It's been an odd day all the way around.
I took my walk and when I got down by the horse farm, there were two people mowing on professional mowers, obviously hired to do the farm property. One was a woman and she gave me a wave and a thumb's up, the other was a man and he stopped his mower and indicated he wanted to talk. I took my headphones out of my ears and said, "Hey, how ya' doing?"
"You live in that house down there?" he asked me, pointing to a house up the road a little bit.
"No, I live in Lloyd past the light."
And then he proceeded to tell me that the man who lived in that house had threatened him and he wasn't even on his property and the mower guy asked the house guy if he was a racist and then the man threatened him again. He said the guy had asked, "What're you doing here?"
It was pretty obvious what the man was doing, which was mowing and probably not planning a home invasion.
So I guess it hadn't gone well and the mower guy had called the guy he worked for and told him about it and long story short, I ended up apologizing for the entire white race TWICE, don't ask me why. I just felt so beat down already. I told the mower guy that the house guy sounded crazy and that if he got threatened again he should call the police because you don't mess with crazy.
Meanwhile the woman mower had stopped her mower and was listening to the whole conversation, nodding her head here and there. I kept assuring the guy that I didn't know those people but that I was sorry it had happened, etc.
When we finally parted, I could tell the man was still fuming. I don't blame him.
Lily and I are good. Of course.
Lis is coming to spend the night. I have a chicken in the oven and peas and potatoes on the stove. I shelled about fifty thousand peas. They will be so good, I think. My best crop of peas ever.
It rained today. Good and hard and I laid on the bed and the thunder shook the sky and earth and I could hear the lightening fork its way through the atmosphere and Maurice came and found me and wanted petting and so I did and then we fell asleep for a little while, her body tucked under my arm. That was such comfort.
I think of that man on the mower. I know why I apologized for the entire white race.
Because he needed to hear that. He was hurt. He was angry. I think the guy who threatened him was probably at least as much crazy as he was racist but together they form a sick and poisonous brew. It was nothing for me to say what I said, the sweat pouring off my red face, my little dog fennel stick in my hand.
It seems a day to say Mea Culpa.
Lilly the duck has been honking for her lover, her partner, her pal, all day long. Not continuously. But off and on, as if she truly does know that Willy is gone but wants to make sure. She stood by the little pond but did not get in. She merely sipped from it. My heart goes out to her.
I'm sorry. I apologize. I am human. I did not mean to let an animal get the duck. I did not mean to upset my daughter. I did not mean to be born white. These things just happened. Some of them more under my control than others. Factors involved in all. But sometimes it's just good and it's just honest to say, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sorry for your pain." As so many of you have told me today.
Sorry can mean more than one thing. I have used it in so many forms today.
I am not sorry that it rained today. I am not sorry that Lis is coming. I am not sorry that all the rest of the birds are alive and well. I am not sorry that the air is cool now and that the earth is happy to be wet again. I am not sorry to be the mother of a daughter who is so very good at what she does, which is to be a mother and to be a friend to her mother.
We go on. I will too.
The frogs are starting to croak their joy at all the water. Lis has just pulled up. All of the chickens and the duck are safe and put up. I have given them the shells of the peas to dine upon.
It's been a day. Tomorrow will be one too.
Good gawd. Crazy bad is scary. Thank you for apologizing for the whole white race. Sometimes we have to do that.
I'm so sorry about the duck. Your friend. All of it. And sometimes your posts make me so hungry I can hardly bear it.
I am glad Lis is with you tonight. It will be nice for you to have some loving company.
"It's been a day. Tomorrow will be one too."
Sometimes that's all that can be said. But you say it so well. Hope you have a better one tomorrow.
Once a while back you quoted these words to me: you have done all you are big enough to do. Those words comforted me then. I hope they comfort you now. Love to you, dear woman. You have helped to heal the world in your own way today. Even amid sorrow. Tomorrow it all resets. Bless.
I just saw the breaking news that B.B. King had died, and I came straight here. I always think of you when I hear of him or hear him. Today was, indeed a strange and terrible day.
You continue to amaze me...I hope you have a nice evening.
Yes. What Angella said. We heal the world with kind words, listening, and love.
You brought up a good point -- about the man being as crazy as he was racist -- I feel like racist people are all broken and crazy. To go through life with hate running through their veins like green slime...just crazy!
No matter how good we are, sometimes apologising for our privilege is good to do. Shows we're not unappreciative of what we got. And also, I believe that your reaction will go a long way to cancel out the bad feeling left by the crazy guy.
Green slime... good image. It's a scary thing, alright.
Peas. I love peas, so much. They're a miracle.
PS - every time you say you're going to spend time with Lis, I feel so glad.
This post feels so hopeful, despite it all. God. I love all of it. Yes, hungry, like Rebecca said.
Denise- I don't have any problem doing it. That's for sure.
Camille- It had some beautiful moments in it. It did.
Madame Rebecca- How I wish I could feed you.
Joanne- So true. I was so glad she was here.
jenny_o- It's just been one of those weeks. Waking up this morning to find that B.B. King had died. I feel very reflective today.
Angella- I love you. Thank you.
Elizabeth- You knew before I did. He died after I fell asleep, I guess. I was not shocked to hear the news but it still is sort of a big shot to my heart.
e- We had a pretty perfect evening. Thank you.
Steve Reed- Oh, nothing really tragic. Just life and how it goes. You know.
Christine Dano Johnson- And I think that bearing the weight of racism can make you crazy. Much like bearing the weight of religion. Believe in crazy- become so. But that's just me.
Jo- Maybe because my mother could never really say she was sorry, I have become the opposite and will apologize for anything I have done which has caused any pain or harm. Even if it really wasn't under my control. What can it hurt? Nothing.
And every time I get to spend time with Lis, it makes me happy.
Rachel- Thank you, sugar mama. Thank you.
I have spent a lot of time in my life apologizing, and often it was about things that I had no control over. Things happen and sadly many are beyond our control. Hope your day got better.


text:
Mkhitaryan Meets with Armenian Community Representatives in Los Angeles
Despite the Systematic Campaign of Misinformation the Armenian Government Enjoys 70% Approval Rating
Home Academia Cambridge Professor Embarks on First Large-Scale Study of the Armenian Dialect of Salmast
Cambridge Professor Embarks on First Large-Scale Study of the Armenian Dialect of Salmast
Turkey Boosts Efforts to Further Deny Armenian Genocide
UCLA — Cambridge University professor and specialist in Armenian linguistics and dialectology Dr. Bert Vaux presented a lecture on "The Armenian Dialect of Salmast" at the 2nd Hampartzoum and Ovsanna Chitjian Conference organized by Professor S. Peter Cowe of the Narekatsi Chair of Armenian Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, which focused on Armeno-Persian Relations and the Persarmenian Community Throughout the Ages.
Professor Vaux explained that despite the Salmast region's historical importance in Armenian culture, its dialect has yet to receive a proper linguistic treatment, normally being omitted from the standard manuals of Armenian dialects and at-best mentioned as a subdialect of Khoy/Urmia.
He provided an overview of the Salmast dialect and its place in the world of Armenian varieties (particularly, as compared to Khoy, Urmia, and Maragha), and illustrated phonological, morphological, and lexical features of the dialect using traditional riddles and sayings.
Some of the many distinctive Salmast forms discussed included väv 'who', khäyir '100', talv 'husband's sister', լապըստրակ lapəstrak 'hare', votəpöpikʸ 'barefoot', and the use of էր ēr as a past tense marker, as in էնէնց էնք էր գինալի ēnēnts' ēnk' ēr ginäli = այնպէս գիտէինք 'thus we knew'.
Professor Vaux mentioned that the greatest Armenian linguist, Hrachea Adjarian, had collected a large corpus of Salmast dialect material during his time teaching in Iran 100 years ago, but was unable to assemble this material into a book-size treatment before his death in 1953.
Professor Vaux hopes to collate the Salmast materials in Adjarian's Armenian Etymological Dictionary (1926-35) and Complete Grammar of the Armenian Language (1952-71); and, combine them with new words, phrases, texts, and video recordings collected from the last remaining Salmastsi speakers to produce a book-length grammar and lexicon of the Salmast dialect (taking account of its descendants in Karabagh and Armenia, particularly in Vayots' Dzor, as well).
Lost Evidence of Armenian Genocide Discovered in Jerusalem Archive
JERUSALEM (The Jerusalem Poist) — Lost evidence was recently recovered in a…
NKR President to Minsk Group Co-Chairs: Return to the past impossible
STEPANAKER (Armradio.am) — Artsakh Republic President Bako Sahakyan received co-chairs of the…
Armenia Parades Impressive Military Might During Independence Day Celebration
YEREVAN — Armenia put on the biggest display of its military might…
FIDH Denounces Violations of Humanitarian Law during April Clashes
YEREVAN (Armradio) — The Worldwide Movement for Human Rights (FIDH) has studied…
The United States government funded International Republican Institute has published…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


a debate that will center on the issues that affect our people.
political divide in Rivers State know that I do not speak flippantly.
nothing but the truth, I believe this is a necessary price to pay.
parts of the world in furtherance of their education.
touched or made easier by the construction of these new roads.
that he initiated and commenced the Greater Port Harcourt Project.
Port Harcourt as a number One business destination in the South-South.
I stake my honour and integrity as a true Rivers son on this fact.
Governor interfered in any matter whatsoever relating to the project.
done. The monorail is still an on-going project.
we do as a people with these things?
skills acquisition? What is the status of the Rivers Monorail project?
see on ground. As a people we do not have all the time in the world.
a downward spiral, we need to begin to act and think outside the box.
This is a time for big ideas. We do not need 'these' distractions.
Who is the real Rivers man? Who is the real betrayer?
administration led by someone his people saw as 'their own'?
Definitely, that is the real, true Rivers son.
marginalization all in the name of "At least, he is our own".
judgement of history will always be constant.
'May history vindicate the just' I have done my bit.


text:
Every year, my family and I take a trip during summer to a new destination. This year's quest for new discoveries and memories took us to St. Petersburg – a city, synonymous with ballet, Faberge eggs, matrushka dolls, caviar, and of course being the capital of Imperial Russia.
The city was discovered in 1703 by Peter the Great (Peter I), who travelled all over Europe and brought back different influences into the landscape of his city. You will notice buildings constructed next to each other as you find in Amsterdam, Egyptian sphinx and obelisks on the bridges, and canals which flow through the city, like in Venice. The city is very clean and has plenty of greenery and flowers throughout, despite it's large influx of travellers. Beautiful historical buildings and Russian Orthodox Churches are dotted throughout the city's landscape, having stood the test of time through harsh weather, revolutions, and wars. Coming from Serbia, a country which has had her share of political turmoil during the Communist Era, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that the Russians realized the true value of their royal history and have restored most of the landmarks which were damaged during the destruction of the Red Army.
The city sights are easily accessible and well connected by metro, which has 6 different lines. A single journey costs just 55 Russian Rubles (less than 1 euro) and is very frequent. It is also very easy to get around the city by foot, especially in the city centre and via Nevsky Prospekt, the main street which is filled with cafes, landmarks, shops, malls, restaurants, travel agencies, museums … you name it!
Every corner of the city's scenery looks like a time capsule taking us back in time during the beautiful days of Imperial Russia – and I invite you to follow our footsteps as we explored the majesty of St. Petersburg.
Of all the palaces I visited across Europe, Peterhof is my favourite, and can only be described in one word: magical. Nicknamed the "Versailles of Russia", the estate has seen it's share of historical turbulence. Built between 18th and 19th century on Peter the Great's inspiration from the Palace of Versailles in France, more info? The estate suffered immense damage during WWII, but was one of the first sites to be completely restored thanks to the sponsorship of notable entities and over 1,000 experts.
Taking centre stage is the Grand Palace, a regal establishment enveloped in beige and white colour combinations and accented with gold embellishments. It is everything you would imagine of an enchanting palace, overlooking the beautiful Upper Garden, Grand Cascade fountain, and Gulf of Finland.
The grandiose palace interior's unique style is a combination of different architects' design through the years, however its remarkable how the overall ambiance has retained a similar appearance. We marvelled at the variety of prized collections such as hand-made tea sets, fine silk wall paper, royal jewels, sculptures, and beautiful fine art portraying the life of the royal family and their accolades.
I can't express how fascinating the collections are so I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
Stepping outside of the palace leads you directly to the Gardens, which were designed in a variety of styles and layouts to represent almost 2 centuries of European royal fashion. Last summer I visited the stunning Boboli gardens of Florence who carry their own unique Tuscan charm. The gardens of Peterhof, however, are an element of their own and I am still highly impressed how the landscapers managed to overcome the extreme weather conditions of the country to maintain the sheer wonder of the flowers and foliage.
Even more impressive, are the numerous fountains, which attract millions of visitors to the estate. The most beautiful in my eyes, is the Grand Cascade which runs from the Palace and comprises of 64 different fountains. Taking the spotlight is a sculpture of Samson wrestling a lion designed by the architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. I caught a very precious moment with the sun's rays mixed with the fountain's sprinkles and created a rainbow, it was perfect. The gardens feature several other fountains like the Chess Cascade and Joke Fountains.
Located on the lower part of the estate is a charming house called Monplesir and was the personal project of Peter the Great, designed as a private retreat from his public life. It was built in 1723 and houses the Tsar's personal 17th century art collection. One of my favourite parts of Peterhof is the courtyard outside of Monplesir which borders the shoreline of the Gulf of Finland and offers remarkably tranquil views of the sea, while on a clear day you can even spot the coast of St. Petersburg. The minute you turn around and look up at the Grand Palace, set against the backdrop of the stunning gardens, you will lose yourself in the magic, trust me.
HERMITAGE MUSEUM
It took me quite some time to formulate my words about this landmark, because it left me completely breathless (literally). To start, Hermitage Museum is St. Petersburg's most popular attraction and the world's 2nd largest museum. It is located in the Winter Palace, the official residence of Russian monarchs, and one of the most prestigious buildings I have ever been to, which was converted into a museum after the death of Catherine the Great. It is majestically located between the Palace Embankment and Palace Square with stunning views of the Neva River.
The museum holds over 3 million pieces in its collection placed in several exhibitions including: Ancient Relics and Arts of Eurasia, Art of Netherlands, French Art, German Art, Italian Renaissance Art, Spanish Painting, and so many more. My favourite was the private collections of the Romanov Dynasty which offered us an intimate look into the lives of the last Imperial family – a bittersweet feeling.
We were not prepared at all during our visit, on a very rainy day – so here is my advice. Buy your tickets online so you can skip the ques, otherwise, similar to the Louvre in Paris, you might wait up to 3 hours to get in. The works of art are extremely precious and impressive, and provides the perfect link to life in the past. You cannot visit St. Petersburg without exploring the Hermitage Museum, however, please be physically and mentally prepared for large crowds and plenty of congestion. It can get quite unpleasant especially as seating is restricted and some halls only have one way out.
PETER & PAUL FORTRESS
This bountiful fortress is located on a separate island from the main city centre and was the birthplace of St. Petersburg, built between 1706 and 1740. Its site was used for various purposes from military bases, governmental departments, prominent political prisons, and the final resting place of the last Russian Imperial family. Today the fortress is part of the St. Petersburg museum collection where visitors can get a glimpse of various historical occurrences and admire different architectural style.
Notable landmarks to visit include:
Petrovskiy Curtain Wall and Gate – entrance to the fortress and one of the oldest surviving elements, which was built to celebrate the victorious Great Northern War between the Swedes.
St. Peter and Paul Cathedral – one of the most majestic buildings in the city (and the oldest), and is the final resting place of the Romanov members, the last surviving royal family of Imperial Russia.
Commandant's House – beautiful baroque establishment built in the 1740's which today houses the Museum of History of St. Petersburg. Here you can really learn all about the city's past and get a glimpse into life through the ages.
Trubetskoy Bastion – the main political prison of Imperial Russia which housed several prominent convicts who opposed to the royal rule.
Menshikov Bastion – quite gruesome so we skipped this, but if you are into it, this establishment was used for torture and secret detention.
We were very lucky to catch the changing of the guard duty, which has existed from the beginning until 1926. The 15 minute long event which takes place on Saturdays at 12pm in the summer season, is a tribute to the tradition, and always starts with a cannon shot. Check out the video below 🙂
The views from the fortress are blissful and one can sit for hours just watching the waves lapping against the stone steps. It can easily be reach by taxi or very conveniently by metro which is located only 5 minutes' walk from the main entrance.
ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL
Of all the churches and cathedrals I have visited around the world, none have left me quite as speechless as this one. Its impressive façade is decorated with sculptures and granite columns while the interior is adorned with beautiful mosaics and paintings, depicting different Biblical stories. The cathedral can hold up to 14,000 standing people, and although it is a museum today, mass is held on special occasions.
The cathedral offers 360 degree views of the cityscape where you can enjoy impressive landmarks like the Winter Palace, Church of Saviour on Spilled Blood, Neva River and many more. It is topped with 5 bell towers, each weighing 100 kg of pure gold so you can imagine just how grand the cathedral is. On that particular day, after climbing 200 steps, my father and I enjoyed blissful views of the city set against the blue sky, as golden rays of sunshine seeped through cotton clouds. Picture perfect.
CHURCH OF THE SAVIOUR ON SPILLED BLOOD
While walking along Nevsky Prospekt street, your eyes will catch sight of a picturesque medieval church whose colours and funky design stand out among the city's classical architecture. Located along the Griboyedov canal, the Church of Saviour on Spilled Blood was built to commemorate one of Russia's greatest Tsars, Alexander II who was gruesomely murdered by the opposition. For those of you who don't know, one of the Tsar's greatest achievements was the abolishment of peasant slavery (5 years before the abolishment of slavery in the US).
The Church composes of 5 domes resembling colourful jewelry, or some might say a candyland in a children's book. The exterior is made of 20 granite plates which depict important moments from Tsar Alexander II's rule, while the interior is decorated with precious stones like topaz, jasper and mountain crystal. We marvelled at one of Europe's largest collection of mosaics (spanning 2,150 metres), and were impressed to see a different design style compared to St. Isaac's Cathedral. The Church was badly destroyed during the Communist vandalism after which it took 27 years of restoration to bring it back to its original glory. (One of the domes is currently going further reconstruction as you will notice in the photos below).
NEVSKY PROSPEKT
One of my favourite aspects of Europe is famous streets which span long kilometres of pedestrian paths, are usually filled with vibrant nightlife, pictures cafes, abundant shopping, and always have a history of meeting points among the community. Just like Champs Elysee in Paris, Via Montenapoleone in Milan, Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul, Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, and Knez Mihajlova in Belgrade, St. Petersburg's Nevsky Prospekt is everything you can imagine.
Spanning a distance of 4km starting from the Admiralty on the Neva River to Alexander Nevsky Monastery, the street is filled with shopping centres, street entertainment, cafes, bookstores, and beautiful architecture. The street cuts through the historical city centure where several important landmarks are located such as:
Gostiny Dvor – largest department store in St. Petersburg
Anichkov Bridge – one of the oldest and most beautiful bridges in the city across the river Fontaka, well known for its bronze horse statues.
Singer House – one of the most impressive landmarks in the city, it's the largest bookshop in the city
Kazan Cathedral – located opposite of Singer House, you cannot miss this impressive Cathedral was inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
Hermitage Museum – located in the Imperial family's Winter Palace, this amazing museum is the most popular sight in St. Petersburg
Church of Saviour on Spilled Blood – one of the city's most colourful landmarks filled with gorgeous mosaics
It's an amazing place to spend hours immersing in the spirit of the city, while enjoying authentic performances and beautiful city views.
ST. PETERSBURG BY BOAT
You may be wondering where the city got it's nickname "Venice of the North" from. Well, with over 300 bridges dotted across the city, its easy to see why, and the best way to immerse in the scenery is by boat. St. Petersburg is well known for its many boat tours, after all walking along Nevsky Prospekt alone you will be bombarded by countless sales reps. We took a 1 hour cruise with Aquatours and passed by beautiful landmarks like St. Nicholas Cathedral, Mariinsky Theatre, Anchikov Bridge seen through the canals, while places like St. Isaac's Cathedral, Hermitage Museum (Winter Palace), and the impressive Peter and Paul Fortress from the mighty Neva River. The tour cost 800 Russian Rubles (9 Euro), however be warned very few companies offer commentary in English.
I'll let the pictures speak for themselves of our experience:
RUSSIA IN FAIRY TALES
There are so many live shows to be enjoyed throughout the city from folk dances to the ballet. No visit to St. Petersburg is complete without attending a ballet at the famous Mariinsky Theatre where Swan Lake debuted. Unfortunately we did not organize our tickets early in time to watch the ballet, but my father found a fun alternative – a live folk show called "Russia in Fairy tales". Performed at the House of Officers, the show was one of the most impressive and fun events I have been to! It was filled with colourful costumes, impressive acrobatics, and vibrant music. During the intermission of 15 minutes we enjoyed a small reception of canapes and champagne, before returning to watch the closing act, a traditional Cossack dance. Check this clip out! 🙂
DINING IN ST. PETERSBURG
When it comes to food, St. Petersburg offers something for every taste as most of the restaurants have been commercialized by global food trends. We enjoyed a range of dishes from East to West and some we have experienced before. Some of the places where we dined are:
Evrasia – a meeting point between European and Asian food, found all over Nevsky Prospekt
Borsalino – Italian cuisine at the Angleterre hotel, food was average, but the restaurant offers first class views of St. Isaac's Cathedral
Cha Cha – authentic Georgian cuisine, a first for us and definitely delicious
Katyusha – located in the centre of Nevsky Prospekt, this kitsch restaurant offer amazing Russian dishes and the best honey cake!
Every corner of St. Petersburg's scenery looked like a time capsule taking us back in time during the beautiful days of Imperial Russia. 6 days is definitely enough to check out the main sights, however if you really want to dig deeper into the history and see the real magic of the city, a longer visit is a must. I didn't have any expectations of the city prior to our visit, despite most of my friends lighting up when I told them where I was going. I can honestly say, that it has become one of my favourites cities in the world!
Click here for a complete visual experience of our trip!
Useful Tips:
English is a language barrier as hardly anyone speaks it and there are almost no English street signs, so you might have to reply on a translator app, or find an English speaker if you are lucky.
Book all your tours in advance. A handy app I found is called Get Your Guide, you can buy all tickets and skip those pesky lines. There is an extra charge through the app so don't be surprised by the price change, but it's totally worth skipping those long ques.
Additional sights worth visiting are the Faberge Museum, a tour of the metro stations (trust me they are grandiose), Pushkin Selo, and Mariinksy Theatre. If you would like to watch a ballet at Mariinsky Theatre, make sure you buy tickets at least 1 month in advance. Also if you can, find the best rooftop cafes, because they have incredible views of the rivers, palaces, and cathedrals, especially near St. Isaac Church.
You can also explore the city with the hop on / hop off bus which has several lines and covers all the main sights.
River canals: http://www.saint-petersburg.com/river-trips/popular-routes/
Orthodox Cathedrals: http://www.saint-petersburg.com/cathedrals/
Get Your Guide: http://www.getyourguide.com
St. Petersburg Metro: http://www.metro.spb.ru/en/
St. Petersburg Tourism: http://www.saint-petersburg.com/
Hop on / hop off bus: http://www.city-sightseeing.com
Folk Show at House of Officers: http://www.balletandopera.com
Hermitage Museum: http://www.hermitagemuseum.org
Disclaimer: All views are my own and all photographs are © My Pink Diary.
Tags: Imperial Russia, Russia, St. Petersburg, travel
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Collect 24 buildable surprises including ski equipment, a rabbit, Knock 'Em Over game and a Christmas tree!
Small parts are a choking hazard. Not suitable for children under 3 years.
We love all things lego and this is no exception. The day to day bits are cute and easy for my 3&6 yr old to follow and build. I think last years was better as there were a few things this year that were a bit naff.
2 recommendations firstly buy a big base to clip everything on to else you end up with lot of little bits getting lost. Secondly before you throw the box away tear off the doors as these have the building pictures and come in handy next year when you want to rebuild the broken things.
I purchased this advent calendar for my 6 year old daughter, who is a big fan of Lego Friends. It was a massive hit with her, she thoroughly enjoyed getting something new to build and add to her scene every day. There are lots of little pieces so I probably wouldn't recommend it for children under 5. We have previously enjoyed the Playmobile advent calendars, again you have the joy of a little piece to add to your scene each day. Many of the older Playmobile calendars were also reusable (a real bonus), this is not the case with the Lego one, but we have kept all the pieces and added them to my daughters Lego friends collection. Father Christmas was sadly not included in this scene, that probably saddened me more than my daughter. Overall I would say that the calendar was good value for money, definitely a good replacement for a chocolate filled advent.
I was a bit sceptical about this - but it's been a real hit. My two girls (8 and 10) are sharing it ad enjoying it - and both playing with it.
We've never had one before, but the thing I didn't get from the product photos is that all the pieces build towards a scene: the front of the box folds down to make a skating tableau. Then, all the bits add to the play.
The 8 year old girl I bought this for loves it, and is really enjoying making the daily item.
My only criticism is that each calendar door is very difficult to open as the stiff card is laminated, and the perforations are really hard to break. We have to help her with this, and even we as adults find it hard to open the doors.
Initially thought this was expensive but daughter has had such fun opening the windows every day and now has a great selection of Lego bits and pieces - although I'm having to be very VERY careful when vacuuming as some of the pieces are so tiny. Also glad I paid attention to the serial number as I could easily have bought the same one as last year by mistake.
Daughter loved it and it was (almost) worth the price for her enjoyment every day leading up to Christmas. But for what you get (tiny bits of Lego each day - worth only a few pence) it's VERY expensive. We won't be buying one again.
Ridiculously expensive, as all Lego is, but my 6 year old granddaughter was very pleased with it. She chose it herself from a wide selection and was completely satisfied with her choice.


text:
Q: What is going to overtake FTP and why aren't we using it yet? Is it just me, or does FTP seem a little archaic?  It seems slow and inefficient, and its over 30 years old, not that all old things are bad :)
What protocols exist out there that might become successors to FTP?
I've used webdav a little, but don't know much about it.  Is it faster?  More reliable?  More secure?
Why isn't there widespread adoption of a newer technology (yet)?
Update: Specifically, I'm referring to downloading/uploading files between developers and their web server.
I am aware of other mainstream protocols for other uses such as web browsing, file sharing, etc.

A: The nice thing about FTP is that it works, which is a major improvement over, for example, Windows filesharing (or for that matter, Win7's Homegroups).
There are plenty of other technologies for transferring files though. HTTP is commonly used for retrieving files, SCP or SFTP handle the secure aspect, basically running the usual protocol through a SSH tunnel. As for inefficient? How so? Just because it's old doesn't mean it's inefficient.
How would a more efficient protocol work?
Anyway, FTP has its niche. It is used for transferring files where security is not important. It does the trick there, and I'm not aware of any superior alternatives, nor can I think of any obvious ways to improve the protocol.

A: This was a provocative article: Wish More Hosts Offered WebDAV? Blame PHP!
A useful thing about WebDAV is that it tends to be more firewall-friendly, you don't need to muck around with PASV.  Since it can use HTTPS you can obtain better security that way than you get with FTP.

A: Here's a discussion about the future of FTP and related file transfer protocols that I blogged about recently.

A: FTP used to be the One True system to move data around. That's pretty much fragmented now:

*

*for public data distribution: HTTP, BitTorrent

*for sharing data inside an organization: web-based tools, SMB and other native filesharing platforms

*for moving data between boxes: scp, rsync

*for sending data to an individual: email, web-based tools

A: Actually, I find FTP one of the most efficient protocols, as there is only minimal protocol overhead. Also, FTP commands are plain english words, instead of binary commands.
It's main weakness is the lack of encryption, which puts it IMHO into the same category as Telnet, which has been replaced by SSH mostly.
There are replacements (i.e. SCP), but frankly, FTP is a fine protocol and with FTP over SSH, there is an alternative to it's main weakness available. But yes, nowadays I would use SCP whenever possible.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Handling Harassment
Posted in Uncategorized on March 3, 2016 by amylawrencepxp
It's the story that refuses to die. A full 20 years after Peyton Manning was accused of sexual harassment by a female athletic trainer at the University of Tennessee, people are talking about it like it was yesterday. I already knew what a vast majority of sports media and fans discovered in the last month. It wasn't a secret. It's a long and drawn out saga full of conflicting accounts, multiple lawsuits, settlements, court documents, a book, and now, new articles, opinions, and a social media explosion. The convoluted tale leaves more questions than answers. I don't know exactly what happened inside the UT training room in 1996. Manning can only be judged in the court of public opinion. While it's unwise to judge what I don't know, one aspect of the narrative resonates with me.
At the very least, Manning's accuser, Dr. Jamie Naughright, was repeatedly harassed at UT largely because she was a female in a male-dominated industry. The accusation against Manning was only one part of her experience in Knoxville. Her statement of facts to the court in 2003 details other instances of harassment such as offensive names directed at her by a superior and the way her complaints were ignored and stifled. It's worth repeating this is HER side of the story from court documents filed by her attorney. But I have no trouble believing these things happened. I can feel my own indignation and frustration on her behalf. Naughright made the choice to fight back against fellow colleagues and athletes at Tennessee, and her career suffered because of it. She paid a steep price for speaking up. That's why I didn't.
When I set my heart on a career in sports radio in high school and started pursuing my dream in college, no one warned me about the challenges of being a female in a "man's world." I knew there were very few women in the business, but it didn't bother me. A tomboy when I was young, I had always been comfortable around guys, and I could certainly hold my own whether we were talking sports or playing them. As I began working in radio, I did what came naturally to me. I tried to be "one of the guys." I laughed at jokes I didn't think were funny, and I used coarse language I'm not proud of. I chimed in because I desperately wanted to blend in. It didn't work. Women in sports radio stuck out like a sore thumb 15 years ago. Despite my best attempts, I was always the odd one out. But that was only part of the challenge.
At some point early in my career, I made a conscious decision to keep the harassment to myself. I shared it with Mom and my closest girlfriends, but I decided I'd rather "tough it out" than risk getting blackballed or ostracized any further. I told myself as long as I wasn't in danger–Mom hammered home all the precautions to take–I could survive any type of verbal harassment. I wanted the career more than I wanted to expose how I was treated in the workplace. Even if bosses or managers took me seriously, I would be labeled a "problem" or "bitch" or "troublemaker" and hurt my chances of getting and keeping jobs. In some cases, my superiors were the ones doing the harassing, so complaining would've been pointless.
For the first decade of my journey, it was a line I heard over and over: "The newsroom is like a locker room." At one previous job, it was a used as a punchline or held up as a badge of honor. Sadly, I've covered teams in actual locker rooms far more professional than some of the places I've worked. The pseudo-locker room atmosphere equaled getting hit on non-stop. When I was younger, I told myself it was flattering or complimentary. But it got old, especially when it was a lot of married men looking for a cheap thrills. I would get propositioned by guys I barely knew. One broadcaster much higher up the totem pole emailed my company account from HIS company account to ask if I wanted to have sex for fun. Instead of being taken seriously as a journalist and being appreciated for my brains and work ethic, my value was often tied to my appearance. One over-zealous colleague followed me in his SUV as I walked across a dark, empty parking lot after my shift at 3am to suggest we "hang out." My heart was racing in that moment.
The locker room atmosphere meant constant jokes about sex and stories about sex. While they didn't necessarily offend me, hearing them from a bunch of men when I was the only woman often made me uncomfortable. And I frequently turned into a target. In the early 2000s, the owner of my radio station attempted to embarrass me in a room full of people by loudly ridiculing my sexual abstinence. I can still remember the acute humiliation, but what could I do? He was the one who signed my paychecks. In some of my newsrooms, I had to work in front of pictures of mostly naked women or log into computers with similar screensavers. Derogatory and disgusting nicknames, vulgar language that made me cringe, inappropriate and insulting comments, emails or texts with nasty photos–I navigated all of it for years. But outside of venting to people I trusted, I did very little to protest.
I'm not sharing these stories from my past to garner sympathy. I don't need anyone to feel sorry for me. It was my own choice to keep quiet, my own decision not to fight back. I wanted the career more than I wanted it to stop. I'm not recommending the same course of action for other women in my position. I don't have foolproof methods to handle every situation. But I want people facing similar challenges to know they aren't alone. Looking back, there are many things I would do differently. I also know my experiences made me stronger, smarter, tougher, wiser, more determined, and more professional than the ones who harassed me. Plus I bypassed most of them on the broadcasting food chain a long time ago.
In 2016, the climate is vastly different. Companies educate employees about workplace harassment because they fear whistle-blowers or lawsuits. Employee rights are now a top priority. Beyond that, I don't hesitate to stand up for myself. I remind men I'm in the room if their language or stories make me uncomfortable, and I tolerate very little harassment on social media. I don't care who likes me or dislikes me because of it. I no longer need to fit in. I'm proud of the fact that I never will. Being different, being unique, being unconventional is a huge part of my success. It shapes who I am. It took some time and heartache, but I finally recognized that standing out instead of blending in can be my greatest asset.
Who IS Amy?
FAREWELL, MY FAVORITE SUPERHERO❤❤
POUR ON THE PATIENCE
CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN


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Cross Country Moves: Major Interstates to Know
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There are many reasons that might cause you to move across the country. Perhaps you are changing jobs, or maybe you are moving to be closer to family or a significant other. Whatever your reason for making a interstate move, you have to find a method for getting yourself and your belongings from your current home to a new one several hundred miles away.
With current prices for flying or freight shipping your possessions becoming out of reach for many people, driving to your location is quickly becoming the best option for a cross-country move. There are several major interstates that can help you get to your new home quickly and easily with a few fun stops along the way.
With a length of approximately 1,787 miles, I-75 begins in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The interstate passes through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia on the way to its conclusion in Hialeah, Florida. When I-75 was constructed, it was built parallel to an existing interstate that traveled a path of a similar length known as Dixie Highway. The original Dixie Highway has since been demolished, but I-75 has become known as Dixie Highway Redux for its comparable track.
If you are looking for a break along this route, interesting stops include Luna Pier, a small beach community on Lake Erie, and the Roebling Bridge over the Ohio River, leading from Cincinnati to Covington, Kentucky. The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington features a tribute to Secretariat as well as live horse shows throughout the day, and Norris Dam in Lake City, Tennessee, provides great views of Norris Lake and the surrounding countryside. You might also consider stopping at the Georgia Aquarium or the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site, both in Atlanta, on your trek.
This interstate has earned its nickname, Atlantic Coast Highway, for obvious reasons. If you drive its nearly 1,926-mile length, you will see Miami, Florida, at one end and Houlton, Maine, at the other with the rest of the roadway never straying far from the coastline. Throughout its distance, you will pass through 15 different states, including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Even with all of this distance, what is most impressive about I-95 is the wide variety of interesting places where you can stop, sightsee and explore. For example, you can see the world's largest bug in Providence, Rhode Island, a 58-foot sculpture of a termite. This interstate also takes you through parts of New York City, over the George Washington Bridge and onto the New Jersey Turnpike, which features rest stops named for famous Americans as well as the world's largest light bulb in Edison, New Jersey. Once you arrive in South Carolina, you will want to look for the billboards featuring Pedro and advertising South of the Border, the perfect stop for photos, souvenirs and the local reptile lagoon.
The 2,153 miles of I-70 have been nicknamed the Trans-Siberian American because of its exhaustive route across the country from Cove Fort, Utah, to Baltimore, Maryland. With great views of the St. Louis Arch and Glenwood Canyon directly from the highway, I-70 spans most of the Midwestern states, including Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Despite its useful route, I-70 sometimes has a reputation for being an unexciting path across the Great Plains. However, you can find plenty of places to stop, stretch your legs and take in a little scenery along this interstate. In Goodland, Kansas, you will find an 80-foot easel displaying a massive Van Gogh painting, and in Lucas, Kansas, a short 16-mile jaunt from the interstate, you can see the Garden of Eden created with nearly 200 concrete statues. The Candy Factory in Columbia, Missouri, offers a tour and nearly any type of candy you could crave for your cross-country journey. Finally, you can see the second-largest cross in the world, Cross at the Crossroads, in Effingham, Illinois.
The amusing nickname "The Neck Beard" applies to I-10 as it stretches for 2,460 miles across the underside of the country from Santa Monica, California, to Jacksonville, Florida. Maintaining a route that passes through southern states like Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, I-10 provides a safe route of travel, even in the winter months when many other interstates face snow and frozen roadways.
With such fair weather throughout your journey, there are many different stops available along I-10. For example, the Joshua Tree National Park in Twentynine Palms, California, is known for its iconic trees just as Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona, is known for its cacti. The Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley, Arizona, is the only place to see a missile that could launch a nuclear warhead, and a short detour to Tombstone, Arizona, will put you in the infamous O.K. Corral. The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is not far from I-10, nor is the Space Center Houston. There are several space centers and national parks throughout this route that would make a perfect rest stop or overnight camping location.
With 2,555 miles of coast-to-coast roadway, The Big 4-0 is the busiest route from the East to the West, especially after it joins with Route 66 in Oklahoma City. One end is in Barstow, California, and the other is in Wilmington, North Carolina. Between these two points, I-40 passes through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Tennessee to give you a simple path across the entire United States.
The great distance from one end to the other may make you want to take in some of the possible stops along the way, most especially including the Grand Canyon's beautiful cliffs and the 13,000-year-old trees of the Petrified Forest National Park in Winslow, Arizona. Other spots for nature-lovers along I-40 include Hot Springs National Park near Little Rock, Arkansas, and Smokey Mountains National Park on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee. If you enjoy live music, I-40 runs through the busy hubs of Memphis and Nashville. Art aficionados will find Georgia O'Keeffe's work on display in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a large River Arts District in Asheville, North Carolina.
The mostly flat and repetitious route of Interstate 80 across the Great Plains and into the Rocky Mountains has earned this interstate the nickname Lincoln Highway Redux. The nearly 2,900 miles of roadway stretches from San Francisco, California, to Fort Lee, New Jersey, with Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania in between those two points.
If you are looking for points of interest along I-80, you do not need to go any farther than Buffalo Bill Ranch State Historical Park in North Platte, Nebraska, for a look at this notorious figure of the Wild West, or visit the museum-in-a-bridge Archway in Kearney, Nebraska. In Audubon, Iowa, you will find Albert the Bull, a 30-foot tall beast, as well as Elk Horn, Iowa's favorite windmill. You may find the 40-foot glass walls of the Holy Family Shrine in Gretna, Nebraska, a great place to stop for some peace and relaxation on what could be a stressful move. If these statuesque locations are not what you are looking for, try the Seneca Caverns in Bellevue, Ohio for an hour-long tour of nature.
Interstate 90 has earned its nickname, America's Great Road, thanks to its impressive length of 3,102 miles from the West Coast to the East Coast. Like I-70 and I-40, I-90 transverses the nation, but this interstate is often less trafficked than the others because of its route far to the north of the country. With one end in Seattle, Washington, and the other in Boston, Massachusetts, I-90 also covers Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.
Highlights along I-90 are as varied as the geography of this interstate. You can see the Boston Freedom Trail in Massachusetts and pass within short distance of Niagara Falls in New York. If you decide to stop in Cleveland, you can visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There are plenty of museum and shopping choices in Chicago, and you can visit the historical sites of Little Bighorn and Mt. Rushmore from I-90. Whether you want to see the Big Sky of Montana or visit one of the first Starbucks locations in Seattle, I-90 has many different options.
When you decide to undertake a cross-country move, driving yourself and your belongings will likely be the most cost-effective and efficient method of travel. With one of these interstates, you will have an almost direct path to nearly any location, making your move easier and less stressful.
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I had been going through some stuff. As a result I had stopped working out. Shortly after that I stopped paying attention to my diet. Yesterday I weighed myself and I was 176. That's a good thing, it means I didn't gain any weight while OOC. So today I'm working out again. I'm going to start by running 3 days a week and taking a spin class the other 3 days. MAYBE yoga on Sundays if I'm up for it. We'll see. Time to get back in the saddle!
Good Luck!! Hope its been going great since your last post!!
I just completed my p90x workout a few min ago. Now I'm having a protein smoothie and am going to hit the shower in a minute. I feel so good right now! I am so glad that I did it. Tomorrow is going to be hell though. I have plyometrics to do and those are killer. But I'm going to do my absolute best to keep up with it. :D If I keep this up I'll lose the weight in no time!


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Great course in lovely countryside in very good condition. Plenty of challenges with lakes and streams to contend with and undulating greens.
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10 things you should know about the latest Affordable Care Act court case
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the latest case threatening the Obama administration's signature legislation. - photo by Kelsey Dallas
This week, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the latest legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act. The case, King v. Burwell, focuses on whether the federal government can legally provide financial support to people enrolled in the ACA in states that haven't set up their own insurance marketplace.
A ruling against the law would impact millions of Americans' ability to afford insurance and would also likely energize efforts to repeal and replace the ACA.
The court's decision isn't expected until the end of June, but the legal battle will likely remain in the news over the next three months as ACA supporters highlight the people helped by the law and detractors focus on replacement plans.
Here are answers to 10 basic questions about the case, the law and possible outcomes:
What's being debated?
At the heart of the case are the approximately 8 million people receiving tax subsidies to purchase insurance in the 34 states without their own health insurance marketplaces.
The Internal Revenue Service currently offers tax subsidies to any ACA enrollee deemed unable to pay for health insurance coverage. However, in one section of the law, these subsidies are promised only to those who receive insurance "through an exchange established by the state," a post from the Brookings Institution's health policy blog explains.
If that language is taken at face value, individuals in the 34 states that didn't set up their own health insurance marketplace will no longer be eligible for financial assistance. However, the administration thinks the "clear intent" of the ACA was to allow for subsidies through the federal marketplace, a condition that could render one confusing passage unimportant.
What's at stake?
It depends on who you ask. Advocates of the ACA say that King v. Burwell holds the potential to gut the entire law. Yale Law School professor Abbe Gluck told Slate's Dahlia Lithwick the real-world consequences of the case "cannot be understated." She noted that a loss of subsidies in the states without their own marketplaces would mean around 8 million Americans would stop being able to afford insurance.
However, for vocal opponents of the health care law, the case is an opportunity to correct five years of government overreach. Jonathan Adler, one of the masterminds behind the current lawsuit and a law professor at Case Western Reserve Law School, told Lithwick he wants the focus to be off worst-case scenarios for the ACA and on the administration's problematic understanding of the IRS's ability to provide subsidies.
How many people will be affected?
As of mid-February 2015, the end of the ACA's second open enrollment period, around 11.4 million Americans were enrolled in private health insurance programs through state or federal marketplaces, Reuters reported. Although a ruling against the ACA this year would only directly impact the around 8 million people who need the subsidies to afford insurance, its spillover effects could put the entire law at risk.
What happened during Wednesday's court appearance?
Lawyers for both sides offered oral arguments and things got pretty heated. According to The New York Times, the justices appeared "bitterly divided" at the outset, with four of the more liberal members of the court openly supporting the administration's argument. The decision will likely come down to a single vote, the Times reported, and their money is on either Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. or Justice Anthony M. Kennedy to be the swing vote.
Hasn't the ACA been challenged in court before?
Yes. It's OK to experience a bit of dj vu. In June 2012, a 5-4 vote from the Supreme Court upheld the law's ability to require individuals to have health insurance, otherwise known as the individual mandate. Although King v. Burwell centers on a different aspect of the ACA, lawyers for both sides are the same as in 2012, making Wednesday's hearing a reunion of sorts.
What is President Obama saying?
It's safe to say the president is fed-up with ACA opponents. In his Jan. 20 State of the Union address, he highlighted the health care plan as one of the country's major achievements. "In the past year alone, about 10 million uninsured Americans finally gained the security of health coverage," he said.
And even when he doesn't address King v. Burwell directly, it's likely on his mind. As NPR noted, the fate of the signature legislation of his presidency (it's known to many as Obamacare, after all) hangs in the balance.
How will the case impact Congress?
Although Pew Research Center reports that 87 percent of conservative Americans oppose the ACA, the Republican-controlled Congress won't have much time to celebrate if the Supreme Court rules against the Obama administration. Instead, they'll be under "tremendous pressure" to either pass an update to the ACA or present a replacement law, in order to protect the health insurance coverage of millions of Americans, NPR reported.
What else is on the horizon for the ACA?
Deseret News National reported in January on what 2015 will likely hold for the ACA, highlighting the headache it could add to an already stressful tax season. People who received a tax subsidy will have to reconcile their income for every month they took part in a marketplace insurance plan. Additionally, the IRS will be on the lookout for Americans who were uninsured for all or part of 2014, a violation of the ACA's individual mandate.
How does the ACA fare in public opinion polls?
In the five years since the ACA was signed into law, public opinion has been relatively constant. As of last month, 53 percent of Americans disapproved of the law and 45 percent approved, according to Pew Research Center.
Where can I learn more?
Major news organizations like The Washington Post and The New York Times are offering consistent coverage, drawing on a wide variety of sources well-versed in ACA jargon and the political landscape. Additionally, health policy organizations like The Heritage Foundation and The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation post regular updates on their websites and social media pages.


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Home > Journals > Business & Economics | Earth & Environmental Sciences > LCE
Low Carbon Economy > Vol.4 No.4A, December 2013
The Effects of China-EU Trade on CO2 Emissions ()
Hui Zhou, Jie Cao, Jichuan Sheng
School of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, China.
DOI: 10.4236/lce.2013.44A002 PDF HTML 3,758 Downloads 6,197 Views Citations
Production for international trade has played an important role in driving the rapid increase of Chinese CO2 emissions. This paper uses input-output analysis to quantitatively estimate the effect of the bilateral trade between China and its present largest trading partner, the European Union (EU), on both national and global CO2 emissions. The results show that under the bilateral trade, China's emissions from 2002 to 2008 increased by 2458 MMT (6.64%), and the EU's emissions decreased by 539 MMT (1.81%). From a global perspective, the trade led to an increase of 1919 MMT CO2 in the world's total emissions. The trading pattern is not dominated by pollution haven effect but by the comparative advantages in factor endowments. It is suggested that a consumer responsibility-based accounting system of national CO2 inventory should be introduced in replace of the present producer responsibility-based one. In order to achieve cost efficiency in emissions reduction in the new accounting system, more CDM programs could be established.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions; Trade between China and EU; Pollution Haven Hypothesis; Factor Endowments
H. Zhou, J. Cao and J. Sheng, "The Effects of China-EU Trade on CO2 Emissions," Low Carbon Economy, Vol. 4 No. 4A, 2013, pp. 14-23. doi: 10.4236/lce.2013.44A002.
[1] B. Shui and R. C. Harriss, "The Role of CO2 Embodiment in US-China Trade," Energy Policy, Vol. 34, No. 18, 2006, pp. 4063-4068. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2005.09.010
[2] B. R. Copeland and M. S. Taylor, "Trade, Growth, and the Environment," Journal of Economic Literature, Vol. 42, No. 1, 2004, pp. 7-71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1257/002205104773558047
[3] T. Wang and J. Watson, "Who Owns China's Carbon Emissions?" Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research, No. 23, 2007, pp. 2-4.
[4] C. L. Weber, G. P. Peters, D. Guan and K. Hubacek, "The Contribution of Chinese Exports to Climate Change," Energy Policy, Vol. 36, No. 9, 2008, pp. 3572-3577. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol. 2008.06.009
[5] D. Guan, G. P. Peters, C. L. Weber, and K. Hubacek, "Journey to World Top Emitter: An Analysis of the Driving Forces of China's Recent CO2 Emissions Surge," Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 36, No. 4, 2009, Article ID: L04709. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2008GL036540
[6] B. Lin, and C. Sun, "Evaluating Carbon Dioxide Emissions in International Trade of China," Energy Policy, Vol. 38, No. 1, 2010, pp. 613-621. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2009.10.014
[7] L. Yang, Y. Yan, and J. Priewe, "The Impact of China-EU Trade on Climate Change," Geopolitics, History, and International Relations, Wuhan, 12-14 August 2011, pp. 122-138.
[8] Y. Dong, M. Ishikawa, X. Liu and C. Wang, "An Analysis of the Driving Forces of CO2 Emissions Embodied in Japan-China Trade," Energy Policy, Vol. 38, No. 11, 2010, pp. 6784-6792.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2010.06.050
[9] X. Liu, M. Ishikawa, C. Wang, Y. Dong and W. Liu, "Analyses of CO2 Emissions Embodied in Japan-China Trade," Energy Policy, Vol. 38, No. 3, 2010, pp. 1510-1518. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol. 2009.11.034
[10] Y. Li and C. N. Hewitt, "The Effect of Trade between China and the UK on National and Global Carbon Dioxide Emissions," Energy Policy, Vol. 36, No. 6, 2008, pp. 1907-1914. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.enpol.2008.02.005
[11] I. Mongelli, G. Tassielli and B. Notarnicola, "Global Warming Agreements, International Trade and Energy/ Carbon Embodiments: An Input-Output Approach to the Italian Case," Energy Policy, Vol. 34, No. 1, 2006, pp. 88-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2004.06.004
[12] M. A. Cole, "Trade, the Pollution Haven Hypothesis and the Environmental Kuznets Curve: Examining the Linkages," Ecological Economics, Vol. 48, No. 1, 2004, pp. 71-81. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.ecolecon.2003.09.007
[13] D. K. Kellenberg, "An Empirical Investigation of the Pollution Haven Effect with Strategic Environment and Trade Policy," Journal of International Economics, Vol. 78, No. 2, 2009, pp. 242-255.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinteco.2009.04.004
[14] B. Liddle, "Free Trade and the Environment-Development System," Ecological Economics, Vol. 39, No. 1, 2001, pp. 21-36. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0921-8009(01)00215-4
[15] A. Kearsley and M. Riddel, "A Further Inquiry into the Pollution Haven Hypothesis and the Environmental Kuznets Curve," Ecological Economics, Vol. 69, No. 4, 2010, pp. 905-919.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2009.11.014
[16] E. Dietzenbacher and K. Mukhopadhyay, "An Empirical Examination of the Pollution Haven Hypothesis for India: towards a Green Leontief Paradox?" Environmental and Resource Economics, Vol. 36, No. 4, 2007, pp. 427-449. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10640-006-9036-9
[17] G. P. Peters, C. Weber and J. Liu, "Construction of Chinese Energy and Emission Inventory," Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, 2006, pp. 5939-5944.
[18] G. Huppes, J. Guinée, R. Heijungs, L. Oers, R. Kleijn and A. Tukker, "Changes in Meat Product Consumption and Production Patterns in Europe. Annex: Description of E3IOT," TNO Report, 2008.
[19] IPCC, "Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories," Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 1996.
[20] A. Smith, "An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations," Shanxi People's Publishing House, Xi'an, 2005.
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language learning in educational contexts.
Is the age issue really about age?
Is there a critical period for first language acquisition?
Is there a critical period for SLA?
Is explicit instruction necessary for L2 learning?


Have you o'd this cycle?
Not sure you have PCOS?
CONGRATS TO... FOR PCOS M.O.M !
I need a favor from a chart reader..
I need updates from everyone!
Welcome PuzzledAngel to the BOARD!
anybody know any good RE or OB/GYN in the south?
Give your doctor a grade!
Welcome cantwait2BaMommy to the board!
Welcome MrsCMom2B to the board!
Welcome mommytomadison and baner to the board!
Can PCOS kill you? is it dangerous?
Would you consider PCOS as a?
What cycle dayare you on?
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Who are the pregnant cysters?
Can metformin reduce chances of miscarriages?
What kind of doctor can diagnose PCOS?
Anyone who has PCOS is welcome here!
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With modern meeting facilities, comfortable lodging and incredible pre and post event adventures, Inuvik is ready to host your next conference as a signature bucket list experience your delegates will not forget.
Plan your next meeting in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada and join an elite group of business and government travellers. This bustling town of almost 3,400 is the largest Canadian community north of the Arctic Circle. A centre for government, education, exploration and tourism, Inuvik lays at the edge of one the world's most scenic river deltas. It is just a short hop by air to Arctic communities like Tuktoyaktuk on the shore of the Beaufort Sea or to Aklavik in the Mackenzie River Delta.
Inuvik prides itself on being a business savvy community with a long history of hosting major events and festivals for over 20 years. The municipal Midnight Sun Complex hosts large trade shows and more intimate gatherings year-round. Professional planners will see to it that your event not only runs on time and on budget but also packs in a host of added attractions.
Daily flight service, quality accommodations, ample meeting space and an amazing Arctic backdrop make Inuvik the perfect destination for your next meeting, conference or AGM.


Green Bond is a debt instrument which can only be used to finance 'green' initiatives such as new and renewable energy projects.
In other words, it is a special purpose bond to support low-carbon, green industry projects and requires 'green certification' from internationally acknowledged authorities.
Korea Eximbank has successfully issued a global Green Bond worth USD 500 million to investors worldwide in 2013, thus became the first non-international financial institution in the world to successfully issue a global Green Bond.


Stay Active: In our techniques we enter completely into, blend totally with, and control firmly an action. Strength resides where one's chi (energy) is concentrated and stable; confusion and maliciousness arise when chi (energy) stagnates.
One does not need buildings, money, power or status to practice the Art of Peace. Heaven is right where you are standing, and that is the place to train.
Blue Topaz and Moonstone - A stone for "new beginnings", Moonstone is a stone of inner growth and strength. It soothes emotional instability and stress, and stabilizes the emotions, providing calmness. Moonstone enhances intuition, promotes inspiration, success and good fortune in love and business matters.
The starting point of any journey is with the self. A correct relationship to your self is primary, for from it flow all possible right relationships with others and with the Divine.
Remain modest - regardless of how great may be your merit, be yielding, devoted and moderate, for then you have a true direction for your life.
Strive to live the ordinary life in a non-ordinary way. instead of seeking credit for accomplishment or focusing on results, be content to your task for the task's sake. Herein lies the secret of experiencing a true present.
Available in brown & black.
Can also be worn with….
Also comes with leather necklace.


We will be attending the inaugural SLAS Europe 2018 Annual Conference & Exhibition in Brussels on 27th-29th June.
David Ley and Peter Cornforth will be delighted to welcome you to stand 405 where PAA will be showcasing the latest innovations in laboratory automation. Just visit the stand to see the NEW S-LAB automated plate handler in action and for a chance to win a £200 Amazon voucher in our prize draw.


Science Technicians – do we have the right balance?
As a teacher of science I have always had an admiration for the technical team. They work tirelessly to put lessons together for us, to arrange photocopying, to adapt to all the changes thrust upon them, to work together to make their jobs more efficient (is that even possible?) and to keep the department running. They are the irreplaceable engine room and are often unsung heroes. I have been lucky enough to work with technicians who share our passion for giving our students the best education; their job means more to them and us than simply putting lessons together and helping out the teachers, it's to ensure students have outstanding Science lessons.
I am eternally conscious of the amount of work science technicians put into their job, ever more so with the ongoing raft of government changes where they have to perform their usual duties whilst also wrangling with schemes of work updates. We have recently had a bit of turnover, with new technicians in Key Stage 3, Biology and Physics. As they have become more in tune with the intricacies of technicianship they have been able to identify areas of their job role that are proving difficult (as opposed to just being part of starting a new job). This has led to a number of discussions about development of their role and our interactions with them.
So I posed a question on Twitter (and am now paraphrasing): how many Science lessons do you have in your school and how much technician time is there available? Ten schools responded, with a range of school sizes and Science lesson numbers. It makes interesting reading.
The schools surveyed ranged from having 144 lessons a week to 288, averaging 202 lessons per week. If each lesson had something requiring technical support, technicians had to take out and return 40 lessons per day. This doesn't simply magic itself up, technicians and teaching staff have to liaise to ensure orders are in. These lessons could come with requirements in terms of making up chemicals, washing up, carrying heavy equipment, transporting large quantities of equipment and even repairing equipment.
Most schools had lessons that lasted an hour, though the smallest school had 35 minute lessons meaning that the schools ranged from having 84 hours of lessons a week to 241, averaging 188 hours of lessons per week. This figure isn't of much value because technicians' workloads are mostly dictated by the number of lessons. However, those with significantly longer lessons may require more equipment than others.
Often the requirements in sixth form lessons are more demanding, whether through equipment quantity or through technical expertise. Schools ranged significantly with their sixth form lesson proportion, from 12% to 40%, averaging 28% of lessons as being for the sixth form.
The majority of schools had two technicians, despite teaching each of the three science subjects at A Level. Schools ranged from having 49 hours of technician time to 148, averaging 84 hours of technician time per week.
Making comparisons is very difficult as there are a number of factors at play. Some schools may not carry out as many practicals, some may be poorly equipped so carrying out practicals requires considerable transportation, and some may have an inexperienced technician team who are finding their feet. It was noticeable that generally technicians were not required to do any admin, and that there was a notable split in that some technicians did photocopying. In the schools with more technician time, they did more photocopying. One school had a smart idea of using a school cleaner for 2 hours each afternoon to lighten the load.
On average, schools had 2.53 lessons per technician hour, ranging from 1.59 to 3.17.
If you want to add your own data, either edit the spreadsheet at the link above or if you're on a mobile device enter using the questionnaire at www.bit.ly/scitechsq (it doesn't automatically link to the other spreadsheet, so don't worry if you can't see what you've entered straight away).
As outlined above, it's difficult to draw conclusions because there are a number of factors at play. It is evident that there is a great range across different schools in terms of the technician hours provided. There are some variations with regards to admin and photocopying, which certainly contributes to how schools have managed the number of technicians that they employ.
Do we have the right balance? It appears to be school- and context-dependent. What works, works. However, what we need to do now as teams of science teachers and as technicians, is to find the most effective and efficient ways of making our students' education as exciting as we can. This might involve changes in the way we deal with admin, photocopying or ordering equipment. Maybe you feel truly understaffed and the data backs this up? Is it worth a pitch to the senior team to explain that students' education (and you and your staff's sanity) is at stake?
If you are a technician or are interested in discussing and debating ideas surrounding being a science technician in a school then get involved in the new #asetechs chat. It starts on Wednesday 5th November at 8pm for 30 minutes following and contributing on Twitter using the #asetechs. It will continue on the first Wednesday of each month. Click to find out more.
95 science, 5 Psychology, 63 Maths, 9 Health & social care and 26 PE lessons in the faculty. All 1 hour long. Obviously not all need as much preparation. But involved with stationary and laptop provision for all. We only have KS4 pupils on site here now. From today, 1 technician TTO.


One of the most common questions that I am asked at my Goalkeeper Coaching in Leeds classes is how to take a good Goal Kick.
Find a good level piece of the field to place the ball upon.
Place the ball in a way that gives you a target to kick, for example just under the name of the ball manufacturer.
Take a few steps back and get yourself into a positive mind set.
As you walk back try to find a target player to aim for.
These few tips should hopefully improve you or your goalkeepers distribution of the ball. It is really important that you practice, practice, and practice more. The more you practice the more comfortable you will feel with this aspect of your game.
When you start using this technique please down get down hearted if it doesn't go perfect straight away, as the more you practice the more precise the kicks will get and the more confident you will get with them.


A couple of questions for those that have one and have used it- if you have just a cigarette lighter plug on yours, do you plug it into your vehicle or into the 12v in the trailer to inflate the tires.
Does anyone know if you would be able to,plug a 12 volt inflator into a converter plug for 120 and it would work?
I'd like to have a dual voltage but if you could plug it into a 120v converter then that could work as well.
Any suggestions on which one/ type to buy?
I don't understand the question. The converter takes 120 V AC "shore" or campsite power and turns it into about 12 V DC to charge the battery and run everything that would otherwise be run by the battery. All "accessory" or "lighter socket" receptacles are 12 V DC , and all of them in the trailer are connected to the battery, and it doesn't matter much whether or not the converter is running (although the voltage will be a bit higher if the converter is on). So what would a "converter plug for 120" be; did you mean "inverter"?
If you're looking for an inflator which can run on either 12 V DC or 120 V AC... I can't think of one. Normally an inflator works with one voltage (because it would need an internal converter or inverter to be able to run on both); typically that's 12 V DC because that's typically what you have available in a vehicle, and if you're plugged into AC power you don't have to worry about running the 12 V battery down. You can buy an air compressor which runs on 120 V AC, but then you would only be able to use it when plugged into AC power, or by using the inverter (if you have one).
There is a huge range of quality - and cost - in 12 volt air compressors / inflators. You can get disposable junk for ten bucks, or serious hardware for a couple hundred.
Here's a post from a previous thread where a forum member was pleased with a dual AC/DC model. Reliable air compressor for tires. Several other models are mentioned within the tread.
Here's a post from a previous thread where a forum member was pleased with a dual AC/DC model. Reliable air compressor for tires.
Thanks, I missed that in the original discussion.
It appears that we don't get this product at Lowe's in Canada.
Several other models are mentioned within the tread.
I just read through the entire thread, and didn't see any other dual-voltage models mentioned - other than that specific Kobalt, they all list just one power source of 12-volt, battery powered, or 120 volt AC.
I've only used my inflator for my trailer tires. I have two pumps. One cost me less than $20 at Canadian Tire and the other was left in my vehicle after my daughter and friends went on a camping trip. They also left a tent and a sleeping bag and a couple jackets.
The air pumps are cheap, and they do get hot, but so far neither has failed. They are also much smaller and weigh much less than the Kobalt mentioned previously.
I have BCAA RV Plus and a Toyota roadside assistance for backup.
I carry both a 120v compressor in my truck as well as a 12v in my trailer. The 12v will operate best when directly connected to the battery.
I went with a Slime brand 2 cylinder. It is 12 volt and hooks to the battery directly. I went this route since the reviews said that most 12 volt plugs don't provide enough power. I find it provides a quick fill for the trailer tires. I won't leave home without it!
Choosing a compressor seems to be deciding on how long you are willing to wait to fill a tire. The bigger the tire the longer it'll take. The smaller lighter plug styles have a lower output, they also overheat quickly and will only run for a limited time before they need a break. The bigger 12v ones that hook directly to the battery put out more air and run longer before needing the same cool down time.
Having larger tires on the truck I opted for a higher output model. I've also never "had" to use it, but it makes me feel better when going off road or into remote areas.
... I just read through the entire thread, and didn't see any other dual-voltage models mentioned - other than that specific Kobalt, they all list just one power source of 12-volt, battery powered, or 120 volt AC.
Thanks for the replies, I will check the suggestions out.
I was also asking if you thought One could buy just a 12 volt compressor/ inflator and then connect it to a 12 volt adapter, such as you csn do with a 12volt cooler if you want to plug it into a wall socket electrical plug.


text:
Q: How to group g elements in D3? Say for example I have a g element that contains a rect and text :
var cells = innercanvas
.selectAll(".newcell")
.data(treemap)
.enter()
.append("g")
.attr("class", "newcell");

 cells
    .append("rect")
    .attr("x", function (d) {
      return d.x;
    })
    .attr("y", function (d) {
      return d.y;
    })
    .attr("id", "rectangle")
    .attr("width", function (d) {
      return d.dx;
    })
    .attr("height", function (d) {
      return d.dy;
    })
    .style("fill", function (d) {
      return d.children ? cfg.color(d.name) : 'none';
    })
    .attr("stroke", "#000000")
    .attr('pointer-events', 'all')

cells
.append("text")
.attr("x", function (d) {
  return d.x + d.dx / 2;
})
.attr("y", function (d) {
  return d.y + d.dy / 2;
})
.attr('dy', '.95em')
.attr("text-anchor", "middle")
.text(function (d) { return d.children ? d.name : null })

I want to add a parent g element that groups cells based on their common name. For example ,
var parent = d3.selectAll("cells").attr("groupBy",function(d){ return d.children? d.name : null;})

This is so that I can display the parent name as a header for these common cells.

A: Nodes don't have to be grouped together physically to be able to group them to apply a label or highlight them. At present, the code you are using produces a g element for each parent node, with a rect that provides the colour fill and a blank text element. The child nodes are then overlaid on this parent node with a black stroke along the edges and a text node with the country name.
If you want to be able to highlight all the elements that have the same parent and put a header on the element, you can do it a couple of ways:

*

*alter existing elements to show a header

*create an overlay with the same dimensions as the parent node to display a header
Altering existing elements
To be able to do this, we first need to be able to identify parent nodes and their children. One way to do this is by giving nodes classes according to their position in the hierarchy and their data content. Here's one possible way to do this:
var cells = innercanvas
.selectAll(".newcell")
.data(treemap)
.enter()
.append("g")
.attr("class", function (d,i) {
  return 'newcell _' + i       // i provides a unique identifier for each node
  + ' cell-level-' + d.depth   // cell-level-0 for root, cell-level-1, cell-level-2, etc
  + ( d.name ? ' ' + safe_name(d.name) : '' ) // if d.name exists, use the 'safe' version
  + ( ! d.children
    ? ' leaf'                  // d has no children => it's a leaf node
    : (d.depth === 0
      ? ' root'                // d.depth = 0 => it's the root node
      : ' internal '));        // has children, depth > 0 => internal node
})

// strips non-alphanumeric characters out of `name` strings, replaces with _
function safe_name (txt) {
  return txt.replace(/\W/g, '_');
}

The SVG g elements now look like this:

Now we can easily access the parent node for any country name c.name by using
d3.select('.internal.' + safe_name(c.name))

or (e.g.) the text elements of the leaf nodes for the country using
d3.selectAll('.leaf.' + safe_name(c.name) + ' text')

We can then use CSS to show or hide text elements, rect strokes, etc.; e.g.

var bool = false;
var toggle = d3.select('#toggle')
  .on('click', toggleSvg);

function toggleSvg() {
    bool = !bool;
    d3.selectAll('.Cyprus')
      .classed('highlightAll', bool);
}
.newcell text {
  font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
  font-size: 10px;
}

.newcell.leaf rect {
  stroke: #000;
  stroke-width: 0.5px;
}

.oversize {
  display: none;
}

.internal text {
  opacity: 0
}

.internal.highlightAll text {
  opacity: 1
}

.highlightAll.leaf rect {
  opacity: 0.1
}

.highlightAll.leaf text {
  opacity: 0
}

Toggle Cyprus highlighting

<svg width="186" height="77">
      <g transform="translate(-30.1234, -258.33)">
        <g class="newcell _2331 cell-level-1 Cyprus internal ">
          <rect x="30.123480134121516" y="258.33086334171067" width="185.81893466750355" height="76.6094615363257" style="fill: rgb(100, 200, 75);"></rect>
          <title>Cyprus</title>
          <text x="123.0329474678733" y="296.63559410987354" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">Cyprus</text>
        </g>
        <g class="newcell _2332 cell-level-2 Cyprus leaf">
          <rect x="40.12348013412152" y="268.33086334171067" width="31.51365155392795" height="23.97574841366901" style="fill: none;"></rect>
          <title>Cyprus</title>
          <text x="55.88030591108549" y="280.3187375485452" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle" class="oversize">Cyprus</text>
        </g>
        <g class="newcell _2333 cell-level-2 Cyprus leaf">
          <rect x="40.12348013412152" y="292.30661175537968" width="31.51365155392795" height="32.633713122656687" style="fill: none;"></rect>
          <title>Cyprus</title>
          <text x="55.88030591108549" y="308.62346831670802" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle" class="oversize">Cyprus</text>
        </g>
        <g class="newcell _2334 cell-level-2 Cyprus leaf">
          <rect x="71.637131688049465" y="268.33086334171067" width="55.48181226963859" height="56.60946153632569" style="fill: none;"></rect>
          <title>Cyprus</title>
          <text x="99.37803782286876" y="296.63559410987354" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">Cyprus</text>
        </g>
        <g class="newcell _2335 cell-level-2 Cyprus leaf">
          <rect x="127.11894395768805" y="268.33086334171067" width="78.823470843937" height="56.60946153632569" style="fill: none;"></rect>
          <title>Cyprus</title>
          <text x="166.53067937965655" y="296.63559410987354" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">Cyprus</text>
        </g>
      </g>
    </svg>

Creating an overlay
This will duplicate an existing parent node on top of the treemap.
Add a new g element to the treemap with rect and text nodes as children:
var highlightG = canvas.append('g')
    .attr("transform", "translate(" + cfg.margin.left + "," + cfg.margin.top + ")")
    .append('g')
    .classed('highlighter', true)
    .attr('opacity',0);
highlightG.append('rect');
highlightG.append('text');

We can use the data from an existing parent node to set the appropriate position and size for the rect element and the content for the text element.
var d = d3.select('.internal.Cyprus').datum();
highlightG.select('rect')
  .attr("x", d.x)
  .attr("y", d.y)
  .attr("width", d.dx)
  .attr("height", d.dy)

highlightG
  .select("text")
  .attr("x", d.x + d.dx / 2 )
  .attr("y", d.y + d.dy / 2 )
  .attr('dy', '.35em')
  .attr("text-anchor", "middle")
  .text(function () {
    return d.name;
  })

d3.select('.internal.Cyprus').property('__data__', {
depth: 1,
dx: 185.81893466750355,
dy: 76.6094615363257,
name: "Cyprus",
value: 446770,
x: 30.123480134121516,
y: 258.33086334171067
});
var opacity = 1;
var highlightG = d3.select('svg')
  .append('g')
  .attr("transform", "translate(-30.1234, -258.33)")
  .append('g')
  .classed('highlighter', true)
  .attr('opacity', 0);
highlightG.append('rect');
highlightG.append('text');

d3.select('#toggle')
  .on('click', function() {
    var d = d3.select('.internal.Cyprus').datum();
    highlightG.attr('opacity', opacity);
    highlightG.select('rect')
      .attr("x", d.x)
      .attr("y", d.y)
      .attr("width", d.dx)
      .attr("height", d.dy)

    highlightG
      .select("text")
      .attr("x", d.x + d.dx / 2)
      .attr("y", d.y + d.dy / 2)
      .attr('dy', '.35em')
      .attr("text-anchor", "middle")
      .text(function() {
        return d.name;
      })
    opacity = opacity ? 0 : 1;
  });
.newcell text {
  font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
  font-size: 10px;
}

.newcell.leaf rect {
  stroke: #000;
  stroke-width: 0.5px;
}

.oversize {
  display: none;
}

.internal text {
  opacity: 0
}

.highlighter rect {
  fill: #000;
  fill-opacity: 0.7;
  stroke: deepskyblue;
  stroke-width: 5px;
}
.highlighter text {
  fill: deepskyblue;
  opacity: 1
}

Activate Cyprus overlay

<svg width="186" height="77">
      <g transform="translate(-30.1234, -258.33)">
        <g class="newcell _2331 cell-level-1 Cyprus internal ">
          <rect x="30.123480134121516" y="258.33086334171067" width="185.81893466750355" height="76.6094615363257" style="fill: rgb(100, 200, 75);"></rect>
          <title>Cyprus</title>
          <text x="123.0329474678733" y="296.63559410987354" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">Cyprus</text>
        </g>
        <g class="newcell _2332 cell-level-2 Cyprus leaf">
          <rect x="40.12348013412152" y="268.33086334171067" width="31.51365155392795" height="23.97574841366901" style="fill: none;"></rect>
          <title>Cyprus</title>
          <text x="55.88030591108549" y="280.3187375485452" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle" class="oversize">Cyprus</text>
        </g>
        <g class="newcell _2333 cell-level-2 Cyprus leaf">
          <rect x="40.12348013412152" y="292.30661175537968" width="31.51365155392795" height="32.633713122656687" style="fill: none;"></rect>
          <title>Cyprus</title>
          <text x="55.88030591108549" y="308.62346831670802" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle" class="oversize">Cyprus</text>
        </g>
        <g class="newcell _2334 cell-level-2 Cyprus leaf">
          <rect x="71.637131688049465" y="268.33086334171067" width="55.48181226963859" height="56.60946153632569" style="fill: none;"></rect>
          <title>Cyprus</title>
          <text x="99.37803782286876" y="296.63559410987354" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">Cyprus</text>
        </g>
        <g class="newcell _2335 cell-level-2 Cyprus leaf">
          <rect x="127.11894395768805" y="268.33086334171067" width="78.823470843937" height="56.60946153632569" style="fill: none;"></rect>
          <title>Cyprus</title>
          <text x="166.53067937965655" y="296.63559410987354" dy=".35em" text-anchor="middle">Cyprus</text>
        </g>
      </g>
    </svg>

I've created a .block with more comprehensive versions of these options.
You should be able to find some combination of these that you can use for your purposes.


text:
require "omniauth/gigya/version"
require "omniauth/strategies/gigya"

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Since making this sacred vow, I have been guided on the most beautiful of adventures. I have been blessed with an abundance of opportunities to explore, dream, and discover the mystery and magic of Life. I have studied the ancient technologies of yoga on a tropical island, studied and drank tea with great masters and sages, meditated where the Buddha was said to have become enlightened, prayed for Peace with monks in ancient temples, and connected to the Sacred Lands of Avalon through ritual and ceremony.
Through all of these great moments I have been guided to the truth that all this time I have been the one holding the key to my own Heart. I have come to know myself as a strong, vulnerable, sensitive, magical, mysterious woman. A true spiritual seeker on a mission to allow Spirit to run my Life, and to help raise the vibration of Love on Planet Earth!
Miracles, magic, and synchronicities have become the signposts of my life and continue to now. I am rarely surprised anymore, but always humbled, with the serendipitous occurrences that abundantly flow to you when living a life committed to Service. It is with this understanding of a true Higher calling that I have stepped into this role fully.
Each day I ask for guidance and to be of the utmost service to this world. Each day I am putting in the work to see myself with more clarity. I welcome in the dark and pray that it be integrated and transformed into the Light.
I believe in taking a daily inventory of my actions & behaviors. I believe in doing whatever it takes to clear and release that places within that no longer serve. I believe in consistent self-care, and I believe in honoring myself by loving myself, no matter what I am going through.
I have always been on this mission, to illuminate Self and others. I am ready to serve this world in new and exciting ways, in whichever ways I am guided.
I am currently residing in St. Petersburg, Florida where I lead Sacred ceremonies, retreats, and offer Spiritual guidance and mentoring based on my own experiences and transformation to help awaken others to their Truth!


Build the deadliest handshake in the gym with these killer grip exercises.
You can't get pumped-up wrists the same way you get pecs and biceps, but there are plenty of compelling reasons to train your grip. Use this routine to get the paws of a grizzly bear.
DIRECTIONS: Include one of the following exercises at the end of each workout.
Place two same-size weight plates (think 35s) together so the smooth sides face out, and grip them with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other. Squeeze the plates together and lift them off the floor as though you were deadlifting. Hold them in front of your body at arm's length for time. Perform 3–5 sets. To make it even tougher, run some chain through the holes in the center of the plates and rotate your wrists. The chains will add weight and will swing when you twist your wrists, adding another element of challenge.


There has been a shakeup in the bidding group that is attempting to by the Chicago Stock Exchange.
In what appears to be a capitulation to the people who are against a foreign government or entity owning a US financial market exchange, CHX has filed a partial amendment to their rule filing with the SEC (link here) and has disclosed a new bidder list and ownership stake. The amendment includes an updated cap table from the multinational Chongqing Casin Enterprise Group for their proposed ownership stake in CHX.
As has been reported in recent weeks, certain investors have dropped out of the Chongqing Casin Enterprise Group, and CHX is now officially confirming those reports. Chinese companies Chongqing Jintian Industrial Co Ltd and Chongqing Longshang Decoration Co Ltd are both no longer involved in the transaction, while American entity Xian Tong Enterprises, Inc also dropped out of the ownership group.
The bidding group shakeup now means that American investors would own 71 percent of the exchange while Chinese investors would own a 29 percent stake, according to Drew Mauck, a spokesman for the exchange at 3Points Communications.
The Chinese entity, Chongqing Casin Enterprise Group Co., remains the lead investor through a subsidiary called North America Casin Holdings Inc.
Staff members at the SEC that were charged with examining the deal had originally endorsed the transaction back in August. However, more senior SEC commissioners deiced to step in and slow the purchase process and said they wanted an extended time period to consider the deal, which has been valued at $30 million.
The SEC said it would accept public comments about the proposal until Sept. 17.


The Seinäjoki Omena hotel is located in the city centre, near the railway station. All of the services you need, like shops, cafés, restaurants and bars, are located just a short walk away. For example, you can visit the Epstori shopping centre which is located just a stone's throw away from the hotel.


Threw this together pretty quickly today as they released the info on the new RM-Z 250s and I love Suzukis.
While this is a replica, it is not perfect as the model is modeled after a 450 and has air forks.
That's about it, have fun and let me know if y'all want the PSD.
I DONT ACTUALLY HAVE ANYTHING AGAINST SUZIKIS...ITS HONDAS THAT I HATE.
You cant really compare stock bikes to factory bikes that cost easily over twice as much to build and have been fine tuned for the rider almost perfectly. And there is a reason they have been at the bottom of every single shootout for the last few years. I do hope that they have got themselves together for this year though.
how does this make it a 2018 model?
BcMxKx37 wrote: how does this make it a 2018 model?
Well, i just have to say the only reasons Suzuki has those championships is because of carmichael and roczen. Two of the biggest names in this sport. And on other notes, you forgot to add that suzuki not only has the least power, its a hog. Its so heavy compared to the others.
DougBauer19 wrote: Well, i just have to say the only reasons Suzuki has those championships is because of carmichael and roczen. Two of the biggest names in this sport. And on other notes, you forgot to add that suzuki not only has the least power, its a hog. Its so heavy compared to the others.