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Data Sets (Task A)
- The completion of the ground motion database is a priority for NGA-East. As it is the case with any database development, a number of technical issues have been identified in the last few months during the quality assurance (QA) review. Dr. Goulet (PEER) and Prof. Cramer (CERI, University of Memphis) interact on a weekly basis to address these technical issues and to resolve them.
- Dr. Goulet developed a re-processing scheme for high priority records (currently defined as horizontal recordings on broadband≥20Hz instruments) that includes appropriate windowing, baseline correction and re-filtering (if needed). The post-processing procedure was tested fully in the development of CENA times series for the finite fault simulation exercise (Task E below). Rules are being developed to automate the process as much as possible, following a large set of sensitivity studies on the effect of post-processing on spectral acceleration values. The project is taking advantage of the knowledge and lessons learned in the NGA-West2 record processing.
- Because the majority of the database contains ground motions with a frequency band less than 20 Hz (Figure 1), NGA-East is also in the process of developing a relationship to define the natural bandwidth reduction that comes from signal attenuation through natural processes. The intent of this exercise is to identify ground motions recorded in CENA for which the relative narrow band still provides the correct spectral response properties of the recordings. It is expected that this process will allow the inclusion of more recordings into the high quality bin of the data that would have been rejected otherwise due to their apparent narrow band.
- In addition, Prof. Cramer is finalizing the final deliverables for his contract, which include:
- A reorganization of flatfile content and definition of static event, station and record numbers
- The preparation of final report to document the database development process, metadata sources and assumptions
- The preparation of time series with intermediate processing (instrument-corrected but unfiltered data) for the independent evaluation of filtering bandwidth limits (e.g. corner frequencies)
Figure 1. NGA-East database, distribution of low-pass filter frequency with epicentral distance for Mw>=4 and Repi<=1000 (~4380 horizontal pairs).
Reference rock and site amplification models (Task B)
- All the tasks below are being led by the Geotechnical WG (GWG). The group continues to be very active with their tasks and have monthly meetings attended by the TI Lead Dr. Goulet.
- Reference Rock (B.1): The group has finalized the technical work and the assessment of epistemic uncertainties. A report is expected to be submitted by the Fall for review by the TI team and PPRP.
- Site Corrections at Recording Stations (B.2): Progress has been made to refine the initial site corrections model. There is a strong interaction with the database QA effort to refine the usable bandwidth for spectral acceleration for this task. The group continues to update the underlying data and procedure for these corrections with a particular focus on constraining Vs30 proxy calculations. A Vs30 proxy based on geology has been developed for the region that is based on large scale geologic maps (Figure 2) and measured Vs30 values (Figure 3). Additionally, the receiver function approach proposed by Ni and Somerville (presentation made at GWG meeting, 2010) has been implemented for sites with recorded ground motion and appears to be promising. Further work is needed to develop the method in a forward sense.
- Profile Database (part of B.2): work is under way to expand the GWG shear-wave velocity database that will be used to develop idealized soil profiles for the simulations of site response (current stations with Vs data are shown in Figure 3). The collaboration with the independent EPRI project underway is expected to lead to 33 additional site profiles at recording stations. The measurements have been completed and the interpreted data is expected to be available to the Geotech WG in mid-August.
- Site Response Analysis Approaches (non-SSHAC): The group continued their development of protocols of the large scale site response simulations that will be conducting including input ground motion and typical soil profiles. They have identified new strain based criteria for defining the threshold for conducting equivalent linear and nonlinear analyses.
Figure 2. Geology classes developed by GWG for site classification, CEUS.
Figure 3. Recording stations and location of Vs30 measurements compiled by the GWG.
Regionalization (Task C)
- Dr. Walter Mooney (USGS) and his team have mostly completed the compilation of their North American crustal structure database in June adding a total of about 800 points to the original dataset of 1485 (Figure 4). The database includes information gathered from the literature such as shallow and deep profile information, P-wave and S-wave velocity and Q for the CEUS region. The products, currently only used internally, include an Arcmap module for interactive data mining and layered mapping with additional layers for lithology, heat flow, topography and gravity anomaly, to name a few. The group has established a crude initial region definition based on crustal properties and is currently working on further defining regions based on their impact on ground motions. This involves simulations using empirical Green's functions (eGfs)and looking at response spectral values. This work is coordinated by the TI leads and Prof. Martin Chapman (Virginia Tech) the chair of the Path/Source Working Group. The group meets monthly to monitor progress and redirect tasks to address NGA-East critical issues. This work corresponds to task C.3.
Figure 4. Additional crustal structure data sets added (green and black dot) since Jan2012. Each point corresponds to a profile with associated crustal properties.
Regionalization & Source/Path Studies (Tasks C and D)
Activities from the Path/Source Working Group:
- The Path Working Group is examining data from recent earthquakes well-recorded by the EarthScope Transportable Array (TA) in the south-central United States. The objective is to identify and to document any significant geographic correlation with known structures of the Gulf coast, Mississippi embayment and central mid-continent. The work aims to quantify Q, geometrical spreading and signal duration in this region of the U.S. The work is closely coordinated with the effort of Dr. Walter Mooney to provide crustal models for the study region. The preliminary work accomplished to date indicates the following (Figure 5):
- Regions in the Gulf Coastal Plain on thick sediments exhibit strong attenuation of the Lg phase.
- In comparison to most stations in the Paleozoic Platform, stations in the Great Plains underlain by Cretaceous deposits show larger amplitudes, and those stations in parts eastern Nebraska, Iowa and northwestern Missouri exhibit anomoulsy large Lg amplitudes at frequencies around 1Hz. The latter region is roughly correlated with the mid-continent rift structure.
- The behavior of the Gulf Coastal region appears consistent with expected wave propagation effects in thick sedimentary sequences. The fact that the effect is large in this case is attributable to the unusually thick sequence of sediments in that particular part of the mid-continent. The work to date suggests that a large component of the attenuation in the gulf coastal area is independent of source-receiver distance, and depends on the thickness of the sediment sequence in the vicinity of the stations.
Figure 5. Plots of receiver terms from regression modeling of Lg Fourier spectral amplitudes at 1.0, 1.4, 2.0 and 2.8 Hz, respectively, from 16 earthquakes that occurred from 2010-2012 in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas. Triangles indicate stations with larger than predicted amplitudes, circles indicate stations with smaller than predicted amplitudes.
Additional activities for Path/Source issues:
- Empirical Green's functions (eGfs) and source effects: Dr. David Boore (USGS) continued his analysis, in collaboration with Prof. Gail Atkinson (University of Western Ontario), of ground motions from the Saguenay, Riviere-du-Loup, and Val des Bois earthquakes, using eGfs to constrain the stress parameters for each earthquake. The analysis shows that there is a strong azimuthal dependence of the eGf, and this also appears in plots of PSa vs. distance, when grouped by azimuth. This azimuthal dependence complicates the inference of a stress parameter for each earthquake, as the result depends on which group of stations is used.
- Empirical constraints of effective Q: Dr. Jack Boatwright (USGS) is in the process of documenting the analyses of the M5.8 Mineral earthquake and the set of 17 moderate earthquakes in Northeastern North America.
- Dr. Boatwright recently obtained MASW site characterizations determined by Dr. Rob Kayen (USGS) for two stations in Virginia that recorded the Mineral main shock, the Reston Fire Station and the Corbin Observatory in Fredricksburg. Dr. Boatwright modeled the 1D site amplification from these site characterizations and obtained a good fit to the observed spectrum for Reston and a partial (good for f > 1 Hz) fit for Corbin.
- In addition, he has analyzed the recent M3.1 earthquake that occurred in New Brunswick, adding it to the set of moderate CENA earthquakes already analyzed. The earthquake was recorded by a broadband CNSN station (BATG) at 9 km hypocentral distance. Unfortunately, this station was previously identified as exhibiting a resonance at 20 Hz: Figure 6 below compares the source spectrum from station BATG with the average source spectrum obtained from the 11 regional stations (170 < r < 430 km) that recorded this earthquake. The disagreement of the source spectra from 0.1 to 0.7 Hz indicates the relative amplitude of the microseismic noise; the source spectrum for station BATG yields a remarkable fit to the Brune spectrum. The resonant behavior of station BATG is indicated by the dashed line for f > 12 Hz. This comparison eloquently demonstrates the limits of the regional spectral analysis for small earthquakes. The microseismic noise exceeds the source spectral amplitude for regional stations, making the determination of seismic moment uncertain, and the sampling of the broadband instruments (at 40 and 100 sps) is barely sufficient to resolve the corner frequency (10.1 Hz) and the Brune stress drop (8.9 bars). The attenuation obtained from the 12 regional broadband recordings of the New Brunswick earthquake, Q = 527 f 0.4, is very similar to the average attenuation obtained previously for the northeastern part of the Appalachian Province by Boatwright and Seekins (2011), that is, Q = 410 f 0.5 (Figure 6).
Figure 6. Comparison of source spectrum from station BATG with the average source spectrum obtained from 11 regional stations (170 < r < 430 km) that recorded the New Brunswick M3.1 event.
Finite Fault Simulations (Task E)
- The final-fault simulation validation exercise (E.1-3) has expanded tremendously and is currently underway in collaboration with the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) with funding by sources outside of NGA-East.
- The validation exercise now includes 23 scenarios from Western U.S., Central and Eastern North America, Japan, New Zealand, China and Turkey with most scenarios tested against a carefully selected subset of 40 recordings.
- NGA-East is playing a major role in many technical and logistical aspects of the project, applying many of the "lessons learned" from last year's validation exercise. The TI Leads, TI member Rob Graves and many Simulations Working Group members join weekly calls to make this large scale, fast-paced project a success. Dr. Goulet is leading the coordination efforts between SCEC and PEER.
- Most of the simulations will be completed on the SCEC BroadBand platform, which is currently being improved to allow instant goodness-of-fit feedback.
- Additional simulations methodologies are being implemented on the platform while the remaining modelers will participate by providing their results directly to NGA-East.
- A NGA-East SSHAC Working Meeting is scheduled on December 11, 2012 to discuss the preliminary results from this exercise.
- In addition to the coordination and liaison role played by Dr. Goulet for NGA-East, PEER is funding Prof. Jonathan Stewart (UCLA) on two tasks: (a) To carry out site corrections of the selected recording sites to provide response spectra at a reference "rock" with Vs30 near 1000 m/s, depending on the specific scenario. This will facilitate the simulation validation efforts as the ground motion simulators will only have to simulate response spectra at the reference rock condition rather than implementing a local site amplification. (b) The second effort by Prof. Stewart is his role as a liaison for PEER to make sure the simulation efforts are in harmony with various other on-going technical tasks including the NGA-West3 project. The funding for Prof. Stewart is coming from PEER's resources outside of NGA-East.
- Dr. Frankel (USGS) is working independently, developing broadband synthetic seismograms using his own simulation methodology. He is currently working on the Saguenay and Riviere-du-Loup earthquakes and comparing them with observed recordings. The source model for Saguenay has a random distribution of slip and stress drop along the fault plane. The fault geometry and crustal model of Hartzell et al. (1994) are initially being used. Long-period synthetics are being calculated with the method of Zhu and Rivera (2002). Short-period synthetics are calculated by summing point-source synthetics derived from the stochastic procedure of Boore (1983). Time domain and frequency-domain comparisons will be made between the synthetics and observed records. A key question is what slip velocity to use for the long-period synthetics. The slip velocity should be constrained by the peak amplitudes and pulse widths of the data.
- Dr. Graves is continuing his modeling of low frequency (f < 1 Hz) wave propagation and attenuation effects for CEUS (excluding Mississippi embayment). The calibration of the 1D velocity and Q structure complements ongoing activities in Tasks C and D (Regionalization and Source/Path Studies) and will provide a useful resource for finite-fault simulation of scenario earthquakes. In addition, the comparison of the observed DYFI intensities for recent earthquakes (Mt. Carmel, IL and Mineral VA) with those estimated from waveform simulations provide a framework for re-examining the 1811-1812 New Madrid earthquakes using finite-fault rupture simulations. The current phase of work is focused on the ground motions recorded during the 2011 Mineral, VA earthquake. High quality broadband data are available for 89 sites covering the distance range 233 to 1110 km. A preliminary analysis indicates that the 1D crustal velocity and attenuation model developed for the 2008 Mt. Carmel, IL earthquake does well at reproducing the median level observed spectral accelerations at periods of 2, 3 and 5 seconds for the Mineral, VA event. Summary points:
- Waveform simulations using a calibrated 1D velocity and Q model are able to reproduce the observed low frequency (f < 1 Hz) ground motion levels for the Mw 5.23 Mt. Carmel earthquake at distances out to about 850 km.
- Key characteristics of the observed motions including flat attenuation between 70 and 150 km, and generally low attenuation with distance, are captured by the simulation model.
- Simulated MMI values obtained by the conversion relations of Atkinson and Kaka (2007) provide a better overall match to the observed intensities than those obtained using the Dangkua and Cramer (2011) conversion relation.
Sigma (Standard Deviation) (Task J)
Uncertainty from simulated ground motions (J.1):
- Dr. Paul Spudich (USGS) is working on the quantification of uncertainty of ground motions from simulations. He is continuing on a previous task funded by the NRC and is now focusing on a review of the error-estimation theory of Yagi and Fukuhata (2011). In their paper, the authors introduce an error estimate by modifying the data covariance matrix, but their method does not take into account the fact that Green's function error increases with time into the Green's functions. Dr. Spudich is investigating how this work can be integrated in his uncertainty assessment. This task also has strong ties with task E.6-7.
Sigma and single-station sigma using NGA West-2 dataset (J.2):
- Preliminary data exploration was performed using the SMM and LM NGA West-2 datasets. The 2 datasets were combined to create a single flatfile that identifies repeatable stations.
- Preliminary regression analyses were performed with respect to a simple functional form based on the Campbell and Bozorgnia (2008) model and single-station within-event residuals were calculated. Trends of the single-station within-event residuals with magnitude, distance, Vs30, and number of recordings per station were examined and compared to ergodic within-event residuals of the interim NGA West-2 Abrahamson & Silva model.
- A progress meeting of the single-station sigma working group is scheduled for August 10, 2012. Before the working meeting, residual analyses will be repeated using the new version of the SMM and LM flatfiles and preliminary results will be presented during the progress meeting to get feedback from other members of the working group.
Atkinson, G. M. and Kaka, S. I. (2007). Relationships between Felt Intensity and Instrumental Ground Motion in the Central United States and California, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 97: 497-510.
Boatwright, J., and L. Seekins (2011). Regional spectral analysis of three moderate earthquakes in northeastern North America. Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 101: 1,769–1,782.
Boore, D. (1983). Stochastic simulation of high-frequency ground motions based on seismological models of the radiated spectra, Bull Seism. Soc. Am., 73: 1865-1894.3
Boore, D. M. (2003). Prediction of ground motion using the stochastic method. Pure and Applied Geophysics, 160: 635–676.
Campbell, K. W. and Y. Bozorgnia (2008). NGA ground motion model for the geometric mean horizontal component of PGA, PGV, PGD and 5% damped linear elastic response spectra for periods ranging from 0.01 to 10s, Earthquake Spectra, 24: 139-171.
Dangkua, D.T., and C.H. Cramer, 2011, Felt Area versus Instrumental Ground Motion: A Difference between California and Eastern North America?, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 101: 1847-1858.
Hartzell, S., C. Langer, and C. Mendoza (1994). Rupture histories of eastern North American earthquakes, Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 84: 1703-1724.
Yagi, Y. and Fukahata, Y. (2011), Introduction of uncertainty of Green's function into waveform inversion for seismic source processes. Geophys. J. Int., 186: 711–720.
Zhu, L. and Rivera, L. A. (2002), A note on the dynamic and static displacements from a point source in multilayered media. Geophys. J. Int., 148: 619–627.


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★★★★★ – €€
Tel: 25 212 410
New in 2015. Serves a range of drinks, coffees and cocktails. Shows all sporting events and has a great little kid's play area on the spacious outside terrace. Live music on occasion and regular events – check their Facebook page for details. Located a short stroll from Pissouri Beach.

subset: commoncrawl


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Come for the fanservice only.
Project X Zone is an odd game to release outside of Japan. Its predecessor, Namco × Capcom, never made the trip and many comparable crossover titles haven't either. The few crossovers that have seen release in the West have mostly been fighting games—Super Smash Bros., Marvel vs. Capcom, and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom—to name a few. And while Project X Zone may look like a fighting game with its flashy 2D animations, the relation is minimal at best. At heart, it's a tactical RPG that's more style than substance; nevertheless, fans of the included titles should find a lot to love. After all, it isn't every day that Ryu and Ken of Street Fighter fame fight alongside Yuri Lowell from Tales of Vesperia.
In terms of its story, Project X Zone is more than a little confusing. The plot is spread out over 40 missions and relies heavily on dimensional portals that whisk characters away to worlds from various Namco Bandai, Capcom, and Sega titles. If you're familiar with these characters and worlds, you're sure to have a better time understanding what's going on; however, if you've not played at least a few of the games included in Project X Zone, the story isn't going to hold your hand. There are several references to the source games, as well as mentions of the previous title, Namco × Capcom. Luckily, the latter seems to be relegated to a vague memory that some characters have of them already meeting once before. There is an in-game encyclopedia, but it doesn't fill you in on every detail of a character's backstory.
Of course, the story isn't really the hook of crossover titles. What's really interesting is the character dialog and interaction. Seeing Frank West from Dead Rising ask big-breasted heroines if he can snap their photo can be pretty amusing, and there's no shortage of other comical interactions between characters. It also helps that most of the game is fully voiced, albeit in Japanese. This allows for the characters to convey emotions that wouldn't be as noticeable if you were simply reading the text. If you're a fan of any of the included titles, you're sure to enjoy at least some of the dialog; it is after all the second best aspect of the game.
The best aspect, obviously, are Project X Zone's wonderful, sprite-based animations. The fighting game-esque animations are a treat to behold. They initiate each time you attack an enemy on the map. During these segments, you command your characters to do one of several attacks listed on the touch screen by pressing the A button and the desired direction on the D-Pad. You can also use as many as two support characters by pressing either of the shoulder buttons. Timing each attack so that one comes immediately after the other is important and ensures that you do as much damage as possible, as well as keep your enemy from going into a defensive position. Layering attacks also help fill up your XP gauge, which you can then use to perform special attacks, use skills, and counter or defend from enemy attacks. Adding support characters into the mix also increases the accumulation of XP and triggers what is called a "Cross Hit." A Cross Hit basically freezes the enemy in place, allowing you do to huge amounts of damage.
While the normal attacks are nice to watch, they become quite chaotic and hard to follow—especially when you're focused on timing them along with your support characters. The real visual treat are the special attacks. These can be performed by pressing the Y button when your XP gauge reaches 100 percent. These are essentially a short cutscene of your two characters beating your enemy senseless. They're the best thing Project X Zone has to offer, so just sit back and enjoy.
Sadly, the rest of the gameplay doesn't quite live up to the beautiful animations. Most of the game is spent playing a rather non-strategic, tactical RPG. There's really no need to plan out character placement or anything more complex than moving your characters to the closest enemy. This isn't Fire Emblem. There are a few obstacles and objects on the field, but they don't really do anything other than affect your movement range. Hell, you can break most of them by simply walking up to them and pressing the Y button. The biggest obstacle is the size of the field and the huge number of enemies in later chapters. While most chapters can be completed by simply defeating the enemy commander, the number of grunts is still pretty overwhelming. If you want to stay on equal footing as far as your level is concerned, you'll want to fight as many of them as possible. This wouldn't be so bad if you could kill them in one turn, but many enemies take at least two or three turns to kill. It doesn't help that you have to watch the same animations every time you attack. They're not skippable, as you control them in real time. Later in the game, your characters will learn attacks that than can affect multiple enemies in one turn, but it doesn't come soon enough, and it depletes your XP gauge.
Project X Zone is a great game if you're a fan of the Namco Bandai, Capcom, or Sega characters included in it. The dialog and character interactions are funny and heavily reference their source material, and the animations are polished and fun to watch. That said, the game can get quite repetitive at times, especially since there's no real strategy to be had. Don't come to Project X Zone if you're expecting another Fire Emblem-like experience; there are far better tactical RPGs to spend your time on.


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Former Kamloops city councillor and radio pioneer dies
By Greg Fry
June 11, 2018 - 11:45am
Updated: June 11, 2018 - 4:45pm
KAMLOOPS — Sad news to report as a former Kamloops city councillor and well-known businessman has passed away.
John Skelly passed away peacefully Friday night, confirms his family.
Skelly brought Radio NL to Kamloops in May, 1970 and served as president and CEO from 1970 to 1982.
He also served as a Kamloops city councillor from 1984 to 1988 where the family notes he was an integral part of bringing Sunday shopping to the city.
Current Kamloops City Councillor Pat Wallace served on council with Skelly and said she was very sorry to hear he had passed away.
"He was congenial and if you debated something and he disagreed, he was always very good about it," she says. "Actually we were a good council back then and he was a joy to work with. Everyone liked John very well including me."
The family says donations in his memory can be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation or to support diabetes research.
A celebration of his life will take place June 22 at 2 p.m. at the Coast Hotel and Conference Centre.
He was 89 years old.
Pictures and more at: https://cfjctoday.com/article/624697/fo ... oneer-dies


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Sameer has posted an introduction to a topic he'll be writing up a series on - refactoring for PHP developers:
In the coming year I'll be starting a series on Refactoring. Refactoring is one of those programming ideas besides Design Patterns and Unit Testing which has made an order of magnitude improvement in my productivity. Although refactoring may not be a 'Silver Bullet' for your programming woes, it is a good tool to add to your mental toolbox.
This initial post defines refactoring, looks at how its different than code optimization and lays out some of his plans for what he'll cover in the series.


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What were the production challenges on "Infinite Oz"? What made them particularly unique?
The biggest challenge was building an experience that showcases the reinvented world of Oz, as interpreted by Sci-Fi, without having any of the video clips or images from the series itself. Essentially we had to build an experience referencing only scripts and concept sketches. This would allow us to present users with content from the series as it became available, but ultimately that we would not get until right before the launch. This really forced us to rely on the artist's interpretations as the "stars of the show."
What were the key decisions you made on the project?
We chose B-Reel based on our prior experience working with them and their response. They brought a lot of innovative thinking to the concept, as well as a plan to deliver a great product within the available time and budget. Then we needed to determine which scenes to work with and how those scenes would tie into one another. We paired down our options from about 30 to 15 that we thought best told the story. B-Reel then reached out to the CG community and gathered an impressive list of artists to work with. The next important decision had to do with navigation. We wanted to make sure the navigation was intuitive and readily available, but non-intrusive to the experience. The initial idea was to create a super clean and simple navigation in contrast to the highly detailed and colorful imagery. In the end, we decided to go with something that felt more connected to the look and feel of the images themselves. Finally we wanted to make sure we gave credit to the artists involved, as well as to the original ZoomQuilt art piece [an online art project that served as inspiration for the site]. To do so, we created credits pages with links to each of the artist portfolios as well as a link to the ZoomQuilt.
If done again, how would you do things differently?
I would have tried to incorporate more than 15 scenes. I would also have included a link to download the entire experience as a screensaver and the individual images as wallpapers. Pretty standard stuff, I know, but individuals out in the blogosphere are creating and sharing them on their own. It would have been nice to make those available from the start.
What skills served you best on the job, and looking back, what did you learn from the project in terms of production?
Having a general understanding of web development helped with this project. I was able to comprehend the limits of the technology being used, which helped to keep the scope intact. I have also become pretty good at engaging the right partners. Some partners are good at development, and some are really strong aesthetically, while others are very strategic and innovative, but lack the proper level of artistry. I learned that even the best ideas have room to grow, and that working with a flexible concept in mind will often lead to a successful outcome. If you are too rigid in your approach, you won't be able to adjust—and the project will suffer. I think that opening up your ideas and allowing input from the right people/partners is key.
If you could be one character on Tin Man, who would it be and why?
A Flying Monkey for sure. I know they are minions of the Wicked Witch, but that doesn't mean I would be. First, monkeys are always good, secondly, flying would rule and finally, the little hats. I think as a Flying Monkey I would like sporting the little Shiner's hat.
If you were trapped in one of the Tin Man worlds, which one would it be and why?
I'd have to go with The Realm of The Unwanted. The scene is super colorful and full of interesting characters. I think spending an evening there hitting up some of the local haunts and parties would be a surrealistic good time. That said, I think I'd want to spend the next morning recovering in the Kansas Farm scene. It looks peaceful.
To discuss this article, visit the Creativity Forums.


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If you're putting up new LED lights this year, don't throw your old light strings in the garbage. Recycle them by taking them to a recycling depot near you.
"Last year's Christmas light recycling program alone collected over ten and a half tonnes of light strings, enough to fill a 53 foot semi!," says Rae Stewart, Waste Reduction Facilitator with the Regional District.
"That's a huge amount of material that was repurposed into new product, instead of taking up space in our landfill.
Stewart adds you don't have to remove the bulbs from the strings before recycling, and power cords are also accepted as part of the program, now into its seventh year.
"Recycling your old light strings instead of tossing them out is simple good sense, environmentally and financially."
By upgrading your lights, you'll be saving energy and money on your electricity bill, as LED (light emitting diode) lights use up to 95 per cent less energy than regular Christmas lights and last at least ten times longer. Plus, LED lights produce very little heat, so they reduce the risk of fire, which is essential for your family's safety."
Stewart says the strings brought to the depots are picked up by Planet Earth Recycling Ltd, and eventually end up at Davis Trading in Vancouver , where they're baled and exported for processing and the copper is recovered for new use in wiring and plumbing.
Recycling Depots are located at:
- Kirschner Depot, 1988 Kirschner Rd, open daily from 8am-6pm
- Westside Residential Recycling Center, Asquith Rd, open daily from 7:30am-4:00pm
- Glenmore Landfill, 2105 Glenmore Rd, open daily from 7:30am-4:45pm
- Planet Earth Recycling Ltd., 2035 Louie Drive, open Monday thru Saturday 8:00am- 4:30pm
For more information click here, or contact the Regional Waste Reduction Office at 250-469-6250.


text: Relocation and Custody Divorce Attorney Serving Hamden & New Haven County A divorce can put an intense emotional strain on a family, lasting well after the separation has been officially completed. In many cases, recently divorced spouses will seek a fresh start to their lives by relocating to a new area. When a divorced parent wishes to move away with their children, custody arrangements will usually need to be modified with court approval. If you are in need of a custody modification to due to relocation, the experienced Hamden and New Haven County child custody attorneys at Goldblatt, Marquette & Rashba, P.C. can guide you through the process and protect your rights as a parent. Our firm stands apart for the following reasons: More than 60 years of combined legal experience Named Best of New Haven Living in 2013 and 2014 Personalized, compassionate approach Powerful courtroom presence Get started towards retaining top-notch representation today – call (203) 687-4050. Requirements for "Move Away" Cases In order for a parent to legally move away with their child, they must receive either permission from the other parent, or court approval. For the courts to approve a custody modification for relocation, the parent must fulfill three requirements as dictated by the state. A parent must be able to show the following: The relocation is for a legitimate purpose The location chosen is reasonable to fulfill this purpose The move aligns with the best interests of the child The court will make their decision based on the impact that the move will have on the existing parenting plan, and the quality of the relationship between the child and each parent. Additionally, the economic benefits and consequences of a move will also be considered. These scenarios can quickly turn into complex ordeals, making it extremely important that a parent retain trusted legal help in the event that relocation is desired. Helping Connecticut Families Since 1950 At Goldblatt, Marquette & Rashba, P.C., we are ready to represent your interests and advocate on your behalf, regardless of which side of the relocation dispute you occupy. We understand how precious your children are to you, and we are prepared to do everything we can to help you maintain an active presence in their lives. With the assistance of one of our trial-tested Hamden family lawyers, you can rest easy knowing that your rights are in good hands. Contact our office online or request a consultation today to tell us more about your situation.


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With the colder months quickly approaching, people are already looking for that special destination to escape the chill and find some winter sun. If you are searching for warmer climes, then Thailand is a fantastic option.
The country is a brilliant place to enjoy some hotter temperatures towards the end of the year, with the climate ranging from 21°C to 31°C. Although December is the coldest time of year, with daily temperatures averaging around 26°C, it also has the longest hours of daylight.
Whether you are looking for an adventure with friends, or want to capture some romance with your partner, a holiday in Thailand is the perfect way to spend your winter break.
Although there are many beautiful spots across the country, the north of Thailand can offer you a great diversity that is hard to find anywhere else in the world. From adrenaline-fuelled adventures to romance and relaxation, there is plenty to see and do in this bustling region.
No matter who you are and what you are looking for on your trip, a holiday in Thailand can be exactly what you're after.
Who can find refuge in Thailand
Family holidays in Thailand
For those looking to spend some quality time with their loved ones, there is plenty to see and do in Thailand. If you are travelling with older children, then going to see and play with elephants can be a fantastic experience. However, you should be careful when selecting which tour provider to go with as some can mistreat the animals. You should avoid any that offer elephant rides as their spines are not designed to carry humans and this can be a stressful experience for them.
Instead, do some research and look for projects focused on conservation and creating sanctuaries for young elephants. Places like the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary allow you to play with and bathe them, offering a brilliant family experience without causing any harm.
There is also a wide variety of natural beauty spots across Thailand, including the Khao Yai National Park and the Sai Yok National Park. Visiting one of these allows you to take in some of the most stunning views in the world, while you spend time with your family. There is plenty to explore, with waterfalls and rare animals to look out for.
Thailand for young travellers and backpackers
Among the most beautiful places in Thailand are its variety of temples, which can offer an interesting insight into the country's culture. Chiang Mai - in the north of Thailand - is a fantastic place to see some of the most awe-inspiring temples.
With more than 200 ancient wats - or temples - across the city, it's a fantastic place to start if you are looking to get a taste of Thai culture and history. Many of them are still used by worshippers, which adds to the ambience of these sacred spaces, but means you should make sure you wear modest clothes and act respectfully of locals.
Wat Chiang Man is the oldest in Chiang Mai, but Wat Prathat Doi Suthep and Wat Phan Tao should also not be missed if you are looking to explore some truly stunning temples during your holiday in Thailand.
Some even offer the chance to have a conversation with a monk, where you can ask them about their life and what it's like to live in these beautiful temples.
Elsewhere, Kanchanaburi province is a popular haunt for backpackers. Home to the infamous Death Railway and the bridge over the River Kwai, which were built by prisoners of war in WWII, it offers a unique insight into the history of Thailand.
Couples looking for romance
With so many natural beauty spots, a holiday in Thailand is perfect for a honeymoon or just a break with your partner.
Famed for its Thai massages, the country is a fantastic place to relax and rest, as well as being home to many cultural destinations. There are a wide variety of massages on offer throughout Thailand, with the Women's Correctional Institution being one of the most unusual. The rehabilitation programme aims to help inmates reconnect and integrate with society after time in prison, and they offer free foot massages in return.
You can also get massages in most of the big Thai markets, with prices being very reasonable.
Thailand is also well known for its passion for cooking. Throughout the country you will see places that allow you to take cookery classes so you can learn how to recreate some of the fantastic dishes you'll be tasting and smelling during your stay. These can range in price but are usually very reasonable and can be the perfect opportunity to do something a little different - and learn a new skill - with your partner.
Adventure seekers
If you are looking for adventure during your holiday, then a break in Thailand could be exactly what you're after.
One of the biggest attractions for adrenaline junkies is the zipline courses that take you through Thailand's beautiful jungle, giving you the chance to see some incredible wildlife as you explore the country from a new perspective. You will want to be careful and pick a reputable company with a high standard of safety, but ones like "Flight of the Gibbon" in the Mae Kampong rainforest can offer an incredible experience.
The two-hour journey will take you on the longest single line in Asia and allow you to fly through some of Thailand's most beautiful landscapes.
Doi Inthanon National Park is also a great location to see some of the best views of Thailand. It features the country's highest peak – Doi Inthanon or Doi In – which stands at a daunting 2,565 metres above sea level. However, there's plenty more to see in the 1,000-sq-km national park. From hiking trails to waterfalls, countless ways to find adventure in this part of Thailand, especially in the jungle itself.
Something for everyone in Thailand
A holiday in Thailand can be whatever you want it to be. Whether you are looking to relax with your partner, get a taste of the local culture with your family or take in some thrills, Thailand is a brilliant place to visit and explore for your next break and escape the winter blues.


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Senator Kelly Ayotte On The Ongoing Hillary Cover-Up In Benghazi, And Her Plan To Restore The Military COLA
HH: This hour, I begin with New Hampshire United States Senator Kelly Ayotte. Senator, welcome back, always a pleasure to speak with you.
KA: Hey, it's great to be with you, Hugh, appreciate it, thanks for having me.
HH: Now I mentioned to Bill [O'Reilly] that you were on with Martha McCallum earlier today, and you were not happy with the President's responses. And he said what was I supposed to do? I can't be disrespectful. And I said I don't think you were mad with him.
KA: No, I'm not mad with him. In fact, I was just on the Senate floor, and I was pointing out that what he, the President, told Bill O'Reilly in the interview, that a week after this, they were up front, they told everyone it was a terrorist attack. Well, interesting enough, Hugh, what I found is that almost two weeks later on September 24th, he is getting an interview with The View, you know, because it's the presidential campaign, he's on The View.
HH: Yeah.
KA: And he is asked right there about is this a terrorist attack, and he said we're still investigating it. So it actually, if you look at what he told Bill O'Reilly, and go back and look at what he said at the time, it's contradicted by what he said at the time. And Bill's interview.
HH: Senator, there is actually, there's no…
KA: And Bill's interview, I thought Bill, you know, did a good job with the interview. He just wouldn't really fully answer some of the questions.
HH: There is no way to pin down a president of the United States in ten minutes…
KA: Yeah, no, I was not critical of Bill at all. My point was, is that really, some of the answers the President gave, they don't match up with what he said at the time.
HH: Of course not.
KA: And frankly, I don't think this whole thing passes the smell test, either, because from other information, I've been following this closely from the beginning, we just learned from the bipartisan Senate Intel Committee that the then-deputy director of the CIA, Mike Morrell, received an email the day before Susan Rice went on those talk shows basically saying that this is not an escalation of protests. Yet you know she went on all those Sunday shows, talks about this being a response to this heinous video, which wasn't true, said the removal to the references from al Qaeda to the talking points, she goes on those Sunday shows and said al Qaeda's been decimated. And then the President in his interview with Bill O'Reilly talks about well, we realized, it became clear later that it became clear that there was lax security at the consulate. So he acknowledges that, but here's the problem, Hugh. Susan Rice is asked that on those Sunday shows on September 16th by Chris Wallace and Bob Schieffer and other interviewers about the security at the consulate, and you know what she says? She said the security at the consulate was strong, it was substantial and it was significant. What was that based on?
HH: Of course. It was a pattern of deception.
KA: It was a total misrepresentation and misleading.
HH: And in Senate finding number seven, in the Senate Intelligence Report finding number seven, where they talk about the dispatch of assets and Aviano being unable, and Djibouti being unable, your colleague, Lindsey Graham, has said yeah, but they didn't know the attack was going to last for nine hours. They didn't do anything. And so I am curious if you believe either the President or former Secretary of State Clinton is engaged in a cover-up?
KA: Well, I think this whole thing was a tangled web in terms of a cover-up, but there's a lot of people involved in the sense that they wanted to tell a narrative that was consistent with the story that essentially, think about what Susan Rice said on those shows. They removed al Qaeda from the talking points. She said al Qaeda had been dominated. Remember the foreign policy narrative during the election. We've gotten Osama bin Laden, al Qaeda is decimated, they're on the run, right? Al Qaeda's on the run? Well, if the information had been clear that at the time it had been presented clear to the American people this was a terrorist attack on our consulate, that we believe those groups affiliated with al Qaeda are involved, and this wasn't some kind of spontaneous reaction to a video, there's a very different impression left. And that's what bothers me about this whole thing.
HH: Oh, I agree with you.
KA: And what bothers me most, Hugh, is nobody's been brought to justice.
HH: Oh, I agree there is a cover-up. What I want to know is do you personally, by virtue of your investigatory efforts, know what the Secretary of State did after she hung up the phone with Mr. Hicks at 2am Tripoli time? Do we know what she did or where she went or why she vanished? Do we have any idea?
KA: No, we don't. That, I don't know, and we, to my knowledge, we have that as not been revealed.
HH: Do we know what the President did that night?
KA: You know what always boggled me from the beginning that made no sense? You know, I serve on the Armed Services Committee. Then-Secretary of Defense Panetta, and who, it was the Secretary of Defense and then the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff came before our committee, said we knew it was a terrorist attack right away. We also knew about all of those cables, including the August 16th cable in which the Ambassador said that the consulate could not withstand a coordinated attack. We knew about them, and we knew about the deteriorating security situation, yet Secretary Clinton knew nothing about it? And it was her agency?
HH: Do you, have you been able to determine from Armed Services yet whether after the initial attack began the United States military began to move any assets towards Benghazi, whether by sea or by air? Did they do anything?
KA: My recollection is that they had put some people on alert, but they didn't go anywhere.
HH: That what I think.
KA: But I'd have to go back and look. But I know one thing. What matters most is they didn't respond. I mean, they didn't go anywhere. They did not move the assets to where they needed to be as you've already talked to Senator Graham about it, over an attack that obviously occurred over a period of hours, six, seven, eight hours. This was a lengthy attack, that it would have made a big difference if we had sent a response there after they first learned of the attack, and they didn't take the action that needed to be taken.
HH: So if Secretary of State Clinton runs for president, do you, Senator Ayotte, believe she needs to answer many, many more questions about Benghazi?
KA: Yes, I do, and I think she'll have to.
HH: Now let me turn very quickly, because this is important. You have been leading the way on the military COLA cut, and I appreciate that. And I know my audience does, especially those who are spouses of active duty military who have served a long time and are going to get screwed by this thing. Can this be reversed in the debt ceiling legislation?
KA: Well, you know, Hugh, I don't know if it can be reversed in the debt ceiling legislation. I actually hope it gets reversed before the debt ceiling legislation. I'm trying to attach my proposal to everything that moves around here on the legislative front. So I'll certainly try to attach it to the debt ceiling, too, if it doesn't get fixed before then. And my proposal is pretty straightforward. The Treasury IG found basically massive money going out the door of the tax code, and subsequent investigations fraud on refund claims on the additional child tax credit. And I have a proposal that will save over $20 billion dollars over ten years. It fixes this, and actually has a lot more money left over to return to the deficit. And essentially all it requires is if you want to claim that refund for a child, you've just got to put a Social Security for that child to prove that that child exists and is entitled to this. So because what they've found is that you've got illegal immigrants claiming this child tax refund, because they don't have to put a Social Security number, and then they're claiming children that may not live in this country or may not exist. And so an example, one investigation, found that one individual claimed twenty children resulting in $30,000 in tax refunds. We're talking about billions of dollars going out the door of our tax code, and it really is fraud.
HH: But the Ayotte amendment would also restore the cut previously administered to the military COLA?
KA: Oh, absolutely. That's what it does. It fixes what needs to be fixed in our tax code that is abuse in our tax code, and restores the military COLA. So here's the choice. I mean, it's just so logical, Hugh. Here we have abuse in our tax code that needs to be fixed no matter what, saves $20 billion dollars over the next ten years, to fix the COLA and pay for it is $6 billion dollars. So not only can we fix the COLA and really do right by our men and women in uniform, because this was wrong from the beginning, they were unfairly targeted, but we also could fix abuse in the tax code and return money to reduce the deficit.
HH: Senator Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, thanks for joining me on both the Benghazi and on the military COLA issue. I appreciate it very much.
KA: It's great to be with you, Hugh. Thanks, take care.
End of interview.


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HUMBLE, Texas (KTRK) --After his car was broken into twice, Arnold Huerta wanted to make sure the thieves knew not to mess with him again.
He left a note on the back of his truck that read in part: "I saw you at 2 a.m. trying to open my truck. I called Humble police and waited patiently. Humble police never showed up. I'm just saying, if I see you trying to break into my private property again, I'm going to take matters into my own hands now that I know Humble police won't show up."
Huerta closed the note with the hashtags #USvet, #SecondAmendment, #GetAJob and #GodIsGood, among others.
He later posted a photo of the letter to Facebook; it was taped to the back of his truck with a shotgun perched on the tailgate.
The Humble Police Department told ABC13 that they responded to Huerta's call for assistance within 10 minutes.
Report a typo to the ABC13 staff


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Product Information
- Type: Mini Pack
- Designer: Mariscrap
- Software Category: Seasons
- Download Size: 51 MB (approximate)
Design Elements
- Digital Papers: 6
- Page Elements: 25
Designer Notes
Pack of 25 element + 5 papers PNG, 300 DPI, PU/S4H and CU Commercial Use: • I create all my papers and elements at 300 dpi. I photograph, paint or scan most of my products myself. • You can use my CU products by incorporating them in a digital kit (packaged along with other elements) keeping in mind that my elements should not be the primary designs (not more than 30% of your designs must be my commercial use items.) • You may alter these elements (recolor, add pattern, etc) but you cannot claim the original form or the altered form as your own • You are not allowed to resell, repackage, and/or redistribute these files in original format as it is....be creatived!!!! • You are not allowed to create template and commercial products with these files. • You may not use any of my work for obscene, defamatory or immoral purposes. • Credits are not required but appreciated. • FREEBIES are allowed: Freebies are allowed as long as my elements are MODIFIED, not simply recolored. The end result must be different than the original item. You can make free quick pages of the kit you created using my CU products as long as the layers are merged. This product is reserved for PU - S4H Thank you to consult the creator of the TOU contained in the file before using this product. This is a digital product, no parcel will be delivered by post.


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80s Style Sweater
80s Style Sweater No.1
The images show a simulation of how the design appears on the garment. The actual colours will vary slightly. All our sweaters are made to order.
Adults sweatshirt, sizes: S-XXL
Description: Standard fit sweater with set-in sleeves.
Sweater measurements:
Small: Sleeve Length 67 cm - Body Length 68.5 cm (to fit 34-36 inch chest)
Medium: Sleeve Length 68.5 cm - Body Length 72 cm (to fit 38 - 40 inch chest)
Large: Sleeve Length 70 cm - Body Length 75 cm (to fit 42 - 44 inch chest)
X Large: Sleeve Length 71.5 cm - Body Length 77.5 cm (to fit 46 - 48 inch chest)
XX Large: Sleeve Length 73 cm - Body Length 81 cm (to fit 50 - 52 inch chest)
Key Features:
Taped neck Set-in sleeves
Twin needle stitching Ribbed collar, cuff and hem
80% cotton 20% polyester
Heather grey


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Receptacle Adapter Hydrofarm Male For Hardwiring 16/3 600V
In stock
This adapter allows a reflector or lamp unit to be hardwired to a male Hydrofarm lock and seal ballast plug. Great for standardizing grow lighting systems.
Receptacle Adapter Hydrofarm Male For Hardwiring 16/3 600V
- Hardwires directly into reflector units and lamps
- Lock and seal design keeps moisture out of the electrical connections
- Allows lamps, reflectors and more to plug directly into Hydrofarm Ballasts
This adapter is designed to hardwire directly into a reflector or lamp system. It can then be plugged directly into a Hydrofarm Ballast without the need for additional adapters. It is rated at 600V and consists of 16 gauge wire with 3 bundled separate wires.
Note: Minimum order quantity of 4.
Unit Ship Weight: 1 lb
Write Your Own Review


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Thursday, April 16, 2009
Victorian Lady with Wardrobe, QS Lady and Cotton Panel
This tutorial is to accompany my Quarter Scale Lady and Wardrobe kit, here is the doll and the cotton panel with the cotton outfits. The lady is 1 3/8", so she could be used as a quarter scale lady in a scene as well, this height makes her 5 1/2' in real life.
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How to Get Big Chest Muscles
Countless men and women strive to obtain strong, well-developed chest muscles. Not only are enlarged pectorals aesthetically appealing for some, but this muscle group helps to increase upper body strength. In order to develop strong chest muscles, you must understand how muscles grow. With this understanding you may then engage in effective strength training routines designed to bulk up the pectoral muscle groups.
Understanding Muscle Growth
Step 1
Engaging in intense exercise routines such as resistance training, injures muscle fibers. Located around muscle fibers are satellite cells. When the muscles are injured through exercise, these satellite cells are activated.
Step 2
Activated satellite cells fuse together and to the actual muscle fibers. This fusing action leads to hypertrophy or the increase in muscle fiber density and number. Ultimately, the aforementioned actions results in larger and stronger muscles.
Step 3
Consumption of high-protein food sources is imperative to stimulate and expedite the growth of muscles. This is made evident by the University of New Mexico essay "How Do Muscles Grow?" by Young sub Kwon, MM.S. and Len Kravitz, Ph.D. Muscle growth is expedited when protein synthesis, or protein consumption, outweighs protein breakdown. According to the "Journal of International Society of Sports Nutrition" individuals looking to enhance muscle mass must consume 1.4 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight every day. Therefore, a 180 pound man should consume roughly 114 to 164 grams of protein per day.
Step 1
Select a weight that effectively fatigues chest muscles within three sets of 8 to 12 repetitions. Do not choose a weight that is so heavy you strain to lift it off the ground. This can potentially damage joints and tendons. Rather, select a weight that is challenging, yet lightweight enough to fatigue muscles within the target range specified above.
Step 2
Engage in chest exercises two to three times per week. It is important to give ample rest and recovery between chest workouts to promote muscle growth. The ideal workout plan includes upper body exercises on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with lower body exercises on Tuesday and Thursday.
Step 3
Utilize free weights such as barbells or dumbbells for chest exercises. According to the 2008 edition of the "Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training – 2nd Edition" by the National Strength and Conditioning Association, free weights are ideal for maximizing muscle growth while weight machines are ideal for those engaging in injury rehabilitation or circuit training.
Step 4
Isolate the chest muscles by integrating numerous chest-specific exercises into your workout routine. The standard barbell bench press effectively fatigues the entire pectoral muscle group. Isolate different areas of the chest by utilizing both incline and decline bench press exercises. The incline bench press isolates the upper portion of the pectoralis major muscle group. This exercise involves lying supine on a 45-degree incline bench. The decline bench press isolates the entire front region of the pectoralis major muscle group. Much like the incline press, the decline bench press positions the body at a 45-degree angle with the head lower than the knees. All of the aforementioned exercises may be done with barbells or dumbbells.
- If you're just starting out, use lighter weights than suggested until you've mastered the exercise movements.
- University of New Mexico: How Do Muscles Grow?
- "Exercise Technique Manual for Resistance Training – 2nd Edition"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- EXRX: Barbell Incline Bench Press
- EXRX: Barbell Decline Bench Press
- "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition": International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: Protein and Exercise
- Muscle & Strength: The Top 5 Exercises for Increasing Chest Mass
Photo Credits
- Pixland/Pixland/Getty Images


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Blank Clothing offers women a fantastic selection of knit shirts in flattering colours and silhouettes. Enjoy the fit of long sleeve tees made to fit a woman's curves and proportions, not a man's. Women's shirts have narrower trim at neckline and wrists and fit closer to the body than regular men's cotton shirts. Read more.
Cotton long sleeve t-shirts are comfortable as a companion to everything from jeans to a floral skirt. They also make excellent layering pieces under a jumper or backdrops for a lovely scarf or necklace. Long sleeve tees in a variety of colours are good choices for travelling as well. Cotton jersey fabric packs and unpacks with less wrinkling than woven fabrics. T-shirts take up little room in a suitcase, so pack several to coordinate with skirts and trousers.
Consider a long sleeve t-shirt in a solid colour as a base for team symbols, lettering or company logos. Our quality long sleeve tops are good for sports teams, schools, social clubs and business staff. Cotton long sleeve t-shirts accept heat transfer emblems, fabric paints, and screen printing with ease. Embroidered logos, crests, and monograms can also be added to blank shirts.
Use lightweight tees to add comfortable warmth under other clothing when the weather is cool. Our thermal fabric long sleeve tees are perfect as layering pieces. Long sleeves also offer protection from the sun's burning rays.
While a long sleeve t-shirt is a casual garment, it can also be part of a more serious ensemble. We offer long sleeve tops in a slinky, 100% polyester fabric for a dressier appearance. We also offer a 100% merino wool long sleeve t-shirt with a lace insert at the neckline. Merino wool is featherweight and so soft against the skin. Wear with gabardine trousers and a blazer or with an elegant skirt and wrap.
Select your favourite colours and fabrics from our collection. Quality construction and material are guaranteed to satisfy our customers. Appreciate the versatility of fashion long sleeve tops in different fibres and fashion hues as well as classic neutral colours. For a plus size top, relaxed fit in a more casual shirt, women can look to the unisex knit shirts in our men's department. Hide this content.
All prices are in AUD | 2019 Blank Clothing | Sitemap | ABN 89 164 090 386 | Resources


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Several points about Jewish day-care in the article "Jewish Identity: Group Fears the Loss of Community, Hopes to Bring Families Back to Fold" that appeared July 14 in the South Bay section of The Times, cry out for clarification.
Vicki Burdman, a member of the South Bay Jewish community, is quoted (as saying), "Some Reform and Conservative Jews are uncomfortable leaving their children in an Orthodox day-care center where Orthodox principles such as strict observance of the Sabbath and stringent adherence to dietary laws are taught and practiced."
Ms. Burdman, who is referring in particular to the day-care center at Chabad of South Bay in Lomita, is full of misconceptions about our school. As teacher at Chabad for three years, I feel obligated to set her views straight.
Of 55 children enrolled in our state-licensed day-care facility, only a handful are from Orthodox families. The majority, who have Reform and Conservative backgrounds, hardly feel "uncomfortable" as Burdman charges.


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Several decades ago, those began to initiation revival festivals. These in the blink of an eye broadcast all complete the United States and the quality for them grew and grew. Among else things, culture suchlike these fairs because you can impairment reincarnation costumes to them. The normal revivification costumes reveal the fashions of that era, which is certainly massively natty. You don't have to deterioration a age renaissance costume lone to a festival, though. If you are planning on active to a Halloween dress party, you can impairment a renaissance antitrust costume near as powerfully. This is because this variety of unit is honourable as cold at a Halloween carnival as it is at a carnival.
The leading entry more or less a recovery era garb is the form. You don't have to variety it accurate, but it will look improved if it is. There are likewise minor resurrection costumes if your kid likes this finesse. In fact, a fun entity to do is have the whole line go attired up this way. Then you can have a message that each one will savor. The terrible article is that the man new beginning dress is just as flawless as the renaissance miss garb. This is ofttimes not the causa next to new kinds of costumes.
There are contrasting kinds of renewal period of time attire too depending on which rustic you decide the dress to be from. For example, the Italian new beginning garb will watch pretty a bit divergent than the French new beginning attire. For example, the French magazine will have a lot more ruffles and lacing than the Italian magazine.Post ads:
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Byron Harrison | Healthy Living
A great health strategy is to make sure you are involved with physical exercise. You cannot have good physical health without exercise. The human body evolved through the ages with physical activity as an important element of survival. Now, we sit behind desks, watch TV, or are on our computers for hours. Research has shown that this is unhealthy, and can even cause serious illness. Some of the benefits of exercising are not physical, but mental.
Did you know that your physical health can affect your moods? How so? Exercising causes your body to produce Endorphins, also known as the "feel good hormone".
Let's take a look at the way physical exercise affects different aspects of your life:
Focus and Concentration: When you exercise, you cause the increase of Dopamine and Serotonin, which will calm you down, and lift your spirits. When you are in this positive state of mind, you will have better focus, and your attention span will be longer. Studies conducted with children having ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder, showed that after a brief period of exercise, their ability to pay attention was improved. Not only that, but the beneficial effect lasted for up to 4 hours.
Depression: For folks laboring under Depression, life can be a chore. For some, getting out of bed takes quite an effort. People living with depression report a general lack of energy, and joy of life. They complain of an inability to remember things, or concentrate. Clinical studies have shown that after only one good workout, they feel better.
These patients reported diminished feelings of anger, tiredness and being tense. Those who continued on an exercise regimen, were able to climb out of the depths of depression. This is a remarkable occurrence, considering it is an all natural way to combat the illness, and it works better than the drugs, while the only side effect is a better state of well being.
Anxiety: Anxiety is a health condition that is related to depression. Here, the feeling is of tenseness and worry. These individuals may also experience being jumpy and irritable. Along with these symptoms, folks with an anxiety disorder have reported finding it difficult to concentrate on tasks. Anxiety sufferers may be startled easily, have tension in their muscles, experience nausea, and have sleep issues.
Exercising regularly will alter their brain chemistry, with the same benefits as those with depression. As the Serotonin and Dopamine levels increase, these people feel more in control, and achieve a "calmness" that elevates their mood. If a person is stressed, it will be very difficult to deal with issues that can throw them into a panic.
Regular Exercise Is Good For Your Whole Being
Exercise will keep your body in shape by increasing your metabolic rate, and you will lose weight by burning calories, and build muscle at the same time. Many people are not aware of the fact that you will continue to burn calories after a workout, even when you are resting.


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SpaceX Capsule Reaches Milestone
Wendy Bounds discusses SpaceX's latest milestone with Andy Pasztor, and Rachel Dodes previews the summer movies about to hit the big screen. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... it tried on demand ... Draghi theory its last major hurdle before its historic document and to the International space station tomorrow I'm Wendy downs welcome to the beest lunch break one right now to Andy Pasztor he is in Los Angeles has been covering space aviation for the Wall Street Journal for more than two decades ... any historic day today for dragon ... but the hardest part may still be calm ... why would they ... are infected ... if you can go to something ... I couldn't buy the things we ... talked about a big deal about them other issue ... that is a pretty big deal ... we can't get ahead of the of of of the spacecraft and we don't want to predict the Porsche can never predict what happened state but ... the rocket and things that that ... they have to put up and you really have both of them have really done tremendously well they've already cleared of ... um I'm number of major hurdle that I think I'm better than even the ... strongest champion ... each project with a ... would've predicted ... and on and yet you're right the heart of an installed cost of describe for folks what exactly was it happened today and why what happens tomorrow is even more important and it's ... what what happened today was that of the major systems on this ... um spacecraft recap so ... um for the first time today which means navigation systems according to the ventures ... to help guide the things that that that comes close to a patient communication for them that they can communicate with the ground and the focus of the ... international space station as ... it comes up ... to try to work to divert ... although this has never been tested and eight and from what we can gather rulings are ... preliminary they stoke ... crunching data but everything seems to have worked almost Wall Street they haven't identified a major problem so far ... and any in this test from successful what will this mean in terms of the Stepford ... for present Obama has pushed to outsource space exploration to private industry ... I think it did a tremendous ... tool for the little that program ... from a political standpoint financials important though is Violet and wide and ... I'd I'd I really can't stress too much into space ... everything is risk in having the time though ... it did actually happen but you're starting to hear ... the word is that the officials and company officials ... much more confident than when Bush got a lot of it like that that that they really think that they will do this start ... I'm ... talking with the space station during early ... Friday morning ... any any Hall highs right now one of the founder of space and Yuan mosque ... I this is a big day for him that it's a been a big event for him he's been tweaking he's been in correspondence by telephone with President ... Obama of what's next for him with this ... well I think that the very hard question tantamount ... to try to predict what will connect but he certainly has been having bought ... it in the center of attention he had to take ... to get the credit ... is only the founder and chief executive the company but he is the chief designer disruptive ... and he really grew ... from nothing literally from a ... makeshift office with five or six people sitting next to him to this ... up up up with rival company ... in terms of start-ups picture of me with a ... seven hundred employees tend to over billion dollars commercial ... satellite launch is on the book ... and so you're starting to see ... the ... interesting things like that some of the NAFTA control which were usually very sober ... Nevada very very successful patient up to this point and an almost predicting that does it does ... people do was think this will do what he ... has said it ... can do well ... and in the wind is that Dr what time is that docking expected on Friday ... around the ... daughter of ... around five or five thirty tomorrow morning Eastern time ... and that it will be broadcast on NASA TV despite the other of ... spacecraft thought that space station so that should be a very exciting ... day Ty Wright Andy Pasztor will become in two more years our space Navy education expert here the Wall Street Journal ... big day for space exploration takes a much Andy for being with us ... I want to forget the wine in she's club of the month they are branching out and his grooming Products crafts supplies you name it you can get this tells about a kilogram as she's right here she's from SmartMoney Kelli I ... so I can pre much order anything in somebody will deliver to me ... now monthly debt met anyone like a pretty good outcasts can be can be just about everything we're seeing a lot of different approaches that are coming up some of these are ... new categories things like the men's grooming products craft supplies actually Xconomy new one the e books even ... and we're also seeing ... some of them are actually taking a different approach where it's something you might buy anyway like shoes or jewelry ... but you work and telling them these are my case and they're letting you actually pick the product for the monthly delivery and celebrities can again yes that's actually with a lot of these ones really are are ... treated collections that we're seeing a lot which he concurred Ashy and that Christians are now know what a difference celebrities and celebrity stylist that are actually coming in there and they're saying they're the ones are picking insight smarter what Kim Carr dash and would pick from a journalistic that artist ... what about ... all say this that ... you know I'll what what what are sometimes a piece of the month ... they sell some good many good and and and and I went and domestic spending more money than I ever intended to on some of the stuff it's certainly a risk of a new book out on a monthly basis a lot of these can be very cheap this or that maybe ten dollars a month and they go on up but then when you look at that on an annual basis and you say well that's a lot of money to spend on ... beauty samples for shoes or really anything else ... and often times this can be about as much maybe you wanna spend on that category for the entire year ... a real option when defining just from the companies to limit your ability to shop around and really ... enjoy a lot of the shopping process then you get when you get charges say when you when you cancel ... out well in all of these it's the in the lock in period can be difficult sometimes they're they're telling you your subscription is definitely going to spend on until you decide to cancel and ... others you're locked in for specific period and canceling is usually fairly easy read the timing of that is tough because if you don't get the cancellation in my certain point ... you're definitely getting at least the next shipment ... right if you're in fitness where some of that big name stock should be looking out for ... a lot when the big ones RBC's perch box they do a lot of ... beauty product samples for women and for men and then twirl sissy now law for the makers is one of the new ones and that's actually the scrap supplies there's also a fun one Emily books and maps e books an AP count in the books ... that you might wanna check out on a monthly basis and be able to just be would deliver to your candle you just need to hear how has that when proactively download the next big thing about them is that even if you're in a chair like the pics they also just ... tell you what the multi book is gonna be you can still do all of the in person and online discussions ... you just downloaded on your ... about time I mean we just don't even have time to shop and even think about going to get the basics anymore write cease to be about ... you you have spent some time thinking about you with a craft store that sprite experience ... now when you have time to get the crafts to make the crafts that's a big part of it it's a it's that time factor that people just wanna have it delivered and is certainly very fun to have something interesting point that delivered ... a amid all the regular bills and everything like that ... and the rest of it she was just this this discovery aspect oftentimes people are interested in stuff like if you're looking for new skin care product maybe this is the right way to go about finding right ... if you don't know about wonder peer ... halving of the month club there to pick it out and deliberately can can figure out what you like and maybe learn a little more about that the economy pricey mention Men's grooming Products is one of these in a ... very devoted to specific brands of us in your right you can keep it that you get the spike in you want that ... that's not what you get index not Guinea get something else exactly and that's really the point we need to say Maybe and on with the membership for now is when you find something you like or you learn a lot more about the product ... not ETP really like wanting a one club might not be the best way to go because you know where to look for parking bottles you know what kind you like ... and you can go out and find them on your real ... and that's the point maybe we need to say I'm done with ... their clubs for now or your tree get ready for clunker some even now ... right Kelli Grant more on this in SmartMoney dot com thanks to be with that here on Lunch Break ... I superheros within a half to make room for a quieter gentler sweeter films this summer that man talking to you ... treat this is coming up next is part of our lunch break much to do this summer arts is seen as series will be back in just thirty seconds ... I sms services and remanded to police you can still cost you responsible for sinking into things just as compelling ... for ... it's true ... Laura Davies in Pakistan irritation proceeds ... due to what the most appallingly incompetent custodial Guardian social services as ever ... and fortune to counteract units and a seven year career ... to prepare as that man I'm talking to you you have to move over and make room for a quieter gentler breed of summer Hill Rachel dances here are a must do lunch break summer ... arts entertainment series indicate enough right now ... is to see movies out there they are ... taking this unease quieter films in trying to go for the big blockbusters go ... yet I think and for a long time a lot of independent distributors were ... fearful gratefully sofa going up against movies like me this and that mandate increasingly and in ... the FAA's guns so crowded that they're taking a risk in releasing in the summer were these movies can really stand out ... and and provides encounter program and Woody Allen Sitwell was at midnight in Paris today but that was last year less ... in Paris last summer when head to head with and Pirates of the Caribbean and change it up and the ... so I guess the thinking was that people who ... either aren't interested in that type of fame are people who certainly be Andria second Chinese ... book ICANN it worked really well there really it was a different kind of movie for that particular time that is trying again this summer when the sun now and again with and to Rome was love that comes out in June twenty seconds ... and I just think the other from typically compares this insane amounts to a love letter to ... that city and features him for interlocking stories ... and in terms of the kinds of money it felt like I can bring a walk at takeover talk about ... I mean the name Paris did really well it was his most successful summit thing you know globally uprising over ... a million times that's a substantial not Avengers money but it's good on its good money for elements of that budget ... now for thirty somethings is a film coming out called dark course what was the third of the premise behind this one yet and time into town silence founding he's known for his extremely dark movies featuring a great time the teams like ahead of the area and it's just ... you know ... it's it's very dark that this movie is not as dark so ... it's kind of that well suited for summer and is set to thirty somethings who are struggling with ... the rest the development and sort of ... decided to settle for issues ... and it sounds exactly like on tons relief to know everything about all my friends ... by the male younger than that for tweens is in an amazingly complex but the was fastening film called the nice thing ... is that it's on I know that the surly for it means that it's about ... and and this is Wes Anderson seven found his first summer release and ... eight and features two thirteen year of actors who are ... playing these sad twelve year olds on love and decide to run away together and it's ... a shrewd and it's you know that all the characteristics of the Wes Anderson accounting and her prickly ... meticulously designed said friends ... of the characters and their employees to accept a thicker away as well as getting their star Andrew Quinn is them who has the ... a bit of a die hard momentum has been ... too sick to really love the blockbuster into them a little bit I did it that summer with the stains Amenas actually get in on time travel theme and it was back to the future that is a big blockbuster movie but this is the sort of a niche in the film with and back to the future kind of thing too it kind of yet yet looks and this is a safety not guaranteed and clean contaminated this was a big hit at the Sundance Film fence line it's on ... it features the market constantly drawn he plays this guy who places an end ... in a newspaper seeking and time travel partner and he says he now must bring your own weapons and ... in these people at a Seattle magazine reading this is the sky for realistic story about him and ... they discover that he and he is very much to ... say about this endeavor and it's ... sort of funny and moving into and it's an interesting film ... Scarface films to go into these I mean yes I wanted to write people's appetite for big movies just right now to the movies in general I'm excited that scene ... here The Dark Knight Rises over the next nimble act movie I might just be excited nominees in general I think ok you know what I had at the expense of the seemingly small accounts ye in in the summer associates time for movies about forty percent of all ... tickets are sold during the summer so ... you know it if they're a lot of good movies that started with a rising as the ... boats can come in and out the ... date of the week it is forbidden easy care CN more hit run a share up from here which doesn't attend a course on the much for things for being with us thank you all right ... what could be in IndyCar driver we know what is to take more than just skill at the wheel that can take you a lot of cash that's coming up when we come back ... hey there welcome back to lunch break I'm Wendy downs I will continue in our must do summer art entertainment series with Alexander altered to tells all about ... the must read books these are ... books and shaking up the Blockbuster genre for summer she's right here beside us she thought they were there once ... before in pre quickly before we delve into them ... these are so unusual books they don't fit right in the mold of what the industry typically puts out ... and still is time that they're often in any year ... you have your can of chick lit beach read you had your James Patterson blockbuster crime novel ... they can and guaranteed can put it down commercial blockbuster ... aam and that if there is that this here's an interesting henchman Sunnah ... on one is that the books that I lived with an aging medical clinic and Tom Walker ... it's gotten science fiction defenceless that the literary novel it's a family drama I it's beautifully written and ... in a perspective of a middle school girls ... um but they live in the world is ending and so there's that kind of height and you know sense of reality that again The Hunger Games are some of these popular young adult novel is called the slowly then she the author actually got this idea of something that happened in real life ... that the selling of the way the earth is turning as the slowing of the wind when you have not been heard claiming that the one that cut the two thousand and four tsunami that they ... that they get a little bit shorter just by a fraction of the can ... and that he really stuck with their and on although there's I'm thinking this but she had the urge Stace and flow which would throw off ... crop cycle than the massive disaster in a note by the end of the but that ... it is going on for Ina weeks in a land systems ... nominated at the very eastern gradual disaster then fold sad ones still this about taking a license to its roof ... it has to be in this this huge run on the Street unfolding globally it but ... you also have the drama of ... her falling in love for cancer having problem I see the movie already ... it has been optioned by two very different Jeremy county that that same is the isthe is the really interesting suspense novel by ... crime writer may have been too hectic got star ratings for the fluffy analysts know I read ... aam ... she branched into what she calls suburban you are ... which is ... it's a unique again you have ... three of the setting is is more team there's families ... this blog is about cheerleader clearly is an aging expected to be ... added as disturbing and Eric Iloilo one to serving cheerleaders yet broken harbor quickly when tells about that Chevron however is that Tana French's one of the rankings tourism and waiting ... she's on two lives and the plan and she sort of freaks a lot of the traditional role that I'm reading sometimes there but ... you don't even really know when it happens or that they don't agree the Raiders can be ... this book is that on that and that is still Apple TV a development with where family has been murdered awesome service suspense novel if this is that the number everything everybody here that more of those in the Friday Journal tomorrow night you a lot more books and with it for your lunch break ... the shift in SPX and rancor and wished us ... IMO if you want to be an IndyCar driver you know what you gotta have more than just skill and steely nerves ... you have to have an awful lot of cash Scott Castillo is right here beside he's been exploring this to drive a car I didn't know who I can drive a stick shift so he'll have one hundred million dollars in your back on yet that these kids actually consonant hundred thousand dollars the year to drive on the low level minor league ... circuit in a race and is quickly for people who don't follow car racing the difference between the car NASCAR in SL is great and the NASCAR stock car racing it looks like the color ... in the car and they look like missiles on ... basically I stood there in lies the rub any missiles on wheels ... a lot of accidents tells about the types of people who can drive in the Karzai Working catcher bailing out well ... I followed around this kid is seventeen from Brooklyn is in is that the fourth line is that is a restaurant or here and in York City ... um you need to have some sort of financial support it is is not like ... basketball or baseball read the typical of ... the park at the low end are spending like ... a ... hundred eighty thousand dollars to a spot will spend this year this year ... and a car at the top level with a stain on these cars just a race like say two cars by Indy cars the sixty nine dollars the year ... um been either Formula one which is that with the international circuit mass the five hundred dollars here so in the car looks like a ... bargain compared to Formula one ... and you have a great story that you weave a tale although be into Mars Friday Journal very quickly is in a car made a resurgence against mascot of a little bit and they did find this this is sort of a ladder system that they've they've designed to serve make a more subtle for the average and say can understand the kids are soo work their way out ... but it's it's a tough tone and stayed in bed because I'm not financially quite an exciting read about it I just in your story and more from stock STO into Mars Friday Journal Greg Kelly the car racing patient at the lunch


text:
The Ancient Behemoth
(What If? Exercise: Read the description here.)
The knight had never seen a battle that surprised him.
Until that fateful day when the terrible creature appeared.
No one would survive to tell the tale.
He wondered what had made everyone freeze.
Then he smelled its fiery breath.
The entire army stared, speechless.
Nervously, he turned around.
Piercing yellow eyes.
Enormous teeth.
This piece is based on What If? Exercise 93: "Ten to One". The exercise is to write a 55-word story in which the first sentence has ten words, the second has nine, etc., until the last sentence has only one word. The objective is to show that precision and thrift in writing can produce surprisingly powerful results. I hope you enjoy what I've written. Thanks for reading!


text:
Police in Great Britain kicked in the front door of this house and ransacked it because they smelled marijuana growing. Turns out the sharp-nosed officers mistook phlox flowers in the garden for marijuana. The 77-year-old homeowner doesn't want any more trouble, so he dug up his phlox.
- Marijuana stash from 2700-year-ago - Boing Boing
- Marijuana vending machine - Boing Boing
- Los Angeles medical marijuana dispensary bust - Boing Boing
- Man places casino bet with marijuana - Boing Boing
- Govt's self-justifying marijuana policy - Boing Boing
- Police raid 79-year-old woman for pot, find tomato plants - Boing Boing


text:
Terry Dean wrote: > So what you are saying is that its ok > to do this sort of thing as long as it conforms to priority 1? I'm just answering your question with regards to their WCAG claim. They effectively claim level A, and I'm telling you that valid code is not a requirement of level A. Of course there's no point in claiming that you're using valid HTML/CSS as well, but that's another topic and not your original question, which seemed solely concerned with the accessibility claim (also because you asked on the WAI IG list). Whether it makes sense to declare a doctype and say that pages validate against HTML/CSS spec when they don't is another matter, and one that is off topic for this particular list unless they're claiming AA or higher. P -- Patrick H. Lauke __________________________________________________________ re·dux (adj.): brought back; returned. used postpositively [latin : re-, re- + dux, leader; see duke.] www.splintered.co.uk | www.photographia.co.uk http://redux.deviantart.com __________________________________________________________ Web Standards Project (WaSP) Accessibility Task Force http://webstandards.org/ __________________________________________________________Received on Sunday, 3 September 2006 10:23:46 UTC
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.1 : Tuesday, 13 October 2015 16:21:34 UTC


text: DON 103 Posted July 4, 2017 2 hours ago, Meller93 said: We we need to stop comparing Drouin and Radulov as if this was a trade. What really happened is we traded our best, and only blue chip prospect for Drouin. I'm fine with the trade itself though, even like it. However, we straight up lost Radulov for nothing. We lost a 1st line RW for nothing. That's what sucks. I agree that there is some whining, but there is no way to avoid the fact that the talent in the organization has been watered down with the loss of Radulov. Thats why losing Sergachev hurts more now. We lose him, and only move laterally. I agree with the above posts about the lack of direction. We went all in with the Weber trade. So what we needed to do was pony up and pay Radulov while we're in our 2-3 year window. We did not do that, and now I don't know where the team is headed. Actually haven't heard any talking heads who said Habs should of outbid and offered more than Dallas did for Radulov...actually just the opposite, in that Dallas overpaid seems to be all that I have heard. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites