text:
SUN CITY, South Africa (AP) Charl Schwartzel still isn't sure how he did it. The intercostal muscle he tore at the U.S. Open wiped out most of his season in 2012.
Schwartzel has been playing pain-free for only the last month and a half after the injury contributed to problems with his swing. But signs are there that he's nearly back to his best and maybe ready to challenge two-time defending champion Lee Westwood at the Nedbank Golf Challenge at Sun City this week.
Schwartzel says on Wednesday his game is ``definitely on the way up.'' A tie for third at the World Tour Championship in Dubai last weekend helped his confidence.
Westwood won a second straight Nedbank title last year with a third-round 62 and has been solid at the Gary Player Country Club.


text:
Queenstown Art, Culture & Heritage
With awe-inspiring scenery at every turn it's no wonder Queenstown is home to an amazing array of artists and craftspeople.
Queenstown's amazing scenery and natural beauty contribute to an art and craft culture that includes artists, photographers, musicians, film-makers and craftspeople.
Local Art Galleries
Queenstown and Arrowtown are home to an array of art galleries. These galleries showcase the best local artists and are often free to visit. Some galleries open by appointment, whilst others are free to visit during open hours. You'll find many galleries are happy to discuss postage and packaging options, to ensure your travel memento arrives home safely.
Craft Stores & Markets
Queenstown is also home to an array of craft stores and markets. The Creative Queenstown Arts & Crafts Market is held at Earnslaw Park every Saturday and is a must-see on your Queenstown visit! You'll also find many retail stores selling everything from wood products to greenstone carvings.
You will also find a selection of amazing South Island photography in Queenstown. With some of the world's most spectacular scenery on Queenstown's doorstep it's no wonder photographers flock to the Queenstown region.
For more information about arts and crafts in Queenstown visit the Destination Queenstown website.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Adam Levine Disses the Roxy on 'The Voice,' Nightclub Tweets Cheeky Response
Adam Levine doesn't forget when he's been slighted. Years after opening for Michelle Branch at the Roxy in Hollywood, Levine called out the nightclub on 'The Voice' for not giving his band a dressing room back then, which led the club to respond in humorous fashion on Twitter.
The subject of the Roxy came up during Monday's show, which caused Levine's inner diva to emerge. He said, "We used to open for Michelle Branch. I remember we opened for her at the Roxy, and they didn't even give us a dressing room. I hate the Roxy. I'll never play there again... Oh, the Roxy is horrible. Don't ever go there. They screwed us over, and now they're paying for it."
Since Levine's rant, both Branch and the Roxy have said that Levine's criticism was off the mark. Roxy owner Nic Adler told Yahoo that Branch, as the headliner, got to decide how the dressing rooms were assigned.
"I use Maroon 5 as an example of a hard-working band that played the Sunset Strip and played the clubs and blew up," Adler said. "And so when he said that...you know, the Roxy has no control over dressing rooms. If Michelle Branch is playing, it's Michelle Branch's show. And if her management says, 'I want Michelle in this dressing room and I want her band in this other dressing room,' we're at the mercy of the headliner. For a band to think dressing rooms define how we treat bands is crazy."
The Roxy further attempted to defuse the situation by tweeting an amusing photo along with the message, "We have officially named our dressing room after Adam Levine":


text:
Back in May, PM Summer at Cycle*Dallas called attention to the NCTCOG "alternate commute" site, shown here. I did then and still do use that site regularly to track my commutes. It's somewhat lame, as pointed out by multiple people, but my employer gets gold stars as a participant, and that's a GOOD THING. What's more, I export the results to Excel and can tweak them easily thereafter. It's how I know that my projected 5K mile 2009 commute point is on November 12th. It's also how I know that another, currently secret, major milestone is coming up.
However, there are lots of other sites that you can use to track your bicycle commuting. Locally, DORBA has it's "Commie Monitor." It's highly regarded by some, though recent tweaking has given it a few problems. Going further abroad, Cateye has sponsored a commute tracking site here. Not to be outdone, Civia has done the same, shown here. I've also heard that Trek has a commute tracking site, though I can't find it. There are more. ChipSeal, in a comment made not long after I posted this, noted he uses bikejournal.com, shown here and I suspect he's onto a good site since he knows, within a few yards, just how much mileage each of his bikes has accumulated. I'm sure there are lots more.
The point is - track those miles! Just make sure you can save the stuff to your own computer and customize the results. Beyond that, simple stuff will really work just as well as the complicated tracking. If you have an "engineer" kind of personality, you'll soon be working to increase the slope of your mileage curve...


text:
Dew Tour is proud to announce Carlos Ribeiro as one of the 18 invited skaters in the Pro Competition.
New for 2016, each pro will skate Dew Tour's course layout, including tech, rails, gaps, and bowl. The Pro Competition kicks off on Saturday July 23 at the Long Beach Convention Center with 18 of the world's best pros skating in a fast-paced jam designed to crown the most well-rounded, all-terrain destroyers.
Take a look at Carlos' full bio here: dewtour.com/riders/carlos-ribeiro/.


text:
It's almost that time of year again....Earth Hour!
That's right on March 27, 2010 people around the world will turn off the lights in their home and business for 1 hour starting at 8:30 PM (in their time zone).
You can register as a supporter at http://earthhour.org
You can also see the map of the USA that will show how your state is doing...that means how many people or places have said YES to participating.
You can click on your state and when the Blue Box comes up...look at the very bottom. You will see the link to find out more of who is participating there. I clicked on the Business link and saw that some casinio's are already signed up to go lights out again. YEAH!
Last year I wrote a thread about how Las Vegas shut down Outside Strip lights. Even from up where we live it was amazing that the normally noticeable land marks just vanished. You can see the thread from last year about Las Vegas Earth Hour. The last post on that thread leads to some cool lights out pictures.
So, I will be watching to see if any of you are Tweeting during your "Lights Out" time. Yes, I will have my computer on right up until 8:30 and then it will be back on at exactly 9:30. LOL!
Ok, who's in?
It's just 1 hour of turning off lights, TV, computers....you can do it!
Maybe you should plan a nice evening walk for that night...it will give you something to do and if you're out of the house then you are less tempted to turn stuff on.


text:
23 Fabulous Picnic Craft Ideas + Restaurant Copycat Recipes
Bonus: Get our newsletter & special offers for free. We will not share or sell your email address. View our Privacy Policy
Latest Comments
"ONly a portion of my reply shows here....sorry. I used a bigger hook."
"bodice. I also used fat quarters to make a tube and sewed that to the crocheted top."
"Nco mlo z mho vnonho tvoen"
"10 1/2 US and 6.5 mm are the exact same size needles, the only difference is how another country label them."
10 Clay Pots You'll Fall in Love With
We are adding the craft to your Craft Projects.
The project was added to your Craft Projects.
Click here to view your Craft Projects.
Clay pots make any room look great whether they're indoor or outdoor. Terra Cotta pots give you the look of brilliance and when you add bright flowers or plants to them they make your garden shine. Check out the four great pots you'll fall in love with, there are all sizes of clay pots. Gardens look great as long as you take care of them. I love the look of windowsill herb garden pots along with terracotta garden pots. I love planting plants and flowers. Your garden can tell a lot about your personality depending on what kind of shrubbery and flowers you have. One of my favorite flowers are Gerber Daisies, they're just so pretty and have such a nice bright color. There are all sizes of clay pots, it's just a matter of where you're going to put it, indoor or outdoor. Check out my favorite clay pots!
Clay Pots You'll Fall in Love With Table of Contents:
Outdoor Pots
Indoor Pots
Decorating Pots
Outdoor Pots
- Chalk Paint Garden Pot: These pots are great for the kids to write on. Turn your garden into something inspirational by writing motivational messages.
- Clay Pot Garden Angel: These terracotta garden pots are the perfect sizes to create this cute little angel. You can use it as an indoor decoration or outdoor.
- NEW! Clay Pot Critters: These Clay Pot Critters are perfect for livening up your garden! You can make a bee, butterfly, frog, ladybug, or all four! These terra cotta pots also make great housewarming gifts when combined with a plant.
Indoor Pots
- Painted Pots for the Kitchen: These come in all sizes of clay pots. It's a great way to present your kitchen. Paint them in your style.
- Be Merry Painted Pot: Depending on how decorate this pot it doesn't necessarily have to be for Christmas, but what a cute craft for the holiday!
- NEW! Air Freshener Turkey: Have your house nicely decorating for Thanksgiving this year while having the house smell nice and fresh. This turkey is not only a centerpiece, but also serves as an air freshener.
- NEW! Beeeautiful Bee Decoration: This is a great summer craft to decorate any room. The clay pot is what holds it all together. It makes for a great conversation piece and it's a great DIY project.
Decorating Pots
- Spice up you Clay Pot: Use these pots for windowsill herb garden pots. You can decorate with ribbons and indoor materials since it'll be inside. The sun will shine on your herbs and make them grow.
- Terra Cotta Clay Turtle: Decorate this cute clay turtle. It can be for indoor or outdoor. A few paint colors and a decorative ribbon and you have a new little friend.
- NEW! Decoupaged Clay Pot: Looking for decoupage ideas that celebrate all of the wonderful aspects of spring? Make a Decoupaged Clay Pot! Take a plain pot and make it shine - literally! This is a fun craft that doesn't take long to complete.
Can't get enough terra cotta pot crafts? Check out these tips and tricks for How to Paint Terra Cotta Pots!
Free projects, giveaways, exclusive partner offers, and more straight to your inbox!
Tags / Related Topics
Your Recently Viewed Projects
Images from other crafters
jaenwilliam 702745 4
Nov 21, 2013
Hello I would love the magazine but I live in france,can you help
bonitaforbes 26614 31
Sep 04, 2013
I absolutely love all of the creative things you do with clay pots, they are beautiful.
bonitaforbes 26614 31
Sep 04, 2013
I absolutely love everything you do with clay pots.
jaenwilliam 702745 4
Nov 21, 2013
so do I ,live in france
dacurry 8347126
Feb 02, 2013
I love the decorated pots. I will do several. Can not wait to get started.
Ms Whit
Feb 27, 2010
With Spring on the way, I love your decorated flower pots.
Report Inappropriate Comment
Are you sure you would like to report this comment? It will be flagged for our moderators to take action.
Thank you for taking the time to improve the content on our site.
Project of the Day
Aligned Cobble Stitch Anytime Tote Crochet Pattern
"This crocheted tote is a perfect size to stash towels, magazine, lunch or whatever you want to fill it with. The tighter stitch… Continue reading: "Aligned Cobble Stitch Anytime Tote Crochet Pattern"
What's Hot
Something worth saving?
- SAVE all your favorite crafts
- ADD personal notes
- QUICKLY reference your crafts
Sponsored Content
Our Newest Projects & Articles
- Make Your Own Boozy Advent Calendar
- Pom POM and Burlap Ice Cream Cone Necklace
- Red White And Blue Candle Holders
- Modern 4th of July Floral Wreath
- Summer Bucket List Garland
- Mini, Midi, Maxi Skirt Pattern for American 18 Inch Doll
- March Earring Design
- Crazy Purple Minion Pebbles
- Easy Modern Summer Wreath
- How to Hand Dye Yarn at Home
Free eBooks
- 11 Crochet Shawl Patterns: Crochet Poncho Patterns, Free Easy Crochet Patterns and More
- 12 Knitted Scarf Patterns: Fabulous Free Knitting Patterns for Beginners
- 14 Free Crochet Patterns for Babies and Toddlers
- 16 Free Crochet Hat Patterns, Scarves, and Gloves
- 22 Free Crochet Patterns: Afghan Patterns, Crochet Hats, and More
- 24 Quick and Easy Knitting Patterns
- 7 Adult Coloring Pages
- 8 Free Apron Sewing Patterns
- Easy Lace Knitting Patterns
- Quick & Easy Decoupage: 12 Fabulous Mod Podge Projects for Your Home


text:
'Dark Voices Vol 3' from Giga Loops is a collection of over 100 one-shot vocal samples, easy to use for producing Techno, Electro, Drum & Bass, and Minimal in Dark Style.
In this sample pack you can find four different folders with vocoder and distorted FX, Pitch up and down, dry and compressed vocals.
These royalty free WAVs are suitable for use in all compatible software.
- 130 Mb Complete Pack Content.
- 16 bits / 44.1khz
- PC/MAC Compatible (Logic, Cubase, Live, Reason, SonyAcid, Fruity loops, GarageBand, etc...)
- Aiff
- Wav
All of the content is 100% royalty-free. Once purchased, you can use these audio loops in your music releases, both commercial and underground, with no restrictions.
How to Order:
Simply click BUY "Add to Cart". When you finish your order, click "checkout". If you are a new costumer you need create an account, if you are a returning costumer only fill up the form. Your Download Link will be sent in you account in Loophunter immediately after your payment has been received.
For any problem send a email firstname.lastname@example.com
*Note: The previews are low resolution MP3s. The quality of the files you will receive will of course be much higher, uncompressed WAV-AIFF, stereo, 44k, 16-24 bit.
Producer: Gigaloops


text:
Israel will release 20 Palestinian women in exchange for information from Hamas on the condition of a captured Israeli soldier held in the Gaza Strip, an Egyptian security source, Hamas and the Israeli government said on Wednesday.
According to Reuters, Egyptian and German mediators would continue to work on a deal to exchange the soldier, Gilad Shalit, for 1000 Palestinian detainees Hamas has been demanding.
In the meantime, Israel would receive proof Shalit was alive and details about his condition. A source close to the on-going contacts said he expected the women prisoners and the information on Shalit to be exchanged on Friday.
Israel would receive in exchange a one-minute videotape of Shalit, a source in Gaza Strip told Reuters.
A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office confirmed Israel had decided to release the women, calling it a confidence-building gesture before critical stages in negotiations for Shalit's release. "According to the proposal by mediators, Israel will receive updated and unequivocal proof of Gilad Shalit's condition," the statement read.
A spokesman for Hamas' military wing, Abu Mujahed, told a news conference in Gaza that 19 of the women to be freed were from the West Bank and the 20th, who was from Gaza, would be released along with her child.


text:
NOTE: Update added below.
A recent article reports a new discovery about the speed of neutrinos:
Today, at the Neutrino 2012 conference in Kyoto, Japan, the OPERA collaboration announced that according to their latest measurements, neutrinos travel at almost exactly the speed of light. "Although this result isn't as exciting as some would have liked, it is what we all expected deep down," said CERN research director Sergio Bertolucci in a statement.It turns out that you don't have to know any physics whatsoever in order to understand this discovery, or to understand why it was inevitable. In fact, the explanation is pretty obvious from the article, although neither the author nor any of the physicists involved seem to have noticed it.
The article explains that last September, OPERA announced the discovery that neutrinos actually travel slightly faster than the speed of light (denoted by c)! The OPERA people were well aware that this result would overturn a century of fundamental physics, so they made sure to check very carefully that their result was correct. After being unable to find anything wrong with it, they announce it to the world. And the world was not willing to believe it.
So what happened next? A number of other labs tried to reproduce OPERA's result, and none of them were able to. So OPERA was shut down and their physicists returned to their previous farming occupations.
Just kidding. After OPERA realized no one was buying their schtick, they realized they had to retreat. Exactly what happened next is not completely clear. It appears they first did what the technical support people always tell us to do, namely they checked that their cables were connected well. And they found one that wasn't. So they fixed the cable, and the speed of neutrinos decreased, but not below c. So they looked further and found a faulty clock. Replacing the clock caused the speed of neutrinos to fall just slightly below c, which is where they wanted it to be.
So what did they do next? They next replaced every other piece of their equipment, one piece at a time, to see how sensitive the results were to the vagaries of their equipment. Just kidding again. Next, they did absolutely nothing except to announce their new result. Which just happened to be the result they expected. And was exactly the result I would expect to be achieved by people who keep jiggling their equipment until their output is on the right side of c, and then stop jiggling. Now I suppose one can say that the fact that their original result was close to c is strong evidence that the correct value is also close to c. But surely the subsequent jiggling gives us no further confidence that this is the case, and there is no good reason to take their new error bars seriously.
There is disagreement within OPERA about how much jiggling there should have been before they announced the earlier, unbelievable result. But everyone seems to agree that if a result is believable and even desirable, then it should be believed, and that no (further) jiggling is necessary.
For more fun with OPERAtic neutrinos, consider the following passage:
Before OPERA, all the evidence for neutrino oscillations came from disappearances: detectors would end up with less of a certain type of neutrino than they started with, suggesting some had morphed into other flavours. Then in 2010, OPERA found the first tau neutrino in a beam of billions of muon neutrinos streaming to the Gran Sasso detectors from CERN. The discovery was a big deal at the time, but the team said they needed more tau neutrinos to make it statistically significant. Now, a second tau neutrino has shown up in the detectors, they report.In unrelated news, I recently conducted an exclusive interview with Joe, a janitor who works for OPERA. Joe told me that he remembers very well the day when the second tau neutrino was discovered. "I remember that day" he explained, "because that was the day I badly sprained my ankle tripping over a cable." "I should have been more careful" he added. "That was the second time that happened to me."
update: September 4, 2012
Innumerable people have written to ask me what I think about the discovery of the Higgs boson (or at least a particle very similar to the Higgs boson) by CERN. According to Joe Incandela (probably not the Joe quoted above who used to work at OPERA), in order to discover this particle CERN had to observe a number of collisions comparable to the number of grains of sand that can fit in an Olympic size swimming pool. In all those collisions, the elusive particle only showed up a few dozen times.
But it appeared nearly exactly the number of times and in exactly the way that the theory predicted.
Not clear. But if so, this is a triumph. And if not, it's even better because it's a "gateway" to Something New. Why should we believe all this? Because Scientists did the Math, and determined that the observations could not be due to anything except this "God particle" (or something similar). Sort of like when Creationists do the Math and conclude that a new species could not have arisen except by some sort of ... God particle. Of course, scientists correctly point out that the math done by the Creationists fails to take into account certain alternative natural mechanisms. So exactly what mechanisms did the CERN Scientists take into account in order to rule out explanations alternative to their desired one? At last count I calculated that the Large Hadron Collider consists of a gazillion separate parts, each of which can malfunction in interesting ways. Did anybody do the math here? As of last September, we know the answer is "NO". (See footnote.)
But not to worry. This is a result everybody wanted, so what's not to like?
(Footnote: Perhaps malfunctioning equipment can cause an error in a measurement, but not in the detection of a particle. I doubt this, since I think everything is measurement. I haven't read the technical literature. But the best we can say about these scientists is that they are treating us like idiots. The worst we can say is ...)


text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
Youth Day celebration set for Aug. 19
Holy Covenant United Holy Church, 237Snowfield Road SE in Leland (Snowfield Community), will observe its annual Youth Day celebration at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 19. The Rev. Rodnisha Gore of Fayetteville, formerly of Longwood, will be the guest speaker for this service.
For more information, call (910) 231-3170.
Raleigh Ringers to perform at Seaside UMC
The Raleigh Ringers, a world-renowned handbell choir, is scheduled to perform in concert at 7 p.m. Aug. 27 at Seaside UMC in Sunset Beach.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the The Brunswick Beacon, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
|ZIP Code:


text:
Obtaining DMV Records
Driver/Vehicle Transcripts (Record Request)
Need a copy of your driving record? With Record Request, you can view your driver or vehicle transcript and/or have it mailed to you. Transcripts that are mailed are considered official copies and can be certified for an additional fee. The fee charged varies depending on whether the transcript is to be viewed and/or mailed, and certified.
License Reinstatement Information (Compliance Summary)
Use the Compliance Summary to find out the specific information necessary to have your Virginia driver and/or registration privileges reinstated. The information includes:
- Outstanding fees owed to DMV
- Documentation required
- Dates of any active suspension and/or revocation period
- Pending requirements on outstanding suspensions/cancellations
- Contact information to other entities, such as courts
DISCLAIMER: The compliance summary is not an official transcript of a person's driving record. It is a courtesy summary designed to assist in complying with the requirements associated with orders of revocation, suspension, disqualification or cancellation as of the date listed at the top of the compliance summary. To provide the court and other entities with detailed information on a person's driving history, the compliance summary should be accompanied by a driver transcript.
Vehicle History Reports
If you are planning to buy a used car, you should know that car's history. DMV's Prospective Purchaser Inquiry (PPI) provides information about the vehicle, including the odometer reading at time of titling, any special notes about water damage or demolition status, and any accident history. The PPI summary comes from Virginia DMV records only and does not contain personal information about the vehicle's previous owners.
Crash/Accident Reports
You may request a police crash report, once law enforcement has completed its investigation and submitted the report to DMV.
General Records and Privacy Information
By law, disclosure of personal information contained within Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) records is prohibited except as prescribed by federal and state privacy laws. For more information, see Release of DMV Information.


text:
The Eternal Conflict Between Man And Machine
Richard Utsch has been surrounded with vintage steel since his teen yearswhen he got out of the service in 1969, he drove from Texas back home to Pennsylvania in a Model A pickup. Thus was born a lifelong attraction to A's, one that has not abated to this day.
The thought of getting one to trick out, like this 31 sport coupe, haunted him for years. Much of the vintage steel cranked out of those Pennsy mills had a tendency to rust if it stayed too close to home, so finding a clean one was a challenge. When a solid example showed up, Richard jumped at the chance to build it vintage-hot. The example itself had other plans, apparently.
It didnt want to be rodded, and fought us at every turn, writes Richards wife, Maria. It clung for dear life to each nut and bolt. It gave up its engine and tranny with obvious embarrassment. It pleaded with its garage-mates, a 31 Vicky and a 31 Fordor, to save it has we cut 2 inches off its top and welded it back together. It argued repeatedly as we added the gas and brake lines and exhaust brackets to its shiny red frame. It resisted being wired so we could enjoy some modern comforts like air conditioning and a heater, a radio with a CD player, dash and trunk lights. It hated trading its rumble seat for a trunk lid.
Mmm hmm. Man versus machine has been an eternal battle, ranking up there with nature or nurture and Less filling! Tastes great! Richard won the battle of the wills in this particular heat, even though it took a solid year from start to finish and it expressed its disdain [for having to be trailered] by dragging its mega-pipes up the ramp. We captured this cars debut at the York, Pennsylvania, NSRA event, where it had been completed for mere hours as Amados shutter snapped happily away. And the car itself? Its feeling much better now, thanks. [Once] it roared to life, it suddenly seemed very happy with its makeover.
As well it should be.


text:
After several weeks of development, I have now released version 0.96.5 of MediaBox Media Center. Lots of user feedback helped shape the new version.
Most notably the user interface looks a bit different now as it has been tidied up for a more consistent look & feel and much better performance with reduced memory footprint.
Quick Scrolling and Search
The item lists have a thumbable scrollbar and a index letter display helps you find your way while quick scrolling.
While searching for an item with the onscreen-keyboard or a hardware-keyboard, you can skip to the previous and next search results by pressing up or down on the D-pad.
Falling Asleep and Waking Up with Music
If you like to fall asleep with music or want to wake up with music, you will love the new sleep timer. Simply set the time when MediaBox should start or stop playing in the preferences viewer and select the media you want to have played. The sleep timer simulates PLAY and STOP actions so it can be used with virtually any media. For instance, you can have MediaBox wake you up with FM radio on the N800. With this feature, my N800 finally earned a steady place next to my bed.
Timed Karaoke Lyrics
Do you like lyrics? MediaBox displays song lyrics in LRC format. LRC lyrics files need to match the file name of the song file, e.g. "Song.mp3" and "Song.lrc".
LRC is a popular file format in China, and you can find lots of lyrics on various lyrics servers. Since LRC files are text files, you can also create them yourself.
I plan on making a LRC editor for MediaBox in the near future, too.
As always, MediaBox is available for N800 and N810 in the maemo-extras repository.
Nokia 770 users can retrieve MediaBox from the SVN repository or manually pull the
deb packages from the Chinook maemo-extras repository server.
A full list of what's new can be found in the release notes.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
MediaBox Media Center 0.96.5 with New Features
Posted by Martin Grimme at 11:33 AM 5 comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)


text:
After the delay, we're back with the fourth episode! Contrasting to the last episode, this time we have some knitting contents...but we digress, since that is our specialty. ;-)
We had some technical difficulties during the recording...and this time, it's not to blamed on Elemm's drunkenness (which didn't happen), but only on Ms. B! *LOL*
Let's get on with the show!
Thank you!
Elemm had Stash Enhancing eXperience! And Cashyie was also presented with her pair of hand-knit socks! Hear her delightful squeals on the show! (We actually have pictures as evidence to this, but they all don't do Cashyie's cleavages justice. So, we decided not to include them)
As a thank you to Andy in Amsterdam, we tell you how we ended up being in Germany!
What's on (or off) our needles?
- Cashyie
- Noro Kureyon Basket-Weave (she's progressing!)
- Bottle Garter Stitch Scarves (like the one on Treber in the picture above)
- Ms. B:
- Chevron Scarf (going in hibernation and will take a trip to the frog pond)
- Spring Grass socks (The Little Bunny Foo Foo had been caught)
- Zokni Socks (FO)
- Tabi Socks (FO)
- Vista Mare (aka Billy Reid Socks)
- Elemm
- Icarus (no progress)
- Iris Sibirica Toe-up JayWalker (FO)
- Barfetta (FO)
- Vinnland by Becca Compton
- Super Secret Project for ScoutJ
- Billy Reid Socks (still have to cast on)
Does the term "L-cut" means anything to you? Well, now it will! Elemm shares his dating experiences and rants on about one particularly catastrophic one. We digressed again totally to toilet manners. :-p
Watch out for Ms. B's Taste of Germany! Package of yummy German Indie Dyers' yarns! It's a great deal! Keep an eye out for her updates on this!
Cashyie philosophises about the appropriate length of scarves. They should be long enough to give you a warm hug!
Elemm finally got around to talking about his photography tips (NO flash!). Here are the links to the light box construction:
- How to make an inexpensive light tent
- DomestiCrafts's and my own inexpensive version
- Object to be photographed
- Composition (rule of three)
- Lighting source (filling) and the direction (no direct light on the object, be it natural or artificial)
- Camera settings (white balance, exposure, ISO)
- Touch-ups with an editing programme (exposure, highlight/brighten the dark areas, colours/RGB)
- Benediktbeuern Textile Market (22nd-23rd September 2007): Biggest textile market in Germany. Meet the Wollmeise in person! Fondle her gorgeous yarns before making the purchase. There will be a sock-workshop with Yarnissima, the designer of Digitessa! The Knitters Uncensored Team will be there and we all will be having a PJ-Knit-Party! Two places left: Please, confirm or cancel at the latest by 20th July 2007! (latest detail)
- Elemm and Cashyie are going to the Kocherlball on 15th July 2007, want to join us? If you're around and want to get up at the crack of dawn to go see people dance in traditional costumes, well, then give us a yell!
- Email us if you want to knit Billy Reid a pair of socks! It'll be fun and if there are enough people, we'll do a proper KAL!
- Hank Wankers, now with a step-by-step tutorial! (Please, don't laugh at Elemm's crazy facial expressions on the photo tutorial)
- Support Annie Modesitt and her family. Make sure you go visit the We Love Annie site!
- CONTEST!!!! Tell us your best toilet stories or why you deserve to win a bottle of toilet drops and some stitch markers!
This week's music is provided by the Podsafe Music Network: Jonathan Coulton's "Ikea"
Hope you enjoyed this episode as much as the other ones! Have a great week!
Ps. Y'all should get yourselves a bottle of Toilet Drops. It really works!!! Like Magic!!! I now can say: "I'll never leave my house again without my Toilet Drops!"
Pps. You know how weird it is talking/writing about yourself in third person? *LOL*


text:
Your morning roundup for Jan. 19, the day we learned Tilapia and garbage have a close relationship. Video via Outside The Boxscore. Got any stories or photos for us? Tip your editors.
What we watched: Mavs at Clippers. Chauncey Billups hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 1.0 seconds remaining to secure the Clippers' 91-89 victory. "Mr. Big Shot" had missed a jumper and turned the ball over in the game's final minute, and he sometimes has a tendency to take quick, ill-advised shots, but none of that seems to matter right now.
What we're watching (all times EST, unless noted): Wake Forest at Duke (ESPN) and Vanderbilt at Alabama (ESPN2) in men's college basketball at 7. Pittsbugh at New York Rangers in NHL hockey at 7 (NHL Network). William & Mary at Virginia Commonwealth in men's college basketball at 8 (ESPNU). Los Angeles Lakers at Miami in NBA basketball at 8 (TNT). North Carolina at Virginia Tech (ESPN) and Illinois at Penn State (ESPN2) in men's college basketball at 9. San Francisco at Gonzaga in men's college basketball at 10 (ESPNU). Dallas at Utah in NBA basketball at 10:30 (TNT). UCLA at Oregon State in men's college basketball at 10:30 (Fox Sports Net). Australian Open, 3rd Round in tennis at 11 (ESPN2).
Read Me
"The fastest man on no legs": "The nicknames accentuate his otherness, as if it is important to set him apart from the rest of the field. An article published by the Berman Institute of Bioethics, at Johns Hopkins University, speculated that Pistorius may be a 'pioneer on the posthuman frontier,' whatever that might mean. For what it's worth, a South African magazine recently anointed Pistorius the country's sexiest celebrity. The artificial legs Pistorius runs on, called Flex-Foot Cheetahs and manufactured by an Icelandic company, have been a point of contention, and he has had to fight efforts to exclude him. But amputees have been running on the Cheetahs since the late 1990s. None have approached his best time, 45.07 seconds, in the 400 meters." [New York Times Magazine]
This Date In Deadspin History
Jan 19, 2011: Last Night's Winner: Al Davis, For Still Being Alive
The future popularity of the MLS is secure: "David Beckham has signed a two-year contract to remain with the Los Angeles Galaxy, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.
The team has scheduled a 2 p.m. PT news conference for Thursday at Staples Center to make the formal announcement. Beckham, 36, has already played five seasons with the Galaxy and recently rejected a move to Paris Saint-Germain of the French league. Beckham, whose five-year, $32.5 million contract with the Galaxy expired on New Year's Eve, was also approached by clubs in England, Italy, Brazil and the Middle East. 'This was an important decision for me,' Beckham said in a news release from the team. 'I had many offers from clubs from around the world, however, I'm still passionate about playing in America and winning trophies with the Galaxy. I've seen first hand how popular soccer is now in the States and I'm as committed as ever to growing the game here. My family and I are incredibly happy and settled in America and we look forward to spending many more years here.'" [ESPN]
Vegas always wins: "An assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks basketball team was arrested in Marina del Rey on an outstanding warrant for non-sufficient funds in Las Vegas, authorities said Wednesday night. Darrell Eugene Armstrong is wanted by the Clark County district attorney's office in connection with the case, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement. Armstrong was stopped Tuesday morning by a deputy for a traffic violation near Washington Boulevard and Via Marina Way, the department said. He was arrested and booked into the sheriff's Marina del Rey station. Armstrong was released Wednesday afternoon after posting $40,000 bail, an amount that had been set by authorities in Nevada." [LA Times]
Your German Beer Commercial Interlude:
Politicians barely do anything anyway: "At 23 years old and coming off a major elbow injury, Stephen Strasburg has yet to surpass 100 career innings in Major League Baseball. And the Washington Nationals aren't - and might not ever become - the most popular sports team in their own city. Despite those little details, GQ Magazine decided to name Strasburg among the 50 Most Powerful People in Washington, D.C. (not named Obama or Biden). The only sports figure on a list consisting mostly of politicians and their pals, Strasburg sits at No. 47, right between former senator Chris Dodd (now chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America) and Jack Quinn, a 'megalobbyist' for the Democrats." [Big League Stew, via GQ]
The greatest random streak you probably knew nothing about is over: "The longest winning streak in college sports is over. Trinity College lost a squash match to Yale 5-4 on Wednesday, snapping a 252-match winning streak that dated back to the 1997-98 season. The Bantams are the 13-time defending national champions and were 8-0 heading into the match. Trinity officials had called this year's team the school's most inexperienced in years. The Bantams lost six starters and five All-Americans from last year's championship squad. Yale, which lost to Trinity in the last two national championship matches, features three of the nation's top 25 players." [AP]
Send stories, photos, and anything else you might have to email@example.com.


text:
You are here
What is i-Size?
i-Size is a European car seat safety regulation that came into force in July 2013. It's part of the R129 regulations and applies to new car seats for babies and young children up to around four years old.
i-Size was developed using the very latest research into child safety in cars.
What makes i-Size safer?
How is my child better protected by i-Size?
Rear facing car seats
These offer maximum protection to babies and toddlers by spreading most of the impact in a frontal collision.
Before July 2013, babies could be moved into a front facing car seat at approximately 9-12 months, which we learned was not old enough. The new regulation makes it mandatory for children to remain rear-facing for at least 15 months.
Side impact standards
This gives your child better protection if you're hit side-on.
Better installation
It's much harder to install an i-Size car seat incorrectly as it doesn't rely on guiding a seatbelt round it. i-Size car seats simply click onto your car's ISOFIX anchor points, and they fit almost all cars with ISOFIX.
Better fit
Because you can choose your i-Size car seat based on length rather than weight, your growing baby can stay in the seat for longer.
My car seat conforms to the previous regulation. Must I upgrade to i-Size?
No. i-Size doesn't replace the previous regulation for the moment – it gives you another option when you buy a car seat. You can be confident that the i-Size option complies with current car seat laws.
Why facing backwards is better
Creating the safest car seats
Main FAQ's about i-Size
Rearward facing toddler car seat up to 4 years
The seat that embraces your baby
Safety turns easy


text:
The options provided on this page will assist you in getting information about fire activity within the State. Fires occur within CAL FIRE jurisdiction on a daily basis during fire season and throughout the year. However, the majority of fires are contained early in the fire fight and information concerning those fires will not be posted on this website. If you would like to obtain information on CAL FIRE fire activity in your area, please contact the CAL FIRE Unit that falls within your county as listed in CAL FIRE Contacts.
California Statewide Fire Map
View California Fire Map in a larger map


text:
A more serious answer than previously:
The Giants can't get behind early. Since the clear weakness of the Colts is their run defense, the Giants can't get into a position where they have to play catch-up with the passing game.
Defensively, it's pretty obvious. Pressure Peyton, force FG's and not TD's, and get turnovers.
Honestly, I think even if the Giants play the Colts evenly, the special teams will find a way to screw it up.


text:
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Proposed Canon
Dollamancy is one of the three disciplines of the Magic class Spookism, and composed solely of the element of Motion; it is aligned with the axis of Fate.Erf-b1-p038a
"Look, there's a lot you can do in Dollamancy. It's fabrication with a motion element, right?" -Ace Hardware, LIAB Text 30
- Can create non-living Units, including:
- Can create small nonmagical items, such as tools or baskets, or Raiment (armor or clothes).
- Heal cloth golems and perhaps other created units.
- Provides a leadership/combat bonus to their golems, similar to a Croakamancer with Uncroaked units or Dirtamancers with their golems
Known Dollamancers
- Ken of the Magic Kingdom (referenced, but not yet introduced)First Intermission 25
- Transylvito Dollamancer (not yet introduced, though Jillian speculates that Transylvito likely employs one to create its Scarecrow, Doll, and Moll units.) First Intermission 13 Ace calls him a "pervert."LIAB Text 30
- Ace Hardware (current Jetstone dollamancer)
- Holly Shortcake (former Jetstone dollamancer, croaked)
- Teddy Clothespin - Sold Wanda new livery in the Magic Kingdom while she was with Goodminton. Side unknown, possibly barbarian.
- Barton of Haffaton, croaked
- Related to 'dressing up' units and buildings. Benefits other than aesthetic are unknown. May increase Loyalty of units?
- May involve a 'Voodoo Doll' type of control that forces a unit to act against its own will.
- Accessories are created by Dollamancy. These may be Magic Items, or may be mundane.
- It may be possible for a Dollamancer to create Units from wood, like wooden horses or nutcrackers. Or wood Golems.
Natural Dollamancy
- Maggie said Twolls have a form of natural dollamacy, allowing them to construct some non-magical items such as Parson's breast plate.
- Maggie also indicated Warlords and some casters have a form of natural dollamancy that allows them to create their own livery for their units. An example of this is when Wanda causes the units she mass-uncroaked during the siege of Gobwin Knob to appear wearing Parson's hamstard livery.
- Some evidence suggests that dwagons practice a form of Natural Dollamancy as some seem to have armor and others do not. This armor is similar to that used by armored horses in Medieval conflicts.


text:
Don't see your question? Visit our help section.
Get access to great in-store deals and local pick-up
Sign up for our email deals newsletter!
You are the PROTOTYPE, Alex Mercer, hiding in human form. You step out onto the streets of New York with no memory, but limitless power. As a terrifying viral epidemic sweeps across Manhattan, top-secret Black Watch Special Forces move in, transforming it into a war zone. Delve into the mysteries of your origin, the true nature of your power and your part in a conspiracy 40 years in the making.
"© 2009 Activision Publishing, Inc. Activision is a registered trademark and Prototype is a trademark of Activision Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
Purchase or use of this item is subject to the PlayStation®Network Terms of Service and User Agreement. This item has been sublicensed to you by Sony Computer Entertainment America.
Pro Price


text:
Hampton Court Maze
Find the path from the entrance at the bottom of
the Maze (marked with the red triangle in the illustration) to its
center (marked with the red dot).
The real Maze - the most famous hedge Maze in the World - is situated
Hampton Court near London. It covers
an area of a third of an acre (about 1350 sq meters), and its paths
are half a mile (0.8 km) long. It might happen that looking at the
above illustration you'll find this maze to be very simple. But don't
be misled with its seemingly "simple" pattern*; it's incredible easy
to lose yourself in this Maze! Jerome K. Jerome described how this may
happen in his famous novel "Three Men in a Boat (To Say Nothing of the
The Maze was planted in the
Hampton Court Palace Gardens in 1702.
It still attracts people from all over the World, and every year
thousands of them are happy "to be lost" in it.
* It's an old pattern of the Hampton Court Maze,
which was slightly altered for 300 years.
Find more information about
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court
Step Through:
You are
at the last puzzle


text:
I want to know how to make glass, so I found the texture (glass1) from ut_subway.
I also have the shader. Then i test and it looks like in radiant. Why?
What to do so I can make glass that u can see through?
Return to "Shaders / textures"
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


text:
One of the primary goals of game AI is finding a simple and scalable solution for editing logic. Finite state machines have the advantage of being quite simple, but for large systems you'll need a hierarchical FSM to provide reusable transitions between states.
Such HFSMs are certainly a popular way for making scalable logic. However, they do not provide any modularity for states; you can't reuse states to provide logic for different goals or situations without rewiring them. Behavior trees (BT) on the other hand take a different approach…
States or Behaviors
Behavior trees focus on increasing the modularity of states by encapsulating logic transparently, for example by using nested states. Certain hybrid HFSM implementations provide this feature also.
Figure: A tree made of modular behaviors.
The secret is to remove the transitions to external states, so the states become self-contained. In fact, once you do that, they're not really "states" anymore because they don't have transitions; they're just behaviors, or a collection of actions that execute and terminate.
A Programming Analogy
You may ask, since the transitions are no longer encoded explicitly in each state, how is it possible to sequence behaviors using a behavior tree?
This is done using the same method as most programming languages — which is demonstrably more scalable. In C++, Python or any other modern language, each operation does not contain a pointer to its successor, as it would be difficult to reuse these operations in different contexts (like calling them from another function).
Instead, operations are inserted into a parent scope (e.g. in a function, or for a conditional check), and they are executed according to the semantics of the parent scope. So in essence, the transitions between the operations are automatically defined based on which type of parent scope is chosen.
Why Behavior Trees Work
If you make your BT implementation extensible (so any type of scope, or composite behavior can be added), it becomes as powerful as any programming language. But at the same time, BTs remain very simple and usable when you provide standard composites such as sequences and selectors.
In fact, you can rebuild most state machine using only sequences and selectors. Then adding custom decorators into the mix you get something extremely powerful yet still very intuitive.
Ultimately, it is possible to translate a simple BT of sequences and selectors to a FSM if necessary. The FSM does you more control over the individual transitions, but the BT make the logic modular and easier to reuse.


text:
Find Your Perfect Home.
Lake Forest Real Estate
Lake Forest is located in Illinois. Lake Forest, Illinois has a population of 19,408. Lake Forest is less family-centric than the surrounding county with 40.51% of the households containing married families with children. The county average for households married with children is 40.82%.
The median household income in Lake Forest, Illinois is $151,000. The median household income for the surrounding county is $77,873 compared to the national median of $53,482. The median age of people living in Lake Forest is 46.9 years.
Lake Forest Weather
The average high temperature in July is 82.6 degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 15.9 degrees. The average rainfall is approximately 36.3 inches per year, with inches of snow per year.
View Homes for Sale in Lake Forest
Lake Forest Map
Sort by:
Lake Forest Real Estate Offices
More »
Real Estate Near Lake Forest
Nearby Cities
Nearby Cities Homes for Sale
Lake Forest Zip Codes


text:
Everything you need to make your Thanksgiving meal farm to table.
Upcoming Events
Event Finder
Most Read Stories
- People Keep Drawing Hulk Hogan in This Bar
- Louisville's 2019 Summer Fun Guide to Camps, Activities & Classes — Special Ad Section
- Weekender: What to Do Around Louisville June 14 — 16
- Portland Grows Its Own Slice of Louisville's Food Scene
- 50 Things and Where to Find Them Around Louisville
- 20 Spots to Get Late-Night Grub in Louisville
- 37 Crave-Worthy New Restaurants
- The Forbidding History of Louisville's Penitentiary-Like 'Workhouse'
- Shelby Park Real Estate Is 'On Fire.' Is That a Good Thing?
- 24 New Restaurants to Crave


text:
Whatever your reason for remortgaging, We can help you find the right solution.
Whether it be to raise capital against your property, carry out home improvements or simply reduce your monthly expenditure by taking advantage of more competitive rates, we will manage your application from start to finish, alleviating the burden and stress on you.
Click here to see how much you may be able to borrow.


text:
Can My Child Get Social Security?
Benefits may be available for younger kids of older parents
En español | Q: I'm 62, and my wife is going to have a baby in June this year. Is there a benefit for the baby when I start to take my Social Security payments?
A: Yes, there is. Generally speaking, when people take their Social Security retirement benefits, certain children may also receive benefits on their parents' work record. An eligible child can be a biological child, adopted child or a dependent stepchild. A dependent grandchild also may qualify.
See also: AARP Social Security Calculator
Getty Images
In order to receive benefits, a child must be:
- Unmarried
- Younger than age 18
- Between 18 and 19 years old and attending elementary or secondary school full time but no higher than grade 12
- Age 18 or older and severely disabled (the disability must have started before age 22)
Each eligible child may receive a monthly payment that's up to half of the parent's retirement benefit amount. If there's more than one eligible child, there may be a limit on the total amount that can be paid to a family. It's usually equal to 150-180 percent of the worker's benefit.
For more information on benefits for children, see Social Security webpages or call Social Security at 800-772-1213.
Stan Hinden, a former columnist for The Washington Post, wrote How to Retire Happy: The 12 Most Important Decisions You Must Make Before You Retire. Have a question? Check out the Social Security Mailbox archive. If you don't find your answer there, send an email to the Social Security Mailbox.
You May Also Like
- Effect of taking Social Security early
- Tips to lower your out-of-pocket medical costs
- Match your interests with AARP volunteer opportunities
Go to the AARP home page every day for retirement planning tips
Join the Discussion0 | Add Yours
Please leave your comment below.
You must be logged in to leave a comment.


text:
Tongue and Tonsil Cancers May Be Linked to Early Sexual Habits, Research Suggests
Oral sex may be extremely common among people in the U.S. who consider it a "low-risk" activity. But oral sex may be riskier than many think -- and, no, we're not talking about HIV. We're talking about human papillomavirus (HPV), which has been linked to some types of oral cancer.
Many people engage in oral sex as a form of "safer sex" -- in part as a response to HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns of the 1990s that cast sexual intercourse as dangerous. In that light, oral sex began to look like less of a big deal.
However, when you give a man or woman oral sex, you risk getting a number of infections in your mouth and throat -- including gonorrhea, syphilis, herpes and HPV.
The Facts About HPV
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. It's easy to transmit: Nearly half of sexually active people will get HPV at some point in their lives, and it's even more common among people with HIV.
The virus can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact; but the skin needs to be somewhat broken -- it passes best through deep-but-microscopic tears in the thin layer of cells that covers the body's outer surfaces (known as the epithelium).
"There has to be some micro-laceration that allows HPV to get access to those deep cells, the cells at the basement of the epithelium, in order to affect them. That's why you don't just get HPV from shaking hands," explains Francisco Garcia, M.D., M.P.H., an authority on HPV and a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Arizona.
However, where those cuts exist, HPV can be transmitted, Garcia notes. And those cuts can form nearly anywhere, be it during sex or any number of other activities. "That can be in the vagina," Garcia says. "It can be in the rectum. It can be in the skin of your hand. It can be in your feet. That's what plantar warts are -- what common warts are. Or it can be in what is known as your oropharynx," i.e., the back of your throat.
Once a person is exposed to HPV, two things can happen, Garcia says: "It can either do nothing, or HPV can actually be integrated into the genetic material of the new person. When it does that, that's when there's a potential for infection and damage."
HPV is a sneaky sexually transmitted infection, often occurring without a single symptom. However, HIV-positive people are at higher risk for developing more stubborn symptoms than HIV-negative people -- including genital warts and a condition called dysplasia, which can potentially lead to cancer.
Health care providers and researchers have known for a while about the connection between HPV and certain types of cancer -- including cervical and anal cancers as well as cancers of the throat area. Despite this, most HIV-positive people and HIV-negative people who are sexually active seem largely unconcerned about the risks of HPV -- and even less so about the risks of oral HPV.
HPV and Oral Cancer
But this may be about to change. Oropharyngeal cancers (cancers of the back of tongue, the pharynx and the tonsils) are on the rise, according to recent studies, particularly a landmark study published in the September 2009 issue of the journal Cancer Prevention Research. HPV is to blame in a significant number of those cancers -- and one strain, HPV-16, which is also responsible for most cervical cancers, seems to be the culprit.
The overall number of these HPV-related oropharyngeal cancers is low, but we may be on the edge of an epidemic in cancers of the throat area, according to Scott Lippman, M.D., of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. "This is likely to become one of the most common tumors that we see in the next five or 10 years, if the patterns persist," said Dr. Lippman at a recent press conference.
The patterns Lippman is referring to have to do with the sexual activities of people in the U.S., which have changed dramatically over the last 50 years. During the sexual revolution of the 1960s, oral sex saw a boom in popularity. Since it can take several decades from an HPV exposure to become HPV-positive cancerous tumor, it seems that for a growing number of people, the sexual revolution of yesteryear has become the tonsil cancer of today.
The Good News: HPV-Positive Cancer Is Treatable
There's some good news, though: The Cancer Prevention Research study found that cancers of the throat area that come from HPV are actually easier to treat than similar cancers that develop from other risk factors, such as smoking or drinking alcohol.
Until about 20 years ago, the average person with cancer of the throat area was a heavy user of alcohol or tobacco, Dr. Lippman says. Today, people who develop throat cancer may have no other risk factor besides HPV.
Further, HPV-positive tumors are very different from their cousins that grow from excessive smoking or drinking, according to Kevin Cullen, M.D., the senior author on the Cancer Prevention Research study. Researchers are still trying to make sense of all the differences, but one important thing they've discovered is that HPV-positive tumors have fewer of the genes that resist chemotherapy than do HPV-negative tumors. This means that, for the most part, people with HPV-positive tumors can breathe a sigh of relief since there's a good chance they'll do well on treatment.
It's also important to note, again, that HPV-positive oral cancer is not all that common. Considering how common oral sex is, how prevalent HPV is (an estimated 20 million people in the U.S. are walking around with HPV at any given time) and how relatively uncommon cancers of the tongue and tonsil are (they account for less than three percent of all cancers in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute), it's clear that just because someone has HPV does not mean that cancer is definitely in their future.
Can HPV in the Throat Area Be Prevented?
Researchers still understand very little about HPV infection in the throat area. However, the HPV vaccine, which is currently recommended in the U.S. for all girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26, should eventually be able to eliminate HPV-related throat and tonsil cancer once and for all, Dr. Cullen says. The vaccine prevents a person from becoming infected with the types of HPV that are most commonly associated with cancer, including HPV-16. Because the vaccine is not known to be effective in people who have already been exposed to HPV, there's a push to get children vaccinated before they've had any sex at all.
Many studies of the HPV vaccine in men and boys have shown good results -- and an outside expert panel to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently recommended its approval for that use.
Meanwhile, it's clear that the U.S. needs to do a better job at stepping up oral sex education and risk-reduction efforts, not only with youth and teens, but with adults as well. We all need to be aware that oral sex is not just good, clean fun after all, and take appropriate steps to keep ourselves safe, whether that means using dental dams and Saran Wrap, or making sure to get checked often for HPV (i.e., make sure your doctor checks your mouth and throat) for early signs of potential HPV-related cancer.


text:
- http://brushmanufactory.com/
- http://www.brighton-exchange.com/
more →
Handmade quilted coat by Amy Revier.
Autumn grasses by Julia Avseneva
Buttons from top to bottom: water lily, lily of the valley, first flowers, chamomile, bluebells, thistle, cornflower, russel muhroom, oak, blackberry, red under aspen mushroom.
- http://www.etsy.com/listing/107760651/soviet-mushroom-button-badge-vintage
The Cod Collection from Kria is a study of the fish which has sustained Icelandic culture for centuries and focuses on extracting details to imagine objects of ritualization.
Recycled jean fabric necklace by MAGICOVERACID
Avoska, translated as "just in case" is a Russian net bag. Avoska collapses to fit inside your fist and expands to hold 12 grapefruits. It is easy to wash and boxes edges do not rip it's threads. Best of all, it prevents plastic bags from gathering in your kitchen corner or the world's landfills. With the popularization of plastic bags after the 90's (after the fall of Soviet Union) avoska bags gradually went into disuse in Russia.
Above: Russia 1959. People carrying avoska bags. Photo: Carl Mydans.
Contemporary Russian folklore: Once upon a time in Russia there lived a simple little net bag - Avoska. Everyone loved her. People took her with them everywhere - to the store, farmers market and even birthdays. But then….plastic bags came and people forgot about Avoska. To see what happens next watch this really adorable 3 minute film on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/avoska
Above: Boy hugging avoska bag from short "Avoska" film (See above)
Read blog dedicated to Avoski: http://avoski.livejournal.com/more →
I am absolutely in love with %100 wool felt boots, valenki. Traditional Russian footwear. A great alternative to Uggs.
Bags from reclaimed tractor inner tubes by Chicago based company Defy Bags. Old materials. New ideas.
This mug by lenni08 reminds me of where I grew up. There are many birch trees in Russia — it's considered the national tree.
This necklace made of birch bark by bettula is inspired by the discarded and unusual. You don't have to think very hard to figure out which tree is my favorite.
When I was growing up, people in Russia did not have a lot of money to buy new wares, so they made belongings out of other objects. To this day I think it is pretty cool to see objects and materials being reused, like this rotating bike wheel pot rack by plaidclad
These beautiful and valuable bits and pieces almost disappeared into the garbage pile forever! Get inspired to recycle by the digit recycled leather necklace by mainichi and shift key typewriter vintage pendant necklace by PreciousPastimes.
This neglected dresser was salvaged and restored by rubyrhino1 and made into a vintage masterpiece. It reminds me of our summer dacha in Russia.
Read full Design Squish guest Curator post on Etsy:
- Earth Tones: Design Squish's Eco Picks
I am drawn to comfortable, soft accessories from reclaimed materials.
Slippers made from recycled, felted 100% lambswool sweater and recycled leather by Wooly Baby as well as this upcycled slouch bag made from the sleeves of a mens wool dress coat by Betsy & Bess...
Bike fashion is really hitting its peak. There are more and more people biking Fort Tilden beach everyday. Great bike fashion blog I found recently - http://piubici.tumblr.com/
Special addition for Jen: bike helmet chic. Beautiful bike helmets:
Stylish bike helmets:
I was excited to find these great "Recycled Banner Golden Mean Messenger Bags" DIY instructions a la Freitag bike messenger bags. (Can be made under $5 !!!!!!!!!!!!!). Comfortable, light, tough billboard sign material (waterproof). To view instructions please visit: EEIO Golden Mean messenger bag instructions
In stores, nice bike messenger bags can be $200. Making your own not only saves money but also is good for environment. I just saw a truck driver discard a big piece of truck tarpaulin and now it is lying on the street waiting to be made into bags.
Kaelyn Garcia's Organic Cotton and natural silk sateen circle dress.
Nadia Nour is a fashion designer based in New York City. Nadia keeps manufacturing and sourcing supplies for her garments local and uses organics as much as possible - naturally dyed silks, fabrics that are healthy for people and the environment. Her clothing designs are sophisticated, high-end and chic but at the same time organic and sustainable.


text:
Why The Search For Sasquatch Is So Important
In the search for finding truth in the mystical like unicorns and fairies, could we be benefitting our psyche by entertaining these subjects? Is there any truth to the Loch Ness or Bigfoot?
Bigfoot is a household name and is even known by different names (Sasquatch, the Yeti, and the Skunk Ape, for example), but he or she is just a myth, according to almost anyone you ask. Even most UFO, alien, and paranormal researchers can't seem to find the time or patience to properly cover Bigfoot.
So, Bigfoot sticks around as a likeable storybook character, but nothing more.
However, there are many reasons that Bigfoot, and other cryptids like unicorns, fairies, and the Loch Ness monster, should be talked about in the same way that UFOs, aliens, and other more serious fringe topics are revered.
If learning about a mystical, ape-like cryptid doesn't seem worthwhile to you, here are some reasons to take the Sasquatch seriously… seriously.
Bigfoot Helps Us Make New Discoveries
Since 1930, hundreds of new species of animals have been discovered, 17 of them large animals – a new species of orangutan was discovered as recently as 2017! In fact, over the years many mythological creatures have turned out to be real, including the giant squid. The search for new lifeforms is not just happening in outer space, but also right here on planet Earth. By following the evidence for Bigfoot, many cryptozoologists have found evidence for real animals, too, including bears and apes.
And who knows? Maybe one of these days someone will find hard evidence of an actual Bigfoot.
The Witnesses Are Telling The Truth
The thing that most Bigfoot witnesses have in common is the location of their Bigfoot sighting, often rural secluded areas like the woods, swampland, or the mountains – not the promise of money, attention, or fame. Although "Bigfoot" may be a misnomer, witnesses of the elusive Sasquatch range from modern-day mothers of two to Native Americans tribes that have passed down stories of the large, hairy, and peaceful creature for centuries.
It is unlikely that so many credible eyewitnesses are lying since it's not in a person's best interest to associate themselves with Bigfoot.
Instead of the "missing link" between human and ape evolution, Bigfoot could be the "missing link" between dimensional and inter-dimensional evolution.
In addition to eyewitness accounts of Bigfoot inexplicably disappearing into thin air, there have also been accounts of Bigfoot showing up right after a UFO sighting. These cases have led many researchers to believe that Bigfoot could be an alien or ghost-like inter-dimensional entity that may even be able to teleport. It is worthwhile for alternative researchers to take a good look at Bigfoot evidence.
Ronan Coghlan is one of those researchers. The paranormal author and researcher stated in an interview that if there are "worm-holes on Earth, it would be quite easy for anything to come through, like a Bigfoot, and it's quite possible any number of anomalous creatures could find their way through from time to time… That would tend to indicate there's a worm-hole in the vicinity; such as Point Pleasant, West Virginia, where the Mothman was seen." As sci-fi as this sounds, the concept of a "wormhole" has been debated by mainstream scientists since the 1920s.
An Open Mind Is A Healthy Mind.
Imagining that Bigfoot, unicorns, and the Loch Ness monster are real is a healthy activity for your brain. Practicing open-mindedness helps a person to avoid dangerous patterns of "groupthink" as well as maintain a positive attitude and high energy level in day-to-day life.
So, the next time someone jokes about Bigfoot at a party, be polite and laugh, but then ask the room if anyone has ever seen Bigfoot. You may be surprised by the serious conversation you started.
Related CE Article:
Sasquatch? University Professor Shows Evidence of a Large Unidentified Bipedal Being That Still Lives
Help Support Collective Evolution
The demand for Collective Evolution's content is bigger than ever, except ad agencies and social media keep cutting our revenues. This is making it hard for us to continue.
In order to stay truly independent, we need your help. We are not going to put up paywalls on this website, as we want to get our info out far and wide. For as little as $3 a month, you can help keep CE alive!
Full Moon In Sagittarius: Expansive Inspiration
We are having a Full Moon in Sagittarius on June 17th with the Moon appearing the brightest on the night of June 16th in the Western world. The energies of it are strongest in the days before and after, however, it will still be a part of the backdrop over the following two weeks. This is the peak of the Lunar cycle which began on June 3rd with a New Moon in Gemini.
Full Moon's are a period in which we feel a push-pull between two opposing signs, in this case being the Sun in Gemini and Moon in Sagittarius. It can reflect either a conflict or integration of both signs. We can feel this opposition happening individually within us and/or we can also experience it play out around us with some people (or circumstances) expressing the Gemini side and others expressing the Sagittarius side.
Gemini is an Air sign ruled by Mercury. It is socially and mentally oriented. Gemini is associated with communication and information. It is articulate, curious, clever, informative, quick witted, and dualistic. It is the sign of multiple personalities. Negatively, it can be gossipy, inconsistent, superficial, insincere, two-faced, and too much in the mind without consideration of the heart.
Sagittarius is a Fire sign ruled by Jupiter. It is adventurous, worldly, philosophical, idealistic, jovial, passionate, optimistic, expansive, outspoken, blunt, and free spirited. It is associated with beliefs, travel, teaching, publishing,and marketing. Negatively it can be arrogant, pretentious, preachy, exaggerating, irresponsible, reckless, and can overdo things without taking potential consequences into consideration.
Gemini and Sagittarius are both associated with learning. The difference between the two is that Sagittarius is more broad minded and invested in its own experiential or idealistic perspective. Gemini is more factual with information and details, generally from other sources, but may lack development in its own views in comparison. Also Gemini represents more of the local and immediate environment, while Sagittarius is the world at large. Both signs can be adaptable, versatile, yet can also be scattered.
Full Moon Aligned With The Galactic Center, Eclipses and Saturn Conjunct South Node Coming Up
This Full Moon is aligned with the Galactic Center which symbolically can have different meanings. It can represent higher consciousness, and tapping into new ideas, perspectives, and concepts. It can reflect experiences that help to push us forward in our evolution. It is even associated with extraterrestrials and ultra-terrestrial energy.
However, the evolutionary quality of the Galactic Center can also play out through immense pressures, challenges, and even destructiveness to help us bring in something new. Interestingly, this Full Moon is two weeks prior to a Solar Eclipse followed by a Lunar Eclipse in mid-July which fits in well with Galactic Center themes.
Eclipse season is a period that can feel heavy yet ultimately helps to facilitate certain changes in our lives which can play out in the months following. The effects of an eclipse can begin up to 6 weeks prior and can be felt more heavily as we get closer to it. I will be publishing separate content on them, you can join my mailing list here to ensure that you receive it.
Saturn will also make a 2nd conjunction with the South Node over the coming weeks during its retrograde. This aspect began in April and is part of a process that will conclude in early Fall. Ultimately it has to do with endings connected to issues of the past that can be holding us back from our future.
We may have to continue to go through some experiences related to this over the coming months before finally letting go of (or moving on from) whatever this is triggering in our lives. This energy can also feel a bit heavy, especially with Pluto close by. It may bring up themes connected to responsibilities, maturity, commitments, boundaries, structures, career obligations, barriers, and limitations.
Jupiter Square Neptune with Venus Triggering It, Saturn Sextile Neptune
As mentioned in previous articles, Jupiter in Sagittarius (also ruler of Sagittarius) is in a square with Neptune in Pisces throughout much of this year. It will be strong at this time with the Full Moon also triggering it.
This can be an expansive energy in regards to spirituality, creativity, imagination, dreams, idealism, or compassionate pursuits. However, it can also be a time of confusion around beliefs, faith, and perspectives. This aspect on its own can be overly idealistic and can reflect overlooking. certain details and facts. However, Saturn's aspect with Neptune (mentioned below) can help to mitigate that and can be different for everybody.
Saturn in Capricorn is making its second sextile with Neptune which is strong at the time of this Full Moon and the weeks before and after. It began in late January and will conclude in November. This can assist us in taking a structured, realistic, disciplined, committed approach when it comes to ideals, dreams, inspirations, creativity, spirituality, or even anything that involves selflessness, compassion, or healing. For some people it may be connected to career and ambitions.
Venus in Gemini will be forming a T-square with Jupiter-Neptune which will be strongest on June 23rd, and on the 24th for those in the Eastern part of the world. At best, this energy can be good for creative pursuits or social activities that are spiritually oriented.
However, it can also play out as overdoing pleasurable activities or escapism. We also need to be cautious of being unrealistic around money or perhaps even overspending. There can also be conflicts around values, beliefs, and ideals. In our relations, we may experience confusion or issues around our boundaries.
Saturn in Capricorn is making its second sextile with Neptune. It began in late January and will conclude in November. Although this isn't as strong as the Jupiter-Neptune aspect mentioned above, this can assist us in taking a structured, disciplined or committed approach when it comes to ideals, dreams, inspirations, creativity, spirituality, or even anything that involves selflessness, compassion, or healing.
Mercury Conjunct Mars Near North Node, Opposing Pluto With Saturn
Mercury, the ruler of Gemini, is in Cancer while making a conjunction to Mars and close to the North Node. It is in an opposition to Pluto with Saturn and the South Node close by. This energy is strongest from June 18th-20th.
At best, this can reflect active and deep thinking. We might feel a need to act on or consider the future but may have to contend with challenges connected to the past. Or perhaps dealing with old obstacles can help us progress forward in some cases.
This can be a time in which there is a higher potential for conflicts, arguments, power struggles, compulsive behavior, and overall intensity. It would be good to be active at this time, however, it would also be wise to not do anything risky or potentially dangerous. This energy can also be positively utilized for actions that involve clearing, purging, transforming, or destroying.
Mercury will be going retrograde on July 7th, days after the next Solar Eclipse that is occurring on July 2nd. The pre-shadow period begins on June 20th so keep in mind that certain developments that occur after that date may go through a sorting out process until mid Summer. With all of this going on, a large percentage of people can expect some significant shifts over the next 6-8 weeks.
Things To Consider During This Period
What is the big picture for you and what do you need to take into consideration? Are there any aspects of your beliefs that you are lacking clarity around? What inspires you? What do you want to learn or teach? How can you make your ideals or dreams a reality? Have you been feeling pressure to make certain changes in your life? Do you need to address unfinished business? What aspects of your past do you need to sort out to help you expand forward?
These are just some examples of themes that could come up during this period; however, there may be other variations of this energy playing out as well. If you wish to do any sort of intentional release connected to what has come up at this Full Moon, it is best to do so anytime over the two weeks following, when it is waning. The exact moment of this Full Moon is on June 17th at 8:31am Universal Time. You can click here to see what that is in your time zone.
Follow me on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, and YOUTUBE for more astrology related content.
Looking for astrological insight into what is going on in your life? Or perhaps looking to better understand your life and its potentials? Get a personalized astrology reading with Carmen (author of this article) specific to you based on your exact birth date, time, and location. Click here for more information or to order.
Help Support Collective Evolution
The demand for Collective Evolution's content is bigger than ever, except ad agencies and social media keep cutting our revenues. This is making it hard for us to continue.
In order to stay truly independent, we need your help. We are not going to put up paywalls on this website, as we want to get our info out far and wide. For as little as $3 a month, you can help keep CE alive!
Russian Military Colonel Publishes An Article Claiming Human & Animal Telepathy Is 100 Percent Real
In Brief
- The Facts:
The Russian Ministry of Defense published an article about the existence of military parapsychology in Russian military techniques, which allows one to penetrate into the thoughts of another, hack computer programs, and communicate telepathically.
- Reflect On:
Why is this type of science studied at the highest levels of various governments, yet ridiculed and not studied at all within the mainstream?
Is telepathy real? It's hard to argue against it; in fact, I would say that it's not really up for debate. That being said, when it comes to topics like these, the field is polluted with a bad reputation given its association with magic, superstition and 'pseudoscience,' terms that often come from those who condemn the subject without ever really looking into it. The evidence for the existence of telepathy is actually quite overwhelming, and in many cases, much stronger than most other areas of science.
Dr. Jessica Utts is a great person to bring up, as I've done many times before, to hammer this fact home. She is the Chair of the Department of Statistics at the University of California, Irvine. In 1999, she published a paper showing how the statistical significance with regards to results seen from studies under the realm of parapsychology (telepathy, remote viewing, etc) are stronger than some of the studies used to approve some medications. In a recent interview, she emphasized the following.
"What convinced me was just the evidence, the accumulating evidence as I worked in this field and I got to see more and more of the evidence. I visited the laboratories, even beyond where I was working to see what they were doing and I could see that they had really tight controls… and so I got convinced by the good science that I saw being done. And in fact I will say as a statistician I've consulted in a lot of different areas of science; the methodology and the controls on these experiments are much tighter than any other area of of science where I've worked." (source)
Why is it that these topics are not touched by mainstream academia, yet studied at the highest levels of government? Multiple governments all over the world have been studying this phenomenon for decades, and a lot has been declassified. Take the remote viewing program that was conducted by the US government/CIA and Stanford University, for example.
After its declassification in 1995, or at least its partial declassification, the Department of Defense and those involved revealed an exceptionally high success rate.
To summarize, over the years, the back-and-forth criticism of protocols, refinement of methods, and successful replication of this type of remote viewing in independent laboratories has yielded considerable scientific evidence for the reality of the [remote viewing] phenomenon. (source)
The latest example comes from Russia, as their Ministry of Defence recently published an article about the existence and study of parapsychology within the Russian military. The article explains how these techniques are and were used to penetrate the thoughts of the enemy (mind-reading) as well as to hack into enemy computer systems. The article is titled "Super Soldier for the Future Wars" and was published in the Defense Army magazine.
The article was written by Colonel Nikolai Poroskov, who explained that they use parapsychological techniques like telepathy for combat purposes, revealing secrets, disclosing locations, etc… He even discloses that Russian specialists have learned telepathy by working with dolphins.
As a note to readers, we here at Collective Evolution do not condone the use of animals for any type of experimentation. There is no information on the conditions of these experiments, but we are assuming they were captured for military purposes, which is extremely sad and heart-breaking.
Poroskov writes:
"They mentally gave the animals the commands that they carried out. Similar practiced by the famous trainer Durov. The technique, as it turned out, is applicable to humans. Moreover, the impact was even possible on the technique. With an effort of thought you can, for example, shoot down computer programs, burn crystals in generators, eavesdrop on a conversation, or break television and radio broadcasts and communications. Good luck ended with such experiments as reading a document lying in a safe, even if it is in a foreign language that we do not speak; identification of individuals belonging to the terrorist network; identifying potential candidates for terrorist groups," the statement reads. (source)
Quite astonishing, isn't it? Parapsychology seems to be the largest known threat to any type of secrecy, doesn't it? I found the reference to hacking computers quite interesting. Can telepathy really be used for purposes like hacking electronic equipment? I did some more digging and found an interesting document inside of the CIA's electronic reading room with regards to the Soviet Union.
Here's a quote from the document:
The Soviet Union is well aware of the benefits and applications of parapsychology research. In 1963, a Kremilin edict apparently gave top priority to biological research, which in Russia includes parapsychology. The major impetus behind the Soviet drive to harness the possible capabilities of telepathic communication, telekinetics, and bionics is said to come from the Soviet military and the KGB. Today it is reported that the USSR has twenty or more centres for the study of parapsychological phenomena, with an annual budget estimated in 1967 at over 13 million dollars and reported to be as high as 21 million dollars.
Today, we know that trillions of dollars have gone into black budget programs in the United States, many of which likely deal with parapsychology, as they have in the past.
The document also states:
There are reports that the Soviets are training their cosmonauts in telepathy to back-up their electronic equipment while in outer space. One of these back-up schemes is known to involve coded telepathic messages. This method was previously demonstrated in March 1967, when a coded telepathic message was flashed from Moscow to Leningrad. The involvement of astronauts or cosmonauts in telepathy experiments is not necessarily unprecedented. In February 1971, during the Apollo 14 flight to the moon, astronaut Edgar Mitchell made 150 separate attempts to project his thoughts from inside the space capsule back to an individual on earth. The results of the Apollo 14 experiments have been well-documented in detail and are published in the Journal of Parapsychology. (source)
Deeper Black Budget Discussion On CETV
Again, these programs lie within the realm of the black budget and are highly classified. Who knows how far ahead of the mainstream world they truly are?
CETV is a platform we created in order to combat the censorship and demonetization we have been facing over the past few years. On episode 4 of The Collective Evolution Show on CETV, we discussed the black budget in much greater detail. Below is a clip exploring the missing money from the black budget and special access programs, explaining where the money is going and what exactly it's being used for.
You can become a member of CETV, get access to the full show and many others, and support conscious media here.
The Takeaway
Human consciousness and parapsychology should not only be studied for the purposes of learning new defence tactics. Humans have great potential, and there is still so much that we have yet to discover about ourselves. What needs to change is the intention behind these discoveries.
Help Support Collective Evolution
The demand for Collective Evolution's content is bigger than ever, except ad agencies and social media keep cutting our revenues. This is making it hard for us to continue.
In order to stay truly independent, we need your help. We are not going to put up paywalls on this website, as we want to get our info out far and wide. For as little as $3 a month, you can help keep CE alive!
Ex-Government Physicist Shares What He Knows About 'Activating' ESP (Psi) Dreaming
In Brief
- The Facts:
Dale E. Graff, a physicist and former director of the US government/Stanford remote viewing program shares his knowledge about dreaming, and how we can all experience what he calls 'Psi' dreaming.
- Reflect On:
How much have our governments and black budget programs really discovered within these realms? How much is known and why are they keeping t classified?
The most astonishing fact about studies within the realm of parapsychology (Psi) is that they are often shunned by the mainstream media and this comes despite the fact that they have extremely high amounts of credibility within the realms of academia. Parapsychology deals with phenomena like pre-cognition, remote viewing, telepathy, mind matter interaction, and more that fall under the label of extra sensory perception (ESP), and the truth is, there is no reason why these topics should not be studied openly within the mainstream. Why is it that they are ridiculed in that realm, but have been studied at the highest levels of government for decades with high amounts of success and credibility? The US/Stanford University STARGATE project is one of many examples that confirm parapsychology's legitimacy.
These programs usually run and are funded by the black budget. Find out where trillions of our tax dollars are going here.
Dr. Jessica Utts, the Chair of the Department of Statistics at the University of California, Irvine makes a great point on the show Talking Points, further emphasizes my point.
"What convinced me was just the evidence, the accumulating evidence as I worked in this field and I got to see more and more of the evidence. I visited the laboratories, even beyond where I was working to see what they were doing and I could see that they had really tight controls… and so I got convinced by the good science that I saw being done. And in fact I will say as a statistician I've consulted in a lot of different areas of science; the methodology and the controls on these experiments are much tighter than any other area of of science where I've worked." (source)
Based on all of my research into the field of parapsychology, the information seems to be shunned away from in mainstream academia simply because it has an association with superstition, spirituality, metaphysics and 'magic'. This alone, no matter how strong the evidence and how significant the results when studied in a scientific setting, instantly have closed-minded 'non-believers' yell out pseudoscience. There is instant condemnation without investigation and sometimes, "protecting against this possibility sometimes seems more important than encouraging scientific exploration or protecting academic freedom. But this may be changing." Said Cassandra Vieten, PhD and President/CEO at the Institute of Noetic Sciences (source).
One realm within the topic of parapsychology is the study of our dreams and there is no better person to learn about dreams from than than Dale E. Graff. Graff is an MS in Physics and a life long investigator of Psi phenomena specializing in a variety of extrasensory perception (ESP) topics including remote viewing and precognitive dreaming. He has a scientific background in the aerospace industries and in technical intelligence assignments for the Department of Defense. He was also a director of the STARGATE program mentioned above.
In the lecture below, he answers the following questions: What is Psi dreaming? How can individuals experience Psi dreams? How can Psi dreaming be researched and evaluated scientifically? What can we do with Psi dreaming? How can Psi dreaming be understood relative to other forms of Psi, such as remote viewing and some types of intuition?
He provides information about how Psi dreaming is accomplished, and goes into the evidence and investigations that have shown evidence for the reality of Psi dreaming. He talks about how Psi dreaming may occur and provides exercises to assist in dream recall, among other things.
The Takeaway
A great quote that's often attributed to Nikola Tesla reads as follows, "The day science begins to study non-physical phenomena, it will make more progress in one decade than in all the previous centuries of its existence." This is true I believe, just take a look at quantum physics for example, it really opened up the collective mind about non-physical factors of reality and how it may influence material physical reality. It also demonstrated that matter itself, which makes up all of physical reality, is not really physical at all, that it's mostly comprised of energy. Just look at the atom, the smallest observable piece of matter, it's what everything else is made up of. An atom is almost all empty space, more than 99 percent of it to be exact. The kicker? That empty space is not useless, and from what we know now, "empty space" is really not "empty" at all. This is why I've always stressed the importance in many of my previous articles of this quote from theoretical physicist John Wheeler:
"No point is more central than this, that space is not empty, it is the seat of the most violent physics."
Another great quote from Tesla:
"All perceptible matter comes from a primary substance, or tenuity beyond conception, filling all space, the akasha, or luminiferous ether, which is acted upon by the life-giving Prana or creative force, calling into existence, in never-ending cycles all things and phenomena." – Nikola Tesla, Man's Greatest Achievement, 1907
I go into a deeper discussion regarding non-physical reality within this article if you'd like to learn more: Scientists Call Out "Dark Matter" – Have We Been Wrong About It All Along?
The point is, non-physical reality, and the metaphysical world is not limited to philosophy, but it's been subjected to rigorous investigation and science. The collective mind seems to be opening up quite rapidly, but just as we look back in the past to some concepts now accepted as truth that were once considered blasphemy, it's important to remember that this type of resistance still exists today.
Help Support Collective Evolution
The demand for Collective Evolution's content is bigger than ever, except ad agencies and social media keep cutting our revenues. This is making it hard for us to continue.
In order to stay truly independent, we need your help. We are not going to put up paywalls on this website, as we want to get our info out far and wide. For as little as $3 a month, you can help keep CE alive!
These Plants Are Oxygen Bombs & They Clean The Air In Your Home
Everyone would love to have a fresh, clean living space to come home to each day, and while part of...
Scientists Explain How Intuition May Be The Highest Form of Intelligence
This article was inspired by one published in Forbes with the same title. Who would have ever expected to see Forbes, a...


text:
Students with fake wounds. Police with plastic guns. Pretend gunmen.
Schools districts preparing for the worst-case scenario aren't just practicing lockdown drills and evacuations. Some are turning to an even more specific scenario – a shooter on the loose.
And administrators must decide how much involvement students should have in drills that mimic tragedies like those at Sandy Hook Elementary School and Columbine High School.
"It's a little bit of a culture change, and not just here," said Cuba-Rushford Superintendent Carlos Gildemeister. "All across the U.S."
Last week, with students at Cuba-Rushford High School on break and the school empty, officers encountered volunteer students spattered with fake blood and pretend gunshot wounds.
All students at Clarence High School next week will be involved in a live simulation of a shooter entering the school during a drill with the Erie County Sheriff's Office and the State Police.
Amherst police a few days later will practice evacuating students at Sweet Home Middle School and then, after students leave, will simulate a crisis situation.
In each case, the districts have taken a different approach to testing how well they would respond in a crisis.
At Cuba-Rushford, in Allegany County, administrators last week opened the high school to local officers to run drills involving a gunman, but they chose to do it while the school was closed for spring break. The only students involved were volunteers from the local youth court program.
"If you were here, you would have seen the students, the victims, with pretend gunshot wounds," Gildemeister said. "There was fake blood and gashes to their arms. It was more realistic and more gruesome, so we felt that it would be better to do it while kids are out."
Administrators at Clarence High School had a different goal. They have been planning for months for a full-scale intruder drill intended not just to test the coordination between the district and local law enforcement agencies, but also to prepare students and faculty for what to do in a crisis. The planning began shortly after the Dec. 14 elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn., when many districts refocused efforts on school security.
Discussions with the community and with students in Clarence also began months ago.
"We want to make sure we are better prepared to face a real emergency," said Clarence Superintendent Geoffrey Hicks. "We think it's good for our student body to practice. We think it's good for our staff to practice, and it will provide us information on where we can improve."
Unlike Cuba-Rushford, Clarence officials do not expect the drill to be gruesome. Most students – following district procedures – will be locked in their classrooms and won't see much. Sheriff's deputies will use plastic guns that are bright blue to distinguish them as fake, and students who volunteer to act as victims are required to get parent permission.
The drill, scheduled for Wednesday morning at Clarence High School, will start with an assembly for all the school's 1,600 students to explain the drill and school procedures. The students will return to their classes, and at some point during the morning, the school will launch a simulation with an officer posing as an armed intruder.
"One of the reasons that we're doing this drill is to practice as close to real as you can get without harming anybody," said Kenneth Smith, principal at Clarence High School, "and to be able to reflect after the simulation to make modifications to our plan so that we're even more effective at taking care of our students and our faculty and staff."
The school also is working with a local mental health association to prepare counselors to work with any students who might feel anxiety about the drill, Smith said.
Even basic exercises like fire and evacuation drills are getting upgrades in many schools.
Sweet Home Superintendent Anthony J. Day said schools now include unexpected changes – like blocking an exit during a fire drill – to get students and staff to think on the spot. They'll also run drills during passing periods and lunch breaks.
"The emergency doesn't know what time it is," Day said. "So you have to be prepared for as many eventualities as you can."
Drills are "essential" to prepare students, teachers and officers for what they might expect in a crisis, said Amanda B. Nickerson, an associate professor of school psychology at the University at Buffalo. But she cautions districts about the language they use to describe potential threats and recommends schools start with discussions about crisis plans and emergency procedures long before building up to full-scale intruder drills that simulate "extremely rare" events.
For example, she prefers that districts refrain from using the term "active shooter drill" and instead call them "intruder drills."
"We can't bury our heads in the sand and say it will never happen," said Nickerson, who has done research on school violence prevention and is director of UB's Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention. "But I think when we make it seem like, 'Oh my gosh, this is really an active threat,' I don't know how helpful that is."
The Amherst Police Department and other emergency agencies will practice responding to a crisis scenario at Sweet Home Middle School next Friday, but students will be involved only in an early portion of the drill, when they will practice lockdown and evacuation procedures. Once the students are gone, officers and faculty will begin the full-scale drill, said Amherst Police Capt. Michael J. Camilleri.
Amherst police conducted a similar drill at Amherst Central High School in 2008.
Day said administrators felt middle school-age students did not need to be involved in the entire drill at Sweet Home.
"As a parent of a middle school student, I don't feel it would be appropriate to have that level of stress in place when the kids are in the school," Day said. "I think we can get the benefit of the drill without having to put the kids through it, so we have to take that into account. At the high school level, it might be different."
It's not just schools that are preparing for crisis. Cheektowaga Police Chief David Zack said his department tries to conduct at least one major drill a year in schools or in places like Walden Galleria mall. But security preparations, he said, have to go beyond physical training. During a recent community forum on school safety, he urged parents to learn to identify the potential warning signs of a troubled student.
"There are many, many warning signs and predictors of behavior," Zack said. "More often than not, these active shooters were on someone's radar well before they acted out."
Nickerson, director of UB's Alberti Center for Bullying Abuse Prevention, said crisis prevention and intervention should be focused on a "full continuum, from prevention to preparedness, to what are we going to do to respond and intervene."
"One of the best things we can do in terms of prevention is create the kinds of relationships in our schools where students who are concerned about a threat will report it to adults or the proper authorities," Nickerson said. "We know that the school shootings that have been thwarted have been because someone has stepped up and said something about it."
News Staff Reporter Matt Glynn contributed to this report. email: email@example.com