text:
Victoria's 36.5-metre 85.5-tonne A-Double Networks
Building on Victoria's 30-metre A-Double Networks, VicRoads has published its first PBS Level 3A 36.5-metre A-Double Networks providing access up to 85.5-tonnes. This is a significant development for the road freight industry and High Productivity Freight Vehicle (HPFV) access in Victoria as it provides clear direction that HPFVs up to 36.5-metres can now access key freight routes in regional Victoria and metropolitan Melbourne.
The reference vehicles for the 36.5-metre A-Double networks are modelled off the 30-metre A-Double Reference Vehicle 1 as it adopts a > 5200mm spacing between the rear axle of the lead semi-trailer and the front axle of the dolly trailer. The 36.5-metre reference vehicles do introduce longer semi-trailer wheelbases in a deliberate approach to limiting the impact of the combinations on existing HPFV mass limited bridges, providing increased productivity opportunities of up to 5 tonnes on some freight routes. As an example, the 30-metre A-Double Reference Vehicle 1 is limited to 80.5 tonnes on the Henty Highway at Cavendish over Wannon River, whereas the 36.5-metre A-Double Reference Vehicle 1 is pre-approved at 85.5 tonnes.
The 36.5-metre A-Double networks provide some enhanced features that identify suitable rest areas for HPFVs up to 36.5-metres and any intersections on the HPFV network that do not provide the full PBS Level 3 Low Speed Swept Path (LSSP) access of 10.6-metres. Providing LSSP details for PBS Level 3 geometrically restricted intersections will inform HPFV combination design options and eliminates the financial burden on industry to complete these assessments for longer HPFV combinations, or HPFV combinations with an LSSP greater than PBS Level 2 of 8.7-metres, to secure access onto Victoria's HPFV networks. Map 1 provides a State view of Victoria's 36.5-metre A-Double network. By zooming in, details of PBS Level 3 geometrically restricted intersections can be identified.
VicRoads is currently completing the bridge assessments for 36.5-metre A-Double networks for reference vehicles that are modelled off the 30-metre A-Double Reference Vehicle 2. Advantia looks forward to the release of these networks and helping industry capatalise on the HPFV opportunities available.
source map: vicroadsmaps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=899a3a5e5bb14753bde2dcdda9fd82ea


text:
Meditation and Mindfulness Writing Course
15 minutes a day to transform your writing—and your life.
In just 15 minutes, you can transform your writing, your day and your life…
This mindfulness writing course is designed for writers and non-writers alike to help you jumpstart your writing, reconnect with your center, and access your deep creativity.
With this course you can
*Be supported in your writing practice
*Be supported in a meditation practice
*Write with more ease
*Access your authentic voice
*Be more creative
*Reconnect with yourself
*Be more grounded
*Listen better — to yourself and others
*Feel more at peace
*Come into greater health
*Feel more fulfilled, communicative, and productive
*Access your authentic power
*Finally write the work you've been wanting to write
With this simple, radical practice, you can transform your relationship with your writing–and yourself.
$297 For Lifetime Access
$297 For Lifetime Access
Sign up to be notified when the course opens for enrollment again
How It Works
31+ Day Mindfulness Writing Course With Meditation
The heart of this practice are 31 different 15 minute audio recordings
All you need to do is hit play and the mindfulness writing course will provide you with:
*A 3-5 minute meditation to quiet the mind and body
*A writing prompt to guide your creativity
*Supported writing time (10 minutes)
It also comes with lifetime access to a private facebook community for accountability, support, encouragement, connection with other writers, inspiration, and more.
It's simple, but it's also radical!
"Thank you, Nadia! I so enjoyed these writing sessions. They were like fifteen minutes of magic"—Trisha W.
$297 For Lifetime Access
Why bring meditation and writing together?
Fifteen minutes a day?
In our busy lives, we might feel like we have no extra time at all. That's why a course like this is all the more important!
However busy we are, it's essential that we take time for ourselves.
In my personal experience, and in my professional experience working with thousands of students, fifteen minutes a day is the perfect amount of time to establish a new habit and relationship with yourself.
Instead of cutting into your too-busy day, fifteen minutes of meditation and writing will make your days feel fuller, more spacious, more efficient and more rewarding. And I promise that you can fit in the extra fifteen minutes without losing out on anything important. In fact, spending fifteen minutes a day on this mindfulness writing course will make you feel like you have MORE time!
A Daily Practice?
But a daily practice is not for everyone.
Maybe you want to use this practice twice a week. The course guides you to figure out what fits for your schedule.
And because once you enroll, you have LIFETIME ENROLLMENT, you can start when you want and go at your own pace.
You will find that the practice deepens over time. And at different times in your life, you can use the practice differently.
The course also comes with lifetime access to a private facebook group of a wonderful, supportive community of like-minded writers. This is an optional place to share work, ask questions, make connections, get inspired, get support. I'm very active on the facebook group and am there to provide guidance, answer questions, and cheer you on!
Participating in the practice is like going on a little vacation each morning"—Willa M
Hi! I'm Nadia! I created this mindfulness writing course because I know first hand the power of both mediating and writing, and that power compounds when we put the two together!
I've been a reader and a writer for as long as I can remember, and I have also benefited enormously from mindful practices over the past fifteen years.
I found that while writing was my first love, meditation helped me heal and grow in ways that writing alone could not.
We come to produce our best work when we come from a more centered, grounded place. Only when we can access our own fullness of being can we create our fullest, best work.
What's Included in the Mindfulness Writing Course
*Suggestions/Guidelines about how best to use the course and different ways you can benefit from it, including guidelines for how to use the course to deepen a writing project you're already working on
* Thirty-one days of 15 minute audio guides (more than 8 hours of recordings in total) in a beautifully packaged program so that you can listen to the audios again and again.
*Access to a private facebook community of other writers who are participating in the practice. A place to connect with others, share your writing, get feedback, get support, ask questions, check in with me (I'll be active on the facebook group) and more!
* A calendar to chart your progress
*Lifelong enrollment. Start any time. Come back to the course any time! Go at your own pace!
And once you have a year long practice, it's easy to make it a LIFELONG PRACTICE!
* Expansions to turn the 15-minute practice into longer supported, mindful writing sessions.
Sign up for lifelong access to this transformative practice
$297 For Lifetime Access
Sign up to be notified when the course opens for enrollment again
"I was feeling completely stuck in my writing–and in my life. Then I started to do Nadia's meditation and mindfulness writing course, and everything began to flow again." -Chris B
Want More Information?
Most of us are ready to revitalize, but we forget the detox step.
We're ready to jump into our writing and go full force ahead.
I get it. I do that, too. Even though I know the benefits of meditating before writing, I'm often so eager to get to work, that I go right to my computer.
I feel that I'm too full of ideas to quiet my mind and sit in mediation first.
So if I feel this way, I understand if you do, too!
But when I DO meditate before I write, my writing is more clear, more direct, more focused, more profound, more creative, more surprising, more insightful.
And my students see the same results:
"I can't believe how much I can write in only ten minutes when I meditate first." -Janice P.
"Most of the time by minute ten, I'm still fidgeting in my seat before I write, but when I meditate first, I often do my very best work in the first few minutes of writing." -Paul F.
But it's hard to do this alone.
That's why I created fifteen minute audio guides.
All you need to do is hit play and you'll be guided in the meditation, be given a writing prompt, and be given ten minutes of supported writing time.
If you want to keep writing after that, please do. But if you don't, no worries. You've done your fifteen-minute practice for the day!
An experienced writer who wants to go deeper into your work
New to writing, but want to start to explore your creative voice more
Interested in improving your health and using meditation and writing as a tool
An experienced meditator wanting to explore new practices and to bring writing to your practice
A new meditator, ready to try a new practice with support
Ready to see changes in your life
Ready to get unblocked and to access your full voice and insights
Ready to connect with a group of like-minded people
You want step-by-step technical guidance
You have no interest in meditation
You have your own set practices that you don't want to change
You are only interested in the product of writing, not the process
MEDITATION: DETOX and RECENTER
How does it work?
We live on overload most of the time. We rush from morning to night, and when we have down time, we often use it to scroll our newsfeeds or to consume some other form of media. Even when we're not working, we're often infiltrated by the news and the energies around us.
No wonder our systems are overloaded.
And as our mental and emotional systems get overloaded, our physical systems, too, get overworked.
Our adrenals, our kidneys, our livers, our central nervous system, are all working overtime.
Stress leads to inflammation and a general weakening of the immune system.
We become emotionally and mentally imbalanced.
We can hardly hear our own thoughts and our own voice for all the noise around us.
My meditation and writing practices start with meditation to help you disconnect from all that external noise and calm your mind and your body.
Scientific studies have shown that just a three minute daily meditation practice can help:
- Reduced stress
- Reduces anxiety
- Promotes emotional well being
- Increases immune system function
- Increases immune system function
- Lengthens attention span
- Improves Sleep
- Improves self esteem
- Helps controls chronic pain and addiction
- And much more
Imagine if you never took a shower, you'd be pretty covered in grime and filth and would start to smell and would very likely get sick.
Our culture spends a lot of time thinking about our external cleanliness and appearance, but very little time focusing on our internal health and needs.
And we tend to separate the mind and the body, as if they were two separate things, but as new research shows, they are inextricably connected.
Every day, you'll have a new guided audio meditation to practice with.
Whether you are completely new to meditation or an experienced meditator, this program will give you empowering meditations so that you never need to miss a daily meditation.
Meditations include practices in the tradition of:
Thich Nhat Hanh,
vipassana meditation
kundalini yoga meditation
pranayama meditation
and more.
You get to experience lots of new meditations and see which work best for you.
So many people struggle with finding time in their day for a daily meditation. This program makes it as easy as sitting down and hitting play!
And even if you already have a daily meditation, this program can be a nice complement to any daily meditation practice.
But then what?
Coming into quiet is important. And we also need to express ourselves.
Writing helps us claim our voice, be more fulfilled, write the work we've been meaning to write–and enter into greater wellbeing
This program guides you to listen to yourself and tap into your authentic voice and deep creative power.
And it guides you to write not just from your over-busy head, but from your centered body that you have connected with in the meditation.
Each day I'll offer a different prompt to help guide your writing.
These prompts are designed to stand on their own and jumpstart new writing AND to help you go to new and deeper places with writing projects you're already working on.
The prompts include:
*Poems from authors such as Emily Dickinson, Rilke, Mary Oliver, Rumi, Ross Gay, Lucille Clifton, and many others
*Short prose passages from authors such as Audre Lorde, Rebecca Solnit, Virginia Woolf, Anne Lamott, Thich Nhat Hanh, Thomas Merton
*Collections of words to write from
*Places to focus your attention,
* & more!
Ten-minutes of writing after a short meditation can produce more powerful and insightful work than hours of writing in other conditions.
You write not only from your wandering mind, but from the insights and wisdom of your body.
During the ten-minute of writing time, I'll offer short reminders to stay connected to your body as you write.
Most of us tend not to write at all or to sit down and write in little bursts. This program guides you to develop a daily writing practice so that you have a regular, comfortable and intimate working relationship with your writing and your voice.
It helps you get through blocks and stay unblocked.
And just as meditation has powerful health benefits, writing has been scientifically shown to improve both emotional and physical well-being.
Expression and self-understanding are some of the key factors in health and help regulate both our moods and our immune systems.
"I used to write only from my head. Working with Nadia, I learned to write from my belly. Sure, my head is still working, but what I'm saying is so much deeper and more honest now."
—Raina A.
What If I can't commit to a daily practice, is this course for me?
Yes! Do what makes sense for your schedule. Try for three times a week. Or two. Be intentional about it and try to keep up with your own intentions. Use the facebook group for support.
Or use the practices in this course to onboard your writing, at those particular times you need it.
There's no falling behind in this course and no failing! The supporting materials will help you decide what is right for you. And once you enroll, you have lifetime access to the course, so you can use it whenever you want.
I've never meditated before, is this course for me?
Absolutely! This course will walk you through meditation and you can always come to the facebook group for support.
I haven't written in a long time, is this mindfulness writing course for me?
You bet! This course will get you writing again and enjoying the process!
I already have a daily mediation practice, is this course for me?
This course only offers short meditations, so stick with your daily practice and add this to it. If you have a daily meditation practice, I think you'll enjoy bringing writing to another meditation practice!
I already have a daily writing practice, is this course for me?
When you bring meditation and writing together it can really boost your daily writing practice and help you have deeper insights and access a different level of creativity! So yes!
I'm in the middle of a long writing project, is this course for me?
Yes! It can be hard to stick with a long writing practice. There are special directions for how to use this course in tandem with a longer writing project. This course will get you working more efficiently and help you clarify your message and your writing and strengthen your own unique writing voice.
$297 For Lifetime Access
"I was feeling completely stuck in my writing–and in my life. Then I started to do Nadia's meditation and writing, and everything began to flow again." -Chris B

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Part 2 of the Hockey's Future ECAC season preview takes a look at the six Ivy League teams. This season, the Ivy League features 22 NHL prospects representing four of the six member schools. Harvard leads with nine prospects, followed by Cornell with seven. Dartmouth and Princeton are the two Ivy League teams that do not have a prospect on their roster this season.
Yale University
NHL prospects: 5
The reigning national champions will look to defend their crown when they open their 2013-14 season on Oct. 25th versus Brown in the Liberty Hockey Invitational in Newark, NJ.
Yale was the best story coming out of the NCAA Tournament last spring. After nearly missing the tournament altogether, the Bulldogs made a successful run to capture their first-ever national championship. While Yale is poised to make a strong run for the ECAC title and returns most of last year's team this season, they also lost some key players that have left some significant holes that will need to be filled.
The greatest loss is in goal. The Bulldogs graduated two of their three netminders in starter Jeff Malcolm as well as Nick Maricic. Junior Connor Wilson, the lone returning goaltender, appeared in just five games last season, posting an 0-3-0 record. Wilson will get some competition for the starting job this season from two talented newcomers in Alex Lyon and Patrick Spano.
With the uncertainty in goal to begin the season, Yale will be looking to their excellent veteran defensive corps to stabilize things on the back end. With the exception of graduate Colin Dueck, the Bulldogs return all of their top defensemen this season.
Leading the group are senior Gus Young (COL) and sophomore Rob O'Gara (BOS). The two defensive partners comprised one of the ECAC's best blueline tandems last season. Young is coming off of an outstanding junior campaign where he posted nine points (two goals, seven assists) and co-led the Bulldogs with 58 penalty minutes. One notable area where Young has made great developmental strides has been on the offensive side. While he'll likely never become a prolific point producer, Young has shown that he can chip in offensively. He possesses greater accuracy in his shots and can get pucks to the net more often.
O'Gara is coming off of a terrific freshman campaign where he posted seven points (all assists). The Nesconset, NY native uses his 6'4", 205-pound frame and long reach very effectively in taking away time and space as well as being a physical presence on the blueline. And as he continues to add strength, those attributes will become more pronounced. One notable area where O'Gara continually improved last season was in his smarter decisions with the puck.
Another area where Yale suffered some key losses was up front. The Bulldogs graduated two of their top scorers in Antoine Laganiere as well as All-American and Ivy League Player of the Year Andrew Miller. The two players signed with the Anaheim Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers respectively this past spring. The losses of Laganiere and Miller will be especially felt on the power-play, where the duo combined for 13 of Yale's 35 power-play tallies last season. While those losses along with that of graduate Josh Balch are significant, the Bulldogs forward lines are shaping up to be deep and very good this season.
Leading Yale's offensive attack are seniors Kenny Agostino (CGY) and Jesse Root. Agostino was offered a pro contract in the offseason, but opted to return to New Haven, CT to finish out his collegiate career. The Flanders, NJ native returns as the Bulldogs top scorer after co-leading the team last season with 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) in 37 games en route to earning spots on both the All-ECAC and All-Ivy League second teams. Agostino can simply make things happen whenever he's on the ice, and nowhere is that more evident than his play in the dirty areas. Agostino does an outstanding job of using his strength effectively in both driving hard to the net and creating space for both himself and his teammates.
Root has emerged as one of Yale's clutch scorers. The Pittsburgh, PA native is coming off of an excellent junior campaign where he posted 23 points (12 goals, 11 assists) in 34 games. Where Root really made his mark last season was on the power-play. Of his 12 goals, half came on the man-advantage. Part of what has made Root such a valuable player for the Bulldogs is his ability to use his speed and tenacity around the net to create or capitalize on opportunities.
In addition to the returning veterans, Yale also welcomes eight newcomers this season. One that many will be watching is power forward John Hayden (CHI). The center from Greenwich, CT has size (6'3", 210 lbs.) and is noted for his physicality and play in the dirty areas. Hayden could eventually fill Laganiere's role for the Bulldogs as his collegiate career progresses.
Brown University
NHL prospects: 1
The Bears open their 2013-14 season on Oct. 25th versus Yale in the Liberty Hockey Invitational in Newark, NJ.
After a slow start last season, Brown ended their 2012-13 campaign with a strong finish, reaching the ECAC Championship game before falling to Union College. The Bears are shaping up to be quite good and could be a strong contender for the ECAC title this season, but there are several issues that will need to be addressed first.
One of the most pressing is goaltending with starter Anthony Borelli having graduated. The Grand Island, NY native was the backbone of the Bears' superb defense last season that finished tenth nationally, allowing just 85 total goals. Borelli finished his excellent final season with a 14-9-5 record that included four shutouts in 28 appearances. His performance earned him spots on the All-Ivy League First Team and the All-ECAC Third Team.
Senior Marco De Filippo, who served as Borelli's backup last season, is the lone returning goaltender for Brown this season. The Auronzo Di Cadore, Italy native actually played quite well, despite posting a 2-5-1 record that included one shutout in 13 appearances. While De Filippo could be named the Bears starter this season, he will also get some competition for the job from two newcomers in Tim Ernst and Tyler Steel.
Defense is shaping up to be Brown's strongest position this season and the defensive corps will be counted on to help stabilize things on the back end. With the exception of graduate Richie Crowley, the Bears return all of their top defensemen this season.
Anchoring Brown's blueline this season is senior captain Dennis Robertson (TOR). The Fort St. John, BC native is coming off of a superb junior campaign where he led all Bears rearguards with 20 points (three goals, 17 assists) in 36 games en route to earning a spot on the All-Ivy League First Team. Robertson also led the team with 69 penalty minutes and finished third with a +9 rating. One notable aspect in Robertson's development is how effectively he is able to balance the various aspects of his game. He is equally good at both ends of the ice and combines that with toughness, making him a threat whenever he is on the ice.
Of Brown's eight newcomers this season, two are defensemen. One to keep an eye on is Tyler Wood. The Manchester, MA native is the son of former NHL forward Randy Wood and older brother of New Jersey Devils prospect and Bears recruit, Miles Wood. Tyler Wood has size (6'3", 190 lbs.) and is noted for his excellent skating and ability to play both ends of the ice equally well. Wood, who is a 1994-born defenseman, is eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft.
Despite graduating four key players up front, Brown's forward lines are shaping up to be an outstanding group again this season. But, despite their strengths, the Bears will need to find a way to generate more offensive production throughout their lineup. Brown's offense finished 40th nationally last season, averaging 2.50 goals per game. Furthermore, the Bears had just one player that netted 10 or more goals.
That player is returning top scoring junior, Matt Lorito. The Oakville, ON native is coming off of a sensational sophomore campaign where he more than doubled his point total from his freshman season two years ago. Lorito posted 37 points (22 goals, 15 assists) in 36 games en route to earning spots on the All-Ivy League First Team and the All-ECAC Second Team. Lorito was especially dangerous on special teams. Of his 22 goals, nine came on special teams – eight on the power-play and one shorthanded. Lorito is a dynamic winger who is quick and knows what to do with the puck when it's on his stick. Not surprisingly, Lorito has also generated growing NHL interest. Among the teams having taken notice is the Chicago Blackhawks, whose prospect camp Lorito attended this summer.
Another Brown forward that has gotten a lot of NHL interest is returning senior and assistant captain Garnet Hathaway. The Kennebunkport, ME native is coming off of an outstanding junior campaign where he finished third on the team with 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) playing in 33 games. Hathaway is a 6'2", 211-pound power forward who is blossoming into one of Brown's best defensive players. He plays a hard-nosed style and can be a difficult player to contain. Hathaway uses his size and strength very effectively in the tough areas and is a fierce competitor. Among the NHL teams that have taken notice of Hathaway are the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, whose prospect camps he attended over the summer.
Cornell University
NHL prospects: 7
The Big Red opens their 2013-14 season on Oct. 25th at Nebraska-Omaha.
Cornell struggled mightily in the middle of last season, which in large part led to their disappointing ninth place ECAC finish. While the Big Red are poised to be better this season, they will also have to fill the holes left by seven key graduates and address some issues.
Two of Cornell's most significant losses were that of defensemen Nick D'Agostino (PIT) and Braden Birch. D'Agostino finished second on the team in defensive scoring with 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) in 34 games. Birch posted four points (two goals, two assists) in 34 games. While D'Agostino and Birch will be missed, the Big Red's blueline is shaping up to be quite good this season. It's also going to be big, as well, with six of the nine defensemen being 6'0" or taller.
Among those anchoring Cornell's defense this season are junior Joakim Ryan (SJS) and sophomore Reece Willcox (PHI). Ryan is coming off of an excellent season where he led the Big Red in defensive scoring with 23 points (three goals, 20 assists) in 34 games en route to earning a spot on the All-Ivy League Second Team. Ryan, who is an offensive defenseman, has made great strides in his development on the defensive side in areas such as better gap control and taking away lanes.
Willcox is coming off of an outstanding rookie campaign where he played in all 34 games and posted five points (all assists). At 6'4" and 193 pounds, he is one of the biggest rearguards on the Cornell roster. The Surrey, BC native plays a simple yet effective game primarily as a defensive defenseman. Willcox uses his size and long reach well in taking away time and space, and as he strengthens his large frame he'll become a more dominant force in shutting down opposing players.
Senior assistant captain Andy Iles returns as the Big Red's go-to guy between the pipes this season. He is also the lone returning netminder. The local product finished his junior campaign last season posting a 15-16-3 record that included two shutouts in 34 games. Iles was one of three ECAC netminders and the only one from the Ivy League that appeared in all of his team's games. Competing with Iles for playing time this season are newcomers Ryan Coon and Mitch Gilliam.
Of the four forwards that Cornell graduated, the most notable was Greg Miller. The Toronto, ON native led the Big Red last season with 33 points (14 goals, 19 assists) in 33 games. Miller was among the nation's best defensive forwards. Not surprisingly, he was named the ECAC's top defensive forward last season. Miller also earned spots on the All-Ivy League First Team and the All-ECAC Third Team.
While Miller's loss is significant, the Big Red's forward lines are shaping up to be deep and very good this season. However, Cornell will also be looking to get increased offensive production throughout their forward lines. The Big Red's offense finished 42nd nationally last season, averaging 2.44 goals per game.
Leading Cornell's offensive attack this season are junior linemates Brian Ferlin (BOS) and Joel Lowry (LAK). The duo, along with Miller, comprised one of the ECAC's best lines last season.
Ferlin returns as the Big Red's top scorer after a terrific sophomore campaign where he posted 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 34 games. He also finished second on the Cornell roster with a +10. One notable aspect in Ferlin's development last season was how he utilized his strengthened 6'2", 201-pound frame. His play along the walls was stronger and he was able to gain and maintain better positioning around the net.
Lowry returns as the Big Red's top goal scorer after finishing his excellent sophomore campaign with 12 goals and 23 points playing in 23 games. Where the Calgary, AB native really made his mark last season was on the power-play. Of his 12 goals, four came with the man-advantage. Like Ferlin, Lowry's added strength has also enhanced parts of his game. One notable area has been in his skating. Lowry's footwork has greatly improved and he has also added some quickness.
In addition to the returning veterans, Cornell also welcomes ten newcomers this season. One that many will be keeping an eye on is Matt Buckles. The Toronto, ON native is a 6'2", 205-pound center noted for his pro shot, speed and goal-scoring ability. Buckles holds the distinction of being the first Cornellian to be selected by the Florida Panthers in the NHL Draft.
Dartmouth College
NHL prospects: 0
The Big Green opens their 2013-14 season on Oct. 25th versus Princeton in the Liberty Hockey Invitational in Newark, NJ.
After a strong start last season, Dartmouth ended up finished tied for fifth in the ECAC. This season, Dartmouth is poised to make a strong push for the ECAC title with a veteran team returning and relatively few offseason losses.
Most of the losses that Dartmouth suffered were among their forwards, most notably Matt Lindblad and Dustin Walsh. Lindblad, who opted to forego his senior year to sign with the Boston Bruins, finished second on the team with 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 30 games. Walsh, a now-former Montreal Canadiens prospect, finished third with 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 29 games. While the losses of Lindblad and Walsh are significant, the Big Green forward lines are shaping up to be even better and deeper this season, and should be one of the team's strengths.
Leading the Big Green up front this season is junior captain Tyler Sikura. The Aurora, ON native is coming off of a terrific sophomore campaign where he led Dartmouth with 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in 34 games en route to earning a spot on the All-Ivy League First Team. Sikura is a smart 6'2", 190-pound center who is equally adept at setting up and finishing plays. He possesses good speed and utilizes it exceedingly well in transition and in creating plays. Not surprisingly, Sikura has already caught the attention of several NHL teams, including the Winnipeg Jets, whose prospect camp he attended this summer. Barring any setbacks and given his size and superb skill package, Sikura could be among the most coveted free agents available at season's end. As head coach Bob Gaudet explains, Sikura also embodies what Dartmouth hockey is all about.
"Tyler encompasses everything that we hold dear as a team in terms of standards," said Gaudet. "He's an incredibly hard worker. He's very, very skilled and creative and he's a selfless guy. Tyler is just the embodiment of what we want in our leadership. He's a great representative of our program. Tyler is continually getting better. He plays in all situations and he's our top-line center, so he takes lots of key draws. Above all, we can rely on Tyler. I think the best is ahead of him."
Another key loss that Dartmouth suffered was on the blueline with the graduation of stalwart Mike Keenan. The Weymouth, MA was the Big Green's best defenseman last season. He finished his final year leading all Dartmouth defensemen with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 34 games. His excellent season earned him numerous honors including spots on the All-Ivy League First Team and the All-ECAC Second Team.
Anchoring the Big Green's defense this season is senior assistant captain Taylor Boldt. The Niwot, CO native is coming off of an excellent junior campaign where he posted five points (all assists) in 32 games. Boldt is a 5'11", 190-pound defensive defenseman who is reliable and plays a smart game. There's nothing flashy about his play and he's a player that simply goes out and gets the job done. While Boldt isn't big, he is strong and uses his strength exceedingly well in controlling his gaps and limiting available time and space.
In addition to the forward lines, another of Dartmouth's strengths this season is in goal. The Big Green returns all three of their netminders in senior Cab Morris and sophomores Charles Grant and James Kruger. Morris and Grant split time in all of the games and played equally well. Morris posted an 8-7-3 record that included one shutout in 19 appearances, while Grant posted a 7-7-2 record that included one shutout in 16 appearances. Kruger appeared in one game in relief.
In addition to the returning veterans, Dartmouth also welcomes five newcomers this season. One to keep an eye on is 5'10", 175-pound winger Troy Crema. The Toronto, ON native is noted for his superb point producing ability and will add depth to the Big Green's already-deep forward lines. Crema, who is one of the youngest players in the NCAA this season, is eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft. Gaudet notes that Crema possesses many qualities that could make him very successful.
"I've been really impressed with Troy so far," stated Gaudet. "He's a smallish forward with really good hockey sense and speed that is also very tenacious. And I like all of those elements. I think Troy is going to be one of the guys that will get after the puck and make some plays for us."
Harvard University
NHL prospects: 9
The Crimson opens their 2013-14 season on Oct. 26th versus Bentley.
The 2012-13 campaign proved to be quite a difficult one for Harvard. The Crimson dealt with a myriad of injuries that was compounded by four players who were "removed" from the roster last December stemming from an academic scandal. In addition, the team struggled mightily at mid-season.
With a new season about to begin, Harvard is shaping up to be a much better team. The four players removed last season have all been reinstated and the team adds a superb incoming class, but there are still several issues and some significant holes to fill this season, as well.
The most significant losses were among their forward lines. Of the six players that the Crimson graduated, four were forwards in Alex Fallstrom (BOS), Luke Grenier, Marshall Everson and Conor Morrison. The quartet combined for 41% of the team's goals and 32% of the team's total points that will need to be replaced this season.
Leading Harvard's offensive attack this season is sophomore Jimmy Vesey (NSH). The North Reading, MA native is coming off of a sensational freshman campaign where he co-led the Crimson with 11 goals and finished third with 18 points in 27 games last season. Vesey's outstanding season earned him numerous honors including the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and a selection to the ECAC All-Rookie Team. As head coach Ted Donato explains, Vesey is also developing into a more rounded player that can help the team in many ways.
"This summer, Jimmy put in a great deal off the ice," said Donato. "We feel that he's more physically and mentally ready now than he was coming into last year. The all-around commitment that Jimmy has shown to be able to be used in all situations is something he really developed last year. He has started to become a 200-foot player. Jimmy has a knack for scoring and that's something we're excited about, but we're also excited about how he can help us in all facets of the game, too."
Six of Harvard's nine newcomers this season are forwards. One that many will be watching is Alex Kerfoot (NJD). The West Vancouver, BC native is one of two NHL-drafted freshmen on the Crimson's roster this season. Donato notes that Kerfoot is a freshman who could become an immediate impact player for his team.
"Alex is a dynamic offensive player with great speed'" Donato said of his prized freshman. "He distributes the puck well and is a guy that can play in all situations. We feel that Alex has the chance to be a high impact player for us right away. Alex is a part of an offensive (incoming) group that we feel has a chance to be very special and be an essential part of our team."
The other two players that Harvard graduated were defensemen, including Danny Biega (CAR). The Montreal, QC native led all Crimson rearguards with 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in 32 games last season and was the glue that held the Harvard defense together. While Biega's loss is significant, the Crimson blueline is shaping up to be an outstanding one this season.
Among the returning veterans leading Harvard's defensive corps is junior Patrick McNally (VAN). The Cumberland, ME native was one of the four players removed last season. Prior to his removal, McNally played in seven games and posted three points (one goal, two assists). Donato notes that his young defenseman could be among the nation's best this season.
"Patrick had an outstanding freshman year and was off to a good start last year'" stated Donato. "I feel that he has improved greatly and will be a guy that will be one of the top ten defensemen in the country this year. We feel that Patrick is ready to step in and be a real impact player every night."
The only position Harvard returns intact this season is in goal. Senior Raphael Girard is coming off of an outstanding junior campaign as the Crimson's starter, posting an 8-18-3 record that included two shutouts. Reinstated junior Steve Michalek (MIN) and sophomore Peter Traber will be competing with Girard for the starting job that looks to be a fascinating competition to watch.
One of the main areas that the Crimson will look to better this season is their defense. Harvard finished 49th nationally last season, allowing an average of 3.16 goals per game. Even worse was the team's penalty kill. Harvard finished 55th nationally and at the bottom of the ECAC with a penalty kill that clicked at just 12.5%.
Princeton University
NHL prospects: 0
The Tigers open their 2013-14 season on Oct. 25th versus Dartmouth in the Liberty Hockey Invitational in Newark, NJ.
Princeton finished tied for seventh in the ECAC last season in large part due to the rash of injuries that plagued the team. The Tigers head into the season with many of their top players returning. But Princeton also suffered some key losses and has other issues that will need to be addressed if they hope to make a serious run for the ECAC title.
One position where the Tigers suffered two of their most notable losses was on the blueline with stalwart defensemen Michael Sdao (OTT) and Eric Meland having graduated. Sdao led the team in defensive scoring with 15 points (eight goals, seven assists) in 31 games and earned a spot on the All-Ivy League First Team. Meland finished behind Sdao with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in 25 games. Despite losing Sdao and Meland, Princeton's blueline is shaping up to be quite good with a nice mix of veterans and some promising newcomers.
Among those anchoring the Tigers blueline this season is junior Tom Kroshus. The Calgary, AB native is coming off of an outstanding sophomore campaign where he posted nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 26 games. Kroshus is a 6'1", 190-pound puck-moving defenseman who possesses a good stick and utilizes it effectively in stripping pucks from opposing players.
Of the eight newcomers on Princeton's roster this season, four are defensemen. One intriguing rearguard to watch is Marlon Sabo. The Surrey, BC native brings size (6'4", 210 lbs.) and toughness to the Tigers blueline. Sabo, a 1994-born defenseman, is eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft.
Another position where Princeton saw a significant loss was in goal with starter Mike Condon (MTL) having graduated. The Needham, MA native finished his outstanding final season with an 8-14-4 record that included two shutouts in 24 appearances. Condon also earned a spot on the All-Ivy League Second Team.
Condon's potential successor this season is senior Sean Bonar. The Delta, BC native served as Condon's backup last season, posting a 2-5-1 record in 11 appearances. Despite seeing limited time, Bonar actually played quite well. He's a 6'1", 175-pound butterfly-style goaltender with athleticism who does a very good job of controlling rebounds. Competing with Bonar for playing time this season are newcomer Colton Phinney and junior Ryan Benitez.
The forward lines are shaping up to be Princeton's strength this season. While the Tigers graduated Rob Kleebaum, Will MacDonald and James Kerr, nearly all of their top forwards return this season. But Princeton will need to generate more offense, not only throughout their forward lines, but throughout their lineup as well.
The Tigers offense finished 49th nationally last season averaging 2.32 goals per game. The 72 total goals that Princeton scored were the fewest among all ECAC teams. Furthermore, the Tigers had just one player that posted 10 or more goals last season.
That player is returning top scoring senior, Andrew Calof. The Nepean, ON native led the Tigers in scoring for the third consecutive season. He finished his stellar junior campaign with 38 points (14 goals, 24 assists) in 31 games. Calof is the motor that drives Princeton's offense. He's dynamic, smart and can make his teammates better. What Calof lacks in size (5'10", 175 lbs.), he makes up for with his speed, elusiveness and tenacity in battles for the puck. Although Calof didn't attend any NHL prospect camps this summer, he is still very much on the NHL radar. And barring a significant setback, Calof could be among the most highly sought-after free agents available at season's end.
One returning veteran poised to have an excellent season is sophomore Mike Ambrosia. The Chatham, NJ native is coming off of a terrific but injury-ravaged freshman campaign where he posted 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 21 games. Ambrosia is another of Princeton's small (5'10", 180 lbs.) yet speedy forwards. He made his mark last season on the power-play, where four of his six tallies were scored. Ambrosia had a strong showing at the New Jersey Devils prospect camp over the summer. That experience, along with staying healthy, could go a long way in helping not only his development but the success of the Tigers, as well.
Follow DJ Powers on Twitter via @DJPowersHF


text:
Stay up-to-date with what's happening in SD43.
StudentTranscripts Service (STS) is a new online application for students to view their school marks, scholarships, and transcripts, and send their transcripts electronically to the post-secondary institutions of their choice. The STS replaces the Student Secure Web.
Opportunities and programmes offered by outside organisations.
Dream. Create. Learn.


text:
« Big Lessons From a Year of Coaching: Stop Talking and Be Fearless | Main | When to Be Directive in a Coaching Conversation »
New Coaches: Technical Tips For Getting Started
If you are about to begin a role as a coach working with educators, then congratulations and welcome to this exciting world of adult learning! This first year may bring challenges--that's to be expected when you're starting something new, but with some reading, learning, and practice, you may be able to avoid some big pitfalls.
I've written a lot about the adaptive aspects of coaching. Being an effective coach has a great deal to do with who you are and how you show up in this work. Knowing yourself is critical (Here's a fun place to start in that exploration). Being curious and compassionate is essential.
In addition to knowing who you are and knowing your purpose, you also need to know what coaching is and how your school or district defines it. That's sometimes much harder than it should be as there are varied definitions and a lack of agreement about what it is. There's also a difference between taking up a coaching role in a place that has long had coaching, and being the first coach that a school has ever had. There are challenges and advantages in each scenario, but regardless of the situation--you need some kind of definition from which to work. At least to start with. Here's more on this topic.
There are also technical and organizational skills related to being an effective coach. You'll need to set up a number of systems to respond to these questions:
- How will your clients make appointments with you?
- How do you want your coachees to communicate with you? Via email, text message, or in person? For example, if they need to cancel an appointment, how do you want to get that information?
- How will you keep track of notes and your client's growth? In a notebook? In a digital doc? How will these be organized?
- What kind of scheduling tools or calendars do you want to use? Which of those (if any) do you want to make public so that other coaches, teachers or your supervisors can see where you are and what you're doing?
- What kinds of tools, resources or documents will you always carry with you? Does your school or district have frameworks for teaching that you might need to regularly reference? These are some of my favorites that I always carry with me (The Gaps, Spheres, Core Emotions).
- Related to your own calendar and schedule: When will you plan for and reflect on coaching conversations? Make sure you schedule this time for yourself and don't just leave it to when everything else is done. It's critical that you build in your reflection and learning time. Here's a resource on planning for coaching conversations.
- How often will you meet with your school principal, or other partners? Will those meetings be recurring, or as needed? How will you communicate with those partners?
Setting up some of these technical structures for coaching will help you be organized. It's likely that coaching is only one part of your job--many coaches also facilitate teams, teach a class or two, and develop curriculum. Staying on top of all the little things that come up related to coaching will also help you build trust with your coachees--as they see that you're organized and that they can depend on you, their confidence in your skill set with strengthen.
Here are some other resources for new coaches:
- I'm a New Coach: Where Do I Start?
- New Coaches: Try This At Home


text:
Martyr Christina of Tyre - Troparion & Kontakion
Troparion — Tone 4
Your lamb Christina calls out to You, O Jesus, in a loud voice: / I love You, my Bridegroom, and in seeking You I endure suffering. / In baptism I was crucified so that I might reign in You, / and I died so that I might live with You. / Accept me as a pure sacrifice, / for I have offered myself in love. / Through her prayers save our souls, since You are merciful.
Kontakion — Tone 4
O Venerable Christina, / you appeared as a shining dove, / With a pair of golden wings / alighting in the Highest Heavens. / Therefore we celebrate your glorious feast / and bow before the place that holds your relics. / Pray that we may receive grace and healing for body and soul.


text:
Adidas is getting all high-tech and jumping on the augmented reality bandwagon by releasing five of its men's sneakers with embedded augmented reality. The sneakers have the augmented reality technology stitched into their tongues.
Just hold your sneaker up to your web cam to unlock access to areas on the Adidas website. Including interactive games where the shoe is used as the games controller, which should be fun. Check out the video after the jump.
The Adidas footwear range to incorporate augmented reality is called the Originals AR Game Pack and will be available from the Adidas, Size , Offspring and Adidas Originals stores from February 10th.
Via Ubergizmo


text:
Welcome to the Eclipsing Binary (EB) Forum. We have set this up to complement the new EB Section web pages.
EBs are interesting to observe! There are many phenomena we can measure: the light variations due to eclipses, changes to the interval between eclipses, variations in the depth of eclipse, changing intervals between the primary and secondary eclipses, and intrinsic variability of one or both stars. The time spans range from one night, to years, but all are readily detectable.
AAVSO set up the "Eclipsing Binary Committee" in 1965 -- we expect and hope that observations will continue far in to the future! Please use this forum to contact other EB observers, and to discuss observations of eclipsing binary stars.
Gerry Samolyk, and Gary Billings


text:
Project Attraction: Part of Islamabad's best housing project, loaded with wide green areas and parks.
Location: Adjacent to Shahzad Town and near Park Road and Kuri Road.
Studio, 1,2 & 3 Bed luxury apartments available on a 2 year easy installment plan.
- Beds, Bath, Kitchen, Lounge, Balcony
- International standard construction- No load shedding
- Large car parking areas
- 24/7 security and maintenance
- Multi storey building with elevators
Picture Gallery:


text:
The Himachal Pradesh would utilize the global experience of Korea and World Bank for the solutions in areas like solid waste management, public transport, urban management, road constructions and maintenances etc.
Urban Development, Housing and Town and Country Planning Minister Sudhir Sharma, while presiding over the experience sharing workshop on green growth initiatives in Himachal Pradesh organised by the State government in collaboration with Korea Green Growth Trust Fund (KGGTF) and the World Bank, said the State Government would work on the analogy of Korean model for developing Shimla, Dharamshala city as a smart city and streamlining the traffic problems of the Shimla city which had also been included under AMRUT Mission by the government of India.
The Korean specialists in various areas were invited by the State Government for exchange of ideas and seeking their support in these areas. The visit was a part of the World Bank's long term support for the State Government in its move towards green and inclusive development.
The Minister said the Himachal government had a long partnership with the World Bank and the Development Policy Loan of the World Bank to promote inclusive green growth and sustainable development had helped the State in implementing critical structural and administrative reforms necessary to achieve rapid inclusive economic growth and development. He said Himachal Pradesh had surpassed various other States of the country in many sectors because of good co-ordination and commitment of the administrative machinery and the State leadership. Today, the State had emerged as one of the States with the best human development outcomes, which had also been documented in the World Bank report.
Sudhir Sharma said the towns and urban areas were going to be instrumental in economical and social progress of the State and government was according top priority to check haphazard and unplanned growth of these areas and to provide best infrastructural and public services like housing, sanitation, disposal of solid wastes, transport, water, health and education etc.
He said that in its initiative towards green growth, the state government had imposed complete ban on green felling, use of polythene, plastic bags, cups and plates besides smoking in public places. He added that Himachal was the first State in the country to initiate green forest accounting.
Chief Secretary VC Pharka said that exchange of knowledge through this workshop would help in the State in finding effective solutions in various issues the State was grappling with. He said the involvement of the World Bank team would further strengthen the relationship of the State with the Bank.
Pharka said this workshop would also help the concerned departments to learn about green technologies and make appropriate adjustments in the development policies.
The Chief Secretary said the State was also looking forward in the areas of use of green construction technology in road sector, use of ICT applications to achieve green growth and the concept of green smart city development with the participation of citizens. He expressed hope that the experience of Korea and World Bank team would help the State to come up with appropriate solutions.
Programme Manager of the KGGTF Eun Joo Yi said the fund was a single Donor World Bank Group programme and 88 million dollar programme was established in 2011 in partnership with the Korea. It finances the uptake of operational green growth technical know-how to influence investment project design of the clients of the World Bank. She thanked the State Government for inviting a team of Korean experts and the World Bank for sharing experiences on green growth initiatives.
Additional Chief Secretary, Finance Dr. Shrikant Baldi said Himachal Pradesh had done remarkable job in green growth initiative and by the end of year 2020, the State was going to achieve the target of carbon neutrality. He said detailed deliberations with the Korean experts and the World Bank team during last three days had been very successful and State was looking for taking benefit of Korean expertise in various sectors.
The detailed presentations were given by Urban Development, Public Works Department and Environment, Science and Technology Department on the achievements of the State Government in these sectors. The presentations were also given by the Korean experts in the field of solid waste management, public transport, urban management, road constructions and maintenance.
Additional Chief Secretaries Tarun Shridhar, Manisha Nanda and Shri Narendra Chauhan, Principal Secretary, Forest and Environment Tarun Kapoor and other senior officers of the State Government were present on the occasion.


text:
After two and a half days of deliberations, jurors in the murder trial against Marlon Williams told Judge Lynn Leibovitz that they had reached a deadlock.
Sitting in for Judge Canan, Leibovitz declared a mistrial in the case at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday. It is the third D.C. homicide trial to result in a deadlock this year.
Williams is charged with five counts in connection with the shooting death of Min Soo Kang, including felony murder while armed and attempted robbery. Eight jurors voted guilty on the murder charge, the jury said. Six jurors voted to convict on the attempted robbery charge.
At trial, prosecutors argued that Williams shot Kang inside his Cadillac Escalade on September 13, 2010, after Kang had returned from purchasing two cartons of cigarettes in Virginia.
Police found Kang's body on the sidewalk in the 3500 block of Croffut Place Southeast, and reported his vehicle as stolen to OnStar. The company locked the ignition, preventing whoever had it from starting the Escalade.
A witness testified that she saw a man resembling Williams tinkering with a Cadillac Escalade outside her home two miles from where Kang was found, and she reported the suspicious activity to the police. By the time police arrived, Williams was gone, but his fingerprints were found on the hood and inside of the vehicle.
A search warrant later recovered a semiautomatic pistol from Williams' home; the gun matched the bullets recovered from inside the Cadillac.
Williams' defense attorney, Russell Hairston, argued that the government had only proven that Williams had touched the outside of the vehicle. Holes remained in the case, he said.
Judge Leibovitz scheduled a status hearing on Canan's calendar for Thursday. The defense is expected to motion for Williams' release. Prosecutors will seek to schedule a new trial date for the case.


text:
Statement of Support for UNH Lecturers United (AAUP)
The PSU-AAUP strongly supports our USNH colleagues in the Lecturers United-AAUP chapter at the University of New Hampshire (UNH). We call upon the University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees to agree to our colleagues' very reasonable requests for true job stability and security. The average UNH Lecturer Faculty member has been at UNH… Continue reading Statement of Support for UNH Lecturers United (AAUP)


text:
While on stop-over in London Heathrow you should not only enjoy the modern Terminal 5 but also the adjacent Sofitel Hotel. It's restaurants and bars are worth staying there for too long…
The rooms are very generous, too. And they are perfectly soundproof given the fact that the aircrafts take off just next to it…
Hotel Restaurant
The restaurants offer tasty fish dishes and some more. The Belle Epoque's gourmet French cuisine is the only fine-dining restaurant at Heathrow. It's very hard to choose just one item!
Hotel Bars
The Perrier-Jouët Bar is operated in partnership with the famous champagne house and offers an extensive menu of champagnes as well as wines and other drinks. Rich gold and green tones and stunning art exhibitions create an intimate atmosphere in this atrium setting.
The Sphere Bar & Lounge sports striking Icelandic décor and a generous fireplace. Signature cocktails are served along with wine, beer, and clever small bites, like specialty canapés.
[slickr-flickr search=sets set="72157631637511448″ type="gallery"]
Hotel concierge Nico di Giovanni was instrumental in helping me and my camera around. Thanks for your support!


text:
"In the act of tearing something apart, you lose its meaning." – Malcolm Gladwell.
Picked apart or torn apart?
The Mona Lisa is considered by many to be one of the most iconic paintings of all time. What would have happened, I wonder, if Leonardo Da Vinci would have submitted his painting to an approval committee before releasing it? We probably would have ended up with a painting having a mixture of preferences from the group. It would have traits that appealed to everyone. It would have been better……Or would it? It is sometimes very hard to see the forest because of the trees. It is easy to get caught up in the mundane, mumbo jumbo of details and lists. We often feel the need to please people by adjusting the details of our creative endeavors. I believe we do this at the risk of losing the creative genius that was present when the creation was made in the first place.
Have you ever created something based on a wisp of inspiration? The feeling you get when you can sit back and admire something you actually created with your own power (God's power really…) is like no other. Then someone comes along and begins to dissect the creation asking why certain choices were made and offering suggestions on how they think your creation could be better. Would you say your reaction to this is greater inspiration? My guess is no. A creation is not just the sum of its parts. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The creation, while picked apart doesn't make much sense. It has a uniqueness that cannot be defined. The genius of the creation is that there is no rhyme or reason to many of the choices. At least not to the conscious mind of the creator.
Have you ever met someone that attracted people and you couldn't figure out why? On the surface, they were not that good looking. They were not the best public speakers. Some of their philosophies didn't make much sense. For whatever reason though, people were drawn to them….I see this in business all the time. You have one real estate agent that is just crushing it in business despite their out of the box approach. Then you have another realtor that looks the part, dresses the part, acts the part and has the powerhouse team but is struggling for every commission dollar. What is it that is going on here? <—That is really a silly question to ask. There is not one single answer to this question. To answer this question you would have to dive to the subatomic level of the successful realtor's psyche and analyze their childhood and growth patterns to determine the life trajectory that led to the philosophy and belief system they live by. In other words, don't try to analyze it! This is not something that can be bottled up.
Here is the paradox. When you release the reigns on your creativity and stop trying to have so much control, you will find that the creative genius in you will arise.
If you want to kill creativity, pick everything apart. This will tear apart the creation and you will be left with pieces.
If you found this post valuable, please connect with me on social media:


text:
Small business has a good opportunity in The Home Depot when you can become a vendor. The company gives opportunity to people. You can read more about it at mythdhr website. All you need is apply online and the company will review your business. How?
- To start with you want to do before applying in The Home Depot, you need to make sure you investigate something about your products. Make sure you evaluate your products for some other company plus the benefits it will share with The Home Depot. Make sure that your item is different and present benefits to them to be chosen. Determine what would be the features yet not pricy and might assist individuals.
- You will find two ways you ought to do if you wish to turn into a vendor in The Home Depot. Your initial technique is to fill up the registration form online at mythdhr.com. You will need some good information such as Dun and Bradstreet number plus your private federal tax number. You must also include the ownership of the firm, site, amount of workers and all you will find within the page. In enrollment, username and password can also be formed. After submitting the procedure, you will get email delivered for validation.
- All vendor application form is conducted online in Home Depot. You will not be shown privately at the business. But they won't contain you in case that you need to add in pictures, slide show presentation or collection links. These things will help you on your company to be viewed immensely.
- You can wait 60 days to see in case you are accepted or not. During that time frame, some staff members might inquire you with a lot more knowledge about your company. An associate will be designated to your account if accepted. If you're not approved, you can reapply several months after.
You can gather more details about this matter at their website at www.mythdhr.com.


text:
Eek! Where has the last week gone!?!
This isn't going to sound like a very impressive list for the past 8 days. I have to admit to not being quite as creative as I would have liked this week. I've been a bit all over the place, to be honest, and am only just managing to get myself back on track.
I've been pretty busy, don't get me wrong. Unfortunately, I don't think I can count the hours spent putting together an order from a craft wholesaler (catalogues are dangerous things...). Nor can I count the time spent on paperwork/budget reorganising/filing.
I took a visit to Woodstock, on Thursday last week, with my sister. Woodstock is an historic town in Oxfordshire, probably most famous for Blenheim Palace. We didn't go into the palace itself, just had lunch and a wander around the town (between showers). There was a huge amount of very attractive iron-work on display on houses and other buildings.
I love the symmetry and grace that has been given to this robust material. On Friday, I had a go at drawing some of these swirling patterns. I am trying to draw with confidence: drawing the lines in one movement rather than in sketchy, short lines. I don't find this easy. Although it is much easier when drawing geometric patterns.
I'd like to have a go at stitching some of these patterns soon.
Later on Friday, an order came in for 2 personalised elephants so that dictated the direction of my creativity for the weekend! I finished them on Sunday night, ready to photographed and shipped on Monday morning. They are to be well done gifts for finishing exams.
There is one more photo, which shows the embroidered names, but I'll leave that one off until I know they have been received - just in case it spoils the surprise!
I think that's about it for this week - unless I suddenly remember something I have forgotten to show you. Only another four days to go so I think it's time for a final push towards the finish line!


text:
Canadian Military History Gateway
Subject > Armed Forces > Military Command and Administration
Resource Type > Image
The portrait shows Major-General James Wolfe in the all red uniform that he frequently wore during the siege of Quebec and probably also during the siege of Louisbourg as well. This type of all red uniform dated from the days of the Duke of Marlborough as an optional field dress for officers. The original source for this 1766 portrait is a sketch made by Captain Hervey Smyth, Wolfe's aide-de-camp during the siege. The black band worn around Wolfe's arm is a mourning band in remembrance of the general's father, who had died in March 1759.
National Defence
The Canadian ministry of Militia and Defence was established in 1868. The country was originally divided by the ministry into nine Military Districts. Additional districts were added later on.
This charming watercolour of the staff of the British garrison at Montreal was painted by Captain Francis G. Coleridge of the 1st battalion of the 25th (the King's Own Borderers) Regiment of Foot. The blue coated staff officers with their cocked hats are accompanied by a scarlet coated officer of the 25th. Coleridge's entire album of 90 paintings is now in the collection of the Library and Archives Canada. (Library and Archives Canada C-102478)
Lieutenant-General Charles Foulkes (1903-1969), commander of the 1st Canadian Corps, accepts the surrender of the German army occupation forces in the Netherlands from Generaloberst Johannes Blaskowitz (1883-1948), at Wageningen, the Netherlands, on 5 May 1945. (Library and Archives Canada, PA-116811)
Vice-Admiral Charles Saunders (circa 1715 - 1775) commanded the British fleet during the 1759 siege of Quebec.
Craig (1748-1812), was Governor General of Canada from 1807 to 1811. His term was a stormy one, but he had many friends and admirerers in the colony, something shown by the brisk sale in Canada of prints portraying him. Sir James is shown wearing the uniform of a British general, with the star of the Order of the Bath on his breast. (Library and Archives Canada, C-024888)
King Louis XV of France (1710–1774) is shown wearing the royal robes. Around his neck are the collars and insignia of two orders of chivalry - the Spanish Order of the Golden Fleece, and the French Order of Saint-Louis. The white 8-pointed cross of the latter order was awarded to many Canadain soldiers during the French regime in Canada. (Library and Archives Canada, C-000604)
Sir Sam Hughes (1853-1921), the controversial Minister of Militia and Defence when the First World War began. Hughes was passionately interested in military matters, but his term as Minister was both a political and military failure. (Library of the Canadian Department of National Defence)
Not to be confused with the archers of the Maréchaussée, Navy archers were escorts, bodyguards and armed agents of the Intendant, the chief financial administrator of a French province or colony. They arrived in New France when the first Intendant was appointed in 1665. Reconstruction by Francis Back. (Parks Canada)
Henry Duncan Graham Crerar (1888-1965) was Commander in Chief of Canadian troops in Europe, 1944-45. This photo was taken in France. (Canadian Department of National Defence, ZK-9)


text:
Underhill's Response to COVID-19
Underhill would like to inform the public that we are taking steps to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, our community, clients and industry colleagues during this COVID-19 crisis.
After considering this crisis and reviewing the data supplied by the BC Centre for Disease Control and other resources, we have implemented many actions company-wide. We are aware that it is nearly inevitable that some of us will be exposed, however, we are taking actions which are intended to slow and perhaps reduce the spread of this virus.
We believe these steps are responsible and assist in the health and wellness of our employees, our community, and our industry colleagues. We appreciate your help and cooperation as we implement this action plan, and we apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.
We will post any additional updates on our website as this situation evolves. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.


text:
Time: 3 Days
Cost: $100
Difficulty: Incredibly
Increase in Mosquito Bites: Too Many to Count
3 Days in the Amazon with a Machete and a Backpack
This is a story of a boy entering the jungle, and exiting three days later as a man. That is, if the distinction between boy and man is that a man has hundreds of mosquito bites on his back and hasn't eaten for 3 days.
"The [jungle] did not tolerate frailty of body or mind. Show your weakness, and it would consume you without hesitation."
– Tahir Shah, House of the Tiger King: The Quest for a Lost City
Though my experience was not nearly as intense as the individuals chronicled in Mr. Shah's novel (16 weeks in the jungle), during my three day trek I felt the beginnings of what his quote and book was ment to communicate. When you are in the jungle, you are 100% responsible for your own survival, and if you stop forging for food and water, or choose the location of your shelter incorrectly, or just happen to choose the wrong vine to drink out of, it could easily cost you your life. As our guide Choco said many times "Todo es posible en la jungla". And for that reason, here is a list of things I learned during my stay that you can do to increase your chances of survival given a surprise visit to the Amazon.
The Essentials
What are the essentials of in order to survive? In case you missed your intro Psych class (or slept through it), here is Maslow's opinion on what you need to survive.
Assuming that you are not going into the jungle naked, and that it is not burning down removing your ability to breath, according to Maslow, the other main things you need to worry about are shelter food, and water. Some of which are much easier to come by than the other….
1. Shelter
What do you mean there's no Wifi in our stick shelter?
Probably the easiest of the three to acquire, shelter is both incredibly important, and essential too ensuring protection from the elements, insects and any wild animals that may wander by. In the jungle, the structures we built served as an object to shelter us from the rain, blend in with the environment and act as a place to hang our mosquito nets.
As well, at the opening of the shelter we had a fire, whose purpose was to cook food (obviously) as well as scare away any large animals that may take an interest in eating us. Thank you fire!
2. Food
Holy smokes is food hard to come by.
Even though you are constantly surrounded by life, and sustenance, non of it is easy to acquire. The animals are quick, the fruit is too high to reach, the bugs are sneaky (or posionous) and the fish are few and for between. For some reason nothing alive in the jungle is too excited about giving up its life to feed you…
That said, it appeared as though the best way to stay fed by the jungle is through fishing.
"Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he won't catch anything for three days and an eagle will eat all his bait."
Though we didn't have much success with the whole fishing game, we were able to get enough for 5 people to last three days. Which, according to Choco (our guide) was much more than if we had focused our time on clamping around the jungle trying to hunt a pig or look for mushrooms. But enough of food, onto water!
3. Water
What do you mean you can't drink out of the river?
I mean it's called the "Rain Forrest", what the hell? They should call it…"The Everything Wants to Kill You Forest"…HA!
Once again, the jungle has made something that was once simple, into an annoyingly complicated and difficult process. Through my time in the jungle, the hunger was relatively easy to get used to…the thirst was not. Even after bringing 2 litres of water, the environment in the jungle causes you to sweat a lot, drink a lot, and in effect run out of water very quickly. But, like many things in the jungle, there is a solution. You're just going to have to try a bit harder than you do at home. Here's the two we used.
- Vines: Not all vines though, as shown in the video, some are super poisonous…so be careful with that.
- Bamboo: I don't understand it, and I won't pretend to. All I know is that sometimes bamboo has water in it, and that if you're thirsty, knock dat stuff down with your machete and enjoy the sweet nectar of the jungle.
What Did I Learn?
When it comes down to it, I spent three days in the Jungle with a guide who did most of the surviving for us. To call it "survival is a stretch", but that aside, I still took an incredible amount out of the experience.
- To start, I learned that if you know what to look for in the jungle, there is a medicine, food or drug for just about anything there. Its natures Wal-Mart.
- Secondly, though there was a ton of help from the guide, I feel much more prepared to survive in the jungle after this experience. Just having a basic understanding of how to build shelter, where to look for food and water
- As well, I gained an immense appreciation for what we have back in Western civilization. After 3 days of trekking, with only one fish and some vegetation split between five people, the idea of being able to come back home and buy a steak supper and beer with ingredients from all around the world was incredible to me. Going back to Maslow's hiearchy of needs, when you have a mass deficient of your basic needs, it is difficult to be creative, intimate or even think too much about anything other than catching a fish, finding a maggot or cutting down bamboo for water. Before the Amazon, I don't think I ever truly experienced this level of essential poverty…but I'm so glad I did. If you've never felt this feeling before, I would suggest giving it a try. I'm committing myself to doing something like this four times a year, the gained perspective of deep gratitude is totally worth it.
- And lastly, I learned that mosquitoes are the true kings of the jungle.
Anyways, thanks for reading , I hope you enjoyed and happy learning.
Talk next week


text:
|University of Wyoming
|1993 Inductee
Bud Daniel, who served as Chairman of the ABCA Board of Directors from 1992-95, spent 20 seasons as the head coach of the University of Wyoming baseball team.
During his tenure, Daniel guided Wyoming to its only College World Series appearance in 1956. He coached Wyoming to four Mountain States Conference Championships (1954, '55, '56, '61) and one WAC division title in 1966.
Daniel coached 15 first team All-WAC selections. One of his most famous pupils and All-WAC performer was Art Howe, former Major League manager of the Houston Astros (1989-93), Oakland Athletics (1996-2002) and New York Mets (2003-04)
A 1996 University of Wyoming Hall of Fame inductee, Daniel owns the Wyoming record for career coaching victories with 295.
Daniel, the 1963 President of the ABCA, currently serves as a member of the ABCA's Board of Directors and Hall of Fame Veterans Committee.


text:
Certified Automotive Technician
White Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram, LLC is looking for Chrysler, GM, and Ford Certified Technicians to join their industry leading Service Team! Relocation assistance available! Enjoy excellent pay and performance incentives at a dealership where your skills will be recognized and rewarded!
Serving the Roanoke Rapids, NC, area, our goal is to exceed client expectations every time they set foot on our property. We do everything we can to ensure their experience is fun and enjoyable. As we continue to expand each day, there is more than enough room for growth and advancement in your automotive career.
Competitive Pay & Relocation Assistance!
Job Responsibilities
- Perform work outlined on maintenance and repair orders to ensure customer satisfaction
- Diagnose the cause of any malfunction and repair in a timely manner
- Provide labor and time estimates for additional automotive repairs
- Able to explain mechanical problems and needed repairs to Service Advisors and vehicle owners in a non-technical manner
- Continuously learn new technical information and techniques in formal training sessions in order to stay in line with rapidly changing technology


text:
Boxhead 2
Boxhead More Rooms
Boxhead The Zombie Wars
Boxhead The Rooms
Boxhead Halloween
Boxhead The Christmas Nightmare
Boxhead Bounty Hunter
Boxhead Biever And Baby
Boxhead Bambo And Binny
Medieval Rampage
Privacy Policy
Boxhead 2
Boxhead 2 is a zombie shooter game that consists of multi-player functionality. Among the Boxhead series, Boxhead 2 is the first one that allows for multi-player functionality.This shooter game has a top-down view. All the characters are keyboard controlled. The two players can play together against the zombies or one player can be the enemy. The two players need to gun down the zombies as they appear in waves. The game consists of various levels. There are boxes with ammo and exploding barrels on each level. When players team up against the zombies, their fire power doubles and a whole new style of the game opens up. I order to pick up the ammo boxes, the players need only to walk on top of them. As the players continue defeating more waves on each level, they are availed with more guns. The guns get upgraded as the player's multiplier gets higher. The players are provided with ten different weapons in total.Before starting a game, the player can always change the game difficulty in the options tab. Changing the game difficulty increases the speed of the zombies and their rate of appearance. This is a benefit to the player since the faster the zombies appear the faster the player will kill them and acquire upgrades. There are various options in the options tab. The player can adjust the appearance of the devils and toggle to a 2 player friendly fire.This game has three modes. Single player, Cooperative, and Death match. The single player mode is just like the previous of the box head series games whereby it is the player against the zombies. Cooperative mode is whereby two players team up and fight against the zombies. The Death Match mode is where two players fight against one another. Both players have to use the same computer since the game does not have multi-player online. The characters playable in the game are four and include Bambo, Bon, Bind and Bert.
Facebook Comments
Copyright © https://boxhead-2.com 2014 - 2020 all rights reserved.


text:
Here Are the Best & Worst Airlines in the United States
Unless you're a world-beating super villain like Jeff Bezos who can commission private aircraft whenever you want, commercial airlines are a necessary evil. Anyone who spends a good amount of time in the sky can tell you which airlines are likely to have malfunctioning toilets, and which bury hidden fees under a mountain of fine print.
But for the rest of us languishing in economy, the airline and travel website The Points Guy released a ranking of the best and worst airlines in the country. Factoring in data points like price, convenience, extra perks, and "headaches" such as lost baggage and poor customer service, "The Best and Worst US Airlines in 2018" report might prove useful the next time you're booking a flight.
Talking about the study, The Point Guy's Brian Kelly told CNN: "I feel very strongly that we use data behind all of these rankings and we just had to let the data speak, we didn't move people around based on our biases."
Without further ado, here's how the very apprently non-biased rankings shake out, in descending order:
9. Hawaiian
8. JetBlue
7. Spirit
6. American Airlines
5. Frontier
4. United
3. Delta
2. Southwest
1. Alaska
Alaska tops the list for the second straight year, in large part because it ranked in the top three across most categories, including "airfare, on-time arrivals, baggage handling, customer satisfaction and its best-in-the-industry frequent flyer program." Southwest, which unlike most airlines doesn't have a preternatural ability to gouge customers for every conceivable micro-service, ranked second for its lax policy on extra fees.
Some outliers definitely abound, here, the most prominent of which is Spirit. Complaining about Spirit, despite its ridiculously low fares, is something of a tradition, owing to its non-refund policy and hidden fees for nearly everything onboard the flight. Oddly, though, the model has resulted in good business over the years.


text:
This site will look much better in a browser that supports web standards, but it is accessible to any browser or Internet device.
Skip to Content
Caricature depicting the fight for the recognition of the status of French language in aeronautics, the Hon. Jean Marchand and MPs Pierre DeBané and Serge Joyal, 1976.
click to enlarge
Caricature of Serge Joyal, MP, praying for the free use of French by the employees of Air Canada, 1976.
Caricature of Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau trying to capture Serge Joyal, candidate at the mayorship, 1978.
Serge Joyal vs Jean Drapeau - Montreal municipal election campaign in 1978 (Aislin (alias Terry Mosher)
Caricature of Prime Minister Trudeau inviting Serge Joyal to become a Cabinet minister. (1981)
Caricature of Minister Serge Joyal sitting on the Earth after transforming it into a French planet. (Journal Le Devoir, 6 mai 1983)


text:
Quick & Easy Party Appetizers
Ready to Party?
You can easily throw a party without spending a lot of time on the appetizers. Don't get me wrong, I love checking out Martha Stewart's awesome ideas...but... They are time intensive and often cost a lot of money.
To be honest, you don't have to put a lot of work into the party appetizers for them to be tasty. In fact, the easiest way to prepare appetizers for a party is to purchase simple foods, and then add one or two ingredients to personalize the dish. It is that simple.
I love cooking, but sometimes buying prepared foods can be easier when you don't have time to cook yourself. And, you can have the convenience without losing out on flavor.
Chips & Salsa
I know what you are thinking: this is too common! Well, maybe it is, but you can make it more unique by adding your own little twist.
First, pick out different kinds of tortilla chips. Get the blue corn tortilla chips, or those neat looking multi-colored ones. Get different sizes and shapes. Have fun with it.
Next, buy a couple of different kinds of salsa – hot, mild, sweet, red, green – there are a lot of choices. Now, personalize the salsa. Throw in some chopped cilantro. Squeeze some fresh lime juice and stir it in. Throw in some diced mango. People are going to be convinced that you served homemade salsa at your party.
Bite Sized Finger Foods
Totally raid the freezer section at the store. I admit that I'm partial to Trader Joe's because their frozen selection is awesome. Some of my favorite Trader Joe's items that make perfect party appetizers:
- Gyozas (I like the veggie, but they have meat ones too)
- Shu Mai (most delicious little dumplings ever)
- Mini Quiche (yum yum)
- Sweet Potato Fries (mouth watering)
- Garlic Fries (maybe NOT so party friendly)
Just heat them up, put them on pretty serving dishes, and
let the partiers devour. These things are small, tasty, and look great. Serve these foods with sauces and fresh vegetable slices to personalize the dishes.
Don't want to spread germs? Put out serving utensils or chop sticks. Giving everyone chopsticks means they won't be using their fingers for the finger foods.
I do make my own sushi sometimes, but unless you have a lot of practice, it is not quick and easy. But buying it already made sure is quick and easy! Plus, you can get so many different kinds, from fresh spring rolls to California rolls, the varieties are endless.
From simple versions of garlic and olive oil to variations with tomatoes, red peppers, and meat, brushetta is a yummy addition to any party. You can find some recipes you like and make it ahead of time, or buy some already prepared. Want to freshen the bruschetta up? Add some freshly crushed garlic or tomatoes. It is that easy - just add a fresh version of one of the ingredients in the prepared bruschetta.
Bruschetta is great on toasted bread (mmm...baguette), tortillas, and crackers.
Easy Desserts
Sweets at a party are always appreciated, but they can also be very easy to prepare. Sure, desserts aren't often considered appetizers, but start your own trend!
Meringues - These are easy to make (egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract), but even easier to buy. Sprinkle them with cocoa powder, surround with fresh fruit, or drizzle with a pureed fruit.
Cookies & Brownies - You have two choices here: buy them or bake them. The nice thing about baking them is that you can do it ahead of time, and just put them out when the party time comes. Having an assortment of different cookies or brownies with different toppings will your guests lots of options.
Fresh & Dried Fruits - Fruit makes a great dessert. Want to mix it up a bit, provide dried fruits too. One of my favorite dried fruit mixes also has dried flowers in it. Whenever I serve this, it always starts up interesting conversation. You can eat flowers? Yup. Also, people like to try out the different kinds of dried fruits - just be careful with dried ginger because some people really don't like it.
My favorite, and easy, fruits to serve are watermelon and grapes. They are popular and easy to prepare (washing and cutting is all that's required). If you choose to serve other melons, serve them on their own dishes because melons can overwhelm the flavors of other fruits.
More Food Hubs by Stacie Naczelnik
I like your article. You have made me hungry too! I am new to this site. I will have to follow your site!
I love these kinds of recipes and am ALWAYS looking for something like this for our next party. I look forward to seeing more of these! Thanks again!
Nice job. Excellent. Have you seen foodpartyplanning.com ?
I have a quick and easy dessert you can bring to any party. It's a jello cake, simply buy angel food cake and two boxes of your favorite jello. Bake the angel food cake as directed on the book, once that is complete, let it cool for a few minutes, then make the jello and make sure to poke holes in the cake so the jello can seep through. Then pour the liquid over the cake and immediately put into the refridgerator, let it set up for an hour. Serve with whipped cream (Cool Whip is the best) and some fruit and you have a delicious dessert!
Thanks for posting. Frankly, it's not a party without chips and salsa
Save some Shu mai for me.
I used vegetable sticks with a mayo based dip.
Nice and easy.
More great recipes and ideas; thanks for sharing...


text:
Haiti deal reached to avert crisis over delayed polls
- Published
Haitian President Michel Martelly has reached a deal with the senate and the chamber of deputies to avert a political crisis over long-delayed elections which sparked mass protests.
Officials said Mr Martelly had signed an agreement with the presidents of the two chambers to extend their mandate.
Lawmakers will now have to sign off on the deal.
If it is not passed, Haiti could be left without a functioning government once the mandates expire on 12 January.
Under the agreement, Haiti's deputies would be extended in their posts until 24 April and senators until 9 September.
The deal comes just over two weeks after Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe resigned in the wake of violent protest at the delayed elections.
Mid-term senate elections had been originally due in May 2012, while the municipal poll is three years behind schedule as Haiti slowly emerges from the earthquake which left much of the country devastated in 2010.
They were postponed again on 26 October - the day they were due to be held - because of an ongoing stalemate between the government and a group of opposition senators over an electoral law.
The repeated delays have triggered protests, some of them violent, by critics of the government, who accuse President Martelly of wanting to rule by decree.
Mr Martelly has appointed Evans Paul, a former radio journalist, as the new prime minister.
Mr Paul has to be confirmed by parliament before he can start forming a government.


text:
Perimeter Faculty Chair Robert Myers has once again found his name on a list of the world's most influential scientific minds.
Myers was recently recognized on the "2016 Highly Cited Researchers" list put out by Thomson Reuters' Intellectual Property and Science division (now known as Clairvate Analytics), marking his third consecutive year on the list.
The list was compiled by analyzing citation data from a recent 11-year period (2004-14) to identify researchers who published the greatest number of highly cited papers – those falling within the top one percent for their field and publication year based on Web of Science data. The methodology emphasizes recent contributions, which can come from early- and mid-career researchers, as well as established scientists such as Myers.
Myers was the only physicist based at a Canadian institution to make the 2016 list. It spanned 22 areas of science and social science and included 3,000 researchers, including 110 physicists globally.
Myers joined Perimeter as one of its founding faculty members in 2001 and was named Faculty Chair in 2010. He has made seminal contributions to our understanding of black hole microphysics, D-branes, and the application of entanglement entropy to holography and renormalization group flows.
Juan Ignacio Cirac, a Perimeter Distinguished Visiting Research Chair based at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics in Germany, joined Myers on the list for the second consecutive year.
– Mike Brown


text:
The biggest airbase in Northern Europe
Flyvestation Karup is one of the largest military installations in Denmark and the largest air base in Northern Europe. The installation has more than 1,000 buildings and a total area of 2,900 hectares. It comprises not only an airfield, but is also the main base for…
Main base of the Danish Air Force
When the Germans occupied Denmark in 1940, the Luftwaffe already had plans to build an airfield on the Karup moorland. The airfield was to support operations in Norway and be used for airborne missions against Britain. From August 1940 until May 1945, the Germans extended the airfield, and countless German buildings remain on the site. The Danish Armed Forces took over control of the airfield in 1947 from the British, and renamed it Flyvestation Karup. This large base on the Jutland moors went on to become one of the main installations of the Danish Air Force. It has been continuously extended and modernised by the Danish Armed Forces and NATO. A number of the German buildings are still in use, including the colossal Gyges bunker. All military air operations in Danish airspace are controlled from here.
- Recomend Log in or create profile to recommend
- Send
- Share
- Share in facebook
- Add your own story
Comments to the story (0)
Contribute to Flyvestation Karup
Contribute with a story about this place?
Contribute with one or more pictures
Contribute with videos
Contribute with links
Stories (1)
Main base of the Danish Air Force
When the Germans occupied Denmark in 1940, the Luftwaffe already had plans to build an airfield on …


text:
Thanks to its deeply sour ways, this little wild plum has been happily providing good doses of tarty shocks for centuries. Although it's not known for culinary bravado, teamed up with booze and sugar, the transformation is nothing short of miraculous. It is after all the star ingredient of Britain's popular cold weather tipple – the gloriously delicious Sloe Gin (or Sloe Vodka if you are so inclined).
Sloes are the fruit of the blackthorn tree, a common hedging plant which grows naturally in woodlands, parks, wasteland and any other wild spot it sees fit. Its tiny white blossoms appear before the leaves in spring and come autumn, clusters of the blue-black fruit hug the fiercely spiky branches in abundance.
According to old country wisdom, sloes should not be picked before the first frosts (this softens and splits the rock hard skin), that was of course before the invention of the nifty freezer. Just gather, pop into an airtight container and freeze them until use.
Seasonal period: Mid to late autumn
Where to find them: Hedgerows, woodlands, parks, motorway verges, wasteland, canals and rivers
How to recognise: A densely branched tree which can grow to a height of 7m tall. It has smooth dark brown bark, and the twigs form straight side shoots, which develop into thorns. The leaves are slightly wrinkled, oval, up to 4cm long with a tapered base and a toothed margin. The flowers are white and tiny, and appear before the leaves in spring, often singularly or in pairs. The round fruit appears in autumn and measures up to 1cm across. They are blue-black and have a green flesh.
Harvesting: Simply pluck the sloes off the branch. Watch out for the incredibly sharp thorns. They will cause you pain.
What to eat: The spring flowers are edible. They taste a bit like almonds and can be added to salads or made into a syrup. The young leaves can be brewed into a tea. As mentioned above, the fruit is terribly tart until soaked in gin or vodka.
Cleaning and storing: There is no need to wash the sloes, but if you do then make sure you dry them before you use them or store them in fridge. If you pick them before the first frosts, it is best to pop them in the freezer for a few days so their skins burst and are easier to prick.
Cooking: Once you've used the fruit for your sloe gin or vodka, don't throw them away. They can be used to make delicious chocolate liqueurs – a fantastic Christmas gift for friends and family.
Medicinal uses: The flowers and leaves can be turned into a tea and used to treat throat ailments such as laryngitis and tonsillitis. The fruit is rich in vitamin C and can be used for stomach disorders and to purify the blood. They can also be made into a paste to whiten teeth, and the juice heals mouth irritations, ulcers and gum problems.
Know hazards: The thorns!
Responsible foraging: Unless you are 100% sure of what it is and 100% sure that it is edible, DON'T EAT IT! Harvest only what you need from healthy tree. If you want to snip off the branches instead of individually picking the sloes, make sure you do so at the first joint so you avoid damaging the populations. Consider pesticides, herbicides, pollutions and dog pee. Think about all that could, might and will have drifted onto your plants and pick wisely. Always read the foraging rules in your local parks and green spaces, and if you're foraging on farms or private properties, be sure to get permission from the landowner before you start picking.


text:
All Items Shipped Within 1 Day
The Heart Sutra of Prajna Paramita is the shortest of all the sutras, only 260 characters in the Chinese translation. However, the sutra explains the core teaching of Buddhism — Emptiness. The realization of nothingness is not a negative zero-ness. It conveys the importance of not attached to anything, especially one's own perceptions, judgements, feelings, desires etc. The Heart Sutra is very profound and hard to understand, and one can always get better understanding as one keeps observing and practicing it.