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Pic: Kaba (the cubical structure) covered in the black clothing. Located in Mekkah, S Arabia.
9 Jun 2015
Ash-Shu'araa (The Poets)
The heart n soul of islam – Kaba. The 1st human who was also the 1st human on earth prophet adom's (may allah b pleased with him) residence with his wife bb hawa (may allah b pleased with her) n the first building structure on earth. Mekkah is also the birthplace of our bloved prophet mohammad (pbuh). Every, financially n pysically capable, muslims once in their lifetime must perform hajj (1 of the 5 pillars of islam). ie., travel 2 mekkah n medina for relegious obligations. There r several places including mekkah n medina where all hajj rituals take place. Among the pilgrims the most favorite ritual is tawaf, which is encircling the kaba anti clockwise chanting, reciting fm quran, offering duaa (supplication) 2 allah n few more mandatory rituals. another important aspect of kaba is all the muslims all over the world whenever they stand for salat they face kaba. a wish that came in2 prophet mohammads mind in the middle of a salat he was performing n immrdiatly his best friend allah fulfilled his wish n, prophet mohammad was asked within that salat 2 face 2wards kaba. fm that moment on for all muslims in the world till kiyamat (the last day of all creation. all will b destrloyed for final judgement), the kibla (direction) bcame kaba.
Allahumma bariklana feha, allah pls grant me the virtue n barkat (his miraculous act of maximizing our satisfaction 2 complete fulfillment thru sharing, caring, sympathizing with others) of this ct (mekkah).its recommended 2 recite the duaa when entering mekkah. wot difference does it make when writing this yor heart n soul is already there. bfore i bcome more emotional in writing this let me cover another point.
when quran was bing revealed for mankind thru prophet mohammad, due 2 its very rich literary composition that combines themes like prose n poetry the arabs wrongfully 2 intimidate him started 2 call him a poet. that iz when allah revealed this sura as a warning:
for it is he who heareth n knoweth all things,
shall i inform u, (o people), in whom it is that the shaytwans desends?
they descend on every lying, wicked person,
they listen eagrly n most of them r liars
n the poets,- it is those straying in evil, who follow them:
seest thou not that they wander distracted in every valley?
and that they say wot they practise not?-
(translation, quran 26:220-226)
thus it reflects allah, prophet mohammad n muslims general abhorance 2wards poetries n songs (non instrumental religious songs r ok). all these does is promotes fantasies, lies n filths in a person's mind. all r filled with tall tales of visions n lyrics of inconsistent hopes. 1 cud easily assume that this illusionary world of minimum 70% lies is nothing but a momentary make u hi n fly. poetries and/ or songs can never give either roadmaps or any drugs for yor remedies. while they seem 2 rejoice the listener temporarily but in the long run people bcome distracted about moralties, limits n bcomes roudy, vulgars, some subtlelly characterless n allmost all crossing lines of islam; which simply with all its rules (mostly common sense driven) preaches purity in mind n decency in human interaction. once u hav dried up with all will power n money yor best frnd actor shytwan has left u 2 find another music lover human 2 kill. wot a satisfied revege taker he is busy now with another poetic sucker n if u r a survivor then u r an all burnt up hopeless. if not, then faithless anti humanity asshole in the process of bcoming a very harmful human shytwan. that is y islam simply says hell with yor trillion dollar industry (that also significantly contributes 2 the another human killing haram industry – alchohol, which in turn is a vastly expanding another haram indusrry – prostitution, n the saga goes on n on). the human cost (death 2 physical, mental damage) n the negative affect on the society is way too hi compared 2 the revenues earned n employment generated thru these barkatless haram industries n outlets..
when i 1st saw this pic of kaba i was dumbfound for a moment n then again when it came 2 my mind that rheir arrogance has reached 2 such levels that they hav bcome deaf, dumb n blind too! it cud hav been somewot acceptable if they were a british colony (looking @ the westminister style giant clocks n american style skyscrappers. anyway, i am so disgusted about the whole affair that i will stop commenting on it n remind them how allah has expressed his dislike about hi rises, as far as i can recall, while mentioning about 2 ancient arrogant nations. n mashallah i dont hav 2 mention their consequences 2 u. now pls read these following ayats n think carefully. also keep in mind it is not only the safety factors 2 b considered bcoz not necessarily allah has 2 explain us everything. here prophet ād talking 2 his hûd nation:
" am i 2 u a messanger worthy of all trust:
"so fear allah n obey me
"no reward do i ask of u for it: my reward is only from the lord of the worlds
"do u build a landmark on every hiplace 2 amuse yorselves?
"do ye get for yorselves fine buildings in the hope of living therein (forever)?
"and when y strike u strike like tyrants.
" now fear allah, and obey me".
(translation, quran 26:125-131)
mashallah several yrs bak i saw a science tv documentary where they showed people living far hier than the earth specially in hi rises tend 2 hav a harder mind than those who live close 2 the earth. pls DO NOT DISCRETE THE TRANQUIL HONOR BY ARROGANT DISPLAYS N ALSO TRY NOT TO DISTRACT FM ME MY KABA"S UNIQUE BEAUTY. PLS DO WOTEVER IS NECESSARY ASAP .
although fortunately for u n very unfortunately for the rest of the ummah, just giving yorselves titles as custodians dosent make u the owners of kaba n masjid e nobobii (prophet mohammads residence in medina, now buried where was his bed, the masjid which was adjacent 2 his resident – where he used 2 pray n was also his office. all now in 1 complex n known as prophets masjid. were the citizens of arabia consulted regularly, informed about these major changes? were there open n televised public meetings held 2 inform n get opinions?
allah pls help these gafels 2 understand how stupid they hav bcom by creating autocracy n taking protection fm britain n america, the very 2s that hav killed n still killing max # of muslims ever in history. not only that they r now insulting u too – astagfirillah. they hav put the muslims aside n made kafirs their best friends 2 enjoy haram. allah we r helpless 2 their shytwans acts n their abuse of power. but allah u r the most powerful n all knowledgeable. if u think they r fixable pls do so urgently n if u think they r beyond repair, pls in honor of u n yor habib prophet mohammad pls get the ummah 2gether 2 killl the evil acts of these unelected regimes. let there b international pressure on them 2 hold a free, fair n transparent election asap, n all foreign troops n bases must b withdrawn fm s. arabia n fm all adjacent countries at least 6 months bfore the elections.
subhanallahi la ilaha illalllahi. wal ham dulillahi walla hu akbar.
The wall of kaba , on the side of the entrance door.


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Metroid Samus Returns: New Trailer!
Over the last week, Nintendo have demoed tons of games at Gamescom 2017. There was Super Mario Odyssey, which they got Yoshiaki Koizumi to demonstrate on August 23rd. There was Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser's Minions, which was showcased yesterday. And well, with everything from Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle to Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on the schedule, it's quite clear Nintendo are using it to show off every game going.
And Metroid: Samus Returns is no exception. Shown off in yesterday's livestream, the game got a brand new released showcasing all comes on new features on top of that!
So here's the new trailer:
As well as their livestream demonstration from the day:
Both are great videos, and both illustrate how fantastic the remake is.
Which admittedly, you probably expected. After all, it's 2D Metroid. And a remake of a known to be fantastic 2D Metroid game none the less.
But given it's the first new Metroid title in years, it's amazing how well it seems to stack up. The graphics look nice, the gameplay looks really enjoyable and the new additions are fantastic.
For example, look at the Aieon abilities in the video. You've got the Scan Pulse, which fills out the map. There's the Lightning Armour for extra defence. Heck, you can even slow down time with the Phase Drift!
It's an amazing set of abilities, all of which add a lot to the game.
So check out the trailer if you haven't already, and consider buying this game when it comes out this September. It's exactly what Metroid fans have wanted for a long time…

subset: commoncrawl


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How 'Spinning Out' Used Ice Skating as a 'Conduit' for Emotional Storytelling
Many films and television shows use choreographed routines to express a character's emotions or push them forward to a new place in their arc, but more often than not these are dance routines on solid ground. Netflix's "Spinning Out" puts its characters, and audience by extension, on ice.
In "Spinning Out," Kat Baker (Kaya Scodelario) is a gifted skater who had a bad fall that halted her career and created major trepidations in trying what used to be routine moves for her. But when an opportunity arises for her to shift her track slightly and become a pair skater, she does go for it, learning to push past her trauma as she learns a new style of skating.
"Part of the metaphor of the show is, when you fall, you get back up," executive producer Tory Tunnell tells Variety. "Kat is one-of-a-kind. She's elegant, but she's not even trying to be elegant. She's entirely watchable, and it comes to her so naturally. Her peers are really hard-working athletes — and not to say she isn't — but she has 'it'; she has that thing that everyone wants, and she didn't conjure it, but it comes naturally."
The production team did put out a call "far and wide in the U.S. and Canada," Tunnell says, "for a high-level skater who could play Kat." But they didn't want to "compromise on the acting" for a role that also explores living with bipolar disorder and ultimately went with a woman who was an actor first. Emma Roberts was first in the role, replaced by Scodelario before principal photography began. It then became up to a skilled choreographer to teach Scodelario, and her fellow cast members including Willow Shields how to skate well enough that they could move comfortably and confidentally for scenes that range from conversations while warming up on the ice to routine practices to full performances. (Cast members Amanda Zhou, Kaitlyn Leeb and Evan Roderick came into the show with more extensive experience, although Roderick had hockey skating experience and did need to learn a new style for this show.)
The show brought on Sarah Kawahara, a former figure skater and Emmy winning choreographer who has worked on the most important modern representations of skating in film and television, from "Blades of Glory" and "I, Tonya" to the XIX Winter Olympics.
Kawahara's first step was to find "a team of coaches" who could work with her actors before she got to meet with them. Scattered across Vancouver, London and Los Angeles, these coaches and actors trained together for approximately two months before they all got together in January 2019. Kawahara shares that she had about three weeks in January before production began where she could really focus on choreographing "them as to how they would move in the beginning" and to ensure they were "learning the language" of skating.
Scodelario and Roderick not only had to learn to figure skating, but they also had to learn to pair skate, which Kawahara says is "no small feat, even for two people who have been skating all their lives." Additionally, Kawahara worked with many skating doubles for the actors because there were just some moves they couldn't perform themselves. Zhou, Kawahara shares, did all of her own skating except for the jumps, while Scodelario had three different doubles because her role "demanded three different levels of skating."
And then there were the cameramen to consider.
"In amazing ice skating movies that came before us, there was a lot of showing jumps and landings, jumps and landings — because that's what people tune in for. We also show those, and in interesting ways that I have never really seen shot before. But in addition to that, we really focus on choreography and the art of it, and our cameramen were literally skating with our skaters up close and personal as they're doing really beautiful, intricate choreography," says creator and co-showrunner Samantha Strattan.
Kawahara had to be "really very involved" in working with the cameramen, as well as the skaters and the actors, she says, because of how dangerous it can be to have so many people going so fast around each other.
"They want to feel like you're on the ice with them or that you are them or you are the character," she says. "You want to be close, but you can't be in the way. And then the velocity is much greater than you think just by the common eye, but when you're pivoting the camera around going full force, speed and distance is very critical. So it's a lot of camera choreography in sync with and counterpointing the actors' skating."
Adds Stratton: "You can't improv. Every look between a skater, even if both of them are on the move, needs to be precisely calculated so it reads on screen and shows the emotional beat of what's going on."
At times, both producers and Kawahara admit new technology helped with how the skating was shot. In addition to "special mirrors" that aided in the "whole different angle and point of view and sensation than you would necessarily see in sports," they also had the ability to put an actor's face on a double if they had to for some shots.
"We are so grateful that it was 2019 [when we were making this] because that really allowed us to stitch things together in a really seamless way. We absolutely used that technology but I think less than we expected we would need to because our actors ended up being pretty handy on skates," says Tunnell. "There's a lot of artistry behind the facial placement: They are able to convince you that it's not the actor in those moments, and you're not taken out of the storytelling. It's a huge achievement of technology."
"Spinning Out" shot its episodes in blocks of two or three at a time and directed by a rotating batch of helmers — this was aided by technology, too, but also the fact that Strattan's writers' room had written all of the scripts before production. For the pilot episode, Strattan admits she was "very specific" about the types of skating moves she wanted characters such as Kat to be doing.
A former competitive figure skater herself, Strattan put her own memories of skating into the show through the music used for routines, rather than the moves.
"I skated to 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' when I was younger, and it was such a beautiful piece of music and it was something that really resonated with me that I wanted Kat to be skating to that eventually," she shares. "Kat is the more graceful one and, to me, that piece of music is just the epitome of grace and beauty and vulnerability. I didn't want her to skate to something sad. I wanted her to skate to something that was optimistic and kind of fairy-like and whimsical — because that's how I see Kat as a skater [overall]."
Once Kawahara came aboard, the choreography became more collaborative and "tailored to the abilities and the talents of the skaters that we were working with," Stratton continues.
For "A Midsummer Night's Dream," which Kat was known for performing before her fall and then uses to gain attention from Justin (Roderick) and his family to show them why she'd make a good partner for him, Kawahara says she poured her own personal experience into the style.
"I come from an artistic background and a modern dance background, and it fuses with classical, which I tried to give to Kat because I felt that it would be more interesting if you saw and arc to her style, her movement and the moves she did," she explains. "It was shot really tight, and I love the reveal of the hands to the face because I knew that Kaya would be able to just do that, and she learned that whole beginning choreography with the main focus and emotion on her face and arms and hands and back. And I felt we could really cover it with her and then as she pulls out, then I could bring the camera into the double and feel like it was still the same person. It was exciting for me to be able to really get tight on Kat Baker and you would feel her emotion from the get-go."
As the story in the first season went on, Kat became more confident back on the ice. "Kat is never more herself than on the ice. I would say that sometimes that identity and that clear vision gets clouded later on in the season as Kat deals more and more with her bipolar disorder, but I think at the end of the day, it's in the rink where she feels the most like herself — the most expressive, confident version of herself. I think that's just kind of where her soul resides," says Stratton.
Similarly, Stratton says, they became more confident in shooting the show. "We had an interesting parallel emotional evolution. The shooting became more aggressive and interesting as it went on because we had more tools at our disposal because of what we learned," she says.
Additionally, the actors had been training longer and were able to perform more of their routines themselves. Leeb, who got to skate with Johnny Weir, was able to do his signature move on her own. And by the finale, Kawahara says, "Kaya and Evan did that whole little first sequence — they were ready."
The show doesn't shy away from neither the nitty gritty details of what it takes to be a skater, nor the hardships. "You see people fall. You fall 70% of the time in practice. You learn to land, and in competition you hope you're landing everything because of all of the practice you put in," Stratton points out.
But it also uses that world as a "conduit that connects all of the dots" of the other dramatic pieces of the story, including the familial relationships between Kat, her sister (Shields), and their mother (January Jones), and the nuances of Kat's new profession


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Is a Tesla Road Trip in Your Future?
How EV manufacturers are making it easier to pull the plug and get driving.
A primary reason consumers have hesitated to purchase electric vehicles is "range anxiety"—the fear of running out of power before reaching your destination. In fact, this isn't a problem for most people's day-to-day lives—eighty-five percent of Americans drive less than 40 miles daily, well within the battery capacity of most EVs on the market. But what if you want to go on vacation?
California, where more than a third of all U.S. plug-ins are sold, is widely considered to be the country's EV frontier. "But, in some ways Oregon and Washington are a little more advanced than California in thinking about electric vehicle tourism," says John Voelcker, editor of Green Car Reports. A fast-growing public/private charging infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest allows even vehicles with as little as a 75-mile battery range—like the Nissan Leaf or Ford Focus EV—to traverse extended distances.
Chargers now dot both the I-5 interstate and popular tourist routes in the region. "Oregon has the longest publicly owned coastline in the country," says Jeff Allen, executive director of the electric-vehicle advocacy group Drive Oregon. "So we decided, 'Let's electrify the coastline.' And people in Portland love to go to central Oregon to ski, so we electrified that loop." The state has even put together electric vehicle scenic itineraries, like apple picking or visits to wine country, and included them in its promotional literature. "So if you get the tourist propaganda at the rest areas with all the scenic maps and routes," Allen says, "it's integrated into that. It's not even a weird freestanding thing."
Elsewhere in the country, high-end resort hotels like the Waldorf Astoria, Four Seasons, and Intercontinental have begun adding EV chargers at some of their properties. Even affordable hotels like Hampton Inn and Marriott have been getting into the act.
EV vacationing does require a learning curve. Range can diminish significantly in hot or cold weather. There are three different types of fast charging stations. Chargers, even when indicated, can be difficult to find. (Two information-rich apps, ChargePoint and PlugShare are, according to Voelcker, "a necessity for anyone driving electric cars.")
Your best bet for EV tourism is a Tesla. This is partly because Teslas have the largest battery pack on the market, and therefore the greatest range, and partly because the company has invested heavily in creating its own network of more than 500 superchargers along national routes, offering simple solutions for distance driving. The devices, which can provide up to 150 miles of range in 30 minutes, are free for owners of Teslas, currently the only vehicles that can handle the rate of electrical flow they generate. "If you have a Tesla," Voelcker says, "you're like, 'Well, I can go anywhere I want.'"
Now, Tesla has partnered with Airbnb to expand its green EV vacation network by installing fast chargers at hundreds of American Airbnb properties. Since EV owners tend to be more affluent, this investment should pay dividends. "If I'm a hotel or destination property putting in a Tesla charger, it might not get used very much," Allen observes. "But the fact that I'm the kind of place that has a Tesla charger says something about my brand, it says something about what kind of destination I am."
My own recent experience piloting a $120,000 Tesla Model S P90D from San Francisco to Palm Springs, while staying in charger-equipped Airbnbs along the way, certainly bears out this perspective. The car was silent and impossibly fast, the luxurious properties had spectacular ocean and mountain views, and the security of being able to charge at my destinations made the trip as stress-free as private plane travel.
The goal of all of these programs is not only to inform the public of the ease and availability of electric vehicle charging, but to change perception of EVs as a whole. "If you sell the electric car as a practical urban commuting vehicle, vey few people I know want to buy a practical urban commuting vehicle," Allen points out. "People want a car that's fun, that's sexy, that can take them somewhere new."
This story originally appeared on TravelandLeisure.com.


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ECP Group Oy is accelerating its business with a renewed ownership base. Founder Pekka Vähäkuopus has left the company, and Tapani Stipa, CEO since a year ago, has taken Vähäkuopus' place as Chairman of the Board. Besides Tapani Stipa, the new board of directors will include Olli-Pekka Päiviö and Jyrki Virtanen, who are continuing as members of the board and owners.
"During its 15 years, ECP Group Oy has become the market leader within its own sector", Stipa says. "It is a good place from where to develop the company even further to bring solutions to our customers' future challenges. The bio energy market and climate protection policies are facing tumultuous political times. Based on ECP Group Oy's numerous references, we can offer our customers future-proof solutions."
For more information:
Chairman of the board, Tapani Stipa, tel. +358 40 5278488


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Al-Qaida, wary of being upstaged by even more ruthless Islamic State fighters, may try to show its relevance by carrying out attacks in Europe, the United States or Israel, the European Union's counter-terrorism coordinator said on Wednesday.
With the world's focus firmly on Islamic State group's advances in Syria and Iraq, the EU's Gilles de Kerchove warned of the risk of competition between Islamic State and al-Qaida, which has renounced its offshoot as too brutal.
"It is possible that al-Qaida may want to mount attacks to show that the organization is still relevant, they are still in the game," De Kerchove told a European Parliament committee.
He said some militants had moved from Afghanistan and Pakistan to Syria where they formed part of the al-Qaida-linked Khorasan Group.
He added that it appeared they planned to recruit Europeans who had traveled to Syria to fight and persuade them to use their passports to return and mount attacks in Europe, Israel and the United States.
While Islamic State was the main target of a U.S.-led air assault in Syria this week, American officials said they also targeted the Khorasan Group, with the aim of disrupting a plot against U.S. or European targets that the Pentagon said was "nearing the execution phase."
De Kerchove estimated that more than 3,000 Europeans were in Syria, had been there or planned to go there to fight, and that there was a real risk some of them could return and bring violence back to Europe.
"We have seen that in Brussels with the killing of four persons at the Jewish Museum. It raises their level of tolerance of violence to such a level that there is a risk when they come back that killing is something normal," he said.
Mehdi Nemmouche, a 29-year-old Frenchman believed to have returned recently from fighting with Islamist militant rebels in Syria, was arrested in May over the killing of four people at the Jewish Museum in Brussels.
De Kerchove also raised the possibility that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a militant group which waged a three-decade campaign against the Turkish state for greater Kurdish rights, could be removed from the EU's list of terrorist organizations once the Turkish peace process was "complete."
Turkey has been slow to join calls for a coalition to fight Islamic State in Syria, worried in part about links between Syrian Kurds, who have been fighting Islamic State, and the PKK.
Referring to the EU's terror list, de Kerchove said: "The message we receive from Turkey is to keep it as it stands for the time being because they want to send to PKK the message that there is no alternative than engaging in the peace process.
"Therefore it's clear, but is for [EU] member states to decide, that as soon as they reach a complete result, we will remove the PKK from the list."


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How to find Project Server 2010 documentation and keeping up with TechNet and MSDN
With the increase interest, deployment and adoption of Project 2010, Sonia Atchison and Brian Smith did two great post today on where to find product documentation depending on your role:
Finding Project Server 2010 documentation blogs.msdn.com/b/project/archive/2010/09/15/finding-project-server-2010-documentation.aspx
Documentation for Project Server 2010 is spread across three websites: TechNet, Office.com, and MSDN. Each of these sites addresses a different audience. TechNet focuses on the IT Pro, Office.com focuses on the end user, and MSDN focuses on the developer audience. In addition to these three sites, blogs are also a great source of information.
Project Server: Keeping up with TechNet and MSDN – RSS is the answer! blogs.msdn.com/b/brismith/archive/2010/09/15/project-server-keeping-up-with-technet-and-msdn-rss-is-the-answer.aspx
There is plenty of excellent content on TechNet and MSDN about Project and Project Server, and it is updated regularly. To keep up with the updates what better than the RSS feed!
Happy reading and please forward to all your customers and partners!


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Knuckle Up #462: KNUCKLE UP Investigative Host EUGENE S. ROBINSON smells something rotten in Denmark and identifies it as the mystery wrapped inside of the enigma that was UFC 162 with all of his picks propitiously on the money but for the last and biggest ANDERSON SILVA v. CHRIS WEIDMAN. Robinson posits foul play and puts a face on the conspiratorial murmurings that are on the lips of friends and foes alike in light of the "suddenly" reinvigorated MW division, and a moneymaking series guaranteed to make the bank of SILVA v. SONNEN 2 look like babysitting scratch.
Agree or disagree, arguing from both sides of the coin Robinson looks at the irrefutability of the facts as they stand. And is not at all disappointed with the outcome. Just wants it known that while that "fooling some of the people some of the time" shit works in movies, this is real life and peddling that to the cheapseats and newbies is fine, but selling it to the rest of us? Ill-advised.
And with UFC legend EUGENE "THE WOLF" JACKSON and BJJ powerhouse LEOPOLDO SERAO rounding out the trio, tis a show to remember. OR immediately forget as soon as Charles in Charge comes on.
Eugene S. Robinson host of Knuckle Up and author of Fight: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ass-Kicking but Were Afraid You'd Get Your Ass Kicked for Asking[Harper Collins], A LONG SLOW SCREW [Robotic Boot] and a play called THE INIMITABLE SOUNDS OF LOVE; A THREESOME IN FOUR ACTS [Southern] also sings for a band called OXBOW and appeared in Bill Cosby's Leonard Part 6, a Miller Genuine Draft commercial, and had his own TV show in Germany called? "The Eugene Robinson Show." And in a weirder moment yet? Co-hosted with ESPN's STUART SCOTT a Superbowl fashion show in Tampa [don't ask].
And did we mention our sponsors? Skullgame.com? And have you bought a shirt yet? No? Blow us...a kiss goodbye then. Our advertisers gotta eat too.
KNUCKLE UP! [Free t-shirts to anyone caught on video screaming this while they're being arrested!!!]...sponsored by our friends at www.skullgame.com. It's a sunny ride through a shady place.
Oh...and remember to subscribe to MMA Nation on YouTube to get all of the shows as soon as they're uploaded, and all our video playlists.


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Easy Pork Recipes
These easy pork dinner ideas come together quickly for satisfying, family-friendly meals. Whether you're looking for a fast weeknight supper or a fancier dish for company, there's a tried-and-tested favorite for every occasion.
Try this barbecue spice-rubbed grilled pork tenderloin, a tender and juicy cider-braised pork shoulder, a country pork chop and rice bake, this flavorful pork tenderloin marinade, or these succulent Crock Pot smothered pork chops.


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We hear a lot nowadays about the big five ancient spices: cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and mace. The pursuit of these bright, pungent flavors has enticed humanity to suffer long camel rides and even longer sea voyages, to start wars in order to access the plants that produce them, and to invade far-off countries for thousands of years. The spice trade was integral to the construction of large cities and ports, not to mention increasing the fortunes of plenty of merchants. Anise (Pimpinella anisum) has long been overlooked as a player in this story, but it may have played a bigger role than many of us assume.
Anise originated in Egypt and the eastern Mediterranean, and it has been cultivated for about 2,000 years, spreading across the globe in the process. In all those years, no one has seen fit to alter the plant much, which is rather remarkable.
A Global Flavor Phenomenon
Anise continues to hold fast to many of its earliest uses. Anise seeds (often called simply "aniseed") are excellent for calming the stomach, a trait the Romans quickly picked up on. Aniseed cakes were customarily served at the end of a meal to protect from belly-ache, especially important after one of the overindulgent feasts common in the late Republic. The Romans also believed anise increased fertility and incited lust, so the cakes were especially popular at the end of wedding feasts. These simple aniseed cakes may be precursors to modern wedding cakes.
In Western Europe, anise is typically used in sweets and baked goods, and it also features in many traditional Christmas foods. Anisbrod is a German sweet bread flavored with — surprise — anise! Christmas cookies, such as pfeffernusse and springerle, also get a licorice-like flavor from anise, and Italian pizzelle, a type of pressed cookie, are traditionally made with anise, though you can now find them in an array of flavors. My main childhood interaction with the distinct black-licorice flavor of aniseed came from eating black jelly beans, but making pizzelle is probably one of my first memories of cooking with anise. I remember my mom getting the pizzelle press out only at Christmastime. I will forever associate anise's sharp, licorice flavor with that time of year.
In the Netherlands, traditional aniseed hard candies have their roots in using anise as a galactagogue (an herb that promotes lactation), and a uterine stimulant. Eating these candies is thought to help the post-natal uterus return to its original size. Dutch families make beschuit met muisjes, biscuits topped with colorful candy-coated aniseeds called muisjes, to celebrate the birth of a new baby. Muisjes are also a popular bread topping, and may be powdered and sprinkled over bread and butter as a children's breakfast food.
In the Mediterranean and Asia, anise leaves and seeds are often used in savory meat and vegetable dishes, rather than sweets. Curries and roasted meats and vegetables pair well with anise's sharp bite, while mild fish and rice will benefit from the boost of flavor.
Aniseed's flavor comes from a volatile oil called anethole, which seems to have inspired cultures across Eurasia to add anise to liquors. Aniseed gave absinthe its flavor, although fears over the detrimental effects of excessive wormwood quashed the liquor's popularity. Today you can find anise featured in traditional drinks such as Andalusian anisette, French Pernod Anise, Italian sambuca, Greek ouzo, Spanish Aguardiente de Ojén, Egyptian zebib, Turkish raki, and Syrian arak.
Gentle Medicine
Anise contains high amounts of iron, coumarins, flavonoids, rutin, and malic acid. This combination contributes to its healing abilities in the body, which have been recognized for thousands of years. The Ebers Papyrus, a medical treatise written in Egypt around 1550 B.C., mentions anise prominently. The Ebers Papyrus is one of the most complete ancient Egyptian medical documents known, and lists remedies for ailments ranging from asthma and parasites to death itself; it prescribes anise for abdominal and dental diseases.
The German Commission E, a scientific advisory board formed in 1978, published a series of monographs on the efficacy and safety of traditional, folk, and herbal medicinal substances between 1984 and 1994. These monographs are still considered valid, and they list anise as an accepted remedy for both cough and indigestion, affirming its ancient folkloric uses. The seeds are also antiparasitic, antiseptic, and antispasmodic. They're often used for morning sickness, slow digestion, congested gallbladder, bronchitis, and spasmodic asthma. Anise has a strong reputation for eradicating lice when added to shampoo. Lab testing suggests that anise may be a phytoestrogen, but herbal clinicians have reported a marked decrease in their clients' blood estrogen levels during use. Anise has no known contraindications or herb-drug interactions.
To use anise for respiratory or digestive health, try half a teaspoon (about 3 grams) of the seeds, either powdered or in a tea, three times a day for as long as you like. You may also enjoy chewing the seeds whole after meals, as is still common in the Middle East and India. Lightly toasted seeds offer the best results in managing digestion; simply heat the seeds in a frying pan until they darken slightly and give off an enticing aroma.
How to Grow Anise
The more I read about anise history and uses, the more I wanted to grow some in my garden, but it was not to be. Anise isn't very difficult to grow, but it has one very specific need: a long (120- to 130-day) growing season. An exceptionally cool, wet spring kept me from sowing the seeds early enough. The long growing period isn't a problem in Syria and the Mediterranean, where it's grown commercially, but in the Midwest, getting enough time to bring the plants to maturity can be tricky. The small ovoid seeds are the main goal, so you need a growing season that's long enough for them to mature.
Anise is a member of the parsley family (Apiaceae) and grows up to 2-1/2 feet tall, with small, umbrella-shaped umbels of white flowers from which the 1/8-inch seeds develop. Each seed has 5 longitudinal ridges that match the 5-sepal, 5-petal arrangement of the flower. Characteristic of the family, its upper leaves are opposite and feathery with a sheath at the base of the petiole where the leaf attaches to the stem, while leaves closer to the ground are simple and less lobed.
Anise doesn't like being transplanted and is fussy about competition from weeds, so direct sow the seed into a clean, alkaline seedbed in full sun. Sow after the last frost, in soil that's at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Water the plants regularly until they're established, after which they can handle themselves, even in drought.
The seed heads will be ready to harvest about four months after germination. Like dill and other herbs with large seed heads, the best way to harvest the seeds is to gather the seed heads and hang them upside down in a paper bag.
After harvest, store the seeds in a sealed container in a cool, dry place. Pick one of the many food or drink recipes that call for anise from around the world, or store the seeds in your apothecary to care for your family's ills.
This past year's rainy spring delayed my planting, so I bought my holiday supply of anise. I won't make the same mistake again — instead, I'm planting my anise in pots and will keep them on the patio. I must admit I feel compelled to give anise some space in my garden. There's something indescribably alluring about the scent and taste of the seeds, and about growing an herb that our ancestors thousands of years ago seem to have valued for similar reasons.
Animal Attraction
Animals like anise as well! Here are a couple of great ways to use aniseed oil in the great outdoors:
- Add 2 or 3 drops of anise essential oil to a quart of water, and then spray the inside of your hives or swarm traps to encourage honeybee swarms to enter on their own.
- The serious angler may know this trick, but I certainly didn't! Add about 10 drops of anise essential oil to 1 ounce of cod liver oil and mix thoroughly in a spray bottle. Lay out your fishing lures and hooks and spray them evenly. Allow them to dry and then turn everything over and spray again. Trout, salmon, and catfish won't be able to resist the licorice-like scent.
Read How to Make a Sweet Dreams Sachetto learn about making a small pillow with aniseed and other soothing herbs for better sleep and calmer dreams.
Dawn Combs, M.A. ethnobotanist, is co-owner of the award-winning family herb farm Mockingbird Meadows and formulator of its Soda Pharm syrups. She is the author of Conceiving Healthy Babiesand Heal Local. Read more about her work by visiting her website.


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We are your representative throughout the entire pavement process
HOA administrators and business owners rarely have time to research pavement companies, compare bids, and manage pavement projects. That's why we're here.
Since 1990 we have been designing, budgeting, and overseeing pavement projects with one goal in mind: to ensure that our clients get the pavement project they need, on time and within budget.
We are your representative throughout the entire pavement project. To put it simply, we take the worry out of the process. You can rely on our expertise to get the right pavement project, at the right time, installed the right way.
Pavement Inspections
We know that an on-site inspection is the only way to get a complete picture. We do not conduct our evaluations via satellite images or a quick drive by. We do all inspection and design work by visiting, measuring, and closely examining your actual site.
Design Elements
Asphalt and concrete. Roadways and parking lots. Curbs, sidewalks and surface drainage structures. All of the elements that make up a pavement system are inspected. Projects are designed to account for how this pavement system should work.
ADA Compliance and Accessibility
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) drives a large percentage of the designs that we complete. It's the law, but more than that, the ADA expands the accessibility of the infrastructure to more people.
Access to Information
Ensuring that our clients get the projects that they need means providing our clients with the information to make sound decisions.
Our designs are not a one way street. We take your site, budget, customer or community members needs into account by working closely with you. Collaboration means accountability throughout the entire project.
esentation ensures that the project goes from the planning, budgeting and bidding stages to final completion exactly as it should. Our project representatives ensure that your interests are represented. Project layout, change orders, installation, material quantity verification; all of these items and more ensure that the project that you're paying for is the project that you get.
Long Term
The right asphalt and pavement design at the right time, competitive bidding (apples to apples), maintenance, rehabilitation and reconstruction programs that ensure long lasting performance; we want to design your pavement solutions for the long term.


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An Act relative to the public safety risk of marijuana-impaired drivers
By Mr. Lewis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1068) of Jason M. Lewis, Joseph D. McKenna, Richard J. Ross, Steven Ultrino and other members of the General Court for legislation relative to the public safety risk of marijuana-impaired drivers. Marijuana Policy.
Bill Information
Bill Information
- Presenter:
- Jason M. Lewis
|Jason M. Lewis
|Fifth Middlesex
|Joseph D. McKenna
|18th Worcester
|Richard J. Ross
|Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex
|Steven Ultrino
|33rd Middlesex
|Bradley H. Jones, Jr.
|20th Middlesex
|Angelo M. Scaccia
|14th Suffolk
|Jack Lewis
|7th Middlesex
The information contained in this website is for general information purposes only. The General Court provides this information as a public service and while we endeavor to keep the data accurate and current to the best of our ability, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information contained on the website for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.


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Series Title (Agency Series #): Description, Retention (Legal Citation)
After Hours Program Records (ADS6-012): Documents program response to urgent needs via after hours contractors. Series includes response reports, narratives, and related client information.
Retention: 6 years from creation (45 CFR 164.530(j))
Client Outcome Reviews (ADS6-002): Used to identify the impact of department services on clients over a specified period of time. The department's Multi-Disciplinary Team performs the reviews. Review forms show client name and social security number, date of initial review, date of final review, evaluator's name, and an assessment of the client's safety, living situation, financial situation, and health. Also includes a monthly client referral log.
Retention: Retain 6 years. (45 CFR 164.530(j))
Community Services Contract Management Records (ADS6-006): Documents contractual obligations of ADS, District Service Centers, and other non-profit providers that provide services to the elderly and are funded under the federal Older Americans Act and the state Oregon Project Independence. Contracts must be renewed annually. Records include contracts, contract approval form, modifications, provider proposals, insurance certificates, monthly status reports, monitoring reports (site visit, onsite assessment, correspondence, work history), program advisory board minutes, audit reports, financial statements, requests for proposals, bid records, and related correspondence.
Retention: Retain 10 years. (MOAR 166-150-0005(7))
Emergency Services Records (ADS6-008): Documents client applications for emergency housing, special needs (like wheelchairs or ramps), or emergency prescription drugs covered under Multnomah Project Independence. Records include referrals, service authorizations or denials, client requests, fact sheets, correspondence, and related records.
Retention: Retain 6 years. (45 CFR 164.530(j))
Family Caregiver Program (ADS6-009): Documents respite care provided to family caregivers. Records include request for award, financial reports, caregiver background information, and related records.
Retention: Retain 5 years. (2014-0005/010)
General Case Count And Client Characteristics Report (ADS6-003): Operational report which assists management in targeting clients and determining case loads. Includes caseworker names, and demographic characteristics of clients served by each caseworker.
Retention: Retain 3 years. (MOAR 166-150-0005(2))
In-Home Services Requests (ADS6-004): Documents the provision of medical equipment to clients in response to case manager requests. Includes OPI Miscellaneous Medical Request and Authorization forms, reports, routing slips, and related correspondence.
Retention: Retain 6 years. (45 CFR 164.530(j))
Program Reports and Studies (ADS6-005(a) and ADS6-005(b)): Documents formal summary of research performed by or for the Community Access Program. Reports vary in format and design, but generally contain date, author, and narrative. Some include appendixes, exhibits, and other secondary material.
Retention: ADS6-005(a) Routine reports: retain 5 years; ADS6-005(b) All other reports: retain permanently. (MOAR 166-150-0005(31))
Universal Client Registry Data Entry Records (ADS6-001): Documents a variety of records used to input information into the universal client registry. These records include call referral logs, client counseling reports, gatekeeper referrals, immediate transportation authorizations, nutrition worksheets, SHIP talk forms, and other records used to enter client information in the registry.
Retention: Retain 5 years. (2014-0005/009)
Veterans Case Records (ADS6-007): Documents the provision of and coordination of services to veterans. Records include applications for benefits, appeals, medical and financial background information, correspondence, and related records.
Retention: Retain 6 years after case closed. (45 CFR 164.530(j))


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The Pedestrian Advisory Council says YES! Help us figure out what they should be.
Written by Neha Bhatt
We're citizens working with Mayor Bowser and the City Council to better our streets. Learn more about us here.
Hear from city officials, help us develop policy recommendations, and learn about our work to upgrade the city's streetscape.
Click here if you would like to share your story on our blog.
Step up! Learn more about your rights and responsbilities here.
DDOT aims to resolve sidewalk repair requests within 25 business days. Contact them here.


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Mark 6
1 And He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him.
2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such works of power are performed by His hands?
3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of Jacob, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us? And they were offended at Him.
4 But Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own kindred, and in his own house.
5 And He could do no work of power there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them.
6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. And He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
7 And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over unclean spirits,
8 and commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff; no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts;
9 but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.
10 And He said to them, In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place.
11 And whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Truly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city.
12 So they went out and preached that people should repent.
13 And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.
14 Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, John the Immerser has been raised from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.
15 Others said, It is Elijah. And others said, It is a prophet, or like one of the prophets.
16 But when Herod heard, he said, This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead.
17 For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.
18 For John had said to Herod, It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.
19 Therefore Herodias held it against him and wanted to kill him, but was not able;
20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.
21 Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday made a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.
22 And when Herodias' daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.
23 He also swore to her, Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.
24 So she went out and said to her mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Immerser.
25 And immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, I want you to give me on a platter at once the head of John the Immerser.
26 And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to slight her.
27 And immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison,
28 brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother.
29 And when his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb.
30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.
31 And He said to them, Come apart by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while. For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have opportunity to eat.
32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.
33 But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him.
34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things.
35 And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late.
36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.
37 But He answered and said to them, You give them something to eat. And they said to Him, Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?
38 But He said to them, How many loaves do you have? Go and see. And when they found out they said, Five, and two fish.
39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass.
40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties.
41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to Heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all.
42 So everyone ate and was filled.
43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish.
44 And those who had eaten the loaves were about five thousand men.
45 And immediately He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away.
46 And when He had sent them away, He departed into the mountain to pray.
47 And when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.
48 And He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.
49 And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out;
50 for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, Be of good courage. It is I; do not be afraid.
51 And He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.
52 For they did not understand about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
53 And when they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and drew to shore.
54 And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him,
55 ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.
56 And wherever He entered into villages, cities, or in the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
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text: The UN asked Ultravirgo to develop an all-new second edition of their Gender Handbook for Humanitarian Action. With a reported 128 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, this handbook helps field workers across a variety of sectors to mainstream gender equality. The project is the culmination of 3 years of collaborative work, including field testing a trial version of the handbook in Afghanistan and Ethiopia to gather crucial feedback on itsÆ efficiency and use. We focused on the need for the book to be user-friendly, with clear divisions and content hierarchy to help users find the information needed in a given situation quickly and efficiently. To keep printing costs low, it was designed to primarily utilize two-color printing, with each of the three sections getting its' own feature color. It also features industry-standard icons and personal, humanizing photography. It is published in four languages — English, Spanish, French and Arabic. The response has been overwhelmingly positive with documented improvements in many environments. For example, in Gambella, Ethiopia, participants have improved privacy and dignity for refugees and are asking more in-depth questions about gender norms and relationships.


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Have you ever spent valuable time grumbling about the fact that you have to dig out the vacuum for just that small mess instead of just getting it cleaned up?
If the answer is yes, then you definitely are in the market for an electric broom!
Basically, these devices are -as their name suggests- a cross between broom and vacuum cleaner. They are typically upright, handheld devices without any bells and whistles. Thanks to their versatility, manoeuvrability and the simple fact that they are cordless, they are super easy to just get out of the closet at the drop of a hat.
And this, ultimately, makes electric brooms the most valuable alley you can have against those small everyday messes we all fight a running battle with.
To help you pick the right one for your life, have a look at the following list of our picks for best electric brooms:
Hoover Linx Cordless Stick Vacuum Cleaner BH50010
Hoover's Linx stick vacuum transforms everyday cleaning.
The versatile, sleek design combines perfectly with its powerful, fade-free lithium-ion battery powered upright performance and gives you easy access and deep cleaning in every circumstance.
Furthermore, the Linx is also the only stick vacuum with Hoover's patented WindTunnel technology and cyclonic filtration. Both of these factors combine to give you a truly stress-free, super-easy time cleaning up those little daily messes.
The Hoover is super lightweight, comes with an extreme reclining handle (to reach even further under any furniture), has edge cleaning bristles to remove dirt, dust, and pet hair from those hard-to-reach places, and is perfect for use on any floor-type.
Key Features:
- Stick vacuum
- Fade-free lithium-ion battery
- Hoover WindTunnel technology
- Cyclonic filtration
- Extreme reclining handle
- Edge cleaning bristles
- Super lightweight (under 10 pounds)
- Around 20 min battery life
Bissell Perfect Sweep Turbo 28806
Bissell's Perfect Sweep Turbo is a motorised sweeper that astonishes with up to 60 minutes of cordless cleaning time.
The sweeper is lightweight and versatile, and thus perfect for picking up dirt from underneath furniture or hard-to-reach nooks and crannies. It is safe to use on carpets, rugs, and hard floors and a great solution for those in-between-cleaning spills.
Some of the perks of this device include an easy-to-remove, top-loading dirt container, near-silent operation that won't disturb family or pets, and super easy storage as the Perfect Sweep Turbo lays flat and comes with a hanging loop in the handle.
Key Features:
- Motorised sweeper
- Up to 60 minutes cleaning time
- Lightweight (4lbs)
- Top-loading dirt container
- Silent operation
- Easy to store
Ontel Swivel Sweeper Max
Ontel's Swivel Sweeper Max is a powerful electric broom that cleans floors fast. It works on all floor types (best on hard floor or low pile carpet), swivels 360 degrees and easily reaches every hidden spot in your home.
The Swivel Sweeper is cordless and rechargeable and gives you up to 45 minutes of cleaning time. It is ultra lightweight, easy to use, and comes with a Four Quad-Brush technology that picks up dirt and dust on all four sides. Furthermore, the bristles are removable, which allows for quick and easy removal of tangled hair.
Key Features:
- Motorised sweeper
- Run time of up to 45 minutes
- For all floor types
- Swivels 360°
- Four Quad-Brush Technology
- Removable, washable bristles
- Ultra lightweight (2 lbs!)
Makita XLC02R1B Compact Cordless Vacuum Kit
The Makita XLC02R1B is a compact and powerful cordless vacuum with strong suction for fast and efficient cleaning. It is incredibly versatile and can be used as a classic 'hand-vac', or with the floor nozzle extension for floors, carpets, and hard-to-reach spaces.
The vacuums comes with a fast-charging 18V lithium-ion battery that provides up to 15 minutes of uninterrupted cleaning time. It is super lightweight, particularly for a vacuum, at just 2.7 lbs, and comes with a super ergonomic design and soft grip for an even more comfortable user experience.
With its redesigned floor nozzle, improved manoeuvrability, and debris collection, as well as super strong suction power and a bagless 2-stage cloth filtration system, the XLC02R1B is designed for superbly fast and efficient cleaning.
Key Features:
- Cordless vacuum
- Fast-charging 18V lithium-ion battery
- Up to 15 minutes cleaning time
- Use as "hand vac" or upright vacuum (with floor nozzle attached)
- Strong suction
- Bagless 2-stage cloth filtration system
- Incredibly lightweight (2.7 lbs)
Shark DuoClean IF201 IONFlex Cordless Vacuum
Shark's IF2o1 is a powerful and flexible vacuum cleaner that is incredibly versatile. It also comes with a removable, rechargeable lithium-ion battery that gives you up to 30 minutes of cleaning time.
The vacuum comes with two astonishing pieces of technology: the MultiFLEX technology that allows for extra flexible reach under furniture, and the DuoClean technology that features a bristle brush for deep-cleaning carpets and an additional soft brush roll that pulls in larger particles and gives hard floors a polished look.
The Shark, which easily converts into a handheld vacuum, comes with a duster crevice tool, a dusting brush, a wide upholstery tool as well as an anti-allergen dust brush and can be stored free-standing for your convenience.
Key Features:
- Flexible, versatile vacuum cleaner
- Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
- Up to 30 minutes run-time
- MultiFLEX technology for easy access in the smallest spaces
- DuoClean Technology (= bristle brush for carpets and soft brush for polishing)
- Converts into handheld vacuum
- Convenient, free-standing storage
- 8.7 lbs
Q: Vacuum or motorised sweeper?
That depends entirely on your needs.
As a rule of thumb, vacuums provide a better cleaning experience when you are dealing with crumbs, and they can often be used as a handheld as well. Batteries tend to run out quicker, though.
Motorised sweepers, on the other hand, have a much longer battery time, and tend to be much lighter.
Q: Do electric brooms work on all floor types?
Yes, generally speaking, they do.
Both vacuums and motorised sweepers do great on hard floors; vacuums typically can deal equally well with short- and long-piled carpets; motorised sweeps do better with shorter piles.
Q: What is the best tip you can give me before buying?
Try and find the best mash-up of battery life and price for your needs!
If you, for example, just want to clean up the occasional pile of crumbs under your dinner table, then you will not need a long battery life, but might want to go for good suction.
If you have pets and want to clean up hair and dirt in-between your normal cleaning days, a motorised sweeper might give you a better experience.
In other words, think first about the vacuum vs. motorised sweeper question, and then decide by the price-attachment-flexibility ratio.


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There is a new concealer on the scene that has found a special place in my routine. The Clarins Instant Concealer is formulate to conceal dark under eye circles with its special tint and it's Light Optimizing + complex, a Clarins exclusive thatinstantly captures, diffuses and amplifies light. Fine lines and minor imperfections are visibly reduced. The complexion is left even-looking and radiant.
The Instant Concealer not only conceals but treats with:
- Aloe Vera extract to smooth and comfort the eye area.
- Caffeine to reduce dark circles.
This concealer performs beautifully on the under eye area. It is light yet offers good coverage, it is resistant to creasing, and it leaves the area looking bright not dull, cake, or crepey. I must admit I have broken the rules and have been using this concealer on all areas of my face. Since late spring I have been favouring very light coverage foundations and BB Creams. I do have areas on my chin and nose where I struggle with a lot of redness and also some small pimples. The Clarins Instant Concealer has worked so well to conceal these areas yet maintain the light, fresh look of the rest of my sheer complexion. I use it on my nose, center of my chin, around my nose, and sometimes even on the top of my cheekbones where my rosacea most effects, as well as my under eye area of course. The dreamy coverage and lovely finish of this concealer has made me anxious to experience some of Clarins foundations.
The Clarins Instant Concealer ($32 CAD) is available now at Clarins counters, Clarins.ca, and thebay.com.
Product provided for my consideration. All reviews are always my own honest and unbiased opinions.


text:
Tightening the graphics on Level Three
Do you like breezy humorous videos about making videogames in a van? Do you like off-the-wall games made on the road by three love-able hosts? Then you'll love Indie Van Game Jam, a show and game series in which each episode is a television length show and a downloadable game.
A GameBoy inspired, turn-based game about protecting a village. Mostly just helping out our buddy Rhoq on this one.
Hisato No Saku on itch.io
Purchase on Steam
A puzzley, actiony, cardy type of game for mobile devices.
Blowfish Meets Meteor is a fresh, new evolution of the brick-breaker genre! Rescue your m
rmaid daughters, slay gigantic sea monsters, and smash a few gajillion bricks while doing it in this stunning brick-bre
ker-meets-puzzle-platformer hybrid. Made with our friends at Sky
Official Website
An autobattler RPG about recruiting a hundred characters to do battle.
We make games!
We make videos!


text:
Raven, J., Stone, B., Mills, G., Towers, J., Katzschner, L., Leone, M., Gaborit, P., Georgescu, M., and Hariri, M. (2018). Urban planning and urban design. In C. Rosenzweig, W. Solecki, P. Romero-Lankao, S. Mehrotra, S. Dhakal, and S. Ali Ibrahim (eds.), Climate Change and Cities: Second Assessment Report of the Urban Climate Change Research Network. Cambridge University Press.
Raven, J., Leone, M. (2018). Shaping Climate Resilient Cities through Innovative, Multi-Scale and Adaptive-Mitigation Design Methods, TECHNE-Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment.
Chinese University of Hong Kong (2019). Lecture and design charrette on sustainable and resilient cities titled, "Integrating Climate Science and Urban Design", with participation by Hong Kong University and The Secretary for the Environment of Hong Kong (2019).
Urban Design Climate Workshop for Durban, South Africa (2019). Sessions engaged representatives from Durban in a series of urban design workshops linking quality of life, economic development, public health to local and regional climate interventions. Sponsored by the German government Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Government of Durban.
Global Practices and Policy on Urban Risk, Resilience, and Crises (2019); Lecture, Columbia University GSAPP.
Archtober: Responsive Cities (2018), Panelist with experts from ETH Zurich, sponsored by the Consulate General of Switzerland, Parsons-New School.
AIA2018 - Project New York: Collaborative Mapping Platform (2018), Panelist with Sr. Policy Advisor - NYC Mayor's Office of Recovery and Resilience and Exec. Director, NYC Public Design Commission.
Shaping Climate Resilient Cities through Innovative, Multi-Scale and Adaptive-Mitigation Design Methods (2018); Speaker, IAUC International Climate Conference, CUNY.
New York City Urban Design Climate Workshop (2018) at NYIT; Program Lead. The UDCW drew from a cross-disciplinary team of global urban climate experts and leading New York City Urban Design practitioners to shape evidence-based, climate-driven intervention tools and strategies for district-scale sites, focusing on Sunnyside Yard, Queens. The workshop evaluated projected 2050 Baseline (business-as-usual) and 2050 Best Practices (climate-driven urban design); configured and led by NYIT Graduate Students. Collaborators included Urban Climate Change Research Network; International Association for Urban Climate; Columbia University GISS-NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies; HOK Urban Design Group.
Urban Infrastructures: Food, Energy and Water for Sustainable and Resilient Cities – National Science Foundation; Speaker and steering committee member in collaboration with NYIT SoECS, 15 June at NYIT. Established a Research Coordination Network (RCN) managed by a team of investigators from three New York City institutions (NYIT, CUNY, NYU), in consort with NYC agencies and partnership with leading researchers from academic institutions across North America and Europe.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), The CitiesIPCC Cities and Climate Change Science Conference, Speaker and Convener, Urban Climate Information to Support Decision Making: From Local to Global, Edmonton, Canada, 2018.
Gowanus Technical Advisory Panel, Urban Land Institute New York, 2018.
Urban Land Institute Technical Advisory Panelist comprising leading design, planning, financial, infrastructure and sustainability experts, to configure a sustainable and resilient Gowanus district in Brooklyn, NY. I invited my graduate students to join the team, providing them the hands-on experience of working on high-profile professional design-planning charrettes with intensive community input, 2017.
International Climate Summit, Agadir, Morocco (September 2017). Lecturer and Workshop leader. Joined by a panel of European and American experts. NYIT graduate student presented innovative research completed by graduate team.
Urban Transition in Face of Climate Change, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, 2017. Co-led international workshop: Integrating Mitigation and Adaptation in Urban Planning, Urban Design and Architecture. Joined by leadership from the French national and Paris city government to evaluate innovative strategies for a carbon-neutral Paris. Sponsored by UCCRN, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités.
Climate-Resilient Urban Design: Bridging Science and Practice, Cambridge University, England, 2017. Solo lecture, followed by workshop led by me on the intersection of urban form, climate and implementation strategies.
Climate Change in NYC, Center for Architecture, New York City, 2017. Co-moderator/panelist and lecturer. Joined by Susanne Desroches, Dep. Director - NYC Office for Recovery & Resiliency; Cynthia Rosenzwieg - NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies; Jee Mee Kim - HR&A; and Signe Nielsen - Mathews Nielsen Landscape Architects.
Climate Change and Cities, presentation at the Regional Plan Association, New York, 2017.
Design Solutions for Climate Change in Urban Areas; funded panelist and presenter, University of Naples Federico II, Italy, 2016.
Toward Developing a Blueprint for Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure, International Conference on Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI), invited and sponsored by the US National Science Foundation as speaker and panelist, Shenzhen, China, 2016.
Convening Design and Semiotics to Build Visual Identity for Museums and Urban Districts, panelist at the AIA New York State annual convention, Saratoga, 2016.
Socio-Semiotics and Research-Action Approach to the Visual Identity of Museums in Paris and New York, As Doctoral Thesis Juror, Raven delivered a detailed verbal and written response and exchange with the doctoral candidate and fellow jury in French, Université Paris 8, 2016.
Presentation on Planning + Design for Resilient Communities at The World Bank, Washington DC.
Institutions and experts gather for Regen: NJ Highlands, a regenerative design conference. Jeffrey Raven presented on green infrastructure performance frameworks.
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The "Farmington Valley Biodiversity Project" (FVBP)
is an inter-municipal collaboration involving seven contiguous towns located within the Farmington River Valley of Connecticut. These towns include Avon, Canton, East Granby, Farmington, Granby, Simsbury and Suffield. The primary objectives of the FVBP are:
- Collect and map comprehensive data on the biological resources within the seven town area;
- Identify and map priority conservation areas for incorporation within each town's Plan of Conservation and Development to help guide municipal planning and decision making regarding land use; and,
- Promote awareness of the regions unique ecological communities, the importance of biodiversity, threats to biodiversity, and the role that various municipal commissions can take towards the conservation of biodiversity.
The project is coordinated by Metropolitan Conservation Alliance (a program of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS/MCA)), and the Farmington River Watershed Association (FRWA).
The official FVBP report was released to the local working group in February 2007. Along with the official report, FRWA is working on a set of implementation support documents that have been designed to help land use officials and town citizens understand the "toolbox" of available conservation measures that will help protect our Valley's natural heriage.
The official report, along with inidividual maps and implemntation docuements are available below.
Biodiversity Project Report Documents
The Farmington Valley Biodiversity Project
Official report. Includes letter sized maps and graphics. PDF (3.6mb)
11″ x 17″ maps of Conservation Areas by Town.
- Avon Map (PDF)
- Canton Map (PDF)
- East Granby Map (PDF)
- Farmington Map (PDF)
- Granby Map (PDF)
- Simsbury Map (PDF)
- Suffield Map (PDF)
As a follow -up to the release of the Biodiversity Study Final Report, FRWA is working with towns to promote implementation of land use practices that will protect the important natural areas described in the final Biodiversity Report. Read more about the FRWA Land Use Program.


text: As marketers, we've been trained to speak "business to business" (B2B) or "business to consumer" (B2C). But instead of this creating a simple framework for dialogue between humans, it set forth an unnatural language for marketers, using words like "synergy" and "speeds and feeds" to tell the stories of products and services to their buyers and partners. The fact is that businesses do not have emotion. Products do not have emotion. Humans do. Humans want to feel something. And humans make mistakes. In Human to Human #H2H, Bryan explores the many facets of why and how communication today needs to be adjusted to keep up with our ever-evolving and fast moving social and digital world. Through anecdotes from his own experiences as president of a Silicon Valley marketing firm, he both inspires new ways of finding commonality in our humanity, but also practical tools to think like a human marketer again. Specifically, you'll learn: • The Four Rules of Social Context • How Human Sensory Building will make you a better Marketer • The Secrets to Making Ideas Crowd Worthy, with real world examples • How to be "Delightfully Disruptive" • Insights into building a Social Business • What it means to have a "Focker Moment" and why they should be celebrated Embedded are short intimate video conversations with some of today's most forward-thinking humans; Jonathan Becher, CMO at SAP, Charlene Li, author and co-founder of The Altimeter Group, and Kare´Anderson, Emmy Award-winning journalist and founder of the Say It Better Center. If you're looking to bring back the human side of communication, in all its imperfection, empathy, and simplicity, Human to Human #H2H is for you.


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This past year has been a busy one for Blizzard. Not only has World of Warcraft seen a major rework and resurgence with the Legion expansion, but Blizzard has given their game repertoire an exciting addition. Overwatch, the first-person, online multiplayer shooter has garnered a huge following that rivals many comparable franchises from other companies from Battlefield to Call of Duty. It's art style, amazing sense of balance, and range of characters was something we touched on earlier this year in our two-part review, but in this edition, we will detail the additions that have come to Overwatch, as well as the things to come as announced at Blizzcon and speculation for the next character addition.
Patches and Game Modes:
Since release, Overwatch has seen a few patches and game modes released to expand the content available to players. In the earliest patches, we saw a number of balancing changes to characters, including a buff to Dva, allowing her to survive her ult and giving her shield tankier qualities and debuffs to McCree and Widowmaker. Numerous other character balancing changes have been made, including increased flight duration for Pharah, Symmetra getting a new second ability and amazing damage dealing potential, and Zenyatta seeing a boost to his orbs and durability.
In addition, we have seen several game modes and costume releases since launch. In August, Blizzard released their first content packed loot boxes, themed after the 2016 Summer Olympic Games which included new skins for some characters and new emotes and victory poses. In changes to game modes, Blizzard released 2 holiday events coinciding with Halloween and Christmas, Junkenstein's Revenge and Winter Wonderland. Junkenstein's Revenge offered numerous Halloween costumes, poses, emotes, and Overwatch's first PVE game mode, where you took the role of one of 4 characters and defended your gate against an onslaught of zombie-like robots while fighting mini-bosses. Furthermore, Winter Wonderland, while not having a PVE mode, gave cosmetic updates to King's Row and Hanamura, while offering new costumes and content revolving around the winter holidays.
In addition to the holiday events, after announcing new maps at Blizzcon, Blizzard released Ecopoint Antarctica along with the Arcade which allows players to compete for loot boxes weekly in different game modes including 1v1 and 3v3 modes. Winter Wonderland also offered mystery matches on the winter themed maps, placing characters in a randomly chosen role while competing in traditional game play. All around some pretty exciting stuff!
Ana and Sombra
Overwatch released 2 new characters this year, each with different roles and very different play styles that shook up ranked and regular gameplay. Ana, added in July, is the estranged mother of Pharah and a sniper support/healer. She uses her sniper rifle to fire healing rounds at her allies while debuffing her enemies with poison, DoT shots. Ana's abilities include a sleeping dart, a grenade that either heals her allies or poisons her enemies, and an ultimate that allows her ally to go berserk for short duration. Although Ana can be a difficult character to use, when played well she is a wonderful addition to any team and can change team fights with her sleeping dart (counting that she hits it and no one disturbs the sleeping target).
Sombra, officially announced at Blizzcon and released in mid-November after months of hints and speculation, is a Brazilian hacker, aligned with Widowmaker and Reaper while keeping secret allegiances to herself. She is an offensive stealth character that combines stealth with an ability disrupting mechanic. Sombra can hack the enemy and after a short channel, disabling their extra abilities. More awesomely, she can also turn invisible and gain a notable speed boost while wielding a grenade that allows her to teleport to its location from anywhere on the map within a set time limit. Lastly, Sombra's ultimate discharges an EMP, which allows her to disable opponents from using their own ultimate abilities. Sombra is another tricky character to use and doesn't always pay off. Although a risky pick, she adds a different playstyle that may need a slight buff to become more viable.
What's to Come:
Upon writing, a new map has been released for Overwatch in the form of Oasis. Oasis is a control point map set in a desert theme, with 3 control points and jump pads with environmental hazards. Although Blizzard has plans for new characters this year, no timeline has been set and only speculation has led players to believe that Doomfist, villain whose weapon featured in the teaser trailer for Overwatch, will be the next addition to the game. Only time will tell, however, so keep playing and climbing the ranks heroes! What would you like to see come to Overwatch in the next months? Let us know in the comments below!
**NOTE: In case you didn't have a chance to see Sombra's announcement, take a look at this footage from Blizzcon 2016! A few TGS representatives were lucky enough to attend and saw this first-hand. Pretty cool, right?!


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3 Responses to "Free Valentine Ecards"
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The economy isn't what it was before, however investors can take advantage of it with regards to real estate purchases. Now is a great time to become an investor in real estate career. You now have the beginning step to success.
Repair Budgets
Do proper research before real estate investment. Look at between 50 and 100 properties in a location you desire, and keep notes on it. Things to look at include repair budgets, projected rent earnings, and repair budgets. This will help you sift through the good from bad.
Make sure you take the time to learn the ropes before making your first purchase. Not being careful can lead to substantial losses. Being professionally trained is the best way you can protect yourself.
Find people that are in this business and learn everything you can from them. There are lots of people interested in real estate investing. There are many groups focusing solely on this subject. If you cannot find such a group locally, there are several forums online that you can find helpful information. Join these groups and learn tips from other investors.
Stick with a niche that you feel comfortable doing. You will achieve consistency faster by focusing your energies on a particular market sector. No matter what type of investing, use what you know to succeed.
Location truly is the major factor when buying real estate choices. Think about the area you are choosing to invest in and the possible potential.
Understand that your time is valuable. You may enjoy renovating properties, but is the time you're spending on it time well spent? Perhaps you would be better off researching your next investment. Whenever you can delegate a task to someone else, do so. It's definitely worth it to give you more time for the important things.
Don't buy a property just for the sake of owning more properties. You should always have a better chance at investment success when you focus on making the most out of fewer investment properties.This will help you safeguard your investments.
Never leverage yourself out completely when trying to get the next deal. You should always have reserve cash in your portfolio for unexpected expenses.
You want to be taking up too much of your real estate properties are as hassle-free as possible. Your time is valuable and you would not want to waste it.Avoid rentals in the college market, bad neighborhoods and vacation rentals. Try investing in properties that have a history of reputable and responsible tenants.
Don't buy your real estate in a neighborhood that's bad. Focus on the area of the home you are interested in. Research it thoroughly through newspapers and word of mouth. A good deal on a house that's nice may be because the area it's in is bad. It makes it harder to turn and might suffer damage.
Start slowly with one property. You might be tempted to buy multiple properties right off the bat, but don't bite off more than you can deal with. Begin with a single property and learn as you want to use.This will help you to learn the future.
These different legalities are going to vary from town to town so you should know them in advance. Talk to officials to make sure you're compliant with any laws before you actually buy the law before you sign any contracts.
Avoid newcomers when looking for the best realtors. You should have an experienced professional if you're going to find the best opportunities.
Think about adding business properties to your investment goals. Not only can a business property be rented for longer terms, but they can bring in a lot of money. Strip malls and complexes are great choices when it comes to increasing investment potential.
Before investing in a rental property, figure out what the other rental properties are like around you. This can discourage people from renting your property something renters won't enjoy and the cost of carrying will not be offsetting your expenses.
You have to be sure you understand what you're talking about at all times. If you seem like a greenhorn, they will try to take advantage of you when it comes to the price. You must be able to use the lingo to your lingo and your knowledge to your advantage. You will have a better position in your negotiations if you sound professional.
You may not know when a property will sell. Keep this in mind whenever you assess risks taken when buying properties. Are you going to finance or paying in cash? What type of interest rate are you getting? Do you want to rent it before you end up selling?
If you are thinking about investing in several properties, try to make sure that they are near each other. This way you can avoid the unnecessary expense, such as gas and time, when traveling between the properties. You will also enhance your expertise in that region.
Don't try renovating properties with the latest trends. Not everyone have the same needs or tastes when it comes to this type of update.
If you're trying to fix up a property to sell it, take care not to personalize the home too much. Potential buyers might not share your particular style. So keep your approach simple and classic so that they see the potential for their own.
Come up with a solid plan when you are investing in real estate investing. Have a good plan for your property before you invest.Decide to flip, wholesale, rehab, or renovate the property. It is easier to pick a property if you have clear goals in
If you are moving toward making real estate investing a career or a way to bring in extra money, jump in and start learning right away. Delaying your entry, or research into the real estate market of an economically expanding area, can be the difference between a modest profit and a huge success. Timing is an important aspect of real estate and you don't want to be behind the curve.
Real Estate
Capitalizing on low real estate prices is important when you are a beginning investor. In order to enjoy success as a real estate investor, it is important to do thorough research that enables you to make sound business decisions. You could become a successful investor by using the tips written in this article.