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Hello everyone! Today is the fourth instalment of my six part blog series, with each update discussing a different place I've travelled to! Where was I for a week in November 2012? Orlando, Florida!
A week before Grade 12 midterms my father, brother and I boarded a plane at the Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport (unfortunately my mother is a teacher and couldn't get the time off work), and flew down to Orlando Florida for seven days. I have to say, studying for midterms under the shade of a palm tree is much more enjoyable than shivering & studying in your cold house, trying to keep warm during the dropping November temperatures!
Why Orlando, Florida?
- My dad goes on a lot of business trips. Hawaii, San Francisco, Banff, Chicago… You name it. If it's in North America, he's probably been there. Lucky for him, right? Lucky for my brother and I, my dad trusts us enough to come along on his business trips once a year and entertain ourselves while he's in conferences during the day, then we all go out as a family in the evenings! Florida was one of these business trips. With the hotel and food already covered, why would we not join along for the adventure?
- Ever since I was a child, I had always wanted to experience "The most magical place on Earth!"… Disney World. As our hotel was on Disney property, this was the perfect opportunity to fulfill this goal, and enjoy the beautiful weather Florida has to offer.
What did we do for the week?
- Enjoy the sun. Not many Winnipeggers can say they've gotten a sun tan in the middle of November! While my dad was in conferences, Brendon and I hung around the pool, explored the resort, and simply enjoyed our week in the sun!
- Go to theme parks. Florida is known as a tourist hotspot, since it is home to one of the most popular attractions in the world! Walt Disney World Resort, which is comprised of four theme parks, two water parks, a Disney-dedicated downtown shopping area and twenty-one hotels, is forty square miles, or the size of San Francisco. You heard me, a destination created for tourists is the size of one of the most densely populated cities in the United States! As if Disney World isn't exciting enough, Universal Studios is just around the corner. This is where you can experience rides and attractions based on movies/shows that were produced by Universal Studios, including The Hulk, Despicable Me, The Simpsons, and Harry Potter!
What was my favourite experience in Florida?
- Attending the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios, and the Animal Kingdom in Disney World! One of my deepest, darkest secrets is the fact that I'm a crazed Harry Potter fan… Re-reading the books? Midnight movie screenings? Dressing up as a witch at the theatre? Collecting memorabilia? Yup, that's me. The following day we headed to Disney World's Animal Kingdom. After one eight hour day, we still hadn't seen everything in the park! As I love thrilling rides, my favourite one at Disney World was Expedition Everest. It was a wooden roller coaster that took you through a Yeti's cavernous lair… You traveled up a mountain to the edge of a cliff. Seeing the jagged, broken tracks at the end I though we were all going to fly off the coaster until it screeched to a halt, and went through the whole ride backwards! Other than that amazing ride, I enjoye going on an animal safari where I saw elephants, rhinos,zebras, lions and giraffes (My long lost relative) roam throughout their natural habitat that had been created for them! To end off an amazing day, a fireworks show erupted behind the glittering Disney castle at Magic Kingdom around 11pm. It was truly one of the most spectacular sights I've ever seen.
So, Orlando, Florida is where I was for a week in November 2012! If you're a thrill seeker, exploring all the amazing rides and excursions these parks have to offer is definitely something you have to do! Another option would be to apply for the Disney International College Program, like my friend Erica did this summer… This program provides students pursuing a post-secondary education the opportunity to spend their summer holidays in Florida, working at a Disney World resort! She seems to be having the time of her life… But I mean living in Florida for the summer? Who wouldn't like that!
Until next time,


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A suburban man was killed and another injured this morning when the car they were in crashed on Interstate 88 near Oak Brook, authorities said.
A spokeswoman for the DuPage County coroner's office said the 29-year-old man's name was not being released as of this afternoon, pending notification of his family.
A 2006 Ford Mustang was heading west on I-88 just east of the Oakbrook Center shopping mall when its driver lost control, struck a guardrail and went into a ditch, said Illinois State Police Tollway District Master Sgt. Tim Moore. The car then flipped and one man was ejected.
Both men, age 29 and of the suburbs, were taken to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, where one man was pronounced dead and another's condition was not life threatening, according to Moore.
The wreck happened at 4:55 a.m., said Moore, who did not know what caused the crash or if weather factors had contributed.
Traffic was tied up until about 8 a.m. and the Mustang had to be towed from the scene.
No citations had been written as of early this afternoon as police are still trying to determine which man was driving.

subset: commoncrawl


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Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Listen to the podcast now:
Book Summary:
- Two systems: System 1 = fast, intuitive ; System 2 = slower, more deliberate and logical
- WYSIATI (what you see is all there is)
- Causal errors, statistical illiteracy, and loss aversion
Daniel Kahneman, the renowned psychologist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics, takes us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think. System 1 is fast, intuitive, and emotional; System 2 is slower, more deliberative, and more logical. The impact of overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulties of predicting what will make us happy in the future, the profound effect of cognitive biases on everything from playing the stock market to planning our next vacation—each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems shape our judgments and decisions.
Our Cocktail Party Statements:
Aaron: Thinking long and hard is good.
Phil: If you want a great book on thinking, do yourself a favor and buy Gladwell's book.
Karin: This author is David Brook's ugly stepsister.
Our Cocktail Party Index:
What's this? Explanation of the CPI.


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The bow is looking more like a bow now, the horn nocks are on, but not polished and the tips are much slimmer.
I've got it up to full brace and the tiller is coming along, the lower limb is still a tad stiff.
You can see from the unbraced pic the bow still has some reflex, it needs a stringer to get it braced and even then it's a bit of a heave!
One pic shows a nice blush of colour round a filled knot.
I've done some more work on it and it's looking good and pulling 60# at 27". By the time I've scraped and sanded out the tool marks it will be 60# at 28" It's then down to shooting it in and testing it at 30" draw.
Wednesday, 22 March 2017
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Endeavour in talks to avert Ivory Coast protests over gold production plans
Endeavour Mining has opened negotiations with local people in Ivory Coast in an effort to head off protests at two gold mines where the company aims to boost production by nearly 4 percent this year, its country manager said on Friday.
The Canadian company's Agbaou and Ity mines yielded a combined 236,000 ounces of gold last year, and plan to produce 245,000 in 2018.
But operations in Agbaou were repeatedly disrupted last year by protesters demanding more mining jobs and compensation for land affected by mining.
"This week we started a social dialogue with populations, which will allow us to work in perfect harmony with them," Daniel Yai said.
He said company representatives discussed development projects as well as compensation schemes with villagers near Agbaou, which is located 200 km (125 miles) northeast of the commercial capital Abidjan.
"We want to avoid behavior that blocks mining operations," Yai added.
Jephte Koffi, a young activist and protester near Agbaou told Reuters: "We will follow and help … all initiative aiming for the development of our village," he said, adding that he was happy for this dialogue.
Yai said a $400 million construction project to upgrade the Ity mine would also begin this year and is due to be completed in mid-2019.
"Important investments have been made and new deposits have been discovered. The mine will have a lifespan of about fifteen years," said Yai, adding that the upgrades would boost output.
Endeavour also owns mines in Mali, Ghana and Burkina Faso, from which it expects to produce between 670,000 and 720,000 ounces of gold in 2018.
Ivory Coast, the world's top cocoa producer, aims to increase gold output to diversify its economy. Last year, the country produced around 25 tonnes of gold. (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Editing by Sofia Christensen and Jane Merriman)


text: The Holy See has released the Holy Father's Message for the 51st World Day of Peace, which will be celebrated on 1 January 2018. The theme chosen by Pope Francis is "Migrants and refugees: men and women in search of peace". In his message, the Holy Father recalls "that it is not enough to open our hearts to the suffering of others. Much more remains to be done before our brothers and sisters can once again live peacefully in a safe home. Welcoming others requires concrete commitment, a network of assistance and goodwill, vigilant and sympathetic attention, the responsible management of new and complex situations that at times compound numerous existing problems, to say nothing of resources, which are always limited."


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What We Do
The Caring Place…
- Distributes groceries to families at poverty level or below.
- Gives ready to wear clothing upon availability.
- Provides professional social work services.
- Provide an environment where prayer is encouraged.
- Facilitating Getting Ahead in a Just Getting By World.
- Distribute spiritual food through prayer.


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District Agricultural Advisory and Transfer of Technology Centres (DATTCs)
Believing in the concept that every research scientist should also be an extension worker in serving farmers, the University works in active association and close co-operation with farmers through frequent farmer-scientist interactions joint and diagnostic field visits enabled University scientists to earn good will confidence and credibility of farmers.
In order to reinforce and strengthen this mode of approach to solve many problems and complicated issues of farmers with ease, the University reorganized its extension activities by establishing the "District Agricultural Advisory and Transfer of Technology Centers" at all the 10 district head quarters in the state, barring Hyderabad urban district during 1998. Presently each DAATT Centre has 3 scientists having specialized in crop production, Crop protection, transfer of technology and Veterinary. It is ultimately proposed to station eight scientists and each center.
The Objectives of the DAATT Centres
|DAATTC-Nalgonda. Stall at Rythvsadassu in the month of May-2005
|Progressive farmers gathering for FTP on SRI at DAATTC
DAATT Centre is an independent unit with senior member as Coordinator. The center is under the overall technical and administrative control of Associate Director of Research of the zone concerned who is in turn responsible to Director of Extension on extension activities of each district center in his jurisdiction.
Farmers training Programme on SRI Cultivation
The District Agricultural Advisory and Transfer of Technology Centre (DAATTC) works mainly on Farmer-Extension-Research interaction model.The DAATTC though independent works in coordination and cooperation with the line departments to avoid any duplication of functions.
Areas of functioning of the center shall be decided by the District Coordination Committee which decides joint seasonal action plans of the center well in advance of the kharif and rabi seasons.The DAATTC concentrates on the following areas/ activities with the cooperation of line departments in the district.
a) Agriculture/Horticulture/Sericulture
Any other activity suggested by PJTSAU from time to time
b) Home Science
Any other activity as suggested by PJTSAU from time to time
Common Activities
Any other activity as suggested by PJTSAU from time to time
In brief, the idea is to entrust DAATTCs with the responsibility of all extension activities of the University namely, on the spot diagnosis and treatment of soil-related and pests and disease problems of crops, training of officials of the departments, organizing Kisan Melas , exhibitions, bringing out publication, demonstration, maintain unified information center liaisoning between University and its clientele, implementing, operating and coordinating the RAWE, RHWE, NSS, of the University.
On farm training programme
This system came into operation commencing with rabi 1998-99 and the results are highly fruitful, rewarding and upto the expectations. Already, it has received accolades from many people in the farming community.


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Since I didn't make the turkey, we find that we are woefully lacking in delicious Thanksgiving leftovers. My husband likes the turkey sandwiches better than the regular meal. I might cook a small turkey this week just for us just to make up for it.
Meanwhile, This video cracks me up every time I watch it:
Sunday, November 25, 2007
1 comment:
- tinuvielp.typepad.com said...
How can they do it with a straight face? The out-takes must be wicked!
- November 29, 2007 at 9:29 PM
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For Siding Repair In Carmel Call Now!
Has your home started looking like it is aging?
Do you understand why this is happening? As is the case with a majority of homeowners, the real cause of the problem lies with the house's siding. This is why you'll want to address the issue right away instead of letting it drag out.
Take your time to choose the right service to complete the repair work for you, one that can make your house look as nice as it did when the siding was new. Considering that a house's siding plays a huge role when it comes to how your house looks, it is important that you consider a couple of things about any professional before hiring their services.
A professional siding repair service is all about customer service. Working with a professional will allow you to have the issue assessed before you are advised on what needs to be done and how it's going to be handled when repairs start. The siding of a house is quite delicate and needs to be handled with care and with an artful touch.
Such qualities as these can only be found in a professional repair company that's been in the business for years.
If house siding is not properly handled, it will look terrible, and that is something that should never happen.
You expect that your results will be seamless when the job is complete, and your home will be restored to a like-new condition. You want the first impression that your home makes to be one of quality, It's highly likely that you also want your house's siding screaming quality and that it becomes something that you'll probably never get bored of staring at.
If you don't get this, your property is going to lack the customization you want and look very dull.
Home siding that is not installed with attention to the finer details will stand out like a sore thumb in the end. This is what a proper repair service can provide you with.
When a house's exterior looks awful for months, it could end up becoming an embarrassment and is something you do not want to keep on postponing. Instead, consider hiring a repair team that will rush in, assess the situation, and who can start working on things as soon as possible.
This is the wonderful benefit of timely service, one in which quality is not ignored yet timing will not be prolonged to the point where you become frustrated.
Superior time management is what excellent service is all about.
The reason why you take this approach to repair work is based on how simple it is to hire professionals. This is the reason why you decide to hire a quality service to perform the work. You don't want things to go awry, and you want to make sure that anyone that shows up for the job is fully aware of what it entails. Hiring professionals saves time because you get the job done right the first time.
The best option is always to go with a simple solution since it fits everything perfectly and you won't be left waiting around.
Select a world-class repair service for your peace of mind. You'll have the assurance that the job will be correctly from start to finish.
Professional Repairs
Imagine having your house's siding repaired then regretting it the work done because it's not safe and might even end up damaging everything. As a property owner do, you want to feel this way?
It is essential that safety is the priority of any repair service that you hire, and you can expect that level of service from an accredited repair service.
Repair work needs to be done safely as it will play a major role in not only how your house looks but also how it fares over the long run. If your house siding is not firm and intact once the repairs have been done, it can start to fall apart very quickly.
Who is not looking for a solution to their house siding that is affordable?
Repairs should be reasonably priced without trying to take unfair advantage of a homeowner. A service provider who offers cost-effective solutions will offer you flexible repair rates that are in tune with your budget and what you are looking for when seeking help.
When searching for siding repair solutions, consider working with a professional who is willing to reach a deal that suits your specific budget. Doing this will help you eliminate some of the financial hurdles that come with siding repairs. You deserve a cost effect solution and high-quality service.
Fully Committed To Repair
Not all siding repairs go as smoothly as planned, so hiring a committed repair service is a must. This is because each siding situation is unique in itself; it is important that the contractor you are considering understands this. A reputable repair service will ensure that they are fully committed and will go that extra mile for all of their clients. Home siding should be done correctly regardless of any obstacles that arise so that further repairs caused by incorrect repair are unnecessary.
A large emphasis on quality control is important when it comes to house siding repairs. It is one of the main components of the aesthetic appeal of a house, only a qualified and professional repair service will now what are the best and most up to date materials to use to guarantee positive results. Without this, your house siding could end up looking worse than before the job having been done.
It is critical to start with the basics and create a world-class solution that will look beautiful for many years, and this all starts with having a first-rate repair service. Cutting corners always sacrifices quality and is never a sacrifice that a homeowner should make.
Serving Carmel and the surrounding areas: 46032, 46033, 46074, 46280, 46077, 46290, 46062, 46240, 46260, 46082


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You are now being directed to our online booking partner Hoseasons
Our championship venues are our golf resorts that have hosted
regional amateur and professional events and are very popular for
events in their PGA region.
Our championship venues have extensive practice facilities
including a golf academy, undercover driving range and short game
area. You can stock up on all your pre-round necessities from our
fully stocked golf shops and then relax in the golf bar post round
before retiring to the health club or spa if you are staying with
us on a golf break with family or friends.
Our championship golf venues are listed below.
Enquire about your golf break today!
View our championship rated golf courses courtesy of our very
real, virtual reality flyover videos.
Whether a member of the club or visiting on a golfing
break, the course will challenge even a scratch golfer. The course
offers 6741 yards of magnificent golf, along tree-lined fairways,
through open greens and over strategic water hazards. The signature
8th hole is a 382 yard par 4. A good drive is needed to
ensure the safety of the fairway avoiding the two bunkers.
You must then negotiate the water hazard in order to reach the
safety of the green - simple!
The course at Belton Woods have matured and improved year on
year. We have 45 holes of golf over 3 challenging and picturesque
courses including the Championship Lakes course home of the oldest
PGA tournament in the world - the Midlands PGA Championships.
With its long holes, thin fairways and, as the name suggest, plenty
of water hazards, this is a challenging course for any golfer.
Having been designed by the great Seve Ballesteros and Dave
Thomas, the 18 hole golf course at The Doubletree by Hilton Glasgow
Westerwood Spa & Golf Resort is one of Scotland's best kept
secrets.Overlooking the Campsie and Kilsyth Hills, this spectacular
course meanders through silver birches and wild heather
offering a challenge to golfers of all abilities.
Devised by Seve, our signature hole is the par 3 15th, known as
the Waterfall hole. Hitting from above to a green surrounded
by a 60ft rock face, it's not for the faint hearted and the
undulating moorland greens also put you to the test over those 4ft
The beautiful River Ure
meanders through this challenging golf course in the breathtaking
Vale of York. The course is suitable for all abilities but
you do have to be pretty accurate to get round the 72 par course,
and you'll find lots of risky shots along the way to add to the
A 6,275 yard, par 71 USGA rated course which beautifully
contours around the estate. Magnificent parkland fairways dotted
with trees and strategically placed bunkers, plus a 22 bay floodlit
driving range. This is golf at its best.
Dunston Hall offers you an all round golf experience in fabulous
Please enter your email address here so that we can send you our latest offers. We promise not to bombard your inbox but simply keep you up to date with QHotels best offers.


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Doctors from U.S.-based Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics visited Health City Cayman Islands on Friday to discuss a partnership that would offer operative care and rehabilitation for athletes.
Facilitated through Ascension and Narayana Health, the pending partnership offers an opportunity for innovation, said Scott Lambert, vice president of Ascension.
"One of our key goals is around innovation and research and also collaboration between the entities and the delivery of healthcare in the U.S. We endeavor to engage our organizations and position groups in the U.S. with Health City Cayman Islands. This is an example of that," Mr. Lambert said during a press conference.
Health City and Andrews Sports Medicine were initially brought together as a result of the U.S. group's 20-year relationship with St. Vincent's Health System in Birmingham, Alabama, which is part of Ascension. Visits between doctors at the Alabama facility and in the Cayman Islands have been coordinated over the past year to move the partnership forward.
Dr. James Andrews, accompanied by Dr. Jeff Dugas, said this week was his first time in the Cayman Islands, and he found the location to be ideal for athletes in recovery.
"The potential is unbelievable here. Obviously from the sports medicine world, there is a lot going on here and a lot that can go on in the future. So I'm here mainly to learn what's happening," Dr. Andrews said.
Dr. Dugas, who has made previous trips to the Grand Cayman facility, said he has been impressed with quality of care offered here.
"I think the quality of what they do is on par with what we like to see, and we have no issues there. That is not necessarily true everywhere in the world. I feel comfortable with the quality of what they've put together here and that makes it an easy collaboration for us," Dr. Dugas said.
Health City facility director Dr. Chandy Abraham said that while healthcare costs in the U.S. are variable, estimates indicate that care in the Cayman Islands comes close to about a third of the U.S. cost.


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It's hard to remember that Eric Hosmer was actually one of the Royals' few bright spots in the first six weeks of 2014-- despite only one homer in that span, he was batting .326 on May 9. Of course, in the month that followed, he hit under .200, dropping his season average by over 60 points. And as recently as last week, he looked completely lost at the plate. He was swinging at every single pitch, whether they were a foot too high, a foot outside, or they hit him in the foot.
But things appear to be getting back on track. While his average is going to take a while to recover, he's at least had a little power surge, homering twice in his last three games. I think most of us would be fine with him hitting in the .260-.280 range if he could hit for power, especially with the team's DH not pulling his weight in that department. We'll see if Hosmer can keep this up or if it's just an aberration. He's a young player and it's hard to know what to believe.
Now, despite Hosmer's short time in the league, he's already been featured on a number of terrible baseball cards. If you can put up with that terrible segue, you can put up with Royals vs. Cards: Eric Hosmer Edition!
Let's do this!
Let's do this!
2010 Topps Debut #13:
I love everything about this card. Eric's doing the awkward underhanded-toss-to-the-pitcher-covering-first move, his mouth agape à la Mike Moustakas. He's got a curly white-boy fro peeking out from either side of his Blue Rocks hat. Perhaps best of all, he's rocking the baseball jersey with a gold chain and no undershirt, which is not a good look for anybody, but especially not a young, chubby Eric Hosmer.
2011 Topps Update Diamond Duos #DD5:
I swear I thought for the longest time this card read "Diamond Duds."
By the way, if you don't know who Brandon Belt is, he's the first baseman for the San Francisco Giants.
Here's a picture of him with a baby giraffe:
Yes, I posted the Diamond Duos card just so I'd have a reason to include this picture. Sue me.
2012 Topps #35 (Variation 1):
Here's Eric getting forty gallons of Gatorade down his asscrack.
2012 Topps #35 (Variation 2):
Here's Eric broing out with his bros.
2012 Topps Archive Combo #58-BH:
Here's Eric traveling back in time to 1991 to decrease the value of a George Brett card.
2014 Donruss Breakout Hitters #2:
Here's Eric pulling a Kool-Aid Man and destroying some masonry. Please note that Donruss no longer has MLB licensing, so this card states that he plays for the "Kansas Baseball Club."
2014 Topps Opening Day Fired Up #UP16:
Here's Eric fleeing in terror from a badly photoshopped fire. Where's Fireman Jeff when you need him?
2012 Panini Triple Play #36:
Here's a cartoon Eric Hosmer wearing the facial expression of a cow. Also, even cartoon Eric Hosmer is shitty at sculpting his facial hair.
But that's not the worst Eric Hosmer cartoon card.
I give you...
2013 Panini Triple Play #34:
Truly disturbing.
We'll just leave you with that last image burned in your brain.
Go Kansas Baseball Club! Keep Winning!


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AIGA presents the symbol for the 1968 Summer Olympics
Rummaging through some old SVA publications, we came across this invitation for an unveiling of the XIX Olympiad graphics, featuring Lance Wyman's classic symbol for the games. A basic brochure advertised the event:
Its front showed the development of the mark through geometric additions to the basic shape of the rings and around the contours of the word Mexico, through which they evoked both Op art and patterns of the native Huichole Indians. Held at the Art & Design Building at 1059 Third Avenue in Manhattan, AIGA and the Organizing Committee for the Games previewed the new program on 3 July 1968, three months before opening ceremony.
The first Olympiad in South America, it would be remembered for its thin air (which enhanced jumping and sprinting but troubled endurance events), and acts of protest: most notably, the Black Power salute, by Tommie Smith and John Carlos during the awards presentation for the 200 meter race.


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Friday, August 15, 2014
after the "I do's"
9 comments :
I've just caught up with your posts here...and so enjoyed reading all about the wedding. I like that...'We already know Who holds their future!'ReplyDelete
What a gorgeous reception! I like the little touches that really personalized it. But most of all I like your last two lines: We are looking forward to seeing what their future holds.ReplyDelete
We already know Who holds their future!
a lovely old city to start their life together in... I wish them many years of joy and happiness. love all the decorations and cool beans on that grooms cakeReplyDelete
Looks like a wonderful celebration. Love the centerpieces. Those Charleston chews are such a fun idea! Thank goodness we know who holds the future!ReplyDelete
A beautiful collection of family photos!! I LOVE the grooms cake!!ReplyDelete
So fun to see all the decorations!! Love the Groom's cake...he's my kind of man! :-)ReplyDelete
Sounds perfect.....love the Charleston Chews! Looks like you all had a wonderful time and I love the grooms cake, so cute!ReplyDelete
Debbie, Leah suggested Lizzie and Daniel use Charleston Chews as the favors - putting the address to invite friends to come visit the newlyweds was such a cute idea. She and Saige had the idea for the frames and Lizzie and her mom came up with the names for the couples from literature with the corresponding books. However, I did get to choose one and you sat at "my table." I suggested and then shared my favorite book Christy by Catherine Marshall. My favorite romantic couple, Dr. Neil McNeil and Christy Huddleston, graced your table. Daniel will be so pleased that everyone liked his cake!ReplyDelete
It was a lot of fun!ReplyDelete
Your comment is such a blessing and encouragement to me! Thank you for taking the time to leave one.


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Joey Votto Will Fall
Image courtesy of Wiki Commons.
"Joey Votto is a Cub killer."
This phrase is oft said and oft seems true. In 2008, the young Canadian hit 8 HRs in only 15 games against the Cubs. In 2009, he hit another 3 HRs and 4 doubles in only 12 games. To express the significance of these power numbers, let's consider what would happen if extrapolated that data over the remainder of Votto's seasons. This is what Votto would have looked like if he (a) faced the Cubs for all the games he played that year and (b) continued to play that well against the Cubs:
2008: 150 games, 80 HRs
2009: 130 games, 32 HRs
In reality, Votto hit:
2008: 151 games, 24 HRs
2009: 131 games, 25 HRs
However, we must be wiser than this; we must not blindly assume that Votto is a Cub killer based on the performances of two years. The Book tells us that hitter-pitcher match-ups rarely prove to be predictive for the following year. Moreover, because MLB rosters turnover pretty significantly from year to year, meaning Votto would not even be facing the same pitchers in 2008 and 2009. Also, Votto's domination of the Cubs in 2008 did not recur to the same degree in 2009. He looked much more like standard Joey Votto in 2009. Let's compare his rate stats:
Votto's 2008
vs. all: OBP = .368, SLG = .506
vs. CHC: OBP = .410, SLG = .852
Votto's 2009
vs. all: OBP = .414, SLG = .567
vs. CHC: OBP = .365, SLG = .578
In 2009, Votto was much closer to what we typically expect from him. In 2010, we should again expect the same. Votto's 2008 year against the Cub was an anomaly, and his reputation as a Cub killer undeserved (that title and many others belong to Pujols).
ALSO: Today Carlos Zambrano snatched his first win of the season. During the offseason, foolish Cubs fans consistently gawked like awful alarm clocks about how Zambrano needed to rebound, how he needed to "act like an ace," or prove he was worth his contract.
I refuse to discuss the "act like an ace" issue. Such words are the spawn of poor journalists and ill-informed or lazy fans.
According to Fangraphs and Cot's Baseball Contracts, Zambrano has -- for about the last two years -- been earning ~$16 million, but worth ~$14 million. I contest that -- since we are a big market team -- the lost $2 million is the premium we are willing and happy to pay for his otherwise stellar production.
Moreover, Big Z's 2009 season was his best in years. Please do not suggest otherwise. Please do not point to his win totals or his ERA. These actions will result in the instant bursting of a blood vessel in my neck. Observe:
Zambrano's xFIP by Year:
2007: 4.62
2008: 4.45
2009: 4.27
Zambrano's tERA by Year:
2007: 4.53
2008: 4.44
2009: 3.81
Zambrano has been steadily improving. Our offense, however, has not. What troubles me most, however, is that Z is likely to start collecting some of the wins he deserved in 2009, and fans will begin to applaud his "rebound," his determination to improve, and so on with such dribble.
When Zambrano wins a game, please don't say, "Finally!" as though he has started to play better. Say, "Finally" because we have begun to score again.


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This section shows the shaggy green rugs in our rug collection. Shaggy rugs have deep long piles that add softness and texture to your floor. They come wide range of materials including wool and manmade fibres, and a huge choice of contemporary colours.
Green shaggy rugs include a number of popular shades, led at the moment by lime green.
Click on images below to see more information or buy.


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Cockles are small mollusks with heart-shaped shells. If you can't find them, substitute small clams.
- Yield
- Makes 2 servings
- Active Time
- 20 minutes
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- 12 ounces linguine
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
- 1/4 cup chopped shallots
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon (scant) saffron threads
- 2 pounds cockles or small Manila clams, scrubbed
- 2 tablespoons whipping cream
- Cook linguine in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain.
- Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add wine, 1 tablespoon tarragon, and saffron. Increase heat to high; bring to boil. Add cockles; cover and cook until cockles open, about 3 minutes. Use tongs to transfer cockles to bowl (discard any that do not open). Stir cream into sauce in skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta to skillet; toss. Divide pasta and sauce between 2 flat bowls and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon tarragon. Top with cockles and serve.
Related Video
Nutritional Info
- Calories1254
- Carbohydrates158 g(53%)
- Fat22 g(34%)
- Protein85 g(170%)
- Saturated Fat11 g(54%)
- Sodium27 mg(1%)
- Polyunsaturated Fat2 g
- Fiber6 g(25%)
- Monounsaturated Fat5 g
- Cholesterol47 mg(16%)


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About an hour to go for the Adelaide test to kick off and as ever, I'm the eternal optimist regarding India's chances going into the match. The Indians have the momentum from the stunning victory at Perth and they will, no doubt, be looking to capitalise on that to avoid losing this series which has been as wild as any of the preceding editions of the Border-Gavaskar series. That said, the Aussies are as clinical as any of those ruthless assassins we come across in spy-thriller novels and in all probability, the shock of losing in Perth will have them all the more motivated to show the Indians why they are the champs.
Both captains are holding their cards as close to their chests as they possibly can. Neither team has declared their playing eleven yet and that is a clear indication of the sky-high levels of pressure on both teams. India have dropped Jaffer from their twelve to accomodate Harbhajan and Karthik and whether the final Indian eleven will comprise five bowlers or a standard batting lineup is what remains to be seen. Either move will be a bold one, open to praise in case of a win and to criticism in case of a loss. Brett Lee will want to maintain his electric form from the season and will want to be at his fiery best to burn the opposition down. The Indian batting quartet of Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid and Laxman will be cognizant of the fact that this may be the last time they will be batting in a test match in Australia and they will want to make this a memorable affair.
All said and done, this should be one hellofamatch. Enough said. I shall allow cricket to do the rest of the talking for itself now
How Vistara Won a Self Googling Writer Over
1 month ago


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LONDON (Reuters) - A series of paintings believed to be by a young Adolf Hitler fetched nearly 98,000 pounds ($143,000) including premium at an auction in Britain, well in excess of pre-sale estimates.
Among them was a watercolor of a pensive figure sitting at the end of a stone bridge with the letters "A.H." written beside it, which sold for 10,000 pounds.
The work is dated 1908, at a time when Hitler was a struggling artist in Vienna. The figure's face lacks a nose and mouth, as well the trademark square mustache.
Hitler applied to art school in Vienna but was rejected, and went on to join the army and fight in World War One.
An Alpine landscape painted in oils fetched 13,500 pounds.
"I was completely gobsmacked to be honest," said Richard Westwood-Brookes, a historical documents expert who ran Thursday's sale for Mullock's Specialist Auctioneers and Valuers.
He had expected the 12 watercolors, oil painting and two other works on offer to fetch between 400 and 1,000 pounds each.
"I put their artistic merit as on a par with a good, competent amateur," Westwood-Brookes told Reuters.
"But people do not want to acquire these for their artistic merit. They just want to have something that belonged to someone famous from history."
He said he believed the works, all signed "A. Hitler," were genuine. An Austrian expert issued certificates of authenticity for the pictures, which once belonged to a British soldier who was stationed in Essen, Germany, in 1945.
But Westwood-Brookes conceded that no one could be sure.
Two years ago, 21 paintings attributed to Hitler were sold for 118,000 pounds or more than twice the pre-sale estimate, by an auction house in England.
The authenticity of items associated with Hitler has long been a bone of contention. In 1983, German magazine Stern published what it said were extracts from Hitler's diaries. They were later exposed as forgeries.
Reporting by Mike Collett-White, editing by Paul Casciato


text:
Kansas Jayhawks Candy Jar
$27.99SALE reg. $40.00 30% OFF
Show your school pride with an officially licensed candy jar that is decorated with a hand-crafted metal team logo. Just add candy and you'll have the perfect gift for the sports fan with a sweet tooth.
- Traditional candy jar
- Decorated with a high quality "Kansas Jayhawks" team logo
- Removable glass lid
- Collectible design
- Just add candy and enjoy
- Dimensions: 7"H x 3.5"W x 3.5"L
- Glass / metal
- Hand wash
- Imported
- Officially licensed NCAA¨ product


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GamifIR 2015
The second workshop on Gamification for Information Retrieval took place at ECIR 2015 in Vienna, Austria on the 29th of March. The workshop program included two invited keynote presentations, seven oral presentations of refereed papers, lots of mini discussion sessions and a fishbowl session. The presentations covered diverse topics from playing around with an eye tracker to a game with IR papers and even a game of scientific hangman, generating lively and fun discussions. The workshop was a crowdpinion experiment itself, gathering participants' momentary opinions via an Android app. One of the main themes of the day was the interplay of gamification aspects and incentives, where the key challenge is to align player motivations with the goal of the task. Any misalignment may lead to gamification as a tool being more damaging than useful with users' focus shifting from the task to gaming the system.
We invited the submission of position papers as well as novel research papers and demos addressing problems related to gamification in IR. Topics included but were not limited to:
- Gamification approaches in a variety of contexts, including document annotation and ground-truth generation; interface design; information seeking; user modelling; knowledge sharing
- Gamification design
- Applied game principles, elements and mechanics
- Gamification analytics
- Long-term engagement
- User engagement and motivational factors of gamification
- Player types, contests, cooperative gamification
- Search challenges and gamification
- Game based work and crowdsourcing
- Applications and prototypes
Accepted Papers
|Michael Riegler, Ragnhild Eg, Lilian Calvet, Mathias Lux, Pål Halvorsen and Carsten Griwodz
|Playing Around the Eye Tracker – A Serious Game Based Dataset
|Kinga Bettina Faragó, Zoltán Ádám Milacski, András Németh and András Lorincz
|Enhancing crowdsourced applications via incorporated practice sessions
|Anca Livia Radu, Aliaksandr Autayeu, Bogdan Ionescu and Fausto Giunchiglia
|High Quality Photo Collection via Gamification
|Jörg Schlötterer, Christin Seifert, Lisa Wagner and Michael Granitzer
|A Game with a Purpose to Access Europe's Cultural Treasure
|Waqas Moazzam, Michael Riegler, Sagar Sen and Mari Nygård
|Scientific Hangman: Gamifying Scientific Evidence for General Public
|Marek Machnik, Michael Riegler and Sagar Sen
|Crowdpinion: Motivating people to share their momentary opinion
|Jan Rybak, Krisztian Balog and Kjetil Nørvåg
|IR Game: How well do you know information retrieval papers?
The papers have been published as part of the CEUR proceedings series and can be found in the CEUR digital library.
09:00 – 09:10
09:10 – 10:10
Keynote: Human Intelligence in Search and Retrieval (Carsten Eickhoff)
10:10 – 10:30
IR Game: How well do you know information retrieval papers? (Jan Rybak, Krisztian Balog and Kjetil Nørvåg)
10:30 – 11:00
Coffee break
11:00 – 12:00
A Game with a Purpose to Access Europe's Cultural Treasure (Jörg Schlötterer, Christin Seifert, Lisa Wagner and Michael Granitzer)
High Quality Photo Collection via Gamification (Anca Livia Radu, Aliaksandr Autayeu, Bogdan Ionescu and Fausto Giunchiglia)
Scientific Hangman: Gamifying Scientific Evidence for General Public (Waqas Moazzam, Michael Riegler, Sagar Sen and Mari Nygård)
12:00 – 12:30
12:30 – 13:45
13:45 – 14:45
Playing Around the Eye Tracker – A Serious Game Based Dataset (Michael Riegler, Ragnhild Eg, Lilian Calvet, Mathias Lux, Pål Halvorsen and Carsten Griwodz)
Enhancing crowdsourced applications via incorporated practice sessions (Kinga Bettina Faragó, Zoltán Ádám Milacski, András Németh and András Lorincz)
Crowdpinion: Motivating people to share their momentary opinion (Marek Machnik, Michael Riegler and Sagar Sen)
14:45 – 15:15
15:15 – 15:45
Coffee break
15:45 – 16:45
Keynote: A Game of Search (Leif Azzopardi)
16:45 – 17:30
Fishbowl Session
Carsten Eickhoff (www.carsten-eickhoff.com)
Human Intelligence in Search and Retrieval
"Crowdsourcing has developed to become the magic bullet for all data and annotation needs of the modern IR researcher. The number of studies that rely on the crowd for creating, curating or annotating documents is growing steadily. Traditionally, the main questions that were addressed academically included how to obtain labels cheaply and reliably by identifying and countering spam as well as lowering the pricing bar with constantly evolving incentive and lottery models. In this talk, we will concentrate on a range of forward-looking questions. Are there alternatives to the established insert-coin-for-labor paradigm? Is Mechanical Turk the only way to crowdsource? When (not) to crowdsource a task? How to adequately remunerate crowd labor? And does crowd labor really need computers?"
Leif Azzopardi (leifos.me)
A Game of Search
"Searching is central to our existence. The search for water, food and shelter. The search for employment, transport and love. Searching for things to do, places to go, and people to meet. Of course, in Information Retrieval, we are primarily concerned with the search for information, knowledge and wisdom. If searching is so central to our lives, then are their underlying search strategies that define how we search, and invariably how successful we are. Information Foraging Theory posits that our search behaviour is much like how animals forage for food (as it is derived from Optimal Foraging Theory). But do people search in such a manner? And how can we test such a theory, when so many factors influence the search interaction, behaviours and outcomes? In this talk, I will describe my search for mechanisms to test such theory – specifically focusing on games and gamification as a way to abstract the problem down so that experiments can be conducted in a controlled and precise manner."
Organizing Committee
- Frank Hopfgartner, University of Glasgow (United Kingdom)
- Gabriella Kazai, Semion Ltd. (United Kingdom)
- Udo Kruschwitz, University of Essex (United Kingdom)
- Michael Meder, TU Berlin (Germany)
- Mark Shovman, Yahoo! Labs (Israel)
Program Committee
- Omar Alonso, Microsoft Research (USA)
- Raian Ali, Bournemouth University (UK)
- Michael Ameling, SAP (Germany)
- Jon Chamberlain, University of Essex (United Kingdom)
- Carsten Eickhoff, ETH Zurich (Switzerland)
- Christopher G Harris, The University Of Iowa (USA)
- Hideo Joho, University of Tsukuba (Japan)
- Edith Law, University of Waterloo (Canada)
- Till Plumbaum, TU Berlin (Germany)
- Craig Stewart, Coventry University (United Kingdom)
- Albert Weichselbraun, University of Applied Sciences Chur (Switzerland)


text:
Rocking Duck, Quack-in-the-box, and Quackedy Ann prepare themselves for a sleigh ride.
Rocking Duck: "You are driving us crazy with that Pop Goes The Weasel song, Quack-in-the-Box!"
Quack-in-the-Box: "Sorry. It helps me think outside the box."
By 2g1c2 girls 1 cup
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bernfried Warning, Colleen. Colleen said: More holiday quackiness http://bit.ly/hU2DbD [...]


text:
Competitive Fee Structure
St. Michael's is well known for offering excellent value for money. When we talk in terms of our traditional well rounded education, we mean just that.
Most students succeed beyond both their and their family's expectations; going on to lead successful and personally fulfilling lives. There is a special bond at St. Michael's and when it is time to move on, it is like leaving behind a special family.
Please take a look at the PDF fees for each of the schools.
Fees are quoted in pounds sterling and can be paid via Internet Banking, Cheque, Cash or Card (Maestro, Visa Debit / Credit, Solo or Visa Electron). Fees must be paid prior to the start of each term and international applicants must pay at least 50% of the annual fee before the start of each academic year.


text:
We really thought it was a teensy bit fishy that Millionaire Matchmaker Patti Stanger's "wedding" was abruptly called OFF and she announced the bustup with her realtor fiancee Andy Friedman on Twitter. An ex-employee of Patti's told The Enquirer that Patti's engagement was a FRAUD and she faked it to give herself credibility as a matchmaker. If she couldn't find romance for HERSELF, how could she charge a fortune to do it for others! Patti's wedding preparations were featured on her Bravo show and she gushed about her fiancee until suddenly – it was over. Not a tear was shed.
Posted by Janet on December 21, 2010
17 Comments so far
By pit bull lover
On December 21, 2010 at
she looks like a man in drag…..meh.
jingle bells.
By wim
On December 22, 2010 at
tell me: WHO LIVES A REAL LIFE IN CALIFORNIA?
By Hello
On December 22, 2010 at
She looks like a mrs. Potato head. When she was in NYC for her show I had to laugh. No rich Jewish woman especially in NYC would wear what she wore walking around in new York city. She's fat, pudgy, her legs, her neck & chest are gross. She was killing me when she was yelling at the NYC assistant who was gorgeous, warning her that will be fired because the girls for the date weren't pretty enough.
By Leo
On December 22, 2010 at
I was channel surfing a couple of weeks ago, and ran into her show. She talked trash to the very women who were paying her to play match maker. She looks like something out of Creature Feature and she is trying to match up other desperate people.
By Patrick
On December 22, 2010 at
What a phoney, baloney, chick.
Mouth like a Ling cod.
By Monah Garrett
On December 22, 2010 at
I gotta ask. When you wrote "Creature Feature," were you referring to the Saturday night horror movies hosted by Bob Wilkins(?) on KTVU Ch. 2 San Francisco—back in the day?
By Laura
On December 22, 2010 at
Patti just does her job. She's obviously a great matchmaker or she wouldn't be successful financially or nationally with her own TV show.
She never claims to be perfect, thin or gorgeous, but she's confident and knows how to handle herself.
She's a third generation matchmaker. Im happily in a relationship (which I found with the help of tips and tricks from the show) and my boyfriend agrees with everything Patti says as well. She knows love and she knows people.
Leave her alone! She can be a diva if she wants
By Lenny
On December 22, 2010 at
This world is sooo over and all that's left is the garbage we've allowed and called entertainment. Just waiting for the flood or firestorm to come and end this world.
By strom
On December 22, 2010 at
Patti Stanger, Heidi Fleiss, Rachael Uchitel….see a pattern here?
By Something Else
On December 22, 2010 at
TOTALLY AGREED with Laura—Patti's assistant—on this one:
Yes, Patti may be hemorrhoid-ugly, but she does know her business.
And don't forget, by being highly mate-selective for herself and her clients on the basis of relatively rare like-characteristics (greedy, grasping, superficial, selfish, stereotypical), Patti is helping to ensure going forward that the population demonstrating these traits remains small, readily identifiable and thus easy to manage and avoid. Win! 🙂
And LOL at the conflation of "success" and having "her own TV show." Nice touch!
By SebastianCanada
On December 22, 2010 at
Women like Patti make sheep look real good.
By Helena Handbasket
On December 22, 2010 at
So these juicy deets were provided by an "ex-employee?", hmmmm? I love a good blind item.
Wait a minute— Chelsea Autumn was the only departure since …. forever.
Too easy. Way too easy.
By Leo
On December 23, 2010 at
@ Monah Garrett
Happy Holidays,
and thank you for the acknowledgement of my comment.
Thank you for enlightening me about Bob Wilkins
and his association with Creature Features. At
the time, I was referring to the "old" creature feature shows that introduced Dracula,Chiller,
The Outer Limits, and other scary movies. I referred to Patti Stanger's appearance primarily because as a matchmaker,placing demands on wealthy clients while insulting them,she is in no way a candidate for any upcoming beauty pageants.
By Monah Garrett
On December 23, 2010 at
Thank you so much for responding. I knew it was a long shot—the Creature Feature reference—but I had to ask, as it has been decades since I have seen the name; your creative application of it to Patti's looks made me laugh out loud.
Suffice it say, I spent many a Saturday evening getting the wits scared out of me (and loving every minute of it) watching that show during my misspent youth. Bob Wilkins was the Bay Area's version of Elvira. And even without the makeup, wig and big tits he managed to make quite a creepy impression.
Anyway, thank you for doing the hard work—checking out Patti's show—so the rest of us never have to! It sounds awful.
Someone here mentioned that Patti is a "third generation match-maker," but if they really knew the history of marriage-brokering they'd know it's nothing to brag about. The concept has roots in the view of law and society that women were considered "chattel"—property other than real estate.
The idea may have made for an entertaining musical ("Hello, Dolly!") but that such a "profession" still exists today is pretty ridiculous, in my opinion.
But I'm not surprised to hear by your report that Patti is hard on her clients. The psychological subtext is probably that they are desperate and paying a lot of money to take whatever abuse this "expert" cares to dish out.
I suspect that some producer or other functionary wanted an intro to one of Patti's "millionaires" but didn't have or didn't want to pay the exorbitant fee—and so said, "Hey how would you like to bring your crass and obnoxious personality to TV?!!" The rest is history LOL.
Leo, Happy Holidays to you, too. I hope you're warm, wherever you are (because I'm freezing my cojones off)! 🙂
By right
On December 24, 2010 at
I wouldn't put up with her crazy ass for 5 minutes.
By Teddy
On January 4, 2011 at
EXACTLY, Rona Barrett….the viewing public should NOT put much stock into the actual and real credibility of ANYONE on a reality TV show. I wish this news here of Patti Spangler's FRAUD, would make to CNN. Is the "employee" been paid off? Why wouldn't she want to out this poseur? (It's a good business story, no?)
By anna
On January 24, 2013 at
patti stanger is such a loser sleazebag. her crude sexual remarks don't make her seem clever like she seems to think and are not the least bit funny. i think she'strying to shock people with her inappropriate and disgusting sex talk and we've all heard it before and her descriptive comments about anatomy she's point blank gross and how she has gotten another season must be because she's servicing the producers


text:
"It is so fun to compete, but so annoying that I can not be at the level that I would like to be," Klüft said after Thursday\'s meet.

The former Olympic heptathlon champion was roared on by a home crowd in Karlstad in southern Sweden, but the 27-year-old\'s best jump of 6.34 metres was short of the 6.55m mark required to compete at the July 27th-August 1st event in Barcelona.

Klüft\'s jump was enough to come in third on a rainy night in Karlstad and she remained upbeat after the event.

"It was a great atmosphere, this is athletics at its best. But as I have not been able to train I can\'t expect to achieve great results."

But despite Klüft\'s disappointing result, the former golden girl of Swedish athletics, is set to compete in Barcelona next month after having been handed a wild card lifeline by Swedish coach Stefan Olsson.

"She will get a wild card and in my terminology that means she is given an opportunity to surprise and I think it suits her to compete from an underdog position," Olsson said.

Klüft triumped in the heptathlon at the World Championships in 2003, 2005 and 2007 and tasted Olympic success in 2004 but now focuses on the long jump.

Despite setting a Swedish record in the triple jump in 2008, Klüft has battled dips in form and injury since turning her hand to the individual events. She missed the 2009 World Championships in Berlin through injury.

Despite the tough years behind her, Klüft regularly insists that she does not regret her decision to give up the heptathlon insisting that her body has undergone a healing process.

"My old tired heptathlon body has had time to heal and a new long jumper\'s body has started to take shape," she said on Thursday before the meet.


text:
What my slaves say
This Mistress …
She isn't like the others.
She is entirely herself.
This isn't an act, it's real.
She enjoys it.
She will enjoy you.
She will enjoy your pain. (As she enjoyed mine).
She will enjoy your predicament. (As she enjoyed mine).
She will enjoy using your body to her own devices. (As she enjoyed using mine).
She will hurt you. (Be accurate about your wants. My "intense" session was very intense)
She will render you useless. (In your mind and in your body).
She will push you all the way down. (Her strength is remarkable).
She will push your limits. (I can still hear her telling me to breathe).
She will break you. (If you let her take you there).
My marks fade quietly and in time will be gone.
My mind bends the time and light of memory.
Somewhere deep inside, she still exists.
And I know I will see her again.
And ask her to take me further.
And be frightened for having done so.
But know I will go. And bend. And break again.
Her smile will bring me back.
Her genuine laugh haunts me.
Wow…Amazing…Breathtaking…..Heavenly…Ecstasy… a few of many words I could use to describe my meeting with Anastaxia Draganova. When I saw her ad online that she would be visiting my city I almost didn't respond because she looked too good to be true, but after a few emails back and forth discussing my interests and availability I had a session booked for an hour. I was a bit nervous at first but when I arrived at her in-call I was greeted by a stunningly beautiful young lady with a flawless body and a beautiful face she looked even better in person than in her pictures. We chatted for a bit and went over my interests (trampling, foot worship, face sitting, toilet training) again and then she wasted no time in getting started. I could tell that she was an experienced dominatrix as she took full control and immediately put me in my place underneath her sexy high heels, I was in heaven as she was trampling all over me like her own personal floormat. After a few rounds of trampling it was time for some face sitting and I can't think of any other place I would rather be than underneath such an amazing ass controlling my every breath. I wanted to stay under that ass forever but I (foolishly) only booked an hour and also wanted to worship those feet that were trampling all over me. I spent some time up close and personal with those feet that were just causing me so much pleasure and pain and then it was time for what i was really waiting for, to serve this goddess as her personal toilet, and she did not disappoint me in any way! I've seen many dommes and none compare with Anastaxia Draganova, my only regret is that I didn't book a 2 or 3 hour session!
Hello there,
I luckily got the chance to experience Goddess Anastaxia Draganova`s dominance while she was in vancouver. To say it was a life changing experience, would be an understatement. Miss Anastaxia quickly took control by complete humiliation. Before I knew it, I was forced into chastity and into a pair of silky pantyhose.Then put onto a leash only to receive a mouthful of her warm saliva and a big slap to the face. Licking her heels and worshiping her stockings was my next task, followed by a "prize" for doing a good job. Little did I know, this would be the day a straight man (me), had no choice but to take her strap-on right to the ass. The sight of Miss Anastaxia reaming me from behind in the mirror will never make me forget who I truly belong to.
Devoted slave wankerslutVancouver
You are truly all you professed to be and then some. Your looks are striking, your poise and professionalism beyond reproach, you are hot hot hot!!! Your body is va va voom, your body aroma makes me want to devour every inch of you and last but not least your golden nectar is even better tasting than that of Veronika Harley's it is the best ever. Would love to have you feed me your nourishment every day if I could afford it. 🙂
Goddess Anastaxia Draganova took me like i deserved. At the very moment i enter her dungeon, her very dominant attitude turned me into a wide open fukhole. She took them all. From the smallest to the biggest. She used them inside out, turned on as she was by the lovely playground she had at her knees. Her imagination is limitless. Every inch of her skin is desirable…
anonymous slutMontreal
Anastaxia really is the whole package–gorgeous, sexy, strong, and a terrific wrestler to boot.
We decided on a semi-comp match, and even though I had a good 35-40 pound weight advantage on her and a couple of inches in height, Anastaxia gave me all I could handle. Her legs are incredibly strong–her scissors almost inescapable. But what you really have to watch out for is her reverse choke hold, which she can apply pretty quickly. Even though she doesn't have a body-builder physique, the hold is like steel, and she had me tapping out in seconds. Anastaxia also has great conditioning, and never gets tired. She can wear you down and have you gasping for air by the end of the match.
We also did a little role play/dominatrix scenario and if that's your thing, you're in for a treat because when you first meet her she's warm and fun to be with, and easy to talk to (not a clock-watcher, either), but once the scene begins she's an amazing actress who can stop you cold you with a glare or a smirk, or a well-placed boot on your chest. Oh, and did I mention the British accent? There's nothing quite like being squeezed into surrender by a sexy blonde Brit while she whispers "You are going to submit to me," in your ear. Fantastic session and I would absolutely love a re-match with her.
Anastaxia Draganova is simply and without question the best provider of services available. Yes, she's more expensive than some, but worth absolutely every penny. If it's between getting some less expensive provider and saving your coins for Anastaxia sometime in the future, I'd strongly recommend rubbing one out yourself and waiting for the extra money to do it right. Intelligent, a great conversationalist and with an incredible physical presence and undeniable charisma, you simply can't go wrong with her.
This woman's beauty is unequaled, from the way her eyes light up beneath that thick, beautiful hair, to her light, lilting and seductive voice, to the curves of her body all the way down to her perfectly shaped feet – every inch of her is a marvel. And I have NEVER known anyone who has so much enjoyment in her work.
Anastaxia is remarkably strong and in superior athletic shape. Her hands are incredible yet without looking like some Olympian. I'd asked for a light wrestling session; at one point in our battle she locked her legs around my neck and squeezed; the last sight I had before I almost passed out was of her beautiful feet in an ankle lock – as she laughed at how completely helpless I was.
At another point I had asked her to hand smother me, and when she did, I could really tell that she was enjoying herself, too. I can still see the predatory look on her face as I slowly surrendered my life beneath her. Anastaxia redefines eroticism and owns the property rights to it – and guess what – you'll be her property, and willingly so.
Guys, do yourself this favor – I don't care who you've had before, you NEED to have a session with Anastaxia. Just be careful though, she's so damn beautiful and so damn good you'll be completely hooked and you'll be screaming inside until you can see her again. I know I am.
I wrestled well over twenty women from the WB270 list and Anastaxia is by far the best I have ever wrestled. Her wrestling space is large and has excellent mats, she is drop dead beautiful, in shape and extremely strong. I wrestled her semi-competitive many times now and she gives me more than I can handle, all in a fun atmosphere.
Do not let her good looks fool as she is very skilled and very strong, an absolute joy to be with, and if you don't watch out she will kick your butt all while she melts you with her smile and big green eyes…
The first thing you'll notice about Anastaxia Draganova is how her already impressive photos don't do her justice in person.
You'll be stunned by the vibrancy of the long, golden hair that frames her smooth, glowing face and skin, and the captivating cat-like eyes that draw you in while also offering a hint of menace (which you'd be wise to heed.) She's got a body that can stop traffic, that's both sexy and strong, and if you choose to wrestle her, as I did, you'll soon find out just how strong that body is.
I entered the match with a significant weight advantage over her, probably 30 pounds or so. I am a middle aged guy, but in decent shape, and I have some wrestling experience, so I didn't expect too hard a challenge from Anastaxia, given that she is not especially muscular, and is just so beautiful, but you shouldn't make the same mistake.
When the match started she surprised me first with her speed, getting her ridiculously strong legs wrapped quickly around mine, keeping me from gaining any purchase on the mat. We engaged then in an arm-to-arm struggle and I figured that I naturally had to have more upper body strength and would soon gain the advantage, but that was not the case. She held me at an impasse and I soon started to feel fatigue set in. This would be a constant theme throughout the match. She told me afterward that she bikes and exercises frequently and she has remarkable stamina…certainly better than my own, and she used it to tremendous advantage throughout. We engaged in several submission rounds and I am proud to say I was able to eventually force her to tap out, but I paid quite a price. She fought like a tiger and anyone seeing the two of us after the session would naturally assume I had lost. I was out of breath, red-faced, bruised and battered and (pleasantly) sore for days after. She seemed hardly put out by the whole thing and probably could have gone for another hour easy. I can say without embarrassment that if I had done even one more round with her she would have defeated me easily. I was basically saved by the bell.
But humiliation did come my way when I foolishly got cocky and challenged her to an arm wrestle. She pinned my wrist in less than 5 seconds and then beat me left-handed even faster. The wry smile she had on her face after each of these defeats is etched in my mind. I have no idea how it happened, only that it did, and she humbled me easily in that contest of strength.
If you're looking for more of a role play scenario Anastaxia excels there as well. She takes her role seriously and is a great actress. We acted out a separate "battle of the sexes" scene that was every bit as much fun as the real wrestling match and just as devastating. At one point I demonstrated to her how to perform an over-the-shoulder Judo throw, thinking it would take her several tries to get it even halfway right. Instead, in one swift and shocking try, she flipped me over her shoulder like a seasoned black belt and sent me crashing to the mat.
She is truly amazing, and away from the dominatrix aspect of the session, she is actually a warm, intelligent, engaging, and charming person to be around. Not at all a clock-watcher, and just a stimulating, alluring woman you will not soon forget. And to top it all off she has a sexy British accent that to these American ears is pure music.
I have seen many dominatrixes and wrestlers, but on both counts Miss Draganova is simply one of the very best.
p.s. She assures me that the next time we tussle I will not win a single round, and I am afraid I believe her.
"Anastaxia Draganova made me her wrestling slave, and I loved it"
Even before our match began, I knew Anastaxia Draganova was a professional. As soon as I arrived at her location, Miss Draganova sat me down and took the time to ask plenty of questions about what kind of session I wanted, outfits for her to wear (she has a lot), putting me at ease that I was getting exactly the kind of match I was looking for. This didn't last long, however, because as soon as we stepped on her mat she was all business.
Miss Draganova hates to lose, and every single round she put all of her strength into making me submit to a different hold. Scissors, boston crabs, leg locks, when she puts you in a hold, you feel it. I've not had sessions before where I've tapped just to get out of a hold, but Anastaxia had me tapping like her bitch. I didn't know if my body could take any more punishment. Goddess Draganova takes a lot of pride in her wrestling ability and it shows, I never came close to beating her during our match.
Halfway through the session I could barely keep up with her, and that's when she started having fun. Miss Draganova enjoys making men submit, and she let me know it. The look of joy in her eyes when I was struggling in between her thighs, or hearing her laugh at my screams when I was in a back-bending camel clutch is something I'll never forget. She told me that she was enjoying the session as much as I was. By the end of the session, she was only letting me out of holds when she wanted to. I had to earn her mercy through begging, promising to kiss her beautiful bottom when she let go, or any other kind of humiliating act she could think of. I was her wrestling slave, and I loved it. She 'celebrated' the end of the last fall by kicking me in the balls, leaving me a broken heap beneath her. When our time ran out, laying there on the mat, all I wanted to do was kiss the feet of the wrestler who destroyed me.
I have had the privilege of submitting to Anastaxia Draganova several times and wish I had that privilege even more.
I have a weakness in this scene. It doesn't work for me if my Domme isn't powerful and physically gorgeous. I know it's shallow but I can't help. This is not always easy to find.
But Ms Draganova meets this criteria in full overdrive. I am probably not alone in wishing I could submit to the Full Metal Bitch (Emily Blunt edition) in Edge of Tomorrow. Well, Ms D is an even buffer, better Full Metal Bitch.
She is a passionate role-player and took my set piece and completely made it her own, and far more exciting than I had imagined. She spun it out over several extended sessions that just got more and more exciting as she became even more adept at reading me and pushing my buttons.
I can't wait to pick up where we left off Ms. D. You rule me.
I had booked a wrestling session with Anastaxia while she was in Canada she was very prompt and courteous with her response. We set up the session in a studio that she had set up with large mats so it was the perfect setting. She was very nice when we met and we chatted a little and I gotta say her british accent is really sexy. We agreed to more of a fun match with some light domination, she went to change and when she came out she was sporting a green bikini and she looked totally amazing, sexy and fit.
We then got started and all I can say is wow this girl can really wrestle. I was submitting to her within the first minute and didn't take long before I was submitting again and again. Her scissors are one if the strongest I've ever felt. I tried to change the rules on her by doing pins only but that didn't matter she got me on my back and pinned down quickly. And once this beauty has you locked in a pin you're not getting out. And I could see by the look in her eyes while she was looking down to my defeated self that she loved dominating and showing me who was boss. I left that session sore and very defeated and it was a pleasure being that it was at the hands of this beautiful woman.
She wasn't staying in Canada much longer so I booked another session with her as soon as I could. I had to get one more session before she left. If you love dominant and sexy strong women who love to dominate I highly reccommend Anastaxia Draganova
"I met recently Goddess Anastaxia in London. Although I did a lot of domination sessions, I have been very impressed by my two sessions with her. She's not only a very beautiful woman with a perfect face and a magnificent body, but also a real dominatrix who really enjoys tormenting her victims. No "mechanical" behaviour or lack of inspiration, she's really into the session and she has this typical fun and whimsical attitude which makes English Dominatrixes so delightful.
She also shows a lot of professionalism in the preparation of the session : she's well organised and very attentive to our expectations. She even asks specific questions about the requested activities, which is always very appreciated.
In my own case, I asked her a bondage session with torture (nipple, cbt…), facesitting/smothering and leg worship, and I was very happy with the result and impressed by her bondage skills.
And finally, she's very nice, welcoming and made me feel comfortable before and after the session.
I also liked the place. I don't know where she does her sessions in other countries but the private apartment where I met her the first time was very clean, spacious, discreet and well located in the central Paris.
In conclusion, her status of Goddess is well deserved and I will definitely meet her again."
I am an executive from Australia with a passion for BDSM as a sub in my other world. I'm continuously on the look out for an attractive lady that can fulfill my fetish when the urge arises. Whilst i am lucky enough to have one or two regular Mistresses that i can visit when needed,i also over time have had a few unfortunate experiences that just didn't work, for one reason or another. However i was scrolling through the BDSM pages on the web and came across Goddess Dragonova. There wasn't much there, outside of pictures that showed a very good looking lady, a few words that captured my interest and the fact that she was touring so it had the additional benefit of culture diverture. A few e mails followed and we managed to arrange a 90 minute session for the following week.
On arriving at the establishment nominated, i was greeted by the Goddess. She is even better looking than her pictures, this is one very attractive lady. Perfectly presented in all aspects, shoes, clothing, and then equally well manicured, feet, hands, face, hair etc. Within 5 minutes of conversation i was completely at ease but in no way confused as to who was in charge in this environment.For the next 90 minutes i was in my other world. This Goddess has the brains and personality to compliment the looks.The session was a knockout.Everything we had pre-spoken about was incorporated, little detail had been missed and i left with a smile on my face, more than satisfied and hoping we might connect again. I travel frequently and hope that i reached an appropriate and acceptable level in the way i behaved that should the opportunity present itself that i could spend some more time with this Goddess.
She is a looker, has brains and personality and without a doubt will hold her own as a top player across continents should she choose to frequent them. It is a pleasure and honour to have her play with you, however as i quickly learnt, there is no doubt who is in charge.If you manage to meet with Goddess Dragonova you should know this is not your run of the mill Mistress, you should be on your toes and aim to impress, she is worth it.
Anonymous ExecutiveSydney Australia
As a slave whose professional career has necessitated the constant need to travel, I have had the pleasure of serving Mistresses across the globe. With time, it becomes easy to tell who is real and who is not, who is excellent and who is just average. As a submissive with over 20 years of experience in a variety of disciplines, I tend to have a very high threshold for Mistresses, both in terms of outstanding physical looks and the very rare quality of a Mistress who is both intuitive and creative, with the ability to push me to levels I never thought I was capable of reaching. Goddess Anastaxia Draganova is this someone special. One of the biggest thrills for me is not only understanding my own sense of pleasure, but also knowing how Goddess Draganova is ALSO deriving extreme pleasure from our sessions. I cannot speak for others, however; for me, this is an absolutely HUGE turn on.
Just when you think you have seen it all, experienced it all, Goddess Draganova has the unique ability to sense exactly where you are, what you are secretly thinking and craving, and how to take you there. To be honest, its even a little unnerving KNOWING that someone else can so quickly and perceptibly get inside your mind. Even with all of my experience, I sometimes find that I am still scared of letting go, However; Once you have served Goddess Draganova, you will fully understand the precise meaning of trust. In my opinion, there is no element more important than trust to truly achieve that sense of complete pleasure, both mentally and physically. To be able to consistently reach this level of pure pleasure, session after session, is in my opinion, extremely rare. She is well thought out, always prepared, and extremely particular when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness.
Goddess Draganova literally personifies perfection, from her luscious piercing eyes that bore directly into your mind, all the way down to the exquisite tips of her perfectly pedicured toes. That said, the absolutely best part of Goddess Draganova is without question, her mind. I have rarely found such a powerful combination of so many excellent qualities in one Mistress. No matter what your kink or fetish is, no matter what level you have played at, no matter if you are a pure masochist or a gentle sissy boy, no matter how buried or secret your desires are, she will find them, she will use them, she will exploit them and she will exceed them. You will forever understand and remember who you are and why you live to serve.
I am forever grateful for having found and served Goddess Draganova.


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I went to help my friend move into her new apartment where she will be living alone for the first time (after leaver her parent's house to live with her boyfriend many years ago) and we started thinking about all the cute things we can buy or DIY to decorate her place ! I love decorating and making a place this special cocoon where I can stay in peace, being the little lonely home lover I am.
This year I decided I would stay at my current apartment, so for the first time in years I will live in the same place for two years in a row ! I like my area (even if traffic is hell) because it is quite quiet, my neighbors in the block are not disturbing at all and my apartment, even if it is missing space for organizing, is nice enough to not bother moving again. But helping my friend move just made me want to move for the sake of decorating again and buying furniture and decor pieces ! I think I will definitely save this year to be able to find a cute place to move next spring and hopefully it will be nice and I can stay there even longer !
I might have shared this with you already but I bought myself a new bed cover set ! When I originally moved here in my studio, I had a twin size bed for one person but my parents offered me a new Queen size bed that is very big ! My old small mattress was all busted so instead of buying a new small one they decided it was about time I'd get my "adult" bed ahaha. But sadly I didn't have money to invest in a nice bed cover at the time and was OK with using my smaller comforter to cover me until I would find a nice one I would like. I wanted one of the magnificent sets from Anthropologie but with their steep prices and the need to buy a comforter to put inside the covers, it made the price even more unfathomable. So I kept searching for this one nice comforter that I would love and I found this one that looks a lot like the Anthropologie ones, on Wayfair ! They have a lot of home decor items, and their price was very good ! So I'm waiting for my nice set this week, and I'm very excited about it. It made me really feel like my room doesn't represent me anymore.
I had quite a shift in the past six months about my style and a kind of "growing up" feeling. I recently wanted a more minimalist approach to my clothes and space, so it's possible I get rid of stuff or change things around in my place.
Even just having my precious Mana or Moi dix mois posters around make me feel like I'm still in my teenage room and I think I might put them away (most of them) to only put one or two in frames to hang them.
There is also one thing I'd like to get out of my chest.
Pink cute items are easy to find and so many girls have videos or blogs that are like "oh look at my feminine cute room !" with all these nice flowery pink items they got with no trouble anywhere because pink is so feminine of course.
That's just one example of pink items
I've seen so many youtubers or blogger girls that have these rooms where they buy everything pink, get their household items pink (hair curlers, flat irons, etc...) and that's good for them ! They like pink, and they can get their life as full of pink as they want, this is great and this is not the problem. My problem is regarding people who don't like pink. Like myself.
I hate pink. I try to avoid it at all costs, as much as I do gold. I have tried countless times in my life to fill my house with blue items (mostly royal blue but also sometimes regular other blue since royal blue reduces my choice even more) but it is often just completely unavailable. Of course I have the black option most of the time, or white, but why then, is pink an option and not other colors ? It often frustrates me that there are pink toasters or pink flowery throws but not a lot of blue flowery items or other blue things that are as "cute" as the pink ones. Maybe it's because I am also extremely anal about not having pink and gold in my house that I will avoid getting make-up because their packaging has gold on it, or because the smallest details are pink. I won't buy mascara if the bottle is pink. Etc... Which makes everything so complicated ! I think for the future I will stay in the white and black items for my decor, and only getting the easy blue objects such as pillows, throw blankets or other details like this. I hope I can get a nice space that inspires me in the future, with my favorite colors around me.
part of my bathroom
In fact, I have a second Tumblr account where I post only images of the blue-white-black spectrum because it is a very calming and soothing feeling for me when I see these colors and when I visit this blog. I hope you can give it a check and follow it if you like !
click to visit !
I hope you enjoy it ! If I end up finding new decor to fill my house with I'll be sure to share !


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What is ergonomic? The term ergonomic came from the Greek word "ergon", which means work, and "nomoi", which means the natural law. According to its definition, it is a process of arranging and designing the workplaces, systems, services, and products for human use. The term ergonomics in the workstation is optimizing the workplace, especially the equipment and furniture's design to help the employees to become more productive. Ergonomics includes enhancing the seat, desk, and the lighting. However, you can make it more ergonomic with the following steps:
- Determine your natural posture
For many, sitting comfortably in the office can be challenging. However there is a trick to that, all you need to do is grab your chair away from your workstation and try to sit down comfortably like you are sitting in a car with your feet on the floor, while your hands are on your lap. Then, lean back a little bit and try to relax your shoulders. If you feel comfortable, try to memorize that "natural position".
- Place your keyboard and mouse properly
The mouse and keyboard placement is the usual problem when it comes to building a natural position. In fact, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeon, wrong placement of mouse and keyboard contributes to repetitive strain injury. You feel pressure and pain in your hands that radiates to your arms, due to frequent typing and using a mouse in a wrong position. So, to stop straining, here are the things you need to do:
- Your mouse and keyboard should be positioned where you can keep your arms at 90 degrees angle or below.
The keyboard is better placed above your thighs at one to two inches and should be positioned at a downward slant to follow the slope of your thighs.
- You should position your mouse and keyboard at your shoulder distance level.
- Adjust the position of your monitor
To avoid muscle strain or neck cramps, and tired eyes, you should adjust the position of your monitor. It does not have to be complicated, all you need to do is sit comfortably and try to extend your arm, letting the tips of your finger reach the screen. However, if you have two monitors, you should be in between them and try to extend again your arm and the tips of your fingers should land on both monitors.
- Try to obtain or a height-adjustable desk
If you are also working at home, why not try to change your old two-person desk with something that you can adjust the height? With Computerdeskz's website, there are reviews of desks for two people that you may want to choose from and some of them are adjustable. The purpose of these ergonomic desks keeps our elbows at 90 degrees or below. Additionally, using a height adjustable desk, you are reducing the risk of repetitive strain injury or worse carpal tunnel syndrome. Ergonomics in a workplace is important. It helps you to work fast, efficiently and keeps you from stress.


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Barry bonds who is actually known by the name Barry Lamar Bonds was born on 24 July 1964 in Riverside California to a major league All Star Bobby bonds who is the godson of Hall of Famer Willie Mays. Barry bonds was a well known baseball player of his time. Barry bonds completed his education in Juniperro Serra High School in San Mateo, California. After that Barry bonds joined the Arizona State University where Barry bonds completed his graduation in criminology in 1986. There Barry bonds also started his career in baseball. Barry bonds made 45 home runs and had 30 stolen bases. While playing in the College World Series Barry bonds made a NCAA record with seven consecutive hits due to which Barry bonds was named in the All Time College World Series Team in 1996. Barry bonds won four MVPs and seven Most Valuable Player awards. In his kitty Barry bonds holds various Major League Baseball Records which includes Major League Baseball home run record with 762 and the single-season Major League record for home runs with 73. Barry bonds also won fourteen times All-Star and eight time Gold Glove awards. In both walks and intentional walks Barry bonds is considered as the leader.
Barry bonds joined the Prince William Pirates of the California League and was named as the Player of the month for the league in 1985. In next year Barry bonds made his league debt by playing 44 games for Hawaii Islander of the Pacific Coast League. In the same year Barry bonds ranked 6th in Rookie of the Year voting by making 16 home runs and 36 stolen bases. The first MVP, Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards won by him in 1990. By making 25 homers Barry bonds won his second Gold Glove and Silver Slugger award in 1991. In 1993, Barry bonds signed a lucrative free agent contract of $43.75 million for 6 years with the Giants and in the baseball history this deal is the largest in terms of the total value and average annual salary. Barry bonds father had spent his first 7 years of his career with the Giants and to respect his father Bonds switched his jersey number to 25. In this season Barry bonds won his third MVP award. Barry bonds finished 4th in MVP voting by making 37 home runs in 1994. By making 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in 1996 Barry bonds became the first National League player and second major league player by making 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in 1996. In the same year Barry bonds became the 4th player in history who has a record of 300 stolen bases and 300 home runs. In 1998 Barry bonds won his eighth Golden Glove award and became the first player to enter the 400-400 club. At that time Barry bonds has a record of 400 home runs and 400 stolen bases. On May 28, 1998 Bonds became the fifth player in the baseball history who was given an international walk with the bases "Nap Lajoie", 'Del Bissonette", and "Bill Nicholson". Due to his previous records in 1999 Barry bonds ranked 34 on the Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players but when this list is renewed in 2005 Barry bonds was ranked as 6th in this category. At the age of 21 in 2006 Barry bonds earned $172 million which made him the baseball's highest paid player. In 2007 Barry bonds was again signed by the Giants but soon the Giants declared that they will not re-sign the Bonds for the 2008 season.
In 2003, Barry bonds became a major suspect in a scandal of supplying anabolic steroids to the athletes and a number of the baseball players when Greg Anderson who is a Barry bonds trainer was indicted by a federal grand jury in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. This led to conclusion that Barry bonds has used performance-enhancing drugs during a time when there was no mandatory testing in Major League Baseball. In his support Barry bonds gave a statement that he used a clear substance and a cream as nutritional supplement oil and a rubbing balm for arthritis.
As Barry bonds refused to sign the license agreement with the MLB Player's Association Barry bonds doesn't appear in the baseball video games and forced by game makers to replace him. As a result of which Barry bonds was replaced by "Jon Dowd" in MVP baseball 2005.
The book "Game of Shadows" written by Lance Williams and Mark Fainaru Wada was released in March 2006 contains the contents of the grand jury testimony which is sealed by the law. Due to this leakage Barry bonds has to spend two and a half years in jail.
In 2006 one more book named as the Love me Hate me: Barry Bonds and the making of an Anti-hero made the Barry bonds to undergo 500 interviews.
The popular show aired by ESPN was also cancelled in June 2006 because people felt that this show should be put on hold until all the investigations against the Barry bonds steroids use was over.
In 1987 Barry bonds married to Susann Margreth Branco and escaped to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1988.After that Barry bonds became the father of the Montreal and Quebec. Barry bonds also had two more children named Nikolai and Shikari.In 1994 they got divorced and in 1997 their marriage annulled by the Catholic Church. In San Francisco, Barry bonds again married to Liz Watson who already has a daughter named Aisha. Apart from his two marriages Bonds also had an extra marital affair with Kimberly Bell from 1994 through May, 2003 for which Barry bonds bought a home in Scottsdale and Arizona.


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Francesco often attends conferences on software design and programming, both here in Berlin and around the world. On this page you'll find a list of upcoming events and an archive of previous ones. You can invite Francesco to attend your conference.
Introducing Decombination® @XP Days Germany 2015
November 26, 2015 // Karlsruhe, Germany
The Waaaaaah!® Decision-Making Model Workshop - Session II
February 22, 2016 // Berlin, Germany
The Managing Software Development with RRP® Workshop - Session II
February 23-26, 2016 // Berlin, Germany
Salim Virani
Partner at Founder-Centric
"When it comes to helping tech startups, it's tough to top the legendary Francesco Cirillo, a truely independent thinker. He's one of those rare, modest leaders with deft communication and teaching capabilities. I asked him to speak at Leancamp Berlin, and in spite of knowing he'd defined the Pomodoro Technique and built a global community behind it, the way he engaged everyone surpassed my expectations! He was professional, well-prepared and flexible, but most importantly, he met his audience on their terms, clearly broadened their perspective and demonstrated a deep understanding of topics, even in when specialised questions came up. Count on Francesco to be authentic and friendly, and set an atmosphere of intellectual camaraderie."
Piergiorgio Grossi
Head of IT, F1 Racing Team
"What can I say more of someone who's in the first page of the most revolutionary book ever written in sw development (Extreme Programming Explained)? Francesco has a deep knowledge and a great experience that helps him in finding the right spot! As an innovator is always one step ahead … in the right direction!"
Matteo Regazzi
Scrum Master - Agile Coach at Venere.com
"Having experienced Francesco's work and methodology in the past, I wanted to study with him again and try his ProgWithFC program. Amazingly, I was able to regain immediate momentum, motivation, and obtain astonishing results, even though working remotely. This was also due in part to the organization of the sessions, which were always efficient and productive. One of the best investments I have ever made in myself. Thank you!"


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astrology, Born Today, For those born today, My Daily Astrology Diary, The Astro Essence, The Daily Word image
The AstroEssence: When I talk about a beautiful genius, I don't mean an individual or even an individual choice or thought, I mean an attitude, a viewpoint, a lens through which we observe most sharply the way beauty, love, talent, or assets sustains our rightful place, and vice versa, how our position and power may nurture the beauty all around us, especially that found in relationships. It's the meshing of power, place, and beauty that focuses intentions and actions and takes them to a higher, inspired level. To fit this lens to our personal perspective, we'll have to make adjustments to how we're thinking and seeing, particularly to subtle but influential programming we have mistaken for instinct (Juno qnx Sedna, Venus nov Ceres)
Today's word image is: men in kilts! How could I have gone most of my life with only a handful of these sightings, then in the space of a single day, seen three, each in a completely different place (so it wasn't some kind of clan gathering or club of guys who like skirts!) Certainly being pant-less has been practiced in many forms for millennia, but I think right now, kilts are a thing. Look around you for something rare that you're suddenly seeing a lot, and consider what it says about undercurrents (or under-things!) and trends in your world.
For those born with the Sun at 28 Capricorn: This year you're faced with a difficult task: to define once and for all what your highest values really encompass, and what holding those values might require you to do. It's imperative that you are honest with yourself; it's also imperative that once you have nailed down your value-concepts, you take steps to make them a centerpiece in your life. Will this cause much disruption? It depends on what your values truly turn our to be. Be fearless, in assessing what matters, and in then changing your life to express this. Good luck, Cappy, and Happy Birthday!