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Lina Ng On Getting Recognised In Public: "My Kids Would Say 'Wah, You Popular Meh?'"
The bubbly actress tells all about her family, her return to acting, and going home to do housework after the Star Awards.
By Kendra Tan
Updated 13 Apr 2019 22:00
If there's something Lina Ng fears, it's walking the flight of 50 steps at the Mediacorp atrium during the Star Awards. Fumbling around in her heels during our photoshoot, the 44-year-old actress psyches herself up for the big day by having a conversation with herself.
"I'm afraid that I would shake during the awards because I'm so nervous!"
"It's been so long, all these things feel strange to me!"
"Walk up the stairs in my heels? My legs are wobbly!"
"What if I fall down? The other artistes are used to it lah, but we are first timers…. Okay, okay. I won't think about it anymore."
You get the point.
[PHOTOS: BRYAN LIM}
In Lion Mums, Lina plays a stay-at-home mum facing divorce and an angsty son
We wanted to catch up with Lina at the unveiling of the Star Awards telepoll numbers last month, but the star was nowhere to be found after the press con. Apparently, she had hurried off immediately after the event "to watch [her] son's polo game". There's no doubt that Lina is a loving and supportive mum. After all, the actress, who works on an ad hoc basis now, left showbiz at the peak of her popularity to become a stay-at-home mum.
When we finally got the chance to talk to Lina this week, it felt as though we were meeting a close friend we haven't talked to in a long time. (And this is our first time meeting her.) Our 35-minute chat was filled with her boisterous laughter, as she tells us that her "kids don't believe that [she's] a popular actress". She would later go on to excitedly tell us about an upcoming drama she's filming, The Driver, where she plays the head of a drug-trafficking syndicate. It's her first baddie role, and it was pretty obvious that she's looking forward to getting down and dirty with all the stunt-work.
Oh, and give the former childcare worker her sneakers anytime. Right after our shoot, she swaps out her uncomfortable heels for a pair of Onitsuka Tigers.
"Not being in showbiz has taught me to be very real. I got to experience everything that's different from ithe 'atas' artiste life, so I've never regretted my decision [to leave showbiz]," the super down-to-earth star tells us.
Lion mum = smarter kids?
You wouldn't think that the Lion Mums star is a lion mum in real life though. She admits to caning her kids and that she once left her middle son alone in a foreign country to "scare" him into learning the importance of misbehaving... but more on this later.
Lina, who is married to former national bowler Mike Lam, has three sons: 15-year-old Jeriel, 13-year- old Joel and Samuel, eight. Unsurprisingly, her sons are all pretty high achievers in school. Her eldest "prince", Jeriel, is currently studying in Raffles Institution, while his two younger brothers are in Anglo-Chinese School. The trio have many academic achievements, which you will know when you scroll through her Instagram (@linang56).
Lina and her family celebrating Jeriel's 15th birthday
8 DAYS: Would you say you're a lion mum in real life?
LINA NG: Yes, every mother would be a lion mum to her kids at a certain point. And also to their husbands sometimes 'cos they can act like kids too. (Laughs) I was a lion mum to my kids when they were much younger 'cos they were unable to make the right decisions by themselves.
How about now?
Okay, there are three stages to my parenting. The first one would be the lion mum stage, where I just tell them what to do. You have to be the lion mum to guide them. Now that they're growing up, we've come to the second stage where I will suggest and lead them. The last stage would be me suggesting and then they make their own choices. My first two kids are in secondary school now, and I have an 8-year-old who I have to tell what to do. Of course, I will explain to him the reason behind my suggestions lah.
A strict disciplinarian
What do you think about lion mums?
I had a really bad temper when I was young, but if you look at people with such "lion mum" character, they are actually quite soft-hearted inside. They can really scold you and punish you, and then they'll regret what they did like crazy. They will do everything to mend back the relationship, and the sayang-ing will be more than the scolding itself.
Have you ever punished your son so badly and then had to make it up to him?
I've shared with others a lot about caning, and I admit that I used to cane my second child a lot. There was an incident where I tried to use extreme methods to "scare" my child so that he would learn the importance of sticking to us.
Jetting off
Pray tell.
We were on holiday in Australia before our youngest son was born. And as you know, children love to run around and get lost. So we told them that they need to stick to us in case they got lost. Joel didn't care and continued to run around. We got so angry, we left him at a corner, told him to sit there while we walked away. We were hoping that Joel would get scared, and run after us. I mean, that would be the typical reaction of any kid, right! (Laughs) But no! This kid is so stubborn, he just sat there and refused to follow us. We also didn't want to give in, so we continued walking away. When we reached the car park, there was still no movement from the kid. We even hid in the car to watch him! Seriously. (Laughs) It was quite a distance away, about 200 metres. After awhile, an Australian couple approached my boy to ask if everything's okay. Knowing that they would say things like "I'm abusing the child", I panicked and we ran all the way back. (Laughs) We told the couple that we were just punishing him and they gave us the look of disdain. (Laughs) So in the end we lost, lah. (Laughs) Joel was only four when this thing happened, but up till this day, he still remembers it very clearly and uses it to guilt trip me occasionally. (Laughs) I did say sorry to him, okay!
Lina with her son Joel and her hubby Mike.
The Lam family
It seems like you're the disciplinarian at home. Does your husband discipline the kids too?
He wants to! (Laughs) But because he's working and I'm always at home, so I naturally become the one who will disciplines them. He's more of the fun guy, the one who plays sports like soccer and water polo with them.
How has your relationship with your sons changed now that they are older?
I noticed that the two older ones feel like talking to their daddy more. At their age, they want to talk to dad more because they feel that dad understands them more than mum. But Samuel still sticks to me. (Laughs)
Climbing up the ranks
What kind of things do they tell their dad but not you?
Wow… I don't really know! Come to think of it, I haven't been very up-to-date with what's going on in their lives. (Laughs) Sometimes when my husband mentions something, I'd go, "How did you know? Why don't I know?" (Laughs) Take this morning, for example. My husband was mentioning about some activities my sons were having in school, which I was totally unaware of. My sons then told me that they've already told their dad about it, so I was like, "Okay lor…" (Laughs) However, it's so funny because they'd still open up to me about sensitive issues like relationships! (Laughs) Actually, I am the one that will ask them lah. (Laughs)
Lina with her eldest son Jeriel
So you're the kaypoh kind of mother?
I will ask, "Do you have girlfriend now?" 'cos their tutor said that Jeriel's very popular with the girls. (Laughs) Sometimes, Joel would help me spy on Jeriel, telling me about this girl that he's constantly talking to. I would then directly ask Jeriel if he likes her.
So does he like her?
He said no! (Laughs) But we kept teasing him. Oh! There was once we went on a family trip to Taiwan, and he bought two phone covers of the same design. He said that this is for a girl friend, so I asked him, "Why does it have to be the same design? If it's just a gift, don't need to buy the same!" (Laughs) But I've been through this before. You know, all these couple items! (Laughs) He kept saying that he doesn't like her, and we were like, "Okay, if you insist…" (Laughs)
She rules with an iron fist
Isn't 15 too young to be in a relationship?
I definitely think it's too young. I think he should find a girlfriend only after he's completes his studies and has a job. But in any case, if he really does get into a relationship when he's in school, he'll have to face the consequences of not doing well. There are very few people who can balance both, and now is not the right time.
You've been in the business for 25 years. How has acting changed for you?
Right now, the roles I've been offered are usually cameos, or very minor supporting roles. It is only in Lion Mums did I get a lead role. I am also more selective in a sense that the roles I pick have to be challenging. And the challenge with Lion Mums is that I have is to speak English and film very emotional scenes. I feel like I didn't do some scenes very well, and it has been a struggle for me due to the lack of practice.
You made the Top 20 Most Popular Female Artistes list this year. Where were you when you were told that you got in?
I was at home. My whole life is [spent] at home. (Laughs) I was doing house work when they called. I was like, "Oh, okay." I was a bit speechless. I mean, of course I was happy, but I didn't understand why [the people who were polled] would pick me. I thought about Lion Mums because it was one of the most prominent shows I was in. Or maybe it's because I have a few Toggle shows? I don't know! (Laughs)
How did your family react to the news?
My husband has been very encouraging, so he was really happy. He wants to be my hype man and my marketing manager. (Laughs) I like to tease my kids about how popular mummy used to be before they were born. (Laughs) When I stopped acting to take care of them, they never knew that I was a well-known artiste! When I go to their school, their teachers would recognise me and my kids would give me that look and say, "Wah, you popular meh?" (Laughs) They didn't believe it at first, and had a lot of questions in their head. So when it was officially announced, I told them, "See, mummy is in the Top 20!" (Laughs) My eldest is going to be my personal assistant on that day! Actually, he was also there on the day of telepoll results!
You rushed off really quickly that day!
Yeah, he had a really important water polo match that day and we wanted to support him! If his team won, they would get into the finals.
So did they win?
(Pauses) No. (Guffaws) My heart broke like crazy lah. (Laughs) Actually, I am a very embarrassing mum. I wanted to shout and cheer at the match but I was afraid that he would be embarrassed 'cos his classmates would think his mum is crazy. (Laughs)
What does fame mean to you?
When I first started, I needed it for my career. It helps that people know you. To even have a voice to voice out for certain roles. At my age now, fame is a bonus.
What do you think your life would be like if you hadn't quit?
I would've earned more money to buy a bigger house. (Laughs) I think I would've become a proud person if I had continued in this industry. I would not learn how to appreciate the smaller things in life. My husband is the sole breadwinner, so I needed to learn how to be careful with my spending. If I were still an artiste, I would definitely spent a lot more on shopping. Having said that, I'm very grateful for what we have now even though we stay in a HDB flat.
Have you ever regretted leaving?
Nope, I don't regret it. In fact, it has worked out really well. I was able to witness all of my children's milestones, and be very close to them. I believe that everything happens for a reason. If you are able to embrace it with a positive attitude, you'll be able to live a fruitful life.
Sofa so good
In terms of awards, do you think you would've gotten the All-Time Favourite Artiste award by now if you had stayed on as an actress?
I don't think so. (Laughs) Because you need money to vote, and I cannot bear to ask people to budget $100, $200 to make calls like that. I know how precious money is, and they can be used in better ways. I'm so sorry to say that! I think there are people out there who need the money more, and we should not [waste] it on calls. But if you really want to help, I'd say just go vote online for me. I would appreciate that. To have the award is a bonus, but I don't really need it to move on. If I don't have it, I'm fine.
Have you tried calling for yourself?
Yes, but I gave myself a budget. $2. (Laughs)
Lina's 1996 trophy for Top 5 Most Popular Actress
What do you remember of that year when you were named one of the Top 5 Most Popular Actresses?
Wow! I was taken aback. I was so surprised! Ivy [Lee] was there, [Chen] Xiuhuan was also there, but the actress we all thought would win was Cynthia Koh! I remember Cynthia was really popular then. When they announced my name, the look on everyone's face was just pure shock. It was very interesting to see their expressions. Not that I was offended by it, though. It was pretty amusing to see that someone they did not expect to win win. I didn't deliver my speech well also lah. I can't believe I called myself the "black horse" because I was wearing black. Stupid ah? Oh! I also didn't know that I had to return the trophy after winning so that they could engrave my name on it. (Laughs) At the end of the awards, they realised that my trophy was missing, so they called me. I didn't know what to do, what! It's the first time I'm winning this award, nobody asked me for the trophy back… I asked if I could return it for engraving, but they said it was too late! So my Top 5 trophy is the only one without a name. (Laughs) If I win this Sunday, I would not forget to ask if I have to return my trophy for name engraving! (Laughs) It was so funny! If people see my award, do you they will think I bought it for myself? (Laughs)
She's award show-ready... not
Have you written down a speech?
Yes I have! Whether I win or not! (Laughs) Not gonna tell you what it is!
How are you preparing for the show?
Wah people are nagging me like crazy to do this or do that. I don't even want to go for a pedicure and manicure. But I bought some stick-on nails. I've got housework to do the next day! I tried painting my nails, but it's impossible to do housework because they just chip off. I'm sorry, I'm a very practical person! I'm not going to go for facials either! (Laughs) I mean, of course I will respect the occasion and doll up, but other than that, what else can I do? (Laughs)
A lot of people are going on diets.
No lah! I won't even dress in an outfit I don't feel comfortable in. My stylist always tells me to show off my bare back on the red carpet. But I'm not known to be sexy, lah! I'm a mother already, I just need to look presentable. (Laughs)
Catch Lina in Lion Mums 3 which premieres on Monday, April 22, 9.30pm on Ch 5 and Toggle Video-on-Demand.
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Cynthia Koh Doesn't Know What C.L.I.F Stands For, And Here's Her Excuse
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Star Awards 2019
Romeo Tan Once Took His Parents To A Gold Class Theatre And They Slept Throughout The Movie
Jacelyn Tay's Son Wants Her To Cane Him Even Though He Hasn't Been Naughty
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Pan Lingling's Sons Wanted To Be Actors But They Now Plan To Be Pilots


Happy Sunday! Yesterday Elvis started limping and Nola must have ingested some weed yet again while we were at the hot spring. And my toe nail broke off. So we're doing great. Nola and I are doing a lot better today but Elvis is still limping a bit so send good vibes! 😭 We're taking it easy today and hoping everyone is in tip top shape for adventures next weekend! ___ PS Happy Easter! 🐰🐣 _____ ↟collar: @walkinthebark ⤁ use code ELVIS for a 10% discount!
Happy Easter 🐣 Furiends! I get to spend the day with the family helping them open Easter baskets. I even got my own basket with a soccer ball and Himalayan chews!


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Węgry na Letnich Igrzyskach Olimpijskich 2008 reprezentowało 171 sportowców – 90 mężczyzn i 81 kobiet w 20 dyscyplinach.

Był to 24. start reprezentacji Węgier na letnich igrzyskach olimpijskich. 11 zdobytych medali było najgorszym wynikiem Węgier na letnich igrzyskach olimpijskich od 1928.

Zdobyte medale

Linki zewnętrzne

Węgry
2008
2008 na Węgrzech

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Hello my loves!!! I apologize for not keeping y'all updated with my adventures the past few days-I was trying to make the most of my lay few days abroad. I cannot believe that In a few hours, I'll be boarding a plane home. Did 64 days really go by that fast…? I look back at all the amazing adventures I had this summer and all I can think is did that really happen? Did I really live in another country for two whole months, traveling all through Italy, and making some of the best friends I'll ever have? Still doesn't seem real….
My Italian Adventure ended in Venice, a city dominated by canals, endless alleyways spitting you into piazzas, and tourists (lol). We were lucky enough to be staying near Dorosdoro-the artist's neighborhood-on the other side of the Accademia. At this point, I was completely wiped out by all the museums we've visited this trip, so no Accademia visit for me. Instead, the first day was spent exploring the lesser known areas of Venice, and I found these the most beautiful. That night I followed the signs from Accademia to St. Mark's Square where I….wait for it…..WAS REUNITED WITH MY MOM AFTER 64 DAYS!! And oh what a reunion it was.
We ate at a cute restaurant that we found the last time we were in Venice…and were seated at the exact same table we ate at almost a year ago. Funny how time works like that. Conversation came easy, with all of us exchanging stories about our summers and everything we accomplished and achieved. I told them all about the art show, my classes, and trying to figure out TrenItalia. As much as I loved being reunited with part of my family, it was bittersweet knowing that this meant the end of my trip. But we didn't let the impending return home hang over us. I managed to convince my mom to let Tore and I go to the discoteca with my study abroad friends…..and it al went down canal from there….
Above you see a photo of me posing next to the stairs in an offshoot canal. This is where I had to climb out of the canal after I accidentally went for a swim….oops. After a few drinks and couple of dances with cute ragazze, Tore and I found ourselves sitting along the wall of the canal talking to a few of the guys we were dancing with. I was walking along the edge of the canal and even though they told me to stop, it fell on deaf ears. I was trying to be cute and sassy, but my long dress had other plans for me. I went to turn and managed to trip myself on my dress…and thus is the story of how I became the Mermaid of the Grand Canal…lol.
I made another adventure to Firenze (my favorite city!!) and taught my family how to navigate the endless rails of TrenItalia. We frolicked through the city where I got to play art historian, pointing out all the architecture and art I learned about on my three trips there this summer. I remember turning to my mom on the train back and said "Mom, I've been to Florence 3 times this summer. Most people don't go once in their entire life". Not that I haven't felt blessed or appreciated the adventure I was able to be on, but it was that moment when I realized how unbelievably lucky I was.
Yesterday as we boarded the boat back to the hotel, I looked at my mom and said "I feel like Thank You isn't strong enough to express how grateful I am for this" and she turned to me and smiled. "I know" she said. "Do something with it. Make something happen". Always the one with the words of wisdom. And now I sit in the J.W. Marriott lobby, knowing it's time to go home, knowing my family is waiting for me in Alpharetta, my best friends waiting for me in Athens, and my desire for new adventures still stirring around inside me.
← Making the Most(ra) of the last few days!


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Mario Fabrizi
Find sources: "Mario Fabrizi" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Mario Edgio Pantaleone Fabrizi (1924 – 5 April 1963) was an English comedian and actor of Italian descent, noted for his luxuriant moustache. He was active in Britain in the 1950s and early 1960s.[1][2]
Mario Edgio Pantaleone Fabrizi
Holborn, London, England
5 April 1963(1963-04-05) (aged 38–39)
Katherine Boyne
3 Selected filmography
LifeEdit
Fabrizi was born to Italian parents in Holborn, London, England, in 1924, his mother's maiden name being Pisani.[3] His father was a Vicomte (Italian: visconte), a title that Mario inherited on his father's death in 1959.[4] He married Katherine Boyne of Leeds on 28 May 1960.[4] They had a son, Anthony, in 1961.[5][6]
On 5 April 1963 Fabrizi died of a stress-related illness at his home in Neasden, London; his wife and son survived him. A week before his death, he had announced that he was leaving show business.[7]
His son Anthony is now a businessman based in the City of London.[8]
On ITV, Fabrizi was well known for his role in Granada Television's popular series The Army Game, as Corporal "Moosh" Merryweather,[9] while on BBC television, he was a regular member of the ensemble cast of the Tony Hancock sitcom Hancock's Half Hour.[10][11] His most notable film role was as Neville Shanks, the photographer, in Hancock's 1963 film, The Punch and Judy Man.[12] He also worked frequently with Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan.[13]
Selected filmographyEdit
The Smallest Show on Earth (1957) - Actor in 'The Mystery of Hell Valley' (uncredited)
The Naked Truth (1957) - Man in Autograph Crowd (uncredited)
Carlton-Browne of the F.O. (1959) - Deputy Minister (uncredited)
The Running Jumping & Standing Still Film (1960) - (uncredited)
Two-Way Stretch (1960) - Jones
The Rebel (1961) - Coffee Bar attendant
Postman's Knock (1962) - Villager
Operation Snatch (1962) - Tall Man
Village of Daughters (1962) - Antonio Durigo
It's Trad, Dad! (1962) - Spaghetti Eater
Carry On Cruising (1962) - Second Cook
On the Beat (1962) - Newspaper Seller
Just for Fun (1963) - Diner
The Wrong Arm of the Law (1963) - Van Driver (uncredited)
The Punch and Judy Man (1963) - Nevil Shanks
The Mouse on the Moon (1963) - Mario - the Valet
The Pink Panther (1963) - Hotel Manager (uncredited) (final film role)
^ "Mario Fabrizi". www.aveleyman.com.
^ "Mario Fabrizi".
^ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS.
^ a b Daily Mirror 27 May 1960 p26 "Mush Takes a (Real-Life) plunge!"
^ Pellegrineti claim to fame[permanent dead link]
^ LucyWho Mario Fabrizi and 5 month old son
^ Mario Fabrizi at IMDb
^ "Market profile".
^ "ITV's First Sitcom - The Army Game". 31 March 2020.
^ Perry, Chris (3 February 2016). The Kaleidoscope British Christmas Television Guide 1937-2013. Lulu.com. ISBN 9781900203609 – via Google Books.
^ BBC. "Hancock's Half-Hour".
^ "BFI Screenonline: Punch and Judy Man, The (1962) Credits". www.screenonline.org.uk.
^ Sikov, Ed (19 August 2011). Mr Strangelove: A Biography of Peter Sellers. Pan Macmillan. ISBN 9781447207146 – via Google Books.
Getty Images Mario Fabrizi and Katherine Boyne just married
Mario Fabrizi at IMDb
Fabrizi bio from Tony Hancock online
This article about a British comedian or humourist is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mario_Fabrizi&oldid=1055745556"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Throughout my childhood and going through the various stages of adolescent schooling, I really only had one best friend.
We met a couple weeks after kindergarten had started and our friendship took off from there, leaving us as best friends still to this day (something like 16 years later). Growing up I never really knew Steve was gay, he was always a little different and sometimes I did suspect it, but that didn't really matter neither; I just kinda brushed it off and didn't put too much thought into it.
Even though we were best friends and could talk about literally anything, the one thing that we never really talked about was girls. I'm not exactly sure why… I mean of course Steve wasn't attracted to them, so I guess he never got that urge to talk about them with me. I didn't mind and didn't really care neither, I come from a tiny town with only farm girls basically. So with that said, I didn't develop very many crushes in my adolescent years, since I never had an attraction to the farmgirl type. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all, in fact, I actually think all that was a good thing in developing who I am as an individual. I think having Steve as my best friend and hanging out with him everyday since kindergarten gave me the respect that I have always had for girls and made me a more understanding and sensitive guy.
Once we hit grade 12, I began to question his sexuality a little more than usual. There's actually a day that I'll aways remember, mostly because Steve infused it into my memory: April 6th, 2008. On that day and for no real reason, we were talking about that hit movie called High School Musical. We had never seen it, but didn't really understand what all the commotion was about with it. So while we were on the phone we did a quick research on what it was, who played in it, etc. We soon discovered that the teen heart-throb Zac Efron was the star of the High School Musical movies.
I know it probably sounds a little odd I'm talking about High School Musical now, but what I foolishly did next is the reason why.
After finding out that this Zac Efron guy was the star of the movies, I sent Steve an email entitled "Pooooo" featuring a photo of Zac Efron in a white muscle shirt (The same photo that's beside this paragraph). This set off a frenzy and Steve officially had his first boy crush from that day forward.
Everyday he would literally spend on the internet researching Zac Efron, looking up videos of Zac Efron on YouTube, photos all over the web and all the movies he appeared in. He was obsessed.
A couple weeks later, on the first day of spring break, Steve was set to travel to Ottawa ON, and I was set to head out to Victoria BC. But the day before, Steve managed to borrow the first and second High School Musical from some girl a few grades below us. Then that night, he brought them to my house and we watched both of them back to back. I have to admit, I didn't think they were all too bad, besides the cheesy acting and dumbwit teenage drama.
Sadly the movies had some catchy tunes, which from that day forward would constantly get stuck in my head. Steve didn't help neither by singing all the songs during class, lunch break and anytime he could. He listened to the soundtracks back to back to back for weeks. It was really quite an insane end to our grade twelve year. All thanks to me and my "Pooooo" email from months earlier.
After a full summer spent at a summer camp together, we were headed right into first year university. Not too much had changed though, Steve still obsessed over Zac Efron and continued to sing along with the High School Musical songs on a daily basis.
On the eve of my 19th birthday though, we decided that we would go to the theaters and catch High School Musical 3: Senior Year, on October 24th, 2008. We made sure to catch the late, 10 PM showing as well, to make sure there wouldn't be too many little kids around. But that didn't really work. The theater was packed full of children still that late in the night.
The movie was overall pretty good, much better quality and build than the first two, along with way better acting, music and dilemmas. Although what I remember most is how Steve squeeled when Zac Efron first showed up on the big screen. He was playing basketball, singing, all sweaty and once again, in a muscle shirt as his jersey. I actually think Steve may have out-squeeled most of the little girls. That's quite impressive.
After the movies, we went back to my dorm room as Steve decided to stay the night on my floor. I know that seeing High School Musical 3 that night was bad enough, but Steve really wanted to watch the Hannah Montana – Miley Cyrus 3D Concert (featuring the Jonas Brothers). I felt nice, so I put it in and we started watching.
Now, after seeing High School Musical 3 and hearing Steve squeel over Zac Efron, it did get me a little suspicious about his sexuality. But once the Jonas Brothers came on stage, that really planted the idea into my head. Especially considering the way he shouted "Joe! Jonas!" when they came on stage.
It was in that moment that I asked him, "Steve, are you gay?".
He didn't really have to answer me though, from his actions I probably could have guessed the answer. After being best friends for so long, you kinda get to know each others body language and be able to read things off of each others faces. But I gotta say, the face he made at that moment was like none I had ever seen him make before, it was new. He just got up and walked over to the sink in my kitchenette and kinda just stood there for a moment, staring into open space.
Eventually, as Miley Cyrus was entering back on stage with her song "Start All Over", Steve quietly answered almost in a daze with a "yessss-s-s". After answering, it was almost he snapped back into real life and realized what he had done. He had finally admitted to someone his biggest secret that he has probably ever kept.
With that, he gracefully said, "I feel like I'm going to throw up!".
For the rest of the evening, we just went for a walk across the quiet city, to kinda just cool down and make Steve's head stop rushing. During that night, Steve told me everything he was hiding inside that was never released to anyone else besides his own conscience.
That night really showed me what being a best friend was all about and gave it a lot deeper of a meaning. It also helped me really understand that a homosexual individual isn't all that much different from myself, they are just a normal person getting through life and hoping to fall in love, just this time with another man, instead of a woman.
Usually at the end of all my posts I try and put a quote that I like, so here's all the ones I used during the month of June. There aren't many seeing that I just opened this blog a few days ago, but I hope someone else finds them as interesting as I did.


The Citrus Kaizen Shift Kendama features a semi half-split design with yellow and white halves separated by a green halo. Painted with KUSA's NEW silk paint this tama has a smooth & robust feel right out of the box. It provides just the right amount of stick so you can slap tricks first try.
The Kaizen Halo is available in the SHIFT Shape. Designed by the Kendama USA team for modern play style, durability, and control.


Bungie's final reveal stream for the April Update for Destiny just wrapped up, and today was all about changes to the game-world in Destiny. Bungie calls it the sandbox, a lot of the community calls it the meta, all it really boils down to is how players interact with the game world around them. Bungie talked today about weapons, ammo, revives and Warlocks. Let's hit a couple important bits.
The big changes to the Crucible really revolve around keeping games competitive more often. A big factor to that is revives in the 3-man modes, especially Trials. The update is bringing a slower revive time, as well as adding a strong penalty to revive timers in Trials of Osiris. The big thing is that the quick revive exotics no longer will let you sprint through and revive – you need to actually sit there for the revive. The overshield granted is also weakened, which should limit the revive push back a little. What wasn't changed, or at least didn't appear to be changed, was the potential for revive snipes – which is a big sticking point for me to steer clear of Trials. The other big economy change to the Crucible is with the ammo situation. Special ammo, which was removed from match start in a previous patch, is back now since players were working around that with some weapon exploits. I like bringing it back, especially in conjunction with the other changes to special ammo and weapons. The ammo crates spawn in later – three minutes into the match – and spawn less frequently. It means that using your special weapon is more of a choice – you need to pick and choose your shots. The same idea can be applied to heavy ammo – no more grabbing one crate, and holding down the map until the second spawn. There's now only going to be one heavy ammo crate per game now. It puts a hell of a lot more emphasis on team work to grab that heavy, and spread that heavy around the team. Overall, I like the general changes – I'm sure that there's a few more details we'll see tomorrow in the update notes tomorrow of course. When you look at the changes to the crucible, and combine them with the weapon and Warlock changes, I think the Crucible is going to be a lot more friendly an environment to play in, especially since the rewards are going to be increased.
The main point that I was looking forward to seeing today was the weapon balance tweaks. The current weapon meta has been pretty stagnant since December I think – especially in the Crucible. What we saw today was a lot of little changes, but ones that I think will have some substantial impact. The overall archetype changes I think hit the ones that needed them most – bullet hose auto rifles, the super slow autos, slow pulse rifles, fusion rifles, snipers and hand cannons. I think each one got what they needed, with the exception of maybe a little accuracy boost I would have liked for the hand cannons. A bunch of specific weapons got tweaks that needed them as well – especially exotics. Thorn finally got the DoT nerf that I think it always needed. Suro Regime finally I think has become the dual option weapon it was intended to be. Icebreaker was pushed even farther to being a support weapon. The big surprise on the exotic front was Dreg's Promise. It was possibly the worst weapon in Year One, utterly underwhelming. It's gone under the knife and come out a totally different looking weapon. Gone are the ricochet rounds that were pretty terrible as an exotic perk, replaced with tracking shots, similar to what can roll on rocket launchers. I thought immediately of Bungie's first tracking bullet weapon, the Needler from Halo. It's not quite on that level, but seeing it in action was pretty impressive. It looks like a legitimate weapon choice now. I think the big overall theme with the weapon balance pass was all about options. It's really clear that Bungie doesn't want there to be one or two ways to play the game – both in PvE and PvP. That's what Gjallarhorn is gone. It's why Icebreaker got left behind. It's why Thorn is getting looked at, again, now. The more options there are, the better the game is – variety is never a bad thing in a shooter.
The last thing Bungie talked about today were the Warlock subclasses. Back in December, Titans got a overhaul, taking the subclasses used the least -Defender in PvP, and Striker in PvE – and adjusted them so that they aren't detriments. This time around, it's the Warlock. Nothing super crazy was adjusted – on any of the subclasses – just small adjustments that bring each subclass closer to the role that Bungie wants for them. Stormcaller had Stormtrance brought back a little bit, meaning you have to pick and choose when to use it more. Sunsingers had Radience tweaked a bit – banking it with Fireborn means it's a shorter duration, but using it more offensively will give you a couple more grenades now. Flame Shield also got a little bit of a nerf, which as a Titan I really appreciate. No more melee powerhouse Sunsingers. Voidwalkers didn't get a huge change – really their energy drain powers were where the focus was. Crank that up so that it's giving you more energy, and really building your class around those perks is what the Voidwalker is all about now. You're shooting for extra Nova Bombs, and these changes will help. I like the changes all around – nothing that seems like it'll kill a subclass in PvP, and nothing that really hurts any of them in PvE. Honestly, going in to the stream, I felt like the Warlocks were in a pretty good spot. The little tweaks were all that really needed to be done – I think Hunters still need work, especially in PvE; and as a Titan, I always want a little more range on my punch. That said, the subclasses are closer than they've ever been I think, although hopefully we don't need to wait too long for the Hunter pass.
This entry was posted in 2016 Impressions, Destiny April Update Content, Destiny The Taken King Content and tagged Bungie, Crucible, Crucible Meta, Destiny, Destiny April Update, The Crucible, Video Games, Warlock by Dan Fasulo. Bookmark the permalink.


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Highton is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:

Edward Highton (1924–1985), English cricketer
Elena Highton de Nolasco (born 1942), Argentine lawyer and judge
Hec Highton (1923–1985), Canadian ice hockey player
Henry Highton (1816–1874), English schoolmaster, clergyman and writer
Jack Kenneth Highton (1904–1988), British Royal Navy admiral
Paul Highton (born 1976), Welsh rugby league player
Richard Highton (born 1927), American herpetologist


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Christopher Saliba
Ageing Mirrors
Insights.
Black is Beautiful
Black is solemn and austere; it imposes itself and dominates other colours. Black has strong symbolic meanings and associations, particularly with death in the western civilisations. The colour itself is full of contradictions. For instance, is black a colour? Is black a hueless colour sensation? Black is the result of the three primary colours mixed together. Is black therefore all colours mixed together? When one considers that everyone perceives colour in a similar way, nonetheless, culturally people are different and their intellectual response can vary considerably. This is how the universal qualities of such an emblematic and captivating 'colour' like black become apparent.
Even in the field of art, few artists were so daring to use black exclusively in their works. Artists like Kasimir Malevich, Franz Kline and Pierre Soulages made a name for themselves for reckoning black as the absolute colour. The work of such impressive artists came to my mind when viewing Christopher Saliba's latest exhibition held last July at Le Meridien Hotel, St. Julians. The collection of abstract works, entitled "Defining Confines", consisted of 14 etchings printed with black ink. Like his colourful and vibrant abstract paintings, Saliba's etchings are marked by the configuration of basic geometrical shapes and structures with an expressionist idiom. The complexity of his work lies in the meticulously monitored process of each image that has simultaneously the same sense of dynamism, looseness and spontaneity of his abstract paintings.Saliba's etchings stand out black, powerful and compelling. Each work is a build-up of lines which are violently chiselled out on the surface of the copper or zinc plate. Thick lines are scratched forcefully and repeatedly within the areas that delineate the basic structures of each composition. From a distance, the eye of the spectator embraces the forms in their totality. At a closer range, the spectator realises that forms are not simply dense washes of black colour but rather a conglomeration of an infinite number of lines. The mastery of the technique lies in the artist's ability to create different depths and tones of shapes with the controlled and varied force exerted by the steel point. Subtle grey tones made from faint and thin lines contrast beautifully with dark, black and deep cuts, the accumulation of which surprisingly gives shape to distinct and dramatic forms. Saliba's etchings reveal light and darkness as absolute values and they prove that light appears with its greatest density and meaning when it relates with black. The source of light comes from the bare, white paper behind the imposing black signs. Some of the light areas appear lighter because of the different tonalities of black – even though the actual ink colour never changes.
Saliba first showed interest in printmaking in 1997. He worked with master printers during his studies at the Accademia di Belle Arti, Pietro Vannucci, in Perugia, Italy. He also worked with German master printer, Eduard Schmid. Though printmaking enables artists to reproduce their work in limited multiples, known as "editions", Saliba prefers to restrict his production to just one print for each plate produced. In fact, the artist is more interested in the technique employed rather than the benefit of creating multiple copies of his works. In doing so, Saliba affirms the uniqueness and distinctiveness of each work.
Conceptually, Christopher Saliba's concern is that of defining or questioning the idea of confines and boundaries. Though the black forms created stand out authoritatively and solemnly against pale grey backgrounds, their boundaries always appear undefined and barbed, adding to the intense and dramatic character of each work. The repetitive and accumulative process itself implies the artist's intent of exasperating the idea of finiteness of form, matter and space. This concept consorts with the ideology behind other works created by Saliba, particularly his installations. Among other things, he is interested in expressing symbolically the spatial and psychological limitations that people living on an island have to cope with. Surpassing confines and borders and looking beyond the horizon are common themes recurrent in Saliba's works.
Natasha Mifsud, in Design & Décor, Autumn 2008 issue.
I hail from Gozo, an island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea with a maximum length of 8.7 miles and a maximum width of 4.5 miles.


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By She 100.3 | June 14, 2022
"Keep it classy": Charlie Sheen blames ex Denise Richards for daughter Sami's OnlyFans venture
Sheen and Richards in 2003 – Jim Spellman/WireImage
Charlie Sheen may have had a well-earned reputation for being a wild man, but he's still a dad, and he's apparently none too pleased his daughter Sam "Sami" Sheen now has an OnlyFans account.
According to Page Six, Sami's recent launch on the controversial site, which occurred shortly after she turned 18, didn't sit well with Charlie, who blamed his ex-wife Denise Richards for letting it happen.
"She is 18 years old now and living with her mother. This did not occur under my roof," the former Two and a Half Men star told the publication," adding, "I do not condone this, but since I'm unable to prevent it, I urged her to keep it classy, creative and not sacrifice her integrity."
For her part, Richards, with whom Sami now lives after a rough patch in their relationship, replied to Page Six, "Sami is 18, and this decision wasn't based on whose house she lives in. All I can do as a parent is guide her and trust her judgment, but she makes her own choices."
Indeed, one of the first Instagram comments Sami had in announcing her racy venture was her mom's. "I will always support you & always have your back. I love you," Richards posted.
Sami Sheen promised her Instagram viewers that for a subscription price of $19.99 a month, they'd "see more" of her on OnlyFans, on which she'd upload content "2-3 times a week."


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Kevin Mccarthy Readies For Floor Showdown In Speakership Bid
December 2, 2022 Staff ReporterUSA 0
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) is expected to go to the House floor to fight for the Speakership as his GOP opponents signal their stance is hardening.
McCarthy this week started posturing for a floor showdown and turning up the heat on those withholding support.
On Newsmax on Monday, McCarthy warned that House Democrats could pick the Speaker if Republicans "play games" on the House floor on Jan. 3. He shot down a question from CNN on Tuesday on whether he would step down in the race for Speaker if he does not get support from 218 Republicans. And on Fox News Tuesday night, he warned that if he does not get a majority of Speaker votes, GOP investigative priorities cannot go forward.
"We can't start investigating [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro] Mayorkas. We can't secure the border. We can't lower the gasoline price by making us energy independent," McCarthy said.
Picture : Market Watch
McCarthy won support from more than 80 percent of the House Republican Conference for the Speakership nomination. But 31 Republicans voted against him, and with the GOP winning a slim majority — around 222 seats to around 212 for Democrats, all of whom are expected to vote for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for Speaker — just a handful of GOP defectors on the floor could force multiple Speaker ballots or sink his bid.
A Speaker can be elected with fewer than 218 votes, as the nominee only needs support from a majority of those voting for a candidate. Vacancies, such as the seat for the late Rep. Donald McEachin (D-Va.), who died on Monday, absences and "present" votes lower the threshold that a Speaker will have to reach, and potentially give McCarthy some wiggle room.
But in an escalation, all five of the House Republicans who have explicitly said or strongly indicated that they will not vote for McCarthy on the House floor on Jan. 3 — Reps. Matt Gaetz (Fla.), Bob Good (Va.), Matt Rosendale (Mont.), Ralph Norman (S.C.) and Andy Biggs (Ariz.) — now say they will not vote "present" during the Speakership vote.
Biggs and Good clarified this week they will vote for an alternative candidate, taking the same position as Norman. Rosendale also said he will not vote "present" and said he could only vote for McCarthy under "extreme circumstances."
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Scott Perry (R-Pa.) said he will not make his position public, and Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) has only said that no one has 218 votes for Speaker right now. Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) has declined to disclose her thinking on the Speakership, saying she is focused on the automatic recount in her election.
There is no viable GOP alternative to McCarthy for Speaker, making him the favorite to ultimately win the contest. But even some of McCarthy's most vocal supporters, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), worry there might be multiple floor ballots for Speaker.
"I don't want to see that happen. I can't guarantee that not happening right now," Greene, a relatively recent backer of McCarthy, said.
Biggs and Good say that they think there are around 20 "hard noes" on McCarthy. Greene said she thought the universe of those leaning against McCarthy is closer to 10 members.
As those against McCarthy harden their stance, outside commentators are chiming in against the opposition. Conservative commentator Mark Levin on Tuesday called McCarthy's opponents the "five boneheads."
"They're playing right into the hands of the Democrats, right into the hands of the establishment Republicans, right into the hands of the media," Levin said.
Among the priorities of those withholding support are rules changes for the House GOP conference and House as a whole, with the Freedom Caucus proposing measures that would empower individual members. Biggs has criticized McCarthy for not promising to impeach Mayorkas, though McCarthy last week called on the Homeland Security secretary to resign or face GOP investigations and a potential impeachment inquiry.
Several members of the Freedom Caucus also appear to be preparing for a floor showdown. A group of hard-liners met with the House parliamentarian on Wednesday, Politico reported.
There is still time for McCarthy to change minds and forge deals. In mid-December 2018, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) struck a deal with several members who were opposed to her Speakership to win their support.
McCarthy on Tuesday brought together leaders from several factions and caucuses in the House GOP — the "five families," he later joked — to discuss rules change proposals and procedures for a House GOP majority.
McCarthy supporters Greene and Rep. Kevin Hern (Okla.), chair-elect for the Republican Study Committee, said they reached an agreement on a structure that would allow members to submit amendments for review if they meet a certain threshold of support among the GOP conference. In a Wednesday conference meeting, that threshold was set at 20 percent, Hern said.
But one Freedom Caucus priority to ban earmarks, which were brought back in this Congress as "community project funding" after a decadelong ban, was overwhelmingly shot down in a secret ballot vote. Hern said that only about a quarter of the conference voted in favor of the measure.
Hern expects McCarthy to win the Speakership at the end of the day.
"Nobody worked harder than he has to get us to this point in both raising money, but going around the country. He's done a great job," Hern said. (The Hill)
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Medical bills can be the most stressful part of managing finances on a budget. 26% of Americans deal with medical debt, and trying to figure out how to pay your bills while also suffering with an illness is a grave situation that nobody wants to be in. There is another side to medical bills that most folks overlook, however, and that side can provide you some hidden benefits when you struggle to eliminate debt.
First: medical bills are perhaps the least punitive of the types of debt you can carry. Unlike big banks, which love to extend you credit at high interest rates, earning money every time you shop, medical bills very often can not / will not charge you interest. If you can't pay the entire bill by the end of the month, that balance won't compound and increase over time.
Making a late payment (or missing one entirely) is not great. Credit card companies love charging you late fees and -- if you miss enough of them -- are quick to report you to credit agencies. Hits to your credit rating are a big deal: collecting them impacts your ability to get loans/credit in the future. This is key fact you shouldn't ignore, especially if larger, more overwhelming medical debt looms.
Medical bills often include a "pay by" date, but this is generally done as a standard accounting practice - they are a business, after all, and have provided a service to you. You'll often find, however, that you can contact the medical provider and pay that particular bill any time of the month.
Nearly every medical bill you come across will be willing to work with you when it comes time to pay the bill. In fact, in nearly every case, you should always contact the medical provider and ask to set up a payment plan. It is vitally important that you pay all your debts off, but thanks to the points mentioned above, you should be able to keep your monthly payments on medical bills lower than those you allocate to credit cards.
Remember: the less you allocate to your monthly medical bills, the more you have left over for your hot card...and it should be your #1 priority to get that hot card paid down!


we are so happy to be working on another project for safe alliance. making a home for the hopeful was one of the best things we ever did. this time we are redesigning the lobby to make it warm and cozy and happy. we want these courageous people to walk in and feel safe and loved.
we went to a benefit lunch for safe alliance partners and supporters the other day. a couple told their story. strangers passed each other tissues as hundreds wept hearing about their grown daughter. she was smart, fun, kind, brilliant, successful, and beautiful. a sweet soul who called her grandfather every veteran's day to thank him for serving our country. she was the kind of child we all hope to have. and she was murdered.
domestic violence crosses all boundaries. somebody you know is living in fear. children you know hide under the covers and pray to a God they are not so sure is there. sometimes you give and you give and you give and all you get is hurt. you know if this is you. please call the safe alliance hotline 704.332.2513 right now. you are not alone in this.
we don't fear being hurt. we fear being wrong.
the life we say we want is right in front of us.
we are our own problem. we are our own solution.
if you want your marriage and family to change, be the change.
do not keep hoping and waiting for the other one to make the first move.
shock him. surprise her. wake him up. make her remember why she picked you.
take him away for a long weekend. make all of the arrangements yourself and surprise her.
you are POWERFUL. never underestimate your ability to change everything.
our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.


Design your dream home with your builder of choice, on one of the last remaining lots just steps from Santa Fe High School, Publix, & I-75 in the homes only Santa Fe Hills. This home site sits at the end of a dead-end road, and has tons of privacy with no neighboring homes currently. The property has been surveyed, and is clean and clear ready to break grounds.


In their first performance at the North Shore Center… cocodaco Dance Project presents Statement Enclosed. Featuring three premieres from artistic director David Maurice, Statement Enclosed will be a visual wonderland and an affirm artist declaration of the future direction in which the company heads.
Bold, diverse, touching, and notable the night features a departure from David Maurice's previous works. Incorporating original text, theatricality, and virtuosic dance he touches on and exaggerates the softer aspects of humanity; we go delving once again into Maurice's mind and we emerge with a glimpse into his heart.
Were it Not for Shadows Chicago Teaser from David Maurice on Vimeo.
Founded in 2015, by Ronn Stewart, cocodaco Dance Project is growing into a strong and distinct voice in both the Chicago and the global dance scene.
Our values, programs, and activities are created with respect towards our history, the ongoing development of our artists, and to our place in the community. We create, produce, teach, present and promote professional contemporary dance with the intent to redefine the role of art as necessary and vital.


text:
← A Memorial Day Column from Senator Susan Collins
Governor Vetoes LD 1781 →
Enthralled? Who's Enthralled?
The endorsements for State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin keep rolling in making the likelihood of a Poliquin/King match up in the general election more of a realistic proposition with each passing day. The FreedomWorksPAC, a national conservative organization, has joined the chorus of conservatives across the United States imploring the voters of Maine to send this fiscal hawk Washington D.C. But more importantly, Poliquin has been picking up many endorsements from conservatives throughout the State.
Representative Peter Johnson, a well respected conservative from Greenville, who co-chairs the education committee, has enthusiastically endorsed the Treasurer. He states his reasons as follows. "I have been most impressed with Bruce as our State Treasurer. He came to the job with a great understanding of the fiscal problems our State faces. He has been tireless at addressing the problems of excessive cost in bonding, the unfunded pension liability and several issues with the wasteful spending of the Maine Turnpike Authority and the Maine Housing Authority. His dedication to protecting the taxpayers of Maine and eliminating wasteful and unsustainable programs have saved our State millions of dollars and I am certain he will do the same in Washington." The Maine Conservative Voice could not agree more.
Mr. Poliquin has also received the endorsement of several Tea Party groups throughout the State. Perhaps Bruce Poliquin's candidacy will have a unifying effect, after the near splintering the Party has weathered through the Convention period. What has become increasingly clear is this, with ads running on television and radio, polls which show him the frontrunner in many cases and a ground game that is functioning at a high level, the Poliquin campaign was off and running early with plenty of traction while the others still seem to be trying to gain their footing.
Which bring us to the Treasurer's inevitable foe this election season, Angus King. The former Governor has written an opinion piece in the Bangor Daily in which he quotes Abraham Lincoln. This seems to be the pattern as of late for liberal leaders. He insinuates in the piece that those of us who are clamoring for a return to small government and fiscal responsibility are somehow "enthralled" with partisanship. He touts his title as an "independent" as proof that he is above the perceived pettiness of those who want reform. He brags that he will choose at some appointed time, in the later to be named future, whom he will caucus with.
What the Honorable former Governor does not explain in his piece is how being an "independent" has become the method of choice for liberal politicians to circumvent the political process and expense of a primary, while jumping ahead of all the other candidates who compete in the primary, i.e. Eliot Cutler and Angus King. Mr. King also made a sizable donation to the Democrat Party immediately after Olympia Snowe announced her retirement, effectively buying Chellie Pingree's withdrawal from the U.S. Senate primary. As for his being above the partisan fray, Mr. King had repeatedly made large donations to Barack Obama's campaign, the most divisive and partisan leader this country has ever had; in fact, all of King's donations have been to the Democrat Party and their allies. So much for whom he is going to caucus with, he's already started!
And now for his derision of those who fight steadfastly for a return to a constitutional government as being "enthralled". Governor King, you may think yourself witty by using the words o f a revered Republican against conservatives, but we are not "enthralled", we are engaged. We are not enthralled with partisan deadlock but we have drawn a line in the sand and said "thus far and no further". We are tired, Mr. King, of having leaders, such as yourself and others of the forty years of past liberal domination, exploit our love of peace and tranquility as the means to your end. But it is more than ironic that every time a liberal leader is faced with a crisis that needs a real solution, they always start quoting conservative Republicans.
By andyrt • Posted in Candidates, Politics	• Tagged Angus King, Bruce Poliquin, Conservative endorsements, enthralled, Freedomworks, Pete Johnson


Two instructor led modules – Patient Friendly Practice: Dogs and Patient Friendly Practice: Cats are currently in development for north American distribution and are scheduled for release in Q4 2017. For more information and to pre-register please email contact@vetbloom.com.
If you'd like any advice on on running nurse clinics in your practice, then contact us anytime – Jill will be more than happy to talk about clinics anytime, and there is no obligation to book a course – we're just happy to help practices wherever we can.


I haven't intentionally been putting this off, I just have a two month old baby, so I have been distracted…in a good way. It dawned on me that I'm starting to forget small details and bits of my labor are becoming more of a blur so I need to get the memories down.
Today I got to take a bath, a stress-relieving, relaxing, bath. This was the first time since Avi was born that I had the luxury to break away to do so. Throughout my pregnancy, I took baths four to fives times a week. I loved how he would always promptly react in my belly with kicks and turns when I would soak in the tub and I told myself he was also preparing for the water birth that I was hoping would come to fruition. Today I really missed pregnancy for the first time.
During pregnancy, I had been experiencing Braxton Hicks since about 20 weeks, so I didn't really have to worry about knowing the difference between real contractions and "practice" ones when the time would come. I did all the things recommended to help my contractions be more effective leading up to labor and birth. I drank raspberry leaf tea like my life depended on it, especially in third trimester. I used gentle birth as offered as an option by my midwife. I bounced on a yoga ball many evenings of third trimester to make sure baby was in position, which he had been head-down for basically the entire third trimester but I was paranoid he would flip. Hashtag first-time-mom-paranoia.
Our house was prepped weeks ahead. We had the birth pool inflated and waiting to be filled. Our birth supplies were all organized and ready for the midwife. I had my birth plan typed out for the birth team and a backup bag for the hospital if we needed to transfer. My doula and I made padsicles to add to my postpartum kit that was also well stocked and prepped. I listened to birth story podcasts daily, my favorites being The Birth Hour and Birthful to gain insight from other moms and how they labored and being prepared for different circumstances. Anyways, we were "ready".
What I now realize is that every woman's body is different, every baby is different, the circumstances and environments will be different, so you can never fully prepare.
I think it was around 11am when a couple of my close friends from church, Kayla and Joy, came to hang out with me while I worked through those early contractions that I was sometimes able to talk through, sometimes not. I bounced on a yoga ball, walked circles around my kitchen island trying to keep moving and continued to track my contractions which would hold a regular pace for a few in a row and then have a little break before the next few. Daniel came home from work shortly after that and went to get some snacks from Costco for the birth team to have on hand since things were picking up. Having Kayla and Joy around was a nice distraction and the only fun part of labor I remember. Looking back at the texts I sent to my midwife, I see that it was around 4:30pm when she had checked in with me again and I told her that the contractions were pretty painful and I had taken a shower to help relax through the pain. It was around 12:30am on Thursday the 28th that I told her I totally couldn't talk through the contractions anymore and was moaning through them. The contractions were 5 minutes apart and about 1 minute long and my doula, Courtney then came to help me work through them at the advice of my midwife until they were closer to 4 minutes apart when she would also come. At 1:30am I started having some 4 minutes apart, and at 5am they were as close as 2 minutes apart, sometimes 4 minutes apart and almost all lasting over 1 minute and so my midwife was on her way! Daniel started filling the birth pool.
When my midwife arrived, she asked me if I wanted to be checked…meaning seeing how far I had dilated at that point. At first I didn't want to because I know dilation is not always a true indication of progression, but I decided to go ahead to have something to compare to as a marker. When she checked me, I had only dilated to 2cm but 90% effaced. (Often women can even be dilated at 3cm for weeks before they go into labor). So I was incredibly discouraged that I had been working through contractions for about 24 hours and had barely dilated at all. I did utilize the birth pool to work through the contractions at that time since Daniel had filled it up even though baby was not on his way. The midwife and her assistant left at that time, letting me know they would come back when things got more intense.
So much of the hours to follow is where things get blurry for me and I am referring back to my texts to my midwife to recall what happened. She checked in with me in the afternoon around 2pm and I told her that my contractions had been stacking one on top of the other without a break in between for 30 minutes and I had a brief emotional meltdown because I didn't know how to cope with the pain and I had also thrown up the only food I tried to get down, but then got into the birth pool again and things calmed back to about 5 minutes apart which was a bit more manageable. At around 4pm after my midwife suggested I try to sleep, I told her that laying down was the worst position for contractions so I wasn't able to sleep at all and that I was laboring on the toilet. She suggested that the backup midwife maybe come to check me to see if I had progressed and I agreed that was a good idea because my contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting for 2 minutes long consistently! I was sure I had dilated more by then and was anxious to be checked.
I do have a very clear memory of the backup midwife coming. When she arrived, I was laboring on a chair in my dining room with my doula pressing hard on my back and she came and sat on the floor next to me as I got through the contraction I was experiencing when she walked in. After it was over, she immediately pointed out that I was tensing up too much in my shoulders and neck and not breathing well through them because I was basically scream-moaning. She sat with me through the next few to help encourage me to relax and helping me identify what I was doing that was inhibiting my cervix to open. Then checked me, and I was still only dilated to a 2, possibly 3. Ugh…I remember the level of defeat I felt in that moment. We then had a group call on speaker with my main midwife to discuss options at that point since I had been laboring so long. I could go to the hospital and get an epidural for relief, but I was still determined that I had come this far, I wanted to push through and try to have my homebirth without major interventions. My midwife also said I could take castor oil in hopes of naturally inducing me, however there was a possibility that it would only make my contractions worse without dilating me. That was a definite no, because my contractions were already so close together and intense enough. Lastly, she said I could take benedryl with the intent of slowing down my contractions enough that I could rest in between and focus on laboring better. So we decided to do that and between the backup midwife's laboring suggestions and the benedryl, I believe that was my saving grace. I think the backup midwife left around 6:30pm or so and I started the benedryl which thankfully slowed down my contractions to 10 minutes apart. I hunkered down in the nursery and gave my doula and Daniel permission to sleep so I could just focus by myself on laboring through the long night ahead of me.
I don't remember much of the night, but morning came and my midwife came around 8:30am (Friday the 29th). Daniel was really worried about me at that point and said that if I still hadn't progressed that we needed to go to the hospital. He was concerned about my energy levels and fluids and such since I hadn't really kept any food down for 36+ hours. So around 9:30am, she checked me and I had finally progressed. She said I was "conservatively at 6, but probably at 7". Wooh, that was a relief. I didn't want to go to the hospital. So Daniel and the ladies filled the birth pool again with fresh water because the real deal was just around the corner. I remember eating some apple sauce and drinking gatorade and being able to keep that down before getting in the pool, trying to get something in my system so that I would have energy for pushing. It seemed that shortly after I got in the pool, my contractions came with the urge to push.
I was screaming through those contractions, I couldn't even try to focus on breathing or anything, though my doula was great and kept working through those contractions with me. I wanted Daniel to get in the pool too so he eventually did (I don't remember at what time or point that was exactly). He sat behind me most of the time so I could lean back on him and push on his legs with my hands. I truly thought that I would push my baby out squatting or in a more "natural" position like I had seen from so many homebirth videos and photos, but leaning back felt most comfortable to me. My midwife encouraged me to grunt through pushing rather than screaming (I think the neighbors could hear me) and that it would be more effective. I think it was about 45 minutes of hard pushing before Avi was born at 1:25pm. He was placed on my chest as I leaned against Daniel and we both got to admire him in the tub for about 30 minutes.
We then got to transition to the bed and shortly after I took a shower which was wonderful after my long labor.
My labor was long, intense, hard, and emotional, but I would do it all over again (at home too!).
All photos used here were taken by my midwife.
Before I start, please remember that Daniel, my husband, is the beekeeper of our household and I just help with photographing the journey and in the honey extraction process, so my terminology and expertise is limited but I'll do my best to explain the extraction process. I'm also going to include links to equipment used (or similar) on Amazon for those who are looking for the different tools they might need if they are considering beekeeping. Most local farm stores will have your basic supplies as well.
With that being said, we extracted honey on Sunday and ended up with about 4 & 1/2 gallons! We were hoping for at least 2, so this was really exciting. This is only our third season of honey extraction: Spring 2015, Fall 2015, and now 1st day of Summer 2016. What a perfect way to kick off the first day of summer this was!
The process is a bit time consuming (and sticky) but so worth it once you see the "liquid gold"as my brother-in-law, Dimitry, would say.
We have a couple of different types of frames inside of our boxes, some that are handmade and the individual cells are made from actual wax, some that are plastic with wax coating. The cells are the little octagon shapes in the frames that you would normally associated with a beehive. I suggest looking on Craigslist or OfferUp for frames/boxes, we've found some pretty good deals in the past!
The image below shows a frame that would not be ready for extraction. The bees have only begun to fill the cells with honey. This picture was taken earlier this spring.
Now, don't be confused with capped honey cells and cells that have baby bees or "drones" in them. The babies are basically cocooned inside the cells and covered and as they hatch or are opened, you can see their white larvae-like bodies take form, as you can see below in this image from the bottom half-up. The lower right half corner of this image is covered cells with honey…see the difference? Drone cells look similar to the baby cells except they are much larger. I'm not going to go into explaining the role of the drone bee here since the purpose of this post is to go over extraction, but you can read a general overview about them here.
So ideally, the frames you want to extract honey from should look like the one below, almost entirely capped and filled with honey.
So Daniel goes through the hives and pulls out all the frames that he finds are ready for extraction.
We use this extractor and it does the job. It's a two-frame extractor so you can extract from two frames at once. The struggle we have found is that because you're putting two frames in the barrel at once, there can be an imbalance in the spinning process. Also, we've experienced the handle falling off of this extractor, not sure if all of them have that defect, but it's something to be aware of. It's more of a nuisance than anything, but still usable.
As Daniel uncaps the cells (which is bee-created wax), we scrape that off into a bowl to strain excess honey from later. That wax can also be used to create candles and other fun things, but Ain't nobody got time for that right now in the Topov household!
So once either side of two frames are totally uncapped, we drop them into the barrel cavity and spin them really fast so all of the honey is EXTRACTED and goes to the bottom of the barrel. Getting a good visual yet? Here's a better image of the inside of the barrel from the manufacturer's site.
Once we've completed spinning all of the frames to empty the honey cells, the honey is at the bottom of the barrel and there is a spout to simply pour it out. Now, there are always going to be chunks of wax that end up in the honey so you really do need to strain out at least all of the big stuff if you just want straight honey. We use a very basic method for this, with a straining pan. Similar/same here It just drains through the strainer into a bowl. You can actually use this strainer over a 5-gallon bucket but we never have a sanitary one of those lying around. Who does, really?!
I think I covered basically everything for the process that we use, but please feel free to ask questions further.
One last quick mention, because people are generally misinformed about bees. Honeybees are NOT aggressive and if we can do this process, so can you. We live in a cul-de-sac, not on a farm. Just check your city's regulations and make sure your neighbors are comfortable with the idea but if you're giving them honey, they probably won't mind as we have found. This is so much less scary and simple than I ever imagined. Give it a go!
I'm really terrible at being consistent with this blog already. A lot has happened since my first three posts. If I'm being honest with myself, I would say that I've been avoiding writing because of addressing the life update from my second post about my cousin and his battle with cancer.
Nathan went to be with the Lord on April 20th. I'm still not 100% confident that I've mourned his death yet. When he passed, Daniel and I were only into our second day of our anniversary vacation in Mexico. Everyone in the family just told us that we should enjoy our vacation because Nathan would want us to, and so we did. I tried to not let emotions take over our trip. Nathan's death, though he had been battling cancer for several years and most recently, shingles, still came as a surprise. From everything we had been told prior to us leaving for our vacation, he was on the road to recovery from the shingles and his regular cancer treatment would carry on once that was resolved. So when his body decided to stop fighting, it was unexpected and happened really fast, from what I've come to learn. My Aunt Beth was in the room with him when he passed, and I'm glad she was there with him through those last really hard months. Their relationship needed that bonding time before his time here was over, and I'm so grateful they were able to have that.
I'm rambling…I don't feel like I've mourned his death because I didn't get to be around family when everything happened, and by the time I returned from vacation the following week, the worst of the mourning for everyone else was already over. The day after we returned, they were having Nathan's viewing service so I drove to Yakima for that and went with my Mom and spent time with family there. Nathan looked very peaceful and I let out only a few tears here and there when I would see others crying too. My emotions came out most when Ray, Nathan's best friend, mentioned that Nathan had recently told him how proud of me he was. That was hard and good to hear all at once. I felt at peace in the fact that his physical body was no longer suffering and that his soul had moved on and is now in the arms of the Lord. That following weekend we had a celebration of life for him in the mountains, just as Nathan would want. It was a beautiful day, so many people gathered to celebrate Nathan's life. I got to lead prayer in front of everyone there which was honestly intimidating for me with it being the largest crowd I've ever publicly spoken in front of, but also an honor.
I keep thinking that I'm going to be visiting Nathan in the hospital again one of these days, but have to remind myself of reality. Reality is better though, even if it's a hard truth because I'm selfish and I want Nathan to be here still. "Eternity mindset" I keep reminding myself, I'll be seeing him again.
I was supposed to write a blog about our honey extraction today, but I needed to get this one done first, so I'll do the honey blog post tomorrow.
(Left to right) Me, Nathan, and Daniel early 2015.
I dream of having our own farmer's market stand. One with the best variety of tomatoes and peppers, various jar sizes of honey, and farm fresh eggs!
Only with my husband's amazing passion for gardening and beekeeping will this ever be attainable. Otherwise my stand would probably only sell eggs, and even that is questionable.
Today, Daniel was doing some damage control of the greenhouse due to the heavy winds we had. We have this unique greenhouse that Daniel built and it works well for him, not so much for me. I don't do well squatting or bending over for a long period of time, so I look forward to a bit warmer weather when it comes down which is hopefully just around the corner.
Duct Tape will do the trick!
I thought I would share what Daniel is growing this year so far. I help throw out ideas of what to grow and occasionally buy him plants or seeds of things that I would like to eat. I did help plant corn today though, go me! We cleared out a raised area around where we had a huge tree cut down last year. By cut down, I mean the tree guys cut off all the limbs and left us a 20 foot stump. We were a bit peeved at first, but have grown to like the odd stump. I intended on just planting flowers and lavender there but Daniel thought it would be fun to try growing some corn, so we are giving it a shot. That'll be a site to see…. small garden bed of flowers, lavender, and corn along the fence-line!
Lavender, Ornamental Kale, Succulents, and other lovelies.
Stuck somewhere between winter, spring, and a lumberjack.


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Speaker profile: Dr. Peter Brookes
Senior Fellow for National Security Affairs
Dr. Peter Brookes
As a senior fellow, Dr. Brookes develops and communicates Heritage's stance on foreign policy and national security affairs through media appearances, research, published articles, congressional testimony and speaking engagements.
An award-winning commentator, he's made some 3,500 appearances on TV and radio, appearing on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, FOX Business, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, NPR, BBC, Sky News, among other domestic and foreign broadcasts. Dr. Brookes had his own radio show in Washington, D.C. and hosted major market talk radio programs, including XM. He's been quoted by many of the world's largest newspapers and magazines.
Dr. Brookes is also a prolific writer on international affairs. Over the past 15 years, he's been a foreign policy columnist for both the Boston Herald and the New York Post. He's also been a contributing editor at Armed Forces Journal and Townhall Magazine. Dr. Brookes has more than 500 published articles in nearly 100 domestic and foreign newspapers, journals, magazines and books, including four magazine cover stories. He's the author of: A Devil's Triangle: Terrorism, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Rogue States (Rowman & Littlefield, 2005).
Dr. Brookes served five, two-year term as a member of the congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, appointed by two different Speakers of the House of Representatives, contributing to annual reports to Congress 2006-2016. He's on the national advisory board of the Steamboat Institute (Steamboat Springs, CO).
Dr. Brookes has testified 10 times before six different Senate and House of Representatives committees as both a public official and a private citizen. He is also a frequent public speaker around the country and the world, making more than 200 addresses in 26 U.S. states (plus D.C.) and 25 countries, including State Department public diplomacy speaking programs in Japan, Germany, Australia, Poland, Austria, Ukraine, Fiji and Papua New Guinea.
Podcasts by this Speaker
Class Subject
America's Foreign Policy Challenges Peace Through Strength 2018-2019 2018-2019
America's Foreign Policy Challenges Building Blocks of Liberty 2009-2010 2009-2010


Do you know that feeling when you're at home on your couch, petting your dog with the tv blathering in the background as you're chest deep in a series of degrading memes aimed at teen pop stars? How often does a notification pop up with an email inviting you to spend a week, all expenses paid, in a tropical paradise? Ya, so that happened to me a few weeks ago... It has happened before, but each time is special. You know like a snowflake or your first time with a fella?
Have you ever heard of La Paz? No? I hadn't either. Owing, in part I'd assume, to its seclusion and exclusivity. 2 hours north of Cabo San Lucas on the other worldly Baja California Peninsula you'll find her. If your public school hasn't failed you (geographically speaking) picture Mexico and imagine the large peninsula that dominates its western seaboard and that's Baja California. If you think the Americans didn't want this thing when the American and Spanish beef was popping off? Come on... They have sun all year round, palm trees, golden beaches, fish, gold, camels and elephants; the place is legitimate!
One of the first things you'll notice about La Paz is how friendly the locals are and unlike some other Mexican tourist destinations there won't be anyone coming up to you to sell their knick knacks, or their paddy wacks, and the vibe on the street is very mellow. There aren't any commercial chains like Walmart, Mcdonalds so, accordingly, there are fewer slack jaws in Yankees caps who look like candidates for My 600 Life. And shouts out to TLC for their quality reality TV. Please send a cheque. This and the tranquility of the resort really drove home that La Paz is very peaceful and a great place to tune out the world, take in the culture and just really relax.
Over the next few days our gracious hosts at the La Paz Tourism board whisked us away to explore the more adventurous side of the city. La Paz is known for its beautiful, protected nature preserves and the magnificent, no stupendous, Isla Espíritu Santo! Rightfully designated a UNESCO Heritage Site it comprises 6 islands each more beautiful than the last and each with its own cloak of mysticism and wonder!
But wait, that's not all! We also had the opportunity to snorkel with Whale Sharks, yes Whale Sharks! As we all jumped into the murky waters we almost immediately swam right into one. These mammals are about 6-13 meters long and have relatively poor eyesight. There were a few times when I was right above a gigantic whale shark swimming right under me. I don't know about you, but my general thoughts of swimming with sharks basically leads to death. However, these whale sharks are absolutely harmless. Their "teeth" are basically little bristles off a tooth brush which they will use to filter out tiny fishes and shrimps from water sucked into their mouths to eat. If they accidentally had an apple in their mouths they would actually choke and die. Snorkelling with whale sharks was definitely one for the books!
I was very amazed and impressed with local efforts to protect biological marine animals, including Sea Lions, Sea Turtles, and Whales, as well as their natural lands and corals. Another region we got to explore was Balandra Beach, another naturally protected area. The government wanted to develop hotels around the area but local residents banned together to stop it. I'm so glad they were able to protect Balandra as it is absolutely beautiful! The sand is so fluffy, and it reminded me of walking in flour. I can do sand angels all day long there! There is also a short hike up to a lookout where you can gaze down at the beautiful beach with various shade of blue in the waters. You will often see locals and tourists kayak or stand-up paddle board through the Mangrove Lagoon, and onwards to the Heart of Balandra.
Of course, we cannot forget about the food. We went to a couple of local well known spots around Downtown La Paz. Some of the more unique and authentic dishes I had were: Botanero Campechano (selection of raw seafood, like snails, scallops, oysters, shrimps) from Bismark-cito; Chocolate Clam Chowder from Steinbeck's; Cactus Quesadilla from La Casita (recipe passed down from Sergio's grandmother); and of course Tacos from Rancho Viego. Tacos are usually the most popular food in other Mexican cities, however in La Paz it's Hate (pronounced Ha-Tay) that is the favourite. Hate is essentially a hot dog with bacon and a bunch of different condiments which may include flag sauce, mayo, chili, guacamole, etc. You can often find locals getting into heated arguments about what should be in a Hate and where they can get the best Hate in town.
La Paz is a city you'd want to visit if you want the authentic Mexico experience, where you can engross yourself in their culture, surrender yourself with natural beauty, and experience pure tranquility.


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Q: can i remove a:after with jquery? I got breadcrumbs and its build up like this. <div> <p> <a> so i style the a and a:after in the css
i want to remove the :after on the last a, is that possible somehow?
I got this code and i can addClass to the last element but no really remove the :after
$('#breadcrumbs p > a:last').removeClass('a:after');

A: :after is a selector and cannot be removed. You could create a css class to remove any styling that's been added to the a:after css rule though.
$('#breadcrumbs p > a:last').addClass('reset_link_style_class');

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


More info:The cost of the trip is £11,035 per person sharing. A single supplement applies if required. The trip includes accommodation, all tours and activities detailed above, breakfast and 3 course dinner each night, and driver as detailed above.
Discover the awesomeness of Antarctica on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. This is your chance to travel in comfort and style on one of our fully-equipped expedition ships - The Hebridean Sky or The Ocean Nova - as you voyage through Antarctica's icy landscapes and travel the vast white wilderness of this magnificent region.
Travel by air from Chile to your ship in Antarctica to begin your adventure. See penguins, whales, seals, albatross and other species frolic in their winter wonderland. Disembark from your ship each day for a new adventure - exploring the frozen land and all it encompasses. All excursions are carried out on small expedition vessels with a polar guide to ensure you can reach otherwise inaccessible areas.
Note: The Hebridean Sky and The Ocean Nova are our core Antarctica expedition vessels offering en-suite twin, single and triple cabin availability. All cabins have a window and individually controlled heating. There is a more luxurious expedition vessel offering 8 and 10 days trips should this be more suitable to your needs.
Our clients' requirements are of primary importance to us at all times, as we know that our growth and success depend on their continued support. Having travelled extensively ourselves and witnessed first-hand how tourism can have either positive or negative effects on local communities. We always endeavor to leave a positive mark on all places we visit and send clients.
This trip has a strong focus on exploring natural wonders with the aim of fostering a love of and respect for the environment and subsequently conservation.
- Help Protect Antarctica's Pristine Environment from Non-Native Species. Non-native species are those species that do not naturally occur in an area and have been introduced either intentionally or unintentionally. A wide range of non-native species now occur in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands. These introduced species include microbes, algae, fungi, vascular plants, invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals.
- Be a responsible traveller by being aware of the pristine environment they are travelling to and ensure they do not transport any non-native species into and within the Antarctic.
- We provide guidelines to customers with regards to all boot and clothing decontamination procedures, and we ensure that gear is kept clean.
Supporting local business: This tour has been designed to both operate in a way that minimises our impact on the environment that we visit and to maximise the benefit that our clients can have on the host community. We endeavour to follow responsible guidelines, as with all trips.
Our local partner in Antarctica is a Member of the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). IAATO is a member organization founded in 1991 to advocate, promote and practice safe and environmentally responsible private-sector travel to the Antarctic. When visiting one of the most pristine places on earth, travellers must take special care.
We use local tour operators throughout this trip, and the hotels are owed and run by locals too. This gives the local people an opportunity to gain financially from the increase in tourism in the area.
All guides are local to the destination and can provide insight into the culture of the place.
We ensure guests have opportunities to purchase locally produced traditional crafts at the source, ensuring maximum financial benefit to producers without middlemen payments. Guests will be briefed on responsible tourism at the start of the trip, and encouraged to be mindful of the environment and respectful of local people and culture.