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On Motherhood & Sanity
Crossing the River
Crossing the River
The Story of Tim
'bout me
if you want to see/read more about me
Saturday, June 4, 2011
a safety net
I love the aesthetics of this photograph, but looking at it this morning, it felt like it reflects a lot what my life currently feels like
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1 comment:
diana said...
Love the picture.
Relax...yes you can!
Sunday, June 05, 2011
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Glossary: General Conference
The highest legislative body in The United Methodist Church. The voting membership consists of an equal number of clergy and lay delegates elected by the annual conferences. General Conference convenes every quadrennium (four years) to determine the denomination's future direction. It is the only body that can speak officially for the denomination.
Source: Sharing God's Gifts Glossary of United Methodist Terms

subset: commoncrawl


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Zynga, the maker of blockbuster Facebook games like FarmVille and CityVille, is launching its most ambitious game to date today, Empires & Allies.
The company describes it as "CityVille meets Risk": it's going to be a strategy game with combat.
It's its most ambitious game because it is arguably the first Zynga game with what game afficionados would describe as "depth." Plenty of people dismiss Zynga's games as incredibly superficial--which doesn't stop hundreds of millions of people from playing them. In fact, Zynga's games are incredibly refined, but not in the way that traditional games are.
This is Zynga's first foray in making a game that looks more like the "real" strategy games that gamers play.
And this raises all sorts of interesting questions:
- Can Zynga actually pull it off and make a game that's not just addictive but rich and deep, and silence its critics? (Well, it probably won't ever silence its critics.)
- Is Zynga really "disruptive" of the traditional video games business? The classic story of technological disruption is that a newcomer comes out with a product that is undisputably inferior to what the incumbents offer, but cheaper and better in some crucial way (in the case of Zynga's games, social). This leads the incumbents to dismiss the newcomer, but the newcomer's offering gradually gets better and better as the new technology improves and gains traction, until the incumbents are swallowed up. Zynga is a tremendous success that has blindsided the traditional video game industry with its really expensive and polished blockbuster games, but it hasn't really taken a chunk out of the traditional video game business, which still does well. As Zynga refines its games (and as Facebook and social platforms take over the world), is it going to really disrupt the EAs and Activisions of the world?
- Is the game good?
We'll find out soon enough. In the meantime, here's the trailer to Empires & Allies:
(Via Mashable)
Don't Miss: Here's How Zynga Makes Millions Off Its Blockbuster Game CityVille →


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On a rainy night, Sanjana and Abhimanyu meet in the most unromantic of conditions. She's wet, muddy and is almost run over by him, while he accuses her of trying to scam money from him. After an acrimonious exchange, each hopes never to set eyes on the other again. But fate has other plans for them…
As they meet again, and yet again, Abhimanyu finds himself admiring Sanjana's spirit and obvious talent. Before he knows it, he's head-over-heels in love with her. It's the perfect modern fairytale–business tycoon falls for struggling designer from nowhere–but then his mother enters the picture.
She makes it crystal clear that Sanjana has no place in her son's life.
The two break apart until their worlds collide yet again; another accident, in another time and place. Will they come together this time, against all odds?
Binding: Paperback (Perfect Binding)
Availability: In Stock (Print on Demand)
I am Fruit Of earth by Aldivan Teixeira Torres
LOVE..Matter of Heart of Mind by Jai Nagpal
ஆர்த்தி by thenmozhimathankumar
MY BITS DON'T LIKE YOUR BYTES by GURU S


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Factory Girl is great when creating 'presets' of ActiveRecord models. This is all you really need for most simple cases.
factory :user do
name { 'John' }
email { '[email protected]' }
create :user
# same as User.create(name: 'John', email: '[email protected]')
Using custom factories
At some point however, your models may get too complicated and you may need an actual factory—a class that constructs an object and performs actions along with it.
class UserCreator
attr_reader :user
def initialize(attrs)
@user = User.create(attrs)
@user.profile = Profile.create(@user)
@user.posts = create_sample_post
creator = UserCreator.create(name: 'John')
Setting it up (the hard way)
Factory Girl will then consume a class in this manner:
user = User.new
user.name = 'John'
You can set up a
factory_girl factory to use this by passing a
class option. You'll have to make your factory implement these methods. This is silly and painful.
factory :real_user, class: 'UserCreator' do
Even easier
Why not use the attributes_for helper instead?
UserCreator.create attributes_for(:user)
Also see
Also see the Factory Girl cheatsheet, along with other cheatsheets from my cheatsheets archive.


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Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm
Choose Unit:
Milimeters Centimeters Inches
Choose your blind options for control side, recess or
exact etc on the next page after clicking add to basket.
The Aruba roman blind range is a superb stylish range that is available with a standard headrail and standard lining. The standard headrails come with a cord control which can be tied around the supplied cleat fixed to a door, window frame or wall.
Standard Headrail
The standard headrail looking from the side is 26mm wide x 25mm deep. This headrail comes with a raise and lower cord which can be tied around the supplied cleat.
Deluxe Headrail
The Deluxe Headrail looking from the side is 40mm wide x 40mm deep. The headrail is operated by a deluxe sidewinder control built into the headrail for a smooth and easy operation.


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President Donald Trump recently tweeted that he would ban trans military service. Trump said in a series of tweets: "After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail."
Not only do Trump's remarks represent a step back for LGBTQ equality, but also they have absolutely no evidence behind them. Like many of his tweets, this vicious attack was made without thought or without understanding. It also is very hypocritical considering Trump made a promise during his campaign to support the LGBTQ community.
Current Policy
Therefore, transgender individuals who wish to join the US armed forces are prohibited from doing so if their transgender status is known. Furthermore, those already serving can be medically discharged if suspected of being transgender.
However …
Ash Carter, the defense secretary under former President Barack Obama, announced the ban allowed for a year-long review process to allow the Pentagon to determine how it would accept new transgender recruits into the military.
Yet, Defense Secretary James Mattis announced in June 2017 that he was delaying the July 1 deadline set by Carter to review the military's policy on allowing transgender personnel. Then came Trump's Twitter announcement.
The ban itself is an unfair barrier to health access for transgender personnel who currently serve in active, Guard, and reserve components.
(Gary J. Gates and Jody L. Herman. "Transgender Military Service." The Williams Institute. May 2014.)
The ACLU tweeted in response to the president's comments, "Thousands of trans service-members on the front lines deserve better from their commander-in-chief."
In addition, the ban on trans service members was based on incorrect and outdated medical rationale. Vox News reporter German Lopez said, "The concern was that a person's gender dysphoria – a state of emotional distress caused by how someone's body or the gender they were assigned at birth conflicts with their gender identity – may interfere with someone's ability to serve, since it can lead to severe depression and anxiety."
(German Lopez. "Trump: allowing transgender military service would hurt combat readiness. Actual research: nope." Vox. July 26, 2017.)
Now, medical experts, including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical Association, agree that hormone therapy and other forms of trans-inclusive care can treat those suffering from gender dysphoria. And, of course, not all trans people suffer from severe gender dysphoria in the first place.
RAND Corporation recently pointed out that 18 other countries – including Australia, Canada, Israel, and the United Kingdom – allow transgender people to serve openly in the military with "little or no impact on unit cohesion, operational effectiveness, or readiness."
The RAND study said that if the Pentagon did not cover the medical procedures for service members – like hormone therapy and surgery – they would likely avoid seeking medical care and would have higher rates of substances abuse and suicide.
(Michael S. Schmidtmay. "Study Finds Few Obstacles to Lifting Military's Transgender Ban." The New York Times. May 16, 2016.)
Human Rights
Combat veteran Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, condemned the military ban in a statement: "When my Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq, I didn't care if the American troops risking their lives to help save me were gay, straight, transgender or anything else. All that mattered was they didn't leave me behind."
Tammy Duckworth
(Liz Stark. "Lawmakers, LGBTQ groups divided over transgender military service." CNN. July 27, 2017.)
Other benefits to open service are evident. Retired Brigadier General Thomas A. Kolditz, former Army Commander and West Point professor on the Report of the Transgender Military Service Commission, stated, "Allowing transgender people to serve openly would reduce gender-based harassment, assaults and suicides while enhancing national security."
Donald Trump's proposal is aimed at a political gain, and it has caused immeasurable stigma for the LGBTQ community. If Trump has his way, will those transgender people currently serving be dishonorably discharged? Will career officers who are transgender be forced out of their long-standing profession?
"As president, Trump is commander-in-chief of the military. (The Constitution makes no exception for draft-dodgers or those who criticize American prisoners of war.) Because he's in charge of the armed forces, and there's no law from Congress on this issue, he can set these kinds of policies. Any military leaders who refuse to implement this new announcement could be forced to step aside by the president.
"Trump cannot, however, set aside the Constitution and its guarantees of equality. Though not many courts have ruled on the issue of whether the Constitution protects against trans discrimination, there is a small trend recently of courts finding that discrimination against trans individuals is a form of sex discrimination, something the Constitution prohibits unless the government has a really good reason for doing so."
(David S. Cohen. "Trump's Trans Military Ban: What You Need to Know." Rolling Stone. July 27, 2017.)


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- News
WXXI News
Special Coverage
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News Programs
Connections with Evan Dawson, Need to Know
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Interactive Grid, Printable Listings, Kids TV Schedule
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Homework Hotline, Second Opinion, Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival,
Arts InFocus, Need to Know, All WXXI Productions, Other Programs A-Z
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myWXXI, Membership, Corporate Sponsorship, Planned Giving, Volunteer, Vehicle Donation
Pledge Now!more...
- From the President
Host Mordecai Lipshutz retires
By Ruth Phinney ~ Posted Wed, 03/05/2008 - 8:51am
Host Mordecai Lipshutz retires: The End of an Era at WXXI-FM
After 32 years of hosting Classical music on WXXI-FM, Classical 91.5 host Mordecai Lipshutz announced his retirement March 4, 2008, from his full-time airshift. As Program Director, and long time friend of Mordecai's, it is going to be hard not to have Mordecai around everyday.
We are all comforted - as I'm sure listeners are as well - that he'll be filling in from time to time. We have every intention of keeping up the tradition of things like "Christmas Eve with Mordecai" and "A Night of Smiles" on New Year's Eve. Mordecai is a part of the WXXI family and so he'll still be around at station events, in the audience at "Live from Hochstein," and certainly as a big part of the arts community all around Rochester. One of the things that Mordecai is looking forward to is being able to attend more concerts, now that his evenings will be free.
Retirement wishes can be sent to firstname.lastname@example.com, or via USPS to WXXI-FM, P.O. Box 30021, Rochester, NY 14603.
Mordecai's retirement
Submitted by Anonymous on Mon, 03/10/2008 - 2:01pm.
From someone originally from the Philadelphia ares as well. Upon retiring from EK in '06 and moving south, I lost track of listening to WXXI-FM and, although I was in Rochester when the station was known as WBFB-FM, I hadn't realized that Mordecai had been there that long. I mostly heard him on his drive-time program, and he as well as Simon Pontin added a humorous side to classical listening which I very much appreciated. Here's wishing Mordecai many enjoyable warm days in the sun.
Support provided by:


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Sam Louie is an Emmy Award-Winning former broadcast journalist who has reported on a number of issues related to race, culture, and psychology. He has written books on the intersection of race and culture and its impact on mental health. In addition, Sam has a popular blog on Psychology Today focusing on issues of race and psychotherapy.
Click links below to read more:
Psychology Today Blog "Minority Report: Candid Conversations on Race, Culture, and Therapy"
Slanted Eyes: The Asian-American Poetic Experience


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Thane: In what could give some respite to Maharashtra battling drought, the Meteorological Department has said the state is likely to receive 27 percent more rainfall than the annual average this monsoon.
Met department regional deputy director Krishnanand Hosalikar gave the information at a high-level Disaster Management Prepardness meeting at Thane district headquarters on Wednesday.
The official also apprised that the Konkan region is likely to get about 27.50 percent more than the annual average rainfall this rainy season, a press release issued by district Informational Department said.
Heavy rainfall is anticipated in months of July and August across the state, the release said.
Thane collector Mahendra Kalyankar at the meeting directed all civic bodies of his district to plan well in advance before monsoon commences and set in place mechanism to meet any contingency 24X7 as well as monitoring system.
The official directed civic bodies to complete survey of dilapidated and dangerous buildings, which become prone to damage or collapse during monsoon, on a priority basis before 25 June.
It was also directed to officials concerned that they should ensure nullahs alongside railway tracks are cleaned up before the onset of monsoon to shun water logging, the release said.
Kalyankar also directed officials to take assistance and involved NSS and NCC students in the disaster management programmes this year.
Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.
Updated Date: May 12, 2016 11:53:27 IST


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Posted in Builders
Facts & Figures
133,000 new multifamily residences have been forecasted by the NAHB for 2012.*
21% is the projected increase for multifamily housing starts for 2011.†
51.7 represents the developers' perception of the market-rate rental properties component of the MPI on a scale of 1 to 100. This is the first time this part of the index has been above 50 since 2007.‡
Multifamily housing starts for 2012 are projected to increase by 40% over 2011 starts.†
40.8 is the current Multifamily Production Index (MPI), which shows developer sentiment regarding new construction. This is the highest it's been since the
end of 2006.‡
* According to NAHB Press Release "Multifamily Rentals: NAHB Sees Rising Demand, Insufficient Supply"
† Source: According to the NAHB Senate Banking Committee Statement on March 9, 2011
‡ Source: According to the NAHB Multifamily Market Index, Q4 2010
This information and the websites identified above are provided solely as a convenience to the reader. They are not intended to state or imply that the editors of Engineered Wood or LP Building Products sponsor, recommend, endorse or are affiliated or associated with the companies or products listed.


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I'm in the process of choosing MT-32 compatible device for my retro rig. Currently, after reading all the lists of MT-32 compatible games, I think that CM-32L/CM-64 is better for my needs because I won't be playing MT-32-OLD games much. Except for Dune 2.
Some would say that I should get both MT-32 rev.0 and CM-32L/CM-64 to cover every MT-32 game, including Dune 2, but I want to keep my setup as minimal as possible. If I get two of MT-32s, I will need some kind of external mixer that should be manually operated to switch between MT-32s, while with one MT-32 it's possible to use sound cards' Line-in for mixing purpose (yeah, I'm going to use MPU-401 compatible sound card with SoftMPU, not the real MPU-401 device).
I saw several reviews regarding difference between MT-32 rev.0 and later models, but non e of them give any technical insight on what really causes games to sound differently on older models? So, what precisely are the bugs that those MIDI files use in rev.0 that are not available in later models?
For example here are two interesting reviews: this good known one by philscomputerlab shows difference in games that use custom sounds, and this one shows difference in standard sounds using Dune 2.
I tried to replicate second review's comprasion with Dune 2 using Munt. I got roms from old MT-32 anf CM-32L, tested the same Dune 2 track that was used in review on both of them and... it sounded identically. Even more - it sounded like on real CM-32L, even though old MT-32's rom was used. So the difference between old MT-32 and CM-32L lies deeper than just difference in roms.
So does anyone have any technical insight in what "bugs" in MT-32 rev.0 some games were using? I know, from Munt sources, about the difference in reverb and, from Wikipedia article, about the difference in CPU and DAC. But that doesn't explain (to me) why some sounds (distortion guitar) in Dune 2 sounded louder on MT-32 rev.0?


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The Fit Bottomed Girls are really getting into the blogging world now. I know you're scratching your head right now..."But Tish, hasn't FBG always been a blog?" NO! It was more of a fitness site...an online mutation, part online magazine/part web site/part magical concoction.
Now the gals will each have personal little tid bits they share. I couldn't be more thrilled. I LOVE TO WRITE! If loving writing is wrong...I don't wanna be right!


text:
The Data Rescue Center promotes companies to have emergency backup and recovery plans in place in case of an emergency. We also wanted to share this great bit of information on how to ensure your website is protected from attacks.
The Growing Threat of DDoS and Denial of Service Attacks
Distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks have dramatically increased over the years. While some may not be familiar with how a DDOS attack works, most will understand that when your website goes offline — you're in trouble.
DDoS attacks work by overwhelming a website or server with requests until the server can no longer handle the incoming traffic, and eventually goes offline. These attacks take advantage of the TCP protocol.
The TCP protocol works like this:
● Your computer requests a web page from a server by sending a SYN ("synchronize") packet to the host. ● The server receives the packet and send a SYN-ACK packet to acknowledge the request. ● The machine that initiated the protocol receives the SYN-ACK packet and responds by sending an ACK ("acknowledge") packet. ● The ACK packet is received and the TCP socket connection is completed.
A DDOS attack takes advantage of how the TCP protocol works by initiating countless requests. Once the target server responds, the connection is not completed and left to timeout.
You then end up looking at something like this:
DDOS Attacks Our On The Rise
DDoS attacks are increasing in not only size and strength, but they are also becoming increasingly more difficult to stop, and tougher to mitigate against. Part of this reason is the move from infected PC botnets, to using compromised servers that are able to send a huge volume of traffic.
According to a recent study by Prolexic, 2013 has seen a 33% increase in the total number of attacks.
Attacks Are Getting Easier To Launch
What has affected businesses and website owners the most is the proliferation of DDOS-for-hire services popping up all over the internet. Prior to the explosion of these types of services becoming freely available, DDOS attacks were mainly a concern for banks, government websites, and large ecommerce sites. Now, with DDoS-for-hire services being so prevalent, a study conducted by Corero revealed that more than half of U.S. DDoS victims blame the competition.
How To Recognize You Are A Victim Of A DDoS Attack
There are two tell-tale signs that you may be experiencing a DDOS attack:
- Your website is completely unreachable and times out before a connection can happen.
- Your website is slow to respond and loads pages slowly. This is referred to as degradation of service and can be due to a denial of service attack, or a spike in traffic.
Sometimes it can be difficult to know if you are being attacked. If your website goes offline, it may be difficult to determine what's happening without having experience. If you think you may be a victim of a DDOS attack, the first thing you should do if check your bandwidth graph. You can do this by looking in your control panel and viewing your most recent bandwidth statistics. If you see a huge spike in traffic that is out of the ordinary, you're likely being targeted with DDOS.
What To Do If You Are Attacked With DDoS
If you manage your own server, you can attempt to identify and block attackers by finding the IPs that are being used in the attack.
Use this command to pull up active connections to your server:
netstat -ntu | awk '{print $5}' | cut -d: -f1 | sort | uniq -c | sort -n
Once you know what IPs are being used you can block them in your firewall or IP Tables.
Most Attacks Will Require Help From Your Web Host Or A DDoS Mitigation Provider. Unfortunately, if you are faced with a large or sophisticated DDOS attack you'll likely not be able to protect your website on your own. To add insult to injury, your web host will likely null-route your website (which means you go offline).
If your web host does not offer DDOS protection they will do this to stop attack traffic from spilling over the network and affecting other customers. Still, you'll need to get in touch with your web hosting provider as they will be able to give you more insight into what is happening. From there, your best option is to consult with a DDoS mitigation expert.
About the Author Anthony Miller is a cyber security professional that helps educate businesses on the importance of DDoS protection and proactive security.


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So he remembered that they always gave out free stuff during campaigns, so he knew he needed to go to the big campaign today on the city square.
Today, was John's lucky day, because John saw that they were practically giving away a whole freakin' stand of chocolate!
John laughed to himself, knowing how much a pregnant lady could eat and crave chocolate. But he was imaging if his wife saw this, that she would want to eat the whole thing and be a cow.
So instead of buying the whole thing, he decided he better only buy one bar, and just not tell her about the rest. So he bought a Hershey's bar, because Hershey's is the best!
So John was getting ready to take the candy bar to revive his wife, when this cute, rotten little twerp just ran flying like batman out of nowhere and stole the candy bar from him. He didn't know what to do...


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Search Results
Rogue Specialization
|Rogue only
|Way of the Artificer
Artificer is a specialization of the Rogue class in Dragon Age 3: Inquisition. Specializations in Dragon Age 3
These specialists control the battlefield with deadly traps. Neither they nor their explosive mines are ever where the enemy expects them to be.
How to Become an Artificer
Needs to be earned by competing that Specialization's quest. To obtain the Artificer Specialization you must complete Way of the Artificer. The objectives are as follows:
- Acquire Writing on Artificer Methods.
- Acquire three Alpha Quillback Spines.
- Acquire 20 Obsidian.
- Gather materials to construct tools.
Alpha Quillback Spines may ONLY be found from Alpha Quillbacks at: 1 in Nazaire's Pass, 1 in The Canyons, and 1 in Old Prison Road in The Western Approach. Readings can be found among the belongings of Varric or, if those are unavailable, among the wares of the book merchant in Val Royeaux. You must craft the Tools at an "Inspect Requisition" bench after gathering the materials.
Note: You must complete Specializations for the Inquisitor operation on the War Table in Skyhold.
Artificer Ability Tree
Artificer Abilities
Artificer Active Abilities
Spike TrapYou set a trap that, when an enemy approaches, detonates and flings enemies into the air.
Spike Trap leaves your enemies bleeding for several seconds.
Elemental MinesYou throw out an assortment of different traps in front of you, applying different elemental effects to enemies that come into range.
Fallback PlanYou place a thieves' lantern to mark a fallback location before heading into battle. When the fight gets ugly, you leap back to safety, as healthy as you were when you placed the marker.
Hail of ArrowsYou fire so quickly that enemies will swear there are at least two of you putting arrows into their ranks. While this ability is active, any Archery ability you use is duplicated. This ability consumes and is powered by Focus.
Set Them UpYou've mastered the proper placement of spikes and levers. When you spring any kind of trap, your enemies feel it.
Opportunity KnocksWhen an ally Critically Hits, you take advantage of their success faster with reduced cooldown times.
And Take Them DownYour experience with finding and pointing out enemy vulnerabilities gives the entire party a better chance to land critical hits.
Tricks of the TradeYou help the team make the most of its abilities, increasing the damage and duration of all status effects anyone in the party applies.


text:
|Unique property seeks imaginative owner
|Merida, Yucatan
|REDUCED $25,200. USD. This house has recently had a renovation and now has been reduced in price! NOW only $57,300. USD The title "Unique property seeks imaginative owner" tells it…
|Leroy Osmon
|Leroy Osmon (B.S., M.M., D.M.A) is an internationally-known composer/conductor/educator and businessman who is presently living in Merida, Yucatan where he has had a home for… MORE
|Phone: (999) 920-6856
|Fax: (999) 920-6856
|Cell: (999) 125-6196


text:
Monday, June 22, 2015
20 comments:
- AnonymousJune 22, 2015 at 5:29 PM
Lawl, what exactly happened? Sorry I don't follow American things too muchReplyDelete
XD Good one, Slow!ReplyDelete
Good luck, Republicans only take batshit insane, wealthy, religious people who are defined by their hate. You'll fit in like a Zangoose among Sevipers, and that's perhaps the best compliment one can revieve.ReplyDeleteReplies
- AnonymousJune 22, 2015 at 6:23 PM
Yeah republicans in themsleves are controlled and stupid, though more sensible conservative people (one even running the republican convention to change things) aren't too popular because, in reality their ideas are different, very few things actually seperate Democrats and Republicans, you won't be surprised to find wealthy or batshit insane people in the Democratic side eitherDelete
Also stand with Rand
Indeed, there isn't too much of a difference between the two. Hell, for all that hardcore Republicans like to depict Obama as a "communist", he's probably not even worthy of the "liberal" status the second you step outside of US borders.Delete
Obama is center-right at best. There is no party for liberals or progressives in this country, which is why I'm an Independent. Bernie Sanders as president would be a dream come true.Delete
At least Obama has implemented some progressive policies in his second term, now that he has nothing to lose. Sucks that he's for the TPP and supports NSA spying, but he's being vocal about certain social issues like systemic racism and LGBT rights.
- AnonymousJune 22, 2015 at 9:37 PM
If we're going to be honest neither party is for actual liberals or conservatives (talking trad. liberals and trad. conservatives)Delete
Also I wouldn't say the tradeoff between gay rights and NSA spying support is worth it, most candidates are pure crap anyways, I too vote ind.
Haha, I don't envy Americans one bit. Here in Canada a third party is actually leading the polls and stands a reasonable chance of winning this year's election.Delete
- AnonymousJune 22, 2015 at 10:13 PM
A 3rd party won't rise for a long time unless there's a mass realization on the electorateDelete
The situation is at least partially improving, online stuff, support of parties like the Libertarians, some intresting stuff in state legislatures
- AnonymousJune 25, 2015 at 3:10 AM
Okay, Shadianvice, I want to make something perfectly honest with you. You're being really hypocritical right now. You claim to promote tolerance but you're being extremely intolerant toward Republicans, wealthy individuals and religious people. Calling Republicans "batshit insane, wealthy, religious people who are defined by their hate" is nothing more than hysterical rhetoric and it makes you look extremely immature. I'm trying not to be rude but this is really the only way to put it. I hope that you're more rational next time you feel the need to talk about political issues.Delete
- AnonymousJune 25, 2015 at 3:12 AM
Oops, that was a typo. I meant I wanted to be perfectly honest with you.Delete
Of course the TPP and NSA spying isn't worth any progressive price. Those things and the continuation of pointless war and drone strikes are why I don't like Obama as a president. But he's undoubtedly better than Bush or various other recent conservative presidents.ReplyDeleteReplies
Oops, that was meant to be in the previous comment chain.Delete
Is Canada's politics as volatile as Australia's right now? (i.e. the two major parties are becoming near identical as one another, forcing a move towards a third independent/minor party?)ReplyDeleteReplies
Maybe not in terms of policies, but in terms of corruption, at least. The Liberal Party collapsed in the mid-2000s over a large corruption scandal, and the Conservatives, who got elected based on their promises of transparency, didn't turn out to be any better.Delete
You as a Republican. That would be a sight to see. You being any political party would be a sight to see, given what you'd have to say to appease the big ones. Yeah, the two party system is crap. And for those who say, "Nyeh! There's more than two, you bloody moron!", there's only two that usually get elected, with maybe one or two Independents or other parties thrown in for the sake of variety. The sad thing is that if a non-Democrat or Republican gets a major office/representation (I'm not talking one seat in Congress) in this day and age, that party will just replace one of the ones we have now, be it temporarily like the Whig Party, or permanently, as was the fate of the Federalist Party. This has been White, Middle-Class Guy Complaining About America Theatre...ReplyDelete
But... you aren't an US citizen, Slow! You can't run for US president; you were born in Canada!ReplyDelete
oh wait
Hey, there are a few, very very few, competent Republicans.ReplyDelete
It's just the 90% majority is batshit crazy idiots.
Rand Paul is....decent. Not anywhere near as good as Bernie Sanders, but he's decent. If he got elected, I wouldn't mind. But Bernie Sanders getting elected is a dream come true. On the other hand, the nutcase known as Jeff Boss pursuing the Democratic nomination becoming president would be the end of the US as we know it. Guy thinks the NSA did 9/11.


text:
Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com reports that sources have him informed him that the Cleveland Browns are in fact shopping QB Colt McCoy and are supposedly looking for "minimal compensation" in return for him.
This coincides with previous reports. Yesterday, ESPN's John Clayton tweeted that the Green Bay Packers seem like a logical option, but they seem to like their backup quarterback situation. It will certainly be interesting to see what if any team's show interest in trading for McCoy now that the asking price has come down considerably.
ESPN Cleveland's Tony Grossi spoke with an NFL source who mentions that the Browns decided against releasing QB Colt McCoy following the draft because they didn't want it to see like they were "piling on" him.
Grossi adds that Cleveland will not be looking for much in return for McCoy in the coming because they supposedly wound like to give him "a new team, a new opportunity, to spare him the ignominy of being released."
There's no question that the Browns put him in a very difficult situation to succeed, considering the lack of talent that they surrounded him with. There really hasn't been a lot of interest in him thus far, but that may have had to do with Cleveland's asking price. The Packers were reportedly considering a trade for him, but were only willing to part with a late-round draft pick in return for him.
Cleveland Browns GM Mike Holmgren said that as of "right now" there is no plan to move one of the backup quarterbacks currently on the Browns roster. However, he added that "that's not to say we might not change something," per Tom Reed of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
During the draft the Browns were shopping QB Colt McCoy after selecting QB Brandon Weeden in the first round, but they found almost no interest in such a trade. Seneca Wallace came out and said that he would not be happy remaining as the no. 3 quarterback on the Browns roster, as he feels that he can still be an effective player.
With three quarterbacks on the Browns roster, it does seem like something will happen in the coming months, so this will certainly be one of the main topics surrounding the Browns heading into training camp.


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« The Sentimental Jesus of Tradition v. The Biblical Jesus | Main | The Robert Morrison Project »
What Does the Phrase 'Dead in Sin" Mean?
"And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins" - Ephesians 2:1
"Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)" - Ephesians 2:5
"And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses" - Colossians 2:13
What does the phrase 'dead in sin" mean? What does it mean to be spiritual dead?
Arminian or synergistic arguments against the Calvinist interpretation 'dead in sin' usually go something like this:
well, you make a clear and solid argument for why I am monergistic.
What can I say, but, thank you Jesus for such wisdom imparted to such men! :)
As a digression.
I would be keenly interested in another teaching that develops the demonic "spirit" activity clearly taught in Scripture and where that might play into the blindness that implicitly is in the background of this article?


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Vantec Nexstar Hard Drive Dock ReviewPackaging & Contents »
I would like to thank Vantec for providing the review sample.
This is what Vantec has to say about itself according to their "About Us" web page:
"Founded in 1994, and located in Fremont, CA, Vantec is a leading brand of computer accessories that provides a complete line of Storage, Thermal, and Mobile solutions. We are devoted to every computer user from mainstream to enthusiast. Our goal is to provide a complete and affordable way for all your computing needs.
At Vantec, we strive to be innovative, and with our popular NexStar™ External Hard Drive Enclosure Series, Vantec is leading the scene of the Built-Your-Own-Drive. The bold colors and mirror finish on the NexStar™ 3, changed industry outlook and put back the WOW factor. Vantec set a new standard and personalized it. No longer does an external enclosure have to look boring. Passing the 1 million units milestone in 2007, Vantec continue to expand its successful NexStar™ series along with the EZ-Swap®, LapCool, Stealth, AeroFlow, Tornado and Iceberq lines.
We understand that technology is changing faster than ever, and in 2003, we established a R&D and Sales office in Taiwan. Through this expansion, we are constantly integrating innovative technology to our products. Now with a world wide distribution network, Vantec products can be seen across the globe."
Hard drive enclosures are a great accessory for the digital age. Whether they are used for file transfers, media storage, or system backups these enclosures have made things much easier for the end user. Today we are taking a look at the Nexstar Hard Drive Dock. The goal for this device is to streamline installation and speed up productivity. The Vantec Nexstar Hard Drive Dock NST-D100SU is available only in the white plastic variant that we will be reviewing today.
- Install and Access Hard Drive in Seconds
- Simple to Use Design; No Need to Add Enclosure or Open Case
- Eject Button for Easy Removal of Hard Drive
- Compatible With Any 2.5" or 3.5" SATA I/II Hard Drive
- Add Storage to Any System with USB or eSATA
- Plug & Play
- Attractive Blue LED Power & HD Activity Light
- Transfer Rates Up to 480Mbps w/USB 2.0
- Transfer Rates Up to 3Gb/s w/SATA
Model: NST-D100SU Device Support: SATA Hard Drive Device Size: 2.5" or 3.5" Hard Drive Internal Interface: SATA External Interface: USB 2.0 & eSATA HD Capacity: Up to 1TB Power Supply: Dual 5V/12V 2A Material: Plastic Dimension: 136x83x87 mm
System Requirements:
- Windows 98/SE/ME/2000/XP/Vista
- Mac OS 8.6 & above


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I Captured A Sacred Ise Jingu Early In The Morning
Community member
This place is the most important place to know Japan.
I Captured a sacred Ise Jingu early in the morning.
Ise Jingu,located in Mie Prefectures the most venerated Shinto sanctuary of great spiritual and historical significance, which attracts more than eight million worshippers a year.
This sacred shrine consists of 125 shrines centering on the two main sanctuaries:Naiku and Geku.
Naiku is dedicated to Amaterasu Omikami,the supreme goddess shining like the sun, who is the ancestral kami of the imperial family of japan.
Geku is dedicated to Toyouke Omikami,the deity who offers sacred food to the supreme goddess.
This hallowed ground,surrounded by natural forest, has long been revered as the abode of Amaterasu Omikami,the guardian deity of Japanese people.
Please refer to More info.
More info: isejingu.or.jp
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Our main reception line operates from 9:30am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and can be reached on 0208 767 2777. Our telephone lines can sometimes be very busy - if you are unable to get through, please leave a message and one of our team will endeavour to get back to you as soon as possible.
You can also contact us by email at firstname.lastname@example.com. Please note that we are unable to provide legal advice by email.
Details of our branches can be found on the 'find us' pages.
Should you wish to complain about please follow the steps enclosed here.
South West London Law Centres
5th Floor, Davis House, Robert Street, Croydon, CR0 1QQ


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If you're wondering about the title of this post, it refers to a punny joke my elementary school principal told my class back in the dark ages. It was about a parrot named Enza, and that title was the joke's punch line. (And yes, I do use the term joke rather loosely.)
So, I'm just gonna post a few pics, and then crawl onto the sofa to recuperate. Next Wednesday will be the Insecure Writer's Support Group post, so I'll seeya then. (I'll even let you comment!)
Such an energetic crew.
(Chloe, Atlas, and Ella)
Even the new puppy Cletis wasn't feeling very peppy.
Our daughter-in-law said Atlas (AKA Bud) doesn't like to have his picture taken. Coulda fooled me! I've got lots of pictures of his smiling face... even in this pic of the girls. (I guess that makes him a photo-bomber, eh?)
(Atlas, Ella, Persephone, some fat old broad, Chloe, and Olivia)
We also went to a terrific seafood restaurant in Cyprus Keys while we were there. A little background: a couple months ago, I bought a can of Tony's clam chowder at the grocery store. It was a little pricey, but the label touted it as being award-winning stuff. It's fabulous... but as luck would have it, the next time I went to the store, the soup wasn't there any more. (Dontcha hate that?) Well, would you believe the restaurant we went to on the Gulf was... Tony's... the place that actually makes the chowder! How cool is that? Without a doubt, the chowder they serve in the restaurant is the best we've ever tasted. We weren't at all surprised that it's won multiple international clam chowder competitions. So... we had no choice but to buy a case of their canned stuff and bring it home with us. Life is good.
The day before we left, Ella was starting to feel better.
So hopefully, Smarticus and I will feel better soon, too. For now? The sofa awaits.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.


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Panic Attack and Panic Disorder Medicines
When situation becomes too difficult to handle in case of a panic disorder patient, medication comes to play a significant role. Various medications can reduce and control the panic attacks and panic disorder in patients. However, other natural ways along with usage of medicines prove truly helpful while resolving such disorders. Medication proves to be much effective if combined with various therapies and other lifestyle change techniques.
Medical professionals advise various antidepressants for treating panic disorders and panic attacks. But, this treatment is of a quite long duration as it continues for several weeks and therefore needs to be carried out continuously. In such scenarios, the patients are advised not to stop the medicine usage and continue using the prescribed ones even if there isn't any repetitive panic attack.
Doctors usually advise Benzodiazepines, which are anti-anxiety drugs and have rapid effects on the body during panic attacks and panic disorders. Consumption of these drugs provides a lot of relief from the panic attack symptoms. The only drawback of such medicines is that these are very addictive in nature and come with serious withdrawal symptoms. Therefore, they are advised and used with extra care and precaution.


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I have been praying for something for a long time.
I have been asking God for something for a long time.
I have been working towards that goal, that dream of mine, for a long time.
Three weeks, for the third time getting this close to that dream, the door was quietly shut.
And God said, no.
I don't mind telling you about the dream of mine.
It was to have my artwork licensed.
I've dreamed of walking into Hallmark or a specialty gift shop and see my artwork as greeting cards, home decor, stationary, plaques, etc.
I have worked very hard to reach that goal, like I've said.
I've spent a lot of time and money traveling, working, trying to fit myself in...
I kind of had my whole self-image as an artist wrapped up in that scheme.
It was kind of like I had told myself, "as soon as you are licensed THEN you will really be an artist".
It has taken me over five years to call bullsh*t on that way of thinking.
This time when God said no, I got it.
I already am who i am. I am an artist already.
I am an artist because God gave me the desire, the passion, the ability to create.
Whether or not anyone buys my art.
Whether I have 1000 sales in my etsy shop or 0.
Whether or not a large company wants to manufacture my work and sell it all over the world.
Today I have a new prayer.
"God, please help me be authentic.
Please help me be real.
Please let me make my art in a way that pleases you.
In a way that serves you.
In a way that allows me to follow your path, whatever way that path leads.
Please help me listen carefully to your truth.
Please help me seperate my ego from your voice."
It's a new truth for me.
And it feels really good to let go.
Because when you are dreaming of something, and it doesn't feel good, or right anymore, I think maybe it's God way of telling you to let go.
Have a beautiful weekend, my friends.
See you on Monday.
Oh! and the print is now available here:)


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If you are looking for a new way to celebrate America's birthday - go OLD SCHOOL! Colonial-era Americans knew how to party, so this 4th of July, party like it's 1776. But what does that mean?
We put together some ideas below to make your Independence Day celebration feel more authentic at your Chico apartment.
Topics: 4th of July
Fireworks in Chico
June 20, 2018
Happy 4th of July!
Fireworks, the one event that captures the attention of all ages. It's the time of year to celebrate Independence Day together and gather as a community to watch the dark sky light up in magnificent colors. The feeling of unity it brings to a town is remarkable. Do you remember as a child gathering the kids around your neighborhood and then walking to the end of your street to watch the fireworks in Chico? Everyone waited in eager anticipation for the first "boom" followed by an eye opening display of colors.
Topics: Living in Chico, 4th of July, Summer Activities in Chico
If there's one thing Chico, CA is famous for, it's our incredibly hot summer weather. And although the heat compliments our outdoor adventurous spirit, lush park, and beautiful rivers, it can make moving a bit more challenging. Moving can be a daunting task under the easiest of conditions…add in hot summer days and you might find yourself sizzling with frustration.Don't let the Chico summer get the best of you.
Below are some helpful tips and tricks to battle the heat while you move into your new Chico apartment.
Topics: 4th of July, Moving, Summer Activities in Chico
There are some of us that love to host a party but don't have the time, creativity, or money to actually do it. What most people don't understand is that the best parties are the most creative ones, not the most expensive. So figure out how many people you can fit comfortably in your apartment and start planning your first 4th of July party in apartments in Chico California.
Topics: Apartment Living, 4th of July, Holidays
Are you hoping to have a fun, festive, Fourth of July celebration his year? Independence Day is just around the corner, and we've got some ways you can have one of the most patriotic apartments in Chico California, as well as a few enjoyable ways for you to celebrate.
Topics: Living in Chico, 4th of July, Living in an Apartment, Holidays


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Get more out of your membership. Learn about opportunities available to IAB members.
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Author(s): Ed Taylor
It is Theo's fate to be the son of the drugged-up guitarist from one of the world's biggest rock bands – and that does not make for a happy childhood
Theo is the 10-year-old son of a major rock star. It's the mid-to-late 1980s, and for anyone who knows the history of rock superstardom, it's hard not to map Theo's world on to one of the most notoriously dysfunctional groups on the planet, who were going through a particularly dark period at the time. To be the son of a drugged-up guitarist with the law of several countries on his back and a mother scarcely worthy of the title is Theo's fate, and no amount of Christmases in July can make up for the relentlessly disturbed, invaded and grotesquely sexualised setting that it's his lot to inhabit. Taylor's novel is a sustained howl of confusion and alienation as Theo runs up and down, in and out of the gothic Long Island pile where his father has left him with his grandfather and a useless minder. The blurring of inside and outside speaks of Theo's literal lack of boundaries, and when the big star himself turns up with a large, hedonistic entourage, the taking down of his flimsy inner walls is brutally completed. -The Guardian


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Learn More Study Less: The AdSense story: Looking back at 10 years
Earlier this week, Susan Wojcicki kicked off our 10th anniversary celebration in a live Hangout on Air and shared her thoughts on the future of AdSense. As we mark this important milestone, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on just how far we've come together.
AdSense started out offering only contextually-targeted text ads in 2003, and has evolved significantly since then. We've developed new features and products to help you earn with display, video, mobile web, in-game and custom search ads. With your feedback in mind, we've also added new reports, controls, and even a new interface to make it easier to manage your account.
Let's take a look back at how much we've grown together in the last 10 years.
Thanks for all the support and feedback you've provided us along the way. In the years to come, we'll continue to focus on creating an AdSense that can do even more for you. You've already seen that AdSense is becoming smarter, helping you improve your ad performance; in the future, we'll bring you new features like automatic optimization of your ads in AdSense if you choose.
Please do continue to share your suggestions via our AdSense+ page, and we'll keep innovating (beyond just a hidden anniversary game!) so that you can focus on creating great content.
Posted by Allan Livingston - Group Product Manager, AdSense
Was this blog post useful? Share your feedback with us.


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BRUNSWICK — Pamela A. Given, 50, died Aug. 3 at her home.
Born at Camp Lejun, N.C., on May 11, 1959, she was the daughter of Charles W. and Doris A. (Campbell) Given.
She graduated from Brunswick High School and worked as a first class welder at Bath Iron Works.
Her hobbies included hunting, camping, automotive work and spending time outdoors. She especially enjoyed her dog, "Skeeter," and helping others.
She was predeceased by her parents.
Surviving are her son, Kyle Given and his fiancee, Whitney Thurlow of Brunswick.
Services will be private.
Donations can be made to the Maine Kidney Foundation, 470 Forest Ave., Suite #302, Portland, ME 04101.
Arrangements are by Brackett Funeral Home, 29 Federal St., Brunswick.
Condolences can be expressed at www.brackettfuneralhome.com.
Sidebar Elements


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...bubbling with fedora-topped hipsters.
...home to a two-page cocktail menu.
...somewhere where ordering a "gin martini" gets you a dirty/quizzical look.
Yes, you have the 'Pork Slap' beer in cans, 'kimchee' hot dogs, and beef jerky, all nods to several hipster trends. But they seem unforced here, and somehow the fluid soundtrack of what might be called Hipster-Plus music is a relaxed musical background, with Roky Erickson's 'You're Gonna Miss Me' and the Velvet's 'Pale Blue Eyes' in rotation. The bartender, Tom Brown, is a slow-walkin', slow-talkin' kind of guy-evoking the stolid John Wayne character in 'The Quiet Man'. You will rarely see him rush, but he also never languishes, and the gin martini gets a nice stir and an artful twist. He is a reservoir of drinks info, but doesn't seem to dwell on the ephemera that sometimes makes ordering a cocktail in a 'cocktail bar' such a chore. When one orders a gin martini, one doesn't get a questionnaire to fill out-gin? vermouth? olives? Brown makes the drink simply and with purpose-Beefeater, Dolin vermouth, orange bitters. The lemon twist is freshly shaved and spiraled into the glass.
On earlier visits, several Negroni's were all differently, yet precisely prepared for different, yet precise reasons. The $3 beef jerky's not bad, actually, it goes well with the gin. And there are classy Marcona almonds ($3) to munch on while silently nodding post-hipster assent to the next 'nugget' scratching its way out of the sound system. On an early Saturday night, The Passenger, named after the 1977 Iggy Pop song, has the laid-back charisma of the mercurial singer, with its star-in-the-making, Tom Brown, looking like he just might stage-dive at any moment.
The Passenger
1021 7th Street, NW
Washington, D.C.


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This time we got Heiko and Pete talking with us about JUDCon Berlin and Heiko's work on the Errai project.
As usual we also cover short news from the JBoss Community, but if you've wondered what Errai actually is and what it brings to the table then take a listen from about 30 minutes in, Heiko outlines it all in this episode.
Get it here


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Last weekend's picnic set find has me so excited to go on a picnic! We've been eating at home more and Kyle brought flowers home for me at lunch today, so this seems to line up pretty well with out current food plans and romance levels. I hunted around on Etsy for more picnic supplies and added some clothes and accessories from Etsy and my clothing and shoe stores (Old Navy and Payless).
Hope you enjoy!
1. Picnic Throw Quilt Rag Sweet Nothings pink by southerncharmquilts; 2. Individual Picnic Blanket/Stadium Blanket by FromChaosToCreations; 3. vintage mid century sirram picnic basket by DACAIS on Etsy; 4. Vintage Picnic Basket Upcycled Handpainted by SweetMagnoliasFarm; 5. Waterproof Picnic Blanket Oversized Stumptown Original by PoBa; 6. MidCentury Picnic Tumblers by thewhitepepper on Etsy; 7. Picnic Jug Faris Deluxe Rustproof Aluminum by stuffgalore on Etsy; 8. set of vintage picnic plates by krankyk on Etsyset of vintage picnic plates by krankyk on Etsy.
I love those mid-century tumblrs and the bright colors of the plates and chevron blanket! And the vintage sirrum picnic basket (the one that looks like a suitcase) is so romantic. I can just imagine a couple — outfitted in a crisp white shirt with slacks and a tie and yellow checkered dress — biking to a secluded picnic location.
Speaking of outfitted… I know Boho is the hottest style trend this season and I'm so excited about it. My mom has always called me her little bohemian, in part because I pick up the weird habits of my father's bohemian heritage, but the clothing and styles are so flattering with my figure and long curly hair.
9. Women's Printed-Chiffon Dresses at Old Navy; 10. Yellow Sunshine On My Skin Blair Warren BR Dress by DustandDaze; 11. The Boho Band Double Strand Bohemian Braid by adelitakelly on Etsy; 12. linen Asymmetric women divided skirts by MaLieb on Etsy; 13. Choose any 3Braided Leather Headbandwedding by MonTravail on Etsy; 14. Upcycled sari silk tie bracelet red blue green by pebblesandchance; 15. American Eagle Whitney Sandal at Payless Shoes; 16. Boho Ring Turquoise Jewelry Wire Wrapped by DistortedEarth.


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When I shared the first post about Prayers for Girls on October 30, 2015, I had no idea how many women would respond. Every month more moms sign up to receive the free calendars and I get emails from women sharing how praying has impacted them and their families.
Prayer is powerful. Prayer in community is beautiful.
That's why I'm so excited to announce this:
Every month members of the #girlMOMS community will receive even more encouragement, support, and resources as they invest in their daughters' lives. #girlMOMS is for the mom who says, "I want more — for my girl and for me." This content will be carefully created and curated … a small investment for a huge return.
I've been gathering ideas and suggestions from moms … asking what you want and how I can better help you. And wow! There are some fabulous thoughts about ways to encourage and inspire you. One thing I know is this:
The moms who are part of Prayers for Girls are committed not just to the spiritual growth and well-being of their girls but also to their own desire to mature and dig deep into the things of God.
And let me just say—you are my people!!
Over the next few months I'll be sharing more about #girlMOMS in my emails so make sure you are subscribed. And, please, be praying … this is a huge endeavor and I'm equal parts thrilled and terrified to see where God is leading.
Teri Lynne


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George Washington helped with the car line and Betsy Ross worked on the safety patrol at Pembroke Lakes Elementary School in Pembroke Pines.
The nation's first president and the woman credited with making the first American flag were channeled by fifth-grade students participating in an electronic field trip that took them to colonial times.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation e-field trips, now in their 12th year in 60 Broward schools thanks to funding by BrightStar Credit Union, provide interactive lessons to classrooms nationwide.
"It's an addition to their curriculum," said Marjuree Larin, a BrightStar marketing specialist who dressed as a colonial-era...


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And thus worthy of its own thread.
Five years of context:
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A new work week begins–Fun!
I have made a real effort to be organized this morning. I got the brilliant idea of getting everything together to leave for work before I sit down to have coffee and write. In theory, this means I can jump up from my completed blog, throw a couple of things in my backpack, pull out the bike and hit the road just as soon as I am finished posting the blog.
Usually I reverse that. I sit down, drink coffee, blog, notice the time, shout OMG! and then run in circles for more than several minutes. It is a pathetic sight to behold.
Then, oops, I am too late to workout at the gym! Shucks. Tsk tsk.
That has really got to stop.
Here's why–I am fat.
How fat am I? None of your damn business!
But I can tell you I am fat enough that my largest pants are too tight on me. This is what you call a "pants crisis." Why? Well, because in so many situations in life, I am obligated to wear pants.
Maybe some of you have one of those cushy, pants-optional jobs, but I do not.
Which reminds me, did you know in California it is illegal for an employer to ban the wearing of pants for any one group of people? You can ban everyone from wearing pants or you can ban no one from wearing pants, but it is one or the other. Fortunately, when my employer ventured into California, this law did not upset our business model. Pants all 'round!
I remember an episode of The Simpsons wherein Homer purposely gained weight so his employer would have to accommodate his morbid obesity as a handicap and let him work from home. Homer started wearing a mu mu and, being Homer, he left his home workstation under the care of one those drinking bird things with the little felt hat. Homer's at home job required him to push one button on a keyboard at certain intervals, so the drinking bird was pretty capable of handling the job. Unfortunately, the bird fell over, failing to push the button and hilarity ensued. It is a cartoon, after all.
I don't want to replace pants with a mu mu. I know without having tried it, that it is not a good look for me. I just want the pants I already own to stop trying to severe me in two.
I know there is another option–buy new pants. I don't like that option. First of all, I hate shopping for pants. Secondly, I would have to buy a LARGER size. somehow that just feels like a slippery slope leading to daily consumption of a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts and the next thing you know, I am fused to the couch.
I really wasn't intending to confess all of this in my blog. But it is on my mind, so this is what came out. Now that it is "out there" that means there are other people who are aware that I am angsting over this, so I will feel more accountable for my actions.
"Oh, sure, Bill. Reach for that Snickers bar. It will make for a delightful anecdote in tomorrow's blog. Wash it down with some bourbon and a shot of half and half while you're at it."
That was an example of my conscience speaking there. He talks to me all the time, but is usually drowned out by the other voices. As you can see, my conscience is very sarcastic. I have no idea where he gets that from…
If you struggle with weight issues, I would never mock you mercilessly the way I am more than willing to mock myself. So, please don't be offended by any of the heartless digs and fat jokes I may throw my own direction.
So, I am off to the gym this morning. Working out for the first time in much too long. Giving up the Snickers and bourbon (although they are two of nature's most perfect comfort foods) and other delicacies from the Couch Fusing Food Group.
Wish me luck.
Happy Monday!


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Tower Quest is a 5 reel slot that is a low to medium's medium variance game. With no sign of fluffy and adorable chicks this slot shows players ferocious orcs, fiery dragons, evil wizards and cunning elves and between all of these there is a theoretical average return to the player of 96%. The slot re-establishes itself with the Dark Tower symbol which is the wild and appears stacked. The scatter symbol is depicted by a red potion and when players collect 10, 20 or 30 of these they will activate one of the three possible bonuses. Empowered Wilds, Wild Adventurers and Everburning Wilds with all of these features offering five different freebies and also all have different specials such as three times multipliers, extra wilds and sticky wilds at the beginning of each spin. The blue potions works similarly and the players need twice as less units to trigger the features of The Tower, Battle of the Wilds and Towers of Dark Power bonuses.
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CHARLESTON, W.Va. – As summer fades and the seasonal flu season begins, West Virginia Superintendent of Schools of Jorea Marple is urging schools to focus on good hand hygiene, covering coughs and sneezes while encouraging annual flu vaccinations for students, families and staff. This year, the flu season includes not only the usual influenza with the H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu, but a variant H3N2 virus.
Marple's guidance is based on recommendations issued by The Centers for Disease Control when it comes to addressing concerns about H3N2. The H3N2 flu is usually not spread from human to human but only from swine to human. Only three cases of H3N2 have been reported in West Virginia this year.
"Concern about swine flu is understandable," Marple said. "Parents and educators alike are worried about the effect of the seasonal flu and H3N2 flu on our families and our communities. Our concern is that we keep our children and families safe while disrupting their educations as little as possible."
Many of the recommendations for preventing the spread of H3N2 are similar to preventing the spread of seasonal flu. Precautionary steps include
Closing schools because of flu is seldom necessary. CDC guidelines leave such decisions up to local communities, but urge communities to weigh the very real harm of school closings against the potential harms of increased flu spread. In West Virginia, schools and communities are encouraged to work closely with their local health officer and health departments when making decisions related to public health. Things to consider include excessive absenteeism among students or staff, if a large number of kids are visiting the school health office or being sent home during the day with flu-like symptoms, or for other reasons that affect the school's ability to function.
For more information, contact the Office of Communication at (304) 558-2699.


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Take a fresh look at the enigmatic story of a young American hiker named Chris McCandless, the accomplished son of successful middle class parents, who was found dead in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness and became the subject of the best-selling Jon Krakauer book and Sean Penn-directed movie Into the Wild. McCandless' letters, released for the first time, as well as new and surprising interviews, probe the mystery that still lies at the heart of a compelling story that has become part of the American literary canon.
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The Great British Baking Show: Desserts


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Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
The M.A. in TESOL is an intensive program that can be completed in four quarters. It is designed to foster the awareness, understanding, and skills necessary for the effective teaching of English to speakers of other languages. Through study in language, pedagogy, and culture, it prepares educators to work with adult language learners in the United States and abroad. Graduates are qualified to work in colleges and universities, private institutes, and programs and schools in the United States and abroad that provide instruction in English.
Admission Requirements
Pre- or co-requisites to completion of the program include an upper-division linguistics course and intermediate-high proficiency in a second language. The language proficiency requirement may be met in one of three ways:
- Thirty quarter credits of college courses in a second language with a minimum 3.0 GPA in those courses,or
- Intermediate-high score on the Diagnostic ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview, or
- Intermediate-high score on the Diagnostic ACTFL Writing Proficiency Test.
International students whose first language is not English automatically meet this proficiency prerequisite. Applicants can be admitted to the program without this background, but they will be required to gain it while enrolled in the program. Students who do not have the prerequisites or who have assistantships are strongly encouraged to complete the program over a two-year period due to the challenging workload.
Applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a minimum TOEFL score of 570 paper-based (230 computer-based/88 internet-based) or IELTS score of 6.5; those with a baccalaureate degree from an accredited U. S. university may opt for a satisfactory TOEFL or GRE score.
If the applicant's native language is English, scores for the GRE general test are required.
Teaching Assistantships are available for qualified students. For TA applicants, a writing sample is required on topic of student's own choosing (7-10 pages).
Course of Study
Our TESOL program can be completed sequentially in four quarters. The time required for completion may be longer if the student chooses the thesis option, holds an assistantship, or must fulfill pre- or co-requisites. Students who do not have the pre-requisites or who have assistantships are strongly advised to complete the program over a two-year period due to the challenging workload.
General Requirements of the Program: The program consists of 45 credits, as outlined below, and offers both a thesis and an exam option.
Thesis or Exam Option: The thesis option requires candidates to write a thesis and pass a one-hour oral examination over the thesis. In order to choose the thesis option, students must have GPA of 3.75 or higher in the program. If the exam option is chosen, students must pass a comprehensive written examination and take an additional approved elective. In order to prepare for the exam, students will register for two credits of ENG 596.
Two-year Schedule of Classes
Required Courses (35 credits)
Required Courses (35 credits)
ENG 531 Principles and Practices of TESOL (5)
ENG 532 Phonetics and Phonology (5)
ENG 533 Second Language Acquisition (5)
ENG 535 Linguistics, Literature, and TESOL (5)
ENG 537 Pedagogical Grammar & Discourse I (5)
ENG 538 Pedagogical Grammar and Discourse II (5)
ENG 592 Practicum (2)
ENG 592 Practicum (3)
Thesis Option:
ENG 700 Master's Thesis/Project (6)
Department-approved elective (4)
Exam Option:
ENG 596 Individual Study (Exam Preparation) (2)
Department-approved electives (8)
Total: 45 credits


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Putting PowerPoint on the Web
Often, a company or individual will want to make their PowerPoint presentations available to the general public via the Web. This article will investigate three tactics for translating content between these two mediums, including PowerPoint's ability to export a slideshow as HTML and an excellent third-party solution.
Before anything, you'll need a web server to place your files. If you already run a website, or if you have someone else running your website (like your company's IT person), you're good to go. There are numerous free hosting services, chief among them Yahoo's Geocities, which are fairly simple to set up. All the HTML is automatically generated, so unless you want to customize the web pages, you won't need to know any complicated web technology, so don't worry.
Save, Drop and Link
This method is simple, but inelegant. Save your PowerPoint file, drop it on your server, and link directly to it. Your link would look something like this: http://www.yourdomain.com/yourfile.ppt.
The "PPT" extension is important because it tells the browser this is not a normal HTML file and cannot be opened like a web page; instead, when anyone types in the URL, the file should load in PowerPoint. If the user does not have that program, they will need to install the PowerPoint 2003 Viewer, which is a free download from Microsoft's site.
Since it cannot be assumed your audience will own a copy of PowerPoint, or even be willing or able to install the viewer, this is a cumbersome way to distribute your file. Also, since the slides have not been optimized for the web, your presentation will retain the full file size, which will be considerable if there are many graphics.
Export HTML
PowerPoint's ability to export a presentation as HTML files is a much better way to get your material on the web. Although more elegant than the first method, it is still fraught with noticeable deficiencies, and can backfire with anyone not using Internet Explorer.
First, save your presentation. Then, go to File > Save As Web Page. At this point, you could easily just hit "Save" and be done with it; PowerPoint will create the HTML page and source files that will work perfectly in Internet Explorer. But if you try to load this page in any other browser such as Netscape, Opera or Mozilla Firefox, you'll get an error caused by proprietary filters Microsoft employs in the conversion.
To circumvent this, File > Save As Web Page and click the button "Publish." This will bring up a new dialog. In the second section titled "Browser Support," click the second radio button, which supports IE or Netscape 3.0 or later. This code is cleaner and retains all functionality except for full-screen mode.
A True PowerPoint to Web Solution
As so often happens, it took a third-party to develop the tool PowerPoint should have had from the beginning. In this case, the University of Illinois has built an extremely versatile add-in called the Accessible Web Publishing Wizard, which gives any Microsoft Office application the ability to export data as standard, non-proprietary HTML.
Specifically, the tool converts your PowerPoint into five unique HTML pages:
- Text Only Version (slides with only text, but contains links to images)
- Text Mostly Version (slides with text and graphics, but no backgrounds)
- Graphic Version (reproduction of actual PowerPoint—full text and graphics)
- Outline Version (one long page with all the outline notes)
- Handout Version (formatted for printing)
(I am not employed by or affiliated with the University of Illinois in any way, but I should tell you that the software costs $39.95 with a limited-functionality demo available. Money well spent, in my opinion, since it also works with Word and Excel.)
Translating PowerPoint to the Web is not difficult at all, but there are definite best practices to consider. While Microsoft's tool does an adequate job of slapping together some mediocre and outdated code that can work, U of I has produced a truly great product that generates markup that can not only be read by anyone on any browser, but is future-proof in its simplicity.
commentary + criticism
I wanted to say thank you for reviewing the Accessible Web Publishing Wizard for Microsoft Office. I am a member of the Wizard staff here at the U of I and have been reviewing the places that have taken the time to review our software. I would like to ask permission to use your comments about the Wizard. Your website notes Copyright Kevin Potts, is this the individual I should attribute credit to for this article? For your information, we released a new version of the Wizard in October 2005 with another version planned to be released early spring 2006. I look forward to hearing from you.


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I've kinda been stuck in this snowman mood and that seems to be all I've made lately but I think this is going to be the last one for awhile. I've got weird and whacky and kinda cute bunnies in my head and a scarecrow begging to be finished ..... lol poor guy.
This is "Bluebird". I'm not that crazy about clowns but it's what this snowman wanted to be so there ya go, the art wins out again.
I used more of that yummy ribbon my Mom and I found after Christmas. I just love the stuff and can now understand why so many of you use it as well.
Okay, back to work. If I don't start working on that scarecrow he's gonna ...... shutter .......
SOLD ... Thank you Paul!
Friday, February 26, 2010
Who loves a clown?
3 comments:
- Marie S said...
Love that clown snowman with the bluebird of happiness on his head. He does look bit worried about that little bird though.
Have a great weekend.
- February 26, 2010 at 11:25 AM
- Diana Meade said...
Hi Tamara,
You get the most fabulous expressions out of your snowmen. I can just imagine how this guy feels. I am not sure he is thinking that this is the blue bird of paradise landing on his head. ;o)
I love him! Great job. Made me laugh. Have a great day. Diana
- February 26, 2010 at 11:57 AM
- Baroness Bijoutery said...
Oh I love your Clown..Your work is Beautiful...
- February 26, 2010 at 10:29 PM
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Measure your Teens Obesity /Extra Weight and Prevention
Childhood obesity is one of the most critical public health problems today and threatens to reverse the last half century's gains in reducing cardiovascular (CVD) disease and death.'Our nation needs immediate action to prevent excess weight gain in all our children and to treat children and adolescents who are already overweight or at risk of developing obesity",told an expert of pediatrics and environmental health .
Results of several studies shown that abdominal obesity, in particular, has increased dramatically in U.S. kids and teens, especially in older teens. For kids and teens who are overweight, getting more physical activity and eating more vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products, and lean proteins may help reduce excess weight gain.Poor nutrition and physical inactivity together are the second leading cause of premature and preventable death ? after tobacco.
Obese children under three years of age without obese parents are at low risk for obesity in adulthood, but among older children, obesity is an increasingly important predictor of adult obesity, regardless of whether the parents are obese. Parental obesity more than doubles the risk of adult obesity among both obese and nonobese children under 10 years of age.
20.3% of Florida high school students reported eating 5 or more servings of fruits or vegetables each day during the past 7 days. 65.5 % of high school students reported watching TV for 2 or more hours on an average school day (pediatricians recommend no more than 1 to 2 hours per day) 32.8 % of high school students reported playing video games or using the computer for fun on an average school day.
One study in the Annals of Internal Medicine reports that teenage girls who are obese run a three-fold greater risk of premature death in middle age.
According to one survey, 10.3% of teenage girls and 6.9% of boys with chronic illness, such as diabetes or asthma, had an eating disorder. Some recent research suggests an endocrinological link between obesity, diabetes, and eating disorders.Binge eating (without purging) is most common in type 2 diabetes and, in fact, the obesity it causes may even trigger this diabetes in some people.
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a measure of body fatness. It is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilogrammes by their height in metres squared.Obese children are likely to suffer from sleep apnea a breathing disorder that causes a brief interruption of breathing during sleep.
- Below the 5th percentile for their age are considered underweight.
- Equal to or above the 85th percentile for their age are at risk for being overweight.
- Equal to or above the 95th percentile for their age are considered overweight. A child who has continuously been in the 85th, 90th, or 95th percentile range is probably growing normally (homeostasis) for his or her body type. A child who has a large upward change in BMI percentile, even if not considered overweight, should be evaluated to determine the cause.
BMI Percent is the weight indicator used for children and teens. It is an indicator that compares calculated BMI to all other children of the same age and sex. For example, a child whose BMI is at the 50th percentile means that 50 percent of children of the same age and sex have a lower BMI. A child is at risk for overweight if his or her BMI is between the 85th and 95th percentile and is overweight if his or her BMI is greater than or equal to the 95th percentile.
A new analysis of a major study of childhood nutrition shows that early sexually-maturing girls are more likely than other girls to be obese, while in boys early developers are less likely to be obese than other males."This suggests that sexual maturity might have different biological influences on growth in weight and height in boys and girls," expert said. "During the growth process in boys, more energy may be devoted toward height than to the development of fat tissue, while early-maturing girls are more likely to store extra energy intake as fat tissue."
Study found that major race/ethnicity groups differ when it comes to the top three health concerns for children as well. While white adults list smoking, drug abuse and alcohol abuse at their top three concerns, black adults rate teen pregnancy, smoking and drug abuse, and Hispanic adults rank smoking, drug abuse and childhood obesity as the three major health problems for children.
For healthy children with normal blood pressure, prevention of obesity is thought to be the most important approach to maintain normal left ventricular mass. However, for children with established left ventricular hypertrophy.Researchers are urging more frequent blood pressure testing and weight assessment and, in some cases, an echocardiogram in teenagers. Both studies found that thickening of the heart walls -- called left ventricular hypertrophy -- is common in teens who have high blood pressure and obesity.
Preventive measure:
Obesity is also an issue fraught with emotion and a potential for stigmatization, making it extremely difficult to discuss with patients. Significant behavior change is required to prevent obesity and diabetes, both for patients and teens.Access food nutrition, goal-setting, physical activity, and encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
Teens who are most physically active and consume the most calories are the leanest, researchers said.The take-home message would be to encourage your child to do as much vigorous physical activity as possible, including at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity on a daily basis.This allows your child to eat more calories, which encourages more healthy eating habits while remaining in energy balance.Make sure your kid gets outside during daylight hours. You could make it a policy in your family that unless the weather is bad, your children play outdoors after school. This encourages physical activity, and rules out the inactive pursuits of TV and other media.
The higher the concentration of poverty within a community, the fewer the supermarkets.One study found that children who lived in metropolitan areas where fruits and vegetables were relatively expensive gained significantly more weight than children who lived where fruits and vegetables were cheaper.
Television ads, the internet, games, and strategic product placement strongly influence children to prefer and request high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and beverages. over 80 percent of food products aimed at children are of poor nutritional quality.
Recommendations for prevention of overweight and obesity during childhood and adolescence include:
- The best way to have a healthy weight is prevention. Be sure your family has healthy habits from the beginning, and prevent yourself and your children from becoming overweight. It is much easier to maintain a healthy weight than it is to lose weight. So whole family effort is most impotent.
- Gradually work to change family eating habits and activity levels rather than focusing on a child's weight.
- Be a role model. Parents who eat healthy foods and participate in physical activity set an example so that a child is more likely to do the same.
- Encourage physical activity. Children should have 60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. More than 60 minutes of activity may promote weight loss and subsequent maintenance. But that doesn't mean 60 solid minutes at a stretch. Shorter, repeated bursts of activity during the day can help burn calories, too.
- Reduce "screen" time in front of the television and computer to less than two hours daily.
- Encourage children to eat when hungry and to eat slowly.
- Encourage your teen to scale back and stop eating when he or she is full.Encourage your teen also to replace even one bag of chips a day with a healthier grab-and-go option from home:
- Frozen grapes
- Oranges, strawberries or other fresh fruit
- Sliced red, orange or yellow peppers
- Cherry tomatoes
- Baby carrots
- Low-fat yogurt or pudding
- Pretzels
- Graham crackers
- String cheese
- Mealtimes should be family times! Create a relaxed atmosphere around mealtime. Eat slowly and enjoy your food. Eat together as a family, and don't watch TV during meals
- Avoid using food as a reward or withholding food as a punishment.
- Keep the refrigerator stocked with fat-free or low-fat milk, fresh fruit, and vegetables instead of soft drinks and snacks high in sugar and fat.
- Use rewards when your child meets their weekly goals. Rewards could be special time with you doing an activity your child enjoys or a special toy.
- Have your child keep a record of their food intake and exercise. This will allow them to be more self-aware of their behavior. Then look at the record together, one-on-one, and go over it. Give them positive feedback
- Serve at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
- Encourage children to drink water rather than beverages with added sugar, such as soft drinks, sports drinks, and fruit juice drinks.
- Weight and body image can be delicate issues — especially for teenage girls. When it comes to teen weight loss, remind your teen that there's no single ideal and no perfect body. The right weight for one person might not be the right weight for another.Rather than talking about "fat" and "thin," encourage your teen to focus on practicing the behaviors that promote a healthy weight.
- BMI is used to screen for overweight, at risk of overweight, or underweight. However, BMI is not a diagnostic tool. For example, a child may have a high BMI for age and sex, but to determine if excess fat is a problem, a health care provider would need to perform further assessments. These assessments might include skinfold thickness measurements, evaluations of diet, physical activity, family history, and other appropriate health screenings.
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Death From the Skies: 2016 Edition
Steve Hsu links to this report on the lessons of war in the Ukraine. The main take aways seem to be that Ukraine has been a testing ground for new technology, weapons, and tactics, and the Russians have taken several major steps forward. New command and control systems linking unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) [drones] to devastating fire control and delivery have fundamentally reshaped the battlefield. Some excerpts:
Shortly before dawn on the morning of July 11, 2014, elements of Ukraine's 24th Mechanized Brigade met a catastrophic end near the Ukrainian border town of Zelenopillya. After a mass rocket artillery barrage lasting just three minutes, the combat power of two battalions of the 24th Mechanized Brigade was gone. What remained was a devastated landscape, burning vehicles and equipment, 30 dead and 90 wounded. According to multiple accounts, the Ukrainians were on the receiving end of a new and dangerous Russian weapon: the 122-mm Tornado Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS). Capable of covering a wide fire area with a deadly combination of Dual-Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICMs), scatter mines and thermobaric warheads, the attack had not only destroyed the combat power of the Ukrainian forces, it offered a glimpse into the changing nature of Land Warfare in Europe. The battlefield was becoming deadlier...
(Lesson 1) Send in the Drones: During the Russo-Georgian War (2008), Russian forces woefully underutilized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for ISR missions—creating a deficiency of real-time reconnaissance and targeting in the battlespace. Now in Ukraine, Russia has changed course. It has fully embraced the use of drones and— significantly—fielded high-tech ECM suites to deny the use of UAVs to opposing forces. As such, the use of ISR from drones and sensor nets has been a game-changer for Russia's mass strike fire missions (see below), providing real-time surveillance and targeting for artillery and MLRS units. Indeed, the lag between the appearance of a Russian drone and a subsequent artillery attack can now be as short as 15 minutes.2
(Lesson 2) Indirect fire is the Queen of Battle (again): New MLRS systems like the Tornado, as well as other older variants like the 122-mm Grad, mobile howitzers and mortars, are making mass fire barrages relatively cheap and lethal for Russia. This is especially true for thermobaric and DPICM payloads. In Ukraine, artillery has become so deadly it has accounted for 70-85 percent of all causalities (on both sides). The extensive use of indirect fire in Ukraine—coupled with the static nature of the fighting—has brought about a return to trench warfare, artillery duels, and the use of indirect fire to disperse and destroy concentrated land forces—methods more familiar to European Land Warfare in the early 20th century.3
(Lesson 3) Heavy tanks are back in business: One legacy of the Yom Kippur War was the wide-spread adoption of reactive armor to defend against ATGMs. Tandem-charge ATGM warheads (features of the Spike, Javelin, and TOW-II missiles) were designed to counter this defense. In Ukraine (and most recently Syria), Russia has taken the next step in this cycle by equipping some of its most advanced main battle tanks with an active protection system against missiles. The results have been compelling. During the battle for Donetsk, for example, Ukrainian anti-tank crews dubbed it the "magic shield," which inexplicably protected Russian T-90s on the battlefield.4 The net impact of this system has been to decrease the relative combat power of anti-tank infantry and increase the shock and survivability of Russian heavy armor. Russian 9A52-4 MLRS. Credit - Vitaly V. Kuzmin. 3 LAND WARFARE
(Lesson 4) RIP last-gen IFV: Perhaps the biggest causality on the battlefield is the Soviet-era IFV. These vehicles are becoming death traps for mechanized infantry. In Ukraine, BMPs and BTRs provide obsolete protection against thermobaric warheads and other dangers from mines, artillery and ATGMs. The vulnerability is so great that Ukrainian mechanized infantry now ride into combat on-top of their vehicles, rather than inside them; and tend to dismount far from the battle line. Unfortunately, this practice also exposes slow moving, dismounted infantry to indirect fire and mass strike artillery—thus closing the loop on Russia's new warfighting techniques (namely the convergence of drones, ISR and lethal indirect fire). NATO armies take note: last-gen IFVs and BMPs are prolific in Western inventories.5 This could lead to unacceptably high casualty rates for NATO's mechanized infantry in the event of a future Land Warfare scenario.
Bottom line: Russia is back, and decades of underinvestment have left Western Europe woefully unprepared.