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Summer Steele, Action Star
karl butters
A couple of my friends have asked me to share this story. It's about the actress Summer Steele, who starred in a couple of action flicks in the early 2000s. People have wondered what happened to her. She was destined to be a bigger star and sex symbol than Pam Anderson, Carmen Electra, and Anna Nicole Smith combined. After two cheesy, low budget action films, that made her a star on late night cable television, she disappeared from the public eye. As a Hollywood cameraman and occasional director, I had the opportunity to work with Summer on, what turned out to be, her last project. That project turned out to be the sexiest, most memorable work I've been involved with in my 20 year Hollywood career.
Before I get into that, I thought I'd share Summer's pre-show business background. I realize many of you are very familiar with Summer's story, since it has been well documented in the tabloids. But, for those reading this under the age of 25, here's a quick bio of the sexy blonde.
Summer's real name is Mary Schwartz. She grew up in a small town in Iowa. By the time she was in 8th grade, she was the tallest kid in her school and had also acquired the nickname Mary Big Boobs. She graduated high school without going on one single date. While she may have thought that the boys found her unattractive, later interviews with her classmates reveal that they were extremely intimidated by the tall, overly developed teen.
Things changed when Mary went to college in Los Angeles on a volleyball scholarship. The college students (and professors) were not as intimidated by her Amazonian appearance and she was constantly being bombarded with requests for dates. Her 6-foot frame and 40 DD tits became an asset, as she also became a fan favorite on the volleyball team. Before she had arrived, the team was lucky to have 70 fans at their games. As her legend grew, the attendance rose into the thousands. She wasn't the most talented player on the team, in fact, it was assumed the male coach had recruited her based on her looks and potential fan appeal, rather than her volleyball skill. The big blonde spent more time on the beach working on her tan than she spent in the gym working on her game. Men from all over Southern California flocked to the school to see Mary and her lushly curved 155 lbs. body squeezed into her form-fitting uniform. The jersey appeared to be hiding a couple of volleyballs, as her massive melons bulged from her chest. Her curve-hugging shorts, which were probably a size too small, barely contained her swollen ass.
Unfortunately, her success on the volleyball court did not equate to success in the classroom. After one semester, Mary flunked out of college with a 0.0 GPA. She did not pass one single class. Obviously not a genius, Mary was smart enough to know that she had a future in the entertainment field. She hired a Hollywood agent and set out to become a star. Her agent was a crafty guy named Moe Reinfeldt. Moe handled a lot of marginal, low-level performers and, after 30 years in the business, was hungry for a star. As soon as Mary walked into his office, he saw dollar signs.
Moe set Mary up with an acting teacher. After 2 months and a few thousand dollars, the acting coach assured Moe that Mary had zero acting ability and that further instruction was a waste of everyone's time. Unperturbed, Moe decided she would be an action star. Action stars require fighting skills and athletic ability, but not as much acting talent. Since she had the athletic ability, Moe sent her to a dojo to learn to fight. She appeared to pick up fighting techniques easily because she became a black belt in karate in record time.
Armed with a new name (Summer Steele), a stunning photo, and a resume that now included a black belt in karate, Moe quickly landed her a role in the film New York Street Angel. If you've never seen it, you can find it on Netflix. Soon after she starred in the late night classic Escape from Bikini Island.
Anxious to capitalize on her rising popularity and move more into mainstream entertainment, Summer decided to take a break from making movies. She decided she was bigger than the parts that she was being offered. Telling one reporter that she "had been called the Meryl Streep of action films and therefore wanted a role worthy of her immense talent." I don't know who had compared her to Meryl Streep, but it is obvious why she had become a big star- she looked great in short skirts, especially when doing her trademark high kick.
Instead of making movies, she told Moe that she wanted her own reality TV show. Her fans had been telling her how great she was and she knew she was more interesting than Anna Nicole Smith, who had been given her own show. In her mind, a reality show would be a sure-fire hit. Moe disagreed, but eager to keep his biggest client happy, he set about making things happen.
He couldn't find a studio interested in funding the show, so money was the biggest hurdle. H. E. Pennypacker, a wealthy industrialist, philanthropist, and bicyclist, agreed to finance the show and become the producer. He provided a generous budget in order to create 8 shows to shop around to the networks.
With money no longer a problem, Moe began hiring a crew. This is where I come in. I had been working as a cameraman but, like most people in Hollywood, I really wanted to become a director. After working on Escape from Bikini Island, Moe and I had become acquainted. Since I was available and willing to work cheap, Moe hired me to direct the show.
Naming the show Always Summer, we began developing ideas for it. Summer wanted to focus on her daily life- exercising, getting her hair done, attending parties, etc. I quickly realized that Summer was a stereotypical Hollywood diva, and would not be easy to work with. She had many demands, including a massive double-wide trailer on the set. One day, she decided the carpet was tostagehandd insisted that a stage hand iron it. She also had another assistant to follow her around with a bottle of expensive mineral water. It had to be ice cold, so every 10 minutes, the assistant would have to run back to the fridge and exchange the bottle for a colder one. When she was walking to and from her trailer, no one was allowed to talk to her, unless she spoke first. Once she demanded that we order pizza for after filming was completed for the day. Instead of pizza from a local establishment, she insisted that we send a crew member to her favorite pizza place, which was 60 miles away. By the time the pizza had arrived, she had already gone to sleep. Still, she was the star and we did what we could to keep her happy. And with much of our budget dedicated to Summer's wardrobe, we ensured she looked great in every scene.
Summer insisted that we film her at the gym. Wearing a sexy, 2-piece attire, that accentuated her curves, we devoted a 15-minute block to her working out. Even though she had been a college athlete and was still in excellent form, Summer was not a hard-bodied type. Instead, she had a soft, sensuous body, with lots of curves. Even though her biceps did not bulge out when she did curls, and her midsection lacked a rippled six-pack, she still oozed sex appeal in her workout. While doing the bench press, we filmed her from every angle, as she gently bounced the bar off her generous breasts. When she did squats, her prominent ass proved most camera-friendly as it jutted out sexily.
In another episode, we filmed her on a date with the ex-NBA player Nick Jones. She wore a silk dress that clung to every curve, leaving little to the imagination. The sides were slit up to her hip, showing off her long, shapely tanned legs. Her calf muscles popped out sexily above the 5-inch stiletto heels that also gave her an exotic Amazon look and allowed her to see eye to eye with the tall basketball player.
After they finished 2 shows, Moe thought it would be a good idea to allow a group of critics to preview the shows. This way they could get an idea of what the audience might like and what they might not like. As it turned out, they didn't like any of it. The show was a disaster. While they all agreed that Summer looked sexy, the shows themselves were dull and uninteresting. They complained that Summer was an action star, but the shows had very little action in them. Pennypacker came up with the brilliant idea of creating opportunities for Summer to get in a fight on each show. Summer resisted, but after Pennypacker threatened to pull his millions out of the project, the buxom blonde agreed.
In the next 2 shows, Summer showed off her fighting skills. In one episode, she beat up a roid raging bodybuilder, who was threatening staff at the gym she frequented. In the next episode, she took on a group of lesbian bikers that were terrorizing a family that lived next door to them. We showed these 2 episodes to the critics and they loved them. It was obvious we had a hit on our hands. Reality TV was big business, but no one was doing a show like ours.
I was extremely impressed by Summer's fighting ability. Before seeing her in action, I had assumed her combat skills would only be successful in a closely controlled, scripted environment, but on our shows, we let her do her thing. Pennypacker hired assistants to scout out potential fight opportunities and then we would bring Summer on to the scene. The fights, while somewhat arranged, were totally unscripted. The beautiful blonde had a fighting style similar to Steven Seagal, in that her movements appeared slow and deliberate, but she was still unstoppable.
When we were preparing for the 5 episode, Pennypacker approached me with a possible fight situation.
"One of my minions told me about a sorry SOB that has been beating his girlfriend." Said Pennypacker. "I think audiences would love to see Summer teach the scum a lesson about hitting women."
I agreed. "Sounds like the perfect villain for our next show."
Pennypacker gave us the name of his contact and Summer and I went to meet them. It turned out to be a pretty brunette named Olivia.
"My roommate, Chloe," Olivia said, "has an abusive boyfriend named Chad. He comes over, gets drunk and hits Chloe. I can't take it anymore. You have to do something. I've tried to convince her to break up with him, but she claims she loves him."
"Don't worry," Summer replied, "Lowlife creeps like him are my specialty. Just tell us when he's coming over."
On a side note, I found Olivia adorable. She had a cute face and nice tits (not Summer Steele type tits, but definitely above average). I asked her out after the meeting, and that evening we had dinner.
A few days later Olivia called. She said Chad was coming over that evening to watch a football game. His friend Hunter was coming with him. Olivia was certain there would be trouble. Whenever Chad and Hunter watched the game, they always got drunk. Whenever Chad got drunk, he would get abusive towards Chloe. I contacted Pennypacker and he set everything up.
That evening, myself, a technician, Moe, and Pennypacker waited in a mobile van down the street. Earlier, Pennypacker had sent a crew in to install hidden video cameras throughout the apartment. Summer had gone in with Olivia and was waiting in her room. Finally, Chad and Hunter had arrived. I felt nervous and excited at the same time. Even though we had done a couple of these fight scenes before with no problems, I knew any number of things could go wrong. I really wondered what Summer was going through. The way things were planned, she could be waiting for hours for the right time to confront Chad.
Fortunately, we had some good luck. First of all, Chad and Hunter had stopped at a bar before they arrived and were already a little inebriated. In addition, the team they had bet on had a disastrous first quarter. Needless to say, Chad was quickly looking for trouble. Within a half hour of arriving, Chad became abusive and began pushing Chloe around. As planned, Olivia stepped in first.
"Get your hands off her!" Olivia said.
"And who's going to stop me?" Chad asked, with a cocky smirk on his face.
"How about Summer Steele," said Summer Steele, as she stepped into the room. You should have seen the way she moved. The blonde swayed as she walked, those hips moving from side to side. She was so graceful, so confident, so powerful. Summer took three steps into the room, stopped and put her hands on her hips in a self-assured superhero type stance. No doubt she had practiced this look in front of a mirror many times.
At first, Chad's mouth dropped open as he stood staring at the seductive starlet. The statuesque blonde wore a sexy outfit that she had designed herself. Her top was a white sleeveless shirt that had Always Summer embroidered in gold letters and red trim. Low cut in the front, it fit snugly around her massive tits. She wore red spandex pants that almost looked like they were painted on. I zoomed a camera in on her plump backside. The tight material fit perfectly around her nicely formed butt cheeks. Completing her outfit were her white, go-go boots with stiletto heels. The outfit was intentionally designed to look superheroish. She had unveiled the outfit in the previous episode and the critics loved it. I thought the tight pants and boots were impractical to fight in, but Summer told me the pants stretched and assured me she could move fine in the boots. After beating up the lesbian bikers, I was totally convinced.
"Who the hell are you?" Chad asked with a sneer.
"I'm the one who's going to teach you a lesson."
"Is that a fact, bitch? And how do you suppose you're going to do that?"
"We can do it the easy way, or the hard way. The easy way is where you apologize to Chloe and promise not to lay a hand on her again. The easy way is not much fun for me. I prefer the hard way."
"OK, bitch, what's the hard way."
"That's where I kick your sorry butt."
"That does sound like fun." Chad was cocky now, but I had a feeling his cockiness would not last. Being half drunk, he didn't stand a chance against Summer. I didn't think Hunter would be much help either since he wasn't any soberer.
Chad came at Summer and tried to punch her twice, but each time the blonde deftly moved aside. Finally, he attempted to grab Summer, but she seized his arm and tossed him into the wall. She was clearly just playing with him. Chad tried to throw another punch, but again Summer dodged it, following it with a punch of her own that landed on his chin. She followed it with another punch to the other side of his face. Chad was wide open for the next punch that landed in his gut. He gasped for air as he fell back against the wall.
As I expected, Hunter decided to get involved. He grabbed Summer from behind, wrapping his arms around her narrow waist. Chad grabbed her wrists.
"Now bitch, I'm going to teach you a lesson." Chad sneered.
Summer looked to be in trouble, but she didn't appear concerned. She had really grown in confidence as a fighter. A few weeks ago she might have panicked, but now she remained poised and calm as she prepared her next move. With one swift kick, her knee came up and struck Chad between the legs. He dropped in pain. Next, she slammed Hunter in the midsection with her elbow. Summer turned to face him and then dropped him with one of her famous high kicks. He landed on the floor with a thud. Next, she turned to face Chad, who was struggling back to his feet. The ensuing minute was a clinic in the art of karate, as Summer punched, kicked, and tossed Chad around the room. Eventually, the big blonde pinned him to the wall, with one hand on his throat. With the other hand, she slapped him and backhanded him repeatedly. He was helpless to stop her.
Just when I thought the scene was wrapping up, Chloe screamed out, "Get off him!" She lunged at Summer and grabbed a handful of her long, blonde hair. Now it was Summer's turn to appear helpless, as Chloe slung her to the ground.
All of us in the truck were stunned, as well as the gorgeous Amazon, who lay on the floor trying to compose herself. Slowly, she rose to her feet. Chloe stood defiantly between Summer and Chad and appeared ready to defend her man if necessary. She was a 5'3 105 lbs. redhead wearing a yellow halter top, cut off Daisy Dukes, and cowboy boots. Her skimpy clothes revealed a thin body, with few curves. Though not unattractive by any means, she appeared plain compared to the fabulous looking Summer.
"Why did you do that?" Summer asked. "I was trying to help you."
"I don't need your help, you cheap slut."
"Cheap slut? Maybe you deserve to be beat."
" You Bitch! I've a good mind to beat your ass!" Chloe was clearly letting her temper get the better of her. Summer was significantly bigger and had proven to be a skilled martial arts master. This was making for great TV.
"We need to stop this," said Moe.
"No way!" Said Pennypacker. "This is ratings gold."
"I don't care; we need to stop this. We're no longer in control of the situation."
"We're not stopping this and that's final."
I didn't know what Moe was so concerned about. Summer had faced much tougher looking opponents before. Still, Chloe had some spunk and wasn't backing down. The war of words continued and before I knew it they were in each other's face (actually Chloe was in Summer's tits) yelling insults.
"That's it," Summer snapped, "I've had enough of your smart mouth." She slapped Chloe. They were so close, her hand glanced harmlessly off the side of Chloe's head. The petite girl erupted, her hands flying into Summer's hair. She pulled the blonde's head downward and, with one hand, began punching her furiously. The redhead appeared to be part alley cat, as she ripped and clawed at the bewildered blonde. Our star tried to get away, but Chloe's painful grip on her hair made fleeing impossible. Not only was Summer losing wads of hair, her valuable face was being brutalized. If Chloe broke Summer's nose, we wouldn't be able to film for months.
"Maybe we should stop it," I said. "This is getting out of hand."
"How are we going to stop it?" Asked Pennypacker. "We are 5 minutes away and then when you get to the apartment building, you have to be buzzed in. No one in that room is going to buzz you in. It's best to just sit back and enjoy the show." Pennypacker seemed to enjoy watching his prized investment get pummeled.
Summer wasn't completely without allies in the room. Olivia was there and was yelling at Chloe to stop. Finally, Olivia jumped in and grabbed Chloe. I was excited to see the cute brunette save Summer. We had only been on one date so far, but I was really attracted to her and had promised to show her on camera as much as possible. At 5'2 and 125 lbs., Olivia had a soft but cute and cuddly body. As mentioned before, she had nice tits, but her best feature was her well-rounded butt. She wore a tight blue tank top and black tights. Since she knew she was going to be on TV, she tried to dress to show off her curvaceous features.
Unfortunately, Chloe flung Olivia off like a raging bronco. Then she turned on the brunette and clobbered her in the face with her fist. Olivia crumpled to the floor with a whimper.
"Grab her, Chad," Chloe said, "while I finish off the blonde cow."
Summer was stumbling towards the door, trying to get away, but tripped and fell. Chloe quickly pounced and the two began rolling around on the floor. Despite Summer's size advantage, it continued to be a lopsided battle in Chloe's favor. The redhead fought dirty, pulling hair, scratching the face, and even biting fingers. Summer's shirt was shredded in the fray. Chloe pulled the remnants off and wrapped it around Summer's throat and began choking her. Finally, the blonde was able to push the smaller girl off her. Catching her second wind, Summer scrambled to her feet and ran to the door. It was locked and before she could figure out how to get it unlocked, Chloe was on her.
I didn't know if she was fighting out of desperation or if her well-honed combat skills had finally kicked in, but Summer began fighting back. She pushed the redhead away, then punched her in the head, and then kicked her in the stomach. Suddenly the tide was turned and Summer began establishing control over her untrained foe with a series of karate chops and kicks. Now that she had enough space, I knew what was coming next- Summer's signature high kick. She had finished off many opponents with her powerful legs, opponents much bigger than the diminutive Chloe.
With a confident look on her face, Summer launched her kick. It was smooth and well-aimed, just like dozens of other high kicks I'd seen her perform on camera. Headed right for Chloe's head, the redhead didn't make a move to avoid it, instead she did the unexpected. Inches from her face, she caught Summer's foot in midflight. The sexy starlet's mouth dropped open wide, her look of confidence replaced by a look of fear, as Chloe held her stiletto boot in her hands.
"No… don't… let me loose!" Summer whimpered. She knew she was in a vulnerable and helpless position, completely at the mercy of the vicious redhead. Chloe responded with an evil laugh. It was kind of sexy seeing Summer struggle to balance on one foot, her powerful looking legs spread apart. Seeing her look scared and beg for mercy was a dramatic change from her normal demanding diva demeanor. Chloe decided to try a kick of her own, a pale, slender leg striking out at her defenseless target. While Summer's kick failed to strike its objective, Chloe's landed dead-on. The tip of her cowboy boot struck perfectly into the apex of Summer's open legs. The curvy blonde's hands dropped between her thighs, as she let out an anguished moan. Chloe let go of her foot and Summer dropped over the arm of the couch.
Summer was clearly in pain, but looked hotter than ever, with her plump ass jutting into the air. This presented an inviting target to Chloe, who couldn't resist slapping it several times. Then she grabbed Summer's waistband and began pulling her sexy spandex pants down. I was both concerned, shocked, and aroused at the idea of our sexy star being stripped further. I knew her humiliation could be mean the end of our show and my job, but at the same time, I really wanted to see her naked. Chloe had them halfway down Summer's sizable rump when Chad stepped in.
"I don't think you should do that," he said.
"Why not? The bitch deserves it."
"You don't understand. Look here and here and over here." Chad started pointing out our camera locations.
"How does he know about the cameras?" I asked Pennypacker.
"Well… we had to get his permission. Think of the liability factor. We would be sued if Summer went around beating up random strangers."
"That makes sense, I guess." Still, I knew there was more that I wasn't being told.
As Chad explained the show's concept to Chloe, Summer, oblivious to their conversation, started regaining her strength. She pulled her pants back up and turned to face Chloe. She took a deep breath and tried to focus. It was obvious she would need to use all her karate skills effectively if she wished to escape this apartment with any dignity left intact. The bloody scratch marks streaking her gorgeous face were reminders of what could happen is she was unable to defend herself.
After Chad finished explaining why Summer was in the apartment, I thought Chloe would be willing to let Summer leave. Instead, the sadistic redhead seemed to be excited about the prospect of humiliating the Hollywood star on camera. She turned to face the sexy starlet. While Summer had a look of complete concentration, Chloe looked like a child on Christmas morning eyeing her presents.
"Ready for more?" Chloe asked. Summer responded by taking a fighting stance.
"You made me angry. That's a mistake you will live to regret." Summer said, quoting one of her lines from New York Street Angel. When the redhead hungrily moved towards her, Summer reacted with a front snap kick, followed by several sidekicks and punches. For a moment, Summer looked like the action star from her films. Performing karate strike after strike, the blonde appeared to be in control until I noticed the expression on Chloe's face. Instead of looking scared or rattled, she looked as if she was amused. Summer grew more and more frustrated as she was unable to land an effective blow.
Chloe began toying with the big blonde. As she effortlessly dodged Summer's strikes, she would counter with slaps to the face and jabs to the abdomen. She discovered her most effective move when she landed an uppercut to Summer's chest. Summer let out a sexy squeal, as one of her boobs plopped out of her bra. Chloe giggled excitedly at Summer's reaction, which encouraged her to attack her breasts some more. In her films, Summer never demonstrated any defensive skills and now, locked in a real-life struggle, it was clear she had none. Chloe pummeled her massive, juicy melons at will. The blonde whimpered in pain as her tits bounced and sloshed around from Chloe's punches.
It was well known how sensitive Summer's breasts were. One of the first viral hits on YouTube was from Summer's volleyball days. An opponent spiked a ball directly into the blonde's big tits. The crowd cheered excitedly as Summer had to leave the game in tears. A skillful cameraman zoomed in on a crying Summer massaging her aching mounds of soft flesh.
Just like in the video, Summer began crying as Chloe pummeled her luscious body. So unlike the tough characters she played in films, crocodile tears began flowing down her cheeks and she begged for Chloe to stop. Behind the tears, I saw fear in her eyes, as she was unable to fight off the redhead. The diva all but surrendered, as she put her hands up in front, futilely trying to block Chloe's blows. The sexy blonde was unable to shield all of her amazing, shapely body from the redhead's attack. Unfortunately, she had too many curves and not enough hands.
Chloe grabbed Summer's bra and began tugging at it, trying to rip it off the blonde. I enjoyed watching my star's boobs bounce violently in the struggle, as Summer was jostled about in the fray. She struggled to fight off Chloe, but after a couple of shots to the face, she covered her head, allowing Chloe to unhook the bra and jerk it free. I was amazed at how impressive and firm were Summer's tits. For boobs so enormous they had very little sag. What made them even more impressive was that they were real. I had seen pictures of her in high school wearing a bikini and they were just as extraordinary back then. With every blow Summer received, her fat tits would jiggle and shake wildly, then fall back into their perfect upright position.
Chloe tossed Chad the bra and told him to use it to tie her hands behind her back. Now Summer was really helpless and Chloe took full advantage. The nasty redhead was able to take her time and put some real force behind her punches. Fortunately for Summer, Chloe was not the most powerful female in the world. Still, she was able to inflict considerable hurt on Summer's defenseless and exposed body. She paid special attention to Summer's fat tits, that jiggled sexily after each blow. Though Summer's waist was reasonably thin for a woman her size, she hardly had a six-pack and her tummy was pelted by Chloe small fists. The smooth flesh gave way, as Chloe's knuckles sunk deep into her abdomen. Summer grunted and then gasped for air.
"I don't believe it," I said. The truth of the situation slowly sinking in. "So were all of Summer's fight's rigged."
"Yes," Pennypacker answered. He was not as upset as I thought he should be, seeing that his big investment was being destroyed. Instead, he seemed annoyed at me disturbing him from watching the fight.
"But Summer has a black belt in karate. She should be able to take on someone Chloe's size." Pennypacker just shrugged his shoulders, while Moe looked guilty like he was hiding something. "She does have a black belt in karate, doesn't she Moe?"
"Yes, of course she does… sort of."
"How do you sort of have a black belt?"
"It takes years to get a black belt, they want you to pay all this money and get all these other belts first. It's really a big racket. So I sort of paid this dojo 10 grand and they skipped all those other belts and gave her the black belt."
Still, not everything made sense. "So why would she fight this girl if she knew she couldn't fight?"
"She doesn't know the fights were rigged. She's not a very good actor, so we thought it'd be more believable if she really thought she was kicking ass."
"Oh." Suddenly everything made sense.
Looking back at the monitor, Chloe was making mincemeat of Summer. The blonde's soft, shapely body was being turned into mush. Chloe stopped the beating and grabbed the waistband of Summer's spandex pants. She slid them down Summer's shapely legs until they were bunched up around her ankles. Afraid of panty lines protruding through her skintight spandex, Summer wasn't wearing any panties. She was now virtually nude. Penthouse had offered her a lot of money to pose naked for them. I doubt they would pay much for the stills from this video though because Summer was a mess. Chloe had smashed her up pretty good. She had bloody scratches and bruises on her once perfect breasts. Summer had a swollen eye and nose was leaking blood badly. Drool dripped from her lips as she sobbed uncontrollably. Her mascara was smeared all over her cheeks. Still, there remained a sexy quality to the impotent curvaceous starlet, as she stood there helpless before her tormentor.
"So you think you know karate," Chloe teased, "Well I'll show you how to do karate." Using Summer as a punching dummy, she began kicking and karate chopping the blonde. The redhead, clearly, did not know how to do karate, but with her foe completely helpless before her, she was still able to land some painful blows. Her kicks appeared especially painful, thanks to her pointed cowboy boots. Though she couldn't mimic one of Summer's high kicks, she was able to strike Summer's tanned thighs with ease. She also assailed Summer's knees and shins, the boots connecting with several loud thuds.
Finally, Chad stepped in and pulled Chloe away from the conquered blonde.
"That's enough Chloe, you're going to kill her." He took her in his arms. "Besides, you really have me turned on right now."
"Fine," she said somewhat reluctantly,"OK Bitch, you can leave." Summer ran for the door as quickly as she could with her pants down around her ankles. When she passed Chloe, the redhead slapped her plump ass. This made her move even faster. Once she got to the door she began panicking, realizing she couldn't unlock the door with her hands still tied behind her back. Olivia came up and unlocked the door while Chloe spanked her ass several more times. Finally, the door opened and Summer ran out like her life depended on it.
A minute late, we saw her come out of the building and head down the street towards our van. Even though she was a mess, I thought she looked adorable struggling to run down the street naked. I looked over at Moe and he looked sick. He knew his cash cow was finished. Pennypacker and the technician, on the other hand, thought it was hilarious.
"Look at her try to run," Pennypacker howled with laughter. Moe gave him an ugly look. "Come on, you don't find that funny? Look at the expression on her face. She still looks scared to death, like the redhead is about to catch her."
Struggling to run and blinded by her tears, Summer ran straight into a garbage can attached to a pole and fell in. Pennypacker and the technician really cackled as they watched her try to get out. I had to admit that watch her ample butt wiggling in the air as she struggled to get out was pretty funny. It didn't take long to realize she couldn't get out on her own, but none of us really wanted to help her. Normally, we wouldn't want to get involved because when she was in a bad mood she could be a little scary. We weren't afraid of her anymore but it was too much fun watching her squirm around. Even Moe smiled a little. The problem was solved when Olivia ran up. She helped Summer out of the trash can and untied her.
Summer pulled up her pants and attempted to regain her composure. She tried to recapture her normal look of superiority, but with the trash in her hair, her face streaked with tears and mascara, and her battered breasts bared before the world, she still looked like a scared little girl.
"Get off me, you fucking whore!" Summer screamed, "Why didn't you help me in there?"
"I tried."
"Well, you obviously didn't try very hard."
"Hey don't get mad at me, I didn't do anything."
"Exactly! You didn't do anything while your roommate sucker punched me and then her and her boyfriend and his friend all jumped me. And you could have told me that she was a psycho street fighter. I'm not trained to fight psycho street fighters."
"She may be psycho, but she's no street fighter. I doubt she's ever been in a fight before in her life. You're just a pathetic weakling who can't fight unless you have a script!"
"I may be a Hollywood star but I'm also a highly trained fighter!"
"You're nothing but a big fraud!"
"I'll show you who's the fraud!" Summer lunged for Olivia. The brunette had never been in a fight before and panicked for a moment, as the huge blonde charged her. She closed her eyes and threw a wild punch that smashed Summer's pouty lips. The blonde covered her face as blood filled her mouth. While Summer staggered in a daze, Olivia grabbed the waistband of her pants.
"I think I like you better with your pants down!" The elastic waistband had been stretched so much that evening that they slid with ease down Summer's legs. Desperate, Summer tried to attack Olivia with a closed fist punch, but instead, Olivia grabbed her hand and judo tossed the big girl over her shoulder. Summer's bare ass landed with a splash in a muddy puddle.
"Wow! I can't believe that actually worked." Olivia exclaimed. Then she finished removing Summer's spandex pants, leaving the blonde completely nude except for her boots.
Summer didn't bother getting back up. She just lay there in the mud as Olivia walked away. Getting tossed by Olivia was the final nail in Summer's career. Even she knew she had no credibility left as an action star.
"What a joke!" Pennypacker laughed.
I had to agree. Summer's legs were spread wide open, giving us a great view of her ass and pussy. She was either to hurt or too scared to move. I think it was probably a combination of both.
Summer's career as an action star was over, but Pennypacker thought he could make some money selling it to a porn site. Summer refused and threatened to sue if he did.
Moe retired from show business. I saw him a few months back, working as a greeter at the West Hollywood Walmart. Pennypacker took back the money he had fronted for the reality show. The last I had heard he was building a roller coaster. I still work as a cameraman, but I doubt I will get another chance to direct again after the Always Summer disaster. As for Summer, she left California, went back to being Mary, and settled down with a farmer in Nebraska. Every now again, the video will surface on Pornhub.com. I'm sure it's Chloe that posts it. To avoid a lawsuit, we had to give her and Chad a copy. Summer uses what little money she gets from royalties, to pay lawyers to keep the video from public consumption.
And that's what happened to Summer Steele, Action Star.
Re: Summer Steele, Action Star
I'd like to thank Raycat for making many contributions to this story.


The Large Nickel Organic Globe Chandelier is a festival of orbs within an orb. Made up of curvaceous wire structures tipped with tiny globes, the arcing pieces of metal envelope the fixture's 11 lights to reflect textural patterns on surrounding surfaces. As playful as it is sophisticated, this chandelier can span a surprising number of design styles, from traditional and transitional to modern and boho chic. We also offer the Organic Globe in an antique brass finish and in larger versions of the brass and nickel fixtures.


text:
FanDuel Makes Drama-Free Appearance Before Massachusetts Regulator
Would be surprising if gaming commission does not award operator initial approval next week
by Jill R. Dorson
in Regulation
Given how complimentary members of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) were on Monday and the limited amount of followup they asked for, it appears that FanDuel sailed through a review meeting and will likely be awarded a Category 3 stand-alone digital sports betting license next week when recipients are announced.
The five-and-a-half hour meeting was among the most low-key of the license reviews to date, and the commission repeatedly complimented FanDuel executives on the quality and comprehensiveness of their application. Commissioner Brad Hill also called it "impressive" that FanDuel has an in-house tech stack, saying that the MGC has explored the pitfalls of third-party vendors in other reviews.
FanDuel is the first operator to come for review that has its technology in-house, though Fanatics, which is still under review, is building its own platform, and DraftKings now handles its own technology after acquiring SB Tech in 2019.
FanDuel is the second of five stand-alone mobile wagering applicants. The MGC announced in December that it would consider all applications in the first half of January and announce by Jan. 20 which operators it will award licenses to. Bally's Interactive was first up last Friday, and Betr (Tuesday), DraftKings (Wednesday), Digital Gaming (Friday), and PointsBet (next Monday) are in the queue.
The MGC has already given initial approval for tethered digital platforms Barstool Sportsbook (Plainridge Park), BetMGM (MGM Springfield) Caesars Sportsbook (Encore Boston Harbor), and WynnBET (Encore Boston Harbor) to go live later this year. Fanatics, which has yet to launch its platform anywhere in the U.S., is still under review, and could get an answer later this week.
The commission is aiming to launch digital wagering in early March, ahead of March Madness, and will launch the state's three retail locations on Jan. 31.
Commission: Application 'met expectations'
After hearing an overview and getting a demonstration of FanDuel's platform on Monday, commissioners asked questions and Chair Cathy Judd-Stein "took the temperature" of her colleagues on each section. To this end, commissioners unanimously felt that each section of FanDuel's application "met expectations."
The MGC, which has been clear about how much it values integrity and responsible gaming, had kind words for FanDuel on both, with Judd-Stein telling FanDuel executives that the MGC might steal a page from the company's playbook with relation to in-house responsible gaming training. (FanDuel's is called "PlayWell.")
There were some questions along the way, including a handful about outstanding violations or pending legal action, which were handled in executive session. Presumably, when the MGC does issue approval, it will require FanDuel to keep it apprised of developments on the violations and legal issues. The commission has set similar parameters for other companies during the process.
Thank you, Massachusetts!
FanDuel is excited for the potential to bring America's #1 Sportsbook to the Commonwealth 👏 pic.twitter.com/OfyBr2N2fe
— FanDuel Sportsbook (@FDSportsbook) August 1, 2022
The most pressing matter that arose is that FanDuel, which offers Daily Fantasy Sports in Massachusetts, is delinquent on its taxes and registration. According to the commission, both were due in August. FanDuel's Cory Fox said his company had been in touch with the commission as it sorted out details around the registration and taxes, and promised to rectify the situation as soon as Tuesday.
Commissioners quizzed FanDuel executives about creating jobs and making a financial commitment to the Bay State. There are currently 18 Massachusetts residents who work remotely for FanDuel, but the company does not have an office there.
FanDuel President Christian Genetski left open the possibility of FanDuel opening a Massachusetts office, saying that tech companies often "follow the talent." He then shared that the company will bring a version of its biggest event, "FanFest," to Massachusetts should FanDuel get licensed, and predicted that it would create jobs and bring tourists to the state.
FanDuel will also make a $1 million donation somewhere in Massachusetts should it get licensed, as it has in Maryland and has plans to do in Ohio, where it went live Jan. 1.
Tackling Bernie Kosar violation
Compared to the kinds of questions some other companies have faced concerning relationships with colleges, integrity, or rules violations, FanDuel's hearing was a walk in the park (or the Common, if you're in Boston).
#Browns statement on Bernie Kosar: pic.twitter.com/fn4GEtLjVf
— Mary Kay Cabot (@MaryKayCabot) January 8, 2023
Executives easily handled questions surrounding the recent news that Bernie Kosar was fired from the Cleveland Browns' pregame show because he violated NFL rules, which explicitly ban anyone associated with a team from wagering. Kosar made the first bet at Tipico's sportsbook at the MLS Columbus Crew retail location. The bet was purported to be the first in Ohio, and at the time Kosar made it clear that any winnings would go to charity.
Commissioner Brad Hill asked how FanDuel would react in this situation, and Genetski and other execs explained that operators work with the professional leagues and each other to maintain a list of people who are banned from betting. Genetski called the fact that Kosar and current NFL player Calvin Ridley were flagged a "success" that shows that the system works.
Jill R. Dorson
Jill has covered everything from steeplechase to the NFL and then some during a more than 30-year career in sports journalism. The highlight of her career was covering Oakland Raiders during the Charles Woodson/Jon Gruden era, including the infamous "Snow Bowl" and the Raiders' 2003 trip to Super Bowl XXXVII. Her specialty these days is covering sports betting legislation across the country. You can reach Jill at jill@bettercollective.com

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


> department, or in CS but taught by a physicist.
not specific about this university.
A search with the keyword "Fortran" didn't show any result.
Besides Matlab, some courses also use Mathematica or Maple for programming.
Prototyping tools seem to be preferred to computer languages.
OO-languages seem to be preferred to procedural ones.
C is preferred to Fortran.
Basic Unix/Linux skills don't seem to be covered anywhere.
teaching to and learning from their peers.
at least I couldn't find one with these characteristics.
This is the sample I interact with.
and to programming than those from the US.
C programming (K&R was the textbook) with OpenGL examples.
and turn them away from other (equally useful and important) computer tools.


In my house, we love no bake cookies a lot! Last week, I made these pecan and coconut praline cookies, they were so tasty. Check out how it's made.
2 ½ cups of sugar.
2 – 2 ½ cups of chopped pecans.
2 ½ cups of grated coconut.
In a large saucepan, mix together the sugar, evaporated milk, corn syrup and butter and bring to a boil then boil for 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat and stir in the pecans, coconut and vanilla. Cook for 4 minutes constantly stirring.
Drop a spoonful of batter on wax paper and let it cool to harden and voila!


One thing I had never owned in my wardrobe until a couple weeks ago, BLACK MOM JEANS.
It's SO damn hard to find a decent pair that fits in all of the right places, right girls?
These Missguided beauties fit like a DREAM! The Size 10 fitted me great.
Uh, so can we talk about how fabulous this bell sleeve crop top is?
I feel like I could play the part of Juliet in this sweet number.
I purchased the size 8 in this, I wanted it to be super fitted, and it sure was.
SAFE TO SAY IT FELT AMAZING.
Sticking to the gold vibes, I had to of course team this outfit with my favourite Boohoo belt.
It really draws in the outfit attracting a lot of focus to the center of my body.
I LOVE this Primark pineapple choker chain too, don't you? How fabulous for only £4!
I have those jeans too! Missguided definitely do the best ones... Lovin' this!
i love this top and the choker!


text:
PRESS RELEASE – MERCATO HONG KONG CELEBRATES MOTHER'S DAY WITH EXCLUSIVE WEEKEND BRUNCH SPECIALS & SET DINNER MENU FROM 13-14 MAY
For high resolution images and menus, click HERE
<<28th April, 2017 – Hong Kong>> The ultimate experience of seasonal Italian fare coupled with warm hospitality, Mercato by Jean-Georges has won hearts across Hong Kong with its trendy yet affordable concept. As one of 3 Michelin star chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten's successful ventures in Asia, Mercato has made a name for itself with cuisine that is reminiscent of Italian homemade comforts. Now, it's time to make plans to pamper your own mother with Mercato's Mother's Day-exclusive brunch specials and set dinner menu serving from 13 – 14 May(Saturday – Sunday) only.
Weekend Brunch + Mother's Day Specials
While the Mother's Day tradition is to surprise mom in bed with eggs and toast, Mercato provides an even better option that involves the entire family – weekend brunch with elevated classics. In honor of the special occasion, Mercato's brunch menu sees the addition of 4 new Mother's Day specials: Morel Mushrooms Omelette (HK$208), Lobster Benedict (HK$348), Salt Baked Japanese Sea Bass (Market Price) and Strawberry St. Honoré with Mascarpone Sorbet (HK$98). After all, hardworking mothers deserve only the very best.
As always, weekend brunch guests can opt for a 2-hour free-flow Prosecco Package (including Red, White Wine, Beer + Cocktails) for an additional HK$198 per person or a 2-hour free-flow Mumm's Champagne package (including Red, White Wine, Beer + Cocktails) for an additional HK$258. Other signature brunch cocktails include Bloody Mary (HK$88 per glass/HK$248 per pitcher), Cucumber Mojito (HK$98), and an array of refreshing mocktails and fresh juices.
Mother's Day Dinner Special Set Menu
At Mercato Hong Kong, Mother's Day dinner is done "family-style" – with hearty Italian sharing plates served up with finesse. Bring the entire family to feast on a delectable set dinner menu by Head Chef Anthony Burd, available for a limited time only on the weekend of 13 & 14 and priced at HK$650+10% per person. Featuring the best of the old-time signatures (Black Truffle Pizza, Three Cheese & Farm Egg), newest seasonal delights (Madai Sashimi & Spring Pea Salad) and scrumptious sweets (Strawberry St. Honoré), all eight of the rustic Italian courses will make you feel right at home.
Full menu as detailed below:
Mother's Day Dinner Set Menu – 13 & 14 May
HKD650+10% per person (minimum of 2 guests)
Madai Sashimi & Spring Pea Salad with Buttermilk Vinaigrette & Lemon Balm
Burrata with Lemon Jam & Basil
Endive and Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Parmesan Dressing & Herbs
Black Truffle Pizza, Three Cheeses & Farm Egg
Lobster & Shrimp Ravioli, Olive Oil, Lemon & Herbs
Baked Japanese Sea Bass in Salted Crust
Wood Oven Roasted Asparagus, Olive Oil & Parmesan
Strawberry St. Honoré with Mascarpone Sorbet
Head Chef Anthony Burd's new spring a la carte menu has officially launched at Mercato Hong Kong, featuring plenty of healthy greens and fresh, seasonal ingredients. Highlights of the menu include Madai Sashimi and Spring Pea Salad (HK$148) and Pancetta, Ricotta and Spring Green Pizza with Green Chili and Herbs (HK$188), among other delectable dishes.
Restaurant Information:
Monday – Friday: 1200pm – 1430pm (Lunch)
Saturday – Sunday: 1200pm – 1500pm (Weekend Brunch)
Monday – Sunday: 1800pm – 2300pm (Dinner + Drinks)
Address: 8/F, California Tower, 32 D'Aguilar Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong
Website: http://www.mercato-international.com/en/locations.php?aid=38
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mercatohongkong/
Instagram: @mercato_hongkong
About Three on the Bund
Three on the Bund, a historic building on Shanghai's most famous and elegant thoroughfare, The Bund, has been transformed into a leading epicurean lifestyle destination, where gastronomy, art, culture, and music converge to inspire a richer life – an elegant, sophisticated gathering place for vibrant people and stimulating ideas.
The architecture, formerly known as the Union Building was erected in 1916 in free Renaissance style and was the first structure in Shanghai to employ a full skeletal steel framework, a pioneering design of its time to create the first open-plan office in China. It was first used as the China branch office of the Union Insurance Society. Later in 1935 the Mercantile Bank of India moved into the building and eventually bought it in 1941.
In 2004, the unique heritage building was transformed into Three on the Bund by renowned American architect Michael Graves. The pioneering project focused on the restoration of an architectural treasure to its original grandeur. The goal was to bring back the glamour and prestige of 1930s Shanghai and establish the ultimate showcase for contemporary Chinese lifestyle. Today, it owns and manages 6 award-winning restaurants and bars, The Cupola, and Shanghai Gallery of Art. It is also home to German luxury leather goods brand MCM, Unico & The Chop Chop Club located on the 1st and 2nd floors respectively.
About Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten
Though Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the world's most famous chefs, his skills extend far beyond the kitchen. A savvy businessman and restaurateur, Jean-Georges is responsible for the operation and success of a constellation of three and four star restaurants worldwide.
Born and raised on the outskirts of Strasbourg in Alsace, France, Jean- Georges' earliest family memories are of food. He began his training in a work-study program at Auberge de l'Ill as an apprentice to Chef Paul Haeberlin, then went on to work under Paul Bocuse and Master Chef Louis Outhier at L'Oasis in southern France. With this impressive three star Michelin background, Jean-Georges traveled to Asia and continued his training at the Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, the Meridien Hotel in Singapore and the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong.
It was during this time spent working and traveling throughout Asia that Jean-Georges developed his love for the exotic and aromatic flavors of the East. His signature cuisine abandons the traditional use of meat stocks and creams and instead features the intense flavors and textures from vegetable juices, fruit essences, light broths, and herbal vinaigrettes.
Jean-Georges is involved in every aspect of his restaurants – concept, menu, architectural design, staff selection and trainings – in an ongoing effort to create restaurants that are both timely and enduring. Inspired by his travels, Jean-Georges is constantly developing fresh concepts and evolving as a chef and restaurateur, both adapting to and impacting the global culinary landscape.
Jean-Georges has made culinary history and developed a reputation as remarkable as his food by tapping his deep understanding of the restaurant world and pairing it with his forward-thinking vision. Yet, after years of success, Jean-Georges' favorite retreat is still the kitchen, and his favorite meals dished from a street cart in Thailand.


Dress to the nines in officially licensed Boston College apparel as you support your team on the gridiron this season. Our selection of Boston College Eagles gear is unmatched in quality and offers something special for fans of all ages. Whether you're searching for an elite Boston College Polo to wear around campus and at the next game. Check out our Boston College Football Gear for an extensive collection of Boston College T-Shirts, hats, wweatshirts and jerseys featuring team colors and logos. Browse FansEdge.com for authentic BC merchandise in all your favorite iconic styles. If you're a fan of the attire you see your favorite players and coaches sporting on the sidelines, check out Boston College Sideline Apparel. For Eagles fans looking to rock a retro gameday look, we've got old-school styles in Boston College Vintage Clothing that will set you apart from the everyday fan. FansEdge stays stocked with Boston College jerseys for football, basketball, baseball and more, so you can flaunt your BC style all year long.
Be ready to support some of the top players in the NCAA in Boston College football apparel including authentic Jerseys, Hats and Sweatshirts from the football shop at FansEdge. Enjoy sunny days in T-Shirts and tanks or gear up for fall with Boston College jackets, scarves and gloves to stay comfortable during late season games. From the first game until the championship, FansEdge is here with Boston College football gear from all the top brands in college sports.


Go to Reports dropdown and select "All Reports".
From the Payroll reports section, select "Gross to Net".
Select the employee's to export.
Select a date range and click and update.
At the bottom of the page, select "Export", then "Excel".
All done, now save your .xls to your PC ready for import.


Once a balconied movie theater, today Tao's has the feel of a spacious Asian temple. It's focal point is a giant 16-ft. Buddha and a reflecting pool filled with Japanese carp. The Buddha is visible from all three dining levels. The restaurant features an intimate Sushi Bar on the main level and a second bar upstairs. Decor throughout the restaurant features Chinese, Thai and Japanese influences.


If there was a top five list of parenting tasks that I wish I could outsource, potty training would probably take up 3 of the items on that list. (The other 2 places on there would be devoted to cleaning up other bodily fluids in the middle of the night and dealing with children during daylight savings time mayhem).
The conventional wisdom in the US (potty training is a developmental milestone highly influenced by culture) is that most children potty train some time between 2 and 3 years old. I took that recommendation as a directive to spend the entire year panicking about... were we starting too late? to early? did we miss a window? how about now? does a window exist? do we have enough cleaning supplies? is there really NO way to outsource this? pretty please with a cherry on top?
When one considers this complete panic and barrage of confusing information, it was a super convenient excuse that our second child didn't sleep at all as a baby. "We're too tired to deal with this" we told ourselves every time the topic came up for discussion. Then finally, the baby started to sleep and we were ready to face my daughter's upcoming 3rd birthday. We decided to our big parent pants on and just do it. We signed up for a class at a local parenting center (The Loved Child, for the local crew), we bought some gear, and we got down to business.
Now because things on the internet are forever, I'm not actually going to discuss the details of potty training. I will say however, that it went far more smoothly than I would have guessed. I will tell you about gear you may need before you start, especially if you live in a house with only one bathroom and/or don't want to be trapped in your house for a month.
1. Standalone kids' potty (for example).
Pro - it's easy for the child to get on and off by themselves and it adds a 'second' bathroom for those times, especially in the beginning, when the child is having to go constantly.
Con - you have to clean it and god forbid it gets knocked over.
2. Separate child's seat for toilet and a step stool (screw on version, removable version, folding step stool).
Pro - I think the screw on option is awesome if you have a dedicated bathroom for your kid and the folding step stool is easily operated by the child.
Con - If you only have one bathroom, as we do, having an extra ring on the seat seems like a pain as does having 2 removable parts.
Pro - It's one piece of equipment that's foldable and easily operated by the child. It can be stored folded when not in use, thus not interfering with adult bathroom use.
Con - It's a larger item to store than a ring and stool. Also the kid can and will figure out how to bang the stool legs on the floor while sitting on the potty.
That said, this is the set up we've been using for months and we've been quite happy with it.
You may also need other equipment for your bathroom - such as a separate step stool for your sink (if you go with the seat/stool combination or stand alone potty) and/or a faucet extender.
And finally, as with all child related things, you may have found the perfect piece of equipment for you only to find it rejected by the child. Thus, the best potty set up is the one your kid is willing to use.
There's a lot to learn when becoming a person. Things that are obvious to you - why you shouldn't dip your hair into the toilet - are not obvious to a child. It's helpful to have a couple books on hand when climbing this mountain. Personally we've enjoyed The Potty Book for Girls (there's a boy's version too). Also the Daniel Tiger episode about going to the potty is particularly instructive (Season 2, Episode 10 - available on Amazon Prime Video).
So that's all great but what do you do if you ever want to leave the house? I really recommend getting a portable, folding potty seat. (Note: Amazon has a bunch of identical seats like this one - down to the singing teddy - by purportedly "different" manufactures. It seems fishy to me and I'm guessing my link will be broken shortly. Regardless, the seat is good) This seat folds and thus easily fits in your diaper bag or purse for convenient transport. And it makes the child comfortable and confident in unfamiliar settings. It's also hard plastic and thus easily wiped down.
And with that - may the spirits of good hygiene and compliant behavior be with you!
This post that is a bit off our normal programming, but seems especially appropriate this week. Unfortunately, the topics are evergreen.
As our then-two-year-old became increasingly observant, we were suddenly no longer been able to hide in a world where we didn't have to talk about race or other obvious physical differences between people. Living in a diverse city, taking public transit, and seeing people with all sorts of appearance, abilities, and cultures made the issue quickly a topic of everyday conversation (and occasional embarrassment on the train).
Because our children are still very young, and because we have the privilege of being able to choose at times not think about race (i.e., we are white), this is an issue where we are very far from experts. Luckily though, I grew up with someone who has spent a lot of time thinking about these issues professionally. For that reason, I would like to take this post to highlight some of the great resources at We Stories.
Note: We Stories's primary activities are focused on a) the St. Louis area and b) figuring out how to make race something that white families think and talk about. That said, the resources, posts, and other materials linked to by them are appropriate across geographic areas and many are intended for audiences of any race or background.
Consider this post mostly a round-up of links with commentary by me.
Why talk about race at all? Aren't kids color-blind?
Post: It turns out they're not, even (in fact, especially) if we never talk about race.
You can also read more about this in NurtureShock - a book we discussed in a post of our own: Some Stuff Science Says about Parenting.
Just thinking about how to do this is terrifying.
While I like all of their suggestions (really, go read that link), numbers 7-9 on their list about diversifying your bookshelf and mixing up your media really stuck with me as it's something I've confronted over the last year. I know I was startled when I realized just how few black (and other) voices I was hearing - let alone my children - without ever having consciously chosen one way or the other.
Side note: Thanks to the past year's changes at Comedy Central, we've all had the opportunity to experience some new perspectives about the news. Much as I loved Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, the cast of the Daily and Nightly Shows have brought to the fore voices and experiences otherwise lacking in much mainstream media. (see Roy Wood Jr., especially at the 2:50 mark for a moving example).
This whole book thing seems doable. What should I get?
One day our daughter came home from school talking about pink and brown people. The next day, she assumed (loudly and in public) that a black man busking at Park Street was the same black man on our Green Line train. We knew books would be our first attempt at discussing the topic. From We Stories, we saw recommendations for The Skin you Live In and We're Different, We're the Same and our daughter has loved them both.
d) is pretty awesome all around.
One more aside: It's easy to think of Sesame Street as old, boring, and square, but they have consistently and justly discussed diversity, accepting all people (including yourself, see Segi's I Love my Hair for a powerful example), and living among density and occasional grime (bonus for our target audience).
Any other posts I should be sure to check out?
That post is a bit of a manifesto for We Stories and helps me understand their mission and how we'll take their lessons and apply them at home. The stories we tell our children and the stories we tell ourselves matter. Many of us chose urban, vibrant environments for our families in order to engage with diversity. But that choice (or even frequent trips to the Korean grocery market) can't be the end of our story. For our family, it's something we spend a lot of time thinking about, and increasingly, it's something we're spending more time talking about. It is also one (of many) topics that came up in my appearance on the recent TransitMatters podcast.
These guys seem great! How can I find out more? How can I help them?
For readers on the East Coast: St. Louis? Didn't they lose to the Sox a lot recently?
Fear not, childhood friend and co-founder Laura Horwitz has spent significant time in Boston, NYC, and Philly.
For readers in St. Louis: Sounds like an Outsider... What High School did this person go to?
Where was I during Jose Jimenez's almost second no-hitter in 2 weeks against Randy Johnson? Laura's basement, as the party drifted toward the TV and away from whatever else was going on. Also, the whole high school thing seems a lot less cute when you realize why it's such a useful statement about your childhood. Our city/county school systems are disturbingly tied to race, income, religion, and other factors that really homogenize childhoods, whatever part of town you are in.
I absolutely love that the site includes a section on the "Theory of Change." Program Evaluation for the win!
So kids and oral hygiene is not exactly the world's most fun topic, but like needing to know how to clean poop off things and picky eating, it comes with the territory. And since we've had to think about it, we're here to tell you what has helped us.
From the first week or so of toothbrushing.
We added toothbrushing to the bedtime routine at around 14 months, when our child could reliably climb up the stool, stand in front of the sink, and do something that approximated the motor control consistent with tooth brushing.
So, When Do I start Taking my Child to the Dentist?
1. Someone can check for unlikely, but important medical issues regarding her teeth.
2. It gives your child a "dental home" in case you do have some urgent/acute need later on.
3. It helps your child acclimate to a strange (and often scary) environment. Because very little needs to happen medically on the first few visits, it allows time to see (and hear) the equipment and doctors and everything else. We picked a pediatric dental practice which has been amazing. She has a great time and has been surprisingly compliant with all of their requests.
Yeah, talking a toddler into toothbrushing, even with the promise of something that tastes like "Bubble Fruit," is not easy. For a while we got away with with making up relevant verses to "If you're happy and you know it." (If you're happy and you know it get on the step stool... if you're happy and you know it brush your back teeth... And now you know how your parents went from the normal people of their 20s into the crazy people you know today.) When that stopped working, we started to make nightly use of our Time Timer , setting 5 minutes for toothbrushing at the risk of losing a bedtime story. This strategy, learned from 1-2-3- Magic, generally works well enough that we're not messing with it for now. Perhaps someday we'll write up the whole bedtime routine for those interested.
To make things a bit easier and fun for her, we went with the Baby Banana Toddler Toothbrush . It's made of silicone so it's ok for teething kids to chew on, and, of course, looks like a banana. We went through a couple of these as her chewing eventually began to take a toll on the bristles. After her 2.5 year dentist's appointment, we officially switched to the regular style (kid-sized) toothbrush she picked out there.
Obviously after letting her have some fun chewing on the brush, we'd do some actual brushing on her behalf, but the practice is paying off. At 2.75 years, she now does something that's pretty darn close to brushing her own teeth with some follow-up from Mom or Dad.
Now what to put on the brush? If you're like me, you have vague memories of very sweet "Children's toothpaste" one could smear everywhere and was OK for kids to swallow as it had no fluoride. Those products still exist, but the latest recommendations from the AAPD suggests all kids use fluoridated toothpaste from the beginning. Of course, fluoride is still not great to swallow so the official guidance is to use a "smear" or "single grain of rice's" worth of toothpaste for kids under 3.
That said, we're still using a children's fluoridated toothpaste for the sweet flavor (and slightly higher fluoride content per volume). One smear at a time, it's taking us quite a while to get through the tube. In fact, we're still using the first one we bought a year and a half ago. I'm pretty sure we picked whatever sounded like the least disgusting flavor available at the CVS we stopped by, but for what it's worth, we have the Colgate Kids oddly-titled Bubble Fruit flavor.
It wouldn't be an authentic blog post by me if it didn't include some righteous indignation. Today's target is the anti-science wing of the natural/organic folks. Long ago, on my first foray into the parenting blogosphere, I read a website I had previously assumed to be reputable - BabyGizmo. I then discovered a pseudo-science review by them of a toothpaste "so natural, you can swallow it." It was a perfect storm of anti-science fallacious thinking. (Let's start with the fact that fluoride, the reason you shouldn't swallow too much toothpaste, IS A NATURALLY OCCURRING ELEMENT. I could go on, but will not.) I found myself commenting and engaging them on Twitter. When their response was effectively "it's what the manufacturer said, don't blame me," two things toward this blog were set in motion.
1. I realized I could not trust BabyGizmo as they apparently uncritically passed along manufacturer-speak, leaving us with one fewer source of reasonable information on baby gear.
2. Our previous one-way love affair with Grounded Parents became two-way as they published an article on the topic. Since then, I've been lucky enough to guest post my own rant there too.
In any case, find a dentist, listen to the folks at the AAPD, find some ways to make it a fun part of your nightly bedtime, and toothbrushing won't be at all like pulling teeth </dadhumor>.
"What do I do if we're at the grocery store?"
"What if they say no to the timeout?"
"What if they claim they don't know what they did wrong?"
Having these answers helps you train yourself so that the system becomes a reflex. Importantly, because it establishes clear, consistent ground rules, the kids learn it by reflex too. This reduces the frequency of ever even getting to 3. Similarly, it helps you focus on the your goals for having discipline in the first place, which can be hard when your child is annoying the crap out of you. Example: What if my child starts playing with a toy during time out and wants to keep doing it after it's over? Answer: Be happy that they are no longer doing whatever annoying thing caused you to count them in the first place.
Explaining and working through the various iterations of count and do a time-out takes up about a third of the book. The next segment is devoted to helping find alternative punishments when timeouts won't do and/or that are more appropriate for tweens and teens. The final third focus is on promoting good behavior (getting ready in the morning, bathtime, etc.). Since she was pretty young when we started, we used those sections less, but it all seems reasonable and we reference it as needed (sticker charts and timers feature heavily). In fact, we have since purchased a Time Timer (to be featured in another post, surely) and that fixed some bedtime problems we had when she got to be about 2 years old.
All around it worked pretty well, accounting for the adjustments we made since we started before she was 2. (Main tweak: extra warnings that we were going to count, which the book cautions against for older kids because that's what the "one" is for.) It took a few weeks for her to get the hang of it, but she mostly stopped the behaviors that got her counted and usually at least paused them for a while when counting got to 2. Now that she is two and a half, just hearing a "That's one" from us usually elicits a "no time-out" exclamation from her as she stops the behavior.
1. You can easily skip any set of paragraphs where the book begins to get too self-congratulatory. The authors definitely recognized that they will make their cash by selling a "system" and so there's lots of asides about how many people's lives it fixed or how you can supplement it with other 1-2-3 Magic products (1-2-3 Magic for Teachers, 1-2-3 Magic for Kids, 1-2-3 Magic for Christian Parents, 1-2-3 Magic Guacamole, etc.) and the first chapter or two are pretty heavy on this stuff. The book was good, but telling me in advance how amazing it is feels a bit like an infomercial and makes me want to continue reading it less.
2. The book is pretty critical of treating your child as a "little adult." As both my wife and I were children who very much wanted to be treated as little adults, I bristle at this line of reasoning. That said, they are certainly correct about avoiding verbose explanations in the midst of undesirable behavior. We try to engage in "little adult" conversations once we have some distance on the event when things are calm and the children are able to think and communicate. During a wrap-up of the day (at bedtime or dinner) is good for this.
These critiques are relatively minor and we are happy to recommend 1-2-3 Magic as a good first-line for developing your discipline strategy with kids of any age. It certainly has provided us the bonus of practically eliminating the need or desire to yell when in the throws of particularly intense frustration at toddler antics. Obviously once you need specialized information (be it by age, or by personality) there are plenty of other books that can help you build your full repertoire of strategies.
Note: This review is for an earlier edition of the book, though given the systematic nature of the book, I do not expect the major themes to have changed much.
Note 2: Depending on what type of eBook person you are, this may be a good one to have virtual, rather than on paper, so you can quickly search/reference when needed.
Photo credit: Kid Daniel under Creative Commons License.
Despite the fact that I am a firm believer in the idea that toddlers are easier than babies, I would be lying if I said that everything was smooth sailing once the kiddo hit 12 months. Obviously, toddlers just go through their own phases and weird behavior issues. We have faced our fair share and have the reading list to prove it. So this installment will focus on how we got through some truly spectacular tantrums.
When my daughter was 21 months old I would have told you that I knew what a tantrum was. We had a summer of many tantrums when she was right around 1 because her desires outstripped her non-existent language skills by a mile. Usually, the outbursts peaked right before we hit a language breakthrough (ex. said her first word, learned some verbs, started stringing together simple sentences, etc.). Once the skill had been mastered, she would go back to being a relatively predictable little girl who thrived on routine.
Then, not to go all cliche on you, and I do think it was largely coincidence... but... we hit her second birthday. It turns out what I thought had been tempestuous behavior flares were mere match strikes compared to the volcano eruptions she was apparently capable of. Our 20 minute bedtime routine that had remained unchanged since she was 6 months old suddenly turned into a hour and a half knock down, drag out fight. We spent an hour one morning trying to convince, bribe, cajole, threaten and anything else we could think of to do in order to get her to put on a pair of pants. There was screaming and crying on everyone's parts. And don't even get me started on bathtime. We were completely shocked and lost for what to do.
Cue a lot of frantic Googling and soul searching about whether it was too late to get out of this parenting gig.... and we found our way to the book The Happiest Toddler on the Block: How to Eliminate Tantrums and Raise a Patient, Respectful and Cooperative One- to Four-Year-Old . I will confess that I approached this book with a very high degree of skepticism. The recommendation for how to talk to your child in simple exaggerated sentences seemed idiotic and frankly disrespectful to the child. Then again, we were completely at our wits' end and a lot of people seemed to recommend the book.
Upon reading the book cover to cover (it's quite short and easy to get through), I started to implement the suggestions at the next tantrum. Once I expressed my daughter's feelings to her in a way she could understand, her screaming instantly stopped. I was so shocked and unprepared for that to happen that I forgot what the next step was supposed to be. This method helped us get through the month long tantrum phase (and as all things, it really was a phase) with all of our collective sanities intact.
Though a bit gimmicky, I recommend this book very enthusiastically to any parent out there struggling to communicate with their pint-sized terror. I also found Dr. Karp's chapter on the "personality" types of toddlers incredibly reassuring. He allowed me to re-frame my previously somewhat negative view of my daughter's willful character traits and see them as potential positives. There is a lovely discussion in the book around how giving children what they want often results in even worse behavior - a fact I have found to be true. This has allowed me to strengthen my resolve around enforcing boundaries for my toddler even when, in the moment, this occasionally results in more screaming.
His writing is so kind and wise that I often find myself referencing his ideas, far beyond the suggested communication method, in discussions with other parents. And when everything is said and done, Dr. Karp is quite forgiving of the occasional bribery tactic and has given me ammunition when trying to convince my husband that at least occasionally he should let my daughter win. We have no lack of willfulness in this house!


Thinking about holiday sides? Keep it simple and focus on your main dish. This Rainbow Chard Sauté with Raw Pumpkin Seeds is uber delicious, simple to make and compliments so many main dishes from grains, meats, poultry to fish. It's naturally nutrient dense, gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan and Paleo.
Tear or cut leaves away from stems. Then chop leaves and stems coarsely.
Heat large skillet over high heat. Add in olive oil and garlic to pan. Cook garlic till golden brown.
Add chard a few handfuls at a time, stirring in between.
Sauté until just tender, 2-5 minutes.
Remove from heat. Add lemon juice, sea salt and pepper to taste. Toss till well combined. Then top with raw pumpkin seeds.


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A Truckload of Stories Available in Southeast Ohio
Press Release September 10, 2020
Community Action awarded 35,000 Children's Books
Hocking Athens Perry Community Action has received 35,000 books to distribute as learning gifts. The books cover a range of grades and age levels and are available to any organization in the community that is interested in partnering with us to distribute them to children. To date, HAPCAP has distributed over 10,000 books to families served by HAPCAP programs in addition to providing books to local organizations.
The books are donated by The Molina Foundation's Families Learning Together program for 2020. This initiative is working to distribute 1.5 million books worth $13 million to nonprofits and community groups across the nation. The pro-literacy effort is designed to provide free educational resources to help children, parents, and caregivers create word-filled homes through pleasure reading and learning time together during the summer and back-to-school season as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
"We know that the number of books in the home correlates significantly with higher reading scores for children," says Kelly Hatas, HAPCAP's Executive Director. "We're currently coordinating deliveries to our Head Start families, and we are eager to share with other interested families and organizations."
If your organization is interested in receiving books, please call Angel Schrader, HAPCAP's Community Resource Navigator, at (740) 385-6813, or email angel.schrader@hapcap.org with "Book Request" in the subject line. Books will be available first come first serve.HAPCAP is planning to have all books distributed by the end of September.
The Molina Foundation is a Southern California-based nonprofit dedicated to the mission of reducing disparities in access to education and health. For more information on HAPCAP's programs, contact Claire Gysegem, Public Relations Manager, at (740) 767-4500 or claire.gysegem@hapcap.org


text:
Q: Datatables first column is a string, how to convert to Datetime? It appears that the first column in my data is being sorted by ASC. The data needs to be sorted from oldest date to newest date IE 11/15/2019 then 5/5/2020 5/6/2020 then 5/12/2020, I think I need to convert the info coming from the first column to a dateTime but I am unaware on how to do so.

  "order": [[1, "asc"]], // First column sorted by ASC
"columns": [
                { "name": "ID", "className": "click user-details hidden", "data": "Personnel_Id" },
                { "name": "CREATED_DATE", "className": "click user-details", "data": "CreatedDate"},// This is the column that needs the sorting to be by dateTime?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Resurgam
by Fink
— Released 15th September 2017 on R'COUP'D
Resurgam – meaning "I shall rise again" – is the hotly-anticipated sixth studio album from Fink: UK-born, Berlin-based founding singer-songwriter musician Fin Greenall, alongside long-time bandmates Tim Thornton (drums, guitar) and Guy Whittaker (bass). It continues an acclaimed and distinctly adventurous catalogue, from the sample-splicing debut Fresh Produce (2000), through to the beautifully heady expressions of their last album, Hard Believer (2014). Greenall has also earn...
Resurgam – meaning "I shall rise again" – is the hotly-anticipated sixth studio album from Fink: UK-born, Berlin-based founding singer-songwriter musician Fin Greenall, alongside long-time bandmates Tim Thornton (drums, guitar) and Guy Whittaker (bass). It continues an acclaimed and distinctly adventurous catalogue, from the sample-splicing debut Fresh Produce (2000), through to the beautifully heady expressions of their last album, Hard Believer (2014). Greenall has also earned global props as a film music composer, songwriting collaborator (including works with John Legend and Amy Winehouse) and solo innovator, with recent side-projects spanning the electronic Horizontalism (2015) to Fink's Sunday Night Blues Club Vol.1 (2017). Fink have never been afraid to experiment; on Resurgam, they arguably sound more fearless than ever.
"I was fresh off the Blues tour, voice thrashed, nails broken, the sweat from the last encore still on the guitar as I unpacked on the first day," recalls Greenall. "The first week was supposed to be set up and settling in – by the end of day 4 we had already recorded the track 'Resurgam', the first track we nailed, on the first take, whilst essentially warming up..."
Resurgam derives its title from a Latin inscription in a 900-year-old church in Greenall's native Cornwall. Its vital, insistent spirit pulses through the entire album, which was recorded with ground-breaking producer Flood (PJ Harvey, U2, Foals, Warpaint, The Killers) at his Assault & Battery studios in North London. Its ten new tracks were created over two months, a relatively luxurious stretch of time compared to previous Fink albums, resulting in a collection that is both assertive and richly immersive.
"Flood, present and engaged from the first demo, guided me through the process of doing things differently, from writing, to singing, to even thinking about the music I make," says Greenall. "His combination of 'deadlines are a good thing' versus 'fuck the deadline', and his mantra of 'making records to be bought, not sold' gave us all, in our own individual corner of the studio, the fire and the focus to pull together our firmest, strongest, and most coherent record to date."
On the opening title number, 'Resurgam''s lyrics are deliberately stripped-back, but they also pack a powerful punch, along with a deliciously persuasive deep funk flow. There is revelation and redemption; Fink's positive conviction pervades even the darkest sentiments here. 'Day 22' deals with sobriety and temptation, spiked with Greenall's characteristic observant wit ("the blood, sweat, tears taste so good"). The lead single, 'Cracks Appear' delivers a headrush of melody, with warmth and candour. On the exquisitely bittersweet 'Word To The Wise', Greenall lingers over the final notes of a love affair, tenderly accompanied on the piano by Douglas Dare. 'Not Everything Was Better In The Past' feels like a personal awakening, merging sharp reflections and poignant moods.
A heavy, resonant bass underpins the production throughout, and a range of new elements are also added to the Fink mix, from Flood's own vintage analogue synths, to sax (played by guest musician Martin Slattery) layered into the vivid atmospheres and skittering beats of 'This Isn't A Mistake'. The rhythm guitar hook of 'Godhead' brings out a West African influence, and lends a mesmerising backdrop to Greenall's rousing vocals.
Fink's live prowess is legendary in its own right, with the band earning rave reviews around the world, whether they're performing in intimate mode or arena setting, or even teaming up with a renowned Amsterdam classical ensemble (a concert captured on the live album, Fink Meets The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, in 2013). For Resurgam, the core trio will expand to a live line-up with two drummers, and head out on an autumn 2017 tour of more than 60 dates, across 19 European countries, reaching more than 65,000 people.
"We tried to make a record we would listen to and go - fuck - I wish we'd written that....and every time I listen to it that's exactly what I think," says Greenall. "And I kinda have to pinch myself to remind myself that we did."
Resurgam is a bold new chapter; it is also unforgettably Fink: whole-hearted, soulful, irrepressible.
2xLP (RCPD015)
12" gatefold sleeve with glued in 24-page booklet. The gatefold has a "soft touch" lamination with the inside of the board printed, and the booklet is on uncoated art paper. 2LP - 180g black vinyl, housed in 12" colour sleeves.
CD (RCPDCD015)
CD is housed in a 24-page CD bookpack. The cover has a "soft touch" lamination, and the booklet and CD wallet page are on an uncoated art paper.
MP3 (RCPDDNL015)
16-bit WAV (RCPDDNL015W)
Select releases to add to your bundle... ALBUMS IIUII (2xLP) — £23.00 IIUII (2xLP / Ltd Edition Bronze 2LP) — £20.00 IIUII (CD) — £8.00 Bloom Innocent (LP) — £18.00 Bloom Innocent (CD) — £8.00 Resurgam (2xLP) — £18.00 Resurgam (CD) — £8.00 Fink's Sunday Night Blues Club, Vol. 1 (CD) — £10.00 Horizontalism (LP) — £13.00 Horizontalism (CD) — £8.00 Fink Meets The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (CD) — £8.00 Perfect Darkness (LP) — £13.00 Perfect Darkness (CD) — £8.00 Sort of Revolution (CD) — £8.00 Biscuits For Breakfast (CD) — £8.00 SINGLES KCRW Presents… Fink In Session (CD / CD Promo) — £4.00
Bundle Up - Create your own custom bundle and get a discount off your final purchase.
Cracks Appear
Word To The Wise
Not Everything Was Better In The Past
The Determined Cut
This Isn't A Mistake
Covering Your Tracks
There's Just Something About You
More by Fink
Bloom Innocent
IIUII
Horizontalism
Fink Meets The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra
Wheels Turn Beneath My Feet
Biscuits For Breakfast
KCRW Presents… Fink In Session
Hard Believer
Fink's Sunday Night Blues Club, Vol. 1
Inner Systems
Prequel Tapes
Fink's Sunday Night Blues Dubs
Bloom Innocent - Acoustic


text:
Bietstock är en bergstopp i Schweiz. Den ligger i distriktet Schwyz och kantonen Schwyz, i den centrala delen av landet,  km öster om huvudstaden Bern. Toppen på Bietstock är  meter över havet.

Källor

Berg i Schwyz (kanton)
Berg i Schweiz 2000 meter över havet eller högre

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Home Home, Furniture & Kitchen Personal Care Enter for a chance to win a Panasonic Nanoe Compact Hair Dryer
Enter for a chance to win a Panasonic Nanoe Compact Hair Dryer
When you're getting ready for school, work, or a big event, having great tools on hand makes all the difference. The Panasonic Nanoe Compact Hair Dryer is a small hair dryer that'll help you style your hair in less time—and with less frizz. Learn more about this hair dryer below, then enter for your chance to win one of two new dryers.
The Panasonic Nanoe Compact Hair Dryer is great for travel and small space living
Compact hair dryers are usually marketed as a travel tool. It's easy to see why: there's no need to take a full-sized hair dryer with you while travelling, but it's handy to have a dryer with you regardless. If you have an important event to attend, like a conference, wedding, or dinner, you'll want to show up with dry, freshly styled hair.
There are often hair dryers available in hotels, but if you're staying with friends or at a short term rental like an Airbnb, one might not be available. That's where a compact hair dryer comes in. Their small size makes them easy to fit into your luggage, or—in dire cases—a purse or briefcase.
Compact hair dryers are great for small space living, too. If you don't have a ton of cupboard storage or countertop space in your bathroom, the smaller size of a compact tool makes a big difference. These hair dryers are awesome for occasional use, small spaces, dorm rooms, and guest bathrooms.
How Panasonic's Nanoe technology works
The Panasonic Nanoe Compact Hair Dryer EHNA2C is a mini size of the brand's flagship Panasonic Nanoe Hair Dryer. It offers many of the same features to make sure you can still achieve great results despite its small size. With the Nanoe Compact, you can enjoy 1400 watts of power, frizz-smoothing nanoe technology, and an oscillating quick-dry nozzle that helps dry your hair faster and with less heat damage.
The Nanoe's compact oscillating head moves only very slightly during operation, which helps distribute heat without redirecting where the hot air is aimed. For a compact tool, it's great. The small variation helps prevent hot spots on your hair—which is where heat damage is most likely to occur—but the restricted motion makes sure you're still fully in control of your styling.
This small sized hair dryer also comes with three heat settings so you can damp-dry, style, and finish your style using the same tool. You can read the detailed review on the Best Buy blog to learn more about this small and versatile hairdryer, then return here and enter for a chance to win one.
Entering this contest is easy and you can enter in two different ways.
In a comment below, tell us what dream vacation destination you'd bring this dryer to if you could travel anywhere in the world.
In a comment below the review article for this hair dryer, tell us one feature you love about the Panasonic Nanoe EHNA2C and why it would be an upgrade from your current hair dryer.
What you can win
At the end of this contest, we will randomly select two eligible entries and each winner will receive a new Panasonic Nanoe 1400 Watts Compact Hair Dryer.
This contest runs from Dec 20th to Jan 03rd.
Remember that you can enter in two different ways. Contests are more fun when you share with friends and family so they can enter too!
Panasonic Nanoe Compact Hair Dryer Contest Rules and Regulations
Best Buy is one of Canada's largest and most successful retailers, operating the Best Buy (www.bestbuy.ca), Best Buy Mobile, and Geek Squad (www.geeksquad.ca) brands.
Enter for a chance to win a Kodak Mini 2 Retro Printer or Nixplay Frame
Mahima Bhagwat January 12, 2023 At 5:31 pm
I am happy to announce the winner(s) of the Panasonic Nanoe compact hair dryer:
David S – Calgary, AB
Janet L – Campbell River, BC
Keep reading blog.bestbuy.ca and get great informative articles about a wide range of topics from tech to toys, from smartphones to style. Participate on the blog by asking questions and offering your expertise to the comment sections of articles you read. And enter more contests: you never know when we will get more great products to give away.
Mahima Bhagwat January 4, 2023 At 11:06 am
This contest is now closed. We will draw the winners soon in accordance with the rules. Return to the blog often to read great articles, learn about the latest technology, and to enter more contests. You never know when we'll be doing another amazing giveaway!
Anne January 4, 2023 At 8:37 am
I would take this fabulous dryer to Ireland with me!
Guy January 4, 2023 At 7:15 am
I would bring the The Panasonic Nanoe Compact Hair Dryer EHNA2C to Hawaii, my dream destination.
Tara B. January 4, 2023 At 6:44 am
I would certainly take it on my dream vacation to New Zealand.Nice and compact!
Eileen January 3, 2023 At 9:13 pm
I'd bring this dryer to Hawaii if you could travel anywhere in the world.
Sharen Van Fossen January 3, 2023 At 7:51 pm
Justine January 3, 2023 At 6:57 pm
I would bring the Panasonic Nanoe Compact dryer to my relatives house in Poland so I wouldn't have to steal their hair dryers. The oscillating nozzle is an awesome feature, my favourite! I won't have to burn my head with my cheap Amazon dryer (or bother my relatives to use their dryer).
I would bring the Panasonic Nanoe Compact dryer to my relatives house in Poland so I wouldn't have to steal their hair dryers. The oscillating nozzle is an awesome, feature, my favourite! I won't have to burn my head with my cheap Amazon dryer (or bother my relatives to use their dryer).
jiayin dong January 3, 2023 At 6:48 pm
I'd bring this dryer to China
benfa lin January 3, 2023 At 6:22 pm
I'd bring this dryer to Korea
Charity January 3, 2023 At 6:18 pm
I would take this blowdryer to Paris, France
aixin zheng January 3, 2023 At 6:03 pm
I'd bring this dryer to UK.
Leigh Nash January 3, 2023 At 5:53 pm
I would love to take this hair dryer to st Lucia.
Cassandra G. January 3, 2023 At 5:43 pm
If I could travel anywhere in the world for a dream vacation destination, I would bring this dryer with me to Costa Rica!
shiwei lin January 3, 2023 At 4:55 pm
I'd bring this dryer to Hongkong
jiajie dong January 3, 2023 At 4:26 pm
I'd bring this dryer to Japan.
Vanessa Ripley January 3, 2023 At 2:24 pm
I would take it to an African Safari
JanetL January 3, 2023 At 1:25 pm
It will come to Mexico with me.
Sue January 3, 2023 At 12:06 pm
I'd take it to Greece and would look forward to using the oscillating attachment
Natalie Van Apeldoorn January 3, 2023 At 11:16 am
Hawaii hopefully!
Sam January 3, 2023 At 8:41 am
This dryer would be coming with me to Tokyo!!
Irene Eichler January 3, 2023 At 8:03 am
I would bring this dryer to Italy !
corinne+livingston January 3, 2023 At 7:29 am
I would take this on a South Pacific Cruise
Louise+Claveau January 3, 2023 At 5:31 am
Je l'emmènerais en Grèce
Allison Matz January 3, 2023 At 5:19 am
I would take it to the Maldives.
Mayda Scoins January 3, 2023 At 2:55 am
This dryer would be coming with me to Italy
Nancy January 3, 2023 At 2:28 am
I would bring this dryer to Bali
Tom Buttle January 2, 2023 At 11:32 pm
Right about now, I would like to be flying to Australia, far away from the troubles of the world! Thanks and Happy New Year!
Wesley January 2, 2023 At 10:11 pm
Would love to take it to Australia
Megann January 2, 2023 At 10:11 pm
I'd like to this it to Greece
Matthew January 2, 2023 At 10:05 pm
I would love to bring the dryer to Hawaii!
Sharon January 2, 2023 At 9:24 pm
I'd bring it on my trip to Asia!!
Yanice January 2, 2023 At 9:22 pm
Probably Hawaii or Mexico, where I'd spend most of my time by the beach!
Cheryl January 2, 2023 At 9:18 pm
I would take this to Korea 🙂
Eniko Gaspar January 2, 2023 At 8:35 pm
I'd take this beauty to Jamaica! Love it's small size that makes it easy to fit into my luggage
wallistanley January 2, 2023 At 8:19 pm
a hot humid place like the Caribbean where my hair would frizz up like a brillo pad so i could use this frizz smoothing nanoe tech for sure !
Travis Ramanaden January 2, 2023 At 8:01 pm
I'm taking this to Rome
Doug Mc January 2, 2023 At 7:50 pm
I like that the handle folds for more compact storage. It would be much easier to pack than my current hair dryer.
It would fit in my backpack en route to Machu Picchu.
n lalonde on Denon AVR-S760H receiver review
INGRID+A on The most exciting KitchenAid stand mixer attachments
n lalonde on Enter for a chance to win a high-performance Denon home theatre receiver
Gayle C. on Enter for a chance to win a Kodak Mini 2 Retro Printer or Nixplay Frame
INGRID+A on Enter for a chance to win an amazing KitchenAid stand mixer and espresso machine


The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has had ex-Defence Chief of Nigeria Alex Badeh detained for the past 3 weeks for stealing money allocated for arms. The commission has now alleged in its 10 counts of money laundry against former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Bade that he removed a total of N3.9bn from the account of the nation's Air Force between January and December 2013.
Alex Badeh denies these allegation and says he is being witch hunted by the media.
I hope all these crooks are brought to book. The nerve!


"There shall be signs in the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars."
The Oriental Institute is a research organization and museum devoted to the study of the ancient Near East.
Get your questions about your past, present and future answered now. Go to www.yourdestinyfinishingtouch.com and transform your life today.
The Online Resource for Students of Astrology. The site features articles, courses, downloadable ebooks and translations from Bonatti, Ganivet, Alkindi, Hermes and others.
Flare Publications was formed in 1996 to publish astrology and palmistry books, as well as bring these fascinating subjects to businesses and events. Its authors and staff are professional consultants and teachers.
Discover one of the Best Astrologers The United Kingdom has to offer.
was 11 years old and gained her professional qualifications with the internationally acclaimed Faculty of Astrological Studies and the London School of Astrology in 1995 and 2002. Caroline then went on to a further study of 'traditional' astrology and received her "Horary Craftsman Diploma" in 2003.
Altair is a serious web-site for astrologers who are interested in articles on astrological terminology, musings, riddles, worked examples of charts and other subjects of general interest. Some articles are often witty but always written with great a deal of thought and insight.


House of Fraser announced last week it is going to close 31 stores across the UK.
The British department store said the stores will close in early 2019.
In Kent there are House of Fraser branches in the Bluewater Shopping Centre and Maidstone, however they are not in the latest list of closures.
But the county can still benefit from its latest sale - which offers up to 50 per cent off womenswear, menswear and childrenswear but there are apparently even greater discounts available.
The same deals are on toys, shoes, homeware, bags and luggage too.
Here are some of the deals to be had both online and in store.