Crayola "Inside the Crayon Box"
FOUR MODERN FAMILY CLASSICS DEBUT ON BLU-RAY JUST IN TIME FOR EASTER!
Experience the excitement of four unforgettable family films, FERNGULLY: THE LAST RAINFOREST, AQUAMARINE, THUMBELINA and THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER on Blu-ray for the first time March 6 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. Featuring talented casts and moving stories, these Blu-ray titles make great Easter gifts for the whole family to enjoy.
Starring a talented voice cast including Robin Williams, Tim Curry, Christian Slater, Samantha Mathis, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, FERNGULLY: THE LAST RAINFOREST is an enchanting story about taking care of the environment and the power of friendship, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. There's magic in the rainforest and it's called FernGully! Deep in the heart of the forest awaits a paradise filled with tiny sprites, winged fairies and tree spirits who all live in joyful harmony. But when their home is threatened by humans, one courageous sprite gives her all to save it! FernGully is a fantastical adventure into a world you'll want to visit again and again!
Just in time for Easter, this fun feature starring Emma Roberts (Scream 4 and Valentine's Day), Sara Paxton (The Last House on the Left and Malcolm in the Middle), and Joanna "Jojo" Levesque (Hawaii Five-O) is the perfect movie for any family to enjoy. It's the end of summer and Claire (Roberts) and Hailey (JoJo) have a major problem. In just five days, Hailey's family is moving halfway around the world! These girls need a major miracle, and they get one in the form of Aquamarine, a beautiful mermaid who washes ashore in a late summer storm. Sweet but clueless to the ways of romance, she offers to grant the girls one wish if they help her find the boy of her dreams. But when they attempt to reel in the cute local lifeguard, the result is something none of them expect and they discover that sometimes what you wish for isn't what you really want after all!
From world renowned animator Don Bluth (Anastasia, All Dogs Go to Heaven, The Secret of NIMH) and award-winning composer Barry Manilow comes Hans Christian Andersen's Thumbelina - a magical story that reminds us that if we follow our hearts, nothing is impossible. When Thumbelina, a tiny enchanted fairy, meets Prince Cornelius, she is sure she's found her heart's desire. But before their romance can blossom, she is kidnapped by a family of show business toads, detained by a scheming beetle and married to a befuddled mole! As Thumbelina casts its magical spell on your entire family, you will see why Family Life says, "Parents will be cheering, girls will be in heaven and boys will be rewarded with exciting derring-do!"
Featuring Kirk Douglas in a remarkable dual role and highlighted by a climactic chase involving 40 horsemen and 90 wild stallions thundering across snow-covered peaks, THE MAN FROM SNOWY RIVER is destined to become a legendary film. Set during the 1880's, when the Australian frontier was as wild and dangerous as the American West, the film follows the exploits of a handsome youth (Tom Burlinson) who sets out to tame a wild herd of horses. Taking on a challenge many men had attempted before him, he rides deep into the treacherous and untamed wilderness of his native timberlands where boys become men fast - or die trying.
Celebrate this Easter with an epic Easter basket filled with goodies that will be enjoyed by all, including a copy of one or all four of Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, Aquamarine, Thumbelina and The Man from Snowy River. Use some ideas from this handy tip sheet to aid in coming up with some fun ideas for Easter surprises. And enter at the bottom to be eligible to win a prize pack of these family friendly Blu-rays!
What says better than the beginning of Spring and the celebration of Easter more so than egg-shaped sidewalk crayons? Get your warm weather festivities started by decorating your bland sidewalk with your friends and family with this fun sidewalk-crayon kit. The shape allows little ones to get a good grip, though they may not give it back once they get started.
Decorate your little one's nails with pretty pastel colors in a fun Easter nail polish set just in time for her to return back to school after her Easter or Spring break. Pair her flowery pink dress with a light purple polish to put on the finishing touches to her back-to-school outfit.
Celebrate this Easter with your young ones as you work together to solve some Easter-themed puzzles that will for sure get the wheels in the heads rolling as they try to solve word search, mazes and cross-word puzzles. No matter what age you are, puzzles are a perfect and inexpensive activity that can be enjoyed by all.
One person will win Blu-ray copies of Aquamarine, Thumbelina, The Man From Snowy River, and Ferngully: The Last Rainforest.
Cache Chic strives to inspire eclectic personal art to touch the heart of those who wear it and their beautiful jewelry is handcrafted with Sterling Silver, Copper, semi-precious stones, Swarovski crystals and fresh water pearls. Each piece is made with love and a prayer. No two pieces are exactly a like, and the shop also takes custom orders.
There are several pieces of jewelry I admire at Cache Chic, with one being the Grace & Mercy Cuff Bracelet. It has a rawness and a realness to it and is inscribed with two words that I know God bestows upon me every day. So many of the necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and personalized jewelry are ravishing and you can tell they were handcrafted with precision. The owner and designer behind Cache Chic is Tricia Legg, who started in the jewelry business in 1989 working for independent designers and later became a designer of her own jewelry.
One person will win a custom personalized necklace like the one pictured above.
Not to be outdone by my sister's camper room dedicated to our favorite adult beverage, my sister and husband volunteered to jazz my golf cart up last night.
The winner of the House of Tsang giveaway is #4, Debbie P.
The winners of the WWJD II: The Woodcarver DVD giveaway are #80, Debbie J. and #103 Valerie.
Congrats to the winners and thanks to all who entered. Be sure to check out my list of active giveaways, listed at the top left hand side of my blog. There's no limit to how many you can enter or how many you can win.
My oldest daughter turns 18 in less than a month. While searching for online companies that offer invitations and gifts, I came across Printed Sugar. Printed Sugar offers various invitations and announcements needed to announce life's sweet celebrations. Each item is reviewed and hand selected with the customer in mind. Their products range from classic to funky pieces and everything in between, above, and below. Printed Sugar also specializes in modern birth announcements, adult party invitations, and a wide selection of stationery needs.
Because I didn't plan far enough in advance for Shelby's birthday, I didn't have time to order birthday invitations. The invitation shown above is the style and bright colors I would've went with. I'm not going to allow the busyness of my life deter me from properly planning the other kids' birthday parties I'll be hosting this summer. I've already ordered the party supplies and will soon be browsing for birthday invites and gifts. Printed Sugar is a personable company that I'll be definitely considering when the time comes to purchase those items.
Two people will each win a $50 Printed Sugar Gift Certificate.
If you haven't entered already, be sure to enter the two giveaways ending tonight, March 28th, at 11:01 pm CST. As with all my giveaways, there's no limit to how many you can enter or how many you can win.
For the first time this year we went fishing. The campground has a beautiful lake with many coves. Me and Jason took the boys there Saturday.
Jason didn't catch any fish but Logan caught quite a handful of Sunfish. We go by the CPR method - Catch, Photograph, Release.
Logan learned how to take the hook out of the fish mouth by himself.
Adam and I are spectators. Neither of us are into worms or getting fish off our line.
Featuring Family Friendly Audio Track The Whole Family Will Go Wild for this Heartwarming Adventure Starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson On Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Download April 3rd.
Based on a true story and a novel, We Bought A Zoo is a heartwarming family film about a widowed husband who buys a run-down private zoo and spruces it back up with the help of a female zookeeper. When I first saw the previews for this movie I thought it would be geared more towards kids. Although its content is mostly acceptable for kids to watch, I wouldn't put it in the kids movie genre. We Bought A Zoo is more of a romance, with family struggles admist it. The acting is believable and the animals are ambrosial. Even though We Bought A Zoo wasn't what I expected it to be, it was still splendid.
One person will win We Bought A Zoo DVD and book.
Have a recipe starring peanut butter that your family goes nuts for? A video of you singing the song you wrote about peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth? A photo of your kids covered in PB&J? Planters wants to reward you for your peanut butter passion!
On Wednesday, March 28, Planters is launching "Peanut Butter Doug's Peanut Butter Challenge" on Facebook, which will call on consumers to enter a photo, video, recipe, or written entry that proves how much they love peanut butter. The top 16 submissions, as voted on by the fans, will win a case of Planters peanut butter. The grand prize winner will receive not one, but two lifetime supplies of Planters peanut butter.
I received no compensation for this post. This post is for informational purposes. Please do your own research before purchasing products or using services. Your opinions and results may differ.
I know that I feel better about myself when I use products that indulge me and make me feel like a princess or queen. Our lives are so busy and fast-paced. Sometimes it feels super nice to sit down, relax, and get pampered. GoodtoBeYou.com is an online boutique full of fabulous treats for all women. With their beauty goodies, wardrobe problem solvers, spa treats, and handbags there's no shortage of products that make you feel "good to be you".
GoodtoBeYou wants to serve as your retreat from life's everyday stresses by proving an enjoyable shopping experience in a chic, fun and friendly atmosphere. Signing up for the GoodtoBeYou email list gains you access to receive specials and coupons, and be entered in their monthly GTBY giveaway.
One person will win a $50 prize pack of goodies from GoodtoBeYou.
Little Tikes is offering free shipping on all Playhouse purchases going on now through April 16th when you enter the code HOUSE at checkout. For more information, visit the Playhouse Circular.
Do you need a last minute gift for your Easter basket? Would you like it for free just for talking about it with your friends? Share the joy of Kidorable's Easter Egg Hunt Giveaway.
From today through April 9, Kidorable will be giving lucky winners FREE products every weekday. All you need to do is like them on Facebook or follow on Twitter and share the excitement with your friends. To enter, just post a comment on their Facebook page or retweet each Giveaway. Winners will be randomly drawn every weekday at noon CST.
Hoodiezz.com blog is hosting a Crooked Brook T-shirt Giveaway for quality, blank t-shirts from Crooked Brook's inventory. Giveaway ends April 6, 2012 and is open to residents of the contiguous USA, 18 years of age or older.
Join the American Family community and enter to win an AmericanFamily.com $500 Melissa & Doug Shopping Spree. Registering for the community gives you access to enter the giveaway, see your name on Who's Doing What, cash in your points for cool stuff, save your favorite recipes or games, and lots more! You'll also be registering to receive emails from Melissa & Doug. Entries for the Shopping Spree ends April 6, 2012.
Lace up your sneakers because the new Nutricious Chick-fil-A Kids Meals are going to help fuel active family fun! Spring is here and what better way to promote an active lifestyle and enjoy the great outdoors than with some old school games for your family to enjoy. The Old School Fun blog app is available with classic old school games for the family and a fun throwback quiz!
One person will win three coupons for free Chick-fil-A Kids Meals.
Prescription drugs are the most commonly abused drugs among 12-13 year olds. Many of these pills can be found in your medicine cabinet and around your house. The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Foundation and their AWARxE Consumer Protection Program are helping to spread information about prescription drug abuse and proper disposal methods. In an effort to help stop this growing problem, the DEA is hosting a Take-Back Day on April 28, 2012. If you have any unused prescription drugs in your home, you can drop them off at the designated collection site in your community on April 28. The DEA coordinates with the local law enforcement and community partners to provide thousands of sites across the country, many of them at police departments, so that the unwanted drugs are disposed of safely and legally. Sites will accept pills, both prescription and nonprescription, for disposal.
You can find out more information about AWARxE at www.AWARERX.ORG. And don't forget to like them on Facebook! www.facebook.com/AWARxE .
I had the opportunity to interview an expert: Dr. Catizone. Dr. Catizone is the Executive Director of the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) and a licensed pharmacist. He currently serves as a Governor of the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) Board of Directors and Chair of the PTCB Certification Council. Dr. Catizone is regularly called to serve as an expert witness for the US Government in the areas of pharmacy practice and regulation on both the state and national level issues.
a) What are the dangers of taking drugs not prescribed to you?
Taking a medication not prescribed for you can lead to serious health consequences, permanent injuries, or death. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that in 2009, 1.2 million emergency department visits were related to the misuse or abuse of prescription drugs. Controlled substance medications have the potential for abuse, and taking these medications if they are not prescribed to you could lead to addiction. Every year, 15,000 people die from an overdose of prescription painkillers, according to the CDC.
b) What steps can a person take to ensure their prescription drugs are safe?
When picking up a new prescription ask to have the label and dosage explained to you. If there are any discrepancies between what the pharmacist tells you and what your doctor has told you, ask to have that discrepancy resolved immediately. Follow your doctor's instructions for taking the medication, and talk to your pharmacist about any questions you may have.
When you receive a refilled prescription, examine the medication and note if there are any differences in color, shape, size, and taste from the medication you normally receive. Also, look for changes in the packaging or any evidence of tampering, such as if the packaging is unsealed or if tablets are chipped or cracked. If you notice anything different, contact your pharmacist.
If ordering a medication online, make sure to use a VIPPS® pharmacy. VIPPS-accredited pharmacies meet all state licensing requirements as well as nationally endorsed standards of pharmacy practice. When consumers see the VIPPS Seal they can also be sure that the online pharmacy they are using is in compliance with standards of privacy, authentication, and security, that it adheres to quality assurance policy, and that the site provides meaningful consultation between patients and pharmacists. The list of VIPPS Internet Pharmacies is available on the AWARxE Web site.
c) I have three teenagers. Are there specific or general signs I can look for to determine if they are taking prescription drugs that don't belong to them?
Side effects associated with prescription drug abuse include dizziness, loss of appetite, unconsciousness, impaired memory, mood swings, loss of motor coordination, trouble breathing and rapid or irregular heartbeat.
d) What is the safest way to discard of unused prescription drugs?
If you have pills or medication that is no longer needed or has expired, dispose of it at an authorized DEA Take-Back location, or a local medication disposal program. The next DEA National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day is April 28, 2012 and collection sites will be located across the country.
Also, cities and counties across the country provide permanent medication disposal programs. Many programs provide a drop-box at a police department—these programs can take controlled substance medications for disposal. Other programs are run by hazardous waste disposal agencies or other entities that cannot accept controlled substance medications, but can take all other unused drugs for safe disposal.
Many of the AWARxE Get Local pages have links to local disposal programs, and we are actively expanding these resources. We are happy to take information about local programs and post it on our Web site. Anyone who has information on a disposal program can e-mail the information they have to AWARErx@nabp.net and we will review it for inclusion on the respective state's Get Local page.
I received no compensation for this post. The opinions and questions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products or using services. Your opinions and results may differ.
GameMill Entertainment, an independent publisher of entertaining mass-market video games, announced the release of Silverlicious™, the entertaining exploration video game based on the Silverlicious™ story from the best-selling Pinkalicious™ children's book series. Silverlicious the game is available now in retail stores nationwide for the Nintendo DS™ hand-held system for $19.99.
Following the enchanting storyline of Silverlicious™ written and illustrated by Victoria Kann, Silverlicious the game lets players set out on an adventure as Pinkalicious who has lost her ability to taste anything sweet. Help Pinkalicious regain her sweet tooth as you practice kindness, good manners and helping others in need. Collect costumes and accessories you can use to dress up Pinkalicious and unlock magical rewards including butterflies, sparkle rides and fireworks as you explore the beautiful lands and meet new friends. Boost your "sweet meter" with every good deed and polite remark and you'll quickly discover that true sweetness comes from much more than cupcakes and cookies.
Silverlicious the game also features a variety of holiday-themed neighborhoods to explore. Visit the land of Easter Excitement just in time for the Easter holiday where you can twirl, glide and dance along with Edgar the Easter Bunny and his many Easter chicks! Whether playing alone or with others, Silverlicious the game creates an imaginative and fun way to drive home the importance of kindness and good manners.
My 9 year old step-daughter is familiar with Pinkalicious from reading the popular books. Emma has played Silverlicious for the Nintendo DS a number of times since receiving it and has had fun helping Pinkalicious, the main character, with party preparations. There are several mini-games that include baking cupcakes and creating invitations. A Sweetness Meter fills up when sweets are collected and new outfits give Pinkalicious new abilities. Holidays are celebrated with themed lands called Easter Excitement, Christmas Caroling, and Very Valentine's. Kindness and manners are rewarded. The illustrations and games are girlish so I doubt boys would find much interest in Silverlicious. On the other hand, young girls will have a delightful time with this enchanted game.
I received game for review. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products. Your opinions and results may differ.
I may as well get this statement out first: The best thing you can do for your body to lose weight is proper diet and exercise. Now that everyone knows I'm aware of that, I'd like to talk to you about the It Works! Contouring Applicator. It's a naturally-based, detoxifying body contouring formula that tightens, tones and firms. It also improves skin texture and tightness. Usually sold in a kit of four applications, I was able to try one of the applicators for review.
I'm usually not so shy about stuff but I'm not about to tell you how big I am. Let's just say it wouldn't hurt for me to lose a little bit of weight. Before applying the It Works! Contouring Applicator I measured my roundness to compare results of how many inches I lost after using it. The Contouring Applicator can be used on many areas of the body and I chose to go right for the gut.
The contouring applicator needs to be applied to clean skin so I made sure to apply it after I took a shower. With my full nakedness, I measured myself and applied the wrap to my tummy. The applicator looks like a very thin piece of garbage bag with brown and green goo on it. Once I unfolded it, I placed the applicator on my stomach and smoothed out the wrinkles.
That's where the fun part came in! I had my hubby wrap me up skin tight like a mummy in saran wrap. He went around my body four times to make sure the applicator was securely in place. I looked like a hot mess but the saran wrap helped the applicator stay in place and was supposed to compress fat cells. The brown and green goo I mentioned is a formula that feels like menthol rub. It has a cool, tingling sensation.
It's recommended to wear the wrap for a minimum of 45 minutes and no longer than eight hours. I kept mine on for two hours and drank lots and lots of water to facilitate the detoxification process. By doing this, my body was getting detoxified by air/droplets via the lungs, urine via kidneys, stool via colon, and sweat via skin. I couldn't move around a whole lot due to being wrapped tight but it wasn't uncomfortable. After two hours of wearing the wrap, I took the entire thing off and threw it away. There was still some of the formula on my stomach and I just rubbed it in.
I know, I know, you want to know the results! I lost just a little over an inch after wearing the contouring applicator. You may not think that's much but it got me pretty excited. The Contouring Applicator is meant to give both immediate and progressive results. A once-a-week application is recommended for continuous, progressive results. I only had one wrap and saw a slight difference in skin smoothness and inches lost so I imagine that using the wraps as indicated would give even better results.
From the time of its inception in 2001, It Works! Global has dedicated itself to providing professional quality beauty and wellness products that both reflect high standards of integrity and reach consumers at affordable prices. Today they offer the highest quality nutritional supplements, exclusive anti-aging solutions, and the internationally famed Ultimate Applicator Cosmetic System. It Works products are formulated by leading scientists, herbalists, and researchers using the best natural ingredients, cutting-edge science, and strict quality standards to provide effective products that safely nourish your body and enhance your life. It Works is proud to offer its one-of-a-kind body slimming treatments, top-notch nutritional supplements, and a specially-formulated skin care line that helps stop or delay the harmful environmental effects that contribute to the speed of the aging process. For more information on It Works or its products visit Shannon at Karma Girl Wellness, an It Works! Independent Distributor.
I received product for review from Shannon at Karma Girl Wellness. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The opinions within this post are of my own and I was not influenced in any way. Please do your own research before purchasing products or using services. Your opinions and results may differ.
Toyota is giving away 100 cars in 100 days to deserving nonprofits!
If you represent an eligible nonprofit organization, apply to submit an application. Toyota will award 100 vehicles over the course of 100 days to 100 U.S. nonprofits. The deadline is March 26th at noon PT or when 5000 completeted applications are received, whichever comes first. Eligible 501c3 organizations and nonprofit Native American or Alaskan tribes with sovereignty can submit an application at http://on.fb.me/100CarsForGood.
Supporting the efforts of a nonprofit in Wilmington, North Carolina to train and deliver service dogs to wounded veterans.
Organizations can review the eligibility requirements and full Participation Terms at http://bit.ly/100CFGrules.
LITTLE ANGELS is an animated DVD series and has been created for pre-school aged children to teach practical learning skills like ABCs and numbers. Pre-school twins Alex and Zoe are blessed to have eight Little Angels watching over them – literally! These Little Angels live on the ceiling of their bedroom, painted there so they are the first things the kids see when they wake up in the morning and the last thing they see before they fall asleep at night. The angels come to life when the children need them most, helping guide them through the challenges of their young lives.
Save the above picture and print it out to make your own Little Angels Easter cards.
I received no compensation for this post. Please do your own research before purchasing products or using services. Your opinions and results may differ.
Every time I turn on the television on Dalls DIRECTV, I am always certain to find something about the upcoming presidential election. I have never been a fan of politics, but when there is a presidential election coming up, you can't seem to get away from all of it. There are always debates going on that pre-empt your favorite night time television program. And then there are all the commercials where the candidates bash each other as much as they legally can. No matter what political party you are in favor of, you are still subject to all of the shenanigans of the people running for public office on the television. I look forward to the day when all of the elections for this year are behind us, and we can get back to all of the regular television programming that I am so fond of. My husband on the other hand really enjoys watching all the political banter that goes on during an election year. If I watch any of that right before I go to bed at night, I end up dreaming about it. That can create some pretty crazy nightmares.
This is a sponsored guest post. Please do your own research before purchasing products or using services.
Some of my giveaways have ended and the winners have been randomly drawn. The winners have 48 hrs. to respond to email notification or new winner(s) will be drawn.
The original winner of the Good Luck Giveaway Hop giveaway never responded to winning notifications so I've redrawn another winner. The new winner of the Nokia Lumia 710 smartphone is #637, Catie R.
The winner of the PrintRunner giveaway is #82, Ledford Land.
The winner of the Tooth Fairy 2 DVD giveaway is #32, Anita Yancey.
The winner of the Green Glam Candle giveaway is #64, Shannon.
The winner of the Breakout Kings: Season One DVD giveaway is #31, tracy simms.
The winner of the Dog Is Good giveaway is #179, Kayla@TheEclecticElement.
The two winners of the Carved Solution giveaway are #97, rubynreba and #207, Jennifer T.
Congrats to the winners and thanks to all who entered. I'd love for you to enter my other giveaways, always listed at the top left hand side of my blog. There's no limit to how many you can enter or how many you can win.
I'm fairly sure I was the oldest in line at the Hunger Games midnight premiere. And I'm pretty sure there's a lot of tired teeny boppers at school today.
There were four showings in my town and I can't say for sure if they were sold out but I can say there was a very strong audience crowd. I got in line at 10 pm with my teenage daughter and her boyfriend and only waited in line outside for fifteen minutes before we were escorted inside. I was afraid it was going to be Black Friday at the movies with pushing, shoving, and gnashing of the teeth. Nope, everyone acted cordially. We got good seats and the two hour wait went by fairly quickly.
I admit, I people watched for those two hours. A group of teenagers played Silent Football (don't ask me, don't know what that means). A guy slept in an aisle corner. A college student brought their laptop. Oh, and I even saw another adult there! My daughter says she saw him drinking beer before he came in, so I'm not sure how in tune with the movie he was.
If you've read the book, then you'll be glad to know the movie has real close ties to it. It doesn't veer off and you'll know what's going on. Although I enjoyed the parts leading up to the Hunger Games, the actual death match was the best. There is mild violence and death so I have to agree with the PG-13 rating. I wouldn't take my younger ones to see it. My daughter read the book too and thought the movie was fantastic.
Alex, my daughter's boyfriend, knew nothing about Hunger Games and still thought it was one of the better movies he'd seeen lately. However, I'm pretty sure Shelby could've put the choke hold on him a couple times when he asked a hundred questions. Why are the people dressed like that? What are Peacekeepers? Really, a hovercraft?
I think the movie may be confusing at times to those who haven't read the book but, according to Alex, it was still a great watch.
Yes, my friends, I was one of the crazies who stood in line to brave a world movie premiere at midnight. And it was so totally worth it!
Did you see Hunger Games at its midnight premiere? Do you plan on watching it?
I received no compensation for this post. It's just my general opinion of the Hunger Games.
With almost every meal that we cook, we add spices and sauces. Sometimes it's what's called for in recipes and sometimes it's just whatever we feel like adding in to give our meals extra flavor. Our pantry has no shortage of sauces or spices and we always like to try new ones out.
I was given the opportunity to try Veri Peri Cooking Sauces and you would've thought it was Christmas all over again. My husband immediately started rambling with what meals he was going to cook with them.
Veri Peri is the number one cooking sauce brand in South Africa. Made with the African Bird's Eye Chili, the gluten-free, dairy free and low carb Very Peri delivers a smooth heat experience. It comes in five different flavors: mild, lemon herb, garlic, hot and veri hot. Unlike other hot sauces, Veri Peri can be used as a marinade, an ingredient in a favorite recipe or as a condiment.
With the exception of Veri Hot, I like the flavors each sauce adds to my meals. The only reason I stay away from Veri Hot is because it is as the name indicates, very hot. My husband, however, dips his meats in it all the time. The spicier, the better for him. All of the sauces are versatile, meaning they taste good in many eatables. My personal favorite is Lemon & Herb, especially when it's used to marinate chicken. Garlic is especially good when added to fettucine alfredo or roasted vegetables. Veri Peri cooking sauces have made the way to our dinner plates several times now and will continue to do so.
One person will win a bottle of Veri Peri cooking sauce in choice of flavor.
As many of you know, I loooove camping. Every weekend for seven months out of the year, you'll find me and mine at the campground. I'd like to say we go all natural with tent camping but that changed a few years ago when everything we owned would get ruined from storms. So we now have a camper parked at a permanent spot at a local campground.
Camping season doesn't officially start until April 1st but the weather has been unusually beautiful. Because of that, the owners have allowed campers access and the place has been abuzz. The last three weeks we've been busy getting our place in tip-top shape.
We moved our camper from one location to another so we can be closer to my sisters and friends who camp there. I paid a teenager girl some cash to wash our camper and we just got our deck moved in place. The decorations are out and the inside has been cleaned. My husband also painted our golf cart black. I purchased a couple of Jagermeister decals to go along the sides.
The Jagermeister tap machine is hooked up and ready to dispense. That's our adult beverage of choice.
Hooray for camping season! Let the good times roll!
I'd sure hate for you to miss out on four of my fantastic giveaways ending tonight, March 22, at 11:01 pm CST. Be sure to enter if you haven't already. Heck, while you're at it, be sure to check out my entire list of current giveaways at the top left hand side of my blog. There's no limit to how many you can enter or how many you can win.


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Bible Belt Blues Receives Josie Music Award Nomination for Album of the Year
Updated: Jun 5, 2021
Gospel Blues Duo Celebrate Their Third Consecutive Josie Music Award Nomination
(Gulfport, MS)
GULFPORT, Miss. - June 1, 2021 - PRLog -- Paula and Harold Vega Vondenstein, of Bible Belt Blues, have received a Josie Music Award nomination for their much-acclaimed 2nd album, "My God, My God" which was released on June 1, 2019. This is their third consecutive year to receive a Josie Music Award nomination with the stakes much higher this time with 38,000+ submissions across all genres from around the globe. The Josie Music Awards are celebrating their 7th year as the most prestigious red carpet award ceremony for Indie artists and will hold this year's event at the Country Tonite Theatre in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on September 18, 2021.
Everything about Bible Belt Blues' music is counter-culture from producing music that addresses sin, repentance, and salvation to preserving a style of music that many people say is a dying art, early Mississippi Bentonia blues. All of their songs on their Josie Music Award-nominated album "My God, My God" have already received radio airplay except for one song. Although WNIR Radio is a secular radio station, Bible Belt Blues' music has placed on their Top 10 Monthly Chart for eleven consecutive months during 2020. Their boldest song, "Mighty Warriors for Christ" held the #1 spot on WNIR for three consecutive months in 2021 (March-May). Bible Belt Blues was also the inspiration behind the creation of WNIR Radio's new Christian program, "Spirit & Soul." Known for their bold, Biblically sound lyrics, Bible Belt Blues is setting the stage for a new wave of Christian music crafted to be an evangelical tool where the lyrics take center stage.
"Bible Belt Blues is setting the stage for a new wave of Christian music crafted to be an evangelical tool where the lyrics take center stage." - Paula Vega Vondenstein
After winning the coveted Josie Music Award for Gospel/Christian Duo on September 21, 2019, Bible Belt Blues has gained tremendous momentum with twenty-six of their songs have received radio airplay, extensive media coverage including eight magazine articles in Write Away Magazine, amazing song reviews in Please Pass the Indie and Indie Spoonful international music blogs, interviews (TV & print), and the signing of eight of their original Bible Belt Blues songs with Bongo Boy Records in four compilation albums, of which two albums have already been released.
Most recently Bible Belt Blues won the 2020 W.A.M. Music Award for Best Lyrics for Gospel/Christian Song, "We Worship the King of Kings," and two Finalist 2020 InterContinental Music Awards for Best Gospel/Christian-America for their songs "Are You Ready?" and "Down the Rabbit Hole." The 2020 UK Songwriting Contest gave "Down the Rabbit Hole" 5 stars and it also crossed over genres with a 2020 Gulf Coast Gospel Music Awards (GCGMA) Song of the Year Nomination.
Amazingly, the Vondensteins handle every facet of their music production including lyric writing, composing, recording, performing, mixing, mastering, producing, marketing, securing radio airplay, album cover design, building their website and YouTube Channel, as well as creating their music videos under Vondenstein Video Productions.
Bible Belt Blues released two albums in 2019 ("I'm Not Ashamed to Be a Christian" and "My God, My God") four new songs in 2020 ("I Pledge Allegiance to My Jesus" "Can't Take It With You" "Can't Take Away My Joy" and "Mighty Warriors for Christ") and their latest single, "Unstoppable" on May 20, 2021. The Vondensteins are currently working on completing their 3rd album, "Preacher and the Bluesman."
About Bible Belt Blues
Harold and Paula Vega Vondenstein are Bible Belt Blues, a husband and wife music ministry team from Gulfport, Mississippi. Their music is both fresh and unique: bold, biblically sound lyrics wrapped in early Mississippi Bentonia blues influenced music with a bit of 70's retro mixed in for good measure. The gritty guitar picking, hauntingly beautiful D & E minor chords, and weeping harmonica are the perfect backdrop for their full-fledged repentance and church revival songs for which they are known. Bible Belt Blues started creating music together as a couple in early September of 2018 when Paula convinced her husband, Harold, to let her start writing the lyrics first, which sets the tonality and structure for the music. Bible Belt Blues' goal is for each song to be a distinctive work of art, yet true to its own genre, which falls under the larger genre of Gospel Blues. Since January of 2019, the Vondensteins have released two Christian albums, "I'm Not Ashamed to Be a Christian" and "My God, My God," that they created, recorded, mixed, mastered, and produced in their own home recording studio. To date, twenty-six of their Bible Belt Blues songs have already received radio airplay, thanks to Bill and Kat Radio's Cross 104 Gospel Blues Hour Syndicated Radio Program resulting in numerous placements on the Roots Music Report. Against all odds, Bible Belt Blues won the coveted 2019 Josie Music Award for Gospel/ Christian Duo after more than 23,000 nominations were submitted across all genres from around the globe. The Vondensteins are both humbled and honored by the doors that God has already opened for them with their music ministry. Bible Belt Blues is available for revival concerts and special events at churches, colleges, schools, conferences, and retreats. Bookings / Music: www.BibleBeltBlues.org Contact : Paula@BibleBeltBlues.org
#BibleBeltBlues #MyGodMyGod #JosieMusicAwards #RepentenceSongs #ChristianMusicNews

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
#include "mex.h"
#include <stdio.h>
#include <time.h>

/*
 * epoch.c
 *
 * Return of time since January 1, 1970
 *
 * This is a MEX-file for MATLAB.
 */

/* $Revision: 0.0.1 $ */

void mexFunction( int nlhs, mxArray *plhs[],
                  int nrhs, const mxArray *prhs[] )
{
  double *x;
  double *ptr;

    const char **fnames;       /* pointers to field names */
  int        ifield, nfields, val, i;
    mxArray    *tmp, *fout;

  /* Check for proper number of arguments. */
  if (nrhs != 2) {
    mexErrMsgTxt("One input argument required.");
  } else if (!mxIsNumeric(prhs[0])) {
    mexErrMsgTxt("Argument must be numeric.");
  } else if (mxGetNumberOfElements(prhs[0]) != 1 || mxIsComplex(prhs[0])) {
    mexErrMsgTxt("Argument must be non-complex scalar.");
  }

  nfields = mxGetNumberOfFields(prhs[1]);
  fnames = mxCalloc(nfields, sizeof(*fnames));
	for (ifield=0; ifield< nfields; ifield++){
		fnames[ifield] = mxGetFieldNameByNumber(prhs[1],ifield);
		mexPrintf("%s\n", fnames[ifield]);
		ptr = mxGetPr(mxGetField(prhs[1], 0, fnames[ifield]));
		printf("%f\n", *ptr);
		ptr[0]++;
		printf("%f\n", *ptr);
	}

  /* Create matrix for the return argument. */
  plhs[0] = mxCreateDoubleMatrix(1,1,mxREAL);

  /* Assign pointers to each input and output. */
  x = mxGetPr(prhs[0]);

  /* Call the timestwo subroutine. */
  x[0] *= 5.0;
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Returning the month index/number instead of month name self.months = ('January', 'February', 'March',
                        'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August',
                        'September', 'October', 'November', 'December')

self.option_var = tk.StringVar(self)

        # option menu
        option_menum = ttk.OptionMenu(
            self,
            self.option_var,
            self.months[0],
            *self.months,
            )

birth_month = self.option_var.get()

so, I'm programming an age calculator in python + tkinter and I'm wondering if instead of returning the month name ("Jan"...), I can return a number, or rather the month's index in the list.

A: How about making self.months a list?
self.months = ['January', 'February', 'March',
                        'April', 'May', 'June', 'July', 'August',
                        'September', 'October', 'November', 'December']

and then use .index(), e.g.
month_you_are_looking_for = "March"

month_as_integer = self.months.index(month_you_are_looking_for)+1

As @h4z3 pointed out in the comments, the same works if you want to use your months in a tuple, as you originally did!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Q: element detection inside when I click the element I have defined a click function in the container element. and the element inside this container element is the same size as the container. but when I implement the click event  it detects   not the container. it detects the container in inside element

A: Replace
` function toggle_class(){
   event.target.classList.add('open');
 }`

With
 function toggle_class(){
   event.currentTarget.classList.add('open');
 }


text:
DVNE
New EP, "Omega Severer", out now!
Dvne comments: "Due to the chaos that Covid19 has provided the whole music industry in 2020, our new full-length album will be released in spring 2021 alongside a string of tour dates. However, as we know our fans have been waiting patiently for new material, we've decided in the meantime to release this EP that links old and new together, and these two tracks do exactly that.
'Omega Severer' is the first glimpse of our upcoming album and its universe. It is a track that captures a lot of new elements for us, especially with the introduction of synth as a more prominent feature in the band.
'Of Blade and Carapace' is a recent re-recording of a track from our 2015 'Aurora Majesty' EP. This track has always been special to us, so this EP is the perfect opportunity to share this fresh take of the song with you all.
We'd like to also take this opportunity to thank our new label Metal Blade Records for their constant support throughout what has been a difficult year for the whole music industry.
We can't wait to share everything we have planned with you next year, and we'll see you out on the road in 2021."
Founded in 2013, Dvne (pronounced Dune) is a 5-piece progressive rock/metal band from Edinburgh, Scotland. With highly dynamic compositions venturing from delicate and intricate melodies to crushing and brutal soundscapes, Dvne's music takes its listeners through a deeply emotional journey filled with dystopian thematics, grand narrative, and other-worldly landscapes. They emerged within the UK scene with their first EP Progenitor (2013 - Wasted State Records), shortly followed by a second EP, Aurora Majesty (2014 - Sea of Corruption Records).
Dvne quickly began to make a name for themselves in the UK and around Europe, with various shows throughout these territories alongside the likes of Eyehategod, Crowbar, Dragged Into Sunlight, among others. The band's sound at the time was already crossing over different music styles, including post-metal, progressive rock and sludge metal, but it is with their first full-length album, Asheran (Wasted State Records), that the band further established their unique blend of heavy music. Released in August 2017, Asheran was overwhelmingly praised by the press and was listed on many "best album of the year" lists.
Since Asheran's release, Dvne has toured all over the UK, Europe and North America, appearing at prestigious festivals such as Psycho Las Vegas, Desertfest London and Inferno Festival Norway. Not content to repeat their previous releases and always looking to push their sound forward, Dvne's upcoming sophomore album promises to be another stunning chapter in the band's history.
https://www.facebook.com/DvneUK
https://www.instagram.com/dvne_uk
IOTUNN
DEMON HEAD
More in this category: « SHLAK CARDINAL WYRM »


Friday's drawing of the Mega Millions resulted in major prizes won from the $142 million jackpot. A total of six $4 million lottery tickets were purchased last week after the winning numbers 4, 5, 10, 12 and 18 were selected, with a Mega Ball of 21. During the drawing, the low winning numbers provided 12 tickets with wins that matched five numbers but not the Mega Ball. Out of those 12 tickets, six players choose to add the Megaplier for $1, which helped them to win 4x the prize amount.
According to NJ.com, the six $4 million tickets were spread across the United States to the lucky players who managed to match the drawn numbers. Winners of the massive cash prizes include players in New Jersey, Florida, Washington State, Colorado, Pennsylvania and Texas. These six added the Megaplier which resulted in more cash.
The remaining six winning ticket holders matched five numbers but did not choose to add the Megaplier. Four of those tickets were purchased in California and totaled just over $2.2 million. In the state of California, lottery prizes will vary based on the number of tickets sold as well as how many winners there are. A winner from Ohio and New York were also announced, with their tickets being worth $1 million each.
The biggest jackpot win from the drawing was a $142 million winning ticket, which was purchased in Ohio. The lucky winner managed to match all six balls drawn, including the gold Mega Ball.


text:
<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">

  <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>

  <!-- The Basics -->
  <groupId>com.github.jinahya</groupId>
  <artifactId>jinahya-imgscalr-lib</artifactId>
  <version>0.1</version>
  <packaging>jar</packaging>
  <parent>
    <groupId>org.sonatype.oss</groupId>
    <artifactId>oss-parent</artifactId>
    <version>9</version>
  </parent>
  <dependencyManagement />
  <dependencies>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>ch.qos.logback</groupId>
      <artifactId>logback-classic</artifactId>
      <version>1.1.2</version>
      <scope>test</scope>
    </dependency>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>org.imgscalr</groupId>
      <artifactId>imgscalr-lib</artifactId>
      <version>4.2</version>
      <scope>compile</scope>
    </dependency>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
      <artifactId>slf4j-api</artifactId>
      <version>1.7.10</version>
      <scope>compile</scope>
    </dependency>
    <dependency>
      <groupId>org.testng</groupId>
      <artifactId>testng</artifactId>
      <version>6.8.21</version>
      <scope>test</scope>
    </dependency>
  </dependencies>
  <properties>
    <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
    <project.reporting.outputEncoding>UTF-8</project.reporting.outputEncoding>
    <maven.compiler.source>1.7</maven.compiler.source>
    <maven.compiler.target>1.7</maven.compiler.target>
    <maven.compiler.testSource>1.8</maven.compiler.testSource>
    <maven.compiler.testTarget>1.8</maven.compiler.testTarget>
  </properties>

  <!-- Build Settings -->
  <build>
    <pluginManagement>
      <plugins>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>com.github.github</groupId>
          <artifactId>site-maven-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>0.11</version>
        </plugin>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
          <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>3.2</version>
        </plugin>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
          <artifactId>maven-gpg-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>1.5</version>
        </plugin>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
          <artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>2.4</version>
        </plugin>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
          <artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>2.10.1</version>
        </plugin>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
          <artifactId>maven-project-info-reports-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>2.8</version>
        </plugin>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
          <artifactId>maven-release-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>2.5.1</version>
        </plugin>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
          <artifactId>maven-site-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>3.4</version>
        </plugin>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
          <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>2.18.1</version>
        </plugin>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
          <artifactId>animal-sniffer-maven-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>1.13</version>
        </plugin>
        <plugin>
          <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
          <artifactId>versions-maven-plugin</artifactId>
          <version>2.1</version>
        </plugin>
      </plugins>
    </pluginManagement>
    <plugins>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>com.github.github</groupId>
        <artifactId>site-maven-plugin</artifactId>
        <configuration>
          <server>github</server>
          <message>creating site for ${project.version}</message>
          <path>sites/${project.version}</path>
          <merge>true</merge>
        </configuration>
        <executions>
          <execution>
            <goals>
              <!--
                    <goal>site</goal>
              -->
            </goals>
            <phase>site</phase>
          </execution>
        </executions>
      </plugin>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-release-plugin</artifactId>
        <configuration>
          <tagNameFormat>@{project.version}</tagNameFormat>
          <pushChanges>false</pushChanges>
          <localCheckout>true</localCheckout>
        </configuration>
      </plugin>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
        <configuration>
          <systemPropertyVariables>
            <java.awt.headless>true</java.awt.headless>
          </systemPropertyVariables>
        </configuration>
      </plugin>
    </plugins>
  </build>
  <reporting>
    <plugins>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-jxr-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>2.4</version>
      </plugin>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-checkstyle-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>2.12.1</version>
      </plugin>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-project-info-reports-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>2.7</version>
      </plugin>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
        <!--<version>2.9.1</version>-->
        <configuration>
          <links>
            <link>http://www.thebuzzmedia.com/downloads/software/imgscalr/javadoc/</link>
          </links>
        </configuration>
      </plugin>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
        <artifactId>maven-pmd-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>3.1</version>
        <configuration>
          <targetJdk>${maven.compiler.target}</targetJdk>
        </configuration>
      </plugin>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
        <artifactId>cobertura-maven-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>2.6</version>
      </plugin>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
        <artifactId>findbugs-maven-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>3.0.0</version>
      </plugin>
      <plugin>
        <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
        <artifactId>versions-maven-plugin</artifactId>
        <version>2.1</version>
        <reportSets>
          <reportSet>
            <reports>
              <report>dependency-updates-report</report>
              <report>plugin-updates-report</report>
              <report>property-updates-report</report>
            </reports>
          </reportSet>
        </reportSets>
      </plugin>
    </plugins>
  </reporting>

  <!-- More Project Information -->
  <name>${project.artifactId}</name>
  <url>http://jinahya.github.io/jinahya-imgscalr-lib/sites/${project.version}</url>
  <inceptionYear>2015</inceptionYear>
  <licenses>
    <license>
      <name>Apache 2</name>
      <url>http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.txt</url>
      <distribution>repo</distribution>
      <comments>A business-friendly OSS license</comments>
    </license>
  </licenses>
  <organization />
  <developers>
    <developer>
      <id>jinahya</id>
      <name>Jin Kwon</name>
      <email>jinahya@gmail.com</email>
    </developer>
  </developers>
  <contributors />

  <!-- Environment Settings -->
  <issueManagement>
    <system>GitHub Issues</system>
    <url>https://github.com/jinahya/${project.artifactId}/issues</url>
  </issueManagement>
  <ciManagement />
  <mailingLists />
  <scm>
    <connection>scm:git:git@github.com:jinahya/${project.artifactId}.git</connection>
    <developerConnection>scm:git:git@github.com:jinahya/${project.artifactId}.git</developerConnection>
    <url>https://github.com/jinahya/${project.artifactId}</url>
    <tag>0.1</tag>
  </scm>
  <prerequisites>
    <maven>3.2.5</maven>
  </prerequisites>
  <repositories>
    <!--    <repository>
      <id>oss-sonatype-snapshots</id>
      <releases>
        <enabled>false</enabled>
      </releases>
      <snapshots>
        <enabled>true</enabled>
        <updatePolicy>daily</updatePolicy>
        <checksumPolicy>warn</checksumPolicy>
      </snapshots>
      <url>http://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/</url>
    </repository>-->
  </repositories>
  <pluginRepositories />
  <distributionManagement />
  <profiles>
    <profile>
      <id>release-sign-artifacts</id>
      <activation>
        <property>
          <name>performRelease</name>
          <value>true</value>
        </property>
      </activation>
      <build>
        <plugins>
          <plugin>
            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
            <artifactId>maven-gpg-plugin</artifactId>
            <executions>
              <execution>
                <id>sign-artifacts</id>
                <phase>verify</phase>
                <goals>
                  <goal>sign</goal>
                </goals>
              </execution>
            </executions>
          </plugin>
        </plugins>
      </build>
    </profile>
  </profiles>
</project>


text:
class User < ActiveRecord::Base
  attr_accessible :email
  attr_accessible :name, :avatar_url, :location, :occupation, :company    # Profile Attributes

  attr_accessor :sign_up

  def self.find_or_create_by_omniauth(auth_hash)
    uid = auth_hash[:uid]
    if new_user?(uid)
      user = where(:id => auth_hash[:uid]).first_or_create
      user.sign_up = true
    else
      user = find(uid)
      user.sign_up = false
    end

    user.update_attributes(:email => auth_hash[:info][:email])
    user
  end

  def self.new_user?(uid)
    where(:id => uid).empty?
  end

end


text:
Albina Víktorovna Jómich –en ruso, Альбина Викторовна Хомич– (Kuitun, URSS, 24 de agosto de 1976) es una deportista rusa que compitió en halterofilia.

Ganó cuatro medallas en el Campeonato Mundial de Halterofilia entre los años 1994 y 2003, y ocho medallas en el Campeonato Europeo de Halterofilia entre los años 1995 y 2003.

Palmarés internacional

Referencias

Halterófilos de Rusia
Campeones mundiales de halterofilia

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The purpose of this short course is to equip the learner with the skills to ensure he complies with safety and health requirements by operating in accordance with safe work procedures and using personal protective equipment provided when mixing concrete by hand, transporting, placing and levelling, vibrating, floating by hand, grouting and curing concrete.
The purpose of this short course is to develop knowledge and skills required when mixing concrete by hand by checking delivery note and consistency of concrete, organizing vibrators, floats, ribbles, etc, preparing access e.g. wheelbarrow, runs, scaffolding, placing screeds, patching and grouting as well as saw cutting whilst complying with the health and safety requirements in respect of operating in accordance with safe work procedures and using personal protective equipment provided.
The purpose of this short course is to equip the learner with the knowledge and skills required for basic reinforcing skills need to demonstrate basic tying skills, understand basic reinforcing drawings, assembling columns and reinforcing and manufacturing cover blocks.
The purpose of this short course is to equip the learner with the knowledge and skills required to extract information from bending schedules, shapes codes, drawings and sketches with assistance. To enable him/her to work to allowable tolerances, identify and select reinforcing for a single workpiece. Set and mark for a single workpiece as well as making and fixing: column cages, straight single lift walls, apertures and corners, single lift curved walls, beams into formwork and slab and mesh reinforcing. Further to fix bar reinforcement for a short straight staircase on an in-situ soffit and in-situ bars, straight staircases onto soffits, use spacers, tools and high chairs and work to SABS 1200G.
The purpose of this short course is to equip the learner with the knowledge and skills required to extract information from bending schedules, shapes codes, drawings and sketches without assistance. To enable him/her to work to interpret all documents and work to SABS 1200G. Identify and select reinforcing for combinations. Set and mark for combinations as well as making and fixing: combinations with circular work; beams, column, slab; staircase/landing/second lift,; around apertures and openings and inspect to correct work and hand over for concreting.
The purpose of this short course is to develop skills required to perform duties with regard to the installation of access equipment for construction work effectively and safely.
The purpose of this short course is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills to inspect access scaffolding for compliance with the South African National Standards (SANS) 10085.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to lay sewers. The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills regarding excavation of sewer lines, preparation of bedding, laying of sewer line, initial backfilling, operating small plant and compacting and backfilling.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to lay stormwater pipes. The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills in respect of stormwater pipes. To develop their skills in the excavation of trenches for stormwater pipes, preparation of the bedding, laying of stormwater pipes, initial backfilling, intermediate and final backfilling and compacting final backfilling.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to lay water pipes. The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills in respect of laying of water pipes. To develop their skills in the excavation for water mains, preparation of bedding, laying of pipes (mains), house connection to mains, laying of pipes (house connections); backfilling for trench, initial backfilling, intermediate and final backfilling and compaction of backfilling.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to lay water ducts. The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills in respect of laying cable ducts. To develop their skills in the excavation of trenches, preparation of bedding, laying of cable duct, initial backfilling and intermediate and final backfilling.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to make kerbs. The focus of this programme is to develop the learner's skills in the preparation of moulds, mixing, carting and placing concrete, compacting concrete in moulds, stripping moulds and stacking and curing kerbstones.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to lay kerbs. The focus of this programme is to develop the learner's skills for the initial compacting, preparing for kerbs, stripping kerbs, mixing concrete, placing bedding, dipping and levelling bedding and laying of kerbs.
The purpose of this short course is to develop roadworks skills required for levelling surface, preparing sub-base, screeding of sub-base, operating small plant, compacting sub-base, slushing sub-base, preparing basecourse for mixing and screeding basecourse.
The purpose of this short course is to develop skills required for bituminous road surfacing which includes preparing base surface, protecting kerbs and roadside furniture, spreading bituminous products, spreading surfacing aggregates, mixing an applying slurry, placing asphalt and operating small plant.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to repair and patch bituminous pavements. The focus of this programme is to develop the learner's skills in general repairs which include traffic accommodation, pothole repairs, edgebreak repairs, cracksealing and operating small plant. Further to develop their skills in patching, which includes marking and excavating, dealing with wet conditions, backfilling and asphalt surfacing.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to carry out chip and spray operations.
The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills to determine dumping areas, marking dump points, dumping materials, loading aggregate in wheelbarrow, transferring aggregate to spreading point, spreading surfacing aggregate, back chipping of freshly spread surfacing aggregate and cleaning site.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to carry out installation of gabions/reno mattresses.
The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills in the reading of drawings, setting out, assembling of gabions/reno mattresses, levelling of gabions/reno mattresses, wiring gabions/reno mattresses together, selection of suitable stone., filling of gabions/reno mattresses and wring and securing lid.
The purpose of this short course is to develop skills in concrete lined open drains. The focus of this programme is to develop the learner's skills in operating small plant, excavating and preparing, assembling shutters, mixing and placing concrete, completing alternate panels and completing drains.
The purpose of this short course is to develop skills in the construction of culverts. The focus of this programme is to develop the learner's knowledge and skills in the following areas: introduction to steel fixing; marking out; bending of steel; using correct knots; compacting of surface for placing of concrete; using correct mix; placing of concrete; vibrating of concrete (hand rammers); finishing of concrete (wood floats); selecting of suitable stone for stone pitching;; stock piling of stone; compacting surface for stone pitching; levelling and moistening of surface; packing of stones; grouting of pitched stones; cleaning of stones; setting out headwalls; correct stone to be used for headwalls; building of headwall (square, level, plumb); sloping of wingwall; correct placing of hazard post from shoulder breakpoint; digging correct depth; positioning of hazard post; plumb hazard post; setting out minor culverts; excavating of trench for minor culverts; correct bedding; compacting of bedding; correct height of concrete floor; installation of culverts; correctly backfilled; setting out of stormwater pipes; excavating for stormwater pipes; compacting of bedding; laying of pipes; cleaning of area.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to erect and maintain guardrails on a road construction site. The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills to maintain and install guardrails., which include the procurement of equipment resources required for guardrail installation activities; calculating quantities, procuring materials, installing and maintaining guardrails in a cost-effective and safe manner. Previously disadvantaged persons who through recognition of prior learning will be able to be accessed against this standard and receive National recognition for their competence. This will enhance their employability and career advancement and contribute to the socio-economic transformation of the country.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to maintain rural access roads. The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills in respect of gravel maintenance, drainage maintenance and erosion protection.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to construct rural access roads. The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills to enable him to carry out side drain construction, road construction, drift construction, stone pitching, mitre drain construction, dished access construction, vented access construction and erosion protection.
This short course is directed towards people who are required to construct manholes. The focus of this programme is to develop the learner's skills in casting base slabs, setting out intended dimensions, erecting manhole walls, benching manholes, constructing, placing and finishing manhole roof slab and constructing manhole chimney.
This short course is to develop skills in brick/block making. The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills to enable him to prepare for brickmaking, operate a pan concrete mixer, operate brick making machine, initial transportation and stacking of bricks and final transportation and stacking of bricks.
This short course is to develop skills in brick paving. The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills to enable him to safely handle tools,, prepare surface, lay bricks (various bonds), cut bricks (hand tools), cut bricks (power saw), mixing joint mortar, operating small plant, compacting brick paving and finishing paving.
This short course is to develop knowledge in identifying, handling and use of fencing materials. The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills to enable him to identify requirements of a good fence, joining methods, calculating boundary fence directions, preparing a terrain for boundary line, grooving of prepared wooden poles and anchors. digging of holes and planting of poles; concreting of poles and erection of anchors; attaching a boundary fence; spacing of anchors, poles, droppers and wires; erecting boundary, inside and wire netting fences; fitting of gates.
This short course is to develop knowledge in stonepitching. The focus of this programme is to equip the learner with knowledge and skills to enable him to select suitable stone, stock pile stone, compact surface, level and moisten surface, pack stones, grout pitched stones and clean stones.


Fine Art Newport Beach is proud to announce Coagula Curatorial will be publishing a book of Jim Caron comics and art work from over the last 15 years or so. Coagula Curatorial will also be having a show of Jim's ink Drawings this June 9th, 2012 at Mat Gleason's gallery, Coagula Curatorial in Downtown Los Angeles.
An experiment of artistic expression based on the internet - our current selection.
The definition of a Fine Artist is someone who brings a new vision to the world. A Fine Artist may be a craftsman or craftswoman, a compulsive creator with good content or someone beyond the definition of what we presently understand, especially as new mediums make themselves known and legitimate parts of the Fine Art World.
Fine Art Newport Beach is dedicated to bringing you an artist who has a new vision and we have been fortunate enough to bring some of his work to the public. Jim Caron has been the cartoonist for Coagula Art Journal since the mid 1990's and has also established a reputation in the Fine Art world with paintings and drawings indicative of his style.
Fine Art Newport Beach lives with the art we have acquired and know what it is like to have a piece of true Fine Art in your home. A Fine Art piece is something you live with every day and see something new in it each time you gaze at it. This is the kind of work we have sought out and it reflects our own values in acquiring and living with the kind of art that enhances our lives and creates a legacy for our own existence.
JIM CARON creates fine art oil paintings, acrylic paintings, paintings, art, surreal, surreal art, fine art, drawing, ink on canvas, video art, digital art, photographic art, internet art, animated gifs, art gallery, art curators, art reviews, art investment, coagula art journal, comics and more!


text:
I think I was misled as a child......
AMC attended two Orchestre de Paris, one at the Salle Pleyel and one at Cite de la Musique. But a bit of background first.
When AMC was just a boy, he read "High Fidelity" and "Stereo Review" magazines from cover-to-cover, several times. AMC particularly liked the record reviews, where both the performance and the recordings were rated on a scale. Reviewers were critical of French orchestras, including the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, which was the predecessor to the Paris Orchestra. The critics were constantly talking down French horn players because of their wavering tone (much like vibrato). Even now, the Paris orchestra never makes it onto any list of the world's best orchestras. Usually only German, American and London-based orchestras make the top ten. And in the top ten, only the members of the "Big Five" usually make it (the exception is the Philadelphia Orchestra- it dropped out of the top 10 in the 2008 rankings). AMC sees a certain bias in these rankings. and anyway, aren't rankings related to "Best" rather silly if there are no standardized criteria? So AMC was not expecting a great deal from the Paris orchestra. AMC was wrong.
The first concert was at the home of the orchestra, the Salle Pleyel, with conductor Ingo Metzmacher (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingo_Metzmacher).
The soloist in the Mozart Piano Concerto No. 17 was superstar Emanuel Ax
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emanuel_Ax).
This is the third time this season that AMC has heard Mr. Ax. The first was in a solo recital in Lincoln, NE, and the second was with the Atlanta Symphony in Atlanta. All of this was chance, lest someone think AMC stalks Mr. Ax. The Mozart concerto is not as over-played as some of his later piano concertos so it still holds some interest for AMC. Mr. Ax performed beautifully and Mr. Metzmacher provided wonderful orchestral support. Only once did AMC think the balance between the orchestra and soloist was problematic. This was in the first movement where the piano was overwhelmed but I think this was more due to Mr. Ax being more pianissimo that was needed. Mr. Ax granted an encore in response to numerous curtain calls and the audiences rhythmic clapping. apparently that is so much more effective in eliciting encores than Atlanta's de rigueur standing ovation.
The orchestra was seated in the European style, surprising AMC knows. AMC finds this seating arrangement to provide for greater definition between the first and second violins and enhancement of the lower strings.
The second half of the concert was dedicated to the Bruckner Mass No. 3 in F minor (for a listen to the Kyrie section of this work go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehayQ1blrII.
Bruckner (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Bruckner)
is of course the composer of interminably long symphonies that, to AMC's ear, requires a great of editing because so much of each piece contains so much repetitive music. The other characteristic of Bruckner's symphonies that AMC is not partial to is what AMC calls his "bellows" style of composing. If any of Bruckner's symphonies are seen in an audio editor, it is easy to see the very repetitive crescendos and decrescendos that appear at regularly occurring intervals throughout. Maybe the composer did this because of he was an organist, so AMC thinks the bellows analogy fits well. But for AMC this makes Bruckner's symphonies to be quite the soporific. By the very structure of the Mass with its various sections (Kyrie, Sanctus, Gloria, etc. ) the composer was forced to be a bit more spare in this composition. AMC believes that this structure helped Bruckner develop a stronger, less repetitive, and more focused style in the F Minor Mass. AMC also likes this piece better than the composer's symphonic output.
For this performance, the soloists were seated on a riser behind and above the orchestra. The Orchestra of Paris' Choir was seated above and behind the soloists. AMC thinks this arrangement is far superior to usual arrangement of having the soloists to the right or left of the conductor. This was a noble, intelligent, superior performance. The orchestra was simply outstanding. The horns are supple and never seem to have intonation problems. After awhile, it was a relief for AMC not to have to anticipate a sour note, given that AMC has learned to anticipate errors from the hometown orchestra. In addition, the orchestra's musicians love to play music, and they communicate that with their physicality. The woodwinds are incredible. The bassoon's are outstanding. They move with the music just as much as the strings. In many US orchestras they tend to sit motionless. AMC thinks that being involved physically in playing makes for a much better, more convincing performance. The principal oboe player was also animated and stylish. The choir was phenomenal. Their tone and articulation was first class. Credit goes to their chief Lionel Sow, but also to Mr. Metzmacher who seemed to understand the relationship between the hall's acoustical environment and the levels at which both the choir sang, and the orchestra played. This ended up to be a real partnership between the orchestra, choir and soloists. At AMC's hometown, the chorus is thunderous and continually wrestles for dominance with the orchestra. The soloists were all top rate, with the possible exception of the Mezzo soprano, Ms. Pokupic. She had particularly difficulty initially- she seemed hesitant. She also had difficulty in her lower registers. But this was a grand performance of the first order.
Maestro Metzmacher seems to thoroughly enjoy his job. He seems perpetually pleased with his musicians and he seems to have a constant smile.
AMC love the acoustics of the Salle Pleyel. Every section of the orchestra could easily be identified in the acoustic place, even with AMC's eyes closed.. There was no smear in the sound when there are grand fortes. The hall resembles Atlanta's symphony Hall visually, but that is where the comparison ends. Both are simple and spare, but one is a sympathetic space for an orchestra and the other is not. The lobby areas of the Salle Pleyel are simple, with hardly any adornment, unlike the Garnier Opera House. But of course, adornment does not make an orchestra sound better.
AMC noticed a few unimportant stylistic items. After the piano was tuned, a gray-suited gentleman took a polishing cloth to the entire piano. It was a classy touch. Also, the men of the orchestra wear some sort of jacket that looks like a cross between an artists' smock and a Nehru jacket. They also did not seem to wear conventional ties but rather some sort of scarf. It was not a good look!
AMC had a bad experience with seating. AMC ordered his ticket through Classictic.com, and the computer chose his seat. Well that seat was at the very front of the first tier of seats on the left side. AMC was looking directly down to the concertmaster. AMC complained to an usher that his seat was terrible. The young man promised that before the concert started he would find AMC a better seat. After about 15 minutes walked back (and through a row of seated patrons) to enquire when he would hear of a new seat. The usher assured AMC that he would have a new assignment shortly, and to rest assured that he was not forgotten. Well AMC was forgotten. At the interval, AMC complained to a supervisor about the usher's lack of follow-through. Finally, AMC located a vacant seat 5 places behind where he was assigned. AMC's seating went from one of the worst in the house to one of the best.
The house was nearly full with patrons ranging in age from children to seniors. That was nice to see.
The second concert was in the concert hall of the Cite de la Musique, which is located far, relatively speaking, from the heart of Paris. This hall has only about a thousand seats. Click here for more information about it: http://www.medici.tv/#!/cite-de-la-musique-1.
AMC thought the acoustics at the Cite were also quite supportive of an orchestra, even though it is one the smallish side.
The concert featured its Music director Paavo Jarvi and pianist Piotr Anderszewski
(http://www.anderszewski.net/). Mr. Jarvi is a superstar; go here:
http://www.paavojarvi.com/.
The highlight of this concert for AMC was the Szymanowski
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karol_Szymanowski )
Symphony No. 4 (for the finale, click here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2bXCGRlaAU).
This is a flashy in-your-face-type of music that is a showpiece for every section of the orchestra. The piece is in a concertante form so that the piano becomes a first among equals part. this is the kind of music that American orchestras often avoid since it might tend to keep patrons away. And, with that kind of approach, patrons will never learn the power and worth of newer music. It also means over scheduling of Mozart, Beethoven and Brahms in the US.
The Paris Orchestra played the music superbly. there was not a mistake to be found. The ensemble was outstanding, with each section of the orchestra playing as one and as if on fire. In this performance the percussion section was outstanding. At one point, AMC heard what sounded to be an organ pedal note. He looked around the auditorium to find the source, only to see that it was the bass drum. But the drum was so skillfully played that it was if an organ was holding one sustained note. In a less skilled hand this sustained not would sound like a series of strikes. Also, the tam tam player stood in front of his instrument, rather than at the side. He held the mallet behind him. This may have been because he was called upon to play the triangle also, but it was different. Mr. Anderszewski played well, but this auditorium made the sound of the piano a bit more distant than the orchestra itself, but both the soloist and Mr. Jaarvi seemed to accommodate. Mr. Anderszewski also reciprocated the audience's love with an encore. This was one wonderful performance.
The Brahms Serenade No. 1 concluded the concert. It is a long piece, made up of five sections, lasting a total of about three-quarters of an hour. Each section sounds like a mini-symphonic movement with characteristic Brahmsian touches, such as duets between the horns and oboe, which were played without error and with great precision. Again the horns were absolutely incredible. The strings were lush, but not soppy. Everything was played precisely and Mr. Jaarvi keep the forward momentum of the piece. AMC thoughts this to be a fine performance.
The house was about 90% full. AMC wonders how the orchestra can turn a Euro in such a small hall with vacancies. Maybe its government support.
Labels: Brahms, Bruckner Mass No. 3, Cite de la Musique, Emanuel Ax, Ingo Metzmacher, Orchestre de paris, Paarvo Jaarve, Piotr Anderszewski, Salle pleyel, Syymanowski


← Are you getting templed out yet?
Well, once again, the title of this post is far too grandiose for the content, as the only town in Cambodia we visited this trip was Siem Reap. That said, here goes.
If you are going to get sick, Siem Reap is not a bad place to do it. Robert and I spent the last week of our visit sick in bed with the flu (first him, then me). It might have even been swine flu, as that is apparently going around, but we weren't tested to find out for sure. (Please, we didn't even go to a doctor even though we probably should have given the fevers we were running). And then, just when we were getting better, Robert somehow hurt his eyeball and couldn't go out in the sun. But, it could have been worse. At least we didn't have dengue! And, we had a very nice hotel with plenty of space and one can find chicken noodle soup all over town. Plus, we found real Florida orange juice to help with our Vitamin C needs. (We are nearly healed now — just some serious residual tiredness).
Pharmaceuticals are very expensive in Siem Reap. A box of fake Sudafed (with an active ingredient that turns out not to even work according to both my first-hand experience and the internet) was over $8 (note we paid less than $2 for the good stuff in Bali). Similarly, a small bottle of Visine was over $8. Absolutely crazy prices given how cheap nearly everything else is in Siem Reap.
We were offered street drugs (weed and shrooms) nearly every single day. Tuk-tuk driver after tuk-tuk driver asked us if wanted something (and the answer was always no, and one night Robert even blurted out "absolutely not," so I can't say if they are as expensive as the legitimate pharmaceuticals). I just can't understand why anyone would risk it….I don't even want to think about a prison in SE Asia….
We don't often talk about where we eat and drink because restaurants come and restaurants go. But, after spending three weeks in Siem Reap, we can safely say there are some fantastic establishments there. We adored Khmer Grill — amazing garlic fried rice, yummy grilled frogs, and some of the freshest spring rolls. We also loved Lilypop — a family-run Khmer joint where I don't think we ever paid more than $20 for a meal and had the best chicken amok ever. Bang Bang Bakery had a divine Nutella brownie. And, Balthazar and Jaya House were each fantastic for drinks in their own way. Balthazar is run by a very nice guy from the UK and has a great little selection of wine, and Jaya House has wonderful views. (Robert says they both make a mean Negroni). And, note, not a single one of these establishments is on "pub street" — if you visit Siem Reap do yourself a real favor and get off of pub street at least some of the time.
Interestingly, the wine is cheaper and better in Cambodia than in Thailand. It must be the French influence. Beer is dirt cheap — Robert regularly found 50 cent glasses at happy hour.
Cambodia was flooded with butterflies. I'm not sure if it was due to us visiting during we season or not, but they were everywhere. It was lovely.
I love that tourists are absolutely encouraged to wear what are effectively pajamas to the temples. This all has to do with the rule that knees must be covered at the temples. (Oddly, the rule applies to men but does not seem to be enforced with respect to the men. Go figure.). So, every single shop sells light weight pajama pants to the tourists. (I think technically they are called elephant pants or fisherman's pants depending on the style, but they will always be pajama pants to me). I would venture a guess that close to 90% of the female tourists wear these pants in Siem Reap.
That said, I truly don't understand why my knees are so offensive. One pair of my pajama pants were pretty much see-through (and I was not alone in wearing see-through pants). The other pair gave everyone a show each time the wind blew (and, again, I was not alone in this regard). How is that any less offensive than my knees?
Cambodian people are some of the most genuinely nice people we have ever met. Seriously. Even though their lives are still very difficult. Many of them are subsistence farmers without the advantages we take for granted. You know, like running water and indoor toilets (or, in some cases, any toilets at all). Many of them still live in complete poverty (I read that the average household income in 2016 was about $1200/year). Many of them live in flood zones. Many of them spend hours and hours waiting for work and are lucky to get a few dollars a day. Yet, over and over again, we were greeted with huge smiles.
Cambodian food isn't as recognizable as Thai or Vietnamese, but it is really good. The two most famous dishes are probably amok and lok lak. Amok is a curry, typically made with fish (but also chicken) and frequently served in a bowl made of leaves. Lok lak is grilled meat (typically beef, but sometimes also chicken) served with a salt and lime dipping sauce. We ate a ton of amok and lok lak.
Cambodia is changing so quickly. The hotel we stayed at in 2007 was in the middle of nowhere back then (or at least it felt like it) and now it is right in town. There is now even an app to call a tuk-tuk, kind of like Grab or Uber. (We can't say how well the app works, as we didn't use it. We found there was no need. There were always tuk-tuks available anywhere we went. And, I honestly don't think the drivers can afford to be losing money to an app.).
Large tour groups are absolutely ruining the experience of visiting the temples. They walk along in a herd, blocking anyone else from getting by. They ignore the signs and climb on the temples. They are loud. And, more importantly, from what we have heard, they do not really contribute to the local economy — the large tour groups tend to stay in large hotels, travel everywhere by bus, and eat in large restaurants. People please! Independent travel is good. Exploring independent restaurants is good. Hiring independent tuk-tuk drivers is good. I get that group tours can be easy, but independent travel in this part of the world is really easy too.
Cambodia makes the heaviest chairs in the world. I don't know what wood they use, but I could barely move some of the chairs.
Cambodia has stolen our hearts. We will be back.
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