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Bad News…Mourning
My cellphone acted up again lately so I had to bring it to the service center. Well, it's some sort of keypad malfunction. The scroll key was no longer working. I guessed it would only take days for the technician to repair the poor phone. But I was mistaken because it took almost 2 weeks.
I missed everything about my phone. It's the only gadget that I have, plus my digital camera. It was such a hassle to live a day without my cellphone. You know, I use it as an alarm clock. When I hear "Booty Music" at 7:45, then it's time for me to wake up. When I get terribly bored, I use it to play my fave songs and videos. I have four playlists, music videos, and movie trailers in it. I use it to check emails and blog comments. Yeah, it's not high-end phone but it's got WAP.
And the worst thing to happen when I don't have my phone with me? No text messages and calls from my family and friends. Text life is all that I have. It's like I'd go crazy and die of boredom without it. My parents were actually worried. They started to freak out because the last time that they heard something from me was two weeks ago. They tried to call me but, of course, I was out of coverage. Days after I brought my phone to the service center, I texted my bro using my officemate's phone but unfortunately he didn't receive it. And that's why I missed to know the bad news right away.
My lola died on Thursday. I just knew it last night when I finally got my phone back from the service center. I was saddened. I wasn't expecting the news. I really never had an idea that it happened. I know that my lola has been sickly for the last few months. She's been in and out of the hospital recently. But I thought she'd still fight.
I'd definitely miss her. I'm not her favorite apo but I know she cared for me and my siblings. She's now in our dwelling place with my lolo. It's really sad because it's my birthday next Saturday. Imma spend it mourning her death.
I want to go home as soon as possible because I know my lola wants me to be there. I'm also worried about my mom. She has a heart problem and it's very hard for her to deal with this. She's quite emotional. When my lolo died years ago, she passed out a couple of times. I wanna be by her side and console her.
10 Comments on "Bad News…Mourning"
February 22, 2009 at 12:23 am
my condolences bro.
February 22, 2009 at 11:31 am
condolences beero. rest in the consolation that another angel now is watching over you.
February 22, 2009 at 11:36 am
Oh… that's the bad thing about when one thing gets broken, the rest seems to follow. But I'm sure God will heal your heart sooner than you expect, and your lola is in a much better place now. Perhaps god didn't want her to suffer more and gave her the gift of rest.
My condolences to you and your family bro…
February 22, 2009 at 4:50 pm
i discovered your blog a few days ago while blog hopping. great blog you have here. and condolence for your loss.


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At this point of the year, lots of teachers will be breathing a massive sigh of relief having finished their classroom research projects; others will be chewing their nails thinking about the one they're about to start.
So it's timely to think about where all this work gets published.
The British teachers' trade journal, the Times Educational Supplement has been active in recent years in making a range of research more widely available, and there are now a number of on line resources that have sprung up following the demise of other places where teacher research was published (such as the National Foundation for Educational Research's Topic and the old DfEE Best Practice Research Scholarships, some of which can be found at the Institute of Education's excellent Digital Education Repository Archive).
The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) has published a range of practitioner research reports (by mathematics teachers) on its website. The site also offers evidence bulletins which can be useful to maths teachers thinking about classroom research.
In Wales, the Government of Wales has been supporting the Masters in Educational Practice (MEP) for some years now. The MEP is a practice-based higher degree in teaching, very similar to the MTeach and the old Masters in Teaching and Learning that briefly flourished between 2009 and 2011. The MEP team have established an on-line archive of teachers' work; the site is also available in Welsh.
On the subject of Wales, the Prince of that nation has a Teaching Institute, which also publishes reports of teacher research projects, these are only available in English, but can be read here.
We have started to compile links to all these resources, and will do our best to up date these as more sites become known to us. Please write to the editors if there is anything you would like us to add to the list.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to the online home of Michael Family Farm. It's our goal to make high quality farm products available to local families at affordable prices. Our products and services include:
- Raw milk and milk products
- Fresh free-range eggs
- Farm raised beef, pork and chicken
- Seasonal vegetables, fruits and nuts
- Quality livestock–cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and dogs
We do not re-sell any products purchased from farmers' markets. Our products are either grown on our farm or by local friends who share our principles.
If you have any questions about any of our products or services, simply contact us. We're always available to help.
God bless your family,
Bill & Dania Michael
Michael Family Farm


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Is this elephant getting ready to give Keith a little 💋
I could be an elephant. That's how strong my love is! 😍
Hahaha well thanks. 😂😘 I just want to be that close to Keith!
😂 I don't think that name fits you Juji!
Cool pic, Juji you'd never be a Bit🎸👅🎸
Just call me Big Bertha from now on. Lovin' on Keith! 💋
Yep that was there first performance in the US...
Cool, Schultz!! That was filmed, I believe.🎥
I forget CB you be a local girl😉
Hey BrightBlueStar! It happen june 3 1964 at the taping of there first US performance on the Hollywood Place Show... The elephants were an act on the show as well.... Big Bertha and Tiny Tina😄
That elephant has never forgotten Keith!🐘
Great pic ! 👍🏻❤😎
How cute! When did this happen?
I know right? Look at the little baby 😀


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Dr. Friedrichs and Dr. Abraham use dental imaging software to simulate your future smile before we begin treatment! Using digital imaging, we can take pictures of your teeth, which our sophisticated computer system then uses to create the predicted "after" image of your teeth. Call 281-205-4717 today to learn more about our dental imaging software and to make your appointment with our talented dentists.
When you visit our office for your dental treatments, we may ask, "How do you like your smile?" Our dentists will consult with you about the different treatment options we offer, and after deciding on a treatment plan, use our dental imaging software to help you see what the end result of your dental care will be. Using advanced dental imaging, we will take pictures of your teeth, and then digitally modify those images according to the treatment plan you have selected to display the projected final result.
Dental imaging software is a great tool for helping us plan and execute dental procedures and treatments. This technology allows us to adjust our dental care, helping to achieve the results we want without unnecessary time or treatments, saving you both time and money at our office.
For more information on dental imaging software, please contact our practice and make your appointment with one of our dentists today.


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Change of Date
New date 14th & 15th December 2013
Unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have had to change the date of this year's event. The competition will now take place on the weekend of the 14/15thDecember. All other details, including the venue and the schedule for the weekend remain the same.
We have taken this decision as early as we possibly could to cause minimum inconvenience to people. We do however understand that the new date may pose a problem to some people. If you have already registered and are now unable to do the new date please let us know, via the contact form.
We would like to apologise for this and hope everyone will continue to support the event.


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I just realized I didn't do a new year's blog post last year. I know I was up until midnight so I'm not sure what happened. Regardless I'm blogging tonight looking forward to the new year. I'm not going to make new year's resolutions, but I do like to set goals. Goals are generally better because with goals you should define the steps you are going to take to achieve the goal. I really enjoyed Michael Hyatt's blog and he talks a lot about goal setting. His blog talks a lot about personal development and leadership. He's a Christian so his advice is Biblically based.
Yearly goals are good but sometimes a little overwhelming, so I'm going to focus more on monthly goals that support the yearly goals. I'm also still thinking through my goals, I don't want to be flippant or unrealistic with my goals.
So I'm thinking:
1. Read the Torah and the history books of the Old Testament in The Voice translation.
I need to breakdown the milestones for the monthly goals.
2. Read and blog through the New Testament in year three of mybible360.blogspot.com
This year I'm starting with Psalm 119, once that's complete the week days will be reading the New Testament and weekends reading the Psalms.
3. Get off of blood pressure medicine. My blood pressure isn't horribly high but I'm tired of taking medicine for it.
To get off the meds means more exercise, reduce the salt intake, and loose the weight. Yes realizing that's everybody's new year's resolution. BUT… I'm saying it anyway…
4. Blog here at least once a month.
5. Read 75 books with one book a month being a nonfiction.
I just downloaded 4 or 5 Beth Moore's books for the Nook. I'm sure there will be other good nonfiction to be read.
6. Not sure how to make this measurable, but I want to be a better pianist.
Practice…practice…. and then practice….
7. Another one that's hard to measure is improving my skills as a photographer.
This is another one that takes practice
Watch training videos
Attend a Scott Kelby training
8. Increase readership to Favorite Christian Books
Consistent blogging of reviews
Offering give aways
That seems like a lot but they will be spread out through the year. If all goes well next December 31st I'll be posting how I did with my goals.
For now there is less than 30 minutes until midnight. I'll make it but then I'm going to sleep. Hopefully I'll sleep well.


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Melissa and Doug Fashion Press
Your little one will be proud to show off her design skills with this amazing wooden tri-fold playboard featuring two models.
Design glamorous gowns for the princess in her fairytale setting…
or classic day wear for neighbourhood friends.
12 fabric swatches can create hundreds of designs.
Lots of fun and a great gift for aspiring designers aged 3 years and over.


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Friday, August 24, 2012
Unsettling Update
I had posted to ya'll before that I was sick, I just didn't mention how sick until I knew for sure. I didn't want to worry anyone about what was going on, and I still don't fully *understand* what is going on, but I do know what is wrong with me.. Here is a bit of a rewind in case you have missed it..
As some of you know, on July 23rd I had a Lumbar Fusion on my back scheduled. Well with surgery comes lots of blood work, doctor visits and pre-op appointments. Up until this point, my biggest fear was not ever being able to walk again. But then my blood work came back. My blood work came back, and I my red blood cell count was low (which indicates anemia for those that may not know) and my white blood cell count was high (which indicates some sort of infection, if you may not know) so they wanted to run more tests. But they had ran every test in the "book" on me and couldn't come up with anything. They did an STD screeen, they checked EVERY part of my body and they just couldn't figure it out. At the least, I was very anemic, which I had figured because I have stuggled with anemia since I had my last daughter (2010) and that just wasn't surprising. But after running test after test they just couldnt' find any sort of infection going on in my body. So my primary doctor shipped me to a Hematologist. The hope was that they would figure out what was going on. When I got to the hematologists office, they did yet again more blood work. Only to tell me two days later that I might have Leukemia, and they wanted to run yet again more tests. At this point my nerves were shot. I was soo frustrated with seeing doctor after doctor and having soo much blood taken that they were considering a transfusion, and yet no one could give me a definite answer as to what was going on with my body.
I was frustrated and irritated and just felt like giving up. I had seen 5 doctor's already and I had just reached the point of believing that they will just give ANYONE these days a PHD ( thats a different blog..) But I had all about given up, at least until last week.
I went from my primary doctor, to a hematologist, to an oncologist, to a hematology/oncologist specialist to finally an OB/GYN. Still not sure WHY they sent me to an OB/GYN but they did. And after countless amounts of blood work and pap smears and every other not-so-fun things that come along with a vagina doctor I FINALLY got an answer of what was wrong with my body.
I have a genetic blood disorder called "Atransferrinemia" .. If you would like to read about that, you can go here: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/atransferrinemia But basically, its like my body is overloading on iron but it isn't going through my blood stream. Which is causing the low red blood cell count and the high white count.
So now, I have reached this point that I am on about every medication you can think of from A-Z (and I HATE it!) and I just feel helpless. This thing I have, is definitely manageable, but it is still a pain to live with. But I still felt relieved at the same time. After going through all the BS I was going through day after day and all these problems I was having, I finally know what is wrong, and how to live with it.
It is VERY hard these days for me. I am not working, I have an eviction notice, shut off notices and everything is soo hard right now, my head is spinning. I am soo unsettled and unsure of what is going to happen next that I'm not eating right or sleeping right. I also have 3 children that I am raising on my own, plus all of these medical issues. And don't get me wrong, I do have family that is helping when I ask for it. But I am also very STUBBORN. I strongly believe that *I* brought these children into the world, it is my job and my job alone to raise them. I won't let anyone "help" me with them. Maybe that's the wrong choice, but taht's just how I roll I guess.
But I am unsettled in my home as well as everywhere else apparently. I rearranged my entire house today, and it about killed me Lol My body can't take moving furniture and bending etc.. like that! But apparently I am unsettled on facebook and even here on blogger. I have changed my background about 3 times the last 2 days alone.
So I do know why I am unsettled, Im just not sure what to do about it. I dont know how to *fix* things or even what I am going to do next. I am just taking things one HOUR at a time right now, because emotionally and physically and finanacially that is all that I can do right now.
Im sorry for all the typo's, I am sleep deprived Lol But I just needed to vent!
...Until next time my friends <3
7 comments:
- AnonymousAugust 25, 2012 at 3:08 AM
Wow, lots of scary stuff going on at the moment. Take a deep breath. Keep your chin up. I hope this all works out for you.ReplyDeleteReplies
Yes, lots! I am just taking things one day at a time right now! I am hoping things work out too! Thank youDelete
Good luck Miss. My heart is with you.ReplyDelete
Such scary news! You have every right to be unsettled! My prayers are with you as you deal with this. At least now you know what you are dealing with and can take each day at a time to treat it.ReplyDelete
Yeah it took long enough for them to figure it out. I am glad they did figure it out though. Now I can start moving forward!Delete
I actually read this blog this morning, but got off on a tangent as I googled and became familiar with your diagnosis. I am hopeful for a managed recovery. I believe your chances are better than what they originally thought was your condition. I wish you well. I will certainly pray for better health for you.ReplyDelete


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Pawan proved a hero
Pawan proved a hero, setback again for Chiranjeevi
Hyderabad, May 17 (IANS) The younger brother proved a hero and his more popular elder brother turned a zero in the simultaneous polls to Andhra Pradesh assembly and Lok Sabha.
If 2009 elections saw actor-turned-politician K. Chiranjeevi's Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) proving a big flop, this time the Congress party under his leadership failed to win even a single assembly or Lok Sabha seat in Seemandhra or the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh.
Chiranjeevi, a central minister was heading the party's campaign in Seemandhra but the public wrath over the state's bifurcation decimated the party. The charisma of the former superstar was not enough to rescue it.
Though both of them did not contest the elections, they were the centre of attraction. One leading the Congress and the other vowing to finish it off.
In 2009, Chiranjeevi's younger actor brother Pawan Kalyan had campaigned with him. The young actor, however, fell out with his brother after he merged PRP with the Congress in 2011.
Popular as 'power star' among his fans 42-year-old Pawan floated a new political party Jana Sena on the eve of the elections and gave the slogan 'Congress hatao desh bachao' (Remove Congress save the country).
"Nobody can eliminate the Congress party." It was how 58-year-old 'mega star' had countered Pawan. The brothers, however, avoided directly criticizing each other.
Pawan's party did not contest the elections to avoid division of the anti-Congress votes. He flew to Ahmedabad to meet Narendra Modi and declared his support to the BJP's prime ministerial candidate.
The actor shared dais with Modi and TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu at the NDA's election rallies both in Telangana and Seemandhra.
Pawan campaigned for BJP-TDP alliance in both the states. The trio succeeded in their mission to wipe out the Congress party but failed to stop the TRS from coming to power in Telangana. Pawan was bitterly criticizing TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao's family for using the Telangana movement to make money and for targeting Seemandhra people living in Hyderabad.
While it will take a long time for both the Congress and Chiranjeevi to recover from the shocking defeat, Pawan now wants to build his party. "We will take up people's issues at all levels," said the actor while advising both Naidu and TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao to fulfill their poll promises.


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Diversity@UCLA: By Any Means Necessary
Chapter 1 - An Exquisitely Devious Plan
Chapter 2- Justifying the Unjustifiable
Chapter 3 - Diversity in Black and White
Chapter 4 - Making UCLA 'Look like L.A.'
Chapter 5 -
Where Intellectual Diversity Is a Dirty Word
Diversity@UCLA: By Any Means Necessary
Chapter 2
Justifying the Unjustifiable
The views of Diversitistas like Carnesale are echoed by students, faculty and staff. These voices, however, display a refreshing lack of finesse in disguising their racially-motivated goals. In a 2001 UCLA Daily Bruin article discussing low numbers of minority law school students, Gary Blasi, a clinical and public interest law professor, bemoaned the "harm [to] every white or Asian American student who is here because their education is without the benefit of the perspectives those now absent students once brought to classroom discussions."[i] In a Black History Month article, the African Student Union Sergeant at Arms Kelly Wynn expanded on this theme, arguing that a lack of diversity "not only affects students of color, it affects other students as well because they're not exposed to our perspective."[ii]
The students and professors of UCLA commit the fatal mistake of letting race and gender serve as a proxy for intellectual contributions that actually do help students to learn from one another. The prototypical situation - whites learning from blacks learning from Hispanics learning from Asians - sounds eminently reasonable. And it's one of the reasons why diversity is so far winning the battle of public opinion. But the argument falls apart on closer inspection.
The justice of favoring minority students in any way over majority students is sustained only if every minority student possesses a significant characteristic that not one majority student possesses. But what is this characteristic?
Is it a background of poverty? A full 8% of white Californians and 9% of Asian Californians are living below the poverty line.[iii] So that doesn't work.
Is it poor educational access? Thousands of "majority" students attend terrible public schools in every public school district throughout the state. But there must be something…
Is it coming from a broken home? No, divorce, joblessness or domestic abuse are not unique to any one race or gender.
By the time we identify characteristics that, say, all black students possess and no white students possess, we have descended into a group of physiognomic features. Even then, it must be a full set of ethnic traits – curly hair, broad nose, full lips, and dark skin – since Jews, Sri Lankans, Italians, or any other group or admixture thereof might share one or two of these attributes. In short, the Diversitistas will never identify a single substantial characteristic that will prove the justice of Diversity, because lauding the classroom contribution of hair kink or lip size is absurd on its face.
The diversity movement is illogical and unjust, and ironically enough, derives a great amount of its success from exploiting politically incorrect assumptions by unthinking whites. However un-PC it may be, the Diversitistas benefit from the benign white misconception that blacks, Hispanics and other minorities really are all different, that they all have experienced something unique or foreign to whites. We know that radicals hate racial profiling – which in its most objectionable form uses race as a proxy for individual characteristics like criminality. But as is their wont, this distaste for profiling is highly selective – and deeply hypocritical. If a black man is pulled over in Beverly Hills because he probably doesn't live there, and might break the law, it's racism. But if a black man is accepted to UCLA because he probably overcame a background of poverty and might make a unique contribution to classroom discussions, why, that's justice.
Go to
Chapter 3 - Diversity in Black and White
[i] http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/db/archivedarticles.asp?ID=2666&date=1/30/2001
[ii] http://www.dailybruin.com/news/printable.asp?id=3051&date=2/21/2001
[iii] http://www.ppic.org/main/commentary.asp?i=249


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CARLUKE High School badminton stars were delighted to end a run of dominance by rivals Dalziel High School and land the Lanarkshire Quaich title.
The recent tournament saw Carluke triumph with victories over Lanark Grammar, allied to other victories over Dalziel High and Larkhall Academy.
Carluke High head teacher Andy Smith said: "I was absolutely delighted that the commitment of the team was rewarded. To say that the players were excited would be an understatement!"


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You have the right not to be killed. Most people agree on that. Who doesn't? Those who value other things more highly than individual lives – personal aggrandisement, or political ideology. Often the two go together, and nowhere are they more comfortable bedfellows than on the far right.
When the attacks in Norway took place, many politicians and media contributors immediately leapt to the conclusion that they must be the work of Islamic terrorists. So did many ordinary people, with the result that there was an immediate rise in the number of Islamophobic threats reported across Europe. Individuals were threatened or told to "go home" (despite the fact many were born in Europe), whilst mosques and madrassas came under attack.
The horror of this is pretty obvious. What may be less obvious is just how ridiculous it is. When you look at the statistics you'll see that the percentage of terror attacks in Europe committed by Islamist groups is very small. The reason they seem more commonplace is entirely down to the way they are treated by politicians and the media. In other words, there is an agenda here. That agenda has two aspects.
For politicians, encouraging a fear of Islamic terrorism is useful. Scapegoats and distractions are always handy in tough economic times. It also helps to justify wars in countries with large Muslim populations when local populations are unwilling to accept other reasons. For newspapers, it's even simpler: fear sells. The papers have always played this game. From anarchists threatening terror to black men endangering white women and gay men endangering children, it's the same thing recycled, generation by generation, finding a convenient monster. The important thing is that the monster has to be demonstrably Other. It can't come from the bedrock of readers or voters. It has to be excluded from the assumed Us.
All this makes it rather embarrassing that the Norwegian attacker turned out to be white, educated, middle class – in all respects the sort of person we Europeans are supposed to think of as one of us. A lot of desperate flailing has followed, from unsubstantiated claims he was inspired by Islamist violence to the bizarre ramblings of Glenn Beck, who, with his usual political incoherence, compared the Utøya victims to the Hitler Youth. A strange apologism for the far right has since developed in parts (thankfully not all) of the press. Perhaps it's fitting. After all, the killer, Anders Behring Breivik, quoted extensively from certainly popular press pundits – most notably Melanie Phillipps – in the manifesto in which he endeavoured to justify his violence. He recognised the right wing press as his allies, and they have been notably slow to disavow his agenda.
Is it fair to blame the wider right for actions like this? Of course the vast majority of them would never condone violence (and many, of course, are economically right wing without sharing this sort of social agenda at all). Any hesitation in so doing must, however, be weighed against that same old eagerness to let all Muslims take the blame for Islamist terrorist attacks.
Perhaps most telling has been the reaction of the English Defence League, which Breivik cited as one of his inspirations. Of course they wouldn't condone the attacker's actions, they insist, but they share his agenda. They have taken advantage of this raising of their profile to argue, as he did, that this centres on the need to remove all Muslims from Europe in order to protect its indigenous people (whoever they are). Breivik felt that sending a message about this made the killings even he called 'atrocious' worthwhile. His logic in this regard is somewhat unclear. Even if one wee to accept his ill-justified contention that Muslims are a threat, how exactly is he protecting people by, um, killing them?
You have the right to free speech, argue the EDL. If we shut down their democratic right to express their objection to our Muslim citizens' presence here, something not unlike the Norwegian attacks could take place in the UK. Worryingly, there are already hints of support for this kind of thinking coming from the mainstream. These Islamophobes are unpleasant, it's said, but we must placate them a little – make immigration laws a bit tougher, allow fewer new mosques to be built – or there could be trouble. This is nothing short of capitulation to blackmail. Why should ordinary Muslims suffer when they are not the ones making threats?
The rhetoric we hear in this situation asserts that it is liberalism that has allowed these problems to develop. Liberals, it is said, are so busy standing up for people's rights that they don't realise Muslims wouldn't grant them the same courtesy.
This is not only a misunderstanding of Islam – it is missing the point. Human rights are just that – part of being human – and they do not depend on one's affiliations or behaviour. What's more, this isn't about liberals versus the rest of the world. It's about everybody who wants to live in a peaceful civilisation versus the right wing extremists who don't.
Ultimately, those extremists vary very little in their aims, no matter which ideological tokens they cling to. Those advocating violence on the far right and those doing so in the name of Islam are much the same. They are all attacking the diversity, equality, and respect for human life that are the cornerstones of our civilisation. They are attacking the true Us. We are the ones who stand together, as the diverse peoples of Norway stood together in their grief, and say that we will not be bullied and threatened into giving up the civilisation we have worked so hard to build. We will not be turned against one another by those who can offer only destruction.
The far right has no place in our society and we must be neither bullied nor embarrassed into giving it one. It is time for right wingers who do not share that agenda to clearly differentiate themselves. That means an end to the use of Islamophobic articles to sell newspapers. It means an end to moronic statements about the 'failure' of multiculturalism from political leaders who should know better. It is time to stop feeding hate and to assert clearly that those who wish to label themselves European must show respect for all of the rest of us, no matter our religion, if they wish to be respected in return.


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Gift of Fitness
Your friends and family deserve to experience fitness the way you do! This year, give them the opportunity to experience FITNESS at its FINEST. Give them "12 Days of Fitness" at TELOS and a Special holiday enrollment offer!
Stop by Marketing to pick up your "Fitness Passes" to share with your loved ones.
You receive one month of FREE DUES for every new referral who joins.


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When the classic VW bus was at the height of its popularity in the '60s, ads bragged about the fact that it got 24 miles per gallon.
Fifty years later, that's actually still a lot better than some similarly sized vans, but it isn't exactly carbon neutral. Brazilian designer Eduardo Galvani decided to reinvent the hippie bus as something truly sustainable.
The Nimbus is just a concept, but Galvani has sketched out all of the details.
The design uses a micro-generator to keep an electric motor and battery powered as you drive, which Galvani claims can keep the van going for 200 miles.


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Thinking before acting is of paramount importance. Impulsive decisions can land one in great trouble, regret, distress or pain. Impulsiveness relates to not thinking through before acting. A proverb like Look before you leap is very relevant here. We have heard the story of the lady impulsively killing the pet mongoose. The lady left her hut to fetch some water from a well leaving her little boy with the mongoose. When she returned she saw the mongoose in front of the doorway of the hut with some blood around its mouth. She became furious and instantly killed the mongoose thinking it hurt her child. Little did she know that in fact the mongoose saved her child. When she got into the hut she saw the child happy at the same time a deadly dead cobra killed by her pet lying in the hut.
Discernment here means to carefully distinguish and scrutinize. Thoroughly various options available before a decision, and to clarify for oneself all the issues involved weighing all the pros and cons before arriving at a decision. After proper discernment a person might make a decision, choose between two options one of which is a lesser evil than the other, or even postpone a decision. Postponing decision-making without a good reason can be a sign of depression. I am aware that some people like myself have no difficulty making decisions related to day-to-day engagements but carry them out or meet the deadlines at the last minute. Carried away by what is happening in the here and now, one may set aside or postpone some prior commitments. But it is a question of prioritizing for persons swarmed by demands on their time. Sometimes perfectionism, also a sign of depression, can be at work. Often people have good intentions that are not carried out. Here a well-known saying such as hell is paved with good intentions is in order. It is also good to remind ourselves that one can also be one's own worst enemy. A famous American general said: "I have found the enemy; he is within me".
In the hectic, modern life that we are in we are bombarded with choices/options. We choose to do what we can or what we have energy for. In all this one needs to look at coast-benefit analysis. Cost-benefit analysis, an economic term, is used to assess what one gets for what one pays/spends. More specifically, in our context, what kind of physical or emotional energy/resource one spends to achieve one's objective. Is the energy that is spent is in proportion to the benefit that accrues? In the final analysis, persons do what they consciously or unconsciously really want to do. Persons, for instance, conveniently forget certain things. Lack of awareness can also account for it.
Always we need to keep in mind the distinction between want and need. There are things that I want. (Would like) to do; there are things that I need (must) to do. When things are not clear or when there is uncertainty about the outcome, a prudent as well as a spiritual person is unlikely to make decisions that have serious consequences. In such situations maintaining the status quo is preferred. In sum, decisions made after thoughtful discernment paves the way for a rich, happy, and spirit-led life.
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I wrote the caption in all caps, I think you understand the emotion behind it! I love zucchini in the summer fresh from my garden. In May, I planted seeds for 2 lovely plants. The seeds germinated and put out nice green leaves. Then, one day I noticed they were being eaten by an insect. I suspected slugs. The holes were large and the damage was overnight. I placed wet rolled up newspaper to catch the scoundrels. Early in the morning, I raced to the garden to drown them in soapy water, but only a few sow bugs (roly-polys, in kid language). So I had squished all the roly-polys, I could find.
Round 2: I bought 2 new plants and put them in beautiful loose organic soil. In two days, they were mere skeletons. by the third day, only green sticks remained.
Round 3: Two more zucchini plants were purchased at a premium price and one was planted back in the same spot. The other I held for evidence. My husband set up our camera with time lapse video and we began our vigil. We had to add a battery operated lantern on low light for the camera to be able to take any video. Here you can see the before and after photos. For the video go to the link: https://vimeo.com/45146035
Click on the photos for a full screen view
Because we had to use a small light for filming, the big leaf on the left was not chewed on as much as the leaf on the right. This leaf was not facing the camera and so the unscrupulous ravenous fiends devoured it. The rolled up newspapers were an attempt to trap the low life scum so I could then drown them in soapy water. But, they were not lured into my trap!
Now, that I know what is eating my plants, I have done some research and I am hoping to thwart their dastardly deeds by murdering as many as possible. I have a bag of diatomaceous earth and every afternoon, once the soil is no longer damp, I circle the plants with a ring of the white stuff. Tonight, I am going to dust the plants with it as well. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is the fossilized remains of marine phytoplankton. "When sprinkled on a bug that has an exoskeleton (such as bed bugs, ants or fleas) it gets caught between their little exoskeleton joints. As they move, the diatomaceous earth acts like razor blades and cuts them up." Taken from http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp
That is the loveliest thing I have heard all week! The DE is working. I still get a few holes in the zuke leaves, but they are not skeletonized like before. Once the new plants get established, they should be able to "outrun" the little demons on their own. Everyone knows zucchini's grow fast!
ANSWER to the question "What is eating my plants?" : Earwigs
For a full screen view of the horrid insects eating my plants, click on the link below.
This was excellent sleuthing! Good job on the persistence, planning & filming. I've heard good things about DE. Can't wait to try it next year as I had very bad luck with my lemon cucumbers which were attacked by spider mites and ants. I tried everything to kill the mites including washing leaves individually & diligently, home remedies, organic "safe" bug sprays but they either didn't work at all or came back in a few days. Eventually I had to use 7 Dust – it killed the mites completely but only temporarily got rid of the ants for a few days!. the plants grew thousands of little yellow flowers but no fruit at all.
My zucchini plants have matured and I've gotten several fruits off of each plant so far and they are still producing both male & female flowers. I'm growing them in containers on my porch. Recently I noticed these holes in the bigger leaves but I cannot find any bugsl. I've checked them at all hours of the day/night and have not seen a single bug like this or what the other sites are showing. And whatever it is it isn't devouring the plant like they did to yours. Mine have had these holes for a couple of weeks now and they're not taking over plus the leaves remain a dark green. Very strange.