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Dude, Are You Serious?
© 2015
Jonathan Longhorn
Copyright © 2015 by Jonathan Longhorn (jonathan_longhorn at yahoo dot com). All rights reserved. Except for the use of less than two pages in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means is forbidden without the express written permission of the author. Express permission is granted to The Nifty Erotic Stories Archive for storage, indexing, retrieval, and display of this work.
Disclaimer: The material in this work is for mature audiences only and contains graphic sexual content and language. It is intended only for those aged 18 and older. All of the characters in this work are assumed to be at least 18 years of age.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and settings are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, names, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental. In the real world having sex without using a condom can be very dangerous to your health. Don't ruin your life or your future. Slip it on before you slip it in.
Note: There are some references in this story and others, to things mentioned in another of my stories, Target Nemesis: The Tentacle Lord's Revenge, which you can find here: http://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/sf-fantasy/target-nemesis-the-tentacle-lords-revenge.html. The story itself is about the movie being watched by characters in several of my stories - in which an alien warlord bent on revenge, 'has his way' with an Earth Forces Brigade hero. While I hope that you would enjoy reading that story, it may be a bit brutal for some readers and you do not need to read that story first in order to understand or to enjoy this story.
All trademarks used in this work are the sole property of their owners and have been used without permission or endorsement.
Chapter 13
What the fuck?!?!
This was 'not' the plan they discussed! Well, okay—they hadn't 'actually' discussed a plan and laid it out in perfect sync but, still—if they 'had' laid it out … this sure as hell wasn't it.
"That's it, Ry. Take my cock. Suck it for me."
Bennett's rock hard cock sank another inch deeper into his mouth. And, his tongue swirled around it. Explored it. Took inventory of it. He gazed up into his best friend's sparkling eyes. Eyes staring at him with the love of a best friend, and—more. The hunger lust of an Alpha male jock with one hell of a boner, taking a virgin mouth—like it was a Friday night hook up … after a game … stadium lights out … under the Grand Stand.
There he was—Ryan McGregor—All-Star pitcher and cornerback—on his knees. On his knees, his best friend's cock sliding into his mouth. Spreading his lips wider. Sliding deeper and deeper. And, more? He was taking it. He was taking the invasion of Bennett's cock, and—sucking it. That was the mind blower of mind blowers. He was sucking Bennett's cock!
Bennet let out a soft moan as his throbbing cock was slurped and tongued, inch by inch … by … another inch.
"Fuck, Ry … you're a hell of a cocksucker, buddy. Mmm, yeah. Been holding out on me, haven't you?"
Holy fuck! Another mind blowing set of fireworks went off in Ryan's brain as the realization sank deeper into his skull. Deeper—with each stroke of hard cock into his mouth. He was sucking Bennett's cock. He was actually on his knees and sucking Bennett's cock. He was sucking Bennett's cock!
"Fuck dude…. Fuck. You're a cocksucker," Bennett said with a soft confidence. A soft, sexy as fuck confidence that seemed to crash through Ryan and settle in his nuts. "That's it, cocksucker. Show me what you can do, man. Suck it for me."
"Mmmph," was the only response that Ryan could offer; Bennett's rock hard cock sank deeper into his mouth. He felt fingers taking a firmer, more dominant grip in his hair. And, another inch of throbbing stud meat sank between his lips.
"Fuckin' hot sight, huh?" Bennett's voice was thick with lust. "C'mere, man. Closer."
"Is it okay? You know. With…." Ellis Blackwell. He was right there. Maybe hell 'did' freeze over. Never in a hundred lifetimes would Bennett ever have pictured Ellis watching two guys get it on. Not only had he taken the bait and followed them to Ryan's empty house but he came inside—burning with straight boy curiosity. And, he immediately stripped as soon as Bennett barked out the order. Unbelievable as it seemed, a very naked Ellis was right there. Ryan could feel the heat from his body. His own voice giving him away—Ellis was nervous. Excited. A rising lust evident in the thickness, the huskiness of his voice.
"Mind? Nah, he won't mind. Look at him go down on it. He's a cocksucker, man. He loves an audience."
Ryan gulped in air as the thick cock pulled back for an all too brief moment, before it took aim and began plunging back into his mouth. His tongue again licked its way over the drooling, throbbing piece of meat. His tongue licked. And, he sucked. He sucked on his best friend's impressive cock.
Bennett pushed forward. Again. Another inch made its way into Ryan's mouth. His toes curled and tingled with the incredible feelings coursing through his entire body. Fuckin' incredible! His best friend—a guy he had known all his life—was on his knees! Ryan was going down on his cock like a pro. When—how—did Ryan become one fucking hell of a natural cocksucker without him knowing it? There certainly was a lot of wasted time to be made up. Oh … man … the possibilities this presented.
He glanced to his side. Ellis was still there—entranced—barely moving. Hard. Throbbing hard. Eyes wide as saucers. Lips slightly parted. Nostrils flaring. Probably shocked to his very straight boy core. Okay, maybe not so very straight after all. He was so turned on by watching Ryan suck Bennett's cock that he'd probably cum when Bennett came. So turned on in fact, that it looked like he was shaking a bit. Him. Alpha dog Ellis fucking Blackwell. The scenarios flashing though his mind at that moment were….
Oh fuck, this was gonna be so good!
Ellis broke his stare briefly and looked at Bennett. They exchanged heated grins and Bennett winked. It was like watching a tennis match. Ellis couldn't decide where to look. Watching Ryan sucking Bennett's cock. Watching the expressions on Bennett's face as he got sucked. Watching Ryan swallowing that monster. Watching the monster sink deeper into the cocksucker's mouth.
"Is it, um…. You know…. Is it … good?"
Bennett tightened his grip on Ryan's head and stroked deeper into his best friend's mouth. Good? Good? Absofuckinlutely amazing was more like. And, here, like this, with Ellis fucking Blackwell—standing right there beside him … staring, gaping, licking his lips. He looked down. Holy fuck yeah! Ellis was hard. Hard and dripping. He definitely wasn't nearly as straight as he apparently pretended. Fucker.
"It's fucking amazing, man. Hell, look at the cocksucker go down on it. Look at him take it, man. He loves it! He fucking loves having a cock in his mouth. He can't wait for me to gush right down his throat, dude."
Gush right down my…. What the fuck!?!?!
Ryan tried to pull off Bennett's massive, throbbing, leaking cock long enough to argue that idea but he wasn't going anywhere. His best friend held his head locked firmly in place.
"I bet he's just waiting for you to let him at that beautiful cock you're sporting there, man." Bennett quietly chuckled to himself as a myriad of emotions—storm clouds?—swept across that handsome face in a flash. He had absolutely no idea into what sort of trap he'd fallen.
Ellis swallowed.
He watched Bennett's cock slide into Ryan's mouth. Withdraw. Slide in again. He felt his own cock throb between his legs. His balls already boiling and churning. Waiting. Waiting for—something. He wasn't sure what. A quick glance at his cock and he saw a thick pearl of lube juice bubble from the slit and begin to flow down the head … down, down, down along the thick shaft. He'd never been so turned on in his life. Which didn't make 'any' sense since he was straight.
He swallowed. Again.
Ryan's blow jobbing Bennett. Right here. Right now. In front of me. Fuck that's so hot.
He wondered if Ryan would suck him. Damn he'd love a blow job. Even if it was from a guy. An actual, real cocksucker. Other than Ryan, he certainly wasn't aware of guys who did that, at least, that he knew of for sure anyway. Even if he did, it wasn't as if he could walk up to the guy and ask for a blowjob. That would be gay.
"You think? He'd … you know, suck it?" He darted a glance in Bennett's direction. It wasn't as if he was asking Ryan to do it right? If Ryan was offering, who was he to turn down a free blowjob. "You know, the, uh … cocksucker … would go for my dick?"
Again—not the plan that they had not discussed. Ryan still could not question it, though. Bennett held his head in a vice like grip and kept fucking his mouth.
Ellis was so lost in watching Ryan suck Bennett's cock that he nearly jumped straight into the attic the next time Bennett's voice came back into play.
"Dude, are you serious? You've got a fucking gorgeous cock, man. This cocksucker would go for it in a heartbeat if you shoved it in his face." Bennett looked down at Ryan—on his knees—his cock fucking Ryan's mouth—and slid in deeper. He began to take Ryan's throat. "You want it, huh, cocksucker? You want 'E's cock, dontcha?"
That was all Ryan could get out as his best friend's cock sank into his throat—cutting off any ability to talk … to breathe.
"You want it, 'E'? You want to take this cocksucker's sweet mouth?"
There it was again. Bennett's voice. Close. Very … close. So close that Ellis could feel Bennett's breath on his ear. Tickling. Caressing. Soothing, yet—erotic and arousing.
"How does that sound, 'E'? You up for a blow job? Want the cocksucker to suck you?"
Fuck yes!
What the hell? Where did that come from?
Fuck yes!
Again. What the hell? Why would he think that? Much less say it aloud? 'Did' he say it aloud?
Fuck yes. So hot. Looks so fucking hot.
"Yes. Fuck," he managed to choke out. "Yes, I want the … cocksucker going … down … on me." Okay so maybe it wasn't gay to say he wanted what was being offered. Straight guys could get their cock sucked and it didn't make 'them' gay, right? If a guy wanted his dick that badly, a guy he knew and was comfortable with, it would be cruel to deny him access it. Yeah, that's it. He may be a jerk sometimes, but he wasn't deliberately cruel. And besides, his dick had long ago cast it's multiple votes. Very much in favor of the idea.
He felt fingers slip through the soft curls of blond hair. Begin to close around thick strands. Begin to pull gently … tenderly. His head tilted. His neck trembled. The skin prickled and goosed. He felt … what was that? Ellis moaned ever softly.
Bennett was kissing his neck? Nuzzling at it?
Oh fuck … feels so….
"Bennett…. Bennett I…." He pulled away—barely—managing to gaze downward once more. He swallowed hard as he watched Bennett's thick cock pull out of Ryan's throat for a count of 1 … 2 … 3 and then slide back between his lips, travel over his tongue and then slide back into that velvety moist throat. He'd never seen another guy's hard cock this close up before. It's just a cock. Another guy's cock for heaven sakes so why was it so fascinating. Straight guys don't find the cocks of other guys fascinating. Do they? He felt his own cock throb and pulse and another warm glob of goo oozed from his slit and began to trickle down his thick shaft. "I…. I … don't know if…."
"Shh. It's okay, buddy." Bennet's tone was soft and warm, as tender and moist as those neck kisses. It just felt … so … good. "It's all good, man. We're friends, right? We're all friends here. Nothing to be afraid of. It's all good. No reason to be nervous. Just relax."
Ellis finally managed to tear his gaze from Bennett's cock as it continued to slide in and out of Ryan's mouth. From the quick rabbit glances at his own bone. More juice was flowing now. The enormous helmet like head and the shaft where glistening with small rivers of his juice. He'd definitely never been this hard, this turned on in his life. But it was another guy for fuck's sake. Why?
He swallowed.
"Shh…. The cocksucker wants your dick, man. Look. You can see the hunger burning in his eyes. He really wants it. He wants it bad. How can you turn down a blow job, 'E'? Seriously? A blow job? How can you turn down this hungry cocksucker?"
Ellis couldn't look away as the full length of Bennett's thick cock slowly slid back into Ryan's mouth—again. Inch by inch. Spreading his lips wide. Stretching his jaw. Entering and occupying Ryan's velvety throat. Owning it. Fuck. So hot. He had never seen anything hotter. Bennett's cock owning … possessing … dominating Ryan's mouth and throat.
Yeah. How could he turn down a hungry cocksucker. A cocksucker hungry for his dick? His throbbing bone shuddered at the thought of that mouth. Those lips. That throat. All—wrapped around his dick. His dick—dominating Ryan's mouth just like Bennett's was doing right now.
He dropped his gaze to the cock and bull balls and mouth and tongue, and—looked up. He slowly pivoted his head toward Bennett. Those fingers that had raked through his blond curls took a firm grasp. Held his head in check.
Bennett's eyes.
Bennett's face.
Bennett's lips.
"Relax. We're all friends, here." Soft. Tender. Warm. "We've got you. We'll take care of you."
Bennett leaned in. So close. Ellis focused on those eyes. Eyes that seemed to pull him in. He never noticed the flecks of gold before. Words. Soft. More words. Warm. They sank in but didn't register. Not really. Bennett tilted his head.
Bennett was kissing him?
Bennett was kissing him.
Bennett was kis….
And, he was kissing Bennett.
He was kissing Bennett.
He was….
He was kis….
Warm. Enveloping. Moist.
Bennett pulled away.
Brown eyes, with flecks of gold, gazed into ice blue eyes.
Soft mmmphs and slurps rose up to dance with their breath.
Bennett's hand grazed along the shaft of Ellis' throbbing cock and then slowly wrapped around its girth. Ellis was diamond hard. And, he could feel Ellis' heartbeat. Racing. How cool was that? Pump. Stroke. Slide. Pump. Stroke.
"Relax. Breathe."
"Ungh." Ellis closed his eyes as a sliver of arousal sliced through him. No guy had ever touched his cock before. It felt so good. So … good. Hand. Cock. Pump. Stroke. Slide.
"Feels good, huh?"
So … good.
"Just think how good the cocksucker's mouth is gonna feel."
"Yeah. The cocksucker's mouth."
"Cocksucker's mou…."
"Mmmph." Ryan groaned as Bennett's cock invaded his throat. Again.
"Relax 'E'. Breathe. You're good. We got you."
Pump. Stroke. Lips butterflying over his lips. Pump. Stroke. Slide.
Ellis groaned into those lips. He moaned over the tongue as he yielded and it entered into his mouth. Took … possession? His body seemed to be on autopilot.
Ryan sucked Bennett's cock.
"Mmmph. Mmmph. Mmmph."
"He wants it," Bennett said with a downward nod. Impressed with his best friend's skillful cocksucking. Astounded at how good he was at it. Blown away that Ryan was going nuts on his cock. It was like he really was hungry for it. Hungry for cock? Ryan was a cocksucker? A real, honest to fuck cocksucker. 'His' cocksucker now. And again. This was not going to be a one blow 'n go moment. Not now. Not after finding out how good Ryan was with his mouth. Deciding he had enough to go round. He was past the point of no return and was going to blow a major wad down Ryan's throat before they moved on to Ellis. Holy fuck, yeah. He was gonna cum down his best friend's throat.
"Trust me, man. This cocksucker 'really' wants your dick, dude. Give him your dick."
"Mmmph. Mmmph! Mmmphuk…." Ryan sputtered when he realized what was happening. He sputtered. He swallowed. He sputtered. He gulped. His best friend was cumming in his mouth. Bennett's cock went deep—again—sinking into his throat. Spurting wad after wad of cum into his mouth. Sealing the deal on him being a cocksucker. He was a cocksucker. No question now. He was swallowing Bennett's cum. He was a cocksucker now. He wondered how his other best friend would react if he saw this. How would Charley react to him on his knees with Bennett's cock down his throat? To him blow jobbing Bennett? To him swallowing Bennett's cum? Would Charley want some of that, too? And he swallowed. He gulped. He swallowed. And, he gulped.
Ellis tried to speak but no words came out. Did words even form? If so, they melted before they crossed his tongue and dripped from his slightly parted lips. His brain seemed to have turned to mush. He looked down, his gaze returning to Bennett's throbbing, drooling, glistening cock as it withdrew from Ryan's mouth.
So soft.
Ryan looked up. His lips parted as he searched for words.
Ellis was stunned. Stunned and more turned on than he had ever been in his life. He just watched Bennett fuck Ryan's mouth. And more. He just watched Bennett cum down Ryan's throat, and—Ryan took it. Ryan took it and—swallowed it! Ryan cocksucked and blow jobbed Bennett right in front of him. Oh fuck that was hot. And now it was his turn. Bennett said so. Bennett said Ryan was hungry for it. For his dick. Well, if Ryan wanted it? At this point, who was he to deny him what he wanted? Right?
"Suck my dick, cocksucker," Ellis commanded at his shoved his cock into Ryan's open mouth.
Ellis' cock immediately took position where Bennett's had just been.
"Mmmph. Mmmph!"
Ryan's brain went through a roller coaster of fireworks and explosions. Again. Holy fuck! He had just given Bennett a blow job? Bennett came down his throat? He swallowed it? Fuck, he had wrapped his lips around Bennett's cock and he gave him a blow job! His cock throbbed between his legs. He had sucked Bennett's cock. He had swallowed his load. And mind blow No. 275—or, whatever the fuck number it was up to now—he liked it. No, he loved it! He wanted it. He loved sucking Bennett's cock, and—he couldn't get enough of eating his best friend's cum.
And now? Ellis Blackwell? He had Ellis' cock in his mouth and he was sucking and licking and slurping for all he was worth. Fuck! Ellis' cock was as incredible in his mouth as Bennett's had been. Fuck! He wanted it. He really wanted it. And, he wanted Ellis to flood him with his cum as totally as Bennett had just done. None of this made the slightest bit of sense to him. Why on earth would he not only want it but love it? When they were at B&T's earlier, wondering where Charley was, he certainly had no idea the evening would turn out like this. Him on his knees? Sucking not just one but two cocks!
Ellis was lost in a fog. And, yet—soaring with eagles, here. Right now. He held on to Ryan's hair as he slid his cock farther into the kneeling cocksucker's mouth. Fuck! Ryan was a cocksucker. Ryan was 'his' cocksucker right now. Ryan was taking his cock and slurping on it like a hungry, rabid dog.
And, oh did it feel good.
Ryan's lips. His mouth. His tongue. He sucked. Ryan sucked Ellis' cock. It was … indescribable. He'd never experienced anything remotely as good. Ever.
"Yeah, that's it. Take it, cocksucker. You love my cock, huh?"
Ellis was so overwhelmed by the fantastic feelings Ryan's hot, wet mouth was giving him, he almost missed the fingers that caressed his cheek. His chin. The very edges of his ear. Back down his cheek. To his strong, square jaw. They guided his head. Bennett's eyes. Bennett's mouth.
Ellis gasped and moaned as he sank into Bennett's kiss. Ryan's mouth. Ryan's tongue. Bennett's lips. Bennett's tongue. The ability to think was quickly leaving his already muddled brain. The intensely pleasurable sensations had his body running on autopilot and it wasn't about to relinquish control.
Breath. Warm. Moist. Breath.
"Just relax."
"What if Dillon…."
"Dillon isn't here. He doesn't have to know."
Bennett ran his fingertips along Ellis' ribs. Up. Up. Up. Across his chest. Nipples tweaked and twisted. Gasp. Up. Up to his powerfully built shoulders. Pressure. There was pressure now.
"Relax, bro," Bennett cooed. "You're safe buddy. We're here. We've got you. Just let go and let yourself relax down into the feelings."
Pressure. Gentle but insistent.
Ryan sucked his throbbing, achingly hard, dripping cock.
"Fuck," Ellis moaned. "Feels so…."
"That's it 'E'. Make him take it, man. Make the cocksucker do it the way you want. Take control of the cocksucker."
"Yes. Cocksucker."
"That's it, man. Take control of the cocksucker. Make him do what you want."
Ellis watched as his fingers slid into Ryan's hair. His fingers raked. His cock slid deeper and deeper into that mouth with each stroke. He couldn't have stopped now if he'd wanted but at this point? Fuck that. He didn't want to stop. Not now. Not until he flooded Ryan's mouth and throat with his goo. Even then he wasn't sure he could stop. This is what he'd been missing out on all this time? He had a real, honest to fuck cocksucker on his knees in front of him. On his knees and taking his boner like a ravenous dog.
"Fuck. Yeah, take it, cocksucker. Take my dick."
"That's it, 'E'. Breathe. Relax. Just relax into it and get what you need."
Fingers guiding his chin.
He felt himself yielding. Bending. Leaning.
"What? What … are you…?"
"Shh," Bennett said. Soft. Confident. Alpha taking control. "Shh … relax…."
"Dillon isn't here. He doesn't have to know. You're free to get what you need."
So good.
Ryan sucking his dick.
Bennett's mouth on his.
His tongue danced with Bennett's tongue. Ryan's tongue licked and swirled around his cock. He reached up with one hand to take the back of Bennett's head and pulled him deeper into the kiss. And his hips pistoned back and forth, driving his cock in and out of the cocksucker's mouth. Owning it. Taking it. Soon—flooding it with his boiling cum.
"Mmmph. Mmmph. Mmmph."
A deep in his gut groan clawed its way through his system and into his throat as Bennett's tongue sank deeper into his mouth. Ellis opened for it. Yielded to it. Hungered on it.
Dillon doesn't need to know. Dillon doesn't need to know. Dillon doesn't need to….
END of Chapter 13
To be continued . . .
Author's Note: Please show your appreciation for this wonderful service and help Nifty continue to exist by sending a donation using the Nifty donations page at http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html.
This is just the start of a story which may or may not be continued. If there is enough interest, there MAY be additional chapters. The interest shown in it will be a determining factor in continuing the story.
Please send your comments, thoughts, and ideas to Jonathan Longhorn using jonathan_longhorn at yahoo dot com. Please start the "Subject" line with the name of the story so I don't toss your email as spam.
Thank you to those of you who have taken the time out of your day to write me about my stories. The thoughts, comments, and feedback are VERY much appreciated.
My other stories on Nifty can be found using the Nifty Prolific Authors page: http://www.nifty.org/nifty/authors.html#jonathanlonghorn
Follow Jonathan Longhorn on Twitter: @JonathnLonghorn


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By: Tamara Watt
1 scoop Max Lean pro (vanilla)
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
½ cup Better'n Peanut Butter (found in the organic section of Kroger's)
Microwave peanut butter for about 30 seconds to soften. Mix in the Lean Pro. You can microwave the PB/Lean Pro mix a little more (about 15 seconds) to reach a smooth consistency. Do not over microwave. Do not cook the oats. Fold in the oats and drop tablespoons full onto wax paper. Refrigerate for approximately a half hour. You can adjust recipe depending on how many cookies you want. This recipe will make approximately 6 cookies.


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As the saying goes: Like mother, like daughter. In this case, the mother is the legendary Diana Ross, and the daughter is the star of ABC's "Black-ish," Tracee Ellis Ross. Earlier this week, 42-year-old Tracee posted a video on her site of a shot-by-shot remake of her mother's 1981 music video for "Work That Body" starring (who else?) herself. And no detail is forgotten, from the the neon '80s leotards, to the "Saved by the Bell"-esque dissolves and amazing aerobics-inspired dance moves.
So why make this video at all? Tracee shares that she decided to create this video as a surprise for her famous mom and as a "fun experiment" for herself. She explains that this music video in particular had a big impact on her growing up and she couldn't pinpoint exactly why until recently.
She explains, "I was watching and thinking: Why does watching this woman dancing around in barely any clothes, with her tush to the camera, make me feel joyful and empowered when the same kind of image in most music videos today doesn't give me that feeling? And then it hit me: My mom felt whole and connected. And in her body in this video ... I saw a woman feeling joyful in herself as a whole being; she didn't seem to be presenting her ass or saying, 'Look at all the ways I can make myself look appealing to YOU.' She seems to be saying, 'This is ME feeling good and I am strong and sexy and joyful in ME!'"
The result of this epiphany was to recreate the video as a tribute to her mother and to experience the joy of her own body. Lucky for us, she decided to share it with the whole world.
Here's the original Diana Ross version:
And Tracee's awesome remake:
You know what they say—imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.
Share this on Facebook?
Image via Tracee Ellis Ross
Man Dresses Like Prince George for a Week


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Your roof takes a lot of abuse from the weather, but old age and a lack of maintenance are also factors in your roof's health. Having your roof inspected every year will prevent some of the issues, but there's no way to predict what Mother Nature will bring. If you own a home that hasn't had an update to the covering in 20 years, that's another reason to keep an eye out for problems.
Eventually, the dreaded day will come when you see water stains on the ceiling or drips on the walls, and then it's definitely time to call a roofing contractor for help. Depending on the time of year, you may want to consider your options. You have to take care of emergency situations, but a total roof replacement is a different animal.
When is the best time of year to replace a roof ? The following roofer provides his opinion:
When is a good time to replace a roof, can it be done in winter (Home Roofing)
The question was, Can it be done? The answer is yes. The real question is "Should" it be done? The answer is, no, not unless it is an emergency. But also let's clarify winter, because we are having a pretty mild winter, so there's kinda not a problem this year so far. I'll reference "below freezing" from this point forward.
As a certified and licensed roofing contractor, my reputation is on the line. I debate this topic quite often with other roofing contractors who seem to care more about profit than a job well done. Well, I can tell you from past experience having been a professional roofer for 14 years as of the time of this posting, that the chance for failure increases exponentially when installed below freezing. It's better just not to risk it.
Read more here: When is a good time to replace a roof, can it be done in winter (Home Roofing)
A full roof replacement is not advisable in the winter months. However, fixing a roof in cold weather can't always be avoided. When your roof is leaking, you want to prevent the damage from worsening. Insulation damage, mold, and structural deterioration are potential concerns when a leak goes overlooked.
When you live in states like Minnesota that have extremely cold winters, you have to get creative if you are going to help residential and commercial property owners with their roofing needs. The roofers in the following video provide their secrets for repairing a roof in exceptionally cold temperatures:
Some advice as to the preferred time of the year for replacing your roof might be a little skewed in favor of the roofing contractor. The busiest time of year for the roofing industry is usually late summer and fall. If you want to schedule a roofer to come to your property when they are at their peak of demand, their prices might also be at the peak.
Plan ahead and schedule your new roof install so that you can choose a date during their slower time. The roofing company will be eager to have the job and will hopefully provide their services at a fair price.
The following post emphasizes the need to plan ahead for a big project if possible:
When is the Best Time to Install a New Roof
Many home improvement experts recommend that the overall best time to install a new roof is in the fall. If you poke around the internet for advice, the fall season is most likely going to be a highly popular suggestion. However, as you will learn in this post, fall is actually one of the worst times (from a homeowner's perspective) to get the job done. Roofers and contractors recommend it because this is the time they can charge premium for their services.
Read more here: When is the Best Time to Install a New Roof


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Play The Birdinator in FULL SCREEN
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Get to the south as fast as you can. Press the spacebar repeatedly to build up stamina for your flight. Then use the arrow keys to move and the spacebar to shoot. Mouse controls are available, but the keyboard is recommended.
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Rebecca is part of our Administration and Accounts team.
Rebecca started at Commercial Realty in 2014 which lead to her doing an OE to London for 2 years before returning to the team mid-2017. While in London she worked as an Accounts Assistant for Time Inc. UK which furthered her skills in Office Administration and Accounts.
Rebecca is a very active individual, she loves boxing, going to the gym and being outdoors. She spends most weekends up north in Mangawhai at the beach. She is also a keen netball player and has played in a few rep competitions while in London.


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E-Stim Ball Press9518
Product Details
The E-Stim Ball Press has the electrodes on the back plate and a clear front plate so you can watch the action. Insert the balls first, then the cock through the hole on the back plate, pull the cock only through the front plate, put on the adjustment knobs, and you're ready to go.
Product Features
- The contact strips on the electrode plate are permanenty bonded to the backing
- No wire leads to break off or connections to come loose
- The power sockets are conveniently mounted in the bottom edge of the back plate
- Can be used with any Erostek, Folsom box, Tens unit, or other e-stim box that has "Banana Plug" leads
- Large rubberized knobs for easy adjustment
- Dimensions: 5" x 7"
Size & Fit
- Size A: 1-3/4" Hole in Back Plate, 1-1/2" Hole in Front Plate
- Size B: 2" Hole in Back Plate, 1-3/4" Hole in Front Plate
- Size C: 2-1/4" Hole in Back Plate, 1-3/4" Hole in Front Plate
- Sizing suggestion: The back plate hole should be the same diameter or the next larger as you would wear in a metal cock ring


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Are you searching for the trusted place to get self-drive hire insurance, and then it is the exact place what you are looking? The Self Drive Hire insurance is well suitable for the business, corporations, or else folks those who are running a vehicle rental and also car hire services, whereby they hire out their entire fleet or else selection of vehicles to associate of the public. If you own commerce which hires out cars, trucks or van to individuals, corporations as well as business and then good to familiar that your insurance policy prevents you toward any unexpected conditions. Moreover, your vehicles are your business as well as it, thus pays to prevent them along with a broad range of courier van insurance policy you familiar you can rely on. No matter whether you have your vehicles stored or else displayed otherwise you hire to the public, self-drive hire insurance can easily prevent you and also your corporation against damage, fire, theft and much more.
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Multitasking In Sales
I'm reading a couple of interesting books and by chance they both discuss multitasking. In fact, the first one deals entirely with multitasking from the point of view that it is far more effective to tackle one thing at a time. The second is about SCRUM, the highly popular way to manage software teams and projects. It talks about using SCRUM outside of the realm of software—I'm interested in applying the principles of SCRUM to all areas of business.
The One Thing by Gary Keller is a #1 Wall Street Journal Bestseller and deals with personal productivity. I like this book—it's an easy read, and has some lovely diagrams. The title says it all—stop trying to do too much in life. Distill things down to the essentials and focus on them one-by-one. This approach will actually get more things done with much less stress. One of the myths that is debunked is multitasking—don't do it, it will take more time if you do.
I'm also reading SCRUM by John Sutherland. John is the father of the Scrum movement, and together with Agile, these are very successful new ways to get software projects finished in half the time with half the effort. My own software group are doing some impressive things with Scrum and I bought this book to see how I can apply it's ideas to our sales and marketing. Again, the author is not a fan of multitasking and he references a number of scientific papers that prove that it doesn't work to tackle multiple projects at the same time.
One big problem is what's called "context switching", which means that it costs you time to switch from one project to the other. One example quoted involves the case of running five simultaneous projects. Context switching eats up 75% of the available time, leaving just 25% of actual work time on each project. (Quality Software Management by Gerald Weinberg).
I guess the whole thing about multitasking is a misnomer anyway. It's a word from the earlier age of computers and has inserted itself into everyday language. It literally meant the process whereby a computer processor chugged away a multiple tasks at the same time. Actually, it did not infer that the tasks were being handled simultaneously (at the same instant) but rather, the tasks were sliced up such that they could all be advancing together over a set period of time. The analogy applied to humans implies that someone who is multitasking tries to handle many different things at once, and as the two books I referenced seem to think, at the detriment of doing any of them well.
Having worked in sales for most of my life I know that I was faced with having to multitask. Sales is like that. There are some things you can plan, and others have to be done there and then—you have no choice about it. In day to day activities salespeople are subject to multiple demands from not only their customers, but also their own organization. At times it's difficult to find the time to sell, which is what it is all about. But if that is happening to you, watch out, work out your priorities to get the selling done, and follow them to the letter. In particular don't let multitasking interfere with the two essential priorities in sales planning.
First you have to figure out the best way to win an individual sale. Treat it like it is only one you are working on—no compromises. A clear case for the advice offered in The One Thing. Find quiet uninterrupted time for thinking and strategy. Let this be the one opportunity you are working on. Figure out the next action and put it in the list to get done. Then do it.
But we all know that there is not just one opportunity—there might be twenty, fifty, or even a hundred—all needing attention, all unique, and at different parts of their sales cycle from just starting to just closing and all points in between. Here the challenge is different. Look at the opportunity portfolio as a whole and get some high-level prioritization into it. Some deals will need attention, but many will not. At SalesWays we look at an indicator called intrinsic value which gives a neat solution for sorting or grading opportunities to work most effectively on the portfolio. You extract more time to sell by only focusing on situations that need attention now.
Check out our sales productivity app, ASPEC (it's free here). It works with you on the high-level opportunity management, prioritizing the portfolio, and, it ensures that your ground level strategic thinking on a single opportunity is correctly tuned to win the sale.
Multitasking is unavoidable, but sensible prioritization makes it workable, efficient, and productive.


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Simulation engine for Siemens PLC simulations
Simulation engine for Siemens PLC is a simulation software solution based on Siemens STEP 7 Manager Software and Siemens simulated PLC (PLCSIM). Before you start you have to get access to these tools and they should be installed on your PC.
You cannot download these tools from this server. You can buy the student licenses from the Siemens Partner/Website or these tools can be provided by your institute.
For setting up the system follow instructions below:
- Create a Simatic Manager Project:
2.Create a Simatic Hardware Configuration by following instruction below:


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I have a new goal with this "updating every day" thing.
I'm finding the daily updating to be refreshing and fun. I'm enjoying writing again, like I did when I first started. I'm enjoying a nice spike in readership as well, which is just gravy on the satisfaction potatoes.
Thus, my new goal. For the rest of 2009, I am going to update every single day. Just so I give myself a little bit of room to breathe, I will say that I might miss up to one day per remaining month. So if I miss more than 8 days during the remainder of the year, I have failed my goal. Counting today, there are 291 days left in 2009. So you can plan on seeing at least 283 more posts this year.
It's actually more of a threat than a promise, eh?
Now – on to the the topic of the day.
I want to prep you for tomorrow's topic. I did some discussion with Dusty a couple of weeks ago regarding the Dating Classification Matrix. We realized that it was seriously deficient in one important area: gender.
It made no variation for gender differences. This was a serious flaw and required immediate attention. The phenomenon I didn't manage to put into the original worksheet was the "sluts" vs "studs" component. As you all know, a man who is promiscuous is a stud… he becomes more and more valued by society as he racks up conquests. Women, on the other hand, who are promiscuous are sluts…. they become less and less valued by society as they rack up partners.
Never fear, the new matrix takes this into account. The sound theory has been bolstered by input from another very smart guy (in addition to myself), so the results are that much more accurate. Some elements haven't changed. For example, if you earn more than $500,000 a year, all other factors become irrelavent and you get a perfect score. I've also fixed the problem some of you (nasty ho's) were having of getting a negative score due to your propensity to sleep with everyone you meet.
In the new matrix, the worst score you can get is a zero, where with the old spreadsheet you could get up to a negative 100.
We also updated the weighting for some of the categories, like religion, political affiliation, etc.
Remember, most importantly…. if you get a low score on the matrix, that's ok. You can still date and have a fulfilling relationship. It just has to be with someone else who has a low score.
I'll get into more detail tomorrow about the subtle differences from version 3.


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Monday, May 13, 2013
white blanket 2.0
Totally random and unrelated to the above, is some fortune cookie advice......
7 comments:
I take my crochet/small quilting projects with me everywhere and people always stare and exclaim how they wish they could sew/crochet! I come from a family of women who all sewed,knitted and crocheted. My daughter came home the other day and said that one of her teachers asked for a show of hands how many of the kids in class had family members or themselves sew, knit or crochet... she was shocked that she was the only one who raised her hand!ReplyDelete
Will be a classic, this white cotton blanket.
Had to smile at your cookie - yesterday I tried something new...Pole Condition. A fitness class that uses an upright pole and parallel bars with a program called "Convict Conditioning, focusing on upper body strenght...glory, I'm tired today! So that's my new :-)
I like white blankets, and I bet you WILL have it finished in no time, and maybe your fortune cookie meant something else besides the beer which includes two long needles?ReplyDelete
Have fun with the book, can´t wait to see the first things you make.
Very clever! What a great solution. The beer looks delish, too. :)ReplyDelete
So was it good?? Love the blanket. I've started making squares too. Don't ask me why. I just suddenly got the urge and went with it! Are you completely starting over, or are you going to incorporate the other piece you've already done somehow?ReplyDelete
I've been making a cream coloured blanket for our bed for the past couple of months and I too did not really pay attention to the colour batch codes when buying the wool. I bought 3 balls at a time over a number of weeks to spread the cost out. The colours of the balls looked the same so I wasn't too worried. My MIL looked at the blanket this weekend in the sunlight and very kindly (!) pointed out there were colour changes. I looked back at your photos and noticed that we have effectively made the same blanket as I think you had used sedge stitch too. Great minds and all that. I'm honestly not fussed though as you can only notice the differences in colours when held up against the window. It's so nearly finished there's no way I'm frogging it now!! Loving the granny squares, you just can't beat them. xxReplyDelete
I so want a white cotton blanket, enjoy making it :)ReplyDelete
Karen x


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Radar Online is giving away 5 pairs of the same kind of John Varvatos sunglasses RPattz wears!! sign up at http://bit.ly/foOdE Good Luck and let me know if you win!! email@example.com
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Win Rob's Glasses?
Posted by A.S. at 7:10 PM
Labels: contest, robert pattinson, rpattz
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International Financial Consulting Ltd., over the past 14 years, has developed a logic-based evaluations approach that enables out team to identify the leading Root Causes© that are the underlying generator(s) of impact. This four-step approach, enables our team to build a succinct understanding of the underlying root cause of any trend, market gap, institutional shortfall or other issue pertinent to a development finance institution.
The Root Causes© approach relies first on logical attribution of cause and effect relationships and other statistical analysis. Through this analytical framework, our team is able to identify the key dynamics and interactions among the array of variables contributing to the overall topic of study. By first organizing variables into common categories, the team is then able to draw out drivers and inhibitors common among same category variables. We then use a normative statement "test and retest" system to determine the order of causality, thereby determining the one or two root causes underlying the topic of study.


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Jeanne Marie Ketchel
Channeled by Jan Ketchel
Dear Jeanne,
Do you have guidance for us all today?
Remain steadily focused on your inner work, with compassion for the self, as you take your journey. Find your inner connection and the guidance that is available, following the guidelines laid out by your spirit self, who already knows the path you must take. This inner self provides and offers opportunity for growth at every turn, advancing you on your journey by each choice and each decision you make, showing you the options that may take you where you need to go.
In order to more fully connect with this knowing inner self must your inner work now become your main focus. Each morning, center your self upon your inner core, asking for guidance, and for your virtues of truth, clarity, and awareness to be present with you throughout your day. Your journey entails being open to what is presented, freeing your self of old judgments, as you encounter what is presented to you, so that you may learn to acquiesce to what is offered, rather than fight it.
If you continue to fight where life is pointing you, you will continue to stall in your perceptions and in your direction, your advancement will be thwarted, and your journey stagnated. In order to be open to the guidance being offered, a certain amount of blind trust is necessary. Only you can make this aspect of the journey available to your seeking spirit. You see, the outer self, the ego is the balancer, the opposition, so necessary, yet also so often the cause of much of the conflict, the problem, as the process of life unfolds. Often the ego self, the outer self, feels that it is so much brighter, so much more capable in the world, when actually the inner self is so much more able to guide you into a new world that the ego self refuses to admit is so readily available.
By noticing the ego self, as it takes each day as it comes, so are you being shown the blockages that the inner self is confronted with. This process of awareness of ego self in the world offers insight into the direction to be taken and the challenges to be met. Asking the inner self to now guide, asking it to refute the propositions of the ego self, and asking it to show you a different way, a new means of perception, a new direction, a new method of attack in the outer world, is what I propose. Taking control of your inner core self, allowing the inner guidelines to become clearer each day, as you allow the ego self to step aside, will allow the inner self to forge ahead, in spite of your doubts and your fears.
A new world, a new life, a new you, will only be achieved by constant work on allowing the inner self to voice its opinions, its clarity, and by listening to the truths that it speaks. The truths of the inner self lie in dreams, in spontaneous reactions, in underlying thoughts, beneath the normal patter so familiar to your mental process. As your thoughts appear today, your usual judgments, ideas, comments, push them aside and see what words lie beneath, spoken yet often unheard, for your ego voice has taken over, speaking so loudly its constant rant of discord and decay.
Ask your inner spirit voice to come forth today. Ask it to guide you throughout the energy of your day. Drop your old voice at every opportunity, pushing away your old familiar thoughts and judgments, and find out what your inner you has to say. You might be surprised to find that you have a hidden jewel inside you. Don't you know that it is just waiting for you to sweep away the old debris, uncovering its clear voice, which offers something new? I guarantee that it is there, the other voice, the inner voice.
Reduce your need to look outside for guidance now, as you do your inner work. Uncover your own inner guide. It awaits you, the adventuresome spirit. Take some time to acquaint your self with this aspect of self, which is patiently waiting for your excavation of its crystal clear resonance. Its speech will be immediately familiar, its spoken truth undeniable, its identity recognizable, its guidance perfect.
Generate a new voice, a new inner voice, by allowing the quiet inner self to speak, by asking the ego voice to step aside and to depart from its leading role in your life. Now is the time for a new leader, the inner self is ready to take over.


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Number Bean Bags 1-10
A set of 10 coloured bean bags printed with 1-10 in words, numbers and dot format.
Great for pre school and childminders, number recognition, count the spots several ways to count and match.
Throw, catch, target practice, running games and much more.
The bean bags are filled with plastic beads and the bags are double stitched with an inner bag.
Size approx 12 x12 cm
Out of Stock


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Peregrine Pharma (NASDAQ: PPHM) Peregrine Pharma is having an incredible day in the market today, and for good reason. The company said that it would be releasing top line data from a key clinical trial relatively soon. Today, we'll talk about when and where the data will be released, what we know so far, how the market reacted to the news, and what we can expect to see from … [Read more...]
Peregrine Pharma (PPHM) Stock: Should You Be Concerned About the Declines
Peregrine Pharma (NASDAQ: PPHM)Peregrine Pharma is having a rough day in the market today. However, you wouldn't have guessed we would see declines following the strong movement we saw on the stock yesterday. Today, we'll talk about why we saw gains yesterday, why we are seeing declines today, and what we can expect to see from PPHM moving forward. So, let's get right to … [Read more...]


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The Curate Workshop | A curated feed for your brand or business.
You are passionate about your brand and want other people to be - and we want your instagram feed to reflect that! This workshop will teach you how to take great photos with your camera phone, edit consistently, and curate the perfect visual representation for your brand or business feed. Ashleigh Amoroso and Katie Jameson were both identified as suggested users by Instagram and have been fortunate enough to garner a significant following. We would love to share with you what we have found to be successful in curating a feed that is a aesthetically pleasing representation of your brand or business. Additionally, we will have a representative from Instagram at the workshop as a guest speaker! She will be there to share all things related to small business on Instagram and she'll be a part of our Q & A at the end. We hope you'll join us at One Eleven East on June 26th from 10am until 2pm for mimosas, mingling, snacks, knowledge, instagram breaks, and an amazing lunch spread. We can't wait to meet you!
Who this class is for:
- anyone with a small brand business looking to take advantage of the benefits of instagram as a marketing tool
You will learn:
Who is this class not for:
- someone just looking to increase numbers (followers, likes, etc.)
- Garnering an engaged following is much more beneficial than simply increasing your numbers. We want to teach you the skills that you will need to do this.
how to create content specific to your brand
the basics of photography and how to edit your photos in a cohesive way for your brand
how to develop your brand's voice, style, and culture
how to build an enticing profile to attract people to your website
how to curate your feed as a whole for your brand (and why that's so important!)
how to acquire a strong, relevant, and engaged audience
the unspoken rules of instagram
Ashleigh Amoroso + Katie Jameson, Austin photographers, make up the team behind The Curate Workshop. Each of them were identified as a suggested user on Instagram and they have acquired a significant following for their feeds. The two joined forces with the hope of encouraging people to carefully curate their feed for their brand or business. They wish to share the tips and tricks they have learned over the years to help you build a feed that best represents your brand and attracts clients or customers that love your aesthetic and brand's culture.


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Regardless of the depth, OSHA requires that all trenches be inspected by a designated competent person for possible collapse or other dangers that could be experienced by the workers. OSHA does not recognize experience alone as a qualifier for signing off as the "Competent Person" on the required paperwork / permits and mandates technical training for the person filling that position.
Our "Trenching and Excavation Competent Person" course is based on OSHA, ANSI, and USACE requirements that gives the designated person the technical knowledge needed to inspect and sign inspection documents needed for trenching. Taught by a former inspector, you would be hard pressed to find a better course that meets these requirements. Students attending this course will become familiar with the regulatory requirements, practice identifying different types of soil and rock deposits through hands on workshops, and identify preventative measures that could save time, money, and lives.
This course is revered as one of the top courses in the country by industry and has been acknowledged by the United States Army Corps of Engineers as meeting their requirements for working on installations. The course is fully accredited and qualifies for both certification and college credit. Student successfully passing the course will be awarded both a certificate and photo I.D. card acknowledging their accomplishment and qualification.
For more information on this course and other "Competent Person" or trainer courses call 575-624-7381 or 575-624-7164 or visit www.ncehsedu.com


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Silver Lake is beginning to blossom with fields of Purple Loosestrife.
We must take action now to protect Norfolk County. The spread of Purple Loosestrife poses a huge threat to our ecosystem, to the biodiversity of habitat for indigenous wildlife and plant species, and eventual impact on agriculture lands in the vicinity. In the summer of 2010, we saw the first stage infestation of purple loosestrife pictured above. The budgeted dam repair and first phase of dredging in the lake was expected to address this problem with initial work completed this summer. The red tape of bureaucracy moves at its own pace leaving us facing year 3 of an environmental threat posed to move quickly into adjacent agricultural lands with impact on our coveted reputation as being Ontario's food market garden. The picture above was taken August 2010 just after the water in the lake was lowered. The infestation is just beginning to flower now. For a full understanding on the issues involved, please read the article below taken from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources website.
While the task of protecting our environment from invasive species falls within the portfolio of the Ministry of Environment , the issue has impact for the Ministry of Natural Resources (biodiversity & wildlife) and the Ministry of Agriculture (food industry). It is imperative that we contact all ministry contacts immediately.
1. Environment Canada's mandate is to preserve and enhance the quality of the natural environment, including water, air, soil, flora and fauna. You can report sightings online at http://www.invadingspecies.com or you can all the Invading Species hotline at 1-800-563-7711. This same hotline is also listed on the Ministry of Natural Resources website as well.
Another contact for MOE is Environment Canada
Canadian Wildlife Service, 4905 Dufferin Street, Downsview, ON, M3H 5T4 (416) 739-4986
2. The Ministry of Agriculture can be alerted to this threat by calling the Agricultural Information Contact Centre at 1-877-424-1300 or using the Agricultural Information Feedback Form or sending an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com . If you wish to contact the Minister directly, you can use the Comments to the Minister feedback form listed on the ministry website.
3. Diane Finley has demonstrated support for Norfolk County Agriculture when she announced an investment of $416,505 to the Norfolk County Agricultural Society for upgrades and beautification of the Norfolk County Fairgrounds. This investment will create immediate employment to support the local economy under the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF) in Southern Ontario. She will be concerned that this investment may be at risk.
Diane Finley Simcoe Office, 76 Kent Street South, Simcoe, ON, N3Y 2Y1
Tel: 519-426-3400 E: email@example.com
4. Toby Barrett, our Provincial MP can be contacted as follows:
Tel: 1-800-963-8629 E. firstname.lastname@example.com
5. Norfolk County staff who have interests in the future of agriculture in the area are listed as follows:
Ted Willey
Norfolk County Agriculture Partners
(519) 426-5870 ext. 1300
Linda D'hondt-Crandon
Norfolk County Agriculture Advisory Council
(519) 426-5870 ext.1264
Clark Hoskin
Manager, Tourism and Economic Development
(519) 426-5870 ext.1238


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A Life of Honor
As I write this afternoon the rain is coming down again. We have had a nice day today with sunshine in the morning. I was able to get out a get a little work done in the yard. It was good to have Spence Swalm come to Fort Collins for another visit. We enjoyed lunch(…)


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Size Chart
SKLZ® Resistance Cable Set 10-LB :: Get your total body training wherever you want with these durable, versatile training cables. The Flex Handles with Slide-Lock technology let you switch Cables in a snap. And the anchor attaches to nearly any door jam - home or away.
This web exclusive item ships separately within the continental U.S. only. You can count on this item to ship in 3-5 business days!
Key Features & Benefits
- Simple system, total body workout
- Functional training with multiple resistance levels
- Work on strength and power, anytime anywhere
- Use multi-planar movements for comprehensive training
- Set includes two Flex Handles
- One Door Anchor
- 4' Resistance Cable
Ratings & Reviews
You Deserve to Know Your Review Counts!
Help other athletes and runners just like you make the best decision


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A tax reduction made for students
Rachael Pittiglio
Guest Writer
Times are tight, and even with scholarships and loans it can be tough paying for school.
How about a tax break?
For eligible students, the American Opportunity Tax Credit, sometimes called the Hope Credit, offers up to a $2,500 direct tax reduction in 2012. While a deduction would reduce the amount of income you are taxed for, this credit reduces your total tax payment.
The amount is figured by how much you have paid for qualified education expenses: up to 100 percent of the first $2,000 and 25 percent of the next $2,000 for those within the credit's income limits.
While you can't claim the credit for personal spending, such as that for room and board, the American Opportunity Credit modified the previously available tax reduction and increased the number of qualified expenses.
According to the Internal Revenue Service website, the credit's qualified expenses now include the charges from an eligible educational institution for attendance and the prices of materials necessary for a course of study. This means that you can claim the credit for the expenses of required books and supplies, even if they are not purchased from the educational institution.
You may not count untaxed expenses such as scholarships, grants, and assistance funds as qualifying educational expenses, or claim them for the credit.
Do you qualify?
Some of the credit's key requirements are that you must be taking at least half time's worth of courses for one period in the academic year and that your modified adjusted gross income must be less than $90,000.
The American Opportunity Credit is also only available to students who have not yet completed their first four years of post-secondary education.
Because you may not claim more than one educational tax credit per year, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrations recommends that you compare available tax credits and deductions in order to determine which will save you the most money.
If you want more detailed information about the American Opportunity Tax Credit qualifications or other federal educational credits, you can visit http://www.irs.gov/ or http://www.nasfaa.org/.
Who knows? You might catch a break.


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On Throwing a Period Party
When a girl starts menstruating, the universe has given her the biological ability to procreate. I cannot imagine anything more profound or sacred. Baby teeth that are going to be replaced gets you money from the Tooth Fairy. But the biggest milestone in your adolescence gets you nothing? I set out to change that for my family.
RELATED: You're Not Going to That Party. Period
I wish that I could have taken the girls to Africa for a cultural empowerment tour. But I don't have an extra $15,000 lying around. So I tried to think of ways to make the event special without being too out there. I considered a drumming circle on the beach. Then I remembered that I don't own a beach chair or a drum. I decided to keep it simple: I would invite a few female family members and Audrey's best friend and her best friend's mom over for a quick discussion and dessert.
I pitched the idea to my partner and he agreed. I asked Audrey if she was OK with me having women over to acknowledge this rite of passage. She shrugged, "Sure, as long as it doesn't get weird. I have to watch so many puberty videos in school." I promised no sex talk and plenty of ice cream.
I nervously sent an invite text to the best friend's mom, "This is going to sound weird, but we are celebrating the arrival of Audrey's period." She responded, "Yeah, pretty weird, but I'm in."
On the evening of the party, the men left for dinner at a restaurant. I came home to discover a block-long blackout.
Audrey squirmed when grandma got a little graphic talking about sex and having babies.
I tried to reach our relatives to reschedule, but they did not answer. I decided to move forward with the new ritual. I lit a half dozen candles and greeted the guests in the soft light. It almost felt like were outside on the beach with the moonlight.
We sat in a circle and I asked three generations of women two questions:
When did you get your period?
What does womanhood mean to you?
Each lady shared a story about their childhood. Most said that their mothers had been nonchalant or had completely ignored the arrival of the menstrual cycles. The common theme was a sense of repression among the guests when it came to their ascension into womanhood.
Audrey squirmed when grandma got a little graphic talking about sex and having babies. I clipped that topic by politely cutting off grandma and asking, "Who wants ice cream?"
After everyone left, I asked Audrey if it was OK, or too much. She said that she could have lived without her grandma's talk, but overall, it was all right.
RELATED: My (Daughter's) First Trip to the Gynecologist
The older generation had a more enthusiastic reaction. My phone was littered with texts from the guests. They said they are going to do this with their relatives; that it felt good to be open, and that I was a pretty courageous mom.
Would you throw a period party for your daughter?


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This post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you purchase a product using the link, I may receive a small commission. This is at no extra cost to you, and your support means the absolute world to me. It's boring af but please read Disclaimer for more information.
I originally started to write this about 5 months ago. I was just about settling into my job, had been on a couple of holidays and was generally having a good time and enjoying everything I was doing before the slump hit.
For some reason, I suppose it was all the routine and feeling 'settled' (I'm normally a real advocate of spontaneity which isn't so easy when you are working) that caused me to have a slump. I felt like I hit a wall. It did take me a few weeks to get out of it and I had to kind of force myself to do things to clear my mind and refresh myself.
Here's a few little ways to help yourself if you are going through a down patch.
In the words of Winnie the Pooh, "Let's start by taking a smallish nap or two…". Sometimes you just need to fucking sleep. It helps you to clear your head, stops you worrying about things for a while and I always find if there's something I'm not sure about then it always helps to sleep on it. Some things need a little extra time to be pondered, especially if you aren't feeling like your normal self.
Take some me time, and actually do something with it. I'm terrible for scheduling a weekend to myself, and then depressing myself more by not doing anything or even convincing myself that I'm a sad loner. Doesn't make any sense seeing as I PLANNED the time for myself. *Slaps own head* Duh. So to avoid this, actually do something. Even if it's your laundry or meal prep for the week, or even starting a project you've been thinking about for a while. Do it for you. Love yourself 😀
I always end up feeling like I've hit the reset button when I go out for a walk or a run. I think one of the worst things you can do when you're feeling low is to sit indoors and do nothing but I know too well that it is much easier said than done! But the last thing you need is a bit of cabin fever to top off everything else. So get outside. Whether you go for a run, take your dog for a walk or even just yourself, a bit of fresh air, clear thinking and the added bonus of endorphins will give you a feeling of clarity.
One of my mum's favourite sayings is "a problem shared is a problem halved". I feel that my nanny has probably told me this a few times as well. Sometimes though, it's not a specific problem that is making you feel low but a mixture of things and this makes you feel pathetic and self-conscious and you don't want to tell anyone. I don't think anybody is ever pathetic for being low, but if the thought of talking to someone makes your stomach churn like the washing machine, then write it down. Put it in a notepad, a diary or even on your phone – for me this has the same effect and helps you get something off your chest, or it can at least help you to rationalise and set some logic to your emotions.
Okay. I'm not the tidiest person. I know my mum will read this and say that is an understatement. She will also probably say her other favourite saying that 'a tidy room is a tidy mind'. I actually really agree with this. Recently I went through my wardrobe and all my old papers and bills and cleared out a whole load of shit that I didn't want, use or need anymore. I felt amazing afterwards! Everything was where it needed to be and suddenly I felt like I could take on all the things that were dragging me down so I highly suggest a clear out to clear your head. If you are finding that a messy room is mimicking a messy mind, start with the easier job and tidy you living space before you even think about tackling your mind. It will distract you for a little while too.
Doesn't matter if it's a human, dog or a cat. All have been proven to relax you and release pent up emotion. Cuddles elevate your mood and oxytocin levels, and extended hugs release serotonin which makes you feel happier. You don't even need to explain. Just hug it out. It will definitely pick you up a little bit.
When I feel like shit I just reach for junk food. The problem is, I feel good for about 5 minutes before the feelings of regret and self-hatred kick in. NOT GOOD when you already feel terrible let alone making yourself feel worse! As typical as this advice is, it hold true in a big way. Set yourself the goal of drinking lots of water, eating lots of veggies and healthy fats for just one day. You will have more energy and sleep better which will 100% contribute to your mood lifting.
I don't mean big goals. I mean small goals, like painting your nails or exercising that day. We are not going for ambitious here. That comes later when you become an unstoppable fierce boss. But we're not quite there yet. Make a small to-do list for the day or week and aim to get them ticked of the list in a set amount of time. It might sound boring and maybe a little ridiculous but it's worth reminding yourself that you can set goals and get them completed however small they may be. The important thing is not the size of the goal but doing it and checking it off the list.
Looking through happier times will never make you feel worse. I have a little box that is full of old photos that I love, tickets and wristbands from festivals and events I've been to in the past and little gifts from people that I have collected over the years (like origami elephants, drawings and notes). Nothing of monetary value but everything that has meant something to me at some point. I love having a look through all these things and reminding myself that I am loved and that people care. If you don't have a memory box, I would suggest making one with anything that makes you smile. You could also flick through old Facebook photos as there is bound to be something to make you laugh!
Have a really long, hot shower, or a really long, steamy bath. Exfoliate properly, wash your hair and let yourself just be. Then do a face mask, put on some lovely clean, fluffy PJ's and get into a bed with fresh sheets. Even though it might not solve your problems, it will make you feel a lot better and ensure a good nights sleep. Nothing better than being clean and rested.
Literally. Smile. Maybe do this on your own as you might look like a bit of a freak smiling to yourself at the bus stop. But the action of smiling actually helps you to feel happier by sending signals to your brain and creating a pattern. You just need to keep reinforcing this motion to help you feel happier overall.
I hope this helps even one person to feel a little bit better. How do you pick yourself up out of a slump?
Let me know, I'm interested!


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Ah, what a Halloween it was!
Syd and Rob were crazy hard to get to commit on a costume idea this year. Rob's the hardest because he's so shy/embarrassed/worried people are watching him so EVERY costume had pros & cons (in his mind, mostly cons). I finally gave up and bought him a Gladiator costume from CostCo (thank you CostCo, for bulk Nutella & cute Halloween costumes). Sydney & Lincoln's costumes I made/put together and this year Syd helped a bunch with hers. And inadvertently they are all dressed as different ancient peoples!
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
2013 CATCH UP: Halloween 2013
Ah, what a Halloween it was!
Posted by Olivia Carter at 9:26 PM
5 comments:
- Unknown said...
oh man, they are so cute! I love blog catch-up! you always do such cute costumes!
- January 22, 2014 at 9:58 PM
- Em and Russ said...
Here haws is so fun! I love seeing pictures of your cute kiddos!
- January 22, 2014 at 10:48 PM
- Peace Love Applesauce- Terri said...
- January 23, 2014 at 11:48 AM
- Misty C. said...
I always love the costumes you guys come up with. So creative!
- January 23, 2014 at 8:22 PM
- M said...
Always so impressed with your DIY costume craftiness. The pumpkins look terrific too--very spooky!
- January 27, 2014 at 11:51 AM


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"Sonny": The Mobile Game Review
From Armorgames and Krin comes a re-imagining of the cult classic Sonny! This mobile game was released on Android in 2017. This game is a magnificent reboot of the Sonny series and it breathes new life into the franchise, while keeping the gameplay fundamentally the same as it was in the original.
Sonny - Combat Trailer
Much like the 1st Sonny game, you (playing as Sonny) are about to turn into a zombie when Louis injects you with some sort of serum. You keep all your mental faculties, but you cannot remember anything prior to your resurrection.
Louis names you Sonny and he shows you how to use your newfound abilities. He is then murdered by the very people meant to save him, the ZPCI (Zombie Pest Control Incorporated). After you take care of the ZPCI soldiers, you get onto a lifeboat and move towards the mainland. During your travels, you bump into a medic in a robotic suit (Veradux), a mad scientist (Dr. Herregods), a rogue ZPCI soldier (Karantha), and a witch hunter (Zakk), who is the last of his tribe.
As you and your newfound friends travel across the world, you realize that there is an evil plot to destroy humanity and create super-zombies, much like Sonny, but evil.
Now Sonny and his eclectic group of comrades must battle hordes of zombies, super-zombies, cyborgs, and even a velociraptor with guns grafted onto it to save humanity from this newfound super-zombie threat.
New Features
Evo-Bar(Evolutions): This is a new feature for everyone familiar with the Sonny games. You get the Evo-bar in Stage 2-4 of the game (the Teras Jungle). After you attack with Sonny several times, a yellow bar will fill up. When it does, you are able to "evolve" an ability. When you hold on an ability, you are presented with one of 3 evolutions of that ability. You can even evolve abilities on cooldown and you can evolve the same ability multiple times, though you can only have one evolution per ability.
I love the evolutions because it adds an improvisational element to the game. It also allows you to balance or enhance your builds on the fly. If you pick a bad evolution during a fight, then it may ruin your chances of winning the battle.
Strains: Strains allow Sonny to control an element in a game. Elements include the following: Ice, Shadow, Lightening, Fire and Nature. You are able to gain 2 strains in the game, the first strain is learned at the end of Teras Jungle after you defeat the Corrupter and the second strain is learned at the end of the Thunder labs stage after you defeat Celeste.
I love the strains because it provides another new feature for Sonny fans to enjoy as well as allow players to customize Sonny to the play style of the player. Because you get to pick 2 strains, you can either balance out your builds or you can further enhance them.
Gameplay: The game play is very addictive and the controls are easy to remember. The tutorial explains everything very well. Most enemies and bosses require one to plan which allies you will use as well as what abilities you will bring into battle.
Story: The story revitalizes the Sonny series and brings it into the mobile platform. It also lets people new to Sonny to enjoy the games.
Soundtrack: David Orr has outdone himself once again. The soundtrack for Sonny is epic and makes playing the game even more enjoyable. To listen and even purchase some of the songs, go here (https://davidorr.bandcamp.com/album/sonny-complete-soundtrack).
Cinematics: The story board style of the cinematics made it fun to watch and made it feel like I was reading an interactive comic book.
What can be added/Cons
Listed below are some features that I believe can make the game better:
PVP: I believe that a PVP would give players the opportunity to battle each other and add an element of fun to the game. I also think it would also be fun to challenge other players and seeing different builds fight each other.
Voice Acting: One of the best thing about both the Sonny Games is the superb voice acting. In the mobile games, there is a very brief amount of voice acting from random characters along with some random grunts. I was looking forward to hearing some good voice acting while playing the game and I was disappointed that I heard very little of it.
Items with dark defense in Blackhall Keep: At Blackhall Keep, most of the enemies use the shadow element and there are no items in the shop that give your team any shadow protection, adding some items with shadow resistance will make this level of the game much easier.
Ability to control AI: Another feature that Sonny fans are familiar with is the ability to have some control over the AI of your allies. This feature was not in the mobile games and as a result, I lost several battles because Veradux and Dr. Herregods attacked when I wanted them to heal.
I believe that having some control of the AI will add another level of strategy for players to mull over as the grind through the game
Which boss fight is your favorite?
Here are some things I have learned while playing the game:
- Don't spend all of your ability points on one ability, it is better to have flexibility so you can change builds as needed and so you can save money from having to constantly respec every few fights.
- Control builds will be more favorable near the end of the game.
- Do not sell any legendary items (purple items), particularly the plasma barrier you get in the Thunder Labs and it is the only item you receive that has any shadow defense going into Blackhall Keep.
- Fully upgrade Bleed. This ability is very useful, especially against enemies with high defense and HP.
- When fighting Grosk, be sure to have Reform or any ability that can remove debuffs because Burn gives a lot of damage. Be sure to stun him when he uses hunger strike because he gains a huge amount of health.
Final Verdict
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed playing the Sonny mobile game. The game was addictive and has lots of replay value. It allowed me to play a game I enjoyed as a child. The mobile version manages to keep what makes Sonny great while adding some new features. This is a game I recommend for people who are familiar with the Sonny franchise and even newcomers to the series. This is a fun game for everyone to play. I hope that there is a Sonny 2 and it is just as good if not better than this one.
If you enjoyed this article and found it interesting or useful, please share it on Facebook and Twitter or comment below.
Questions & Answers
© 2017 Marcus T Caine
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Feature Friday: Zuko and Mai
Ok, ok. So it's not technically Friday. I'm not use to this stuff yet! Anyway, this week's post is from Digital–Love, (check out the page!) over on DeviantArt. Hooray for adorable couples cosplay! Also, Mai, another character I've wanted to do myself. Noticing kind of a trend here with these features… Mai also has a DA account worth checking out. (Her Flame Princess cosplay could be the subject of it's own Feature Friday someday…) Their costumes are just beautiful, and Digital–Love got that scar just right. They also picked a setting that is gorgeous, and looks like it could have been plucked from the show. Incredible!


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Chapter 9: Programming Essentials
All computer programming languages need to carry out, or execute, certain instructions, actions, procedures or routines when they run. For example, your program may need to reserve a portion of the computer's memory in which it will store certain information that other parts of the program can access and use. To do this, your program needs to be instructed to reserve the required amount of memory, told what information to put in there, and what to call it, so that later on in the program, you can instruct the program to access and then use that information.
In the Harbour programming language, the most basic and essential of these types of instruction, action, procedure or routine are grouped into three different categories which are known as commands, functions and statements.
The rest of this chapter provides a detailed explanation of each of these categories and describes the words, symbols, layout and essential rules that need to be followed to structure each correctly. The concept of "laying out" a combination of words and symbols that conform to certain rules is known, in computer science, as syntax.
Before we continue, and as a reminder, please take special note of any terms I use below that appear below in italics. Such terms, such as execute, argument or value, are used to reflect the terminology used in programming (and in the Harbour programming language in particular) and I will begin to use these with increasing frequency in future. It is therefore important that you understand what each term actually means!
A command is the one of the most basic instructions possible in a computer program. Generally speaking, a command performs (or executes) a single solitary action although this is not strictly true as, at a much lower level, the computer may need to execute a series of very small individual steps to achieve the desired result.
Commands can also – and sometimes need – to be "customised" with additional information to fine tune what you need them to do. This is achieved by stating the command name followed by a space and then the additional information that you want the command to act on. Such "additional information" is referred to in programming an argument of the command whilst the actual information is the value of the argument.
In summary, aside from understanding the terminology and syntax (which I will explain next) to create a command, all you really need to know is that when you use them, they will execute a single, easily understood action and you can leave it to the computer to manage the low level, technical detail.
Command Syntax
In the Harbour programming language, each command is documented in a consistent way and I use the same approach whenever I discuss a command in these in this guide. In the documentation, the syntax of each command appears as follows;
COMMANDNAME <mandatory argument> | [ <optional argument> ]
To understand this better, let's break this up into more easily digested chunks!
This, obviously, is the "plain English" word you use in a computer program to represent the instruction you want that program to execute. These are usually expressed by a single word but, in the Harbour programming language, there are some that contain two or more words separated by a space.
<mandatory argument>
A mandatory argument is one that must be included along with the command for it to work correctly. However, what are those two symbols, "<" and ">", that appear in the documentation? These are used in the documentation to surround (or delimit) a description which replaces the words mandatory argument that I have used above with something a little more meaningful. For example, <AMERICAN>, <BRITISH>, <FRENCH> or <GERMAN> are some of the options available when you use the SET DATE FORMAT command in Harbour and you must choose one, and only one, of these mandatory arguments. So, how do you know when the documentation offers you several options? That's when the "pipe character" is used!
| (otherwise known as a "pipe character")
In the Harbour programming documentation, this symbol (which is represented as two small vertical lines above one another on a computer keyboard) can be understood to mean "or" in plain English. Where this character is used, it separates a number of choices, of which only one can be used, which represents the valid arguments of whichever command you are using.
[ <optional argument> ]
An optional argument is one that might be included along with the command but it is not required for the command to work correctly. These are used when you need to "customise" what the command does.
So, how do you know if an argument is mandatory or optional? Notice the two symbols, "[" and "]", that I used above? These are used in the Harbour documentation to delimit any argument that is optional!
A statement is another of the most basic instructions possible in a computer program and like a command they can use an argument to control their behaviour. In the Harbour programming language, the key difference between the two is that while a command actually "does something", a statement is used to change the "state" of the program until something else occurs that causes the program to change "state" again.
So what do I mean by the "state" of a program? Put in very simple terms, a program normally exists in a state where it will execute commands or functions one after the other, in order, until it gets to the end of the program and finishes running. This can be thought of as working in a sequential fashion.
While that might sound exactly like the kind of behaviour you would want in a program there are times when you might want the program to repeatedly execute a certain number of actions until a certain task has been completed before going on to perform other actions. This concept of repeatedly performing a series of actions until a certain task is completed is known as iteration or, more often, as looping.
In order to change the program from a state where it is running in a sequential fashion to one where it runs in an iterative state, you instruct the program accordingly by using a statement. The iteration (or loop) is then ended by another statement once a certain condition has been achieved.
The use of statements isn't always so complicated. Some statements are very simple and don't appear to involve iteration. For example, if you wrote the statement LOCAL cHello in a Harbour program, it enters a state where it will reserve a small part of the computer's memory which you are going to call cHello. It then automatically does back to a state that enables it to execute the next action. However, if you wrote the statement LOCAL cHello, cBye, cByeBye the program enters a state where it first reserves a bit memory which it calls cHello, then it reserves another bit of memory which it calls cBye before, finally, reserving a third bit of memory which it calls cByeBye (notice the iterative nature of this example?). After that, the program re-enters a state ready to execute the next action.
Confused? I'm sure you are but I want to re-assure you the explanation above is focused more on "theory" than it is about knowing what the various statements are, what they can be used for and, more importantly, when and how to use them. The good news is that the total number of different statements that can be used in the Harbour language is far less than those that can be used as commands. However, it is just as important to understand the syntax used to document a statement and this is also a useful time to start exploring instances where the documentation is a little more involved than the explanation I provided previously for command syntax.
Statement Syntax
The syntax for some of the simpler statements in the Harbour language is virtually identical to that which is used in documenting commands. As a very brief reminder, let's review the simplest "level" of syntax used for a statement.
STATEMENTNAME <mandatory argument> | [ <optional argument> ]
The only difference between this statement syntax and the command syntax previously explained is STATEMENTNAME which refers to the "plain English" word used in the program to represent a statement. These are usually expressed by a single word but, in the Harbour programming language, there are some that contain two or more words separated by a space.
Whilst this is fairly straightforward, other statements (and commands) have a more detailed level of syntax and a useful way of exploring this is to first introduce you to control structures, an essential important tool in computer programming.
Control Structure Statements and Syntax
Many of the statements you will find in Harbour are used to create what is known as a control structure. A control structure is a "block" of code in the program that caters for a number of different possible scenarios. Any commands, statements or functions to be executed for each scenario will only be run when certain conditions exist that mean that particular scenario exists (or that the condition for that scenario is logically true). The syntax for control structures generally appears as follows.
SCENARIO <lCondition1>
<commands, statements, functions>...
[ SCENARIO <lCondition2> ]
<commands, statements, functions>...
<commands, statements, functions>...
You might be wondering how to cater for a scenario that you expect to occur most of the time or, if you are thinking ahead, how to deal with a scenario that you didn't expect or anticipate (which is good practice, by the way)! All control structures include an optional way to deal with such exceptions and they only come into force when none of the previous conditions for each scenario you stated are true. In the example of a DO CASE control structure any such exceptions are dealt with by the commands, statements or functions that you include following an OTHERWISE directive.
The final part in a control structure is the closing statement. A closing statement is used to complete the control structure and it serves an additional purpose in that it changes the "state" back to whichever state the program was in prior to encountering the control structure. Like many of the control structure opening statements in the Harbour programming language, the closing statement can often be represented by two words separated by a space with the second word being optional in many cases.
I hope you have this discussion of control structures useful. The control structures available in Harbour are extremely powerful, flexible and actually fairly easy to understand and use. We will start to explore some of these in greater detail in chapter 10.
A function is the most wide ranging and powerful way to complete certain tasks in Harbour and HMG and you have already used them extensively in Section 1 of this guide. As you may recall, it is even possible for you to create your own functions with Harbour which are referred to as User Defined Functions or UDFs. However, what exactly is a function, what do they do and how do you use them?
Functions are, at a high level, a kind of procedure or routine that is used to perform specific operations which are comprised of a number of lower steps or tasks. The benefit is that you don't need to write each of these lower levels steps or tasks yourself and you often don't even need to know what these are. Every function has a unique name and generally has a well defined and understood purpose such as opening a database file. Functions always return a value once they complete running and these "return values" can be useful in several ways; for example, to check if the database file was successfully opened or not.
Most programming languages come with a pre-written set of functions and Harbour is no different. In fact, both Harbour and HMG include an enormous number of functions, so the job of explaining every single one of them would be close to impossible in a guide such as this. I have previously explained some of the Harbour and HMG functions we used in Section 1 and, indeed, I expand on a number of the most common and useful functions later on in this section as well as in later sections in this guide. As before, however, it is useful to understand the syntax of functions.
Function Syntax
Many parts of the documentation for the syntax of a function are similar to those used in documenting commands and statements, so I will refrain from repeating myself on the assumption that you understand what these are. For example, mandatory arguments (or parameters as they are sometimes called in functions) do not appear with the "[" and "]" delimiters whilst optional parameters do.
FUNCTIONNAME( <Argument1>, [<Argument2>] ) --> ReturnedValue
You will immediately notice a few differences in the syntax used in documenting functions and I will focus on explaining these bit by bit.
This really should be quite obvious by now! Every Harbour and HMG function has a unique name (these are known as reserved words) and I strongly recommend that you take great care not to create your own UDFs with a name that is already in use. On some occasions if you did do so, your program will compile and run but the exact results are unpredictable so it's better to avoid the risk altogether. If you are unsure if the name you have given to a UDF is already in use, check the documentation available when you install HMG (see "More Help" in Chapter 1 if you are not sure how to access this help documentation) to see if there is a Harbour or HMG function with the same name..
All functions include an opening and closing bracket after the FUNCTIONNAME which is used to indicate that a function is being used and to distinguish them from commands and statements. These frequently include a number of arguments enclosed within the brackets separated from each other by a comma and there are often many more than the two simple examples I have included here. As I said earlier, these arguments included in a function are sometimes also referred to as parameters and, regardless of what you decide to call them, they are passed to the function which then uses them to "customise" or control the way the function works. We will explore such "customisation" or control later on in this guide.
<Argument1>, [<Argument2>]
By now, you will recognise when an argument (or parameter) is mandatory and when it is optional. At the risk of repeating myself, please remember that these are always included within the two brackets and each one must be separated by a comma when included in a function.
--> ReturnedValue
This part of the syntax documentation details the returned value and it always appears at the end of the functions description. The symbols, -->, are never actually entered in your computer code as they are used simply to inform you that details of the return value follow. You might think that this example doesn't really tell you much about the data type of the return value but, fortunately, the documentation is much more helpful as it follows a couple of standard conventions. These conventions are mainly used to try and describe what the returned value is as well as what data type it consists of. We explore data types in greater detail in the next chapter but for now, the following examples should help to explain these conventions a little more clearly;
- cSurname – The first, or leading character, "c", indicates that a character data type is being returned whilst the rest of the return values name suggest a surname is being returned by the function
- nTotal – The leading character "n" indicates that a numeric data type is being returned which is likely to be a total of some sort
- lContinue – The leading character "l" indicates that a logical data type is being returned, which will contain either be a true or false value, which you might use to decide whether to continue a certain action or not
- dYesterday – The leading character "d" indicates that a date data type is being returned which is likely to be the date yesterday
There are other data types available in Harbour which we explore in detail in chapters 10 and 11. Before we move on to explore those, there is one more thing you may come across in Harbour and HMG, especially in some of the documentation examples but also on some of the websites you might visit, which you need to have a basic understanding of.
Earlier on, whilst discussing the definition of a function, I purposely avoided discussion another type of high level mechanism available in Harbour and HMG which are known as Procedures. These are very similar to functions but, broadly speaking, the only difference between the two is that procedures do not return any value after they complete running.
From a personal perspective, I avoid using procedures preferring instead to only use functions even when I know I do not need, or want, to do anything with a return value. This is simply because I prefer to take a consistent approach in my programming projects and I personally don't see any real advantage to using a procedure rather than a function. I mention procedures simply to make you aware that these exist (so you may come across them in other places) and to explain what they are and what you need to know about them.


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So, to answer some questions from my friends...............
the time was 8.30'ish in the morning, not very early,
it did come with a shepherd's warning because it snowed again later in the day,
it was worth getting out of bed for, except I was already up and preparing breakfast when I looked out of the kitchen door, saw the beautiful colours, grabbed my trusty Lumix and dashed upstairs to take a photo from the bathroom window.
I thought it might be fun to try and replicate the shot 24 hours later but as you can see no blazing sunrise today, only the slightest hint of pink around the edges.
Thanks for all your comments, as Cindy @ Cottage Instincts said recently