text:
Astronaut Films a Solar Eclipse From Space
Mark Kaufman
While racing around Earth on the International Space Station, NASA astronaut Don Pettit captured stunning footage of the moon's dark shadow traversing across Earth's surface. In anticipation of the looming total solar eclipse on August 21, Pettit posted the footage online this week, which he spotted while working in space in May 2012, and you can see it below.
The moon's shadow is projected onto Earth during the rare times when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun in such an alignment that it temporally blocks sunlight. These events are infrequent because the moon's orbit is not flat, like a disk. Rather, the moon wobbles around as it flies around Earth. Most times its wobbling orbit brings it too high or low to be in perfect alignment between the Earth and sun.
The eclipse Pettit filmed in 2012 is different than the coming August eclipse, although the view from space will be similar. In May 2012, an annular solar eclipse occurred, meaning that the moon passes in front of the sun, but doesn't cover all of it. The result is a spectacular "ring of fire" effect around the sun. This occurs when the moon's orbit brings it too far from Earth to block out the entirety of the sun from our earthly perspective.
An annular solar eclipse. NASA
In contrast, a total solar eclipse occurs when every sense of alignment falls into place. The moon is close enough to Earth and is in direct alignment between the Earth and the sun, allowing the moon to totally obstruct our star.
The total solar eclipse on August 21 is especially rare because the moon's shadow will be slashing across the entirety of the U.S. in a narrow, 70 mile-wide path. This hasn't occurred in 99 years. The width of the path is determined by the size of the moon's shadow, which can be seen in Pettit's video.
A total solar eclipse completely blocks the sun, whose extreme radiance usually makes the sun's atmosphere, or corona, invisible to our eyes. A total solar eclipse, however, reveals the sun's ghostly corona. NASA
Come August 21, the six astronauts aboard the space station will be privy to another view of the moon's dark shadow projected onto Earth. But unlike the astronauts hovering some 250 miles above, people on Earth's surface will have the opportunity to experience an eerie onset of daytime darkness, along with a rare view of the sun's spectral atmosphere, reaching into space.


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As of Jan 28, 2023 4:31PM
MACABANGON, HONEYLOVE (PDPLBN)
PARTIDO DEMOKRATIKO PILIPINO LAKAS NG BAYAN
RUNNING FOR Member, Sangguniang Panlungsod, LONE DIST, Marawi City, Lanao del Sur
Marawi City
ZALWAIDA MACABANGON
Zalwaida Macabangon is a candidate running for member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in the Philippine elections. Macabangon is campaigning under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan banner. Macabangon is campaigning in Marawi City. She will appear on the ballot as "19 MACABANGON, HONEYLOVE (PDPLBN)" on election day.
This candidate is running for the position of Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) Member. A city council member is responsible for approving ordinances and passing resolutions for an effective city government, generating resources and revenues for the city's development plans, program objectives, and priorities, enacting ordinances that grant franchises and authorizing the issuance of permits or licenses, regulating activities in relation to the use of land, buildings, and structures, and approving ordinances for the delivery of basic services and facilities.
MEMBER, SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD LANAO DEL SUR - CITY OF MARAWI - LONE DIST
CAPAL, EDMUND (IND)
DALIDIG, BORGIE (PDPLBN)
MANTA, LAUT (IND)
MARUHOM, PANORO (PDPLBN)
DIBAROSAN, RAMAYANAH (IND)
DIMAL, LAILYN (PDPLBN)
DISOMIMBA, RAKIM (IND)
LANGCO, NORIE (PDPLBN)
GANDAMRA, DOC PALA (PDPLBN)
ABDUL AZIS, NUSIERY (IND)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


'Aquaman 2' April Fools trick from Shazam!
April 1, 2019 Nicola Austin 28 Views 0 Comments Aquaman 2, Shazam Trailer, Shazam!, Trailer, Warner Bros.
It's April the 1st so inevitably there were going to be some April fools jokes going around today, but this one from Warner Bros. was particularly well done and had me pretty excited for a minute!
The film studio released a seemingly new teaser trailer for Aquaman 2 with an intriguing title card, before quickly turning into a meta teaser trailer for Shazam!
Shazam! is set for release on April 5, 2019.


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Top 30 Meditation Apps (for iPhone and Android)
By TCC Staff
Have you ever asked yourself why you should meditate? Or you like the idea but just find it too hard to concentrate? Learn more about the top 30 meditation apps, and maybe you will find the answer to all your questions.
We all know how meditation has helped calm minds and improve focus through thousands of years. For most of us, however, it is hard to quiet distracting thoughts and channel our minds to a singular focus. Meditation sounds simple, but when your thoughts are running at a dozen a second, it isn't an effective method. Thankfully we live in a digital age and are immersed in innovative technologies for the aspect of our lives including meditation.
Meditation apps are designed for digital nomads like us who have a hard time controlling pesky thoughts from getting in and ruining our attempts of mind control. They act like the Zen masters helping to rewire the brain and fire up areas in it to calm the nervous system.
The benefits of meditation are many. It helps curb anxiety and restlessness, reduces pain, curbs depression by increasing happiness. A happy mind and healthy body are intrinsically connected with wholesome living. Calming your mind is as important as working out for it promotes better sleep, improves mental focus, lowers blood pressure, boosts heart and immune health and even slows aging. Despite being aware of these benefits, we find it tough to pick up a new habit in the midst of our busy lives. This is where these meditation apps come in to do the heavy lifting and breathe a little calm into our days. Most are very user-friendly and helps us keep track of our progress with the journey and stats pages and reward system.
In this article, we have explored the top 30 meditation apps for iPhone and Android which will help you meditate more effectively. Read to find out more about each, their features, benefits, pros and cons, and how much they cost.
#30 Pranayama
Rating-3.6
Available for both iPhone and Android
Cost: Free/$4.99
Pranayama stems from the philosophy of yoga and is essentially a deep breathing exercise to channelize positive energy throughout the body. The app combines technology with this breathing control exercises for users. It guides them toward slower, deeper breathing which will calm the mind down and relax the body. Users can count their inhalations and exhalations according to a fixed ratio with the help of different sounds that identify the right times to inhale and exhale. These breathing techniques are approved by ancient traditions and corroborated by modern science for their effectiveness. Together they use the power of breathing to let users slowly get onto the path of holistic wellness and good living. It is supposed to be the most straightforward and yet most effective way to meditate and is often favored by those who like to live well but are too busy to set aside a time to meditate every day.
#29 Samten
Cost: $10.49 monthly/$61.99 annual
Samten is a relatively new app which offers mindfulness for daily life guided by the Buddhist monk, Geelong Thubten. It stands out for offering 50% of profits towards developing mindfulness and wellbeing projects and for offering the free Samten junior version. It is attractive for families and designed to help younger generations achieve that state of calm in the midst of such distractions and stress. Being guided by a practitioner steeped in the Buddhist doctrine and traditional practices ensures that you train with the right meditation practices and once you start it becomes a sustainable habit. Though it is pricier than other apps, it offers quality sessions that serious meditation enthusiast would prefer. There is a 30-day challenge along with regular 5 to 10-minute sessions.
#28 Serene Mind
Serene Mind is a meditation guide app that focuses on deep breathing and helps to turn away from the distractions of the outside world. Users can do so by focusing on an expanding and contracting ball which is calibrated to their own breathing rate. Along with soft ambient music playing in the background, this helps slow down their mind and achieve a state of deep sleep or relaxation. The app offers a log to help track progress and see how one's pulse and breathing rate will slow over time. There is also a built-in sleep timer for those who want to use this application to fall asleep. The app is fast becoming a favorite with experts and beginners alike. It is easy to use and easy to get started on the meditation routine by giving them a focal point during meditation. Recorded data like meditation times, breathing rate changes and pulse rates provide long-term feedback and help to make this routine more effective.
#27 ENSO
Available for iPhone
Cost: Free/$2.99 FOR ENSO PRO
Ensō is a timer app with a sleek and elegant interface that allows users to get into the habit of meditation right away. They can see their progress and performance through the dashboard of progress indicators that records everything from stats to social sharing. The meditation timer allows the user to set a preparation time, a time to meditate and an "interval" time in between which will enable one to refocus during each session. The beautiful and soothing bells help guide the sessions, calm the mind and helps one stay focused as well. The Zen circle motif in a red ring that corresponds with the time adds to the feeling of peace and mindfulness. The free version comes with one satisfactory default bell; additional ones are payable. Users can save their settings as morning or evening presets through a smart and straightforward interface.
#26 Walking Meditations
Walking Meditations, as the name suggests, is the perfect companion for users on their daily walks. It not only brings the meditative experience into daily activity but also motivates one to perform better. The benefits of meditation are many and users with time constraints find this app to be extremely helpful. User reviews show that this app has been of immense benefit to those who don't like to walk or exercise a lot but with this app have quickly gotten into the habit of doing so. The soothing melodies help them tread more steps easily, from trails around the neighborhood to the long forest walks. It is an intuitive app that mentally challenges the user to get up and get going and walk more every day. It transforms the idea and experiences of exercise from boring to enjoyable in a matter of days.
#25 Welzen
Cost: Free with limited features/$12.99 per month/$59.99 per year/$149.99 lifetime
Welzen is designed to help you kick off each day with new mindfulness meditation. The curated 10-minute meditation helps to start each day with the right mindset. There are single meditations that range from 5 to 20 minutes and packaged sessions. Each meditation session is packaged in programs with subject-specific series and come with specific intentions. There are special features like meditations in Spanish, meditations for kids and even micro-meditations or SOS meditations for a mental boost or a quick calming session. The app is regularly updated with new series that focus on different topics, themes, and activities, all targeted at making you happier in 10 minutes. Users have the option to choose their area of focus for five-day streaks which include creativity, anxiety, and relationships. They can also simply choose the Just Breathe program to stop and take a moment during the day to just be.
#24 Omvana
Rating- 4.5
Omvana is designed for the eclectic meditator who is looking for the perfect meditation session to match a specific mood. Programs vary in length, and one can tailor the background music as well. The app contains thousands of audio tracks, sounds, and beats that can be blended together in the app's mixing board to create customized tracks for users. They can even record their voices if they are in a mood for it. Users can choose from a wide range of specialized meditations that taught by a variety of instructors, meditate based on their stress levels via HealthKit. The app is fully customizable and is known to create a more relaxing, enjoyable meditation experience for its users. The user-friendly app with its clean interface with appealing graphics contains featured programs to help one become more mindful.
#23 The Breathing App
Available only for iOS devices
The Breathing App is quite unique since it focuses on breathing rather than go straight into meditation. It trains users to practice breathing at a rate of 5 to 7 breaths per minute, a specific kind of breathwork called resonant breathing. Buddhist monks use this pace which is why it effectively leads to successful meditation sessions. Created by yogi Eddie Stern and bestselling author Deepak Chopra, it is a hugely popular app as well which is known for its simplicity and great for quick, on-the-go usage. Research shows that resonant breathing can lower blood pressure, improve heart rate variability, reduce inflammation, calm the nervous system, and even opens up the possibility of brain entrainment with the right sound option. However, there are no guided meditations, so those who have trouble controlling the mind may get easily distracted. The breathing exercise, however, is unique as it has a mesmerizing ball that gets bigger when you inhale and smaller when you exhale. Focusing on the ball leads to a hypnotic calming state. The musical timer helps you switch out of this Zen-like state when you are done.
#22 Smiling Mind
Cost: Free/$2.99–$4.99
Smiling Mind stands out by being a family app rather than just a single user app like the others. The science-backed app allows users to have sub-accounts for family members which helps turn meditation into family practice. Parents love it because this is a positive activity they can share with their kids that benefits all. Kids need meditation just as much we do to tackle a large amount of stress in their lives. The increasing pressure at school, busy schedules, career outlook and overstimulation from electronic devices have added to their stress levels. The structured meditation program for kids of different age groups is designed to help kids stop and meditate. The sets of calming music will soothe their nerves and get them acclimatized to the practice of meditation. Users can check in to track their progress and manage their meditation practice. Educators can use it as a classroom tool and make meditation education part of their classroom activities.
#21 Aura: Mindfulness Daily
Cost: Free/$11.99 per month/ $94.99 per year
Aura is designed for busy individuals who don't have time for meditation. The website says that the app has the power to help people feel better in just three minutes. Aura's steady stream of daily "micro" meditations range between three and seven minutes. For times when even three minutes is too long, the user can opt for 30-second anxiety-busting breathing exercises. There is a free version that includes three-minute guided meditations, gratitude reflections and mood tracking among other features. The premium option offers 24/7 meditations ranging between three and seven minutes, comprehensive mood tracking, the option to save meditations and much more. There are thousands of wellness content for users to access and these are constantly updated to match the increasing users' interests.
#20 The Mindfulness App
Cost: Free/$9.99 per month/$59.99 per year
The Mindfulness App is designed to be a simple and straightforward way to begin a meditation journey. It is also intended to help users stay on track and keep up with this life-changing habit.
Meditations sessions range from 3 to 30 minutes and come with scheduled reminders, a customizable timer, and a journey tracker. One can get started with a free version which has an introduction to mindfulness and a 5-day guided practice. The premium version comes with over 200 audio meditations and courses. The app's tagline is – Meditation for Everyone. The vastly expansive content has something for everyone in the app's library to suit all levels and types of meditators. It is very user-friendly and is considered a perfect tool for anyone looking to improve mental health and overall wellbeing.
#19 Simply Being
Created by Richard and Mary Maddux, this app comes across as the calming voice that guides one through a meditation session to stay on track and find calm more quickly. The Maddux's are known for the popular Meditation Oasis podcast. The app lets users pick a session length, opt for a guide and add soothing, natural sounds to the sessions. Music and nature sounds, soothing graphics or the option to stream the audio for some cool background music all blend in to help one relax. The app is designed to gently encourage the users to meditate regularly by nudging them towards the direction of daily meditation practice at different times of the day. They can also customize the length of meditations to match their busy schedules.
#18 Breethe
Cost: Free/$ 5.92 per month
Breethe is a popular and highly rated app that is designed to help beginners start on this track, stay on and become successful in their meditation efforts. The mindfulness and meditation techniques help users to get into a meditation routine in just 10 minutes, and ease of use helps people to meditate more regularly. Content is tailored for different times of the day, emotions and situations all of which are customized and follows users throughout the day, from the time they wake up to the time they go to sleep. The fully customizable, free app offers five-minute meditations which include feeling love, tips for overcoming the pressure and living with intention and inner peace. It is a user-friendly app that provides supportive tools and guidance to help one stay on track with meditation practices throughout the day. One can opt for the free version or get a premium subscription.
#17 Breathing Zone
Breathing Zone offers detailed instructions for various meditation sessions and even has a Breathing Analyzer to help measure one's breathing rate. The therapeutic breathing benefits of the app lead to positive brain and mood states. It is known to actually help decrease heart rate and lower high blood pressure by helping one reach a state of calm faster. Online reviews show that users had found immense benefits even when they were in excruciating pain, a feature that has made this app a favorite of medical professionals as well. The detailed instructions are helpful for beginners, but for regular users, it is useful as well since it keeps track of their wellness activity in the background as they go on with their daily work.
#16 iMindfulness by Mindfulness-MBSR.com
Cost: $9.99 per app
iMindfulness is designed for beginners to learn mindfulness meditation and is available in English, Danish, and Norwegian. It is also a great app for professionals and regular meditators who want to keep their practice relevant. The app contains three guided meditations including breath meditation, power pause, and body scan all of which come with timer and reminders that help users create a regular mindfulness practice routine. The popular meditation and mindfulness app contains practices that help people during difficult times when they are facing stress and anxiety. The calming sessions allow people to take a step back to get a new perspective. Users can keep a record of how long and how often they have practiced their meditation, allowing people to track their progress. There are a variety of in-app purchases that cover specific areas to help support one's well-being. These help users explore mindfulness even further ranging from kindness and recognizing inner strengths to achieving peace.
#15 OMG! I Can Meditate
Cost: Free/$12.99 monthly/$89.99 annual
OMG, I Can Meditate offers sessions broken down by interest and life events like loss or serious illness, or an ongoing effort like weight loss. It can teach anyone to mediate in just 10 minutes a day. Reviews show how users have benefited from it immensely and have woken up more mindfully after only a few sessions, and some say that they feel invigorated and energized even at the end of a long day because at the core of it induces high levels of mind and body relaxation. There's an option to complete a seven-day challenge after one dips one's toes into the waters of meditation and opts for the paid version. If we go by the reviews; however, it seems users are convinced about the app's effectiveness and don't mind forking out a few extra dollars for the added features.
#14 Sattva Meditations & Mantras
Available for iOS devices
Cost: Free/$108 for lifetime subscription
Sattva is a popular and intuitive app that offers a slew of features and preloaded exercises included with timers and chants. The app's goal is to motivate users to meditate every day. There are options to participate in challenges and receive trophies for taking on new ones. Users can check their heart rates via the app and get extensive information on how meditation can lead to long term wellness and overall well-being. They can begin with the free version and then subscribe for even more features. The standard Sattva components include pre-loaded guided meditations and chants, mood trackers along with timers. The paid version offers customizable options that can help users find the best version of themselves with its inspiring daily meditations.
#13 Meditation Studio
Cost: Free/$$49.99 annual fee
If you like a more traditional style of meditation, then Meditation Studio is your app. It has an introductory series with the licensed psychologist and co-founder of The Center for Mindful Living, Dr. Elisha Goldstein. In this series, the user is guided through ten days of meditation where they focus on breathing and try to cultivate energy, calm, and compassion. Then there is the Discover series which includes a number of tracks n anxiety, negative thoughts, stress and sleep among others and features famous teachers like Faith Hunter and Chrissy Carter. It is a serious app for experienced meditators who are already familiar with the basics of mindfulness and breath awareness techniques. If you want to preview what the paid app has to offer, then you can opt for a trial version which also includes a meditation for kids and one for college students. The free meditations can last up to 33 minutes which can be hard for beginners but it an excellent training to begin with. Advanced meditators have the option to set a timer and pick their own background music for an unguided session.
#12 Stop, Breathe and Think
Cost: Free/$10 a month
Created by the nonprofit, Tools for Peace, this app is the epitome of guiding users towards peace, compassion, and calmness. Just as the name suggests, Stop, Breathe & Think doesn't want you to dive right in. Instead, the app seeks to create a more deliberate, intentional experience for its users. The intuitively designed app begins with a section called Learn to Meditate that explains what mindfulness is and why it's beneficial, including some of the neuroscience and physiology behind it. Users begin with awareness and armed with knowledge via the Basics page. They can rate their mind and body and note up to five emotions via the Check In screen. The app then recommends yoga videos, meditations, and acupressure videos tailored to each user's state of mind. The progress page tracks the time spent meditating and also shows the "Weekly Settledness" score. There are also 15 no-nonsense guided meditations that focus on a single concept each. It has 34 free sessions which vary in length and nature.
#11 10% Happier
Cost: Free one-week trial/$99.99 annual fee /$14.99 a month for full access
As the very name suggests, this app offers more than a Zen-like state. It opens up possibilities to not just calm the mind but achieve real happiness like looking inwards. 10% Happier is one to try if you are looking to dive deeper into your meditation practice. The meditation app is based on the book by ABC news anchor Dan Harris. It offers over 350 guided meditations along with video courses with meditation experts. It provides no-nonsense, relatable and a straightforward method to learn mindfulness for people who have trouble calming their minds, or for those who are more interested in sharpening their brains than connecting with their souls. What's unique is that the app comes with a tour guide. The app's extensive library of video courses offers in-depth information on topics like how best to maximize your practice as well as the science behind meditating.
#10 Simple Habit
Cost: One-month free trial /$11.99 per month /$99.96 per year
Simple Habit, as the name suggests, trains the user to form a habit surrounding meditation. Designed by Harvard psychologist Yunha Kim, it gives users five-minute long daily meditations for specific situations in their lives. They can use this app to meditate any time and deal with stress from their commute to a tough day at work. It comes with a 30-day free trial and is particularly popular with daily commuters. It is specially designed for busy people who find it hard to take time off their busy schedules to meditate but need it even more. The 5-minute meditation sessions will help them stress less, live better, healthier lives and achieve more out of their lives. The app contains over 2,000 short meditations as well as audio therapy sessions that offer a practical way to combat anxiety, stress and mental distraction. Produced by world-class experts, these sessions have shown users some really powerful and effective ways to calm their minds and manage their stress.
#9 Buddhify
Cost: $2.99–$4.99
Buddhify is a popular app that offers customized meditation options that fits a particular moment. Users can select from a color wheel of symptoms and daily activities that covers 15 different parts of your day including being online, taking a work break, traveling, and going to sleep. Activities range from a pulse check on one's well-being to de-stressing in a particular situation. The app begins by asking what one is doing at that present moment and then suggests a meditation that fits that moment. Whether one is traveling or on a break, there are sessions specifically designed for each situation. The app is growing in popularity and is known to be a big hit for helping people sleep better, de-stress, and create more awareness and compassion by offering mindfulness & meditation anytime, anywhere. It has over 80 custom guided audio meditation tracks that are super convenient and beautifully designed to fit anyone's lifestyle. It is known as the best value meditation app around with no hidden charges and includes features like tracking meditation time and building one's practice streak with Buddhify's check-in section.
#8 MINDBODY
MINDBODY is an app with a difference because it offers users easy and accessible options to look for and choose a new trainer, class, or fitness studio. The goal of the app is to connect users with wellness in a variety of forms. Users can search through the extensive database and book from a multitude of fitness classes like Pilates, yoga, barre, or CrossFit. It is designed to help users manage their fitness routine through an exercise tracker. It also sports special features like accessing discount deals for exercise classes. One unique feature that makes this wellness app stand out is the way it helps businesses seamlessly connect with wellness services. It offers a comprehensive wellness package for business in this niche which they can use to provide their customers as well as employees a more holistic experience. It brings together hundreds of passionate health and wellness professionals through this easy to use platform.
#7 Calm
Cost: $59.99 annually/$399 for lifetime access
Calm is fast becoming a name to reckon with in the world of apps. Mostly because it offers much more than meditation. Along with guided meditations, it has a mix of music, soothing nature sounds, and even soothing bedtime stories to help users sleep. Users have the option to tune in to master classes offered by health and wellness experts like Shawn Achor and Elizabeth Gilbert. The app goes beyond structured meditation, so there is something for everyone here. It has a free 7-day trial version, and then one can subscribe for a flat fee of $59.99 a year. You can get guided sessions that range from 2-30 minutes and these include basic mindfulness practices, quick 3-minute meditation to a half-hour set, practices for cultivating awareness, returning to the breath when the mind wanders, 7 Days of Sleep and Calming Anxiety sessions, options for silent meditation or meditate to intermittent bells, and even training for how to bounce back when the brain switches into "autopilot mode."
#6 Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson's popularity is understandable. It blends Sean Connery's deep and soothing voice to help calm users whenever they need to reach that Zen state of mind. The clinical hypnotherapist Andrew Johnson has worked hand in hand with the celeb Scotsman to create a variety of apps that lead to relaxation, confidence, deep sleep, positivity, success, and even weight loss. The app is designed to help one reach a state of sleep easily and yet have the mind process the meditative thoughts. It also allows users to disconnect from their dependence on devices, a problem we all face today. One can choose from a variety of settings from sleep to walking and even mediations during a coffee break.
#5 Inscape
Cost: Free/$58.99 for a year's access
Inscape offers users their daily recommendations for a get-calm session with which they can start the day. They end their day with a five-minute pre-bedtime breathing exercise. They have the option to do that earlier in the evening as well. The music tracks are all super soothing and designed to lead to sound-focused meditation for winding down and help users reach deep sleep. They can start with the five-day introductory series to relieve stress and then opt for more sessions. Users say that using Inscape has completely changed the way they think of meditation and wellness and that the app has been instrumental in veering them onto the path of holistic wellbeing. In short, it is self-care for healthy living.
#4 Relax Melodies
Cost: Free/$9.99-$19.99
Relax Melodies offers gentle tunes and soothing sounds to help lull users into a deep sleep. Users can name and customize their sleeping soundtrack either using the app's original tracks or by making their own. They can even choose relaxing images of scenery and nature from the app's library to help calm the brain and drift off into slumber. Over 30 million user reviews show that the app has been beneficial for those who have insomnia and those people are now benefiting from deep, uninterrupted sleep every night. A combination of 100 relaxation sounds, binaural beats melodies, and white noise lead to very relaxing soundscapes. Users have the option to customize their soundtracks and even the duration of the play with the help of the built-in timer. These guided sleep meditations have been known to help people suffering tinnitus and stress as well.
#3 Meditable
Cost: 14-day free trial/$6.49 per month (limited offer)/$77.88 per year
Meditable is a relatively young app that is attracting lots of attention and earning rave reviews for bringing unprecedented customization into meditation. One can choose from different areas like study and work performance, confidence, health, stress-relief, productivity, and sleep among others. Any area that you think you want to improve upon, you can choose and start on it. Once the area is selected, users can pull from tracks of different meditations that range in length from three to eight minutes which they can add to their intro and ending. There are a number of scientific techniques to choose from to create a personalized meditation session and make the most out of one's time. One can start with the 14-day free trial and then has to choose from monthly or yearly premium access options.
#2 Insight Timer
If you like meditating and also enjoy a community feel, then this is the app for you. Its vast library has 3,000 guided meditations for users to choose from and over 2,600 teachers with whom they can connect and discuss topics that range from stress, creativity, relationships, motivations and much more. The app feels like a community because right as you log in, you can see how many people are meditating at that moment around the world. With over 5 million users from around the world, it is never short of numbers, and that acts as a positive inspiration for new users as well. Once a user's session is over, he/she will be informed of how many people were meditating at the same time, what music they listened to and even regions. You can follow your favorite teachers and keep up with the content. Those who like it quieter, can set a timer and meditate to intermittent bells or calming ambient noise. The hugely popular Insight Courses have 10-15 minutes of audio per day along with group discussions. but they are totally optional. There are hundreds of free music tracks to soothe your mind or help you sleep, and free talks and podcasts for life advice and inspiration.
#1 Headspace
Cost: 12.99 a month/$399 for lifetime access
Headspace is by far one of the most popular apps in this niche. It has been trending for some time now and with more celebs claiming to use it, it's popularity is here to stay. It boasts of over 30 million members. It is the brainchild of a former Tibetan Buddhist monk which probably explains why it is so effective. There is a free option which offers a 10-day trial pack or a mini-meditation like guided breathing exercise for a short duration of 3-5 minutes. If you want more, then you have to opt for the pay version and get access to the app's library of hundreds of meditations. It is a bit on the expensive side for an app, but that hasn't deterred users for Headspace boasts of over 1 million paying subscribers.


I used to have a problem of controlling flash elements on my sites.. specifically I wanted to be able to specify the stacking/zIndex order of the element. Sometimes I want flash to show up in front of or behind other content. My company does a ton of video/audio production for tv and radio spots and most of the time we use flash to make them available online. On one site we have 6 different flash flv movies that are all the same size and are in the same position on the page. But only 1 is displayed at a time based on what the user wants to watch. So the selected flash movie needs to have the highest stacking order/zIndex to be the only viewable movie.
The reason I choose to load all 6 files at a time is so that when a user clicks 1 of 6 buttons to select a video, it INSTANTLY is front and center.. literally milliseconds because all that is happening is moving the video in front of the others.
Basically the "hover" buttons I've created using css, are placed under the flash animation clip. I can't come up with a good solution. Any ideas??
I used to have this problem all the time too! Very frustrating. I figured out that there is a parameter for embedding flash files that change the way the flash is displayed in the DOM.. After looking through a lot of macromedia flash documentation, I learned about flash's wmode attribute.
The flash wmode attribute has three different values.
The default value is Window if this attribute is omitted. Applies to object only. Description: (Optional) Lets you use the transparent Flash content, absolute positioning, and layering capabilities available in Internet Explorer 4.0. Window plays the application in its own rectangular window on a web page. Window indicates that the Flash application has no interaction with HTML layers and is always the topmost item. Opaque makes the application hide everything behind it on the page. Transparent makes the background of the HTML page show through all the transparent portions of the application and can slow animation performance. Opaque windowless and Transparent windowless both interact with HTML layers, letting layers above the SWF file block out the application. The difference between the two is that Transparent allows transparency so that HTML layers below the SWF file might show through if a section of the SWF file has transparency; opaque does not.
I had 5 elements to control, 5 divs that held various content, including flash video. By apsolutely positioning each of the 5 divs within 1 relative parent div I was able to manipulate the stacking order of the divs by applying a className.
I created an array of the the 6 video containers using a quick getElementsByTagName and applied the className to all of them at once using a simple foreach loop.
Window plays the application in its own rectangular window on a web page. [B]Window indicates that the Flash application has no interaction with HTML layers and is always the topmost item.
[B]The default value is Window if this attribute is omitted. Applies to object only.
This document lists the required and optional attributes of the object and embed tags used to publish Adobe Flash movies.
For specific usage information for these attributes, refer to sections of the Using Flash manual devoted to using object and embed tags (exact headings vary among Flash versions). Information is also available at Adobe Flash OBJECT and EMBED tag syntax.
Specifies the width of the movie in either pixels or percentage of browser window.
Specifies the height of the movie in either pixels or percentage of browser window.
Identifies the location of the Flash Player ActiveX control so that the browser can automatically download it if it is not already installed.
Specifies the location (URL) of the movie to be loaded.
Identifies the location of the Flash Player plug-in so that the user can download it if it is not already installed. EMBED only.
( true / false ) Specifies whether the movie repeats indefinitely or stops when it reaches the last frame. The default value is true if this attribute is omitted.
true displays the full menu, allowing the user a variety of options to enhance or control playback. false displays a menu that contains only the Settings option and the About Flash option.
Possible values: low, high, autolow, autohigh, best.
low: favors playback speed over appearance and never uses anti-aliasing.
autolow: emphasizes speed at first but improves appearance whenever possible. Playback begins with anti-aliasing turned off. If the Flash Player detects that the processor can handle it, anti-aliasing is turned on.
autohigh: emphasizes playback speed and appearance equally at first but sacrifices appearance for playback speed if necessary. Playback begins with anti-aliasing turned on. If the actual frame rate drops below the specified frame rate, anti-aliasing is turned off to improve playback speed. Use this setting to emulate the View > Antialias setting in Flash.
medium: applies some anti-aliasing and does not smooth bitmaps. It produces a better quality than the Low setting, but lower quality than the High setting.
high: favors appearance over playback speed and always applies anti-aliasing. If the movie does not contain animation, bitmaps are smoothed; if the movie has animation, bitmaps are not smoothed.
best: provides the best display quality and does not consider playback speed. All output is anti-aliased and all bitmaps are smoothed.
Possible values: showall, noborder, exactfit.
(Show all) makes the entire movie visible in the specified area without distortion, while maintaining the original aspect ratio of the movie. Borders may appear on two sides of the movie.
scales the movie to fill the specified area, without distortion but possibly with some cropping, while maintaining the original aspect ratio of the movie.
makes the entire movie visible in the specified area without trying to preserve the original aspect ratio. Distortion may occur.
Possible values: l, t, r, b. Default centers the movie in the browser window and crops edges if the browser window is smaller than the movie.
(bottom) align the movie along the corresponding edge of the browser window and crop the remaining three sides as needed.
Possible values: l, t, r, b, tl, tr, bl, br.
l, r, t, and b align the movie along the left, right, top or bottom edge, respectively, of the browser window and crop the remaining three sides as needed.
tl and tr align the movie to the top left and top right corner, respectively, of the browser window and crop the bottom and remaining right or left side as needed.
bl and br align the movie to the bottom left and bottom right corner, respectively, of the browser window and crop the top and remaining right or left side as needed.
Possible values: window, opaque, transparent. Sets the Window Mode property of the Flash movie for transparency, layering, and positioning in the browser.
movie plays in its own rectangular window on a web page.
the movie hides everything on the page behind it.
the background of the HTML page shows through all transparent portions of the movie, this may slow animation performance.
[ hexadecimal RGB value] in the format #RRGGBB . Specifies the background color of the movie. Use this attribute to override the background color setting specified in the Flash file. This attribute does not affect the background color of the HTML page.
. or [base directory] or [URL]. Specifies the base directory or URL used to resolve all relative path statements in the Flash Player movie. This attribute is helpful when your Flash Player movies are kept in a different directory from your other files.
Possible values: variable to pass to Flash Player. Requires Macromedia Flash Player 6 or later. Used to send root level variables to the movie. The format of the string is a set of name=value combinations separated by '&'. Browsers will support string sizes of up to 64KB (65535 bytes) in length. For more information on FlashVars, please refer to Using FlashVars to pass variables to a SWF.
The Stage.width and Stage.height values will remain constant and will reflect the values set in the Document Properties dialog box. The "noBorder" setting means that the SWF will be scaled, maintaining the original aspect ratio, but there may be some cropping. The Update Dimensions button is there to keep us honest. The values in the width and height boxes are not automatically updated when the player window is resized, so you must click the button to update the displayed values of Stage.width and Stage.height. If you have resized the player window in "noScale" mode before switching to this mode, click the Update Dimensions button to see the width and height revert to the values defined in the Document Properties dialog box.
The Stage.width and Stage.height values will remain constant and will reflect the values set in the Document Properties dialog box. The "exactFit" setting means that the Flash content will be scaled, without maintaining the original aspect ratio. All of the Flash content will be visible, but some distortion may occur. The Update Dimensions button is there to keep us honest. The values in the width and height boxes are not automatically updated when the player window is resized, so you must click the button to update the displayed values of Stage.width and Stage.height. If you have resized the player window in "noScale" mode before switching to this mode, click the Update Dimensions button to see the width and height revert to the values defined in the Document Properties dialog box.
The Stage.width and Stage.height values will remain constant and will reflect the values set in the Document Properties dialog box. The "showAll" setting means that the all Flash content will be visible and the original aspect ratio will be preserved, but borders may appear on two sides of the application. The Update Dimensions button is there to keep us honest. The values in the width and height boxes are not automatically updated when the player window is resized, so you must click the button to update the displayed values of Stage.width and Stage.height. If you have resized the player window in "noScale" mode before switching to this mode, click the Update Dimensions button to see the width and height revert to the values defined in the Document Properties dialog box.


The Sitting Bull Monument is located about seven miles southwest of Mobridge. Chief Sitting Bull, or Tatanka Iyotake, was a Hunkpapa Teton Sioux spiritual leader. In the 1870s, Sitting Bull had relocated to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation near the Grand River in present day Corson County. He became a great spiritual leader and organized a resistance movement against US expansion on treaty-reserved lands. On December 15, 1890, nine years after surrendering to the US government, he was shot to death by Indian police. The police had been executing an arrest warrant in order to prevent Sitting Bull from attending a Ghost Dance revivalist ceremony. The warrant was issued by Indian Agent James McLaughlin, the namesake of the current local community of McLaughlin, SD. Sitting Bull was buried about 500 yards south of the agency cemetary in present day Ft. Yates.
The tragedy of his death has been compounded by the story of his remains. In 1953, one of Sitting Bull's descendants by marriage, Clarence Grey Eagle (the son of one of the Indian police who arrested Sitting Bull), and a group of businessmen from Mobridge obtained an opinion from the Bureau of Indian Affairs that the descendants of Sitting Bull should determine his final burial site. On April 8 of that year, the group used the BIA letter as justification the clandestine relocation of the great chief's remains to a site in the southern portion of the Standing Rock Reservation that overlooks the Missouri River near Mobridge.
Less than five months later, South Dakota dedicated a memorial to Sitting Bull on the site of the relocated remains. A bust created by famed sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski (well known for the Crazy Horse monument in the Black Hills) was erected to commemorate the gravesite. Ziolkowski boycotted the dedication ceremony for the monument by Governor Sigurd Anderson because exploiting the ceremony for political and economic gain was against the wishes of Sitting Bull's descendants.
Both the original gravesite in Ft. Yates, ND and current site have tremendous significance today. Sensitive to the exploitation of Native Americans and the suspect way Sitting Bull's remains were handled in the past, a commitment has been made not to exploit or commercialize the Sitting Bull monument for financial gain. The statue is in an isolated park that remains serene, impressive, and free to visitors. A beloved local landmark with huge importance, it remains strikingly undeveloped and a beautifully secluded spot for picnic lovers and history buffs.


When Melissa started working with me, she had casually been offering readings to friends and family with a low-cost/low-investment approach. However, this cosmic butterfly had been immersed in the world of astrology for over 12 years and she had so much to share. She was ready to take things to the next level, but something wasn't quite working in the way she was offering readings.
Turns out, Melissa didn't want to be someone's astro fortune teller. She wanted to empower others with one of the most powerful tools for self-development and self-knowing. Together, we reshaped her offering and launched her new website and online course.
After "coming out" about astrology many years ago, Melissa experienced a real disconnect from her southern, conservative Christian family members and received some personal critiques, as you can imagine. However, Melissa felt more strongly than ever that the cosmos was her guiding light. In our initial sessions, Melissa confirmed that this was her work. Through meditation, she was able to soften to those who might "disagree" and open conversation while continuing to share a comprehensive view for the human condition, just like the zodiac aims to do. This new approach allowed Melissa to post publicly and be free from the reactions of others.
To share her ideas, Melissa began posting videos to Facebook every Tuesday sharing astrology wisdom and her own musings, as well as offering sessions. While she was still a bit anxious and wasn't sure what the result would be, she kept going anyway. After two weeks of video posting, Melissa connected with her dream client(someone interested in learning astrology instead of getting a reading) and sold her first astrology package before we had even launched the site!
Melissa's client feels lost and confused about making decisions. Perhaps they want to find their own path and way, but don't know where to start. Astrology offers a steadfast navigation system.
While Melissa don't promise to have the key to your answers, she will guide you back to yourself by using the timeless tool of the stars. Melissa helps her clients feel into their chart with equal parts science and magic. She provides a space for listening and opening while teaching the system of Astrology.
Ultimately, you'll take the leap into this body of knowledge as your own personal practice and experience life in a new way.
My favorite part of working with Melissa was putting together this beautiful guide.
Most content, graphics, and charts in the astro world is a hodge-podged of conflicting visual styles and colors. We made every graphic ourselves so that they are easy to read and stylistically aligned.
The Free Online Course includes Flashcards, A Self-Study Guide, & A Set Of Emails from Melissa!
Melissa free astrology course in the bomb. It includes Flashcards, A Self-Development Guide, & A Series of Emails. I made it and I still work through it and play with the cards nearly every week. Thanks to this lead magnet; Melissa has grown her list by over 2000% since launching in May of 2019.
These are the tangible results and the soulful benefits are equally staggering. Melissa shows up courageously every week with amazing video content to wow the Facebook world, and she knows even more deeply who she is a teacher and a human being. There is such a grounded presentation and deep approach to everything she shares. I can't wait to watch Melissa continue to attract her dream clients and soul-aligned collaborations!
To launch your coaching business online, schedule a 1-on-1 with me.


At the 2015 Cyclocross National Championships, the Singlespeed Races on Wednesday resulted in wins by favorite Mo Bruno Roy and Justin Lindine.
We caught up with the winners right after they crossed the finish line in each of their races. Both riders were able to pull away in their races and maintain a killer lead. They talk about their lap pacing, and more importantly, the sheer joy of being on a singlespeed bike at the national level.
Also be sure to check out the tips by third place finisher Ellen Sherrill on the course being muddy.


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Transfer into the third year of top universities. Complete the final two years and earn your bachelor's degree at the university of your choice.
Take advantage of smaller class sizes, support services, personalized attention, honors programs and learning communities, and one-on-one interaction with professors.
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EDM culture has gotten so big at this point that everyone has some preconceived notion as to what it means to be a raver, and to those not involved in the scene, that notion is usually negative. People read about tragic events like what happened at HARD Summer or EDC 2010 and immediately come to the same conclusion that everyone who goes to these events loves drugs almost as much as they love wearing ridiculous outfits. They see raving and electronic music either as a fad that is already fading or an epidemic invading America's youth.
If there is one thing that middle-aged people don't understand it's youth culture. Teenagers now are interested in things that adults couldn't have imagined in their younger days, which is the exact same thing some guy in his early 20's was writing about middle-aged people 100 years ago. People are influenced most in their early years and music is one of the most influential forces on Earth. That's why music has been historically condemned for "corrupting" the youth. It represents unfamiliar points of view, while promoting unfiltered self expression.
1. What was that sound again?
The main reason people become attached to any particular genre of music is because that specific combination of sounds reflects something about themselves. Whether it's a rock guitar solo or an operatic aria, the undefined nature of sound can translate to any kind of meaning that a single listener chooses. However, where as instrumental music is limited by the instruments used to create it, electronic music can integrate absolutely any sound into new tracks. I was brought up playing different instruments so I fully understand and appreciate the indescribable beauty that they can create, but with EDM's infinite combinations of sound, it's much more likely that you'll hear that one synth or that one drop that digs deep into your soul and forces your body to move in a more exuberant fashion than ever before.
Leading back to the preconceived notions about EDM and its affiliates, one of the unavoidable images that is paired with the rave scene are the outfits. In all the festival after-videos ever at least 60 percent of the footage is dedicated to people in the skimpiest underwear or the glammed up version of a Halloween costume that person wore two or three years ago. Walking in to festivals that feature multiple genres of music, you might see similar outfits, but for the most part people dress to accommodate the extreme heat or other weather conditions. At a rave, you'll see people donning full Stormtrooper armor even if it's 100 degrees outside. There are many people who would agree that clothes are a stricture forced upon humans by modern society and dress codes literally exist to force people to look a certain way. At festivals though, your clothes are just another means of communicating who you are, and although such garments might come off as extravagant or unnecessary, electronic music brings out the extravagant and unnecessary sides of people.
3. Let's go dancing. I wanna go dancing with you all night dancing.
Dancing has been synonymous with music since there has been music. Think about all the scenes in movies of the native tribes dancing around the fire all night paying homage to their gods. That's how far back dancing goes. The thing is though, for a few hundreds music was very contained and theoretical, and because of that, so was the dancing. Back when the only kind of popular music that existed was played by orchestra and heard by the rich, dancing was about following a formula. Ballet, waltz, tap, if you were dancing in front of people, you had to know what you were doing. This trend would continue through the years with styles like salsa dancing, swing dancing, and every other kind of dance where practice was necessary before going out in public.
Today, the most popular kind of music is EDM, and there definitely isn't a specific way to get down to it. Don't get me wrong, EDM has cultivated incredible dance styles as well as incredible dancers, but unless you're actively trying to impress/embarrass the people around you, there's no reason to stick to any specific set of moves. The defining principle of all the subgenres of EDM is the prominent beat, and as long as your dance moves are an expression of how you feel about that beat, you're doing it right. Everyone's heard the phrase "dance like nobody's watching." Well I'd be willing the bet that the person who said that was a raver.
EDM culture would not have become what it is now if everyone involved didn't encourage each other to be themselves, and the best way to do that is by being yourself. When you're walking around the festival, it's very easy to see who's having the best time simply because they're the people who are aren't afraid to express themselves. Upon seeing a person gyrating their body in such a flamboyant way to the music while no one pays any attention to them, someone who had reservations about expressing themselves may be inspired to do so.
Everybody reacts to music in a different way, but if people learn to embrace their reactions instead of ignoring them, the courage to do so will unite us.


A state of emergency continues in Sri Lanka following the terrorist attacks that killed at least 290 people, including four Americans, on Easter Sunday. CBS News' Natalie Brand reports.
A further explosion went off near St Anthony's Church in Colombo following a series of bombings that killed almost 300 people on Easter Sunday. A group of Islamic extremists were behind the terror..


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Concordia Historical Institute > Today in History > June 7
555 Pope Vigilius died in Syracuse on his way back to Rome after attending the fifth church council.
1099 The armies of the First Crusade reached the walls of Jerusalem.
1526 Johannes (Hans) Luther, first son of Martin Luther, was born (d. 27 October 1575).
1576 The "Torgau Book", a forerunner of the Formula of Concord that was based on Andreae's "Six Christian Sermons" and was eventually revised into the Bergen Book that became part of the Formula of Concord, was completed. Written by Jakob Andreae, Martin Chemnitz, David Chytraeus and others, it was the compilation of the Maulbronn Concord and the Swabian-Saxon Concord.
1749 Christian Streit, Lutheran chaplain in the Revolutionary War, was born near Germantown, New Jersey (d. 10 March 1812).
1753 German Lutheran settlers arrived in Nova Scotia and founded Lunenburg.
1825 David Elliott Campbell, martyred Presbyterian missionary to India, was born in Pennsylvania (d. 13 June 1857).
1842 The Gossner Mission Society received royal sanction.
1843 Protestant mystic Johann Christian Friedrich Hölderlin, died (b. 20 March 1770). [German Wikipedia article]
1861 Johannes Reinhard, who helped organize the General Synod, died (b. 14 March 1776).
1863 Franz Xavier Gruber, Austrian church organist and composer of "Silent Night" (STILLE NACHT), died in Hallein, Upper Austria (b. 25 November 1787).
1865 Juergen Ludwig Neve, Lutheran professor and author who wrote a history of Lutheranism in America, was born in Silesia, Germany (d. 12 August 1943).
1882 The Concordia Synod of Pennsylvania and Other States was organized by a group of pastors who had withdrawn from the Ohio Synod because of the controversy on election and conversion.
1888 Carl Albert Gieseler was born in Racine, Wisconsin (d. 13 January 1965, Valparaiso, Indiana). He graduated from Concordia Seminary (Saint Louis) in 1913 and served as a pastor in Detroit, Michigan, from 1913 to 1924. He was a professor at Saint John's College (Winfield, Kansas) from 1924 to 1927 and at Valparaiso University from 1948 to 1965.
1907 Conrad Vetter, a home missionary in Kansas, died (b. 28 March 1835, Ebsdorf, Kurhessen, near Marburg). Educated in Marburg, he taught from 1862 to 1865 in a school for troubled boys in Schladen, Hannover. Desiring to serve the Lord, he turned to the training school of Pastor Louis Harms at Hermannsburg. In 1866 he emigrated to the U.S. and entered the practical department of the Missouri Synod's seminary in Saint Louis, completing his studies in December 1867. He served parished in Warrenton, Missouri; Calhoun County, Illinois; Osage Bluff, Missouri; and Atchison, Kansas, the latter from 1883 until his death. He was active as a circuit visitor, member of the district missions commission, chair of the commission on support and of the Eastern Kansas Pastoral Conference.
1913 Ohio-born Methodist evangelist George Bennard (1873–1958) introduced his hymn "The Old Rugged Cross" for the first time at one of his special evangelistic meetings in Pokagon, Michigan.
1913 Albert G. Huegli was born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 18 October 1998). A 1936 Concordia Seminary (Saint Louis) graduate, he served from 1944 to 1969 as an assistant professor and dean at Concordia Teachers College (River Forest, Illinois) and as vice-president and president of Valparaiso University (Valparaiso, Indiana). He retired in 1978.
1934 The first Wycliffe Bible Translators linguistics training course was offered at Camp Wycliffe in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas. This study lasted three months. Since then Wycliffe has trained thousands and maintains one of the largest Protestant missions in the world.
1943 Carl Ackermann, Lutheran professor and college president, died (b. 12 September 1858).
1955 Martin Ilse Sr., pioneer institutional missionary, died at Cleveland, Ohio (b. 21 September 1870, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). He graduated from Concordia College (Fort Wayne, Indiana) in 1889 and from Concordia Seminary (Saint Louis) in 1892. Until 1922 he served as pastor at Saint John Lutheran Church (Collinswood, Ohio). During that time he also founded institutional missions in Cleveland and helped in the formation of the Midwest Institutional Pastors Conference, the Cleveland Deaconess Association and the Lutheran Nurses Association.
Your ticket for the: June 7


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March Madness: Does a Team's Tournament Finish Affect a Player's Draft Prospects?
March Madness has ended and now we wait to see where many of these college stars will play next. Yes, it's time to think about the NBA draft.
Let's start by briefly looking back at the 2015 NBA Draft. From the top 10 picks, seven played NCAA basketball (the other three were international players) and they all played for teams that participated in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament -- a.k.a. March Madness. Five teams were represented: Duke (2 players), Wisconsin, Kentucky (2 players), Arizona and Ohio State. In total, of the 60 draft picks, 12 picks were players whose team (Duke, Wisconsin, Kentucky, and Michigan State) made it to the Final Four. So that seems to suggest playing in March Madness -- specifically the Final Four -- really helps a player on draft night. But looking at one draft doesn't establish a pattern.
To find a pattern let's start with a working paper by Ichniowski and Preston (I&P). I&P looked at whether unexpectedly good or bad performance by a player and their team have an effect on draft position. For this, they used mock draft data from before the tournament, mock draft data from after the tournament, and the actual draft to help determine if March Madness performance affects draft position. I&P found that unexpected March Madness performance affects draft decisions. More specifically, they consistently found that unexpected player scoring and unexpected team wins affected draft position.
We also have a paper by Berri, Brook and Fenn that looks at predicting the order of the NBA draft. For their research, they look at players who were drafted over a 15 year time span. Some of the factors included in their model are performance statistics, height, age, conference and player position. In order to see if the tournament has an impact on draft position, they also included variables for a Final Four finish and a championship win in the tournament before the draft. Their findings indicate that scoring more points, more assists, and more blocks all have a positive impact on draft position. In regards to March Madness, they find that finishing in the Final Four or winning the championship can have a large and statistically significant effect on draft position.
So, while some say that Villanova has the least NBA prospects for a championship team, if any Villanova players are drafted, their draft position will likely be positively influenced by their championship win. UNC, Oklahoma and Syracuse players who are drafted will also benefit from their team's' Final Four finish.
So there you have it, research indicates that a team's tournament finish can impact the NBA draft. But this story isn't just about men. Berri and Harris recently researched what factors from college impact a player's WNBA draft position and included many similar factors as Berri, Brook and Fenn did in their NBA draft research. The WNBA draft research found some similar findings. Points and assists have a statistically significant impact on draft position as well as shooting efficiency and some conferences. In regards to tournament performance, a Final Four appearance also has a statistically significant effect on draft position.
Whether men's basketball or women's basketball, it's clear that making it to the Final Four has an impact on the draft. Of course, this doesn't make complete sense. On the men's side, Kansas, Oregon, and Virginia were all #1 seeds that did not make the Final Four. The same story is told on the women's side. Baylor, South Carolina, and Notre Dame were also #1 seeds that didn't make it. As fans we all know why. The 'Madness' in March Madness is all about upsets. But why should someone evaluating a potential draft pick care if a player's team was upset in March? It's just one game. Certainly no one would suggest you could evaluate a player's professional prospects from just one game. But it appears people in both the NBA and WNBA are doing exactly that.
So March Madness isn't just entertainment for a nation. It also has a huge impact on where college players continue their career. Yes, it shouldn't. But the data says the madness continues well past March.
You can follow the author of this article on Twitter at @tiffanygreer44.


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Watch the First 5 Episodes of the New Web Series PARANORMAL SOLUTIONS INC.
If you're having a problem with something strange and you need a good laugh, the best place to call is Paranormal Solutions Inc., a team of investigators who have encountered all manner of phenomena, including a Sasquatch, the demonically possessed, and a Blockbuster-haunting ghost. Don't believe me? See for yourself in the first five hilarious episodes of Cocomilk TV's new webs series, Paranormal Solutions Inc., available to watch right here on Daily Dead.
From the Press Release: "Paranormal Solutions Inc. follows Jared (David Milchard, Streamy Award Winner, Best Actor in a Comedy), the straight-laced co-founder of Paranormal Solutions Inc. who is looking to rebrand the company to no longer specialize in ghosts exclusively by creating the slogan, "We believe in EVERYTHING!" Sarah (Julia Benson), Jared's ex and co-founder, is not completely on board with the rebranding idea, but appreciates the new business that's drummed up. With their team, Jared and Sarah document their attempts to capture, authenticate and expel the spirits, and respond to other supernatural happenings in the Pacific Northwest.
A comedy first and foremost, Paranormal Solutions Inc. also aims to be a legitimate destination for hardcore sci-fi fans. The core of the series asks the question, "If we were to encounter this for real, what would we actually do?" With the setting of the story identical to modern day lives with the only exception of monsters being real, comic situations arise. The heroes of the series have to face real consequences such as who deals with cleanups after buildings are destroyed and whether killing a werewolf counts as homicide. By approaching a paranormal world from this point of view, the series creates a dark, insightful, situational comedy.
The first season of the series will consist of eight 10-minute standalone episodes. Each episode deals with a different paranormal phenomenon with a comic twist, and each main episode will spawn two companion episodes connected to the narrative. In total there will be 10 videos a week of extended world building content allowing the viewer to explore different elements of the show and the characters.
Paranormal Solutions Inc. is a joint project by production companies Sociable Films and Rare Little Bird Pictures. At the helm of the project are David Milchard, Nicholas Carella and Michelle Ouellet, who are producers, stars and writers of two of the most successful web series to come out of Canada – The True Heroines and Convos With My 2-Year-Old.
The series will premiere on brand new YouTube Channel CocoMilkTV operated by CocoMilk Productions, Matt Clarke (creator of Convos With My 2-Year-Old) and David Milchard."
To watch additional Paranormal Solutions Inc. videos, visit:
https://www.youtube.com/c/cocomilktv


High five, shake hands and even fist bump to share?
The Apple Watch has been quite a disappointment to many and it is sort of considered a fairly limited iPhone accessory rather than a device on its own, however this might be changing very soon with the release of Watch OS 2 which will break the watch away from the iPhone a little more.
However, Watch OS 2 may just be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to enhancing how useful the Apple Watch can be without your smartphone.
A new patent has been uncovered that suggests Apple is thinking about ways to transfer data easy and automatically between two watches, possibly two Apple Watch?
You may ask how? Well through gestures.
Simple gestures in fact, like a handshake, a high five, a bow or even a fist bump.
According to the patent, the watches motion sensors and local wireless communication would be able to detect the movements and transfer the appropriate data.
The device would be able to swap different kinds of data depending on how well you know the person and the exact gesture you use, so if you are meeting someone for the first time you could just send contact info, whereas you could share more data to those people who you know better such as friends or work colleagues.
The patent also suggest that the data can be transferred automatically or with a prompt, and that the data can be sent straight away or a code can be provided to access the information from a secure server at a later time.
As the Apple Watch becomes more widely accepted, it could be a very useful and easy way to swap information without the hassle.
The patent also makes references to a camera for the watch, which has been rumoured before.
Obviously these patents should be taken with a pinch of salt as a lot of the time it is Apple just covering its technical bases, and there is no guarantee or hint from Apple that this will be rolled out on its future devices any time soon but it would be a logical, easy and handy way to transfer data so it is definitely something we can see happening sometime in the future.


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Home › eBooks › Animal Courtship, New Edition
Animal Courtship, New Edition
Authored by: Krista West
From the Series: Animal Behavior
ISBN-13: 978-1-4381-7176-0
Dewey Number:
Reading Level: Grades 5-8
Animal courtship is a process that results in two mature members of a species becoming a couple, usually with the intent to mate and produce offspring. Different species of bugs, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals have their unique sets of courtship rules and rituals. In Animal Courtship, New Edition, learn the various ways species attract mates, including by singing, dancing, glowing, and even attacking. This eBook is enhanced through full-color photographs, illustrations, and a glossary.
Krista West majored in zoology at the University of Washington, later volunteering at the New England Aquarium and the Bronx Zoo. West holds master's degrees in journalism and Earth science, both from Columbia University in New York. She has been writing about science for more than 10 years.
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It's time to get your 'SPOOK' on for the A PROCESS OF 'BLACK ROSE' single launch PRE HALLOWEEN party!! EVERYONE is invited to dress up as their favourite character and join all the bands for a SICK PARTY!!
SICK RIFFS + SICK COSTUMES + FREE ENTRY!!!!!


Last week I wrote to you from Uganda, Africa. I returned home on Sunday night after a two week trip to serve with our sister church there. I was amazed by what God is doing through our support of this incredibly vision-driven church. I am even more certain God has called us to work with the people there who, at great personal sacrifice, give themselves so that people can know Jesus Christ.
I was humbled by what I would have labeled as personal sacrifice from my American mindset. I was humbled by what I saw happening in some very desolate places as men and women, who had been changed by Jesus Christ, took their new understanding about God and Jesus home to their loved ones and neighbors. I prayed that each of us would develop such a strong sense of personal calling to share Jesus with our friends and neighbors.
At some point I hope to be able to share more about my experience there. Thank you for your prayers for our health and safety. The only issue I had was the attack of jetlag now that I am home. I had thought I'd be the only human being on earth who didn't have to recover from such an experience and all the travel, but it hit me like a ton of bricks on Monday evening after a full day of work and several meetings. Shows I'm more human than I want to admit.
Speaking of being human, one of the things we all have in common is that we sin. It's true. We all sin. Well, this week we're going to look to the Lord's Prayer and learn how to remove the guilt and regret so many of us carry because of our own sin, or the hurt and resentment we carry from the sin of others against us.
This week is essential for those who want to know the joy of the freedom we have in Jesus.


"WHO is wearing perfume in my tasting room?" the winemaker declared, as I swirled my Chardonnay at a California vineyard.
I'd suddenly and accidentally defied the etiquette of wine tasting. Wearing perfume while the nose is in the glass is strictly prohibited by oenophiles -it can interfere with the fragrance of wine.
But as perfume wafted from my skin, something curious happened. The fragrance notes were perfectly mingling with the wine, enhancing all of the nuances of the bouquet in the glass.
While greatly respecting the winemaker's art, I wondered how I could break the rules and use perfumes to make the nose better appreciate the notes of wine.
I returned to my scent studio with 5 bottles of wine in hand, and sniffed and sipped until I created blends that perfectly captured the notes of each of the varietals.
The final eau de parfums are a brand new concept in fragrance – essences that offer a perfect pairing to wine. The result is a truly sensorial and experiential approach to wine and perfume, two of the oldest known pleasures in the world.


The Two Country Ski Arena Pass provides skiers with 211 kilometres of pure skiing pleasure on beautiful slopes in the Tyrol and South Tyrol region.
The new ski pass is valid in ski resorts throughout the region spanning from Nauders on the Reschen Pass to Sulden in the Venosta Valley. The Two Country Ski Arena Pass is valid in the following five ski resorts; Nauders, Schöneben-Haideralm, Watles, Tafoi and Sulden and provides you with access to 211 kilometres of winter fun and adventure.
Nauders in the Tyrol is a best kept secret among skiers due to its wide pistes that are graded in all levels of difficulty, due to the reliable snow cover thanks to its high location and due to its family friendliness and the crowd-free ski lifts. Schöneben is located directly beyond the border at Lake Reschen (Reschensee) and has received many accolades in the past for the quality of its pistes. The ski resort of Haideralm is also situated at Lake Reschen and it is a particularly popular location for the most discerning skiers. Leisure skiers feel right at home in Watles and families are in their element in Trafoi am Ortler. Skiing adventures can be enjoyed at up to 3,000 metres above sea level at the glacier ski resort of Sulden am Ortler.
All ski passes starting from the two day cards are valid in the following ski resorts: Nauders, Schöneben-Haideralm, Watles, Trafoi am Ortler and Sulden am Ortler.
Ski passes, special week passes and family ski passes are valid from 22/12 across the whole of the Ski Arena. The Skifree offer for Nauders and Schöneben is valid from 14/12.
Many restaurants and bars invite you in for a cosy break.


The world's best truck diagnostic code repair information system just got better! In this monthly update we've added more features, more wiring diagrams, and more content. Overall, DTC Solutions has quickly become the "go to" source for repair information. While this blog post goes into more depth, we've summarized it for you in this video.
We also decided to "un-merge" the Allison repair information. It is now broken down into Generation series of Allison. If you are unsure which generation you have, we have an excellent blog post that covers this.
DTC Solutions is included on all of our diagnostic kits, and can also be purchased separately from our website. As always, leave a comment below as we love hearing from customers!
Check out the training video below for a few tips and tricks to get you up and running quickly.


This was originally a sculpture decorating the marble throne at Golestan Palace in Teheran. I played with the proportions and gave it my own little twist.
This ink illustration of one of the oldest standing monasteries in the world, is located in Iran's Western Azerbaijan Province. This monastery is also known as the Black Church. Early parts of the church were built using black and white stones, hence its name "The Black Church".
The illustration was initially sketches out with pencils and the outlined with a Pentel ink brush. Finer details were added using Staedtler pigment liners as well as a quill with indian ink. Finally I added ink washes to add some more depths as well as the texture in the background.
A quick ink illustration at Cape Town museum of an elephant shrew based on an old etching, not even sure if this quirky creature really exists?


text:
HomeNBAShould Athletes Speak Out?
Should Athletes Speak Out?
June 29, 2015 Patrick Waring NBA, NCAA Basketball, NFL 0
By: Patrick Waring
With the recent Supreme Court ruling in favor of same-sex marriage, Charleston tragedy and the debate over the Confederate flag, I asked myself what part should athletes or others in the public eye take in expressing their views. Whether or not they agree or accept it, athletes are viewed by many as role models. Young fans look up to their favorite players and often find themselves believing and repeating things that they say. Many in the common workplace are taught to avoid discussing abortion, politics and religion while at work or even in social settings. Following that rule can normally keep you out of issues with coworkers that don't share your same beliefs and out of visiting with your friendly HR Department.
But athletes and celebrities are different. They often find themselves in front of a microphone and people are constantly searching for their quotes and comments. They not only represent themselves, they represent their organizations and the companies that endorse them. Bad decisions or use of words can cost them a lot of money and possibly their current position. With the help of social media, thoughts and views can be shared with the world in a matter of seconds. We have all read about or witnessed a controversial tweet that quickly raises eyebrows, followed by it being deleted and an apology from the sender. Some comments or opinions are kept, while others are explained as a mistake in judgment and a bad decision all together.
Should athletes speak out in support of or against decisions made by courts or politicians? Should they have a voice in social issues involving gender, sexual orientation, police brutality or race? And how should fans feel about their favorite player sharing a view that is opposite of their own?
I was at the Verizon Canter in December when the Georgetown Hoyas hosted the Kansas Jayhawks. The Hoyas left the court after early warm ups and returned wearing black t-shirts with "I Can't Breathe" printed across the front. The words were the final used by Eric Garner, who was killed by a chokehold placed on him by a NY Police Officer during an arrest for selling loose cigarettes. It was not announced prior and they were the first collegiate team to do so at that point. This was a move that had already been made by Derrick Rose, LeBron James and the entire Los Angeles Lakers team. I quickly looked around and noticed that the majority of people in the crowd were clapping and nodding in approval. Nothing over the top, but you could tell that people were in acceptance of the statement made by John Thompson III's team. The team later explained that the move was to honor the families that recently lost love ones. Garner, Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin and others. It was not to pick sides, but to pay respect to the families. I remember thinking that these young men just showed people that they loved the game of basketball, but they weren't just basketball players.
I personally believe that athletes should express their opinions, if done so intelligently and thoughtfully. I think we all could do without profanity laced and hurtful messages, but it may not be a bad idea to hear or read what an athlete or your favorite franchise player has to say on social topics. That being said, we need to also realize that the star QB may not think the same way we do. They may not have grew up in the same environment or experienced the same things as their fans. I think we all need to learn to respect each other's opinions and views because, like death and taxes, stories in the world will not stop.
The Washington Post via Getty
You can follow me @WaringPatrick.
Be sure to follow @NutsAndBoltsSP and @bucketsanddimes for more sports updates.
John Thompson III
About Patrick Waring	52 Articles
Hi! I'm Patrick Waring, and I live in Southern Maryland. I am best described as a "homer" when it comes to sports. My favorite teams are the Georgetown Hoyas, Nationals, Redskins and Wizards. I'm a season ticket holder for the Hoyas, and I try to attend other games when possible. I'm very passionate about sports, and I'm always up for a conversation or debate about the greatest players and teams.
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text:
class GURL;

namespace base {
class DictionaryValue;
}

namespace net {

class AddressList;
class ScopedPortException;

// The base class of Test server implementation.
class BaseTestServer {
 public:
  typedef std::pair<std::string, std::string> StringPair;

  // Following types represent protocol schemes. See also
  // http://www.iana.org/assignments/uri-schemes.html
  enum Type {
    TYPE_BASIC_AUTH_PROXY,
    TYPE_FTP,
    TYPE_HTTP,
    TYPE_HTTPS,
    TYPE_WS,
    TYPE_WSS,
    TYPE_TCP_ECHO,
    TYPE_UDP_ECHO,
  };

  // Container for various options to control how the HTTPS or WSS server is
  // initialized.
  struct SSLOptions {
    enum ServerCertificate {
      CERT_OK,

      // CERT_AUTO causes the testserver to generate a test certificate issued
      // by "Testing CA" (see net/data/ssl/certificates/ocsp-test-root.pem).
      CERT_AUTO,

      CERT_MISMATCHED_NAME,
      CERT_EXPIRED,
      // Cross-signed certificate to test PKIX path building. Contains an
      // intermediate cross-signed by an unknown root, while the client (via
      // TestRootStore) is expected to have a self-signed version of the
      // intermediate.
      CERT_CHAIN_WRONG_ROOT,
    };

    // OCSPStatus enumerates the types of OCSP response that the testserver
    // can produce.
    enum OCSPStatus {
      OCSP_OK,
      OCSP_REVOKED,
      OCSP_INVALID,
      OCSP_UNAUTHORIZED,
      OCSP_UNKNOWN,
    };

    // Bitmask of bulk encryption algorithms that the test server supports
    // and that can be selectively enabled or disabled.
    enum BulkCipher {
      // Special value used to indicate that any algorithm the server supports
      // is acceptable. Preferred over explicitly OR-ing all ciphers.
      BULK_CIPHER_ANY    = 0,

      BULK_CIPHER_RC4    = (1 << 0),
      BULK_CIPHER_AES128 = (1 << 1),
      BULK_CIPHER_AES256 = (1 << 2),

      // NOTE: 3DES support in the Python test server has external
      // dependencies and not be available on all machines. Clients may not
      // be able to connect if only 3DES is specified.
      BULK_CIPHER_3DES   = (1 << 3),
    };

    // NOTE: the values of these enumerators are passed to the the Python test
    // server. Do not change them.
    enum TLSIntolerantLevel {
      TLS_INTOLERANT_NONE = 0,
      TLS_INTOLERANT_ALL = 1,  // Intolerant of all TLS versions.
      TLS_INTOLERANT_TLS1_1 = 2,  // Intolerant of TLS 1.1 or higher.
      TLS_INTOLERANT_TLS1_2 = 3,  // Intolerant of TLS 1.2 or higher.
    };

    // Initialize a new SSLOptions using CERT_OK as the certificate.
    SSLOptions();

    // Initialize a new SSLOptions that will use the specified certificate.
    explicit SSLOptions(ServerCertificate cert);
    ~SSLOptions();

    // Returns the relative filename of the file that contains the
    // |server_certificate|.
    base::FilePath GetCertificateFile() const;

    // GetOCSPArgument returns the value of any OCSP argument to testserver or
    // the empty string if there is none.
    std::string GetOCSPArgument() const;

    // The certificate to use when serving requests.
    ServerCertificate server_certificate;

    // If |server_certificate==CERT_AUTO| then this determines the type of OCSP
    // response returned.
    OCSPStatus ocsp_status;

    // True if a CertificateRequest should be sent to the client during
    // handshaking.
    bool request_client_certificate;

    // If |request_client_certificate| is true, an optional list of files,
    // each containing a single, PEM-encoded X.509 certificates. The subject
    // from each certificate will be added to the certificate_authorities
    // field of the CertificateRequest.
    std::vector<base::FilePath> client_authorities;

    // A bitwise-OR of BulkCipher that should be used by the
    // HTTPS server, or BULK_CIPHER_ANY to indicate that all implemented
    // ciphers are acceptable.
    int bulk_ciphers;

    // If true, pass the --https-record-resume argument to testserver.py which
    // causes it to log session cache actions and echo the log on
    // /ssl-session-cache.
    bool record_resume;

    // If not TLS_INTOLERANT_NONE, the server will abort any handshake that
    // negotiates an intolerant TLS version in order to test version fallback.
    TLSIntolerantLevel tls_intolerant;
  };

  // Pass as the 'host' parameter during construction to server on 127.0.0.1
  static const char kLocalhost[];

  // Initialize a TestServer listening on a specific host (IP or hostname).
  BaseTestServer(Type type,  const std::string& host);

  // Initialize a TestServer with a specific set of SSLOptions for HTTPS or WSS.
  explicit BaseTestServer(Type type, const SSLOptions& ssl_options);

  // Returns the host port pair used by current Python based test server only
  // if the server is started.
  const HostPortPair& host_port_pair() const;

  const base::FilePath& document_root() const { return document_root_; }
  const base::DictionaryValue& server_data() const;
  std::string GetScheme() const;
  bool GetAddressList(AddressList* address_list) const WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;

  GURL GetURL(const std::string& path) const;

  GURL GetURLWithUser(const std::string& path,
                      const std::string& user) const;

  GURL GetURLWithUserAndPassword(const std::string& path,
                                 const std::string& user,
                                 const std::string& password) const;

  static bool GetFilePathWithReplacements(
      const std::string& original_path,
      const std::vector<StringPair>& text_to_replace,
      std::string* replacement_path);

  static bool UsingSSL(Type type) {
    return type == BaseTestServer::TYPE_HTTPS ||
           type == BaseTestServer::TYPE_WSS;
  }

 protected:
  virtual ~BaseTestServer();
  Type type() const { return type_; }

  // Gets port currently assigned to host_port_pair_ without checking
  // whether it's available (server started) or not.
  uint16 GetPort();

  // Sets |port| as the actual port used by Python based test server.
  void SetPort(uint16 port);

  // Set up internal status when the server is started.
  bool SetupWhenServerStarted() WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;

  // Clean up internal status when starting to stop server.
  void CleanUpWhenStoppingServer();

  // Set path of test resources.
  void SetResourcePath(const base::FilePath& document_root,
                       const base::FilePath& certificates_dir);

  // Parses the server data read from the test server.  Returns true
  // on success.
  bool ParseServerData(const std::string& server_data) WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;

  // Generates a DictionaryValue with the arguments for launching the external
  // Python test server.
  bool GenerateArguments(base::DictionaryValue* arguments) const
    WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;

  // Subclasses can override this to add arguments that are specific to their
  // own test servers.
  virtual bool GenerateAdditionalArguments(
      base::DictionaryValue* arguments) const WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;

 private:
  void Init(const std::string& host);

  // Marks the root certificate of an HTTPS test server as trusted for
  // the duration of tests.
  bool LoadTestRootCert() const WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;

  // Document root of the test server.
  base::FilePath document_root_;

  // Directory that contains the SSL certificates.
  base::FilePath certificates_dir_;

  // Address the test server listens on.
  HostPortPair host_port_pair_;

  // Holds the data sent from the server (e.g., port number).
  scoped_ptr<base::DictionaryValue> server_data_;

  // If |type_| is TYPE_HTTPS or TYPE_WSS, the TLS settings to use for the test
  // server.
  SSLOptions ssl_options_;

  Type type_;

  // Has the server been started?
  bool started_;

  // Enables logging of the server to the console.
  bool log_to_console_;

  scoped_ptr<ScopedPortException> allowed_port_;

  DISALLOW_COPY_AND_ASSIGN(BaseTestServer);
};

}  // namespace net

#endif  // NET_TEST_BASE_TEST_SERVER_H_

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


I'm Stephanie, and as you can see, I actually have many whisks and spoons. They reside in a tin on my kitchen counter in Brooklyn, New York.
You have a fabulous blog & your pictures are superb!
I love your blog and your pictures are amazing. I love photographing my food but yours honestly looks right out of Everyday Food. I'm jealous ha ha! I would love to know what you shoot with and your thoughts on food photogrpahy in general.
Danielle–Thanks for the comment! I think I'm such an amateur with the camera (I could point out a few really talented bloggers)! I just use a point-and-shoot digital…a Nikon Coolpix S6. I take my food photos with no flash (just good sunlight, ideally) and using the close-up function. I'd love a full-on camera with lenses, etc, and maybe take a few classes to figure out how to use them!
When I first started this blog, I was very self-conscious of my pictures, but now photographing my food is something that I really love doing (even if hubby thinks I'm nuts). I think food can be so stunning, and I love choosing angles and backgounds, props, etc.
You have an amazing gift for photography. Thanks for sharing it.
Laurie–I will send you an e-mail!
Just want to say I like your style! Great photos. too I made cupcakes just like yours a few weeks back and was so excited to see you do the same thing. I also dedicated them to my memories of east coast summer soft serve. We called it the "swirl "cone in New England.
Love love love your photos. It's time for bed and your pictures have inspired me so much I want to start baking.
What made you move to Sydney? I absolutely love your food photography…very professional!
Great blog Stephanie and I'm sure there are some folks over here who would happily send you PB for your stash…. Good day over there.
hey steph, absolutely adore your pics + posts! just HAD to give you a shoutout. will be back for more *beams* i haven't had my chocolate fix yet, but I'm on the hunt. lol.
We moved back to New York City about a year ago…I need to change this page, I know.
I hope we can one day!
Hi Steph, I am another fan from Australia! I have bookmarked a number of recipes that I can't wait to try.
I wanted to say THANK YOU!! For your inspiration and your fabulous recipes!!
Thanks, Anita! I use a Nikon Coolpix. It's just a point-and-shoot, and it's a few years old now, so I hope to upgrade someday soon!
Ok, so its not the camera, its YOU. Amazing stuff. Do you have a twitter?
I found your blog through a google search for "Beet Recipes" and I totally love it. I'm currently focusing recipes involving Beets over at my blog – do you mind if I link to you when I post this Sunday?
I'd also want to link to your blog permanently on my blog roll if that's okay.
Hi, Sarafae! I don't mind at all. Thanks for the nice comments!
I'm so glad I stumbled upon your blog! I spent the last 3-4 hours poring over your blog and finally got to the very first post! 🙂 Yes, they keep the eggs at room temperature here in Australia but back home in Malaysia, we store them both ways. No idea what this means.
Looks great!!!! gosh now im hungry for ice cream and goodies!
Yum, yum, yum! I can't wait to try out making your bittersweet chocolate brownies!
Excellent blog and love the photos and the recipes you site! Thanks much!
Hi Steph, I love love love your blog. Your recipes and photos are fantastic.
Great blog. Makes me want to learn how to actually bake. It's a work in progress in my kitchen. Also, on my scale. I just know that if I made a dozen cupcakes, I'd eat a dozen cupcakes the next day.
You have a beautiful blog. I saw on your responses that you use a point and shoot. You have a really good eye and your pictures look great. How long have you been blogging? I've been blogging for almost a year and I've used a Canon point and shoot the entire time. It has been challenging, but I've learned a lot about light.
I didn't realize someone already had, so I have nominated your blog for the Versatile Blogger Award. In any case, I posted a link to you!
Hey Stephanie, I have just been poking around your blog and I love it! Looking forward to stopping by again!
Hello – I have just nominated you for the Liebster Award. See my link to learn all about it. http://www.traveltalesandstuff.com/liebster-award-nominee. Thank you sharing your blog posts.
awesome blog! Great pictures! I'll be back having fun poking around!
I nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award!
Hello! i just see you blog and is lovely!
Hello Stephanie! I've decided to read and follow 15 interesting and new blogs a day every day for the first month of 2015, and yours is today's #15! Feel free to come visit me when you can at http://www.thatssojacob.wordpress.com, and follow if you like what you read. Happy new year and happy blogging!
Hi Stephanie, you have a beautiful and inspiring blog!
Hiya, I have nominated you for the Creative Blog Award – it's a bit of fun. Keep it going.
Your cakes look so decadent!
beautiful blog posts and wonderful recipes! thanks for sharing, Stephanie!
Hey! I really enjoyed reading your blog, so I've nominated you for the Blogger Recognition Award.
For some this award nomination procedure maybe like sending chain letters like we did in elementary. You can simply ignore this post and decline it or you can embrace it as an opportunity to get in touch, maybe build a community and show fellow bloggers you like what they are doing.
Do you actually bake without electric mixers using those spoons and whisks? I do!
Hi Lorraine. I'm not gluten-free so I've never baked it that way. If you have a reliable GF flour that you're used to using, I'd give it a go. Sorry I can't be more help!


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