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Some experts say pull ups are the king of the upper body strength exercises. I have the same opinion because this compound exercise works the entire upper body as a whole strengthening almost all the muscles at once. I believe, it must be in everyone's workout routine, no matter if you prefer lifting weights or doing only bodyweight exercises.
Frankly, many years ago, when I started muscle building, I only lift for my back training. You know, almost everyone did the same at the gym, and as a newbie, I just followed them. Then, when calisthenics became more popular, and I saw the first videos about the street workout, I become more interested in pull ups. Those men do only pull ups, and they have such a physique that they put some bodybuilders to shame.
So, I started doing pull ups, chin ups, and their variations. The beginning was not easy. I could hardly do a few proper pull ups, but with time I could increase to the number of reps to an adequate quantity.
What results I had?
My back and shoulders became much broader. Also, my biceps and grips, which helped me to perform weight lifting exercises even better. Finally, I used to have problems with my lower back, but because pull up does not put much stress to that area, the pain went.
To sum up for me, pull ups work, works much better than other back exercises.
Interested in all the benefits of pull ups? Read on, and I'm sure you will include it in your workout plan.
How to do pull ups properly?
While pull ups seem to be a pretty straightforward exercise, it is a complicated move and with that rather tricky for a beginner. To tell the truth, for me took time to perform clean pull ups in a row.
Proper technique is vital since that is the only way to get the desired results from the exercise. Quality is over quantity as it is being said. Furthermore, a weak form may lead to more damage then you think such as shoulder injury.
Here is the pull up tutorial.
- The starting position: Grab the bar with overhand grips a bit more than shoulder width. Then, just hang from it. Personally, I grab the bar in a way that my hands are not totally vertical to the ground, but my fingers point slightly downward. So, my wrists are bent slightly. This way I can control the motion better.
- Next step. Tighten, your abs muscles and pull yourself up by using the power of your arms and back. Pull yourself up until your chest almost touches the pull up bar and continue until the bar is under your chin. During the move keep your shoulders backward, and lead with your chest. This way, the right muscles are activated, and you can prevent injuries.
- The final step: now slowly lower your body back to the starting position, and do the next rep.
A common mistake is when people swing their legs to get the momentum which helps them to complete the movement. That is cheating and not good for your joints.
Now let's go on and talk about the benefits of doing pull ups.
1. Compound Exercise Working Many Muscles at Once
Compound exercises are the ones that engage more than one muscle group at once. And, pull up is an excellent example of that. While it seems to be bodyweight training for the major back muscles such as your lats, it involves many others such your shoulders, core, triceps, biceps, forearms and your grip strength.
It works your upper body as a whole. It teaches your body how to coordinate multiple muscle groups to perform the movement. That leads to better overall strength and symmetry. Also, it is much safer than as if you were focusing on one particular part.
Finally, because pull up is a compound move, it is an excellent choice for those who are lack of time for training. With pull ups, you can substitute many other exercises.
2. Look big!
Did you know that the latissimus dorsi, aka lat, is the broadest major muscles of your body? If you have ever seen a bodybuilding competition, athletes look like a butterfly because of their developed back. With pull up, you can target those muscles very effectively.
Because of the big back, you look much bigger visually. Just like Johnny Bravo! Just do not neglect leg workouts as he does!
For example, genetically I have rather broad hips, but my back is big, so it does not look so bad.
3. Do it almost anywhere
For weight lifting, you need multiple types of equipment for home, or you need to go to the gym. For pull ups? Well, nothing fancy, just a safe bar!
If you have no time for the gym and want to strengthen at home, then you can choose from different types of pull up bars. Living in an apartment? Get a doorway bar! Have space and want a better one? Get a convenient freestanding one (power tower)?
Finally, in many cities, there are workout parks where you can train for free. But, if not, just get the kids playground and use the monkey bars to exercise.
4. Many Pull Up Variations for Versatility, Fitness Level and Targeting
Doing always the same exercises over and over again is not just dull but may have adverse effects on your progress. That will not happen since you can try many pull up variations for your level or targeting specifically a muscle better.
For example, let say you can perform 15 clean pull ups, you can try the archer pull up when at the end of the motion you place your bodyweight to sides. And, if you are a pro, you can do one arm pull ups. This way you can give your muscles progressive overload which leads to continuous improvement.
What if you are a beginner? You can get started with machine-assisted pull-up when you use the machine or a rubber band to get a little help. This way, you get used to the correct technique and be able to do more reps. In the end, you are going to be ready for standard pull ups.
Variations are not only beneficial for progressive overload or for your level but also lets you focus on a particular muscle group.
For example, if you do wide grip pull ups that make your lats wide. If you do chin-ups, you can build your biceps.
Last but not least you can increase the intensity in several ways. You can use a weighted vest, or you can put weight plates on a workout belt for additional resistance. Or, you can use a gym ring instead for even more versatility.
From the following video, you can learn a few exceptional examples.
5. It boosts your grip strength and forearm
A typical mistake of gym goers is that they do not care about the strength of their grip and forearm. They do not strength them in any way because they think other exercises like biceps curls will do. Then, as they improve and want to lift heavier weights, for example doing deadlifts, the barbell slips out from their palms.
Pull ups are great to prevent this problem because they make your grip as strong as a vise. Just think about it. When you do it, your grips have to hold your entire bodyweight for many seconds or even minutes if you do a lot of repetitions. You cannot get similar grip and forearm strength training with a barbell or a dumbbell.
When I switched to bodyweight training, I felt a huge difference after a few months. For example, my deadlift became much better. I was also unbeatable at arm wrestling. Finally, a massive and strong lower arm is the sign of manliness. So, go guys and do pull ups!
6. Healthier back muscles
One reason why people have back pain and bad posture are weak back muscles. Most of us sit too much every day, and that leads to a bad posture.
With pull ups, you can not only make your body more attractive but keep back muscles healthy. The strong back makes it easier to hold yourself up. You will have much better posture and balance.
Also, pull ups build functional strength that you can use in everyday life when you have to lift something and other physical activities. And, because of the stronger muscles, you do not have to be afraid of getting a back injury.
7. Pull up benefits for cardio and fat loss
Well, pull up is not the best practice for cardio and weight loss, but it supports both in two ways.
Firstly, because it is a compound exercise, multiple muscles, big and small, are engaged and for functioning, they require oxygen and calories. Hence, your lung works more and heart rate increases so that we can enjoy cardiovascular benefits. Also, your body burns more calories to give fuel to the fibers. OK, not as effective as running, but still better than nothing.
Another way it supports your fat burning is by increasing your metabolism. By doing pull ups, you increase your muscle mass, particularly your back muscles which are among the biggest ones in your body. The more mass you have, the faster your metabolism will be since fibers require energy even if they do not work. So, even if when you do not train, your body burns more calories.
As I mentioned before not the best exercise for weight loss, but small things add up at the end.
After reading a lot of benefits of pull ups, I'm sure you understand why we call it the king of upper body strength exercises. It gives you massive back, shoulders, arms and functional strength that you can use in any sports. There is a good reason why Navy Seals do so many pull ups day by day.
If you have any question or just want to tell your success story with pull ups, feel free to do it below.


text: We whirred through the clutter. Tasted the salt-sour fish in fumed air. It leaked through the cracked truck windows, a pungent stream, and I told myself fish stunk back home too. With her left hand, Annalee shifted gears and signed to our Deaf friend. With the right, she yanked us about with authority, never unnerved by the Mario Kart obstacles popping up last-second in the street. We wove through doorhung health masks and hot-pink motorbikes ridden by men; sequined pillow cases and uncut walls of glass; beribboned school children eager for their bubble tea and soi dogs with flies in their eyes. Dizzy, I looked away, tired of signs and shapes, weary of new and not understanding. Then I saw the old man and his worktable and, plunked on top, a cat. A glossy tail looped her feet. Large eyes studied the paper he leaned over, on which he struck sums. And in the second we whizzed by, she—Sphinx-like—sat. A furry queen. Uncontested. Perhaps we may know the constancy of only one thing in this world, but in it, I find a certain comfort.

subset: commoncrawl


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Zoomer Report
This time of year, a lot of us fretting about what we eat. Well here's some good news about holidays foods – foods we should think about adding to our diets all year round. According to the famed Cleveland Clinic, they pack a big nutritional punch with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that may help prevent disease.
Sweet potatoes top the list.
They a high amount of potassium, fiber, and beta-carotene, which can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Pomegranates are one of the most potent sources of antioxidants which may help reduce the buildup of plaque in arteries. They're also a good source of potassium, fiber, and vitamin C.
Fresh pomegranates are at their peak this time of year, so use their seeds to top anything from hot soups to cold salads and cocktails.
Cranberries are high in tannins, and they have been linked to a decrease in urinary tract infections, gum disease, and some types of ulcers. Most cranberry recipes contain a lot of sugar, so you can reduce the amount by using sliced or chopped apples to add sweetness instead.
Finally, cocoa. In addition to iron and magnesium, a cup of this beverage can provide you with twice the amount of antioxidants found in red wine and triple that of tea.


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A bit of a change from the relentless Galaxy S10 leaks, this: Samsung has launched a dating site based on the contents of your fridge. Obviously, we had to join.
Called Refrigerdating, the site was made by Samsung's Swedish division as a way to promote their £3,000 smart fridge. However, you don't actually have to have said smart fridge to join – just a photo of the inside of your dumb fridge will do.
Here's ours. Would you date us?
On the site, that's pretty much all you get to go on. You get a first name, age and location, but in terms of picking whether you're interested in someone, the only information you have is what brands of dairy they prefer.
Nonetheless, we quickly found ourselves being quite picky about who we said yes to. These two got firm yeses based on their ability to stock up (that's important when you're facing a Brexit, although of course these guys aren't because they're in a country with sense):
While these two got firm a firm "nope":
The person on the left needs to clean their fridge, and we're not impressed by the lack of sustenance, nor the carrier-bag covered food. How are we supposed to know if we fancy their taste?
The person on the right, meanwhile, gets the thumbs-down for clearly using a stock image. You even get catfish on a fridge dating site. Incredible.
We put our interests as basically everyone, but we still ran out of people to swipe pretty quickly (story of our lives) which rather suggests not many people are into this concept. Or it just hasn't taken off yet.
(Our preferences were all genders, aged 18 to 99, which is as wide as you're allowed to go).
We also didn't get any matches, but we're consoling ourselves that it's because our profile made clear we were only there for research purposes. Not trying to break any hearts here.
The juicy link "Learn how to analyse refrigerator personalities" takes you to this page, where you can read vague platitudes about relationships while being sold Samsung appliances.
Honestly, the whole thing feels like an April Fool, but it's February. So we're chalking it up to Sweden just being a bit more bonkers than us in terms of advertising, as with that badass recent Burger King troll.
If you want to try Refrigerating for yourself, you can sign up here – and if you find the love of your life, we'd appreciate an invite to the wedding.


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Return to the Necropolis: Chapter 2
Read "Return to the Necropolis: Chapter 1"
As one year passed into the next, Paros began to think more and more about the necropolis and his long-absent companions and to begin planning for a return, both to retrieve the treasure they had cached there and to continue searching for as-yet unfound wealth. Reorganizing the party, however, was proving problematic. And, while Paros could have returned there on his own or with new companions, he was hesitant to do so for a number of reasons. One was that Parthenia and Selene were a known quantity, and another was that his return might be perceived by them as a betrayal or attempt to despoil them of treasure they had shed blood, sweat, and tears to collect.
Selene, however, had completely disappeared and, as far as Paros could tell, had not come back to Kos since leaving it for her hill country hamlet. And, while he had considered tracking her down himself, he was apprehensive about venturing alone into the rural interior of the island.
Parthenia, on the other hand, had turned up about once a month at the Four Winds Bar on her way to or from adventures on the Anatolian mainland, and if half the stories she told about slaughtering Goblinoid soldiery was true then the Tetrarchy certainly had a hefty bounty on her head. She proudly pointed out to Paros a number of additions to the barbaric tribal tattoos she wore and regaled him with the incidents that they signified. But she, too, was eager to return to the necropolis to retrieve the treasure they had left cached there, if not to explore the place further; like many of her uncivilized ilk, necromancy and other dark magic of the sort they had encountered in the burial ground was her Achilles' Heel, at least from a psychological point of view. She did promise, however, to visit Selene and to bring her back to Kos City as soon as it was expedient to do so.
One way or another, Paros was committed to expanding their group to include the sorcerous Pumayo. Even before making his acquaintance, Paros had spoken with other fortune-hunters at the Four Winds Bar, particularly one Jason of Argos, head of a would-be "adventurers' guild," and in these conversations had been swayed by certain popular theories on the composition of parties. One, which had both pragmatic and metaphysical underpinnings,


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John the Baptist was "foretold in the Old Testament Prophets" by Malachi and Isaiah. John was foreknown by the determinate council of God. The birth of John was spoken of by an angel of the Lord.
Luke 1:13-15…But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John. And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth. For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.
When John appeared and began his ministry in Israel Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled. John the Baptists' ministry prepared Israel for the coming Messiah. How? His baptism allowed them to repent from a backslidden state and worship Christ as the promised Messiah. John's service within Israel was confirmed in the records of the Four Gospels.
God spoke through Malachi the Prophet saying that He would send His messenger before the Lord. The messenger that came before Christ was John the Baptist.
Mal 3:1…Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in:
John declared he was a prophetic voice for God that cried in the wilderness.
Matt 3:1-3…In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, "Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand". For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
John the Baptist was God's forerunner to the Messiahship of Christ. John's Baptism was God's way for Israel (who had gotten away from the moral requirements of the Torah) to accept and worship Christ as Israel's promised Messiah. This was prophesied by Isaiah the Prophet.
Isa 40:3…The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
John the Baptist was sent by God
John 1:6…There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
John was sent by God to carry out the Divine commission of water baptism in Israel. John's commission as a Levite Priest allowed backslidden Israel to be purified with waters of purification which in turn allowed backslidden Israel repentance, remission of sins, and eligibility to worship Christ as the Promised Messiah.
John 1:33…And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost
The reason; John's baptism separated and purified Israel from the tradition of the Elders that tainted Israel from keeping the Torah.
Matt 15:2-3…Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
John's baptism specifically pointed to Christ as the Messiah. John's service as a Baptizer (sprinkling waters of purification according to Numbers 8) came from the Law of God..the Torah.
Num 8:7…And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them,
John the Baptist prepared Israel for the Messiahship of Christ. John's service as a Baptizer also baptized Christ to carry out His earthly ministry according to the Law of God.
Within John's Divine commission he was also sent by God to preach the Kingdom of Heaven message in Israel.
Matt 3:1-2…In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The Kingdom of Heaven was the promised restoration to Israel where Christ would reign as King from His earthly Throne in Jerusalem.
Jer 23:5…Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
Zech 8:3-8…Thus saith the LORD; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the LORD of hosts the holy mountain. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and every man with his staff in his hand for very age. And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts. Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; And I will bring them, and they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in truth and in righteousness.
John the Baptist had a legal right according to Law to sprinkle waters of purification because he was a Levite by bloodline and birth. Christ called John the Baptist a reed shaking in the wind.
Matt 11:7… And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
A reed (hyssop) was an instrument used by a Jewish minister to sprinkle waters of purification and/or blood for the use of ceremonial cleansing under the Law of Moses. Hebrews 9:19
John was the son of Zacharias who was a Levite. John's bloodline was of Levitical descent. According to the Torah firstborn sons of Levites were set aside by God to minister to the congregation of Israel. Levites were thus chosen by God to do a Divine service for the children of Israel.
Deut 18:6-7…And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose; Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD.
John's baptism was a Divine commission given from the council of God
John 1:33… And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me,
John's baptism superseded traditional washings and the customs of Pharisee's and Elders that made the commandment of God of none effect. Because of the attitude of these unbelieving Pharisee's they rejected the council of God (The Torah).
Luke 7:30…But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
The Sanhedrin and synagogues were also products of the tradition of the Elders which stemmed from Talmudic teachings. Talmudic teachings (which would take a lifetime for any scholar to understand) were derived from Israel's interpretation of the Torah. The Talmudic writings originated while Israel was in captivity during the Medo-Persian, Grecian, and Babylonian captivities.
John the Baptist was recognized by his disciples as a Rabbi, which means teacher of the Law.
John 3:26…And they came unto John, and said unto him, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold, the same baptizeth, and all men come to him.
Christ called John the Baptist…more than a Prophet.
Matt 11:9-10…But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee
John's preaching allowed all of Israel and Judea to repent and accept the Messiahship of Christ. Mark 1:4, 5 John's baptism separated many in Israel from the tradition of the Elders that deviated Israel from the moral standard of the Law. Tradition and customs blinded the eyes of Israel from the purity and holiness of the Torah. John's ministry opened blind eyes and showed Israel a way to receive the coming of Christ. When Israel received the baptism of John they were able to accept and worship Christ as the promised Messiah.
John's baptism was commissioned by the Council of God. John's baptism set apart those in Israel who received the waters of purification, acknowledged the Law, and recognized the coming of the Messiah. John's Baptism was received in Israel as an act of faith by those who accepted the Messiahship of Christ.
John's baptism was moral purification from the uncleanness of tradition and Israel's interpretation of Law…to cleanness according to the moral requirements of the Torah.
Repentance and confessions of sin were wrought in people throughout Israel because of John's Baptism.
Mark 1:4-5…John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
John's preaching and his baptism enlightened Israel enough to turn them from the tradition of the Elders and mans interpretation of the Law through the Talmud. The Word of God came unto John in the wilderness.
Luke 3:2…the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness
This Word was according to the authority of Law, not the tradition of the Elders or man's interpretation of the Law through Talmudic teaching's.
John baptized Christ according to Law. The Law required Christ first to be thirty years old; second to be sprinkled with waters of purification before he could minister in the Temple, do service for the Lord, and teach the Torah.
Num 4:3…From thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 4:30…From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Christ had to obey the Torah in every detail in order to be without sin. Christ could not disobey the Law of God in any respect. Why? To be a perfect sacrificial offering for the sins of humanity Christ had to be in perfect obedience to the Law of God. If Christ didn't keep the Law to the letter, he would have sinned against God! Christ was the only man that ever lived that was without sin.
Ps 1:1-2…Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
John's baptism allowed Christ to do the work of the ministry and preach the Kingdom message to Israel, according to Law. That's why Jesus said, "Suffer it to be so, now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness".
Matt 3:15…And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.
John's baptism of Christ fulfilled all righteousness through the requirements of Divine Law.
Questions arose between John's disciples and the Jews concerning John's Baptism and waters of purification.
John 3:25…Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.
Why questions about purification? Israel's interpretation of Law through tradition and Talmudic teachings had led them into religious rituals, diver's washings, and various Jewish customs that were not taught in the Torah. From the Babylonian captivity Israel had deviated from the Law of the Torah. By not keeping the moral demands of the Law Israel was blinded and rejected the truth about Christ. John's baptism made Israel accountable to Divine Law thus turning them toward acceptance of Christ as the promised Messiah. John's Baptism had Divine purpose to sway Israel to an acceptance of the Messiahship of Christ. Many in Israel acknowledged the authority of John's baptism as a fulfillment of prophecy. Many in Israel knew John the Baptist was a Levite and had a legal right to minister waters of purification. Many in Israel knew John was a Prophet sent by God to prepare the way of Israel's promised Messiah.
John's baptism confirmed the truth of the Word written and spoken by the Prophets. John's baptism made Israel accountable to Law of God. Accountability to the Law of God enabled the common Jewish people to repent, to confess their sins, and prepare the way for Israel to accept Christ as the Messiah. Remember Israel was backslidden from the Law of God! The Law of God required even more from the Pharisees and the Lawyer's who had pledges and ties to the Levitical order of Judaism. That's why John first warned the Pharisee's and Lawyer's of the Wrath to come and second told them to bring forth fruits meet for repentance. If John's Baptism was something "new" to the Pharisee's and Lawyer's, God would not have held them accountable for their lack of knowledge. The Scriptures teach the Pharisee's rejected the council of God in John's baptism. John's baptism through the Council of God was "not something new" to the Pharisee's and Lawyer's. It was according to Law!
Luke 7:30…But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.
That's the reason why John treated the High Priests, Pharisee's, and Sadducee's whom he called Vipers different from the common Jewish people. He strongly admonished these leaders of the Jews, "Who hath warned you to flee the Wrath to come". Unlike the common people He told these Elders in Israel to bring forth fruit meet for repentance.
Matt 3:7..But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Luke 3:2-7…Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness; And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come
All the land of Judea and Jerusalem went out to be baptized of John.
Mark 1:5…And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
"All of Israel" recognized that John was a Prophet sent from God. That's why the Pharisee's were nervous when Christ asked them if John's Baptism was from Heaven or men. The Pharisee's refused to admit that John's Baptism was Heaven sent. On the other hand they were afraid the people would want to stone them if they admitted that John was truly a prophet sent by God.
Luke 20:4-8…The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not? But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet. And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was. And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
John's Divine commission to preach and baptize was to "all of Israel and the land of Judea". John the Baptist was the last record in the Bible of a Levite priest. There are no records found in the Bible that John ever baptized a Gentile.


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Ricardo Afonso, the leading man of multiple West End productions, was born into a life of music.
"As a child I remember my dad singing fado (a form of Portuguese singing) in big family reunions and everyone on his side of the family knew how to sing and loved performing. I guess that made an impression," the Britain-based Portuguese singer shares in an email interview with StarLifestyle."There were no professionals, just amateurs, but it was real. It was all very joyful and happy so it was easy for me to jump right in."
And jump right in he did.
Afonso cut his teeth as a guitarist in a band, performing at bars and competitions. However, Afonso recalls it was one afternoon in 1996 that he decided to devote his career to the arts.
"I decided to go for an audition for a musical TV series. It was an open audition in which anyone could apply, even non-actors like myself. I got the job. And I was hooked. I was very lucky to have worked the following three years with the best stage directors in Portugal and I learned a lot."
He then had a stint performing on a cruise ship, where he first met actors from London's famed theatre district West End. "I was at sea for two years, working on production shows and learning from other acts as well, and what struck me was the quality of these acts coming from the West End.
"So I made my mind up and decided that's where I wanted to be, in London. So I sold my little basement flat (in Portugal), my bike and off I went!"
Afonso left for London in 2005, and not long after, landed the lead role of Galileo in We Will Rock You, a musical based on the songs of Queen.
"I played Galileo for two runs, from 2007 to 2009, and came back for another run, from 2010 to 2011. I loved playing this role. How could you not? He's a rock star in the making with a life-changing moment after meeting this bad*** girl, full of attitude, and they both set off to challenge the boring world they live in," he reminisces. "It never got boring or the same. The audiences we had were amazing. It was the best time of my career so far."
But Afonso's dream job was also extremely physically-demanding. We Will Rock You was staged eight times a week. "Stamina. You have to put it into your head and body. You have to give it your all every single time. It's one thing thinking you can do it. You have to physically go through the discipline of understanding what you need to do. Song by song. Scene by scene. And of course, having great fun as you're doing it!"
The thespian also talks about his admiration for Queen lead vocalist Freddie Mercury, who was the subject of the celebrated biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody.
"Freddie was unique. He still is, in my eyes, the most special male performer I have ever seen. His truthfulness through his performances and his respect for the audience at all times makes him the best.
"His vocals were insane as was his ability to captivate everyone that watched him. He left so much for all of us to learn from and enjoy."
Afonso has since starred in other West End productions including Thriller Live, Top Hat and Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown.
He will be performing as part of the Stars Of The West End Sing The Rock Musicals! show on April 28 at Sunway Hotel Resort & Spa, Subang Jaya.
"We feel very privileged and honoured to perform for you all," he says about the Malaysian show, which will feature other West End stars like Shona Lindsay, Carole Stennett and Mike Sterling.
Tickets to the show, priced at RM150, RM190, RM280 and RM380, are available from britishtheatreplayhouse.com and ticketcharge.com.my.


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So I have been trying to publish my app called Scratchpad+ for weeks now. But the certification failed. So I ran the test using Windows Application Certification Kit and found some errors. Last night i fixed all the errors and tested my app again and there
were no errors this time and i passed all the test, so I uploaded my upload file and was sure i'll get the certification this time.
But just few hours ago,I get a notification for certification failure again and the report showed very few details why they failed my certification:
"Unfortunately, we can't test the app, because the app crashes at launch.
I don't know what's the error cause there is no error in the result of the test
cause i fixed them all last night as i mentioned above. Please HELP!
Hi Jayesh,
>I get a notification for certification failure again and the report showed very few details
Could you reply this notification and consult the team which device of your app crashed during the testing?
In the forum, we can't track your submission process, but you could make a
support ticket to ask the team which can track your submission to ask for help directly.(steps: click 'Contact us'> 'Dashboard...' as support topic > 'App certification failure' as issue type>'Submit an incident')
Best regards
Daisy Tian
MSDN Community Support
Please remember to click "Mark as Answer" the responses that resolved your issue, and to click "Unmark as Answer" if not. This can be beneficial to other community members reading this thread. If you have any compliments or complaints to
MSDN Support, feel free to contact firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Feral pig hunting is popular in the Northern Territory
You can hunt feral pigs on public land as long as you carry out best practice and adhere to the relevant laws of the Northern Territory (NT).
Being a responsible feral pig hunter
- Ensure that you obtain any necessary permits. There are heavy penalties for illegal pig hunting in the NT.
- Obtain permission from the owner if hunting on private property.
- Follow good biosecurity practice to minimise the spread of diseases, pests and weeds.
This will include:
- using personal protective equipment (PPE) (Refer to section on precautions)
- good personal hygiene (hand washing, changing soiled clothes)
- good hygiene for your dogs
- cleaning and disinfecting work areas and vehicles when leaving a hunt.
- ensure your dogs are well handled and trained not to chase livestock or wildlife.
Be aware of your ethical responsibilities by ensuring that humane methods are utilised to kill feral pigs and that they are not subjected to unnecessary pain or suffering.
Pig hunting with dogs
Dogs are permitted to be used when hunting feral pigs in the NT, however strict regulations are in place under the NT Animal Welfare Act (as in force April 2017) and the National Model Code of Practice for the Welfare of Animals: Feral Livestock Animals to ensure the humane treatment of feral pigs and the welfare of hunting dogs are enforced.
Heavy penalties apply for breaches of animal cruelty when undertaking an activity that involves hunting. Penalties may also apply if you don't have the necessary permits to hunt on certain lands within the Northern Territory, including on Crown land or reserves managed by the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT or Parks Australia.
Additional information on feral pig hunting in the NT and how to obtain a pig hunting permit can be found on the Northern Territory Government website at: https://nt.gov.au/leisure/hunting-and-shooting
Managing the risk of disease
Feral pigs can host a number of diseases and parasites that may be transmitted to other animals and humans. Hunting feral pigs carries a high risk for contracting these potentially debilitating diseases, which have serious long-term health implications. Ensure that you take steps to protect the health of your dogs and yourself.
Butchering: You should wear appropriate PPE when butchering a feral pig. This includes gloves and footwear. Worms that you may see are not important for human health and are neutralised by proper cooking. However any abscesses found are likely to contain harmful bacteria and should result in the discard of the pig carcase. Many diseases do not show any signs in the pig carcase.
Some important shared diseases in pigs and people include:
Brucellosis- Bacterial disease causing severe long term illness, fever and influenza type symptoms. Symptoms in dogs can include fever, lameness, back pain, vomiting, lethargy and enlarged testicles. Brucellosis may be contracted by butchering and handling raw infected pig meat (especially reproductive organs), contaminated equipment and clothing, urine and contact with infected dogs.
Brucellosis is a notifiable animal disease in the Northern Territory. There is a legal obligation to notify your government veterinary officer if you know or suspect that an animal has this disease
Q Fever- A serious bacterial disease that causes severe influenza like symptoms which can be fatal. Infection is via contaminated animal tissue (especially intestinal tissue, faeces, urine and foetal fluids). Q fever is mainly spread by inhalation including during high pressure hosing, slaughtering animals and dressing carcasses.
Leptospirosis-A bacterial disease that can cause high temperatures, kidney disease, jaundice and meningitis (inflammation of the lining of the brain) which can be fatal. Leptospirosis is found in animal tissue, urine and commonly in swamp water. It enters the body through cuts and abrasions and contact with mucus membrane lining of the nose mouth and eyes.
Melioidosis – A bacterial disease. Commonly affected livestock include goats, pigs and camels. This disease has potential to be passed on to humans through contact with infected animals or soil.
Swine Influenza - Swine influenza is a highly contagious, rapid onset, respiratory disease of pigs. Pigs contract this disease through close contact with infected pigs. Swine influenza viruses are normally restricted to pigs, however occasionally a human may become infected. It is known that pigs have a potential to mix different strains of influenza viruses together to produce new strains that may have the potential to infect humans. In 2009 there was an outbreak in several pig herds in Australia that was quickly eradicated. Signs of pigs infected with Swine Influenza include:
- high fever
- discharge from eyes and nose
- sneezing
- breathing difficulties
- barking cough.
As well as diseases endemic to Australia, feral pigs have the potential to harbour and spread a number of exotic diseases not known to occur in Australia. This would have a major impact on international trade, the Australian livestock industry and our way of life.
These notifiable diseases include:
Foot-and-mouth disease – a highly contagious viral infection of domestic and wild cloven-hooved animals such as pigs, cattle, buffalo, goats and sheep. Symptoms found in animals include blisters and erosions in the mouth and on the feet, severe sickness and lameness.
Rabies –Rabies causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord (encephalitis) resulting in death. The main symptoms include behavioural changes, varying neurological signs, progressive paralysis, coma and death in all species. This disease is also fatal in humans.
Swine vesicular disease – a highly contagious viral disease of pigs that is indistinguishable from foot and mouth disease. Symptoms include blisters and erosions in the mouth and feet, severe sickness and lameness.
Classical swine fever- a highly contagious viral disease of pigs, capable of spreading rapidly in susceptible pig populations. causing fever, purplish skin blotching and sudden death
Surra -a disease caused by the blood-borne parasite Trypanosoma evansi that is transmitted by biting flies. It can become established in a variety of animals including cattle, horses, pigs and dogs. Typical signs include chronic wasting, weakness, pale gums and swelling of the legs and brisket. This disease is often fatal. Surra would be virtually impossible to eradicate if it became established in Australia and is present in countries as close to Australia as Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Timor.
Enlarged testis in feral pig with Brucella suis
Photo by Braiden Evans
Diseased feral pig
Photo by Braiden Evans
Precautions to prevent the spread of infections
- Do not feed raw feral pig meat to your dogs (especially reproductive organs, blood and offal).
- Use PPE. Cover all cuts and abrasions with waterproof dressings and wear rubber latex gloves and boots when processing feral pig carcasses to minimise exposure to potentially contaminated carcases.
- Always wash hands and equipment thoroughly after butchering and processing feral pig carcases.
- Wash dogs well after each hunt. Use PPE when washing and administering first aid to dogs
- Watch for signs of illness in your dogs and contact your local veterinarian if you have any concerns.
Important information
Feral pigs are a high risk for spreading diseases to humans, hunting dogs and other animals. All diseases shared with pigs are serious for people and must be diagnosed and treated by your doctor who must also notify the health authorities in case further action is required for your benefit.
Contact your local veterinarian if you notice any illness in your dogs.
Consult your doctor immediately if you develop symptoms after contact with potentially infected animals and inform them of your pig hunting practices.
If you suspect a pig disease of concern contact your Regional Veterinary Officer
Darwin: 8999 2035 Katherine: 8973 9716 Alice Springs: 8951 8181
Or call the Emergency Disease Watch Hotline on 1800 675 888 (24hr Hotline)
Last updated: 30 April 2020
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Its officially salad season so I thought what better way to celebrate then by bringing you guys a new delicious salad recipe. I wanted to show you a fun twist on the traditional salad by featuring this colourful rainbow detox salad from The Healthy Grocery Girl Nutrition Plan site. I love this recipe because the base of it is cabbage instead of lettuce which gives a nice added crunch. I feel like cabbage is so underrated and I've been trying to add it into more and more recipes like soups, wraps, as a side (aka sauerkraut) and of course salads!
Purple or red (whatever you like to call it) cabbage is super high in antioxidants just like blueberries. I think its often overlooked but there are so many fun and easy ways to add it into your meals.
I shared this salad with my sister, mom and best-friend and they loved it. They especially loved the addition of the crunch that the cabbage and roasted chickpeas added. We enjoyed it outside on the patio for lunch and it is surprisingly so filling I couldn't even finish mine. Also, could of been the fact that I was snacking on the chickpeas while taking the pictures… I couldn't resist they're so addicting.
A couple of things you can prepare ahead of time and store in your fridge are the roasted chickpeas and quinoa. I love making a huge batch of some type of grain in the beginning of the week to then add to recipes or take for lunch as a side. Click the links below to get the recipes.
How to Cook the Perfect Quinoa recipe
Roasted Chickpea recipe
This rainbow detox salad recipe was taken straight out of the Healthy Grocery Girl Nutrition Plan site which is an online resource that provides exclusive and unlimited access to:
- 100+ simple and delicious recipes like this one
- grocery lists & meal plans
- wellness webcasts
- tons of nutrition information
- community forums for support
Best part is that Megan Roosevelt, RD (Owner and Creator of HGG) is celebrating the 1 year anniversary of the site by allowing new members that sign up in the month of June a sign up special of only $35! The regular sign up fee is $135, so if I can do the math correctly that's $100 off for new members in June. Just use the COUPON CODE: 35TOJOIN to get the discount.
Megan wanted to also offer my viewers aka you guys with a fun GIVEAWAY. For everyone who joins the HGG member site in June will be entered to win a free ($100 value) private nutrition coaching session with the fabulous Megan herself. All you have to do is mention my name "Nikky" or "HealthNut Nutrition" upon signing up to be entered. Click the button below to sign up and become a member!
- ¼ head purple cabbage
- ¼ head green cabbage
- 1 can chickpeas
- 1 teaspoon unrefined coconut oil
- 1 medium size avocado
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium saucepan add water and quinoa
- and bring to a boil reduce heat and let cook on simmer with lid on for 25-30 minutes.
- Drain one can of chickpeas and spread out beans on a baking sheet.
- Cover with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until toasted and crispy.
- Meanwhile, wash a chop cabbage and toss together in a dinner bowl.
- Slice and remove the pit of one avocado and slice into pieces.
- Drizzle cabbage with dressing; add a scoop of quinoa, slices of avocado and top with crispy chickpeas.
- Combine all ingredients in a jar such as a glass mason jar. Put the lip on, shake and enjoy!
- You can store the leftover dressing in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I hope you enjoy this rainbow salad recipe.
What veggie or fruit do you think is under rated? Comment down below!


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Morgan Stanley Real Estate Funds (MSREF) has bought two office buildings in Hamburg, Germany for around €670m (£442m) from German property investor Dieter Becken.
The US investment bank, one of the world's most active property fund managers, has bought the 322,920 sq ft (30,000 sq m) Berliner Bogen and the Deichtorcentre office centre in central Hamburg.
The deals pushes MSREF's investment in German offices over the €2bn (£1.3bn) mark following its large deal last October when it bought three office portfolios for nearly 1bn (£670m) from BHF Berliner Handels-und Frankfurter Bank, Commerzbank's open-ended fund, CGI, and AXA. MSREF has been investing in Germany for the last five years.
Becken is a well-known property investor and developer in Germany who is also involved in various large-scale projects in Sudan, north Africa, including a €3bn (£1.98bn) 4,200 km railway project that will link Sudan to Kenya and Uganda.


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Yes! We love it when users request a feature. WP Most Popular is an ongoing project and we're constantly improving it and adding new features.
As feature requests come in to us, we added them to a list and the most frequently requested features get built out first in order of priority.
To request a feature, get in contact with us.


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Stipend Recipient's Biography
Carly Graber
Carly is thrilled to be an HRSA GWEP Alzheimer's MSW Stipend recipient this year. She is grateful for the opportunity to enhance her skill set to serve the expanding aging population as well as those who provide them with crucial care and support. While the majority of her professional experience has been in youth and family services, several courageous mentors – including a caregiver for someone with dementia and an advocate for elder rights and long-term care reform – inspired her to focus her MSW studies in gerontology this year.
Currently, Carly interns with Alzheimer's San Diego, a local non-profit organization that provides resources, education, and support to individuals and families affected by Alzheimer's disease and related forms of dementia. In addition to providing critical services across the county, Alzheimer's San Diego also supports local research for a cure. As an intern, Carly will join a dynamic social work team in facilitating support groups, educational programming, and therapeutic interventions for persons with dementia and their care partners throughout San Diego. She looks forward to translating all that she will learn this year as a stipend recipient and intern at Alzheimer's San Diego to her future career in social work!


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The Dogged Approach
Q: Although you're a former intelligence officer with the Israeli Army, your new book, "The Loved Dog," which has zipped to the top of best-seller lists, advocates a nonmilitary, totally indulgent approach to dog training.
A. Why do you say indulgent? Indulgence sounds a little bit L.A., and I am not about painting your dog's toenails pink. I am more about connecting with your dog and respecting your dog.
Yet you recommend letting your dog beat you occasionally at a game of tug-of-war, which seems like coddling to me.
You have to give the dog the feeling of victory every once in a while. How much interest would you have in meeting me for tennis on Sunday mornings if I beat you every time?
Your positive-reinforcement methods include what you call "making a party" when the dog does something right.
How do you make a party, exactly? You clap your hands and you have a big smile and you say, in a happy singsong voice, "sit" or "come." You make the dog feel special.
Your approach seems a little mothering-meets-Vegas, not least because you recommend that dogs occasionally be showered with "a jackpot of treats," meaning four or five cookies simultaneously.
Exactly. People give treats all the time, and then they gradually stop giving the treat. The way to do it is the Las Vegas way. B. F. Skinner, the behavioral psychologist, realized that random rewards give a more reliable and consistent response.
All this strikes me as a pointed critique of Cesar Millan, the TV-show dog behaviorist who prides himself on his leader-of-the-pack virility and toughness.
He wants a dog to be a "calm submissive." I do not. I do not want anybody in a relationship with me to be submissive.
For all your differences, you and Cesar are emblematic of America's glamorization of pets. You each live in Los Angeles, run day care centers for dogs and boast of having helped train Oprah's dogs.
To say that we are both her trainers — that's not really true. It's really only me. As far as I know, he worked with Sophie, the cocker spaniel, twice. I train her three golden retrievers — Luke, Layla and Gracie. Oprah is a very good mom. She loves to "make a party" for her dogs; when they come to her, she shows her joy.
Why do we need personal trainers for dogs when you can socialize a dog in an obedience class?
When you go to a class, you become the nagging force when your dog has nine other dogs to play with. To teach manners to a dog, and have him be part of the family — that should be done at the home. But puppy socialization should be done in a group.
How much do you charge for a session?
$300 an hour.
About the same as an Upper East Side psychiatrist.
But with a psychiatrist you go on and on; with me it rarely exceeds five lessons. When you think about it, it's not expensive.
Why all this high-priced attention, when dogs have traditionally developed first-rate personalities by running around farms with kids, as in "Lassie"?
Lassie was at least five different dogs. She was portrayed as just living on the ranch and running around, but that dog was trained very professionally.
I read somewhere that modern dog training began during World War I, when German shepherds were enlisted to carry messages and were expected to follow orders.
Exactly. The dog is a four-legged soldier, and he walks on your left side because on your right side you have your weapon. But why do we even need a dog to heel? I don't say "heel" to my dogs.
You're referring to the two rescue dogs with whom you live, Clyde and Duke, both of whom are mutts.
They're my family. They're my sons.
I hope they don't play video games.
No, they're still fixated on their tennis balls.
This was today's ridiculous post.


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Annapolis Yacht Club leaders should be applauded for thinking outside the box with regard to their ongoing efforts to increase participation in local sailboat racing.
Over the past couple months, Annapolis Yacht Club has made two significant announcements designed to encourage more owners to get out on the Chesapeake Bay.
In November, AYC announced the addition of two distance events to the 2018 calendar. Both new offerings — a Spring Race to Oxford to kick off the season on May 12 and a Fall Race to Solomons on Sept. 22 – were created to increase the amount of handicap competition available on the bay.
"We are seeking to address the need for the type of events that have become most popular and successful," said Jonathan Bartlett, Rear Commodore for Annapolis Yacht Club. "It has been many years since AYC has been attached to an ongoing point-to-point race and it seemed clear that it was time to do so. We believe both of these events will become long-standing traditions."
Just over a year ago, AYC Commodore Debbie Gosselin created a Sailing Committee that was charged with analyzing the current racing scene and recommending methods of improvement in terms of organization and outreach.
Sailboat racing participation has been on the decline over the past decade and Gosselin wanted Annapolis Yacht Club to show leadership by addressing the situation and finding some solutions.
Some of the most respected sailors in the region were appointed to the AYC Sailing Committee with Paul Parks serving as chairman and being joined by the likes of John White and Dick Neville. It is almost impossible to measure the collective experience, knowledge and wisdom of those individuals.
The AYC Sailing Committee conducted surveys, requested feedback and performed other outreach to determine what the sailboat racing constituency wanted. White, whose long-term success as a racing skipper is unmatched, said the committee found there was a divide between two factions of the Chesapeake Bay scene.
Annapolis resident David Askew and his brother Peter led Wizard to victory in Division 0 for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.
"It appears most of the one-design classes want to stick with the typical windward-leeward events we have so often. However, most of the handicap classes prefer point-to-point racing to an interesting destination with a good awards party to follow," White said.
AYC will partner with the Tred Avon Yacht Club on the Spring Race to Oxford, which will feature a fixed course of approximately 27 nautical miles.
Tred Avon Yacht Club officials are excited about the inaugural event and will host an evening awards party for all participants. TAYC recently renovated its facility and increased the amount of available dockage. "Tred Avon has the ability to host a large number of boats and we believe this race has the potential to become very popular," Bartlett said. "We want to get people out sailing and we think Tred Avon has all the facilities and amenities that sailors are looking for in a destination. It is a majestic location and gorgeous destination venue."
An early morning start near Thomas Point Light will make the Spring Race to Oxford more accessible for boats coming out of South River and West River or across the bay from various ports on the Eastern Shore. "We feel that moving the course a little farther down the bay to a more central location will attract new participants," White said.
Annapolis Yacht Club is bringing back a popular destination with its Fall Race to Solomons. That southern Maryland port has been absent from the local calendar ever since Eastport Yacht Club stopped running its popular Solomons Island Inviational.
Again, an early Saturday morning start from the Thomas Point area will encourage boat owners from a broader landscape while a finish at Drum Point will produce a straight shot race course of approximately 38 nautical miles. "It makes sense to finish at Drum Point, which is a short motor into Solomons," White said. Annapolis Yacht Club will host the awards party in the courtyard at the Holiday Inn, which offers plenty of marina dockage options. "We think the Fall Race to Solomons will appeal to sailors from the South River, West River and Herrington Harbour," Bartlett said. "We want to be inclusive and starting these races near Thomas Point is a big step in that direction."
This past week, Annapolis Yacht Club announced that it will offer ORC scoring for all the big boat regattas it organizes. This initiative is another step in the club's ongoing campaign to grow the sport and promote racing on the Chesapeake Bay. "ORC is gaining traction and becoming more and more prevalent in the United States. Leading yacht clubs and regatta organizers have gone in that direction and we wish to remain at the forefront," said Bartlett, a veteran professional with North Sails. "It is important for AYC to support this rule to give racers an opportunity to compete under a sophisticated, measurement-based rule."
Bartlett points out that a measurement handicap system was always available on the Chesapeake Bay from the 1960s through the 1980s with CCA, IOR, and IMS enjoying various periods of popularity. Those systems were favored by serious sailboat racers that were seeking a scientific method to compete under. Over the past two decades, the Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) gradually became the only rating system found on the Chesapeake Bay. "PHRF was created to get people into racing because it was a very simple, single-number system," Bartlett noted.
Bartlett said the Annapolis Yacht Club leadership feels PHRF serves a valuable purpose, but believes a measurement-based system is also needed at this time.
"We are still offering PHRF racing in the appropriate format. By also making ORC available, the club is providing competitors with choices," Bartlett said. "Sailboat racing is at a crossroads and Annapolis Yacht Club needs to take a leadership role and provide more outlets for owners. We cannot be afraid to try something new."
Annapolis Yacht Club has determined the following events will feature ORC scoring: Spring Race to Oxford on May 12 (dual-scored with PHRF); AYC Annual Regatta on July 21 (ORC exclusive for handicap racing); Fall Race to Solomons on September 22 (dual-scored with PHRF); and AYC Fall Series (ORC exclusive for handicap racing). Steve McManus obtained an ORC Club certificate for the 2017 Fall Series and came away impressed by how the rating system works. McManus will help manage and promote the ORC initiative for AYC. He appreciates that his ORC handicap remains unchanged anywhere in the United States or the world. "For me, it's all about fairness and transparency. ORC has become the largest rating system in the world for a reason," McManus said. "If Annapolis Yacht Club wants to stay current, it needs to offer this system for boats that are not racing one-design. It's a directional statement because I think ORC is where things are headed."
One element of ORC that sets it apart from other systems involves adjusting ratings based on conditions. McManus states that it is a scientific approach based on a velocity prediction program, noting that his J/120 performs far better in heavy air than it does in light breeze. ORC is already quite prevalent on the Chesapeake with the St. Mary's College Governor's Cup and Down the Bay Race having both provided trophies for scores using ORC ratings. Block Island Race Week and Charleston Race Week are among the more prominent national regattas that have also adopted that handicap rule. Annapolis Yacht Club is planning to host an "Introduction to ORC" seminar on Saturday, January 27 (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) featuring handicap rating rules expert Dobbs Davis. The Annapolis resident, who serves as communications director for ORC, can answer any of the frequently asked questions about the rating system.
"This system has been proven to be successful, accurate, and fair for a wide variety of boat types all over the world," Davis said. "ORC is making strong inroads within the United States and the endorsement of Annapolis Yacht Club, which has such a long tradition of world-class race management, is very encouraging."
For nearly 50 years, the ORC system has been using cutting edge science to provide accurate and fair handicap racing for thousands of boat types in fleets around the world. Currently, over 10,000 certificates are issued annually. The system, which provides race officers a variety of scoring options to create more accurate results, is recognized by World Sailing and holds regional, continental, and world championships.


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Destroy All Monsters: Regarding Prosthetic Vaginas
On the subject of prosthetic genitals, as used in a lesbian sex scene: what's the difference? The iceberg of conversation around Blue Is The Warmest Colour has the movie (as a movie) at its tip, while everything below the water line is about the film's six minute sex scene between its two principal characters, played by Adèle Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux. Consistently throughout the massive, massive, nauseatingly massive discourse around Blue's sex scene, there is always one proviso provided: but, everyone takes pains to point out, Exarchopoulos and Seydoux were wearing prosthetic genitals, lovingly sculpted from their actual genitals, but not, you know, their actual genitals. So it's not real sex.
It is in that proviso - the sly cuckolding of the entire conversation about the film with the notion that the sex scene in Blue is somehow, safely, "not real" - that tells you everything you need to know about the problem with sex's dominance in the Blue conversation in the first place. This unrelenting, laser-like obsession with sex, hidden behind a chaste, Victorian assertion that sex is dirty, itself hidden behind the painfully obvious undercurrent wherein claiming enjoyment of this sweaty titillation makes most people feel ashamed.
First off: let's call bullshit on the whole thing. I don't believe for a second that either actress was wearing a prosthetic in any shot in Blue Is The Warmest Colour where their vulvas were on display. If they were, kudos to the prosthetic artist; that person deserves the Oscar, though I doubt the Academy in its wisdom would ever have the [excuse me] balls to give out a statuette for prosthetic vaginas. But taking the production at its word for a moment...
Let's call bullshit on the idea behind the whole thing. Conduct the requisite thought experiment. Seydoux and Exarchopoulos are completely naked, except for a triangle of silicone covering their vulvas. Maybe it's larger than a triangle; maybe they are wearing silicone granny panties; maybe it's not silicone, but something else. The important part, though, is that something is covering their labia and thereabouts, and - this being 2013 and all - those parts (and their prosthetic duplicates) are shorn of any occluding pubic hair, and thus really look like labia and thereabouts.
The triangle of silicone covering the vulvas is what is keeping us from seeing the actress' real vulvas, but looks exactly like the actresses' real vulvas. If you believe the bullshit mentioned above, this prosthetic must also be thin and unobtrusive enough to pass muster on camera as the real thing.
Here's the thought experiment: Seydoux and Exarchopoulos then, on a bed and under the gaze of a camera (and a director that neither actress particularly likes any more), proceed to masturbate one another, perform cunnilingus, and analingus as well. All, theoretically, over a sliver of prosthetic that is somehow keeping the whole process from being, culturally speaking, indecent and immodest.
As I remarked to my screening partner when I saw Blue Is The Warmest Colour at the Toronto International Film Festival: if you've got your nose right up your co-star's butthole, honestly - prosthetic or no - what difference does it make?
It makes none. Unless you are restricting the definition of "sex" to the only one that cannot, under any circumstances, apply in Blue Is The Warmest Colour's case - i.e., a penis entering a vagina - Exarchopoulos and Seydoux are having sex in Blue Is The Warmest Colour. Unless those convenient prosthetics also include steel plate that is keeping any neurons, on the part of either giver or receiver of the rubbing, licking and touching seen in the film, from perceiving any physical sensation, pleasurable or not, from either party, they're having as close to a sexual encounter as most people get in the average year.
There's a whiff of marginalization in the whole conceit, because it's so easy - for heterosexuals who don't know any better - to calmly assert that in the absence of traditional penetration, nothing untoward is happening between the actresses in Blue Is The Warmest Colour. Whenever it's the more normalized version of sexuality (penis + vagina = woo woo!), shown real-for-real in movies as far-ranging as Lust, Caution and Thriller: A Cruel Picture, then at least the "moral majority" can nod sagely and say, yes, that's sex. And then they can freak out about it being wrong and disgusting and whatever.
But thank heavens, in the case of Blue Is The Warmest Colour, they don't have to. It's just girls touching each other. It's not real sex, they're lesbians! Phew. And, they have those handy prosthetics keeping them from really touching each other, too! Double phew! It's not even real lesbian sex, it's fake lesbian sex by regular heterosexual girls with rubber vaginas, who wouldn't be having real lesbian sex even if they were given the opportunity to do so! Phew, phew, phew!
Beyond that, the whole conversation speaks to the ceaseless assertion that some kind of boundary line be maintained between "normal" professions and the sex trade. You can pay an actress to show her tits, you can pay an actress to hump an actor bareback in a room filled with mirrors, you can pay an actress to glue a prosthetic vulva to her vulva and stick her nose up another actress' ass... but, holy crap, don't ever propose to pay an actress to perform an actual sexual act on another person on camera. That's prostitution.
So instead, argue about whether the sex scene in Blue is overriding the conversation about the film as a whole; or whether director Abdellatif Kechiche abused his actresses in the way he directed the sex scenes in the first place; or whether the NC-17 rating will stop younger people from seeing the film and considering its themes. These aren't unworthy subjects, and they have the corollary advantage of nicely diverting attention away from any question of whether Blue Is The Warmest Colour is any great shakes as a movie.
Whether it is or not, however, Blue is touchingly representative of real life in the best and worst ways: it's long and largely mundane; it has one blisteringly hot moment of passion that has sustained a vastly disproportionate level of significance in the memory of the whole; and in our judgments of its characters and their behaviour, we're revealing far more about ourselves than we ever could about them.
Destroy All Monsters is a weekly column on Hollywood and pop culture.
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First off. Good column, as usual!
The fascinating thing about BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOUR is that the director treats the sex as matter of fact as he does the rest of the narrative. It's simply there because it is a part of her particular life. People talk, people eat, people work, people have sex with each other. The movie is the rather deliberate story of a kind of average girl finding her meandering way in the world. Adele is a character you don't see that often in movies, not because she is bisexual or a lesbian, but rather she doesn't have any major illness, significant childhood trauma, any major cause or motivation, or other 'extraordinary' aspect that typically makes 'drama' or 'movies' (yes, even French movies).
All this hang-up about the sex scene is clearly on the part of the culture (sadly, we still have these hang-ups), and very little on the part of the filmmakers.
I demand prosthetic vaginas made of actual vaginal skin.
"Ehi, put this on.....so it's not a real sex scene!
This is hi-sterical. Now I have to see this movie.
Surprised the film is legal in Britain, actually, considering one of the characters is underage??
This is the first I have heard they were fitted with fake crotches. Sounds like complete BS to me. Everyone who's seen this says it is porno city and no way could their genitals be faked.
Arthouse films about simple, real-life relationships are a dime a dozen in France (whether they be about heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual relationships). This one is getting more attention because it features a scene that may or may not be pornography, involving to very attractive actresses.
As for the act itself, it has been said that it is not an authentic reprensentation of lesbian intercourse, but rather a heterosexual fantasizing of what lesbian intercourse must be like. I can't comment on the former (as I'm a straight male), nor can I on the latter (having not seen the film).
I'd have to see the film to be sure, but it looks as if all this is much ado about nothing.
The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love
This is the film being praised for it's realistic depictions of lesbian sex?
To quote Mrs. Garrison: I mean, really I don't even understand how two women can make love, unless they just kind of scissor or something.
so Matt Brown calls stop on sexy time... hmmm
I guess you're right. What's the difference is the big question? I always ask what's the difference between porn and prostitution and most people can't tell sometimes... In concept this works, however, what if it were some weird thing that the actress' wanted for some odd sense of "okayness" with the detail of the scene? I honestly don't know where it originated (the silicone vulva), but I guess many will like to jump from this movie to The Brown Bunny (another film I've never seen) just so they can see the "real" sex.... or just turn on HBO at a bad enough hour.
Nicely done sir.
My main annoyance with the sex conversation in BITWC is that local critic and anti-porn advocate Susan G Cole calls the scene "hot" and gave the film high regard, but at the same time will call Don Jon 'filth'. She goes on tour debating Ron Jeremy saying porn should be outright banned.
I wouldn't call BITWC porn, but I don't see how an anti-porn advocate lets this one off the hook. is the prosthetic excuse for her? Or is it that its not porn if she likes it?
Sorry, I had to:
Kinda sorta related, maybe: Did Chloe Sevigny suck Vincent Gallo's actual dick, or was that a prosthetic/prop?
Just wait until the conversation moves towards Lars von Tier's Nymphomaniac and the fact that apparently the entire lower half of the actors' bodies were digitally replaced with porn star body doubles.
If the actresses are over 18, that's fine as far as the law is concerned.
Although this whole kerfuffle reminds me of the machinations whereby 'The Tin Drum' was passed uncut in Britain - technically, any footage of actual sexual contact involving a child is banned (context does not provide a defence, and the law regards such footage as a record of a crime being committed), but because Volker Schlöndorff was able to demonstrate that there was an invisible-to-the-camera cloth between 12-year-old David Bennent and the young woman's mons pubis, it was fine.
But the irony is that if the cloth hadn't been present, the footage would have looked absolutely identical - but it would have run into major legal difficulties and would almost certainly have had to be removed from the UK release prints.
Mr Brown
here are the actresses themselves talking about wearing prosthetic in the DailyBeast and the Special Effects guy discussing those prosthetic vaj in French so you can stop sounding like an arrogant crude asswipe about it!
Exarchopoulos will turn 20 this November and Seydoux is 28.
for your information the Age of Consent in France is 15 so the director was doing it by the books so nothing illegal here
Lesbian age of consent...
Ages of consent in North America
All U.S. states set their limits between 16 and 18.
The local laws don't necessarily apply when it comes to international distribution, nor do the ages of the actors in question. In Canada, for example, the child pornography laws are specific to the age of the CHARACTER, not to the age of the actor so anything with sexually explicit material involving a character under the age of consent could potentially be treated by the courts as child porn. It's happened in the past here, Fat Girl being the most notable example.
Who's behaving like an arrogant, crude asswipe?
As far as films are concerned (still photographs are a slightly different matter) I'm pretty sure that British law (the 1978 Protection of Children Act) is only concerned with the actual age of the performers.
And there has to be actual sexual contact taking place in front of the camera before the PCA gets breached - so Adrian Lyne's 1997 'Lolita' was fine, despite Dominique Swain only being in her mid-teens.
(Lyne was incredibly careful to make sure that no British, American or any other relevant legislation in other potential marketplaces was breached when making the film, documenting all potentially contentious scenes from multiple angles in case of any subsequent queries and investigations).
At that point, why not just have your actors just have real sex? A la http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S...
Am I the only one that thought maybe the purpose was safer sex? Perhaps the idea was that dental dams would take people too much out of the scene but the actresses preferred a barrier method.
fake sex but real rights...and
those actresses have collectively bargained contracts that affords them
all the labor protections of which they cannot be bothered to bring to
'sex trafficked victims' Instead, these labor protected with their agents lobby to further criminalization our agents: security, phone reception, brothel keepers, drivers as 'pimps'. And raise money on our backs as 'sex trafficked victims' in oversees while they ignore the voices of organized prostitutes locally. The hypocrisy abounds-again.
Plus, I think Mr. Brown is calling bullshit on something he thinks is an industry lie, not saying that nobody ever told that lie. As a matter of fact, there couldn't even be an article like this without citations like those.
I rest my case... http://independentfilmquarterl...
You were making a case somewhere?
Better late than never I guess to comment. In min 1:15:15 in the movie, during 1st sex scene; you could glance something with distinctive border covered the pubic area. But soon after in min 1:15:30 when Emma went down on Adele; no such 'glued lid" intact. All we could see, real labia with none 'excessive fake' pubic hairs as its claimed.


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- For the solid color S1520, see S1520.
|S1520FB Natural (2000) (more images)
The S1520FB is an S series solid body electric guitar model introduced by Ibanez in 1999. It is part of the high end Prestige line and one of the first S series Prestige models. It is sometimes listed as simply the S1520, but that model name refers more accurately to a related model without the exotic top.
The S1520FB features a mahogany body with a figured bubinga top mated to a maple and bubinga Wizard Prestige neck with a 22-fret bound rosewood fingerboard with a special inlay at the 12th fret. Components include Ibanez Quantum pickups, a locking nut and a double locking tremolo bridge.
In 2001, a new inlay style was introduced for the S1520FB. For 2003, the model was replaced by the S1620FB featuring the new ZR tremolo.
Specifications for S1520FB
Portal: Prestige series | S series | Guitar models
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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I think I figured something out, but I could use some advice
I created this bodysuit for Miki 4 awhile back. It only has one material zone, but I wanted to create different material zones as well as create different bump maps for different sections, all without the pain of grouping a very high poly mesh after the fact.
What I came up with was this:
Is this a good shader? I am making a lot of progress with shaders. I am slowly starting to understand the math, which is nice.
By the way, it's a Superfly shader. I don't render in Firefly anymore...
The only maps I had to create were the masks for the different sections of the suit so I could isolate them and give them different colors and textures.
fverbaas last edited by
If it works for you it is good.
I do not see drastic things you could improve.
@fverbaas No, I guess not. The only thing I come away with this setup is that you can't really tweak the numbers too much, or it doesn't work right at all.
Masks are pretty cool, though:
I got this far, so I kept going. The shader is starting to get pretty loaded...
@rokketman I'm surprised you're not using Blender nodes, which use the mask to gate (or blend) the two input textures. Your diffuse colour would then consist of a blender combining Suit Color Blue and Symbol color, gated by Symbol mask, feeding into a second blender node with Suit Color Light Blue and gated by Bodysuit Mask 2, so seven (7) nodes instead of the nine (9) you have to do that now.
@anomalaus I'm still learning this stuff. I can't mess with cycles right now. Besides the fact that I can't really tell what each node does, they show as pure white in preview, and I can't tell if I am doing it right...
anomalaus last edited by anomalaus
@rokketman ha ha, I anticipated that confusion, but foolishly did nothing about it. No, the blender node is not cycles, it was present when Poser was FireFly only.
The texture masks plug into the Blending input, with a 1 (white) fully selecting input_2 and 0 (black) fully selecting Input_1.
@anomalaus Oh, that... yeah, I know about it, but it wasn't giving me the effect I was going for, so I went with the math node.
@rokketman ah, I see. Without seeing any of your masks, which I assumed were either black or white, it's hard to judge what the outcome of all those multipy and add nodes will be. On closer inspection, you still have add functions combining Suit Color Blue with the masked Symbol, unless the Suit Color Blue map has black where the Symbol will be.
Anyway, as @fverbaas said, it's fine if it works for you. :-)
From your posted shader, it appears that everything is getting the metallic specular treatment, moderated only by the brightness of the diffuse colours.
@anomalaus It is. I like the look of it. I could take it off, but I want her costume to pop.
Ignore the boots in this. I got lazy and used boots I made to fit over a one piece jumper. I will model some better ones later on:
I fixed her boots. Now I have to see about that awful cape.
I am done messing with this now. Time to move on to other projects.
@anomalaus I will try your suggestion with the Blender node on a future project and let you know how I get on.
rokketman last edited by rokketman
Okay. Side by side comparison. The one on the left is using Blender nodes. There are 9 total nodes attached to the Physical Surface node. The metallic set to .5
The one on the right is my original shader, with 15 nodes attached to the physical surface nose and the metallic set to .5
anomalaus last edited by anomalaus
@rokketman yes, the light blue section has its diffuse colour value boosted beyond the unity implied by the texture by using an unmasked add node of the blue colour, rather than adding in masked blue to Color_Math_6:Value 2. If you'd added another Color_Math node there, multiplying Suit Color Blue by (1 - Symbol Mask - Bodysuit Mask 2) you'd get the same as the non-cycles Blender node version. The Symbol colour is also getting boosted by blue in that Color_Math_6 addition.
@rokketman if you did want the brighter versions of the light blue and symbol, I'd be boosting them with an HSV2 node, with the blended colours plugged into the color chip and a value greater than 1 in the value input. If you actually plugged the blue colour map into the HSV2 value input, that should give you the same level of boost you see with your add nodes, but without actually changing the hue.
@anomalaus Good to know. And you said there wasn't anything I needed to change... ;)
@rokketman well, my OCD may not equate with your irresistible urges. "These are not the needs you're looking for. You can go about your business. Move along..." ;-) [invisible hand gesture and unmistakable English accent omitted because reasons.]
@anomalaus Everyone has their own demons to conquer. Mine just happen to be harmful only to me (up until 2AM tweaking a pose or a shader, or lighting...)


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NEW YORK (WFAN) — On Nov. 20, 2013, Alex Rodriguez, who was fighting to avoid a 211-game suspension for PED use, walked out of his grievance hearing after arbitrator Fredric Horowitz refused to order baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to testify.
A-Rod then showed up at the WFAN studios to talk to host Mike Francesa about it. During the conversation, Rodriguez vehemently denied having used PEDs at all since 2003. He also denied having leaked documents about Ryan Braun to Yahoo Sports, calling that accusation by Major League Baseball "laughable" and "disgusting." Finally, he denied any obstruction of justice during the course of the case, one of the several reasons given by MLB to give Rodriguez the biggest drug-related suspension of all-time.
"I can't make any decision now. I'm way too hot," Rodriguez told Francesa when asked to state for the record whether he's guilty of the latest allegations. "I did nothing, Mike. With the (Anthony) Bosch nonsense, nothing."
The arbitrator later reduced A-Rod's suspension to 162 games — the entire 2014 season. Years later, Rodriguez said he "acted like an ass" while fighting the accusations.
To listen to the interview, click on the audio player below.
For more Best of Mike Francesa, click here.


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One of my favorite holiday's of the year is upon us and I couldn't be more excited. Mother's Day is one of those holidays that truly makes me feel full of joy. It's a holiday that is not only about celebrating your mom, but all of the women in your life, whether they're mothers or not, who have taught, mentored, and guided you, from your grandma or your sister to your best friend. This Mother's Day is particularly special for me, because it's my first Mother's Day as a mom-to-be!
This year I'm partnering up with Bloglovin to share my Mother's Day Gift Roundup with you all! If you're still on the hunt for some sweet and classic Mother's Day gift ideas, check out my top faves here (or shop below) and get inspired to celebrate the special women in your life this coming Sunday.
{ a cute basket bag }
{ comfy slip-ons }
{ cute zebra dish and statement earrings }
{ dior makeup }
Special thanks to Bloglovin for partnering for this post.
Photos of shirt dress taken by Julien.


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My first nephew Marc (Marwin) graduated his primary school last Thursday. I'm little bit disappointed when I found out that he didn't have honors. I mean since his first year of schooling, he always had first or second honor but his last year of primary, he didn't have any. Before he had always best in Math, English and some curricular activities but as I said, he didn't have any this time.
(Gina & Marc before graduation ceremony)
But anyhow, he finished his primary with good records and hoping that he will continue having well grades when his on high school.
Congratulations Kuya marc. You did it well even if you didn't have any medals. Personally, I'm very proud of you same as the rest of our family. You know that daddy and mommy are always proud of you.
I love you and see you soon. Enjoy your next journey. Enjoy having crushes and love one?


text: Your username is created when your employment starts at SCTC. Your username is a combination of your firstname.lastname. For example, if you name is Joe User, your user name would be joe.tech. The domain name for the college is sctech.edu. A combination of your user name and the domain will create your email address. At the college the username and email address at used on various apps for access. Follow the login directions to use the correct username.


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Introduction: Simple External Tempo Control for Korg Nano Series - Tap Tempo, Time Signature, Etc
In this tutorial, I show you how to add a tap tempo control to your Korg Volca Series or Montribe analog synth, using your Android (or probably other) smart phone (or your computer). The secret lies in Korg's "sync" control, which is a simple audio "click" signal. Basically, you record the click track from the "sync out" jack with your favorite digital recording medium (your computer, a digital recorder, etc.). Then using Audacity (or your favorite audio editor), clip out ONE of the clicks, and save it as a 16bit Mono WAV PCM file. Transfer this file to your phone's "SD card" memory, and load it in with "Drummer's Metronome", a free metronme app for Android and Blackberry, connect the audio out from your phone to the "Sync In" jack of your Korg synth, and tap away! Use the various controls in the Drummers Metronome app to glitch away at the tempo by changing the time signature, eight notes, 16th notes, triplets, and rests. Fun noises are sure to abound!
Other metronome apps may also work, as long as you can load in your own sounds. You might also be able to use a looper (hardware or software) or other sound source to send the click track to the Sync In jack. There is a threshold in volume for the click to be "heard" by the synth, so be sure to turn the volume up all the way on your phone or other sound source!
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Hey !
Very good tip. I guess it will be plenty useful for computer, android or BB users. For IOS there is the Korg SyncKontrol app, that really does the job (with a swing mode).
Thanks for sharing


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On Wednesday, the Big Three Networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were all over the latest developments in the Russia investigation saga. They mainly focused on how former FBI Director James Comey received permission from Special Counsel Robert Mueller to speak to Congress. Among the developments that didn't make the cut for ABC's and CBS's evening programming, were a series of subpoenas issued by the House to former high-ranking members of the Obama administration for improper unmasking. Instead, they mentioned those issued to Trump associates.
When they did mention the subpoenas it was buried at the end of their reports. Unlike ABC and CBS, NBC actually featured the subpoenas in their Russian investigation segment. "This is the House Intelligence Committee approved seven subpoenas, four for Michael Flynn, Trump lawyer Michael Cohn and their businesses on the Russia probe," reported Andrea Mitchell during the opening report for NBC Nightly News.
She added what the others wouldn't touch: "And three for classified reports related to whether former Obama officials Susan Rice, Samantha Power, and John Brennan improperly accessed the identity of Trump associates and intelligence reports." But then Mitchell came to Rice's defense with a ridiculous segment from her MSNBC show, Andrea Mitchell Reports:


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Moisturizing Toner Refresh is further fortified with royal jelly, keeping skin soft and smooth with renewed vibrancy immediately upon application. Clear and lightweight formula is quickly absorbed by skin without a heavy or sticky feel, hydrating dry, scaly patches, and helping skin stay soft and moisturized around the clock. Comes in Light and Rich formulations. By Shiseido. With the use of self-developed emulsification technique. it turns the cream-level moisturizing ingredients into micro-sized lotion (toner) molecules. Gives you a supple and moisture rich feel on skin and being nourished. It contains W Hyaluronic acid formula. Which includes 2 different kinds of hyaluronic acids for boosting the skincare performance. While the royal jelly GL content helps retexturize and condition skin. It gives you both moisturizing and anti-ageing performance. No fragrance. No colorings passed allergic test. The moisturizing power between the "light" and "rich" is the same. You can choose any of them according to your own skin types to offer you the best sense of skin feeling.
200 ml
how to use
Applied in morning and evening on cleansed skin, take 5 dollars coin size and put on the cotton, slightly pat on the whole face. Avoid the eye areas.
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Category: Legal Education for Clients
I Just Rear-Ended Someone: Now What?
Read More
While we all like to consider ourselves to be safe drivers, accidents do occur. If you ever find yourself in the regrettable situation of having been involved in a car accident, here are some general tips on what you should (and should not) do. Unquestionably, the first and most important thing to do is to …


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Surfers Paradise Golf Club – Gold Coast
We Photographed David and Madison's wedding here win November 2016 and it was a stunning location with a fantastic outdoor setting for ceremony and reception. What a perfect day.
At Surfers Paradise Golf Club you can have the beautiful wedding you have always dreamed of, without it costing a fortune.
You can choose one of the catering packages that start from as little as $50 per person.
Feel free to spend as little or as much as you want by adding any of the optional extras to help create the most memorable day of your life. Get in touch today to discuss further and we can work with you to get plans moving forward.
Clear Island Waters, Queensland, Queensland
See our full set of photos taken at this venue at David & Madison | A Gold Coast Dream Wedding
[…] couple chose The Surfers Paradise Golf Club as their venue, I was a little nervous about it. But the club is beautiful with amazing trees all […]


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The simple answer is: no. However, this goes deeper than just whether you are spoiling your child or not, but what it is to hold your child.
When your child cries, you have 2 things in your brain. Do you let them cry-it-out, the old method parents before us used? Or do you run and grab baby, and try to console them in anyway you can?
Scientifically, the answer is simple. You pick them up immediately. Not to spoil, but so that you can grow their trust, so that they can learn to trust the world.
Let's start at the beginning of what I know.
Brain development starts before the baby is born, while in utero. This we know. However, after they are born, the first three years is the most important time when children begin to learn, and learning begins right after they come out. The first thing a child will know is if they can trust or not, based off if you pick up the child or let them cry. Yes, if you let them cry, they will stop. This is only because they know their parent or caretaker will not come to them.
Sometimes babies just need to cry, even after you try to help them. Sometimes, much like adults, babies have those big feelings, and that's okay.


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Gen. James Mattis has been confirmed by the Senate by an overwhelming margin to become our next Secretary of Defense. He is the first confirmed member of Trump's cabinet. So far, the vote stands at 98-1, with Sen. Kirsten Gilliband (D-NY) voting against Mattis' nomination.
The first bill President Donald Trump signed into law was the waiver bill that would permit him to serve as Secretary of Defense. Mattis needed this waiver because he has not been a civilian for the requisite number of years.
Mattis was considered to be a "non-controversial" cabinet pick. Thanks to rules installed during the Obama administration, he only needed a simple majority (50+1) rather than two-thirds of the Senate to be confirmed.
Source: Townhall


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The Jewish Week
It's easy to be cynical about the latest flurry of Mideast peace moves, which includes indirect Israeli- Syrian talks, a cease-fire with Hamas that has already been broken, accelerated negotiations with the Palestinian Authority and a proposed new peace process with Lebanon.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, critics say, is simply trying to buy himself a few more weeks or months in office before the inevitable fall of his government under the crushing weight of scandals. There may be an element of truth in those accusations, but there may also be valid and important reasons for the diplomatic offensive. Israel is nearing a critical moment of decision on Iran. It may be that Jerusalem is seeking to quiet other fronts while it sharpens its focus on what it believes to be the greatest threat to Israel's survival: Iran's alleged nuclear weapons program.
It is reasonably argued that a temporary cease-fire with Hamas will only enable the terrorists to rearm and retrain their forces. But Israel's army may benefit from the pause even more as it absorbs the lessons of the second Lebanon war and drastically alters its fighting doctrine.
There are critics in places like Sderot who claim Israel is simply selling out to those who have rained terror on their heads, but for many in that traumatized population, a relief from the daily terror is hardly unwelcome. And just maybe, Israel's current leaders have reason to believe real progress is possible on one or more fronts in a region that edges closer to a new major eruption every day. It's easy to suggest confrontation and military action from a distant continent; the equation looks very different when it's your sons and daughters who will be on the front lines, your children who could be the terrorists' targets.
Do we believe the current flurry of diplomacy is completely unrelated to Olmert's political woes? No. And only the foolish and naïve are optimistic when it comes to genuine Mideast peace in the foreseeable future. But that doesn't mean diplomacy shouldn't be pursued, new openings explored and adversaries tested to see if they are ready to become real partners.


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Diamond foaled a beautiful few spot filly on May 1, 2008.
Below are several pictures of Amarissa. Click on any picture to enlarge.
Amarissa is for sale:
Sold to Marla & Gene of Bitely, Michigan
Day 1
She is about 3 hours old here.
|Day 2
|Day 3
|Day 16 (May 16, 2008)
|About 4 weeks (May 26, 2008)
Amarissa and her friend "Baby"
Amarissa at about 1 year
Kims Black Amarissa
Black Few Spot
2008 Filly
Sire: Tobys Black Lightnin
Dam: Kims Diamond Ring
Registered: Appaloosa Horse Club (ApHC)
She has been fully imprinted from birth.