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In the new Hellbent series by New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Penelope Douglas, discover six love stories–races, chases, adventure, and adrenaline. Get ready for the first book in the series, FALLS BOYS: You’ve met his father. Now meet Hawke. A standalone New Adult romance suitable for ages 18+.
(Hellbent, Book 1)
by Penelope Douglas
Digital Originals, March 2022
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)
“The kids are growing up—different from their parents but the same in so many ways…”
Hawken Trent. So polite. So sweet. Such an upstanding young man. A virgin, too, I hear. He never gets naughty with a girl. Probably because Jesus told him not to. And now here he is, trying to be the hero by protecting another girl from me. He calls me a bully. Irrational. Unreasonable. A criminal. He can call me anything he wants, I’ve heard worse. And he can try to stand between me and my money, but he’s never had to fight for food. That rich, clean, school boy doesn’t have what it takes.
I surprised her. You should’ve seen her face. Just because I don’t have a record, honey, doesn’t mean I’m clean. It just means I’m better at not getting caught. That is until I realize I might’ve actually gone too far this time. She’s there. I’m there. The scene of the crime. It’s dark. The police show up. We have no choice. We run. Down High Street, into Quinn’s bake shop, and I pull her through the entrance to the old speakeasy that everyone forgot was here decades ago. The door locks, the cops circle the building, never knowing we’re right here, and I’m hidden in plain sight, indefinitely, with someone’s who’s awful. Mean. Rough. Dirty. A thief. A delinquent. Until one night, lost in all of these rooms together, I don’t see any of those things anymore. She’s smart. Daring. Soft. Hot…
Everything’s changing. It’s this place. It does something to people. We have a silly urban legend in Shelburne Falls about mirrors. They’re a gateway. Don’t lean back into them. But we came through front first. I don’t care what the county records say. This was never a speakeasy. It’s Carnival Tower.
Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Their books have been translated into nineteen languages and include The Fall Away Series, The Devil’s Night Series, and the stand-alones, Misconduct, Punk 57, Birthday Girl, Credence, and Tryst Six Venom. They live in New England with their husband and daughter.
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23Jesus answered him, Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.
25 I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26But the Advocate,* the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. 27Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28You heard me say to you, I am going away, and I am coming to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.
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New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright © 1989, 1995 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. http://nrsvbibles.org
Enter another bible reference:
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This is great to ask a man some questions – especially since the only thing my husband writes down is hockey scores and/or items he wants on his pizza. He doesn’t have a creative bone in his body and I would love to pick your brain just for a few minutes (or a week – we’ll see how you get along)
What do you think inspired you to begin writing? What is it about literature that appeals to you – or do you consider romantic fiction to be literature? Would you say it’s harder or easier for a man to write romance? What about the sex scenes? I think it’s interesting how psychologists say women are more into feeling and men are more visual. Does this affect your writing – whether it be romantic or not? Does it make your descriptions more detailed, or more black and white?
Through the eyes of a reviewer – to write must be an interesting challenge. What do you take away from reading other people’s books? Do you wish to have your books reviewed, and if so, by whom? What I mean is would you rather just a Tom Dick or Harry (or Sally, Mary, Jane, whatever) to read it, or would you want a review site? Professional reviews or volunteers?
Let’s hear what you have to say because I’ll be the first to admit I don’t know anything about the writing or reviewing world – as I’ve never done either one.
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To begin with I made a card on my cameo silhouette for her, in the shape of a onesie, and I used another cute cute file to make the giraffe to decorate it and the word baby - suitable coloured in neutral yellow as she doesn't yet know if she's having girl or a boy.
The silhouette came into play again to make this super cute favor box which I used to hold the money we collected for her - we were going for a gift card, but given the number of stores going into liquidation we thought that the folding gift vouchers exchangeable at any store were a much safer option ;-) She didn't know what she wanted to get so at least now she can choose stuff she really needs. I stamped some decorative panels on 3 sides and on the onesie on top, stamped a sentiment on the front (Waltzingmouse Compact Sentiments) and then wrapped all around it with some dotted washi tape.
Finally, with some of the collection, I made her something fun and just a little bit larger than a tiny box to make her gift presentation a little more impressive! I'd seen these nappy cakes online and thought they looked like lots of fun and not that difficult to make - here's the finished article - both in its wrapped and unwrapped form.
It was quite easy to make - although rolling 130+ nappies into tight rolls took a little longer than anticipated and I had to run out for extra packs when I ran out half way through the 2nd tier!
The "cake" is filled with lots of useful baby products - talc, wipes, shampoo and a few little mummy toiletries too. You simply tape your tallest items into the middle and then you need a lot of elastic bands and it's then just a case of adding lots of your rolled up nappies until you get nice round tiers of "cake" Here's an in progress shot of the bottom two tiers. I wrapped some bibs around the the baby cream to make the centre of the top 2 tiers nice and round.
The "roses" which decorate the cake are actually just individual baby socks, rolled up and wrapped with a green pipe cleaner with a die cut felt leaf. The pink and green "baby" words are actually white chocolate lollies I made just by melting some white chocolate and adding food colouring into shop bought molds.
And here is a shot of the happy Mum-to-Be being surprised in our reception with her cake - she loved it although was a little disappointed when she realised it wasn't entirely edible ;-)
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It's all a matter of perspective mr Brown the system was vandalised before National was in power, look at facts we have being sliding down the rankings for the last twenty years it's just that that the previous government made no difference .
Clearly our philosophies are different but I suspect we want to see the same result,has it ever occurred to you there is more than one way to get to the same answer . -
At the risk of swimming against the tide here......oh well it's a democracy,our education system is slowly (maybe quite quickly) but surely slipping down the OECD ranks and if you keep doing the same things the same things happen.
We are losing a whole lot of kids through the cracks ,yes their parents should step up first but that is not and will not happen for many kids today or tommorrow.So for Gods sake what is wrong with trying something new to try to see if there is another way to help these kids.
It's not as though we are turning every school into a charter school I went to the lowest decile college and have made it out the other side but many of my mates didn't many went to jail or are not here any more.i look at them and ask if it would it have been better under a charter or partnership school program and the answer is maybe but we won't know unless we try something new.It is about time this was about the kids not the teachers or more importantly the union lets see if we can make a difference to some of those kids rather than blocking every bit of change that is introduced.
No one is setting out to reduce the quality of the system I have faith that everyone is trying to get us to a better place our system is failing some kids lets try something new at least in a limited way.
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Meritor Motorsports Update
Paul Noakes and the Meritor Motorsports TAFC racing team continue to mix it up on the NHRA Lucas Oil Divisional trail this summer. Here is the latest on that London Ontario-based team’s standings posted by Jay Johnston….
After completing seven of our ten scheduled races for this season we are #15 in the National point standings and #7 in the Divisional points. This is not what we had expected, we ended last year on such a high note it was just assumed we would pick up where we left off. Things did start out on a positive note but as of late it has all turned south for us.
The Columbus Ohio Divisional event started out with a Paul and I visiting the Newark Axle Assembly plant of Meritor for a day of meeting the employees and showing off the car. It was a great experience that reinforced the value Meritor Motor Sports brings to the brand. Over 500 tickets we distributed between the Newark and Florence facilities and if the weather cooperated the turn out at the track would be great.
After packing up Paul and I headed out to the track where NHRA had saved us a great pit space which would give all the Meritor people who attended the race easy access to us. As I mentioned before it was now up to the weather to make this a great weekend for everyone connected to Meritor Motor Sports. Unfortunately mother nature was not really looking to make this anything but a weather weekend. Hot and humid along with intense thunderstorms was what we got and only the truly committed fan was willing to come out. We finally got our first of two (rain shortened) qualifiers in Friday night. We were in second place when it was all over posting a 5.85 second elapsed time at 252 m.p.h. We knew that that would not be good enough to keep us in the top half of the field but with the rain settling, in a second shot at the track was a long shot and having all three session next to impossible.
The rain let up enough on Saturday to get a second session in but this did not help us as the right lane could not hold all our power. We missed on the setup of the car and the resulting shake forced Paul to abort the run. When it was all said and done our Friday number got us the #6 spot and because of it we did not have lane choice. On the bright side the car did not suffer any major injury and our evening service was very routine.
Sunday rolled around again with changing weather conditions and that big question mark of could we get down the right lane. Very few good times were made in the right lane and we knew that was where we would be put by our first round opponent. Lance Van Hallen did indeed put us in the right lane, I’m sure he wanted every advantage he could get on us because if we got the tune up right, Paul and his starting line ability makes the Meritor Hotrod a tough race. Paul did his job and left first with a .023 reaction time to Lance’s .119 and for 200 feet the race was ours. 200 ft. is not a full drag race, again the car shook so hard that it deployed the fire bottles, popped the chutes and shut the car down. Another miss on the tune up, our race was over. Back to the computer to find out just what we are missing and then pack everything up for that long drive home.
On a positive note Marty Hetherington (marketing manager) of Meritor joined us for the weekend and had a fine experience at the track. It was not what we wanted for his first time but now he has a very good understanding of the sport, commitment necessary and the thrillers it offers. Andy Bohl the #1 qualifier at the event ended up the winner posting the lowest elapsed time of each round of eliminations as he scored his second event win of the season. He has a firm hold on the #1 position in the North Central Division for this year.
Our next event is Bowling Green Kentucky Aug 23-25 and by then we will have our answers.
DragRaceCanada File Photo
Posted by: Jay Johnston
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Monday February 03, 2020
Movie Review: 1917 (2019)
Sam Mendes’ “single shot” conceit lends a dreamlike quality to the movie, doesn’t it? That sense, in a dream, when you’re in one place and you turn and you’re in another? One setting falls away for the next without explanation.
Here, because the camera follows our protagonists, Lance Corporal Schofield (George MacKay of “Captain Fantastic”) and Lance Corporal Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman, Joffrey’s kid brother on “Game of Thrones”), in their journey to call off a British attack and save 1600 men, we’re following them every step of the way, so we don’t have the cuts and fade outs from one scene to the next. They walk 100 yards or so and they’re in the next setting. Sometimes they don’t even have to walk. When Blake is stabbed in the stomach by the German pilot, and Schofield is holding him as he dies, Schofield is alone, horribly alone. Then two soldiers suddenly appear and help him move the body. As they do this, we see more men, and then the camera pans back and we see an entire regiment. When did they arrive? How did we not hear them coming?
Schofield goes with them until their vehicles can’t get past a bombed-out bridge near Ecoust-Saint-Mein; but Schofield can. He says goodbye, climbs onto the remains of the bridge, and makes it halfway across when a German sniper on the other side starts shooting at him. So the men in the regiment return fire. Kidding. Schofield has gone maybe 50 feet, in maybe 30 seconds, but the regiment is already gone. That part of the dream is over. He’s alone again. Horribly alone.
A river runs through it
It’s a shame the way awards season is set up. We hear about critically acclaimed movies a zillion times before we have the chance to see them, so we go in with high hopes. I saw “1917” last week with my wife, knowing it won the PGA for best film, and the DGA for best film, making it the frontrunner to the win the Oscar for best film. Afterwards, we looked at each other and went, “It’s good.” Long pause. “But...”
It’s a directing feat more than anything. The nonstop quality means we’re on the edge of our seat for most of the film. There’s breathers in the dialogue but then the dialogue goes, too.
Why these two for the mission? Blake is chosen because his brother is in the battalion that might get slaughtered, and he picks his mate before he knows how perilous the assignment is. Why just two for the mission? The man who sends them, Gen. Erinmore (Colin Firth), quotes Rudyard Kipling: “Down to Gehenna or up to the Throne, He travels the fastest who travels alone.”
Me: But they’re not alone; they’re together.
Me, a beat later: But you need two people on screen. For dialogue.
Initially, in silence, they traverse the grim realities of No Man’s Land, where the unclaimed corpses of man and beast lie rotting; then they jump into the German trenches, which are abandoned, and—hey!—so much nicer than ours. The trench is also boobytrapped, which Schofield spots; but a rat, a literal rat, trips the wire, the place caves in, and Blake saves Schofield. It’s the opposite of what we think will happen. Schofield is taller, leaner and braver; he’s already got the medal that Blake envies but he thought so little of it he traded it for a bottle of wine. But here it’s Blake to the rescue.
Then it’s onto the farmhouse, which after some suspense they determine to be abandoned, and where, with detached interest, they watch an aerial dogfight between two Brits and a German. The German, outnumbered, goes down smoking, and ... is it coming this way? No. YES! Inexplicably, after he barrels into a barn, they rescue the pilot and debate whether or not to mercy kill him. Why not just kill him? He's the enemy. Instead, he kills Blake while Schofield is fetching water.
Me: I guess you don’t need two people on the screen for dialogue.
But, of course, even as Schofield retreats into silence, an entire regiment arrives, gabbing away. Before, the mission was to save not only the 1600 but Blake’s brother. Now it’s also to make sure Blake didn’t die in vain.
Is the second half of the movie a bit much? After Schofield kills the sniper but falls back down the stairs and knocks himself out? The shots of—is it a village?—are eerie, masterful, and reminiscent of the Do Lung Bridge sequence in “Apocalypse Now,” but the whole thing gets both surreal and unreal. Schofield is fired upon, ducks into a basement where he comes across a pretty Frenchwoman and a baby—but not her baby. He leaves them food. To escape a drunk German soldier, he ducks behind a pillar, only to come face-to-face with a young, sober German soldier, whom he chokes to death. The drunk tries to shoot him, several others give chase, so Schofield jumps into a raging river, down a waterfall, pulls himself up over a dozen, rotting, soggy corpses, walks in a daze through the woods, and plops himself down among a regiment listening to one of their own singing a high, plaintive, mournful song.
Guess what? It’s the battalion he’s looking for. That’s how he finds them.
We should all get swept along such rivers.
There’s a few such false notes in the film, and the entire “single shot” (which isn’t a single shot) conceit creates a veneer of same for me. It felt too gimmicky for the surroundings. The casting of the officers was a gimmick itself. Our boys are tasked by Mr. Darcy, pointed in the right direction by the Hot Priest, given a lift by Merlin, so Schofield can deliver the message to Sherlock Holmes in order to save Robb Stark. It’s Masterpiece Theater. Nice, anyway, that the Starks and Lannisters are not only getting along, they’re now related.
“1917” is based on Mendes’ recollections of the recollections of his grandfather, who fought in the Great War. I like how it begins and ends with Schofield dozing under a tree. I wanted to like it more.
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Expect the unexpected!
As suggested by my host in Alembon the day before, 8:00am I was downstairs for breakfast. Got to taste all the home made compote she does and home baked cake as well.
After breakfast I started packing. I confess, this is one of my weak points and something I definitely need to get better at. The Camino de Santiago has taught me a few lessons last year, which I seemed to have forgotten, but the Via Francigena is being quick at reminding me of them.
Before I left home I packed everything according to item type, e.g. clothes and footwear all in one pannier, electronics in another, 1st aid kit and items of personal hygiene in another and so on…
The thing is, when you are on the move and need something you don’t want to be opening several different panniers to get items you may need. The lesson I learned on the Camino was to pack a pannier with the most likely things you are going to need during the day (in the case of the Camino I packed it in a rucksack, as I had only 2 panniers then, where I now have 4), so you’ll only need to open one bag during the day, unless something out of the ordinary happens, which is not uncommon. I am, therefore, attempting to change the packing accordingly and moved several items around the panniers.
When I finished packing everything (took me about 25 min… yes, I am slow) brought everything downstairs, where the bike was, and started to load them in the bike. About 15 min later, when all panniers and the camping bag were loaded and fastened, I realised I was missing my Cateye cycling computer, which I thought I had placed in the handlebar bag together with the Garmin Edge 810. It wasn’t there. Went back to the room and searched everywhere as I knew I had it the day before… couldn’t find it. There was only one option left: Search in the panniers, which, as I mentioned before, were already loaded in the bike. I’ll give you one chance to guess if it was in the 1st pannier or in the last. Did you guess? Of course it was in the last. It must have fallen in the pannier as I was rearranging the packing. Altogether, I literally spend 1h looking for the damn thing. That meant I left the B&B only around 11:30am. For a pilgrim this is almost time of arrival, not time of departure. Anyway… need to give no excuses to anyone as I am alone, but it was a bit stressful. My own fault.
From Alembon I rode to Licques, where I managed to get a stamp from a water park there, as everything else was closed. Then to Tournehem-sur-la-Hem, where there was also nothing open. Not to say nothing, the church was open, but there was no one in it. From Tournehem my next destination was Thérouanne, where, according to my host the day before, there was a pilgrim’s hostel, but… everything was closed. I wasn’t planning to stay there anyway, as I wanted to ride more, so I rode further to Amettes where there is another hostel with special rates for pilgrims (€13/night). Guess what? Closed!
In all the villages I rode through everything was closed. Even the petrol stations were closed. if I wanted to setup camp somewhere I would have to go hungry as I couldn’t find anything open to buy food. I also couldn’t get any stamps on my Pilgrim’s credential which, upon arrival in Rome, is the document you have to show.
So I decided to continue riding to Bruay-la-Buissière as I knew it was a bigger town and there was bound to be something open. As I got there I asked several people about “auberges” or hotels but I couldn’t find any near, so I turned to Google which offered me a few, with one of the cheapest being the Ibis Style in the outskirts of town. Had to ride another 4 or 5 Km to get there and the daily rate wasn’t the €53 Google suggested, but €69 with Breakfast. By that point it was late and I was too tired to go searching for something cheaper, so that is where I stayed. The room was great and the hotel was near several restaurants. Had a really good meal at the 3 Les 3 Brasseurs.
When I left Alembon in the morning, the day was a bit unsettled and that made me forget to pass on the sunscreen on my skin. I live in the UK, so this is something we use very little there 🙂
The sunscreen was on the bottom of one of my panniers, which I really didn’t want to take off the bike again. The result was a really bad sun burn and fever at night which made for an uncomfortable night. I should have stopped to get the sunscreen… lesson number… ? (who’s counting anyway).
Well, that was it. I’m attaching a few pictures to this “post by email” which I hope will be self-explanatory. If you have any questions, just drop me a comment.
Before I close the post, have you made your donation to Mind UK, which is the charity I am sponsoring during this ride? Common, 20 quid will not be much at the end of the month and it’s all for a good cause.
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The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer.
It’s a chance to share News. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.
What happened this week?
This week was okay. We’re still dealing with the mosquito issue and no progress this week, we’re still finding a few every day with some days being worse. I got my period migraine later in the week, the meds worked decently this time and I didn’t feel as bad as most months, so that was nice. Although I wish what caused it as I didn’t do anything else than normally.
I had an exciting formatting task to work on this week, one of my authors asked me to format an anthology. So that was fun, it was a bit short notice so I had to get most of it done this week, but luckily I managed that. I also did some work for another author, updating her books with new covers and blurbs on Goodreads.
What did I read this week?
Heartwaves was a 5 star read, really good book with super realistic and real characters.
Monster’s Past was a good one by a familiar author with cute banter between the couple.
Back to Belfast sadly didn’t work for me and wasn’t what I had expected.
This week I blogged about:
What to expect next week on the blog:
– Review: A Picture of Murder by T.E. Kinsey
– Review: Awakenings by Claudia Arseneault
– Review: A Fondant Farewell by H.Y. Hanna
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I always believe happiness will be gathered if we make others happy first. Seeing others succeed in life because of ourselves, will create contentment and satisfaction in our heart. Many who asked me where I get my motivation and energy everyday to be cheerful and happy. I told them it is easy. As long as you are willing to give outwardly, the world in return will give you the happiness and energy of life back naturally.
This was how I started my day to cheer a friend who is suffering from cancer and is on treatment currently. I sent Amrit a message while on the early run in my car, "My dear, how are you lately? Please be strong and have a strong mindset. I am sure you will make it. Please read my blog under this title, 'An ounce of courage to remove ton of distress'. It will help to build your strength." She replied, "Thanks uncle. By the way, I spend one hour reading your blog site. Very motivating. Thank you."
I received another message from a new friend whom I still have not met yet. The telemarketing executive from Citibank whom I had motivated about two weeks ago. I pushed him an extra mile to learn something more for himself. His message, "Blessed day, Robert I sell more effectively and more confident after I've spoken with you. Thank you Sir - Daniel Citibank."
I had a morning talk with our branch office. Sharing the title, 'Agent Philosophy' to some young agents I had not met before. Later in the afternoon, one of them sent me this message, "Hi Robert. Sim here. Thanks for your today great sharing with us. Many of your points are part of my life which is happening now. Hopefully I can achieve like you one day."
Thank you Amrit, Daniel and Sim. Your messages gave me strength. Although they were just text message in words, they created values and hopes for me. These are the little thought and appreciation which could motivate a person, including myself. If I had not started to think for them first, these positive force would not have gathered. Their sweet words really made my day and I am sure there will be more to come tomorrow. Don't wait for something to happen, rather make something interesting happen and you would be amazed how powerful they are.
I received this lovely phrase from Zarina who cares, "Sweet words are easy to say; sweet things are easy to buy; but sweet people are difficult to find."
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Breastfeeding is fantastic in terms of feeding and bonding along with your child, however it takes a toll that is negative the areas you will ever have. For instance, intercourse. Exactly What had previously been an enjoyable task for both you and your partner might be feel uncomfortable or perhaps downright awful if you are breastfeeding. Before you give up sex forever (or until your kid is not breastfeeding anymore), understand that it’s completely normal and, in many instances, it could be fixed. So just why does breastfeeding make sex hurt? Blame your lovely hormones.
„Breastfeeding makes your estrogen amounts plummet in the very very first 48 hours after pregnancy,“ Dr. Sherry A. Ross, composer of She-ology: The Definitive help guide to Womens Intimate wellness. Period informs Romper in a job interview. She claims it really is great deal like menopause, filled with hot flashes and drench-your-pajamas-sweat. „Hormonal chaos hot ukrainian brides has begun that reduces your estrogen amounts while elevating your prolactin amounts, (prolactin being the hormone that promotes milk production) which ready your human anatomy for breastfeeding.“ This razor-sharp plunge in estrogen after delivery straight away causes your vagina to be thinner, less elastic, inflamed, and much more susceptible to damage, in accordance with Healthline. Also, „there is less blood circulation to your vagina, causing a decrease in vaginal lubrication,“ Ross describes. „Dryness, discomfort, burning, irritation, painful urination and painful sexual intercourse are typical signs.“ once more this might seem like a terrible side effects of breastfeeding, but it is not really uncommon (nor hopeless).
Lots of women encounter discomfort during sex while nursing, but as a result of social taboos this hasn’t been talked about the maximum amount of as yet.
Fortunately more ladies are talking up and talking for their physicians about this. At six weeks postpartum „its reported that 50 to 60 % of females suffer with painful intercourse, and a 3rd of females continues to have signs 3 months after distribution,“ Ross claims. To repeat, this is certainly roughly 1 / 2 of postpartum ladies pain that is experiencing sex. Ross claims painful sexual intercourse, clinically referred to as dyspareunia, can occur to breastfeeding ladies and ladies who choose to not breastfeed (although on a smaller level). It is all area of the postpartum package.
Numerous nursing females might find they are mostly during the mercy of haywire hormones, however, that does not suggest there is nothing they could do. Just a little lube can get a way that is long. „as time passes, persistence and only a little KY jelly, the real and emotional challenges of nursing and low estrogen will surely enhance,“ Ross states.
Also, both you and your partner might consider using a rest from intercourse and attempting once again if you are experiencing better.
Your spouse should comprehend if you communicate in their mind the manner in which you’re experiencing. Or, you could find pleasure in non-penetrative intercourse and brand new positions. It can not harm to explore (but you should if it hurts, stop what you’re doing making improvements).
Simply because sex hurts now does not mean it shall forever. As you can plainly see, painful sex while nursing is extremely normal and absolutely nothing become ashamed of. Fundamentally, in 2010 in your life will pass and you also will manage to experience pleasure along with your partner once more. Playing the body being gentle with your self goes a considerable ways towards your real and psychological data data recovery following son or daughter delivery.
How exactly to have legit phone that is good that’s not cringe
It generally does not need to be like in almost every cheesy film scene.
Unless you’re a real phone intercourse operator, phone intercourse may be feel just like a frightening and daunting move to make. But, it is also a fantastic and element that is fun your sex-life. Plenty of couples lose out since they don’t need to get it incorrect, which will be reasonable. It really is a fairly vulnerable place to maintain.
Intercourse expert Annabelle Knight describes you could have good (rather than cringy) phone intercourse, here is how.
Mobile sex recommendations
1. Clear your diary
First things first, you will need to set the date. You can find fewer things even even even worse than being half means through depicting scenarios that are sexy your housemate banging from the home and asking to borrow the new top.
Ensure that enough time you decide on would work both for of you, if that means needing to wait some time then have patience, the hold off will simply result in the launch even sweeter.
2. Arrange ahead
As soon as you’ve set the date it is vital in order to make sure you’re ready. Zooming in from work will do absolutely nothing for the phone intercourse session. My advice would be to just simply just take some time upfront to ‘prep.’
Do whatever get’s you within the mood, candle-lit bubble bath, cup of wine, some fiction that is erotic? Do whatever it really is which makes you’re feeling sexy.
3. Dress when it comes to event
Despite just getting your partner’s vocals to be on and the other way around, it is an idea that is good try together with your look, maybe not with regards to their advantage, but also for yours.
Experiencing as if you look amazing provides the psychological confidence improve to get the excess mile during phone intercourse.
4. Drive the ship out
Mobile intercourse may be the perfect time and energy to produce brand new and exciting situations: your imagination usually takes you all over the world. Then phone sex is the time to embrace those ideas if there’s a little sexual something that you’ve always wanted to try. Don’t be frightened to touch and talk.
Possibly introduce some sex toys in to the conversation. There are many toys that are great run by apps like the We Vibe Sync, therefore you can get a handle on the way they work from reverse edges worldwide.
Telling your lover just what it’s you’re doing to your self is a complete must for brain blowing phone intercourse, then practice makes perfect if that’s something that you find a little daunting. Start small and work the right path up as your self- confidence grows.
5. Dirty talk calls for dirty terms
Here is the component the essential individuals fight with, utilizing language that you’dn’t normally usage can feel alien from the tongue, and that can prevent the standard of your phone sex session.
It is another situation of practice makes perfect. Once more, beginning little will surely assist. Fundamentally this is actually the opportunity that is perfect one to hone your dirty talk abilities.
6. Have an orgasm
Appears right that is obvious? However for a lot of partners it is an important element that|element that is key often gets missed out. The orgasm could be the cherry from the phone intercourse dessert. It finishes down your session completely, and implies that whenever you revisit and sometimes even get once more you have got something to strive for.
Follow these easy steps and you’re set for call after call of unforgettable phone intercourse going to help keep you going unless you will enjoy the deal that is real.
Annabelle Knight has her very own array of intercourse toys with Lovehoney. Follow her on Twitter.
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May 19, 2025
OPEN LETTER TO MEDIA
RE: Our Broken System Involving Juvenile Probation
*I encourage the media to look into these concerns and feel free to share the information that I’m stating and the frustration with detaining juveniles and Probation detention*
This past weekend the Stanton County Sheriff’s office was dispatched to a disturbance call involving a 14 year old female who is on probation and caused a disturbance in the rural family home to the point that her mother was so concerned with her safety that she locked/barricaded herself into her bedroom away from her daughter. The response by the Sheriff’s office was immediate and swift and upon arrival the 14 year old was taken into custody for being an Uncontrollable Juvenile and Disturbing the Peace (A jailable offense for all adults). She was detained and transported to the Sheriff’s office where state probation was contacted and required to do an intake on the juvenile and this specific situation. Again the 14 year old is already on probation for similar behavior and her actions have led to multiple law enforcement responses by the Sheriff’s office.
It should be noted that no juvenile can be incarcerated without the permission or approval of the probation office prior to an actual custodial hearing by a judge held days later. Therefore, whatever they decide we are stuck with. On this occasion it was determined the juvenile female would not be detained and therefore was to be released. At this time, she was taken home by a probation representative to the same house her mother feared for her life and called 911 for help. Our hands are tied because our Nebraska state legislature believes it knows best as to when juveniles can be detained in a juvenile facility. I would love to mention multiple incidents involving the same inability to detain and house dangerous juveniles within Stanton County and Northeast Nebraska, but I cannot because all juvenile records are sealed by the court after adjudication.
The problem is simple the “System is Broken” and needs to be addressed sooner than later by those that can make a difference. Law Enforcement officers for the most part are not a trained social worker or counselor, yet we are doing the best we can with the abilities we have and then only watch with frustration as the problem is sent home to where the problem often lies. You have 11 year olds recently involved in homicides in our larger Nebraska cities and they can’t even be charged or detained and are often sent home to parents that can’t or won’t take responsibility for them. I just don’t think the public realizes this issue and how large a problem it has become for every law enforcement agency in the state, no matter the size of the agency. Someone has to be responsible and often it’s only the fear of media attention that gets things done. I have threatened many news conferences to get immediate action and it usually gets something positive done immediately. I have been doing this job for 41 plus years in Nebraska and we used to be able to detain and jail juveniles as needed and it worked. Now we have no say and most agencies don’t even call probation anymore as they know the answer and don’t want to waste more of their valuable time.
Most probation officers that we deal with do a great job in a very difficult profession and they only get to play the cards dealt to them by those in Lincoln. Everyone deserves second chances, but giving problem kids and adults multiple chances and committing violation after violation before something more is done to correct their behavior is not the answer. As a steward of Stanton County funds, I don’t like to spend more than $200.00 a day sometimes to house a juvenile offender. But, sometimes you have to swallow hard to protect the community we serve. Another incident this weekend in Stanton also shows the ill-effect of Probation. A 31 year old male from Lincoln, had recently moved there from California after his prison release. He shows up in Stanton completely under the influence of methamphetamine and extremely paranoid. After contact with the Sheriff’s office he was transported by Norfolk Fire EMS to the Norfolk hospital where he refused treatment and caused another disturbance at that location. He also was on probation and when contacted about him, his PO seemed less than concerned and he wasn’t in Lincoln anymore. I believe the public needs to know these incidents happen all the time and maybe they just don’t care about that our “Broken System”!
I believe from my own youth and being a parent and grandparent that kids know right from wrong at fairly early ages and that consequences occur when you don’t act appropriately or follow rules no matter the size and development of your brain. The nuns and priest in my youth had no problem getting that point across and I thank them every day for helping me realize obeying the rules and law gets you a lot farther in life.
Michael S. Unger Stanton County Sheriff
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Food Inc. should be on everyone’s must see list. This documentary about how our food is produced in America is as startling as it is enlightening. This is a movie that will scare you more than a Friday the 13th marathon or the prospect of sitting through a Celine Dion concert.
The hypocrisy of our food producers are laid bare; they advertise “farm fresh,” but what we’re really consuming is generated at a place more akin to a factory assembly line. And the factory isn’t pretty. Cows, pigs and chickens are bred in such close quarters that they’re walking around in their own excrement. They’re cleaned at the slaughterhouse, but living a life of spending your days in their own feces seems to reveal why cases of e. coli and salmonella have risen so much over the years. If an infected cow is taking a dump at the feet of non-infected cows, it’s no surprise that infection spreads.
It will also make you look at hamburgers in a while new light. According to the movie, a single hamburger patty can have the meat of 1,000 cows in it, any of which might be infected with something. 1,000 cows! This didn’t scare me into becoming a vegetarian, but I might look a little more leery at my hamburger next time I’m at 5 Guys.
Another startling piece of information learned from watching Food Inc. is just how big a part corn plays in our food consumption. Corn, or a derivative of it, is used someway in about 90% of what you’ll find on your supermarket shelves. The main reason for this is that corn is subsidized to the point that it’s cheaper to buy it than it is to produce it. Corn is the main ingredient used in the feed of not only our livestock, but now also in farmed fish. When you get down to it, we’re becoming corn.
Like the previous night’s movie District 9, Food Inc. shows that when left unregulated by the government, big corporations show little care for human safety or livelihood when dollars are to be made.
But Food Inc. exists not to scare us, but to educate us. The producers do a good job of showing alternatives to the food-factory system. Organic yogurt giant Stonyfield and small scale more naturally oriented livestock farmers are given a chance to show their alternatives to the big, corporate system…even though Stonyfield is now part of the big, corporate system.
A final reason to see Food Inc.: Bruce Springsteen’s cover of This Land is Your Land plays during the closing credits. Alright, maybe that’s not a reason to see it, but it’s a nice bonus at the end.
Food Inc. continues Oscar week here at Tuesday Night Movies. It’s nominated for Best Documentary this year. I haven’t seen the other movies in that category, but this one is great, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it wins on Sunday.
Go out and rent Food Inc. If you have Netflix, it’s available for instant streaming. Just eat before you watch Food Inc., because you might not want to afterwards.
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Left is dinner rolls without any steam in the oven (forgot to put a cup of hot water in the preheated
Right with steam, but still undercooked.
Been making bread and pizza shells every day for a week and took a couple days off. This dough recipe makes a dense crumb. I have tried diff amounts of letting it rise, but it is usually the same. It is really close to sourdough in so many ways, but not sour. When I get a good crust on it it is really good.
We got more books and I have gotten a bit of read on. Theresa got Alton’s one about baking. Gave up soda, but eat a lot of bread and butter now. I call it a draw.
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Last week, we looked at whether some traits are more important than others in becoming and being a leader. In this context, I promised that I will share with you a list of recommendations distilled from my own experiences.
I also took into consideration suggestions received from the women that I had interviewed for my books. These are successful women in leadership positions in different fields of activity from Luxembourg and the Greater Region.
You will find below the first five pieces of advice which are worthy of your attention if you wish to enhance your visibility and be appointed to leadership positions. Of course, some advice will resonate more with you and some less. It is important to note that while writing these pieces of advice I thought specifically about our challenges as women, our needs and leadership experiences, all the time taking into account the stories that I had heard during these last fifteen years. In addition, I believe that most (if not all) of this advice applies to men, too.
- 1. Choose your own unique road through life and make a difference to the world.
Try to become not a man of success but rather to become a man of value. (Albert Einstein)
My first advice is to focus on finding out how you can make a difference in your life, your company, your family and friends’ lives, instead of just chasing one or another position within your organisation. Commit yourself to living a life that makes a real contribution - a meaningful life. Be ready to make choices, and take ownership of your choices and desires, because whether or not you succeed in your career and in your life depends on you.
Take for instance, Monica Jonsson, who decided back in 2002 to leave behind a very successful twenty-year corporate career working in Sweden, Hong Kong and Luxembourg. She chose instead to be a pioneer and create the first coaching company in Luxembourg, CoachDynamix. Why? Because she wanted to make a real difference on a human level, and not only chase after quarterly revenue targets. Nowadays, she feels blessed to have a profession that she really loves doing and that gives her a sense of purpose, joy and fulfillment. This is also what Stephen R. Covey recommends in “The 8thHabit. From Effectiveness to Greatness”, when he talks about two possible roads in life: one to mediocrity and one to greatness and meaning, pointing out that each and every one of us can choose which road in life to take: starting by choosing between having a good day or having a great one.
- 2. Find what makes you happy.
The importance of introspection. Analyse what you want, what your ambitions are and what makes you happy. “Happiness is found through who we are and not by what we do or what we have.” Therefore, it is important as a woman to explore who you are and what you feel passionate about, which in turn will allow you to find out what makes you happy. Many women admit that they spend the majority of their lives trying to make those around them happy: children, parents, partners, colleagues, and so on. However, ensuring the happiness of those around you is also linked to your own happiness. Therefore, you need to make yourself happy first, and put yourself first in life without being constrained by feelings of guilt. Some women dream about high responsibility jobs, making a lot of money, having power and prestige, being respected and having opportunities to control budgets and resources, as well as helping others grow. Other women dream about more free time for themselves and/or their families and are ready to sacrifice opportunities for advancement or trade them in the short-term. An old Romanian proverb puts it in a very simple way: “Think twice of what you ask God for. He might give it to you…”
Indeed, understanding and accepting yourself will help you plan your future the way you want and help you feel happier with your choices. When Dr. Friedman teaches his Total Leadership concept he recommends that you start by thinking and writing about your core values, your leadership vision, and the current alignment of your actions and values. He suggests that you talk to peer coaches to get the whole picture about who you truly are. “Why peer coaches? Because an outside perspective provides a sounding board for your ideas and your challenges. It gives you a fresh way to see the possibilities for innovation and helps hold you accountable to your commitments.”
- 3. Find your place.
To be effective in an organisation, your values must be compatible with the organisation’s values, and there should be an environment in which you feel you make a contribution; you are not just a number, but you truly contribute to a higher purpose. Find your place in your company, be part of a team that trusts you, and have a manager who believes in you. It is important to work under and with people who have strong professional ethics and are not manipulative, e.g. blocking your career progress in order to take all the credit for themselves. If you find yourself in this position and you don’t feel comfortable in your team, department and/or organisation, don’t hesitate too long in searching for new opportunities, either internally or with other companies. I have talked to numerous women, especially in the financial sector who, despite their efforts in doing their jobs very well and having the necessary skills to be promoted, felt they were stuck in the same functions for years with no real chance of being promoted to leadership positions.
We do have choices in our lives and in our careers, but we also have to find the courage to make changes and be ready to take ownership of our decisions. “Control your destiny, or someone else will”, as Jack Welsh said – or as the late Edmond Israel liked to quote “I cannot predict the future, but I can create it.”
- 4. Lifelong learning.
“Nosce te ipsum” – This is something taught in school in Romania as part of our mandatory Latin courses and translates simply as: know yourself. It is important for us holistically, and not just in our working lives. This one statement encourages us to think about and identify our strengths and areas for improvement. Of course, as well as spending time capitalising on your strengths, don’t forget to spend some time focusing on improving your weaknesses. I try to teach this to my marketing students in Germany and used to also ask my interns to complete a SWOT analysis of themselves. This was usually not an easy exercise for most of them as they had difficulties seeing their strengths and areas for improvement.
Nobody is perfect, but if you manage to identify your strengths and use them in your personal development, you have many more chances to succeed in life than if you focus on your weaknesses – which cannot by their nature build performances and will only serve as excuses not to succeed. Indeed, “Your life only gets better when you get better.” (Brian Tracy), so work on improving your strengths as well as filling in the gaps in your knowledge by acquiring new skills. Leading people or organisations requires not only technical knowledge but also soft skills such as relationship building and effective communication.
If you find it difficult to identify or confirm your strengths and weaknesses, American psychologist and Harvard professor Will Schutz, suggests in his book “The Human Element” that you ask your friends and colleagues. You might be surprised to discover skills that you didn’t think of being leadership related, or to find out that what you thought of as being a weakness is actually considered a strength by people who know you. Additionally, pay close attention to how you use your strengths, because if overused they could potentially become weaknesses.
Knowing yourself also involves becoming aware of the way you perform best – are you a reader or a listener? How do you learn? Do you learn by writing? By talking? By doing? Do you make connections with people easily or do you let them approach you first? Do you work better alone or in a team? Do you work better as a subordinate or as a decision maker? Do you perform well under stress or do you need a highly structured and predictable environment? Do you work best in a big organisation or in a small one? These are all questions to be given detailed thought.
What is certain is that if you wish to become a leader, you will need to commit to lifelong learning! You need to follow conferences and seminars in your professional field, and attend personal development and networking events - even if you have to pay for it out of your own pocket. There is always something new to learn, and keeping your mind open to new knowledge will enable you to be more competitive. You also need to stay informed about what’s going on in the world – what events and new technologies might affect your company, the market place, and your customers’ behaviours - primarily because you need to anticipate change. Therefore, you need to read magazines and professional journals and talk to people from other fields about the changes occurring in the market and in the world (yes, networking might actually help you improve yourself).
Live and act according to your values, preferences and needs. This is the route to a truly authentic life, compared with acting just to please others, or saying what you think or know that others would like to hear. Being authentic also implies being real and open in your relationships, and this is also true about the way you communicate. There are many people who we instinctively identify as “false”, mainly because they spend too much time acting and use too many words with little or no substance.
Try to find the management and leadership style which corresponds to your personality and your core values without trying to copy your superior or your mentor. Learning from them is usually extremely helpful, but try not to be someone else. Not only will you fail to convince other people (within the company and externally), but also your style will not be successful, efficient or sustainable if it doesn’t really reflect who you are. Authentic people are generally more balanced, secure and self-confident and tend to be trusted more because they are seen to care and listen. Being authentic also means sharing what you stand for, and accepting yourself the way you really are without putting on a mask to please your superiors.
When the issue of leadership styles is raised, men are more likely than women to describe themselves in ways some management experts refer to as “transactional” leadership i.e. job performance is viewed as a series of transactions with subordinates. So, when it comes to the style of leadership, many men recognise that their power is taken from their high position and formal authority in a traditional command-and-control style. Women are more likely than men to use transformational leadership: motivating others by transforming their self-interest into the goals of the organisation, Women, use power based around charisma, work record, and contacts (personal power) as opposed to the male approach centred on organisational position, title, and the ability to reward and punish (structural power), thus the differences between approaches to leadership are apparent. In the words of a female leader: “Throughout my career in business I have seen women practicing a masculine leadership style that focuses on authority derived from their position, and relies on rewards and punishment in order for them to climb up the career ladder.” Instead of being admired for their adjustment to an alpha male environment, most of these women were perceived as emotional, difficult to work with or for, and too aggressive. What one gender sees as a strength may be perceived by the other as a weakness, hence the need to “be yourself”.
The International Women’s Forum Survey of Men and Women Leaders found that most men and women describe themselves as having an equal mix of traits that are considered “feminine” (being excitable, gentle, emotional, submissive, sentimental, understanding, compassionate, sensitive, dependent), “masculine” (dominant, aggressive, tough, assertive, autocratic, analytical, competitive, independent) and “gender-neutral” (adaptable, tactful, sincere, conscientious, reliable, predictable, systematic, efficient). However, a study of Fortune 1000 female executives by Catalyst found some more than 10 years ago that 96% of them rated as critical, or fairly important, that they develop “a style with which male managers are comfortable.”
This is important because there is no need to reject the feminine side anymore, but fully accept it and embrace it. The French feminist Simone de Beauvoir wrote in her book “The Second Sex” in 1949 that “One is not born, but rather one becomes a woman.” Her objective in writing the book was most likely to defend the feminine sex by claiming that men and women are born the same way and that our more masculine side was taken away from us by societal forces. However, we now know for sure, and have substantial research to prove the fact, that men and women are born neurologically different. Aside from gender-related strengths, many characteristics of leaders such as IQ and energy seem to come naturally when we are born, while we learn leadership skills (especially self-confidence), at home and at school, in the academic world and through sport. “And you learn other things at work through interactive experience, trying something, getting it wrong and learning from it, or getting it right and gaining the self-confidence to do it again, only better”, as Jack Welsh was noting in his book “Winning”. In addition, neurologists have shown how men operate using mostly the left side of their brain; the analytical sphere, while women are able to switch between both sides; analytical and emotional, more easily than men.
It is important to have the courage to be yourself, and to think outside the box, because the key to success often lies in the way you look at and deal with a certain situation. Following less traveled roads offers generally unsought possibilities and solutions. In order to leverage your strengths on your own personal journey to success, you will need to fight stereotypes about the leadership styles of women and men. Indeed, findings show that there is a certain resistance to women’s leadership, mainly a set of “widely shared conscious and unconscious mental associations about women, men, and leaders. In the language of psychologists, the clash is between two sets of associations: communal and agentic. Women are associated with communal qualities… being especially affectionate, helpful, friendly, kind, and sympathetic, along with being viewed as interpersonally sensitive, gentle, and soft-spoken. By contrast, men are associated with agentic qualities, which convey assertion and control. These include being especially aggressive, ambitious, dominant, self-confident, forceful, self-reliant and individualistic.” This difference of perception will make people call dominant women “control freaks” while men would be called “passionate”. Being aware of these stereotypes does not take away the danger of misconception; therefore, don’t be afraid of being yourself or of any obstacles to success, as they will make you stronger just as much as they will challenge you.
The conclusion of today’s article is from a great Harvard Business Review article of Peter Bregman entitled “Want to keep your job? Stop trying to fit in.” which is extremely strong, clear and positive: “Face it: You’re different. And the sooner you realise it, the sooner you embrace and leverage it, the more successful you’ll be. The same goes for your business!”
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This not-so-little guy has been skittering around our beach the last couple of days. It looks a lot like the smaller sand crabs on the beach, but isn't nearly as shy. They dive for their burrows as soon as they see movement near by, this guy just ambles away. Also, the sand crabs are much more sand-colored; maybe this guy is about to moult which would explain both the color and slow movement. I know how he feels, shedding one's skin is a drag (how else do you think I keep so young looking).
2 years ago
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What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
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Ok, I have to admit it – despite what I wrote in my blogpost the other day, I have started preparing a bit for Christmas 😉
I like to keep the Christmas decorations quite simple – both because it is easier/faster done and beacause it pleases my eyes 🙂 Greens and fresh flowers is my best tip (as for any season, actually) to achieve the Christmas look. This year I have fallen for lots of beautiful succulents– they look great in Christmas decorations! And rosemary – I will show you what I have made with them later on.
The very nice stars are from We:re and are made of re-used material – a sustainable and beautiful alternative to many other Christmas stars out there.
This weekend I will get a lot of Christmas inspiration and having a lot of fun with a bunch of great girls in Copenhagen – I am so looking forward to it! You can see glimps of it if you follow me on Instagram 😉
Have a great weekend!
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So you have your first belly dance moves – woo hoo! Now, the next stage I want you to master is putting some of them together. This is the really fun bit! You can do this by yourself and experiment with sequencing different moves. There is no right or wrong to this, so just go for it.
Hint: if your mind has gone blank thinking of moves, I have two (free) entire playlists that I think you’ll love. Take a look at my “Learn belly dance moves” list here. You might also like my “One minute belly dance moves” list here.
Once you’ve had a go at free-styling with the moves, why not have a go at creating your own routine?
If you’re not sure where to start, my class and assignments below will help get you started!
In this sequence you will cover many belly dance fundamentals: footwork, hip drops and lifts, shoulder shimmies and hip shimmies with arm frames.
Why not dive in now and follow along!
Your belly dance assignment
If you’ve just started your bellydance journey, your assignment is to master these moves by themselves. Then, have a go at following along with the sequence with me.
If you’re an experienced belly dancer, your assignment is to learn the sequence, THEN start substituting some of the moves with your own movement ideas. This way you’ll end up with your very own sequence. Cool hey?!
If you’re really keen to start developing your own choreography and improvisation skills, I think you’ll love a couple of the classes in my online studio, for instance 👇
Would you like to join my online studio?
Get access to my full length, comprehensive classes, drills, choreography sequences, movement tutorials, technical preparation exercises at Santa Maria Bellydance Online. You can learn with me anywhere and any time you have internet connection at just £15 a month for the entire (growing) library. Go to www.santamariabellydanceonline.com to find out more and get started now!
Thank you, as ever, for reading and watching.
Love and shimmies,
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What is a media company?
A media company is an entity who disseminates information in various one of many possible forms including although not limited to; print, radio, television, outdoor advertising or through social support systems. For many years it cost to buy your message seem to others however with the invention with the internet and internet sites, you are able to obtain your message out without cost. With the invent from the internet we showed the world to more details but at what cost? Now anyone can be their very own media company and broadcast whatever information they need with practically no consequences.
Prior to the web if a company or individual wanted to acquire their message out they can need to buy ad’ space in a newspaper, radio, television or outdoor media. The costs were too prohibitive for someone to however, these types of media so they really were not able for getting their message seem to others. A company who can afford these sorts of advertising put on the extender responsibly from when they were spending money. The media company also helped control the content by money content. They would not allow advertisers to distribute false or misleading information. So there was clearly a system of controls allowing the individual to take the advertising at face value and still have some faith in what it’s all about.
Since the net and myspace, anyone can afford for getting their message in front of an individual. For virtually no cost, you can have a website with a website, web 2 . 0 page, blog, video content and live broadcasts. This is a big shift within the market that permits people like me to have my message over to people like you. This is a victory for that small people and firms but the larger companies still need their advantage of their favor. The consumers follows and see them more frequently than they’ll see me. They will have always more money to waste on advertising and SEO than I do. But it won’t mean I shouldn’t still make an effort to get my message out.
With everyone obtaining the opportunity to acquire their message across we aren’t all playing with the same rules. The larger companies investing in space have to assume responsibilty and held accountable for his or her message but a person might just go ahead and post something with virtually no repercussions for message. Sure, they could lose followers or get flagged for posting racist or misleading information but which doesn’t stop them from posting it again or elsewhere. I am all for your First Amendment and Free Speech but we ought to be smarter consumers of knowledge. We can’t just say well I watched it on the world wide web so it should be true.
Caveat Emptor (Buyer beware) continues to be true when we’re not buying anything. The buyer/consumer is solely liable for checking the standard and sustainability on the goods or information. I am sure a great deal of you recall the Brady Bunch episode where Greg buys an auto and his dad explains the principals of Caveat Emptor.
Is it the responsibility in the media company to test all the details posted on his or her form of media or is he or she just presenting the woking platform for us to write? I guess you can say when they are paying to promote or distribute information and the working platform is receiving money they should have some accountability for what exactly is posted on the platform. In this point in time of instant information, it can be tough to figure out what exactly is accurate and was is misleading. But we’re also crossing precisely what is news and what’s advertising. Advertising has regulations on content and stipulations on false advertising like bait and switch, but news stories are very different. There are the reality of a story including who, what, when, why and where however there are opinions. These days opinions, personal beliefs and/or company priorities become part from the stories. When this happens the stories become biased and lean within a certain direction. This is where the client has to be mindful of where these are receiving their information.
In the worst cases, news outlets gives alternative facts or fake news. Certain consumers believe these content articles and will spread them along in case they get enough traction people begin to believe these are true even when you’ll find clear facts to show they’re not. If you tell a lie often enough people commence to believe it for example the person telling the lie.
How can we stop false information from being broadcast, be simple answer is for no reason. We do not regulate our news! It isn’t the media companies’ job to manage news and decide what exactly is fact or fiction. As consumers we should ask questions and call people and firms out when these are not telling the truth. The bottom line is we should be more educated consumers and fact check our news. We ought to find a source that’s going to be truthful and offer us together with the 5 W’s (Who, What, When, Where, Why & How) of journalism without bias!
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I have been on a cookie-kick lately. They are just what I'm craving and since I'm still eating for two (nursing) I don't mind the extra calories!
Remember my request for cookie recipes? I've tried a couple and wanted to let you know how they have turned out:
This recipe from Smitten Kitchen was oh-so-good! The toasted and then chopped/powdered nuts were delicious!
I also had two friends submit this recipe and they were scrumptious as well! These cookies were the fluffiest and most beautiful chocolate chip cookies I've ever made! Anyone know if you can make your own instant pudding mix - after lots of internet searching it looks like all the recipes have to be cooked. But, I wondered if you could use the mix in the cookies and have it work?
I also tried M&M cookies for the first time ever and they will be a definite repeat around here! We had an abundance of M&M's from CVS sales the last month or two. I got the recipe from my friend, Amy - but here is one that looks almost identical. I did half butter and half shortening and also stirred the M&M's into the batter rather than putting them on top. This made for some very yummy cookies!
Thanks to all of you who shared your recipes - I have a host of others waiting to be tried as well!
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Okay, so you went to the Career fair, you collected all your prizes, you went home and sorted through all your business cards and company information and now.........the phone rings.
Someone has reviewed your resume again and after talking to you at the career fair, wants to bring you in for an interview!
YES! I knew that advice I gave you would pay off someday!
Okay, but now what......you already wore your best clothes to the career fair. You can't possibly wear the same thing to the interview.
What are you going to wear to the interview?
Well, here are the things not to wear. (Well, most of them anyway, some are self explanatory and need not be listed here)
The Top Ten Things Not To Wear To An Interview
- Wild Nail Polish. (By the way, this goes for men and women)
- Jewelry that jangles (I might add that if you are in to piercings in places that are very open, you might take them out)
- Open Toed or Backless shoes (I think this is a judgement call depending on the time of year, but if you want to be safe, don't do it)
- Bare Legs (this means wear stockings, even when it's 105 outside. Men, no bare legs for you period, even with stockings)
- Out of date suits for Men (No lapels that are too wide or too narrow. You don't want to look like you are from the 50's or from the 70's)
- Short Skirts (Even with stockings, don't be a distraction. I believe the rule is no shorter than 3 inches above the knee)
- Leather jackets for men or women (This one threw me a little but I can see it. They are not professional dress)
- Turtlenecks for Men (Even if you don't have a tie, at the very least wear a dress shirt)
- Printed or trendy handbags (You should be conservative. Some people differ on this because they think it is an expression of themselves. Don't express too much on the first interview)
- Red Briefcases (I don't know what to say. I can't remember the last time I saw one and if I did, I would definitely be distracted. Be conservative)
Okay, so there you go. You made thought the Career Fair mall.
You are getting dressed up for the first interview.
Don't forget to do some more research.
You look great!
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I can't say that I had intended to read The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks during the month of December. Back in 2011 Susanne reviewed this book (scroll down to #32) giving it 10 out of 10 stars according to her rating system. I noted it as sounding incredibly interesting and decided that if I ever ran across a copy when browsing bookstores or something I'd pick it up.
One of our neighbors has one of those free "libraries" at the end of their driveway where people are invited to take a book and/or leave a book. On a post-Thanksgiving walk we passed by this neighbor's lending library and, lo and behold, there sat a copy of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I didn't hesitate to snatch it up! Sometimes the wait in reading a book proves worth it and such was the case with this title. I will echo Susanne in saying, "Wow!" Only I'll put it in bold: WOW!
This book tells the story of Henrietta Lacks who died of cervical cancer back in 1951. During the period of her treatment and hospitalization at John Hopkins Hospital, doctors took samples from her cervix and sent them to the hospital's lab. There, Dr. George Gey attempted to grow her cells using the samples provided. Up to this point in history, cells had not been able to be reproduced in a lab setting; the cells always died. In the case of Henrietta's cancerous cells, they not only grew but they did so at a prolific rate. In fact, her cells are still reproducing to this day and are known and referred to as "HeLa cells". Her cells have been used in scientific research for these many decades, being used to help identify diseases, were involved with the atomic bomb, and have even been sent into space. While other human strains of cells have been developed since 1951, none have thrived in the same manner that the HeLa cells have, making Henrietta immortal in some sense of the word.
What makes the story of Henrietta's cells noteworthy? A few things. First and foremost, samples of her cervix were removed and sent to the lab without her permission. While I would say that it is remarkably unclear that Henrietta would have had any objections to this being done, she was not informed and her consent was not obtained. By today's standards, this is a deplorable situation. By 1950 standards, it was par for the course. Her children, however, were raised in our more modern society where permission must be obtained to take samples of any sort from a person's body and/or used in any form or fashion. Up until the 1970's her children (and husband!) were not even made aware of the fact that their mother's cells were growing and being used in science experiments. When they were made aware they were less than pleased. Her childrens' purpose these days is not to make money off of the HeLa cells (although I and others would argue it would be their due according to present day practices) but to let the world know who Henrietta Lacks was so that she can receive due honor and recognition for her contribution to science.
The other interesting angle on this story is that while the rest of the world has been curious as to the origins of the HeLa cells, so have her children been. Henrietta died when her children were very young (her youngest being but a few months old) and so they really never knew their mother. Her daughter Deborah is featured heavily in this book as having provided much information to author/reporter Rebecca Skloot. Deborah spent most of her life wondering what it was her mother had ultimately died of as no one had ever told her; it was not talked about. Henrietta kept the diagnosis of cancer a secret and the family was left in a state of curious chaos as a result of her silence on this matter of her health. There is a prevalent opinion in the family that John Hopkins Hospital killed their mother by experimenting on her body (i.e., over radiating her, causing her abdomen to be burned black). Unfortunately there is reason for them to speculate that Hopkins mistreated and harmed their mother as back in the 1880's and first half of the 1900's surgeons and scientist routinely "stole" black people and experimented on their bodies, deeming them to be of lesser worth to society. These activities are deplorable and it is very hard for those of us with modern sensitivities to even imagine that such things occurred! Yet they did, and the issues of race and segregation also make this book a thought provoking read as well as a sickening one as it is a very painful thing to consider how white surgeons treated their black patients (that is, if they agreed to treat them at all!).
I think Skloot presents the facts of Henrietta, her cells and her family in a straight forward manner which "simply" educates the reader without attempting to persuade them of something. Never at any moment did I feel that Skloot was trying to train my thoughts in any particular direction. The book reads very much as an informative explanation as to the history of HeLa cells and the person they originated from. It is an emotional read by its very nature but the emotions are not provided for you. You simply cannot help but feel something as you read along. This is the mark of a good work of non-fiction in my humble estimation. I much prefer it when non-fiction writers present the facts (tastefully) and allow me to make up my own mind on the issues. Skloot kindly allowed me the freedom to discern and I appreciate that.
Now, I wouldn't peg The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks as your typical Christmas read but when some books land on your lap you make the time to read them and I'm glad to have made the time for this title. One of my friends (who is a science-y major at our local university) saw the book sitting on my couch when she came over this past weekend. She pounced on it excitedly telling me that she had just recently done some experiments in the lab using HeLa cells and had recently become aware of Henrietta Lacks and her story. I'll be passing this book along to her to read next. Her background should make this read even more fascinating than it already is!
I feel kind of funny saying that I would recommend this book to other readers. Non-fiction reads either strike a chord with individuals or they do not. You'll have to make up your own mind about this book. In my case, I'm very glad for Susanne's recommendation which caused me to learn more about Henrietta Lacks. I'll not soon forget her name or contribution to science and society. Nor should I.
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We spent the past weekend at River Glen Horse Trials in New Market, Tennessee. All of our horses were so wonderful! Elliot was fifth in the OP division! (His first Prelim after colic surgery, thanks Dr. Cate Mochal!) So cool to see him competing after such an involved surgery! The young horses were brave and brought their game faces to the table and our students all came home without jump penalties. Rockstars!
Recently I've been teaching more children and I must admit, I'm loving it. Seeing the kids come out and trot the first time, or realize that they can jump, too. The look in their eyes is priceless. The moment we realize that a special horse opens the door to a whole new world for us...nothing compares. And only other horse people will truly understand. We love our horses, young or old, not only because of what they do for us, but because of who we are and who we can become with them.
The kids we teach often bring out pictures, art projects, and letters for the horses they ride. Truth be told, a lot of them ride Tucker, my former one star horse. I think of the things Tucker has done for me, and the place he has in my heart, and I feel thankful. I think of the things Tucker is teaching others now, and feel equally thankful. He's taught my students to ride at the one star level, training level, some how to trot and some how to canter...and it's cool. He gets pictures and treats, letters and hugs like no other horse in the barn.
Every horse deserves to have someone to love him, but how lucky is Tucker to have so many to love him?
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I have combination skin, so in the summer months I like to switch to a lighter PM moisturizer (for my T-zone's sake). Right now I've been using EVOLOGIE's Stay Clear Cream ($62 for 1oz) to keep the acne at bay, because blackheads are loving me right now and it's just not cool. This is the sample size from their duo pack. It has 2% salicylic acid, and they don't advertise what the pH level is, but it must be somewhere around the right mark because it seems to be working. I use this everywhere else but my cheeks, since my cheeks have enough trouble staying hydrated and I never have a problem with acne there. My dry cheeks are divas and get a separate night cream. Wow, I never thought I would become the person that uses two separate night creams, but combination skin is a pain in the butt. (Read more: April Favorites, May Favorites)
EVOLOGIE's Stay Clear Cream |
Something about the sweltering hot weather makes me incredibly lazy, so I use products like SOLSCENTS Angelica SPF 30 Sunscreen ($14.95 for 8oz) to combine steps in my daily routine. This is not only a sunscreen, but also a lotion and fragrance. It smells great, leaves my body feeling nice and soft, and it has SPF 30! It's affordable, too, so it pretty much fills all requirements on the checklist. (Read more: Full Review, Beach & Pool Bag Essentials)
SOLSCENTS Angelica SPF 30 Sunscreen |
You may apply sunscreen to your body, but do you ever forget your lips? I use the SOLSCENTS Raspberry Dreams SPF 15 Lip Balm ($3.95) whenever I go to the beach, or even when I'm just bumming around. It goes on smoothly, leaves my lips feeling soft, and it has a great, fruity taste. (Read more: Full Review, Beach & Pool Bag Essentials)
SOLSCENTS Raspberry Dreams SPF 15 Lip Balm |
There is no better time to use a setting powder than when it is 80+ degrees Fahrenheit outside. My go-to powder is the NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder in Translucent ($2.79 for .7oz), because it's cheap and it works. I use this on my T-zone whenever I apply any face products, and sometimes even when I'm not wearing anything. My current AM moisturizer has SPF 30 in it, which tends to make me look a little greasy, so this clears that right up. It's really an amazing drugstore powder. It's no Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, but it does everything a powder's supposed to do, and did I mention it's $3? (Read more: 2013 Makeup Favorites, June 2013 Makeup Routine)
NYC Smooth Skin Loose Face Powder in Translucent |
I usually use my E.L.F. Studio Makeup Mist & Set ($3 for 2.02oz) to foil my eyeshadows or turn a loose eyeshadow into an eyeliner, but in the summer I use it as a setting spray. I hear it's not as good as the Skindinavia setting sprays, but for someone who doesn't need that much help or just wants that extra bit of reassurance that her makeup will last all day, this works perfectly.
E.L.F. Studio Makeup Mist & Set |
Essie Come Here |
And here is a fashion category, because beauty buffs need clothes, too.
An important hot weather staple to me is a cute, comfortable pair of sandals. I almost exclusively buy Sofft and Aerosoles shoes nowadays, because I have countless foot/ankle/back problems, and I don't like being any more uncomfortable than I have to be. I got these babies for $20 at Marshalls (God bless Marshall's), and they're so soft and cushiony! They're also cute, and the ankle strap really makes my feet feel secure, since I sprained my right ankle months ago. And yes, I took off the size-8 sticker before I wore them out. The world now knows what shoe size I am, rejoice. I think they might have been last season or something, since I can't find them on the website, but just check out Marshalls/TJ Maxx for discounted, comfy shoes!If you're still itching for more, check out these other lovely bloggers!
- Christine at Simply Stine
- Lisa at Subscription Therapy
- Anne at The Anna Belle Blog
- Michelle at My Beautiful Goodies
- Angela at Your Beauty Whisperer
What are your hot weather beauty staples?
Disclaimer: All paid for by me, not sponsored or affiliated with any mentioned brands. The Evologie was sent to me for editorial consideration but I never actually wrote them a full review (oops, sorry but also not sorry). So, there.
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Hi, friends! It's around that time of the month (no, not that time of the month) when I usually do my monthly favorites posts. Usually I'd talk about all the new products I tested and my favorite discoveries of that month, but things are going to work a little differently this month. For the majority of February, I was either using products I've already mentioned on the blog, or testing new products that I haven't made a decision on yet, so I'm not quite ready to share my thoughts on them so early in the game.
So I figured, rather than talking about the products you guys already know I like in a redundant Favorites post, how about we start the train rolling on some new products? Here's a sneak peek to some of the products you'll see mentioned on the blog within the next month or two:
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Hi, guys! Sorry that I haven't updated in a few days! I have been off at the beach relaxing, but I'm back now, so things will hopefully resume in full swing. I'm very honored to have recently done an interview with with Rachel from The Style Line, and I want to share it with you all. You can read interview below, or by clicking the image above. Hope you all enjoy!
The Style Line Interview
18, DREAMER AND BLOGGER UNITED STATES.
HANNAH’S STYLE: I would describe my style as eclectic, quirky, bohemian and bold, with classic pieces thrown in here and there. It all depends on whatever my mood is when I wake up and get dressed, really.
INSPIRATION: My inspiration is drawn into my wardrobe and daily attire by frequently eyeing my way through street-style blogs and the latest fashion magazines. Also, I’m deeply inspired by anything vintage and antique that carries within itself a story.
TOP WARDROBE STAPLES: My three wardrobe staples are a well-made leather jacket, a pair of killer, chunky shoes, and an array beautiful, antique necklaces.
TRAVEL STAPLES: Traveling usually doesn’t change the way I dress, but I typically go for something comfortable, yet stylish.
MOST FASHIONABLE DESTINATION: In my opinion, New York City has to be the most fashionable location in the world, which is why I plan to move to the Big Apple in two years. Just walking down the the streets and admiring the diversity and variety of the different styles of the people walking by fills me with inspiration.
FAVORITE SUMMER TRENDS: Chunky sandals and mini-dresses are two trends that I adore during the summer months.
SUMMER LOVIN: This summer has consisted of a little bit of traveling, as well as a great deal of relaxation. I traveled to NYC earlier this summer, and have two upcoming beach trips. This summer I’ve been listening to a lot of Florence + the Machine, The Black Keys, Dan Auerbach’s solo album, Kings of Leon, James Vincent McMorrow, Mumford & Sons, Diane Birch, Regina Spektor, Dawes, and Band of Horses. As far as what I’ve been wearing, being in the heart of the South, the main objective is to survive the ridiculous heat. So far, I’ve worn a lot of light, flowing fabrics. Chiffon is great for this time of year.
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By Leigh Clifton
This is the original open letter (below) I wrote to Melissa Walker in August of 2011. I wrote it on the off chance that she might see it and that it might have some impact or maybe even change her mind. Little did I know that it would ultimately have the biggest impact and perhaps saved her life. I am proud of this; not for the writing, but for the reading of it. I’m proud that common words of sense and decency transcended an almost demonic grip on a young, vibrant, beautiful woman, and made her change her mind. It’s as simple as that.
But Kelly Rothwell was a young, vibrant, beautiful woman, who saw the demon too little too late. She paid the ultimate price for her loyalty and her decency.
On Tuesday December 27, three days before Melissa Walker made her announcement on Fox News that she was divorcing David Perry, I received these two emails below the original letter. Because David Perry has written to me before and used aliases, I wanted to substantiate the source before I printed them. I made some calls and ultimately came to the conclusion that the one from her sister Cassandra really WAS from her; the other one from Melissa I had to conclude was genuine as well. I waited to speak to Melissa’s sister Cassandra because I wanted to give Melissa her privacy for as long as possible, knowing that once the news broke she would get no peace.
Cassandra Williams is a powerhouse and she is very protective of her sister Melissa.
“Melissa is a very smart girl, a personal trainer and licensed esthetician. She gets bored easily because she always likes to be on the go all the time. I mean, who hikes 20 miles before breakfast for fun?”
Cassandra suggested she enter the Reserves and Melissa, in her 30’s, aced boot camp and every test they gave her. So they asked her to enlist for a year,telling her she could be stationed in Hawaii at the Army Medical Center. She had no specific interest in the psychiatry field but did so well on her trials there, they asked her to stay on for the year.”
Cassandra was surprised to learn that Melissa had married David Perry; the family wasn’t told until after the summer wedding. By that time, Cassandra had read some of the stories circulating about Perry and his possible involvement in Kelly Rothwell’s disappearance.
“I did wonder if he was guilty, but I and my whole family wanted to be supportive of my sister. She is a smart, beautiful and talented woman and we trusted that she would make the right decisions.”
But even superior intelligence can be no match for a psychopath, not when they want to charm you and subtly gain control over you. It starts slowly and like Kelly, David had Melissa’s phone put in his name. There were other signs, small ones, but none that were glaring enough to cause Melissa any alarm, according to her sister.
“I just made sure I talked to her (Melissa) every day,” Cassandra said. “We’re very close and always talk about our day, no matter where we are.”
Then,last week,an immediate family member of Cassandra’s called her in tears, reading my open letter blog post over the phone. Cassandra then read it and called Melissa, who also read it. She had no idea it was even out there; David Perry had her convinced NOT to read anything about him and not to answer media requests, telling her they were “all lies”.
Cassandra said Melissa was appalled and suddenly realized she had made a huge mistake in marrying David Perry. Cassandra assured her she did, because by this time Cassandra has started doing her own investigation on David Perry and was alarmed at what she found. Cassandra was also upset that it was also affecting her whole family.
“My sister knew that she needed to clear her name and no longer wanted to be associated with Dave. She realized that he probably was guilty. So we talked and she decided that she should divorce him. She wants nothing more to do with him. All I want is to protect my sister. She really fell for this guy and it hurts.”
One interesting note to all of this; when Perry and Melissa got married, he took her last name of Walker. He has a Hawaii driver’s license as David Walker. Coincidentally (or not) his mother’s last name was Walker too.
Melissa Walker will never know how close to danger she may have been, but thankfully she will be safe and away from David Perry. Her family will love and support her through this hard time.
Kelly Rothwell tried to get away from the danger, but could not. She paid with it with her life.
She is still missing……
An Open Letter to Melissa Marie Walker
Dear Ms. Walker,
By now I’m sure you know who I am and the many others that comprise the family, friends, colleagues and advocates of Kelly Rothwell. She is the woman who has been missing since March 12th, with a high probability that it was her then-boyfriend Davis Perry who it is widely believed has killed her and moved on to you.
I heard that you refused to listen to law enforcement when they initially told you how dangerous a man David Perry is and I am very surprised that you not only have maintained a relationship with him, but are actually thinking of marrying him, if you haven’t already. I can think of several reasons NOT doing this, which I will enumerate:
Could it be that you and Perry already had a relationship going on behind Kelly’s back and she found out about it, wanting to confront Perry. Is that why he killed her? I would have to further suppose that you knew about it... it that true?
Did the two of you plot this together or are you just a pawn in his game of lies and deceit? I find it extremely difficult to comprehend how a woman like you can NOT see what Perry is really all about.
There is documented proof, in graphic detail, of how abusive Perry was to his wife Luana and their three children. Yes, the records are sealed, but CAN be opened in a military enquiry, if Law Enforcement is so compelled. There is also proof that Perry stalked Kelly, followed her around, hacked her computer and phone records, (the phone by the way, was in HIS name)… and generally exerted a gradual control over her life.
He did this with Luana, and several OTHER women he was with; ask him about Ann Morris, who he left after almost 13 years when he met Kelly. He told his friends he had met a “rich bitch with money” and was moving to Florida. Ask him about another Kellie, a woman with who he had an affair AND a child while he was still married to Luana. He got fired from the Outback Steakhouse for trying to choke out a cook who didn’t cook his food right. Luana said that he would often choke her so tight that she would lose consciousness. He also told her he could kill her and they would never find her body.
Doesn’t it bother you at all that he is a SUSPECT in Kelly’s disappearance AND has been charged with 2 Felony Grand Larceny counts of Work Comp fraud? Since you work in healthcare yourself, I would assume that any negative mark on his record would also reflect poorly on yours as well.
I hear he’s quite the charmer… has he tried to “teach” you how to iron yet? Has he done the laundry “for you” to be nice? Has he picked out what he wants you to wear? Has he shown up with flowers at the hospital or when he comes home to your place? Has he called you MANY times a day “just to say he loves you”? Have you seen him vacuum until he can see the lines in the rug? What about his car? Or yours? Is it meticulous? Can you eat a French fry in it if you want without him getting paranoid? What about the linen closet? Has he folded everything perfectly and lined the colors up just so? What about the kitchen cabinets? All the food labels facing forward and lined up like ducks in a row? How about the bathroom? Shower curtain just so as well?
I ask these things because abusers and sociopaths almost always start out like this; they make you think they are indispensable to you and little by little you lose yourself, until you are under his control and can’t get out. Then you end up like Kelly “missing” and presumed dead. Because that is what will happen to you. I could almost lay money on it.
But perhaps you have some intimate knowledge of Kelly’s disappearance….Maybe you know something. Maybe you like the rush of the “bad boy” image.. Is it exciting to lay next to a man who may have killed his girlfriend, thinking there’s no way he would EVER hurt you like that… Think again... again I say there is documentable proof of his prior abuse.
We heard that he applied for a marriage license… could it be to keep you quiet? So you couldn’t testify against him in a court of law? Interesting how things are working out, eh? What does your family think of all this? Do they even care about you? David Perry only thinks about himself, let’s be clear on that. It will only be a matter of time before you start to see the real abuser he is known to be… again... DOCUMENTED PROOF. Because trust me.. He WILL show his true colors and you will be blindsided by it. Be careful; you could be his next victim.
Perhaps you are a nice person; I don’t know you and can’t judge your character. But I DO know that YOUR military salary is being paid for with OUR tax dollars. I don’t think I should have to pay for you to enjoy a life with a man who took one.
The Rothwell Family and
Friends of Kelly who Demand Justice
I met Dave Perry in April. He treated me like an angel from day one, through and to the moment I told him I no longer wanted to speak with him. By the way, he has respected my request. Was it wrong of me to ignore the media? Maybe it was wrong. There was never any evidence to prove the accusations. Still there is no evidence. I wanted to believe his words that he is innocent. I pray he is. Was it stupid of me to follow my heart? Maybe it was stupid. I try to live life with an open, honest, loving, forgiving heart. Do I hope and pray that he who is responsible for the disappearance/murder of Kelly pay in full for what he has done? Yes, please, find the evidence today to put that person away. Whoever it is should pay and I have prayed for that from the beginning. Try not to be judgmental. You do not know me.
By melissa on An Open Letter to Melissa Marie Walker on 12/27/11
First I want to say I am Melissa’s older sister, And I am just as disgusted as you all are, and I send my prayers to Kelly’s friends and family and I also want to say I want this case to be solved and the truth to be revealed. Then I want to say that Melissa is smart, she’s kind, she’s beautiful, she is a great sister, and a wonderful aunt to 2 little boys. She is also woman that was sucked in by Dave’s charm and his lies. She is not the only woman that has fallen for it RIGHT???? There is no way that she had any knowledge of his intentions to harm Kelly in any way, or that she even knew about Kelly until it was too late. I want to be clear one thing.... MY SISTER WOULD NEVER EVER HURT ANYONE, SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH A MAN WHO LED HER TO BELIEVE HES SOMETHING THAT HE’S NOT, DID SHE MAKE A MISTAKE? DID SHE HAVE BAD JUDGEMENT IN CHARACTER? IT SEEMS SO, BUT SHE WOULD NEVER, I MEAN NEVER, CONDONE, SUPPORT OR STAND BY SOMEONE WHO HAD DONE SOMETHING SO TERRIBLE.YES SHE HAS BEEN WARNED BY PINELLAS COUNTY DETECTIVES, BUT THERE’S THOUSANDS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF HORRIBLE CRIMES AND DONE YEARS IN PRISON THEN LATER RELEASED, ALL CHARGES DROPPED AND AN "IM SORRY", LIVES RUINED FOR NOTHING. WHAT I WANT IS FOR PINALLES COUNTY DETECTIVES TO GET THE EVIDENCE THEY NEED FOR A CONVICTION SO I DONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT MY SISTER, AGAIN MY PRAYERS ARE WITH KELLY AND HER FAMILY, AND I WRITE THIS IN SUPPORT OF THE TRUTH.
By CASSANDRA on An Open Letter to Melissa Marie Walker on 12/27/11
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It's time for "Bloomin' Blogger Sundays" again. Thanks for stopping by!
Per the request of a fellow blogger, today I will show you how to add a blogroll to your blog and give you some tips on choosing the style of your blogroll.
So if you're really new to blogging, you may not know....what exactly is a blogroll?
A blogroll is a list of links to blogs that the blogger likes. It is usually included in the blog's sidebar. Some bloggers divide blogroll into categories. For instance, since I am a special ed teacher, I have mine divided into two categories....regular ed blogs and special ed blogs.
While my blogroll makes it convenient for me to hop to my other favorite blogs quickly, it is also a great traffic driving tool. With each blogroll that your blog is listed on....is the possibility that readers will click over to your blog. I have found many great blogs by using blogrolls from my other favorite blogs. I figure if it is on their blogroll, it must be a blog worth visiting.
To add your blogroll.........
Step 1: From your blog webpage, go to design (located in the top right hand corner of your blog)
Step 2: On the left hand side of the page, click on layout. This will open up the layout of your blog.
Step 3: Choose "add a gadget" from the left or right side of your layout depending where you want your blogroll and the design of your blog.
Note: If you have a 3-column layout, you can choose to add it on the left or right side. If you have a 2-column layout, you will be limited to one side.
Step 4: In the "add a gadget" window that will now be open, scroll down to "Blog List" and click on it.
The "Configure Blog List" window will open that looks like this. Here you will customize how you want your blogroll to look.
Step 5: In this window, give your blogroll a title.
Step 6: In sort, choose to display your bloglist alphabetically or by most recently updated.
Step 7: Choose how you want your blogroll to show by checking the boxes of your choice.
The picture above shows exactly how I have customized my bloglist. If you like the way my blogroll looks, then select the same boxes as I have above. I have displayed mine a couple of different ways and like my current display the best. As you can see.....
I have checked......
title of most recent item, and
date of last update. (See tips below for why I chose this display)
Step 8: At the bottom of the "configure blog list" window, click on "add a blog to your list."
Step 9: In this window, select "add url" to add blogs individually by their blog address. Or select "blogs I'm following." If you select "blogs I'm following," a list of the blogs you're following will appear and you will place a check mark next to each blog you want to appear in your list.
Step 10: Click add.
Your blogroll will now appear in your sidebar in your layout screen. You may have to hold your cursor down on the gadget (blogroll) and drag it to where you want it positioned in your sidebar.
Tip 1: When choosing the way your blogroll will display, I highly suggest choosing to display the "title of most recent posts" and "date of last update" because this allows you to quickly skim your blogroll for posts that may interest you and you never miss out on linky parties, giveaways, or freebies.
By choosing the date of last update, you can see how recent they made the post. I like this because for example....if the title of their post is a "giveaway" or a "linky party", but they posted it 3 months ago, then I know the giveaway or linky is most likely over and I won't waste my time visiting that post. It also indicates how long ago they last posted.
Tip 2: If you don't like the way your blogroll looks,
>follow steps 1 and 2 above,
>scroll down to your blogroll in the sidebar
> click edit.
The configure blog list window will open and you can change your design. Play around with it until you get it the way you like it.
Tip 3: Any time you want to add a new blog to your blogroll, follow tip #2 above to open the "configure blog list" window and follow steps 7 and 8.
Tip 4: If you would like to put your blogroll into categories as I do, you will need to complete all of the steps above to create a separate blogroll for each category as each will have a different title.
Enjoy your new blogroll! If you need further assistance with this, please comment below and I will try my best to assist you.
If you have suggestions for future "Bloomin' Blogger Sundays," feel free to send them to me.
Have a great Sunday!
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Blackberry Winter by Sarah Jio was the final book of 2014 for me. I read most of it on New Years Eve and hurried up to finish it that night (DORK , I KNOW!) to bump up my stat ha. It felt like the right way to end the year since I began the year reading 2 of her other books. Now I think I have only two more to catch up on and I'll have read them all, but I do want to re-read The Violets of March. I know I gave it to someone to read and now I want to read it again, #bookproblems !
Blackberry Winter, flips between present day Seattle and 1933 Seattle. At first it gave me a tad bit of anxiety because it dealt with a three year old boy that had disappeared. But I reminded myself that her books while steeped in sadness would not have had a horrible end for that poor boy so I plowed on.
Like her other books I fell in love with the characters and loved the peek into the past that Vera's storyline offered. I loved reading about life in Seattle in the early 1930s and how she struggled to support her son. It was a unique insight into a time frame that really interests me.
I didn't feel as connected to Claire, who was the present day main character. Like many times in books I feel I looked at her character and her husband's character and wanted to shake them both because of idiot actions on both parts. That's the chick lit part of her books that sometimes nags at me.
Like her other books, I'd recommend this one in a heartbeat. However, be advised that if pregnancy loss or child kidnapping causes anxiety or are topics you need to avoid it may be best to stick to one of her others! I suggest starting with The Violets of March!
Description: In 2011, Sarah Jio burst onto the fiction scene with two sensational novels--The Violets of March and The Bungalow. With Blackberry Winter--taking its title from a late-season, cold-weather phenomenon--Jio continues her rich exploration of the ways personal connections can transcend the boundaries of time.
Seattle, 1933. Single mother Vera Ray kisses her three-year-old son, Daniel, goodnight and departs to work the night-shift at a local hotel. She emerges to discover that a May-Day snow has blanketed the city, and that her son has vanished. Outside, she finds his beloved teddy bear lying face-down on an icy street, the snow covering up any trace of his tracks, or the perpetrator's.
Seattle, 2010. Seattle Herald reporter Claire Aldridge, assigned to cover the May 1 "blackberry winter" storm and its twin, learns of the unsolved abduction and vows to unearth the truth. In the process, she finds that she and Vera may be linked in unexpected ways...
Did you read Blackberry Winter? What were your thoughts? What is your favorite book by Jio? Any other books set in the 1930s you'd recommend?
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I'm checking in with my Friday Favourites on a Thursday this week because we are on holidays starting tonight!
E enjoyed a golf camp this week. With his Under Armour golf shirt and Nike clubs he looked ready for the Tour. They spent each morning at the driving range and then the afternoons swimming and playing sports. Next year we'd like to try a camp at a golf course so he can get a bit more instruction. He's got a few friends in this camp and they have enjoyed their week together.
Q had a bit of an upset stomach this week with resulting diaper rash, so he was a little sooky and I had to leave him crying at the day care twice this week. He would eventually perk up and have a good day, but they did send this photo of him spending some quiet time with his baby. So cute.
I met my friend Janna for dinner on Tuesday night. We went to Hemingway's in Yorkville and sat on the covered patio during a huge thunderstorm. It was Extreme Patio, Yorkville Edition. I haven't gone to Hemingway's for awhile, it's simple, but reliable. I forgot to take my own photo, but picture this with the roof closed and grey skies.
I got a kick out of the tweets for the hashtag #LittleKnownCanadianLaws. Some were cliched and some were ignorant, but these two cracked me up. I totally say both of these thing.
In case you missed it, I blogged about E's cupcakes that he made on the weekend. He's ready to be a contestant on Sugar Rush.
I will be taking a blogging break while we are away, back with you on August 7!
Follow along with our travels on my Instagram @smacto.
and The Blended Blog for Friday Loves.
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I hate the winter.
For many, many reasons. I hate
snow. I hate to snow blow. I’m not a big fan of cold. It costs a fortune to heat your house through
a long Maine winter. I hate losing the
daylight. But most of all I hate it
because starting in late fall and going through to spring, it is the dying
If anyone or anything is going to leave this world, it seems they most often do so within this window. Facebook
becomes one long memorial news feed. Greyhound
after greyhound after greyhound crosses the bridge. Sure some go at other times of the year, but
at THIS time of year it is an endless parade.
Girly Girl left me during this window.
And yesterday Fox joined her at the bridge. He is another in the long parade that will go
dying season but to us he was special. Fox was Grammy and Charlie’s hound. If ever there was a dog who met the
definition of autistic, it was Fox. He
was stoic and patient. And
stubborn. He wanted to be loved but on
his own terms. You would never consider
Fox a cuddly dog.
Fox is also Blue’s half-brother. They shared the same Dam. They both raced at Raynham in the same
kennel. Fox’s stubborn determination
kept him on the track for quite awhile and he was one of his Dam’s top winning
greyhounds. After he retired he went to
the Maine Greyhound Placement Service and there his stoicism was a
hindrance. Poor Fox lived in the kennel
at MGPS for a year. No one was
connecting with this amazing boy and he kept getting passed by. He had given up hope and even after a special
article was written about him in the MGPS newsletter, he remained in the
That is, until Grammy and Charlie happened along looking for
their first greyhound. Once they heard
Fox’s story it did not matter that he was an autistic boy. They determined to give him a real home. There was much happiness in the kennel as
volunteers found out that Fox (whom they all called Foxy) was getting a forever
Fox fit himself into our lives as though he’d always been
there. He wasn’t much for playing with
toys, but if ever there was a greyhound who loved him some dinner, it was
Fox. He lived for meal times and treat
times. As he got older, like most old
greys that I know, he began wearing little bits of his meals on his muzzle and
chin as if he were saving them for later.
Even with his autism, Fox learned to seek out a connection
with the humans in his life. He would
wait patiently in the line of greyhounds seeking attention and then he would
present his side to you, carefully looking away and politely wait for you to
pet him, or scratch him or rub his belly or ears. He would stand there until your hands fell
off if you let him.
Fox had a funny chirp that he would use when he felt you
were not hopping to it quickly enough to get him dinner. It sounded just like a little bird. He would start out almost subsonic and
gradually raise the volume. When he
wanted to go out he would stand and face the front door. It didn’t matter that going out meant using
the sliding glass doors on the back side of the house. When he first arrived at Grammy’s outside was
through the front door and by god, that’s how it would always be for Fox.
Fox never got on any furniture. It terrified him. We used to joke that the best way to persuade
Fox to go lay down if he was bugging you to pet him was to invite him up on the
couch with you. All it took was a quick “come
on buddy, get up here with me,” and he would get the whale eye and start
backing up and looking for an escape route.
Depending on how serious he thought you were he would retreat to his bed
in the living room, or for level 1 threats he would go all the way back to the
bedroom and lay down in there.
As he aged, Fox was afflicted by a mysterious illness which
was autoimmune in nature. He began a
slow slide downward with various times of serious flare up and times of
miraculous recovery. The last diagnosis
we had for him was Alabama Rot. He
suffered through many issues and corresponding
treatments with the patience and
constitution of a block of granite. It
did not matter what you had to do to him.
It did not matter that it sometimes involved a lot of pain. He would always stand and bear whatever had
to be done.
There were a number of times over the past few years where
we were sure that Fox was going to leave us.
That it was time to release him.
But in a couple days he would make a complete turn around and be fine
again. Though each of these episodes
took a toll and he was never quite as good as he had been before. Still, this weekend it was a surprise when
the time where we would have to say our goodbyes finally did present itself.
Grammy and Charlie held off, hoping like crazy for one more
of his miracle turn-arounds but that was not to be. If Fox was in pain, he never let us see
it. But he lost the ability to
stand. Then he didn’t pee for 36 hours
and when he finally did pee, it was because he had lost all control of his
bladder. When the greyhound that lived
for food above all else refused to eat, the time had come.
It was a gut-wrenching decision. His eyes were bright and lively to the
end. His spirit continued to be willing
to go on but his body would not cooperate.
Fox was 12 ½ years old. He had
outlived all of his littermates. He had a good run and by rights lived at least
a year longer than he probably would have if he had been a dog of lesser
determination. But that doesn’t make it
We let him go yesterday afternoon with people who loved him
holding him as he went. He went as he
had come and as he lived, with stubborn determination and with love.
Run fast and long Royal Foxglove. Until we meet again.
Fox Royal Foxglove 6/2/2002 - 1/4/2015 |
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HUGE THANKS TO ALL WHO TOOK PART IN OUR RESEARCH! We are currently analysing our results, and will add these here as soon as they are published.
The Research outline
There are times when our loved ones are far away, and we wish with all our hearts that we could share a moment with them, as if by magic. Historically, jewelry was used as love tokens, mementos and keepsake as far back as ancient Mesopotamia. These objects gave a tangible presence of the loved one, and the fact that the practice still endures in modern times, speaks for its importance. However, once given, the giver lost the thread of connection, and once received, the wearer had to rely on imagination. And despite being common folklore and sci-fi fantasies, being able to communicate through objects like jewelry was inconceivable just a few years ago.
In this research, we are not interested in turing sentimental jewelry into another communication device, like the the phone. Instead, we are interested in understanding what qualities are needed to preserve the tenderness of mementos and love tokens, while enchanting them through technology. Learning about these would help to devise future connected computational jewelry and prevent it from becoming just another gadget.
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Opinion: The American dream of bringing the mall home
When Hurricane Milton was approaching Florida last month, a mom in suburban Tampa went viral on TikTok for her refusal to obey evacuation orders. When talking about feeling safe staying in her home, she said: “My husband built this house commercial. It’s residential, but it was built commercial-grade.” She wielded the phrase like a crucifix.
It’s not hard to see why commercial-grade is a balm to apocalyptic fears. The phrase evokes both the familiar landmarks of consumer life and the infrastructure built to withstand its relentless churn. Commercial-grade is the conveyor belt that delivers your airport Krispy Kreme and the system that supplies oxygen when you’re 30,000 feet in the air.
Tricked-out bunkers that only the wealthy can afford speak to both senses of the term. They boast state-of-the-art air and water filtration systems, bullet- and blast-resistant walls and, nestled inside all that industrial muscle, the kind of commercial-grade fun their occupants might miss while the world burns: bowling alleys and movie theaters, lazy rivers and go-kart courses.
Members of Gen Z — people from the ages of 16 to 26 — rely on in-person shopping experiences as much as online shopping, if not more, according to a report by a trade group for malls and retail centers.
These last amenities reveal the aspirational side of commercial-grade. It’s classic rich-guy stuff, and when the media talk about homes such as Candy Spelling’s Los Angeles manor, it’s not the most expensive features they usually cite but the commercial ones, like its gift-wrapping room.
It does feel undeniably luxe, making the commercial residential. There’s a reason that most children don’t fantasize about owning a modest ranch home. They dream of an abundance that is bulletproof, fortress-like: getting locked inside a Costco, sleeping in the Mattress Emporium, having everything you need wrapped around you like a hug. And though even a child knows you can’t live in a store forever, the fantasy becomes achievable if you bring the store home. You can have a soda machine in the kitchen and a McDonald’s in the foyer, just like Richie Rich.
A certain kind of affluent adult still nurses this dream. My dad’s parents — middle-class but pathologically frugal — wouldn’t even buy him a baseball glove, and he will forever be correcting this sense of deprivation. When he finally got a house with a guest room, the first thing he did was stock it with a minibar and one of those hotel-style luggage stands. He’s got the same set of steak knives that they gave you at a Lone Star Steakhouse, the exact sheets you sleep on at a Hyatt, and attics, garages and storage spaces filled with backups of everything he needs. For him, the American dream isn’t Rolexes and Ferraris. It’s inventory.
My niece was shocked when I spent $200 on made-in-L.A. jeans. She buys online from Chinese fast-fashion giant Shein, where jeans cost $10.
But why is Richie Rich’s in-home McDonald’s more thrilling than an assistant who can fetch a Big Mac at any hour? Isn’t a vending machine that dispenses free soda just a refrigerator with extra steps? For many people, it’s so much more exciting to pantomime a purchase without having to pay a dollar, to cut out the transaction but keep the rest.
This proposition is particularly seductive to people for whom a purchase is a fraught, wincing thing. Their dream of prosperity isn’t a store where you can buy anything you want but a store where everything is free because you already bought it. This distinction becomes especially striking in light of supply-chain shortages that continue to reverberate years after the COVID-19 lockdowns. During the pandemic, many Americans had the rattling experience of being able to afford something, but not being able to buy it. It makes sense, then, that the delight of the in-home pinball machine lies not just in unlimited gameplay but also in never having to scrounge for a quarter.
Ray Oldenberg coined the term “third space” to describe the public spaces — cafes, parks, stores, churches — that are essential in fostering a sense of community outside of home (the first space) and work (the second). But as the cubicle class sees the second space fold into the first, the third space seems to be following suit. Why go to a park when you have a yard, or to a cafe when you can have barista-quality espresso in your kitchen? When anything you need can be brought to your door, there’s no need to go to a store. Essentially, we have the store at home.
I want to deride this impulse as isolationist, a symptom of everything that’s wrong with America, but also, I get it. In my city, it takes me 30 minutes to walk to my favorite grocery store. Naturally, I wish it were closer. I begin to wish it were a 15-minute walk, but then I’d wish it were only five minutes away, or better, across the street, or best, on the ground floor of my building, so I wouldn’t even need to step outside. You begin with reasonable comforts: an in-unit washer and dryer, a little patch of green, a smooth commute. But if you follow this optimization to its logical end, if you design your perfect city, your perfect home, you can quickly find yourself alone in a bunker.
Once Hurricane Milton had passed, more than 120 homes in its path had been leveled. Tropicana Field needed a new roof, but it had survived, as had the hospital. And, after a 10-day absence from TikTok, the Tampa mom posted a serene video from her back porch, the sun setting over the Gulf. The storm may have been biblical, and their home may have suffered some leaks, but she had been right: Commercial-grade prevailed.
Emily Mester is the author of the forthcoming book “American Bulk: Essays on Excess.”
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The human Race is at war with the Vicious Dalki and when they needed help more than ever, THEY started to come forward.
Humans who had hidden in the shadows for hundreds of years, people with abilities.
Some chose to share their knowledge to the rest of the world in hopes of winning the war, while others kept their abilities to themselves.
Quinn had lost everything to the war, his home, his family and the only thing he had inherited was a crummy old book that he couldn’t even open.
But when the book had finally opened, Quinn was granted a system and his whole life was turned around.
He completed quest after quest and became more powerful, until one day the system gave him a quest he wasn’t sure he could complete.
“It is time to feed!”
“You must drink human blood within 24 hours”
“Your HP will continue to decrease until the task has been completed”
Chapter 1: Just an old Book
“Try not to die by tripping over yourself, Quinn!” A boy shouted down the hallway, laughing uncontrollably right after.
Quinn dismissed the petty mockery as he carried on walking down the school corridor. The harassment had become a daily occurrence for him, but it still bothered him just as much as it did every other day. Thus, he wasn’t able to hold back his desire to retaliate.
Quinn slowed down his stride and stopped. He pushed his glasses back up onto the ridge of his nose as they had slipped down from his face. Just from looking at the glasses, it was clear that he needed a new pair – One could tell that they were heavily worn. The glasses looked crooked as he wore them, and even the temples had tape covering them.
He then turned around and immediately raised his middle finger, responding to the slander, “I bet you don’t even know how many fingers I’m holding up!”
Upon hearing the taunt, the boy clenched his fist and started running towards Quinn.
“You level 1 piece of crap! When are you going to learn that you don’t belong in this world?”
The boy placed both of his hands together, and a green ball of light started to form between them. When he was only a few meters away from Quinn, the boy threw his hands forward and a green beam shot out from the palm of his hands.
Quinn had nowhere to go, and the ray of light was too fast for him to dodge. Hence, he knew that all he could do was grit his teeth and bear the pain. As the light hit him, his body was lifted into the air and sent flying backward on to the far end corridor wall.
“What’s going on?” A student among the crowd said. “Are they fighting on the last day of school?”
A crowd had immediately formed outside, interested in what the commotion was all about. One of the female students ran over to the wall’s damaged part to check on the assaulted student’s safety.
As the dust started to settle down, Quinn’s slightly curly black hair slowly came into view. When the smoke eventually cleared up, the female student finally saw who it was. She instantly backed away and continued on with her business as if nothing happened.
The moment that the female student had returned to her friends, he could see that they were laughing at her.
“I can’t believe you tried to help him.”
“I didn’t see who it was.” The girl retorted, her cheeks flushed.
After that, Quinn stood up and lifted his glasses that were thrown on the floor. To his dismay, one of the hinges had fallen off once again. Instead of wearing the worn-out pair, he let it hang on his hand.
“Damn it. Not again…”
Please read the FAQ carefully for more details if you have any concerns.
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Lietuvos Rytas bested Unicaja 70-65
Lietuvos Rytas notched a very important 70-65 win Thursday night at Siemens Arena over Unicaja Malaga to improve to 2-2 in Group E of the Top 16. The result tied the Lithuanian champs with Caja Laboral for second place after the latter lost to group-leader Panathinaikos in Athens. Unicaja fell to 1-3 with only two games remaining in the Top 16 stage. Both will be must-win matches in order to challenge for a spot in the Quarterfinal Playoffs. Khalid El-Amin paced the winners with 18 points and Martynas Gecevicius scored 17 to go with 6 rebounds, while Kenan Bajramovic added 12 points. Joel Freeland recorded 19-points and 8 rebounds to lead the visitors, while Berni Rodriguez and Robert Archibald added 12 points apiece. Rytas will travel next week to play Panathinaikos in Athens, while Unicaja will face a tough challenge in their visit of Caja Laboral’s Fernando Buesa Arena.
The game was fast-paced, but defensive-minded in its opening quarter, with Unicaja trying to run on an alert Rytas defense that showcased its athletic ability. The first three minutes of play saw just a pair of buckets evenly split by both teams. It was only when Freeland opened things up with a triple that the offenses got going, with dynamic playmaker El-Amin leading the charge for the home side with a layup and a triple that tied the game at 9-9. Crisp ball movement and cutting at both ends made for an entertaining game throughout the quarter with plenty of good looks, but while Unicaja spread the ball in its half-court sets, El-Amin was still the main offensive catalyst for the Lithuanian champs, scoring 9 of his team’s first 13 points. Berni Rodriguez finally got on the board with a free throw for Unicaja and Gecevius did the same for Rytas, but the quarter ended pretty much the way it started: with some lock-down defense that allowed just one field goal in the final two minutes and a 17-17 standstill after one.
A big-time block by Cemal Nalga hinted at a prolonged defensive battle and seemed to spark the home side, who pulled ahead on a DJ Strawberry triple before Rodriguez answered with another long-range shot that kept the visitors on top, 22-24. With the game slowing down to a halfcourt affair, Unicaja went to the pick-and-roll in an effort to get its big men involved, while Rytas got plenty of good perimeter looks, but was just not able to convert. Gecevicius finally nailed a triple that seemed to wet his scoring appetite and highlight a shooting duel with Rodriguez, who tied it at 31-31, also from beyond the arc. A Newley assist provided Bajramovic with a dunk opportunity and the forward did not pass it up, rattling the rim with a one-hander that preceded another deep ball from Gecevicius that scored it 38-33, tying the game’s maximum difference to that point and urging visiting head coach Chus Mateo to call timeout. Unicaja labored to get good looks but took long possessions to manufacture them, often settling for contested jumpers with the shot clock winding down. Again, the period ended with a defensive tone and a tight score, 39-35, that had Gecevicius surpassing El-Amin as the game´s leading scorer, with 12 points.
The home point guard started the second half aggressively with a gorgeous right-handed shot over Simanovic, and Rytas was able to quickly establish the biggest lead of the game at 44-37 after a Bajramovic back-to-the-basket move. As Unicaja again struggled to get in a rhythm offensively, Mateos’s crew tried to push the ball, but it was El-Amin who burned them on the fast break with an accurate assist for a streaking Newley, who converted the three-point-play to establish the lead at 10 points. The Spanish side then went to Freeland and Archibald inside in hopes of establishing a post presence, but young center Jonas Valenciunas stood his ground on the defensive end and kept active on the boards. The hosts always seemed to be a step quicker when attacking, executing with constant motion, but Archibald was able to make it a double-digit difference again from the line and, once the visiting defense adjusted some and sealed the glass, Rodriguez narrowed the margin to 51-46 on a well-timed feed by Roderick Blakney. A buzzer beating alley-oop tap-in by Freeland allowed Unicaja to keep that difference, entering the fourth quarter at 53-48.
Rytas wasted no time hitting first in the final period with a Gecevicius triple, but Freeland showed his range by answering right back with a long two-pointer. The charge kept coming by the visitors, as Rodriguez capitalized on Rytas’s soft defense to make it a one-possession game with a triple, and Archibald kept it that way, 58-55, after a nice left-handed scoop by Milko Bjelica. But just as a change of momentum seemed to creep up on the hosts, Rytas punched back with a Bjelica bank shot and a hustle play that started with a Newley steal, continued with an El-Amin assist and finished with a Bajramovic fast-break layup that made it 64-56 with just five minutes left, forcing Mateo to call timeout. But the break did little to stop the hosts’ attack, as El-Amin shook loose for a layup and Newley punctuated the 8-0 run with a powerful dunk. Unicaja clawed back with a Freeland face-up jumper at the 1:47 mark that made it a two-possession game at 68-62, but Terrell McIntyre’s first field goal of the game, a corner three that tightened the score to 68-65 with 7 second to go, was ultimately not enough. El-Amin calmly hit both ensuing free throws and Uros Tripkovic missed a late triple to give Rytas their second victory of the Top 16.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
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Think of a balance scale. On one side is the elaborate. On the other side is the simple –and approachable.
When I think of simple, I think of the American Family Association.
Having grown up running down the halls of AFA, I noticed early on that the physical appearance of AFA, both inside and out, was not extravagant. It is nice but not elaborate. In fact, it was 15 or 20 years before we repainted most of the walls, and we still have some of the same carpet from 1988.
My point? Although a nice new paint job brings about freshness after 15 plus years, AFA has always been very thoughtful about how it spends your money. The leadership always asks: Is this a need or want? If it’s a need, does it fit AFA’s mission? If it fits the ministry’s mission, are the funds available without borrowing the money?
To be honest, I have not always appreciated the ministry’s frugality. As a teenager, I looked at AFA and thought “the more elaborate the ministry, the bigger the reach.” But my grandfather, in all his wisdom, knew better. I’m thankful that he continues to impart such wisdom to me.
Now when I look at AFA and count its 190 radio stations, 900,000 email subscribers and 194,000 AFA Journal subscribers, I realize that it is the Lord’s blessings on AFA that have allowed the ministry to prosper. To Him, I am grateful.
It has been a privilege and a humbling experience to watch AFA be a good financial steward of the money the Lord has entrusted to the ministry. On September 2, 2014, AFA was awarded Charity Navigator's highest, and most coveted, 4-star rating for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency. Again, to Him, we are grateful, and for you, we are thankful.
We continually need your help to resist the evil changes against the family that have taken and are taking place in America. Here are a few ways that AFA has used your money over the past year to encourage families and bring about good. AFA …
Launched the Corporate Religious Liberty Index, a questionnaire that seeks to assess and publicize the importance of religious liberty to major companies.
If you have already given a year-end gift to AFA, I would like to say thank you for trusting us to carry out the mission to which God has called AFA, to biblically defend and encourage the American family.
If you have not yet given, please prayerfully consider partnering with us as we end 2015. No matter the evil changes that take place around us, one thing never changes … and it’s not just the carpet!
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Let me ask you something:
Do you REALLY want to manifest abundance?
Over the course of the years that I’ve been in business, I’ve realized most people know what they should be doing…
… they just don’t do it.
Or they don’t do it consistently enough.
They let other people and things get in the way.
So let me tell you about Johannes:
Johannes joined the program, and designed the 2.0 version of himself.
He then used Memory Flipping to PERMANENTLY end self-sabotage and to manifest a life he TRULY loves.
So would you say that it’s YOUR turn to do so?
If you’re ready to get after it today, click here to sign up, and I’ll see you on the inside!
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During this Thanksgiving season, we commemorate the coming together of English settlers and Native-Americans at Plymouth Colony, for what historians have dubbed “The First Thanksgiving.” This signal event brought the first Plymouth settlers and their Native-American neighbors together to feast, following a harrowing year that witnessed the deaths of half of the Pilgrim population during the winter of 1620-21. Yes, the survival of the remaining Pilgrims and the establishment of a viable colony is something to celebrate. Our national holiday, however, tends to overlook the momentous event that occurred on November 11, 1620: the signing of the Mayflower Compact.
Histories of the Mayflower and Plymouth Colony have portrayed the settlers who came to Plymouth as religious dissenters, Protestants who were seeking religious freedom in the New World. That is mostly true, but a number of the Mayflower passengers were not “Separatists” escaping religious persecution, but rather were “Strangers,” men who came to America seeking to make money through trade. Indeed, the establishment of Plymouth Colony was financed by a group of London “Merchant Adventurers” who were expecting the Mayflower’s passengers to send back goods (primarily furs) from which they would derive substantial profits. When the Mayflower dropped anchor near Cape Cod in November 1620, therefore, there were essentially two classes of people who, when they went ashore, would need to co-exist, and work together to fulfill their obligations to the Merchant Adventurers. The leaders of the Mayflower voyage therefore thought it wise to reach agreement over how exactly the new colony was going to be governed. What emerged was a written “Compact,” or agreement, by which the settlers agreed to be bound in the conduct of their affairs once on land.
The Mayflower Compact was a truly revolutionary document—the first English legal document that authorized the creation of a “civil Body Politick” not appointed by Parliament or the Crown, but by the people of Plymouth. The Colony’s political leaders would be empowered to regulate commerce, allocate land, resolve legal disputes, negotiate treaties, and otherwise oversee life in the Colony. This was unheard of!
The Compact was signed by 41 of the ship’s 101 passengers (some of whom would die that first winter). The signers included both Separatists and Strangers, as well as indentured servants (such as John Howland) and crew members. As was typical for those times, no women signed the document. Why did this diverse group of Mayflower passengers decide to do this, and what did the Compact say?
Why did the Mayflower passengers draw up the Compact? We have to step back in time for a moment. Before the Mayflower ever set sail for America, the Merchant Adventurers had to obtain a royal charter from the King authorizing the voyage, much as the Jamestown founders had obtained a charter for their voyage to Virginia back in 1606. The Plymouth Colony charter set forth where the settlers were to go, what lands they were authorized to settle, and the physical boundaries of the settlement itself. In the case of the Mayflower, the charter specified “Virginia,” which at that time included the areas now encompassed parts of New York, New Jersey, and the mid-Atlantic region. The passengers of the Mayflower therefore thought that was where they were headed. But when the Mayflower approached the coast of North America, they were far north of their intended destination, where they encountered violent storms that threw them off course. The Mayflower found itself being tossed and turned on the coast of New England. Facing extreme danger in continuing the voyage south towards “Virginia,” the Mayflower instead dropped anchor at Cape Cod. And it was there that the Mayflower passengers decided to settle. The problem, however, was that the Plymouth Colony’s charter did not authorize them to settle there! They were violating the terms of their charter, and in choosing to settle at Cape Cod, they were operating outside the laws of England. For that reason, the men of the Mayflower concluded that they needed a legally binding agreement amongst themselves, while they sought to obtain a new charter from the Crown that would cover the new territory they were about to occupy in New England.
It should be emphasized here that in 1620, the Mayflower passengers were subjects of King James, and answerable to the Crown, even though they were trying to escape the tyranny of the Church of England. This explains why the Compact begins with these words:
“In the name of God, Amen. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc.”
Given this circumstance, the colonists felt they needed to live by some version of English law, and operate as best they could according to English customs, even though they were about to settle down in a wild frontier, with no semblance of civilization.
What did the Compact say? The Compact consisted of just two sentences, but the import of those few words was huge. Here is what the Pilgrims wrote:
Having undertaken for the Glory of God, and Advancement of the Christian Faith, and the Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the first Colony in the northern Parts of Virginia; Do by these Presents, solemnly and mutually, in the Presence of God and one another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil Body Politick, for our better Ordering and Preservation, and Furtherance of the Ends aforesaid: And by Virtue hereof do enact, constitute, and frame, such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions, and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general Good of the Colony; unto which we promise all due Submission and Obedience. IN WITNESS whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names at Cape-Cod the eleventh of November, in the Reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France, and Ireland, the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth, Anno Domini; 1620.
Below this text were the signatures of the 41 men, beginning with the man who was to be the Colony’s Governor, John Carver. He died the following April, one of many of the original 101 passengers who arrived at Plymouth but did not survive the first winter. The second signer was William Bradford, who served as Governor off and on until 1657. It was William Bradford who wrote the definitive account of the voyage of the Mayflower, entitled “Of Plymouth Plantation.” Bradford’s first-person account also documented– often in minute detail — how the colonists tried to live by the terms of the Compact, and to establish a “civil Body Politick.” Bradford’s writings also reflect the many challenges the Colony ensured, and the political strife the Colony experienced in those first few decades.
Ten years after the landing of the Mayflower, Plymouth Colony faced one of its greatest challenges: a rival settlement, the Massachusetts Bay Colony, led by John Winthrop. The “Bay Colony” was mostly comprised of “Puritans,” who, like the Separatists, were religious dissenters, but who remained members of the Church of England and practiced a different form of Protestantism. Over time, it became apparent that the religious leaders of the Bay Colony were far less tolerant of those who did not abide by their strict orthodoxy, and who were quick to banish anyone who did not follow their strictures. Yet, the Bay Colony attracted thousands of immigrants, and by the 1690’s Plymouth Colony had seen its own population dwindle. In 1692, therefore, Plymouth Colony merged with the Bay Colony, and its “civil Body Politick” was no more.
The courage of our Pilgrim ancestors: I end this short summary of the Mayflower Compact with William Bradford’s account of the Mayflower voyage and the landing at Plymouth—an enduring portrayal of the courage and conviction of the 101 passengers who made their way to the New World, and settled Plymouth Colony. His words capture the spirit of freedom that defines our Nation’s history:
Here beginneth the chronicle of those memorable circumstances of the year 1620, as recorded by Nathaniel Morton, keeper of the records of Plymouth Colony, based on the account of William Bradford, sometime governor thereof:
So they left that goodly and pleasant city of Leiden, which had been their resting-place for above eleven years, but they knew that they were pilgrims and strangers here below, and looked not much on these things, but lifted up their eyes to Heaven, their dearest country, where God hath prepared for them a city (Heb. XI, 16), and therein quieted their spirits.
When they came to Delfshaven they found the ship and all things ready, and such of their friends as could not come with them followed after them, and sundry came from Amsterdam to see them shipt, and to take their leaves of them. One night was spent with little sleep with the most, but with friendly entertainment and Christian discourse, and other real expressions of true Christian love.
The next day they went on board, and their friends with them, where truly doleful was the sight of that sad and mournful parting, to hear what sighs and sobs and prayers did sound amongst them; what tears did gush from every eye, and pithy speeches pierced each other’s heart, that sundry of the Dutch strangers that stood on the Key as spectators could not refrain from tears. But the tide (which stays for no man) calling them away, that were thus loath to depart, their Reverend Pastor, falling down on his knees, and they all with him, with watery cheeks commended them with the most fervent prayers unto the Lord and His blessing; and then with mutual embraces and many tears they took their leaves one of another, which proved to be the last leave to many of them.
Being now passed the vast ocean, and a sea of troubles before them in expectations, they had now no friends to welcome them, no inns to entertain or refresh them, no houses, or much less towns, to repair unto to seek for succour; and for the season it was winter, and they that know the winters of the country know them to be sharp and violent, subject to cruel and fierce storms, dangerous to travel to known places, much more to search unknown coasts.
Besides, what could they see but a hideous and desolate wilderness, full of wilde beasts and wilde men? and what multitudes of them there were, they then knew not: for which way soever they turned their eyes (save upward to Heaven) they could have but little solace or content in respect of any outward object; for summer being ended, all things stand in appearance with a weatherbeaten face, and the whole country, full of woods and thickets, represented a wild and savage hew.
If they looked behind them, there was a mighty ocean which they had passed, and was now as a main bar or gulph to separate them from all the civil parts of the world.
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RizzGPT AI APK is your messaging assistant that has been designed to generate engaging, charming, and compelling replies in response to your questions. The app has been developed to help people with low confidence to help them boost their independence and courage while interacting with the people around them. App like these enable them to chat with an AI chatbot like the way they talk to a random friend online but when it comes to a living person some of us feel hesitant to share what we are feeling about anything so this is how you will build the rigor to go out and express yourself because practice makes permanent.
The bot provides you with tailored compliments and positive aspirations to lift your mood when you are having a bad day or want to listen to something romantic about yourself. Just head to the app and start chatting with it right away. You can also set your personal confidence related goals or let the app do it for you. It will keep track of how things are seeing progress and will celebrate with you after accomplishing individual goals and achievements. These achievements will allow you to work harder towards your dream of becoming a bold person in society who could share everything with the people who matter. Moreover, you will also be able to receive friendly reminders throughout the day and will be able to check some of the best motivational quotes that will push you towards getting the things done on time.
About RizzGPT AI APK
RizzGPT AI APK come with a revolutionary concept that brings everyone a golden chance to level up their personality and confidence. The much-appreciated feature incorporated in this app is its mood analysis. Based on the texts you input in the app, it will generate responses in a way that you will feel like it has understood what you are going through at that time. Despite of the fact that it is just a chatbot, it still understands how we are feeling or what we are going through so wait no longer and start digging now by embarking on the long drive with this amazing platform.
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Furthermore, it is capable of strength analysis so in this function the app will analyze your inquiries and recognize your strengths so that you could work on the positives in your life other than just focusing on the negatives that we all do every now and then. So, know what positives you got and equip yourself with the best self-confidence out there so that you can steal the show.
More About the App
RizzGPT AI APK also consists of a virtual pep talks library. You need this to learn from the people who are best in the business. On the way towards achieving anything, you need some helping hands as well otherwise reaching the destination becomes so hard. So, these pep talks will do just that in your case. Gear up and start this wonderful journey towards greatness. Visualization exercises have been add to help you tackle your anxiety and overcome the fear you have in your heart regarding different stuff around you or the fear of being judge by the people you live with. When these insecurities hit you, it becomes very hard to come out of them if you do not have a good companion on the way. But if you have, then nothing can damage your self esteem or your faith.
To enhance your abilities and skills, this app is going to play a huge role in your life but if you just stay here without downloading the app on your device then the only thing you will be doing is killing your precious time and nothing else. So, it is highly advised to check this amazing app and get the benefit it is providing to you. You will be advise and briefed about how to react during social events and while meeting with people with a huge reputation. Sometimes we face such incidents at work or anywhere else, so we need to get ready for any situation.
Features of RizzGPT AI APK
It will introduce you with thousands of other users who have successfully completed the targets that the app had set for them and now they are living a happier life than they had before because everything has changed ever since they started using this app, their life has dramatically changed.
- Public speaking prep
You will be prepare to speak in front of many people who are there to listen to the words that you want to share with them.
- Body language
Apart from the speaking skills, some other skills are in primary focus, one of which is body language, which is another crucial skill that we all need to have.
- Virtual high-fives
The animations assist you in getting close to the finish line faster than any other method. So, these will help you in learning quicker than you expected.
- Confidence boosting playlist.
You can create a personalized playlist of songs consisting of tracks that lift our mood when we are feeling down.
RizzGPT AI APK ensures that the users are surround by positivity no matter how or where they live. To make that a reality, it shows them positive news from around the world that could lift his mood and he could get a sense of admirable vibes. Being in a good mood when you are waking up is essential for having a good day ahead so to make sure of this, this app helps people get the best jokes in town right after they open their device early in the morning. These jokes help them refresh their bodies and light up their mental condition, so they start seeing goodness in everything.
The last thing that we want to talk about here is something that no other app has offered yet. It is about being grateful to the people who have their input in assisting you reach where you are standing today. so, hit the download button right now.
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The Heebie Jeebies and the Creepy Crawlies have always been banked on a lot within the video game industry. The number of really fun and scary horror games is almost endless, with classics like Silent Hill, and Resident Evil immediately coming to mind. So given our shared love of being scared senseless, what are the best of the best that 2015 had to offer?
Disclaimer: Keep in mind that this list will focus on games that were originally released in 2015, so games like the 2015 PC release of Outlast, veya Alien: Isolation will not be included on this list due to their first initial release being in 2013 (Outlast) and 2014 (Alien: Isolation) respectively.
Best Horror Games Released in 2015
10. Project Zero: Maiden of Black Water – (Wii U)
The Fatal Frame series has always used mystery and claustrophobia really, really well. This is achieved by giving you, the player, absolutely no weapon except for a camera, which you use to capture the stray souls of ghosts. With that as your only weapon, it’s a constant battle of wills between running away, and trying to hurriedly take a shot of a ghost that kills you if it touches you.
Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water, like the rest of the Fatal Frame series, is set in a town plagued by suicides and ghostly occurrences. The creepy factor in this game is really high because of that setting, and it will very likely have you trying to reach the light switch without blinking.
9. Sylvio – (PC & Mac)
Following the theme of a helpless protagonist, Sylvio puts you in the shoes of a ghost hunter trapped in an abandoned theme park. Already in a creepy setting, and only armed with a potato gun and an audio recorder, you need to go and scour every inch of the park to find out clues and solve puzzles by analyzing the recordings you take. The ghostly whispers you record, will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up, and trying to figure them out by fast forwarding, back masking and a host of other audio tricks will keep your mind occupied both with busy with an eerie and unsettling feeling.
8. Layers of Fear – (Multiple Platforms)
This is a psychological rump through a really bad acid trip. Taking place inside a beautifully rendered mansions, you must complete your Magnum Opus as a painter. As you play through the story you discover that you have a family, weird quirks, and an unstable mind. The story and tension builds out slowly as you start, and while the tension drops off near the end of the second half, it’s still an incredibly scary experience.
7. Kholat – ( PC, PS3 & PS4)
The Dyatlov Pass Incident is a real life event that happened in Russia, where 9 hikers where found dead on a snowy mountain under mysterious circumstances. It’s been over 50 years since it’s happened and yet we still don’t know what exactly happened, with a lot of files lost during the fall of the Soviet Union.
Kholat attempts to tell the story of one possible explanation. Narrative by Sean Beam, this game takes you into the snowy local of the Ural Mountains, and exposes you to some of the more interesting, and ghostly, theories.
6. Darkest Dungeon – (PC)
The fact that this game is a rouge-like makes it even more terrifying than usual. Set in a Cthulhu-like world, you are put in charge of closing the gate of hell with your party of intrepid and, often times, incredibly weird characters. Fighting through spiders, skeletons, anthropomorphic pigs and generally miss-shaped beings, this turn-based game pushes you to the edges of your sanity with gameplay, constantly keeping you stressed and scared from the environment around you.
Tell me, do you fear the dark?
5. Until Dawn – (Playstation 4)
This is a pretty interesting game mechanically, which utilizes a system called “Butterfly Effect”. This Butterfly Effect changes the world around you as you make your choices, meaning that you’ll actually have to play the game several times before getting the full story.
In such a dynamic world, you are put in charge of eight characters that you have to keep alive while you explore Blackwood Pines Lodge. Hauntings, monsters and other weird things await you in this wintery scareland, so you really should only enter if you dare.
4. Dying Light – (Multiple Platforms)
Taking Ubisoft’s open world games and strapping on a zombie theme has worked incredibly well for Dying Light. While you try and find the solution for a city district cut-off from the world, you will have to contend with several different types of incredibly flesh-hungry zombies. As the sun sets and the night takes over, new and much more difficult zombies come out to hunt you, so there’s a real argument to be made of sleeping cozy in bed when it’s night time.
3. Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 & 4 – (PC)
You know what’s scarier than a kid’s restaurant in the middle of the night? A kid’s restaurant with homicidal animatronic mascots. In the Five Nights at Freddy’s series of games, you are the new temporary security guard charged with keeping the place safe at night. Unfortunately for you, the most dangerous things aren’t outside, they’re inside.
Sitting inside your little booth, with control of nothing but a set of cameras and a couple of doors, you have to fend off these animatronics until dawn comes along. This is no easy task, as each animatronic has its own quirks and movements, and you’ll really need to be at the top of your game to survive the 5 nights of the game.
2. SOMA – (Multiple Platforms)
Made by the same guys who made the incredibly popular Amnesia series, Soma is a philosophical game that explores the boundaries of life and what it is to ‘be’. Set in an underwater station in a state of disrepair, you must slowly fix it and explore the world that you’ve found yourself in to find out what exactly is going on, and why do all the machines act like humans.
What’s interesting is this game doesn’t use conventional horror elements, but instead chooses to focus on psychological horror. So you better make sure your strong willed before going into this game, because if you aren’t, you might and up like one of them.
1. Bloodborne – (Playstation 4)
One of the seminal works of horror to come out in 2015, Bloodborne is an incredibly punishing, incredibly scary game. Set in a strange world that is almost completely hostile to you, trying to survive in Bloodborne is like trying to survive being put through a tree chipper. The crazy monsters, disheveled humans, angry hounds, and almost certain death will very likely drive you up the wall. In fact, you might be better off playing this game with some friends and with the lights on.
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If you’re looking to pull, the gym is the best place to go
‘Talking to gym strangers is easy thanks to the enforced intimacy’
Just like your grandparents met when their eyes met over a crowded room, one day you could be telling the story of how you met your partner as your gaze locked in a busy gym.
Now dating experts say the gym is the ideal place for flirting and meeting your other half — or even just arranging casual hook-ups.
A recent survey by Match.com found gym lovers have more sex as 33 per cent of singles who work out twice a week get laid at least once a month, compared to just 20 per cent of lonely hearts who rarely or never pump iron.
But how are you supposed to thrive in the sweaty nightmare of the gym dating scene? Is your sexy look of weight-lifting determination actually just a sticky gurn?
We spoke to body language guru Judi James who explains the gym is “the ultimate flirt place for the selfie generation”.
She says: “People put time and effort into honing their bodies and use the gym as a showplace for all that work.
“Clearly the equipment can be used to advertise your sexual appeal, either with the stretching and contorting and/or all the pseudo-sexual sweating and grunting.
“It is also the perfect ice-breaker as striking up conversations with strangers is easy thanks to the enforced intimacy of the venue.”
If you’re planning to join the ranks of nervous, sweaty boys offering unsolicited gym advice as a way of flirting with girls — be careful, because expert Judi says you need to read flirt signals with caution.
“In the gym itself it is natural for everyone to want to stare at everyone else to compare muscles and body shape in a competitive or educational way. But that isn’t always about flirting.
“In a club or pub someone staring at your body might be making their intentions obvious but in a gym it can just be professional envy or research.
“In fact, you probably need to look for the person performing ‘tie signs’ with their facial expressions, like catching your eye and sending eye-signals rather than someone who appears to be admiring your biceps.
“Flirting in the changing room is clearly way too obvious and might cause offence if you get too flirty.
“Asking someone where the towels are kept might work but using eye contact and ogling could get you thrown out.”
Top gym flirting tips
• Watch out for people who are looking around the room to make eye contact with you, Judi calls it “open body language”
• Respect people who don’t want to be disturbed — see if their eyes are to the ground with headphones in, focusing on their work-out
• Don’t start a full-on conversation when they’re mid-lift, go for something more casual like Judi recommends
• Wipe off your sweaty face before going in
• Stay hydrated
As for how to see who might be interested, Judi warns it can be hard to spot those dressed to pull.
“You might assume the one in the sweaty old vest and grey shorts is there to work while the one in the designer lycra is there to pull.
“But there is a huge narcissistic element to the gym experience for a lot of people.
“This means they dress up to impress themselves more than to attract sexual interest. It can be a bit of a power thing, a bit like the guy with the really huge muscles who is pumped up to impress himself rather than to attract a mate.”
The fertile ground for hook-ups offered by the gym obviously ends up attracting pick-up artist toads — which is what happened to Laura FitzPatrick, 20, a second year linguist at Manchester.
Finally Judy adds with many aspects of body language, there can be primordial undercurrents to your behaviour.
“You’re really mimicking a state of aggressive arousal — you’re expanding your chest and pecs, and your facial expressions can look angry like a wrestler or a boxer.
“In this way concepts of flirting are more animalistic and less wine and roses. It’s almost pre-historic.
“In modern times, we don’t really need to prove our mating potential for others so it’s quite odd how it’s become the new fashion.”
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Been kind slow for the last 12 months in my life...So, let's see, what am I thankful for this year?
~ been an easy year, since I haven't worked for 9 months of it, now, that's kinda nice
~ arranged to have Xmas with my Dad, who I miss and rarely get to see, that's pretty nice
~ most of all, though, I ended up in the best relationship that I have ever conceived of, and it has made me extremely happy...enough so that I've already made the plans and committment that it shall be 'the one', if you dig
~ and, of course, as always, I'm thankful for my friends, and that means you guys, too. Thank you guys for you.
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I had heard his story before. In fact, I had read and re-read it dozens of times already. But, as I listened to Ahmed Ustić’s Death March story, there was no way of quelling the strange paralysis that I had felt when I first read the account of this young man’s horrifying six-day journey for survival.
In the far corner of the cavernous hall of the former car battery factory, there is a photograph of a man in a bright orange jacket. He has deep, kind eyes. I stood staring at his face, then at the item of clothing he held in his hands, and back into his eyes. I was rooted to the ground, listening to his story narrated in my ears. I had heard his story before. In fact, I had read and re-read it dozens of times already. But, as I listened to Ahmed Ustić’s Death March story, there was no way of quelling the strange paralysis that I had felt when I first read the account of this young man’s horrifying six-day journey for survival.
About a month before that moment, I was handed the immense responsibility, along with my colleague Alexandra, of working on the English translations of the Memento exhibition stories. I say responsibility, because there is no other way to describe the feeling of being presented with such personal accounts – of painful memories, of loss and agony, of lives left devastated – to examine and edit. The responsibility of simply reading women tell of their murdered children and husbands, of the near starvation experienced as refugees, is immense.
Memento is an oral history project curated by the Post-Conflict Research Center and the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Centre. It brings together personal objects and personal stories that attest to the struggle for survival that took place in Srebrenica in 1995, as a methodically-planned and swiftly-executed genocide was carried out. Large panels carry the portraits of ten women survivors – those from Srebrenica and the surrounds whose relatives were murdered in the genocide – and ten men who survived the Death March – the long journey on foot from Srebrenica to the Free Territory. Their haunting survival stories are told through audio headsets, and, along with their portraits, we see objects both belonging to the Death March survivors themselves, or left behind by murdered loved ones.
Velma Šarić, PCRC’s founder and director, explains how they were able to use the Memorial Center’s database of victims’ families and survivors to find the storytellers, working closely also with associations of mothers of Srebrenica and a group of Death March survivors. With the help of fixer Enver Šehović, himself a survivor, each one of the 30 subjects were interviewed twice by Saric, the stories meticulously fact-checked and compiled with the guidance of oral history experts, before being whittled down to the final 20 stories.
The objects – some of the many donated to the Memorial Center by family and survivors – were the inspiration for the multimedia exhibition. Those whose stories form the exhibition, the people who donated these precious objects, attended a private visit before the public opening. In the words of Šarić, this exhibition gives their loved ones a voice and a name, rather than being just a number and a statistic. “I think that is the most crucial part of this project,” she adds. “It was emotionally tough for the subjects to see and hear their stories told, but they were thankful that they were being told in this way.” The exhibition will be permanently displayed in the Memorial center and transferred soon to an online portal for those unable to visit the site itself.
The simplicity of the portraits, taken by exhibition photographer Armin Durgut, reflects the starkness of the bare walls they border on the northern side of the old factory. Take a headset and listen, and you are stilled. Stilled by the men’s retelling of days of walking, unarmed, through forests and across rivers, under almost constant bombardment; of friends and brothers, fathers and grandfathers, killed on the way; of the gruesome horrors witnessed. Stilled by stories of women left alone in the world, faced only with the search for dismembered remains.
The preservation of such stories is powerful beyond measure. Genocide scholar Dr Gregory H. Stanton, in a webinar organized by the team behind the Sto te nema commemorative monument, urged us that stories, above all, are our most useful tool against genocide denial. Narrative is how we learn about the world, both as children and adults. All the more reason for me to feel that the task of weaving a flowing narrative out of the Srebrenica survivor interviews was a huge responsibility.
The exhibition will soon be available online – a crucial point of access in these difficult times of restricted movement. As a permanent exhibition, however, it carves out a precious space and moment of memorialization. Spaces dedicated solely and exclusively to the memory of a past that must not be forgotten are invaluable. Such spaces of memory, of knowledge, of reflection, are often the product of more work and struggle than we ever see.
As Emir Suljagić, director of the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Centre reminds us, memorialization is an expensive endeavor. Preserving and sharing the facts and the memory of what occurred in Srebrenica, of the people who were killed as well as those who survive, is especially expensive compared to the ease and swiftness with which the genocide took place. This is a past and a reality that must never be forgotten, especially in the face of rampant denial. “If there is something that is perhaps a little closer to my heart than other segments of the commemoration, it is the Memento exhibition,” says Suljagić. Under his direction, this exhibition now means that human stories behind the everyday objects – the cigarette cases, the ID cards, the photographs – will forever be preserved.
I am grateful and moved for the small contribution I could make to this work. Watching people listen to the exhibition was a privilege: the burly bikers in their Marš Mira t-shirts, mothers and grandmothers in their white headscarves, whole families, small children, the subjects themselves – the people whose lives were, and remain, directly and forever darkened by the events of 25 years ago. The responsibility I had felt as I picked apart the grammar and turns of phrase transformed into utter humility, respect, and an overwhelming sense of privilege. As one of the very few foreigners present at the 25th genocide memorial, I will forever be humbled. I will forever carry the message that the genocide in Srebrenica was avoidable, that we must not forget it, and that the people of Srebrenica must not be left behind. We must listen to their stories and learn.
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Sometimes life leaves our hearts hardened like a garden plot in a drought. The surface is cracked, broken, and has no growth or beauty. God is the master gardener and there is nothing too difficult for Him to handle. When we surrender our lives to Him and seek Him with all our hearts, he removes the rocky ground and prepares our hearts for deep growth and renewal in Him.
Colossians 2:7 “Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.” (NLT)
How can God change our hearts? Let me share a story about my Papa.
As a girl, I use to spend summers in Westville, Oklahoma with my grandparents. Westville is covered with ROCKY ground – yet my Papa was determined to grow the best garden ever.
The first step was removing all those rocks. It was HARD work. First, he would remove the rocks by hand, throw them in a wheel barrow, and haul them away from the garden spot. He used these big rocks to create pillars held together with chicken wire around the edge of his property. These big rocks did not go to waste. They were part of the blue print of the property. They were removed from the garden plot, but transformed into a protective boundary around his land.
Removing the rocks was only the beginning of the work. The ground was full of Johnson grass, a weed that is a huge PAIN to get rid of. Those weeds had to be hand pulled. If you just till the ground, they will continue to take root, grow and kill the garden. If you use weed killer – it hurts the soil.
I remember at our own place in Kansas, my dad had us girls pull the Johnson grass right after a rain. The ground was muddy and easier to work. Some of those strands were a good six to twelve feet long. We got in the muddy mess and pulled those weeds out by the roots. It was hard work! Our hands where cut and blistered by the end of the day but the weeds were GONE!! Had dad made us do it when the ground was dry, we would have NOT been able to get down to the roots. The secret was working the rain soaked ground.
After the ground is free of rocks and weeds, then you till the earth to mix the depleted top layer with the nutrients buried underneath. You see, the weeds have already drained this top layer of dirt from most nutrients. Any new shoots of seed would quickly use up the “left-over” nutrients in the top soil and then die out with basic starvation. However, when the ground is tilled, it blends in fresh, nutritious soil from deep under in the ground and creates a steady sustenance for new growth. This soil represents the Word of God.
After Papa was done with all his work, time, sweat and blood – his garden was BEAUTIFUL!!
Our hearts are a garden plot waiting to be cultivated. When we come out of a life of sin or abuse – our emotions, soul, mind, and body need time to cultivate and heal. The first step is to remove the rocky ground. It is work! We have to actively seek God and ask him to show us areas that need work, and areas that need to be removed from our garden-plot. God will transform those rocky areas into a protective border around our hearts.
Next, we need to let the RAIN of the Holy Spirit flood our life through reading God’s Word, prayer and praise. As He rains down, the ground of our souls will become ready to pull out roots of sin, bitterness, unforgiveness, doubt, and anything that will destroy our faith in God. As we recognize an area that needs to be rooted OUT be willing to turn it over to God and pull it up and out of your life.
I did this by confessing the area to the Lord when I recognized it; and by looking up scriptures on each area of damage in my life. When I recognized I was dealing with anger, then I looked up and wrote down all the scriptures I could find on anger. I memorized them, prayed them, and asked the Holy Spirit to convict me when needed. Eventually the anger began to subside. I did the same thing when I recognized I had fear, nightmares, doubt… on and on. One emotional damaged area at a time. Be patient with yourself. Don’t be afraid to carry the “rocks” to the Lord or to pull the weeds out.
Finally, we are ready to have the depleted top soil tilled with the nutrients of the Word of God. The soil represents the whole Word of God working in our lives, developing our character in God, and feeding the fruits of the Spirit in us until we spring forth with new growth.
We have the tools for change. God gives us a dose of faith, self-control and will power. He gives us strength, courage, and hope. He gives us his Word and the comfort of His Spirit. We are not abandoned. We are not alone.
Yet, He does expect us to make an effort. We have to cultivate our attitudes and renew our minds, and be willing to grow and learn. We have to begin to turn all areas of our lives over to God – one rock at a time – insecurities anger, doubt, depression, and fear. When we recognize the source of our pain – we have to carry it to cross, lay it at His feet. Give it to him, fill your heart and mind with the Word of God, and your life will begin to be free from the pain.
Never give up on your healing. It is hard work! Hang in there!!! Jesus loves you! ♥
Donna Wright © 2012
John 14:23 Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. (NIV)
1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
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This is an example page. It’s different from a blog post because it will stay in one place and will show up in your site navigation (in most themes). Most people start with an About page that introduces them to potential site visitors. It might say something like this:
Hi there! I’m a bike messenger by day, aspiring actor by night, and this is my website. I live in Los Angeles, have a great dog named Jack, and I like piña coladas. (And gettin’ caught in the rain.)
…or something like this:
The XYZ Doohickey Company was founded in 1971, and has been providing quality doohickeys to the public ever since. Located in Gotham City, XYZ employs over 2,000 people and does all kinds of awesome things for the Gotham community.
As a new WordPress user, you should go to your dashboard to delete this page and create new pages for your content. Have fun!
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Vote For Your Favorite Animal at The Utica Zoo [POLL]
It's National Zoo Lover's Day and it reminds us how lucky we are to have an amazing zoo of our own right here in Utica, NY. Every day the people at the zoo are making more and more progress in renovating old buildings, bringing in new animals, and constantly making the zoo experience even better. The toughest question is what the best animal is at The Utica Zoo?
Voting for your favorite animal goes on all weekend long until 10 a.m. on Monday, April 11th, 2016. Winner will be announced at 11:15 a.m. the same morning.
Your continued support of this amazing asset to our community is always appreciated and much of the success the zoo is seeing is a result of people who contribute to fund raisers, coming to the zoo, and attending one of the many great events offered there annually. Their big project going on currently is in an effort to remodel the primate building. It's a clever name too. They call it the "We Don't Like it Either!!" campaign. You can donate to that on their website.
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Hello everyone, my name is Joy. I recently completed Growing Life and I’m here today to share how God has worked in my life through it.For those of you who don’t know about it, Growing Life is a 6-week life study offered for new believers who have completed Living Life. It is offered one on one, or two on one, in a mentorship style and it is meant to give new believers practical steps to live as Christians.
For me, I was born into a christian family, and so I felt fairly confident about having those basic steps down. Go to church on sunday, pray before your meal, pray before you sleep, read your bible in the mornings, I’m sure a lot of you here are familiar with the drill. Because of this, I was fairly sure that I was taking this study just to re-cement these basics, and I didn’t have that many expectations.In fact, Pastor Caleb told Jeesu and I as we started the study, that rather than a lot of new epiphanies and lessons, a lot of what we learnt would be reaffirmations of what we already knew.
With that the study started. We talked a lot about fundamental parts of living life as a Christian. We learnt about being a part of the body of Christ, of our conflicting natures, our salvation, our authority and the call we have received to pray for our non-christian friends.Through the weeks we spent talking, reading and praying about these topics, God moved me to look into my life. He revealed to me how blessed I am to be part of such a lively and healthy body here at The Seed and in my house church. He also reminded me of the joy of salvation. That was such a blessing.
But by far the biggest way that God has moved my heart through Growing Life was with the very first lesson we learnt, about QT, spending time with Him. Have you ever heard of people refer to the Word as your daily bread? I think I saw it more as my daily multivitamin. Something that was good to have everyday, but not something I needed everyday to survive? So to be honest, a lot of the time, I would only do QT when I was feeling down about something, or was looking to God for advice. Through this study, God taught me that the word isn’t just something that is an added pick me up. Spending time with God in the mornings, on the few mornings that I did through the study, gave me sustenance, energy and life(?) to carry out the day. In order for me to grow as a Christian, it’s not enough to eat a multivitamin or a power-smoothie of a sermon or random prayer session. It’s about what I eat everyday, the quiet time I spend with God in the morning that will really allow me to flourish into a mature, intimate relationship with Him. Of course, my QT life wasn’t and isn’t perfect. Throughout the study, even though we were encouraged to do QT every morning, I wasn’t always so diligent. But I can confidently say that through Growing Life God has shown me why QT is so important. So far, after the study, I have been enjoying spending my mornings in the Word, listening to God’s voice and his promises for me. I’m excited for how my QT life will grow and I’ll grow more and more intimate with Him.
There’s a really funny habit I have of approaching God thinking, yeah I know what you’re gonna say, or what you’re going to teach me. This is going to be no big deal. But God always surprises me, humbles my arrogant heart and reveals something new. So I want to conclude by thanking God and Pastor Caleb for the lessons I’ve learned through growing life and encouraging all of my brothers and sisters here to take it as well 🙂 Thank you for listening.
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Has your get up and go got up and went? Do you totally fear Mondays? Get a handle on smoldered? Put off assignments any chance you can get? Provided that this is true, you are likely experiencing a normal condition called “Lack of Motivation”. By utilizing the 4 proposals beneath, you can jolt your willingness and take back control of your euphoria, benefit, and fun. Attempt these eccentric inspiration tips and check whether you don’t feel better, work better, and have an improved state of mind about practically everything!
Time by Making It Work for You!
In the event that you’re such as general business possessor, time feels like your grandest foe. You’ve got due dates to meet, stacks of paper to live out, telephone calls to return, gatherings to go to, shows up for the item, and there sits time, the Cheshire Cat, smiling at you as it twitches its tail like the second hand of a clock. Tic tic.
Anyway, there are routes to race against time.
Before leaving the workplace, scribble down 5 items you need to finish and the time you need to have them finished, with the intention that right when you get into the workplace the following day, you have an objective, a mission, a plan start an evaluation or report that is expected, however, end it in mid-sentence, or a midst a considered. Begin there, the following day and complete the venture.
To Reach Goals, Set Them
A golfer will picture him or herself hitting the ball. A swimmer pictures him or herself adjusting the turn. An adequate representative makes small-scale objectives for every hour of the day. These for the most part get “motivation” objectives, giving the individual a feeling of fervour about doing them and “getting” the prize at the finish. Possibly your prize is a tremendously required break, lunch out, or liking a round of golf. Perhaps you’ll leave a little early and make a go at angling, or shopping, or perhaps you’ll truly twist up and read a book by binding objectives to print, you concrete those musings and by offering motivations, you make the arriving at of the aforementioned objectives so significantly more fun.
Who Says Business Isn’t a Game
Considering yourself or your work excessively important can wind up consuming you, your vigour, and your mind, and who has sufficient energy or vigor for that? Rather, make everyday fun. Of course, business is a function, yet who says it must be repetitive, dragging, overpowering, or that everything must be finished by you? Delegate! Fortify the regions of your work that need upholding, for example, your vision, mission, and society proclamations, and get every living soul on the same page. Get assistance in the type of business mentor that can impart fundamental frameworks to you, sparing you hours of time and vigor. Remove those who aren’t crew players and add worth to the lives of the individuals you continue your crew. Provided that business isn’t an amusement to you, perhaps now is the ideal time to make it one
What regularly happens when business possessors get a handle on smouldering is that they further confine themselves by making a casing that comes to be practically impervious, shutting them in. While a few business possessors kick and screech at this thought, the crux is to get out and blend with constructive, motivating, receptive individuals and gave some a chance to of that avidness rub off on you! As you do this, you’ll come to be more slanted to be the motivation for another person. This sort of willingness is infectious, so be watchful. You may get cheerful.It’s not difficult to get made up for lost time in the “my existence sucks” mentality, yet diverting one’s vigor into minor, doable, reachable objectives is nexus, if that is in one’s individual life or one’s business life. When those objectives begin to fall into spot, you can take a gander at the greater picture, then after that things begin to truly get electrifying.
What might you picked? Shoddy quality absolutely resembles an ironic expression as doe’s quick quality. However modest, quick anything seldom keeps ticking long. My decision might be only one: quality administration.Is that what you picked? My focus is that what you concentrate on is the thing that you draw in, so make certain to keep your center extremely sharp. Quality administration draws in quality clients. Certain, sound business managers pull in certain, solid customers. As a business holder, you’re not broken. You don’t have to be altered, yet you do need viable devices, incorporating frameworks and forms institute that will help you in the territories of time, group, administration, and showcasing. That is where a business mentor can offer assistance.
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I often surprise my kids by telling them exactly what's in their head. My uncanny ability to read their mind almost always shock them.
"Sure I know what you're thinking. I've been watching you from birth. So, don't think you can ever fool me." *insert evil grin here*
Mothers have very fine-tuned observation skills when it comes to their children. We know when something is not right with the kids. When they were babies, I could tell by the intensity of their cries whether they were hungry, tired, bored or unwell.
Now that they're older, I could tell from their body language if they had a tiff with their friend at school or if something's troubling them. True enough, it will all start spilling out before I can even utter a word. My kids will never hide anything from me.
If they're hanging around in my room, acting restless and edgy, it probably means they have a ridiculous request that I would most likely shoot down like "Can you drive out to the store to get Ben & Jerry's? or "I have a craving."
"Huh! At 9.30pm? Not when I'm about to go to bed right? And, why aren't you studying for your biology test tomorrow?"
They always win of course. Well, after years of practice, they have perfected the art of negotiating with mommy.
During our week in Hyderabad, some of the places we visited include the Mecca Mosque, the Charminar (the icon of Hyderabad), Sufi Shrine, Bi...
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Sunday, 4 July 2010
I never knew Cookie's death could make me so so sad. We've had many dogs before him but none had affected me this much. Maybe it was because I was the one who brought him home 7 years ago. It was my responsibility to give him a good life.
While he wasn't as privileged as Rusty, he lead a very happy life at the farm until he developed severe skin problems recently. When he moved into my apartment, he settled in quickly and found his favourite corner in the patio.
He was recovering nicely. He had a healthy appetite and was beginning to enjoy his daily walks. Suddenly, he started refusing food over the weekend. He didn't look like he was in any pain. His body felt a little warm but he was always warmer than Rusty, so I didn't think it was anything unusual.
Last night, I brought him out for his last walk, a short one. He wasn't very active. While he rested, I stroked his head and spoke to him softly. His eyes looked a little teary.
"Are you ok Cookie? We'll go to the vet first thing in the morning ok?"
I led him slowly to his bed and that was the last time I saw him alive.
When I brought him food at 7.30am this morning, I was happy to see him lying just outside our balcony door. I thought he was feeling better and had decided to crawl out of his cubby hole. But he didn't stir when I called out his name, I burst into sobs. My poor Cookie died while we were all asleep.
My neighbour Evelyn called me on the phone. "Is Cookie ok? He's not moving." It has become a habit for her to look out for Cookie from her balcony above.
I couldn't accept his death. He died under my care and I couldn't help feeling guilty. Was the chemical bath too toxic for him? Was he running a fever? I should have brought him to the hospital yesterday. Why didn't I see the signs earlier?
Last night I had borrowed Cookie's collar and leash to use on Bodhi. I was planning to buy a new set for Cookie today. It breaks my heart that this will never happen.
Then mum called to say Bodhi broke free from his leash this morning. He sprinted into the thick undergrowth by the reservoir and refused to come out. Two bad news in one morning! I had to deal with Cookie's stiff body first. The pet cremator was summoned over.
They were professional and efficient. While they were packing Cookie up, Rusty suddenly ran over and sniffed at his best friend for the last time.
He looked so sad and was reluctant to see Cookie go. I had to carry Rusty in my arms to comfort him.
After they were gone, I knew there was someone else I had to call - Dr Bryan who treated Cookie just weeks before. He had a soft spot for Cookie. He was so shocked and sad to receive my call. After describing Cookie's symptoms to him, he suspected that Cookie could have died from pneumonia.
I had to ask if Cookie died a painful death. He said, "He could have had difficulty breathing right at the very end..."
Rest in Peace Cookie. May you continue to run free in doggie heaven. A place that is free from mites, ticks and illness. We will miss you forever.
During our week in Hyderabad, some of the places we visited include the Mecca Mosque, the Charminar (the icon of Hyderabad), Sufi Shrine, Bi...
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