text:
At Smart Cities Week Silicon Valley in Santa Clara, California, one of the highlighted themes at this year's conference was modern mobility and how city leaders can help "develop a roadmap for smart transportation." Let's look closer into this concept and examine some of the solutions already underway across Europe.-Bruno De Man
Solving mobility struggles
According to a recent report, the global smart transportation market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 25.11% from 2018-2026. Last year, Europe had the largest market share thanks to the increasing amount of smart transportation automotive and technology companies. Here are three of the latest trends emerging in cities of all sizes across the continent.
- 1. Dynamic traffic management plans: With the help of the World Business Council For Sustainable Development (WBCSD) (whose network includes 200 companies from BP to French electric company EDF), cities such as Hamburg and Lisbon are drafting dynamic traffic management plans that integrate cycling and public transport into the city's infrastructure. Solutions as simple as smart parking and off-peak delivery systems are already helping Hamburg streamline its traffic solutions, as well as add green arteries to its infrastructure.
- 2. Sustainable public transport: As greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution continue to rise, many municipal councils are turning to zero-emission projects, looking to reduce carbon footprints with sustainable options like "green" public transport. One great example is taking place in Birmingham, England where the city is developing a HS2 high-speed rail project in partnership with companies like Toshiba, UPS, Engie and Schneider Electric. Not only will the project reduce travel time to London from 1 hour and 21 minutes to 49 minutes, it could also reduce the number of trucks and cars on congested routes, transferring 4.5 million voyages a year from the air and 9 million from the road, according to BBC.
- 3. Smart (and autonomous) cars: Capitals like Valletta are introducing e-vehicles as a way to reduce carbon emissions, but some cities like Paris are going a step beyond that, turning to driverless taxis as a way to ease up city centre congestion.
By looking at modern mobility solutions, cities can transport both citizens and goods from point A to B in a manner that is cost-effective and efficient, while saving the environment at the same time.


text:
Episode 10 - Rufus Hound
Actor, comedian, presenter and political activist Rufus Hound joins us for our very special and very crispy Crispmas Special!
You will probably know him off that telly box as a team captain on Argumental or as a Celebrity Juice stalwart. He's presented Top of the Pips and Glastonbury as well as shows on Talk Radio and Radio 4 to name a few.
As an actor our castaway has starred in the West End in the acclaimed One Man Two Guvners, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Wind in The Willows.
If he makes it off the island alive you may find him starring as Sancho Panza in Don Quixote @ The Garrick Theatre where he likes to steal David Walliams' crisps.
See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
impress / legal notice
Information about the partnership pursuant to section 5 of the German Telemedia Act (Telemediengesetz, TMG)
Name / legal structure: CLP Rechtsanwälte Gith, Weßling & Partner mbB
Seat: Düsseldorf
Registration: Local Court (Amtsgericht) of Essen, PR 2780
Partners are: Dr. Rainer Gith, Dr. Marc Weßling, Carsten Schmidt, Carsten Wittenberg, Henrik Rinnert, Jacob Scheffen
Office and address:
Niederkasseler Lohweg 18,
40547 Düsseldorf, Germany
Phone: +49 (0)211 – 50 66 66 7-0
Fax: +49 (0)211 – 50 66 66 7-99
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Professional liability insurance:
A professional liability insurance has been effected with ERGO Versicherung AG, Victoriaplatz 1, D-40477 Düsseldorf. The territorial scope of the insurance cover includes services in the Member States of the European Union.
VAT ID no.: Competent chamber of lawyers: Düsseldorf, the address of the chamber is stated at www.rechtsanwaltskammer-duesseldorf.de.
All lawyers of the partnership have been admitted to practise in the Federal Republic of Germany.
The relevant professional regulations include the Federal Lawyers' Act (Bundesrechtsanwaltsordnung), the Professional Ordinance for Lawyers (Berufsordnung), the Regulations for Lawyers Specialised in Certain Areas of Law (Fachanwaltsordnung), the Lawyers' Remuneration Act (Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz) and the professional regulations applicable to lawyers in the European Union. They may be found at www.brak.de in the "Berufsrecht" (law governing the professions) section.
Image rights acquired by : HSM media systeme GmbH & Co KG for CLP Rechtsanwaelte (web use) / image by: fotolia.de and CLP.
Developed HSM media systeme GmbH & Co KG


text:
SEARCH CurtainUp
Etcetera and
Short Term Listings
BOOKS and CDs
LA/San Diego
On TKTS
Free Updates
NYC Weather
|A CurtainUp Los Angeles Review
The Orange Grove
By Laura Hitchcock
He's made a site-specific adaptation of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard to the small Lutheran church in Los Angeles of which he is a member. Although the sight lines for those in the back pews are flawed, the use director Jessica Kubzansky has made of the small church is fluid, dramatic and stingingly alive. Even the slamming of doors when actors exit or enter echoes Chekhov's symbolic chopping down cherry trees as a theme of destruction and departure.
Pastor (Kevin Crowley), in a nod to Madame Ranevsky, returns from Paris and thinks nothing of generously handing out alms from the church's shrinking funds to the homeless Simon (Joshua Wolf Coleman), who hangs around the church which has become home and family and is finally labeled caretaker by Pastor. Filthy and in rags, Simon is a pain to almost everyone, though kindly Veronica (Bonita Friedericy) does her best to smooth things over. Veronica, who has cancer, is the conscience of the play, at once perceptive and humane.
Choir director Peter (Tom Beyer), who is also the accompanist, opens the show with a choir rehearsal. Though the voices range from the trained soprano of beautiful aspiring performer Yolanda Olafson (Emily Kosloski) to the serviceable enthusiasm of volunteer singers, the hymns themselves are delivered in beautiful harmony. Simon's one redeeming feature in Yolanda's eyes is his tenor voice which offsets his irritating doglike devotion.
Larry Yoshitoshi (Peter James Smith), the counterpart of Chekhov's self-made merchant Lopakhin, is the son of the Japanese farmer who owned the orange grove before World War II. A bright energetic entrepreneur, he's elected President of the congregation in hopes that hope he'll restore the depleted Church attendance. But Larry's solution is to merge the church with another small one and sell the property for the million-plus the land is now worth.
The Lutheran church's German roots are embodied in old Gustafina Liedtke, widow of the former pastor, played at this performance by Mary Cobb, with a steadfastness that doesn't lose her chances to project the humor evoked by this character. The play's most dynamic characters, both in writing and performance, are the homeless Simon, portrayed with fury and yearning by Joshua Wolf Coleman, and Larry, drawn with a passion for change that doesn't conceal his obsession for justice by Peter James Smith. Emily Kosloski's beauty and pure silvery soprano offset Yolanda's prima donna self-absorption but Jacobson has made Yolanda much more than the usual caricature, giving her childhood memories of confirmation, impatience with her lover Larry and a desire for that holy city, Paris. Bonita Friedericy grounds Veronica, making her not only the play's conscience but its heart. Tom Beyer, also the skilled music director, plays Peter, the choir director, with artistic passion. Don Oscar Smith plays Norbert, whose love of repairing the old church is equal to Peter's passion for his made-to-order pipe organ, with zealous frustration. Rebecca Metz makes Lottie, bookkeeper and funeral singer, a character without whom no church story would be complete.
Although the play's ending mirrors Chekhov, Jacobson has made this work very much his own. He has a Chekhovian way with characters, giving them unexpected depths and facets, but he has expanded Chekhov's story to paint a picture of the values of the church, the freedom when they are removed and the loss of what they espouse
Retold by Tina Packer of Shakespeare & Co. >Click image to buy.
Our Review
Mendes at the Donmar
Our Review
At This Theater
Leonard Maltin's 2003 Movie and Video Guide
Ridiculous!The Theatrical Life & Times of Charles Ludlam
6, 500 Comparative Phrases including 800 Shakespearean Metaphors by CurtainUp's editor.
Click image to buy.
Go here for details and larger image.


text:
Beit Shemesh
Other Projects
Israeli Police National Training Center
20 hectares, 62,000 sq. m.
Planning proposal prepared in collaboration with Mansfeld - Kehat architects and A. Rechter architects for the new training center of the police.
The center will be located in Beit Shemesh in the spectacular scenery of rounded and wooded hills transverse by valleys descending from the watershed.
The area, located in the land of the Judah tribe on the border of Philistia has known many battles throughout history - Battle of Even-Ezer - where the Ark of the Covenant fell to the hands of the Philistines (and later was sent with respect to Beit Shemesh), the battle whichJoash king of Israel won against Amatzia the king of Judah, the War of Independence - where the position of the front line was determined between the Egyptian army and the Harel Brigade.
In this special area the campus will be designed in dialogue with its surroundings and preserving the values of nature and landscape.
Design Principles:
Matching the location and the topography - utilization and conservation of natural values: natural vegetation, the north-western hill and the central valley, all this by avoiding construction on the north – western slopes, terraced "plate" like construction facing the valley along the lines of topography and keeping the valley axis scenic open.
Setting the valley as the "Green Heart" of the project where all the campus buildings evolve around and face it.
Location of the central square at the northern entrance of the valley as it overlooks it and functions as a joint linking the "Green Heart", U-shaped peripheral driveway, the main entrance and the two lobes - East (which includes the education and training buildings) and West (which includes the staff, welfare and residential buildings).
Referring The main public functions to the main square - headquarters, auditorium, dining - the same functions also provide service to the public who comes from outside and links the training and residence.
Construction of a central visual axis that starts at the entrance avenue, crosses the roundabout and continues through the square to the valley axis and ends in the lower square which is half flooring and in recycled water which flow down the valley axis.
Peripheral vehicle movement system in the outer circle (which also serves as patrols road) and an inner circle pedestrians system along the U-shaped valley with perpendicular connections that lead to all key elements – in the shortest way on one hand and allows looking and going through the "green heart" on the other.
The Complex has three gates - Main Gate comes from the external road with the protected parking complexes besides it, secondary gate used as service gateway to the training areas and animals compound and an emergency gate facing south west.
Location of functions in the complex takes into account the functional relationship between the structures according to the intensity of use - when public intensive functions from are closer to the main entrance and the functions with a lower intensity of use are located in the southern part of the campus.
Location of open functions, such as sports and training in the preserved valley area, as the "Green Heart" of the campus.
Location of the heritage area close to the main entrance with external access without the need to pass through the campus itself.
Creating a "sense of place", reference to observation from distance and views from inside the campus created a composition that gives its unique character and sense of solidarity.
Combining aspects of green buildingmaintaining landscape values, possibility for natural light and ventilation, north - south orientation, removing noise pollution, odor and dust, shading windows, green roofs, recycled materials and / or recyclable materials, shading parking areas and "seating" the construction on the topography requiring minimum digging and filling.
The energy center is located below the stadium while utilizing the difference in elevation as the systems are integrated in the peripheral horseshoe trail for proper distribution and easy access for maintenance.


text:
The Music Series at Akin is sponsored by the Perkins-Prothro Foundation and Dale and Joe Prothro.
The series brings world class musical artists to Wichita Falls to be experienced by students and the community in the intimate venue of Akin Auditorium. All proceeds support the Arts Programs at Midwestern State University.
Individual Tickets:
- MSU Students: FREE
- General Admission: $25.00
- Senior Citizen/Military: $23.00
- MSU Faculty/Staff: $15.00
Purchase Tickets
Season Tickets
- MSU Students: FREE
- General Admission: $40.00
- Senior Citizen/Military: $36.00
- MSU Faculty/Staff: $24.00
Purchase Tickets
2019-2020 Concert Events
Shanghai Quartet
Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Julie Albers & Orion Weiss
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Akin Auditorium Location
3410 Taft Blvd. Wichita Falls, Texas
(Corner of Taft and Hampstead)


text:
Education in Greenland: Arctic Technology Centre, ARTEK
Arctic Technology Centre, ARTEK, was formally established in 2000 to educate Greenlandic and Danish engineering students in Arctic technology. The centre is a joint venture between Teknikimik Ilinniarfik, KTI, (Tech College Greenland) in Sisimiut and the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in Lyngby while organisationally part of the department of Civil Engineering (DTU BYG).
The centre is financed by funds from the Government of Greenland, private foundations and DTU. ARTEK also runs courses and seminars about arctic conditions and contributes to research and guidance into Arctic technology.
ARTEK has within the last 10 years established and consolidated itself as a central, international player within educating and researching in relation to the global climate changes. The latest development in Greenland and the multifaceted challenges the country is facing related to the upcoming mining and quarrying, increases the need for "know-how" within Arctic technology. In relation to that, ARTEK has in collaboration with the Greenlandic government and other stakeholders started a strengthening of the Centre's activities, based upon "Vision125". Vision125 implies the establishment of a new technical university centre in Sisimiut, which will be developed into an international centre of excellence for technical education and Arctic technology. DTU and the Greenlandic government is responsible for the deployment of the new centre.Greenland tech innovation educational innovation news research and innovation


text:
XOG in multiple instances with Override Auto-Numbering false create all instances with same information. All instances are created with the information ofthe last instance in the input file.
Steps to Reproduce:
Expected Result: Each instance should be created with it own data from the input file.
Actual Result: New records were inserted as expected, but the actual data is incorrect. Instances were created with data of last instance in the input file. Last instanceoverwrote data of previous instance.
Change the XOG write file to have unique value for "instanceCode" and "code" properties when performing a single XOG write action in multiple custom object attributes and instances.
Resolved in Clarity 13.3
Keywords: CLARITYKB, CLRT-72594, clarity13resolved, clarity133resolved.
Release: ESPCLA99000-13.2-Clarity-Extended Support Plus
Please Update This Required Field


text:
A few years ago,two boys,one 8 years old and one 12 years old,go for trick or treat.The young boy was diabetic and he needed medicines to be alive.When they started,their first house is next to their house.<<Trick or treat>> they said…and the houses man gaves them some sweets.When they went to the last house in the town,they saw a sign.The sign said <<ATTENTION! HAUNTED HOUSE!>>.They thought it was a prank and they didn'y believe it.When they rang the bell,the dour opened alone.The two boys were very scared and they started running,but they couldn't run because someone had cosed and locked the door.The next day,something strange happened.When the boys wake up,they were locked in a room of this house,the young boy was not having his medicine.Their mum called the police.In the afternoon,the kidnaper called their mum to bring money because if their mum didn't bring the money,the kidnaper will kill the kids.The kidnaper said <<Don't call the police because I will kill them>>.But she didn't listen to him.The police found the kids when the kidnaper was sleeping and now,he is in the prison.
The Abduction BY GEORGE TZITZIS, Neon, Aegina
By neongeotzi | Published October 28, 2018
This article was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. Follow comments with the RSS feed for this post.Both comments and trackbacks are closed.


text:
On the north-east side of the island, in El Cotillo, we find the small fishing port surrounded by many beautiful beaches (ideal for surfing and windsurfing). One of them, the largest (with clear waters and golden sand) can be seen from the terraces of some of the Juan Benítez apartments, from where, each day, you will be able to experience some of the most beautiful and romantic sunsets.
All of the Apartments Juan Benítez have a direct view of the ocean and all of the apartments have 1 bedroom with 2 beds and a sofa bed in the living-room. The kitchen is equipped with everything necessary, such as glass ceramic stove, oven, bread toaster, electric coffee maker, and dishes and cuttlery for three.
The apartments also have a complete bathroom and a large and beautiful terrace. They have a lodging capacity for up to 3 adults or 2 adults and 2 children (availability of cribs). They have safety deposit boxes as well as cable TV free of charge. The resort offers a heated swimming pool surrounded by an area with deck chairs and sun umbrellas. The entire complex enjoys a fantastic panoramic view from north to south, over the coast and the ocean. We also have 2 bedroom apartments that can accommodate up to 5 people, one of the bedrooms with a queen size bed. These apartments have 2 bathrooms, kitchen with washing machine, oven, glass ceramic stove, bread toaster and electric coffee maker, as well as a living-room and interior patio, asides from a large terrace.
Few metres away from the Apartments, the guests can find 3 restaurants, a small supermarket and several shops. The beaches of El Cotillo are close to the Apartments; towards the right (north) with an approximate 15-minute walk, and towards the left (south) with approximately a 10 minute walk. There is a taxi service on request (by telephone) and there is a bus line that operates at different times of the day.


text:
Tiesto Releases His Own Line of Club Life Headphones
Tiesto has been bringing fans the best in progressive house with both his Club Life albums and regular Club Life radio show. Now, Tiesto has released his own line of #ClubLife Headphones.
The #ClubLife headphones manufactured by Audiofly are available in two different models. The "Paradise" model (which references his most recent full-length album A Town Called Paradise) is the entry-level headphone on sale for $29.99, and is available in green and pink. The "Adagio" model (a nod to one of his first most famous anthems, "Adagio For Strings") is the more advanced model, and is available for $149.99. Designed to Tiesto's specifications, so you can expect these headphones to deliver the stadium-sized sounds that the legendary DJ-producer has made famous in the fashion that they are supposed to be heard. Already having his own branded AKG headphones, he now also has these in-ear headphones that are available for purchase on the official Tiesto webstore.
Tiesto is fresh off winning his first GRAMMY, which he won for his "Birthday Treatment Remix" of John Legend's "All Of Me." This winning remix was released on February 24, 2014, via Getting Out Our Dreams and Columbia Records. You can purchase the remix on iTunes. While this is his first GRAMMY, we suspect there will be more on his mantle in the future. Aside from this GRAMMY win, Tiesto recently released the music video for his track alongside his frequent collaborator MOTi, "Blow Your Mind" via Tiesto's Musical Freedom imprint. Grab your copy of the release from Beatport now.


text:
As a brand, one of our core values is transparency, and it's important to us that we share what goes on behind the scenes — including, in this case, the story of how Lithe Lashes® came to be.
So we sat down to talk to our founder and creative director, Linda Secondi to get the inside scoop. From her relationship with the beauty industry, to the inspiration behind the core collection of lashes and design process itself, to the perceptions that we're aiming to change.
Looking back, how has your relationship to beauty evolved over the years?
From my teenage years and throughout my 20s, my knowledge of makeup and beauty was limited. Because I grew up in an era when the concept of social media was alien, my inspiration came from beauty and fashion magazines, which always featured chiselled, symmetrical and airbrushed people. I think in a way, it sort of brainwashed me into pursuing an unrealistic beauty regimen, of thinking I needed to be flawless in order to be beautiful.
Since the rise of Instagram, people have stepped into the light to embrace their unique qualities and talents, and around this time my focus on beauty naturally began shifting, and I started paying more attention and embracing my own unique qualities and attributes.
The way I see myself today makes the greatest difference in the way that I relate to beauty, and these days, being in my early 30's, life is much busier than it used to be and I simply don't have the time to do a 10 step experimental regimen every morning. Instead, I seek out simple products and regimens that integrate seamlessly into my everyday routine, meaning they should be natural enough so I'm presentable for work, to see a client, or to pursue other daytime activities, but without taking too much time out of my schedule and still proving themselves worthy of my time and investment.
Can you remember the first time you discovered you had a passion for beauty?
I guess you could say pretty early? Back when I was in the 7th grade, my best friend Kimberly and I would take change from our piggy banks and peruse the dollar store cosmetics counter. We'd buy all kinds of cosmetics, whatever we could afford as kids. We would head back to her place and experiment on each other's faces, sometimes mimicking makeup styles we saw in magazines or on posters. Kimberly had ash blond hair, with fair skin and beautiful freckles. I, on the other hand, being of Asian decent, had completely different attributes which made it fun to study each other's faces, seeing what worked for one of us and didn't for the other.
There's a bit of a double standard when it comes to "natural beauty." On one hand, we want to embrace what we have. On the other, we're bombarded with products and enhancements that promise a better version of "natural". What's your stance on this and how do you see Lithe Lashes® fitting into the landscape?
I think it all starts with how we each define what embracing natural beauty means. At one extreme, for one person it may mean doing nothing at all to themselves (which I think is sort of impossible in this day and age with all the preventative measures… ie. supplements, cream, facials etc. to combat sun, climate change, pollution and anti-aging.) And at the other end, for someone else, or myself, it may simply mean finding a look that doesn't mask who we are but rather subtly enhancing our attributes while still maintaining a natural look.
Lithe Lashes® was actually inspired by the question "Why are lash extensions or lash enhancement serums perceived as more natural while strip lashes have this fake or phoney reputation tied to them, when both involve wearing something man made?"
I was really intrigued by this question and inspired to change the way we perceive strip lashes. I wanted to develop a core collection of strip lashes that focused on being ultra-natural looking, which involved studying the minute details: synthetic fibre, cut, curl, thickness of strand, volume and layers. The eight styles that work on every eye shape are designed to blend in seamlessly without completely masking and changing your eye shape — which is key. Our focus is to provide you with a selection of ultra-natural looking lashes, and how you choose to fit these in to your beauty regimen is entirely up to you.
One of the appeals of makeup and beauty products is the opportunity to explore different looks and in a way, different versions of ourselves. Does this resonate with you and the appeal of lashes?
Absolutely. I'm a firm believer that whether your lashes are minimal, full, voluminous, glamorous, etc., it should still be possible for them to appear ultra-natural. My mission was to create a core collection ranging from minimal to voluminous, and including both round and winged shapes that would give one person the option to explore different variations and looks and to not be limited to just wearing one style of lash because they were told that one lash would suit them.
Why lashes? What's the draw?
I love seeing how much of a difference lashes can make on someone and how shocked they often are when they see the difference for the first time. Lashes really accentuate, brighten and enlarge the eyes, giving an invigorated and ultra feminine look.
I love the fact that the visual difference in appearance can be obvious while the strip lash itself, if natural looking enough, can be undetectable — meaning it can be hard to tell if someone is actually wearing strip lashes. It's such a neat beauty trick, subtle yet impactful.
Our eyes communicate, express how we feel and act as a tool that we use to connect with others. How we dress them reflects our overall presentation, and therefore we should be paying very close attention to how we do so.
I'm a fashion grad who realized that she had an equal amount of love for beauty and it just so happens that lashes are one of the very few wardrobe pieces you actually style, design and wear on your face. For me, it's the best of both worlds!
Was there a key moment that unleashed the dream or vision?
On the day of my wedding, I had purchased a few pairs of high end strip lashes. I had my makeup artist apply the strip lashes on the bridal party, which included my mother, sister-in-law and mother-in-law.
My sister didn't feel entirely comfortable wearing the lashes - she said they were "over-the-top".
My mother was tearing out of both eyes before we even left the hotel — and they weren't happy tears! She said the lashes were heavy and uncomfortable.
And my mother-in-law, who has a great sense of humour, found the whole thing hilarious — she said she barely recognized herself with the lashes on.
Needless to say, lashes became the major topic of discussion amongst the girls that day, and I think it was that experience that inspired me to start thinking about designing natural and comfortable everyday lashes.
What was the first step you took in the design process for Lithe Lashes®?
I started with a list, jotting down everything I was looking for in strip lashes, what I felt was lacking in the market and what I didn't like about the styles I had tried and how they could be improved, paying attention to quality, comfort and design.
My husband and I then sat down and created a second list, with all the prerequisites our brand had to represent: it had to be environmentally responsible, 100% cruelty-free, the marketing had to be transparent and simplistic, with no fluff, our product had to be superior quality and completely unique, meaning it would be custom from product to packaging. And last but not least, it had to cater to everyone, not just one limited demographic.
I watched a ton of YouTube videos to see how people would make their own strip lashes, paying attention to how every little detail like cut, curl, fibre, construction, band, and colour mattered, especially when trying to achieve the natural look I was after. I also watched a ton of makeup influencer YouTube videos to see what their comments were on the existing strip lashes on the market.
I'm the kind of person that needs to devote my all to one area and perfect it before moving on to the next thing, so when it came to designing lashes, it took us several months and rounds and rounds of sampling materials, styles, bands and testing products from around the world. I tested everything on myself, using my eyes as a gauge to measure how long I wanted the lashes and how long the band needed to be for our core collection. I've re-worn a pair of my lashes over 45+ times during the testing process and have tried on maybe 35 pairs all in one day. It's nuts but I absolutely love doing it.
What were the non-negotiables you knew had to be incorporated into the designs?
The last thing I want is to confuse our buyers, so it was super important to create a product that could virtually leave no room for confusion. Rather than having lash styles be unique to a certain eye shape, I wanted all eight to work for every shape and to leave the option up to the customer. Honestly speaking, the only reason why a lash would only suit a particular eye shape is if it's dramatic and the contrast between styles is super obvious — then you may want to put a little more thought into your selection. That doesn't apply to ours though, as the differences between the styles are intentionally subtle, since we believe that's what natural is all about.
How did you come up with the core collection? Why those eight styles?
I based my collection off of the two most basic shapes for lashes — round or winged. I then focused on customizing them further based on the volume and length, ranging from minimal, to classic, to full volume. From there, I also added two designs that were a little more abstract but still natural looking, No. 05 and No. 08, for those looking for a little something extra.
Once I got a rough idea of the 8 styles, I tested all of the lashes on myself repeatedly to ensure they worked and tweaked if adjustments were needed.
During the second test run, I found models with monolid eyes, which tend to be a little smaller and more narrow. I found that in the lash market, monolid eyes were least favourable and had the fewest number of lash styles marketed towards them. In order to assure that all eight of my styles were versatile enough, I tested them all on the monolid eyes and they worked beautifully. That's when I knew — I had my core collection of lashes.
Can you tell us a bit about the manufacturing process? How you sourced the right partners, how difficult it was as a first-timer, etc.
It's really challenging doing business overseas, which was definitely the most frustrating part of starting this business. Selecting the right people to work with was rough — you don't really know who you're dealing with, and all you have is a rough idea of who they are based on how they represent themselves online and the generic pictures of product that all look the same.
I went through a couple dozen manufacturers before finding the right people to work with, testing their materials and design samples, sometimes a few times over with the same manufacturers. Because we were aiming to be a premium brand with superior quality lashes, we really had to be extra thorough with the sampling process. The design, material and craftsmanship had to be consistent on every run.
I was also looking for a high level of customer service, integrity, consistency, work ethics, reputation, trust-worthiness, and area of focus/expertise — were they one in a dozen, or could they produce the type of work I was looking for that was far more superior than most.
One thing I learned while starting this business, is that when you're dealing with production work, you have to understand that deadlines can change at any given moment if there is one little hiccup. And when you're told that something isn't going right, halfway around the world with a company that has a chunk of your savings, it is a scary feeling.
Why do you do what you do and why does it matter?
I've always felt that fashion and beauty can be quite skewed towards a certain type and age group, especially when you look at false lashes and the way they are marketed. And because it's a new culture that has suddenly exploded in the last 5-10 years, other than the young who "get it", almost every other person is far too intimidated, confused, or feels like it's not a fit for them, despite their fascination.
Where do you even start? With all the flashy names, bold colours and over-the-top, dramatic lashes made from human hair, horse hair, mink, silk… it can be so overwhelming. What motivates me is making people of all age groups feel included. Through inclusion, we can empower people to realize that beauty is ageless.
What's the mission behind Lithe Lashes®?
To change the way the world thinks of strip lashes.
They don't have to look fake, they can look incredibly natural. They aren't all uncomfortable to wear, and some are much easier to adhere. They can be worn many times over and applying the right lashes will make your eyes pop in a way that no mascara or lash extension can.
I enjoy making people feel beautiful inside and out and it gives me joy seeing people in awe with how look and feel after trying a pair of my lashes.
Photos by Vai Yu Law
Meet Our New Lash Accessories!


text:
April 2019
Creditinfo expands regionally, stores information in Jamaica
In his interview with The Gleaner, CEO of Creditinfo Jamaica – Craig Stephen highlighted on the regional success and the goal to venture into other caribbean markets in the near future.
This vision was birthed in 2012 with the start of Creditinfo Jamaica; "to be the leading credit information bureau in the caribbean region, providing consistent and reliable credit and other information to our clients while contributing to national growth and development."
Read the full story below.
When challenge meets opportunity: Meet Ruby, a Creditinfo success story
The true spirit of an entrepreneur comes down to passion and determination. At Creditinfo, we meet entrepreneurs every day, and it's our goal to support these budding business men and women with the appropriate tools, knowledge and access to finance.
Welcome to our #CreditinfoMeets series, where we profile some of the success stories enabled by our partnerships with financial institutions across the world.
First up is Ruby. After falling on difficult times, Ruby made the decision to launch her own business, and quickly realized the benefits of tracking her credit history in real time.
Here's just a clip of Ruby's interview, where she tells her inspirational story.
How to use your credit score to negotiate better terms with your financial institution
Last week, a leading TV station in Kenya – Citizen TV did a story on Digital Lending Apps and their impact in Kenya. There has been a sharp rise in the number of mobile lending apps in the country and the worry is about how people are accumulating debt and borrowing from the various apps simultaneously and defaulting therefore affecting their credit score.
Watch more on of the story here:
Creditinfo reached out to the station to explain the role of CRB's and how they benefit individuals. Everyday we strive to change the misconceptions of negative listing and try and educate on the importance of paying loans on time and the benefits of a good credit score.
See the follow up interview below:
Creditinfo Group awarded the Knowledge Prize 2019
The Association of Business and Economics has chosen Creditinfo as the Knowledge company of the year 2019.
Creditinfo Group was chosen as the Knowledge Company of the Year by the Association of Business and Economics. During the selection process, companies that have excelled in their international markets in the recent years were considered. Other companies that also came at the top include CCP, Marel and Nox Medical.
"It is a great motivation for us at Creditinfo to receive the Knowledge Prize," said Brynja Baldursdóttir, Managing Director of Creditinfo Lánstraust and Regional Manager of Creditinfo Group in N-Europe. "Our business is based on an Icelandic ingenuity that is now in use in 45 countries around the world, keeping pace with this journey of creating value based on knowledge."
"I am extremely proud that Creditinfo has been awarded the Knowledge Prize 2019, and that we have been awarded repeatedly before in Iceland for growth in job creation, as well as being named as the entrepreneur of the year in 2008," said Reynir Grétarsson, founder and chairman of Creditinfo Group.
"We are being awarded for creating a valuable business based on knowledge, know-how that we have developed and found many forms and ways to sell in great number of countries. Most people only hear of us when they are declined credit since we have their credit score data. Such awards help remind all of us of the fact that we are creating valuable services that are important for the economy and to improve peoples lives. I am proud and grateful to the entire Creditinfo Group team and what we do for our company. Each and every person in the company plays a role that is necessary for the company to run efficiently."
"Another milestone achieved thanks to the smart work and passion of our international, multicultural and talented team of professionals worldwide. Thank you to every single one of you, you make Creditinfo thrive!", added Stefano Stoppani, the Creditinfo Group CEO.
We at Creditinfo Group would like to say a special thank you to the Association of Business and Economics for this recognition.
Jamaicans urged to take credit scores seriously
Creditinfo Jamaica – Craig Stephen was interviewed by The Jamaica Gleaner on importance of Credit Scores
Craig Stephen, CEO of Creditinfo Jamaica, one of three licensed credit bureaus operating in Jamaica, said anything above 600 is considered a good credit score.
He said that data collated by a credit bureau in a borrower's credit file is used to calculate the individual's credit score, which is determined by five major factors: payment history, debt balance, age, types of credit accounts, and the number of enquiries about the person's credit history.
Stephen pointed out that potential borrowers must be aware that regular credit checks by financial institutions can affect their credit score.
"It can affect you negatively, especially if there are too many enquires in a short period of time," he said.
Credit reporting in Jamaica -Discussion with Creditinfo CEO- Craig Stephen
The Exchange on Jamaica News Network – Credit Reporting in Jamaica
CEO of Creditinfo Jamaica Limited- Mr. Craig Stephen along with Chief of Credit Risk Management, JN Bank Limited-Mrs. Keisha Melhado-Forest and Managing Director of a local microfinance company, Paradigm Capital Limited-Ms. Gail Dixon sat down to discuss Credit Reporting in Jamaica.
This was led by Mr Neville Graham of Jamaica News Network-The Exchange and Business Reporter with the Financial Gleaner. The panelists engaged in a hearty discussion which highlighted the perspectives of the Credit Bureau as well as the Commercial Banking and Micro Lending Sectors.
Mr. Stephen spoke to the impact Creditinfo Jamaica Limited has had on the lending market since the Bureau opened its doors in 2013. Some key mentions were: the decrease in default rates within our financial institutions for all loan types, the reduction in interest rates which has been at single digits for various loan products for the past 2-3 years and finally the ease of access to finance which is facilitated by the provision of reliable, objective and simplified information on borrowers through a partnership with Creditinfo Jamaica.
Creditinfo Jamaica's support also extends to the Jamaican citizens who are able to access their credit reports directly from Creditinfo Jamaica. This is critical to helping borrowers understand their risk profiles, it empowers borrowers to negotiate with their Financial Institutions as well as gain access to other types of services.
Mr. Stephen also stressed the importance of paying bills, installments and revolving loans on time. This is key to maintaining a good history with the bureau which ultimately increases one's chance of accessing credit in the future.
Being a full-service Credit Bureau, Creditinfo Jamaica not only provides credit information but a whole suite of products such as Instant Decision Solution, Monitoring, Data Analytics and Scoring Solutions to include Behavioral Scorecards such as Social Media Scoring.
Creditinfo Jamaica is a regulated entity. The Bank of Jamaica presently provides oversight. Mr. Stephen along with the other panelists reiterated the necessity that our credit providers support the Credit Bureau eco-system. The sharing of information is critical to promoting financial inclusion as well as ensuring that the eco-system works for all stakeholders. Creditinfo is a global brand, to date, we have extended our reach regionally to include operations in Guyana and Barbados.
Watch the full Video here:


text:
Dollar languishes around six month low ahead of FOMC minutes
- Latest
The Euro briefly touched a fresh six month high against the US Dollar on Tuesday morning following the release of a fairly impressive set of business activity PMI's in the Eurozone that suggest the economy in the currency bloc continues to go from strength to strength.
Ongoing concerns that Donald Trump will not be able to force through economic stimulus in the US kept the US Dollar on the back foot. The terrorist attack in Manchester briefly led to a flight to safe-havens, although the reaction was relatively mild as traders saw little in the way of long term geopolitical damage from the event.
Among emerging markets, the South African Rand firmed on rumours that the ANC party would discuss the removal of controversial leader Jacob Zuma. Rising oil prices also provided decent support for the heavily oil dependent Canadian Dollar and Russian Ruble ahead of a crucial OPEC meeting on Thursday.
President of the European Central Bank Mario Draghi will be speaking in Madrid this afternoon on the topic of financial stability. However, the primary focus will be on this evening's Federal Reserve meeting minutes, even given their dated nature. Attention will be on the details regarding balance sheet runoff and whether the central bank will overlook the recent soft economic data in the US when deciding the pace and timing of interest rate hikes at the coming meetings. Elsewhere, the Bank of Canada will be announcing its interest rate decision this afternoon, although is almost certain to keep rates unchanged and maintain its fairly cautious monetary policy stance.
Major currencies in detail
Sterling was range bound for much of the day on Tuesday, remaining pinned below the 1.30 level after the terrorist attack in Manchester roiled the markets during Asian trading.
The Pound has rallied hard on expectations for a comfortable Tory win at next month's election. However, with the polls narrowing in the past few days there is now a chance that a less convincing than expected win could materialise, which would worsen Theresa May's bargaining position with the EU and heap pressure on the UK currency.
With no economic news at all in the UK today, the Pound will largely be driven by election expectations and events elsewhere.
News out of the German economy on Tuesday provided additional reasons to be optimistic for the Eurozone economic outlook. Business confidence as measured by IFO far exceeded expectations. The business climate index rose to 114.6 versus the 113.2 consensus, while the expectations index climbed to an equally impressive 106.5 from 105.2. We're starting to get more concrete signs of a rebound in economic activity in the currency bloc, and yesterday's business confidence and PMIs were no exception.
German consumer confidence this morning is unlikely to rock the boat. Draghi this afternoon will be the main draw.
The Dollar continued to struggle around a six month low against its major peers yesterday, with political risk continuing to weigh on the greenback.
Economic news out of the US was mixed on Tuesday. May's services PMI came in above forecasts with the flash index rising to 54.0 from 53.1. Last month's composite PMI also increased to 53.9 from 53.2, suggesting that the slowdown in the first quarter of 2017 was most likely temporary as the initial reaction had suggested.
Existing home sales will be released ahead of this evening's Fed minutes. All eyes will be on the FOMC, although we think political developments continue to be the main driver.


text:
South-west France is bursting with incredible areas to visit, making it a hugely popular holiday destination.
Enjoy the dappled sun through the vines, a glass of rose and happy children splashing in the pool. Simply add delicious food, good company and shake to mix!
Explore little French villages, wander through sunflower fields and return to this lovely cottage to splash and play in the heated pool – bliss!
Take in incredible views, go on a family bike ride or simply enjoy the fantastic pool at this charming French barn conversion.
Create the perfect family-friendly holiday in France with lazy lunches in the shade, village strolls for ice-creams and dips in the pool.
Right at the heart of the action, this large family gîte is in the ideal spot for experiencing all of the fun activities on offer at Longeveau resort.
Stylish barn conversion with pool, enclosed garden and stunning valley views. Part of Longeveau country estate - packed with family facilities and play for little ones.
This pretty former bakery is the perfect base for your French family adventure; canoe, swim and munch pain au chocolates to your heart's content!
The perfect combination of contemporary comfort and original character on the family-friendly Longeveau resort with lots for kids & adults alike.
Charming single-storey gite, perfect for quality time together, on the super Longeveau resort with leisure attractions for youngsters and grown-ups.
This pretty little gite is at the heart of the superb family-friendly Longeveau resort boasting lots for little ones and adults to enjoy.
This homely little holiday hideaway is at the heart of a great family-friendly Longeveau resort with plenty for everyone to do.
Fun for the whole family, this French converted barn is full of character with a private pool and full access to all the activities and facilities of Longeveau Resort.


text:
Emarketing hw week2
Chpt 5 question 2
From what you have learned in this and previous chapters, list five business activities that you can accomplish by putting your company on the Internet. Give specific examples of electronic research, communications, or transactions and what their purpose is.
Communications, transactions activities, and information research are all activities that can be accomplished by exposing Internet to a company as well as other opportunities as well. Electronic marketing resources introduce previously unheard of speed and accuracy as well as help to build a person to person relationship unavailable through mass media such as television, radio, or newspaper messages (Reed, Schullo, 2004). Internet has also brought polling to companies by using web addresses. Very common are sports programs asking trivia questions to viewers and award prizes to the first person to log on to the programs web site or email address with the correct answer (Reed, Schullo, 2004). Activities start with the situation analysis and then the discoveries forge the future strategies of marketing planning. Email is a positive performance enhancing resource that has worked its way throughout companies and while email continues to be the most popular internet activity at 93%, an increase in internet shopping is noteworthy (Reed, Schullo, 2004). Internet shopping has been growing more in the recent years because of the convenience of doing so in your home, websites like amazon make it easy to make purchases and find them for low prices as well as fast delivery which is another activity that can revolutionize a company. Many companies are interested in their customers purchase habits and preferences and are developing detailed databases to track purchase activities, past behavior will usually predict future actions and information such as this can help managers manage future sales or merchandising events, manage inventory levels, or track brand movement (Reed, Schullo, 2004).
Chpt 6 question 7
In your opinion, what would be the top two attributes of competitive advantage for the following businesses that are establishing for the following businesses that are establishing a Web awareness?
To build cyber awareness for customers, marketers must find a way to attract prospects to using their product and service and by doing so there must be a way that customers may benefit in some sort of way that stands out from other related businesses. If it were to be a chain of flower shops, 2 attributes in my opinion would be to offer package discounts if buying more than one bouquet of flowers thatcan benefit both the consumer and seller since the consumer will receive more in product for a much lesser price and the seller makes more in revenue. And also using a strong branding image creates a strong face of the company that will attract customers to continue to make purchases through this certain company knowing that they can get the best deals in flowers. A manufacture of sticky notes can attract customers by first sending samples to prospective buyers before they make purchases. Sampling might include partnering with a complimentary product or service to appeal to a similar market (Reed, Schullo, 2004). This company can also take advantage of a strong brand image as an attribute for this company to be successful, with a brand that honors the best product for sticky notes and offering free samples to determine that, they will surely become successful using these attributes. I can see a hospital bill reviewing service using memberships as an attribute for their company. I see that this approach will allow users to take advantage of discounted services rather than paying a more expensive price because this service can be very useful to users. Hospital bills can be very expensive and for those that unfortunately deal with these expensive can find that a company that reviews hospital bills cn become useful and less stressful


text:
Happy Independence Day to my fellow US Foodies… and a wonderful July 4th to you all!
We begin our celebration of Freedom with a semi-Filipino breakfast (that's sounds funny to me in several levels… lol)… fried eggs, rice, and TOCINO… Mmmmmmmm!!
The "Filipino Breakfast" would normally be served with garlic fried rice, but… here's where the "semi" fits in… I prefer plane, jane, steamed white rice. I'm 1/2 Japanese… white rice nation (^.^).
Anyway… if you're not familiar with "tocino", it's sweet pork that's traditionally served for breakfast in the Philippines. Soooo good! And yep, it's supposed to be a bit on the charred side… best way to have it!
Side note: I was a pesco-vegetarian (consume fish and dairy… but, no birdies, piggies, cows, etc) for about 15 years. I began eating beef again about 2.5 years ago… couldn't do the piggies or birdies yet. Still can't do much of either now… except bacon and tocino. Especially TOCINO!!
Anyway, a Filipino breakfast (well, any of my 6 meals throughout the day) isn't complete without dessert… and this morning we rewarded ourselves (for being gosh-darn awesome) with ube ice cream topped with crushed Special K Vanilla Almond Cereal…
It's gonna be a great day 🙂


text:
Table of Contents1. Making Your Elements
1a. Imagemap
1b. Imagebuttons
1c. Making Ren'Py Textbuttons look Good
2. GUI, Screens, and Configurations
2a. The ADV+NVL Textbox and Quickmenu
2b. Main Menu Screen
2c. Save/Load Screen
2d. Preferences Screen
2e. Yes/No Exit Screen
2f. Help Screen
2g. Navigation Screen
2h. Choice Menus and Input
2i. options.rpy Configurations
3. Extra Gallery
3a. Music Room
3b. Image Gallery
3c. Author's Notes
4. Cursors and More Configurations!
4a. Custom Cursors
4b. Game and Window Icon Configuration
5. Miscellaneous
5a. Click to Continue Icon/CTC
5b. Splashscreen
6. Android
6a. Loading Splashscreen
6b. Application Icon
1. Making Your Elements
GUI stands for Game User Interface, and is an important but often overlooked item during development. The most common programs used in the creation of GUI elements is Photoshop and GIMP (which is a free alternative to PS). These programs should include a Shapes Tool which should look like this:
Rectangle Tool will be your best friend most of the time, but feel free to experiment with other shapes. After you create your desired shape, most times you'll use the Wand Tool to select the space around it, choose Select->Inverse from the drop-down menu at the top, then choose Image->Crop. Remember to apply Opacity if needed and export to .png.
1a. Imagemap
Imagemaps are easy to set up in your image editor since you can control where everything is placed. Simply set up how you want your screens to appear and export 3 versions: Ground, Idle, Hover. Read Camille's [Tutorial] Crash course in screen language/UI design thread for more details.
1b. Imagebuttons
With imagebuttons, you can easily swap out individual elements afterwards. They can be more versatile than imagemaps in certain cases, especially if you have a non-square button. Read leon's Imagebutton GUI Framework [GxImagebuttons] thread for more details.
1c. Making Ren'Py Textbuttons look Good
There may be times when you just need a simple font button with no image effects besides the occasional outline, and when that time comes, don't bother with your image editor! Here's an example of a screen using the textbuttons all done in Ren'Py itself.
It ends up looking like this.
Code: Select all
screen extras:
tag menu
add "ui/backdrop.png"
style_group "title"
xalign 0.5
yalign 0.9
spacing 25
textbutton _("Characters") action ShowMenu('ch_gallery') text_style "extra" style "extra"
text("|") style "extra"
textbutton _("Backgrounds") action ShowMenu('bg_gallery') text_style "extra" style "extra"
text("|") style "extra"
textbutton _("Music Box") action ShowMenu('music_room') text_style "extra" style "extra"
text("|") style "extra"
textbutton _("Title") action ShowMenu('main_menu') text_style "extra" style "extra"
init -2 python:
style.extra = Style(style.default)
#style.extra.outlines=[(3, "#ececec", 0, 0)]
style.extra.idle_color = "#898989"
style.extra.hover_color = "#c5c5c5"
style.extra.selected_color = "#787878"
style.extra.kerning = 5
Nifty! And it will probably save you some filesize too.
2. GUI, Screens, and Configurations
Now we can jump into some heavy coding. Most of the codes you need to fiddle with are in screens.rpy and options.rpy.
2a., 2b., 2c., 2d., 2e., 2f., 2g., 2h.
(Too much to write! I'll fill it in later.)
Read Aleema's [Tutorial] Customizing the Textbox thread for more details.
Read Aleema's [Tutorial] Customizing Menus thread for more details.
Read OokamiKasumi's [Tutorial] Customizing the NVL Textbox for more details.
2i. options.rpy Configurations
Look for the following codes in your game and change them.
3. Extra Gallery
Code: Select all
config.window_title = u"Game"
config.name = "Game"
config.version = "0.0"
config.has_sound = True
config.has_music = True
config.has_voice = True
config.enter_transition = None
config.exit_transition = None
config.intra_transition = None
config.main_game_transition = None
config.game_main_transition = None
config.end_splash_transition = None
config.end_game_transition = None
config.after_load_transition = None
config.window_show_transition = None
config.window_hide_transition = None
config.adv_nvl_transition = dissolve
config.nvl_adv_transition = dissolve
config.enter_yesno_transition = None
config.exit_yesno_transition = None
config.enter_replay_transition = None
config.exit_replay_transition = None
config.say_attribute_transition = None
config.default_text_cps = 0
config.default_afm_time = 10
Read leon's Instant CG and BG gallery for more details.
4. Cursors and More Configurations!
4a. Custom Cursors
Read KimiYoriBaka's custom mouse cursor code thread for more details.
4b. Game and Window Icon Configuration
For the Window Icon, add this to your options.rpy:
For the game icon, take a small image, turn it into icon.ico (Windows) and icon.icns (Macintosh), and place it outside the game folder. Use this site to convert your image.
Code: Select all
config.window_icon = "ui/ctc.png"
config.windows_icon = "ui/ctc.png"
5. Miscellaneous
5a. Click to Continue Icon/CTC
Read OokamiKasumi's [Tutorial] CTC ~ Click to Continue Icon for more details.
5b. Splashscreen
In your script.rpy, add a code that looks like this:
6. Android
Code: Select all
image splash = "ui/splash.png"
label splashscreen:
$ renpy.pause(0)
scene black
with Pause(0.5)
show splash
with Dissolve(1.0)
with Pause(2.0)
scene black
with Dissolve(1.0)
with Pause(1.0)
6a. Loading Splashscreen
In the base directory of your project outside the game folder, place an image called android-presplash.jpg.
6b. Application Icon
In the base directory of your project outside the game folder, place an image called android-android-icon.png.
This is a WIP thread! I'll fill in the blanks later, but I hope this helps a bit.


text:
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy for more details.
When I started blogging, I felt a little overwhelmed. Okay—I felt very overwhelmed.
I had this vision of what I wanted The Baker's Almanac to be, but I had no idea how to get there. I spent hours and hours scouring through tons of food blogs, looking for inspiration. I starting implementing habits and products they were using, and I slowly found success over time.
Because of that, I wanted to share everything that I personally use for The Baker's Almanac from WordPress plugins to photography tools. I hope that you can use this page as a resource in growing your blog or business!
Essential Tools
Food Blogger Pro — Out of everything, I think joining FBP was the best decision I ever made when it came to my blog. I started off by listening to the Food Blogger Pro podcast in all my spare time, and I quickly became obsessed. As soon as enrollment opened, I jumped on the chance to join the FBP community. I spent hours and hours going through their 300+ informational videos, and I loved reading through the threads on the forums. Honestly, it is just nice to feel like I'm not alone in this blogging world, and FBP exposed me to lots of people who understood what I was going through. I can't recommend joining this community more!
Nutrifox — In my opinion, this is essential for food bloggers making recipes. With Nutrifox, you can easily import a recipe, and it gives you all the nutritional information about it within seconds. I then easily embed this nutritional information into my recipe, and readers can see it when reading the blog post. I love being able to provide this kind of valuable information to my readers, and Nutrifox offers the best solution I have seen.
CoSchedule — One of my favorite tools that I use for The Baker's Almanac! CoSchedule syncs seamlessly with WordPress, and it provides both a marketing and editorial calendar for you to use. It lets me see what I need to be working on over the next few weeks, which keeps me on schedule. I also love using CoSchedule to plan out my social media posts and see how frequently I'm posting to Instagram, Facebook, etc.
Tailwind — When it comes to food blogging, Pinterest is the place to be. I've done a lot of research about Pinterest, and it seems that the experts generally agree you should be pinning new content at least 10-15 times per day. But who has time to do that all day, every day? To keep on top of Pinterest, I love using Tailwind. It's a Pinterest scheduling app, and it lets you decide how often you want to pin, which makes life that much easier!
MailChimp — Currently, MailChimp is the email marketing software that I use to send blog updates via email. There are lots of email marketing options out there, but I like MailChimp because they offer a free option! As The Baker's Almanac grows, I will have to eventually move to a paid option, but this is a great place to start. They also offer great customer support and customizable options for email templates.
Google Analytics — One of the first places to start if you are building your blog. Google Analytics lets you track your website traffic and stats, and it's completely free to use. They also have an app, and I love to check up on my stats on my phone from time-to-time!
Food Photography and Video Tools
Canon EOS Rebel T3 — This is the first (and only) DSLR I have ever owned. I actually got this camera in 2013, and I'm still using it today! It's a great starter camera, and it's pretty affordable in terms of functionality. I have been slowly learning how to use the manual settings, and I am planning to eventually upgrade to a better camera. But, if you are just getting going with food photography, I think this is a great place to start.
Sony Alpha a6000 Mirrorless Digital Camera — Currently, this is the camera I use to shoot all my videos for The Baker's Almanac. I have had this camera for a few years, and it's really user-friendly. Eventually, I would love to upgrade to another camera with a flip screen, but this one does the job for an affordable price! It also has a great battery life, and it's really easy to carry around when I'm on the go.
Adobe CC — My go-to for editing software. I use Lightroom to edit my photos, Premiere Pro to edit my videos, and Photoshop for various purposes. They offer a monthly subscription for all of their products, and it's a really affordable option! I also love using the Lightroom app on my phone when I'm on the go and editing photos for Instagram. There is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to any of these programs, but I recommend just watching Youtube videos online if you're doing it on a budget like me.
SanDisk 64GB Extreme SD Memory Card — Everyone talks about how essential good cameras and equipment are for food blogging, but good memory cards are where it's at. RAW files and video clips take up so much space, and you need a good memory card like this to hold it all. I always like to have a backup memory card on hand if I run out of space. Nothing is worse than going to shoot a recipe and realizing I can't do it because my memory card is full!
WordPress Plugins
Tasty Recipes — Hands down the best recipe plugin I've found (and I've tried a few). This plugin is made by the same team behind Food Blogger Pro, Pinch of Yum, etc., so I guess you can say I trust them with my whole blog! I love this recipe plugin because it is completely optimized for Google and SEO. When I am writing and posting recipes, I know they will appear in search results, which is one of my ultimate goals!


text:
Save the Date
Celebrating the Release of Rescue Me
Can Catherine accept the consequences of a great-aunt's dying wish without losing her heart or independence?
Taking in stray, injured or needy animals, veterinarian doctor Catherine Mornelli opens the Four Hooves and Paws Rescue program. But the land where the animals are kept is being sold. She approaches her Great-Aunt Elaine about possibly using her barn. However, visiting her aunt and checking out the barn also means seeing her ex-boyfriend.
Josef Garrison farms land that once belonged to his family for generations but went to his neighbor Elaine after his great-grandfather lost it in a poker game to Catherine's great-grandfather. When Catherine returns, he sees a way to win back her heart and the land at the same time.
Book Signing
Sunday, Oct. 13th 2013 at 1-3pm
16260 Godson Dr
Lakeville, MN
Jody will have copies available for sale for $11 or you can bring your own to have signed. Cake and coffee will be available.
Jody will a few copies of Florida Heat available for sale.


text:
LUFFY Betta Balls – Live Round-Shaped Marimo Plant – Safe for the Aquarium
- SMALL AND PRETTY ADDITION TO YOUR BETTA TANK — These LUFFY Betta Balls are beautiful marimos that are a great addition for your betta's tank. They are mini sized, between 0.4 and 0.6 inches, and add color to your tank.
- NATURAL BETTA TANK CLEANER — LUFFY Betta Balls will help to keep your betta's tank cleaner. Marimo moss balls naturally act as filters, sucking up and removing small amounts of debris, phosphates and ammonia that tend to build up in your betta's environment.
- 100% SAFE TOY FOR YOUR BETTA — Bettas love to move stuff around and mini LUFFY Betta Balls make the perfect toys for your watery pet. Therefore, not only do they help to keep your betta's environment clean, they also provide them with entertainment.
- KEEP YOUR BETTA'S HOME ALGAE-FREE — Since LUFFY Betta Balls absorb many of the same nutrients algae feeds on, they help to prevent unwanted algae from growing in the tank, keeping your betta's environment clean. Have a larger tank for your betta? Add a few big betta balls with nano betta balls.
- EASY MAINTENANCE — LUFFY Betta Balls require practically no maintenance. All they need are some light, fresh water and something to feed off of. Basically, everything you already have in your betta's tank. The only other additional maintenance is that when you change your betta's water, you have to give the Betta Balls a squeeze over a sink or bucket to help remove any built up pollutants. When done, simply toss it back in the tank.
There are no reviews yet.


text:
Mugen's 6,200mAh Extended Battery doubles the battery life of the LG G4
Sometimes, it doesn't matter how big the battery is in your smartphone, sometimes you need more. Even more than the standard 3,000mAh battery that comes with the LG G4. With this in mind, Mugen has just announced the arrival of its new 6,200 mAh extended battery that will help your G4 power through the day.
While you can always buy extra batteries for your handset, it can be a pain swapping them out to recharge them after use. This is where extended batteries come in their own because you just insert the charging cable as normal and it begins charging. The downside is a some added heft and weight to the handset, but another plus side would be not having loose batteries bouncing around in your pockets or backpack. Perhaps, more importantly, with the extended battery inserted, you would never be caught out when you need that extra charge.
Mugen's HLI-G4XL 6,200mAh extended battery uses Lithium-Ion battery technology and provides more than twice the capacity of the stock G4 battery. The Mugen extended battery can be had in black, gold or white for $89.50 from the Mugen website with free worldwide shipping included.
Source: PRNewsWire
Come comment on this article: Mugen's 6,200mAh Extended Battery doubles the battery life of the LG G4


text:
I ABSOLUTLY HATE PUMA'S!!! But These Right Here... FRESH!!!
Following up on our recent preview of the gold pair in the Undefeated x PUMA 24k collection, PUMA gives us a closer look into the fifth and final pair. The shoe features mirror gold leather, matching midsole stitching and a perforated formstrip. In addition to the material upgrade the shoe also has a studded Undefeated "five strikes" logo piercing through the outer collar. In contrast to the suede silhouettes in the 24K Collection, this mid will be extremely limited and will only be sold in Undefeated stores: with 24 pairs available at the Tokyo location, 24 pairs at the La Brea L.A. store, and an additional 24 pairs split up between the other three Undefeated U.S. locations. Release date is slated for Saturday, February 7th, 2009.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Undefeated x PUMA 24k Mid Gold Version - A Closer Look
Posted by Kev - S.L.A.B. ENT. at 1:43 PM
2 comments:
- Sui Generis said...
These are probably like the doppest shoes Ive seen in a while. The availability is ridiculous? How the hell can I get my hand on a pair???
- January 31, 2009 at 11:04 PM
- Betty Baker said...
what is the price of it?
photography classes dc
- August 24, 2014 at 8:45 AM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)