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And You Never Did
Memories of you keep dancing around in my head
Each one of these memories is making me sad today
Because memories are surfacing of long ago mistakes
I thought I had filed in my mind and threw the key away.
Memories must be like the winds you feel but can't see
You can't forget things buried deeply inside your mind
It's impossible to conceal memories that refuse to die
Memories of you I hate to say are exactly this kind.
I shouldn't have opened the door of my heart to you
When I had no reason to believe you cared for me
Why did I do what a sensible person would never do
I guess I was too stupid and blind to understand or see?
Since you gave me no indication you would ever love me
Why couldn't I see the handwriting written on the wall
And accept my chances with you were from slim to none
Why did I sit and wait, for days, hoping you would call?
And you never did.
Ralph L. Clark © 2003
Click here to be taken to the poetry written in 2003
Click here to be taken HOME


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At least 94 Europeans have died from a human variant of the disease, called new variant Creutzfeldt Jakob disease, probably contracted from eating infected meat products. The disease is carried in nervous system tissue, not muscle, and is most likely to be found in products like sausage.
Mad cow disease was first identified in Britian in 1985, and a widespread outbreak infected more than 100,000 cows across Europe in the mid-1990s. The recent resurgence of the disease comes despite widespread beef import restrictions and other measures intended to protect the food supply.
Scientists believe the disease has spread among cattle primarily through so-called "animal recycling" — the use of bone meal and other ground animal parts in commercial feeds. Several hundred cows in Europe have tested positive for the disease in recent months and thousands of animals have been destroyed. Carcasses are piling up at incinerators across Europe, and slaughterhouses are working overtime to destroy potentially infected animals.
The malformed protein that causes the disease (called a prion) is not easily killed by cooking or freezing and can survive for an indefinite period outside the body. Early symptoms in humans include insomnia, memory loss, and depression.
The European Union implemented new rules Jan. 1, requiring all cattle over 30 months old to be tested for the disease. The EU has set aside about $1 billion for the tests, which cost about $100 per animal. Europe also passed a ban on using bone meal in feed. The European Commission estimates the cost of incinerating slaughtered animals at $3.3 billion. European farmers and ranchers, devastated by plunging sales, are demanding compensation for destroyed livestock.
Meanwhile the U.N. and the World Health Organization issued a global alert Jan. 26, urging all nations to take steps to prevent the spread of the disease and to protect the food supply. That warning came one day after the first American cattle were quarantined in Texas, over concerns that they may have eaten unsafe feed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Hands-free communication, media, navigation, and information while driving
Ultimate Driving Mode gives you full-featured, distraction-free access to apps and services while driving. Use voice commands and large buttons to make calls, send texts, navigate, control your favorite music player, and talk to Amazon's Alexa. Unique features are included that you wont find in any other driving app.
Use the app for an unlimited time at no charge. You can remove ads and purchase add-ons for Facebook, WhatsApp, Hangouts, and Twitter in the settings area.
A Simple Voice-Driven Interface - No Car Mount Required
A simple, non-distracting, interface allows you to keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road. You can wake up the app to accept a command by simply saying a trigger phrase such as "Hello Android", or you can use the large, driver-friendly, buttons.
Hands-Free Text Messaging
Choose how you want to handle incoming messages while driving. You can send an automatic reply or have the app read out your messages and give you a chance to respond by voice. You can also compose a new message at any time, send to multiple contacts, and access and reply to old messages. The app supports your cellular provider's SMS/MMS service, and provides optional add-ons for Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Google Hangouts, and Twitter.
No Need To Worry About Speech Recognition Accuracy
No speech recognition system is perfect. If a word or two is missed when dictating a SMS/MMS message, the app can send an audio attachment of your speech along with the text. If the receiver isn't sure what you said, then the audio can simply be played.
Hands-Free Phone Calls
Choose how you want to handle incoming calls. You can ignore them so you're not disturbed, send an automatic text message reply, or announce the call and optionally answer. You can also place an outgoing call using a simple voice command. Calls will automatically use your vehicle's Bluetooth system or the phone's speakerphone.
Hands-Free Navigation
Simply say something like "Navigate to Walmart", and the app will send your destination into your navigation app, which will start navigation automatically. Supports Google Maps, Waze, VZ Navigator, and others.
Music and Media Player Control
Use voice commands, large buttons, and simple swipe gestures to control music and media players such as Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Google Play Music, and many more. If supported by your player, you can even use voice searches. For example, say "Play Michael Jackson" to hear a classic song from the King of Pop.
When a new text message or phone call arrives, the app will automatically pause playback, allow you to handle the message or call, and then automatically resume playback when you're done.
Hands-Free Access to Twitter
With the optional Twitter add-on, you can send tweets and have tweets from your timeline read out to you. While reviewing your timeline, you can reply, retweet, or like individual tweets. Support for sending and receiving of direct messages is also included.
Kindle and Audible Books
Because the app links to Amazon.com's Alexa voice service (just like their Echo line of devices), you can have any book in your Kindle or Audible library read out to you - even Kindle books with no matching audio book.
News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic
Get a summary of current news stories (which you can customize by category and news source), learn how your favorite sports teams are doing, get weather forecasts, and check on your commute, using nothing but voice commands.
Calendar Access
Review your calendar entries and add new ones. The app makes use of Alexa's ability to link to your Google calendar.
Productivity Tools
Through Alexa, you can set timers and alarms, and access to-do and shopping lists.
You can ask Alexa questions on a wide variety of topics, including: TV shows and movies, music, math, spelling, geography, time, and have it read Wikipedia entries.
Access the Full Power of Alexa
From your vehicle, you can remotely control smart home appliances, buy items on Amazon.com, and gain access to even more features through Alexa "skills" provided by other developers.


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Lloyd: Hit me with it! Just give it to me straight! I came a long way just to see you, Mary. The least you can do is level with me. What are my chances?
Mary: Not good.
Lloyd: You mean, not good like one out of a hundred?
Mary: I'd say more like one out of a million.
Lloyd: So you're telling me there's a chance… *YEAH!* Lloyd Christmas – Dumb and Dumber
So being in this space, I hear a lot of stories (too many, unfortunately) about how some startup crashed and burned a la Tom Cruise in Top Gun at an investor presentation. Some have gotten the polite – "come back when you are further along" and some just the "we will get back to you." With hindsight, when you then ask some pointed questions to these teams, you realize they might have been a tad optimistic based upon how they approached the fund raising process. Like old Lloyd Christmas, they thought they had a chance, but did they?
So, boys and girls, what lessons can we learn that will perhaps make us have a better chance with a financing source? What are the reasons investors say no? Here are my top five.
- Right pitch; wrong investor. Two big errors here. The first is talking to the wrong investor for your stage of development. This is most common with early stage companies – they wrangle a meeting with a VC when what they need is an angel or seed-funding source. Make sure you talk to an advisor to get in the right pew. Second, don't assume because they did one deal in your space (you should know your investors' portfolio) they are interested in your deal. Like all smart investors, diversification is part of their strategy.
- Wrong or incomplete team. You do not need your organization dance card filled, but two or three key slots should be hired or known. And, as much as I love CFO's, that is not a key role at this juncture.
- No sustainable business model. I love my daughter but her model is selling a device to veterinary practices that only need one or two units, has no replacement parts and lasts forever. The good news is she wanted a "franchise" business – the type that just provides some additional income – and this fits the bill. But, she will never go beyond that stage of growth. If this is your model, think again about approaching investors.
- Too "me too." You need to cure a pain and if someone else has done that and your differentiator is that you can do the same thing with one less step, think again about your model. If you always describe your product as "it's just like a Xerox" (dating myself badly here) well then…
- No traction. This happens especially with multi-channel revenue streams. Concepts are not enough – the "build it and they will come" syndrome is not a winner. If you are getting less traction than bald tires on an icy road, solve that problem first. Money is not going to help you.
While there have been many entrepreneurs who have failed with investors, perhaps you can learn from their mistakes and improve your chances of being successful. Stay positive and keep innovating!


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Friday, February 14, 2014
artist's malaise
...I mean look at what you're up against: when you're unknown, no one wants your work; for years you'll struggle to emerge from the amateur level, then even after you become a master, society will be largely indifferent to whatever you create; you'll have to surmount enormous odds to make even a modest income from your art; you can't walk away from it because it won't let you; you have to create, even if it kills you; and the whole time you're trying to present this gift of wonder to the world, the world doesn't hear you because it, for the most part, doesn't speak that language.
Who wouldn't be depressed? But take heart.
Consider how fortunate you are to have your vision, and to be able to act on it, when many people don't even know the deeper meaning of vision. That is nothing to be depressed about. That is cause for celebration.
image found we heart it.
Posted by Joetta M. at 8:42 AM
4 comments:
- Mary L. Tabor said...
This post was sent to me by a friend and former student--and I think it's beautiful. I hope to connect with you in whatever way we might... Blessings, Mary
- February 15, 2014 at 9:41 AM
- Jesse Lu Schreier said...
so perfect. thanks, Joetta.
- February 17, 2014 at 12:07 PM
- Kristin L said...
That hits home so perfectly right now. I'm totally engrossed in my work, but wonder "why? What for? Wouldn't my time be better spent doing something the world will actually appreciate?"
- February 19, 2014 at 5:31 AM
- Joetta M. said...
kristin- i hear you!
I suppose we just have to believe that we we do does matter somehow.
Art is so important do believe that but when you are the artist making it is often so hard to find that importance beyond yourself.
- February 24, 2014 at 8:51 AM
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Rectal Prolapse
Let's Talk About It
What is Rectal Prolapse?
Rectal prolapse occurs when part or all of the wall of the rectum slides out of place, sometimes protruding from the anus or, in the case of some women, the vagina (known as rectocele).
Rectal prolapse is most common in children and older adults, especially women. There are three types of prolapse:
- Partial prolapse (also called mucosal prolapse): occurs when the lining (mucous membrane) of the rectum slides out of place and usually protrudes from the anus,
- Internal or incomplete prolapse (also called intussusception): occurs when the rectum has prolapsed, but not so far as to slip through the anus. This is most common in children and rarely affects adults but, when it does, it is usually related to another intestinal problem, such as a growth (for example, a polyp or tumor) in the wall of the intestines, and
- External or complete prolapse: occurs when the entire wall of the rectum slides out of place and usually protrudes from the anus.
For adults, there are a number of risk factors that can trigger rectal prolapse, including:
- constipation or straining during bowel movements
- tissue damage caused by surgery, childbirth or other lifestyle activities (such as strenuous exercise), and/or
- weakened pelvic floor muscles due to the aging process.
For some people, a prolapse may only occur during bowel movements. For other people it may occur when they stand or walk and, in some cases, the prolapsed tissue may remain outside their body permanently.
What Are the Symptoms?
Common symptoms associated with Rectal Prolapse include:
- leakage of faeces from the anus (Faecal Incontinence)
- leakage of mucus or blood from the anus (wet anus)
- a feeling of having full bowels and an urgent need to have a bowel movement
- passage of many small stools
- constipation, difficulties passing a bowel motion, or the feeling of not being able to empty the bowels completely
- anal pain, itching, irritation, and bleeding
- bright red tissue that sticks out of the anus
- pain and discomfort deep within the lower abdomen
- the need to use large quantities of toilet paper to clean up following a bowel motion.
What Causes Rectal Prolapse?
There are a number of risk factors that can trigger Rectal Prolapse, including:
- chronic constipation and/or straining to pass bowel motions
- weakened pelvic floor and/or anal sphincter muscles (particularly in people aged 65 years and over)
- genetic susceptibility or congenital conditions
- existing conditions that increases pressure within the abdomen, such as benign prostatic hypertrophy, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or
- injuries, trauma, disease and/or surgery in the lower back and pelvic floor.
Rectal Prolapse Can Be Treated
The good news is that Rectal Prolapse can often be successfully treated.
At the Coregood Institute we can offer a full range of non-surgical treatment options, and tailor a treatment plan to suit your particular situation and needs.
We employ an extensive range of non-surgical treatment options to diagnose and treat Rectal Prolapse. Our methods can help patients avoid surgical or drug-related treatment altogether, or assist with the recovery from other treatments such as surgery (both pre- and post-surgery).
Alongside traditional pelvic physiotherapy treatment options and advice on correcting pelvic floor function, we also offer patients treatment using the world's most advanced and successful non-surgical technology – the PelviCenter.
We're also able to offer effective natural solutions and nutritional advice to help reduce some of the risks (such as chronic constipation) that can lead to Rectal Prolapse.


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Messaging the New York Times: Would Bill Keller Respond to a Milblogger?
TruthLaidBear has a feature up that is tracking the reaction to the New York Times decision to once again put the national security at risk. (The Los Angeles Times joined in the effort to cripple the war on terror.)
Be sure to let TLB know if you post on the subject. MSM can still disregard the national interest in order to sell papers and push an agenda, but the illusion that they did so with public support is long past dissolved.
And no word from the New York Times' decider-in-chief Bill Keller, his ombudsman, or anyone else at the paper for that matter. It is bad enough to do the country damage, but worse still to lack the willingness to be interviewed anywhere about the decision.
I suggest milbloggers write Mr. Keller (or Mr. Dean Baquet, editor at the Los Angeles Times) if they have questions about the assistance his paper has provided the terrorists. Perhaps he would be willing to answer their questions. I'd be glad to publish any such e-mail from a milblogger to Mr. Keller.


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Our Team Approach to Personal Injury Claims
How Insurance Companies Fight Claims
In virtually every case, any recovery is going to come from insurance. For the insurance company to pay, the injury claim must be proved and insurance coverage has to be established. Even the best claim against a negligent party can be worth nothing if the insurance company denies insurance coverage for the claim. Just like the fastest car can't get anywhere without gas.
The moment an insurance company receives a claim for an injury or death, the insurance company asks two questions:
- Can we deny insurance coverage for this claim?
- Do we have defenses against liability or damages?
To answer the first question, the insurance company retains an insurance coverage lawyer to represent the insurance company directly in any fight over insurance coverage, including lawsuits about insurance coverage called "declaratory judgment lawsuits." This lawyer will also give the insurance company advice on how to avoid being sued for bad faith.
The insurance company also hires a defense attorney to represent the person or company that caused the injury. That lawyer will directly oppose the claim for the injury or death, arguing that the injury isn't that bad or didn't happen at all, or trying to arguing that the injured person is responsible for their own injuries.
Only one of the insurance company's lawyers has to win for the insurance company to pay nothing. A person making a claim has to win both fights to recover.
Our legal time is designed to do just that.
Call Herman & Wells: 727-821-3195
"Only one of the insurance company's lawyers has to win for the insurance company to pay nothing. A person making a claim has to win both fights to recover."
Our Answer to the Insurance Companies
We deal with the insurance company's strategy of fighting on multiple fronts by fighting back the same way. We provide our clients with their own legal team – an insurance coverage lawyer and a personal injury plaintiff attorney. And we turn the insurance companies' questions around:
- How do we establish the maximum possible insurance coverage for this claim?
- How do we prove liability and recover the maximum damages justified by the facts?
At our firm, Jason Herman handles the insurance coverage and bad faith issues. He has focused his entire legal career on insurance coverage and bad faith. For his entire career, Clifford Wells has represented people and families for injury and death claims. Insurance companies hire a team of attorneys. We think our clients should have access to a team, too. Herman & Wells provides that on every case.
But unlike the insurance companies' lawyers, we don't charge anything unless we win.
How Does This Approach Help?
Finding Insurance Coverage
Sometimes finding out who insures the responsible party is as easy as looking at the insurance card provided by a driver that caused an accident. But in many cases we have to actively search out and find available insurance. This can be because a business or person doesn't want to disclose their insurance for fear that their premium will go up. Some people and businesses don't have a good understanding of the insurance available to them. In other cases, there are laws and policy terms that create additional coverage even where it appears there is no coverage.
We exhaustively look for every available source of insurance for all of our clients. Looking for insurance is part of our law practice, and other lawyers in our community call and ask us to help with finding insurance on their cases.
Bad Faith
Insurance companies must act in good faith under Florida law. When an insurance company fails to do that, it can be held liable for damages in excess of the policy limit. We hold insurers to their good faith obligations by demanding prompt and reasonable investigations and settlements. We assess each case to determine whether the insurance company did not meet those obligations of good faith. When insurance companies act in bad faith, we hold them accountable, which can mean recoveries for our client well in excess of available insurance policy limits.


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Identified months in advance, the dates for CBS� college football doubleheaders are ripe for second-guessing because of surprises in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference.
Limited to one game this week and next, the network that has first choice of SEC contests could be stuck with some so-so choices when it comes time to fill in the blanks for Nov. 3 and Nov. 10.
Half of the 14 teams in the SEC are either unbeaten or have one conference loss and that sets up big games on Saturday and on Oct. 27. This week, it�s South Carolina (4-1 SEC) at Florida (5-0) and LSU (2-1) at Texas A&M (2-1). The following week, it�s Mississippi State (3-0) at Alabama (3-0) and Georgia (3-1) vs. Florida. Either set of games would have made an attractive doubleheader.
Alabama at LSU will be at night on Nov. 3, but the only other viable alternative at this point is Texas A&M at Mississippi State and the Aggies could be out of the Western Division race by then.
Until the Razorbacks� 3-4 start, Arkansas at South Carolina was a third option on Nov. 10. Now, the menu is limited to Texas A&M at Alabama and Mississippi State at LSU. The other choices are Georgia at Auburn (0-4), Vanderbilt (1-3) at Ole Miss (1-2), and Missouri (0-4) at Tennessee (0-3).
Merging last weekend�s results with the Bowl Championship Series standings, it will be difficult to deny the SEC a spot in the national championship game on Jan. 7 in Miami.
At this point, No. 1 is Alabama, No. 2 is Florida, No. 6 is LSU and No. 7 is South Carolina. Any of those four that wins the SEC title in Atlanta and finishes 12-1 or 13-0 will play for the national championship.
Waiting in the wings, the SEC has Georgia, Mississippi State and A&M.
If South Carolina rebounds from the LSU loss and wins at Florida on Saturday, the Gamecocks will be on the cusp of punching their ticket to Atlanta. If Florida wins, the Florida-Georgia winner has the inside track to represent the Eastern Division.
The guess here is that Alabama or LSU or both will have enough defense to slow A&M and that Mississippi State�s early easy schedule will catch up with the Bulldogs. In that case, the winner in Baton Rouge on Nov. 3 will be in line to represent the division.
Considering the proclaimed strength of the SEC, other one-loss teams around the country are already in a bind.
About the only way a once-beaten SEC champion is absent from Miami is if two of the three unbeatens in the BCS top 10 complete unblemished seasons, and that is highly unlikely.
No. 2 Oregon has a string of Pac-10 games, including USC, Stanford, and Oregon State, and probably a second game with USC in the conference championship game.
Kansas State could lose two or three with West Virginia, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, TCU, Baylor and Texas ahead.
If Notre Dame beats both Oklahoma and USC, the Fighting Irish deserve to play for the BCS title.
These scenarios ignore the possibility of a November as wild as the one in 2011 when Oklahoma State, Stanford and Boise State were in position to play LSU for the title.
On one weekend, Oregon beat Stanford and Boise lost to TCU. The next Friday night, Iowa State defeated OSU in overtime. Then, USC held off Oregon. Oklahoma could have been the beneficiary, but lost to Baylor as Robert Griffin III wrapped up the Heisman Trophy.
Most likely, the game in Miami will match the SEC representative and a one-loss team � maybe Oklahoma � and all will agree that they can�t wait for the four-team playoff that begins after the 2014 season.
Harry King is sports columnist for Stephens Media�s Arkansas News Bureau. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Grant Aid
The Grants Unit, within the Council's Community Planning and Development Service, administers a number of grant aid schemes designed to support, enhance and develop the contribution that the community and voluntary sector can make to the quality of life for people in Shetland.
The Grants Unit also act works as agent for the Shetland Charitable Trust and administers some of their grant aid schemes.
For more information about funding available, including guidelines and application forms for many of our grant schemes, please click on the menu bar on the left.
We can also help you to find and apply funding for your project from other sources.
If you wish to discuss your project with us, please phone tel. (01595) 743827 / 743828 or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com


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GRAND RAPIDS -- The uncle whose death last week prompted Floyd Mayweather Jr. to withdraw as starter for Sunday's Indianapolis 500 was the same man who shot Mayweather's father nearly 30 years ago in southeast Grand Rapids.
Tony Sinclair, 50, died May 14 of a heart attack at the Las Vegas home of his sister, Deborah Sinclair, mother of the pound-for-pound boxing king.
A spokeswoman for the Clark County (Nev.) coroner's office said Sinclair, a New Jersey resident, was pronounced dead at Southern Hills Hospital of cardiopulmonary arrest.
The spokeswoman said she could not disclose whether an autopsy was ordered.
Mayweather announced this week he would not drop the green flag at Indianapolis because of his uncle's death.
Sinclair shot Floyd Mayweather Sr. in the lower left leg with a 20-gauge shotgun late on Jan. 21, 1979, after an ongoing argument.
Accounts of the incident vary. Mayweather Sr. said he was trying to evict Sinclair from an apartment they shared. Sinclair told police the then-active boxer had threatened him.
They agreed that Sinclair retrieved a shotgun after the two men argued at a roller rink, went to the apartment in the 400 block of Oakdale Street SE, found Mayweather Sr. clutching his nephew, and opted to shoot his nemesis in the leg.
If Sinclair had shot higher, it might have altered sports history.
Instead, the shotgun blast took off most of the elder Mayweather's left calf, forced a drastic alteration in his boxing style, and effectively finished him as a top welterweight contender.
Sinclair turned himself in within minutes and served a short prison sentence.
Mayweather Sr. was 16-2 at the time of the shooting, which occurred four months after his 1978 loss to Sugar Ray Leonard.
He returned to the ring in early 1980, and continued to box through 1985 -- plus a one-fight 1990 comeback -- finishing 29-6-1, with two losses to Marlon Starling in his most important post-shooting bouts.
Sinclair joined his nephew's camp before last December's fight against Ricky Hatton, as Mayweather Jr. grew closer to his mother's side of the family in recent years.
That relationship didn't sit well with everyone, said Jeff Mayweather, who said his nephew recently financed a restaurant venture for Sinclair.
"I'm not saying he should hate the guy, because he was part of the family, too," Jeff Mayweather said.
"But this is still the same guy who almost took his father's life."


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Beads 4
27 designs by eve_catt_art
All designs by Evelyn Catt
Unique designs for interior decorating, crafts, clothing, child/infant wear, and quilts in a wide array of styles: abstract, animals, geometric, nature, southwest, tribal, and whimsical. Will gladly RESIZE designs! All designs copyright @Evelyn A. Catt.
A collection of bead designs.


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Rosebuds and Roses
Rosebuds of William Morris and Celestial. The Celestial buds are lovely, I think, with all the extra frills of leaves.
The first roses have opened in our chilly early summer days. They should be bigger blooms, but the weather has been so cold, they are coming out a bit smaller than usual. Hopefully later in the summer, they will put out thier normal sized flowers.
White de Meaux. White?? They look pink to me... I kept thinking the buds start out pink, and soon the flowers will be white, but they don't look to be changing color. Below is an image of White de Meaux from the catalogue. I thought they looked like little faerie ballerinas. I really want this type of flower, it's a bit dissapointing they don't look anything like the picture.
The"real" White de Meaux pic taken from the David Austin calatogue.
...I'm still hoping.... .. maybe when they open....


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Do You Keep Plants in Your Bedroom?
After a long discussion, we have decided that having plants in your bedroom comes down to personal preference. What's yours? If you're plant inclined, here are a few images for inspiration.
Above: Slow-growing succulents have a Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), which allows them to take in carbon dioxide during the night and store it to use for photosynthesis the next day. Image via Old Brand New Blog.
Above: Remodelista editor Alexa likes the way these plants on the windowsill add cheer to a children's bedroom in a summer house in Söderfors, Sweden. For more images of this room, see Simple Scandi Children's Room.
Above: For some, one plant in the bedroom is enough; they draw the line at more. What do you think—can you have too many? Image via Fresh Home.
So, do you choose to keep a plant in the bedroom? Please add to the discussion here and at Gardenista.


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Lin007 wrote:Hi
My name is Lin, we are in the same lose weight forum. I am a 21 years old boy. I am trying to lose
Weight about 5 years because of fat!!!! 5 years ago I was crazy on the fast food like Macdonald .
especially the Chichen, which is the No.1 reason casue me become over-weight i think. But now, I have
already lose 15 kilos in just only 3 month because of a book called [Deleted spam] which i want to recommend to
you. What I believe my friend is more ways more chances. We are in the same situation and also suffer from
the pain for many many years. we need to help and encourage each other to escape the pain. And also I hope
you can give me some tips about lose weight too. You can find out this book in [Deleted spam]
I truly hope you can achieve your goal as soon as possible.
Hi my name is David and also my problem is same I was crazy about fast food too. Because of fast food my weight is gone up to 61kg from 45kg now i like to lose my weight almost 15kg that is way i joined this community. So best of luck in your journey of weight lose and wish me luck in my weight lose journey. Hope for the best that we'll archive our goal of weight lose in less time by taking some challenges.


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Since last week, I've been wanting to share this to you guys. I wanted to share how depressed I am. Yes, I am depressed because of these two concerts that I wanted to watch but I'm not that rich and NO! I wouldn't waste money just because of this and that. ;)
But still, talking about the same thing. I'm still depressed. I just couldn't believe this anymore. I swear! There are a lot of concerts that I have missed already. Oh geez, this is killing me softly. Not literally but I am serious.
The first concert that I really wanted to watch is,
LMFAO with special guest, Quest Crew. Like wtf?! -.-"
Dude, seriously?!?!?! I couldn't believe this! I am missing the chance of seeing Quest Crew and LMFAO AGAIN. I just wanted to burst out and all. I really wanted to watch this so bad! Oh, I haven't mentioned it yet that I am such a fan of these two- LMFAO & Quest Crew. Oh please, why are you doing this to me?! But I know I don't have chance or time to watch this tho. I am busy during that day and I couldn't leave the thing that I've been doing because...
For those who'd like to watch this:
Get your tickets now at Ticketnet branches or call 911-5555 for the party rock event of the year "LMFAO Live In Manila" this April 11 at 8pm, presented by Dayly Entertainment.
To those who'll watch this for-sure-it-will-be-fun concert, just send my regards to LMFAO and Quest Crew.
Before anything else, this is the second concert that I REALLY REALLY WANTED TO WATCH AND SEE THIS AWESOME PERSON SING AND DANCE LIVE,
I'm speechless. I don't wanna speak anymore. It really hurts especially knowing that she'll be coming back this coming May. You guys know how I love this monster. Such a fan of this amazing singer of all time. Everything about her is just so amazing and so different. She really knows how to handle herself, her fans, her family and her personal life. I love her music, she's so dedicated when it comes to her music. She may be weird in everyone's eyes, but she'll never be weird in my eyes. For me, she's perfect. That's why I really wanted to meet Lady GaGa and watch her sing and dance live.
But I guess, there's no chance at all. And it really hurts. Since her concert in Manila is still on May, maybe I still have time to convince Dad. I hope I can use my convincing powers, and maybe crossing my fingers would help. Haha.
For those who'd like to watch this also:
Tickets for The Born This Way Ball will go on-sale in Manila on Monday, April 2, at 12 noon at all SM Tickets outlets. Ticket prices are:
- PATRON (Standing)-- Php 15,840
- LOWER BOX (Reserved Seats)-- Php 11,620
- LOWER BOX (Persons w/ Disability) Standing-- Php 11,620
- UPPER BOX (Free Seating)-- Php 5,280
- UPPER BOX (Persons w/ Disability) Standing-- Php 5,280
- GENERAL ADMISSION (Free Seating)-- Php 2,120
- GENERAL ADMISSION (Persons w/ Disability) Standing-- Php 2,120
For ticket info, call 470-2222 or contact Ovation Productions at 532-8883. Purchase online at http://www.smtickets.com.
I know I may sounded like I'm exaggerating and over-acting with this situation. But dude, I'm not kidding.
So yeah. I'm speechless and depressed. What else?


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Nefarious no more
When I first started this blog in 2002, I used to write a lot about George W. Bush, the former frat president who's now our President. But after this country was stupid enough to re-elect him in 2004, I dropped that topic like a hot potato. The man and his administration are so bad -- we're the laughingstock, Satan, or both for 90 percent of the world -- that it really defies any words that I could come up with. "Worst President ever," true as it is, doesn't quite capture it.
Insane fiscal "policy," war-mongering, fear-mongering, elitism, abuse of power, torture, rendition, Big Brother surveillance, viciousness, hypocrisy -- these guys have it all. Dumb and mean. They make Nixon look like Truman. Maybe the whole idea is to make Bush's father seem better by comparison. After his worthless son is through with the country, Daddy will resemble FDR, relatively speaking.
Anyway, tonight we interrupt the stunned silence that this blog normally exhibits toward Bush, because the latest from his White House is his most horrendous act in quite a while, and that's an achievement. Now Bush national security types and their radio stooges are actually out there demanding that corporations refuse to do business with any law firm whose members volunteer their time to represent detainees in our prison camp in Guantanamo, Cuba.
To this day, I still can't believe that we would even have a prison camp in Guantanamo, Cuba. But to have one where people are held indefinitely with no charges and no process sickens me. If it were up to Bush, these people would be left there to rot forever, with no opportunity to state the case for their innocence or to complain about the squalor in which they are imprisoned. Fortunately, despite both Bushes' best efforts to pack our judiciary with yes-men and yes-women, there are still enough federal judges with a brain and a backbone that the prisoners in our camp have at least some minimal skeleton of rights. (Well, perhaps just barely enough federal judges, and only for the time being.)
The way this country is set up, if you have rights, then you are entitled to an attorney to help you vindicate them, particularly if you're being sent to prison. Every criminal, no matter how heinous his or her deeds, has a right to counsel.
But now if a courageous lawyer decides to take a detainee's case on a pro bono basis, the Bush administration urges American businesses to retaliate against that lawyer by firing the entire law firm in which the lawyer works.
Happy Martin Luther King Day from George Bush.


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I'd seen 3D latte art in Taipei on Instagram so when I visited I asked my hotel to suggest where I could find a café that offers it and they came up with The Who Café which is a couple blocks from the Taipei 101 MRT station, exit 2. It's hard to find as it's on the second floor and the stairs are between a garage and a cake shop.
When I went there, I passed it the first time I went up the street. I did find it, but didn't know they didn't open till 11:00 am so my plan for breakfast there was out. (I wound up going back up the street to a Starbucks.)
Later in the day I returned and got the cat latte above. I got the brown sugar latte which was sweet but not too sweet. The Who Café is best to visit when you're not in a hurry because the artful lattes do take time and it also seemed like the staff wasn't all that organized. So though I had to leave in a rush, I would go back and was happy with my drink.


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Kalecki states that full employment can be gained if the government instigates a programme of "public investment (e.g. builds schools, hospitals, and highways) or subsidizes mass consumption (by family allowances, reduction of indirect taxation, or subsidies to keep down the prices of necessities), and if, moreover, this expenditure is financed by borrowing and not by taxation." Such ideas obviously contradict the mainstream economic opinions being promoted in Europe today (that are leading to spiralling unemployment) and are therefore still highly relevant.
Kalecki is part of a long line of prominent left-wing Polish economists that include Rosa Luxemburg, Włodzimierz Brus, Oskar Lange and more recently Tadeusz Kowalik. These economists have dealt with such things as the realities of early peripheral capitalism in Eastern Europe; the harsh realities of the Great Depression in countries such as Poland; the injustices and imbalances of the Stalinist command economy and the negative effects of the shock-therapy return to capitalism after 1989.
These economists often bridge the traditions of both Marxist and Keynesian economics and attempt to offer concerete and practical solutions to immediate economic problems. Kalecki is famous for having devised many of the ideas of Keynes, before Keynes himself (but was less known in the English speaking world.)He came to these ideas through applying the methodologies of Marxist economics.
Unfortunately many of the ideas of economists such as Kalecki have recently been largely neglected, not least in his native Poland. In light of the present 'Great Recession' in Europe, the Polish left could do a lot worse than return to these works as a way of helping to devise an alternative economic policy for the left.
The article below was written in the perspective of socio-economic life in inter-war Poland. By 1939 around 8m people were unemployed, which equalled a third of the population.
Political Aspects of Full Employment1
by Michal Kalecki
1. A solid majority of economists is now of the opinion that, even in a capitalist system, full employment may be secured by a government spending programme, provided there is in existence adequate plan to employ all existing labour power, and provided adequate supplies of necessary foreign raw-materials may be obtained in exchange for exports.
If the government undertakes public investment (e.g. builds schools, hospitals, and highways) or subsidizes mass consumption (by family allowances, reduction of indirect taxation, or subsidies to keep down the prices of necessities), and if, moreover, this expenditure is financed by borrowing and not by taxation (which could affect adversely private investment and consumption), the effective demand for goods and services may be increased up to a point where full employment is achieved. Such government expenditure increases employment, be it noted, not only directly but indirectly as well, since the higher incomes caused by it result in a secondary increase in demand for consumer and investment goods.
Read More


text: The Doula Project is an animated web series created by a group of female filmmakers, animators, and a professional doula. Its purpose is to provide practical, educational, and emotional support to women concerning reproduction and childbirth. Each episode will deal with a different theme that ranges from the origin of midwives to the chemical breakdown of the birth process. The video series will adapt a dialogue between millennial women and a practicing doula (Katy Collins) into five video episodes that illustrate scientifically (and humorously) what happens to women's bodies during the birth process.


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John Neumeier doesn't know "who started the rumor" that all children should avoid seeing his ballet "The Little Mermaid." But he suspects that the culprits might be big fans of the exuberant 1989 animated Disney film that made the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale synonymous with spunky, red-haired Ariel and the crab Sebastian singing "Under the Sea."
"My ballet doesn't have the sweet aftertaste of the Disney film, and there are moments of brutality," the 70-year-old chief choreographer and artistic director of the Hamburg Ballet says by phone from his company's headquarters in Germany.
"And the work isn't for very young children. But I don't believe that older children can't understand cruelty, not in an age when they can turn on CNN and see the most horrible things."
PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures by The Times
Commissioned in 2005 by the Royal Danish Ballet to celebrate Andersen's 200th birthday, "The Little Mermaid" has subsequently both delighted and shocked audiences worldwide with its adult sophistication and fidelity to the original tale of brutal self-sacrifice and unrequited love. The ballet, which Neumeier revised for his company's repertory in 2007, will receive its Southern California premiere when Hamburg Ballet visits Segerstrom Center for the Arts this week.


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Planned Parenthood Activists Protest Supreme Court Decision On Wednesday, April 25
For Immediate Release: Jan. 30, 2014
Federal Abortion Ban Gives Politicians Green Light to Practice Medicine
NEW YORK — On Wednesday, April 25, Planned Parenthood supporters will hold rallies and demonstrations to express outrage over the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the federal abortion ban. On April 25, the third anniversary of the largest march in Washington, DC, history, the landmark March For Women's Lives, the women's health movement will once again send the message to elected officials that women's health must be protected. Demonstrations will be held in states nationwide, including Georgia, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Utah.
"Last Wednesday's decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the federal abortion ban in its entirety represents a serious setback for women's health and safety, and is truly 'an alarming decision,' as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote in her dissent," said Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) President Cecile Richards. "The decision takes away an important option for doctors who seek to offer the best and safest care to their patients, and turns back the clock on 30 years of Supreme Court precedent. This is the first time that the Supreme Court has ever upheld a restriction on abortion without a health exception.
"With this ruling, the Supreme Court gave politicians the green light to make medical decisions for women and doctors, and the American people won't stand for it," said Richards. "Across the nation, Planned Parenthood is standing up for the women and families who rely on us for reproductive health care. We are sending the message to politicians and the Supreme Court that women's health matters and must be protected."
In response to the Supreme Court's ruling, Planned Parenthood has launched the Planned Parenthood Pledge — a grassroots campaign to engage activists and supporters across the country and urge them to put every elected leader in America on notice: the American people will not allow hardliners to use the Supreme Court's reckless decision to threaten women's health. The Planned Parenthood Pledge will be shared with members of Congress, governors and state legislators across the nation.
"Planned Parenthood will always stand up for women's health and safety," said Richards. "Wednesday's protests are in response to all attacks on women's health. We have a responsibility to let activists know that their elected officials are not protecting their rights. It's time to tell them enough is enough!"
To find out about various activities please contact the PPFA national media office at 202-973-4882.
To sign the Planned Parenthood Pledge, please visit www.plannedparenthood.org.
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Andrea Hagelgans, 212-261-4652
May 13, 2014


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Midsomer Norton South Station
Photo by Stephen Sainsbury. © All rights reserved.
Midsomer Norton railway station (originally Midsomer Norton and Welton, later Midsomer Norton Upper and finally Midsomer Norton South) was a station on the Somerset and Dorset Railway between Bath Green Park and Shepton Mallet. The station was immortalised in 1964 in the song "Slow Train" by Flanders and Swann. It closed in 1966 with the closure of the S&D under the Beeching Axe.
The station was on a fairly steep slope which took the railway up from the valley floor at Radstock into the Mendips, heading south to the summit of the line at Masbury. It had extensive gardens which were cultivated by the station staff and won many prizes. The station buildings are still well-preserved.
Current Status
The station is now preserved by the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust which has returned full size steam locomotives to the station in recent years.
Future Plans
Planning permission has recently been granted to begin extending the line southwards towards Chilcompton.
|Radstock North Station
|Midsomer Norton South Station
|Chilcompton Station
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Fundraising and Support
You can contribute to this project by donating to the Somerset and Dorset Railway Heritage Trust. The trust is always looking for volunteers to help out with track laying, station building work, and running the shops. If you can help, please contact them directly via email@example.com.
If you'd like to contribute to the restoration of the Midland Mark I coach, currently hosted at Midsomer Norton South, please fill in and return the standing order mandate below:
- Midland Mark I Coach Fund (.pdf)
Learn More...
Page last updated: Monday, March 2, 2015


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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. If phyllo was frozen, make sure it is completely defrosted before handling it. Once removed from package, you will need to cover phyllo with waxed paper and a damp towel to prevent it from drying out. Lay out each dough sheet and brush on butter. Fold in half, brush again, fold in half, cut in half. (Each dough sheet should yield 2 rectangles, roughly 4 by 4 inches, so you will have 16 squares.) In mixing bowl, combine lobster, cheese, parsley and chives and season with salt and pepper. Place mixture on each square of dough. Bring up corners into smaller square packet and brush more butter on top. Bake in oven until golden brown.
Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs, shellfish and meat may increase the risk of foodborne illness.
Copyright 2007, Robert Irvine, All Rights Reserved


text: During the school holidays, we took Gammon and Chips to the National Science Museum in London. It was a great day out, and we were all particularly impressed by the Exploring Space Gallery there. I'd never seen anything quite like it – the Apollo 10 capsule and a replica of the Apollo 11 moon landing … Continue reading »


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UAE ambassador hints at construction boom
UAE ready to showcase construction opportunities for contractors
RELATED ARTICLES: Hyundai Heavy bags $120m Intermat equipment order | Construction equipment industry looks to ME growth | Airport earthmoving tenders in Abu Dhabi
HE Mohamed Meer Abdalla Al Raeesi, the UAE ambassador to France, says the construction industry in the UAE may exceed the levels seen during its last boom.
Speaking to Construction Week Online during a whistlestop tour of the Intermat expo in Paris on Wednesday, Al Raeesi said that the construction industry in the country had picked up considerably in the past 12 months, and hinted that the future looked bright for the industry.
"Maybe next year, it will be even bigger than it was before the crisis," he said.
The UAE will host Intermat Middle East from 8 to 10 October at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, with more than 250 exhibitors and 7,000 international buyers already signed up to participate.
"This is a very large show. It is very impressive, and I think that the UAE is definitely ready to do more events like this. We already have a very good IDEX, Dubai airshow - so yes, it is time for the UAE to do something like this," he added.
"This will be an opportunity to present the UAE construction companies, innovations, achievements and projects, and to exchange experiences among the exhibitors," said Al Raeesi.
The ambassador met with several key international exhibitors with connections to the UAE and the Middle East. He was also taken on a tour of the enormous outdoor display areas and live-action arenas where earthmoving equipment and excavators were put through their paces.
The Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (DED) also held a seminar for contractors and companies looking to establish themselves in the UAE.
The DED is on a push to increase international investment in the UAE, and has several new e-services in the pipeline designed to help smooth business transition into the country.


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Following years of upheaval and reorganization within this industry sector, telecommunications companies are focused on identifying and implementing the IT solutions that are vital to their prosperity and survival.
Since our inception, Princeton Information has been a trusted partner in meeting the needs of the telecom industry. From improving legacy systems, turning to Web-based platforms to integrate services, enhancing customer and vendor support, consolidating systems, heightening efficiency, to extending system functionality, Princeton Information has demonstrated unparalleled ability to respond to the goals and challenges of telecom's top firms.


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These are our friends.
Boof City Skate Shop | facebook.com/boofcity217/
Local skate shop for all your skating needs right above Dumb Records
Bourbon Street Bar | facebook.com/bourbonstreetspringfield
the only bar in Southtown
Clay's Popeye's Barbecue | facebook.com/ClaysPopeyesBBQ
real barbecue restaurant in Southtown
Madison Furniture Company | madisonfurniturecompany.com
family owned Southtown furniture store since 1932
Skank Skates | skankskates.com
southtown indoor skate park since 1988
Bar None | facebook.com/Bar-None-Springfield
bar downtown that supports and hosts lots of original local music
Boot Party Radio | facebook.com/bootparty
punk rock radio show on Fridays 6-9pm on 88.3 WQNA fm
Cafe Andiamo | facebook.com/CafeAndiamoIL
coffee shop downtown springfield
Connected Springfield | facebook.com/Connected.Springfield.IL
informed citizens group of springfield
Downhome Music Fest | downhomemusicfest.com
mid-summer downtown local music festival
Downtown Springfield Inc. | downtownspringfield.org
Organization focusing on economic growth of downtown Springfield
The Elf Shelf | facebook.com/elfshelfspringfield
Record and book store downtown
Food Fantasies | facebook.com/FoodFantasiesNaturally
specialty local grocery store
HISO Music | facebook.com/HISOMusicEnt
local entertainment company and record label
Hooglan Center For The Arts | hcfta.org
downtown concert and music center
Illinois Times | illinoistimes.com/Springfield
Springfield based weekly publication of news, arts, and entertainment
Innovate Springfield | innovatespringfield.org
Springfield business incubator based downtown
Kick-It Coalition | facebook.com/thekickitcoalition
local hip hop entertainment company
Lincoln's Legends | lincolnslegendspodcast.blogspot.com
Media maniac focusing on artists and professionals that make springfield a creative place
Local First Springfield | localfirstspringfield.com
a list of local businesses around town
Miles T-Shirts | milestshirts.com
screen printing for shirts, banners, and more
Milk & Honey | facebook.com/MilkAndHoneyFreshMarket
local as heck grocery store in the middle of downtown Springfield
Monophonic-Stereo Show | facebook.com/Monophonic-Stereo-Show
Danny Kerwin and friends playing vinyl only radio 7-9pm Mondays on 88.3 WQNA
Ooey Gooey Tapes | ooeygooeytapes.bandcamp.com
Springfield based cassette punk label
The Pharmacy | thepharmacygallery.com
artist co-op and community center on South Grand and Pasfield
Prairie Art Alliance | prairieart.org
non-for-profit art gallery and art school located downtown
Punk Rock Dissertation | facebook.com/themidwestcanbealright
weekly punk radio show 4-6pm on 88.3 WQNA fm
The Radon Lounge | theradonlounge.com
underground DIY basement venue since 2011
Record of The Night | dumbrecords.tumblr.com
Dumb Records taking pictures of friends and records since 2013
Recycled Records | recycledrecords.com
downtown record store and furniture party downstairs
Some Things Can't Be Ignored | somethingscantbeignored.wordpress.com
music blog featuring Springfield releases around the 1990s
Springfield Art Association | springfieldart.org
non-for-profit organization promoting the arts in Springfield
Springfield Community Arts Forum | facebook.com/groups/156349871078254/
facebook group dedicated to music and art events in Springfield
Springfield Jaycee's | springfieldjaycees.net
local leadership and development oragnization
Springfield's Own Magazine | facebook.com/SOmagazine
every-0ther-month local publication
Springfield Vintage | facebook.com/springfieldvintage
Vintage store in downtown Springfield
Springfield Underground | facebook.com/groups/springfieldunderground
facebook group for posting show events and more
Taqueria Moroleon | facebook.com/Taqueria-Moroleon
the best authentic Mexican restaurant in town
Wm. Van's Coffee House | facebook.com/wmvans
local downtown coffee shop
The Rest of The State, Country, and World:
Macomb Events | youtube.com/user/macombevents
Gordon takes a lot of videos, a lot at Black Sheep
Maximum Rocknroll | maximumrocknroll.com
Rat King Records | ratkingrecords.com
Champaign-based record label
The Rose City Underground | rosecityunderground.org
community center and safe space in Pana, IL
Small Town Cool | mysmalltowncool.com
site highlighting cool things going on in small towns
The Spotted Race | spottedrace.bigcartel.com
Lumpy puts out records
Take The Pulse | takethepulse.com
Central Illinois music news and podcast


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At Kumari, we always consider ourselves very lucky to work with such wonderful couples. More often than not, they have an incredible sense of style and taste in photography that we truly appreciate. Rina & Phil are no exception to this; they had the savviest of senses when it came to colour, feel, and taste. Their engagement photos really reflect their sense of fun, adventure, and romance; an eclectic mix by any standard. Adventuring through High Park worked wonders for this summer-loving couple, and they loved the notion of getting "wet n' wild" to showcase their exciting nature!
Thanks for a great time Rina & Phil, we can't wait to share your most special of days with you both!


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I highly recommend Robinson's Flooring. They give you options as far as what kind of carpet will work best for you and then they will work with you on the price. In the past we've used other companies and we weren't happy. Robinson's was able to get better carpet for the same price as the other guys.
They carpeted 2,400 sq ft of the building. They carpeted the steps, entire bowling alley, bar, entrance, and we have plans to do the banquet room next. Throughout the installation, my rep came in all the time to check on the guys.
110 East Alluvial, Fresno, California 93720
(559) 412-2900
We are located at the River Park Shopping Center behind the JC Penny Home Store and across from Kohls.
Monday—Saturday: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday: CLOSED
We also liked that Robinson's worked around the bowling alley's operating hours, so there was no interruption to the business. They always left the building clean and ready to use.
We already had a nice bowling motif for the masking unit above our pins and Robinson's found carpeting with a similar pattern. On Friday nights, we put on special lights that make the colors pop. The kids love it.
Robinson's did a lot of extra work that they didn't charge for. For example, we had a bump in the sub-flooring in the entryway. People were always tripping on it. Robinson's removed it. No extra charge.
Mark Maldonado
Owner, Freeway Lanes Bowling Alley in Selma California
Copyright © 2009-2018 ROBINSON'S FLOORING. All rights reserved


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Members of Radio Clatterbridge's request team past and present got together for a special edition of In The Mix at the weekend to bid farewell to Sarah Jones.
The ward visitor has been volunteering at the station for nearly nine years.
Sarah is leaving the programme after announcing she's expecting the birth of a baby in January.
Presenter Dave Adams played a Ronan Keating song for Sarah, who is a big fan of the Irish singer.
Richard Calvert was also presented with a bottle of bubbly as the most prolific request collector in the team.
Meanwhile, Beth Meredith celebrated her 6 years at the station as well.
As is tradition, the event was celebrated with a special cake baked by fellow request collector Natalie Kelly.


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We had one apple staring at us from the fruit basket and I had no appetite and hubby isn't a big fan of them apples. So, what to do? Decided to try my hand at an apple turnover type thing. Was looking on Open Source Food for hours at recipes to try out in my Mom's old tiny oven.
(This thing must be over 15 years old - my grandmother pulled it out of storage and gave it to me and I am still shocked it lights up!)
Anyway, after a lot of yummy recipes, came across one that was easy and simple enough to try out. I love apple pie and this seemed very similar. But alas, I still have to figure out how Mom's old oven works! I put it in to bake and it just wasn't working - so regrettably the lil pies were deep fried. It wasn't too much of a disaster - name one deep fried food that you haven't liked - go ahead! The bites came out delish! Crunchy on the outside and sweet and gooey apple bites inside. Hubby gave his approval of - "not just good, its Great!" - Okay, so I added the capital G and the exclamation ;)
Excuse the poor quality of pictures - had really bad lighting and was just too tired (I made them at 11pm!)
Here is how I made 2 Warm Apple Bites:
1 apple - diced
4-5 cloves - crushed
1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. honey
2 Tbsp. of clarified butter (knob of regular butter is fine)
1 egg
2 drops of vanilla essence
oil to deep fry
2 pcs of white bread
1. Peel and dice 1 apple. Small bite size chunks are fine.
2. Warm a pan on low heat. Add butter and melt. Add cloves, cinnamon, sugar, honey and apple. Stir and cook till apples are between firm and soft. Think apples from apple pie. Remove from heat and let cool.
3. Take 2 pcs of bread and cut of crusts. Use a rolling pin to flatten each out thin. Split the apple in half and spoon on side of each piece of bread. Fold over each to make two pies. Use egg wash to seal edges. (I added a bit of sugar and vanilla to eggwash).
4. At this point you can put it in the oven and bake. But-I ended up dipping the two pies in the egg like French toast and putting it into the oil to deep fry.
Let it cool and enjoy! Would be great with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream!!
Healthy Blueberry Muffins Recipe – Step by Step - [image: healthy blueberry muffins recipe]Healthy blueberry muffins recipe using no refined flour or sugar. Perfect to make as a toddler snack. The post H...
4 weeks ago


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I ran the rakes-on-the-powerline idea past a utility engineer I know. He allowed that while it was a ridiculously unsafe and stupid thing to do, it could work.
Happy New Year, all! We'll see what happens when the old man pulls that lever in 2014.
by Brian Fies
An Eisner Award-nominated work in progress. Updated Tuesday and Friday. Starts HERE.


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The commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) market floated approximately $30 billion in new issues in 1996 and may do so again in 1997. Thus, securitized sources of mortgage finance are supplying a much larger share of all commercial mortgage originations than they did just a few years ago. This article explores what impacts this greater use of CMBS will have upon commercial property markets.
Direct effects of more securitized mortgage finance Using more CMBS financing has several direct effects different from former use of traditional mortgage lending from banks, insurance companies and other established lending sources. First, it increases the number of different capital suppliers putting funds into commercial mortgages. Many lenders have in the past avoided making commercial mortgage loans, because they did not believe they could properly underwrite such loans since they do not have specialized real estate staffs. Now many are willing to buy CMBS if the latter have received investment-grade ratings from rating agencies.
This greater number of fund sources more broadly spreads the riskiness of any aggregate set of loans originated in a given period. Because more lenders are involved, the probability that any lender will experience a default is reduced, even if the total number of defaults and the total amount lent in any given period remain the same.
Also, because more sources of funding can be tapped, the total amount of money competing to make the mortgages originated in a period may rise. That would cause a narrowing of interest-rate spreads between such mortgages and both comparable Treasury securities and other fixed-rate instruments. This reduces the cost of mortgage borrowing to developers and others. The same spread narrowing also arises from just having more lenders competing to finance mortgage loans.
True, more parties are normally involved in producing CMBS than in making direct mortgage loans, so the total number seeking fees may be larger. Whether that offsets the spread-narrowing impact of greater competition among lenders depends upon the relative efficiency of traditional sources and securitized sources in moving funds from the initial supplier to the ultimate user. During the past few years, the securitized funding industry has become much more efficient. The most effective firms in this business are now able to supply funds at a lower all-in cost than many traditional lending sources.
Another important effect of the increased number of sources of mortgage funding is a lower probability that all current sources of mortgage finance will simultaneously withdraw from the real estate market, leaving borrowers with no place to obtain money. That happened in 1990 when financial regulators prohibited banks, savings and loans, and insurance companies from making any more real estate loans. This helped cause immense turmoil in commercial real estate markets, leading to massive defaults, work-outs and foreclosures. It also created the opportunity for public securities markets -- especially REITs and opportunity funds -- to step in and raise capital from nontraditional sources to supply real estate's pressing refinancing needs.
When such nontraditional and differently regulated capital sources as pension fund bond departments, foreign banks, foreign pension funds, opportunity funds and individual investors are willing to supply funds for mortgage-backed securities, the chance of a complete choking off of commercial real estate lending is greatly reduced. This decreases the general riskiness of real estate mortgage lending over the long run, further narrowing mortgage spreads over relevant Treasuries.
Two nagging worries This new situation contains two nagging worries, however. The first is that the originators of the mortgage loans used in CMBS will not underwrite those loans as carefully as traditional originators did. The CMBS originators do not usually hold onto their loans but sell them to a third party, whereas traditional originators like banks, insurance companies and pension funds often held them in their own portfolios. Therefore, the latter had a stronger incentive to underwrite these loans carefully in the first place. If so, the riskiness of the original loans in CMBS may be higher, not lower. This worry is partly offset by the fact that several parties underwrite loans in the CMBS process. These include the initial originator, the operator of the conduit or fund into which the loans are placed and the rating agency that places its imprimatur on the resulting CMBS. Even the buyer of the CMBS may evaluate these loans, though that is not likely if they are relying upon investment-grade ratings. Another offsetting factor is that CMBS are based upon pools of mortgages; so the default of an individual mortgage will have a smaller impact upon the holder of such securities than it would if each loan were fully held by a single capital supplier. Up to now, there is no persuasive evidence that funding through CMBS produces greater default risk than traditional funding. But recent CMBS issues have not been put to the test of a severely overbuilt market situation.
The second nagging worry concerns the fact that the final borrower will probably have much greater difficulty negotiating any change in the original mortgage when that mortgage has been securitized than when it is held by the originator or any other single major supplier. If a developer wants to expand the size of a shopping center financed with a securitized mortgage by adding to that mortgage, he or she may have trouble persuading whoever now holds that mortgage even to discuss such a change. The loan will have been put into some pool that is now held by a servicer who is not in the loan origination business at all and has no incentive to renegotiate the initial deal. Or if the developer/owner is having financial difficulty and wants to negotiate a work-out, the same problem may arise.
In the default case, the CMBS industry has invented a coping mechanism called the "special servicer." This is a financial agency willing to renegotiate terms or foreclose on defaulted loans. The latest CMBS documents provide that, in case of a default by a borrower of some mortgage in a pool, that mortgage is shifted to a "special servicer" willing and able to engage in such negotiations. How effective this arrangement will be in a period of massive defaults has yet to be tested. Firms in the CMBS industry are also trying to reduce this problem by encouraging borrowers to make shorter loans. Nevertheless, at present, this nagging worry is still a concern to many borrowers who want maximum flexibility to change the nature of their loans in today's fast-moving markets.
Conclusion By broadening the sources of mortgage funding, the use of CMBS will have great impacts upon the future financing of commercial real estate. Altogether, these impacts will benefit fund borrowers, create more competition for traditional fund suppliers and reduce the overall riskiness of supplying mortgage funds. There are still some nagging worries about these changes, but they are not enough to prevent the expansion of securitized mortgage financing in commercial markets from becoming a permanent condition there.
Anthony Downs is senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, Washington, D.C. The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of officers, trustees or other staff members of the Brookings Institution.


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One of my favorite paragraphs ever. From A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century.
The evidence is building of a need for a theory of "difference" whose geometries, paradigms, and logics break out of binaries, dialectics, and nature/culture models of any kind. Otherwise, threes will always reduce to twos, which quickly become lonely ones in the vanguard. And no one learns to count to four. These things matter politically.


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Time played a major role in my day trip from London to Stonehenge and Bath. It meant getting up early, for a start, an activity that has never been one of my strong points. But such is the allure of Stonehenge and Bath that I made the effort to roll out of bed in time to join the tour at Victoria Coach Station in central London for a tour that would cross the country and take us back roughly 5000 ... Read Full Article
Visit Bath Spa, England
Bath, one of the loveliest cities in England, has for centuries welcomed visitors, who came for the restorative powers of its famous mineral waters. The Romans built a magnificent temple and bathing complex that still flows with natural hot water. If you too would like to sample the waters, there is a new Thermae Bath Spa right in the city built just for that purpose. A world Heritage ... Read Full Article


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|Top Online Data Backup Rankings
PORTLAND, OR – May 25, 2016 — /BackupReview.info/ — With the recent surge in ransomware cyber attacks, many organizations are reevaluating their cyber security programs. After a slow growth rate between 9 to 20 percent earlier in 2016, ransomware attacks jumped 159 percent in April, according to Enigma Software.
Travis Smith, a security researcher for Tripwire, a leading global provider of endpoint detection and response, security, compliance and IT operations solutions points out that ransomware allows criminals to monetize cyber crime efforts more efficiently than other tactics; this is a critical factor in the recent tsunami of attacks.
"Monetizing spamware or stolen data requires more time and expertise than ransomware and involves higher risks of being detected by law enforcement," said Smith. "In addition, the rise of anonymous cryptocurrency, such as Bitcoin, has made it easier than ever for attackers to infect a machine with ransomware. The success of ransomware has made it possible for cyber criminals to make hundreds or thousands of dollars per infection, and they get paid immediately."
Smith noted that organizations should reevaluate their disaster recovery programs and procedures as part of their ransomware protection plan: "For many organizations, ransom decisions come down to the most cost effective plan of action. If systems and data can be restored quickly from backup with minimal data loss, then not paying a ransom demand is a viable option. However, in order to be confident enough to ignore ransom demands, IT teams need to continually test backups to ensure all critical business data is being captured and that the backups are viable."
Smith added that having a reliable backup may not be enough to mitigate the threat of ransomware: "Organizations also have to take the next step and verify they can restore critical business systems quickly to minimize downtime and service interruptions. For most security teams, this means they will need to practice – a process that takes both time and resources. However, this investment can pay significant dividends in the event of a ransomware infection. Planning and testing a streamlined backup process can reduce the cost and risk associated with restoring data. If organizations make these investments, ransom demands can become irrelevant."
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text: Yesterday, the Captain Cheeseball Books Facebook Page reached its 1000th like! Its exciting to see that many eyes on the page! Writing the book was easy compared to getting the word out on the book. Reaching your audience takes some time and effort. 'Thanks' to all those who have checked out the Facebook page and an EXTRA special 'Thank you' to those who have purchased the books!!! If you or your kids have read the books, please let people know about them. Word of mouth can be extremely powerful. Thanks again and its exciting to move into this next stage of the life of The Saga of Captain Cheeseball!!!


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I've just made this from necessity. I had some passata that needed using, some carrots that were going a bit manky and someone here for lunch. I also have too many tins of chopped tomatoes and need to start using them! The ingredients can be varied according to common sense - for example, don't open a carton of passata just to use half of it in this - just use the cans of tomatoes and make less!
Ingredients to make quite a lot.
2 cans chopped tomatoes (I used value ones)
about half a carton of passata
1 medium or half a large onion (or use the lot and have more onion flavour), peeled and cut unto wedges
1 medium carrot, peeled so the mank is removed, then cut into baton-ish bits
a drizzle of olive oil
a squeeze of garlic
a good pinch of smoked paprika (I think this goes brilliantly with tomatoes)
a heaped tsp marigold stock powder (or use a veg cube)
half a tsp sugar
a tbsp balsamic vinegar
a grinding of black pepper (no salt as the stock is salty)
some mixed herbs
Heat the oven to 200C
In a roastic dish put the chopped tomatoes, the carrot and the onion. Mix. Drizzle over some olive oil. Roast in the oven until the tomatoes are reducing and there are nice charry bits (about half an hour or so).
Tip this into a saucepan. Then add all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the veg are soft. Leave to cool for a short time, then zizz well until very smooth. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Reheat to a simmer and serve with a crusty roll. I like a splodge of yogurt or creme fraiche on top too.
The Thermione way
Roast as above. Tip into Thermomix, add remaining ingredients, cook on 100, spoon speed, 15 mins. Allow to cool a little. Then blitz at 10 for 2 mins (makes it lovely and smooth). Reheat to 100 if necessary.
Serve as above.
(photo to follow if I remember)
Welcome to my Recipe Blog. I hope you enjoy these recipes which are a mixture of my own efforts, both conventional and for my Thermomix and those I have found elsewhere and found good. If you have liked anything in here and/or have any comments to make, they would be very welcome. I'd especially appreciate feedback on my own recipes and will always respond. So do let me know what you think . . .
Friday, 11 September 2015
Tomato soup
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2012 Blu-Ray 3D Movie Holiday Gift Guide
from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Although I readily admit that my level of anticipation for making the move to 3D home entertainment paled in comparison to that of my husband and son, I have to admit that the experience is outstanding! My in home sci-fi and tech loving crew is very excited about all the new movie titles they can enjoy and re-visit in hi-definition. Even so, we remain a mixed technology home and this Mom loves to find great titles for the holidays that are offered in combo packs, providing both the ideal 3D version, as well as the standard DVD copy. See what made the list of top Blu-Ray 3D films for 2012 below, easy choices for the tech advantaged on your holiday shopping list!
Renowned director Ridley Scott takes fans on a gripping sci-fi thriller that plays off the Alien franchise universe. Noomi Rapace captures everyone's attention as archaeologist Elizabeth Shaw, who is on an epic quest to discover humanity's forerunners, the "Engineers".
I, Robot Blu-ray 3D
In the year 2035, technology and robots are a trusted part of everyday life. But that trust is broken when a scientist is found dead and a skeptical detective (Will Smith) believes that a robot is responsible. Bridget Moynahan co-stars in this high-tech action thriller that questions whether technology will ultimately lead to mankind's salvation . . . or annihilation.
Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter on Blu-ray 3D Combo Pack
Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov teamed up to for a fun, action-packed film with cutting-edge visual effects. A citizen by day and a hunter by night, you'll enjoy the Lincoln you know kick some major vampire butt.
Avatar Blu-ray 3D
The world of Pandora has never looked better when, for the first time ever, fans will be able to welcome James Cameron's global box office sensation into their homes in stunning 3D high-definition
Ice Age: Continental Drift Blu-ray 3D
Nothing says "winter" like a snowy winter wonderland! Sub-zero heroes Manny, Diego, and Sid embark upon a high-seas adventure after their continent is set adrift. Using an iceberg as a ship, they encounter sea creatures and battle pirates as they try to reunite with their herd. In the wake of these upheavals, Sid reunites with his cantankerous Granny, and the herd encounters a ragtag menagerie of seafaring pirates determined to stop them from returning home.
Both my husband and son are fans of both Avatar and I, Robot and were thrilled to learn that they can now enjoy their viewing experience with these new 3D movie releases! Although my son will be waiting a few years yet to enjoy Prometheus, my husband is certainly looking forward to adding this sci-fi title to his collection. Of course, the whole family enjoys the Ice Age films, although none as much as my son who still can be heard to giggle at the antics of these favorite prehistoric creatures. To his delight, Ice Age 3, Continental Drift easily lived up to his expectations.
Looking for a title for your next in home date night?
Add a flash from the past to your evening
and see how you can win
and see how you can win
your own Blu-Ray copy of War of the Roses!
Do you purchase movies as holiday gifts?
Which films have you missed and are looking forward to enjoying from 2012?
Tell me in a comment below! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
I received various film titles to explore for the purposes of creating this feature. The opinions above are both honest and of my own experiences.


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Sumber: http://www.illegal-logging.info/item_single.php?it_id=2378&it=news
The administration and the House of Representatives remain at loggerheads over illegal logging in Riau, causing legal and investment uncertainty in the country. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's decision to set up a joint team led by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo A.S. to deal with the issue only seems to have complicated the issue.The joint team was formed following friction between the Forestry Ministry and the National Police over illegal logging in Riau.
The ministry defended its decision to give forest concessions to Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP) and Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper (IKPP), while the police accused the two companies of getting illegal logs from partner companies.The issue heated up at the House when the environment commission and forestry commission summoned the management of the two pulp and paper companies on the eve of the Idul Fitri holiday.House Commission VII overseeing environmental affairs canceled a hearing with RAPP, which was seen as being uncooperative and because of the absence of its owner Sukanto Tanoto.
Several field tours by the joint team have yet to result in any firm recommendations, while the two pulp and paper producers are facing shortages of raw materials because their partner companies supplying wood have stopped operations and areas of their timber forests have been fenced off by police.Sojuangon Situmorang, director general for public administration at the Home Ministry and a member of the joint team, said the team found strong indications of illegal logging in protected forests and national parks in Riau but had not found evidence the two pulp and paper companies were behind it.Azis Syamsuddin, chairman of the House's working committee assigned to investigate illegal logging cases, slammed the government and the House commissions for becoming locked in a "battle of egos"."To settle the case, the conflicting commissions should sit down together to put the case on the table and seek a comprehensive recommendation," he said.
"The friction between the Forestry Ministry and the police in the government camp and between the House's environmental commission and the commissions overseeing legal and forestry affairs is rooted in the conflicting Law No. 41/1999 on forestry and Law No. 23/1997 on the environment."Azis said he was ashamed of the public impression that the House's summoning the two companies on the eve of Idul Fitri was linked to efforts to extort the companies."The two conflicting laws should be synchronized to avoid confusion among law enforcers, including the police," he said.Rampant illegal logging has seen Riau top the list of provinces with the highest rate of illegal timber exports, ahead of Kalimantan and Papua.
Every month some 126,000 cubic meters of illegal timber is exported to Malaysia and hundreds of more cubic meters are believed to be supplied to local plywood industries and pulp mills.Both RAPP, a unit of Raja Garuda Mas International, and IKPP, a unit of Sinar Mas Group, have denied getting raw materials from illegal logging, saying some 80 percent of their timber was supplied from their own forest estates.IKPP corporate director Jan Partawijaya and RAPP president director Rudy Fajar have questioned the government's "ambiguous policy and conflicting laws", which they say have created investment uncertainty among businesspeople.A spokesman for RAPP, Troy Pantauw, questioned the House's motives in summoning both companies, saying illegal logging also happened in Kalimantan and Papua but no pulp and paper mills or plywood companies from the two islands were investigated.
The Indonesian Employers Association and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have called on the government to settle the case immediately to improve the investment climate.Executive director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment, Chalid Muhammad, said in addition to law enforcement, the government should supervise both companies and ensure they adjust their production capacities according to the production of their own forest estates."The government should also audit both companies to ensure they get raw materials from their own timber estates."Executive director of Greenomics Indonesia, Elfian Effendi, said the government should also use its reforestation funds to finance reforestation programs in deforested areas across the country.
FORUM PREVILEGIATUM untuk MEMBERANTAS ILLEGAL LOGGING dan MAFIA HUKUM IJAZAH ASPAL GUBERNUR BANTEN
Hanya FORUM PREVILEGIATUM atau IZIN diskresionair Presiden SBY yang mampu menyelesaikannya secara hukum murni tanpa pertimbangan politik sesaat belaka! Urusan membongkar jaringan pelaku Illegal Logging dan urusan membongkar jaringan ijazah aspal (asli tapi palsu) sama pelik dan berbahaya.
[GoSpot] Marissa Haque geram laporannya dihentikan penyidikannya. 17/12/2008
Video recording dari acara Go Spot di RCTI tersebut diatas, adalah salah satu jihad hukumku didalam melawan (dugaan) delik pidana Ijazah ASPAL (Asli tapi Palsu) Ratu Atut Chosiyah, SE dari Universitas Bororbudur Kalimalang, Jakarta Timur.
[GoSpot] Marissa Haque geram laporannya dihentikan penyidikannya. 17/12/2008
Video recording dari acara Go Spot di RCTI tersebut diatas, adalah salah satu jihad hukumku didalam melawan (dugaan) delik pidana Ijazah ASPAL (Asli tapi Palsu) Ratu Atut Chosiyah, SE dari Universitas Bororbudur Kalimalang, Jakarta Timur.
Minggu, 20 Desember 2009
Riau Illegal Logging: Torn between Indonesian Environment and Business (in Marissa Haque)
Diposting oleh @ikangichalovers di 09.01
Label: Gubenrnur Riau, Marissa Haque Menhut, Pemberantasan Illegal Logging, Presiden SBY, Rusli Zainal
Allah Maha Segalanya Tak Ada yang Lainnya: Marissa Haque & Ikang Fawzi
Video Tahun 2008, Diambil dari youtube.com tentang Malaikat yang Turun ke Atas Kabah di Mekkah (Semoga Video Ini Benar Adanya)


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Wireless RC T300 Robot Tracked Crawler Car Controlled by Compatible Arduino by APPSold By Smaring, Ships from China
Introduction A new design of tank chassis, beautiful appearance, fine processing, sandblasting oxidation into golden yellow and silver. All-metal structure, make the tank more solid. In the design ...Read More…
A new design of tank chassis, beautiful appearance, fine processing, sandblasting oxidation into golden yellow and silver. All-metal structure, make the tank more solid. In the design of the tank car panel, there are reserved installation space for 9 g steering gear and MG995 steering gear, can be used flexibly to install ultrasonic sensors and mechanical arm, etc. And the panel for the Arduino UNO R3 and NodeMCU development suite reserved mounting holes, making installation of development board is no longer difficult. In addition, this car panels can be installed 25 mm / 37 mm motor bracket, and also can be installed into a wheeled 4 wd buggy. More surprises, it was designed the two LED lights on the panel. The vehicle looks very beautiful. Under the motor drived, the car can be flexible rotation around. Car carbon brush dc motor has hall sensor, which is used to speed and feedback. As a result, the car can do a lot of things, worth it!
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We look for the most active & best members of the Tindie community, and invite them to join. There isn't a selection process or form to fill out. The only way to become a Tindarian is by being a nice & active member of the Tindie community!
Hi, everyone, our store is located at China, which is specilized in providing and research on smart hardwares, like development boards, modules, robot, drone, and the related accessories. Welcome to everyone to our store!


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On April 24, instead of making the annual trek to Tsitsernakaberd Genocide Memorial in Yerevan as Armenians (especially Diasporan Armenians living in or visiting Yerevan on this day) are expected to do, I went to the opening of an art exhibit at my friend's apartment. The artist, Linda K. Anderson, an older American woman who'd come to Yerevan by way of Sweden and then the Netherlands, was here for two months as an artist-in-residence through the Art and Cultural Studies Laboratory (ACSL).
However, due to unforeseen circumstances that involved a falling out with the ACSL Artistic Director, she ended up completing her work and arranging other accommodation outside of the residency program. I really admired her courage and initiative in taking what turned out to be a bad situation and making it work for her. She ended up completing the work she came here to do, but on her own terms.
Her work, called "Armenian Cave Paintings," was exhibited in what she called "Gallery Shushan" (named after the woman, my friend, whose apartment she was staying and working in). The huge canvases (as well as a few small ones) were spread out throughout the apartment. Linda had made a blackberry crumble and prepared other hors d'oeuvres for the occasion and her son, David, had composed music for the event which was played throughout the evening. We had a chance to meet Linda's family via Skype. All in all, it was a cozy atmosphere.
One friend, an art critic and contemporary art professor in Yerevan, recalled how the exhibit-in-an-apartment reminded him of Soviet times when institutions didn't exist for art that wasn't the socialist realism that was the main stay of the period and "nonconformist" artists would organize exhibits in their apartments. And though I have never lived in a Soviet country, I had a chance to experience what that might've been like, if only just for a moment.
The unforeseen events which resulted in this exhibit in a residential apartment and the feeling of being part of amazing moments that happen on the fringes are the same wheels in motion which resulted in meeting Asheer Akram, another artist from the US who — wait — is also here as an ACSL artist-in-residence.
Asheer was given my number from a mutual friend of ours who had called me to say that an artist from the US (Asheer) who was in Yerevan had his Macbook power adapter stolen from his luggage and could I please lend him my power cable so he could at least recharge his laptop till a new one arrived from the US? Of course I agreed.
But wait — stolen from his luggage? Yes. Apparently, Asheer, coming from another artist-in-residency program in Pakistan to Yerevan (by way of Dubai) had his plastic-wrapped luggage opened and checked by Armenian customs and the result: a missing Macbook power adapter and a carton of Pakistani cigarettes. Can you believe it? It's quite possible that Armenian customs officers kept those items for "security" purposes with plans to sell the power adapter and most likely smoke the cigarettes themselves. I mean, really. Ouf!
Luckily, Asheer wasn't missing anything else but buying a charger from the "Apple" store in Yerevan was out of the question: $200?! Yes, apparently what costs maybe $70-80 USD in the States costs $200 in Yerevan. I told Asheer: economies of scale (and perhaps the ability to get away with charging atrocious prices that no average Yerevan citizen could afford.)
Making Connections
My personal goal of "Making Connections" last year seems to have carried over into this year. With that in mind, I decided to introduce Asheer to Linda. I believe that artists should meet other artists. And you should always hear all sides of the story ;)
Informal, impromptu gatherings in Yerevan are part of what I love about being here. Not just among artists, but among diverse groups of individuals. And this, I find, happens on a regular basis.
Meetings between Armenian president Serzh Sargsyan, Azerbaijani president Ilham Aliyev and Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on settling the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict or any other number of local conflicts are nothing compared to the many informal trilateral and multilateral meetings that take place among locals, repats, expats and visitors.
The conversations and topics that are covered are truly diplomacy at work. We complain about local and regional issues [whether that be the art scene(s) or politics or a host of other issues], but respectfully. We understand that we're all in this together. We understand the importance of community. Of living in this small, globalized world. Of respecting differences and history. And sometimes amazing things happen. Collaborations, connections, cooperation.
And though this blog post is about visiting artists, it very well could be about repats or expats or locals discussing issues they may not agree on or expressing their frustration at the state of affairs.
Yerevan's just like that. To me, it's still full of surprises, "coincidences," random meetings, and making connections.


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100.0% would recommend this item to a friend.
13 out of 13 people found the following review helpful:
What are the pros? Beautiful flowers!
What are the cons? Aphids, 1 day flowers
We planted these in a mixed bed in our greenhouse with tomatoes and plants. They grew large and strong very quickly in subsoil irrigation. One was white, the other purple. which is awesome. Ours got infested with aphids pretty quickly in the greenhouse. Ladybugs could barely keep up for a short time. The poisonous aspect is a bit worrying, but now that we know the size of these, we'll be planting them outside. Ours bloomed profusely, then started dropping leaves, then went through a whole other cycle of blooming a second time in the first week of Sept. The purple has a deep dark black stem as it gets large, so you'll know which color blooms are in store by that.
We were able to save hundreds of seeds. Will see if we got pure genetics or if our white and purple crossed.
Would you recommend this product to a friend?
20 out of 23 people found the following review helpful:
What are the pros? Beautiful flowers
What are the cons? nothing
Seed started easily enough and the plants grew just great, have 2 with purple flowers, 1 with yellow and 1 that hasn't flowered yet but has buds.
Will be growing these again.
28 out of 29 people found the following review helpful:
What are the pros? Grew easily. Sturdy Plants
What are the cons? Didn't overwinter indoors
These reminded me of eggplants both in terms of structure and ease of growth. I started these indoors and moved to larger containers outdoors in mix of soli, peat moss and sand. Performed well in all respects. Exquisite blooms!


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'American Idol' Season 12, Episode 23 Recap: Mariah Carey Breaks Down Over Devin Velez's Elimination
After the last episode of 'American Idol,' where the men butchered their group performance of 'I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch),' it was no surprise that they were all sent to the bottom three. But it wouldn't be a results show without tons of performances and pointless fillers.
The 'Idol' group performed Bob Seger's 'Old Time Rock N' Roll,' and the women held the performance down whereas the men were still unable to recover from their last group massacre of a performance.
With Lazaro Arbos, Burnell Taylor and Devin Velez in the bottom three, Jimmy Iovine predicted that this episode would be Lazaro's last one. But it was Devin who received the least amount of votes.
He sung his farewell anthem and Mariah Carey cried the moment they mentioned his name. Keith Urban and Randy Jackson deliberated on whether or not to keep Devin on the show. Carey then cried some more (by the way, she's a very pretty crier). Even with the audience chanting "safe," all the running mascara Mariah sported was not enough to keep Devin around.
Unfortunately, he was eliminated.
Watch Devin Velez Perform His Farewell Song on 'American Idol'


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Developing into a great developer
Jessica began programming sites at Orbit over seven years ago as an intern and quickly became a developer whizz kid (a.k.a Lead Web Developer). She's adept at both back- and front-end development, with experience in PHP, CSS/HTML, jQuery JSON, AJAX, and more. Jessica has developed numerous e-commerce and custom sites for Orbit's clients, and she has a penchant for doing restaurant sites (though staring at photos of delicious food all day can be dangerous).
Jessica grew up on Sesame Street in Bloomington-Normal, IL and moved to Chicago to attend the Illinois Institute of Art in 2004. Her portfolio won Best in Show in 2006, and she graduated with a BA in Interactive Media Design. When she's not at Orbit, Jessica can be found behind a camera practicing her photography, making arts and crafts, traveling, and enjoying being a newlywed.


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The Skatalites
From Paris With Love (World Village 468017, 2003)
No matter how much ebb and flow there is in the popularity of ska, the fact remains that it's one of the most recognizable and enduring forms of music on the planet. It's been 40 years since the Skatalites combined shuffling jazz and r+b with Afro-Caribbean rhythms and sharp accents on the off beat to create a style that went on to influence and inspire punk rockers, reggae rebels, musicians of various stripes and listeners the world over.
Ska started out not only as music but as a reflection of contemporary culture, with many ska songs over the years being reconfigured versions of popular classics or drawing ideas from movie soundtracks and matinee idol personas. The Skatalites continue to keep that spirit alive to this very day, and From Paris With Love is the latest jewel in the crown of their long and distinguished career.
Recorded in the French capital late in 2001, the disc includes the amazingly honed chops of longtime members Lloyd Brevett (bass), Lester Sterling and Cedric Brooks (saxes), Lloyd Knibb (drums), and Dizzy Moore (trumpet) as well as perennial vocalist Doreen Shaffer singing on a few selections.
The 15 tracks are heavy on updated old favorites, and though the production is considerably more polished than the often ragtag quality that made vintage Skatalites recording so charming, no one would deny that this band has earned a bit of gloss.
Ageless and timeless as ever are the likes of "Rock Fort Rock," "African Beat," "Freedom Sounds" and "Guns of Navarone," with a smattering of new instrumentals like "Skata Skata" fitting right in. Horn melodies and solos bob and weave over tightly skanking riffs and rhythms, with Knibb's dead-on drum fills always hitting the mark and the entire ensemble recalling glory days of ska that never truly went away.
The latter-day additions to the group earn their wings alongside the old masters, the album sounds great throughout, and ska fans from Paris to Polynesia will be grooving with renewed vigor.
Buy From Paris With Love.
Author: Tom Orr
Tom Orr is a California-based writer whose talent and mental stability are of an equally questionable nature. His hobbies include ignoring trends, striking dramatic poses in front of his ever-tolerant wife and watching helplessly as his kids surpass him in all desirable traits.