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One of the alarming trends in the US, as well as other foreign nations around the globe, is that girls are maturing earlier. In contemporary times, it is common for young girls to start the beginning stages of puberty (hair growth, breast development, etc.) at 7 or 8 years old, a record breaking age compared to past centuries. While the menarche (first period) still does not show itself till about twelve years of age, this is still an unprecedented early age when looking at the trend of first menstruation over the 1800's and the 1900's.
First noticing this trend over 140 years ago, researchers began documenting the age of the first menstruation. In 1860, the average age of menarche was occurring at 16.6 years old, showing a steep decline in the following decades, marking it as 14.6 years in 1920 and 13.2 years in 1950. While this trend seems to finally have leveled off since the 80's where the last recorded and most accurate age is 12.5 years old, the rate at which the first stages of puberty is observed is still rapidly declining.
Boys, like girls, are also seeing the emergence of puberty (facial hair, growth spurts, etc) at younger and younger ages, but the trend toward full blown puberty at an earlier age is not as rapid or as pronounced as it is the female sex.
Another epidemic affecting more and more young girls, is the problem of precocious puberty – or premature puberty. Scientifically, this is defined by breast development accompanied by a growth spurt in girls younger than the age of 8. Due to the decreasing trend in the age of girls at the start of puberty, there is a lot of debate over what age is actually too young (considering the norm) and should be defined as "precocious".
There is also argument over what actually constitutes the onset of puberty. Dr. Lawrence Silverman, a pediatric endocrinologist at Goryeb Children's Hospital in Morristown, New Jersey argues that sometimes precocious puberty is wrongly diagnosed, stating "The appearance of acne and pubic hair is common even in infants and toddlers. It goes away. We need to be careful about how we identify the true onset of puberty." In most cases of true precocious puberty, the body will eventually correct itself, causing the process to slow down and stall, but not before causing menstruation in the premature, often emotionally unprepared girl.
Despite the overall decline in age of the onset of puberty, the data does differ vastly when considering variables like race. In the US, for example, African-American and Hispanic girls tend to reach puberty earlier than their white counterparts by 1-1.5 years. The mean age of breast development in African-American girls in the US is 8.9 years old compared to the much older 10.5 years that is the mean age for breast development in Caucasian girls. While the cause of this is unclear, there are many, interacting factors affecting the situation.
While everything from economic reasons to climatic change to genes has been cited as part of the cause in the decline of age at the onset of puberty, none of these can explain the overall reduction, rather than just individual cases.
One of the most widely held beliefs is that improved nutrition in modern times has caused bigger and heavier children than in the past, allowing for normal growth. Another probable cause and one with the most evidentiary proof is the rising epidemic of obesity globally. At the annual conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Orlando, Florida, in 2001, pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Paul Kaplowitz presented a study he conducted that included girls from the ages of 6 to 9 and helped discover a link between body fat and the timing of puberty.
Beyond loosely linked evidence and slight correlations, the scientific community is still perplexed and unable to explain the reduction of age in the onset of puberty and the rapid increase of precocious puberty, leaving it a hot topic for future studies.


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The Kierie Kwaak Self Catering cottages are situated 4 km outside Stellenbosch on a farm in the beautiful, rustic Jonkershoek valley, which forms part of a World Heritage area.
Zorgvliet's warm and welcoming country lodge caters for the needs of every individual with exceptional attention to detail. This lodge offers guests an opportunity to truly experience the unique personality of the Stellenbosch winelands, from serv...
Stellenboschfontein is a farm situated on the foothill of Stellenbosch Mountain with a fresh water spring, overlooking the Blaauwklippen Valley with breathtaking views. Stellenboschfontein offers 5 self catering units
Casablanca Bed & Breakfast is situated on the slopes of Stellenbosch mountain with a splendid view across Table Mountain in the distance. Mediterranean lifestyle, situated in a quiet neighbourhood in a cul-de-sac, with a ...
Meustroom (number 4 and 7) are upmarket, self-catering apartments situated in a small block of flats, called Meulstroom in Stellenbosch. It is surrounded by historical houses, centrally situated yet in a quiet area..
Stellenbosch Apartment is a two bedroom self catering apartment close to the historic town centre of Stellenbosch. Is is on the ground floor of a small apartment block and has a beautiful private garden with braai/barbeque facilities. Airport ...
We invite you to share our tranquil, secure and comfortable home, on a small Cape/English lifestyle farm, situated 10 minutes from historic Stellenbosch, in the Blaauwklippen valley surrounded by the majestic Stellenbosch and Helderberg mountains.
A warm-hearted villa in the centre of historic Stellenbosch. This elegant renovated 1920's villa offers a serene retreat within easy walking distance of the diverse attractions this vibrant University town offers.
Bonne Esperance Guest Lodge is a charming Victorian Villa in the heart of Stellenbosch with a wrap-around veranda, cast iron mouldings and corner-turret.
Caledon Villa embodies warm South African hospitality, culture and history. It is located within walking distance from the heart of historical Stellenbosch, from the vibrant campus of the University and from the peaceful flowing Eerste River.

subset: commoncrawl


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Nurse Practitioners
Transgender friendly and knowledgeable family Nurse Practitioner at Highland Family Medicine
Family nurse practitioner providing care across the lifespan. Experience with care of the LGBT individual.
Extended appointment times allow for adequate time to meet each patient's needs.
Flexible scheduling improves access to care with evening and weekend hours available.
A gay-identified clinician, Sean P. Murphy, PhD, MSN, PMHNP-BC is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, with training and experience treating patients with psychiatric disorders across the lifespan and across practice settings, from hospitals to outpatient clinics. His education includes a Master of Science in Nursing, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner specialization, from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Doctorate in Literature, Cultural Theory and Social Practice, with a focus on psychoanalytic theory, from Kent State University. Dr. Murphy brings to clinic a humanistic philosophy of holistic care for both mind and body, and an abiding commitment to individualized, personalized, comprehensive care for patients. Conditions treated include, but are not limited to, Conditions Treated:
Mood Disorders, including Depressive and Bipolar Disorders
Treatment Resistant Depression
Anxiety Disorders
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Insomnia and Sleep-Wake Disorders
Adjustment Disorders
Gender Dysphoria
LGBT Mental Health
HIV Psychiatry
Complex Medical-Psychiatric Treatment
Chronic Medical Illnesses and Mental Health
Now Accepting new patients.
The practice does not bill insurance companies or participate in any insurance plans. Individualized, flexible, and private care means you can see me based upon treatment decisions made by the health care provider and patient, you and me, rather than decisions made by insurance companies and managed care organizations.


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Citrine Necklace with Created White Sapphire Halo in Sterling Silver - 8 x 10 MM Radiant Cut Citrine - 18 Inch Cable Style Chain
Beautiful Pendant features a 8 x 10MM Citrine nestled in a halo of Lab Created White Sapphires. Citrine is a form of Quartz that has been heat treated to peranently create the lovely brownish-yellow color. The setting is Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver and has a matching 18 Inch Cable Style Chain. A Matching Ring and Earrings are also available that you may purchase separately. We recommend cleaning in mild soapy water, rinsing and buffing gently with a soft cloth or the jewelry polishing cloth that is included. Do not use silver cleaners or other harsh cleaners as they can damage the finish.
- AN EVERLASTING TREASURE: Treat Yourself or Delight the Special Person in Your Life with this Beautiful Natural Citrine Quartz Pendant Necklace
- GEMSTONE: 8 x 10 MM Radiant Shape Natural Citrine-Quartz (treated) and 26 Round Lab Created White Sapphires in the Halo and on the Bale
- PRECIOUS METAL: This lovely Citrine Necklace for Women is Set in Rhodium Plated Sterling Silver and Includes an 18 Inch Cable Chain
- MEASUREMENTS: This Beautiful Pendant is 1/2 Inch Long (not including the bale)
- ELEGANT GIFT BOX: Your Citrine Halo Necklace will arrive ready to be gifted in sleek packaging. The Classic Jewelry Box arrives with a soft Jewelry Polishing Cloth.
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Citrine Necklace with Created White Sapphire Halo in Sterling Silver - 7 x 9 MM Oval Citrine - 18 Inch Cable Style Chain
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text: Every role on the stage and in film can be considered physically as a type of dance. Dance shapes the body and its spatial perception of relationships. In addition to language articulation, the expression of movement is the second most important tool an actor has to tell a story. Dance arouses a lust for life and vitality in both audiences and the actor him/herself. Dance is the realisation of inspiration in movement. The most basic dance there is, is predefined by the way our bodies are built.


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High hopes at Flamingo Park
Muzi Yeni: It's time to start all over again with some decent rides at Flamingo Park.
Muzi Yeni: It's time to start all over again with some decent rides at Flamingo Park.
Piere Strydom: The Joburg summer season is now in full swing but with all the delays through weather and course problems, it's been more a stop-start season.
Colin Gordon: As a younger man besotted with the sport of horseracing I remember the advice received every time I expressed my desire to own a racehorse: "Never, ever, buy anything that eats while you sleep!"
Geoff Lester: London – If Royal Ascot is the jewel in the crown of British racing, then York's Ebor meeting, which starts on Wednesday, is only a few diamonds short.
Geoff Lester: London – The big Ebor meeting at York is now just two weeks away, and, while John Gosden had hoped that the Knavesmire might see the belated return of last year's brilliant Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe heroine Enable, it now seems that we might have to wait until next month to see Europe's 2017 champion back in action.
Geoff Lester's International Affairs: London – Because of the unique demands of the idiosyncratic roller-coaster that is Epsom racecourse, the Derby can throw up surprise results – Wings of Eagles two years ago springs to mind – but you won't find a fairer 2400m in the world than Ascot.


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Recently I found myself in Cleveland, exploring (between family matters) a few old haunts in comic book history. I saw the American Greetings headquarters where Robert Crumb and (Ziggy's) Tom Wilson worked, as well as the V.A. offices immortalized in all their splendor by Harvey Pekar. Of course, the highlight of this mini-pilgrimage for me had to be the stop at the house where it all began...
Read about the Save the Superman House project and find out ways to keep spreading the goodness at:


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10 Best Old Games PC with Best graphics:– These are some of the best old games which you can play on your laptop and PCs. The games mentioned below are very entertaining with best graphics and will definitely pass your time for 100s of hours. If you are a gamer and likes to play games then you should try out these games. Action-Adventure, Strategy, RPG are main categories of the games. The story-line of all the games are very interesting and amazing. If you have not played any games among them then you must play these games once.
10 Best Old Games PC with Best graphics
- Age of Empires iii
- Prince Of Persia
- Half-Life 2
- The Elders Scroll IV
- Crysis
- Resident Evil 4
- Darksider
- Grand Theft Auto IV
- Just Cause 2
- Age of Empires Mythology
10 Best Old Games PC with Best graphics
1) Age of Empires iii
Age of Empires III is a real-time strategy video game developed by Microsoft Corporation's Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The game portrays the European colonization of the Americas, between approximately 1492 and 1876 AD. There are fourteen total civilizations to play the game.
Age of Empires III has made several innovations in the series, in particular with the addition of the "Home City", which combines real-time strategy and role-playing game features. Two expansion packs have been released: the first, Age of Empires III: The WarChiefs, was released on October 17, 2006, and introduced three Native American civilizations; the second, Age of Empires III: The Asian Dynasties, was released on October 23, 2007, and included three Asian civilizations. (10 Best Old Games PC with Best graphics)
2) Prince Of Persia Trilogy
Prince of Persia is a third-person action-adventure puzzle-platform video game developed and published by Ubisoft. First revealed in March 2003, it was released across Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, PSP, PS3, GameCube, Xbox and Microsoft Windows in November 2003.
The game contains three direct sequels including Prince of Persia Sands of Time, Warrior Within and The two thrones. The story revolves around dagger of time which has the capability of controlling the time.
3) Half-Life 2
Half-Life 2 (stylized as HλLF-LIFE2) is a first-person shooter video game developed and published by Valve Corporation. It is the sequel to 1998's Half-Life and was released in November 2004.
Taking place some years after the events of Half-Life, protagonist Gordon Freeman is awakened by the enigmatic G-Man to find the world has been taken over by the alien Combine. Joined by allies including resistance fighter Alyx Vance, Gordon searches for a way to free humanity using a variety of weapons, including the object-manipulating Gravity Gun.
Half-Life 2 received critical acclaim. It was praised for its advanced physics, animation, sound, AI, graphics, and narrative. The game won 39 "Game of the Year" awards and the title of "Game of the Decade" at the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards, and is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most significant video games of all time. (10 Best Old Games PC with Best graphics)
4) The Elders Scroll IV
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion is an action role-playing video game developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks and the Take-Two Interactive division 2K Games. It is the fourth installment in The Elder Scrolls action fantasy series, following The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and preceding The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The game was released for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360 in March 2006, and on PlayStation 3 in March 2007, with a mobile version of the game released on May 2, 2006.
Taking place within the fictional province of Cyrodiil, Oblivion's main story revolves around the player character's efforts to thwart a fanatical cult known as the "Mythic Dawn" that plans to open portal gates to a demonic realm known as "Oblivion".
The game continues the open world tradition of its predecessors by allowing the player to travel anywhere in the game world at any time and to ignore or postpone the main storyline indefinitely.
A perpetual objective for players is to improve their character's skills, which are numerical representations of certain abilities. Early in the game, seven skills are selected by the player as major skills for their character, with those remaining termed as minor skills.
5) Crysis
Crysis is a first-person shooter video game series developed by German developer Crytek and published by Electronic Arts. The series revolves around a group of military protagonists with "nano-suit", technologically advanced suits of armor that allow them to gain enhanced physical strength, speed, defense, and cloaking abilities.
The protagonists face off against hostile North Korean soldiers, heavily armed mercenaries, and a race of technologically advanced aliens known as the Ceph, who arrived on Earth millions of years ago for unclear reasons and have recently been awakened.
Also Check Out: 10 Best PS2 Games To Emulate
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Also Check Out: 10 Best PC Games Of All Time
Also Check Out: 10 Best PC Game For 2GB RAM
Also Check Out: 30 Best HD Games For Android under 1GB
Also Check Out: How To Play PS2 Games in PC (PCSX2 Emulator)


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- Continuing a bizarre but beloved White House tradition, President Donald Trump pardoned two turkeys on Tuesday.
- Trump didn't miss the opportunity to crack some jokes, including about former Presidents Barack Obama and Harry Truman.
Continuing a longstanding pre-Thanksgiving White House tradition, President Donald Trump pardoned two turkeys, "Wishbone" and "Drumstick," during a White House ceremony on Tuesday.
Trump took the opportunity to crack some jokes about his administration's reversal of his predecessor's legacy.
After announcing that Wishbone and Drumstick will join the two turkeys that President Barack Obama pardoned last year, "Tater" and "Tot," Trump joked that he is not allowed to reverse Obama's turkey pardons.
"As many of you know," Trump said, "I have been very active in overturning a number of executive actions by my predecessor, however I have been informed by the White House Counsel's office that Tater and Tot's pardons cannot under any circumstances be revoked."
"Tater and Tot, you can rest easy," he said to laughs.
Trump also joked about President Harry Truman, who ate the turkeys he was gifted by the National Turkey Federation.
"Seventy years ago the National Turkey Federation presented the first National Turkey to President Truman," he said. "He did not grant the pardon. He refused. He was a tough cookie. Today, I'm going to be a much nicer president."
The first family, who will spend Thanksgiving at the president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, will donate two packaged turkeys to a charity, Martha's Table, in Washington.
Watch a clip below:
President Trump says he's been informed that he can't reverse Obama's last turkey pardons: "So Tater and Tot, you can rest easy" pic.twitter.com/HZ8mvLOkJM
— NBC News (@NBCNews) November 21, 2017
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The government wanted to pay under federal rules, but cooperative argued that state liquidation rules applied.
The liquidator of Colorado Health Insurance Cooperative, Inc. (the Cooperative) successfully argued that Colorado law, rather than federal law, governed the priority of payment of debts owed to the Cooperative under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("ACA") (P.L. 111-148) by an insurer in liquidation proceedings. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims found that federal interests did not require a uniform rule and applied Colorado's insurance liquidation priority scheme. Under that application, HHS' reduced payment to the Cooperative was invalid (Conway v. U.S., October 3, 2019, Hertling, R.).
ACA. Congress created the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan ("CO-OP") program in the ACA in order to ensure that states' health-benefit marketplaces had a good supply of qualified insurance plans for healthcare consumers to buy. The CO-OP program provided loans and grants to qualified nonprofit health insurance issuers to offer qualified health plans in the individual and small group markets. The Colorado Health Insurance Cooperative was undisputedly a CO-OP insurer.
The ACA required each state to establish certain discreet payment programs to help insurers offset the risks of providing broader coverage under the ACA. Even though the ACA allowed each state to operate its own reinsurance and risk-adjustment programs, HHS administers the programs for Colorado, and in all the other states, except for two.
In 2012, HHS approved the Cooperative's application to operate as a CO-OP program insurer and executed a loan agreement with the Cooperative. In January 2016, a Colorado state court placed the Cooperative in liquidation. In March 2016, HHS paid the Cooperative an early reinsurance payment of around $14M for the previous year. In June 2016, according to HHS, it owed the Cooperative about $38.5M. To date, HHS has only paid the Cooperative around $14M.
Complaint. The Cooperative claimed that: (1) the HHS's offset violated the ACA, and (2) the offset HHS made under the Netting Rule after the Cooperative entered liquidation was invalid under Colorado's insurance liquidation priority scheme, and that the ACA itself and the McCarran-Ferguson Act prevents HHS's Netting Rule from preempting Colorado's insurance liquidation priority scheme. ("The Netting Rule," a final rule HHS promulgated in 2014 (amended in 2016), explains the method by which HHS would aggregate and offset monies owed by or to different insurers under ACA payment programs).
Analysis. The court quickly dismissed the first claim, holding that the ACA does not prohibit offsets otherwise allowed under federal common law or state law. On the second claim, the court held that HHS's offset was invalid under Colorado's insurance liquidation priority scheme. The court reasoned that because the neither ACA (or any other statute) authorizes the Netting Rule's application in the insurance litigation context, HHS had to have taken the offset in its capacity as a creditor. HHS' interest in uniformity was insufficient to force the court to make a common law rule to displace Colorado's insurance liquidation priority scheme, according to the court.
The case is No. 18-1623.
Attorneys: Stephen McBrady (Crowell & Moring LLP) for Michael Conway. Marc S. Sacks, U.S. Department of Justice, for The United States.
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Agile Consultant | Coach | Scrum Master | SAFe© Program Consultant (SPC5) | Educator & Content Creator
Vinod Narayan
The variety that we lock inside us needs a way out. We live in a world where we are told what not to do. We might be wrong doing it but there is only one life to figure how wrong we are.
PenPositive brings you my Ideas on life and work. The projects and Concepts I experiment. And a way to reach me and connect.
No one really speaks of failures but I wanted to start with that. I failed in first grade. In fact the teachers told I will struggle if I go into the second grade and so put me one more year as I saw my classmates move ahead of me.
I wanted to make a point here for those people who think their kids are not learning like others and should be jumping two classes at a time. I failed in first grade but was admitted to one of the most prestigious institutions in India for my engineering down the line in my education. Time does not flow same for everyone. Here is my Career Timeline…
As soon as I passed my college (yes I did complete, did not drop out) I started a company and became entrepreneur, first a computer hardware company where we assembled and sold PC ATs and XTs and 386 and 486 SX and DX and so on. I went on to start a Software Company trying to digitize the Indian and British Pharmacopeia much before the internet time. An ambitious project to connect Pharmaceuticals and Pharma colleges and Medical shops and Doctors and all. In parallel also got into Shrimp Farming.
Sometimes at the ripe age of early twenties when you swim too far into the open ocean you might get lost. So after some failed attempts in business, I took up a job and worked in the Tech Service Industry in India, Middle East, UK and the United States doing Product marketing and setting up new offices in nascent markets and implementing CRM and Mid sized ERP during the old Siebel and Great Plains times.
After 5 years doing that I was back with entrepreneurship bug and started, Build and ran for 7 years a software consulting services in the US. A time when I discovered a few things that would start my quest or the pursuit for the meaningful. Three things that I came across during this time paved the next part of my life.
- I discovered that I had fallen in love with Digital Content and management of it.
- I found that Blogging and Content Creation has become so important that I wanted to do it more.
- I was introduced to agile Scrum and realized how that can change the way we look at life and work.
I made a decision to quit full time entrepreneurship, and so I exited my 7 year business and for the next 5 years I powered my passion Digital Content Management on the professional front and became an Independent Consultant facilitating multi-million Digital transformations using Enterprise Content Management Systems for multinational corporations.
My personal content creation activities also took me into content forms like movie making, short stories, and poetry. These interests opened doors to poetry presentations, creative writing workshops, reading campaigns, translations, podcasting, Video blogging and other forms of content creation. The result was two collections of poetry, translations of over 70 international poetry works, a video Channel, Podcasts and a unique program of interviewing people in a moving car called InDriveView.
This website became my heart and soul of self expression on personal and professional level. In the process I also discovered the Power of Minimalism and Essentialism and made that also part of my personal and Professional Life. From mid 2018 to mid 2019 working with Singularity University I was able to create a synergy of my various interests being a small part contributing agile knowhow in the work towards a world of Abundance.
Thank You
Vinod Narayan


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This month Entangled publishing is releasing two new titles from Embrace, their New Adult line of books. Check out the spotlight for Forged By Fate and enter the giveaway for your chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card!
Forged By Fate (Bound by Hades #1) by Reese Monroe
Published December 9, 2013
Entangled Embrace
334 pages
Genre: New Adult Paranormal
He's waited more than 900 years to love her…
Being the Gatekeeper to Hades is no small feat, and waiting almost a millennia to meet your mate is damn near impossible. But Theo Bradford's mark has finally surfaced on his intended. Now all he has to do is find her and convince her to embrace her supernatural heritage.
Young genius, Sadie Nowland, has got life figured out. Graduating college at the age of eighteen and accepting a six-figure job is just what she needs to prove she's made something of herself. But when a strange tattoo mysteriously appears on her shoulder and Theo starts talking about Mates, it catapults her neatly laid out life into chaos.
Somehow a vicious demon banished to Hades defies Theo's vanquish and returns, setting his target on Sadie, and she is thrust into the volatile world of Shomrei warriors and a connection to Theo her brain can't comprehend and her body can't deny. That primal bond proves more imperative to their survival than either could have ever imagined—and just may be the key to the world's survival.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18652587-forged-by-fate?from_search=true


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Oculus Go has made an entry into the Chinese market with the launch of the Xiaomi powered Mi VR Standalone. Well, that seems confusing, but yes it is true. Mi VR Standalone which is similarly designed and powers exactly same specs are manufactured by both Oculus and Xiaomi for customers in China.
Oculus has said that they have partnered with Xiaomi and they will sell the MI VR Standalone in China. On the other hand, Oculus Go will remain available for rest of the world for $200.
Additionally, Xiaomi Mi VR Standalone packs same specs of Snapdragon 821 with dual 2K displays in the headset. You not need any external phone or any other thing to watch content in it. As name suggests, it packs all the things in it, which will allow you to enjoy the VR experience without any external compatibility.
Further, Mi VR Standalone packs Motion controller, audio jack. It have dual SDK support for both Oculus VR and Mi VR platform. It means you can enjoy content like games and others from both the platforms seamlessly.
The pricing details are not yet put for Mi VR Standalone. It is expected to be little less than the $200 for the Oculus Go.
How many of you have started waiting for it in other markets where it Oculus Go is not yet available?


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THE board of the Cultúrlann are one of two bidders for the landmark building on the Falls Road.
The board say they are hugely excited to be in a position to bid for the iconic building that they have occupied and developed for the past 26 years having secured funding.
The Irish language cultural hub in the heart of the Gaeltacht Quarter has now received funding from Ciste Infheistíochta na Gaeilge, which provides capital funding for Irish language projects in the north.
The Andersonstown News reported last week that Springfield Charitable Association, who are selling the building to raise capital for its Cupar Street project for older people, had been "left with no choice" but to put it up for sale due to no public funding being released for their project.
Aisling Ní Labhraí, Director of the Cultúrlann, said: "We are absolutely delighted to be finally in a position to purchase this fantastic community resource.
"The Cultúrlann is the heartbeat of Belfast's growing Irish-speaking community and has been highlighted as a best-practice model on community revival, not only across Ireland but internationally for minority language communities.
"We have a fantastic working relationship with the SCA, stretching back over 25 years and we are optimistic that they will look favourably on our bid. We have invested heavily in the Cultúrlann in that period, building it up from a disused, dilapidated building to an iconic Irish language arts centre with over 95,000 visitors this year alone.
"This has been done through a can-do spirit and a desire to showcase all that is best about the Irish speaking community. We hope that we can continue to build on that for the next 25 years."
Springfield Charitable Association (SCA) General Manager Terry McNeill said that the sale of the building is not yet a done deal.
"We have the Cultúrlann and at least one other bidder in for the sale of this building. No contracts have as yet been signed. We are hoping to close the matter this side of Christmas but at the minute that is looking increasingly unlikely. SCA are moving forward with their Cupar Street build with construction work to begin in January."
Two bidders in for Cultúrlann building
THE board of the Cultúrlann are one of two bidders for the landmark building on the Falls Road.


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OKO OPTICAL Company is civil law partnership. It has begun its activity in 1990 and one year later it has started spectacle frames distribution. Since 1995 we are official distributor of: Moonlight, Prime, Success, Sonata, Optic Union collections.
Diversity of our offer is being presented during big optical domestic and foregin events where we are presenting glasses fashion novelties.
Through our employees we reach with our offer significant number of polish opticians. We are also selling to european countries.


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Adoption Events
All the Country kittens except Panama – she was on the cat tree!
Summer has always been my favorite season, mostly because I love the sun, or more appropriately, because I hate being cold. It's a time when we get to enjoy the beautiful weather outdoors, beach vacations and fresh local corn! It's also the height of kitten season which means a full house at Kitten BnB. However, it's also the time of year when adoptions start to slow.
I always love to get my kittens adopted through Instagram but the next best thing is to take them to an adoption event. It can be a significant time commitment but as a foster I think it's really important to go for a number of reasons.
- Your kittens will be more comfortable – The events can be really overwhelming for some kittens and it's good for them to have a familiar scent. I've found that it really helps them be more playful and relaxed.
- You can be an advocate for your kittens – Potential adopters always have a lot of questions about the kittens personality, how they interact with others, and how the kittens behave in a home environment. Being able to answer those questions has helped my kittens get adopted in the past.
- You get to meet their furrever family – When I first started fostering, it was a lot harder to say goodbye because I didn't attend adoption events and never got to know where my kittens ended up. I'm sure they went to great homes, but sometimes I still wonder about them. Having a relationship with my kittens' new families lets me know my kittens are being taken care of and are loved. Nothing makes me happier than those messages. I also make it clear that if the adopter needs anything, I am there for them and would be happy to help them if needed.
- You can encourage others to foster – Some people stop by the events and aren't quite ready to adopt. Simply by letting them know that fostering is an option can convince someone to give it a try! Since fostering can sometimes seem scary and overwhelming if you've never done it, hearing firsthand can be reassuring (I know because when I started, it took me months for me to finally attend the foster orientation).
One of Harry and Sally's last cuddle sessions in my bed
Last Thursday, I took all 8 kittens in for a vet check. I had a feeling Harry and Sally would be cleared for surgery but I was unsure about the Country Kittens. I didn't know if they had beat their battle with calici virus yet but I brought them along for the ride since they needed their next round of booster shots anyway. After sitting in the shelter's waiting area for an hour and a half, the foster team finally came out and told me ALL kittens were good to go. This meant that they would go to surgery the following day at the ASPCA and then would be ready to go to the weekend's adoption events.
Even though it was great news that Harry, Sally, Costa, Peru, Panama and Korea would soon be going to adoption events, I was still a little shocked that I would be going home alone. (In case you were counting, Egypt and Spain already had an adopter lined up and were going home together, yay!)
Korea and Panama on my lap
With 6 kittens going to adoption events, I knew I was in for an entire weekend of work but that's okay – it's always worth it!
Saturday's event in Riverdale (the Bronx)
Unfortunately, the weather doesn't always cooperate for adoption events. It was rainy and the location didn't have much foot traffic. Harry was the only kitten that got adopted that day, which wasn't surprising given how cute the little fluffball is. Truthfully, I was a little disappointed because I really wanted him and Sally together. He was adopted to a very nice family though and they've sent me pictures and messages since saying how much they love him!
Sunday's event in Hell's Kitchen (Manhattan)
Sunday was a beautiful day and the event was in Hell's Kitchen, a NYC neighborhood with much better foot traffic. It started out so great because by the time I arrived at the event, Sally already had an application in! This is the sweetest story: a man stopped by on his way to work and met Sally. He asked if the event would still be going on in a few hours, so he could come back and adopt her. The adoption counselor said most likely she'd be adopted by then, so the man called his job and said he was going to be late and stayed to adopt her. Sally now has a Persian sister named Khloe. Sally's new dad said she's been copying everything her big sister does, and that they're all getting along so well already.
The rest of the day didn't go as well. Only one other kitten got adopted and it wasn't Korea, Panama or Costa. I took all 3 home with me and hopefully they have better luck this weekend!
Baby Spain – he now is HUGE and weighed 4.9 ounces last Thursday!
The current guests
I know it's hard to keep track of all these kittens but as I'm typing this there are 7 kittens here right now. Here's the how I ended up going from zero (on Thursday) and back to a full house:
- 1, 2 and 3… After the event on Saturday, I stopped back at the shelter to pick up Egypt and Spain since their adopter couldn't pick them up until later in the week. Even though Peru was initially cleared the vet check, she was rejected from surgery from ASPCA. We think she has a food allergy so are currently experimenting with a new diet (if you've dealt with food allergies before, please let me know).
- 4, 5 and 6… Costa, Panama and Korea got to travel the world a little bit (well, the NYC area) and are now back at Kitten BnB and LOVING life back in the foster room. I really hope someone special adopts them. Panama and Korea have come so far. They really hated me when I first got them and now they crave attention, it makes my heart melt!
- And 7! When I found out that all my babies were leaving me on Thursday, I knew I couldn't leave kitten-less during kitten season. Naturally I asked for more kittens to foster while I was there. I had specific requirements on what I would be able to foster since I'm going away in a couple of weeks for a wedding. They didn't have any litters but had a singleton named Mitty who was looking for a foster. She only needs to gain a few ounces and to get over a kitty cold. She's been spending time in my office and bedroom. There will be more on Mitty in the next post.
Mitty getting comfortable


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Highlight: Summer Design Researchers
As the summer draws to an end we want to highlight the exceptional work of our two Summer Design Researchers, Louis Terreros and Winnie Guan. … Read onHighlight: Summer Design Researchers
As the summer draws to an end we want to highlight the exceptional work of our two Summer Design Researchers, Louis Terreros and Winnie Guan. … Read onHighlight: Summer Design Researchers
The Climate Emergency Mobilization has been organizing cities and counties throughout the Bay Area to declare climate emergencies and join our task force to address climate change as a region. We are organizing a series of Concerts for the Climate to help sustain our work. … Read onConcert for the Climate: Climate Emergency Mobilization Series Kick Off!
Via miaminewtimes.com: Five years ago, artist and activist Melanie Oliva had built an award-winning career as the creative director of an advertising firm in Chicago. It was a concrete jungle … Read onArtist Melanie Oliva Uses Graphic Design to Help Activist Causes
Via artclimatechange.org: Presenting over thirty curated exhibitions at leading museums and galleries in Melbourne and regional Victoria, the 2019 festival will consider ideas and concepts around art and activism, community … Read onArt + Climate = Change 2019
Designers are some of the most idealistic and systems-focused individuals in organizations and communities. They see problems and they fix them – always with the intent to better the lives … Read onClimate Change: Designers caused it. Now let's do something about it.
Via bbc.com/ideas: Psychologists report a rise in people suffering from climate change anxiety or eco-anxiety. What's it like? And what can you do to cope?
Via dezeen.com: Climate change action group Extinction Rebellion has unveiled a "radically different" visual identity, including DIY protest posters that will allow activists to flypost cities. Extinction Rebellion is an … Read onExtinction Rebellion uses bold graphics in protest against climate change
Via channel4.com: This graph from Nasa shows changes in global temperatures over the years. The different lines show the data collected by separate research centres.


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Education Highlights
Students showcase their creativity and ingenuity in robotics expo
Four schools showcased their innovative robocar creations in the recently held Genyo e-Learning Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Robotics Workshop and Robocar Design Exposition. Spearheaded by Diwa Learning Systems Inc. (Diwa)—the leading provider of print and digital educational resources in the country—the event aims to boost students' interest in robotics by providing them with the basic knowledge and allowing them to apply it. The schools were asked to develop a robocar that aids in earthquake rescue operations using the Genyo e-Learning DIY Robotics 3-in-1 Robocar given to them by Diwa.
The students of Colegio de San Francisco Javier of Palompon, Leyte designed their robocar based on the Mars Rover Model of NASA. The Mobile Earthquake Rescue Bot or MERB can run through rocky terrain and slopes, and detect the presence of survivors underneath rubble.
FAITH Catholic School of Tanauan City, Batangas made a robocar rescue using Simultaneous Localization and Mapping or SLAM, a synchronous location awareness and recording of the environment in a map of a computer, device, robot, drone, or other autonomous vehicles. Their robocar creation employed various types of sensors capable of understanding its environment, thus helping rescuers locate casualties.
Students of the Immaculate Heart of Mary College of Manila created Disaster Ready Emergency Aid for Man or DREAM Bot to deliver quick emergency supplies to a survivor during an aftershock to also help ensure the safety of the rescuers.
Saint Joseph College of Maasin, Leyte developed a versatile and low-cost model for their robocar using recycled materials. Its main purpose is to search for alternative routes to unreachable areas.
Aside from the design exposition, various schools were invited to undergo a seminar workshop that includes a short lecture by Engineering and Robotics expert Mr. Jun Bagaindoc. He talked about the basics of robotics and the functional role of robots in our society. Participating schools were Emmanuel Christian School, Escuela de Sophia of Caloocan Inc., Espiritu Santo Parochial School, Immaculate Heart of Mary College Quezon City, Sacred Heart Academy Pasig, Saint Mary's Academy Pasay, San Lorenzo School, and San Sebastian College Recoletos.
A line-tracing competition and pop-the-balloon challenge were also held to let students explore the Genyo DIY Robotics kits.
To know more about Diwa and its other innovative programs, visit www.diwa.ph.
Students from Tagbilaran City win best science investigatory project
Students showcase their creativity and ingenuity in robotics workshop
Naga City school uses e-learning to teach students about the electoral process
Bulacan school excels through e-learning
Valenzuela school innovates to improve students' subject mastery
Students from different schools creating their own robocars out of the starter kits given to them
Robocars designed for earthquake rescue operations created by students of Colegio de San Francisco Javier (upper left), FAITH Catholic School (upper right), Immaculate Heart of Mary College of Manila (lower left), and Saint Joseph College (lower right)
Mr. Jun Bagaindoc delivering an interactive lecture on the basics of robotics


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August 20, 2019
When To Not Wrap Your Car | Car Wraps In Little Rock
There are many reasons drivers get their cars wrapped. Car wraps in Little Rock can be used for style, advertisements, and more.
However, there are a few things car wraps can't do. At Gametime Wraps we will make sure your vehicle is good to be wrapped. Here is why.
A car wrap could make a cosmetic issue worse.
It is never recommended that you use a car wrap to conceal a blemish on your vehicle.
Peeling paint? The wrap sealant may grab hold of the peel and make it worse. Rust? The wrap won't stick to rust on a car. The rusted area could just get worse.
Imperfections will stick out.
Dents and dings? Those will only be accentuated once the wrap is applied. This is especially true if you are applying a design, not a solid color to your car.
A solid color will show dents, dings, and scratches just like a paint job would.
You'll need to fix cosmetic flaws before applying the wrap.
Cars need to be in good condition to be wrapped. Go over each panel of your vehicle (the team at Gametime Wraps can help). If you have any minor imperfections, get them fixed. It will be much less of an issue once your wrap is applied.
Peeling paint is the most significant issue to watch for. The strong, 3M adhesive we use to apply the wrap will grab hold of the paint. Like a sticker, it could take a small corner of peeling paint and spread the peeling across the whole panel.
Keeping your vehicle blemish-free is often easier with a car wrap.
All you need to clean your car once it has been wrapped is a microfiber cloth and a safe cleaner. It can't be power washed, but a quick wipe down will do the trick.
A paint job would require more maintenance. The gloss from a paint job needs proper upkeep for the car to maintain its value.


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Being the proud owner of a successful tourism company I try my best to gift my clients an excellent gift which would remind them of my company the next time they decide to travel. Cool stuff!
My two cents about this backpack: This is NOT an average product, it is comprehensive package which will ensure maximum client satisfaction. It includes all the basic essentials required for picnic and more. My clients were impressed by sheer quality and style of the bag making it possible for me to establish a good impression of my company. I consider it good value for money as it is an investment in marketing which will definitely pay off.
Ordered these picnic backpacks in bulk lst month I ws lyk maybe I spend 2 much but truly thr worth it!
Team did well to get me exactly what I wanted to my required specs. Had no idea how large a space 200 of these would take up, and found myself under pressure for storage space in my office when they did arrive. A decent product and they do put your logo on it nicely, but make sure you're going to be running your campaign very soon to the day of stock arrival or you too will be under pressure for storage space in tied up stock.
Large enough to sit a small family. A decent giveaway gift, but try to give it away as part of a sales promotion so you get something back out of it, as truth be told you aren't going to get as many impressions with this picnic rug as you would with a wearable promotional product like a t-shirt, but you will get a greater impact and a love for your business from the person you give this gift to.
Almost like Burberry! Looks great, feels pretty nice and with a deep texture quality. Was excited when it arrived at my door, and CS had been in touch to tell me exactly when that would be. Good imprint too.


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Staff and students at Gower College Swansea have launched their first ever Rainbow Week with Welsh international rugby union referee Nigel Owens, MBE.
GCS Rainbow Week is dedicated to raising awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and celebrating inclusivity and the safe and supportive environment of the College.
The week started by signing up to Stonewall's Diversity Champions programme and an address and Q&A by Nigel Owens, MBE. Nigel talked about his struggles with his own sexuality and mental health, highlighting the importance of being true to yourself.
Other events throughout the week included a rainbow fayre – with attendance from Good Vibes, Eyst, Terrence Higgins Trust, Barod and BAWSO – a rainbow run and tie-dye sessions, nail painting and quizzes.
The College also welcomed representatives from Stonewall to deliver staff training as well as hear talks from asylum seeker Abderrahim El Habachi and a Stonewall school role model.
"We are extremely proud to launch our Rainbow Week initiative," says the College's Equality and Diversity Team Chair and Director of HR, Sarah King. "It is so important that staff and students feel safe and supported, and it's great to see the whole College getting involved with planning and taking part in some brilliant activities."
Photos: Adrian White Photography


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- Publish date:
To most Americans the word "bear" suggests Smokey, Yogi, Pooh and those endearingly awkward animals— "Look! Just like teddy bears!"—who beg for peanuts and popcorn in the nation's zoos. Judging from the letters we have thus far received, a good many readers have been shocked by Jack Olsen's chilling series, The Grizzly Bear Murder Case—the third and final installment of which begins on page 36. It is hard to accept the fact that the zoo image is not the real image and that the captive bear conceals his hatred of man only because he has no choice. We hope the menacing grizzly shown on the cover—chosen from a number of photographs made for SI in the San Diego, Chicago and Central Park zoos—will help reinforce Olsen's conclusion that man and bear cannot peacefully coexist in the wild.
The cover bear came to the San Diego Zoo with his brother in May 1961 when they were both three months old. They had been orphaned in Yellowstone National Park and were too young to fend for themselves. Now they weigh about 750 pounds each and measure about seven feet from nose to tail. George Long, who took their pictures for us, reports, "I would hold up an apple or slice of bread and they would beg for it. When I didn't throw it to them, they would snarl at me—the perfect picture situation. I would shoot the picture, then throw them the prize, which they caught every time. Some children came along with gumdrops—the bears could catch a gumdrop at 30 feet!"
Our photographers in Chicago and New York got similar evidence of the captive bears' philosophy—"If you can't beat it, join it or duck it." In Chicago, Bob Lightfoot made these notes on his assignment: "Pack cameras, exotic telephotos, motors, etc., head for zoo. On arrival purchase peanuts, marshmallows, hot dogs, Coke. First two for bears, last two for self. Go to bear pit, set up tripod, survey scene. Bears are asleep. Helpful onlookers bombard bears with marshmallows, peanuts and profanity. Bears wake up. Official comes, takes me to edge of moat and jumps around to make bears look fierce, says not to fall in—bears never go in moat except to eat people. Give edge of moat plenty of room. Bears yawn a lot, look really fierce. Trainer comes up, throws rye bread while other zoo man jumps around. After three hours we run out of bread, peanuts, marshmallows. Bears go back to sleep. I leave."
In New York, Photographer Phillip Leonian's wife Edith reported: "The bear, 15 years old, looked more fluffy than grizzled in his new spring coat. After consulting with the keeper, Phil armed himself with Cracker Jacks to maneuver the bear to where he could be photographed without showing bars. The first day's shooting ended when the bear dived into his pool, shook himself off and retreated to his napping corner. The keeper announced, 'Now he'll sleep for three hours.' The second day, Phil set up his equipment, and the bear dived into the pool again. While waiting for the bear to dry, the keeper told stories of cruelty—of people to bears. The keepers regularly remove broken glass from the cage. They feel their main function is to protect the animals from the people."
And that, of course, is entirely proper in zoos, where a large bear is defenseless against a small child. But in the wilderness even a human giant is powerless against a medium-sized grizzly bear, an animal capable of breaking a horse's back with one swipe of his mighty paw. As Olsen points out, tourists, campers and hikers need to remember—and so does the National Park Service—that the friendly bear with the Boy Scout hat is a purely fictional creation.


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"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it." Ronald Reagan
It is crystal clear that the Mayor and the City Council will try to vote to raise property taxes or other taxes this year. The Mayor has claimed to work to cut government "to the bone", but that would only be true if the bone is on the surface of the skin above multiple layers of fat, and now he claims there is no choice but to raise taxes. The only argument about tax hikes in City Council is how much to raise them and whether it should be in the form of a per property "fire fee" or a standard property tax hike. The only group that has a glimmer of hope of stopping these tax hikes now is citizens.
Come and testify at the next meetings
Tax and Fee hikes for 2011-2012 local government budgets.
Prepared for more? If not, stand up and say no!
Meanwhile, on the home front, libraries, parks, police station construction and basic government services suffer while government employee benefits stay up and paid!
You have your chance to speak up at two more public meetings by the Mayor and City Council on Taxes. The city had doubled property tax collections from 2000-2007. Never once did they complain about the "surplus" they had and how they could solve that problem – they simply spent the money. NOW they claim there is a $13 million shortfall projected for next years budget. There is only a shortfall if spending is not cut. There are many areas to cut and there have also been many areas where revenues have gone up, but the city does not seem concerned with that "problem".
Over this week, the Sun Beam Times will be detailing the areas in the budget where waste exists, revenues have gone up and subsidies exist. Citizens can then be more fully informed in this debate. It is time to turn out again and speak out against tax hikes and for spending cuts. Otherwise the local governments' tax hikes will step on the neck of this economy just as it is trying to get up off the ground.


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Stanza VI
4. He builds them in the likeness of older wheels, placing them on the Imperishable Centres.
How does Fohat build them? He collects the fiery dust. He makes balls of fire, runs through them, and round them, infusing life thereinto, then sets them into motion; some one way, some the other way. They are cold, he makes them hot. They are dry, he makes them moist. They shine, he fans and cools them. Thus acts Fohat from one twilight to the other, during Seven Eternities."
"Mr. B. Keightley: Question 16, page 184. What are we to understand by the phrase, "astral human forms (Or the highest elementals.")
In the following: Monads of the anthropoids, "the highest mammals after man…will be liberated and pass into the astral human forms (Or the highest elementals) of the Sixth and Seventh Races, and then into the lowest human forms in the Fifth Round."
Mme. Blavatsky: By the time the Sixth Race comes on the scene, all the animal egos now inhabiting the highest anthropoid forms will have been liberated and will exist. Some exist now in sidereal spaces in astral human forms, as I say.
This is what I call here the highest elementals – they have not been human yet.
These will incarnate in the lowest men of the Sixth Race. The young men of the Darwinians truly have dreamed dreams, and their old men seen visions, for their founder must have caught from the astral a glimpse of that which will be; and forthwith dragging it down to his own material plane, he made of it that which has been in his own imagination.
This is the most curious thing, and I don't think it is Darwin; I think it is Haeckel who took the astral forms.
The Master says himself there were gigantic astral forms in the Third Round. They were like gigantic apes, but they were not speaking of the dumb animals – they were men, ape-like, from which individuals evoluted the apes.
Millions and millions of years after, when there came the reversion to the primal type again, they produced the monsters for which they fell.
Mr. B. Keightley: What happens to the anthropoids is, when they die, they remain as semi-human elementals until the Sixth Race begins to come.
Mme. Blavatsky: They are not yet human, because they were not human.
Mr. B. Keightley: The elementals that will be human.
Mme. Blavatsky: Just as the egos of men are their past elementals.
Mr. Kingsland: But that is not in the Sixth Race, it is in the Sixth Round.
Mme. Blavatsky: There will be a few already in the Sixth Race. Like the chimpanzees, they do not come from space, but these are already imprisoned.
Mr. Kingsland: You don't call them human Monads, yet.
Mme. Blavatsky: They are semi-human, because they are due to that Fourth Race. Do you suppose, really, that they are men? It is all very fine to listen to our missionaries, who say all the savages are our brothers. They are not. They have the potentiality; the mineral has the potentiality, but the savages are not – especially some of those who died out – they are not the same as we are.
Mr. Kingsland: Then they will come in at the Sixth Race?
Mme. Blavatsky: Yes. What I say is, that not a single Monad will come any more from space, so to say, unless it is here: that all that which had the time to settle in some of the higher shapes, till the middle of the Fourth Race, these will remain on this Earth till the end of the Manvantara, but certainly not afterwards.
If you go and believe this absurd thing, that for every child that is born, there is a new soul breathed and created – that I cannot understand at all."
H. P. Blavatsky


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CoreLogic has reviewed home price trends in the cities that are being considered for the "second headquarters" for online retail giant Amazon. All the cities on the shortlist* are experiencing home price increases. Some cities have even exceeded the national average of 6 percent. Figure 1 represents a snapshot of the data:
*CoreLogic does not monitor the Toronto, Canada market
Whatever decision Amazon makes will certainly be a boon for the selected city.
According to reports, we won't know the final selection until later this year. We'll be back with you then when the city is selected to take another look at the housing economy in that city.


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Family shows abound in America's capital of live entertainment, and by family shows, we mean those where pretty much everyone on stage is "family!" This is certainly true for the long-running, popular show, The Duttons, where three generations deliver a remarkable performance night after night. Dad and mom Dutton, Dean and Sheila, introduced music into the family home as way to instill structure and discipline into their kids' lives. Little did they know that the music they used as a life skills teaching tool would become a lifetime passion, as well as a lifelong career for the entire family. During the winter months, the Duttons temporarily relocate to Mesa, Arizona to perform in their other theater, but with the exception of an occasional tour, this musical family makes their home in Branson, where happy audiences delight in high energy entertainment filled with musical variety, dance, and laughter!
Now that you've been introduced to the family's show, we want you to meet the talented and hard-working offspring and offspring in-laws...to truly grasp how entrenched in music and entertaining this family is, and how much being "family" means to them, we're taking a rare detour into an introduction of the whole gang!
First up, Tim and Judith - the multi-talented Tim can play the classical and electric guitar, cello, electric bass, violin, mandolin, viola, and more, and takes care of the sound recording for the show. Judith plays piano, sings, and manages the theater. Their children - Jessica, Rachel, and Timmy - also appear onstage with the family. The Duttons' son, Jon, is the theater's technical director, plays banjo, guitar, mandolin, and other instruments, and provides much of the show's comic relief. Wife, Bella, a former Polynesian dancer from the islands of Samoa, helps with narration during the show, and handles accounting duties, as well as manages the Dutton Inn with Jon. Their children Natalia, Selena, Leila, and Nathanael all take part in the show. Dutton daughter, Amy, directs the show and plays lead violin, while sons Gabriel, Julian, and Damian sing and dance, much to the delight of their fourth son, Josiah, who is recovering from leukemia. Amy's husband, Rudy, has a successful law practice, and served as the show's lighting director while he pursued his education.
Son, Ben, and his wife, Brande, along with their children Ben Jr., Issac, Christian, and Luke were part of Dutton Productions, but have since moved on to a business venture with a cousin. Dutton daughter, Abigail, mostly plays banjo and violin, and adds her dancing and tap-dancing talents to the show, as well as choreography services and vocals. She also manages theater concessions, and a related shop with the adorable moniker of "Abby's Tourist Trap." Her four youngsters, Grace, Seth, Orson, and Marcus enjoy being part of the show, as well as helping with a myriad of tasks around the theater. Abby's husband, Adam, is a Dutton-in-law who's not in the show; he's a fitness trainer and sports nutritionist with the Boy Scouts of America.
Dutton daughter, Jenny, used her master's degree in violin to the benefit of the family's performances, but has since become the Chief Technology & Operations Office for a financial planning company. Her business pursuits; however, don't keep Jenny from paying occasional visits to the show, handling violin and banjo duties, as well as sharing her stunning soprano voice with the audience. Last, but certainly not least, Joshua Dutton maintains a "charter membership" with the family's music show. The youngest of the brilliant brood, he can play harmonica, violin, and drums, while also managing the family's Branson hotel. He's since returned to school and earned a degree in computer science and works as a programming engineer who makes educational cell phone apps. He hasn't strayed far from music; however, he and wife, Evette, produced an album of original songs - they have four kids of their own, Joshua, Elena, Lilah, and Emma.
Normally, we wouldn't take up this much copy talking about an entire family, but there's something truly special about The Duttons, and knowing the family is understanding the phenomenally talented performance you'll be blessed to witness every time they take the Branson stage! Former "America's Got Talent" judge, Sharon Osbourne, knows what we're talking about - she was completely charmed by both their family togetherness and their undeniable talent!
Now that you we've made you feel like an honorary member of the family, aren't you just chomping at the bit to see them perform? Give us a call at 877-688-3179 and we'll get your seats saved!


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Launch of new mental health and wellbeing initiative for young people
A major new mental health and wellbeing initiative for young people living in the Loddon Campaspe region called Keep in Touch (KiT) is set to be launched at Bendigo Senior Secondary College on Wednesday November 13.
Greater Bendigo Deputy Youth Mayor Annika Ritchie said the local launch is the culmination of eighteen months work by the KiT steering committee which comprises representatives from the City of Greater Bendigo, Regional Development Victoria, Department of Health and Human Services, Anglicare and young people from across the Loddon Campaspe region.
"The KiT project was developed by local young people for young people and focusses on breaking down mental health stigma in regional and rural area," Ms Ritchie said.
"KiT aims to empower young people to achieve and maintain positive mental health and wellbeing through three key elements - the KiT Van, KiT app, and KiT volunteer crew.
Greater Bendigo Youth Councillor and youth representative on the KiT steering committee Lilli-Rose Gemmill said the KiT van and app are tools to promote positive mental health awareness amongst young people in regional and rural communities.
"The van can be requested by the public via the app to attend community events and schools to start a conversation around positive mental health and wellbeing and provide links to mental health services and social activities," Ms Gemmill said.
"It's a great opportunity for communities to start a conversation about mental health in a supportive environment."
Young people in regional and rural areas can face more barriers to accessing mental health services. The KiT project provides a resource to link them with available services as well as opportunities to connect with activities and other young people."
The KiT app and van will link young people to local mental health and wellbeing services, resources, and activities. The app is free and available for download on both the Apple iStore and the Google Play store.
Kit is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services and Regional Development Victoria, with support from the City of Greater Bendigo and other Local Governments municipalities and community groups within the Loddon Campaspe region.
Further information about the project is available from www.keepintouch.org.au


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LA fans say a Game 7 loss could be worst in Laker historyMay 16th, 2009
by John
This is a fascinating thread I found on a Laker fan site. Some say a Laker loss on Sunday to the Rockets in Game 7 could be the worst in Laker history, but be one of the biggest upsets in sports history. Gotta give credit to the people in there who are giving props to the Rockets for showing so much heart in this series.
On another note, I went on the the Lakers' Ticketmaster site where fans can buy tickets from other fans through a program called TicketExchange, and I'm amazed at how many tickets are being sold by Laker fans for the right price. Maybe it's an indicator of these sellers' lack of confidence that their team can pull it off.


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Pink Onyx
The Basic Witch Crystal Set
New to crystals and not sure where to start? The Basic Witch Set was built for you! We put together 5 crystals that every person getting started, must have in their collection. This set has a full range of crystals to help aid in many areas of your life.
What's Inside:
- Rose Quartz (1): Unconditional Love + Compassion
- Amethyst (1): Intuition + Balance
- Clear Quartz (1): Awareness + Clarity
- Citrine (1): Positive Energy + Cleansing
- Bloodstone (1): Healing + Detoxifying
Weight: 0.13 lbs
Note: Comes in a small white organza pouch, ready for gift giving!
Description provided about crystals is for information purposes only and not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any diseases.


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Making the bedroom look luxurious is often perceived as a big challenge as there's a lot more to do than just invest in premium-quality furniture essentials and showpieces. One of the important areas many homemakers miss out is the walls; the way you dress the walls of your bedroom says a lot about the overall aesthetic of your personal space.
By choosing the right wall colors, you do half of the job of creating a luxurious look in your bedroom. Here are a few tips to give your room a luxurious look:
1. Let the dark color add some drama to your room: Darker shades, like our dark stone-grey shade, Country Hearth (8D1727), has an element of mystique. Its intrinsic alluring character doesn't fail to intrigue the beholders. This dark shade has a warming character and, therefore, works great for introducing a cozy vibe. Pair this shade with posh and comforting materials such as wood, velvet, silk, and semi-precious metals to up the sophistication quotient of your bedroom.
2. Let the neutral colors bring in an airy feel: One secret trick to nailing a luxurious look in your bedroom is to balance the overall aesthetic of the space. And what better way to do this than by using a white wall color to create a neutral backdrop? Our balanced white shade, Crystal Blade (8P2767) has a muted tone and looks great with other sophisticated neutrals such as beige, gray, and taupe. To complement the balanced look of this wall color, use secondary lightings such as corner lamps and table lamps.
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4. Go for offbeat colors: Violet is the color choice of few because not many know how to style the color in a sophisticated way. The trick to nailing a luxurious look using violet is to pair the wall color with warmer neutrals such as deep taupe, ivory, tan, and faded white. Bare metal finishes on furniture items and showpieces best complement the luxurious aesthetic of the color. Use our deep violet shade, Mohiccan Mist (8T1740) to dress your bedroom walls in a classy way. To get the best look out of this sophisticated shade, welcome more natural light in your bedroom.
5. Go for a subtle and sophisticated look: Lastly, do not forget to consider beige as an option when planning to create a sophisticated color scheme in your bedroom. Our light beige shade, Galactica (8T2690) works wonders in creating making a classy style statement in your personal space. As the shade has an unmistakable neutral aesthetic, it makes a great backdrop to highlight your decor items.
If you want the luxurious look of your bedroom to borrow contemporary style flavors, get recessed lighting installed on the ceiling. Also, antique wooden and metal showpieces make great additions to your sophisticated-looking bedroom.
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Up the aesthetics of the wall colors you choose for your bedroom with Berger Silk Glamour Metallic. The premium emulsion is formulated to bring the best out of wall colors and make them last for a long time. Learn more at http://www.bergernepal.com/product/detail/30.


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Permitted Dispensaries:
Blum, 578 W Grand Ave.
Blunts & Moore, 701 66th Ave.
Eco Cannabis, 2435 Telegraph Ave.
Have A Heart - 709 Broadway
Harborside Health Center, 1840 Embarcadero
Magnolia Wellness, 161 Adeline
510 Retail and Events dba Cookies 1776 Broadway
Oakland Organics, 6405 Shattuck Ave.
Phytologie Wellness Center, 8440 Enterprise Way
Purple Heart Patient Center, 415 4th St.
Conditionally Approved, but not yet open:
Have A Heart CC, 7817 Oakport
Kanna, 2019 MacArthur Blvd.
Rickey McCullough, 4444 Telegraph Ave.
Oaklyfe, 1600 Broadway
OCBC, 690 Hegenberger Rd.
Parkway Theater Inc. (formerly TPC), 1836 Park Blvd.
Root Sixty-Four,


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Stand Out
Unabridged Audiobook
Written By: Dorie Clark
Narrated By: Dorie Clark
Date: April 2015
Duration: 4 hours 46 minutes
A guide to becoming a recognized expert in your field Too many people believe that if they keep their heads down and work hard, they will be lauded as experts on the merits of their work. But that's simply not true anymore. To make a name for yourself, you have to capitalize on your unique perspective and knowledge and inspire others to listen and take action. But becoming a "thought leader" is a mysterious and opaque process. Where do the ideas come from, and how do they get noticed? Dorie Clark explains how to identify the ideas that set you apart and promote them successfully. The key is to recognize your own value, cultivate your expertise, and put yourself out there. Featuring vivid examples and drawing on interviews with Seth Godin, Robert Cialdini, and other thought leaders, Clark teaches readers how to develop a big idea, leverage existing affiliations, and build a community of followers. She offers not mere self-promotion, but an opportunity to change the world for the better while giving you the ultimate job insurance.


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I was secretly of the opinion that I might be more at home in one of those evangelical sects that elevate losing control to a form of worship.
How could you run from me now?
The loneliest child in the house
One day over a hardscrabble dinner of gristly beef and lumpy mashed potatoes, his uncle looked up at him and said, "Kee-rist, boy, school's gonna start any day now. And winter ain't far behind. I can't keep you here. We gotta figure out something for you.
At the edge of the forest, his sister began to complain about how everybody—their mother and father and all of her friends included—hated her. It was exasperating, the light she sometimes put herself in. The fact of the matter was that she received more
I break your flesh
and make music
on the harp of your bones.


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Derba & Derba is the Nations Premier Recruiting Company for
Private Clubs and Resorts
Private Clubs and Resorts
Derba & Derba is an international executive search/personnel consulting firm specializing in the identification, appraisal and selection of executive and management personnel for the private club sector of the hospitality industry.
Our focus is on exclusive client relationships and tailoring each Executive Search to the organization's specific needs.
We develop Partnerships, Relationships and Results... Thank you for your consideration. We are looking forward to meeting with you for an initial confidential informational consultation.
Confidential Executive Search ™ is the very foundation of our business.


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Keep Britain Tidy soon to launch fly-tipping campaign
The aim is to help educate the general public to know more about their responsibilities to dispose of their own waste properly and avoid becoming the unwitting victims of unscrupulous fly-tippers who are benefiting from the supply of household waste for profit with no regard for the environment and the cost to all for local authorities to clear up. They are looking for partners to get involved with the campaign.
If interested contact by email firstname.lastname@example.com for more information or find out more from their website - Keep Britain Tidy


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I am a new customer to Trupanion and wasnt sure if I really needed insurance, but with a 2 month old puppy it was the best decision I made. One week after I brought my puppy home, she ate a bag of chocolate and Trupanion worked quickly and effectively with me to cover some of the enormous costs. Worth every penny!
Chocolate toxicity
Claim Amount
$100 - $500
Mixed Breed
Age of Pet
Under a year


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I built a new PC as below config last month and it started my nightmare.
The PC randomly black screen in low CPU usage and NO related errors in event views (it only shows "power off unexpected", "dump fail" etc.).
At the beginning, I thought it was caused by overclock. I disabled all overclock options in bios and win10, even Cool & Quiet, set performance bias to None or Auto. I used aida64, OCCT, Furmark, memtest, Fritz Chess, etc. to test for hours and days, NO black screen.
But when I start to use it with low workload (internet browsing, listening music, downloading, etc.) daily, it occurred black screen again.
Sometimes several times in one hour, sometimes one or two times in days.
And when the black screen occurs, I can PING that PC successfully and read the files/folders shared by that PC from another laptop/pc; it seems I can't remote desktop to that PC when black screen. Keyboard, mouse is dead (Caps Lock light didn't on / off when you press); no signal to TV or monitor, CPU fans and VGA, motherboard, chassis fans work as normal.
I can't reset the PC by press the RESET on chassis (it works when PC working normally), I only can press the POWER button for 3 seconds to power off the PC. And after I re-power on the PC, sometimes it ask you to enter BIOS.
I almost try to change every settings in the BIOS to test, I didn't install AI Suite, any RGB software on my PC, no start HW monitoring tools.Tried ultimate power plan, ryzen power plan, performance power plan, no timers for sleep...... I try to set everything I could figure out. Sometimes I even believe I fixed it after using it without black screen for day, then it black screen again.
The video card is from my another PC. It works well on that one for years. Memory is tested on other PC, no issue.
I've RMAed the RAM.
And tested them,
if I enable 'virtual memory'/"paging file" in win10 , and start eight HCI memtest (each 2048MB), one of them will find huge amounts of erros, when mentest just starts.
if disable 'virtual memory'/"paging file" in win10, ans start HCI memtest to test as more as they can (around 15GB), no erros , BUT it will black screen sometimes.
use memtest86 test in DOS, no erros.
Shall I RMA the CPU ??? Is it a problem of IMC of ryzen???
My build:
AMD Ryzen 2700x
Prime X470 pro BIOS 4011 / 4008
g.skill f4-3200c16d-16gtzr
AMD R9 370 4G HDMI to TV, DP to monitor
Win 10 Pro x64


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Collection Fall / Winter
Care instructions:
Like all Viscose- Crepe fabrics, the fabric shrinks when washed, but will take its original shape when ironed.
By buying this product you can collect up to 139 loyalty points. Your cart will total 139 points that can be converted into a voucher of 6,95 €.


text: Debra. AMEN Your letter is exactly correct. I've been a Diabetic since I was 5 also(I'm 36 now) It was hard being a Diabetic that young. Thank God for my parents who NEVER treated me any diffrent from my 2 older brothers. Bonne Cowger-Roszel Raleigh, NC --- "email @ redacted" <email @ redacted> wrote: > Here's a copy of the letter I'm sending to the Girl > Scouts. Does it sound > okay to everyone here? > > Activity number 6 for A Healthier You Junior Badge > is to list ways that > diseases can be prevented. Diabetes is one of the > diseases listed. As a > type 1 (Juvenile) diabetic, I can tell you - IT CAN > NOT BE PREVENTED, NO > MATTER WHAT YOU DO!! > > I was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of 5 and > know many people who were > diagnosed even earlier. No way could I or my parents > have done anything > differently and prevented the diabetes. > There are two different types of diabetes (which is > not even mentioned in > your instructions). Type 1 (which used to be > referred to as Juvenile > Diabetes) and type 2 (which used to be referred to > as Adult Onset > Diabetes). The majority of diabetics are type 2 - > which is actually totally > different than type 1. In diabetes, a person's > pancreas quits producing > insulin or slows down in the production of insulin. > Type 1 diabetes is > where the pancreas no longer produces any insulin > and the person must be > started on insulin via injections, to make up for > it. (Insulin is the > product in the body that breaks down the sugar that > you eat). In type 2 > diabetes, the body usually does not completely stop > making insulin, but > does not produce enough insulin for the person to > live without taking > medications to help produce more insulin. > > All of the advertisements you see on TV, etc. about > "preventing" diabetes > -- such as keeping your weight under control - refer > to type 2 diabetes. > Yes, overweight adults have a higher risk of > developing diabetes than those > of perfect proportions, but NOT EVERY OVERWEIGHT > ADULT HAS DIABETES AND NOT > EVERY PERFECTLY PROPORTIONED PERSON DOES NOT HAVE > DIABETES. > > The website www.childrenwithdiabetes.com has lots of > RELIABLE information > on diabetes in children - which CAN NOT be > prevented. > > What is an 11-year-old girl, who happens to have > diabetes, and also happens > to be about 5 pounds overweight, going to think when > she starts doing this > project? She's going to think the diabetes is her > fault - AND IT'S NOT!!! > Then, because Girl Scouts taught her that she's > diabetic because she is > overweight - she's possibly going to go on a > starvation diet, to lose > weight so that maybe she can also "lose" the > diabetes - and going to make > herself VERY SICK - because Girl Scouts taught her > it's her fault she has > the diabetes. > > And actually, NONE of the diseases you have listed > can ALWAYS be prevented. > There are steps to take to reduce the risk -- but > they can not be 100% > prevented. > > I think you are giving the Girl Scouts the wrong > idea with this project. > > Debra L. Graves > Type 1 diabetes since the age of 5 > ---------------------------------------------------------- > for HELP or to subscribe/unsubscribe, contact: > email@example.com > send a DONATION http://www.Insulin-Pumpers.org/donate.shtml __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com ---------------------------------------------------------- for HELP or to subscribe/unsubscribe, contact: firstname.lastname@example.com send a DONATION http://www.Insulin-Pumpers.org/donate.shtml


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Ideal for: surf, beach fun, exploring rivers and lakes
Surf in the morning, explore the local river at lunch, sneak out for a fish in the afternoon. The Versatile Pulse is capable of all this and more.
Drawing on all our experience and passion for the ocean we have developed a sit on top kayak that excels in the surf, whilst still retaining great characteristics for those flat day paddles.
The versatile Pulse is also one of the most stable boats in our range, making it perfect to try a spot of fishing from, or for a leisurely paddle down your local river.
Taking advantage of cutting edge production and clever design, we've made the Pulse both highly durable and lightweight. Combine this with our well balanced carry handles and you'll have no problem carrying the Pulse down the beach or lifting it onto your car roof rack.


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Conference Centre near Edmonton International Airport
Coast Nisku Inn & Conference Centre near the Edmonton Airport is fully equipped to host conferences and meetings of all sizes, ranging from small meetings to large conferences or special events in our recently renovated spaces. We take pride in our personalized service and in meeting the special needs of our customers. All banquet rooms are well equipped offering more than 22,510 square feet of meeting space.
Coast Hotels makes it easy to be kind to the environment while you go about your business. Our eCoast program makes it effortless to hold a green meeting. Find out more about eCoast now.
Need meeting and conference facilities information call us at 1.780.955.7744 Ext. 2 or email Debbie Hawley our Catering/Conference Services Manager


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MCT expands bus service
GRANITE CITY — Madison County Transit (MCT) has made changes to its bus routes in the Edwardsville area to provide better service to residents living at the May Apartments as well as Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students living on and off-campus.
Highlights of the changes which took effect Aug. 11 include the following:
• No. 16 Edwardsville-Glen Carbon Shuttle: Weekday trips at the May Apartments increased from 13 to 19 and new Saturday service introduced to the apartments.
• 17 Cougar Shuttle: Simplified and improved service introduced on the SIUE campus with 10-minute service between Cougar Village and Peck Hall on weekdays 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; 20-minute service 7-10 p.m.; and hourly service until midnight. Service on weekends will be available at reduced frequencies.
New Sunday service also was introduced to Cougar Village. Hourly service will be maintained at SIUE during break weeks and the summer session. Off-campus service to Downtown Edwardsville via Esic Drive will be operated by the No. 22 route. The low-performing segments on Myrtle, Randle and Union have been eliminated.
• 22 University Shuttle: The new route has 30-minute service between the MCT Edwardsville Station and SIUE during the Fall and Spring Semesters via the Esic neighborhood. New hourly, weekday service introduced to the off-campus student housing complexes of Axis Apartments on New Poag Road and Greenhill Apartments on Century Drive. New Sunday service has been introduced for residents in the Esic area. Service to Axis and Greenhill will not operate on weekends or during SIUE break or summer sessions.
For specific bus route information, visit mct.org, call 618-797-INFO or e-mail email@example.com.


text: I'm working on my Flash website. My document is setup at 12fps but I have a movie clip object within the document that I'd like to play at 20fps. This movie clip is a layered photoshop file that I imported as keyframes (it's basically a page curl effect composed of 5 frames) Is that possible? Thanks.


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Posts Tagged Christmas books
Odds & Ends (again)
Posted by stevengepp in Uncategorized on December 4, 2012
Quick catch up on some things writerly. Angelic Knight Press have accepted my story 'Continuation Of The Status Quo' for their upcoming anthology No Place Like Home: Tales From a Fractured Future. Wicked East Press have accepted 'Office Education' for their upcoming anthology Down The Rabbit Hole. Meanwhile, 3 other stories have not found homes at […]


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Pony Care Tips
Learn everything you need to know about caring for your fave pony. From feeding and grooming to mucking out – we have it all here!
Riding Tips
Improve your riding with our fab articles! Whether it's building your confidence, riding shapes, or jumping spreads that you need tips on, we have something for every rider.
Latest News
spook-bust your jumping
Posted in Jumping
Fly fillers every time with our spook-busting guide
Fillers are often used in showjumping and they can come in all shapes, sizes and colours. While they make fences more fun and brightly coloured, some ponies find them spooky to look at. This can cause refusals, run-outs or knocked poles – none of which are ideal if you're after a rosette!
Often, it's the rider's reaction to the filler that causes the problem. Look up and focus on keeping an active canter with an accurate approach, and you'll find it much easier to clear those scarier fences without a problem.
Get active
A canter with plenty of impulsion is key – this means that your pony's moving forward and is responsive to your aids. His canter should feel bouncy, like a rubber ball, with plenty of energy that you contain through your legs, seat and hands.
Work on improving his canter as you warm up. Include exercises such as…
- transitions – these encourage your pony to stay focused on you. As well as trot to canter and canter to trot, try walk to canter and canter to walk. It'll really test your pony's impulsion and responsiveness.
- lengthen and shorten his canter stride – this gives you an adjustable canter. Push him on down the long sides of the arena and collect him up along the short sides. Remember to maintain impulsion when you ask him to lengthen – his strides should cover more ground but he shouldn't just get faster.
- canter poles – setting up four canter poles along the long side lets you tell if his canter's balanced and rhythmical, and is a good way to focus before you start jumping.
Warm up
Before you get started with fillers, warm up over more inviting fences. Cross-poles are great to help you aim for the middle of the fence and ride an accurate approach.
Top tip – while you're warming up, circle around the fences and ride past plenty of fillers. This lets you both look at them so you'll feel more confident when it comes to jumping.
Improve your approach
It's important to ride a good approach to a fence, especially if there's a spooky filler hiding underneath. Approaching on a wonky line makes it much easier for your pony to run out, but ride a balanced turn and straight approach and you're more likely to meet the fence well.
Remember to combine an accurate approach with the same bouncy, active canter you practised while warming up – this will give your pony the energy to clear the fence easily.
De-spook those fillers
Introduce fillers gradually. This builds your pony's confidence as he learns through good experiences, rather than bad ones.
Remember, only move on to the next step when you're both happy. You don't have to complete it all in one session.
- Start with a simple fence keeping the fillers at the side.
- Move the fillers in part of the way, leaving the middle clear for your pony to jump confidently.
- Move the fillers completely under the fence
Top tip – keep the fence small as you build up confidence – only increase the height when you both feel happy and confident.
Position perfect
Your position has a big effect on how your pony jumps. Here's how to nail it every time…
The approach
- sit up tall and roll your shoulders back – avoid tipping forward as this shifts your weight in the saddle
- wrap your legs around your pony's sides to maintain a positive canter. Push your heels down to keep a strong position
- maintain an even contact across both reins to keep him straight and contain his energy. Don't pull on the reins, though, as this will encourage him to slow down, hesitate or refuse
- look up and ahead. You'll still be able to see the fence, but keep yourself from looking down at it or your pony might stop for a look, too!
The take-off
- fold at the hips and allow your upper body to move forward
- push your hands forward to allow him to stretch out as he jumps
- keep your heels down to help your lower leg stay secure
- look up and over to the next fence
The landing
- look for the next fence – this keeps your head up as you bring your shoulders back and start to sit more upright in the saddle
- push your weight into your heels to keep your legs secure and your body upright. This puts you in a strong position to ride to the next fence, which is even more important if you have another filler fence coming up
Top tip – be prepared for your pony to jump bigger over spookier fences. Keeping your heels down and legs wrapped around his sides makes sure you're secure and balanced in the saddle.
Think positive
Remember, your pony doesn't need to jump fillers differently to other fences, so ride positively and confidently and you shouldn't have any problems. Introduce them gradually and try to jump as many different types of filler as possible in training. That way, they won't be a problem when you see them at a competition.
A little bit of trust goes a long way – your pony needs to trust that you won't ask him to jump anything that isn't safe, and you need to trust him, too. You'll both be flying fillers in no time at all!


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Following a number of issues with its engines during pre-season testing at the Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona this week, Honda has apologised to McLaren Honda Formula 1 Team drivers Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne for the lack of track time available to them.
An oil system leak for Alonso on Monday and a power unit failure for Vandoorne on Tuesday, kept both drivers resigned to the garage for the majority of their scheduled day, with the team only able to complete 69 laps across those first two days of testing.
Honda removed both failing engines from the cars to allow the drivers to continue with their testing programme, whilst back at the factory an investigation was launched into the cause of the issues.
So far, an answer has not been found, but Honda F1 engine chief Yusuke Hasegawa has commented on how sorry he is for the disruption.
"Obviously we are not happy to have trouble, but this is a test – and we are feeling sorry for both drivers.
"So, we need to find out what has happened in the day two engine especially."
The Japanese manufacturer had been due to run an Australia-spec engine during the second week of testing, which takes place between March 7 – 10, and once they have found the cause of the failures, they will apply adjustments to this model accordingly.
"We didn't know the exact cause of the problem of yesterday's engine, but so far we didn't change anything.
"Because we don't know the cause of the problem we can't tell [what progress will be like] but I believe we can of course solve the issue before Melbourne."
Hasegawa confirmed that which mark engine they end up running in week two, would depend on the findings from their investigations.
"It depends on what the problem of yesterday's engine was, but we are supposed to introduce the same spec engine for Melbourne [that we will run] next week of course."
The F1 engine chief did advise that a temporary fix is now in place to resolve Monday's oil tank issue, and there were no further stoppages on day three, which is one thing less to worry about for McLaren, who had hoped this would finally be the year they could make a return to form.
"So far we can live with the current modified oil tank, but obviously through the season we always try to improve the system.
"So if we have the chance we may try to introduce some more oil tank modification but so far I don't think it is a problem to run with this one."


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Cypress Quartet Unveils Album of Beethoven's Early String Quartets
San Francisco's Cypress String Quartet is the latest chamber ensemble to tackle the entirety of Ludwig van Beethoven's synoptic string quartet arrangements. The group's newest volume, Beethoven: The Early String Quartets, will be released by Avie Records on May 6.
A popular approach for chamber musicians as lovers of Beethoven's heralded oeuvre, the Cypress Quartet has performed and recorded the entirety of Beethoven's Quartets. Similar to the Elias String Quartet, the project was a vast undertaking spanning many years.
The Cypress Quartet has taken a reverse-chronological approach, with this collection of Early String Quartets completing its String Quartets discography. As the group members explained in an interview on their website, their love of Beethoven's Quartets inspired their desire to perform:
"[W]e plunged into the center of the late Quartets when we formed thirteen years ago. In the summer of 1996, one of the first pieces we learned together (and performed a lot) was the Op. 132 Quartet. At that time, people told us we were crazy -- that we had to be more mature to even approach these pieces, but the four of us loved this music so much, it's probably what made us want to form a quartet in the first place."
The forthcoming album of Early Quartets will be released alongside a reissue of their 2012 Late String Quartets volume. The troupe's Middle String Quartets album was issued in 2014.
Beethoven's Early String Quartets encompass the total of his Opus 18: Six String Quartets, also including two fragmentary works from the Hess catalogue.
As noted on the Avie Records website, the group has dedicated itself to completing this remarkable musical mission, all while performing Beethoven's works on tour across the globe:
"For the past several seasons, the Cypresses have immersed themselves in performing Beethoven on tours throughout the United States and Europe as well as recording all 16 works plus the 'Grande Fugue' (Große Fuge)."
Below, listen to the ensemble's rousing rendition of the fourth movement of Opus 135: String Quartet No. 16, the last of Beethoven's Late String Quartets. Let us know what you think of the piece in the comments field below.© 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.