations that can and do surface throughout our lives. You can do nothing better than give your child the tools they need to be able to handle such situations with care, grace and confidence.
Here is what some experts had to say about the "bullier." Some bullies actually have personality disorders that don't allow them to understand normal social emotions like guilt, empathy, compassion, or remorse. These people need help from a mental health professional like a psychiatrist or psychologist( http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/bullies.html# ). In my little world this is what I see more often than not. A bully almost always seems to have some emotional scarring and could use having an understanding adult to talk to in order to diffuse their frustrations. It is never too early or too late to start helping you child to work through some of the emotions common to "bullies" and produce an emotionally healthy child in the end. The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states that "If you suspect your child is bullying others, it's important to seek help for him or her as soon as possible. Without intervention, bullying can lead to serious academic, social, emotional and legal difficulties. Talk to your child's pediatrician, teacher, principal, school counselor, or family physician. If the bullying continues, a comprehensive evaluation by a child and adolescent psychiatrist or other mental health professional should be arranged. The evaluation can help you and your child understand what is causing the bullying, and help you develop a plan to stop the destructive behavior."
Here are some good "Bully Survival Tips" for older children from http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/bullies.html# :
Ignore the bully and walk away. It's definitely not a coward's response — sometimes it can be harder than losing your temper. Bullies thrive on the reaction they get, and if you walk away, or ignore hurtful emails or instant messages, you're telling the bully that you just don't care. Sooner or later the bully will probably get bored with trying to bother you. Walk tall and hold your head high. Using this type of body language sends a message that you're not vulnerable.
Hold the anger. Who doesn't want to get really upset with a bully? But that's exactly the response he or she is trying to get. Bullies want to know they have control over your emotions. If you're in a situation where you have to deal with a bully and you can't walk away with poise, use humor — it can throw the bully off guard. Work out your anger in another way, such as through exercise or writing it down (make sure you tear up any letters or notes you write in anger).
Don't get physical. However you choose to deal with a bully, don't use physical force (like kicking, hitting, or pushing). Not only are you showing your anger, you can never be sure what the bully will do in response. You are more likely to be hurt and get in to trouble if you use violence against a bully. You can stand up for yourself in other ways, such as gaining control of the situation by walking away or by being assertive in your actions. Some adults believe that bullying is a part of growing up (even that it is character building) and that hitting back is the only way to tackle the problem. But that's not the case. Aggressive responses tend to lead to more violence and more bullying for the victims.
Practice confidence. Practice ways to respond to the bully verbally or through your behavior. Practice feeling good about yourself (even if you have to fake it at first).
Take charge of your life. You can't control other people's actions, but you can stay true to yourself. Think about ways to feel your best — and your strongest — so that other kids may give up the teasing. Exercise is one way to feel strong and powerful. (It's a great mood lifter, too!) Learn a martial art or take a class like yoga. Another way to gain confidence is to hone your skills in something like chess, art, music, computers, or writing. Joining a class, club, or gym is a great way to make new friends and feel great about yourself. The confidence you gain will help you ignore the mean kids.
Talk about it. It may help to talk to a guidance counselor, teacher, or friend — anyone who can give you the support you need. Talking can be a good outlet for the fears and frustrations that can build when you're being bullied.
Find your (true) friends. If you've been bullied with rumors or gossip, all of the above tips (especially ignoring and not reacting) can apply. But take it one step further to help ease feelings of hurt and isolation. Find one or two true friends and confide how the gossip has hurt your feelings. Set the record straight by telling your friends quietly and confidently what's true and not true about you. Hearing a friend say, "I know the rumor's not true. I didn't pay attention to it," can help you realize that most of the time people see gossip for what it is — petty, rude, and immature.
The most important thing that we can do as parents is be aware of what is going on in the lives of our children. Your presence and understanding alone have boundless power in the lives of your children regardless of which side if the fence you are on.
**I also used the web site http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/bullying for a lot of my information and noticed they have many resources for parents who are dealing with a bully situation. **
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Summer Safety - 10 Tips for Parents
- drowning deaths increase by 89% during the summer
- bike deaths increase by 45% during the summer
- fall deaths increase by 21% during the summer
- motor vehicle deaths increase by 20% during the summer
- pedestrian deaths increase by 16% during the summer
Staggering isn't it? Well, in the interest of keeping my children and yours out of these statistics I have written the following article.
Before we get into the "meat" of the issue I wanted to make a point of letting you know that I cannot tell you the number of times during my research for this piece I ran into the statement "I just turned my back for a second" spoken by endless numbers of shocked parents so I will advise you first and foremost this summer DO NOT TURN YOUR BACK FOR A SECOND! Ok, let's begin.
This spike in traumas in the summer is no wonder since kids are not only out of school for the summer but the increased time on their hands coupled with the beautiful weather means they are doing a lot more playing and spending time outdoors. In combination with the outdoor activities of children parents are also spending more time in the sun doing things like sun bathing, barbecuing, gardening (mowing the lawn)and just plain enjoying the weather. I searched for a good article to reference and I found a couple worthy of mentioning. The following tips came from http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/safetyfirstaid/a/summer_safety.htm and I found them quite comprehensive and very helpful. I know the list is long but I have trimmed it down as much as I thought I could and it is worth every second you spend reading. The information could help to keep your little one safe all summer long!
- One of the best ways to stay safe this summer is to wear a (properly fitting) helmet and other safety gear when biking, skating and skateboarding, and when riding scooters, all-terrain vehicles, and horses. Studies on bicycle helmets have shown they can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 85 percent.
- Use layers of protection to prevent a swimming pool tragedy. This includes placing barriers completely around your pool to prevent access, using door and pool alarms, closely supervising your child and being prepared in case of an emergency. Lack of adult supervision and drowning go hand in hand. In summer, kids drown at nearly twice the rate that's typical for the rest of the year--reflecting a steeper summertime increase than exists for any other kind of accidental injury to kids. Drowning is "not like in the movies," says Cianflone. There is no wild flailing and commotion. "The child will simply just slide into the water, very silently and very quickly," she explains. In a pool setting, for example, an adult might suddenly notice a child at the bottom of the pool and have no idea how long he or she has been there. Resuscitation may be possible, but often serious damage has already been done. "You can get them back from a cardiac standpoint," explains Lozon, as children typically have resilient cardiovascular systems, "but they will have severe neurologic damage." The most basic, common-sense advice to prevent children from drowning is to have an adult watching the water at all times. Sounds obvious, like something any parent would do instinctively, but Cianflone says a kid drowning is usually "a matter of everybody was watching, but nobody was watching." The solution, she says: Having a designated adult with his or her eyes on the water at all times and the ability to jump in quickly. (http://www.ihavenet.com/Health-Summer-Safety-Reasons-Kids-End-up-in-ER-How-to-Prevent-It.html )
- When cooking outdoors with a gas grill, check the air tubes that lead into the burner for any blockage from insects, spiders, or food grease. Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes, and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing. If you ever detect a leak, immediately turn off the gas at the tank and don't attempt to light the grill until the leak is fixed. Newer grills and propane tanks have improved safety devices to prevent gas leaks.
- Make sure your home playground is safe. Falls cause 60 percent of playground injuries, so having a safe surface is critical. Concrete, asphalt or packed dirt surfaces are too hard. Use at least 9 inches of wood chips or mulch.
Use softer-than standard baseballs, safety-release bases and batting helmets with face guards to reduce baseball-related injuries to children.
- If you are a soccer mom or dad, beware that movable soccer goals can fall over and kill children. Make sure the goal is anchored securely at all times and never allow anyone to climb on the net or goal framework or hang from the cross bar. Remove nets when the goals are not in use.
- To prevent serious injuries while using a trampoline, allow only one person on at a time, and do not allow somersaults. Use a shock-absorbing pad that completely covers the springs and place the trampoline away from structures and other play areas. Kids under 6-years-old should not use full-size trampolines. (**we violated this one like CRAZY when we were kids…**)
- Don't allow a game of hide-n-seek to become deadly. CPSC has received reports of numerous suffocation deaths involving children who crawled inside old cedar chests, latch-type freezers and refrigerators, iceboxes in campers, clothes dryers and picnic coolers. Childproof old appliances, warn children not to play inside them.
- If summer plans include camping and you want heat inside your tent or camper, use one of the new portable heaters that are equipped with an oxygen depletion sensor (ODS). If oxygen levels start to fall inside your tent or camper, the ODS automatically shuts down the heater before it can produce deadly levels of carbon monoxide (CO). Do not attempt to use alternative sources of heat or power to warm a tent or camper. Traditional camping heaters, charcoal grills, camping lanterns, and gas generators also can cause CO poisoning.
- Install window guards to prevent children from falling out of open windows. Guards should be installed in children's bedrooms, parents' bedrooms, and other rooms where young children spend time. Or, install window stops that permit windows to open no more than 4 inches. Whenever possible, open windows from the top - not the bottom. Also, keep furniture away from windows to discourage children from climbing near windows. (**window falls increase dramatically during the spring and summer months**)
- Summer also means yard work. When mowing, keep small children out of the yard, and turn the mower off if children enter the area. If the lawn slopes, mow across the slope with the walk-behind rotary mower, never up and down. With a riding mower, drive up and down the slope, not across it. Never carry children on a riding mower.
Have a fun and most importantly a safe summer!
Friday, April 30, 2010
What Do You Look For in A Food Label?
So, the first thing I will point out is the serving size. This is probably the most important part of the food label as it sets the stage for how to interpret the entire rest of the label. I am pretty good about remembering to multiply the calories by the serving size but I am definitely guilty of forgetting that this multiplication also applies to everything else listed on the label. One component of prepackaged foods that I really want to watch is the sodium. Cans of soup are often bad about having a ton of sodium in them and after you multiply the percentage by the serving size the results can be pretty alarming! Of course all of these numbers are based on a 2000 calorie/day diet which may or may not be the right kind of diet for you. If you would like to find out how many calories you should be getting in a day use this really cool calorie counter to help http://nutrition.about.com/od/changeyourdiet/a/calguide.htm It will even tell you what you need to do to get to your goal weight with and without exercise. You really have to check it out!
The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) requires that food companies publish values for Iron, Calcium and vitamins A and C. Some companies may include information about other nutrients like folic acid and niacin if they are contained in measurable amounts.
I was also interested in exactly what standards have to be met by a food in order to be able to make a claim like "fat free" or "low sodium." Here is what I found at http://www.healthcare.uiowa.edu/fns/nutritional/foodlabel.htm :
· Fat Free- less than 0.5 gram of fat per serving
· Low Fat- 3 grams of fat (or less) per serving
· Lean- Less than 10 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of saturated fat, and no more than 95 milligrams of cholesterol per serving
· Light (Lite)- 1/3 less calories or no more than ½ the fat of the higher-calorie, higher-fat version; or no more than ½ the sodium of the higher-sodium version
· Cholesterol Free- Less than 2 milligrams of cholesterol and 2 grams (or less) of saturated fat per serving
To Make Health Claims About... The Food Must Be...
Heart Disease and Fats Low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol
Blood Pressure and Sodium Low in sodium
So you can rely on the claims made by food companies knowing that they actually do have a well defined set of standards to adhere to.
A couple of other things of note:
· Look for foods low in calories from fat as this is best for a healthy heart.
· Look at the amount of saturated fat in the food you eat. Doing so and keeping the number low will help keep your cholesterol low and avoid heart disease.
· Try to eat less than 300mg of sodium daily. Too much sodium can lead to high blood pressure so try and keep the amount of sodium you eat daily as low as possible.
· Fiber is good for you
· The source of your protein could also carry with it some fat that you do not need. Try to get protein from a low fat source such as beans.
There are a couple of good sources of information out there but they all say similar things. Just try to read the label and stay healthy!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Shed That Baby Weight!
Along with diet and exercise, which were the key things with me, I would also recommend getting a pair of Spanx if you don't already own some. These really helped me to get back into my skinny jeans only three months after giving birth to our second child.
Monday, March 22, 2010
What Do You Have Planned For Today?
1. Buy a book about birds and get outside to try and find them for yourself. This is a great way to get outside and to keep the children focused on an activity with the goal of finding a certain type of bird in mind.
2. Play cards. Buy cards designed for children and play the memory game, go fish and crazy eight's. Both my girls love to play with the princess cards!
3. Do puzzles.
4. You hate to match socks after doing the laundry right? Well, dump them out and have your little one do it! They will have a blast!
5. Make cereal jewelry. Pour out doughnut shaped cereals such as Fruit Loops and Cheerios into a bowl and have your child separate them by color and then have them string the cereal into a necklace and/or bracelet.
6. Have a scavenger hunt. Choose some (15-20) items for them to look for like "find something red," or "what does mommy use to start the car" etc.
7. Read a story and then cut and paste a collage from magazine photos that remind you of what you just read.
8. Let your little darlings draw activities out of a bag. Write a few of these ideas down on a scrap of paper and let them choose what they will be doing in this fun way!
9. Cook with the little tikes. Kids love measuring and stirring and then in the end you will have a delicious treat that you can all enjoy as a family! Choose an easy recipe from right here under the "recipes" tab. http://recipes.kiddingaroundintown.com/
10. Plant a garden of things that grow easily like peppers and tomatoes and them have your kids do all the maintenance like watering pulling weeds and picking the produce themselves.
11. Clean the house. My little ones love to clean with me! I give them a Swiffer with a shortened handle, a damp washcloth or a feather duster and they are off not to mention the house gets cleaned!
12. Don't forget the public library! They have great free stuff all summer long for the kiddos to do including preschool film on certain days. You can find their activities on my web site or on theirs.
13. There are also many great, free web sites with games, worksheets you can print out, recipes you can make and many other fun and free activities geared towards children. Here are some of my favorites:
A. http://www.printactivities.com/ will allow you to print worksheets with the letters of the alphabet and the letters are big enough to color
B. if you are looking for a more comprehensive web site then this is awesome for reading, writing and counting and is absolutely free as well http://www.beginningreading.com/Free%20Workshe.htm
C. http://www.nickjr.com/ also has many things you can do for free like play games, print work sheets, browse through recipes that and kid friendly not only for simple cooking steps but also for eating
D. And there are many web sites where you can download children's stories for free or inexpensively like http://www.storynory.com/ , http://www.lightupyourbrain.com/ or http://www.audible.com/
Enjoy your summer!
Friday, March 19, 2010
Children's Birthday Party Ideas
This is what I did. My daughters are both enamored with princesses. I wanted to have a princess come to my daughter's 4th birthday but since we were inviting her entire class at school I did not want to have it at my home. I could not imagine cleaning up after that number of kids and their parents. So, I had the party at a restaurant and had Cinderella show up there. She was wonderful with the children. She told her story, took photos with everyone and taught my daughter and her guests a dance. If you are in the Piedmont Triad area I highly recommend contacting www.fromarttozebras.com if your little one is into princesses. If you do not live here then find a princess near you. This party was a huge hit!
My second suggestion is not one that I have done yet but a friend brought it to my attention or I would not have ever thought of it. Find a creature teacher in your area. In the Piedmont Triad you can use www.creatureteacher.org . This is good for girls and for boys since the animals are chosen by you. You can choose bunnies and hamsters or snakes and spiders or even mix and match. The best part about this might be that for the kids' favors you could go to a used book store and buy books that go with whatever theme you choose so they can go home with an educational and exciting gift! I really hate "junk" favors that you wind up trashing the minute you get home. What a waste.
And lastly, I have recently seen that one of my past feature businesses has taken up kid's event planning. I have not yet used her but it is nice to know that in the event that you either lack time or are finding yourself short of motivation that there is someone out there who is willing to do it for you! You can find her at www.kiddievents.com
Do you have any other good ideas?
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Smart Start of Forsyth County - Annual Book Drive
Contact: Sarah Deal, Community Education Specialist
Smart Start of Forsyth County, 336-714-4344
Smart Start and Kiwanis Unite for Book Drive
WINSTON-SALEM, NC—Local Kiwanis Clubs and Smart Start of Forsyth County have come together for the fifth year to launch a book drive for children ages birth to five. This year's Book Drive is in memory Dewey Yarborough, Golden K Kiwanis Club member who passionately supported the Book Drive efforts from the beginning.
The book drive is a campaign designed to generate book donations for Smart Start's parent resource bags. These bags are given to new parents and contain information that parents need to provide a healthy, happy, and safe beginning for their children. Each bag also contains a new or gently used children's book. The Kiwanis Clubs in Forsyth County support the drive by donating books on behalf of their speakers and encouraging their members to give to the drive. "Many households with children don't have a single children's book," says Chuck Kraft, executive director of Smart Start of Forsyth County. "It's important that every child have access to books – the foundation for early learning," says Kraft.
The book drive officially begins March 1st and ends April 18th. Smart Start hopes to collect 2000 new or gently used preschool books. Books in Spanish and books for infants are especially needed.
Collection sites include the American Red Cross, Children's Museum of Winston-Salem, Clemmons Library, Kernersville Library, Lewisville Library, Goodwill Industries, Kaplan Company, Salem Gymnastics, Smart Start of Forsyth County, St. Paul UMC, The Montessori School of Winston-Salem, the Fulton, Jerry Long, Kernersville, Robinhood Rd. and Winston Lake branches of the YMCA and the YWCA - Gateway. All monetary donations may be sent to Sarah Deal at Smart Start of Forsyth County, 7820 North Point Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27106.
Smart Start is a nonprofit organization that administers programs to improve the quality, affordability, and accessibility of child care, as well as provide access to health services and necessary family support to the community.
For more information about the drive contact Sarah Deal at 336-714-4344 or
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Imprints for Families
For nearly forty years Imprints has worked to serve families with babies and young children in our community.
Through home visits and group meetings parents and their children receive the necessary support and education for healthy pregnancy and birth outcomes, early developmental screenings to catch delays and continued educational support to help children start school ready to learn. . Through our programs, we support parents in our community because we believe that family is critical to the success and well being of every child. Our intensive services range from Baby Sign, where you can teach your baby to communicate before he/she can talk, to group parenting classes where you can learn how other parents incorporate learning into the routines of daily life. Our programs and services are all based on the belief that parents are children's first and best teachers. Imprints can show you how to make the most of your child's early learning experiences.
Imprints offers intensive parent education and support services to parents with from children birth through five years of age. We use the Parents as Teachers Born to Learn curriculum, a nationally recognized curriculum based on the most current brain research, which provides parents with information on child development and parenting strategies. Services are available in English and Spanish. The following services are included as part of Imprints:
Home VisitsFamilies enrolled in Imprints receive monthly home visits from certified parent educators. The Parents as Teachers curriculum is used to share well-researched child development and parent support information. During the home visit, the parent educator talks with parents and shares activities with them and their children to stimulate child growth and development.
Group Meetings
Imprints offers group meetings on discipline, kindergarten readiness, and other parent-requested topics. Group meetings provide the opportunity for parents to share common parenting concerns and issues in a setting facilitated by a trained parent educator.
Assessments and Screenings
Imprints offers screenings of children's overall health, hearing, and vision. Parent educators can use the Ages and Stages developmental screening tool as an interactive activity involving parent and child.
Parent educators with Imprints can help families access early intervention and community resources. The parent educator supports parents through the referral process.
Teacher Consultation
Imprints works with licensed child care programs, More-at-Four, Head Start and Title I classrooms to facilitate parent-teacher communication and provide teacher training on a variety of subjects.
Imprints Cares
Imprints also offers a high quaity, competitively priced, before and afterschool program called Imprints Cares. Imprints Cares provides children with a smooth transition to and from the classroom. During the program, Imprints implements developmentally approprite practices through center-based play. Children engage in age-appropriate activities and interact with staff and peers to promote optimal social and emotional develoment. All children are supervised by on-site teachers and teacher assistants, and Imprints provides a nutritious, healthy snack.
Parents who send their children to Imprints Cares feel confident that they are cared for by the same knowledgeable staff who teach them during school hours. Schools benefit from positive feedback from satisfied parents and additional opportunities for their staff. Both parents and schools enjoy the benefits of homework time at school with hands-on teaching support.
For more information visit their web site.

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm really excited because today I'm going to show you the new leggings that I received as a gift from PinkQueen . The leggings on there website are soooo awesome, I couldn't decide which one I wanted. I'm soo happy with my choice && I'm very thankful for getting them.
Okay, enough blahblahblah it's time to show you the leggings && outfit!
I'm wearing a blue long sleeve top from H&M with under need a black tank top also by H&M. On top I'm wearing my bordeaux red scarf. & for shoes I decided to wear my Bordeaux red all stars. The necklace is from Primark.
&& the galaxy leggings are of course from Pink Queen. I honestly like these leggings a lot because they're really comfortable && absolutely gorgeous. The material is also pretty good, I honestly didn't know what to expect. && I received a lot of compliments!
I'm probably going to post more fashion outfits with these leggings since they're so awesome and easy to combine, especially with red toned clothing or pink toned clothing. [&& this outfit was a red toned outfit, so it's only a matter of time till I upload a pink toned outfit -wink- ]
- Instagram -
Would you consider buying these leggings?


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"I'm 58, I'm not a disciplined person and I get bored easily. I threw my back out a few years ago and as a result I often walked with one hand on my hip and the other on my back. Pain is a powerful incentive so I spent some time looking for a solution. My fitter friends did boot camps and Crossfit and they sometimes hurt themselves. I didn't want to do that. I googled "certified trainers" and found Jessica's website. After reading her description of what she does I could tell that Jessica is someone who is comfortable working with middle aged obese ladies. Bonus! She is close and her studio is small. Bigger bonus! Jessica is extremely knowledgeable and personable. She tailors our sessions to my needs and my fitness level. I enjoy working out and for the first time in my life my core is strong. In fact, I recently moved my father from an apartment to assisted living. I spent two full days on my feet filling boxes, lifting furniture and bending over old trunks. Nothing hurts!" Anne Daniels
Category Archives: Testimonials
Antonella Zompa
"In August of 2010 I started balding, gaining weight, getting anxiety attacks and feeling miserable. The first doctor I went to gave me anti-anxiety pills and told me it was all stress. My job is stressful but I've been doing it for the last 25 years. So stress may be a factor, but it was definitely not the determining one.
I continued feeling miserable. In 2012, I met Jessica thru the Women in Business Summit and had a series of nutrition sessions. Her first thought was that I had a thyroid issue. I went to a series of 5 doctors until I got to one that was able to find it and diagnosed me with Hasimoto's in 2013. With Jessica's guidance I detoxed but then fell back to similar symptoms. The recent doctor could not help and stated stress as the issue. I reached out to a doctor my friend had suggested. Along with Jessica's test panel she requested, it was found that I also have hypochlorhydria and CBS in 2014. I'm currently continuing my path to health with Jessica's help and I'm certain that if I had never met her I would be still sick and miserable." Antonella Zompa
Daniel Schroll
"Nobody likes the 'If I can do it so can you' bio/testimonial story I'm not going to tell you that. I'm also not going to tell you how easy it is to change your life. It's not. What I can tell you is that if you'd like to make changes in your life that will be reflected not only in your body, but your overall heath Fit to You is the right studio for you. I started training with Jessica well over ten years ago. When we first met I was unknowingly underweight and losing muscle to atrophy. Being hesitant to sign on for personal training was something that went far beyond questioning the cost. I was looking for the right trainer that would understand my specific needs, and be judgment free regarding my abilities. Having Cerebral Palsy this was a key factor. Luckily for me Jessica was up to challenge and has helped me progress farther than I could have on my own. She worked with me to adjust my dietary needs, and then we started on my physical needs. The road has been a long one for the both of us, but well worth the work. She understood that I am a unique individual and custom fit my plans to meet my progressive goals. I am confident Fit to You has the right people to meet your needs and will ensure your goals are met. I can tell you without question that I am a better person inside and out for being a client. No matter what your goals are, you owe it to yourself to take that first step." Daniel Schroll


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Inaugural Lecture on "Reverse Innovation" : January 6, 2013
On Sunday, January 6, Vijay Govindarajan (popularly known as VG), the Earl C. Daum 1924 Professor of International Business at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, gave an enthralling lecture on "Reverse Innovation" to an audience of nearly 200 people at the MYRA School of Business. This inaugural MYRA Distinguished Lecture was held at MYRA's newly inaugurated campus in Mysore. VG, author of the worldwide best seller Reverse Innovation, spoke on corporate strategy, emerging markets, and sustainability with close relevance drawn to the Indian context.
Throughout his lecture, VG referred to the growing disparity between "rich" nations and "poor" nations in terms of access to quality products. Through examples from healthcare and housing sectors, VG illustrated how Reverse Innovation – the idea that innovations should first be developed in and for emerging markets before spreading to the rest of the world – will dramatically change business and society.
Reverse Innovation, VG, and MYRA
MYRA School of Business firmly believes that now, more than ever, businesses need to think beyond profits and look towards the triple bottom line paradigm of measuring one's success while keeping economic, ecological, and social values in mind. MYRA embodies the spirit of Reverse Innovation and in doing so, we hope to prepare business leaders and entrepreneurs with a social conscience.


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All the action from TS&DL Division Two
Glen Villa opened up a three-point gap at the top of League Division 2 going into the Christmas break following a hard fought victory over neighbours St. Michael's B in the Glen of Aherlow last Sunday.
In what was described as a very even contest it saw both defences well on top. The turning point came on 40 minutes for a Glen Villa side that were beaten by a single goal when these sides met on the opening day of the season. A through ball from Thomas Hanley released Paddy Hennessy, but as he was about to pull the trigger was illegally stopped. From the resultant spot-kick veteran Seanie Peters made no mistake sending the 'keeper the wrong way.
St. Michael's Reserves threw caution to the wind as they chased the game, but any hope of a revival ended midway through the second half when a player received a straight red card. Instead, it was a Glen Villa side that used the extra man to good effect, that were denied adding to their tally as the St. Michael's B 'keeper produced three top class saves from Barry Grogan twice and Thomas Hanley in the final quarter of an hour.
This victory sees outright leaders Glen Villa now on 18 points with 5 games remaining whilst St. Michael's B remains on 7 points with 8 games left.
Killusty produced a last ditch winner denying Kilsheelan United the opportunity to regain top spot in League Division 2 in this nine-goal thriller at the Ormonde Stores, Kilsheelan last Sunday.
Killusty's indifferent performances that has seen them squander leads were to the fore in the opening half going 1-0 up after 24 minutes when a free kick was blocked only for the ball to fall kindly for Pa Looby to volley straight to goal. Killusty were 2-0 up after 30 minutes when a strong header won by their midfielder Brian Coen that was finished nicely by Dave Conway to give the visitors a comfortable half time lead.
In the second half Kilsheelan started the better team and after 56 minutes pulled a goal back when a Pierce Larkin well executed pass to Ian Coughlan who calmly slotted it passed the goalkeeper. In the 73rd minute it was Christy Ryan's turn to give a through ball to Ian Coughlan, who squared it to Jamie Cronin who made it 2-2. In the 74th minute Killusty went back in front at 3-2 when a long ball confused the Kilsheelan defenders leaving Dave Conway the time to chip the goalkeeper. Kilsheelan were back on level terms in the 75th minute when Michael McHugh crossed to the unmarked Conor Murphy to volley to home and make it 3-3. Kilsheelan went ahead for the only time in the 78th minute when another through ball by Pierce Larkin to Ross Larkin and the latter slotted passed the oncoming keeper and make it 4-3. On this occasion Killusty refused to throw in the towel and got an equaliser at 4-4 in the 80th minute from Brian Coen. Then deep in injury time Killusty grabbed the winner from a well-executed direct free kick from Pa Looby to make it 5-4 at the final whistle.
This result sees Kilsheelan United remain in second place on 15 points with 5 games left. Killusty move onto 9 points with 6 games left.
The ten men of Rosegreen Rangers snatched all three League Division 2 points after seeing off strugglers Clonmel Town B in this game played at the Community Sportsfield, Rosegreen last Sunday.
Rosegreen Rangers still have to play a mouth-watering FAI Junior Cup 5th Round tie in early January against Co. Mayo's Castlebar Celtic, were on this occasion struggling to breakdown a Clonmel Town B side that were still searching for that elusive first League victory.
The second half was similar to the first until Rosegreen Rangers were down to ten players on 65 minutes and Clonmel Town B came out of their defensive shell. The visitors were putting that extra man to good use only to find the Rosegreen Rangers defence refusing to yield. Then against the run of play Rosegreen Rangers snatched the winner on 78 minutes when a direct free kick from 30 yards by Trevor Downey proved unstoppable,
Rosegreen Rangers move onto 9 points with 9 games remaining. Clonmel Town B remains last on 4 points with 5 games left.


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Home > News & Events > Speeches & Testimony
Speeches & Testimony
Remarks by FDIC Chairman Sheila Bair; Nikkin 18th Special Seminar on International Finance; Tokyo, Japan
November 14, 2007
Today, I'd like to talk about banking conditions in the United States, and the recent difficulties associated with subprime mortgage lending.
The FDIC insures some 8,600 banks and thrifts, which together hold more than $12 trillion in assets.
While over 90 percent of U.S. banks and thrifts are small community-based institutions, the 25 largest banking organizations hold about 71 percent of the industry's assets.
The U.S. banking industry remains well-capitalized and profitable. 2006 was the sixth year in a row of record earnings.
Nearly all banks and thrifts are considered "well capitalized" ... according to U.S. regulatory standards for Prompt Corrective Action ... and the industry's leverage ratio, the ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets, exceeds 8 percent.
But it's clear that conditions are changing.
Net income was below 2006 levels in each of the first two quarters, and a majority of institutions reported lower earnings.
Credit quality, which has been very strong in recent years, has begun to decline. And the volume of past-due and charged-off loans is rising.
The large syndicated loan market has experienced slight erosion in credit quality and weakened underwriting standards.
In recent weeks, several of the nation's largest banks have disclosed substantial losses from exposures to subprime mortgage assets ... from their leveraged lending activities ... and in their securities portfolios.
These trends suggest that when third quarter industry results are available later this month ... a rise in loan loss provisions, and write-downs of problem assets ... will further reduce earnings.
We are closely following trends in commercial real estate markets and in construction and development loans. Historically, these loans are among bank's riskiest assets.
Due to strong commercial real estate sales earlier in the year ... property sales through the first three-quarters of 2007 surpassed the total for all of 2006.
But the financial market turmoil in August was followed by slower originations of commercial mortgage-backed securities, and an increase in asset-backed spreads.
U.S. commercial real estate valuations are rich by historic standards. But the increase in financing costs may pressure these valuations.
Construction and development loan concentrations have increased at our banks, notably at mid-sized institutions -- those with assets between $1 billion and $10 billion.
These concentrations are an issue because we are beginning to see some deterioration in construction-loan quality.
Our biggest concern is the condition of mortgage markets, especially the difficulties faced by many subprime borrowers.
Responsibly underwritten loans to consumers with less than perfect credit profiles can be a prudent and profitable activity.
But the problems that have emerged in the subprime mortgage market underscore my longstanding view, that consumer protection and safe and sound lending are two sides of the same coin.
Failure to uphold uniform high standards in our increasingly complex mortgage industry is causing serious problems for consumers, lenders, investors, and, potentially, the economy.
The subprime share of mortgage originations more than doubled in 2004, peaking at just over 20 percent in 2005 and 2006.
At the same time, an increasing percentage of mortgages were being funded through privately-issued asset-backed securities.
Ready access to market funding, in turn, contributed to what is recognized now as a serious weakening of underwriting practices.
Lenders allowed a number of potentially risky features, such as low credit scores ... high loan-to-value ... and little or no documentation of income --- all in the same loan.
As long as home prices were rising, these layered risks were overlooked by many lenders, borrowers, and investors because rising prices allowed homeowners to tap those gains with home equity loans or refinancing.
Consequently, defaults were a relatively rare occurrence.
The combination of greater credit availability ... relaxed underwriting standards ... and rising home prices opened the door to abuse by speculators and unscrupulous lenders.
But the root cause of the problem was lax lending standards and inadequate consumer protections. The result is widespread failure by lenders to make loans based on borrowers' ability to repay.
The most troublesome loan type is the subprime hybrid "2/28" or "3/27" mortgage, which typically has a fixed starter rate for the first two- to three-years, followed by a reset to an adjustable rate.
The new monthly payment is often substantially higher than the starter rate.
These loans were never designed to be affordable at the fully-indexed rate. We estimate that only one in 30 of these loans made just four years ago is still paying at the indexed rate.
Most were either refinanced ... paid off when the home was sold at a gain ... or foreclosed.
There are about 2 million hybrid ARMs outstanding that were originated in 2005 and 2006. Most have, or will, reset by the end of next year.
The performance of these loans began deteriorating late last year. Over 300,000 of these loans are now over 90 days past due or in foreclosure.
In the middle of this year, rating agencies began to downgrade substantial numbers of mortgage securities.
These downgrades, plus continued deterioration in the subprime market, contributed to investor uncertainty about the value of these securities.
In turn, this triggered redemptions at hedge funds ... margin calls ... and episodes of illiquidity in commercial paper and other instruments.
These problems are not behind us. And to be honest, the worst may not be over.
These loans were made assuming that home prices would continue to rise, and that borrowers would be able to refinance or pay off the loans.
The widespread housing slump has limited those options. Many borrowers are facing foreclosure as their loans reset to high floating rates.
Losing your home is not good for anyone. Foreclosure is costly, it adds to an already glutted housing market, and puts additional pressure on home prices.
So what can we do?
For borrowers who cannot refinance and cannot afford the payment shock, the only alternative to losing their homes, will be loan modifications. But so far ... servicers have modified the terms of very few of the resetting mortgages.
We're beginning to see some servicers take a more pro-active approach. But much more needs to be done, and sooner rather than later.
We urgently need a coordinated policy to address this mounting problem.
That's why I've been urging servicers and lenders to voluntarily restructure their performing loans.
For instance, if a subprime borrower occupies the home ... is current at the starter rate but cannot make the reset payments ... then restructure the mortgage to make it sustainable.
Convert that hybrid ARM into a fixed-rate mortgage. Keep it at the starter rate. And make it permanent.
Stream-lining loan modifications for such performing loans at the starter rate will allow servicers to reallocate their resources to address more distressed loans.
And this should help prevent rising foreclosures from becoming a major drag on our housing industry, and our communities.
A more streamlined approach for modifying the terms of subprime hybrid arms also will serve the interests of investors.
In today's conditions, the typical servicing approach of allowing delinquencies to accumulate and go into foreclosure simply makes no sense for investors.
Net present value analysis suggests that investors will be better off under a streamlined mortgage modification program that allows current borrowers to retain the starter rate, and avoid unnecessary foreclosures.
We have proposed industry led, voluntary action to address bad loans that have already been made.
Going forward, it's clear we need stronger lending standards for all mortgage market participants to prevent these problems from recurring.
The Federal Reserve has said it will propose national standards for all mortgage originators by the end of the year ... which would be the ultimate solution.
But it's unrealistic to expect Congress to ignore what's going on -- especially given the impact on their constituents and communities.
The leadership on both sides of the aisle on the Senate Banking Committee, and the House Financial Services Committee, are exploring legislative options.
The House committee recently approved legislation to create national standards for all mortgage market participants, banks and non-banks alike.
The bill seeks to address many of the worst practices that have contributed to today's record numbers of foreclosures. The Committee vote was 45-19 and the full House of Representatives may vote on the bill before Thanksgiving.
I'm very hopeful that, be they legislative or regulatory, these efforts will help strengthen and validate the responsible mortgage lending.
Consumer groups and industry need to work with regulators and Capitol Hill to assure that we stamp out abusive lending while assuring adequate credit to support sustainable, affordable mortgage products.
Let me give you a few specifics that the FDIC believes should be part of a national standard for the subprime market.
I believe that strong standards such as these would provide consumers with significantly enhanced protections.
And they would provide investors with greater transparency of the true costs and risks of financial products backed by these types of mortgages.
The recent problems in the mortgage market and the associated market disruptions demonstrate how weak credit practices in one sector can lead to a wider set of credit market uncertainties.
However, FDIC-insured financial institutions entered the recent period of uncertainty with strong earnings and capital overall.
While some banks may have difficulty in the current environment, the industry as a whole is in a position both to absorb the current stresses, and to provide much needed credit if other sources dry up.
Before concluding, let say a few words about global capital standards.
Along with other members of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, the FDIC and its Japanese counterparts have been engaged in a complex and time-consuming process known as Basel II.
The U.S. banking agencies recently approved the final rule implementing the advanced approaches for large banks.
Basel II represents a significant change in regulatory practice and one that carries with it some risks and uncertainties.
Current conditions highlight the risks of basing capital requirements on historical loss experience, and on credit ratings assigned by national ratings organizations.
Recent market events emphasize the importance of maintaining adequate capital buffers.
We are quite concerned by the low capital requirements that Basel II generates for some structures.
And we believe that the Basel Committee should revisit the assumptions that were used in assigning capital requirements to exposures ... such as CDOs ... to see if these decisions are still appropriate in light of recent market events.
I applaud the recent efforts by Japanese banking supervisors to improve transparency and disclosure in the structured finance market. Structured finance is an opaque segment of the market, and any additional transparency would be very welcome.
I also believe that implementation by both the U.S. and Japan of the Basel II framework gives banks the incentives for getting more information on the bank's underlying exposures in hedge funds.
Under both frameworks, the capital requirements can be quite high if banks are unaware of the composition or the leverage of hedge funds.
The additional emphasis on hedge fund exposures is ... in my judgment ... both reasonable and appropriate.
Again, thank you to my hosts for inviting me to speak and visit Japan.
I know that we've enjoyed a close, and productive working relationship over the years. I look forward to getting to know you better, and to working with you in the future.
Thank you very much.
|Last Updated 11/14/2007


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Move represents a step forward in military's transformation efforts
The Defense Department's online collaborative tool, previously accessible only to those holding DOD Common Access Cards, is now also open to sponsored non-DOD personnel serving as mission partners.
The move to open Defense Connect Online to government agencies and employees outside DOD marks a step forward in the departmentwide transformation effort to foster better cooperation through social-media engagement and virtualization.
According to the new policy, government employees with .gov e-mail addresses who are sponsored by CAC holders may take advantage of DCO's tools, which include Web conferencing, chat, video, application and desktop sharing, and voice-over-IP capabilities.
According to the Defense Information Systems Agency, which operates DCO within its Net-Centric Enterprise Services, sponsored accounts may be initiated by any nonsponsored DCO account holder, most of whom are DOD personnel with a CAC. A sponsored account remains valid for a year, and the sponsor can renew it at any time.
Previously, DOD partners who are integral to a mission or project can access DCO's Web conferences. The move to broaden access facilitates greater use of DCO's virtual workspace capabilities.
"Our DOD customers have increasing needs to collaborate with non-DOD mission partners," said Col. Brian Hermann, program manager of Defense Collaboration Services for the Air Force. "We are now allowing our DOD users to sponsor mission partners from other U.S. government agencies to give them confidence in the identity of their mission partners during Web conferences and to enable new users to participate."
About the Author
Amber Corrin is a former staff writer for FCW and Defense Systems.
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These early-career leaders already are having an outsized impact on government IT.
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I have always pictured this trip as a finish line …
Ryan's mom, Patrice
Ryan's mom Patrice remembers the shock of her son's diagnosis.
"We heard the words, 'you need to take him to the emergency room right away,'" she said.
In this heightened state of panic, they were thrown into a downward spiral of medical treatment, including doctor appointments, tests, diagnostics and endless long nights at the hospital. Ryan's disorder was critical and in need of rapid care.
Only two years ago, he had seemed like an active and normal 4-year-old capable of interacting with the outside world. It only took one phone call to remove any sort of normalcy from Ryan and his family's lives.
As treatment escalated, they learned that he needed a bone marrow transplant. This marked the temporary end of Ryan's ability to maintain his active lifestyle, as his immune system had been severely weakened and couldn't tolerate exposure to the unknowns of the outdoors.
Months passed and Ryan still couldn't engage in his favorite activities. He missed school day after school day, get-togethers with friends and other public outings like birthday parties.
What was once so easy – digging in the dirt, climbing in his fort – became impossible. The risk of germs and illness, injury and hemorrhaging, was simply too great.
Ryan's wish was all about recapturing his love of the outside world. As he neared the end of treatment, he and his family were able to look forward to the days ahead when they would travel to Hawaii and Ryan could finally play freely.
Patrice remembers how the trip became a pivotal moment in Ryan's transition from hospital-bound to independent. She said, "I have always pictured this trip as a finish line to everything we have been through."
On a beach in Hawaii, Ryan and his family celebrated reaching that finish line. They enjoyed downtime on the lazy river and building sandcastles. They parasailed and flew in a helicopter. Not too long ago, these activities would have been unthinkable.
But now, they marked the beginning of their return to life as it should be.
Ryan and his sister parasailing
This story makes me feel
November 05, 2019
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June 25, 2012 - 11:25 AM
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Articles & Essays
Available for download: Diana's Dissertation about
In Parts:
Table of Contents (PDF) Chapter Two (PDF) Chapter Five (PDF) Intro (PDF) Chapter Three (PDF) Conclusion (PDF) Chapter One (PDF) Chapter Four (PDF) Bibliography (PDF)
Character Development help
I developed the following information sheet to give writers some pointers on developing characters. I hope if you've stumbled over it, that it helps you. This and the following article on plugging into characters should offer a lot of help.
Plugging Your Reader Into Your Characters
Characters don't have to be necessarily likeable, but readers do need to connect to them. Even the anti-hero has to have some sort of sympathetic quality. We'll talk about how you can boost that reader/character connection. Let's face it, if readers love a character, they'll stick with the story.
Show of hands: Ever read a story or book that you didn't like that well, but the character kept you going? You just had to know what happened to him or her?
Why do you suppose that is?
Tips for Keeping Track of Vital Information in Your Novel
First published in The Broadsheet. February 2005
Let's face it, write a novel, and you need to find a reliable method of keeping track of informational details. Write a fantasy trilogy (as I am doing), and suddenly you need to keep track of everything in the last two books, plus the third one you're working on. Imagine yourself in the fifth chapter of the last book, inserting character information that contradicts what you already said in book one! Maybe it's only an eye color shift, but maybe it's a shift in religious beliefs or suddenly your heroine becomes an orphan, though earlier she had a mother and a father.
Publishing your first commercial novel
First published in State of the Arts, Montana Arts Council, September/October, 2004. 22-23.
You've triumphantly typed those lovely last words "The End." Congratulations! You've finished your commercial novel. Now what do you do? Like almost every writer who finishes a novel, you undoubtedly would like to see your book in print. But how to get an editor to even look at it, much less buy it?
First published in The Writers Post Journal. February 2005. 61-62.
You hear of it often. The loneliness of writing. The cliches: blood, sweat and tears. The urge to do anything else—scrub the toilet or scrape gum from beneath cafeteria tables—rather than spend one more second in front of a blank screen typing out words, erasing them, rearranging them, only to finally sit back and despair because you couldn't even write a grocery list.


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Harrahs Resort Southern California - Funner Ad
A new mayor of Funner, CA was elected! I created this ad to reflect the elevated humor he brings to the property. The inspiration was his mesh of gold and funny. I photographed the property and martini, all other photos were provided.
Harrahs Resort Southern California - Concept ads
Although these never met the real world, I highly enjoyed playing around with a new approach to the resort world. The idea was to showcase the different amenities but with a little twist and fun.
C1rca Skateboarding
I developed this campaign to help create a story around the rider and their pro shoe. Working with the action photographer, we shot photos around their hometown to accompany them in their ads.
These ads were used to help push the pro footwear and add a little lifestyle to the action photo. I photographed the product and laid out the ad. The action and lifestyle photos were provided.
Flow Snowboarding - Concept ads
The concepts ads were designed to pair the rider with their action photo, product and various lifestyle photos. We needed a layout that would be versatile for both spreads ads, single ads and digital media.


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Export 3 results:Author Title [ Type] Year
Filters: Author is Luo, Y. [Clear All Filters]
Journal Article
Thermal adaptation of net ecosystem exchange. Biogeosciences. 8(6):1453-1463.. 2011.
Evaluating the agreement between measurements and models of net ecosystem exchange at different times and timescales using wavelet coherence: an example using data from the North American Carbon Program Site-Level Interim Synthesis. Biogeosciences. 10(11):6893-6909.. 2013.
Belowground carbon allocation in forests estimated from litterfall and IRGA-based soil respiration measurements. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 113:39-51.. 2002.


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Holi is one of the top and important occasions of India. That festival is a celebration of colours we play with hues at this celebration. It is one of the most joyful, entertainment and religious festival of the Hindus.
- www.onlinedelivery.in/holi-gifts-india.aspx - review this website
Raksha Bandhan Festival
Rakhi is fundamentally a consecrated string of Rakhi is essentially a sacrosanct string of insurance adorned with the adoration and warmth of a sister for her sibling. This day is otherwise called Raksha Bandhan and celebrated on the full moon day of
- www.raksha-bandhan.com/ - review this website
Lovely bond of love on Rakhi for the people of Delhi
Send Rakhi to Delhi. Just click at www.rakhiworldwide.com/rakhigifts/send_rakhi_to_Delhi.asp and express your sacred love.
- www.rakhiworldwide.com/rakhigifts/send_rakhi_to_Delhi.asp - review this website
Haapy teachers day
Happy teachers day 2016 quotes wishes images speech wallpapers greetings cards sms messages in hindi english whatsapp status facebook cover dp pics pictures scraps.
- happyteachersdayquotesspeech.com/ - review this website
Unique Collection of Christmas Greetings and Photo Scraps
Get latest and exclusive collection of beautiful and cool christmas photo scraps, images, graphics, greetings, e-cards, pictures to wish all on this holy festival.
- www.goodlightscraps.com/christmas.php - review this website
Diwali Wishes | Diwali Cards
Send Diwali Wishes to your loved ones with Diwali Cards to make their Diwali filled with lights, joy and festivities.
- www.dgreetings.com/diwali/ - review this website
What Is Baisakhi | Baisakhi festival
What Is Baisakhi | Baisakhi festival.
- maibhartiya.com/what-is-baisakhi/ - review this website
Raksha Bandhan 2018 - When is Rakhi?
This year Raksha Bandhan will be commended with comparable enthusiasm and energy. Sisters will tie the obligation of insurance on their siblings' wrist, petition God for their siblings' prosperity and decorate the Rakhi puja thali.
- www.raksha-bandhan.com/when-is-raksha-bandhan.html - review this website
Teej and Rakhi
The Hindu months of Saawan and Bhadrapada correspond to the Gregorian months of July, August and September. It is in these months that the two important festivals Teej and Rakhi are celebrated with gusto in various parts of India.
- sauvewomen.com/teej-and-rakhi/ - review this website
Art gallery lists in Delhi | Art galleries in Delhi
Visit the best Indian modern and contemporary art galleries in Delhi. You will find the finest artists, art concepts, sculptures and installation.
- www.artculturefestival.in/category/galleries/delhi/ - review this website
Diwali Standard Fireworks
Crackers online shopping Bangalore : Buy Electronics, Fashion, Mobiles, kitchen Appliances, Health, Fitness, Clothing, Shoes, Sports, diwali crackers online at Dhamaka Store. free shipping and cash on delivery available
- www.dhamakastore.com/ - review this website
Signifcance of Holi
Holi in 2016 is falling on 23rd March. Holi Festival and Holi Festival Puja and Holika dahan is one of the major Festival celebrated in India.
- www.rudraksha-ratna.com/articles/holi-festival - review this website
Ram Navami Date 2016
Ram Navami is also famous with name of Shri Ram Navami festival which is in fact birth celebration of the Lord Rama. This year the festival is on 15th April 2016.
- www.rudraksha-ratna.com/articles/ram-navami - review this website
Best Indian Art festivals in Delhi
Find and explore the latest and attractive Indian art festivals in Delhi this week. Make your days more happening with these festivals.
- www.artculturefestival.in/ - review this website
Art events in Delhi | Painting exhibitions in Delhi
Find the latest and promising art events and art exhibitions in Delhi this week. You will find the great artists, art shows.
- www.artculturefestival.in/exhibitions/ - review this website
Art restorers in Delhi
Find service providers of Art Restoration in Delhi India. Get contact details and address of Art Restoration Service firms and companies in Delhi.
- www.artculturefestival.in/art-restorers/ - review this website
Happy diwali status
Enjoy these Diwali with the beautiful sound of burning cracker or in the light of candles and Deepak. We wish you Happy Diwali 2018 and be a cool and happy life.
- babastatus.com/happy-diwali/ - review this website
Onam wishes
onam wishes , quotes, images.
- onamwishes2016.blogspot.com/ - review this website
Kutch rann utsav Festival 2016-17
Kutch Rann Utsav Festival 2016-17 .We offer white desert rann festival . We have many rann utsav packages for more detail please visit our site: rannutsavonline.in
- www.rannutsavonline.in/ - review this website
Devotional India
Devotional India is a home that is known for celebrations, where people coincide from diverse religions, history, legend, and methodicalness of festivity.
- devotionalindia.in - review this website
Hanukkah Dates
Hanukkah (Chanukah) - The celebration of lights is commended each year by Jewish people group to give a tribute to their antiquated researchers, flexibility warriors and numerous others. Before going to know the dates of Hanukkah 2016 - We might want
- www.chanukkah2016.com/2016/09/hanukkah-2016-dates.html - review this website
Navratri Festival- Spiritual Significance in our Life!!
Navratri in Sanskrit literally means 'nine nights'; Nav - Nine &Ratri - nights. During these days, the forms of goddess: Laxmi, Durga and Saraswati- are prayed. The former three days are tamasic, the succeeding three rajasic.
- astrodevam.com/navratri-festival-spiritual-significance-in-our-life# - review this website
Importance Of Festivals
The magnificence of Indian culture and differences lies in the heart of celebrations. Significance of celebrations is that they portray the one of a kind and rich customs, way of life of individuals in a specific locale. https://www.swamirara.com/
- www.swamirara.com/importance-of-festivals/ - review this website
Art Festivals in Delhi| Best Festivals in Delhi
Find great art festivals and explore your passion and affection about art and festivals in Delhi. You will get to know about culture and heritage of india in Delhi by exploring best festivals in Delhi.
- events.artculturefestival.in/festival-events - review this website
Recent Art shows and Exhibitions in Delhi | Recent painting
Get the latest art shows and painting exhibitions in Delhi this week. Indulge and appreciate the presence of best people, color and art.
- events.artculturefestival.in/art-exhibition - review this website
Best Dance Shows and Dancers in Delhi
Find the best dance shows and live dance events around the town this week. Applaud the dance and dancers for their efforts by attending the events.
- events.artculturefestival.in/dance - review this website
Live Music Events in Delhi | Music Shows in Delhi 2018
Enjoy the wonderful experience of live music concerts, shows and events around the town this week. Appreciate the promising music events hosted by the town this year 2018.
- events.artculturefestival.in/music - review this website
Celebrate Holi Festival in India
Celebrate Holi Festival in India, Plan a trip to different destinations to experience Holi in a unique style.Pack your bags & head to these amazing locations.
- indiator.com/tourist-places/blog/celebrate-holi-festival-in-india/ - review this website
Thanksgiving Side Dishes | Thanksgiving Meal | Thanksgiving
- www.castleforyou.com/ - review this website
Find 7 Spectacular Locations In India To Celebrate The Amazing
Holi is a Hindu spring festival that is celebrated in various parts of the country and has gained popularity in other cultures and regions for being a very joyful and fun-filled festival. With so many states present in India, you can actually experie
- travmic.com/destination/india/ - review this website


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The timeless and variable beauty of granite has made this natural stone a staple in homes everywhere. This strong and durable material is available in an abundant selection of colors, meaning it can complement every style of décor.
Some of the most-loved features of granite are in its minute details — the appearance of flecks of different colors and the swirling patterns or streaks that decorate the surface. Those flecks are part of the coarse-grained structure of the stone. All of this combines to make granite earthy and elegant at the same time.
This characteristic makes this stone ideal for granite countertops in Athens, GA. Such appeal is what inspires homeowners and interior decorators alike to select granite to serve as the focal point of a kitchen. You can choose countertops from your favorite slab of granite and pick the flooring and appliances to match or vice-versa. Granite is handsome and offers enough variety to do both.
However, aesthetically pleasing, granite countertops are functional enough to serve you well. This stone:
Resists Heat, Which Is Essential in the Kitchen
Is Tough Enough to Fight Off Scratches & Dents
When Sealed, Doesn't Allow Bacteria of Food Debris to Hide


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{We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Occasionally posts contains other affiliate links as well.}
Because you all seem to love literature unit studies- and I love, love, love them myself- I'm going to write thirty-one more during the month of October. At the end of the month, I'm going to be taking these posts and converting them into printables, as well as adding some other goodies that you can print, and offering them as a digital download. I'm very excited, and I'll let you know when this is ready!
If you want to create your own unit study using the ideas I'm sharing in these posts, but you aren't quite sure how to go about it, you can check out this post that gives five simple steps for creating your own unit studies, along with a free printable to get you started.
Here are the thirty-one great kids' books I'm using to create the awesome unit studies that I'm looking forward to sharing with you. As each unit study post is published, I'll link it up here.
Don't forget to pin this post so that you can find these literature units easily.
We're Going on a Bear Hunt
The Tale of Despereaux
I hope that you and your kids enjoy these literature units! Let me know what you think,


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That being said, after a year of inflated system requirements (Wolfenstein, The Evil Within, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, Assassin's Creed: Unity), The Witcher 3's seem almost...reasonable? I mean, The Witcher 3 will definitely require a powerful machine, and it looks like dual-core CPU users are out of luck again, but for a massive open-world game from a studio known for punishing graphics requirements this doesn't seem too bad.
Minimum specsIntel CPU Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz/AMD CPU Phenom II X4 940
Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 660/AMD GPU Radeon HD 7870
OS 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 8 (8.1)
DirectX 11
HDD Space 40 GB
RecommendedIntel CPU Core i7 3770 3.4 GHz/AMD CPU AMD FX-8350 4 GHz
Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 770/AMD GPU Radeon R9 290
OS 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 8 (8.1)
DirectX 11
HDD Space 40 GB
Notice that 6GB of RAM is the minimum, mirroring a few other games we've seen this year. Now that consoles have 8GB of RAM, it seems like this is becoming more common. Also notice that the Minimum Specs are basically in-line with the graphical horsepower of a PlayStation 4—its GPU is roughly equivalent to a Radeon 7870 or GTX 660.
As I said, it's definitely not a low-end game, but the requirements seem pretty fair coming from a PC-first company like CD Projekt. I expect the highest settings will also require a rig quite a bit more powerful than the Recommended specs—The Witcher 2 can still make a high-end system bleed, thanks to its uber-sampling capabilities.
And remember, you've got four months to scrimp and save for four SLI-ed Titans. Time to go shovel your neighbor's driveways or something.


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Common sense is not so common these days, so it was encouraging to read Warren Buffett's Op-Ed in the New York Times; Buffett stated that the super rich are being "coddled" when it comes to paying their fair share of taxes.
Since my least favorite politicians are the ones who let facts get in the way of their ideology, it was fab to hear this quote from a "Democracy Now!" broadcast from former Utah governor Jon Huntsman, attacking a slew of extremists: "The minute that the Republican Party becomes the party--the anti-science party--we have a huge problem. We lose a lot of people that would otherwise allow us to win the election in 2012. When we take a position that isn't willing to embrace evolution, when we take a position that basically runs counter to what 98 of 100 climate scientists have said, what the National Academy of Sciences has said about what is causing climate change and man's contribution to it, I think we find ourselves on the wrong side of science, and therefore, in a losing position."


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Here's a bonus! I accidentally scheduled this for today instead of Wednesday. Oopsie … Don't miss Anselm Peter's Paradox Reversed, the tangle intended for today!
Diva Dance on a bender? Where the lines don't cross in Diva Dance, in this tangleation they do.
Ribbon Rose is a tangle from former Florida CZT Alice Hendon. Usually people move to Florida from "the North", but two years ago Alice and her husband went against the tide and left Florida for Maine.
Alice writes,
I currently live in Maine where I focus mostly on tangling, art, and publishing.
I admin a very active Facebook group called Tangle All Around where I provide weekly prompts and challenges to inspire and develop your tangle journey.
My go-to tangle is printemps. I was playing with the swirly, loopy lines of printemps one day – exploring where they could take me. What came out of my pen was Ribbon Rose.
I have since used it in several pieces of artwork and had some of that artwork featured during World Watercolor Month where I was a featured artist.
In describing how to add the rounding to Ribbon Rose, Alice notes "Pick out a few lines where you can enhance a line or you can fill it in with a little color and make it wider. You're gonna darken up some areas, it doesn't have to necessarily be all the outer edges. That's typically where I start though."
Ribbon Rose is easy peasy and I bet you'll have fun with this one.
Alice illustrates the step-by-step instructions for drawing Ribbon Rose below and she features it in a lovely tile with the Zentangle-originals Printemps and bits of Tipple.
In this video Alice explains how she tangles Ribbon Rose while demonstrating it on Hahnemühle Watercolor paper.
As you enjoy any of the tangles on the site, please leave a comment of thanks and encouragement to show the artists you appreciate them for sharing their creativity to inspire yours. Your comment helps motivate them to continue to share!
Check out the tag aliceh for more of Alice's tangles on TanglePatterns.com.
Related Links
- Linda's List of Zentangle-Original Patterns — here is the complete list of original tangles (aka "official tangles") created and introduced by founders Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas, including those not published online. If you are new to the Zentangle Method I highly recommend learning a few of the published Zentangle classics first.
- A pattern is not always a tangle — here's what makes a tangle.
- Un motif n'est pas toujours un tangle — Qu'est-ce qu'un tangle ?
- Un diseño no es siempre un tangle — ¿Qué es un tangle?
- How to submit your pattern deconstruction to TanglePatterns
- Zentangle terminology — a glossary of terms used in this art form
- For lots of great FREE tutorials on TanglePatterns, click on the TUTORIALS link in the pink alphabetic menu bar below the tangle images at the top of any page
- Strings! Have we got STRINGS! Click on the STRINGS link in the pink alphabetic menu bar below the tangle images at the top of any page for 250 different (free) Zentangle-starters. More than enough for any lifetime!
- What is a Zentangle? — if you are new to the Zentangle Method, start here for the fundamentals
Enhance your Zentangle experience while supporting TanglePatterns:
TanglePatterns.com TANGLE GUIDE, 2020 Edition
|The 9th Edition of my TanglePatterns.com TANGLE GUIDE. This instant-download 79-page (54 MB) interactive digital eBook contains all the tangles on the site from May 2010 through December 31, 2019. Containing almost 1,400 tangles, it's a must-have tool for using the site. Visit the STORE > E-BOOKS page and support TanglePatterns.com by getting your copy now!
"Linda, Thank you! I was relying on too few and getting stuck after 3 years of daily working with Zentangle. This has inspired me to 'begin again' with renewed excitement." ~ Barbara R.
|See the BOOK REVIEWS page for more details on its features and view a sample page. Note: this is a digital product you download when you place your order, nothing will be physically mailed to you.
|GIFT ORDERS FOR ANOTHER PERSON: To give the TANGLE GUIDE as a gift, visit this page to place your gift order.
|If you're new to Zentangle® and tangling, my TanglePatterns.com BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO ZENTANGLE is just what you need to get started. Also available en Français and en Español.
|This is the only Zentangle book you'll ever need: the fabulous Zentangle PRIMER Vol 1. It's your CZT-in-a-book by the founders of Zentangle®. Visit the STORE tab on the top menu bar or click on the image. For more about the content and to read the rave reviews, visit the BOOK REVIEWS tab.
|NEW! Now available in KINDLE format for $9.99.
|"Absolutely the best Zentangle Book yet! As an accomplished artist I used to think I did not need instruction on this art form. How wrong I was! My tangling improved by leaps and bounds after reading this book. If you think you have Zentangle down then you need this book more than ever!" ~ Kris H
|Another great jump-starter for new tanglers is the original Official Zentangle Kit. The Kit includes all the supplies you'll need to get started properly: Sakura Micron Pens, Zentangle Tiles, pencil, sharpener, tortillion, a booklet and an instructional DVD by co-founder Maria Thomas. Click on the image for more information about the Kit and its contents.


text: Pinterest Facebook Twitter Email Granite Tile Install 03:08 Granite tiles make a cost-effective alternative to a solid countertop. From: Kitchen Renovations and Kitchen on a Budget Similar Topics: Kitchen Countertops Countertops Kitchen Granite Stone Tile Related Videos Granite Tile Countertop 10:22 Granite Tile Options and Tips 02:43 Cutting Bathroom Granite 01:27 Granite Countertop Options 01:00 Granite Vs. Other Countertops 03:21 Installing Granite Tile 02:39 Sweat Equity IQ: Countertops 01:00 Granite Facade 01:30 More Videos Majestic Granite Columns 03:11 DIY Granite Countertops 01:00 Travertine & Glass Countertop 02:35 Stacked Slate Tile Install 05:57 Dramatic Granite Facelift 06:43 Vermont Slate Countertop 03:42 Soapstone Countertop 01:04 Installing Marble Countertops 03:40 ProCaliber Granite Repair Kit 01:19 Stone Vanity Countertop 02:23 Dramatic Limestone Entryway 03:51 Installing a Tile Backsplash 01:00 Installing Tile 04:51 Tiling Over Laminate Counters 05:03 Installing Quartz Countertops 04:47 Limestone Countertop 02:39 We Recommend What's the Best Kitchen Floor Tile? How to Clean Ceramic Tile Countertops How to Paint Laminate Countertops to Look Like Stone How to Install a Tile Backsplash 6 Steps Installing a Do-It-Yourself Granite Countertop 8 Steps How to Build a Grilling Island 10 Steps