text:
Location: Finding Aid Database Dr. Sue Earnest Papers
Dr. Sue Earnest Papers, 1848-2007 | Special Collections & University Archives
Title: Dr. Sue Earnest Papers, 1848-2007
Predominant Dates: 1925-2007
Other URL: http://library.sdsu.edu/exhibits/2010/09/SueEarnest/index.shtml
Dr. Sue Earnest (nee Wolfer) was born September 19, 1906 in North Dakota. Her family moved to San Diego when she was four, where she spent most of her life. Earnest received a B.A in 1928 from San Diego State College, as well as an M.A. in 1938 and a Ph.D in 1947 from the University of Southern California.
Earnest married her college sweetheart, Lester Earnest, in 1928. After teaching in local elementary schools, Earnest joined the faculty at Memorial Junior High School in 1934 and taught speech, public address, drama and speech therapy. She adapted and produced six plays during the nine years she spent at Memorial Junior High.
Dr. Earnest joined the faculty at San Diego State College in 1947 as an assistant professor in the English and Psychology departments. In 1948 she became an Associate Professor in the Speech Department and made full professor in 1954. The Speech Arts Department encompassed four areas, Dramatic Arts, Speech Communication, Speech Pathology, Audiology, and Telecommunications and Film. From approximately 1959-1965 Earnest held a special leadership role as professor in charge of Speech Pathology and Audiology. She chaired the Speech Arts department in 1959-1960 and then again from 1970 until her retirement in 1973.
Earnest saw the department through two accreditations, and contributed countless hours of service to San Diego State through a variety of campus organizations after her retirement. Earnest founded the Speech and Hearing Clinic and was the director from 1953-1967. Her work and service inspired many who went on to work in the SDSU and San Diego communities.
Earnest's contributions to the community and San Diego State after her retirement in 1973 are numerous. Her direction at the Speech and Hearing Clinic led to the development of a Speech and Hearing Center for the military at the U.S. Naval Hospital in Balboa Park. She was involved in various organizations, serving as president of the SDSU Alumni Association in 1940, of which she was a lifetime board member after 1948. She organized the first pre-1950's class reunion and located over 700 past alumni in the "lost alumni" campaign. The SDSU Alumni and Associates awarded Earnest in 1973 with the Distinguished Alumnus Award and again in 1998 with the Distinguished Alumni Service award.
Her involvement in the Mortar Board began in 1950, and prior to her retirement she was Mortar Board's faculty adviser for five years, facilitating the San Diego State Chapter's association with the National Board. In July 2000 the trustees of the National Mortar Board Foundation awarded Earnest as the sixth Distinguished Lifetime Board Member. In 1985 Earnest spearheaded the establishment of the SDSU Faculty and Staff Retirement Association. She was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Delta (debate), Zeta Phi Eta (speech) and Phi Beta Delta.
Throughout her life, Dr. Earnest traveled the U.S. and all over the world. The list of countries she traveled in include the United States, Australia, Austria, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Sicily, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Russia, Scandinavia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, Yugoslavia, and Indonesia. She passed away on November 8, 2007.
Author: Emily Floyd
Earnest, Sue (1907-2007)
I. Personal Files
1. Diary and Scrapbook
2. Travel Files
a. Journals/ Personal Notes
b. Postcards
c. Country files
d. Photographs
II. Professional Files
1. Theater Files
a. Dissertation Research
b. Memorial Junior High Scrapbook
c. Theatrical Production Files
d. News clippings
e. Photographs
2. Naval Hospital Clinic Files
3. San Diego State University Files
a. San Diego State University Speech and Hearing Clinic
b. San Diego State University Organizations and Associations
Acquired: 03/06/2008. 2009, 2010
Rights: The copyright interests in some of these materials have been transferred to or belong to San Diego State University. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections means that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Copyright resides with the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. Requests for permission to publish must be submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.
Acquisition Note: Lester Earnest
Related Materials:
For more information please see http://library.sdsu.edu/exhibits/2010/09/SueEarnest/index.shtml.
Preferred Citation: Identification of item, folder title, box number, Dr. Sue Earnest Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Library and Information Access, San Diego State University.
Collection Material Type: Personal Papers
The Dr. Sue Earnest Papers document the career and personal interests of Dr. Sue Earnest at San Diego State University and in the greater San Diego community. The collection highlights in particular Earnest's dissertation research, her career as a professor of speech pathology at San Diego State, her community work following her retirement, as well as her great personal interest in foreign travel. It dates from 1848 to 2007, with the majority of materials dating from 1925-2007, and consists of correspondence, diaries, scrapbooks, postcards, photographs, annual reports, theater production scripts and news clippings. The collection consists of two major series, Personal Files and Professional Files. The Personal Files consist of two sub-series: Diary and Scrapbooks and Travel Files. The Professional Files consist of three sub-series Theater Files, Speech Clinic Files and San Diego State Files.
The Personal Files (1925-2007) include two sub-series, Diary and Scrapbook (1925-2007), and Travel Files (1948-1990). The Diary and Scrapbook series documents Earnest's school activities and personal life during college; materials are filed in chronological order. Much of the early courtship between Sue and her future husband Lester Earnest is documented as well as Earnest's 100th birthday celebration. Highlights include photographs and correspondence from former colleagues and friends at San Diego State given to Earnest for her 100th birthday. The Travel Files document Earnest's numerous domestic and foreign travels. It includes itineraries, correspondence, photographs, maps, postcards, brochures, three journals, one each from Australia/New Zealand, Japan and Russia. The files are in alphabetical order by country name.
The Professional Files include three sub-series: Theater Files (1848-1950), Naval Hospital Clinic Files (1971-2005), and San Diego State Files (1950-2000). The Theater Files document Earnest's dissertation research on early theater in Southern California. It also documents the productions she adapted and produced while teaching at Memorial Junior High School and the production she co-authored for the California Centennial. The sub-series consists of notecards, photographs, a scrapbook, correspondence, news clippings, original scripts, programs, and sheet music. Notecards are subdivided topically and all materials are alphabetical. The Naval Hospital Clinic Files document Earnest's work with the Speech and Hearing Clinic at the Naval Hospital in Balboa Park and contain a notebook commemorating the opening of the clinic, correspondence, photographs, news clippings and brochures. The San Diego State Files document Earnest's work with the Speech and Hearing Clinic on campus and her work with organizations and associations at San Diego State following her retirement. Included are summaries and reports on the status of the San Diego State University Clinic, correspondence, certificates, awards, vitas, programs, from the Alumni Association, Mortar Board, Homecoming Gala's, pre-1950's reunion, sororities, Friends of the Library and the San Diego State Faculty Retirement Association. San Diego State University Clinic materials are filed alphabetically, organizations and association materials are filed alphabetically.
Series 1: Personal Files
Series 2: Professional Files


text:
package org.onosproject.vtn.table.impl;

import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkNotNull;
import static org.onosproject.net.flow.instructions.ExtensionTreatmentType.ExtensionTreatmentTypes.NICIRA_SET_TUNNEL_DST;
import static org.slf4j.LoggerFactory.getLogger;

import org.onlab.osgi.DefaultServiceDirectory;
import org.onlab.osgi.ServiceDirectory;
import org.onlab.packet.Ip4Address;
import org.onlab.packet.IpAddress;
import org.onlab.packet.MacAddress;
import org.onosproject.core.ApplicationId;
import org.onosproject.core.GroupId;
import org.onosproject.net.DeviceId;
import org.onosproject.net.PortNumber;
import org.onosproject.net.behaviour.ExtensionTreatmentResolver;
import org.onosproject.net.driver.DriverHandler;
import org.onosproject.net.driver.DriverService;
import org.onosproject.net.flow.DefaultTrafficSelector;
import org.onosproject.net.flow.DefaultTrafficTreatment;
import org.onosproject.net.flow.TrafficSelector;
import org.onosproject.net.flow.TrafficTreatment;
import org.onosproject.net.flow.TrafficTreatment.Builder;
import org.onosproject.net.flow.criteria.Criteria;
import org.onosproject.net.flow.instructions.ExtensionTreatment;
import org.onosproject.net.flowobjective.DefaultForwardingObjective;
import org.onosproject.net.flowobjective.FlowObjectiveService;
import org.onosproject.net.flowobjective.ForwardingObjective;
import org.onosproject.net.flowobjective.ForwardingObjective.Flag;
import org.onosproject.net.flowobjective.Objective;
import org.onosproject.vtn.table.L2ForwardService;
import org.onosproject.vtnrsc.SegmentationId;
import org.slf4j.Logger;

import com.google.common.collect.Sets;

/**
 * Provides implementation of L2ForwardService.
 */
public final class L2ForwardServiceImpl implements L2ForwardService {
    private final Logger log = getLogger(getClass());

    private static final int MAC_PRIORITY = 0xffff;
    public static final Integer GROUP_ID = 1;
    private final FlowObjectiveService flowObjectiveService;
    private final ApplicationId appId;
    private final DriverService driverService;
    /**
     * Constructor.
     *
     * @param appId the application id of vtn
     */
    public L2ForwardServiceImpl(ApplicationId appId) {
        this.appId = checkNotNull(appId, "ApplicationId can not be null");
        ServiceDirectory serviceDirectory = new DefaultServiceDirectory();
        this.flowObjectiveService = serviceDirectory.get(FlowObjectiveService.class);
        this.driverService = serviceDirectory.get(DriverService.class);
    }

    @Override
    public void programLocalBcastRules(DeviceId deviceId,
                                       SegmentationId segmentationId,
                                       PortNumber inPort,
                                       Iterable<PortNumber> localVmPorts,
                                       Iterable<PortNumber> localTunnelPorts,
                                       Objective.Operation type) {
        if (localVmPorts == null || localTunnelPorts == null) {
            log.info("No other host port and tunnel in the device");
            return;
        }
        Sets.newHashSet(localVmPorts).forEach(lp -> {
            TrafficSelector selector = DefaultTrafficSelector.builder()
                    .matchInPort(lp).matchEthDst(MacAddress.BROADCAST)
                    .add(Criteria.matchTunnelId(Long
                            .parseLong(segmentationId.toString())))
                    .build();
            TrafficTreatment.Builder treatment = DefaultTrafficTreatment
                    .builder();
            boolean flag = false;
            for (PortNumber outPort : localVmPorts) {
                flag = true;
                if (outPort != lp) {
                    treatment.setOutput(outPort);
                }
            }
            if (type == Objective.Operation.REMOVE && inPort.equals(lp)) {
                flag = false;
            }
            treatment.group(new GroupId(GROUP_ID));
            ForwardingObjective.Builder objective = DefaultForwardingObjective
                    .builder().withTreatment(treatment.build())
                    .withSelector(selector).fromApp(appId).makePermanent()
                    .withFlag(Flag.SPECIFIC).withPriority(MAC_PRIORITY);
            if (flag) {
                flowObjectiveService.forward(deviceId, objective.add());
            } else {
                flowObjectiveService.forward(deviceId, objective.remove());
            }
        });
    }

    @Override
    public void programTunnelBcastRules(DeviceId deviceId,
                                        SegmentationId segmentationId,
                                        Iterable<PortNumber> localVmPorts,
                                        Iterable<PortNumber> localTunnelPorts,
                                        Objective.Operation type) {
        if (localVmPorts == null || localTunnelPorts == null) {
            log.info("No other host port or tunnel ports in the device");
            return;
        }
        Sets.newHashSet(localTunnelPorts).forEach(tp -> {
            TrafficSelector selector = DefaultTrafficSelector.builder()
                    .matchInPort(tp)
                    .add(Criteria.matchTunnelId(Long
                            .parseLong(segmentationId.toString())))
                    .matchEthDst(MacAddress.BROADCAST).build();
            TrafficTreatment.Builder treatment = DefaultTrafficTreatment
                    .builder();

            for (PortNumber outPort : localVmPorts) {
                treatment.setOutput(outPort);
            }

            ForwardingObjective.Builder objective = DefaultForwardingObjective
                    .builder().withTreatment(treatment.build())
                    .withSelector(selector).fromApp(appId).makePermanent()
                    .withFlag(Flag.SPECIFIC).withPriority(MAC_PRIORITY);
            if (type.equals(Objective.Operation.ADD)) {
                if (Sets.newHashSet(localVmPorts).isEmpty()) {
                    flowObjectiveService.forward(deviceId, objective.remove());
                } else {
                    flowObjectiveService.forward(deviceId, objective.add());
                }
            } else {
                flowObjectiveService.forward(deviceId, objective.remove());
            }
        });
    }

    @Override
    public void programLocalOut(DeviceId deviceId,
                                SegmentationId segmentationId,
                                PortNumber outPort, MacAddress sourceMac,
                                Objective.Operation type) {
        TrafficSelector selector = DefaultTrafficSelector.builder()
                .matchTunnelId(Long.parseLong(segmentationId.toString()))
                .matchEthDst(sourceMac).build();
        TrafficTreatment treatment = DefaultTrafficTreatment.builder()
                .setOutput(outPort).build();
        ForwardingObjective.Builder objective = DefaultForwardingObjective
                .builder().withTreatment(treatment).withSelector(selector)
                .fromApp(appId).withFlag(Flag.SPECIFIC)
                .withPriority(MAC_PRIORITY);
        if (type.equals(Objective.Operation.ADD)) {
            flowObjectiveService.forward(deviceId, objective.add());
        } else {
            flowObjectiveService.forward(deviceId, objective.remove());
        }

    }

    @Override
    public void programExternalOut(DeviceId deviceId,
                                SegmentationId segmentationId,
                                PortNumber outPort, MacAddress sourceMac,
                                Objective.Operation type) {
        TrafficSelector selector = DefaultTrafficSelector.builder()
                .matchTunnelId(Long.parseLong(segmentationId.toString()))
                .matchEthSrc(sourceMac).build();
        TrafficTreatment treatment = DefaultTrafficTreatment.builder()
                .setOutput(outPort).build();
        ForwardingObjective.Builder objective = DefaultForwardingObjective
                .builder().withTreatment(treatment).withSelector(selector)
                .fromApp(appId).withFlag(Flag.SPECIFIC)
                .withPriority(MAC_PRIORITY);
        if (type.equals(Objective.Operation.ADD)) {
            flowObjectiveService.forward(deviceId, objective.add());
        } else {
            flowObjectiveService.forward(deviceId, objective.remove());
        }

    }

    @Override
    public void programTunnelOut(DeviceId deviceId,
                                 SegmentationId segmentationId,
                                 PortNumber tunnelOutPort, MacAddress dstMac,
                                 Objective.Operation type, IpAddress ipAddress) {
        TrafficSelector selector = DefaultTrafficSelector.builder()
                .matchEthDst(dstMac).add(Criteria.matchTunnelId(Long
                        .parseLong(segmentationId.toString())))
                .build();

        DriverHandler handler = driverService.createHandler(deviceId);
        ExtensionTreatmentResolver resolver =  handler.behaviour(ExtensionTreatmentResolver.class);
        ExtensionTreatment treatment = resolver.getExtensionInstruction(NICIRA_SET_TUNNEL_DST.type());
        try {
            treatment.setPropertyValue("tunnelDst", Ip4Address.valueOf(ipAddress.toString()));
        } catch (Exception e) {
           log.error("Failed to get extension instruction to set tunnel dst {}", deviceId);
        }

        Builder builder = DefaultTrafficTreatment.builder();
        builder.extension(treatment, deviceId)
                .setOutput(tunnelOutPort).build();
        ForwardingObjective.Builder objective = DefaultForwardingObjective
                .builder().withTreatment(builder.build()).withSelector(selector)
                .fromApp(appId).withFlag(Flag.SPECIFIC)
                .withPriority(MAC_PRIORITY);
        if (type.equals(Objective.Operation.ADD)) {
            flowObjectiveService.forward(deviceId, objective.add());
        } else {
            flowObjectiveService.forward(deviceId, objective.remove());
        }

    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


21 March 2013: A number of organizations have developed and released outreach and communications materials in support of the first International Day of Forests, an event to be held annually on 21 March. The materials focus on the key messages presented by the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) with regards to: forests and air; water; biodiversity; land; forests and resilience to natural disasters; forests as a key part of the climate change solution; healthy forests, healthy people; and forests are our livelihoods, wealth.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) released posters and web banners and produced a video on the importance of forests in sustaining life. UNFF released the logo for the International Day of Forests, which is based on the logo adopted for the International Year of Forests in 2011. The logo is intended to represent the multiple values of forests and their importance to the survival of people everywhere.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) also produced a video for the Day highlighting the multiple benefits of forests to the environment, the economy and human well-being.


text:
Wicked Sensual Care Nominated Best Lubricant Manufacturer
Maker of Luxurious Personal Care Products Earns Nomination for 2018 AVN Awards!
LOS ANGELES (December 1, 2017) – Wicked Sensual Care, maker of luxurious personal lubricants and enhancers, has been nominated Best Lubricant Manufacturer for the 2018 AVN Awards.
The AVN Awards honor excellence and outstanding achievement in the adult entertainment industry as well as in adult consumer goods and services. The AVN Awards, to be hosted by adult star Angela White and cam star Harli Lotts, will take place on January 27, 2018, at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas. To view a complete list of the 2018 nominees, visit avnawards.avn.com/nominees.
"We are very grateful to AVN and its awards staff for this nomination," said Cassie Pendleton, marketing director. "Thanks to our innovative line of products and customers who appreciate high-quality intimate lubricants and enhancers, Wicked Sensual Care has been growing and expanding beyond our expectations. This nomination is a result of all the hard work we've put forth and the support of our team members, partners, and clients around the world."
Known for its exclusive formulas and clean ingredients, Wicked Sensual Care has been growing its brand into a global juggernaut that has opened markets in Canada, Australia, Europe, Asia and elsewhere with its award-winning personal lubricants and personal care products. Its new Aqua Sweet Peach lubricant has been among its most popular products with its water-based, aromatic peach-flavored formula.
Wicked Sensual Care offers a variety of lubricants and other products available on WickedSensualCare.com. These include the Aqua Collection's water-based lubricants, the Ultra Collection's silicone-based lubricants, the Wicked Sensations Collection, and Specialty Products, which includes toy cleaners and products for men.
Wicked Sensual Care was recently named "Lube of the Year" by SluttyGirlProblems.com's "The Best & Worst Sex Toys" list, which can be seen here.
For more on Wicked Sensual Care's entire line of products, visit WickedSensualCare.com. Media may request assorted review packages by emailing Team@WickedSensualCare.com.
About Wicked Sensual Care:
Crafted to enhance and satisfy intimate adventures, the Wicked Sensual Care Collection offers luxurious, intimate lubricants and enhancers perfect for partner and solo play. A leader in sexual wellness, Wicked Sensual Care uses exclusive formulas and clean ingredients to create the highest quality lubricants on the market – all products are vegan, PETA certified, and paraben free*. Wicked Sensual Care is dedicated to producing conscious products for women, men, and couples, which include natural extracts, such as olive leaf and aloe, providing additional enrichment for increased comfort and peace of mind. Wicked Sensual Care's water-based "Aqua" collection provides long-lasting formulas that satisfy without ever becoming sticky or tacky during use, while the "Ultra" collection uses 100 percent pure premium silicone to create unsurpassed glide and comfort. "Specialty" products include Enhancers & Cleaners designed to boost intimacy and heighten sexual health and wellness. With its elegant and discreet packaging, and whether consumers are searching for something sexy, therapeutic, or romantic, Wicked Sensual Care can provide the ideal compliment to all erotic experiences. [*Excluding Crème.] For more information, visit WickedSensualCare.com, Twitter.com/WickedSensual, or Facebook.com/WickedLubes.
About the AVN Awards:
Over the years, the AVN Awards have become a famous staple in Las Vegas, while being housed in almost every major hotel on the strip. Starting in 1984, the show has grown drastically over the years and is now broadcast each year on cable to millions of viewers. The show allows adult and mainstream celebrities to come together once a year to celebrate the achievements of one of the world's most profitable industries. In 2012, the AVN Awards took up residence in The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and returned for a sixth straight year in 2017. For more information, visit AVNAwards.com, Facebook.com/TheAVNAwards, or Twitter.com/AVNAwards.
Wicked Sensual Care, Best Lubricant Manufacturer, nomination, 2018 AVN Awards, personal lubricants, personal care, Cassie Pendleton, sexuality, sexual wellness, silicone, water-based lubricant, lubricant, lube, enhancers, sexual health & wellness, clean ingredients, vegan, botanical, PETA certified, paraben free, intimacy, exploration, bedroom, creativity, passion, desire, romance, sex, oral pleasures, Grand JW Marriott, January 27
For Wicked Sensual Care sales information, please contact:
Email: sales@WickedSensualCare.com
WickedSensualCare.com
For Wicked Sensual Care press information, please contact:
Email: Team@WickedSensualCare.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Wiesner-Hager visited arge 2, a longstanding partner in product design (e.g. ayo, update, sign_2, arta). In their studio in Munich Georg Kaserer and Michael Spindler are at work in their dream job. arge 2 are all-rounders, with commissions ranging from the Pommes boutique in Munich and Fischer Ski Nordic to office furniture and household devices. Their aim: to define the ingenuity of a product – not necessarily to do everything differently.
Do you have a specific style? How would you describe it – in a few words?
Georg: Authentic, appealing and constant. Our design hasn't anything to do with fashionable gimmicks, nor does it necessarily have to be new.
What did you always want to design?
Mike: A sailing boat. Sailing is my passion, but the boats often convey the pseudo-snugness of a caravan. I visualize a sailing boat with an interior in the Scandinavian log cabin style.
What was your most unusual project until now?
Georg: A sowing machine with large area coverage and a working width of up to 25 metres. You would never credit how much design goes into a modern agricultural machine these days – especially the driver's cabin!
Mike: For me it was the "Ladybird Ball", I made it while still a student. It was sold incredibly often and many people remember it from their childhood when I show them photos of it (editors' comment: we do too!).
Do you ever turn down a project?
Georg: Yes, if we don't see any point in it and if it only means simply producing something. Mike: It's also important that the client and we have the same wavelength.
How tricky is the tightrope walk between the wishes of the client and your ideas?
Georg: This depends entirely on the client. Of course our work is client-oriented; but we want to challenge clients, work together with them; however, they should contribute something as well.
Mike: This collaboration generates a certain friction. And this is a good thing, it yields something new.
What's important for you here?
Georg: To create the products down to the last detail. We frequently hear from clients "sales aren't going to increase just because of that" or "no one will notice this anyway".
Mike: This might be true, but the consumer can always sense when a product isn't right, even if they can't articulate it because they lack the specialist knowledge.
What do you get your inspiration from?
Georg: As a designer you always feel the urge to discover something new, to sound out new limits. This is a process of constant questioning: what effect does something have?
Mike: You simply have to be a good observer, it doesn't matter when or where.
What great social changes have taken place in recent years? How is this reflected in design?
Georg: Recent years have seen intensive change. A pivotal theme is the issue of the environment, and politics are at last becoming aware of it. Globalisation/localisation play a part in this.
Can the mind of a product designer ever take a break?
Georg: A designer acts on conviction. The work is full of delights, full of stimuli. You busy yourself with life, you revel in curiosity. This isn't a forty-hour week office job.
Georg: I tend to read short stories, novellas; there is rarely time for anything longer.
Mike: My most thumbed book is my vegetarian cookery book – although I'm not a militant vegetarian. Good food enriches life, like good design.
S naším časopisem budete mít pořád přehled.


All-new Boxster is lighter and more economical. Returns a claimed 36mpg. Good looking redesigned interior. Even better to drive than before.
Optional extras can quickly push the final price up.
Think Porsche and you more than likely think of the iconic 911. But the fact remains that if it wasn't for the Boxster, first launched in 1996, Porsche probably wouldn't exist in the shape it does today.
The Boxster is the car that brought the famous German brand to a much wider audience and since then the company has gone from strength to strength.
This is now the third generation of the open top sports car and although it doesn't look hugely different than its predecessor there are some key differences. Compared to the 911, Porsche is able to take a few more liberties with the styling of the Boxster and this all new model gets a sharper and more aggressive look than before.
Key design features include more pronounced side air intakes and larger alloy wheels - 18-inch on the Boxster and 19-inch on the Boxster S - as standard. It's a great a looking car, especially when viewed from the back with that prominent edge that runs across the back between the rear lights. This also houses the neat pop-up spoiler.
The key strength of the Boxster is that it's such a useable car everyday. It's just as happy sitting in traffic in London as it is on the motorway or thundering down a quiet back road. The ride is amazingly smooth and serene, the gear changes are light and easy plus it's even easy to park. Yet make no mistake. This is a bona fide sports car that handles just like a Porsche should.


Welcome to Starlight Limousines. We provide luxury, chauffeur driven transport to make any occasion extra special, covering Liverpool, Warrington, St Helens & Chester.
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Each of our limos is well-equipped with cocktail bars, CD systems, neon lighting and much more, with free champagne for each booking. So don't hesitate to contact us today to discuss your requirements and see how we can help you to make your night one to remember.
Star Light Limos offer affordable limo hire in Liverpool, Warrington and the surrounding areas. For details or to discuss your requirements please don't hesitate to contact us today.
© 2019 Starlight Limos All rights reserved.


text:
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you can download free high-quality stock photos or Images for your Blog or YouTube videos.
video or post it on your social media accounts. Friends, do you know you doing a big crime?
You can download copyright free images from Google. But, sometimes the quality of the images are not so good. High-quality images are very important to increase the quality of the content.
Creative Commons: This types of images are used only for a personal and commercial purpose.
Creative Commons With Attribution: This types of images are also a free-license image. But, you must give ownership credit for the images.
Pexels is a very popular free high-quality stock-photo website. The website is under the license of Creative Commons Zero. So, you can use this website's images whatever you like.
No permission is required. There are many images categories like- Technology, Android, Social Media, Food, Book, Google and etc. You can find a lot of collection of images for your niche.
Pexels website. Here, you can find 1300000+ high-quality images for commercial uses.
There are also many free videos for commercial uses. This website is under the license of CCO means Creative Commons Zero license.
There are also many images categories like- Computer, Science, Technology, Animals, Beauty and etc. So, this is also a very good image source for your niche.
Stocks snap is a free stock-photo website like Pexels and Pixabay. This website is also under the license of Creative Commons Zero-no attribution is required.
This is also a good source of images for your Blog and YouTube video or other commercial purposes.
Unlike other websites, Gratisography is a good source of High-Quality images or photos. This website is also under the license of CCO means Creative Commons Zero.
Here are also many categories of Images like Animal, Nature, Object, People and etc. The photo quality of this website is amazing. So, you can use this website for your niche blog.
Flicker is quite different from others free stock photos or images websites. Because the images of this website are not only a creative commons license. There are also some copyrighted content Images. So, don't be confused. You can filter images in the advanced search option.
So, you can now download Creative Commons licensed photos from Flickr and use this on your blog. This is also a good photo source website.
So, these are the 5 best stock-photos websites. These are the best CCO sites. These are the most favourite website among the many Bloggers and YouTubers. I know you also try these sites.
I hope you like these article. If you like these don't forget to share it in your circle.
Arup is an Author of TechRipoN.com Blogging Community, He Loves to Share Knowledge with Other people in Social media.
Nice writing bro, Thanks for the Contribution.


Update 1: A Conde Nast rep vehemently denies this. We're waiting for an official statement. Down to running just two properties, Conde Nast Digital's editorial director Jamie Pallot is leaving the company, according to sources. At one point Pallot was responsible for Men.style.com, Style.com, Epicurious.com, and Concierge.com. Now that Men.Style.com doesn't exist and Style.com is moving to Fairchild, there's only Epicurious and Concierge left. And who knows what's in store for those two properties, given the fact that Bon Appetit is getting a revamp with new editor Adam Rapaport and Conde Nast Traveler is paying more and more attention to the web. It's quite obvious that Conde Nast Digital, as a separate entity, is being dissolved.
Down to running just two properties, Conde Nast Digital's editorial director Jamie Pallot is leaving the company, according to sources.
At one point Pallot was responsible for Men.style.com, Style.com, Epicurious.com, and Concierge.com. Now that Men.Style.com doesn't exist and Style.com is moving to Fairchild, there's only Epicurious and Concierge left. And who knows what's in store for those two properties, given the fact that Bon Appetit is getting a revamp with new editor Adam Rapaport and Conde Nast Traveler is paying more and more attention to the web.
It's quite obvious that Conde Nast Digital, as a separate entity, is being dissolved. The idea of having separately branded digital properties made sense in the aughts. Now higher-ups are realizing that every brand must have a presence on the Web. It seems that Style.com is a strong enough brand to survive, but it will be the only piece of Pallot's mini empire to do so.
Update 1: A Conde Nast rep vehemently denies this. We're waiting for an official statement.
Update 2: Conde Nast's official statement: "Jamie Pallot has been and will continue to be a critical part of the Conde Nast Digital team. In addition to continuing to grow and innovate in our existing digital businesses, we are very focused on adding to our digital portfolio via new product development, partnerships, and acquisitions."
Former Elle chief brand officer Carol Smith, who left in April to head up Conde Nast's food group, got fired yesterday, reports WWD. Smith was hired by former Vogue publisher Tom Florio, who also "left" the company a few months ago. As someone who is deeply entrenched in the transformation of the fashion publishing world, this really irks me. Not because Smith was so crucial to Conde Nast. And not because she won't find another fabulous position. (I've only heard wonderful things about her as a leader and a boss.) No, I'm angry because Conde Nast is still so top heavy.


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Cory Doctorow / 10:03 am Mon, Dec 16, 2019
Private equity firms should be abolished
In his latest BIG newsletter, Matt Stoller (previously) relates the key moments in the history of private equity, from its roots in the notorious "leveraged buyouts" of the 1980s, and explains exactly how the PE con works: successful, productive business are acquired through debt financing, drained of their cash and assets, and then killed, leaving workers unemployed and with their pension funds looted, and with the business's creditors out in the cold. Read the rest
corruption / crooks / elizabeth warren / guillotine watch / inequality / late stage capitalism / leveraged buyouts / looters / private equity / raiders / Ripoffs / william simon
Mark Frauenfelder / 2:20 pm Mon, Feb 11, 2019
Former Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca loses appeal for obstructing justice and lying to federal authorities
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, the corrupt law enforcement chief who was fond of giving himself awards, campaigning against marijuana legalization, encouraging prison rape, wrongfully imprisoning people, locking up nonviolent people who possessed drugs, and horribly mistreating inmates, lost his court appeal for obstructing justice and lying to federal authorities. He could spend several years in prison.
From the LA Times
Attorneys for Baca, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, appealed the verdict, arguing it had been tainted by rulings U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson had made during the trial and so should be reversed. Among several alleged errors, they focused on Anderson's decision to bar the jury from hearing testimony about Baca's illness and about a conversation he had with an aide about the FBI's investigation. Either piece of information, the defense team said, could have helped sway the jury in Baca's favor.
But the three-judge panel from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected those claims, finding the trial was fair and the conviction legally sound.
Calling the case prosecutors had mounted "fair and thorough," U.S. Atty. Nick Hanna said in a statement the ruling "confirms the principle that no one is above the law."
"Instead of cooperating with a federal investigation that ultimately was concerned about improving conditions in the county jails, Mr. Baca chose to obstruct and then lie to federal authorities," Hanna said.
Image by ScottMLiebenson - Own work, CC0, Link Read the rest
Mark Frauenfelder / 10:24 am Tue, Mar 6, 2018
Martin Shkreli ordered to give up $7.4 million, including his one-of-a-kind Wu Tang Clan album
A federal judge ordered Martin Shkreli, who was convicted of fraud last year, to forfeit $7.4 million. This forfeiture includes a Picasso painting, his $5 million bail posting, and the one-of-a-kind Wu Tang Clan album, "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin." Don't worry, though -- after he pays the fine he'll still have $27.1 million.
From Click on Detroit:
Shkreli was convicted of fraud for deceiving investors and misusing their money while he was a portfolio manager at a hedge fund. He faces sentencing at Brooklyn Federal Court on Friday, and could potentially get up to 20 years in prison.
Image: Shutterstock Read the rest
Mark Frauenfelder / 11:28 am Tue, Apr 5, 2016
Watch: thieves steal wallet from bartender's bag
Two gentlemen sneaked into the backroom of the Monarch bar in San Francisco, CA and helped themselves to a bartender's wallet containing $500 and a bottle of liquor. A security camera captured the action.
This occurred Sunday night April 4th at WERD/Sunset After-Party. Somehow these guys gained entry into our employee area. You can watch them steal a wallet from a bag, which belonged to one of our bartender's and contained $500 cash (all her tip money from the week) + a bottle of liquor. These guys are truly disgusting and we're looking for any information to identify them. Please post and share. Thank you for your help!
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THIEVES CAUGHT ON FILM AT MONARCH! This occurred Sunday night April 4th at WERD/Sunset After-Party. Somehow these guys...
Posted by Monarch on Monday, April 4, 2016
Cory Doctorow / 12:00 pm Wed, Jun 25, 2014
Cops bust cybercrook who sent heroin to Brian Krebs
Sergei "Fly" Vovnenko, a Russo-Ukrainian cybercrook who stalked and harassed security journalist Brian Krebs -- at one point conspiring to get him arrested by sending him heroin via the Silk Road -- has been arrested. According to Krebs, Vovnenko was a prolific credit-card crook, specializing in dumps of stolen Italian credit-card numbers, and faces charges in Italy and the USA. Krebs documents how Vovnenko's identity came to light because he installed a keylogger on his own wife's computer, which subsequently leaked her real name, which led to him. Read the rest
carders / christ what an asshole / crime / crooks / drugs / italy / ratters / russia / security / silk road / Ukraine
Cory Doctorow / 5:49 pm Tue, Jul 30, 2013
Cyber-crooks mail heroin to Brian Krebs
Brian Krebs is a security expert and investigative journalist who has published numerous ground-breaking stories about the online criminal underground, much to the consternation of the criminal underground. Krebs has been the victim of much harassment, including a dangerous SWATting (where someone called a SWAT team to Krebs's door, having told them that an armed gunman was inside).
Most recently, a Russian crook called Flycracker crowdfunded the purchase of a gram of heroin on the Silk Road, which he mailed to Krebs, having first called the cops to alert them that Krebs was a narcotics trafficker. Luckily for Krebs, he lurks in the same forums in which this was planned, and knew of it in advance and tipped off the local cops and the FBI. Read the rest
bitcoin / crime / crooks / drugs / media theory / russia / silk road
Maggie Koerth-Baker / 2:53 pm Wed, Jun 12, 2013
Hospitals ignore regulations meant to keep medical costs lower
A new study finds that out-of-network medical bills aren't just high, they're often illegally high — with hospitals ignoring regulations meant to keep you out of debt when you get sick out of state. Read the rest
crooks / medicine / regulation / Science / society


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As the US pushes Iran to the brink, Tehran may need to get tough
Seyed Hossein Mousavian -MEE
With the US sanctions and pressures intensifying, and Europeans failing to provide assurances, Iran's patience is running out
In a meeting held on 28 April, Iran's deputy foreign minister and a key negotiator of the nuclear deal, Abbas Araghchi, told a European delegation that Iran "has given enough time to make up for repercussions of the US withdrawal from the deal and now the time has come for action".
False narratives
By withdrawing from the nuclear deal and pursuing the ill-advised policy of "maximum pressure", President Donald Trump has taken US hostilities against Iran to the highest level.
On Sunday, US National Security Advisor John Bolton said that the US was deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the Middle East to send a clear message to Iran that any attack on US interests or its allies will be met with "unrelenting force".
Two American senators, Richard Durbin and Tom Udall, warned the Congress against attempts at disseminating false narratives about Iran's failure to meet its international obligations.
The White House is laying siege to Iran in a way similar to the way the Bush administration did as it prepared to wage an illegal war against Iraq
"The Trump administration's Iran policy, built on the ashes of the failed Iraq strategy, is pushing us to take military action aimed at regime change in Tehran," they said.
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's foreign minister, also said that Trump's aim "is to bring us to our knees to talk" – but the "B-Team" consisting of Bibi (Netanyahu), (John) Bolton, (Mohammed) Bin Zayed, and (Mohammed) Bin Salman want "regime change at the very least" and the "disintegration of Iran".
The nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) was achieved after 12 years of intensive negotiations between Iran and the six world powers and was presented in the form of a United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.
By unilaterally withdrawing from the deal, the United States is the only party that violated the terms of the agreement. Last month it declared Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and decided to bring Iran's oil exports to zero.
These attempts suggests that the White House is laying siege to Iran in ways similar to the way the Bush administration did as it prepared to wage an illegal war against Iraq.
A European failure
And all this is happening when Iran has fully abided by the terms and conditions of the UNSC resolution 2231. The UN nuclear watchdog, policing Iran's deal with major powers, has issued 14 reports attesting that Iran has fully implemented the terms of the deal
Since the US departure from JCPOA, the Europeans' efforts to facilitate trade have failed. Today Iran's oil exports are 2.5 million less barrels per day, falling to half of what it used to export prior to the US withdrawal.
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had vowed that if the United States "tears up" the nuclear agreement, "we will set it on fire". Furthermore he reiterated that the US and Israel are plotting and acting against Iran in all areas and "in the face of the enemy's battle formation against the Iranian nation, the nation should take up battle formation likewise".
Iran's two options
With the US constantly increasing sanctions and pressures, with other world powers failing to provide assurances for the JCPOA's economic benefits, Iran's patience is running out. It is left with two options: A gradual withdrawal from the JCPOA or an immediate departure from Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the JCPOA simultaneously.
In the event that Iran resists unreasonable inspection demands, the US will propagate the Israeli prime minister's false claims that Iran is seeking a nuclear bomb
"We welcome the EU political stances, but political supports are not solely enough to save the deal," said the deputy foreign minister. Iran and the remaining signatories to the deal will hold a JCPOA meeting in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss unilateral US sanctions.
Based on article 26 and 36 of JCPOA, if the EU and US re-introduce or re-impose the nuclear related sanctions, Iran can cease its commitment under the deal in whole or in part.
While an appropriate response on the part of Iran against these violations seems necessary, its complete withdrawal from the nuclear deal will have the following consequences.
Major consequences
First, In case of Iran withdrawal from the UN Security Council Resolution 2231, the US will try to activate six prior resolutions, which include unanimous sanctions by all world powers and members of the Security Council and push for suspension of Iran's uranium enrichment and heavy water activities.
Second, in the absence of resolution 2231, the US-Israel axis would launch heavy political propaganda campaign claiming that Iran's nuclear programme is a threat to the peace and security of the world as states in article 6 of the UN Charter.
Third, since Iran is a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the Trump administration will use the treaty as an instrument to push the IAEA functionaries to put unusual inspection demands on the table.
In the event that Iran resists unreasonable inspection demands, the US will propagate the Israeli prime minister's false claims that Iran is seeking a nuclear bomb.
Fourth, by withdrawing from the nuclear deal, the US would try to convince the other world powers that Iran is violating NPT. Hence, the withdrawal option is a loss for Iran and a win for the "B-Team".
More bargaining powers
The second option is to send an official memorandum to the six world powers (excluding the United States) who were involved in the negotiations for the nuclear deal, as well as the UN general secretary and the director of IAEA, indicating that if they fail to uphold their part of the bargain within a given deadline, Iran will withdraw from the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the JCPOA simultaneously.
Iran's foreign minister has already alluded last month to this option. "[The] Islamic Republic's choices are numerous, and the country's authorities are considering them… and leaving [the] NPT is one of them," he said.
Both options are risky. The possibility of military confrontation exists in both options, but the latter is more effective because the United States will no longer be able to use the NPT as an instrument against Iran.
In return, withdrawing from the NPT will bolster Iran's position on the negotiation table more than ever by giving it more bargaining power.
The United States will then have to beg Iran to join the NPT and nuclear deal once again.
Seyed Hossein Mousavian
– Seyed Hossein Mousavian is Middle East security and nuclear policy specialist at Princeton University and a former spokesman for Iran's nuclear negotiators. His book, The Iranian Nuclear Crisis: A Memoir, was published in 2012 by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. His book, Iran and the United States: An Insider's View on the Failed Past and the Road to Peace, was released in May 2014.
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text:
Bollgilia (Gilia capitata) är en blågullsväxtart. Bollgilia ingår i släktet gilior, och familjen blågullsväxter.

Underarter

Arten delas in i följande underarter:

 G. c. abrotanifolia
 G. c. capitata
 G. c. chamissonis
 G. c. mediomontana
 G. c. pacifica
 G. c. pedemontana
 G. c. staminea
 G. c. tomentosa

Bildgalleri

Källor

Externa länkar

Gilior

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Дени́совський сільський округ (, ) — адміністративна одиниця у складі Денисовського району Костанайської області Казахстану. Адміністративний центр — село Денисовка.

Населення — 6507 осіб (2009; 8346 в 1999).

2013 року до складу округу була включена територія та населені пункти (села Гришенка, Калиновка, Некрасовка, Цілинне) ліквідованого Некрасовського сільського округу. Села Калиновка та Цілинне були ліквідовані 2017 року.

Склад
До складу округу входять такі населені пункти:

Примітки

Сільські округи Денисовського району


Welcome to the MDS Ambassador Program. This program supports the travel of 1 to 2 international experts who are MDS members to an underserved area for the purposes of education and intellectual exchange.
The MDS Ambassador Program supports members as keynote/plenary speakers at a non-MDS sponsored regional or national meeting in a disadvantaged country.
Sponsored speakers/faculty will work with the Ambassador Program host to develop material that is relevant and comprehensible to participants and meets the specified learning objectives of the meeting. An honorarium and airfare reimbursement is provided for the Ambassador by the MDS International Secretariat.
Ensure that the intended host country is eligible to participate in the Ambassador Program by checking the list of eligible countries and US travel warning countries.
Once your application has been received, it will be reviewed by the regional education committee, regional executive committee and MDS education committee. The MDS secretariat will inform you of the results of this review, and provide instructions on how to proceed if it is approved.


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The reason I started to write this blog was for two reasons, to showcase my writing abilities and my writing projects in one space. The second was so that anyone reading this blog would get a glimpse into the mind of a Bipolar One manic depressant.
This might be the beginning of a depression cycle and as I stare down into the darkness in front of me, which is the road to depression… Will I have the strength to turn back?
I haven't been happy. Well, that's not true, I have been happy about where my writing is taking me over the past two months. I can fall back on the fact that it has been all positive on my blog as of late when it comes to sharing my life with you. But the fact is I have been on the fringe of depression for weeks, and I am starting to sense familiar patterns that lead me to believe that things are leading down another depression cycle. I get it. It is a part of my life, and I have the skills to combat it, but if my past is any indication I may give in at some point even if its temporary.
It's the small things that are becoming an issue. My room is messy, as I have a ton books piled everywhere from research from school, research for my writing, and of course just books that I am reading. I have hardly made my bed the past few weeks. It's the little things that are piling up in my life and I am finding every excuse to why I can't fix these things. It's a clear sign that my depression is starting to take over.
I broke down yesterday with my therapist and talked about everything that was weighing heavy my mind. It's a lot of things. The thing is when things go right in my life—my grades are excellent this semester as always, and I have been focused on my writing. I've made some amazing connections here on my blog but is it selfish if I have a need to feel great all the time? I've earned that right? But lately, I am going from crisis to crisis.
My social anxiety is out of control again and I've talked at length in different blog posts about my insomnia issues (which I have corrected with a balance of medicine, meditation, and mindfulness breathing.) But, at night I feel empty and alone. I am falling again into that deep darkness that is my depression.
My depression cycles in the past have started this way. The little things start to compile into making me feel lost, listless, and hopeless. Then someone throws a bad curveball into my life. Recently, my best friend asking me to help her commit suicide, she knows my history with suicide better than most in this world and she knows my feelings on the subject. After that she disappears from my life.
Who does that? Am I right to feel depressed about it? Yeah, that happened to me over two weeks ago. I thought that I would be okay but then she stopped talking to me. Did I do something wrong? I can't force myself into someone's life, but I really tried to help her, I did everything I could but she pushed me away. So, I thought I'd moved on and not let this get to me.
I realized during my therapy session that, like so many times in my life, I put real emotions on the back burner and as always it eats away at my soul. I can link my increased my social anxiety and increased depression over the last week to this event as I look back, but in the moment, I just pushed it aside for another day. I should have let go and moved on, but my depression is starting to feel like the start of a cycle and it's because I never face my issues.
I noticed that my greatest flaw in life is that I care about others too much and it puts my own mental health at risk. Knowing my past and how depression takes me over this time of year I could have done a better at working on the problems in my life that are the toughest, like telling my friend that she was being selfish to ask me that and then disappear from my life. I have been down that far before and I get the feeling of wanting to be alone. I didn't ask her to tell me that, and it's not like I can turn off caring about her.
If I am being honest, at my lowest I never asked for help so I can understand. But, why burden me with the fact that it will always be on my mind if something happens. You can tell the right people and try to get them help. Honestly, though I have faked telling doctors more times in my life than I care to admit that I was fine and they believed me. In so many ways my hands are tied, but I still care. This person is a part of my life.
I am a major advocate against suicide because I know what it feels like to not want to be a part of this world.
I have had good days recently, don't get me wrong, but I have been here before and it always ends with me falling endlessly into depression with no hope for weeks, months, and even years. I have so much good in my life right now. I am finally in a good place with myself as a writer. I have to work on me and my mental health.
So much can change in a single day. I could wake tomorrow and decide I can't get out of bed and then it's weeks of not leaving my house. It's a possibility. I guess if you are reading this, I wrote this at 2am, so it means I got up and started my day. That must be my mindset no matter if the depression starts to control me again. I can take it one day at a time. One moment at a time, and even one word at a time. Thank you for reading my second honest post.
I wouldn't mind feedback on this post.
If you are comfortable, please share your story to help others dealing with suicidal ideations.
Thank you for this raw and honest post. Not an easy read, and I would imagine probably extremely difficult to write. I'm at the opposite side of the cycle from you, just getting out of my depression phase, and man, it took some time this time. Of course what your friend did, asking for help with suicide and then avoiding you, would weigh heavy on you, it would on anyone but the most callous of people. And of course you would want to help, who wouldn't. I wish I could give you some sage advise, but one bipolar to another, I don't really have one. Other than – her mental health is not your responsibility. Your own is. She seems to be cutting off any avenues of communication with you through which you could offer help. If she is suicidal, perhaps you know someone else she's close to you could inform of that fact? She clearly does need help, but you are not the person responsible for that.
As to your own depression, there's nothing you don't already know that I could say. Try to keep going. Take your meds, try to maintain a healthy sleeping pattern, start tracking your mood daily, eat well, try to get exercise, don't pretend you're doing better than you actually are to your therapist (I'm guilty of that one frequently myself, it helps no one), the daily chores that are piling up – try to do one of them a day, or use the 5 minute rule – start doing something for 5 minutes, if you find that you can keep going and complete the task, great, if not, you know you've at least tried. Break chores down into 5 minute tasks, don't say "I'll clean my room", say "I'll put this particular pile of stuff in order, or I'll put on a wash, etc., try scheduling them into your day. I'm trying to remember, sorry I've read a lot of posts lately, if it was you who wrote about using a light box, I think it was, keep doing that. Keep writing. Keep talking. Courage!
Thank you for your reply and sharing your own journey. You are right my mental health is so important. My best friends brother is also a best friend of mine, their family has always been close, so I can keep an eye out. I have to come to realize your point that I am not responsible for her mental health.
Thank you for the second half of your comment. I usually take an all or nothing approach, but it might be very useful to use the 5-minute rule. That is amazing and I think it might work.
Again thank you for taking a moment out of your day to read my post.
I applaud your courage for writing this post. It takes a lot of courage to talk about the things you talk about, even if you know the people reading it don't actually know exactly who you are, but the people reading this seem to care more than you would actually think.
The woman who asked you to help her commit suicide is not a true friend. Knowing your history she should never have asked that. And if she does not want your help with her mental health then you need to let her disappear. I know that will hurt, but you need to look after number one, which is you. as hard as this might be you need to let it go and move on and concentrate on your depression.
I hope you are feeling better in the next weeks to come.
You may be right but it makes it hard that she is my best friend and family to me. But your point makes sense, and my therapist agrees, I have to work on my own mental health.
Sometimes you even have to let go of family to improve your own mental health! I had to, it is hard but it makes you a better person for you, not for everyone else!
Dear James, I don't know what I could possibly say to help, but I'm here and I'm listening and I'll pray for you if you're agreeable to that.
I am agreeable. And I thank you praying for me and taking some time to read my work.
Thanks for sharing this. It's hard to see things for what they really are when you're in dark mode. Your friend's actions are her own and you have no control over them, good or bad. You are not responsible for someone else's happiness. This friend is being very selfish, especially since she knows you are in a sensitive and vulnerable spot yourself. But it sounds like you already know all this 🙂 Stay positive. You are on the right track.
I understand putting the real emotions 'on the back burner'. For Me its one of the nastiest things I can do for myself … and thats been a long slow lesson to learn.
I sometimes fool myself that I have learned this lesson but it's never true. I just have to keep working at it. Thank you for your kind words.
James, I know it seems easier to give your emotions to someone else who appears to need you but just remember you should take care of yourself first so you are better able to take care of the ones you love. Taking each day as it comes [your words] is the smart thing to do.
As i read your blog I know how hard things are …. those little things grow into huge deals over time.
To have the courage to be open and honest about your emotions and mental health. I salute you. Keep at it. Your doing amazing .
This is beautiful. Something like this is always hard to put into words and you did so wonderfully.
Thank you for your kind words. I work hard to try to convey my feelings and emotions into a blog post.
I don't know you or your situation, so I hope my advice is useful. This is something that took me awhile to accept. I realized I didn't need to bear the burden of the world. I faced my anxious thoughts, and told them I didn't need to believe them anymore.
It is useful. It's really time to face my problems. That is part of the reason why I write. Thank you for the good advice.
remember to keep fighting….i love it…i am sorry that your friend asked you to do such a thing……but know you are here and you have a purpose…keep working with your therapist/psychiatrist and you will do well……be open about your depression….i know cause im currently there myself and i feel like im in a hole trying to claw my way out……it's horrible……..by the way, love your writing style….are you taking creative writing classes?
I have taken many creative writing classes. I am actually almost done (next year) with my bachelors degree in creative writing with a specialization in fiction writing. My minors are in journalism, screenwriting and political science. That is where my writing chops come from lots of trial and error in writing classes. I try to work on my craft everyday. I hope that you find a way out of your depression. Thank you for you kind words!
Oh wow that's awesome I also have a bachelors in creative writing. Keep it up, you have a wonderful craft.
So much of what you said in this post makes me think about my own life, putting my own feelings on the back burner, and lying to my therapist about my feelings. Your post gives me strength to find and speak my truths, tell my therapist how I'm falling apart, and share with my family/friends what they can do to help me.
Thank you for your words. They give me strength to say mine.
Very chilling, eye-opening, and extremely well written. It's always difficult to be vulnerable publicly. But it gives you a sense of control over what's going on in your mind- at least it does for me, I don't know if you feel the same way! But I loved this and I can't wait to read more from you.
I do feel the same way. Writing about my issues helps me gain better perspective and it is therapeutic. Thank you for reading and commenting on my blog.
You already have lots of wonderful people giving you good vibes on this post but I wanted to do my bit as well. As someone who has to constantly remind myself to put my mental health first, i get what you are saying.
It's tough because it's like she has disappeared in my life. Not answering my texts. I know she is okay because of social media. But your right I may need to wait this out. Maybe she just needs to find herself. I will keep trying. Thank you for you perspective.
I think that a friendship requires respect. I feel that she is not respecting where you are to even ask this of you. She has crossed a line. A boundary that is unfair to cross putting you in a situation where you will be more distressed. I'm sorry she did that to you.
Thank you for your kind words. I would never ask that of anyone and never did over the times that I tried. I'm not saying I was right there because suicide is never the answer but to ask me that, I still can't believe someone who knows my history better than most would do that to me and then disappear. As you said, friendship requires respect.
Friends can really be heartbreaking can't they. You let them in. You hope that they know you well enough to have that respect/courtesy/kindness to be unconditional and selfless and then to be so brazen and so insensitive. It is just heartbreaking. As if we need anything else added to our own plate!
James, I understand where you are coming from. It can be tough but thank you for putting yourself out there to the world and community. It makes me feel less alone and isolated.
Oh my gosh, I am so so sorry that happened to you with your friend. I have to agree with Bethanyk, that does cross a HUGE line, particularly when you have attempted suicide before yourself. I also get what you mean though, it's very hard to turn off feelings for someone immediately, especially when you might have worry and regret mixed in.
I don't know if this will help, but when I was thirteen I had a slightly older friend try to kill herself while on the phone to me. Luckily she survived, but for years after I felt like I had caused it by doing or saying the wrong thing on that phone call. I had another "friend" who rubbed this is over the next two years (he had also been close to the friend who had attempted suicide) and used it to manipulate my actions through guilt. I was very lucky that my uncle is a suicide counsellor and one day after I opened up he told me that what happened was not my fault. That nothing I could have done or said could have changed her actions, what I needed to focus on to move forward was doing what was right for me.
Ultimately that's what I want to say to you, nothing you could have said or done could have changed what your friend did or does in relation to her, but you have done absolutely everything right for you, and I hope you continue to do so. No matter what happens it is not your fault. You are amazingly strong to keep going at all after that awful experience. You have managed to write it down far sooner than I wrote the experience I shared above (this is the first time I've written it in anything other than a personal journal), and that is truly, truly amazing. Sharing your experiences with depression, bipolar and social anxiety is so helpful and courageous. Your blog has got me through some tough stuff recently. I really hope this winter is less hard, and that things ease up soon. You'll be in my thoughts.
I appreciate this, more than you will ever know. It is one of the hardest things letting myself off the hook. Thank you for sharing your own experience. It puts what I am going through into perspective and it helps knowing that I am not alone in this world. Sharing has been one of the greatest experiences in my life.
I'm glad I could help, even if just in a small way. Letting yourself realise that whatever happens or happened isn't your fault is probably one of the most difficult things I've ever done, and it's something that I often have to consciously continue to do (thank you CBT, it's wonderful therapy!). It helps me as well, knowing that I'm not alone in those awful experiences, and I'm grateful you were brave enough to share your story. They're tough ones to talk about.
Loved your post and your courage at finding out what's triggered the start of feeling depressed. I too am more tired than normal. I think it's the lack of sun. I am taking vitamin D and B50 complex. Hopefully they will help. Last year I went to bed two hours earlier in winter. I plan to tough it out this year and stay up later. I still get up early. 5:00 am. But I used to get up at 3:00 am. I'm trying to stay on this cycle however. It's going to take some work. It's difficult when friends set you up like your friend did about suicide. Especially if she knows that you get depressed. I have read a lot of sayings lately where they say to avoid drama. That it just brings you down. Keep writing. I think that it will help your depression. I enjoy reading your posts and can relate. You write from the heart which is good. Thank you. Good luck!
Thank you so much. Take your time. You can contact me on standagainstmentalillness@gmail.com for details.
Thank you for your honesty. But you said it yourself: "I have to work on me and my mental health." This includes letting go of what happened with your friend. I know what the dark days are like. I walk the line at the edge of it every day, and often struggle to get out of bed. But again, like you mentioned, I take it a day at a time, an hour at a time, a task at a time, if I have to, and a word at a time. I know this is hard, because it's hard for me too, but try not to worry about what's ahead. Think about the NOW.
I have unipolar depression, so I know our experiences are different, but I know that spiral into darkness all too well. It's great that you have a therapist, medication, and also a creative outlet within this blog! Personally, I've loved making use of an app called Pacifica. It has tools for tracking moods, free guided meditations, and also community message boards you can join for advice and support.
I know the darkness closes in around you, but you're not alone in there.
You did all you could for your friend and it was her decision to remove you from her life whether than be for a short period or time or longer but I can understand dwelling on it but try to remember you did all you could and you can not take responsibility for her actions.
Your post is incredibly brave and I think you should take it as a positive that you can recognise where you are in your cycle, it may not stop the cycle from progressing but maybe it will give you some strength in dealing with that progression.
Take it one hour at a time and keep reaching out to those people or activities you feel benefit you at this time and be gentle on yourself.
I do plan to continue my writing. It has been so therapeutic for me. I know, we got this!! I hope you do find one day the confidence that you are searching for.
I found so many relatable things in the post. First, the little things falling away as depression kicks in is always a clear sign for me as well. Second, your friend was selfish. I too care and love people so hard! Yet, in my time of need I am always alone. I guess it's because I am stronger than they are.
That is a great way at looking at things, that you are stronger person than they are. Its sad that people we trust can do this to us, but life is not always nice. Thank you sharing.


text:
Indian PM meets with delegation of Catholic cardinals
Catholic groups hope the Supreme Court will hear their contraception mandate cases
In Church
Michael O'Loughlin
When it comes to the Obama Administration's contraception mandate, might the New York-based Priests for Life become the nonprofit equivalent of Hobby Lobby? The group announced Monday that the Supreme Court will meet Sept. 28 to decide whether or not to take up its appeal of a lower court's decision
When it comes to the Obama Administration's contraception mandate, might the New York-based Priests for Life become the nonprofit equivalent of Hobby Lobby?
The group announced Monday that the Supreme Court will meet Sept. 28 to decide whether or not to take up its appeal of a lower court's decision that ruled the administration's opt-out procedure does not infringe on its religious liberty.
The Priests for Life case, which was consolidated with a similar case brought by the Archdiocese of Washington, is one of seven seeking an appeal before the Supreme Court.
Under the Affordable Care Act, businesses and organizations that employ more than 50 people must offer insurance plans that cover the cost of FDA-approved contraception.
The Supreme Court ruled in June 2014 that some for-profit businesses could be exempt from the mandate based on religious objections, in what's become known as the Hobby Lobby Case.
Houses of worship – churches, temples, mosques and the like – were automatically exempted from the mandate.
But that left religious-based nonprofits – think religious orders, charities, and religiously-affiliated schools and universities – in limbo.
So the Obama Administration announced a compromise, which stands as the current policy, in which religious employers notify the government of their objection. The government then works with insurance companies to provide contraception coverage.
But some religious nonprofits objected to the compromise, arguing that they would be complicit in providing contraception because the vehicle for delivering the contraception coverage remain the insurance plans they pay for. Even if they aren't funding the contraception coverage, they argue, they are complicit in providing coverage they find objectionable by virtue of even notifying the government.
That led to a number of lawsuits filed in federal courts around the country by religious nonprofits such as the Little Sisters of the Poor in Colorado and Wheaton College in Illinois. But federal appeals courts in Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC all have ruled that the act of signing away contraception coverage to a third party does not burden their freedom of religion.
However, more than 20 religious nonprofits, including Priests for Life and the Archdiocese of Washington, have been granted emergency injunctions against complying with the mandate.
Daniel Blomberg, an attorney for the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a DC-based law firm representing the Little Sisters of the Poor in a case similar to the Priests for Life case, said that in general, federal courts and even the Supreme Court have been on the side of religious nonprofits more often than not, and that he hopes a final ruling could bring closure.
If the Supreme Court does take up any of the cases, there could be wide-reaching consequences for religiously-affiliated nonprofits throughout the country, including those still winding their way through federal courts.
An attorney representing Priests for Life, Robert J. Muise, told Crux that the issue comes down to whether or not the government has a right to define an individual's religious beliefs.
"I hope the Supreme Court will uphold the right to religious freedom," he said. "It's not up for the government to decide how people understand their own religious beliefs. It's not for the government to decide Catholic Church teaching. That is beyond its competency. At the end of the day, we hope the Court will uphold religious freedom."
Court rules in favor of employer exemptions to contraceptive coverage
Supreme Court set to hear Obamacare case argued by phone
Supreme Court rejects church challenge to ban on bus ads
Contraception mandate
Church in Asia


I am so blessed to have so many great friends. Every year, on this day, I receive so many cards and letters wishing me a Happy Birthday! Facebook has made it so easy for friends and relatives alike to render birthday wishes, and this year is no different. And like many folks, I am deeply grateful for them.
The Apostle Paul reminds me in 2 Timothy 1:3, "I thank God, who I serve with a clear conscience the way my forefathers did, as I constantly remember you in my prayers night and day." Seriously, I do make it a practice to thank God daily for all those friends whom He has placed in my path over the many years He has allowed me to live on this earth.
Indeed, God has brought me in contact with so many people of all races and nationalities it is impossible to mention them all by name. Regardless of whether you are friend or family, I will take this one opportunity to express my gratitude to God for you. Many of you have prayed for me when I entered ministry. That, in itself, means more to me than you will ever know. As many of you know, ministry is a calling and I accepted that calling with heart-felt thanks to God.
Ministry has given me the opportunity to meet some of the most wonderful people, including Dr. Charles Stanley, Dr. Bailey Stone, Dr. D. L. Lowrie and Dr. Jerry Sutton, just to name a few. These men have inspired me more than I'll ever be able to express. Oh, I've also had many pastors who have supported me and prayed for me as I entered the ministry and proceeded to go to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary for a much needed education. I mostly want to thank my dearest friend in the ministry, Rev. Ken Flowers, who encouraged me through my time at seminary and then in my pastorates. So you see, I am most grateful to all my friends.
Lastly, I will forever be grateful to my wife Deanna, for the love and companionship and support she has given to me during our nearly 48 years of marriage. Not only did she give me her moral support but she sacrificed her life to me so that I could follow my calling. And to my mother-in-law, Dean Ogden, who quietly and reverently prayed for me up until her death.
Gratitude sometimes just doesn't seem like enough. That being said, I am so very grateful to have had so many wonderful people in my life. Thank you Lord Jesus!


text:
ARF!
Just when you think the kid's getting a bit wiggy, someone suggests it's possibly early-onset-Nobel Prize...
..get outa town?!!
I was staggering up the beach, recently sprayed with wet-dog-shake, struggling to make it to our towels so we could head home.
The Orange Dog was dancing around us, so relieved we'd stopped swimming beyond his depth and therefore negating any impending lifesaving duties. He'd scratched us to pieces in the water with his claws doing his circling-shark impersonations; such a well-meaning and neurotic dog.
I was simultaneously tripping over our dry-land-circling-shark and dragging She-Who-Worships-Pink by one arm trying unsuccessfully to stop her rolling in the sand while she's still very wet.
Only moments earlier, when I'd told her we had to go, she'd shot off down the beach barking at seagulls.
I said; "Can you please stop being a puppy now and go back to being a little girl? You're not a very well trained or well behaved puppy and you do much better listening when you're a little girl."
She looked up at me and said:
"ARF!"
I have this little girl Lulu. She is small and very funny.
I don't know if you know the Charlie and Lola books and cartoons by Lauren Child?
They are wonderful. Non-violent, non-shouty, the music doesn't make you want to Van Gogh your own ears. Everyone speaks nicely (Even Marv with his East London accent) and everyone displays good manners and consideration for others.
I actually bought our first Charlie and Lola book because Lola reminded me of our girl; with her comical expressions and untidy blonde, sticky-uppy hair.
In one story, Charlie becomes concerned and then embarrassed that Lola won't stop "being an alligator". Well I'm waaaaaay past embarrassed, because my girl often finds it very hard to get 'out of character' too, but for her it's mostly about puppies.
She turns doggy frequently and inconveniently and, as I told her this day on the beach, she's not a very well behaved puppy. But you can rest assured she will stay a puppy for "completely ages".
The pup-act usually comes into play when we're trying hard to be somewhere on time. She'll sit on the floor and wiggle her bum (pretend tail-wag), busy herself in a pretending-to-poo-squat or pretend-cock her leg on the furniture. Nice. And every pleading moment her response will be 'arf'.
Am I worried? Do I look worried? Well I confess due to an increasing amount of time spend touring the realms of Imaginaria, I did what all parents do; I Googled it.
According to the experts, it's not only normal, it's desirable?!
That's easy for them to say – they don't have to drag wet and sandy pretending-puppies up to the beach showers for a hose-down. Or wait until someone's taken an imaginary dump on the living room carpet then demanded it be bagged up, before you can leave the house.
Anyway they seem convinced by their research and there's sure a lot of it:
"An important benefit of early pretend play may be its enhancement of the child's capacity for cognitive flexibility and, ultimately, creativity (Russ, 2004; Singer & Singer, 2005)."
I take it that's a good thing.
"The research reviewed by Berk, Mann & Ogan, (2006) and Hirsh-Pasek, Golinkoff, Berk, & Singer (2009) suggest that make-believe games are forerunners of the important capacity for forms of self-regulation including reduced aggression, delay of gratification, civility, and empathy."
My girl could do with learning a bit of delayed gratification – she's already going on about next Christmas… But the really encouraging passage in this article (from Psychology.com) was this one:
"Root-Bernstein's research with clearly creative individuals such as Nobel Prize winners and MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant awardees, indicated that early childhood games about make-believe worlds were more frequent in such individuals than in control participants in their fields (Root-Bernstein, 2012)."
So what they're saying is that if we survive the pretend puppy phase, the imaginary pets; (lions, tigers, ponies and guinea pigs – because they all get along so well), the imaginary planets: (have you ever been to planet Biscuit? We have a resident of that planet living under our roof)..
… after all that, we could have a Nobel Prize winner on our hands?!!
OK. Cool I'll look forward to that.
Today I happened to walk past the school ground at recess and I saw my girl alone with a skipping rope wound around one leg pulling hard on something that clearly wasn't there. So I asked her about it on the walk home.
"I was having a tug of war with my Lions" "And I was winning mummy!!!"
Labels: Charlie and Lola, cognitive flexibility, early pretend play, Googled, Lauren Child, Nobel Prize, pretend play, psychology.com, self-regulation
I have come to the startling realisation that my daughter needs subtitles.
And perhaps an interpreter, (or that could be me).
I've said this before but I will, as repetition is the theme of the day, say it again; My girl's speech therapist was an overachiever.
Lately I feel like taking a vow of silence just so I don't have to give any more responses, or repeat anything I've already said.
The fact that we are teaching Little Miss Hava-chat a second language (her father's native French) sometimes seems like a totally insane idea. Bad enough the questions come thick and fast in English, right? Hey maybe it will slow her down – we can but hope.
My mum was staying with us, from her home interstate, so she could attend Little Miss Hava-chat's first day at big school. A lovely sentiment and huge effort considering she's in her eighties (Nanna of course) and not as mobile as she used to be. But as she said, she's been to all of her grandchildren's first days, so tradition must prevail.
But on the previous 'first day at school', Nanna was twenty three years younger and I feel that this one wasn't as easy as the previous few, and might not have lived up to expectations.
What with Hava-chat's speed-chatter and relentless questions, when even the answered ones, will often be asked again, and again, (why??) I almost lose my voice with the repetition.
If you're hearing is at all impaired or even if you have a head cold you haven't a hope in hell of following the dialogue. And Little Miss Hava-chat will GET CROSS!!
I had to tell her off for being snappy with her Nana one afternoon. Her angry response was; "Nanna doesn't understand ANYTHING!!!" (Well many of us don't, when your mouth is in hyper-drive honey.)
I told her Nanna couldn't help not hearing well, "or not knowing all your imaginary pet's names, and maybe you could slow down and explain a bit more?", but it still didn't win the sympathy vote.
With this little chatterbox, you need to be an active member of the "Conversations About Random Stuff I'm Into at the Moment" club to give her ramblings some context and this is where you need an interpreter. Hard enough to keep up with the dialogue, but when it's pertaining to the imaginary guinea pig she took care of last week, or a new character downloaded onto mum's iPhone, well you really had to be there. Even the Daddy-Person steps on this conversational landmine with regularity.
Anyway, so after our discussion about being very nicer to Nanna, I told Little Miss Hava-chat to apologise-
And it went something like this:
"I'm sorry I was snappy, Nanna"
"What's that love? You worried you're happy?"
Hava-chat repeats (with a 'see, I told you so' glare in my direction)
Nanna says "you're sorry and chatty?"
"No, I was SNAPPY!" she snaps.
Nanna tries again "you were snatchy?"
Hava-chat, about to explode needed an intervention.. again. Then I repeated the apology with increased volume and enunciation.
Nanna and I, about to have a giggle over this exchange, suddenly felt the heat of the "don't-you-dare-this-is-so-not-funny" glare coming from the smallest person in the room, so we shut our traps.
And this is how I spent my afternoons - playing emotional referee to two sparring partners who have a 78 year age gap. And then Mr Frenchie came home for another round of his own.
This could be why I wasn't writing a whole lot at the time? :0)
The day Nanna was due to leave us, Lucie was saying: "I wish Nanna could stay and live with us," and the next day after school, she asked if Nanna had come back yet?
Kids huh?
Labels: hearing impaired, interpreter, Nanna, repetition, speech therapist, subtitles
Lunchbox Lush
When it comes to the school lunchbox, I am a bit of a Lush.
If you cant sip a chilled glass of something while you're standing in the kitchen doing whatever, then why on earth would you stand there in the first place? Wine is the only thing that can coax me into that daunting space (except for the joy of cleaning it and making it sparkle).
Isn't it bad enough that I'm forced by my obsessive compulsive disorder into frequent bouts of school dress pleat ironing?
The thing I found most daunting about my girl's start to big school was the loss of a professional in-house-chef. For three years I didn't need to worry too much about nutrition because of the insanely diverse and well planned nutritious menus that were supplied by her day-care/ preschool.
Then all of a sudden, Gaaaaaaa! IT'S UP TO ME!
Me who is so severely culinarily challenged.
Me with my food preparation phobia, and loathing of sandwich cutting.
Me who can break out into a rash at the sight of a recipe book.
I have to come up with something nutritious and tasty EV-ER-Y- DAY.
Huston we have a problem.
Then I met Donna Hay, or her Sweet Potato and Pea Fritters at least, at a kids party. OK, I loved them but Lucie didn't (too much herby green stuff). But with Donna as my muse, necessity gave way to a new culinary invention....HUGELY successful 22 in 20 minutes, Lazy Bones' Cheese & Veggie Pikelets.
So there's a new page in town mums; check it out - Lunchbox Luxe for the time-poor (or just cant be arsed like me).
And by the way, anything you see on my foodie pages come guaranteed low in labour and full of shortcuts.
Labels: Cheese and Veggie Pikelets, culinarily challenged, Donna Hay, Lazy Bones, lush, nutrition, Sweet Potato and Pea Fritters
Shuuuuuush!
Have you ever been so tired you cant even try to listen or speak to another person?
Who said big school makes kids really tired in the first weeks? I have a Duracel Bunny whose mouth moves as fast if not faster than her legs AND her favourite question is 'why'. All the way home from school : YYYYYYYYYYYYYY!
She could talk the legs of a table. She talks to the dog, she talks to her scooter, the TV, the iPad, she talks to her stuffed animals, and all the while trying to draw me into the conversation with "muum-meeee.. " "why is ... " "why does... " "why cant.. " "why don't..." "why do..." "why wont..."
One conversation went like this:
Slurping noises are coming from the dog's corner;
"Muuuu-mee?"
Sighing, because this is question number 1.243.802; "yes?"
"Why does Buddy lick his bum?"
"Because he's a dog."
"But WHY?"
"Because he can"
Buuuut WHY does he?"
"Because he's a dirt-bag, I don't know honey, it's just what dogs do!"
"BUT WHY????!!!"
At this point I tell her I have to go to the toilet (my universal Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free-Card), and I proceed to flush my head in the bowl. Well not really, but oddly I feel like I need to.
The Daddy person has his own theory on this situation: in big school you have to be quiet in class right? So maybe Lucie's verbosity (like that word much?) builds up and builds up, then erupts like a fountain of linguistic larva as soon as the bell rings.
I am then engulfed in a river of fast moving molten dialogue until she goes to bed. Incidentally she has developed a new self settling technique: she talks herself to sleep - uh huh!
We get her in bed at 7pm and even in the dark, if you listen at her closed door, you can still hear her chatting amongst herself, asking her sleepy-toys questions - sometimes till nearly eight!
If only there were some way to remove her batteries....
Labels: big-school, Duracel bunny, Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free-Card, verbosity