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Marshall Islands: Drought - May 2013
The Government declared a state of emergency for the northern Marshall Islands on 19 Apr 2013 due to a prolonged dry season and severe drought experienced in Wotje and the atolls north of Majuro. On 8 May, the state of emergency was elevated to a state of drought disaster for a period of 30 days. The severe drought conditions have damaged or destroyed agriculture on many islands of the northern atolls. In addition, deteriorating health is reported in many locations. Four clusters (Health, Food Security, Logistics and WASH) have been established and government cluster leads have prepared specific response plans with support from the UNDAC Team. (OCHA, 21 May 2013)
On 29 May, the Government issued an Intermediate Response Plan for the drought stricken northern atolls. The plan requires US$ 4.6 million for WASH, Health, Food and logistics needs for the 6,384 people affected.
On 7 Jun, the state of drought disaster was extended for an additional 30 days into early July (OCHA, 11 Jun 2013).
As of 30 Sep, the affected populations continued to recover from drought effects as normal seasonal rainfall remained ongoing (USAID, 30 Sep 2013).
Affected countries
Most read reports
- Humanitarian Assistance in Review: East Asia and the Pacific | Fiscal Year 2008 – 2017
- The Republic of the Marshall Islands: Disaster Management Reference Handbook 2016
- Humanitarian Assistance in Review: East Asia and the Pacific | Fiscal Year (FY) 2007 – 2016
- Asia-Pacific Region 17 - 24 June, 2013, Natural Disasters and Other Events being monitored by the OCHA Regional Office for the Asia-Pacific
- Pacific: Republic of the Marshall Islands Drought Situation Report No. 3 (as of 21 May 2013)
Snapshot 12 – 19 August
In Syria, fighting between governmental forces and opposition groups has been concentrated in Aleppo, Deir-ez-Zor, Homs, Lattakia and Rural Damascus this week. Meanwhile, infighting is ongoing within the opposition. As during previous weeks, FSA forces have clashed with Islamist opposition groups on multiple occasions while Kurdish groups continued to fight with Islamist groups in the north of the country. The mass influx of Syrian refugees to neighbouring countries is ongoing. As of 19 August, over 1.9 million Syrians had fled the country.
In Syria, large-scale fighting between opposition and Government forces has been reported across Al-Hassakeh, Ar-Raqqa, Homs, Aleppo, and especially Lattakia and Damascus governorates. Increasing strife between combatants of the FSA and al-Qaeda affiliated Islamic fighters continue to also be reported, especially around Aleppo and its countryside. In addition, as clashes increased between Kurdish armed groups and fighters of the ISIS, the President of Iraqi Kurdistan openly floated the idea of staging an intervention in Syria to support fellow Kurds.
In Syria, Government forces are advancing in Homs and expected to retake opposition-held districts in the short-term, while operations have been ongoing in other major cities, including Aleppo and Damascus. Meanwhile, infighting within opposition forces is spreading between various armed groups. Clashes are continuously reported between Kurdish fighters and al-Qaeda affiliated Islamists near the border with Turkey in Al-Hassakeh and Ar-Raqqa governorates.
Snapshot 22– 29 July
In Syria, despite the start of the Holy Month of Ramadan on 9 July, large-scale operations have been ongoing in several major cities, including Damascus, Homs, Aleppo, and Idlib with regime forces pushing to extend the gains obtained over the past weeks with support of the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters. Infighting within opposition forces has escalated in recent days with clashes reported between various Islamist and more moderate groups, notably between Kurdish fighters and al-Qaeda affiliated Islamists near the border with Turkey in Al-Hassakeh governorate.
In Syria, the regime's offensive on Homs governorate and city is on-going with artillery and air strikes, displacing 400,000 and leaving an estimated 2,500 and 4,000 civilians trapped in and around the city. Some 2 million people in Government-controlled areas in Aleppo are affected by a siege of opposition forces that is blocking food and medicines from entering several areas. While the UN and the Red Cross have called for a truce during the month of Ramadan, the cease-fire was rejected by the Government.
In Syria, the regime's offensive on Homs governorate and city is on-going with artillery and air strikes being reported. An estimated, 2,500 and 4,000 civilians are allegedly trapped in and around the city. Meanwhile, the number of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries continues to increase and is now approaching 1.75 million people according to UNHCR.
Snapshot 24 June – 01 July
Snapshot 17 June - 24 June 2013
Snapshot 10 June - 17 June 2013
In Syria, the Syrian Government forces captured Qusayr, a strategic city in Homs province connecting the capital to the Mediterranean coast. Forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad were reported to have killed at least 100 people who fled the town of Qusayr after it was captured by army troops on 9 June. The UN and the ICRC have requested humanitarian access to Qusayr, but this request was turned down by the Syrian Government despite winning assurances of access earlier in the week.
Snapshot 27 May – 03 June
In Syria, the government military continued its offensive on opposition-controlled Qusayr, a strategic city in Homs province connecting the capital to the Mediterranean coast. Humanitarian agencies expressed alarm over the fate of thousands of civilians still trapped in the city. The UN estimates that over 6.8 million people are in need of humanitarian aid in Syria. While an estimated 5 million people are internally displaced, the number of Syrians registered or awaiting registration in host countries has surpassed 1.6 million.
Snapshot 21 - 27 May 2013
Snapshot 13 – 21 May


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It was a Thursday evening and it was still light. Oh, those summer nights! Even though it's still pretty balmy out, I've got that 'summer-is-over' feeling. Not necessarily a bad thing, as you know how much I love winter, but going out for dinner to come home when it's still light is a pretty nice feeling, don't you think?
I get this strange feeling when I visit Cheltenham, like I'm going to bump into my old housemates or ex boyfriend when walking along the street. It's pretty small there, so you see the same faces. The woman selling fruit and veg, the super-friendly guy in Wilkos, the man in Moochoo who used to know my name and order – it was like home for a while, but now it's just a place I visit, quite regularly in fact, and I think I'm getting used to it.
Maybe I'm being particularly nostalgic because the only time I had been to Bar & Wok before was with my ex boyfriend. I had wanted to go ever since I moved to Cheltenham in 2010. I remember walking past it in the first week, but we didn't go until final year. It was worth the wait, though.
Bar & Wok is a lot like Wagamamas in its aesthetic, but the food is mostly Chinese. Both Bethan and I unashamedly asked for a knife and fork, to which the handsome waiter happily obliged. We ordered a couple of starters; duck spring rolls and veggie spring rolls – but we were so hungry when they arrived that I totally forgot to take a photo. But you don't need photos to believe they were good, because, who doesn't like spring rolls?
While waiting for our mains to arrive we talked about the weekend ahead of us – we would be spending it in Somerset for Momentum, a Christian festival which I will tell you all about very soon. Bethan had just had Shellac nails done so she was trying to get them in every photo I took of her ;)
Soon enough the handsome chaps serving us brought us our food and that was enough talking – it was time to eat.
Bethan ordered the king prawn noodles – a mountain of chow mein like noodles with a load of big fat prawns.
I went for some '288' special fried rice which had a mixture of everything – prawns, chicken and char sui and it was lush.
The portions were huge, like the amount you'd get in a takeaway box, which I imagine is exactly what it is. We could have shared just one dish, in fact, and ended up taking some of it home.
Although we decided that the food at Bar & Wok was very much like that of a typical Chinese takeaway, the setting, service and variety on the menu made it that little bit different, and a whole lot nicer than eating it in front of the telly. Plus, their spin on sweet and sour (Hong Kong style) is something you have to try if you're a fan of the classic.
Have you been to Bar & Wok? If you're ever in Cheltenham and fancy something oriental, I recommend going here. I wish I had gone more when I lived there. The only down side is that they are open for lunch and dinner but not in between, so you have to time your visit well. You can find out more about Bar & Wok here – I'm off to make a snack.

subset: commoncrawl


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Logitech G Unveils Two Cherry Mechanical Gaming Keyboards
Through Logitech Gaming Software (LGS), you can select and personalize brightness for each key to match your style, system or environment, or set lighting to sleep when you aren't using the system. Additionally, use LGS to synchronize lighting patterns and effects with other Logitech G gaming gear so your devices can display the same lighting pattern.
The Logitech G610 Orion Brown and the Logitech G610 Orion Red feature dedicated media controls that can be used to play, pause and mute music and videos. Through the roller you can adjust the volume, or skip to the next song with the touch of a button.
The Logitech G610 Orion Brown and the Logitech G610 Orion Red are expected to be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in March 2016, for a suggested retail price of $119 and €139.


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System Design
Shoppa's Pallet Rack offers system design and engineering services from our highly trained staff to can help you maximize your operating space and productivity.
We don't just recommend equipment. We engineer the most effective and efficient storage system design to meet the space requirements of your specific business. Our experienced team of designers, engineers, project managers and installers work with you every step of the process to ensure you receive an optimal and customized solution to your storage needs. These systems may include:
- ASRS and Guided Vehicle Systems
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- Pallet and Case Flow Pick Modules
- Palletizers and Trailer Loading
- Static Shelving, Pallet Racking, Mezzanines
For more information about our custom system design services, fill out our custom quote form.


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Apple Raisin Sauce for Baked Ham
In our home, baked ham was reserved for the holidays. Always decorated with pineapple rings, cherries and studded with cloves it still never did it for...
raisins, +apple juice, +brown sugar, +butter, +cinnamon, +cornstarch, +lemon juice, +salt
Raisin Sauce for Ham II
"A Sauce my Gran used to make, and I now make it for my Grandchildren - been a family fave forever! Serve hot over baked ham."
raisins, +brown sugar, +cornstarch, +lemon juice, +lemon zest, +mustard powder, +water, +white vinegar
Raisin Sauce for Ham I
"This tangy sauce melds the taste of orange and raisins perfectly. Serve it as a topping for baked ham."
raisins, +cloves, +cornstarch, +orange juice, +orange marmalade, +salt, +water, +sugar
Raisin Sauce for Ham
"The raisins cook up plump and soft in this savory golden sauce that will dress up ham for Easter dinner or anytime. A tart hint of lemon balances the...
raisins, +brown sugar, +butter, +cornstarch, +lemon juice, +lemon zest, +mustard powder, +water, +white vinegar
Apple and Raisin Sauce for Ham
Brush over the ham or serve as a side.I like it brushed over, DH as a side lol. Points 0.
raisins, +apple butter, +applesauce, +maple syrup
Raisin Sauce for Ham
My mom's recipe. Posted in reply to a request
raisins, +brown sugar, +cider vinegar, +mustard powder, +flour, +lemon juice, +lemon zest, +water
Raisin Sauce for Hot Baked Ham Recipe
raisins, +brown sugar, +flour, +apple cider vinegar, +water
Raisin Sauce for Ham Recipe
raisins, +brown sugar, +butter, +currant jelly, +black pepper, +cloves, +salt, +vinegar, +water, +worcestershire sauce
Apple And Raisin Sauce For Ham Recipe
raisins, +apple butter, +applesauce, +maple syrup
Raisin Sauce For Ham
raisins, +water, +brown sugar, +apple, +vinegar, +cornstarch, +cloves, +nutmeg, +cinnamon, +mustard, +lemon juice
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text: Track SDK Submit Framework, Library Or SDK Dark Sky Node.js SDK by Brian Antonelli Comments Weather, International, Language, Mapping, Predictions The Dark Sky Node.js SDK by Brian Antonelli allows developers to integrate the Dark Sky API into their Node.js applications. This SDK is installed via npm. Summary Followers (1) Comments (0) Changelog (0) Summary Followers Comments Changelog Comments (0) Comment * Leave this field blank Post Comment


text:
Mellisa sighed trying to fix her makeup. "Anthony! Are you ready?" She screamed out of the small bathroom.
"I don't wanna go to church." Came the whiney voice from downstairs.
Mellisa rolled her eyes walking downstairs. "Listen to me, we go through this every week, you're going. And when we get back you're cleaning your room!"
"But mom! Most of that stuff is Chris'" He complained.
Mellisa sighed. "Chris moved out four months ago."
"So you're saying he sneaks in the house at night just to mess up your room?"
"It's not impossible!" Anthony said with a grin.
She shook her head. "Just finish getting dressed, we are going to be late."
"Fine." He said pushing past her and going into his room.
She sighed again looking in a small mirror in the living room and going into the kitchen, pouring herself a small glass of water. She rubbed her temples in an attempt to get rid of a pounding headache...it
didn't help. "Hurry up!" She screamed.
Anthony came running down, and bent down to tie his shoes. "Ok, ok I'm ready." He said.
Mellisa frowned looking him up and down. He was wearing a dirty t-shirt and jeans, his hair was uncombed and sticking up in different places. "You're going like that?" She asked.
"It's just church." He said shrugging and walking outside.
She just shook her head and followed out slowly, locking the door. Walking to the car she noticed her neighbor Tim approaching her. "Hello Mellisa."
She plastered on a weak smile. "Uh hi Tim, this really isn't a good time we're late."
He nodded. "I'm sorry it'll just take a sec, do you think that I could possibly use your garage to fix up my car? It's leaking oil and I don't really want...


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Responsive Team at Your Service!
We understand that a leaky, damaged or nonfunctional roof can be frustrating, which is why we have a dedicated crew available to respond to your emergency repair needs 24/7. Our customers are pleasantly surprised to know that we pick up the phone after hours and even show up on their doorsteps when unexpected rain pours. We're the company that goes above and beyond to care for our customers.
7 Key Danger Signals
You may not know that your roof is in need of repair until it's too late. If you see any of these symptoms in your home, it's time for you to call a specialist. Here are 7 Key Signals to look for:


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Hi!, Welcome to Grandma June's Beanies!!
Here are some songs to listen to while viewing this page
Somewhere Out There
Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman
It's All Coming Back To Me Now
The Old Piano Roll Blues
My Heart Will Go On
Want More to Choose from? Click here
This page is dedicated to my grandchildren
Danay Powers Picture Page
Danay Powers and Friends Spring Break 2004 in Bahamas Picture Page
Patrick DeNiro's Picture Page
Photo Gallery II
Photo Gallery I
My Favorite Dolls
My Favorite House in Bangor, Maine
Collectible Links
Auction Sites
Ananova - Royal News
Current Royal News
The Denver Post
Deseret News
KSL Radio
The Drudge Report
The Jerusalem Post
Nauvoo - History in the Making
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Rocky Mountain News
Salt Lake Tribune
Times Online
Angel Links
Currency Converter
Great Search Engines
Book Look
Geographical Search
Pet Finder
Reunion Hall (High Schools)
USPS Delivery Confirmation
Zip+4 Code Look-up
My myspace.com page with lots of royal friends.
Visit my Genealogy Page
My RootsWeb Ferguson to Adam Database
My RootsWeb Royals Database
Click here to make your own map!
My Kitty's Page
Beanie Babies� is a Registered Trademark of Ty Inc. which does not sponsor or endorse this site. Some of the above pictures are from the official website of Ty, Inc. All pictures are copyrights of Ty Inc. Please refer to www.ty.com for complete trademark and copyright information
Click here to make your own map!


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Channeling his inner Rick James (or is that his inner Dave Chappelle?), the Truth appeared in full James Ambrose Johnson, Jr. costume - and he nailed it!
Paul Pierce is legit sitting on the Clippers bench dressed like Rick James https://t.co/wSR8Ur0JCa— AP (@Ananth_Pandian) November 1, 2016
No word on whether there was an afterparty given the shellacking the Los Angeles Clippers gave to the Phoenix Suns, but if there was, it's likely no couch was safe.
Happy Halloween, Celtics fans!
Pierce photo via Fox Sports
Follow Justin at @justinquinnn Justin Quinn 11/01/2016 01:37:00 AM Tweet Edit
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text:
From publisher blurb:
This class is designed for use with Labyrinth Lord. The barbarian presented herein is designed to emulate the classic barbarian from Sword & Sorcery literature.
The class is designed to be used with the forthcoming Barbarians of the Olden Lands supplement, detailing the barbarian peoples of the Olden Lands of the Chronicles of Mhoriedh. However, they can readily be used in any Labyrinth Lord campaign.


text: A niche social network is a social network comprised of members of a particular niche market. The development, population, and administration of such a social, while possessing properties of a global social network does require different skills and special treatment by the developer. This blog is for the discussion of those differences.


text:
Training course on Mental Health First Aid offered on Veterans Day
The Yale Veterans Association, in partnership with the Association of Yale Alumni and the Yale Office of Diversity and Inclusion, will offer an eight-hour training/certification course on Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
The course will be held on campus and will be taught by a certified instructor. There is no fee and spaces are limited. Individuals who complete the course will receive a certificate.
MHFA is the "mental health equivalent of regular first aid," according to the sponsors. Participants are provided with the knowledge and training to respond appropriately when encountering someone who is experiencing a mental health problem or crisis, such as depression, anxiety disorders, psychosis, or substance use disorders.
More than one million people have been trained/certified in MHFA, a nationally-recognized program under the National Council of Behavioral Health. MHFA is included on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices.
Mental health is a major concern for college campuses and universities across the country, including Yale. This course will help increase the number of crucial on-the-ground "first-responders" within the university community.
To register for the course, click here. The deadline for registration is Nov. 9.


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|08 May 2012
Connecting 3 (or 2) PCs via WiFi + security question
Hi. I live in an apartment here in Bangkok and have my own wireless router, provided by the apartment block. The management have changed things recently though and I have a few questions - some probably a bit basic: wifi and networking is not one of the areas of IT in which I have much know-how... Apologies in advance!
1. Each apartment has its own router - but my new one is not encrypted, so anyone can use it I guess. Not that they would need to, as they have their own, and as it comes 'free' with the apartment someone using my wi-fi is not an issue re. usage. But should I worry about this in other ways? If so, can I add encryption myself, or must they do that centrally? A bit worried about messing the connection up (I connect to my printer via the wi-fi too) so am happy to leave the connection unencrypted unless there are major issues..
2. When I click Networks on the start menu of my laptop, I see my other PC there. When I try to connect, I am asked for a username and password. Where do I find these? I was given a password when I set up a network on this new laptop, but have no idea about the username - and neither username or password on the PC I want to connect to. (Or is the username just my PC account login name, as in C:\Users?).
3. Both this laptop and the PC run Win7 x64. Another laptop here also uses the wi-fi but runs Win XP. Can I connect to that too from the Win7 laptop?
Have Googled for 20 minutes but am clearly not hitting the right threads, hence this one...
|My System Specs
|08 May 2012
Win7 H.Prem. 32bit+SP1
Hi Martin,
The first thing you should do is access the router's set-up page and change the SSID and input a new password using the older XP pc as a guide as to what encryption method is used. (it might not be WPA2 compatible).
Now read this File sharing.pdf
|My System Specs
|09 May 2012
Hi, thanks for the reply. I'll read through the PDF file (and post back if I don't understand anything, although it seems simple enough).
As for the router, I am very tempted to leave things as they are: 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', and all that. Things are working fine at the moment and I am pretty certain that if I start fiddling with SSID settings, something is going to go wrong: I won't be able to connect to my printer or some such thing. Presumably as no one knows my workgroup name or any pass code they can't access files on my computer...
Thanks again,
|My System Specs
|09 May 2012
Have a look at this useful article: Router Setup and Configuration Guide - Setup a Router
It's not good practice to use an unsecured wireless router:
You haven't told us which router you've got so we can't advise how to use the manufacturer's setup guide, but if you use their support site you should get all the information you need there.
You should also speak to your apartment management people to see what they have to say about security issues.
|My System Specs
|09 May 2012
Ok, will look at that, thank you. The router is a TP-Link TL-WA501G ..
|My System Specs
|09 May 2012
Check here for TP-Link Support: http://www.tp-link.sg/support/download/
|My System Specs
|09 May 2012
Thanks for the link. I did go down to the apartment block office today however to ask about this,and they said that it was not possible to secure the routers in the rooms as they were all linked to the central wifi system and every flat would need to ave the same password. Or some such explanation - it seemed to make sense at the time (less so now!). I will leave things as they are..
Will look at the pdf though when I can and see if I can connect between the three PCs/laptops I have..
|My System Specs
|09 May 2012
OK, thanks for the update.
Providing the main wi-fi system is secure you shouldn't have too much of a problem, but what they were saying about passwords makes sense.
|My System Specs
|09 May 2012
OK, thanks again for your input ...
|My System Specs
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Not only am I a WiFi newbie, I'm also a Windows 7 newbie as well. I learned to use computers on Mac/Apple computers. This just adds to my dilemma and confusion. OK, here's where I'm at right now. I have an HP laptop (windows 7 x 64 bit) that I've been trying to get to connect to several local...
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i have purchased a new wifi router i have configured it to an open authentication i have a laptop windows7 ultimate (dell). It shows my network but whenever i say connect it says "connecting" and then "windows was unable to connect". Thanks
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text: Luke and Molly Arno of San Francisco were surprised to discover that they were the first passengers to board a passenger train in Castleton in 55 years on Jan. 2. The husband and wife travelers were returning to California after visiting family in Addison County during the holidays and were greeted with fanfare by Amtrak and local officials at the recently renovated Castleton depot. Budding actress Molly Arno, a graduate of Vergennes Union High School and Castleton State College, appears on the new NBC-TV show "Trauma." See related photograph inside.


text:
To make a pledge or general donation:
To complete your pledge form online:
Thank you for your support of the San Marcos UU Fellowship! The promise of regular and consistent financial support that your pledge represents helps so much with our budgeting and planning for another successful year. Please click here to complete your pledge form online.
In Memoriam
Rev. Scottie McIntyre Johnson
Scottie's Window
To honor the life of our recently passed minister, Rev. Scottie McIntyre Johnson, her family wishes to commission one or several large stained glass windows to be placed prominently in the sanctuary of our new church building. The building project is currently in its design phase and we expect it to be completed in the next two years.
Scottie had a great appreciation for stained glass windows. They are stunningly beautiful and deeply spiritual, eliciting a deep feeling of awe and wonder. One of her favorite forms of reflection was "praying in color," in which she drew a person's name surrounded by images often resembling a stained glass window. This tribute will serve as a permanent reminder of her spirit in a place that she loved so dearly.
SMUUF has created a special fund dedicated to the design, creation and installation of one or more windows. We will enlist a local artist in San Marcos to design it, then request professional builders, working in conjunction with our architects and contractors, to install it.
To gift a donation to this cause:
- Mail: SMUUF P.O. Box 1053, San Marcos, TX 78667 *This type of donation will be tax deductible. You will receive a receipt for tax purposes if you request it with your donation
- In Person: A collection was taken at Scottie's Memorial Service Friday, Nov. 3 and raised over $4,000. Anyone can donate during any worship service for the foreseeable future.
Please make checks payable to SMUUF, with mention of Scottie in the memo line.


text:
One of the benefits to being a direct seller or network marketer is that you're self employed. That means you can really "do" your business any way you want to. In my experience, however, this can also be somewhat of a curse. Many of the direct sellers I work with as clients come to me with too many options and ideas and not enough direction. In essence, they're "flying by the seat of their pants." That's not a strong business plan. It's vital for you, as a direct seller, to set clear and realistic goals and create a plan that works with your lifestyle and will help you attain those goals.
The best network marketing and direct sales business plans break your activities into four very distinct and important areas:
To begin with, your business systems define how you'll work your business each day. These systems involve the physical set-up of your office, your filing system, follow-up system, and the sheer organization you'll need to keep track of everything from inventory to qualification dates for your downline. It's my opinion that this is the main area of frustration for most direct sellers and the reason the failure rate is so high. If you don't have your systems set up, it's like building a house on sand instead of on a solid concrete foundation.
The second area deals with how you'll spread the word about your products, services, and opportunity. I believe the retail event (or party plan system) is a natural solution for this. By sharing your products in a party setting, you're reaching several people at once and maximizing your time and energy. These events also become natural sponsoring opportunities because your guests actually see consumers purchasing your products, which helps them see the potential for their own income from your opportunity. Plus, if you create an experience at that party that's fun, you'll compel your guests to book their own events and have exposure to potentially dozens of others who are out of your circle of influence (which makes the sponsoring potential at parties virtually unlimited).
The third area of focus in your business is the human element, which is truly what network marketing is all about. Working with your party hosts and customers to be sure they're getting their needs met is vital to any direct sales business. That means putting a follow-up plan in place and using a simple, systematic approach to working with your hosts so that they're committed to you and their parties are filled with willing participants. Combine with impeccable customer service and you're ensuring current and future retail business. Also, because your customer base is the best place to look for new team members, the better your relationships with your current customers, the easier it will be to share your business opportunity with them.
Finally, all successful direct sellers have a clear sponsoring plan in place with specific goals regarding how they'll grow their teams. Because of the nature of direct sales, it's important to continually sponsor new representatives onto your team. To ensure that you're hitting the number of qualified representatives you need, you have to sponsor approximately 25% - 30% more individuals than you're actual goal in any given time period. Decide now how you'll sponsor and choose methods which are realistic for your lifestyle and demographic. There are many ways to share your business opportunity, but without a plan, chances are you'll miss most of them.
By setting up some simple systems and working your business with a clear intention and plan in these four important areas, you'll find yourself dealing with less frustration and more success. You'll also be building your direct sales business on a strong foundation that will ensure its longevity.
Subscribe to Networking Times and receive a whole professional journal packed with similar insightful and motivational articles. A subscription to Networking Times includes the following benefits:


text:
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This Spring Expanpins Pin kit includes 170 pieces packed in a sturdy plastic, compartmented organizer with dimensions listed on the label. Six popular sizes in a balanced assortment of 1/8", 3/16" and 1/4" dia.
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Category Archives: Natural Living
Alternatives to Buying New
One way to avoid bringing so much waste into your home is to buy fewer things new. Used items have generally already had all the packaging (waste) removed. Not to mention that by buying used, you are preventing one more item from being tossed in the landfill, and that's one fewer item that will need to be replaced on the store shelves with a fresh one from the factory.
So where does one go to get used items? This might seem like the most obvious list ever, but here goes:
- Garage Sales. Garage sales CAN be tough, because they're kind of a crap shoot and you could end up wasting a lot of gas. When we decide to hit garage sales, I like to make a list of the ones that sound promising, then mapquest them all. I then select just one area of town to visit, and plot out the most efficient route. We also, of course, visit all garage sales within walking distance.
- Consignment stores. We've found Once Upon A Child to be a great source for clothes for Wally when we don't have what we need in the box of previously-purchased clothing. I usually buy ahead at garage sales and end of season clearance, so the clothes at Once Upon A Child are actually more expensive that we usually buy, but they are nice, and if he needs, say, a black shirt for some particular reason, it's a good place to go. Consignment stores are also good places to buy good-quality used toys with a minimum of packaging.
- Half Price Books. They are pretty stingy on what they pay you for books you bring in, but getting something is still better than getting nothing, and you can buy used books for cheap.
- Half.com, Ebay, and other auction and used-items stores online. Half.com has been a standby for me for years. The packaging is usually pretty minimal, and almost always previously used, since the items are being shipped by regular people, not stores.
- Swap websites like Paperback Swap.
- Freecycle, ReUseIt, CraigsList, etc.
- Looking for things for your home? Habitat for Humanity's ReStore, as well as local architectural salvage stores (such as West End Architectural Salvage and Found Things), are good spots to try.
- And, don't forget that family and friends can be great resources for getting used items. We picked up a nice pasta machine from my sister in law a few years back. She wasn't using it, and I really really wanted it!
Ways to reduce waste in your home
Reduce the Garbage you bring in:
- Pay attention to packaging.
- Buy products that are packaged minimally, or that use packaging that can be reused or recycled.
- Buy larger packages when possible. Buying one giant bottle of laundry detergent, for example, creates less waste than buying three small bottles.
- Buy concentrated products if you can. For example, we use one particular cleaner that we dilute 1:10 in a separate (reusable) bottle before we use it.
- Buy used (garage sales, Craig's List, Freecycle, Secondhand Stores)
- Don't buy single-serving foods. Instead of small bottles of juice for lunchboxes, for example, purchase a larger bottle and then divide it among smaller, reusable bottles.
- Reduce the number of things you bring into your house:
- Borrow, rent, or share things you don't use often. (For example, Randy's family all shares a carpet shampooer. That means they only threw away the box/packaging from ONE carpet shampooer instead of four.) Saves money, too!
- Resist consumerism! Do you really need it?
- Make your own food at home instead of eating take-out in all those disposable packages.
- Buy milk in glass bottles that can be washed and reused by the dairy.
- Buy and use reusable goods.
- Use reusable shopping bags.
- Purchase reusable products (cloth diapers, cloth napkins, reusable water bottles).
- Buy rechargeable batteries.
- Fight Junk Mail!
- This site has good suggestions.
- Call the 800 numbers for catalogs you no longer wish to receive.
Reduce the Garbage you put out:
- Recycle as much as you can.
- Choose Durability:
- Buy quality products.
- Maintain your things. Take good care of your clothes, your appliances, everything.
- Repair items that can be repaired, rather than replacing them.
- Sell, donate, give away, or freecycle things you don't want. (I freecycle my fabric scraps to quilters who make charity quilts.)
- Compost yard waste and food scraps, instead of putting them in the garbage. (In Des Moines, you can also choose to use the Compost It! program.)
- Plan meals wisely to cut down on food waste.
- Reuse:
- Reuse disposable shopping bags.
- Reuse other things. Turn old clothes into new clothes, let your kids make art projects from old cardboard, etc.
- Reuse paper – print on both sides of office paper, or let your kids draw on the back of used paper.
Other things that are Good to do:
- Purchase items that are recycled or made from recycled products.
- Purchase items that are recyclable, or packaged in recyclable packaging.
- Talk to others about reducing their waste.
Use Less Stuff has a fun survey at their website to help you see if you're a waste-wise wonder or a waste-wise wuss.
Holiday Waste
According to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, it is estimated that between Thanksgiving and the New Year an extra million tons of waste are generated nationwide each week. In fact, 38,000 miles of ribbon alone is thrown out each year–enough to tie a bow around the Earth!
Holy cow! I thought you might appreciate a quick list of ways to reduce Holiday waste…
- Use reusable shopping bags, or forgo shopping bags altogether.
- Wrap gifts in reusable packaging like fabric or gift bags, or use recycled paper or comic pages.
- Save the bows and reuse them next year.
- Give gifts that don't require much packaging or wrapping, such as gift certificates, concert tickets, etc.
- Give homemade gifts like cookies, breads, or other goodies.
- Recycle wrapping paper and cards.
- Or, save bits of wrapping paper and cards and use them next year as gift tags.
- Send e-greetings instead of paper cards. Or, call your friends and family instead of mailing cards.
- Use rechargeable batteries, and consider giving rechargeable batteries and a charger with any battery-operated gifts.
- Put your holiday lights on a timer and/or cut down on the number of lights you use.
- If you use a live tree, have it recycled or composted instead of just throwing it away. (City of Des Moines will pick up Christmas trees and recycle them.)
- Consider, instead of decorating an indoor tree, decorating a tree outside with natural, edible decorations for birds, squirrels, and other little fuzzy creatures to feast on.
- Don't buy cheaply-made, easily-broken gifts.
- Purchase gifts you are certain the recipient really wants, or buy gift certificates or consumables.
- Take holiday photographs using a digital camera.
California's Waste Management Board
Rethinking Childbirth
I don't often share Christian articles here. I am a Christian, a conservative one at that, and that is essentially the reason why Wallypop exists in the first place. While I am not ashamed of my faith and do not hide it, I know many of you are not also believers, and see no reason to drive you away from the rest of my dazzling blog content (ha ha) by posting a lot of stuff you won't be interested in.
So please respect that this is one of the few occasions when I WILL post something that is very overtly Christian. And also note that you STILL might be interested in reading it.
I don't often share articles about natural childbirth here. blah blah, same disclaimer as above. I believe every woman has the right to make her own educated decisions about how she will birth her children, and those decisions should be supported by her caregivers and family. Unfortunately, relatively few women in this country get to experience what that's like – making educated decisions and being supported.
And now, the link. Rethinking Childbearing, Part I and Part II.
I do not necessarily personally agree with some of the finer points of Christianity discussed in the article. I don't even necessarily agree that childbirth is or must be painful. (Mine have been uncomfortable, but I associate the word Pain with having a kidney stone – and I've passed two. The experiences are nothing alike.) And, last, I find it annoying that the author seems to believe that medical interventions in childbirth are at a mother's request. Certainly, they are at her approval (as the OB must have consent to treat), but I think the author underestimates the pressure put on women by their care providers and that, as a man, he also lacks a good understanding of the mental status of a woman in labor.
All that said, I liked the article because I've not read such a thorough examination of current childbirth practices from a Christian/Bible perspective.
"Many mothers-to-be today buy into modern medicine's disdain for God's natural, physiological processes, and in essence agree that God's design is inherently defective."
"The so-called "experts" in the field of obstetrical practice desire that families do minimal thinking on their own and submit to the superior wisdom of modern medical science."
"Because today there is an unrealistic expectation on the part of parents and medical personnel as to how long labor should take, especially a first labor, the many 'helps' that are available from the hospital 'pain reduction' menu often are the very factors that lead to eventual C-sections."
And particularly these questions, which I think hit that nail squarely on the head:
"Had adopting the hospital model caused women to lose their innate instincts of how to give birth? Had the shift
in thinking produced a generation of women who wanted 'natural childbirth' but found it difficult to proceed because their own perspective (as well as the hospital's perspective) of 'natural childbirth' lacked a full understanding of the process?"
Yes, you can go green without going broke
Welcome to my post for Des Moines' Frugal Blog Tour. I hope you can visit all the blogs on the tour this week and next.
Too often these days, living "greener" seems like it has to cost us extra "green." However, this certainly doesn't have to be true! When you think about it, the original Environmental Mantra of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" could also be a Mantra for frugal living. It's true! Living cheaply and living light on the planet go hand in hand. Read on to learn more!
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Reducing your use of resources is the best way to cut back on expenses, as well as on waste. As you go through your day, ask yourself at every opportunity, "How can I reduce my use of this product?" For example, do you use hairspray as you get ready in the morning? Perhaps you could use less spray but still achieve the same effect. Or maybe you're willing to try a new hairstyle that would not require styling products.
As another example, do you use the amount of laundry detergent recommended on the bottle? Manufacturers who create those recommendations have an ulterior motive – to keep you buying their products! Try cutting back to half of the recommended amount, and then keep cutting back little by little until you start to notice a difference in the cleanliness of your clothes.
Reducing your use of disposable products should be fairly straightforward. Disposable products have permeated our society. It seems like every time I turn around, I find another new disposable product. I mean, disposable toilet brushes? Disposable bathroom hand towels?? Who would ever have dreamed?
Almost everyone can stand to reduce the use of wasteful disposable products. Doing so not only gives the environment a boost, but it helps save money, as well. To start reducing your use of the disposable, think through all of the disposable products that you use in your life. Here is a partial list of disposable products I found on a recent trip to the local "mega" store to get you started.
-Paper napkins
-Paper plates, cups
-Plastic flatware
-Facial tissues
-Toilet paper
-Paper towels
-Single-use razor blades
-Disposable diapers
-Baby food jars
-Cleaning cloths of all sorts
-Shop towels
-Baby bibs
-Baby placemats
-Changing pads
-Menstrual products
Which of these disposable products do you use? Now consider – for each disposable product you use, can you use a re-usable product instead? And will substituting that re-usable product be lighter on the planet, and also save you money? Not all re-usable products pay off in the long run, but most do. Let's look at a few of the items listed above in closer detail.
Paper napkins and paper towels. The alternative is, of course, cloth napkins and towels. Generally speaking, using cloth napkins and towels is very do-able, and will definitely save you money! And, though I don't know of any studies proving it, it stands to reason that it's lighter on the planet, even after factoring in the washing. Our family has been using cloth napkins and towels for a while now, and we really don't miss the paper versions. (If you're interested in cloth napkins, make sure you get ones made from cotton or linen – not poly or other man-made fabrics, which are not absorbent.)
Paper plates and cups, Plastic flatware. I don't think I need to argue the point that using real plates, cups, and silverware is a better choice. And I will admit that the disposable versions have their place. (Like when you have visitors for lunch on your first day with a new baby!) But there are ways to use them more responsibly. For example, when I was growing up, we had large family gatherings at holidays, and my grandmother didn't want to be running her dishwasher around the clock. So she purchased a package of disposable plastic cups and a big Sharpie, and had each person label their cup. This way, cups did not need to be washed as often, but they weren't thrown out after every use, either. It was a nice compromise!
Facial Tissues. Somehow, in the past several decades, we've gone from handkerchiefs to Kleenix without much thought. Most people my age have never even used a handkerchief! However, there's nothing better when you're sick than using cloth on your runny nose. You don't get that red, dry soreness that you get from the paper tissues. It's sheer luxury! (If you'd like handkerchiefs, they can be found in most men's departments, or you may buy them from Wallypop.)
Toilet Paper. Now this one will really stretch some people! But flushable toilet paper is NOT the only option… Many people, myself included, happily use cloth toilet "paper." It's actually much softer, it feels almost sinful. Depending on what type of cloth you use, it's much easier to get all clean, and for those of you who prefer to wet your TP before wiping, well, fabric won't get all soggy and fall apart like paper does!
Diapers. Do I really need to sell you on cloth diapers? There are so many articles scattered around the internet on why Cloth is a better choice, including several that I have written, that I'm not going to try to duplicate them here. Cloth diapers are more economical, they are better for the environment, and they're much better for babies, too!
Baby Food Jars. To reduce use of throwaway jars, you can easily reduce your use of commercial baby food. Making baby food is so easy (and fast!) that there's really no reason not to do it! Even the worst cook can make baby food. Steam some veggies or fruits until well cooked, then mash up! How easy can you get?? Commercial baby food does have its uses, though. When on a week-long trip with our oldest, we supplemented homemade food with store-bought little jars of sweet potato, blueberries, and other treats. Instead of just tossing those jars out, though, consider whether you or anyone else you know can use them. When my nephew was eating baby food, my sister in law saved a large number of her baby food jars for our family – we use them to store nails, screws, bolts, nuts, and other small items that we want to keep together. If you want to get really fancy, you can nail the lids to the underside of a shelf, then screw the jars on and off as you need to access the contents.
Cleaning Cloths. How did we become a society that can't stomach the idea of spraying cleaner on a rag, then washing the rag when done? There are wood polishing cloths, glass cleaning cloths, bleach cloths, kitchen cleaning cloths, bathroom cleaning cloths, car cleaning cloths, even disposable facial cleaning cloths. The obvious alternative here is to get a rag, get some cleaner, and go at it the old-fashioned way! Definitely cheaper, and actually better on the environment, too. Not only because you're not throwing away the cloths, but because you will use less cleaning product in the process. Buy your cleaning products in bulk and use old towels or T-shirts as rags and the impact is even greater.
Baby Bibs. I've never been too sure of the reasons behind this product. You have enough room in the diaper bag for the disposable bib, but just not enough room to take it home? You just can't stomach the idea of taking a dirty bib home and washing it? The obvious alternative here is fabric bibs, which are widely available.
So you see, finding acceptable substitutes for disposable products is often not difficult. Start with just one or two products, and move on from there.
This step so often gets overlooked in our enthusiasm about recycling, but reusing something is so much better for the environment – and the wallet – than recycling.
Reuse is actually my favorite part of living greener, because I'm a big fan of World War Two pop culture – and during WWII (as well as during the Depression), they had their own saying – Use it up, Wear it out, Make it new, or Go Without. What they couldn't or didn't use up or wear completely out (and I do mean completely), they would fix up, repair, or reinvent. I have several sewing books from the era, each with large sections devoted to remaking clothes or housewares using worn out clothing. A man's suit becomes a woman's suit or children's clothing. Two worn dresses are made anew by combining the good parts of each to make one new dress, and the leftover parts made into children's clothing.
So, with the pioneerish spirit of our grandmothers, here are some ideas to get you started Reusing your worn or broken items.
* Clothing. Clothing is the easiest item to reuse – at least for me, since I can sew! Plain T-shirts, T-shirts with with small stains, or T-shirts with smallish designs that you'd rather not see any more can be decorated and remade using the simple technique of raw-edge applique (ADD A LINK). Bonus: This technique requires very basic sewing skills, and the stitching doesn't need to be perfect at all – it's just "art-ier" if it's all crooked! Most other clothing items can also be embellished – skirts, jackets, coats, pants, jeans. Pants and jeans can also be decorated with trim, which is especially useful for adding just a smidge of length when your daughter shoots up 3 inches overnight or for those pants that you love that are getting a bit worn around the hem. Clothing can also be cut up and sewn, tied, woven, or braided into quilts or rugs. I made a neat denim rug when I was in college by cutting up denim scraps that would otherwise have been thrown away. I braided them into a long, long rope, then coiled the rope into a circular rug that we used to wipe our shoes on before entering our dorm room.
My favorite use for old clothing is simply to cut out all the seams and then see what else I can make with the remaining pieces. Patchwork skirts are always easy, but most children's clothing items can be made with parts of old adult clothing. An old skirt could yield a nice ring sling. Cotton clothing can be remade into diapers or mama pads. Once you start seeing old clothing (or towels, sheets, etc) as fabric instead of clothes, the possibilities are endless!
* Clothing again. Clothing that's too worn (or ugly) to be reused can always be cut up and used for toilet wipes, rags, or washcloths. These items don't have to be aesthetically pleasing.
* Interesting but clean garbage. Things like toilet paper tubes, egg cartons, meat trays, cardboard boxes and inserts, cans, jugs, and just about any type of container can be used in craft projects for your children. We throw any broken or unwanted gadgets (broken remote, old calculator) into a box labeled "cool stuff" that our six year old uses for projects. Don't have children? Contact your local church, preschool, or daycare. Most of these facilities will gladly take donations of craft supplies such as these! But don't stop at children's crafts. Egg cartons can be used to store small, fragile Christmas ornaments or as a palette for your next painting project. Aluminum cans can be used to store pencils. Baby food jars can be used to store nails and screws, or bobbins for your sewing machine, or hairpins.
* Paper. What do you use for jotting down quick notes? Taking phone messages? Writing grocery lists? How about using your junk mail? Most envelopes have plenty of space for notes or lists. Not to mention that many business letters are printed on one side only, leaving the entire back side empty! And what about those pages that you printed on your computer, but didn't need? Or that your printer screwed up? If you keep animals, consider shredding unwanted paper and using it for bedding – this is what we use for our chickens.
* Cardboard boxes. What can't these be used for, really? Besides the obvious – mailing out packages – these workhorses of the reusing world can be used to: make a playhouse, make a sled (my dad used to pull us around the yard in the winter on a giant, flattened box), protect your garage floor, store off-season clothes or anything else, or provide a giant easel for children to draw on. With a few cuts and some tape, they can be made into magazine holders or smaller boxes. I cut the sides from an old, large cardboard box, painted them to match my office, and stuck photos to them to make collages to decorate my walls. Another large cardboard box, with a few windows cut out, provides a nice play house. A third box provided me with a bulletin board on which I plan upcoming projects.
* What else goes in your garbage? Just a few miscellaneous examples from my own house: I use two old mugs to hold my pens and pencils in my office. An old desk drawer organizer from work (they were remodeling and throwing out – throwing out!! – all our old desk supplies like orgnizers, magazine files, photo frames, and the like) helps me organize my sewing cabinet. Some old shelving provided some of the wood we used to make built-in bookcases in our basement.
If you can't reuse something yourself, take a minute before you throw it away to consider whether someone else could use it. Maybe someone in your family or your circle of friends could really use that old pan. Or perhaps you could freecycle some of your items or donate them to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
Though recycling is what most people think of first, it should actually be the third thing you consider, after reduce and reuse. If you can't reduce your use of an item, and it can't be reused when you're finished with it, try to recycle it if you can. Our local area offers limited recycling pickup with the garbage pickup, but citizens can take other recyclables to area drop-offs. There's nothing particularly money-saving about recycling, except remembering that it's the LAST step, not the first!
Cheese Making
As you might remember, I have a goat, Ginger, and consequently, I have a lot of goat milk.
I've been making yogurt and yogurt cheese (and cheese-based fruit dip, which I am in love with) from our goat milk for months now, but Friday was my first foray into actual cheese making, by myself.
I've blogged about it, with pictures, over at Boulevard Farm.
"How do I convince that babywearing/clothdiapering/cosleeping/whatever is awesome?"
I get this question a LOT. A lot lot. Someone asked again on Tuesday at the evening Babywearing meeting. Here's my secret. I don't.
Here's something to think about. The people in your life who continue to try to engage you in discussion about the choices you're making do so because they continue to believe that you care what they think, and that they might be able to convince you. They continue to believe this because you continue to engage in conversation with them about it.
Stop talking about it. Problem solved.
"But, Sarah, I don't bring it up! They do!"
Right, but do you answer? Stop. Don't be rude, just don't engage. "You know, that baby's never going to learn to sleep on his own." "Oh, we're not worried about it. Hey, that reminds me, we've been hoping you'd share your recipe for corn salad. Do you happen to have that handy, and I can jot it down while I'm thinking of it?"
I've found that children are particularly good for these sudden subject changes. "What, are you still going to be breastfeeding when he's in college?" "ha ha, maybe. <turn to child> Uh oh, I think you need a clean diaper!"
A recent one from my life. "You should coat a pacifier with honey to get her to take it." "Hm. That's something to think about. Oh, hey…(on to another subject)." And I did think about it. For like 2 seconds.
This is how I do it, personally. My family and friends stopped commenting when Wally was about a year old. I know they comment to themselves. That's fine. They don't comment to me. They know it is pointless.
Some people (like my husband) take a different approach. It works for him, but I don't think everyone can pull this off. Randy's snotty. "What are you still going to be breastfeeding when he's in college?" "Well, we hope he goes to Drake, so he can pop over between classes for a snack."
"But, Sarah, isn't it better to try to educate those around me?"
Of course. And certainly give it a try, at first. I don't suggest disengaging from the get-go. When you first make a new, controversial decision (like cloth diapering, you wild and crazy parent), people are bound to express their opinions, and most of these opinions will be based on misinformation. Absolutely, giving correct information is a good idea. Answering questions is a good idea. Many, many customers have been pleasantly surprised to find that family and friends were supportive of their decisions (including cosleeping or not vaccinating) once they understood the facts and/or the reasons.
But there are always going to be those people who won't listen, or who don't care, or who are just certain that their way is the right – the only – way. And that's fine. We all have things we're not willing to bend on. Then there is the small percentage who not only are convinced that you're crazy, but who feel the need to constantly remind you of that. That is NOT ok. That's when I recommend the "Oh, ok, thanks for your thoughts, change the subject" approach.
"But what if that doesn't work?"
If you've tried talking reason, and then you've tried just disengaging, and it's still not better after a while (at least a few months – it took some people in my life nearly a year to give up), perhaps you need to sit down and talk about setting limits. "I really love how much you care for the kids. (insert related compliment here.) But…" then talk about how their actions make you feel, and ask for their help in settling on a solution. Maybe they could agree to try to keep their comments to themselves. Maybe it gets to a point that you have to limit contact.
"But I really want to convince them! If only they would see how awesome babywearing/cloth diapering/cosleeping/whatever is, their lives would be changed for the better!"
Yes, maybe. But I personally think that this goal is unreasonable for at least 80% of relatives and probably 50% of friends.
Also, this should go without saying, but needs to be said. Do NOT complain about sensitive things to these people. If someone in your life disagrees with cosleeping, then don't tell them that you're tired because you were up all night with the baby. If someone in your life wants you to stop breastfeeding, don't mention that your toddler recently started biting and you're frustrated.
The reasoning here is two-fold. First, you're probably seeking support in these situations, and you're not likely to get it. Instead, you're likely to get criticism. Second, if you're really frustrated by the situation, you might find yourself starting to be swayed by this criticism, or well-intended but bad advice. "Oh, honey, just put him in his own bed and let him cry… you'll feel so much better with a full night of sleep." It can start to sound pretty good to a tired mom when presented by someone who really believes this is a great idea. You might decide to try it. You might hate yourself in the morning.
I think this might be the other half of my successful formula. One half disengaging, the other half showing no fear and absolute confidence. Part of the reason that my parenting choices don't come up is that I never, ever discuss them.
Now, let me note that this is also a LOT like parenting. When we are having some difficulty with our children, one of the first things we should do is check to make sure that our expectations are in line with reality. It is not realistic to expect a 2 year old to sit still through an hour-long wedding, for example. So the first thing to do is adjust your expectations. It IS reasonable to expect a 2 year old to sit still for PART of the wedding with quiet toys, and then maybe need a bit more interaction from you to make it through the rest of the service. This is called being realistic.
It's the same thing here. With some people, it's not realistic to believe that you're ever going to convince them. So you need to adjust your expectations.
Wallypop makes Drudge Report
Wow. Drudge changes all the time, so the link might be gone now, but here's a screenshot:
The link ("Bottom reached") leads to this brief snarky bit in an Australian paper.
I am simultaneously delighted and hurt and amused. First, I love the implication that I'm part of some vast left-wing environmental conspiracy. Second, the traffic to Wallypop has been THROUGH THE ROOF today. Hoping I don't exceed my bandwidth, actually. Third, OMG – DRUDGE!! (First, Drudge. Second, Limbaugh. Next: The world!!)
At the same time, I never understand these types. Will reusable toilet wipes save the planet? Hardly. I use them because they're cheaper than buying TP, and they're so soft. (just like diapers) (I mean, that's why I use cloth diapers.) Do some of my customers use them as part of their overall environmental mission? Probably.
But I don't ever imply they WILL save the planet. "For one, it's a lot more comfortable and soft on your most delicate body parts. It's also more economical, uses less paper, and saves you those late-night trips to the store. And cloth wipes can be used wet without any of the sopping disintegration that regular toilet paper is prone to." (I'll note, I have a LOT of customers who prefer to wipe with wet cloths, and buy my wipes for that purpose alone. Wet TP is no fun.)
But what's hurtful is all the snarky comments after the snarky article. Comments from people who I probably have more in common with than they think. I'm a conservative and I'm not an environmentalist. You don't need to read too much of my online stuff – blogs, twitter, Facebook – to see that. People who are on MY SIDE politically who think it's A-OK to be so judgemental.
I'm really about saving money and keeping my PERSONAL environment clean…if that happens to coincide with things that others feel will also help the planet, then that's a happy coincidence. It's not my mission, though. However, I'm not out to judge those who feel differently.
Actually, I have advocated for YEARS that people who are concerned with the environment AS WELL AS others like many conservatives should be embracing the grassroots stuff like cloth diapers… when choosing reusable or recycled or whatever is a CHOICE and not a government mandate, we're ALL better off. And so companies like Wallypop exist to give people that choice.
If you don't want to use them, then don't.
I had a nastygram from some Australian guy this morning (one of several – thanks guys – I have nothing better to do with two sick kids and orders to process than read your hate mail) suggesting that I was PUSHING a natural lifestyle on people.
Really, if only I could… Randy could quit his job and Wallypop would quickly become the Empire it was always meant to be. Ha ha.
But really, I would never push this stuff on anyone. People who stop by the Wallypop booth at the hospital baby fairs certainly learn that. "Oh, cloth diapers, that is NOT for me!" my response? "OK. I have a flyer that debunks some common myths if you're interested. Thanks for stopping by!" Whatever. To each his own.
Green Lifestyle
simlu-posted at Natural Living Des Moines.
There was an environmental rally in Des Moines on Saturday. I wasn't there. But I'm disappointed. I can't tell if it's disappointment at the event or, more likely, at the media coverage. "Green Lifestyle" in the media seems to equal carpooling, walking, or riding the bus.
Which is certainly important. Carpooling is impractical for me (even carpooling with one friend at this point usually means at least three carseats and two adults, which means a bigger vehicle is needed, thereby cancelling out any environmental benefits of carpooling), but we do combine errands whenever possible, and cut our driving down as much as we can.
But there is so much more to a green lifestyle than just your chosen mode of transportation!
There's the choices you make when it comes to what food you eat. How you care for your family's health. The way you clean your house. The way you build your house. The clothes you wear. The diapers you choose. The activities you participate in. Even your job, or the way you carry your groceries home.
I have an article in the works about easy steps to take towards a greener lifestyle, because I think this is a major stumbling block for many people. They want to do something to live a bit greener, but they can't afford to buy a new car and riding their bike everywere seems a bit out of reach. So they give up, but carry that helpless, hopeless feeling around with them. That's not a good thing!


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|ACSM Health & Fitness Journal: January - February 2018 CEC Course #1: Wouldn't You Like to Know: Maximizing Safety...
By Barbara A. Bushman, PhD, FACSM
|ACSM Health & Fitness Journal: January - February 2018 CEC Course #2: Exercise Considerations for Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
By Joel E. Williams, M.P.H., Ph.D.; Brian Helsel, M.S., CSCS, EIM Lv-1; Bryce Nelson, M.D., Ph.D.; and Ransome Eke, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D.
|ACSM Health & Fitness Journal: January - February 2018 CEC Course #3:BIOLOGY OF AGING: Identified Drivers and Interventions...
By David Puett, Ph.D.
|ACSM Health & Fitness Journal: January - February 2018 CEC Course #4: Exercise Strategies for Improving Quality of Life in Women
By Grace Donovan, B.S., C.S.C.S. and Sara Lynn Terrell, Ph.D., C.S.C.S


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Global gold demand in the three months to September was 1,084.6 tonnes, down from a record 1,223.5 tonnes in the third quarter of 2011. However, demand remained above the five-year quarterly average of 984.7 tonnes.
Gold buying hit a record in the 2011 period as investors sought a safe haven from an escalating eurozone crisis and steep rises in inflation. The metal is regarded by many investors as a hedge against rising prices and a safe haven during times of crisis.
In value terms, gold demand was 14pc lower on a year-on-year basis at $57.6bn (£36.4bn), with the average price of the metal down 3pc to $1,652 an ounce.
Despite the fall in demand the WGC was upbeat on prospects.
Gold is beginning to re-establish itself as part of the fabric of the financial system," said Marcus Grubb, managing director at the WGC. "In the medium term, the quantitative easing initiatives in the West and the continuing growth story in the East, particularly in India and China, coupled with the seasonally strong quarter coming up in Asia, are excellent indicators for further growth in the gold market."
Gold reserves at central banks increased by 97.6 tonnes and accounted for 9pc of overall demand. However this fell by almost a third from the equivalent period of last year.
I wouldn't emphasize the fall of 31pc," Mr Grubb said. "Anything close to 100 tonnes is very high by the last 15 years."
Demand from investors for exchange-traded funds and bullion fell 16pc to 429.9 tonnes, but it was 23pc above the five-year average.
Earlier this week Raymond Key, London-based global head of metals trading at Deutsche Bank, said that gold would probably rally to a record above $2,000 an ounce next year as central banks ramp up stimulus to sustain the recovery, Bloomberg reported.
Spot gold prices slipped $8.47 to $1,721.63.


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Nicole 'Snooki' Polizzi has admitted that she was a "selfish" person prior to the birth of her son Lorenzo.
Snooki and her fiancé Jionni LaValle welcomed their baby son in August 2012, just a few months after the couple announced that they are engaged to be married.
The Jersey Shore star recently admitted to Asbury Park Press that Lorenzo's birth taught her to put her family's needs ahead of her own.
"[Motherhood is] pretty great," Snooki declared, adding: "Before I had the baby, I was very selfish, and all I wanted to do was go to Vegas with my boyfriend and party."
She added: "Once you have a kid, everything changes... It changes how you look at the world."
The reality star went on to suggest that her new series Snooki & JWoww portrays her in a far more responsible light than her previous show Jersey Shore.
"Jersey Shore focused on us partying and being drunk, and that's not how we are all the time," Snooki acknowledged.
"Our [new] show, you get to know the real us and what we do every single day, so people get to know the real me."
Snooki made headlines last month for hinting that she and LaValle will likely wait until their son is older before officially tying the knot.
Her MTV reality series Snooki & JWoww airs Tuesdays at 10/9c.


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When on a Highway,I always tend to notice the tall tree,and how they are incapable of providing the most basic aid to any living form.They bear no fruits,the wood is of low quality,their incapacity to provide shade and provide shelter to animals.While on the other Hand,the under the Banyan Tree is the resting haven of living being of all sorts.It does not attain the inept height that the Taller Trees boast proudly of,but it renders to all folks,provision of food to birds,aids in developing Ayurvedic medicines and properties that wield cures for many diseases.And if I am not wrong,it is under the shade of the Banyan Tree that Lord Buddha attained Nirvana.
Standing tall at times means standing alone,the one who is the snob,the one with the ego,may stand tall for quite some time,but consequently loses the essential meaning of life.No one wishes to be with a person with an insurmountable pride.While on the other hand,a good-natured,flexible natured person attracts not merely people but opportunities alike.She/He is pleasing to be with,and goes a long way in terms of leading a happy and supple life.
So,who would you rather be?
I'd be the Banyan Tree.
[oooh!that rhymes.=D]


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Hello and welcome to another How-To post. For this post I will uncover the mysterious convoluted PageRank system Google has put in place in order to properly grade ranked results for a specific keyword(s) and list them accordingly. I say this system is mysterious because Google does not enjoy revealing the intricacies behind the calculations of this complex enigma but the monster company does explain things you can do to predictably influence your websites' ranking on the organic search results page. First however let's look at what Mr. Ian Rogers has to say on the PageRank.
Ian Rogers:
This gentleman had many interesting guesses as to how one could possibly calculate the PagerRank of their respective website. He takes into consideration other authors' ideas and obviously incorporates the equation Google showcased once but never again. Please check out his website. Not only do his calculations make sense, he provides many useful links at the bottom of his site such as the first paper on PageRanks published by Google co-founders: Sergey Brin & Lawrence Page. And a neat PageRank Calculator for those of you interested in a machine doing most of the work for you. So here are some points Mr. Rogers makes on pagerank.
Some Points:
- Google toolbars show the pagerank rating of a webpage by logs of 10 (i.e. toolbar pagerank= 0, REAL pagerank= 0-10, toolbar pagerank= 1, REAL pagerank= 10-100, etc.)
- Ian states Google re-indexes the pagerank of all webpages online every month AND changes the pagerank scale as well making it difficult to accurately gauge the exact pagerank number your webpage currently has, therefore any PR (pagerank) numbers you receive from toolbars or PR checkers are essentially really good guesses not necessarily definitive PR's.
- Mr. Rogers makes a very simple definition for pagerank he states: "In short PageRank is a "vote", by all the other pages on the Web, about how important a page is. A link to a page counts as a vote of support. If there's no link there's no support (but it's only an abstention from voting rather than a vote against the page). " I really like this definition. It is very simple to remember.
- Another problem in calculating PR of websites is that in order to use the algorithm provided by Google in the original PageRank paper developed by Google founders (Sergey Brin & Lawrence Page), you need to know the PR of the pages linking into your webpage. Then you can't find out those PRs until you find the PRs of the websites linking to THEM and so on. However that same paper also provides us with the algorithm necessary to duplicate the normalized link matrix of the web and therefore allows us to check our PR without knowing anyone else's PR!
- PR(A)= (1-d) +d (PR(B)/1), PR(B)=(1-d) +d (PR(A)/1), d=0.85. So this is the equation (according to Mr. Roger) one can use continuously to more accurately find the PageRank of his/her respective site. In other words, Page A(PR(A)) links to Page B(PR(B)) and vice-versa and d shows the damping factor for the answer you get. Therefore, assume your webpage is Page A and an inbound link to your site is Page B. Then just plug all the numbers repeating the process using the answer for PR(B) as the PR(B) value in the 2nd run through.
- Ian later explains how the arrangement and order of each calculation matters when calculating PageRank. This makes sense because PageRank depends on the quality of inbound links on your site which are essentially "voting" for your page and their respective PageRanks as well. When trying the equation keep in mind the base value for the average PageRank is 1.
- With the above equation any page that is online will start off with .15 of a PR or "voting power however, Mr. Roger warns Google supposedly has a post-spidering phase back at their lair which automatically deletes any pages without inbound links! Scary….
- Mr. Rogers then illustrates how external sites that your site links to do not help raise your PageRank up by much if they themselves are not inbound links on YOUR website. The value for the owner homepage went from: PR(A)= .92 to: PR(A)= 3.35! That is quite an impressive increase.
- Mr. Rogers goes on to give various examples of really interesting ways to structure your website in order to manually focus traffic to the main homepage, or whichever page you want to focus on for that matter. He also explains a couple strategies one can use to greatly improve their PageRank.
- Tip #1: Be a Mega-Site. Sites such as Fox News, which has a PR of 8 by the way, have such large amounts of articles contributed by many authors on a weekly basis and so many inbound links from these pages going back to their homepages they conquer the rankings because of the amount of quality content they have at their disposal.
- Tip #2: Give Away Something Useful. phpBB was a company that developed a bulletin board system they gave out for free to any interested websites over the internet and basically became so popular it raised their PageRank to an 8/10! (Currently it's at a 5/10 but that just shows nothing lasts forever!).
- Tip #3: Stick with One Page When Raising the PR. Essentially the co-founders of Google stated in their paper that the average PageRank (at the time) is 1.00. Therefore instead of fighting a battle of averages for every page focus on raising the rank of one page in particular (homepage, request quote page etc.). This will concentrate your efforts on one page maximizing their effects and bringing up your site first in the rankings more quickly!
I hope this post was informative as it was interesting (at least to me!). Again these calculations are not certified by Google. But they do give very interesting glimpses into how this ranking system seems to operate. Google does state the equation is ever changing and the equation most people use to figure all this out might not even be used anymore. But interesting to know nonetheless!
Have a Beautiful Day.
–EZPC Recycling, Inc. CEO, Miguel Bautista email@example.com


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Writing is a solitary activity. I've heard this several times in the last few days and I wholeheartedly agree. Most of the time I'm sitting by myself staring at a glowing computer screen debating characters in my head fueled by entirely too much caffeine.
But November is a magical time. Writers get together. Writers come out of their lairs. Writers overcome their social anxiety for a few days. Some come out for one, some come out for three, some come out for the entire month never to be seen again until next November.
For a short time, we don't have to feel alone. We talk about the strange turns in our plots, the abuse of coffee, the soreness of our fingers from pounding on the keyboard. Inside jokes travel from coffee shop to bookstore to library. We sprint our hearts out motivating each other to put more words on the page than we ever have before.
I've met friends here, I've heard about members getting married later on after meeting at events. NaNo changes people's lives! I might be losing my mind at this point but I will also be crossing the 50k mark tomorrow. But as far as story goes, it's still early there is plenty of action left to happen and plenty of November left to write. Sleep in December, Edit in January. My new motto.


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The Huerta Family
Sponsored by The House That Beer Built
Sergio and Guadalupe Huerta moved from Chihuahua, Mexico in 2008 in search of better opportunities and a better life. Sergio had family in Austin and always enjoyed the city when he visited. It seemed like the perfect place for their family to call home for their growing family. They now have three adorable children: Ian (8), Manuel (3), and Mia (2).
Sergio found work as an Office Furniture Installer and has been working hard to provide for his family while Guadalupe stays home and cares for their children. The family loves to go to the park together and ride bikes as well as spend time with the family they have in Austin. Sergio and Guadalupe have always been focused on friends and family and providing a safe and loving environment for their children. Unfortunately, it has been difficult to provide the home they desired since Austin has become increasingly less affordable every year. They currently live in a two bedroom apartment where the three children share a small bedroom. The apartment does not receive proper maintenance from their landlord and is very expensive. The family also feels the neighborhood they are living in is not safe and their apartment lacks adequate security precautions.
When Sergio heard about the Habitat program, he saw that opportunity he had been searching for in The United States. This was his family's chance to create a stable, safe and happy future. "It is exciting working with other families trying to create a neighborhood where we feel like a community- a family. We all want the same thing," Sergio explained, "We are so grateful for our sponsors, volunteers, families and Austin Habitat for making this dream possible." The family is so excited to start building their own home and finally have the space, security and peace they have desired for so long. Sergio also looks forward to having a beer with the people who have made this possible.
For more information about how you can help
the Huerta Family, please visit
for upcoming events!
© Austin Habitat for Humanity privacy policy | email preferences
Offices: 500 W Ben White Blvd, Austin TX 78704
Mailing: 500 W Ben White Blvd, Austin TX 78704
Phone: 512-472-8788 | ReStore: 512-478-2165


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1000 Girls, 1000 Futures 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures
Here's a sample of our volunteer opportunities:VIEW AS
Mission Statement
The New York Academy of Sciences drives positive change through collective action in science and technology.
1000 Girls, 1000 Futures⦆is an⦆all-virtual mentoring program is designed to engage and inspire girls aged 13 to 19 to study STEM fields and pursue STEM careers. The program pairs successful female STEM professionals with girls around the world, to act as role models and \"virtual mentors.\" Mentors will guide participants through programming that is tailored to the participant's geography and interest area, all facilitated through an innovative and accessible learning platform. Mentor recruitment for the 2016-2017 year is now open.⦆ Apply to become a 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures mentor today.
The goals of the program are:
--To inspire girls from communities around the world to pursue STEM careers⦆
-- Help girls to develop confidence-building critical competencies in communications, leadership and critical thinking
Qualified mentors for 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures are:⦆
-- Women working in a STEM-related field, or pursuing a PhD or higher in a STEM-related field⦆
-- Having previous experience as a formal or informal mentor to youth⦆
--Comfortable communicating and reading in English⦆
-- Able to access at least one communication device with internet capabilities⦆
-- Passionate about engaging and inspiring girls to pursue studies and careers in STEM
How are mentees selected?⦆
-- Student participants are referred to 1000 Girls, 1000 Futures through a network of educational and nonprofit organizations spread around the world. All of the mentees are girls aged 13-19, currently attending high school (or equivalent). For the 2016-2017 year, we will also be selecting a portion of our mentees based off of an open application process.
How much time is involved?
--If selected as a Mentor, you will be asked to complete 3-5 hours of virtual training on Youth Development techniques and the use of our online mentoring platform. Mentors must also commit to bi-weekly check-ins with their mentee during the program year (September to August).
Recruiting and Program Timelines:
--June: Mentor application opens⦆
--July 15: Application deadline⦆
--June-August: Mentor interviews, background checks, and selection⦆
-- September-October: Mentor training sessions, Mentee selections⦆
--October-November: Program launch
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Mission style architecture and excellent, internationally-inspired, locally sourced food add to Santa Fe's appeal, but its crowning glory will always be the thriving local arts scene. This city hosts summer art fairs and features more traditional forms of art appreciation year-round, including numerous galleries and a veritable museum within the walls of the state capital, making Santa Fe the perfect place for a minimoon.
Where to Stay: La Fonda
Newly remodeled rooms and old world folk art styling make this boutique hotel a one of a kind representation of Santa Fe. It also happens to be only steps away from local history and art museums, galleries, shops and the Plaza, which is a national historic landmark.
What to Eat: Joseph's
Local ingredients, international flavor and a vast range of options have earned Joseph's a reputation for culinary magic. Order the honey and cardamom dusted phyllo napoleon or stick to a slightly more basic entrée of grilled salmon, but remember to save room for a dessert…or two.
Where to Go: Museum of International Folk Art
One of the best of its kind in the world, this eclectic museum is home to a permanent collection of more than 130,000 objects from 100 countries. The collection includes creative handmade objects, religious works and gorgeous textiles. Don't forget to stop by the gift shop on your way out.
Need to Know
- Ten Thousand Waves is the perfect place to kick back and relax in spa style.
- Secreto Lounge is considered the city's best cocktail bar for its fresh, "garden to glass" approach.
- Get outside at Valles Caldera National Preserve, which is especially beautiful with a dusting of snow.
Find more minimoon ideas and inspiration in the travel edition of the mywedding magazine.