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GirlyGirlBookReviews
Romance Book Reviews!!
October 21, 2014 by girlygirlbookreviews
Blog Tour & Giveaway ~ Franco's Fortune by Cara Marsi
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Title: Franco's Fortune
Series: Redemption #2
Author: Cara Marsi
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Formats: E-book
Publisher: Cara Marsi
Cover by: Harris Channing
Editor: Laura Kelly
ASIN: B00BNA3JQI
Date Published: Feb. 2013
"When a female bodyguard is hired to protect a rich playboy, she finds saving his life is easier than protecting her heart."
When the past and present collide…
Somebody wants rich playboy Franco Callahan dead. When security expert Josephine Fortune arrives on his doorstep thanks to his sister Doriana, Franco finds it hard to refuse. He's had a secret attraction for the diminutive bodyguard since they met at Doriana's wedding five years before.
But attraction is all it is. Combat boot-clad Jo is not the kind of woman Franco usually loves and leaves. Which makes the ruse that Jo is his new live-in girlfriend just that until Jo gets a makeover. Suddenly seduction is on his mind and Franco has all the time in the world to pursue it—and Jo.
Martial artist Jo can take down men twice her size without blinking, but Franco's appeal outmaneuvers her emotional defenses. Jo's tough exterior hides a dark past, and Franco seems determined to learn her every secret. But he has secrets of his own.
The more Franco gets to know Jo, the more he realizes he needs her in his life, and not as his bodyguard. But as the threats to Franco escalate, Jo must use every one of her combat skills to protect him.
Can Jo keep both Franco and her heart safe, or will they pay the ultimate price for love?
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Franco Callahan slammed the door to his Delancey Street townhouse and hurried into the April morning, glancing at his watch as he ran down the steps. He was late. He'd wanted to get to work early. He had a busy day ahead. His mind on the Connecticut casino bid and the pile of work waiting on his desk, he strode along the uneven pavement to his black Mercedes parked at the other end of the narrow street.
He answered his ringing phone as he hurried toward his car, and heard a deep male voice rasp, "You didn't get our message the first time, Callahan. You've forced us to play dirty. Give us the money and we might let you live."
The menace in the stranger's voice chilled Franco, tightening his gut. "Who is this?"
"Maybe you'll listen to our new message." The call disconnected.
Franco stared down at his phone.
An ear-splitting boom rent the air, vibrating the ground beneath his feet. The blast sent Franco on his rear, the breath knocked out of him. Ears ringing, struggling to sit, he saw a ball of fire at the end of the street. Flames licked at what was left of his car.
<><><>
"Heard you need a bodyguard, Callahan."
The sultry female voice jerked Franco's attention from his computer. He swiveled his chair and glanced toward his office doorway. A thrill shot through him at the sight of the petite redhead, arms folded across her chest, leaning impudently against the doorjamb. He tamped down the excitement she always aroused in him and narrowed his eyes.
"Well, if it isn't Josephine Fortune. What are you doing here?"
She stepped into the room and deposited her duffel bag on the floor. "I'm real glad to see you too, Callahan. And the name is Jo."
The tough little spitfire rarely wore anything other than camouflage fatigues, T-shirts, and combat boots. He couldn't help noticing the way her khaki-colored T-shirt stretched over her firm breasts and the way her full, pink lips—kissable lips—parted. She wasn't his type he reminded himself, not for the first time in their five-year association. His type was tall, blonde, leggy, and a tigress in bed—not a fireball more comfortable on the shooting range than between satin sheets. He shot her an insolent smile, retreating into the playboy persona he showed the world.
Her green eyes, translucent and light as a spring leaf, studied him. "Logan and Doriana sent me to protect your sorry ass."
His eyes never leaving hers, he stood. "I told them I don't need protection. I'm sorry you had to come all this way. Go back to Tucson."
Tension in every line of her toned body, she moved closer. "I don't like this any more than you do, Callahan. Think I want to spend my time babysitting some spoiled playboy? As far as I'm concerned, if one of your bimbos has it in for you, that's your problem."
"Then leave."
"No can do. Logan's my boss. He sent me to keep someone from killing you and that's what I'm going to do."
The fear that was his constant companion these days pressed against his chest. Masking his feeling of vulnerability, he flattened his palms on his desk. "Tell Logan and Doriana thanks, but the Philadelphia police are handling the case. I don't need a bodyguard."
She moved even closer and leaned over the desk until their faces were inches apart. The woman had guts. He had to hand that to her. He wondered if anything scared her. A familiar scent surrounded her, teasing his nostrils. Grapefruit? On her the fruity aroma smelled tantalizing and seductive. Jo Fortune, seductive? He moved back from temptation.
She straightened and stepped away from his desk. "Sure, I'd rather be in sunny Arizona than rainy Philadelphia. But Doriana's not too keen on her brother getting killed. So you're stuck with me until the cops get whoever's after you."
He studied her and something stirred in him, the same feeling he'd had minutes ago; the feeling he'd gotten the first time he'd met her at Logan and Doriana's wedding five years before, and every time after that. As an honorary member of the Callahan-Tanner clan, Jo was present at family holidays and functions. For all her smart mouth and bluster, he recognized the hurt that shadowed her eyes and softened her generous mouth. A part of him wanted to find out who put that hurt there and to take it away if he could. Jo brought out a protectiveness in him that scared him nearly as much as the thought of someone killing him.
Josephine has learned to keep her guard up and trained as a bodyguard through military. She has had to learn to become though and lived through experiences nobody should by those that she should have trusted most. Through this she doesn't trust easily and keeps away from men for a relationship. When she is employed to become a bodyguard to playboy Franco (whom they have met previously through a wedding), all bets are off the table. Franco is arrogant, rich, and definitely your playboy. I had a love hate relationship with him going at the beginning! However, he sees Josephine again after all this time he believes he can make her come out of her tough girl shell. I loved these two characters because their outer shell is more complex than who they truly are. Will these two learn that there is something more especially when Josephine has to morph into the women that Franco would date in order to protect him from those that would murder him? The author did an amazing job with this next installment in the series. Each novel can be read as a standalone, but trust me Logan's story is just as good. The author brings a perfect blend of romance and suspense and her twists in this story to keep you wanting more. She knows how to keep her readers entertained. I will have to say that this author has become one of my favorite because of these novels! I highly recommend you reading Franco and Josephine's story!
More about The Redemption Series
Title: B0040JI3PG
Date Published: Jan 2014
Doriana Callahan's life is unraveling. Someone is stalking her and sabotaging her father's company; her teenage son is rebelling; and Logan Tanner is back in town. For sixteen years she's kept an explosive secret from Logan, a secret he soon discovers.
Logan never belonged in Doriana's world, but a long time ago he allowed himself to dream of a future with her, until the awful night he was forced to run. Now he's back and he needs her forgiveness, but first he must forgive himself.
Despite the fact that Doriana kept the existence of his son from him, Logan vows to protect her. He races against time to stop the culprit threatening Doriana and works to forge a bond with his son.
Can the love and passion that still burn between Doriana and Logan overcome old lies and new dangers? The clock is ticking on a second chance at love.
"Logan's Redemption has all the elements that keep the pages turning: romance, passion, thrills and suspense." Linda at Fallen Angel Reviews.
"LOGAN'S REDEMPTION by Cara Marsi is a great read, plain and simple. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I definitely give it a Top Pick!" Julie at Romance Reader at Heart Reviews.
"Logan's Redemption should definitely be added to your must-read list." My Romance Story Reviews.
"Logan 's Redemption is riveting." Lisa at My Romance Junkies Reviews.
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Title: Luke's Temptation
ASIN: B00MYC97LU
Coming: Sep 30, 2014
Anita Santisi is an independent, successful businesswoman with a wounded heart. And some very bad people after her. Break-ins, home invasions, and attempted abductions have turned her comfortable life dangerous. Can she trust her mysterious, sexy new neighbor, Luke Corrado, or is he behind the criminal acts?
Special Agent Luke Corrado carries his guilt like a loaded Glock. A woman he loved was murdered because of him. Now, on a new undercover assignment to protect Anita Santisi, he's determined to redeem himself. What he doesn't expect is that Anita will tempt him to let down the barriers around his heart.
As Anita and Luke find themselves in ever-increasing danger, they must fight to stay alive. Will they open their hearts to each other before it's too late?
Cara Marsi, an award-winning author and self-proclaimed TV junkie, is a former corporate drone and cubicle dweller. Freed from her fabric-covered cage, she can now indulge her love of all things romance. She craves books with happy endings and loves to write about independent heroines and the strong heroes who love them. And she loves to put her characters in dangerous situations or situations merely dangerous to their hearts and watch them fight for the happy endings they deserve.
An eclectic author, Cara is published in romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance. She's also published numerous short romance stories in national women's magazines and online. When not traveling or dreaming of traveling, Cara and her husband live on the East Coast in a house ruled by their fat black diva of a cat named Killer.
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Tour Schedule – One Week Blog Tour for Franco's Fortune by Cara Marsi from Oct 13 to Oct 21, 2014.
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Blog Tour ~ Love in the City Series by Steph Nuss
Book One – Wanted By You
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18812128-wanted-by-you
Carter was captivated by Ellyson Evans the moment he laid eyes on her,
but she was the one girl who didn't beg for his attention.
He wanted her.
Ellyson vowed to never fall in love, because love can destroy you,
but then she met Carter Jennings.
She wanted him.
Unwilling to risk their comfortable friendship, neither confessed their desires.
Losing touch after college, a chance meeting reconnects them.
They want each other.
But love in the city is never quite that easy.
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Wanted By You Playlist: http://stephnuss.com/wanted-by-you/wby_the-soundtrack/
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Book Two – Fantasized By You
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21415529-fantasized-by-you
Celebrity fashion designer, Harper Jennings is only months away from turning thirty, and her dream of living a happily ever after has yet to come true.
She's given up on her fantasy.
Personal trainer and gym owner, Maverick Jones isn't thrilled about having a designer mentoring in his new clinic, but after meeting the brunette beauty face-to-face, he dreams of having his way with her.
He's ready to turn his fantasy into reality.
But when their fantasies collide, love in the city becomes more complicated than they ever imagined.
Fantasized By You Playlist: http://stephnuss.com/fantasized-by-you/the-soundtrack/
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The Cast of the Love in the City series: http://stephnuss.com/loveinthecity/love-in-the-city-the-cast/
Book Three – Pleasured By You
Expected Release Date: January 20th, 2015
The Love in the City series continues with Bayler and Fletcher's story.
Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21415541-pleasured-by-you
Wanted By You (Love in the City, #1) (Currently Free)
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wanted-You-Love-City-Book-ebook/dp/B00IMILTEI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1413313516&sr=8-2&keywords=steph+nuss
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Pleasured By You (Love in the City, #3)
iBooks Pre-order: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/pleasured-by-you/id886304066?mt=11
Steph Nuss was born and raised in rural Kansas, where she currently resides with her black Labrador son named Gunner. She grew up with a passion for reading and writing. When she's not immersed into the land of fiction, she enjoys listening to music that came before her time, watching movies and reruns of her favorite shows, and hanging out with her family and friends. She also has a bachelor's degree in psychology that she'll never use…unless she's profiling her characters of course.
CONNECT WITH STEPH:
Website: www.stephnuss.com
Email: stephnussbooks@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StephNussAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/StephNuss13
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***HAPPY RELEASE BLITZ*** THE WEDDING SURPRISE BY ELLA JADE
The Weekend Surprise
by Ella Jade
Released: October 20th 2014 by Beachwalk Press, Inc.
A chance meeting or a calculated encounter? Someone is in for a surprise.
Brooklyn Conservatory student Sammy Falcone lives a quiet and modest life. She's busy studying classical music, playing her cello, and trying to make ends meet. After she learns of her deceased mother's secret that may involve the Cannon family, she heads to a wedding to catch a glimpse of the privileged clan, never expecting to come face-to-face with them. Tyler Cannon must abandon his wild, partying ways and step up to help his brother Spencer run the family advertising business. When he meets Sammy at his brother's wedding he's immediately taken by the reserved beauty. Her innocence and simple lifestyle intrigue him enough to become a one-woman man. Sammy is drawn to Tyler's charm and the attention he shows her. Once she gets to know him, the secrets of her mother's past are no longer important. The problem is Spencer has been suspicious of her from the beginning. Will Spencer's overprotectiveness of his family ruin her chances with Tyler? And if the truth comes out, will Sammy be able to convince Tyler that she never meant his family any harm? Content Warning: contains mature language and graphic sexual content
Beachwalk Press / Amazon / B&N
Ella Jade has been writing for as long as she can remember. As a child, she often had a notebook and pen with her, and now as an adult, the laptop is never far. The plots and dialogue have always played out in her head, but she never knew what to do with them. That all changed when she discovered the eBook industry. She started penning novels at a rapid pace and now she can't be stopped.
Ella resides in New Jersey with her husband and two boys. When she's not chasing after her kids, she's busy creating sexy, domineering men and the strong women who know how to challenge them in and out of the bedroom. She hopes you'll get lost in her words.
She loves connecting with readers. You can find her here…
FB/Twitter/Website
***HAPPY RELEASE BLITZ & GIVEAWAY *** MACALISTER'S HOPE BY LAURIN WITTIG
TITLE MACALISTER'S HOPE
SERIES A KILMARTIN GLEN NOVELLA
AUTHOR LAURIN WITTIG
GENRE SCOTTISH HISTORICAL ROMANCE
PUBLICATION DATE OCTOBER 21, 2014
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) 29K
PUBLISHER INDIE
COVER ARTIST T. A. Straley
Kieron MacAlister has always loved Fia MacLachlan, a wee fey lass he met years ago who, with her sweet smile and surprising insight, changed his life. When he comes face-to-face with the beautiful woman she's grown into, can he convince her to change her life, too?
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Fia can go with you, Elena said.
Fia's breath hitched. Nay, I am needed here, at least until after the bairn is born and you are recovered.
Elena took her hand and gave it a squeeze. I shall be fine. The midwife can look after me.
Fia wanted to shake her head, but she nodded instead, swallowing all of her arguments for why she should stay. 'Twas her duty to do as the chief and the lady required. I will go.
Do you share the Lamont gift? Tavish snapped, jerking Fia's attention back to the two men who stood closest to her and spoke for their clan.
Nay, Fia answered with a lift of her chin, but I am well trained as a healer.
Fia is expert with herbs, far more than I am, Elena said. She has a canny way of knowing which will best serve those she treats, such as I have never seen before. Elena reached out and pulled Fia close, wrapping her arm over Fia's shoulder in a gesture that had always made Fia feel safe, while at the same time Elena skewered first Tavish, then the other man, with that same motherly glare that made even grown men cower. She is more than capable of tending your chief in his illness.
Elena's words of praise eased some of Fia's concern over leaving her foster mother when the bairn could come at any time.
Aye, I will do all that I can for your chief, but I have one condition.
Elena tightened her grip and Symon turned to face her, irritation and concern filling his eyes. Fia wiggled free of Elena's grip and took her hand again. She smiled at Symon, knowing he could not glower at her when she did that, and indeed his gaze softened.
I will need to return to Kilmartin within a ten day. If you cannot promise me that, then I will not go with you. She took a deep breath, unused to going against Symon or Elena's wishes, but she hoped this was enough of a compromise to keep everyone happy. Fia could feel the knots in her shoulders loosening now that she had set her own requirements on the deal.
But she does not have your gift. The words came out as a growl from between Tavish's gritted teeth.
Fia could see the man next to him tense, as if ready to do battle, though he had not so much as gestured toward his dirk or his sword. That was when she noticed that he held something in his hand, rolling it in his palm as if he calmed himself with it. She looked up at his face carefully for the first time and realized he was familiar to her, though she could not remember from where she might know him. There was something about his eyesnay, she could not place him.
Elena tilted her head and smiled, glancing at Fia and drawing Fia's attention back to the conversation.
Nay, she does not have the Lamont gift, Elena agreed, but she is very talented in her own way, and you do not have a choice. Fia can go with you to tend your chiefyour father she added pointedly, and be returned here within a ten day, or you can leave here with a tincture that may or may not be what your father requires.
Tavish started to respond, when the other man simultaneously reached out and gripped his shoulder, as if to stop him from speaking, and dropped the thing in his hand. Fia watched as a perfectly round, milky stone rolled to rest near Elena's feet. Fia scooped it up, for Elena could not even bend over these days. She dusted the pretty stone off on her skirt, then held it out for the man but he did not take it from her.
Do you think you can heal him, Fia? he asked, saying her name as if he, too, remembered her, though she still could not remember why she knew him.
She looked at Tavish, holding the stone out for him to take as his companion did not seem interested in it anymore. I do not ken, she said, needing to be truthful with him and herself, but I will do my best. The palest pink whispered along the milky white ribbons within the stone, surprising her even as she heard the other man let out his breath. But you must promise to have me back here before Elena's time, she said, though her eyes were still on the stone that was once again milky white, whether your father is better or not.
Elena plucked the stone from Fia's hand and held it up to the pale sunlight, gazing into it with a bemused look upon her face.
I believe she can heal him, Elena said, still gazing into the stone, while pink once more whispered through it. Fia gasped. Elena looked at her for a moment and quirked an eyebrow as if asking if Fia had seen what Elena had. Elena lowered her hand and held the stone out to its owner with a mysterious sort of smile playing over her lips. 'Tis a beautiful stone. It reminds me of a tale I once heard about the Cailleach Bheur, the mother of winter, and a frozen tear that held the truth of her heartache. You should not be so uncareful with it.
Aye, my lady, he said quietly. I have heard that story, too. He swallowed and smiled. I am afraid I have a bad habit of fiddling with it and dropping it betimes, he added, tucking the stone into a pouch at his belt. Fia's skills will be most appreciated.
Tavish sucked in a loud breath.
She will do as she says, the other man said to him, I am sure of it.
Tavish said nothing for a long moment, then nodded. Very well. If we cannot have the skill of Lady Elena, we will take Fia with us to tend my da.
Fia and the other man winced at Tavish's less than grateful tone.
And return me in a ten day. Fia narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips together. She had no intention of budging from Elena's side without this assurance.
We promise, the other man said when Tavish did not.
Laurin Wittig writes Kindle Top 10 bestselling and award-winning Scottish medieval romances. She has been obsessed with her Scottish heritage since her first visit to Scotland when she was eleven years old, and was thrilled, years later, to discover Scottish romances. Since then she has had the good fortune to bring her own Highland stories to readers around the world.
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Frances Marion G. Mintz, 81, Ash, NC died January 15, 2018.
Born in Brunswick County on March 12, 1936, a daughter of the late Everett Lee Galloway and Bessie Fulford Galloway. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her husband, Elliott Henderson Mintz.
Surviving are her son, Rev. Regan Mintz (Connie), Ash, NC; daughter, Renita Whitworth, Westminister, SC; sister, Nell Brame, Greensboro, NC; five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be conducted Friday, January 19, 2018 at 11:00am in the Chapel of Brunswick Funeral Service by the Rev. Mike Jacobs. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.
Interment will follow in Brunswick Memorial Gardens.
Casketbearers will be L.C. Fulford, Brandon Fowler, Daniel Tharpe, Danny Fulford, Chris McCall, and Larry Ferguson.
If you wish to sign the Guest Book for Frances Marion G. Mintz, please click here.


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Young People Make Their Voices Heard
Lincoln Miller October 13th, 2020
Lincoln with Ryan Servaites, 17, who encourages kids to create "family voting plan"
As Election Day approaches, many kids are wondering if they can make a difference. Allison Ofstein, 11, of Parkland, Florida, is proof that they can. She has written postcards to registered voters across the United States, encouraging them to cast ballots in the election.
Zakary Smith, 14, of Boynton Beach, has been politically inspired since participating in civics class. "If we start speaking out as kids," he said, "the habit will continue until we're old enough to vote."
Allison and Zakary not alone. Like many kids in my Florida community, they are speaking out about issues that matter to them in the election, including voting.
Becoming politically active, even before you can cast a ballot, is something that student and activist Ryan Servaites, 17, is passionate about. A high school senior in Parkland, Florida, Ryan co-founded March for Our Lives, a student-led group seeking to prevent gun violence.
"We're an organization comprised of a diverse family of young organizers, activists, and changemakers who want to create a future America free of the gun violence that is prominent today," Ryan told me during a recent interview via Zoom. Chapters across the country involve students, adults, and local leaders in community activism.
Lincoln interviews Ryan via Zoom.
A MAN WITH A PLAN
A core goal of March for Our Lives is to strengthen laws so as to prevent gun violence. The process starts at the ballot box, where voters select candidates who will fight for stricter legislation.
Although he is still too young to vote, Ryan created the idea of a family voting plan. In allowing his family to understand his thoughts and opinions, he is represented on their ballots.
"Having a dialogue and really communicating with your family is a great way of feeling like you're more of a part of that formal voting process," Ryan said. "It's a really great way to make sure that your voice is taken into account."
Voting plans encourage kids to discuss the issues with family members and make everyone feel included. "I took it upon myself to learn how do they feel about this issue, and why, and try to learn something from their opinion," Ryan said.
While the Servaites family usually agrees on things, Ryan has also educated his parents. "I've changed their opinion on issues," he said.
"Understanding, planning, and education" are the three main ideas behind the family voting plan. "You're not just voting for the President of the United States, but also local elections in your area that will affect you directly," Ryan said.
Informing family members about state deadlines and registration information is the first step to creating a plan. Ryan suggests identifying local polling stations and figuring out the best way for family members to vote, whether it's early, by mail, or on Election Day.
Last, but not least, Ryan said, is education: "Do research, so you know that when you check that box, or fill in that circle, you really do mean what you're writing on the ballot."
Ryan wants kids to know that they're not too young to make a difference. "The world tries to tell us that we don't have power just because we're still learning the ropes," he said. "It doesn't mean that you don't have the power to change your own community, and even change the country."

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      crossorigin="anonymous">
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      crossorigin="anonymous">
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    <script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/riot@3.6/riot+compiler.min.js"></script>

    <!-- riot-tags -->
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        riot.compile(function(){
            riot.mount("application")
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</html>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Keeping the Capital fed and watered – New World pulls out all the stops
New World stores in central Wellington were briefly affected by the turmoil – but, without exception, they were back up and running by Monday afternoon.
All Foodstuffs North Island stores operating as per usual (New World, PAK'nSAVE, Four Square) and our distribution centres
Well-ranged, no stock issues and trading well
Huge collaborative effort across the Co-Operative
It wasn't only the colossal earthquakes wreaking havoc in Wellington, the weather didn't play ball either. New World stores in central Wellington were briefly affected by the turmoil – but, without exception, they were back up and running by Monday afternoon.
"It's certainly been a week where we moved rapidly from earthquake crisis management to flood crisis management, but New Zealanders have a DNA that shows up very well in a crisis," says Chris Quin, Managing Director, Foodstuffs North Island (FSNI). "The team were awesome when it comes to our willingness to help each other, collaboration and accountability."
In a letter to the FSNI team today, Quin remarks how across 24 hours he saw the team go from three large stores not operating, supply chain disruption and the regional support office at Silverstream closed, to having all stores being open, distribution sorted and serving understandably rattled customers with the things they needed to look after their families. Most importantly, the team was safe and doing their part to support their neighbourhoods.
"Testament to the way we've come through these events is the fact that our owner-operators are really close to their communities and their teams and they know what they need from the get-go. On practical level we also have well-designed, built and maintained stores and systems and simply awesome people," says Quin. "They turn up and are incredibly willing – they collaborate and just try and help each other and their customers."
One standout example of the team going the extra mile comes from Taranaki, hit hard by winds and rain taking down trees and power lines. "Karl and Tina Turner owner-operators of Four Square Kaponga pitched in by providing food and coffee for all the firemen and linesmen working to put everything back into order. They finished up around midnight and were back at it again at 4.30am in the morning, providing pies for the crew who had been working all night. That's the Kiwi way."
Wellington's inner-city New World stores, where the impact of the quakes was felt the hardest, were back up and running on Monday, despite constant aftershocks and wild weather, thanks to the commitment from the teams in store and the support of other stores and suppliers from around Wellington and the rest of the North Island. "Fresh milk, bottled water and chilled products are plentiful, and our shelves are full of grocery items – it's business as usual," says Quin.


11. So, What is Wrong with Higher Ed?I mean, is there really something wrong?Or it's just a media fad?
22. Myth Zero.2... Without studying (or action)And no responsibility!! [Upon the student]The Student: Namely, she who studies!!!
23. Studying There is so little "studying" going on in Colleges that "there is no compelling understanding among students of why they are there. [...] They may spend Monday in '19th Century Women's Literature', Tuesday in "Animal Behavior', and Wednesday in 'Eastern Philosophy'..." What is a college education really worth?, The Washington Post, June 3, 2011.
24. More StudyStudy, the word less used ineducation.
25. "To Study"The Road Less TraveledZero: Number ofoccurrences of verb "tostudy" within Siemens'book Knowing Knowledge.
27. Myth Zero.3 At end of Lecture, learning can beConsequently... assessed, by means of... Standardized Testing!!!
31. Content & LMS"Blackboard is itself an embodiment of the university culture thatNeary and Winn rightly find so troubling: students cycle through asystem that structurally, aesthetically andrhetorically reinforces the notions thateducation is consumption, the facultymember is a content provider, the classroomis hierarchical, and learning is closed"Luke Waltzer, On EdTech and the Digital Humanities; http://lukewaltzer.com/on-edtech-and-the-digital-humanitiesNeary, Mike and Winn, Joss (2009) The student as producer: reinventing the student experience in highereducation. In: The future of higher education: policy, pedagogy and the student experience. Continuum, London,pp. 192-210.
36. Death of theBook Ceci tuera cela (via Eco & McLuhan)Hugos Hunchback of Notre Dame, Frollo,comparing a book with his old cathedral,says: "Ceci tuera cela" (The book will killthe cathedral, the alphabet will killimages).McLuhan, comparing a Manhattandiscotheque to the Gutenberg Galaxy, said"Ceci tuera cela."Nunberg, G. (1997) The Future of the Book. Berkeley; University ofCalifornia Press. Eco's afterword is available online at http://www.themodernword.com/eco/eco_future_of_book.html.
47. MythTeachers: Can We Be Replaced By Machines?
55. MythDon't Need Internet / Twitter / Whatever...ORTurn Those Devices Off!
60. Liberal Arts (1) Liberal Arts include Liberal, not as in Not Mathematics, Science, Conservative Music, Art. Liberal, as in Freeing Don't include Edu; (the Mind) Business; Engineering.
61. Liberal Arts (2) Free Thinking Technical / Specialized Burgeois value? Down-to-Earth edu Ample culture to do For jobs exactly what?
62. MythsStyles of LearningCopyrightMobile Learningetc.
75. "Were going to havedetailed records onthousands of students whohave learned these skills,many of whom will want tomake those skills availableto employers," said Mr.Evans, the Virginiaprofessor. "So if a recruiteris looking for the hundredbest people in somegeographic area that knowabout machine learning,thats something we couldprovide, for a fee. I think itsthe cusp of a revolution."


Country Cards by Rose: Today is the Last Day!
Today is the last day of the first round of the September Special Offers from Stampin' Up! Take advantage of these discounted products to add to your Stampin' Up! collection and save some money at the same time!


text:
[//]: # "This README.md file is auto-generated, all changes to this file will be lost."
[//]: # "To regenerate it, use `python -m synthtool`."
<img src="https://avatars2.githubusercontent.com/u/2810941?v=3&s=96" alt="Google Cloud Platform logo" title="Google Cloud Platform" align="right" height="96" width="96"/>

# [Google BigQuery Storage: Node.js Client](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node)

[![release level](https://img.shields.io/badge/release%20level-stable-brightgreen.svg?style=flat)](https://cloud.google.com/terms/launch-stages)
[![npm version](https://img.shields.io/npm/v/@google-cloud/bigquery-storage.svg)](https://www.npmjs.org/package/@google-cloud/bigquery-storage)

Client for the BigQuery Storage API

A comprehensive list of changes in each version may be found in
[the CHANGELOG](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/tree/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/CHANGELOG.md).

* [Google BigQuery Storage Node.js Client API Reference][client-docs]
* [Google BigQuery Storage Documentation][product-docs]
* [github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/tree/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage)

Read more about the client libraries for Cloud APIs, including the older
Google APIs Client Libraries, in [Client Libraries Explained][explained].

[explained]: https://cloud.google.com/apis/docs/client-libraries-explained

**Table of contents:**

* [Quickstart](#quickstart)
  * [Before you begin](#before-you-begin)
  * [Installing the client library](#installing-the-client-library)
  * [Using the client library](#using-the-client-library)
* [Samples](#samples)
* [Versioning](#versioning)
* [Contributing](#contributing)
* [License](#license)

## Quickstart

### Before you begin

1.  [Select or create a Cloud Platform project][projects].
1.  [Enable billing for your project][billing].
1.  [Enable the Google BigQuery Storage API][enable_api].
1.  [Set up authentication with a service account][auth] so you can access the
    API from your local workstation.

### Installing the client library

```bash
npm install @google-cloud/bigquery-storage
```

### Using the client library

```javascript

// The read stream contains blocks of Avro-encoded bytes. We use the
// 'avsc' library to decode these blocks. Install avsc with the following
// command: npm install avsc
const avro = require('avsc');

// See reference documentation at
// https://cloud.google.com/bigquery/docs/reference/storage
const {BigQueryReadClient} = require('@google-cloud/bigquery-storage');

const client = new BigQueryReadClient();

async function bigqueryStorageQuickstart() {
  // Get current project ID. The read session is created in this project.
  // This project can be different from that which contains the table.
  const myProjectId = await client.getProjectId();

  // This example reads baby name data from the public datasets.
  const projectId = 'bigquery-public-data';
  const datasetId = 'usa_names';
  const tableId = 'usa_1910_current';

  const tableReference = `projects/${projectId}/datasets/${datasetId}/tables/${tableId}`;

  const parent = `projects/${myProjectId}`;

  /* We limit the output columns to a subset of those allowed in the table,
   * and set a simple filter to only report names from the state of
   * Washington (WA).
   */
  const readOptions = {
    selectedFields: ['name', 'number', 'state'],
    rowRestriction: 'state = "WA"',
  };

  let tableModifiers = null;
  const snapshotSeconds = 0;

  // Set a snapshot time if it's been specified.
  if (snapshotSeconds > 0) {
    tableModifiers = {snapshotTime: {seconds: snapshotSeconds}};
  }

  // API request.
  const request = {
    parent,
    readSession: {
      table: tableReference,
      // This API can also deliver data serialized in Apache Arrow format.
      // This example leverages Apache Avro.
      dataFormat: 'AVRO',
      readOptions,
      tableModifiers,
    },
  };

  const [session] = await client.createReadSession(request);

  const schema = JSON.parse(session.avroSchema.schema);

  const avroType = avro.Type.forSchema(schema);

  /* The offset requested must be less than the last
   * row read from ReadRows. Requesting a larger offset is
   * undefined.
   */
  let offset = 0;

  const readRowsRequest = {
    // Required stream name and optional offset. Offset requested must be less than
    // the last row read from readRows(). Requesting a larger offset is undefined.
    readStream: session.streams[0].name,
    offset,
  };

  const names = new Set();
  const states = [];

  /* We'll use only a single stream for reading data from the table. Because
   * of dynamic sharding, this will yield all the rows in the table. However,
   * if you wanted to fan out multiple readers you could do so by having a
   * reader process each individual stream.
   */
  client
    .readRows(readRowsRequest)
    .on('error', console.error)
    .on('data', data => {
      offset = data.avroRows.serializedBinaryRows.offset;

      try {
        // Decode all rows in buffer
        let pos;
        do {
          const decodedData = avroType.decode(
            data.avroRows.serializedBinaryRows,
            pos
          );

          if (decodedData.value) {
            names.add(decodedData.value.name);

            if (!states.includes(decodedData.value.state)) {
              states.push(decodedData.value.state);
            }
          }

          pos = decodedData.offset;
        } while (pos > 0);
      } catch (error) {
        console.log(error);
      }
    })
    .on('end', () => {
      console.log(`Got ${names.size} unique names in states: ${states}`);
      console.log(`Last offset: ${offset}`);
    });
}

```

## Samples

Samples are in the [`samples/`](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/tree/main/samples) directory. Each sample's `README.md` has instructions for running its sample.

| Sample                      | Source Code                       | Try it |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------- | ------ |
| Big_query_read.create_read_session | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_read.create_read_session.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_read.create_read_session.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_read.read_rows | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_read.read_rows.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_read.read_rows.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_read.split_read_stream | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_read.split_read_stream.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_read.split_read_stream.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_write.append_rows | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.append_rows.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.append_rows.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_write.batch_commit_write_streams | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.batch_commit_write_streams.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.batch_commit_write_streams.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_write.create_write_stream | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.create_write_stream.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.create_write_stream.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_write.finalize_write_stream | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.finalize_write_stream.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.finalize_write_stream.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_write.flush_rows | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.flush_rows.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.flush_rows.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_write.get_write_stream | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.get_write_stream.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1/big_query_write.get_write_stream.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_storage.batch_create_read_session_streams | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1beta1/big_query_storage.batch_create_read_session_streams.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1beta1/big_query_storage.batch_create_read_session_streams.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_storage.create_read_session | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1beta1/big_query_storage.create_read_session.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1beta1/big_query_storage.create_read_session.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_storage.finalize_stream | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1beta1/big_query_storage.finalize_stream.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1beta1/big_query_storage.finalize_stream.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_storage.read_rows | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1beta1/big_query_storage.read_rows.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1beta1/big_query_storage.read_rows.js,samples/README.md) |
| Big_query_storage.split_read_stream | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1beta1/big_query_storage.split_read_stream.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/generated/v1beta1/big_query_storage.split_read_stream.js,samples/README.md) |
| BigQuery Storage Quickstart | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/quickstart.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/quickstart.js,samples/README.md) |
| Quickstart | [source code](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/test/quickstart.js) | [![Open in Cloud Shell][shell_img]](https://console.cloud.google.com/cloudshell/open?git_repo=https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node&page=editor&open_in_editor=packages/google-cloud-bigquery-storage/samples/test/quickstart.js,samples/README.md) |

The [Google BigQuery Storage Node.js Client API Reference][client-docs] documentation
also contains samples.

## Supported Node.js Versions

Our client libraries follow the [Node.js release schedule](https://nodejs.org/en/about/releases/).
Libraries are compatible with all current _active_ and _maintenance_ versions of
Node.js.
If you are using an end-of-life version of Node.js, we recommend that you update
as soon as possible to an actively supported LTS version.

Google's client libraries support legacy versions of Node.js runtimes on a
best-efforts basis with the following warnings:

* Legacy versions are not tested in continuous integration.
* Some security patches and features cannot be backported.
* Dependencies cannot be kept up-to-date.

Client libraries targeting some end-of-life versions of Node.js are available, and
can be installed through npm [dist-tags](https://docs.npmjs.com/cli/dist-tag).
The dist-tags follow the naming convention `legacy-(version)`.
For example, `npm install @google-cloud/bigquery-storage@legacy-8` installs client libraries
for versions compatible with Node.js 8.

## Versioning

This library follows [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).

This library is considered to be **stable**. The code surface will not change in backwards-incompatible ways
unless absolutely necessary (e.g. because of critical security issues) or with
an extensive deprecation period. Issues and requests against **stable** libraries
are addressed with the highest priority.

More Information: [Google Cloud Platform Launch Stages][launch_stages]

[launch_stages]: https://cloud.google.com/terms/launch-stages

## Contributing

Contributions welcome! See the [Contributing Guide](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md).

Please note that this `README.md`, the `samples/README.md`,
and a variety of configuration files in this repository (including `.nycrc` and `tsconfig.json`)
are generated from a central template. To edit one of these files, make an edit
to its templates in
[directory](https://github.com/googleapis/synthtool).

## License

Apache Version 2.0

See [LICENSE](https://github.com/googleapis/google-cloud-node/blob/main/LICENSE)

[client-docs]: https://cloud.google.com/nodejs/docs/reference/bigquery-storage/latest
[product-docs]: https://cloud.google.com/bigquery/docs/reference/storage
[shell_img]: https://gstatic.com/cloudssh/images/open-btn.png
[projects]: https://console.cloud.google.com/project
[billing]: https://support.google.com/cloud/answer/6293499#enable-billing
[enable_api]: https://console.cloud.google.com/flows/enableapi?apiid=bigquerystorage.googleapis.com
[auth]: https://cloud.google.com/docs/authentication/getting-started


A look into the outfits before and after.
Compile Hearts first Vita game is a card battling game with an ad-hoc and an online battle system.
Mugen Souls has some interesting concepts, but it all comes crashing down.
Compile Hearts & Idea Factory are giving their all on this one.
Welcome Compra-chan to your party!
Check out Mugen Souls in action!
The fourth trailer for Compile Heart's Hyperdimension Neptunia V trailer has been released!
Mugen Souls is delightfully insane.


text:
Symposion Europäischer Bildhauer is een in 1959 begonnen reeks beeldhouwersymposia van internationale steenbeeldhouwers in St. Margarethen in de Oostenrijkse deelstaat Burgenland.

Geschiedenis
Karl Prantl kreeg in 1958, tijdens zijn werk aan een grenssteen aan de Oostenrijks-Hongaarse grens en de positieve ervaring die dit werken in de natuur hem gaf, het idee gemeenschappelijk met andere beeldhouwers een beeldhouwersymposium te houden. Nog in hetzelfde jaar organiseerde hij een in 1959 in de Römersteinbruch bij Sankt Margarethen im Burgenland te houden eerste "Symposion Europäischer Bildhauer". Gedurende 3 maanden schiepen Prantl en elf kunstenaars, uit acht landen afkomstig, beeldhouwwerken, die ook ter plekke werden tentoongesteld. Zoals Prantl sindsdien geldt als de initiator en vader van de symposiumgedachte, wordt dit symposium gezien als het startpunt voor de talrijke beeldhouwersymposia die in Europa, Amerika en Azië nog zouden volgen.

Deelnemers 1959
 Eugène Dodeigne, Frankrijk
 Gerson Fehrenbach, Duitsland
 Janez Lenassi, Slovenië
 Peter Meister, Zwitserland
 Jacques Moeschal, België
 Dino Paolini, Italië
 Karl Prantl, Oostenrijk
 Erich Reischke, Duitsland
 Hans Verhulst, Nederland
 André Willequet, België
 Sepp Wyss, Zwitserland
 Herbert George, Verenigde Staten

Deelnemers 1960
 Achiam, Frankrijk
 Herbert Baumann, Duitsland
 Yasuo Mizui, Japan (woonde in Frankrijk)
 Kosso Eloul, Canada
 Joachim-Fritz Schultze-Bansen, Duitsland
 Hermann Walenta, Oostenrijk
Michael Grossert, Zwitserland
Josef Pillhofer, Oostenrijk
 Jakob Savinšek, Slovenië
Erwin Thorn, Oostenrijk
Olgierd Truszynski, Polen

Deelnemers 1961
 Maria Biljan-Bilger, Oostenrijk
 Agustín Cárdenas, Cuba
Ajit Chakravarti, Indië
Yoshikuni Iida, Japan
Rudolf Kedl, Oostenrijk
Günther Roth, Duitsland
Ursula Sax, Duitsland
Alina Szapocznikow, Polen
Giorgio Zennaro, Italië

Deelnemers na 1962
Tot de vele tientallen steenbeeldhouwers die na 1962 deelnamen aan een der symposia behoren onder anderen: Hiromi Akiyama, Miloslav Chlupáč, Elmar Daucher, Makoto Fujiwara, Herbert George, Michael Grossert, Fritz Hartlauer, Mathias Hietz, Oskar Höfinger, Peter Holowka, Rolf Jörres, Peter Knapp, Leo Kornbrust, Kubach-Wilmsen, Franz Xaver Ölzant, Heinz L. Pistol, Krishna Reddy, Adolf Ryszka, Jakob Savinšek, Paul Schneider, Buky Schwartz, Jiří Seifert, Alina Szapocznikow, Pierre Székely, Magdalena Wiecek, Olbram Zoubek en vele andere kunstenaars.

Het vervolg
In 1961/1963 vond het symposium met 18 deelnemers plaats in het Tiergartenpark in Berlijn, als onmiddellijke reactie op en demonstratie tegen de bouw van de Berlijnse Muur in 1961, daarom ook wel het Mauer Symposion genoemd. Het symposium ontving in 1963 de Deutschen Kritikerpreis, maar kreeg overigens weinig erkenning en vooral weinig ondersteuning van de autoriteiten. In 1968 kreeg het symposium op het werk/tentoonstellingsterrein, de Symposionhügel een eigen onderkomen in een door de Oostenrijkse architect Johann Georg Gsted tussen 1962 en 1968 omgebouwde en gerestaureerde voormalige ruïne.

Prantl ontving zelf de Großer Österreichischer Staatspreis 2008, maar zei hier zelf over, dat hij de prijsuitreiking met gemengde gevoelens tegemoet zag.

Het symposium vond in 2000 plaats met tien deelnemers in Oggelshausen in de Duitse deelstaat Baden-Württemberg.

Literatuur
 Katharina Prantl: Gehen über den Hügel von St. Margarethen von Stein zu Stein, Verlag Passagen (2004)
 Louis Niebuhr: Europäisches Bildhauersymposion. Formen für Europa - Formen aus Stein: Miguel Ausili, Italië; Ioanna Filippidu, Griekenland; Janez Lenassi, Slovenië; Jiri Seifert, Tsjechië; Werner Stötzer, Duitsland; Louis Niebuhr, Duitsland, Syke 1991
 Jutta Birgit Wortmann: Bildhauersymposien: Entstehung - Entwicklung - Wandlung, Frankfurt am Main (2006)

Fotogalerij

Externe links
 Website Bildhauersymposion St. Margarethen
 Website Karl Prantl
 Website Katharina Prantl: Bildhauersymposion
 Website Zuzuku met info en afbeeldingen Sankt Margarethen
 Website Zuzuku met info en afbeeldingen Berlijn (1961-1963)

Beeldhouwkunst
Expositie

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Eddie Vedder's Promise To A Fan That Was Kept After 22 Years
Melek Nur PervanDecember 23, 20213 mins read
Almost every band has started their career by performing at small venues in their hometown before gaining recognition as worldwide rock stars. In Pearl Jam's case, all band members already had a fanbase when they founded the band since it wasn't their first project.
However, that doesn't mean the band didn't perform in relatively small venues before becoming one of the best-selling bands of all time. Their loyal fans have been following their concerts since those days, and in fact, there's a fan that has witnessed everything first-hand.
Let's dive into the one-of-a-kind story of how frontman Eddie Vedder met one of his fans in their early days and ended up seeing him once again after 22 years. Furthermore, the singer gave his word to that fan and kept it after all those years despite the initial misunderstanding.
Eddie Vedder Made A Promise In 1992
Pearl Jam performed at a 1,500-capacity club in Cincinnati called Bogart's twenty-two years ago. As he revealed during an interview with Diffuser in 2014, a fan named Joe Wolfe spotted the band at the local movie theater following their performance at the venue.
The fan approached the band members but didn't have the camera to capture the moment as there weren't cellphones with cameras everywhere back then. However, Eddie Vedder promised Wolfe to take a picture the next time they encounter each other.
In his own words, Wolfe said:
"I ran into Vedder and the band when they all went to the theater to see 'Wayne's World.' There weren't camera phones back then, and he said he would do a picture with me the next time I saw him."
Although it may sound crazy to you, they ended up seeing each other once again many years later. While Vedder almost backed down from his promise, their story ended happily.
Eddie Vedder Kept His Promise To Joe Wolfe
In 2014, Joe Wolfe ran into Eddie Vedder again in Cincinnati before their show at the U.S. Bank Arena 22 years after their first encounter. However, the singer refused to take a photo with his fan for some reason, which initially disappointed Wolfe.
Vedder revealed during the show that he initially didn't want to take the photo because of a misunderstanding. The Pearl Jam frontman told the entire story to the gathered crowd and apologized for mistaking the fan with a guy that stole his joint at the club.
Wolfe was invited backstage by Vedder after the concert. The rocker and his fan took the photo, and Vedder even gave Wolfe an autograph and a guitar pick while thanking him for being a part of the show that night. Despite a minor confusion, Vedder kept his 22-year-old promise to Joe Wolfe after all.
You can watch the video below.
Eddie VedderPearl Jam
Melek Nur Pervan
Hi! I'm Melek. I'm a passionate writer who's also into rock and metal music. Please let me know if you have any suggestions. meleknur@rockcelebrities.net


The rapid growth of smooth muscle cells in pulmonary arteries causes vasoconstriction and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Now, researchers found that the same drugs that inhibit cancer cell growth may also be effective in treating PAH.
The study, "Inhibition of ubiquitin proteasome function prevents monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial remodeling," appeared in the journal Life Sciences.
Cells have a method — known as the ubiquitin proteasome system (UPS) — to degrade damaged or unnecessary proteins. In cancer, over-activation of UPS degrades proteins whose function is to restrain cell growth. As a result, cells grow out of control. Therefore, proteasome inhibitors are effective in some cancers and have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical use.
In a Petri dish, proteasome inhibition prevents the growth of pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), just like in cancer cells. This observation led researchers to investigate the effect of two proteasome inhibitors, MG-132 and bortezomib, in suppressing vascular constriction in rats with PAH.
A group of rats received an injection of monocrotaline (MCT), which induces several characteristics associated with PHA. Researchers then assessed several parameters, including the right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), the right ventricle hypertrophy index (RVHI) and the percentage of medial wall thickness (%MT).
Researchers found that treatment with MG-132 or bortezomib prevented MCT-induced PAH in rats. Treated PAH rats showed reduced values of RVSP (50.26 mmHg to 37.17 mmHg) and of RVHI (0.63 to 0.46-0.48).
By looking at pulmonary tissue of MCT-treated rats, researchers observed a significant increase in the %MT due to the growth of PASMC. But the proteasome inhibitors MG-132 and bortezomib significantly prevented this effect (52.07 to 37.82-39.03). These same drugs also reduced pulmonary arterial remodeling.
"These results indicate that proteasome inhibition dramatically inhibited the pulmonary arterial remodeling by suppressing the proliferation of PASMCs," the team concluded.
From previous studies in cancer cells, researchers knew that UPS degrades PTEN, a protein that prevents cell growth. Now, they found that PTEN was also significantly reduced in the lungs of PAH rats. Importantly, treatment with protease inhibitors recovered the levels of PTEN, with a subsequent inhibition of PASMCs growth.
Overall, based on this study, the team concluded that "[i]nhibition of proteasome function ameliorates pulmonary arterial remodeling by suppressing UPS-mediated PTEN degradation." The researchers believe that UPS might be a novel target for PAH prevention and treatment.
Since proteasome inhibitors have FDA approval, clinical trials in PAH patients may begin soon.
Tagged Bortezomib, cancer, cell growth, MG-132, PAH, PASMCs, proteasome inhibitors, ubiquitin proteasome system, UPS, vasoconstriction.


Want to Learn More About Graduation Picture Props?
Your Faculty campus is really a substantial place to snap some of your faculty graduation images. Put the scene ahead of the authentic ceremony by ticking all of the symbols and memorabilia from the school which it is possible to find. Graduation is a landmark accomplishment you will want to consider forever, and there isn't any larger method of accomplish this than with good photos. College graduation is a significant life achievement you'll want to remember forever with fantastic college graduation images. Pre school graduation marks the very first academic landmark in front of a kid enters elementary school. A memorable and fun preschool graduation is just a excellent way to kick off the remaining of a young child's academic career.
Consider the photographs you need in your children's college scrapbook, And earn alist ahead of the bash starts. The kids paint the bottom of the plate. Present amazing food all of your family can enjoy. In the event you or a friend have any woodworking skills at all, wooden boxes are simple to produce. Therefore smiling is my best option.
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Now you Might already possess a school scrapbooking album for your son or Daughter, but greater school graduation memories may fill out a whole Scrapbook. A photo blanket will provide you with the feel of cuddling Up along with your nearest and dearest even if they're not around you. To Create your poster photo quilt attractive, you are able to choose high Contrast pictures therefore the reproduction doesn't wind up looking flat or fade. Being a toddler, Lisa was intimidated by a guy and has been held captive For many years. The Insta-gram cut out is completely customizable. Instagram cut outs are the excellent addition to your own picture taking session. With just a little imagination and time, you can create your own Photography props which may endure for years and keep your profit Margins healthy!


text:
Phylogenetic Tree and Multiple Sequence Alignment (MSA) Services
=============================================

Overview
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This service provides a set of methods for querying, manipulating, and analyzing multiple
sequence alignments and phylogenetic trees.  It also has functions to build alignments and
trees.

Authors
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Michael Sneddon, LBL (mwsneddon@lbl.gov)
Fangfang Xia, ANL (fangfang.xia@gmail.com)
Matt Henderson, LBL (mhenderson@lbl.gov)
Roman Sutormin, LBL (rsutormin@lbl.gov)

Special deployment instructions
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* The Tree service is currently only supported for server deployment in a linux environment.  Only clients and
scripts should be deployed on a Mac.  (to deploy only clients/scripts, use make deploy-client; make deploy-scripts)
* follow the standard KBase deployment and testing procedures

Starting/Stopping the service, and other notes
---------------------------
* to start and stop the service, use the 'start_service' and 'stop_service'
  scripts in (the default location) /kb/deployment/services/trees


Otter Lake, Blue Ridge Parkway, Va early in the morning...the water was like a mirror and the reflections were amazing...the rays coming out like that : a bonus.
Taken from the road just a short distance from the Julian Price Park Picnic Area, mile post 296.5 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was dusky dark when I snapped this photo, love the colors and silhouettes, May 1 2015.
Some late afternoon light and spring blooms on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Cherokee, NC. Feel free to share, and you can see more at Solitary Traveler Photography © 2015 Robert Stephens, All Rights Reserved.
"Warm Spring Evening" I took this on top of the Blue Ridge Mountains this past weekend, looking back over the valley.
Spring in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park along Tremont Road. All the shades of green. 4/30/15, Gail Patton Photography.


Employees eligible for an individual disability insurance benefit expect highly informed, responsive, and high quality service. These employees are accustomed to superior service and become frustrated when they do not receive it.
Multiple quality checks on all written communications before release.
Multiple quality checks on all applications and policies before policies are delivered.
All questions about employee's Group LTD answered in addition to individual policy questions.
Policy comparisons – private policies vs. corporate policy offered – provided upon request.
Same team member may help any given employee on multiple calls.
Notes from all service inquiries available and stored.
Every call answered with a human voice.
Enrollment materials sent to any given employee by FedEx, e-mail, or fax upon request.


..and what we can learn from them.
The last two years have been tough for most pool builders. While a few builders saw growth, most continue to fall short of their sales for the previous year. And this year doesn't promise to be much better. So let me take a moment to show you why "a lucky few" do well in a downturn, and what you might do to finish stronger this year.
Let me offer some ideas of how you can emulate their success without spending a ton of money….
ADVERTISING -In most cases, these guys don't "advertise like crazy." In fact, in most cases they've cut back on their ad spending. However, by testing all results, they were able to shift spending away from lousy performing media, and over to better performing lead sources. (I'll share some results and suggestions in a future email.) BOTTOM LINE – If "advertising" (as opposed to "referrals" or "internet") is a key source of leads for you, then it's important to continue some level of advertising through the downturn.
A COMPELLING STORY – There are fewer buyers now than there were two years ago. And these buyers are generally more skeptical and reluctant than in the past. So each pool builder comes under much greater scrutiny in the buying process. Decisions aren't being made solely on the performance of the sales rep. Your "believable story" (on your website and in your brochures) that proves why you're a better choice will play a much greater role. Empty promises and meaningless platitudes score worse than zero . A clunky or under-compelling website has a similar effect. Have you updated your website lately? Have you developed and practiced your " elevator pitch "?
SELLING SKILLS – As desperation seeps in, many builders are resorting to price cuts to steal the business from the competition. We call that a " going out of business " strategy. Much better to focus on giving the homeowner what she really wants, which is almost never "the cheapest pool I can buy." Not an easy task, I'll admit, so let me share with you one quick tip that's worked well in 2008 – The owner will tag-along on the sales call. The sales rep still handles the call; the owner is just there for moral support. The homeowners told us that the presence of the business owner gave them the confidence they needed to go ahead and buy. If your business is down, consider taking a ride with your sales reps.
CONSISTENT FOLLOW-UP -Many a homeowner has decided "now is not the time," and then a year or two later decided to proceed. They almost always zero-in on whoever has reached out to them most recently. (Which has absolutely nothing to do with the quality or value of the product they build.) Most sales reps are too busy chasing current leads to also continually reach out to past prospects that won't return phone calls . And admittedly, the return rate on these prospects is generally low.
So the solution is not to beat up the sales reps. The solution is to set up a system that reaches out to "cold leads" automatically at least once, preferably twice a year, A postcard system is best, because if they're still thinking about a pool, your postcard will get their attention. Custom greeting cards from www.SendOutCards.com/mymaustin are good too. A low-cost e-mail system such as Constant Contact or Vertical Response can work too, but only if you have their email addresses.
If your customers love you, you won't have to bribe them with a referral check . Some sales reps do this instinctively, and get all the referrals they can handle. Most do not. As a minimum, make sure your sales rep has a conversation with the homeowner several times throughout the construction process, and at least once after the pool is finished. Gifts can work well too; more about that later.
I hope you've picked up a few tips in here to help you through these challenging times. I'll share more suggestions and ideas in future newsletters, as you remain subscribed.


text:
Kalle Sauerland expecting huge night as tickets for Lafayette go on sale
RINGSIDE 15/03/2019
Tickets for WBSS 140 & 118lb blockbuster Semi-Finals in Lafayette, USA On-Sale!
Tickets from $25 for the WBSS Super-Lightweight and Bantamweight Semi-Finals – Regis Prograis vs Kiryl Relikh and Nonito Donaire vs Zolani Tete – at the Cajundome in Lafayette, LA, USA April 27 are now on sale.
American and New Orleans native Regis Prograis (23-0, 19 KOs) faces Belarusian Kiryl Relikh (23-2, 19 KOs), who is training in Miami, in a super-lightweight semi-final and American-Philippine Nonito Donaire (39-5, 25 KOs) meets South African Zolani Tete (28-3, 21 KOs) in a bantamweight semi-final.
$400 – Ringside
$100 – Floor Seats
$60 – Lower Tier
$25 – Upper Tier
Tickets from $25 are available from TicketMaster.com here.
"Fighting in Lafayette is a perfect situation for me because it's halfway between my two homes Houston and New Orleans," said Prograis. "I can't wait to come out and put in a historical event."
The magnificent doubleheader opens the semi-final stage of the World Boxing Super Series and the quest for the Muhammad Ali Trophy in the 140lb and 118lb edition of the tournament.
"We are thrilled to bring the Ali Trophy lights to Lafayette kickoff the semi-finals of the World Boxing Super Series," said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa's Chief Boxing Officer. "The fans in Lafayette and around the world can look forward to two unbelievable blockbusters with the best production in the game all on one night.
"The WBSS is about the best fighting the best and to serve up Fight of the Year contenders in the quest for the Ali Trophy and the supreme international superstars involved in this doubleheader at the Cajundome on April 27 will deliver just that."
Tickets for the incredible WBSS semi-finals in Lafayette on 27 April are available now from $25 via TicketMaster.com here.


text:
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    try {
        rethrow(new Error('thrown'))
        throw new Error
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        okay(error.message, 'thrown', 'thrown')
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text:
SASHA SIEMEL
"The fish's son"
"Baseball is not for me" says the young Pennsylvanian pictured here. At 14, Brazilian-born Sasha Siemel, who looks and acts in other respects like most youngsters in Green Lane, Pa., prefers the more dangerous sport made famous by his father, a 70-year-old hunter-author-rancher who kills jaguars with the primitive hunting spear.
Young Sasha is already expert with a rifle—the result of five years of self-disciplined practice in Green Lane—and is thoroughly at home in the jungles of Brazil, where he shot this rare brace of full-grown jaguars. His prize bag so far is a 328-pounder that he shot and speared at close quarters.
Instead of the Navy career he first planned, the young hunter now hopes to make his fortune in the sport he loves. "Like my father," he says, "I want to take sportsmen out to hunt the jaguar. I will use the money from that to start a cattle ranch." His New Jersey-born mother's only comment derives from an old Brazilian saying: "The fish's son will be a fish."


text:
How to Watch the 2023 Oscar Nominations Announcement – Latest trending news
On Tuesday, Jan. 24, Riz Ahmed and Allison Williams will announce the nominees for the 95th Academy Awards. Beginning at 5:30 a.m. PT/8:30 a.m. ET, the presentation will take place at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater and stream live on Oscar.com and Oscar.org as well as the Academy's Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. The nominations will also air on ABC's "Good Morning America" and "ABC News Live."
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Top contenders for best picture, according to Variety's Awards Circuit, include "The Banshees of Inisherin," "Elvis," "Everything Everywhere All at Once," "The Fabelmans," "Tár" and "Top Gun: Maverick." After two women won best director two years in a row, Jane Campion and Chloe Zhao, "Aftersun" director Charlotte Wells might be the only woman nominated. Several strong contenders such as Sarah Polley's "Women Talking," Gina Prince-Bythewood's "The Woman King," Chinonye Chukwu's "Till" and Maria Schrader's "She Said" were shut out of the Golden Globes and Directors Guild of America (DGA).
Ahmed won the Oscar for best live action short film in 2022 for "The Long Goodbye," where he was the co-writer, producer and star. Ahmed's portfolio also includes "Sound of Metal," "Nightcrawler," "The Night Of" and the upcoming sci-fi romance "Fingernails." Williams starred in and executively produced the sci-fi horror film "M3GAN," which is already slated for a sequel. She is also known for her work in "Girls" and "Get Out."
The 95th Oscars will take place Sunday, March 12 at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood with host Jimmy Kimmel. This will be Kimmel's third time hosting, having hosted the Oscars in both 2017 and 2018. Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner of White Cherry entertainment are serving as executive producers and showrunners, with Weiss also directing the show for the eighth consecutive year. The awards can be watched live on ABC and televised in over 200 territories worldwide.
How to Watch the 2023 Oscar Nominations Announcement
Makeup & Beauty January 28, 2023
Doing acid makes me appear smarter
In Beijing's backyard, US demonstrates its military might
Sean Penn Seen On Date With Art Director Tarka Russell, 33, After Weekend Getaway With Ex Robin Wright – Latest trending news
Jennifer Coolidge went to the wedding of Billie Eilish's parents


They may not have attracted as many headlines as the Olympics and Paralympics but the UK Transplant Games meant just as much to those competing and for those watching their loved ones from the sidelines.
Now approaching its 40th year, the event gives an opportunity for those who have had an organ transplant to compete and show just how critical a lifeline organ-donation is.
This year's event took place in Liverpool and involved competitors of all ages coming together to celebrate the gift of life and sporting excellence.
The brainchild of transplant surgeon Maurice Slapak, back in 1978, the Games offer ordinary people the opportunity to do extraordinary things. Take Nick Condon as an example. He was given just six months to live back in 2008 after suffering from Cystic Fibrosis all his life. Now, after a double lung transplant he's one of the stars of the Games, and a man capable of running 200m in just 27 seconds.
With this kind of inspirational tale retold on an annual basis, it's little wonder that this is an event which continues to capture the imagination whenever and wherever it's held.


text:
Q: Install Kivy Garden Flowers in Pycharm How does one install flowers from the kivy garden within PyCharm (2019.1) such as Graph and matplotlib flowers? I already installed the kivy.garden package.

A: On kivy website specifies the new format to install garden flowers. It changed since version 1.11.0
Garden flowers can now be installed with the pip tool like a normal python package. Given a flower that you want to install, lets use graph as an example. You can install master directly from github with:
python -m pip install https://github.com/kivy-garden/graph/archive/master.zip
Full instructions on kivy website:
https://kivy.org/doc/stable/api-kivy.garden.html?highlight=install%20garden
Hope this helps

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


On January, the 2010 Census Portrait of America Road Tour started its journey across the United States and Puerto Rico to educate communities about the 2010 Census. One national and 12 regional vehicles drive around targeting high-attendance events, celebrations and ethnic community gatherings to reach out to the diverse U.S. population. To connect with the Russian-speaking population, the Road Tour vehicles will visit some Russian American neighborhoods, encouraging everyone to complete the 10-question form when it is released in March 2010.
At each stop, Road Tour representatives will share images and stories, explaining why the census will make a difference in the communities. A once-in-a-decade experience, the Portrait of America Tour is designed to educate the public about the census, inspire interest in the process and encourage participation, especially within historically hard-to count groups like the Russian American community. The national and regional vehicles are interactive and each includes GPS technology that allows visitors to track the tour online as it happens.
For more information about the 2010 Census Portrait of America Road Tour, and to sign up for updates on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and MySpace, please visit 2010census.gov. For real time updates on the current whereabouts of all 13 vehicles from January to April, follow us on twitter at @2010Portrait.


Review: Cicapair Calming Mask (Dr Jart+) – Oh My Stellar!
According to the description for this Cicapair Calming Mask, this is a "100% plant derived fiber sheet mask." It has a calming formula that claims to immediately treat sensitive skin, reduce redness and also to calm acne through the use of Centella Asiatica (arguably my favourite ingredient to use for break outs) – it also claims to promote skin healing, which in turn protects from premature aging. In addition to this, the mask also contains Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) which is a whitening ingredient. It can help to improve skin tone and also accelerate skin cell regeneration.
This sheet mask is part of the Cicapair Line, which is "inspired by the true legend of Asian Tigers, rolling in Centella Asiatica to heal their battle wounds." The main ingredient in all of these products would be Cica (or Centella Asiatica), which is traditionally used for anti-inflammatory and healing purposes.
Although this mask is suited for all skin types, it is highly recommended for sensitive skin, people concerned about redness, and also oily/acne prone skin.
Centella Asiatica – a plant ingredient that provides hydration and accelerates skin cell regeneration. It will also heal and soothe acne as well as reduce redness.
Niacinamide – this ingredient boosts collagen production, strengthens skin, helps your skin retain moisture for longer and accelerates skin cell turnover, resulting in younger, healthier skin.
Free from: artificial fragrances and colours, denatured alcohol, triethanolamine, sulfate-based surfactants, triclosan, mineral oil, propylene glycol, and DEA that causes skin irritation.
When I opened up the Cicapair Calming Mask, I immediately noticed how saturated it was – there was a lot of excess essence at the bottom of the packet (which I did decant to use – I realised it was green too, which is just an interesting tidbit) and the mask was quite literally dripping. I would highly recommend to apply this over the bathroom sink to minimise mess.
The actual sheet mask, which is a fibre sheet – not the usual cotton type – has a very fine and smooth feel to it. It's relatively thin but isn't too stretchy so it's easy to use. The fit was almost perfect to my face and the adherence was really good too – I had no issue going around and doing my work while I was working it. The mask had a very light refreshing scent but it was barely noticeable.
I used this for approximately 20 minutes and the mask wasn't fully dry yet, so I feel that it retains moisture really well. In general, you shouldn't be allowing masks to fully dry out on your skin anyway (as it will draw moisture back out) so I liked that this seems to last a good amount of time – I personally think that this is due to the fibre material of the sheet.
The Calming Mask did a good job of soothing my skin – the redness around my cheeks was gone and the small break out that I had was very evidently calmed. It didn't completely get rid of it, which would be in impossible expectation, but it was obviously improved. Once I pat in the remainder of the essence, it absorbed really quickly. In general, the essence that they use is still very lightweight and hence it's suitability for oily skin types too.
That being said though, I felt that the hydration benefits from the mask (which were so evident when I first used it) didn't last long at all. By the next morning, my skin was back to it's usual state. Since the effects of this sheet mask are quite immediate (but somehow short term), I would recommend this to be used before your make up routine as a prep rather than as part of your regular evening skincare routine. Its light formula also makes it suitable for this.
A fibre sheet mask with Centella Asiatica extract, Niacinamide and Madecassoside for calming skin.
THOUGHTS? I liked this mask for its immediate skin benefits and I would use it again in the future, especially if I had any special occasion. I think that it is very effective in calming the skin. However, I am a bit disappointed that the hydration benefits that I got were quite short lived.
In general though, I would be keen to try out more from this line!
I received this product from Let's Face It to review, so you can definitely get this on their website. It is currently selling for AUD$6.95 (click for the Cicapair Calming Mask) or you can also check out the rest of their Dr Jart+ offerings.


Yar pirate picture pamphlet links arr as dead as Davy Jones. Fix'em and this pirate will deliver more of'em than hell has diseased strippers.
Topic: Billy Bowlegs Festival! Fort Walton Beach, FL!
Re: Billy Bowlegs Festival! Fort Walton Beach, FL!
Arr! I missed the festival! Looking for other Panhandle Pastafarians to start a local chapter. If yar interested, let me know.


text:
Synthesizing Nanomaterials from Nature's Blueprints
Molecular self-assembly expert Chun-Long Chen describes the challenges and opportunities ahead in bio-inspired materials design
Sarah Wong,
Chun-Long Chen synthesizes bio-inspired nanomaterials for a wide range of applications, including drug delivery and water decontamination.
(Image by Stephanie King | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
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Velcro. Airplanes. Sonar. What do these have in common? The invention of each was inspired by nature. Velcro mimics burdock burr's ability to attach to clothing. Birds in flight motivated the eventual development of airplanes. Bats use echolocation to navigate, providing the inspiration for sonar.
At Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) materials scientist Chun-Long Chen is also interested in the models found in nature, but on a much smaller scale. Chen takes his inspiration from molecular structures found in nature; primarily from the building blocks of proteins, called peptides. He creates sequence defined peptoids—synthetic protein-like molecules that are more robust than natural building blocks—to develop biomimetic nanomaterials with unique functions.
These bio-inspired nanomaterials show promise in a wide variety of applications, from drug delivery to photovoltaics. As an emerging leader in molecular self-assembly, Chen, along with several of his former trainees, recently wrote a review article for an upcoming special issue of Chemical Reviews. This article covers the state of the art in hierarchical nanomaterials assembled from sequence-defined synthetic polymers. Through this review, the authors hope to encourage others in related fields to explore the design of biomimetic nanomaterials for advanced energy, biomedical, and environmental applications.
"I am very inspired by Chun-Long's achievements in this field, and I truly believe he is just at the beginning of discovering all kinds of new applications for biomimetic peptoid nanostructures," said Chen's former mentor and peptoid inventor Ronald Zuckermann, of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). "His research is opening up a whole new era of biomimetic nanoscience, where we can manipulate synthetic nanomaterials with atomic precision to solve problems in molecular recognition, catalysis and therapeutics."
Bio-inspired nanomaterials can be used for a wide range of applications, including drug delivery and water decontamination. (Illustration by Nathan Johnson | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
Big applications for tiny materials
Chen's own research focuses on developing sequence-defined peptoids to mimic natural proteins for both biomimetic crystallization and assembling of biomimetic materials. The structures formed by these self-assembling molecules exhibit properties that are greater than those of the individual molecules. Proteins, for example, contain several layers of structures. Amino acids are joined together to form peptide molecules which make up the protein. Peptides fold to form the 3-D structure that gives the protein its function. And at the next level, multiple proteins can come together to form complexes for unique functions beyond the capabilities of the individual proteins.
"Creating synthetic polymers that self-assemble into hierarchical nanomaterials like natural macromolecules is very exciting, but the field is still relatively new," said Chen. "Through this review, we wanted to highlight some of the advances made towards the molecular self-assembly of these sequence-defined synthetic polymers. We also wanted to discuss the potential applications of their self-assembled hierarchical materials in biomedical sciences and renewable energy."
The possibilities are endless for these different functions. Thus far, these bio-inspired functional materials have shown promise in drug delivery, molecular sensing, photodynamic therapy, water decontamination, and more.
"Proteins contain a lot of information. Their amino acid sequences dictate their structure and function in our bodies. The peptoids we synthesize take this idea of using sequences to program these molecules for different functions," said Chen.
"In principle, we can use peptoids as a platform of programmable building blocks and assemble them like LEGOs® to build high-information-content hierarchical materials with high programmability and predictability to meet our needs. The challenge is gaining the insight for these predictions through careful study of our successes and failures," said Chen.
Researcher Chun-Long Chen develops nanomaterials for different applications. The process starts with synthesizing a protein-like material, which is then freeze-dried and used to make a gel-like material containing millions of tiny nanotubes. (Photo by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
Forging a new path for hierarchical nanomaterials
The nanomaterials Chen creates are notoriously unpredictable. It is difficult to synthesize materials that can perform specified functions. Chen, however, is no stranger to overcoming such challenges. As a graduate student at Sun Yat-Sen University in China, Chen began investigating the design and assembly of molecules into supramolecular structures. This paved the way for his work as a postdoctoral research associate at Mississippi State University, the University of Pittsburgh, and LBNL, where he worked with Zuckermann.
Chen was eventually recruited to PNNL, where he spearheads the design of sequence-defined peptoids capable of self-assembly.
"There was a lot of trial-and-error involved in not only creating the molecules themselves but making sure they could form the larger structures we wanted them to," said Chen.
He and his team initially set out to create molecules for biomedical applications like drug delivery and biological imaging. Soon, they expanded their research into a wide range of applications, including water decontamination, and battery research.
Chun-Long Chen inspects the label of a vial for completeness. In systems where sequencing of building blocks determines their function, accurate and detailed labeling is critical for success. (Photo by Andrea Starr | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
Mentorship matters
"It is a great honor for our group to be part of this 'Molecular Self-Assembly' special issue in Chemical Reviews and for me to be invited to write an extensive review in the area of molecular self-assembly of sequence-defined synthetic polymers," said Chen. "This is a great recognition of many years' of hard work in this field, including our contributions from PNNL."
After receiving this invitation, Chen immediately assembled a team consisting of two of his former postdocs, Zhiliang Li and Bin Cai, both of whom are now professors at Shandong University, and a visiting graduate student: Wenchao Yang, a graduate student from Tianjin University. The three worked with Chen as co-authors to outline the current state of the art in the molecular self-assembly of peptoids and other sequence-defined polymers into hierarchical nanomaterials and their potential applications in energy and biomedicine.
"While working with Chun-Long, I gained valuable knowledge in the field of biochemistry, such as design and synthesis of biomolecules, organic synthesis, and molecular self-assembly," said Bin Cai, a former postdoctoral researcher in Chen's group at PNNL. "In addition, his scientific insight and optimistic attitude greatly impacted and shaped my career direction. Specifically, what I learned from him is how to concentrate: how to focus on one important scientific issue and make several plans towards achieving it."
This work was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Science through its Basic Energy Sciences Biomolecular Materials Program and Center for the Science of Synthesis Across Scales, an Energy Frontier Research Center led by the University of Washington. Chen also holds a dual appointment in the University of Washington's Department of Chemical Engineering, where he runs a research laboratory and mentors several students and other researchers.
About PNNL
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory draws on its distinguishing strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in sustainable energy and national security. Founded in 1965, PNNL is operated by Battelle for the Department of Energy's Office of Science, which is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States. DOE's Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science. For more information on PNNL, visit PNNL's News Center. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.
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