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Skin Care Guide
Dry Skin Remedies
Acne 101
Psoriasis Basics
What Is Pearl Powder and Can It Benefit Your Skin and Health?
Medically reviewed by Debra Rose Wilson, Ph.D., MSN, R.N., IBCLC, AHN-BC, CHT — Written by Grace Gallagher on September 10, 2019
How it's used
Pearl powder is a popular ingredient in skin care products today, but it isn't new. It's been used for thousands of years in Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Wu Zetian, a Chinese empress, supposedly used the powder to beautify her skin.
In Chinese medicine, the powder is said to be detoxifying and is used as an anti-inflammatory and a relaxant. In Ayurvedic medicine, pearl is said to be an antidote for poison, and it was also used in love potions.
Pearl powder contains amino acids, calcium, and trace minerals and has many purported benefits for skin and health. Keep reading to learn about how it's made and used, along with its benefits and potential side effects.
What is pearl powder?
Pearl powder is made by boiling fresh or saltwater pearls (to sterilize them), and then milling the pearls into a soft fine powder that's similar in texture to flour or cornstarch.
Pearl powder contains the following:
Amino acids. These building blocks of protein are essential for our bodies to function properly. They stimulate skin cells to produce collagen, promote cellular repair and hydration, and protect skin from pollution and outside elements.
Trace minerals. Pear powder contains over 30 trace minerals, including magnesium and potassium, which help maintain skin's health.
High levels of calcium. Calcium promotes skin regeneration and moisture. It also helps to regulate sebum and cell turnover. Taken orally, calcium also helps with bone strength and may fight against osteoporosis.
Antioxidant boosters. Pearl powder is said to boost two of the bodies most abundant antioxidants: superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione. These antioxidants can help fight against disease and may even extend life.
Benefits of pearl powder
Pearl powder has both internal and external benefits for the skin and body. It's said to reduce activation of tyrosinase, which is an enzyme that causes the production of melanin. Without this, skin appears more luminous — much like the sheen of a pearl.
Nacre, an ingredient in pearl powder can also stimulate fibroblasts in the body, which accelerates wound healing. This can also help collagen regenerate itself, which may make wrinkles appear less prominent.
Pearl powder was used as an anti-inflammatory, detoxifying agent, and relaxant in Chinese medicine. This could be in part because of the magnesium it contains.
Magnesium has an ability to elevate gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels, which can help alleviate depression, anxiety, and certain sleep disorders.
How pearl powder is used
Pearl powder comes in many forms and can be used topically or orally. Forms of pearl powder include:
skin lotions
Pearl is a mineral, and it can be used as mineral makeup powder. Many people like the subtle glow that's achieved by using pearl powder as a natural finishing powder. It also helps makeup stay in place.
You can find pearl powder at most beauty stores or online.
You can buy capsules of pearl powder online and in certain beauty stores. Just be sure that the packaging specifically says 100 percent pearl powder.
To make a face mask, open a capsule and mix with a few drops of water (or rosewater if you prefer). Stir until a thick paste forms, spread on your face and leave on for 15 minutes. Then rinse with warm water and follow with moisturizer.
You can also find ready-made pearl powder face masks online.
Skin cream made with pearl powder is said to stimulate collagen production and protect against radicals that make the skin age. You can find pearl powder lotions at most beauty stores or online.
Pearl powder may promote relaxation and bone health when taken orally. You can take pearl capsules or find pure pearl powder online and mix it into drinks such as smoothies, water, coffee, or tea.
Pearl powder is said to contain eight of the essential amino acids you must get through your diet (meaning your body doesn't make them on its own).
Pearl powder is edible and can be mixed in drinks, including smoothies, water, coffee, or tea.
There's not much scientific research on how effective pearl powder is for teeth. Anecdotally speaking, the calcium content of pearl powder is thought to strengthen teeth, while the minerals may aid gum health and brighten teeth without bleaching.
There's limited research behind the benefits of pearl powder, and as with other supplements, the powder isn't tested by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
However, new research has shown that when taken orally, pearl powder can help the body create antioxidants and fend off free radicals.
Pearl powder can also help cells turnover and wounds heal more quickly, according to a 2010 study. Research also shows that when used topically, pearl powder can temporarily shrink pores, decrease redness, and improve skin texture.
Pearl powder is generally considered safe, but some people do experience allergic reactions to calcium, which is found in pearls.
It's a good idea to patch test the powder before ingesting it or using it on your face. You can do this by putting a small amount on your forearm, and waiting for signs of a reaction, which can include redness, itching, or swelling.
Pearl powder has been used since 320 A.D. Research and anecdotal evidence claims it can help with everything from bone health and wound healing to skin health.
As with most supplements, pearl powder isn't FDA-tested, but preliminary research points to its benefits both internally and for the skin.
You can take it orally in either capsules or powder form. Follow the manufacturer's directions, as concentrations may vary. Or if you prefer, you can make a face mask from the powder or buy a skin cream that contains pearl powder.
Pearl powder is generally considered safe, though it's high in calcium, which some people are allergic to. Be sure to test it first on a small area of your skin, before ingesting it or using it on your face.
Last medically reviewed on September 10, 2019
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We could be casting ballots right now for 2016.
Don't be silly...Obama and Company are only focused on 2014 and enrolling more Democrat voters. They've been collecting the obituaries since Nov in an attempt increase "turnout".


The Samsung Galaxy Note7 was off to a great, but a quickly discovered battery defect caused Samsung to issue an unprecedented worldwide recall.
We now hear the replacement stock for Portugal is already on the way and should be ready for exchange for September 19.
The phablet has successfully launched in China and few other markets recently, where Samsung made sure the Note7 units don't pack faulty batteries.
There is some bad news for the USA though. The country is one of the biggest Samsung markets and the manufacturer is working hard to convince the Note7 buyers to return them via the official Exchange Program. Unfortunately, the users are concerned they will either have to wait too much for their new Note7, or if they opt for a trade-in phone (with cashback) they won't be able to get Note7 afterwards by trading back their replacement phone.
Indeed, the users will have to wait longer for their Note7 replacement because the Consumer Protection Safety Commission must inspect and allow the new units to enter the USA. To ease off the pain Samsung is giving the US owners two choices and urges them to return their faulty units as quickly as possible.
First, you may opt for a loaned Galaxy J phone upon returning the Galaxy Note7 and use it until the replacement stock is approved and ready for distribution.
Alternatively, you can get a Galaxy S7 or S7 edge trade-in and receive a refund for all Note7 accessories, the price difference between the two devices, plus an additional $25 gift card, in-store credit or bill credit. This ends the path toward receiving a proper Note7 unit, obviously.
But whatever you want to do, do it now, or you may get hurt as there are such cases already. This may help you identify if your unit has a faulty battery or not.


The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to regulate toxic air pollutants, also known as air toxics, from large industrial facilities in two phases.
The first phase is "technology‑based," where EPA develops standards for controlling the emissions of air toxics from sources in an industry group (or "source category"). These maximum achievable control technology (MACT) standards are based on emissions levels that are already being achieved by the controlled and low‑emitting sources in an industry.
The second phase is a "risk-based" approach called residual risk. Here, EPA must determine whether more health-protective standards are necessary. Within 8 years of setting the MACT standards, the Clean Air Act requires EPA to assess the remaining health risks from each source category to determine whether the MACT standards protect public health with an ample margin of safety, and protect against adverse environmental effects.
Every 8 years after setting the MACT standards, the Clean Air Act also requires EPA to review and revise the standards, if necessary, to account for improvements in air pollution controls and/or prevention. The first eight year review, when combined with the residual risk review, is called the risk and technology review - RTR.


From April 5 -7, EquiMania! will once again be at the Can-Am Equine Expo in Markham, ON. If you think this exhibit is just for the kids, you are in for a surprise! We have something for all ages – the visual and interactive learning environment delights children and adults alike. Read on for the Sunday, Kids day, special prizes.
As you enter the EquiMania! exhibit, you are transported into the wonderful world of the horse. Displays are plentiful and enthusiastic helpers cannot wait to show you around and answer your questions. The first thing to catch many an eye is "Quattro," a life-sized horse skeleton, usually accompanied by his human handler skeleton, "Winston." "You will have to visit to find out why these two are paired up!," says Equine Guelph director, Gayle Ecker with a wink.
The children will be dashing off to play hopscotch with the new "Stop, Think and Act" game, teaching them how to make the right choices to remain safe around the farm. Other hands-on activities include braiding a tail, "mystery boxes," seeing what is in horse guts and so much more! Kids can continue their learning journey at EquiMania.ca and earn a printable certificate. On Sunday there will be a super exciting offer for Can-Am Kids Day.
The first 20 youth (13 – 17) entering Can-Am on Sunday morning will receive a voucher for the November online Horse Portal short course offering of Horse Behaviour and Safety!
As a visitor, you will be awed by the "Tree of Life" reproductive display, which shows the development of the foal right up to birth. After stopping at "The Feed Room", you can discover how long the small intestine of the horse is, and how their digestive system is set up for trickle feeding. EquiMania! offers so many learning opportunities about the care and handling of horses and the inner workings of these magnificent and fascinating animals.
The Equine Guelph educational booth will be conveniently located right beside the EquiMania! exhibit. Check out online learning opportunities and find out why Equine Guelph is so popular with students of all ages.
Equine Guelph has partnered with the Can-Am Expo and Ontario Equestrian to expand the learning environment for attendees. New for 2019, EquiMania! will be located in Building #1, where you will also find the new lecture room via the Ontario Equestrian display. This area provides an educational hub for everyone in the horse industry – whether you are a beginner or a seasoned horse-person.
Visit the Artists' Walk between buildings #1 and #2, where equine artists will be presenting their work. Each artist is donating an original piece to be auctioned off (before the Saturday Evening Extravaganza on April 6), with the proceeds being donated to Equine Guelph. The artists being featured this year are Shawn Hamilton, Nola McConnan, Janice Ykema, and Vickie Lawrence; you can visit all the artists before the show and visit the Can-Am website to learn more about them.
Bring your family, bring your questions, and join us at EquiMania! for the 14th year at the Can-Am Equine Expo. Unbridle your inner child, we guarantee you will have fun!
To book EquiMania! for your event in 2019, contact eq4kids@uoguelph.ca.


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Priest convicted of slaying nun
A priest was convicted Thursday of stabbing a Roman Catholic nun to death as she prepared for Easter services at a hospital 26 years ago, a murder prosecutors say was steeped in religious ritual.
Sister Margaret Ann Pahl was stabbed 31 times through an altar cloth, with the punctures forming an upside-down cross. Her killer then anointed her with a smudge of her blood on the forehead to humiliate her in death, prosecutors said.
The Rev. Gerald Robinson, now 68, had worked closely with Sister Pahl at the Mercy Hospital chapel, where her body was discovered on April 5, 1980.
He had been an early suspect, but he wasn't charged until two years ago. His attorneys argued that the nun's underwear and fingernails had traces of DNA that wasn't from Robinson and that there were no witnesses to place Robinson at the crime.
Prosecutors suggested that Robinson had a strained relationship with the nun, a strict taskmaster, and that he had reached a breaking point with her that day.
15 years to life
The jury deliberated for six hours before finding him guilty of murder, and Judge Thomas Osowik immediately sentenced him to the mandatory term of 15 years to life in prison.
** FILE ** Sister Margaret Ann Pahl is shown in this undated file photo. A best-selling mystery author testified Monday May 8, 2006 that investigators may have compromised evidence while examining a puncture wound in the jawbone Pahl, killed 26 years ago. Prosecutors claim the Rev. Gerald Robinson used a letter opener to kill the nun, and an assistant coroner testified earlier that the opener was a "perfect fit" when inserted into the jawbone. (AP Photo/Toledo Blade, File)TOLEDO BLADE
Robinson, who wore his priest's collar throughout the trial, had no visible reaction as the verdict was read.
Afterward, a courtroom deputy handcuffed him behind his back and led him away.
"Let us hope that the conclusion of the trial will bring some measure of healing for all those affected by the case as well as for our local church," Leonard Blair, bishop of the Toledo Diocese, said in a statement. "The diocese has remained steadfast in the work of the Church and its ministries throughout this trial, and will continue to do so."
Robinson's status is that of a retired priest, and he continues to be barred from any public ministry, Blair said.
The verdict came after nine days of testimony during which witnesses linked a sword-shaped letter opener found in Robinson's room with the nun's wounds and bloodstains found on the altar cloth that covered her body.
The case relied heavily on forensic evidence because prosecutors presented no direct evidence that Robinson killed Sister Pahl, the caretaker of the hospital chapel.
Medallion as evidence
Two forensic experts testified that a dime-sized medallion with the image of the U.S. Capitol on the letter opener appeared to be the source of a faint stain on the altar cloth.
In a videotaped interview with police just after he was arrested in April 2004, Robinson said he was stunned when he walked into the chapel and the hospital's other chaplain accused him of murder.
Jurors watched the tape during the trial and also saw how Robinson, left alone in a small room for a few minutes, folded his hands and began to whisper in a barely audible voice. He whispered the word "sister" and then prayed again with his head bowed, at one point saying, "Oh my Jesus."
Since his arrest, allegations swirled that police did not pursue the case thoroughly because the main suspect was a priest and that the killing was some kind of ritual slaying.
Molestation claim led to trial
Investigators reopened the murder case in December 2003 after the prosecutor's office received a letter about a woman's claims that she was molested by priests for years as a child. Among the names she mentioned was Robinson. Police have been unable to substantiate her allegations of sexual abuse.
Robinson had been a popular priest in this blue-collar city of about 300,000, where a quarter of the residents are Catholic.
He was transferred from the hospital a year after the stabbing and became pastor at three parishes in Toledo. At the time of his arrest, he ministered to the sick and dying in nursing homes and hospitals.
"Obviously, I'm relieved," the victim's niece, Marilyn Duvall, 54, of Nashville, Ind., said after she watched the verdict on television from home. "I was just wondering which way it was going to go. You just never know."

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Q: Does lava count as a trap? I am fighting through Asphodel, and have a Chaos boon that temporarily increases my damage taken by traps by 370%. Does lava count as a trap for the purposes of this boon? Or will I be more than fine just taking this penalty since there are no spike traps?

A: From experience I can say, yes.
The lava counts as "traps" and those Chaos Boons can be really deadly in Asphodel.
Here's a picture of me taking some usually 1 damage lava tics while holding just such Chaos boon.

Be careful when fighting Learnie with such boon.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Kiembara ist sowohl eine Gemeinde () als auch ein dasselbe Gebiet umfassendes Departement im westafrikanischen Staat Burkina Faso in der Region Boucle du Mouhoun und der Provinz Sourou. Die Gemeinde hat in 13 Dörfern und fünf Sektoren des Hauptortes 29.235 Einwohner.

Alle zwei Jahre findet in Kiembara ein Fest der Kauri-Kunst statt.

Einzelnachweise

Ort in Burkina Faso
Boucle du Mouhoun
Ort in Afrika

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Nick Gill, executive creative director at Bartle Bogle Hegarty, is stepping down after almost ten years to become the creative lead on the Tesco and Barclays accounts.
Deputy executive directors Ian Heartfield and Anthony Austin will take over as joint executive creative directors.
Gill's job title will be creative. BBH said the move will allow Gill the "opportunity to write more work himself" as well as focus more on creative directing. He will also continue to coach creatives.
He left Wieden & Kennedy in 1998 as a joint creative director to become a copywriter at BBH. Gill rose through the ranks to become executive creative director in 2008, replacing John O'Keeffe, WPP's worldwide creative director.
During Gill's time as executive creative director, BBH won several accolades including Campaign's Agency of the Year in 2011 and 2012.
Heartfield joined BBH in 2010 as creative director and has worked across the Absolut, Uber, St John Ambulance and Audi accounts. He created "Birth" for Audi, which won a Gold Lion at Cannes.
Before BBH, he worked as a copywriter at a number of shops including Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, Fallon London, and Ogilvy & Mather.
Austin left Mother for BBH in 2015 to launch Black Sheep Studios, the production and entertainment division. He became deputy executive creative director in August last year and won a Bafta and a Cannes gold Lion this year for Home, a short film about the refugee crisis.
They all continue to report to Pelle Sjoenell, worldwide chief creative officer.
Gill said: "Making this decision has been very easy, because I have such affection and admiration for my two worthy successors. Ant and Ian are very different people, they bring very different skills to the table. But they are totally aligned in their ambition for BBH, and they complement each other brilliantly."


text:
Lasioglossum nipponicola is een vliesvleugelig insect uit de familie Halictidae. De wetenschappelijke naam van de soort is voor het eerst geldig gepubliceerd in 1995 door Sakagami & Tadauchi.

nipponicola


Capital Connect Aviation is accredited and approved by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority to offer aviation training in the region.
The school is located Opposite New Bluebird Hangar, Wilson Airport.
Do you know a course offered in Capital Connect Aviation School? Add the course .
We are approved by KCAA.
Best training aircraft fleet that includes Cessna, Beechcraft and Piper variants.
We ensure on-time training of our students. This ensures timely completion of our courses.
The school is located in a good environment conducive for training.
We have students from many countries and this ensures diversity thus exposing students to different cultures.


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Analysis Featured Reviews
Goodbye The Vampire Diaries
March 15, 2017 April 1, 2017 Dean Ravell	3 Comments bonnie bennett, cade, caroline, damon salvatore, elena gilbert, enzo, kai, matt donovan, salvatore, stefan salvatore, the cw, the vampire diaries, tyler, vampire, Vampires, werewolves, witches
Over the last couple of years I have been asked a very reasonable question: "Why the hell are you still watching The Vampire Diaries?"
My relationship with The Vampire Diaries has been troublesome to say the least. I thought about giving up on it a few times because it was the story was getting stale, main cast members were leaving and it introduced characters that weren't the slightest bit interesting. It made me resent the show a little bit. Why beat a dead horse? But then they announced that Season 8 would be the last and I rejoiced. It meant that I could get some closure. One more season to watch. A proper ending instead of a cancellation. I hated what The Vampire Diaries has become over the years but I wanted to see it end on a high and on it's own terms.
This past Friday was the series finale and here are my thoughts: obvious spoilers ahead.
First things first: how did Katherine become the Queen of Hell?
Seriously. Why? Other than being a convenient plot device with which to end the series; it made zero sense. Sure, Season 8's big bad villain, Cade (The Devil) died – don't get me started on that shit – but there is no reason for Katherine to be next in line. She's a cruel vampire, sure. But why not let Hitler or Jack the Ripper be next. Is she the most qualified?
Of course, the showrunners Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson would be amiss if they brought Nina Dobrev back for the finale and didn't write both Elena and Katherine back into the story, but the whole Queen of Hell 2 episode arc was too convenient. I understand why the writers included them. It started with both these characters and their relationships with the Salvatore brothers. It should end with it. Good idea. Dumb execution.
Damon kills Vicki again.
Yes, she's already dead. Yes, she's trying to destroy the town. But they legit hate this character. I guess there is some poetic symmetry in her dying by Damon's hand just as she did in the very first episode. It was funny until I realised how sad it was. They fucked this character around so much. Not as much as Bonnie of course. But we'll get there.
Elena is back… Meh
I felt a huge sense of disappointment when Elena and/or Katherine came back. I thought I started to dislike this show because she left, but Dobrev's return wasn't all that memorable. Damon and Stefan has always been the core of The Vampire Diaries. I think they knew it too given that the show continued even after Dobrev left. Elena was always just a catalyst for this story but she was never the crux.
"Hello brother"
I've said it before but Stefan and Damon are endgame. Whatever happens, they're destined to end up together and it made sense that the last shot was of them. Also, it was perfect that the last words were "Hello Brother" as this was a line that Damon said in the pilot. Back then it was said with hostility but this time it was heartfelt. I enjoyed that.
Bennett(s) to the rescue
If I told you someone prevented the town from being destroyed by hellfire, you'd put your house on it being Bonnie. And you would be right. But this time they added Grams, and other Bennett witches to conquer the hellfire together.
She also breaks the bonding spell so that she didn't have to die in order for Elena to wake up. Naturally. She is the MacGyver of this fantasy world but is somehow the unluckiest and most mistreated character in the show's entire run. But in the finale she was brave, bold, saved the town and survived. Most badass character in The Vampire Diaries in my opinion.
How did Matt last this long?
Honestly. He's survived through mostly being a friend of vampires, werewolves and witches. But I really enjoyed the fact that they gave him and his bloodline a substantial part in the series' final season and the town's history. Long overdue and actually gave us a reason as to why he has been a mainstay in the series.
Crowded with Villains
The final season began with sirens and I genuinely believed that would be it. Then they introduced The Devil and I was like, ok, that's a good way to end it but then they killed him because of course there is a weapon to kill the Devil. There is always a weapon. Then they brought back Kai the siphon witch for a couple of episodes, mostly because of Elena I imagine, and then, Katherine usurped The Devil and the ring leader in hell because reasons.
Oh! And there was another ripper Stefan arc!
A Salvatore dies
I know a lot of people who hate Stefan Salvatore as a character – and, probably, Paul Wesley as a human being. Sorry but that's just how that shit works. He's been regarded as one of the most annoying characters in the show's run but one thing that cannot be denied is that if he had to go, it would be for Damon. Stefan dying, being the martyr, needed to be done. And I'm so glad they didn't try to get Bonnie to resurrect him or something.
People never die in The Vampire Diaries but in the last few episodes, Tyler, Enzo and Stefan did. Stefan's death was the most important though. He died to save his brother, gave him the cure, destroyed the new Devil and his old flame (no pun intended), saved the town (but mostly Bonnie) and gave up his own happily ever after with Caroline. It was necessary to give his character some sort of redeeming quality after being shit on by a big group of The Vampire Diaries viewers. I don't know if it worked – it probably didn't because the cynics will say he stole Bonnie's thunder – but it was a nice try.
All the cameos!
So many people returned for a smile and hug and a letter which could spark an old romance and a possible spin off – Team Klaroline for the win! Caryn, that was just for you.
It was a fitting end to The Vampire Diaries. Dope score too. I could tell you about it, but here's an actual clip of it.
The Vampire Diaries has been a rollercoaster. Eight years later and I stuck it out. The last season had some familiarity, some disappointments, some surprises and a lot of nostalgia. A fitting end to my terrible relationship with this show. Thanks for the memories, Mystic Falls.
What did you think of the season and series finale of The Vampire Diaries? Did it end the way you thought it would? Were you disappointed or happy? Let us know in the comments below.
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Dean Ravell
Aspiring writer/director. Fascinated with all kinds of film and just wants to be part of the wonderful world of cinema. #AlmostFamous
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Insurance is one of the most complex products you can buy. That is why you need a qualified insurance broker to help you understand your unique risks and insurance needs, and to find the best cover for you from the insurance market at the best price. An Insurance Broker's foremost duty is to his or her client – they work for you.
That's where a broker can be worth their weight in gold, helping to save you time, money and worry – particularly in the event of a claim.
Whether it's home, car, life or business insurance, brokers provide tailored advice and assistance to make sure you and your property are properly protected. The service standards they offer you – and the protections in place to ensure you are treated in an open and honest way – are set out in the Insurance Brokers Code of Practice.
What Is The Insurance Brokers Code Of Practice?
All reputable professions are governed by a strong Code of Practice – and insurance broking is no different.
Our new Code of Practice comes into effect 1st January 2014, and sets out the minimum service standards you can expect when you use an insurance broker and outlines what you need to do in the unlikely event you have a complaint to make.
Providing an opportunity to resolve complaints and disputes.
In short, it's our profession's promise to you that we will act in your best interests at all times and be open and honest with you at every step of the way.


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OLLI at Yavapai College presents 'winemaking at the Southwest Wine Center'
Southwest Wine Center (Courtesy/OLLI at Yavapai College)
Do you think that the Verde Valley is beginning to look like the NAPA Valley as more and more grape vines and wine tasting rooms pop up around the area?
Michael Pierce, director of Viticulture and Enology at the Southwest Wine Center (Courtesy/OLLI at Yavapai College)
Michael Pierce, director of Viticulture and Enology at the Southwest Wine Center, will discuss 'The Fruits of Our Labor' at Yavapai College Verde Valley Campus, 601 Black Hills Drive, Room M-137, Tuesday, Jan. 24, from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.
Learn about the scientific process of how grapes are turned into wine, and how the winemaking culture is forming in Arizona with the help of the Viticulture and Enology program at Yavapai College and the Southwest Wine Center. Pierce will cover a brief overview of the science of winemaking with a focus on what makes the Verde Valley special. There will be plenty of information on the program and the graduates leading the Arizona wine industry.
OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) is a local, volunteer, peer-to-peer, adult education program, which is part of Yavapai College. It offers many learning groups and workshops each term for a nominal fee. Its winter term is underway, and over 100 classes and workshops are being offered.
OLLI offers academic, not-for-credit programs designed for adults 50 years old or older at programs in Sedona, Clarkdale, Prescott, at the Sedona Public Library-Village of Oak Creek, and online. Visit YC.edu/ollisvcatalog to view the current catalog. OLLI at Yavapai College is a program of the Division of Lifelong Learning at Yavapai College. For information call 928-649-4275 or email OLLIsv@yc.edu or visit the website at YC.edu/ollisedonaverde.
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H.B. 222
By: Huberty
Committee Report (Unamended)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Currently under the public education grant program, a student who is attending a school given an academically unacceptable rating is eligible to transfer to another school for three years following the year of that rating, regardless of whether the school improves its rating in any of those three years. H.B. 222 seeks to reduce the three-year eligibility window to two years.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
H.B. 222 amends the Education Code to change one of the two public school campus performance criteria that render a student who is assigned to attend such a campus eligible either to receive a public education grant to attend a public school outside the district in which the student resides or to attend another public school in the district, beginning with the 2013-2014 school year, from the campus having failed at any time in the preceding three years to satisfy any of the standards established for the student achievement indicators used to determine school district and campus performance to the campus having been assigned an unacceptable performance rating in either of the preceding two years.
On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2013.


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Lovely, easy to wear floral silk tunic blouse with beige background and floral print.
3/4 length bracelet sleeves and wider tunic style shape at the bottom, very flattering.
Wear with slim or wide leg white jeans, bright wedges and a pink slouchy bag for a fresh spring look.
Silk floral blouse with 3/4 length bracelet sleeves, wider tunic style bottom, artist style open neck line.
Machine washable but re recommend dry cleaning.


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Home » News » Heroes of the Storm Tier List for Season 3 of 2019
Heroes of the Storm Tier List for Season 3 of 2019
Creating an accurate Heroes of the Storm tier list is no easy task given the sheer amount of choices. The game features nearly 90 heroes to choose from at this point, rivaling long-time competitors like Dota 2 and League of Legends. In addition, Blizzard releases new balance updates at a constant rate so this season's first picks could easily become next season's last. In order to keep things fair, we're only going to focus on the current.
The way we're going to rank all the game's heroes is by placing each of them into one of five different categories. These range from S to D (with A, B, and C in between) and will give you a good indication of each character's overall usefulness in the current meta.
Writing a description for each and every hero would take ages so we're going to give you our thoughts on just some of them. For everyone else, the fact that we're placing them into a certain tier over another will tell you everything you need to know about how to prioritize your picks during drafts. With that out of the way, check out our Heroes of the Storm tier list from best to worst down below.
S Tier
These heroes are generally considered to be pretty overpowered and are usually picked first. Or banned first, depending on the situation. Either way, make sure to keep a close eye on these ones.
Diablo was one of the first heroes to be added to the game way back when it was initially released. Don't let its age fool you, though, because this tanky demon is still as powerful and difficult to face off against today as he was back then.
Maiev's high mobility makes her a perfect counter against other speedy heroes like Genji or Tracer. Warcraft 3 lore tells us Maiev trained extensively to be able to capture and contain highly elusive characters like Illidan and that's definitely also the case in Heroes of the Storm.
A Tier
These guys aren't quite the best of the best but they come pretty close. If there are no S tier heroes to pick or ban during drafts make sure to make these ones your top priority.
Anub'arak
A very powerful warrior able to put take and inflict a good amount of damage against his opponents. Anub'arak has been one of the safest picks pretty much since the game launched and that's still the case today.
Deckard Cain
A lot of people would consider Genji to be overpowered but we don't really think that's the case, which is why we placed him a bit lower than others on our Heroes of the Storm tier list. That said, the cybernetic ninja is definitely very powerful and generally a force to be reckoned with.
Imperious
Jim Raynor has become an iconic hero over the years and is always a very solid pick. His playstyle may not be as exciting as some of the other characters found in the game, however, he always manages to get the job done. At the end of the day, that's what really matters the most.
Zeratul is an extremely powerful melee assassin who takes some getting used to. The Protoss Dark Templar is among the most challenging heroes to learn to play properly, but the effort will be well worth it in the end.
B Tier
These are your classic middle of the road heroes. Every game needs them. In the hands of a skilled player, these characters have the potential to become pretty powerful so it's usually a good idea not to underestimate them.
The Elite Tauren Chieftain is a very unique hero and a sort of tribute to Blizzard's in-house heavy metal band. All his abilities revolve around this theme and he is pretty fun to play as a result.
Gul' dan
If you're new to the game and are looking for a hero who can take high amounts of punishment without going down, Leoric is your guy. Even when he does die, the Skeleton King has the power to resurrect himself in no time thanks to his Undying trait.
Mal'Ganis
Mathael
Tracer is undoubtedly the most iconic character in Overwatch so it's no surprise that she was the first to be ported over to Heroes of the Storm. She has a pretty steep learning curve but mastering her abilities is a very reward process.
Zul'jin
C Tier
These heroes aren't necessarily terrible but they either require a lot of skill or they're just not as good as most characters from the previous tiers. Either way, only pick these ones if nothing else is available.
Chromie's time-manipulating abilities sound great on paper, however, it takes a very skilled player to pull them off properly. If you do manage to get the hang of them, Chromie can actually be a pretty solid pick most of the time.
Kael'thas
Kel'Thuzad
In the proper hands, Kerrigan can be absolutely devastating. Unfortunately, playing her is not always easy and one wrong move can easily get you killed as she is not as tanky as she mid appears at first glance.
Ragnaros is a prime example of a hero that can be exceptionally useful in certain situations. The fact he only performs well on certain maps and in certain team compositions, however, makes him a less desirable pick than many others.
D Tier
You can't have a Heroes of the Storm tier list without a few duds so here's ours. These heroes are generally considered to be pretty bad at the moment and you should do your best to avoid them.
We hope our tier list can help you decide which heroes to pick and which to avoid the next time you're playing the game. Remember that things can change quite a bit from one update to the next in Heroes of the Storm so our top choices may not stay S tier forever. As of right now, though, we believe this list to be a fairly accurate reflection of the current meta. If you want to learn more about any of the game's heroes, make sure to check out the official website.
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One of Mercury's longtime idols was the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson. Mercury had admired Jackson all the way back to his Jackson 5 days, and in 1983, barely a year after Jackson's Thriller had become the biggest album in the world, Mercury got the chance to collaborate with Jackson. They began recording three demos that were, sadly, never completed. Asked in 1987 why things didn't work out, Mercury evasively blamed the fact that the two stars were never being in the same country long enough and commented that Jackson had "retreated into his own little world." Another story emerged wherein Jackson had allegedly picked a fight with Mercury after catching him using substances during the recording session. A third explanation, from Queen manager Jim Beach, stated that Jackson brought his pet llama into the studio, which astonished and frustrated Mercury's attempts to record. Turns out you shouldn't ever meet your heroes.
The idea that Mercury was friends with Princess Diana—yes, that Princess Diana—would raise enough eyebrows as it is, but in the mid '80s, the two of them were hanging out with actress Cleo Rocos and comedian Kenny Everett when Diana found out they were heading to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern that night. The Tavern was the most famous gay venue in London during that time, and Diana figured she'd had a long day and wanted to join them for a drink. To make sure she didn't spark a riot, Mercury and Everett dressed her in drag, with Rocos later amusedly reflecting that they were trying to make Princess Di look like a "gay male model". Apparently, though, the disguise worked! Everyone in the Tavern freaked out to have Freddie Mercury amongst them, not even realizing that Princess friggin' Di was standing nearby, ordering a white wine. Talk about a missed opportunity!
I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend. - Freddie Mercury.
Although... I thought I saw an interview where Freddie denied "Boehemian Rhapsody " as his coming out song? I could be wrong.
Quite an insightful look at the band playing. Brian May playing the solo and Freddie Mercury At The Piano And Sound desk mixing tracks.
Repeating to the sound of the beat?


The Music of the Spheres begins in Ancient Greece with Pythagoras who, upon passing a blacksmiths is said to have heard consonance in the different sounds of the hammer. By this he was inspired to discover the connection between vibration, frequencies and pitch. For Pythagoras the octave ratio of 1:2 is considered a symbol of divine harmony between the lower and higher levels and with the proportions of the fourth & fifth intervals (3:4 & 2:3) the structure of the world can be understood.
Boethius, a Roman Philosopher who lived 480-524 AD at the time of the demise of the Roman Empire structures a cosmo-vision that describes a way of understanding music beginning with the simplest man-made instruments rising towards a conception of order and divine harmony throughout the universe.
As humans have always looked to the heavens, they have understood that life at a fundamental level revolves around the movements of the heavenly spheres. The seasons give harvests, the tides dictate sailing, sunrise and sunset dictate the hours of daily work. These intricate movements of the planets and seasonal rhythms give rise to harmonious diversity. Boethius also thought it impossible that the spheres did not make sound; perhaps this Musica Mundana may be too loud for us to hear or, since it has been in our ears since birth, perhaps we are unable to distinguish it from silence.
Boethius also describes a type of music at the level of the Human Being, Musica Humana relating to the Human, which can be understood as how our different aspects (body, soul & spirit) harmonise with each other. During the Renaissance the great polymath Marsilio Ficino developed a type of musical therapy that worked with human psychological states. Also the Neoplatonist philosopher Plotinus described a relationship between psyche (human thoughts and emotions) and music, adding that each planetary sphere attunes to a different aspect of the human psyche.
Musica Instrumentalis is the music of the instruments, that with which we are familiar. It represents a reflection, a tangible and audible expression of divine harmony.
Boethius shows music as an integral expression and means of understanding things unseen. Music connects us to this understanding at a sensory level but it is also within us and its presence indicates latent inner understanding of and unification with divine harmony and universal law.
If mathematics is the language of all things, then music may be the voice; at times a beautiful singing voice, at times an inner voice and at times the voice of a higher power.


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Celebrating Australia Day on 26 January like dancing on graves, says reconciliation body
Neither federal government nor opposition support push to change date of Australia Day
A protestor holds a sign during a march through Melbourne, campaigning against holding Australia Day on 26 January. Photograph: Chris Hopkins/Getty Images
Calla Wahlquist
@callapilla
Wed 17 Jan 2018 12.00 EST
Last modified on Tue 13 Mar 2018 11.52 EDT
It is "impossible" for Australia Day to be an inclusive holiday while it remains held on 26 January, Reconciliation Australia has said.
The independent organisation, which is the national expert body on reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, says changing the date of Australia Day is "a relatively small task" that would demonstrate a willingness to address past wrongs.
"Asking Indigenous people to celebrate on January 26 is like asking them to dance on their ancestors' graves," its chief executive, Karen Mundine, told Guardian Australia. "We've changed the date before – in fact January 26 has only been a national public holiday since 1994 – and will have to do so again if we want to achieve a national date that unifies all Australians."
Linda Burney warns Greens push to change Australia Day 'more divisive than helpful'
Reconciliation Australia was joined by the National Congress of Australia's First Peoples, the peak body representing Indigenous people in Australia, and the Healing Foundation, the peak body representing survivors of the stolen generations, in pushing for a date change.
A poll released by the Australia Institute on Thursday found that 56% of Australians don't mind on what date Australia Day is held. While 77% incorrectly believed Australia Day had always been held on 26 January (it was only gazetted in 1994), only 38% correctly identified the landing of the first fleet as the origin of the day.
Notably, 49% said Australia Day should not be held on a day which is offensive to Indigenous Australians.
Neither the federal government nor the Labor opposition support the push to change the date of Australia Day.
The assistant immigration minister, Alex Hawke, has dismissed calls to change the date as a "top-down" campaign from the Greens, claiming it did not have support from either Indigenous or non-Indigenous members of the wider community.
The prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, said he was "disappointed" in those who wanted to change the date, saying to do so would be a denial of history.
But these three leading Indigenous organisations said most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people found it "impossible to celebrate" on 26 January.
"The National Australia Day Council has acknowledged the varying perceptions of the date and attempted to reframe Australia Day as an occasion where we can reflect and celebrate at the same time," Mundine said. "While these efforts are appreciated, it remains impossible for Australia Day to be an inclusive occasion as long as it is held on a date that some Australians celebrate, while others grieve."
Australia Day row: minister says no 'reasonable' case for changing the date
The Healing Foundation CEO, Richard Weston, said 26 January, the anniversary of the arrival of the first fleet, was "a reminder of the pain and loss caused by 230 years of dispossession, dislocation and mistreatment".
"It is impossible to celebrate when it brings to mind the deep hurt borne by our ancestors and how that suffering continues to impact today," Weston said. "Changing the date won't make the problems in our communities disappear but acknowledging the wrongs of the past is important for healing to occur."
National Congress said the current date of Australia Day was "not compatible with reconciliation".
History of Australia Day
Why is Australia Day held on 26 January?
26 January 1788 was the day the first fleet pulled into Sydney Cove and planted a British flag in the soil. They arrived in Botany Bay about a week earlier.
It was first celebrated as a public holiday in 1818, on the 30th anniversary of that landing. The day was known variously as "foundation day," "anniversary day" or "first landing" until 1946, when commonwealth and state governments agreed they should all celebrate the anniversary of British colonisation on the same day, and that day should be called "Australia Day".
The public holiday was not consistently held on 26 January until 1994, but was generally used to create a long weekend within that week.
It has been recognised as a day of protest by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people since at least 1938, when a national day of mourning was held during the sesquicentenary celebrations in Sydney.
Photograph: Chris Hopkins/Getty Images AsiaPac
"'There are 364 other days that would be more suitable for reconciliation, provided our history is understood and respected," its co-chair Rod Little said.
Labor MP Linda Burney, the first Indigenous woman in the federal lower house, said 26 January was "extremely painful" for Indigenous Australians but the push from the Greens "could end up being more divisive than helpful".
Burney said Australia Day should be an opportunity for truth-telling and reflection.She called for the government to enact the reforms proposed in the Uluru Statement, which included a truth-telling and treaty-making commission.


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Soldiers come home in time for Christmas
By Jed Boal and Tom Callan | Posted - Dec. 23, 2008 at 6:20 p.m.
Just in time for Christmas, 14 soldiers of the Utah National Guard returned home to Utah today after serving nearly 12 months in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
First Lt. Will Biesinger is glad to complete his mission in Afghanistan. His family expected him home next month. "Santa Claus came early this year. He came early and unannounced to Afghanistan for security reasons. We just jumped in the sleigh with him and came home," he said.
Now it's time to hug those too young to understand and share emotions with those who will never forget. "It's been a shopping marathon that had to happen. We were going to have Christmas in January, but we're ready. Now it feels like Christmas," Beisinger's wife, Julie, said.
In Afghanistan last fall, the 14 soldiers made up an Embedded Training Team. They mentored a new battalion in the Afghan National Army so they could take on the Taliban.
"They're starting to become more and more aggressive, especially along the Pakistani border. It is a dangerous situation," Maj. Tyler Smith told us.
The guardsmen also worked with local soldiers to build a brand new base next to a massive reservoir. "I think that we were able to win the hearts and minds of the local populous and truly help drive the insurgents out of the area we were working in," Beisinger said.
More than a dozen troops, American and French, died in same area in the summer. "We pause and reflect on those that did not make it. There are some of our fellow soldiers that didn't make it, but all of us from Utah are back safe," Smith said.
The Utah troops left Afghanistan early to make way for more troops. "It hasn't been easy, but it's over now," Smith's wife, Maurine, said.
The new mission for the soldiers: a shopping blitz for Christmas. The families may be ready now, but the soldiers have some work to do.
E-mail: jboal@ksl.com
E-mail: tcallan@ksl.com
Utah soldiers helping Afghan National Army
Jed Boal and Tom Callan
90-year-old Ogden teacher quits retirement twice


In my case I fixed this by updating the certificates by running rootsupd.exe.
This behavior can occur if the Update Root Certificates component is turned on and the computer cannot connect to the Windows Update server on the Internet.
1.In Control Panel, double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3.Click to clear the Update Root Certificates check box, and then continue with the Windows Components Wizard.
For more information and solution from Microsoft, see T734054.
Caused by the computer wither not have a connection to the Internet or there being something like a proxy server in between. See EV100152 for detailed steps on how to resolved.
According to EV100103 (TrendMicro Solution ID: EN-1055122), if this is recorded after installing OfficeScan 10 it can be ignored. Check the article for more details.
In my case, this happened after I installed Symantec Endpoint Protection 11 RU5.
Error: This operation returned because the timeout period expired. - Once I turned on the Automatic Updates, the error was gone.
Error code: 0x8ca - See the information for Error code 2250 (0x8ca in decimal).
Error: The specified server cannot perform the requested operation (or code 0x3a). - This may be recorded if the computer cannot connect to the Windows Update server on the Internet. See ME317541 for details.
Error: The server name or address could not be resolved - This may indicate a problem with the DNS server. Verify in a command prompt (using nslookup) if the computer can resolve the www.download.windowsupdate.com host name. As of March 2, 2010, this host name should resolve to IPs 65.197.197.83, 65.197.197.73.
Install Root Certificates Update (rootsupd.exe) from Microsoft.
1. Make sure your DNS is set up properly.
2. Make sure the account you are requesting with has the authority to request certificates through the Certification Authority.
3. In my case, I had to go to Add/Remove programs/Windows Components and uncheck Update Root Certificates as per ME317541.
4. After all above are good, reboot.
I was receiving error "This network connection does not exist" on an SBS 2003 Premium server running WSUS. Creating a destination set for Windows Update containing the destinations *.download.windowsupdate.com, *.update.microsoft.com, *.windowsupdate.microsoft.com, *.windowsupdate.com and *.microsoft.com and then creating a Site & Content Rule to always allow any request to that destination set, stopped this error from occurring.
I found this event logged when I started having problems with Internet Explorer taking a long time to start up. I discovered that I had mistakenly set my computers time and date six months ahead. Reseting to correct date solved the problem.
See WITP77897 for information about this event.
Error code 58 or Error code 1460 - See ME317541.
From a newsgroup post: "The error can occur if the auto-update feature is disabled and the root certificate auto-update feature in Add/Remove Programs is not removed"


Welcome to the location of our new blog.
We will begin writing here shortly on all aspects of roofing, our experiences, views, and recommendations.
We are open to other peoples suggestions or views and look forward to hearing them.
Our aim is to deliver a first class service to customers, and if that means having to learn new things or develop our service further than so be it!


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2018 Innovation in Music Awards Creative/Artist Nod Joins Dan Auerbach, Dave Cobb, Kacey Musgraves & Midland
Wednesday, April 11, 2018 - 8:15am
With the come-together "Get Along," his first single for Blue Chair Records/Warner Music Nashville, pulling over 130 first week adds, his Trip Around the Sun Tour about to kick-off at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium and a performance of "Get Along" early in this Sunday's Academy of Country Music Awards (4/15), Kenny Chesney has always been a man to put his music where his heart is. With the announcement of the 2018 Innovation in Music Awards nominees, he finds himself nominated for the Creative/Artist category.
"I work hard at trying to stay cutting edge, trying to figure out how to make the music better and take the fan experience to new places," Chesney says. "I don't know whether I'm innovative or not, I just try to give the music everything we can think of that makes sense… and I'm fortunate to work with some very creative teams. To me, this award is as much about the players, songwriters, tech teams and even business people who dream along with me when I get a notion in my head."
For the Innovation in Music Awards, Chesney joins rocker/producer Dan Auerbach, producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell), Kacey Musgraves and Midland in the Creative/Artist category. Chesney is being recognized at an event that also includes music business, broadcasting and touring innovators like SiriusXM's Steve Blatter, Music Healthcare Alliance founder Tatum Allsep, Opry Entertainment's Sally Williams and AEG's Louis Messina among the nominees.
"It takes so many people to make any dream a reality," Chesney says. "When I look at the names, these really are the people who are shaping the future – and it's nice to see some of the people who aren't so out front be recognized. To me, half the fun is what else can we do? Because music opens up so many avenues in so many different ways."
Having spent the second half of 2017 focusing on his Love for Love City Foundation and its relief work for the United States and British Virgin Islands, the man The Los Angeles Times called "The People's Superstar" is refocusing on music. His commitment to helping people find a better place echoes throughout "Get Along" and speaks volumes about the East Tennessee songwriter's worldview.
"I love the idea that these awards focus on people who're trying to do something different," he explains. "Sometimes it's not the biggest, or the loudest, or the most sold that matters, it's the thing that makes a difference. So many of these names are people I know and work with, and I recognize their passion for creating new and better ways to make and support the music. Being among them, truly, is an honor."


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Naturgy JV with Kuwait SWF Sets Sight on Third Wind Farm Project in Australia
Naturgy Energy Group SA (formerly Gas Natural Fenosa) is a major Spanish utility company. Naturgy and its joint venture partner, the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA), plan to fund and build a 218 megawatt wind farm in the state of Victoria, Australia that will be called Ryan Corner. The Ryan Corner project was awarded a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for 75% of the wind farm's output from electricity retailer and generator Snowy Hydro Ltd. The wind farm site is roughly 300 kilometers from Melbourne.
According to a Naturgy market filing, the Ryan Corner project has an investment cost of A$ 359 million.
Global Power Generation is the name of the joint venture between KIA (through Wren House Infrastructure Management) and Naturgy. KIA owns a 25% stake in the joint venture. Global Power Generation already constructed a wind firm in New South Wales, called Crookwell II, which is a 91 megawatt wind firm.
The JV is currently building the 180 megawatt Berrybank wind project in Victoria. GPG secured funding up to A$ 284 million for the Berrybank project with VISION, a funding vehicle for land-based wind farms which was founded in collaboration with institutional investors advised by JP Morgan Asset Management and Vestas Wind Systems.
Kuwait Investment Authority


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Fast Food – à la Côte d'Azur
Philippe and I went out for pizza the other night with a couple local friends. Walid had been raving for some time about Le Colombier, a restaurant on the beach in neighbouring Juan-les-Pins. Desert-island-meets-Côte d'Azur is the best way to describe the place. A scattering of tables perch on the sandy beach, close to the edge of the lapping Med, while other seats are partially sheltered by an artful, grassy overhang at the back.
The owner of Le Colombier is Walid's childhood friend. He ordered for Walid on his first visit, late after a night out. Walid's buddy brought him a piping hot disc of thin crust made from artisanal flour, smeared with fresh tomato sauce and topped with a special blend of cheeses and herbs. Next, his friend grabbed a large knob of black truffle in his palm and began scraping it with a sharp edge, again and again over the pizza, and then again, adding layers of the earthy delicacy to the late night snack.
It was the best pizza Walid had eaten in his life. Now he and his wife Nada were sharing Le Colombier with Philippe and me. Indeed, the owner swung by our table. He, like Walid, was in his 40s. Relaxed cargo shorts and tousled hair matched his tanned face and designer stubble. We should feel at home.
French menus, I find, are often like poetry. Even the humble pizza is somehow elevated à la française. Le Colombier's menu contained the usual suspects – margarita, vegetarian and the like – but all seemed more gourmet simply because cheese had become fromage and red peppers were poivres rouges. But there were more exotic pizzas at Le Colombier, too, some that pole-vaulted over the standards like:
Diamant Noir (Black Diamond): carpaccio de truffe, sauce tomate, mozzarella, crème de truffle, jambon Serrano – EUR 30,00
Cardinal: homard (lobster), tomate, roquette, œufs de saumon (salmon caviar), beurre maître d'hôtel (fancy butter) – EUR 28,00
La Ritz: Magret fumé (smoked duck), truffe, foie gras, tome de Savoie (fancy cheese), pignons (pine nuts), asperge verte (asparagus), champignons forestiers (fancy mushrooms), mâche (fancy lettuce), œuf de caille (quail egg) – EUR 40,00
Hungry? Impressed, perhaps, by the culinary creativity of French pizza? Or maybe you're disgusted. In any case, make no mistake that these are personal pizzas – at $36 – $52 a crack. (The vegetarian is a touch more reasonable at $18.)
The most unusual concoction Walid, Nada, Philippe and I try is the namesake (and more reasonably priced) Colombier pizza: chèvre (goat's cheese), tomate, mozzarella, miel (honey). It's deliciously sweet and creamy – like a one-pot meal that includes dessert.
But if pizza's not your bag, what about a burger? The beach restaurant also offers the Burger Rossini, which comes with foie gras poêlé, crème de truffle and frites de papates douces (sweet potato fries) for a sweet EUR 37,00 ($48).
The strangest bit about the whole evening, though, was the thought I had as we retraced our steps along Juan-les-Pins' seaside promenade. I realized what a bizarre and incredible menu we'd just encountered. It had taken me that long.
France sort of does that to you, or at least the foodie you, with the beauty of its menus. Their poetry swoops you into the fantaisie of French food, and off you go, headlong, nostrils piqued and taste buds bristling, into the delicious creations of France's famed terroir.
On top of that, the Côte d'Azur – this specific piece of the French terroir – has a way of lulling you into the idea that opulence is normal, or even expected. Where else would you find Wich (pronounced "wish"), a new shop that popped up along a busy Antibes traffic artery proposing le sandwich haute couture?
Love haute couture sandwiches and pizzas, or leave them, there's a broad development of the French palate that takes root straight back to the baby food stocked on the shelves of French supermarkets. At six months a French baby tries semoule vanilla fleur d'oranger (a starch scented with vanilla and orange tree flower), mousseline ratatouille and petits légumes – colin (pureed vegetables and pollock fish). Eight months brings on mashed lamb (hold the mint sauce), while by 12 months the French baby marches straight into purées of riz – champignons – sole tropicale (rice, mushrooms and sole) and pommes vapeur – épinards – saumon (potatoes, spinach and salmon).
It's hardly just local brands that promote culinary exploration. Among others, Nestle stocks the baby food shelves in France. In the US that brand is synonymous with chocolate. Instead Nestle promotes baby food in the US under the name Gerber, for whom pasta stars are far more fashionable than anything that swims in the sea.
This book seeks to explain a French child's life-long love affair with grown-up foods.
The introduction of a French child to each new taste, to paraphrase Pamela Druckerman's French Children Don't Throw Food, is like the beginning of a life-long relationship. François, meet fennel. Fennel, this is François. That sort of thing. Whether they get on at the first encounter is a bit of a gamble, but they are reintroduced at regular intervals.
It carries on into the classroom. When my daughter Lolo briefly attended a pre-school in Cagnes-sur-Mer, the town next to Nice, lunch began – even for the two-year olds like her – with three, small leaves of lettuce. My daughter hardly made friends with lettuce when she was two, and I'm not sure the two players have properly shaken hands or air-kissed since.
The next year she moved to a maternelle in Juan-les-Pins. One Monday morning I checked the week's menu, which was posted on a board in the school courtyard. It was hardly pizza and foot-long hotdogs. I remember seeing beignets de calamar (fried calamari) for lunch one day. Another day required my dictionary: sanglier. Wild boar. After a few months at this maternelle, I was constantly amazed at my three-and-a-half-year old's vastly expanded palate come dinnertime. I bought into the French way whole-hog (whole-boar?) – until I entertained a second, opposing thought that, hey, the real reason Lolo was piling into garlicky, oniony Boursin cheese smeared on cucumber rounds was hardly that her taste buds were exponentially enhanced. By the time she got home from school, she was starving.
Having schooled in Toronto for the last three years, Lolo's relationships with Boursin and beignets de calamar have gone cold. Kids are kids in Canada, and the lunchroom menus mostly comply. To quote seven-year-old Claire, Lolo's Canadian friend who visited Antibes last month, when I offered her a new food for breakfast one morning: "I'll eat it someday when I get older and my taste buds go away." The disgusting food in question was a sweet pastry, a pain au raisin, fresh from our local boulangerie.
Claire and her Canadian family eventually left us for Paris, and among the first things Claire, her equally lively twin sister and six-year-old brother saw was someone eating an escargot. "Serious blog material," their mother wrote to me.
What France does, it seems, no matter the roots of the person, is bring out an interest in food. Most often that interest involves a sense of passion, and usually that passion is a good one. I saw it perfectly in Brad, father of the six- and seven-year-old Canadians, as he stood in Antibes' bustling Marché Provençal one morning, hunched over a rickety table that offered a couple dozen knobs of black earth, each the size of a child's fist, for EUR 580 a kilogram. Brad was waving the aroma of the truffles upward toward his nostrils, his eyes closed in pleasure.
La Tonnelle lies on the shore of St Honorat Island, where the house specialty is an enormous spiny lobster, plucked live from the restaurant's tank and grilled.
Philippe says I have to include this other example in this week's blog, even if it happened to us last summer. There's an upscale beach restaurant called La Tonnelle on Saint-Honorat, an island in the bay off Cannes. Here, along a peaceful, wooded shoreline, a greedy diner can order the langouste du vivier cuite à la plancha (a spiny lobster, plucked live from the restaurant's own tank and grilled). Weighing in at a good three pounds each (I'm guessing, as I've witnessed two such orders), the diner – who is expected to tackle this beast alone – is further indulged by the resounding clang of the restaurant's bell. The boxing match begins, Gourmand vs Langouste, or something like that.
What makes the situation even more bizarre is that the restaurant – indeed, the whole of Saint-Honorat – is run by a small band of Cistercian monks. Indeed, the order has been worshipping and tending vineyards on this serene island since the Middle Ages. Tolerating today's influx of day trippers surely is made easier by the revenue they bring in. At EUR 175,00 a lobster, the monks, too, must be licking their chops.
This Antibes boulangerie got Alain Ducasse's nod.
One night this summer Philippe and I followed the passion of a three-starred Michelin, French chef. He's the sort of chap you don't mind following. Alain Ducasse had named his favourite boulangerie and restaurant in Antibes and this, of course, made the newspapers. The boulangerie was this one, just down the lane from the Marché Provençal. As for his top restaurant pick, my husband and I were slightly stunned that we didn't know the place after all these years. But carved into the back streets of Antibes' Old Town, straddling both sides of a narrow one-way passage, is Le Michelangelo Mamo.
The restaurant is, unsurprisingly by its name, Italian. It's gorgeous inside, housing rustic stone, wooden beams and copper pots juxtaposed by candelabras, white tablecloths and upholstered chairs. Mamo was obviously the guy in red trousers with a mop of white hair, the one who remained highly visible at the steps of the restaurant, chatting with the parade of guests whose cars arrived single-file down the narrow road, each diner more glamourous than the next. The next minute Mamo was hopping across the street to clear a table or refresh its linen. The restaurant should be called Mamo's Michelangelo.
Philippe and I skipped over the Mamo burger that came with fois gras and truffles. I guess it's rude not to offer this taste combination in any upscale restaurant along the French Riviera. Our meal of pasta and fish went without any particular surprise or hitch – none of Brad Pitt, Clint Eastwood or Al Pacino walked in, though they all have before – until someone stopped by our table as we were about to leave.
It was Julian, the guy who rents us cars. He's a charming 30-something, even if you'd hardly guess it by his baggy, off-the-bum jeans and his spectacular, shoulder-to-wrist tattoos laced with English phrases like "One Chance, One Life".
Julian was hardly the guy I expected to see at Alain Ducasse's favourite restaurant. He talked to us glowingly about the man Mamo, the succulence of the restaurant's food, the perfection of its wines, Mamo's new spot in New York. And, as he unwittingly socked it to us, Julian was shocked this was our first visit chez Mamo. Clearly, it was hardly his.
Christelle confirmed the trend unknowingly as she whisked Philippe and me home from the airport last week. Our favourite female taxi driver – who's married to Eric, our favourite male one – loves Plage Keller, another upscale beach restaurant on the Cap d'Antibes. But, Christelle said, she and Eric must be careful about the timing of their visits. If they go at Sunday lunchtime, for example, it's hardly a quiet meal. The couple can't make it to their table without greeting most every diner in the restaurant.
Food, I think, must reach everyone who even dabbles in France. But with this sort of culinary passion churning through the veins of your typical Frenchman, there are inevitable cultural rifts with the rest of the world.
Jean-Francois, a chap originally from Provence who teaches me French in Toronto, often highlights these differences through language. The word "abattoir" in the French language, for example, doesn't have the same negative connotation as the Anglophone "slaughterhouse". The French aren't afraid to eat anything, he explained, so "abattoir" simply comes from the verb "abattre", to cut down or bring down. A professed foodie himself, Jean-Francois also was quick to point out, and with particular glee, that the French have no word for "pet". (They say un animal domestique or un animal de compagnie.)
Another difference is how we enjoy our food. An Anglophone's inclination toward gourmandise might manifest itself in guilt or radical food preferences. This is particularly true among Anglophone women, and I admit to ranking among the brigade who asks for salad dressing on the side and omits all red meat. The French, on the other hand, tend to consume everything but in strict, seemingly innate moderation. And on the rare occasion that they go overboard, they make great use of the passive tense. If a plateful of delicious pastries seems to evaporate, they might say, "Elles se mangent tout seules!" They ate themselves!
So we live in hope with our seven-year old and her taste buds. We're reasonably careful with her diet in Toronto, offering healthy foods within a more limited range. Pop and pre-fab cupcakes in fancy foil packaging never inhabit our shelves. Better if she doesn't even recognize them.
But kids know things. The day after we arrived in France this summer, Lolo and I went grocery shopping. Her eyes bugged out over orange soda and Oasis, another sugar-injected fruit drink. She needed the brightly decorated, plastic bag full of MOOVs, individually wrapped, long-life brioches with pépites de chocolat. (These, where gorgeous boulangeries populate practically every street corner!) "It's what we always have on play dates here," she pleaded.
So. The people teaching my grade-schooler about junk food are the French themselves?
S'mores are an intriguing American idea. Photo: Wikimedia Commons
That said, it goes both ways. Last summer a bunch of French kids gathered around our fire pit and we introduced them to the Girl Scouts' favourite: S'mores. I'd come as close as I could to creating the original with French products, settling on roasted pink marshmellows mushed between squares of dark chocolate and a couple, graham-cracker-like biscuits de thé. It was hardly health food, but s'mores à la française were delicious, and I figured they could be acceptable in the name of cultural expansion.
During the last school year the mother of Clotilde, Lolo's French friend, emailed me. There was a cookbook project at school, and Clotilde wanted to include the recipe for s'mores. Could I please share it with her?
I explained my morphed recipe for the Girl Scouts' finest, also sharing the play-on-words about always wanting "some-more". What came back in published format was this:
Recette américaine des S'mores
("j'en veux plus") (which, if I may interject, is the literal translation of "I want some more")
8 biscuits "petit-beurre"
4 carrés de chocolat au lait
4 grosses guimauves
Placez un carré de chocolat sur un biscuit.
Mettez une grosse guimauve sur le chocolat.
Placez un autre biscuit sur le dessus en pressant doucement.
Enveloppez le S'mores dans du papier d'aluminium.
Grillez sur le barbecue à temperature moyenne-élevée de 4 à 5 minutes.
The recipe hardly needs translating, except to say that the fourth step involves wrapping the uncooked s'mores in aluminium foil and, step five, grilling them on the barbeque at a medium-high temperature for somewhere between 4 and 5 minutes.
The founder of Girl Scouts would be giggling in her grave.
It was hardly pizza with foie gras or truffles, but Philippe had a different take. "Very upscale s'mores," he said. "You don't even have to get dirty. Only the French can do that."
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USDA Awards $30 Million in Grants for Food Safety & Plant Health Improvements
President's 2017 budget request will propose to fully fund USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative.
DuPont Nutrition Expands Partnership with Tech Company Plug and Play
FMCG Gurus Discusses 2021 Food, Beverage, and Supplement Trends
FoodChain ID Introduces Vegetarian, Plant-Based, and Vegan Certification
Ingredients By Nature Partners with Galam to Distribute New Prebiotic Fiber
The USDA has awarded $30.1 million in competitive grants to fund 80 research projects to improve food safety, reduce antibiotic resistance in food, and increase the resilience of plants in the face of climate change. The grants are made possible through USDA's Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI), the nation's peer-reviewed grants program for fundamental and applied agricultural sciences.
In addition to the awards, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Dr. John P. Holdren, President Obama's Science and Technology Advisor and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy announced that the President's 2017 Budget will invest a total of $700 million for AFRI, the fully authorized funding level established by Congress in the 2008 Farm Bill. In the seven years since AFRI was established, the program has led to discoveries in agriculture to combat childhood obesity, improve and sustain rural economic growth, address water availability issues, increase food production, find new sources of energy, mitigate the impacts of climate variability and enhance resiliency of our food systems, and ensure food safety.
"In the face of diminishing land and water resources and increasingly variable climatic conditions, food production must increase to meet the demands of world population projected to pass 9 billion by 2050," said Secretary Vilsack. "Funding in research to respond to these challenges should be considered as an investment in our nation's future, an investment which will pay big dividends in the years to come."
Since its creation, AFRI has been funded at less than half the levels established in the 2008 Farm Bill, and USDA has only been able to fund one out of 10 research proposals presented. While grants awarded to universities, non-profits, community groups, businesses, foundations, associations, and federal agency and international partnerships have led to significant achievements that address critical issues related to agriculture, food, the environment, and communities, thousands of innovative research proposals have been left unfunded.
"Science, technology, and innovation are essential to meeting virtually every challenge our Nation faces, which is why the Administration has consistently supported increasing Federal investments in R&D," said Dr. Holdren. "Further strengthening our investments in agricultural research will be essential for U.S. farmers to be able to keep the Nation's food supply abundant, healthy, reliable, and sustainable through the 21st century. That's why the President's forthcoming 2017 budget request doubles funding for the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative to the full authorized level of $700 million."
AFRI grants are administered by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which is making the awards through funding provided in fiscal year 2015. NIFA is awarding $15.1 million to fund 35 projects in AFRI's Food Safety area, focused on enhancing food safety through improved processing technologies, effective mitigation strategies for antimicrobial resistance, improving food safety, and improving food quality. $3.4 million of this funding will be used to address antimicrobial resistance throughout the food chain. Since 2009, more than $82 million in food safety research and extension grants has been awarded through AFRI.
NIFA is also awarding $15 million to universities, laboratories, and research organizations to fund 45 projects in AFRI's Plant Health and Production and Plant Products area. These grants focus on plant breeding for agricultural production; plant growth and development, composition, and stress tolerance; and photosynthesis and nutrient use in agricultural plants.
Since AFRI's creation, NIFA has awarded more than $89 million to solve challenges related to plant health and production. Additional grants for studies and outreach that address plant protection against microbes, insects, and weeds will be announced later this year.
FoodChain ID Licenses Tool to Identify and Prevent Food Fraud Risks
NSF International Appoints VPs of Food and Business Development
Wiley Companies Gains FSSC 22000 Certification
Black Elderberry: A New Age of Science & Quality
SunOpta Names New President and CEO
FDA to Make Adverse Event Report Data Public
Consumers More Educated, But Still Concerned About GMOs
Cargill Opens Innovation Center in China
Bergstrom Nutrition Receives ISO 9001:2015 Certification
Brexit Implications for Organic Trade
Breaking News | Cardiovascular Health | Dietary Supplements | Digestive Health | Healthcare Trends | Healthy Aging | Inflammation | Probiotics & Prebiotics | Research | Research News
Review Highlights Gut Microbiome's Influence on CVD Risk Factors
Several studies suggest that certain gut metabolites could ameliorate atherosclerosis, inflammation, obesity, insulin resistance, and more.
Breaking News | Cardiovascular Health | Dietary Supplements | Healthcare Trends | Medical Nutrition | Natural/Organic | Omega-3s | Research | Research News
Omega-3s Improve Vascular Stiffness in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
While these preliminary findings are promising, more research is needed to substantiate omega-3s' vasoprotective properties.
Breaking News | Dairy-Based Ingredients | Dietary Supplements | Energy | Fatty Acids | Healthcare Trends | Healthy Aging | Inflammation | Medical Nutrition | Natural/Organic | Products | Research
C15:0, a pure fatty acid found in butter, is believed to enhance mitochondrial function and cellular resilience.
Breaking News | Consumer Trends | Dietary Supplements | Digestive Health | Immune Function | Infant & Children's Health | Inflammation | Probiotics & Prebiotics | Research | Supplier News
Probiotic DE111 Shown to Support Immune Response in Daycare-Attending Children
Following a similar observational study, this ingredient was shown to directly improve GI and respiratory infection symptoms.
Breaking News | Functional Foods & Beverages | Healthcare Trends | Proteins, Peptides, Amino Acids | Research | Research News | Weight Management/Weight Loss
The authors observed significant differences in fat oxidation, hunger suppression, and metabolic profile post-exercise.


October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. With one in four women in the U.S. experiencing abuse in their lifetime, Mary Kay will be sharing one story from a domestic violence survivor every week during October to help raise awareness of this important issue. This week's story is from Mary Kay Independent Senior Sales Director, Shannon Buckmaster.
When Shannon was a young college graduate about to get married, she thought she had the whole world in front of her. Watch Shannon's story to see how she overcame an abusive partner with mental illness to give herself, and her young daughter, the lives they deserve.


My name is Stanaslava and I am a fully qualified and BABCP Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist with Think CBT. I have over eight years' experience in the treatment of a wide range of complex psychological, behavioural and emotional problems and I have worked in primary and secondary mental health services including IAPT, Early Intervention in Psychosis and Community Mental Health.
My primary interests are in the treatment of depression and common anxiety disorders and I have additional specialist training / qualifications in treatment of single, multiple and developmental / complex trauma as well as long standing relationship problems and chronic or treatment resistant psychological difficulties.
My approach to therapy is person centred and I have a warm, understanding and encouraging personal style. I work with adults and older adults.
I also hold an MSc in Occupational Psychology and certification to practice as a Test User in the area of Work & Organisational Assessment (Occupational, Ability and Personality). I abide by the professional and ethical standards laid down by the BABCP, EMDR Europe, International Society of Schema Therapy and European Federation of Psychologists' Association. I have full professional indemnity and a current DBS.


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Ceropegia rendallii ist eine Pflanzenart aus der Unterfamilie der Seidenpflanzengewächse (Asclepiadoideae).

Merkmale

Vegetative Merkmale
Ceropegia rendallii ist eine ausdauernde krautige Pflanze mit einem knolligen Wurzelstock. Die Wurzelknolle ist abgeflacht und misst im Durchmesser 2 bis 7 cm. Gelegentlich kommen auch Nebenknollen vor. Die windenden, unterschiedlich robusten Triebe werden bis zu einem Meter lang. Sie messen im Querschnitt 1 bis 2 mm und sind grün, im Alter werden sie rötlich. Die Blätter sind kurz gestielt. Der Blattstiel ist schlank. Die Blattspreite ist breit-eiförmig bis herzförmig, der Apex ist stachelspitzig ausgezogen. Die Maße sind: 1 bis 3 cm in der Länge und 1 bis 1,5 cm in der Breite. Die ersten Blätter eines Triebes sind deutlich größer als die später gebildeten Blätter. Die etwas fleischigen Blätter sind auf der Oberseite grün, auf der Unterseite graugrün.

Blütenstand und Blüten
Der langlebige Blütenstand ist kurz gestielt, die bis zu fünf Blüten erscheinen nacheinander aus dem Blütenstandsstiel. Die zwittrigen Blüten sind zygomorph und fünfzählig mit doppelter Blütenhülle. Die Blüten sitzen auf kurzen 3 bis 6 mm langen Stielen. Die Kelchblätter
sind pfriemlich und 2 bis 3 mm lang. Die weißlich-grünliche Blütenkrone ist 1,8 bis 2,8 cm hoch und annähernd gerade bis leicht gebogen. Der zylindrische Kronkessel misst 5 mm in der Länge und 3 mm im Durchmesser. Die obere Hälfte ist fast kugelig und im Querschnitt annähernd fünfeckig; zur Kronröhre hin stark eingeengt. Dieser Teil des Kronkessels ist grünlich mit fünf purpurfarbenen Streifen. Innen ist der Kronkessel purpurfarben und kahl. Die Kronröhre hat einen Minimaldurchmesser von einem Millimeter. Sie ist gerade bis mäßig gebogen. Sie erweitert sich zur Blütenöffnung hin trichterartig auf 4 bis 6 mm im Durchmesser. Sie ist außen weißlich, lediglich die Basis ist schwach purpurfarben. Innen ist sie weißlich mit purpurnen Streifen, und mit weißlichen Härchen besetzt. Die Kronblattzipfel sind rund 3 mm lang. Die untere Hälfte ist linealisch geformt, steht aufrecht und ist entlang der Mittelrippe zurück eingerollt. Die obere Hälfte der Kronblattzipfel ist herzförmig und waagerecht angeordnet, die beiden Blätter der Zipfel sind zeltartig entlang der Mittelrippe ausgebreitet. Insgesamt bilden die Kronblattzipfel damit eine schirmähnliche Struktur mit einem (oberen) Durchmesser von 6 bis 12 mm. Die zurück gebogenen bzw. eingerollten unteren Hälften der Kronblattzipfel bilden von oben gesehen zehn Taschen. Der intensiv grün bis braungrün gefärbte Schirm der Blütenkrone bildet einen starken Kontrast zur weißlichen Blütenröhre. Die freien Ränder der Kronblattzipfel sind mit feinen purpurfarbenen Wimpern besetzt. Die weißliche, becherförmige Nebenkrone ist ungestielt und hat einen Durchmesser von 2,5 mm, bei einer Höhe von 2 mm. Die interstaminalen Nebenkronzipfel bilden tiefe, eiformige Taschen, die mit der Basis verschmolzen sind. Die Ränder sind purpurfarben und sind einfach oder mit kurzen, dreieckigen Fortsätzen versehen. Sie sind innen und außen mit kurzen Härchen besetzt. Die Zipfel der staminalen Nebenkrone sind breit-sichelförmig, 2 mm lang und 2 mm breit, aufrechtstehend und sich zusammen neigend. Ab der Mitte sind sie stark zurück gebogen. Die Pollinien sind zugespitzt-eiformig und messen 200 µm in der Länge und 140 µm in der Breite.

Ähnliche Arten
Ceropegia rendalli ist nahe mit Ceropegia africana, Ceropegia multiflora und Ceropegia linearis verwandt, unterscheidet sich jedoch deutlich in der Form der Blüte.

Geographische Verbreitung und Ökologie
Das Verbreitungsgebiet der Art umfasst das nordöstliche Südafrika (KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo-Provinz, früher Northern Province), Eswatini und Simbabwe. Dyer nennt auch die Provinz Maputo in Südmosambik. In der winterlichen Trockenzeit sterben die Triebe ab und treiben bei Regen im Frühjahr neu aus.

Nutzung durch den Menschen
In Botswana werden die Wurzelknollen von der einheimischen Bevölkerung gesammelt und gegessen.

Taxonomie
Die Art wurde von Nicholas Edward Brown im März 1894 beschrieben und nach dem Sammler des Holotypus P. Rendall benannt. Ein jüngeres Synonym ist Ceropegia galpinii Schltr. (Juni 1894).

Literatur
 Ulrich Meve: Ceropegia. In: Focke Albers, Ulrich Meve (Hrsg.): Sukkulentenlexikon Band 3 Asclepiadaceae (Seidenpflanzengewächse). S. 61–107, Eugen Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2002. ISBN 3-8001-3982-0

Einzelnachweise

Leuchterblumen
rendallii


So if you have been following me on social media lately you will realise that…I just got engaged! But after saying YES, what's next? With the rising cost of weddings these days, I'm determined not to start my new married life in debt. Thankfully, I have Groupon to thank for making preps for my special big day a whole lot easier and affordable.
Here are some of the ways I'm getting more bang for my buck as we count down to my big day!
Although some may opt for the, I guess I'm abit on the traditional side so I prefer sending personalized wedding invites to my friends and family. And I've discovered the awesomeness that is Shutterfly; where they have almost 400 designs and customizations to reflect your unique touch and saving you the trouble of hiring a graphic designer. Sweet!
While we've mostly settled what to wear for the wedding, most bridal boutiques do not include jewellery and accessories into the mix. Since I decided to reserve most of my finances for other aspects of the wedding, costume jewellery is my economical alternative. Not compromising on style, I found some stunning picks from Swaroski.
Another important part of the wedding I'm loving and taking pride in is getting the perfect gift for our beloved friends and families. I don't believe in giving tacky ones like toothpick holders or mugs that would be awkward to use: instead I am opting for elegant yet useful ones from personalcreations.com.
4) Post wedding: Honey Moon!
With all the costs incurred into creating a memorable wedding, looking for affordable air fares can be a bit daunting. I've been looking at several flight ticket sites but either the sites are too much information overload, or that they offer very much the same prices as its competitors. But with GroupOn, I can enjoy further savings on 2 of the flight ticket sites which offers some of the best rates I've found so far.
I found that Travelocity has very attractive flash sales, especially on hotels and car rentals…which is very handy if you are heading to places like Australia where distances are far and walking is not an option!
But I personally prefer Greatvaluevacations of the two; because they categorize their packages by interests like historical or culinary rather than the usual destination-based, which is particularly helpful if its your first time visiting a country. Plus they also have packages with all-in amenities so you don't have to stress on booking the smaller things separately!
So there you have, my mini-guide to help making your wedding more affordable; because a great one does not mean it has to come with a big price tag! What other ways can you suggest for cost cut for your big day?
Do share with me in the comment section below!