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Apa khabar, dear visitor? 🙂 Today's article is about beautiful and colorful birds, peaceful atmosphere and sly monkeys in Kuala Lumpur Bird Park. Attention, tons of pictures incoming! Kuala Lumpur Bird Park (or Taman Burung Kuala Lumpur) is a 20.9-acre public aviary, located adjacent to the Lake Gardens. The Bird Park houses more than 3000 birds representing … Continue reading Birds, birds and birds everywhere!
Batu Caves, monkeys and bad sides of Couchsurfing
Welcome to Kuala Lumpur (KL), the national capital of Malaysia and the largest city in the country! KL, also known as the Klang Valley, is among the fastest growing metropolitan regions in South-East Asia, in both population and economic development. But there're different sides of KL, I would say it's so various. Meeting huge KL. … Continue reading Batu Caves, monkeys and bad sides of Couchsurfing
How to get lost in the forest or trekking in Cameron Highlands
Welcome dear friend 🙂 I already wrote about strawberries and tea in Cameron Highlands, today I'll share stories about nature, forests and picturesque views from Cameron Highlands... and how I got lost 🙂 The Mossy Forest of Gunung Brinchang. One of the must visit places in Cameron Highlands is definitely Mossy Forest. The atmosphere there … Continue reading How to get lost in the forest or trekking in Cameron Highlands
Tea with strawberries in Cameron Highlands
Welcome dear reader! I wasn't writing for a while, yeah, I know. My journey gained insane speed and going so crazily, right now I'm on Bali! However, let's tell all the story step by step 🙂 Cameron Highlands is Malaysia's most extensive hill station and a district of Pahang state. It occupies an area of … Continue reading Tea with strawberries in Cameron Highlands
Penang National Park and George Town
Hey, are you ready to see some Penang's nature and George Town? I can't hear you! 😉 Penang National Park. So I decided that it's time for nature and went for trekking to the Penang National Park! Reached the place by bus (buses in Penang are almost the same as in Krakow and with AC, bus trip … Continue reading Penang National Park and George Town
Some India and China in Penang (Malaysia)
Hello and welcome back! Indian Festival, Chinese New Year and fascinating Kek Lok Si - my first impressions from multicultural Malaysia are coming! Prelude. After I successfully entered Malaysia I went to Butterworth - a city in Penang state. Train journey was hard: no AC and +30 outside, people looked really tired after a while. … Continue reading Some India and China in Penang (Malaysia)
Weird stories from a loony bin
Greetings from Malaysia! Today I'll tell about my evening at Surat Thani Railway Station and train to Malaysia. Attention, some madness detected 🙂 Unfortunately I didn't have much time last days. As I still have many things to tell about Thailand, next few articles I'll be writing about either Malaysia or Thailand 😉 Lipa Noi … Continue reading Weird stories from a loony bin

subset: commoncrawl


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No restaurant stock brings out the internal conflict in me quite like Panera Bread (NASDAQ:PNRA).
I love fresh bread, pastries, sandwiches and cool lemonade, but boy, could I not be more underwhelmed with how Panera executes. Still, money talks — and in this case, it says I should just ignore my taste buds and pay attention to the lines building up at the register.
You should, too.
Panera — which owns and franchises roughly 1,600 locations under the Panera Bread, Saint Louis Bread and Paradise Bakery & Café brands — is the prototypical restaurant growth stock. Shares have tripled in the past three years (including 45% gains in the past year), putting it solidly among other momentum-fueled restaurant stocks like Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) and Buffalo Wild Wings (NASDAQ:BWLD).
Those returns haven't come out of thin air. Panera has been a one-man earnings-day show for years, with some highlights including:
- Nine out of 10 quarters with earnings growth of more than 20%,
- Five-year annualized revenue growth of 17%,
- And a second quarter that saw revenues climb 18% to $530.6 million on same-store sales growth of 7.1%, and 27% earnings growth.
Now, that's delicious.
Of course, there's no point in celebrating past growth if you hit a brick wall. The only way investors can win out from here is if Panera keeps growing, and at a healthy clip.
There's good news on that front too, though.
Panera's right in the (ahem) breadbasket of the changing American tide: healthy eating. That trend has propelled the success of Whole Foods (NASDAQ:WFM) and even has Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) shilling organic goods — but it also has put butts into Panera's seats. While not every last menu item is fit for the fit, most are, from whole-grain bread to antibiotic-free turkey to fresh avocados (the "superfood"!).
Expansion continues to be an option for Panera — though I tend to balk at the idea of PNRA or a company like Chipotle (with 1,300-plus stores already) bursting out further, maybe because I already see at least one of these in every 'burb.
But more promising to me are a couple other business plans: catering and drive-thrus.
The company's catering segment saw sales increase 20% in the most recent quarter, and as long as Panera continues to market this business, I see it as an increasingly popular alternative to, say, sandwich spreads from Subway.
Also, PNRA is expanding the use of drive-through windows, with the company expecting 12% of its locations to be auto-ready by year's end, which also should drive revenues.
The only thing that bothers me to any extent is profit margins. While PNRA's 8% margins still are slightly better than the industry average, they're still well below those of its fast-casual brother Chipotle (which have risen to roughly 12%) — and then I think about InvestorPlace Editor Jeff Reeves, who loves to remind anyone who will listen that CMG's margins come amid portion controls that consist of, simply, "a giant spoon." Still, this isn't an enormous concern, so long as wheat prices don't go out of control.
Earlier this year, Panera raised its full-year earnings per share target from $5.50-$5.55 per share to $5.58-$5.63 per share; that top figure would represent roughly 21% year-over-year earnings growth. Analysts actually have upped the ante, though, with expectations growing from $5.68 to $5.78 in the past two months.
Click to EnlargePanera seems to be in solid condition concerning short-term technicals, too, with its 200-day trend line only slightly starting to flatten, but tight Bollinger bands hinting at the possibility of another breakout.
Also uplifting: Panera just announced a $600 million share buyback program to replace its previous one. While I'd rather see a dividend any day of the week, PNRA's clearly still in growth mode, so I'm taking this more of a sign of confidence than anything else. And I'm more than happy with Panera spending the cash anyway, as its flows are adequate and the company is 100% debt-free.
All hyper-growth stories in the restaurant biz come to an end at some point, and even when they slow, things can get ugly — case in point, Chipotle's 27% share slide since reporting enviable revenue growth of 21% that still wasn't enough to sate Wall Street analysts. It's a legitimate concern and something you should keep in the back of your mind — especially for a company trading at a hefty 30 times earnings.
But Panera hasn't even hinted at that kind of weakness yet. So sit down and enjoy this hearty growth stock — just make sure you keep your eyes on the news, because momentum stocks can turn on a dime.
Kyle Woodley is the Assistant Editor of InvestorPlace.com. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities. Follow him on Twitter at @KyleWoodley. Check out recaps from previous trading days here.


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Dear Diary,
Let's begin with a quote in Latin. That will put us in the right mood — reaching for the eternal verities: 'Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt.'
That was penned by Julius Caesar in De Bello Gallico, his account of the Roman conquest of Gaul.
We didn't know what it meant either, until last night. In case your Latin is a little rusty, we will give you a little WD-40. It means 'Men willingly believe what they wish to be true.'
At least, they believe it as long as they can…
As long as stocks rise, for example, they believe the economy is recovering nicely…and that they will get richer and richer just by owning little pieces of someone else's business.
The problem with 'investing'
They call it 'investing'. But that is mere flattery. Someone else already did the investing when they built the factories and developed the business.
'Investing' means you are doing something that will result in more or better products and services in the future…something that improves productivity and makes us better off.
When someone buys shares in a company in an IPO, he is investing his capital to help that company create future production. But when you buy someone else's shares in the secondary market (on an exchange) all you're doing is buying out someone else's position and allocating your savings to some financial instrument.
Will the price of your shares go up? Or down? Who knows?
One business grows. Another shrinks. You cannot consistently know, in advance, which will be which.
And taken together, the shares in a nation's businesses are unlikely to consistently grow at a faster pace than the economy.
In the US, for example, over the last six years, real GDP growth has averaged 0.9% a year. But stocks have gone up more than 130% in the US.
How is that possible?
Well, first, earnings rose. Businesses ditched expensive labour…halted new projects…trimmed down…and boosted profit margins. They also benefitted from low-cost financing, which reduced their interest expenses.
Then the liquidity produced by QE and ZIRP needed a place to go. It could not get to the consumer, because households were still cutting back on debt and wages were actually going down. So, it stayed in the financial sector, pushing up asset prices.
Result: stock prices far in excess of GDP growth.
Perverting the system
But you were probably concerned about our garden party here in France, weren't you?
Well, despite the drippy forecasts, the rain held off. What a lucky break! The guests could spread out on the lawn. Otherwise, they would have had to squeeze into the house.
Among the guests was an attractive French woman in her 70s, an economist…
'I am so annoyed by Monsieur Piketty. He has become famous. The rest of the world must think we French economists are a bunch of idiots. Imagine…Keynesianism…the class struggle…the envy of the rich…it's as though these were new ideas that hadn't been thoroughly discredited.
'I don't know why they take Piketty seriously in the US. I thought American economists were smarter than that…'
We rose to defend our countrymen:
'Oh…no. American economists are as dumb as the rest of them. They all seem to believe capitalism needs to be carefully controlled. By them, of course.
'Then they control and pervert the system…it blows up…and they blame it on capitalism. I think there is a catastrophic episode of that coming down the pike.
'They distort asset prices with QE and ZIRP. Then people invest their money foolishly — because they are reacting to the distorted asset prices.
'Just look at the US stock market. It is near an all-time high…even though the economy is barely growing. The prices are based on two things that can't possibly continue: cost cutting and zero-interest-rate policies. Stock prices could easily be cut in half.
'But this time, it's not just a few foolish investors who will lose money. It will be millions of ordinary investors and business people…and households…and governments that depend on tax revenues.
'We could be looking at a major problem. And it will be blamed on capitalism…'
'Fere libenter homines id quod volunt credunt,' our guest concluded.
'Yes, madam, the canapés are very nice,' we replied.
Bill Bonner
For Markets and Money
From the Archives…
The Murdoch Indicator
6-8-2014 by Dan Denning


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Now, this is rich:
Bob King, the likely future president of the UAW, said union members have made tremendous sacrifices in recent years to help save the domestic automakers and the companies should be prepared to reward union members as the industry recovers.
"There was equality of sacrifice, there has got to be equality of gain," said King, a UAW vice president who is the union's nominee to be elected president at a constitutional convention in June.
King, 63, made his comments following a speech Tuesday at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's automotive conference in Detroit titled, "A new role for labor? Partner and owner."
Throughout his speech, King said the union has proved in recent years that it iscapable of adapting to new challenges in the automotive industry and working with the domestic automakers to help them through times of crisis.
In 2007, for example, the union agreed to take over the responsibility of managing retiree health care from the automakers.
Um..Bob? How about the taxpayers get paid back for bailing you guys out first?
"I bring reason to your ears, and, in language as plain as ABC, hold up truth to your eyes." Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776
For more news and views on today's unions, go to LaborUnionReport.com.


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Flavor Flours
A New Way to Bake With Teff, Buckwheat, Sorghum, Other Whole & Ancient Grains, Nuts & Non-wheat FloursBook - 2014
From the critics
Community Activity
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As someone who is always trying to diversify her diet for nutritional benefit (but is also allergic to a lot of things), I found this educational, inspirational, and beautiful to read.
The recipes are all dessert-type things, which was the only disappointment. But I feel like I now understand what to expect when working with each of the non-wheat flours in this book, so that I'm better prepared to adapt wheat flour recipes.
Also, the layout is great- it's easy to read, the color pallet is appealing, and the photos are engaging without being overwhelming or too posh. I can't wait to try some of these recipes, and I feel confident I can make a success of them!
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|Jeff Bagwell
Special Assistant to the General Manager
Jeff Bagwell was named Special Assistant to the General Manager on December, 15, 2006, the day in which the Astros icon announced his retirement at Minute Maid Park.
In his current role with the Astros, Jeff assists the club's baseball operations staff with its Major and minor league player development programs, the amateur draft, scouting and minor league team operations and evaluations. He is also with the club in Spring Training, providing instruction to players and staff and evaluating both Major and minor league players.
In 2010, Jeff had a productive stint as the Major League club's hitting instructor from the All-Star Break through the end of the season before returning to his current role.
Jeff also travels with the Major League club on selected road trips on occasion and observes the organization's minor league clubs during the regular season. He also makes various promotional appearances during the year.
As an outstanding player for 15 seasons, Jeff hit 449 home runs and drove in 1,529 runs for the Astros from 1991-2005. He is only player in Houston franchise history to win the Most Valuable Player Award, earning the honors for the National League in 1994 after hitting .368 with 39 home runs and 116 RBI in just 110 games. Jeff was the third player in the history of the award to be a unanimous first-place selection. He is also the only Astro to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award, capturing that distinction in 1991 by hitting .294 with 15 home runs and 82 RBI. He is one of only eight players in MLB history to win both honors in a career.
A four-time All-Star, Jeff is the career leader for the club in home runs, RBI, and walks, while ranking second in club history with 2,314 hits. Jeff was the Astros' Opening Day first baseman for 15 consecutive seasons, and he is one of only 12 players all-time and the only first baseman with at least 400 home runs and 200 stolen bases and the only first baseman ever with two 30 home run, 30 stolen base seasons. Additionally, Jeff is in a group of only seven first baseman in Major League history to record at least 1,500 runs scored and 1,500 RBI. Jeff earned NL Silver Slugger Awards three times (1994, 1997, and 1999) and earned a Rawlings Gold Glove Award in 1994. He is also the only Astro with six consecutive 100-RBI seasons (1996-2001) and recorded eight consecutive campaigns with 30-plus home runs (1996-2003). In 2001, Jeff became the only player in ML history to collect 30 home runs, 100 RBI, 100 runs scored and 100 walks in six consecutive seasons (1996-2001).
At the time of his retirement, Jeff ranked 28th on the Major League career list in home runs, 52nd in runs scored, tied for 52nd in doubles, tied for 41st in RBI, 30th in extra-base hits, and 24th in walks. His .948 career OPS ranks 22nd all-time in Major League history and 10th among right-handed hitters.
Jeff has been on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for the past two years, receiving 41.7% of the vote in 2011. On August 26, 2007, his No. 5 was officially retired by the Astros.
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Cherry upside-down cake
Last Wednesday my 7 year old and I checked out The Westmont Farmers Market. One of our purchases was a container of cherries – the first of the season. We took our cherries, sat down on a bench, and dove in. I reminded him of the pit and showed him how to eat around it. We ate our full, but we still had plenty left, so I went looking for something different to do with our in season, local cherries. I came up with cherry upside-down cake.
I worked from two recipes and adapted them – one from cook & eat that gave me an idea how to prepare the cherries and called for Génoise cake batter in the recipe. Since there were no instruction on Génoise cake batter on the website, I found a recipe for it on about.com and used that.
Like the blogger Lara from cook & eat, I found that this cake did not turn out pretty looking. But looks can be deceiving. This was yummy. You'll notice I substituted a few different spices for the cardamom because I didn't have any. I think I overdid it on the cloves a bit, and would probably omit them the next time I made this and either buy cardamom or just use cinnamon and nutmeg. The Génoise cake batter turned out nicely, but I'd be willing to try a different recipe for it next time to see if I could get it a bit more moist. Still, this is a good cake, and an unexpected way to use up this season's bounty of cherries.
For cherry mixture
- 2 cups of fresh cherries, pitted and split in half
- 1 tsp dried orange zest (I used fresh)
- 1 tsp sugar
- sprinkling of cardamom (I substituted a little nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves)
For cake mixture
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Time Estimates
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 8x8 inch square pan with non-stick or grease the pan.
Mix cherry mixture ingredients together and spread on bottom of pan.
Beat cake mixture ingredients together until smooth and spread over cherry mixture.
Bake about 30 minutes or until fork inserted into cake comes out clean.
Allow to cool.
Turn out onto serving dish.
Cut and serve with whipped cream or plain.
1 cake
Seasonal recipe: Cherry upside-down cake
Last Wednesday my 7 year old and I checked out The Westmont Farmers Market. One of our purchases was a container of cherries – the first of the season. We too


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White Skies by Svenja Pitz is a photo shoot that combines the beauty of the human form with the stunning structures of architectural design. The model's curvaceous and fluid poses contrast beautifully with the building's clean, concrete lines and stark, cloud-filled skies. The photo shoot has an overall minimalist aesthetic that is accentuated by the white, and occasional purple, outfits donned by the model.
Shot by the water, the photo series titled White Skies by Svenja Pitz has a strong element of nature. Nevertheless, this element is overshadowed by the modern architecture and shipping yard backdrop as well as the simple, futuristic fashion. Fashionising writes that the photographer "has a vision of a painter, a stage performer and an athlete."
White Skies by Svenja Pitz is an exclusive photo shoot for Fashionising.com.
Architectural Fashion Shoots
More Stats +/-
Angry Hipster Captures
Retro Diner Editorials
Park Backdrop Photography
Lustful Luxury Lace Pictorials
Haunting Bride Photography
White Skies by Svenja Pitz Constrasts is Both Fluid and Structured
- By: Meghan YoungMar 2, 2012
References: pitzeria.tumblr & fashionising
References: pitzeria.tumblr & fashionising


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Natures Green Healing Collective is a California Medical Marijuana co-op, providing safe access for medical marijuana (MMJ) patients in compliance with CA 215, SB 420, and 11362.5 of HSC.
With a convenient downtown San Diego location and high quality medication, grown by us, we want to become your go-to destination for Medical Marijuana. We are committed to having a friendly and knowledgeable staff and only stocking premium medications. Even our budget conscious patients will not have to worry about not being 100% satisfied with their buds.
We have been legally growing cannabis for California dispensaries for over 10 years. We crossbreed our own strains and are committed to quality. Please take a look at our menu and find something you like. Now you can pre-register by filling out this short form, making your first visit that much faster!


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miércoles, 17 de noviembre de 2010
Conservando el gato Andino mediante mejoras en la cría de ganado caprino, Argentina
Conserving the Andean cat through improved goat breeding, Argentina
The Patagonian and Andean Steppe program of WCS Argentina works to reduce retaliatory killing of Andean cats by Patagonia herders. We believe that improving methods for controlling predation, and reducing the size of goat herds while increasing their productivity, will result in fewer losses to predation, less retaliatory killing of Andean cats, and higher incomes for goat herders. Enthusiastic reports after our pilot project with locally-bred guard dogs led to the introduction this year of legislation in the provinces of Mendoza and Río Negro in support of their use. Goats are sold only as young for meat in local markets, and old, non-reproductive goats (often toothless!) are kept until they die of starvation. This year we found a way to immediately reduce herd densities by selling these old goats in France, where people prefer the meat of old goats. We reduced 19 herds by an average 13%, mostly in the critical Chihuidos area, where at least 4 Andean cats have been killed in the last 4 years.
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Temática: Boletín AGA Septiembre, Programas
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20 Reasons Why I believe every child should own a horse
June 20, 2017
Recently, I wrote an article about how several university professors who visited us said they were interested in doing a short film on our home schooling methods after seeing how the kids use horses in school. I mentioned that I would write more on why I think every child should own or at least work with horses.
When I was a teenager, I was not a 'horsey' girl lusting after everything equine, but when my mom decided to get an Arabian gelding, I immediately fell in love with him and wanted to spend every moment with him. He was boarded at Plum Nearly Ranch in South East Texas several miles from my home. I would ride my bike or beg my parents to drop me off there where I would volunteer my time learning to wash horses, scoop poop, and feed them. I even assisted in an artificial insemination process! Needless to say, I learned a lot more than just 'riding;' however, I did learned to ride and even competed in a few horse shows. I found that my time with my horse was some of the best moments of my life. The sweet smell of hay, horse poop, and oats is a part of my soul now that brings back fond memories of crisp cool mornings, and the feelings of learning responsibility. During this time, after 18 years of marriage, my parents were getting a divorce. On top of this, I was going through puberty and was not very 'pretty.' We built a new house and moved every 3 years, and I found that it was difficult for me to fit in at school.... but my pony, he didn't care about all that. His warm breath was a comfort to my soul breathing life and hope in me that I could leave all that mess and stress behind and fly away with him carrying me.
After going off to college, my dad decided to sell my horse without telling me. He bought me a new, white, 1993, Toyota Celica hatchback. I didn't know how to feel. I was grateful for my new car, yet, so sad to let go of a friend. Fast-forward to my grownup years, my daughter Butterfly was given a horse book by Rod Hatch when she was small. She would talk about horses and look through its pages every day... so when we got our small farm, my first thought was to find a horse. I wanted my kids to experience horses, and here are twenty reasons why I think you should make the investment, too:
- Discipline-- It comes as no surprise that owning a horse teaches discipline. There are many safety rules when dealing with horses such as wearing boots to protect feet, helmets when riding, and back protectors when eventing. In fact, 75% of owning a horse is done with feet on the ground and not riding. It takes patience and discipline to own a horse.
- Responsibility-- by 8 am, my kids have to feed horses. They brush them, clean their hooves, and make sure they are healthy by checking for any scratches or issues. My kids learn responsibility through owning a horse. The horses are fed 4 times a day (in our case, but usually two at most places). The kids must bring them in, feed them, etc... four times, every single day. And they do it!
- Humility-- horses keep you humble. Not only do you have to deal with their poop, slobbery kisses, and messes, they are huge animals. Bad attitudes do not go far around horses. If someone does not respect the animal, they can get hurt. Humility is learned rather quickly.
- Challenges--Children learn to embrace and persevere through challenges that arise with owning or renting a horse. In some cases, challenges are having a lame horse that forces you to wait MONTHS before riding. Other challenges may be the physical ones you experience while learning how to ride properly, and the challenges you face as you ride over or through new places! Every time we get on the back of a horse, it is a new challenge since horses are cognitive beings with their own personalities.
- Bravery-- Our minds have to learn to trust in the horse and in ourselves. It takes a certain amount of bravery to ride a horse and to get back on if one falls off.
- Intellectually stimulating-- Learning to put tack together (trust me, it can be a puzzle), how to care for hooves, measuring feed, calculating percentage of rider's weight to horse's weight, learning anatomy, and how to fit a saddle properly, calculating distance in a circular round pen, or measuring stride between jumps... there is so much room for intellectual growth when working with horses.
- Physical education--in our case, this element of our education system comes mostly from outside play, and horse riding. Riding is exercise. Learning to canter and rise in trot requires physical strength. Even a 'walk' strengthens one's core which is why we use the horses for physical therapy for our disabled friends. For the older kids, leading their younger sister on a pony requires a great deal of walking/jogging. Lunging horses also takes energy. Lifting hay bales, feed sacks. large jugs of water, jump poles, and going in and out four times a day to feed the horses is physical work in of itself. It keeps my kids outside for large portions of the day.
- Friends/acceptance--Horses are friendly. They love you no matter what. They can listen to hours of talking and still look back at you with those big, beautiful eyes.
- Competition-- Home schooling, there is not much competition when you are the only student in your class level. I find this the biggest flaw with my educational choice for my kids, but here in Kenya, there is a community of horse folks who put on shows and actually compete! We haven't entered any shows yet, but this is an element we are hoping to delve into. I think a competitive spirit is good for kids, and teaches them to have drive to succeed.
- Socialization-- Living in Kenya, my pale kids stick out. It is difficult to connect with village kids who constantly stand in awe of our 'paleness' unable to go beyond that feature even after years and years of living here. Home schooling also means my kids don't have many people they can relate to or with whom to interact. There is a surprisingly large community of people who ride horses in our neck of the woods. Riding horses gives my kids an element of 'connectability' to kids who also do so. Not every one has our circumstances, but this element of having a horse is still true for kids all over the world. It gives kids a place to 'belong.'
- Emotional management-- There is no room for emotional outbursts around horses. Horses are mirrors of our souls. They will reflect what we are feeling inside. If you head out to deal with horses while angry, the horse will respond accordingly!
- Adventure-- Horses can take you exploring through forests, trails, hillsides, etc... hacking out with your horse buddy is an amazing adventure that connects one with nature and stimulates the imagination! You can be a princess on a unicorn, a knight in shining armor, or an explorer like Lewis and Clark, or imagine you are Sacagawea.
- Patience-- This is a HUGE part of owning/caring for a horse. For example, today, Emma had to wait 20 minutes of me lunging her pony before she could ride today. She sat and watched--waiting patiently. Butterfly has had to wait MONTHS for her horse to get sound after an injury. In the meantime, she has groomed her and doctored her wound, learning how to treat her horse during this time, but has been a huge test of her patience while the rest of us who are lighter can ride the ponies.
- Something to do/keeps kids out of trouble-- Having a horse costs time, energy, and money, and this is not a bad thing! Where your money is, your heart is, too. Having to work for something is a great motivator and keeps kids out of trouble. Instead of going out to parties as a teen, I was heading off to the stables volunteering. Instead of getting into mischief, I was having sleepovers in the barn with some of my friends and practicing our riding the following day. On a personal level, now, living in Kenya where there are few other activities available, horses give my kids something to do beyond just reading books indoors.
- Bonding-- having time with your child on a horse hack provides loads of bonding time between you and your child. It opens room for conversation. And if your child is riding alone, she will bond with her horse.
- Transportation-- Horses carry us. We live on a hill. I am lazy. I ride up and down it.
- Coordination/balance-- "Kick with your inside leg." "Keep your hands down." "Don't pull in her mouth." "Rise on the correct diagonal." "Stay balanced!" There is a certain amount of acquired skill that comes with riding.
- Language-- I have read of many accounts of how riding a horse causes children to learn to speak. It has to do with the rhythm and balancing on the horse's back that taps into the language part of the brain. One of our Kenyan daughters didn't speak to me for years until we got a horse.
- Empathy-- while interacting with a horse, a person is encouraged to imagine how the horse feels and put himself in the horses shoes.
- Birth control (for us grownups, haha)-- I have six biological children. I find that I get 'broody' when my youngest child reaches a certain age; however, now that I am 'into horses,' I find that having a toddler is hindering my ability to ride and train the horses, and therefore, preventing me from even CONSIDERING another little human running around. Horses fill that 'need to be needed' void as well. It is very difficult when you follow attachment parenting methods like I do, to have a small person who is still breast-feeding and being carried when you want to go out on a long adventure with a horse, or when you need to train them for (in our case) equine therapy sessions.
So there you have it! I can think of even more reasons, but I think 20 are enough! This doesn't even scratch the surface of therapeutic benefits! So parents, when your child mentions s/he wants a pony, why not consider volunteering at a ranch nearby and see how you get on?


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FileIce Active Referral Contest
Goal: Be the first to obtain 6 active referrals by October 30th.
Deadline: The contest will end October 30th, or when someone obtains 6 active referrals, whichever happens first.
Prize: $300, sent to you via Wire Transfer, Direct Deposit, or PayPal.
Details: A referral is counted as active automatically if they make $5 or more during the previous day. For more information on referrals, visit our Referral Program Overview page, here.
Feel free to post here discussing the contest, post your progress, or ask questions. If you have obtained 6 active referrals, send me a Private Message. I will review your account, and announce the winner.


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Coordinating Prevention across Sexual and Domestic Violence is an intermediate-level course that explores multiple perspectives informing sexual and domestic violence prevention. Presenting best practices for prevention, it guides learners through the steps necessary to plan effective primary prevention efforts.
Intended for those who have an understanding of foundational prevention concepts, this course guides learners through a lesson that includes a presentation and core documents, offering opportunities to test one's learning.
Access the course and related materials and opportunities at learn.preventconnect.org.
More Posts by Ashley Maier
Ashley Maier, MSW, MPA, has worked in the movement to end gendered violence for well over a decade. She began as a volunteer at a domestic violence shelter in Illinois, served as a hospital-based advocate in St. Louis, coordinated community health/family violence training programs for pediatric residents in St. Louis and San Diego, and managed Oregon's Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) grantees and program. Ashley is a contributing author to Lantern Book's 2013 publication, Defiant Daughters: 21 Women on Art, Activism, Animals, and The Sexual Politics of Meat and is creator of the 2015 book, Circles of Compassion: Connecting Issues of Justice.


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Can you cure HIV?
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is a virus that weakens the immune system and hinders the body's ability to fight disease. Without treatment, HIV could lead to the potentially fatal diagnosis of AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).
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First off, let me apologize (AGAIN) for disappearing off the face of the earth. This is what summer does to me. But I think summer is a good enough excuse...sort of... When you're homeschooled, Summer can do dangerous things to you...
And secondly, I'm not moving literally (thank goodness. Not planning to move anytime soon...). I've decided to 'move' to a different blog, for a number of reasons. I'll give you the url in a bit - it only has like, one post so far. I'll miss this dear blog that I've started four years ago in '07, with all its weird and childish or childlike compositions and ramblings. But I think it's time to grow up a little bit. And there have been a lot of other changes in life too, so I thought, 'oh, might as well'. (as if I couldn't handle one blog enough XD)
In my new blog I will try to post more meditations and the like (I never knew how much improvement it did to my writing skills), as well as music videos and maybe some book reviews. But I'm afraid I don't have time to post my old "saints' stuff" like I did when I was...er, younger. That was fun, though. And even though I stopped that a long time ago, I'll miss that as well...
Another big change is that I have changed my username to 'Akalei'. That is my name in Hawaiian, and Charity Therese is/was only my pen name. I go by Akalei in a lot of other things and places, and it's also my artist name. So it should be easier to recognize me...sort of. I'll miss being called 'CT' though!
So...if there are any readers left out there, thank you for your patience! This will be one of my last posts here. All your sweet comments (if there are any left, lol) and sharings and such have been much appreciated. Thank you for taking your time to read this neglected blog. :)
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Moving...and other stuff...
First off, let me apologize (AGAIN) for disappearing off the face of the earth. This is what summer does to me. But I think summer is a good enough excuse...sort of... When you're homeschooled, Summer can do dangerous things to you...
Monday, August 1, 2011
What love really means...
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Fruitful Baskets!
Lately, I've been reading this manga series that my friends recommended. Fruits Basket by Natsuki Tayaka. Please don't panic and leave this webpage yet! To be honest, I'm not much of an otaku (aka a manga fan...an obsessive manga/anime fan...). Although I DO really enjoy reading and drawing in the manga/anime style, I don't usually read manga or watch anime on a regular basis. But this story has a lot of good points, like any regular book might have. I'd recommend it for any interested kids aged 14 or 15 and up. (or maybe younger, as long as you stop around volume 14-ish)There are a few questionable details here and there, but the overall story is excellent and provides a lot of extra reflection.
This story is about a teenage optimistic and sweet, innocent orphan girl who lives with another troubled family. A family with a curse. Whenever a family member is hugged by someone of the opposite gender, they turn into an animal of the Zodiac (tiger, ox, rat, dog, etc). Now it doesn't sound so bad, but that's what causes a lot of problems. Because of this curse, they are weighed down by their own problems; blame and rejection from their parents and family, loss of loved ones, and utter fear of the world coldheartedness.
Tohru Honda (the orphan girl) simply encourages the family members to get along, and often looks on the bright side to inspire them. Even though she has her own problems too, like the death of her parents and such, she always puts this family in front of own things, and makes sure they're doing their best to be happy. That's basically it, but Tohru is a truly inspiration character and model. I can't say much more about it, otherwise I'd be giving the story away.
But some of the other characters/family members have some pretty good qualities too. You can see throughout the story that they do learn, accept, and then let go. Be warned though, the story can be a little depressing, for there can't actually be a satisfying answer to every problem for everyone. In order for a happy ending, there is a lot of self-sacrificing the characters make, and lots of change of heart. It's something that is much needed in this world today, and that's why I like this series so much. Quite sweet and touching. The story got me teary-eyed too...another good reason to read it... At the end of the series, I was thinking that maybe if we'd just follow the wonderful qualities the characters possess, then maybe we could provide basketful of fruits for God?
But it really doesn't look it though, doesn't it?
Usually when you see manga or anime, it's kind of 'eeh...' :P But this one is mostly good. If you're old enough and right in the head, it's quite enjoyable. (I hear it's usually the first manga anyone reads) Kind of funny too. :) Again, there are a few questionable details. Like the whole Zodiac thing? But what about the whole Harry Potter thing? It's not like we're gonna run around waving wands in everyone's faces and battle nose-less guys.
Monday, June 27, 2011
When I grow up...I'm going to be a little kid.
"Life was so much simpler when our definition of drama was someone stealing our crayons, and our biggest fears were catching cooties or missing nap time."
A friend of mine said that, on a recent status on Facebook. I responded with a "Ah yes, such sweet memories."
Nowadays, (and I'm sure nowadays will stretch for the rest of my years) I've been kind of missing those kinds of things. I mean, now we can't find anything simple. Can't even define normal OR simple anymore. It wasn't like that when we were little, when we could fall as many times as we wanted, and it wouldn't hurt as much as it does now. Such a superpower, huh?
Unfortunately, it's an impossible wish to be completely back in the good old days, where everything was simple and carefree. And fun. And when Mr. Rogers never seemed to age. And when everyone thought Magenta from Blues Clues was a girl. And when you thought swings couldn't swing high enough...
I could go on forever, but you get the point. My friend was saying that he wished that things could be simple again, carefree, etc...
I responded so: "I think you still could though, in a way...like when we were little, falling didn't hurt as much, probably because we always knew and trusted that someone would always be there to pick us up. I think now that we're older, and feel pain a lot differently, that kind of trust fades off...and we kind of forget that there's Someone else who can always pick us up, in any of our worst kinds of fallings. 'Cause there's always something better out there, better than having the most epic color pencils and light-up shoes that God has in store for us."
We'll always be a little kid at heart, but we know that doesn't completely erase our problems. Sometimes we wish we could be content with the simplest things, like what I mentioned above. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. God didn't create us to live for color pencils, playgrounds, giant slides (but if you somehow ended up with that kind of vocation, I have to say that I am EXTREMELY jealous.), He has something better. And, sticking those pictures of sweet childhood memories to our fridges, we can get there with that childlike heart. We're just gonna have to trust God a little more to do more than just pick us up. :) He can lift us up and make us soar.
Monday, June 20, 2011
I'm still alive...
I totally apologize for the disappearance (AGAIN). You have no idea how many times I tried to get into my blogger account! I even tried commenting on my previous post to let my readers know that I couldn't access my account, but then realized that I had 'locked' my comment box so that I could only publish it once I was logged in as blog administer. (Yep, epic fail.)
So there I was furiously typing in my password again and again and again and again to absolutely no avail, when I FINALLY saw those three little words and a question mark.
Forgot your password?
Thank God for people who have pity on airheads like me.
Anyway, I will get back to posting soon. Thank you for your amazing patience, and I apologize again for the inconvenience!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Happy Easter!
I was so excited after Easter Vigil, that I almost said 'Merry Christmas' after Mass. :) Wishing you all a blessed and joyful Easter season!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Palm Sunday
Wishing all my dear friends and readers a blessed Holy Week. :) Here's an amazing short film I found last night - thought I'd share it! (and yes, it's worth watching.)
'Til Easter, everyone! Almost there!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Halfway there...
Are we all 'ohmigosh, that was fast' or, '...not fast enough...'? ;)
Lent is a good time to clean out all the lint in our 'dryers' before we come out all fresh and clean. :)
Anyways, I don't have much to write about right now, but here's a nice song that I wanted to share.
Sometimes (well, not sometimes, all the time!) God just longs to be our everything. And He is. How big, or what's the definition of our 'everything'? What or who is our everything now?
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Rest assured...
...I have NOT fallen off the face of the earth, thank God. I've just slipped. ;)
I know, where in the world has this writer gone to, especially before Lent? Doesn't she owe you a post? Yes, I do owe you a post. In fact, I'll give you this one long post!
I'll spare you on the details, but things in life have been changing. A lot. Besides the annoying teenager hormones and my siblings who are almost ALL taller than me (except for one...) and the war with acne finally subsiding, of course.
It's mostly about growing up, that's been 'up' lately. I know, all of the above were about growing up...but...ok, read at little bit more and you'll find out.
First of all, it just hit me that I AM a teenager. girl. With a face and some sort of aura God created me to have, and that eventually, a boy or two...or five...will notice. Scary thought, ya? I totally agree. I say I need a frying pan or two to keep those buggies away.
Okay, I didn't mean that seriously (well...maybe a little... :P ;) ), I DO have some really nice friends who are guys. Yes, they all ARE scary, immature, and childish at times, but it took me a while to realize they're just little boys...with big hearts.
And NO, I know what you're thinking, but no. Miss CT is not planning on dating anytime soon, noooo sireee... Like I said, rest assured. I believe that those kind of relationships should first and foremost be built upon Christ's holy and pure love, as we build our friendship as true brothers and sisters - whether we feel any 'feelings' or not, or whether things would work out the way we think they will or not. That goes for every kind of relationship. You just need to make sure it's firm and strongly built, not on sand, but on a nice sturdy Rock. But I'm not going further there, (unless you want me to) so please bear with me as I hop onto the next paragraph.
So there you have it. I'm being chased around by boys - a position I have never thought of being pulled into... I know that's very un-girly of me, but I assure you that I am not even close to an average Catholic teenage girl. (Weird, huh? It's like I see romance as the worst thing that could ever happen to me! lol. But no, it's definitely not worst thing that could happen to me, it just may not be for me yet.) The situation used to bother me a lot. Not much these days. It's not the fact that I am being chased around that bothers me the most, it's the horrid fact that when I give them a 'no', they break...and so do I.
The first time happened a couple of years ago - a total bolt from the blue. He was a friend from Church, and I didn't know him that well. When I realized of the drama he was asking of me, I was totally dazed. Just by the thought of that 'boyfriend/girlfriend' relationship, I felt sick and ruined. I never wanted anyone to like me in that way. ...So obviously, nothing ever came out of it. It hurt my friend for a while, but he's alright now. But that was the first time. Now it's like I have every guy I know under suspicion of 'chasing me'.
So let me fast-forward to last month. I had been completely devastated over this fact that bore the question: How far am I supposed to go to love people??
I don't want to boys to keep falling for me, only for them to go away with a broken heart. Of course, I guard my heart pretty well - I'm definitely not an easy fish to catch, as they have learned very well. I asked myself, did/am I doing something wrong?? I put up more 'walls'. But they follow me anyway. I was disgusted with myself. Felt like the only person who hated me, was me. And if you haven't guessed yet, I DO care for my guy friends, whether they want to chase me or not. It's just that the matter is so fragile and complicated...I don't want to be the one to cause the pain. I know and knew what St. Paul was saying 'Love is patient, Love is kind...' And I do want to potray that perfect love with all my heart to everyone, (as everbody should desire that! I hope.) but... How far should I go before somebody's heart breaks? If not theirs, what about mine? Can't I be a better friend and spare everybody of wasted pain?
I decided to pray on this at an Adoration night...
And I got my answer.
"Love until it hurts."
Me: Whaaaat? That doesn't help at all. Love 'til it hurts - how do you do that???
Then I raise my eyes from the Eucharist and freeze at it rests on my Lover hanging on the Cross.
I was all, "Ohh." (*buries face in arms*)
'Love until it hurts'... I had missed one important part of St. Paul's definition of love: Love endures all things.
...I'll end that part of this post there. But before I go on...
Um, honestly? Right now, I'm still wrapping my mind around that. I feel more assured and confident about matter, but not 100%. Really, if we were 100% ok about everything - sure things would be a lot easier - but life would be so boring, don't you agree?! It's testing that faith, hope, and love that bring out the beautiful things in life.
Anyway. I do suppose I owe you a post on Lent.
Now, I've said a lot about Lent before in the past, so I don't want to repeat myself here... But here's something that I've gotten out of Lent so far.
One of my resolutions was to give up my extra computer time. Yes, facebook too. But I didn't say I was giving up facebook entirely.
Why? Not just because some of my friends aren't giving up facebook. I had decided on using facebook to reach out to my friends in need, in whatever distress or problems they were going through. One of my friends lost his job. Another one of my friends needed encouragement and someone to talk to. So far, it's gone pretty alright, except for the fact that facebook has some pretty nasty glitches that make me miss messages... :P
Anyways. Besides that, I realized that without all that extra time to play around on facebook, 'stalk' my lovable friends and read all their posts, play with the flair apps and bejeweled games...the days suddenly got longer. I'm not kidding! I find my afternoon hours so long and empty. Especially 3-6pm. Then it hit me: What in the world do I do for 2-3 hours on facebook?? There's a lot I could do in three hours without facebook. Cook, clean, draw some saint pics, write a song, watch some VeggieTales stuff with my siblings...and well, blog.
It made me think, if we gave up something that consumes so much of our time, then what could we do to fit in those hours that would make our days so much longer and fulfilling? I find that if time feels slow, it means you do a lot in your day and get a lot out of it.
Next week we'll be halfway finished through Lent. Has time been seemingly slow for you or not? :)
pic source
Sunday, January 23, 2011
It's quiet here...
Yeah, sorry about that... I've been getting over this horrible stomach flu. I'm still recovering. But I can manage to sneak in a post. ^_^
First off, it's my first post of 2011! :D Yay! Happy New Year friends!
So, do I have lots of check marks on my old "New Years Resolutions for 2010" list?
Yes...and no...noooo......but it turned out to be so much better. :)
I got to develop my writing and art skills quite well. So that's a check. But no, I did not join the Honolulu Marathon, and I barely ran all year... :P And, as you can obviously tell, I did not give an amount of two posts per month. I posted more than I expected I wouuld, but not as much as I'd like myself to...
But I learned a lot. A lot more than what I had expected. And that's got to be the biggest check on my resolutions list of 2010 than any of them.
I guess that's another funny thing...We can make our goals, but God takes them and makes them awesomer beyond our imagination. He takes what we have, and replaces it with something MORE.
I won't lie, it's been a difficult year, despite all the joys and accomplishments. My family and I had to move again, and that hurt just to know that after four years, we STILL haven't found the right home/house for us. I know God does indeed have that home prepared for us, but sometimes the waiting just tears me apart...
Anyways. Concerning school, 2010 didn't kill me. I think it decided to give 2011 the honor...
Emotionally...and in personal issues... There were quite few of those things that were difficult. Those stuff never bothered me before. I've always just avoided them. 2010 showered me with lots of things to think about - I'm a growing teenger. I'll spare you the drastic boring details, and well, the whole story, but I stepped into the great teenager world (if you're homeschooled, your launch happens late =D). But no worries, I've got a frying pan at my side to whack the weirdos who decide to stalk me. ;)
I basically did say a lot more in my other posts, so I'll go on. :P
I thought last year was going to be different...no, this year would probably have the most changes.
My sister is going to college. College! Noo, I didn't think we'd still be alive by then!!
I'm supposed to be a senior in highschool this year. I was thinking about enrolling in a homeschool program called Seton, so I could fly to Virginia in 2012 to receive my diploma. It'd be fun. But if you know Seton, then you know that I probably won't get there alive...lol. ;) But, we'll see...I still have to do a PSAT and then an SAT. Please keep me in prayers on that school stuff... Oh right. And I'm going to start driving this year. =] Yeah, you might want to pray for me on that too.
Anyways, that's enough for now. To close this little update, here's a favorite song of mine. :) It's helped me so much. I hope it touches you as it did to me. :)


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Nancy Kelsey, "5 Ingredient Cookbook: 50 Delicious Quick and Easy Recipes That You Can Make With 5 Ingredients or Less"
2015 | ASIN: B00XZ0SEH8 | 90 pages | EPUB, MOBI, AZW3 | 7 MB
2015 | ASIN: B00XZ0SEH8 | 90 pages | EPUB, MOBI, AZW3 | 7 MB
Are you tired of complicated recipes with hard-to-find ingredients? Are you looking for delicious and easy recipes with only a few simple ingredients? 50 EASY RECIPES IN 5 INGREDIENTS OR LESS!
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Here Is A Preview Of What You'll Learn…
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Green @ Home: Mary Jo's Appliances
Welcome to Mary Jo, our fourth Northwest territory reader submission to our Green @ Home giveaway, and our first from Washington. Jump below for pics and details.
Extra Green Move: One of our other green moves is taking out our clothes dryer. Since we live in the Northwest where the sun doesn't shine too much, drying clothes outside only happens in the summer. So we invested in a clothes spinner that takes most of the water out of clothes, Spin-X (which is pictured below) and then finish the rest of the drying on a wooden dry racks. We also replaced the clothes washer with a Staber brand which takes less energy and lower water consumption to use. We have other green moves we do such as insulating the big windows to keep the heat in and we insulated the walls with recycled filler / insulation. We have low flow toilets. Rain barrels to collect water for the lawn and garden. We've installed solar panels on the roof and bank our unused electricity with the energy company. Banking usually helps us in the winter where we don't obtain much solar energy. We also have solar vacuumed heating tubes to heat our floors, room radiator panels, and our water tank. We have solar attic fans as well. Our coolest step we just did was buying an electric car for our daily commuting and around the town – Zenn Car. In Washington State, these neighborhood electric vehicles can go up to 35 mph legally. Most states can only go 25 mph. It takes less than a penny per mile. A few other things… solar oven (using the sun to cook salmon, cookies, soup, veggies, reheating pizza..), electric mower and weed wacker, and wood stove for that extra heat. Think that's it.
Thanks, Mary Jo!
Please send us photos and info on how you live green@home. This is not a contest, just a way to build up an AT inspirational database of sorts on how real folks are living greener at home.
Simple, straightforward ideas are welcome, like how you deal with your recycling bin in a small kitchen, and so are ambitious projects – like your amazing green roof. We hope to have a big archive of ideas to inspire us all by the end of the month.
In exchange for sharing your green@home ideas, Ecover will reward the first 100 ApartmentTherapy readers, who submit photo/essays demonstrating ways in which their lives are green, with their choice of Ecover Liquid Laundry detergent, Ecover Dishwashing Liquid, or Ecover Glass & Surface spray cleaner. Each of the first 100 will also receive Ecover Heavy Duty hand cleanser.
Raksha Bella will reward one lucky sweepstakes winner with a complete bedding set made from all certiefied Indian organic cottons. The set includes a queen-sized duvet cover, quilt, two pillow cases and two European shams in the winner's choice of three designs. The Classic Collection from Raksha Bella features sumptous textiles in traditional Indian prints, handblocked with lowimpact and vegetable dyes. Choose from the Raj Paisley (available in Indigo or Rum Raisin), Tree of Life (in Canton & Mimosa) or Indian Rose (in Dusty Cedar, Cress Green or Indigo). A retail value of $1,165.00.
To enter the Green @ Home Giveaway, please submit below. Submissions will be posted from July 7th to August 1 and winners will be notified by August 8th.
Please, only one submission per person. Duplicate submissions will be discarded.
This is not a contest.
The first 100 posted submissions will receive a gift from Ecover.
The winner of the Raksha Bella Sweepstakes will be randomly drawn from all complete entries (even those that aren't posted).
Winners must claim their prize within three business days after the date of notification of such prize. A Sweepstakes winner's failure to respond to the prize notification within the specified three business days will be considered such Sweepstakes winner's forfeiture of the prize and an alternate winner may be selected from the pool of eligible entries. If an entrant is found to be ineligible, an alternate winner may also be selected from the pool of eligible entries.
To enter, you must be a U.S. resident, age 18 or older to enter. Employees, partners and vendors of Apartment Therapy and their immediate family members are not eligible to enter. We will disqualify any entries that we believe are generated by scripts and other automated technology. When applicable, the winner may be required to execute and return within five business days an Affidavit of Eligibility and a Liability and Publicity Release to be eligible for the prize or an alternate winner will be selected.


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Access To 3-Hour Seminar Workshop - Tea/Coffee Included. Price Valid Till 16th July, 2016.
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Is it normal when my sugar usually runs between 99 and 120, jumps to 300 to 505? I am eating the same (some cheating) but have always done this;. I do not feel any different, I only noticed this because I check my sugar twiice a day. Meds are the same, 10 units of byetta twice a day and 25 units of levemir once a day. I am scheduled to have blook work in 3 days and Dr. in 2 weeks or should I call them before?
This question has not been answered.
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Chemically Tuned to a Minor Key
So, that's a week between posts. Nothing shocking about that, is there?
Things are getting better. One of the things that keeps me going is that I recognize that most of my down times are either the direct result of, or exacerbated by, my natural chemical imbalance. I'm tuned to a minor key. No fun, but it's a good thing to know. So no matter how down it gets, I know that time will, uh. Get it up. And I realize how bad that sentence sounds, but by God there's no going back.
Point is, yesterday was a good day, and if not for work today would be going pretty well, too.
There's going to be a little chaos here while I get moved into the new house and establish my office. I got a new standing desk, which is an experiment I've been looking forward to. I pace when I write, and all this standing and sitting and then getting stuck so I have to disentangle and walk some more and then go a couple rounds with the heavy bag and then sit again... it sucks. So I'm looking forward to standing while I write.
Little things, man. It's the little things that make it good.
Anyway. I hope your lives are going well.


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Leeds firm Watson Burton has scored a multi-million pound Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT) decision for miners against Britain's largest producer of coal UK Coal.
The firm, acting for the British Association of Colliery Management (BACM), which brought the original claim with the National Union of Mineworkers, is expecting the decision could cost UK Coal £2.5m and reward employees who lost their jobs 90 days pay.
UK Coal, which is one of the companies born from the Government privatising British Coal, in January 2005 announced the closure of Northumberland's last deep mine Ellington Colliery making the 350-strong workforce redundant.
The BACM and the Union brought proceedings after the two bodies were not consulted on the closure at Newcastle Employment Tribunal. UK Coal had claimed that the reason for closing the colliery was because it was unsafe due to a flooding incident but the tribunal held there was no evidence to support UK Coal's claim that the colliery was closed for safety reasons.
This led to a decision resulted in an order for UK Coal to pay the maximum protective award to all miners who were put at risk of redundancy. This ruling the coal company appealed leading to yesterday's judgment (22 October) which EAT comprehensively dismissed.
At the appeal, UK Coal had argued that it did not have to consult with the trade unions over the decision to close the mine. The company also argued that because it did not need to consult with unions regarding the decision to close the mine, it was immaterial that they had in fact given a false or misleading reason for the closure.
Lead counsel Seamus Sweeney of newly-merged set Park Lane Plowden Chambers, who was instructed by employment partner Paul McGowan from Watson Burton, argued that if the decision to close down the mine was beyond discussion it would make a mockery of UK Coal's obligation to consult over ways of avoiding redundancies.
The EAT held that Sweeney's interpretation was correct and that UK Coal did have an obligation to consult with the trade unions about its decision to close the mine.
The news comes as the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) and Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) continue to seek out lawyers that abused the British Coal miners' compensation scheme, which has seen firms reap more than £1bn of taxpayers' money (The Lawyer, 9 April).
Just four months ago Law Society council member Glyn Maddocks, a partner at Welsh firm Gabb and Co, was fined £15,000 at the Solicitors Disciplinary Tribunal (SDT) and ordered to pay the costs, estimated to be £60,000 (The Lawyer, 29 June) including failing to recognise a conflict of interests between the firm and its clients as a result of his relationship with the claim farmers IDC.


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– Julie Schmitt, Ecommerce Marketing Analyst, TOPS Products
"By implementing inRiver, we were able to collect all that product data in one place and also collect all the related material to be able to expose that whole package in an innovative way."
– Outi Eskelinen, Marketing Manager, Teknos


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Complementarianism, as the name implies, is the position that men and women complement each other. Both sexes are equal but different.
Egalitarianism, again like the name implies, is the position that man and women are equal. Both sexes are equal, full stop.
Already in these (very) basic definitions you can see the main issue is how can men and women be different to each other if both sides agree they are equal. In what sense or to what degree do these positions differ? Step back a bit and ask yourself before reading further: "Is there any difference between the sexes?"
I think this can be answered in both the affirmative and the negative.
Yes of cause there is a difference between genders. Listen to almost any stand up comedy routine and you will see this fact exaggerated. Males and females have different anatomy, have different strengths, biological chemical make ups and some would say they even show their emotions differently.
But both male and females make up humanity, and despite these mostly biological difference mentioned above, their humanity unites them together. In today's culture you would be hard pressed to find someone that says women are not equal to men in respect to their value as a person. It may be pointed out there is an inequality between the sexes (say in pay or representation in some career), but this inequality can be seen as unjust and something to rectify because men are equal to women and vice versa.
In both these negative and positive senses there is no debate between the complementarian and the egalitarian. The division between the complementarian position and the egalitarian position is over the topic of gender roles. So again, ask yourself: "Is there any difference between what a man and a woman can do?" Again, this can be answered with both a yes and a no.
Woman can not compete in the 4x100 men's freestyle in the Olympics. That is not discrimination. If men and women competed together in some sports it would be deemed unfair as women and men have different strengths and weakness. Look at gymnastics for example. Gymnasts don't even compete on the same apparatus as their opposite gender. But, when it comes to the sport of shooting, it is beyond me why they separate the males and the females. I'm sure an Olympic women can shoot as good as any Olympic man. In the equestrian males and females compete against each other, and that I think is fair.
But what about examples away from the biological limitations that each sex has? Can a woman or a man be a CEO of a successful company? What about leading a band or an empire, or be Governor General or Prime Minister of this great country? And of cause the answer is yes. Yes women can have all those jobs. Again the complementarian and the egalitarian do not differ on these points. (The position that says women can not lead in society might be the position of patriarchy).
The real difference comes not from talking about gender roles in general, but when talking about specific roles in the church and in the (Christian) home. Why these two aspects? Because that is what the Bible talks about. So that is where the lines are drawn. It is not about some general job or position out there somewhere, but specifically in roles within the church and the (Christian) home.
The opponents to egalitarianism sometimes say that the egalitarianism project their secular view of equality into the Church whereas the complementarian just sits on what the Bible says (and the patriarchal position projects their Church views into the secular world). This might be a bit strong as there are lots of verses in the Bible that argue for equality, but the important point is to see in what sense the sexes are equal. Hopefully we will look at these. (Feel free to throw some verses in the comments below that you want me to look at).
Both sides affirm everyone is equal in value and worth because of the Imago Dei but the complementarian will go further and say this doesn't necessarily mean our roles are exactly the same within the Church or within family life. It takes lots of different jobs for society to function well, and although some jobs may (incorrectly sometimes) be esteemed better than others, the person doing the undervalued job is still considered equal in worth and value like any other person who is doing a so called "better" job.
So far we haven't looked at a single Bible verse, so take this post or leave it. The following posts in this series will be closely looking at all sorts of texts supporting the equality of both sexes, but also the differences in role both sexes have in regards to Church and family life.


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....It's so much to paint and so little time!!!
Today me and Hilda arrived to a little town called Yachat on our journey down towards California. It was already getting dark when we got to our lodgings for the night so I'm exited to see what tomorrow will offer.
Posted by Gustav


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DESCRIPTION: It's a big day for Angela and Tom, today these two lovable cats are getting married, but all they want to do is kiss. Help the furry couple be sneaky and steal kisses from each other without being caught by the guests. Cement their ever lasting love with the ultimate romantic gesture and the wedding will be a success.
Play Tom & Angela Wedding Kiss game online at girlgames.la! Tom & Angela Wedding Kiss game is a very quality and popular flash game, thousands players has played Tom & Angela Wedding Kiss game and love it, hope you will enjoy it too. Girlgames.la hosts more than 500 best online girl games and all free for you, if you like to play funny and cool games like Tom & Angela Wedding Kiss, girlagames.la is your best choice!
Tom & Angela Wedding Kiss game is hosted at girlgames.la. We take no credit for the creation or editing of this game. All rights belong to the original producer. While we host this for free at girlgames.la, please don't forget to support the producer in any way.
Flash games are often free-to-play and do not require any client software to be installed apart from a web browser or browser plug-in. In some cases a game may be free, but charge for extra in-game features. Multiplayer flash games have an additional focus on social interaction, either between several players or on a massive scale. Due to the accessibility of flash games, they are often played in more frequent, shorter sessions compared to traditional computer games.
Since flash games run isolated from hardware in a web browser, they can run on many different operating systems without having to be ported to each platform.


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Alternative Titles
English: Twinkle Stars
Synonyms: Star Sings, Twinkle Stars Like Singing A Song
Japanese: 星は歌う
Type: Manga
Volumes: 11
Chapters: 66
Status: Finished
Published: Jun 5, 2007 to Jan 20, 2011
Authors: Takaya, Natsuki (Story & Art)
Serialization: Hana to Yume
Score: 7.691 (scored by 2461 users)
1 indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet published' titles are excluded.
Ranked: #22532
2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #1419
Members: 6,412
Favorites: 117


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If you believe it is possible to communicate with animals and are already communicating with them, chances are you are a highly sensitive person who regularly uses your intuition either consciously or unconsciously.
Join me in this workshop on intuition which starts out with some basic information, then moves on to hands-on experience with practical exercises geared towards helping you access your intuition.
The workshop is offered on the following dates. Click the date to register.
We will cover:
- Basics of intuition
- How and why it works
- It's not left side or right side of the brain, it's both
- Ways to consciously develop it
- How to use your intuition when communicating with animals
This workshop is a highly interactive experience, a dynamic mixture of lecture, Q&A, participant chat, and making connections with like-minded folks throughout the call. There will be time on the call to practice using your intuition and getting feedback. You will leave the class with clear steps on how to use your intuition when communicating with animals, resulting in you feeling way more comfortable and certain when communicating with animals!


text: Telangana Excise Department Minister Padma Rao clarifies on Cheap Liquor Policy in state. Minister Padma Rao fires on Opposition parties over their criticism on TRS Government. Watch V6 special program Teenmaar news with Savitri, Bithiri sathi & Mangli in a witty Telangana slang. Subscribe us at goo.gl/t2pFrq Download V6 Android App ► bit.ly/V6NewsAPP Visit our Website ► V6news.tv Twitter ► twitter.com/V6News Facebook ► www.facebook.com/V6News.tv Google+ ► plus.google.com/109903438943940210337 Watch first ever a 24/7 Telangana news Channel V6 News, a Journalist - driven channel that covers news updates, politics, sports, entertainment and cinema. The channel telecast special Telangana programs in complete Telangana dialect. The channel airs programs like 'Teenmaar News,Telangana Yatra,Telangana Shakam,Rangeela,Top News,Taara,Cinema Talkies, 70MM, Mangli Adda,Janapadam etc'. Sports, Movies, Politics Controversies, Current Affairs, Technology.. you name it and you find it at the click of a button.


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For someone who has just started using Linux, installing, uninstalling, and updating application can be a daunting task, especially thanks to the mess of dependencies. However once you start using it you realize how simple the process is compared to Windows, and how much more efficient.
While Windows requires the user to download the software from its own website, and install it using its own installer, uninstall it using the Windows "Add/Remove Software" or "Programs and Features" tool. Updating software is usually managed by the application itself, or needs to be done manually by the user, while updates to Microsoft products are managed through the Windows Update utility.
In Linux on the other hand, software are mostly managed as repositories from which you can download, install, and uninstall software using a unified interface. Updating application can also be managed centrally.
Ubuntu's software management system is a mess of utilities, which when used by an experienced user can be quite powerful, but are nonetheless redundant and confusing for new users. They have started the new Ubuntu Software Store application project to simplify and integrate the process for all users. According to the project page:
"In Ubuntu 9.04, there are at least four graphical utilities promoted for installing and removing software. For installing and uninstalling graphical applications you can use "Add/Remove Applications" or the more technical "Synaptic Package Manager", though the former warns you to use the latter "for more complicated needs". For installing and uninstalling other software, you must use Synaptic. For installing updates, the usual route is Update Manager, but it instructs you to run Synaptic if it encounters conflicts. For configuring where these utilities look for software, you use "Software Sources". For installing downloaded .deb packages, you use gdebi. And for removing no-longer-needed software, you use Computer Janitor. This redundancy increases the amount of interface people have to learn, wastes space on the Ubuntu CD, and fragments development effort. Having multiple sanctioned graphical methods of installing software also makes people more likely to think that unsanctioned methods (such as Ultamatix or third-party Web sites) are also safe, when they are not. Meanwhile, the descriptions of available software are often technical gibberish..."
With the new Ubuntu Software Store they intend to eliminate these complexities by providing a single interface for finding, comparing, installing, uninstalling, updating, rating, and reviewing applications!
They intend for this new system replace the current methods entirely, making it easier for all kinds of users with "an interface a grandparent can use."
While it is not expected to replace the current system until Ubuntu 10.10, some of it will start showing up in Ubuntu 9.10 coming out soon. Till then you can check out the project's page and test it even before it comes out. We know you want to!


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The treatment of animals has long been a source of controversy. It seems ever since the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in England was formed in 1824, there have been long running debates on the topic of animal rights and society's duty to protect them.
It's been reported that as early as the late 1800s, dissection took place in US colleges. In the 1960s, the Biological Science Curriculum Study resolved to institute hands-on study of animals in education. Dissection, the instance of cutting into a dead animal for the purposes of learning anatomy or physiology, quickly became commonplace in biology education. The ethics of dissection have recently come into controversy, especially with the advancement of technology. Groups such as PETA maintain that it is morally wrong and should be abolished.
Those who defend this stance argue that technology has evolved to the point that virtual dissections would be as effective as a hands-on one for the purposes of education.
However, after having participated in a few virtual dissections, they seem to fall under three categories: the videogame type, pictures and videos accompanied by text, and those that detail the dissection through a progression of button clicks.
Not one of those seems to be a plausible substitution for an actual dissection. Even the most interactive offering, the one resembling a videogame, fell far short of recreating the experience. These virtual dissections are more suited as supplementary material in preparation for a dissection than an actual substitution of the act. Computer programs are simply NOT sophisticated enough to reproduce a living organism in a manner that is realistically portrayed and a viable surrogate.
It is my opinion that in courses required for graduation, students NOT be forced to dissect against their will. An alternative should be available to...


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Angel provides divine inspiration
Angel di Maria's late intervention spared Real Madrid another inquest into the case of the misfiring forwards while Zlatan Ibrahimovic's sense of occasion salvaged a Champions League point for AC Milan.sports Updated: Sep 30, 2010 00:23 IST
Angel di Maria's late intervention spared Real Madrid another inquest into the case of the misfiring forwards while Zlatan Ibrahimovic's sense of occasion salvaged a Champions League point for AC Milan.
Di Maria struck shortly after coming on to give Real a 1-0 win away to Auxerre on Tuesday, just as another embarrassing goalless draw was looming for a team boasting Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema in the starting line-up.
While Real were nervously clinching a second win in two Champions League games, Group G rivals Milan had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Ajax Amsterdam.
Ibrahimovic earned them the point, controlling superbly and smashing in for the equaliser on his return to the club where he came to prominence.
Bayern Munich, last season's runners-up, were also behind at Basel in Group E before Bastian Schweinsteiger struck a controversial penalty and grabbed a second a minute from time to give the Germans a 2-1 victory. Roma won by the same scoreline at home to CFR Cluj in the other Group E game while there were more comfortable wins for English rivals Chelsea and Arsenal, as well as Spartak Moscow and Shakhtar Donetsk.
Chelsea scored twice in the first half to set up an easy 2-0 win at home to Olympique Marseille in Group F, where earlier Spartak had beaten Zilina 3-0. Arsenal were shaky at the back at times against Partizan Belgrade in Group H but came away with a 3-1 win -- making it nine goals in two games after their 6-0 win over Braga.
Lack of fireworks
Jose Mourinho, hired by Real after winning the Champions League with Inter Milan last season, could do with similar fireworks as he seeks to become the first coach to win the competition with three different clubs. Real have had no trouble dominating possession under his leadership but have scored only six goals in five La Liga games, including two goalless draws.
They did manage a 2-0 win over Ajax in their Champions League opener but that was scant reward for their dominance. They were clearly superior again on Tuesday but needed Mesut Ozil and Di Maria to come off the bench to provide fresh impetus, the Argentine chesting the ball down in the area before volleying into the corner for the winner, as Auxerre players claimed Sergio Ramos had handled the ball in the build-up.
"When I came here, this team had defensive problems," Mourinho said in his own defence. "Now we are more solid but we still need to find our stride in attack." Real top the group with six points, with Milan second on four. Real host Milan next in a clash of two sides who have won the European Cup 16 times each.
Four-times winners Bayern also have maximum points in Group E after Schweinsteiger's late heroics, while Chelsea and Spartak are making all the running in Group F with six points apiece. Chelsea's victory was in no doubt once John Terry had squeezed the ball home with the outside of his left boot for an opener in the seventh minute.
Nicolas Anelka dinked in the second from the penalty spot as Chelsea safely avoided what could have been a third straight defeat in all competitions.
Arsenal have six points in Group H along with Shakhtar, who beat Braga 3-0, Brazilian winger Douglas Costa creating two goals and scoring another.
Cleo scored a penalty for Partizan and missed another after the hosts had Marko Jovanovic sent off in the second half. Arshavin also missed a penalty for Arsenal in a frantic game that went ahead despite multiple floodlight failure.
First Published: Sep 30, 2010 00:22 IST


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NIST simulates fast, accurate DNA sequencing through graphene nanopore
January 19, 2016
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have simulated a new concept for rapid, accurate gene sequencing by pulling a DNA molecule through a tiny chemically activated hole in graphene—an ultrathin sheet of carbon atoms—and detecting changes in electrical current.
The NIST simulation study suggests the method could identify about 66 million bases per second with 90 percent accuracy and no false positives. If demonstrated experimentally, the NIST method might ultimately be faster and cheaper than conventional DNA sequencing, meeting a critical need for applications such as forensics.
Nanopore sequencing improved
Conventional sequencing, developed in the 1970s, involves separating, copying, labeling and reassembling pieces of DNA to read the genetic information. The new NIST proposal is a twist on the more recent "nanopore sequencing" idea of pulling DNA through a hole in specific materials, originally a protein (see "First full genome of a living organism sequenced and assembled using smartphone-size device").
Oxford Nanopore | Nanopore DNA sequencing
This concept—pioneered 20 years ago at NIST—is based on the passage of electrically charged particles (ions) through the pore. The idea remains popular but poses challenges such as unwanted electrical noise, or interference, and inadequate selectivity.
The graphene advantage
By contrast, NIST's new proposal is to create temporary chemical bonds and rely on graphene's capability to convert the mechanical strains (rather than charged particles) from breaking those bonds into measurable blips in electrical current.
"This is essentially a tiny strain sensor," says NIST theorist Alex Smolyanitsky, who came up with the idea and led the project. "We did not invent a complete technology. We outlined a new physical principle that can potentially be far superior to anything else out there."
Graphene is popular in nanopore-sequencing proposals due to its electrical properties and miniaturized thin-film structure. In the new NIST method, a graphene nanoribbon (4.5 by 15.5 nanometers) has several copies of a base attached to the nanopore (2.5 nm wide). DNA's genetic code is built from four kinds of bases, which bond in pairs as cytosine–guanine and thymine–adenine.
In simulations of how the sensor would perform at room temperature in water, cytosine is attached to the nanopore to detect guanine. A single-strand (unzipped) DNA molecule is pulled through the pore. When guanine passes by, hydrogen bonds form with the cytosine. As the DNA continues moving, the graphene is yanked and then slips back into position as the bonds break.
The NIST study focused on how this strain affects graphene's electronic properties and found that temporary changes in electrical current indeed indicate that a target base has just passed by. To detect all four bases, four graphene ribbons, each with a different base inserted in the pore, could be stacked vertically to create an integrated DNA sensor.
The researchers combined simulated data with theory to estimate levels of measurable signal variations. Signal strength was in the milliampere range, stronger than in the earlier ion-current nanopore methods. Based on the performance of 90 percent accuracy without any false positives (i.e., errors were due to missed bases rather than wrong ones), the researchers suggest that four independent measurements of the same DNA strand would produce 99.99 percent accuracy, as required for sequencing the human genome.
The study authors concluded that the proposed method shows "significant promise for realistic DNA sensing devices" without the need for advanced data processing, microscopes, or highly restricted operating conditions. Other than attaching bases to the nanopore, all sensor components have been demonstrated experimentally by other research groups. Theoretical analysis suggests that basic electronic filtering methods could isolate the useful electrical signals. The proposed method could also be used with other strain-sensitive membranes, such as molybdenum disulfide.
About half of the simulations were performed by a co-author at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The rest were done at NIST.
T.A. Wassenaar/Univ. Groningen; A.F. Kazakov and A. Smolyanitsky/NIST | Molecular dynamics simulation of DNA sequencing through a graphene nanopore. Cytosine molecules (white) linked to nanopore detect guanine (green) in vertical DNA strand. Inset shows graphene deflection over time.
Abstract of Nucleobase-functionalized graphene nanoribbons for accurate high-speed DNA sequencing
We propose a water-immersed nucleobase-functionalized suspended graphene nanoribbon as an intrinsically selective device for nucleotide detection. The proposed sensing method combines Watson–Crick selective base pairing with graphene's capacity for converting anisotropic lattice strain to changes in an electrical current at the nanoscale. Using detailed atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we study sensor operation at ambient conditions. We combine simulated data with theoretical arguments to estimate the levels of measurable electrical signal variation in response to strains and determine that the proposed sensing mechanism shows significant promise for realistic DNA sensing devices without the need for advanced data processing, or highly restrictive operational conditions.


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Beautiful circa 1910 - 1920's Silk Crochet thread and Steel Bead Flapper Bag. This russet colored reticule drawstring bag measures approximately two and one half inches wide by five and one half inches with the handsome steel bead tassels with Sterling findings dangling another two and one half inches. It is in excellent to near mint antique condition.
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|Re: Scripting Suggestion?
|Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:40:17 GMT
To add to this, some source fields I may not want to substring from index=0. I may want to substring from the middle of the source value. (Embedded image moved to file: pic22704.jpg) Patrick.Grimard@xtl .com To 09/10/2008 07:38 AM firstname.lastname@example.com cc Please respond to Subject "Commons Users Scripting Suggestion? List" <email@example.com e.org> Yesterday I successfully implemented my first digester class and it works great, just like I would want it to. Now I need to take my XML file a step further by including some form of scripting. My XML file is basically used to map tables and fields between 2 datasources so that my java process can pull from one and dump to the other. The issue however is that the columns in the target datasource are all string columns and my source data columns aren't always string columns and are sometimes also longer in length than the target columns. My process will have logic to determine the source datatype and convert it to a proper string, I just don't want to create methods for each field that might need to be substringed before inserting into the target datasource because I want the java process to be independent of the actual data it's processing, hence the XML file. It's not enough to say I can just check the length of the target column and substring the source accordingly, because the result might not be what I want, ie: a boolean won't automatically convert to Y or N which my target datasource wants. Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks in advance. Here's a sample of what my XML file might look like: <harvester> <datasources> <datasource> <name>source</name> <driver>some.driver</driver> <url>the.url</url> <username></username> <password></password> </datasource> <datasource> <name>destination</name> <driver>some.driver</driver> <url>the.url</url> <username></username> <password></password> </datasource> </datasources> <tables> <table> <sourceTable>tableName</sourceTable> <destTable>tableName</destTable> <fields> <field> <sourceField>fieldName</sourceField> <destField>fieldName</destField> <transformSource> <!-- would like some kind of script here to say how to convert/trim the source value --> </transformSource> </field> <field> <sourceField>fieldName</sourceField> <destField>fieldName</destField> </field> <field> <sourceField>fieldName</sourceField> <destField>fieldName</destField> </field> </fields> </table> </tables> </harvester> (Embedded image moved to file: pic15141.jpg) --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com For additional commands, e-mail: email@example.com
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City Beat: We can't just put it on the credit card
28-year vet Walter Felton lays out his thoughts on the future of Rockford Police Dept.
By Erin Kolb
ROCKFORD – Police Lieutenant Walter Felton has a few of his own ideas of what kind of person should be selected as Rockford's next police chief.
In the police chief selection process, the police department looks to an outside assessment company for advice, but ultimately, the fire and police commission board has the final say.
For Lt. Felton personally, the city needs a police chief who focuses on community involvement.
"The amount of community involvement we have now is a start, but I really want to quell the idea that it's an us vs. them system," Felton said. "Our system is us and them."
Felton said that since Rockford has a large immigrant population, the 'us vs. them' image can be hard to fight.
"These people come from a country where the government is not them," Felton said. "Their government truly is against them."
Felton said that because of this, a lot of people come here for political asylum.
He explained that it isn't like a restaurant where you can go online and see all the good things people have said about the department, and that the department relies heavily on word of mouth for their reputation.
Felton has been with the Rockford Police Department (RPD) for 28 years. He started where all officers start: on patrol, before being promoted to detective.
He worked in youth and sex crimes for ten years before another promotion to sergeant , along with being a crime scene supervisor for nine years. Felton has also served as a field training officer and on the SWAT team during his time with RPD.
While Felton doesn't believe the police department has reached their ideal position in the community, or that the department will ever win 100 percent favor with the community, it is still important to better their image.
"People tend to perceive bad where there is none," Felton said. "Our stock and trade is coming into contact with people on their worst days, which is why it's easy to throw stones at the police."
An important part of changing that perception, Felton said, is putting officers in positions of positive interaction within the community.
To achieve this, the department has been working with community groups and sending out community service officers.
Unfortunately, though, there are things that stand in the way of the department's goals.
"Some of our desires are tempered by financial reality," Felton said.
"We have to operate within our budget. We're a government agency, we can't just put everything on a credit card."
One aspect Felton would like to see money put towards is hiring more officers.
"We have 290 officers now. If we added 15 more, in a 300 man department, that's a 5 percent increase," Felton said.
"We'd have an opportunity to do a better job by getting more officers out there."
Felton says the need for community feedback is paramount, though many don't engage when asked. The department has sent out mail surveys to the community but has received little response.