text:
Feodor Simonov

About us

Natural eyesight recovery expert

International qigong specialist

Self-development systems, health, relationship and business consultant and coach

The author of the methods of the complex eyesight recovery program “Eye-Diamond”, Fedor has been successfully helping people all around the globe to recover their eyesight since 2008. He’s created more than 30 unique trainings and courses

Fedor’s own vision is better than 20/15 (150%)

Fedor has given more than 100 online and live trainings and workshops,

His most famous trainings are “100% vision without surgery, glasses and lenses”,

“How I helped bad four-eyes to get rid of glasses and recover vision to 20/20?”,

“How to recover eyesight naturally when no time is available?”,

“System of natural eyesight recovery ‘Eye-Diamond’ for busy or lazy people”

Fedor’s books are: “Step-by-step manual of how recover eyesight naturally”,

“How to get rid of nearsightedness”,

“How to get rid of farsightedness”.

Fedor took a part in more than 50 conferences in healing, self-development and vision recovery.

He has helped more than 1000 student to improve their vision via online and live trainings and courses in Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Hungary and other countries.

Tags: bates eye-diamond eyesight natural eyesight recovery vision

  Write a review - tell others about your experience.

Why Retreat?

We asked people why they go on retreat, here's what they said:

I am an oncology nurse and a few long time patients have died recently. I need to rejuvenate and return to my breath! Elizabeth

Retreat Guru's Vision

We believe human beings are innately wise, strong and kind. This wisdom, although not always experienced, is always present. Going on retreat is a beautiful way to reconnect to our basic sanity and health. Our aspiration at Retreat Guru is to inspire people to experience authentic retreats and reconnect with their innate wisdom, strength and kindness.

Don't have an account? Sign up.
Or connect with Facebook

Already have an account? Log in.
Or connect with Facebook


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Type: response

text:
Hearts 1

Game Title: Asdivine Hearts
Developer: Kemco
Platform: PlayStation Vita
Game Type: Vita
Download: 245 MB
NA Availability: Digital Download
EU Availability: Digital Download
PSTV Support: Yes

Kemco is a developer known for making lots of Mobile RPGs.  Their reputation is good for making lots of games, but not-so-good for many gamers’ opinions of said RPGs.  They make lots of retro experiences, but the term “shovelware” comes up a lot when you go on Mobile forums and start talking about Kemco RPGs.  I’ve played my fair share and wouldn’t call them that, but some of them do have a bit of a generic feel and look to them.

Kemco RPGs have come to console before. If you recall the game that came to PlayStation not too many years back, End of Serenity.  That was a Kemco RPG.  I thought it was fun, though it was a pretty short game, overall.  Today, we dive back into Kemco’s world of RPGs with the recent release of a new Mobile to PlayStation port.

Here is my review of Asdivine Hearts for PS Vita and PlayStation TV!

Hearts 2

The world of Asdivine is governed by two deities: The Deity of Light is responsible for creating life and the Deity of Shadow for maintaining Death.  After the two of them have an argument about how the world works, a strange event happens below, resulting in a large number of monster appearances.  One year later, two orphans are setting a wildcat free in the forest when it becomes possessed by what claims to be the Light Deity and journey across the world to fix what was broken a year prior.

The story of Asdivine Hearts is good, but not good at the same time.  The first half of the game has a pretty generic storyline that is very predictable and each character’s introduction feels like they are nothing more than bare-bones clichés thrown into a forced harem party setup.  Once the second half of the game starts, things get more interesting with character backgrounds, more in-depth interactions, and the overall plot becoming much more engaging.  But, you have to get past the first half to get to the good part.

Hearts 3

Like many Kemco RPGs, Asdivine Hearts is a turn-based RPG with some very light social elements thrown into the mix.  You will spend most of your time, watching story events, exploring the overworld, town, and dungeons, and fighting your way through a wide variety of enemies and bosses.  Imagine SNES Final Fantasy and you’ve got it down pat, savor a few other features.

Main progression basically goes story events pointing you in the direction of your next destination, and you travel the large overworld map (which turns into 2 fully-sized overworld maps later on) to get there and continue on with the story.  This has everything an overworld map RPG needs: Towns, Dungeons, Boats, Airships, and lots of random monster encounters.  You will be spending a lot of time traveling for each story objective.

Hearts 4

There are also a couple things to do on the side.  Asdivine Hearts has side-quests for NPCs as well as an Affection/Trust mechanic.  Your party consists of you and 4 female characters, each of which has a special unlockable ending sequence.  Every so often in the story, you gain Free Time where you can interact with them, not unlike Free Days from The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel.  Make correct dialogue choices and their Trust with you goes up.  If a girl’s trust is at a certain point by the final boss, you unlock her ending.

The battle system doesn’t have a whole lot out of the ordinary.  You have your typical magic spells that are used by spending MP.  Though you also have Skills that use regenerating Action Points, which is nice when you don’t want to constantly be using regenerating items during longer boss fights.  The biggest hitter, however, is the trust gauge.  Over the course of many battles, you build up the gauge and can unleash it at 100% for an intense combo, some characters which get up to a 20-hit combo all in one turn.

Hearts 6

As far as difficulty, it has a pretty nice curve to it, so long as you stick to Normal Mode.  Easy Mode has virtually no challenge outside of the final boss and Hard Mode is pretty extreme.  But stick to Normal Mode, and you have a nice amount of difficulty for RPG fans.

Length is one of the more disappointing aspects of the game.  I’d heard from many people that the game lasted 20-30 hours, but I finished my first run at barely over 16 hours.  Those looking for a long RPG to fill their time will not find it here, as it is a rather short RPG, even for handheld standards.

Asdivine Hearts is compatible with the PlayStation TV, so the Vita version can be taken on the go or played on the TV via the micro-console.  No special controls here, but it is compatible.

Controls are pretty simple.  D-Pad or Left Analog Stick is for basic movement.  X is used for selecting or talking with NPCs.  Square brings up the World Map.  Circle cancels options, and Triangle pulls up the menu options.  You can also press Start anywhere to pull up the option to save your game.

Hearts 5

Visually, the game’s 2D renders look very polished and refined.  In comparison to End of Serenity, it looks quite good.  From the details of the environment drawings to the fact that character and enemy renders move in battle, it all around looks pretty decent for the kind of game it is.

I cannot say a lot for music. It fits with the style, but I doubt it will be anything you will overly fallin love with.

Presentation is mostly good, except for stuttering.  Every time you load a new area or when a battle animation is about to play, the game freezes and stutters for a split-second.  This amount of lag is very apparent in battle, but not as much so during loading screens for new areas.  It is a bit annoying, especially with how fast everything else runs in the game.

warcinfo:
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2018-39
publisher: Common Crawl
description: Wide crawl of the web for September 2018
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
hostname: ip-10-45-127-147.ec2.internal
software: Apache Nutch 1.15 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
robots: checked via crawler-commons 0.11-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)
format: WARC File Format 1.1
conformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/


text:
Ride New Orleans envisions a region in which taking transit enables full access to jobs, education, health care, and other needs that ensure the equitable, thriving community that all residents deserve.

The Problem

While transit service works for some, too many of our residents can’t get where they need to go in a reasonable amount of time.

Lack of access

The average transit-reliant New Orleanian can only reach 12 percent of the region’s jobs in 30 minutes or less.

Missing regional connections

We have an interdependent, regional economy, but our transit system stops at the parish line, meaning too many jobs are out of reach for residents – no matter where they live.

Unequal Priorities

Major transit investments like the Rampart/St. Claude streetcar haven’t helped improve access – especially for residents outside of our central neighborhoods.

The Solution

Region-wide, world-class, and equitable transit that gets residents to jobs and other important places quickly and reliably.

Frequent and Reliable

Prioritize and fund community-supported improvements that increase frequency, reliability, and connectivity.

Build convenient and seamless regional transit lines that get residents where they need to go quickly, no matter where they live.

Better bus stops, clear signage, reliable real time, common sense schedules and transfers mean an easier time for riders

What We Do

Build the rider voice

We work directly with riders through our grassroots rider-led organizing arm, the Coalition for Quality Transit, to build a stronger transit rider voice.

Win tangible change

Working with riders, elected leaders, transit officials, and many others, our targeted campaigns win measurable improvements that make it easier to take transit

Drive the conversation

Our reports, white papers, policy briefs, and forums inform residents and local leaders about challenges to overcome and opportunities to improve our transit network

No Rampart/St. Claude streetcar extension – for now?

Consultants to the RTA presented their findings from a months-long study to extend the Rampart/St. Claude streetcar tracks along St. Claude and down Elysian Fields on Aug. 21. Ride New …

The table is set – State of Transit 2018

The transit table is set and we’ve got the good silverware out. But if we want to sit down and eat there’s still a lot of work to do. That’s …

Transit riders have a new voice

Ride New Orleans’ Board President Fred Neal Jr. has been appointed by Mayor LaToya Cantrell to be one of eight members of the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) board …

View All


text:
The Analytics of Everything

Press enter to search
Close search
Open Menu

The Analytics of Everything

By Tim Denman - 05/23/2017

Retail success hinges on the ability for retail executives to infuse analytic insight into the decision making process.

At the Retail and Consumer Goods Analytics Summit (RCAS) 2017, held in Chicago April 26-28, headline speakers from Kimberly-Clark, Walmart and NBCUniversal drilled this business reality home with real-world examples from the field and advice for those far along the analytics maturity ladder as well as those just starting out.

In its fourth year RCAS really hit its stride. We had our most impressive speaker lineup to date and a packed meeting room filled with the who’s who in analytics in both retail and consumer goods.

The event kicked off with a masterful keynote presentation by Suja Chandrasekaran, CIO, Kimberly-Clark Corporation. The former SVP and global chief technology officer & chief data officer at Walmart gave a tour-de-force recap of the current state of analytics across both retail and consumer goods.

“As an industry we are behind in analytics,” she said. “And we can’t be behind. It is not rocket science we can master it.”

The key to the mastery of next-gen analytics according to Chandrasekaran is artificial intelligence and machine learning that can provide true predictive insight into shopper behavior and demand. “Traditional analytics lose value over time,” she said. “While AI based systems gain value.”

Following Chandrasekaran’s opening keynote, David Ahuja, senior director, Walmart Technology took to the stage and followed the theme of taking analytics capabilities to the next level. He spoke of the evolution of analytics from a misunderstood discipline to the backbone of every major organization today.

Analytics started with the buzz of big data and IT execs spent a lot of time explaining its use to business leaders. Analytics 2.0 ushered in the age of the data scientist.  “We all hired a bunch of people with the title of data scientist and told them to go do data science,” he said. “They were all over the company doing great work but it was not very organized.”

As we enter what he dubs Analytics 3.0 the digital enterprise is not about technology but providing value for the customer and retailers need to adjust their strategy and processes to meet this new reality.

“Our biggest problem is data,” he said. “Not creating data but working with it. If you are not paying attention to governance, on how you make decision models, you will need to do it. If you do not get the data right you cannot do the analytics effectively.”

The effective use of analytic tools was the cornerstone of David Dittmann’s, director, business intelligence & analytics services, Procter & Gamble, presentation on predictive and prescriptive analytics. He discussed P&G’s long history with analytics, from its humble beginnings in 1963 to its market-leading position today.

He discussed the importance of getting business leaders’ buy-in to build truly dynamic analytic capabilities. “Leadership doesn’t view models as sexy,” he said. “You need to come up with a way to engage business in the models. There must be a place for senior leadership to come in and engage.”

The key to enterprise level success Dittmann believes is the analysts’ ability to be highly fluent in the business. They cannot be a separate entity, but valuable members of the decision-making process. To earn this seat at the table, however, data scientists must be able or create unexpected insights that can be leveraged to make critical business decisions.

The innovative use of analytics firepower was a key theme of Cameron Davies’, senior vice president, analytics, NBCUniversal, presentation. He discussed Everett Rogers five traits of successful innovations and provided an analytics spin to the author’s seminal work, and provided real-world examples from NBCUniversal.

The five traits are create a relative advantage; compatibility; simple and easy to use; easy to trial; and observable result.

Create a relative advantage. There are four types of superiority: create an economic benefit, social prestige, pain relief (Uber), and immediate reward (tinder) he said. “We created an analytics dashboard so people can get what they need and the team doesn’t have to spend 70% of their time sending out reports. Build from the business problem down, not the tech up.”

Compatibility. The degree to which an idea aligns with the targeted users’ current worldviews, habits, and activities.

Simple and easy to use. How well users can easily learn and adapt a concept’s key functions.

Easy to trial. How well an innovation can be sampled, tested, or trialed at low risk. “You need to have centralized teams that can help people get started,” he said. “You need to be able to spin up a low cost proof of concept. Fail fast and cheap, adjust, then try again.”

Observable results. How the benefits of the concept can be easily measure or observed. “Success breeds success and failure breeds contempt,” he said. “Profitable projects rarely have trouble finding funding.”

This is just a small taste of the magic that was up on the stage at RCAS this year. If you are involved in the field of analytics or simply need a better understanding of the discipline to better perform your job, attendance at RCAS is a must. Be sure to join us at the end of April next year when RIS and CGT Magazine will once again join forces to put on RCAS 2018. As the event and the field grows this is the place to learn from and network with the best and brightest in the industry.

More Blog Posts In This Series

RIS' Keeps Its Eye on the Horizon

This month’s issue is packed with forward-facing content, designed to give our readers a glimpse of what the retail landscape of tomorrow will look like.

Amazon’s Prime Day Rolls On Despite Technology Let Down

Anxious Prime Day shoppers encountered website slowdowns and crashes as they flocked to the annual flash sale event. Amazon powered through the tech disaster, emerging with another record-breaking event. But at what cost? Industry experts weigh in.

What Would You Change?

RIS asks some of retail’s most influential the one thing they would change about the retail industry, and a common theme emerged. Check out what these retail leaders think is ripe for change.


text:
Grandmas Are Vintage.

My pheromones must be operating at a high octane or something… While running some errands for my friends, casually walking through the grocery store, checking off the list, grabbing some goodies that look yummy, talking into my ear buds to my manager and as I’m walking up to the liqueur section of the store, a man abruptly pops up from his stocking duties and says, “What are you looking for?” Cheerily, I tell him what I’m looking for and he guides me to it. With a  side of sarcasm, saying that he knows of a much better wine and should consider trying that one instead. Oh, OK, well, I’m not buying for me so thank you, but no thanks. Find my wine. Thank you. Now, shoo. Still standing in the liqueur isle, not a bottle in my dolly, I’m scouring for this specific wine I was set out to buy. Which is usually, quite easily found, but today, is hiding from me and I see every other option for this brand; Except, the grigio. Ten, agonizing minutes later. Liqueur section guy comes back and jokes that its not just going to hop in the shopping cart on its own. Funny. Are you the retail comedy relief? That damn grigio is nowhere to be found. Wild goose chase.  He plops down to the bottom shelf and starts helping me search and finds it behind other brands a foot away from where he first showed me. I’m pretty sure some wino purposely hid it there. Where I -the non lush- wouldn’t find it. He fills up my little reusable bag with six bottles, which is all it can fit and hands it to me. Thanks. He shakes his head. This wine is garbage. You should be drinking something better than this. Well, again, kind grocery clerk, it’s not for me. I’m merely checking off my list. I attempt to roll away as he’s holding tightly to a bottle of red. I’m reading the bottle and it says vintage… 2010. Vintage is NOT three years ago homie. Cars from the early 1900s are vintage. Jewelry found at garage sales, handed down from previous generations, are vintage. Grandma’s… are vintage.

As I’m leaving the liquer section, stock boy has apparently tossed this 2010 classic wine, into my shopping buggy. What the… Well, it actually, makes me smile because he was persistent about this wine. Clown. I put it on the end cap and head to the checkout. Guess who pops up behind me -literally out of nowhere- and asks what I did with the wine? Yep. You guessed it. The annoying proprietor. I’m supposed to believe it hijacked itself into my cart. Hello? I think you’re aware of that, salesperson. He quickly returns, buys it and again, tosses into my grocery wagon. And demands to see me back later that evening, in the parking lot, at a specified time and that he’ll bring the paper cups.

Excuse me, what?

2 thoughts on “Grandmas Are Vintage.”

Leave a Reply


text:
Brian Auger – Rhymes with Blogger

Is he a jazz keyboardist? Is he a rock musician? Is he a r&b player?
Even Brian Auger finds it difficult to put a peg on his particular brand of music.
I’ve always held by the Duke Ellington quote, that ‘there are only two kinds of music, good and bad’, he told the ‘get ready to rock’ website. “I’ve never been able to pigeonhole my music, because there are so many elements in it, right through to strong classical influences …..

Long after most of his keyboard-playing peers have either retired or gone to that Great Jukebox in the Sky, Mr. Auger continues to be in demand.  He has either toured, recorded or played on sessions with Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Eric Clapton, Van Morrison and Sonny Boy Williamson, to name just a few. (Whew! No wonder the beancounters cannot “pigeonhole” the music.) He even toured with Eric Burdon in the early 90s and recorded a live album with him in 1993.

Raised in London, he came of age in England’s so-called Swingin’ Sixties. According to Spotify Mr. Auger first began listening to jazz on the American Armed Forces network  and his older brother’s record collection. He studied piano as a youngster. After hearing a Jimmy Smith album at a local record shop, Brian went to a music shop and ordered a Hammond organ according to the musicguy247 website.He began playing in London clubs while still in his teens and still has fond memories of those days: “We’d play Art Blakey, Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, a sort of East Coast Bop outfit with a blues edge. We’d play Horace Silver stuff for example, and it was an easy switch to playing R&B ….”
In 1965 he formed Steampacket with Julie Driscoll, Vic Briggs, John Baldry and a promising newcomer named Rod Stewart. Not surprisingly, perhaps, the original line-up of Steampacket didn’t last long
I first became aware of Brian Auger when he formed the group Trinity. With Julie Driscoll on vocals the group had an unexpected hit on the pop charts with a cover of Bob Dylan’s “This Wheel’s On Fire.”
In 1970 the keyboardist formed Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express. The original line-up included drummer Robbie McIntosh and several other musicians who would later form the Average White Band of “Pick Up the Pieces” fame. I still have an original vinyl copy of Live Oblivion with the group’s classic version of Wes Montgomery’s “Bumpin’ on Sunset.”
Mr. Auger and his family moved to the States in 1975.  (My record company and my agency were here in Los Angeles. I was bouncing up and down the I-5 for quite a long time, so I decided at a certain point that I’d come down here,” he recalled for the musicguy247 website,” Lee Michaels… another organ player, lives in Malibu, said “I’ve got this place for you. Why don’t you, the kids, and everybody, have a look at it and come down here . We eventually ended up transferring to Malibu … Then we decided we liked Venice. It was actually more like the place where I grew up in London. There were people on the street… kids… and stuff going on.”
Oblivion Express was revived in 2005 with Brian, son Karma on drums, daughter Savannah on vocals, and Derek Frank on bass.
FAMILY PORTRAIT: Karma Auger (top) Brian Auger (middle) and Savannah Grace Auger (bottom right)
In 2014 Brian Auger and Oblivion Express played at the KJAZZ festival in Los Angeles and toured in Japan and Europe with Karma Auger on drums, daughter Ali and Alex Ligertwood (former Oblivion Express and longtime Santana singer) on vocals, Yarone Levy on guitar, Les King on bass and Travis Carlton, Larry Carlton’s son, on bass.

It is difficult (if not impossible) to sum up Mr. Auger’s diverse career in a sentence.  With thirty albums to his name, ten of which charted on Billboard, Grammy nominations and sell-out concerts Mr. Auger has nothing left to prove and new horizons in music to explore.(He recently recorded with Latin rockers El Chicano and toured with Italian superstar Zucchero)

Whatever the style of music, the improvisation he first experienced in jazz plays a key role in his ongoing creativity. As he tells, “It’s always important. It’s absolutely important. The reason I keep as much room for solos is because improvisation is where everything grows, all new ideas.”

To hear some of Brian Auger’s music  click on the link below for a two-part podcast saluting Mr. Auger’s artistry over the decades:

Author: rixbitz

media gadfly

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out /  Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.


WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: application/xhtml+xml

text:
Commodity Trading Advisors

What is a Commodity Trading Advisor?

Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs) are professional investment managers, similar to portfolio managers in mutual funds, who seek to profit from movements in the global financial, commodity and currency markets by investing in exchange traded futures and options and OTC forward contracts. Check out our CTA Database for a comprehensive listing. CTAs are:

  • Regulated by the:
    • SEC regulates equity and bond related securities
    • CFTC exchange traded futures and options products as well as foreign exchange
  • Registered through the CFTC and members of the National Futures Association (NFA). (Registration status is available to the public through

How do CTAs Differ?

If you have traded for yourself, you understand that there are a variety of trading methodologies used to identify trading opportunities and implement risk management strategies. After years of trading and testing methodologies, CTAs maintain a disciplined trading niche through either a systematic or discretionary approach.

  • Technical vs. Fundamental
  • Systematic vs. Discretionary
  • Trading Styles
    • Trend Following
    • Counter Trend
    • Arbitrage
    • Option Writing or Selling
    • Global Macro/Fundamental Focus
  • Short-Term, Intermediate-Term, and Long-Term
  • Emerging vs. Established

RJO Futures | 222 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 1200 | Chicago, Illinois 60606 | United States
800.441.1616 | 312.373.5478

This material has been prepared by a sales or trading employee or agent of RJO Futures and is, or is in the nature of, a solicitation. This material is not a research report prepared by RJO Futures Research Department. By accepting this communication, you agree that you are an experienced user of the futures markets, capable of making independent trading decisions, and agree that you are not, and will not, rely solely on this communication in making trading decisions.


text:
Post-Hanukkah Post

Did you hear that loud noise yesterday?

No, it was not an explosion or a riot,

but loud sighs of relief that the Hanukkah holiday season is finally over.

Hanukkah candles

Hanukkah may last 8 days with lots of candles in the rest of the world,

but in Jerusalem, Israel, it seems to go on forever.

Hanukkah photo

First there are the trips to school performances for each child,

after which children have over a week of vacation,

while most parents still have to go work.

Then there is the challenge

sugganiah photo

of eating suffganiot

picture Hanukkah

and keeping your face free of all that powdered sugar or chocolate on top.

It is truly a Hanukkah miracle to see how quickly those suffganiot disappear.

Ellie Klein donuts

Once again this year, the consumption award goes to Elie Klein,

who ate 125 of these jelly donuts and raised $17,900 for 111 charities.

The open windows that displayed the Hanukkah lights

are now closed to keep out the winter cold.

Hanukkah photo

Eight nights of Hanukkah were enough.

Flower photo Jerusalem

It is winter-time and so cold inside, but look as

Flowers Jerusalem

flowers are popping up all around this week.

And believe it or not, I already heard people discussing Purim costumes!


text:
Why Roland Frasier Strategic Business Growth is Effective

Roland FrasierRoland Frasier

Whether you are running an online business or a local store, thinking on how to boost the growth of your business is important especially if you are just starting in the industry. At present, whatever your niche is, there are plenty of competitors you will find. Each of them also tries their best to boost the growth of their business. That is the reason why you should find the best way on how you can stay ahead of the competition.

Once you started shopping around for different marketing strategies, there are tons of choices you can pick from. But, you should take note that some of them may give your desired results and others may not provide your desired satisfaction. Thus, before you start shopping around, you should find out first your needs. Knowing the needs of your business at the first place is never been a bad idea as this can provide you clues on which strategy may work on your requirements.

Roland Frasier Online

Once you have known your needs, the next step you should do is to look around for the great strategies that may fit on your needs and which experts can help you. If you’re a bit confused with the choices, choosing Roland Frasier strategic business growth can be a wise idea. Roland Frasier has been working in the industry for a few years and has already encountered different marketing issues, which majority of marketers has faced. That is why you can be assured that he can offer you the solutions, which your business can take advantage of.

Roland Frasier OnlineRoland Frasier strategic business growth is a marketing strategy, which will surely give your business a boost. Regardless of your experience in the industry and no matter what the size of your business, you can guarantee that this strategic business growth offered by Roland Frasier will make a huge difference in your day-to-day operation as will witness changes.
Roland Frasier strategic business growth is known for its effectiveness.

Roland Frasier Schwartz Post

As a matter of fact, a lot of marketers have reaped its provided benefits. Therefore, if you’re one of those who like to try something new while acquiring the results you desire, then do not hesitate to choose this marketing strategy. In comparison to other available strategies, you will only get what you need as Roland Frasier designed it with you in mind for you to experience peace of mind when managing your business in this tough competition.


text:
Sony Xperia Z3 Insurance

from only £5.99

Insurance Choice Awards Winner
Price Match Guarantee 24 hour replacement

Protect Your Sony Xperia Z3 Today!

If you are lucky enough to own the new Sony Xperia Z3 then you should definitely consider getting it insured because lets face it you don't want to be without it for long.

  • Infinity Unlimited Repairs
  • Spanner 24 Hour Replacements^^
  • Collection / Return Free Collect / Return on All Gadgets
  • Pound 14 Day Money Back Guarantee
  • Blue tickCracked Screens
  • Blue tickLiquid Damage
  • Blue tickAccidental Damage
  • Blue tickBreakdown
  • Blue tickTheft, Loss & Unauthorised Calls**
  • Blue tickInternational Trips
  • Blue tickImmediate Family

I saved over £20 per month compared with D&G for the exact same level of cover.

Getting an online quote was easy, the price was almost half what we paid with my previous supplier.

Can't recommend enough for ease of use, low prices and helpful service

I saved over £55 per month on my 7 appliances and 1 gadget!

Why choose

Our Z3 insurance is designed to benefit our customers by providing cover against accidental, electrical and mechanical damage from just £5.99 a month. If you pay on an annual basis you'll receive 5% off, or even 20% off if you cover 4 gadgets or more on an annual basis. You can also add cover against loss, theft and unauthorised call cover for only £1 extra a month.

  • White tickLow Cost
  • White tickFlexible Payments
  • White tickMake Multiple Claims^
  • White tickLow Excesses
  • White tick14 Day Money Back Guarantee
  • White tickUp To 20% Discount*
Star icon

Insurance Choice Awards winner and finalist in 2016 & 2017

Heart icon

Our customers love us
4.72 rating on Google

Shield icon

We've insured over 100,000 gadgets & appliances

Duck icon

Our call centre & support team are all in the UK

Protect Your Sony Xperia Z3 – Tips & Tricks

Top tips for keeping your Sony safe:

  • Put a case on it if you can – there are lots to choose from don't you know? Our MD has one with pencils on it. Get it? Pencil case! Awful we know.
  • Put a screen protector on it.
  • Keep your phone in an inside pocket or a bag with a strap when you're out and about.
  • Register your phone with your network provider.
  • Lock your Sony when you're not using it.
  • Keep your system updated using the automated update software package.
  • Keep it on your person whenever you can.

  • Splash your Sony about in the bath.
  • Install dubious software you're unsure of.
  • Leave it on the dashboard of your car, you like your phone, don't you?
  • Drop it... love it!
  • Have it out of arms reach.
Gold stars
ME £60

Gold stars

Featured Products

Mobile Phone

Small mobile

Small tablet

Small watch

Washing machine

Popular products


text:
Navajo code talker is honored as a ‘warrior’

Joe Hosteen Kellwood, who died on Monday at the Veterans Hospital in Phoenix, was a Navajo code talker with the 1st Marine Division during World War II.

While he saw combat at Cape Gloucester, Peleliu, and Okinawa, Mr. Kellwood’s main role in the war was as one of more than 400 Navajo code talkers who took advantage of their complex and little-known language to help the US military transmit messages that the Japanese could not decipher.

“Kellwood served with distinction in the 1st Marine Division as a Navajo code talker, ultimately helping lead the Allied forces to victory in World War II,” said Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey in a statement. “Let us never forget the countless contributions that code talkers made to our state and our country.” READ MORE.


text:
Rowyn (rowyn) wrote,

Yet More Hospital

 The latest attempt at mobilization (the process of getting Lut's body to make enough stem cells in the blood stream that they can collect enough for a transplant) started 13 days ago. It had been going reasonably well, though not great.  We are at the point where "if things went great, we would've been able to collect stem cells from you today".  Things had not gone great, and his white blood cell count was still at the "too low to be detected" point. Since the chemo (cytoxin), he'd been given fluids once and platelets twice, but hadn't needed hemoglobin yet. He was feeling about as well as he had before the chemo.
Yesterday evening, at 6:30, I went in to talk to him about dinner and he felt hot to me when I touched his forehead.  So I took his temperature: 100.4, which is 1/10th of a degree below the "call 911, you are going to the hospital" threshold. I made him dinner and we sat down to watch Blade Runner 2049.  An hour later, I took his temperature again: 100.9.
So I called 911 and we waited for the paramedics.  They arrived and said "oh hey uh we've both been sick lately so maybe you should just take him to the ER yourself."
I took him to the ER, then called the BMT 24-hour line.  I am still confused as to what the exact order of operations is supposed to be with various symptoms.  It seems like "just take him to the ER" is the quickest, to be honest.  Anyway, the ER saw him pretty quickly and started him on a course of general antibiotics at once, because with immune-suppressed patients they do not fool around. I hung around the ER until 10:30, then went home to get some sleep.
Not very much sleep: about 5.5 hours.  Then back to the hospital this morning to see how he's doing.  His fever at the hospital had gone down, and some of the readings have been normal, although it had spiked just before I left him this morning.  He doesn't have any other symptoms (this is as expected, because when you have no white blood cells they can't cause any of the fighting-off-infections symptoms).  They haven't found any signs of infection yet. So possibly it is just an allergen-caused fever, or "fever because that sometimes happens when you have no white blood cells."
There is at least a chance he'll be able to proceed with mobilization despite the hospitalization. I am not sure what happens next if we abort mobilization again. Lut thinks there are more options for collection. I kind of thought there was a point where they go "this isn't going to work, just go back to normal chemo and how for the best." But I don't know if we're there yet.
Anyway, since Lut's in the hospital, I do not need to be at home taking care of him. So I went to work today.
The enforced staycation for the last twelve days was not too bad up until the hospital stay. Daily doctor appointments, sometimes for several hours, but mostly pretty quick. Lut hasn't been able to do much for himself and he can't have restaurant food, so I was doing a lot of cooking and cleaning. But I had a lot of free time too. I finished editing Demon's Lure on Saturday night, so that put me ahead of my writing schedule for the month. I should have gone straight to editing Demon's Sigil,  or possibly to working on The Princess, Her Dragon their Prince. Instead I went haring off after the outline for Frost, which is full of problematic material and was originally started in 2015. I'd forgotten all about it until something reminded me of it on Thursday. I doubt I will make this thing my next WIP. But I will let myself noodle at it until the end of the month, because cancer is the worst and my brain deserves some candy.
Next month has to be more editing or work on planned next book, though. Assuming cancer doesn't take another turn into AHHH NUUU land.
Prayers for Lut's recovery appreciated  thank you.
This entry was originally posted at Please comment there using OpenID.
Tags: cancer, life, writing about writing
  • Post a new comment

    default userpic

    Your reply will be screened

    When you submit the form an invisible reCAPTCHA check will be performed.
    You must follow the Privacy Policy and Google Terms of use.


text:
Welcome to Residential Program Solution Center

The Better Buildings Residential Program Solution Center is a repository for lessons learned, resources, and knowledge from program administrators and industry experts across the country. Click on the links below for more information to help plan, operate, and evaluate residential energy efficiency programs.

Get Started

Step-by-step guidance, tips, and resources to start a program or make program changes

Get Solutions

Answers to common challenges, proven practices, and recent peer discussions

No front page content has been created yet.

Proven Practices

Peer Exchange Calls

The Better Buildings Residential Network hosts Peer Exchange Calls to discuss needs and challenges and to collectively identify effective strategies and useful resources for program administrators. Explore past calls via more than 200 call summaries.

Get Involved

Ask questions, sign up for updates, and access opportunities for peer exchange

Email Sign Up

Better Buildings Residential Network to participate in discussions with peers.

Contact Us

With Comments or Questions


text:
Scientists have explained why women suffer from migraines

Scientists have explained why women suffer from migraines

MOSCOW, 14 Aug — RIA Novosti. Women often suffer from migraines due to the fact that the nerve cells causing the pain, become more active in the presence of estrogen, a female sex hormone. To such conclusion scientists, who published an article in the journal Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences.

“Now we are preparing to conduct preclinical testing on human volunteers, not suffering from such headaches. If these experiments will be completed successfully, then we will achieve close to creating personalized drugs for treatment of migraine,” said Antonio Ferrer-Montiel (Antonio Ferrer-Montiel) from the University Miguel Hernandez in Elche (Spain).

News5 diseases that have different effects on men and women

Migraine is a neurological disease, the most frequent and characteristic symptom of which is occasional or regular strong and painful headaches in one half of the head. The causes of pain can be different — physical stress, food, weather factors, lack of sleep, and much more. As a rule, women suffer more migraines than men.

Sometimes a migraine is preceded by the so-called “aura” — a temporary deterioration in the perception of reality, which manifests itself in blurred vision, hallucinations, numbness or problems with speech. Recent studies show that the predisposition to migraine is mostly associated with a device of some genes, including those DNA regions that are responsible for the body’s response to cold.


text:
Sep/Oct 2018 Current Moscow Time: 00:15:47
22 September 2018

  The world’s biggest country, in a magazine. Since 1956.

Author: Yuliya Ballou

May/June 2018
Page 29   ( 1 pages)

Summary: A popular song about paintings helps language learners pick up some artistic vocabulary.

This article appeared in the May/June 2018 issue of Russian Life. The text of this article is not available online. Follow the link to the full issue listing to see if the back issue is available through our webstore.


text:
I occasionally make games in a free program called Construct 2. It allows you to make browser based HTML5 games without learning the horror that is JavaScript.

I also make games in other languages on occasions too!

This page features a list of my games. Will be updated (in)frequently.

  • Space – Generic space shooter with highscores. WIP
  • Touch – Unnamed touch based game that works with your mouse too! WIP
  • Tank Shooter – Coded in Greenfoot using Java. Shoot tanks.

Leave a Reply


text:
Cart 0

Fashion Week Day 3 - Designers Nest

Designers Nest is a show for selected graduates from the different Nordic Design Schools. It was once again an amazing and inspiring experience.
We let the pictures speak for themselves and would like to give our congratulations to Daniel from Kolding Design School who won first prize.

Older Post Newer Post


text:
The motions below are for the tournament scheduled for Saturday, 05 May. There will be 3 rounds and each division will have one unprepared motion.

Senior Motions:

  • This house would prohibit out of court settlements for workplace discrimination and harassment.
  • This house supports the replacement of municipal water meters with prepaid meters.

Junior Motions:

  • This house regrets the conception of a national hero.
  • This house would ban the use of plastic straws.


text:
daniel horton Sacramento Juvenile Court Official Arrested On Child Molestation Accusations

Daniel Horton

Daniel Horton, 47, was arrested Wednesday. He was booked into the Sacramento County Jail and released on bail.

The Sacramento Police Department arrested Horton, 47, for annoying or molesting a child and for attempting to contact a minor with the intent to commit a sexual offense.

Horton is a referee with the Sacramento Juvenile Dependency Court, hearing cases involving neglected and/or abused children under 18.

According to police, on several occasions Horton has presented himself as a modeling agent photographer. He has requested to photograph the victims, who are under age 18, in either a bathing suit or nude. Horton is believed to have discussed the fictitious “masturbation club” with minors and to have offered them money in exchange for sexual acts, police said.

The investigation revealed that Horton may have propositioned several teens and likely has additional victims under age 18.

Police said Horton drives a light gold 2002 Mercedes C320 and frequents the Folsom Boulevard corridor between State University Drive and Zinfandel Drive. He has also been seen in the Madison Avenue and Sunrise Boulevard areas.

The Sacramento Police Department asks anyone with information on this case to call the dispatch center at (916) 264-5471 or Crime Alert at (916) 443-HELP (4357) or text in a tip to 274637 (CRIMES).

Detectives urge anyone under age 18 who has been propositioned or approached by Horton to call police.

Comments (28)
  1. JMHO says:

    I am thoroughly disgusted. It’s bad enough when an average Joe takes advantage of minors. but this man is an officer of the court whose job it is to serve the best interests of children in family court. I’m sick to my stomach.

  2. mad as hell says:

    give this piece of s@%t a rope so he may serve justice to himself…………nothing else

  3. sassafras says:

    So many professionals in our schools and government committing sexual crimes involving children, what is happening here? One gay judge can overturn the vote of citizens three other ultra liberal judges can also rule over the citizens, corruption in this state is getting out of hand big time.

    1. LiberalButConservative says:

      How is your comment related to this article?

  4. hsj says:

    This is shocking but the reality is that Sacramento child agencies, FAMILY LAW COURT, JUDGES, LAWYERS AND COURT OFFICIALS have been abusing, kidnapping, murdering, child trafficking and extorting BIG FUNDS FOR MANY MANY YEARS UNDER THE GUISE OF LAW.

  5. Voice of Reason says:

    It has been brought to my attention that ppl who commit crimes like this have been subconsciously designing thier life around this singular act, for decade in most cases. This man knew he was attreacted to children even before he entered into college. Its really a shame there is not some type of psychological testing done for individuals in these positions dealing with minors.

    1. JMHO says:

      I’d like to know if court referees are ever alone with children in the cases they hear. I know they meet collectively with attorneys, social workers, and other relevant parties.

  6. It's out of hand! says:

    “And is out on bail…”
    I can not express the anger that permeates my being at this statement.
    And yet these courts set bail for hackers, or white collar criminals who had no child threatening offenses so high they can’t make bail.
    This system is out of hand and disgusting. Our children are being threatened and they turn around and let him walk out because they got their money.
    It is time for a revolution.

    1. JMHO says:

      I agree. Crimes against children should have substantially hire bail amounts and should have substantially stiffer penalties. We don’t take these crimes seriously enough and children pay the price throughout their lives. It’s disgusting.

  7. hsj says:

  8. Freebird says:

    Quick, before anyone notices, give him his pension! Freakin pervert.

  9. Reid says:

    Please dont lose sight of the fact that this is human being, a husband, and the father of a family. He obviously did many terrible things and will pay dearly for his actions but still deserves compassion. We are all sinners, and we should pray for healing and forgiveness rather than attacking. Justice will be served but mercy should not be forgotten either.

    1. JMHO says:

      Give me a BREAK! He deserves no compassion. We are NOT all sinners, and the vast majority of those who are don’t prey on children like this. Don’t ever try to put me or the vast majority of HUMAN beings in the same category as this guy. He knew exactly what he was doing and got away with it for as long as he could get away with it. I have no empathy for his situation. I do feel badly for his family, but he deserves nothing but shame, admonition, and justice to the fullest extent of the law. The children he has exploited will be paying for his abuse the rest of their lives.

  10. Freebird says:

    This is a Sacramento court commissioner who sat as a judge on many dependency and juvenile cases. How many families did this man destroy? This is a call on to the public who has had anything to do with him to demand a full redress of your case. Ya, the judge that gladly terminated your rights to your child just got arrested on child molestation charges!

    1. hsj says:

      There are many more corrupt judges like him, if not all. We have the three time convicted Judge Mcbrien still on the bench. The gross fraud, corruption, child abuse, child kidnapping, child murders, child trafficking is mostly covered up by the CORRUPT JUDICIARY of this miscreant and many other JUDGES. Their has been no redress allowed and it has been obdurately denied furthering heinous crimes against our children. Our legislatures are to blame and MAINLY THE JUDICIARY. THE GOVT IS RACKETEERING. THE NEW MAFIA

  11. rvg says:

    I am a father of three minors girls that sat at trial for a matter of hours in front of this almighty honorable refree.My 11 year old daughter at the time had to go behind doors and participate in questioning from this individual.She answerd yes to all but a couple of questions served to her.His persuasion and influence on my child led to the termination of my parental rights.My children are now adopted and I have no contact of any sort.My question to all is how was my trial a fair trial based on the actions unforseen ot this person at the time. Whether or not my child was proposiitioned while tn trial behind doors is questionable because I was in the court room.

    1. hsj says:

      Sorry to hear of your predicament, this is very, very sad. This happens everyday to our children here with the most corrupt judiciary in the Country.The Sacramento court judges and court officials have been selling and trafficking children for many years under the GUISE of LAW. The judiciary is corrupt and the media and govt have been covering up these heinous and sick SOB’S CRIMES. Please go to facebook and leave a PM at hztsnkrjr

  12. JMN says:

    He was me and my daughters JUDGE, wow……and he never even asked me to make a statement during those court ordered visits….Dang…he seemed always interested in what my daughters’ views were and what she had to say so that in thisway he could have been interested in checking her out as a potential “client” for his agency or sex club. Hhhhhmmmmm

    1. JMHO says:

      Based on what has been reported thus far, he hit on girls he found driving around — not girls in cases he presided over.

  13. hsj says:

    WHERE: William Ridgeway Family Courthouse on Power Inn Road, Sacramento
    WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 23
    TIME: 11:00-1:00 or later – last time we stayed til 3-4pm
    We have another platform with the arrest of Judge/REFEREE HORTON for CHILD MOLESTATION

    The Family Law Courts are full of CHILD PREDATORS.

    Please come and bring signs if you wish. We’ll meet at Starbucks at the SE corner of Power Inn Road and Ramona.
    If you need, wear a medical mask and a disguise, to prevent retaliation. This protest is inclusive of all PARENTS, MOTHERS, FATHERS, FAMILIES, TAXPAYERS AND ALL ADVOCATES FOR GOOD against the abuses, harm , child molestation, kidnapping, murder of our children by the FRAUDULENT AND CORRUPT FAMILY LAW COURTS.

    1. hsj says:

      New PROTEST date Thursday, March 8, 2012 – CHANGE PER COURT CALENDAR
      WHERE: Sacramento County Courthouse (Downtown Courthouse) 720 Ninth St., Sacramento, CA 95814, 9:00 AM Department 47 Downtown Courthouse
      WHEN: Thursday, March 8, 2012
      TIME: 8:30-10:00 +

      -9:00 AM Department 47 Downtown Courthouse

      The Family Law Courts are full of CHILD PREDATORS / CHILD MOLESTERS.

      Please come and bring signs if you wish. We’ll meet at west side entrance of courthouse on 8th street between G and H .

      If you need, wear a medical mask and a disguise, to prevent retaliation. This protest is inclusive of all PARENTS, MOTHERS, FATHERS, FAMILIES, TAXPAYERS AND ALL ADVOCATES FOR GOOD against the abuses, harm , child molestation, kidnapping, murder of our children by the FRAUDULENT AND CORRUPT FAMILY LAW COURTS.

Leave a Reply to Reid Cancel reply

Please log in using one of these methods to post your comment:

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
The Methodist Healthcare Sleep Centers in San Antonio conduct a variety of diagnostic tests using the latest medical technology to assist physicians in the evaluation and treatment of sleep disorders including sleep apnea, insomnia, narcolepsy, restless leg syndrome and sleepwalking.

Our goal is to restore quality of life to those suffering from sleep disorders. Answering some simple questions can determine if you are a candidate for a sleep study. If you are experiencing any of the following symptoms, please contact your medical provider to request a referral for a sleep study at one of our Sleep Center locations near either the South Texas Medical Center, Downtown San Antonio or Live Oak.

STOP Test:

Answer the following questions to find out if you are at risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

YES / NO | (Snore) Have you been told that you snore?
YES / NO | (Tired) Are you often tired during the day?
YES / NO | (Obstruction) Has anyone told you that you stop breathing while you are asleep?
YES / NO | (Pressure) Do you have high blood pressure or on blood pressure medication?

If you answered YES to two or more questions on the STOP portion you are at risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea. It is recommended that you contact your primary care provider to discuss a possible sleep disorder.

BANG Test:

To find out if you are at moderate to severe risk of Obstructive Sleep Apnea, complete the questions below.

YES / NO | (BMI) Is your body mass index greater than 28?
YES / NO | (Age) Are you 50 years old or older?
YES / NO | (Neck) Is your circumference greater than 17 inches (male), or 16 inches (female)?
YES / NO | (Gender) Are you a male?

The more questions you answer YES to on the BANG portion, the greater your risk of having moderate to severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Do you experience inadequate or poor-quality sleep? Do you think you may be suffering from insomnia? The Methodist Healthcare Sleep Centers can help.

If you are experiencing constant difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep or feel you don't receive quality rest and it is affecting your energy during the day, your memory, your personality or your attitude, you may be suffering from insomnia. Insomnia is not a disease. Rather, Insomnia is often the result of behavior or a symptom of an underlying physical or mental problem such as depression or anxiety.

Learn More About Insomnia

Narcolepsy is a sleep disorder characterized by the tendency to suddenly, uncontrollably fall asleep at any time. It is caused by your brain's inability to enforce normal sleep patterns and is considered a neurological disorder. Unexpected episodes of narcolepsy can be very dangerous. But, the Methodist Healthcare Sleep Centers can help.

Learn More About Narcoplepsy

Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that occurs when breathing stops for brief periods of time while a person is sleeping. Symptoms of sleep apnea include very loud snoring, long pauses of interrupted breathing during sleep, possibly even snorting, gasping or choking during sleep. Sleep apnea can lead to a variety of additional symptoms including irritability, decreased energy, depression, weight gain and more.

Learn More About Sleep Apnea

Parasomnias fall into two categories: REM and Non-REM (NREM) Disorders. REM is short for rapid eye movement. REM sleep is the most active stage of sleep, the part of sleep when most dreams and nightmares occur. During REM sleep, our muscles become relaxed and immobile. In those with REM behavior disorders, however, the muscles do not relax and people tend to act out their dreams.

Learn More About Parasomnia


text:
Salty Dog Cycling

a healthy lust for cycling…

Posts Tagged ‘health

This Day, I Rode

leave a comment »

This day, I slowly rode my bike to work,
Gliding across the gentle road,
Like a surfer on that glassy face,
Free from the weight of a crushing world,
This Day, the secret is mine, I know myself.

This morning I felt the soft rays of the late winter sun and thought back to my playful and sun-filled days as a child in San Diego. My heart was warm.

I heard the morning songs of unseen birds.  I remembered that the world wants nothing more from me than it wants from the birds.  Just be and sing your song.  My purpose was clear.

I said hello to a dozen people and stopped to visit an old golden retriever who was laying in the morning frost. I was deeply connected.

I smiled the whole way, and I arrived to work as the happiest SOB in the building, maybe even in the entire city….

This is why I ride!

– Salty Dog

Written by yellow fork

February 26, 2010 at 6:57 pm

LAPD Vows to Protect Cyclists

leave a comment »

Angeles Police Department Chief Charlie Beck told a group of bicycle advocates that department-wide training would be implemented to highlight the rights of bicyclists on the road and ensure that officers know how to deal with incidents involving bikes.

Beck’s statements come amid growing complaints from cyclists that their rights are being infringed by drivers. It marks the first time top LAPD brass has publicly addressed the issue.

Beck said bike riders are “our most vulnerable commuters” and that the police department needed to do a better job protecting them.

“We hear you, we know we need to do a better job for you,” Beck said.

Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger said the training would include a document that would be included in official department policy outlining officers’ responsibilities in dealing with cyclists on the road. He said it was still unclear what would be in the document but said he hoped to meet with bicycle groups and have it ready within 30 days.

Paysinger also said that in less than 45 days the department would create a computer-based “e-learning” agenda that would be mandatory for all police officers to help them better recognize problems and issues involving cyclists.

Paysinger also pointed to other actions the LAPD had recently taken involving bicyclists – creating a working group with advocacy groups, appointing an official liaison within the police department and ensuring that all incidents involving bicyclists are handled by each bureau’s traffic division – as evidence the LAPD had begun to take bicycling safety more seriously.

Beck’s statements came during a transportation committee meeting Wednesday afternoon. About 20 cycling advocates, including some from the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, came to the meeting to address Beck after they completed a bike ride to call for justice for victims of hit-and-run accidents and to protest what it says is unfair treatment of cyclists.

Councilman Bill Rosendahl, chairman of the transportation committee, said it was a “historic first” to have the chief of police listening directly to the experiences of cyclists and promising reform.

“Today is the beginning of a new day with the LAPD,” Rosendahl said. “My hope is that six months from now an officer will know the rights of cyclists as well as the rights of motorists.… I think the LAPD, like pretty much the citizenry in general, has had the car culture.”

The ride traced the route that local cyclist Ed Magos used to take on his daily commute to City Hall, where he works in the information technology department. Magos was injured Jan. 6 when he was struck from behind while cycling on 2nd Street near Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles, according to the coalition. The motorist stopped but then drove away. The motorist later went to an LAPD station but was not charged with a crime.

–Ari B. Bloomekatz

Photos: L.A. Times file

Written by yellow fork

February 25, 2010 at 9:12 pm

Cycling Quote

with one comment

This little piece is a signature line from an e-mail that I received, and I had to share.  It’s just wonderful and I felt much the same this morning riding in a light snowfall as the city was just coming awake.  For the moment, the world was breaking someone else’s heart.  No, not mine, not mine.

“When I go biking, I repeat a mantra of the day’s sensations:  bright
sun, blue sky, warm breeze, blue jay’s call, ice melting and so on.
This helps me transcend the traffic, ignore the clamorings of work,
leave all the mind theaters behind and focus on nature instead.  I
still must abide by the rules of the road, of biking, of gravity.  But
I am mentally far away from civilization.  The world is breaking
someone else’s heart.”  ~Diane Ackerman

Ride & Love

– Salty Dog

Written by yellow fork

January 26, 2010 at 6:56 pm

Fight Over Bike Lanes Goes Old Testament

leave a comment »

Hipsters (maybe) repaint bike lanes removed to appease Hasidic Jews in NYC.

“In response to last week’s removal of bike lanes in the traditionally Hasidic neighborhood in Brooklyn, a group of local bike riders took it upon themselves to repaint the lane lines running down Bedford Avenue.

The Hasids had asked the city to remove the bike lanes from the neighborhood, claiming the influx of bikers posed a “safety and religious hazard.”

Full Article at Huffingtonpost

Well, one thing is for sure… we could use a few more bike lanes, and even more importantly, a few more ‘hotties’ here in The Salty Dog (SLC).

Paint for the people!

– The Salty Dog

Written by yellow fork

December 9, 2009 at 8:50 pm

BikeHugger: Bicycle Diaries Excerpts

leave a comment »

The great folks over at have posted two excerpts from David Bryne’s new book Bicycle Diaries (review).  I’ve posted the links below and hope you enjoy the read.

Excerpt one: intro

Excerpt two: New York

Here’s a bit from New York:

New York

I ride my bike almost every day here in New York. It’s getting safer to do so, but I do have to be fairly alert when riding on the streets as opposed to riding on the Hudson River bike path or similar protected lanes. The city has added a lot of bike lanes in recent years, and they claim they now have more than any other city in the United States. But sadly most of them are not safe enough that one can truly relax, as is possible on the almost completed path along the Hudson or on many European bike lanes. That’s changing, bit by bit. As new lanes are added some of them are more secure, placed between the sidewalk and parked cars or protected by a concrete barrier.

Between 2007 and 2008 bike traffic in New York increased 35 percent. Hard to tell if the cart is leading the horse here— whether more lanes have inspired more bicycle usage or the other way around. I happily suspect that for the moment at least, both the Department of Transportation and New York City cyclists are on the same page. As more young creative types find themselves living in Brooklyn they bike over the bridges in increasing numbers. Manhattan Bridge bike traffic just about quadrupled last year (2008) and the bike traffi c on the Williamsburg Bridge tripled. And those numbers will keep increasing as the city continues to make improvements to bike lanes and adds bike racks and other amenities. In this area the city is, to some extent, anticipating what will happen in the near future—a lot more people will use bikes for getting to work or for fun.

When you can’t ride, read!

– Salty Dog

Written by yellow fork

October 23, 2009 at 9:35 pm

Must Know Cycling Terms

leave a comment »

Here’s a great list of some must know cycling terms from  pdf version can be found here.  Of course my fav. “Bonk,” but looks like they left out “Betty.” LOL

 Cycling Terms

Like most sports, cycling features unique terminology. Below is a list of the most commonly used words and phrases in the sport of competitive cycling.

Attack: A sudden attempt to get away from another rider
Blocking: When a rider tries to get in the way of other riders, usually done as part of a team strategy to slow down the main field when other team members are ahead in a breakaway
Bonk: Known as “hitting the wall” in marathon running, this is when a rider completely runs out of energy
Breakaway: A rider of group of riders who have separated themselves ahead of the main pack
Bridge the Gap: When a rider or group of riders is attempting to reach a group farther ahead
Chasers: Riders who are attempting to “bridge the gap” to catch the lead group
Criterium: A multi-lap event on a course usually a mile or less in length and of medium total distance,
usually 25-75 miles
Derailleur: The mechanism that moves the chain from one gear to another
Director Sportif: Pronounced “Director sporteef”, this is the manager of the team
Domestique: A rider who sacrifices any individual honors to the team leader who is in contention to win
Drafting: Riding closely behind another rider, which creates a slipstream, or air pocket. The lead rider
expends up to 30 percent more energy than the following rider does
Drop: To leave another rider or riders behind by attacking. Losing contact with the group in which they are riding will drop fatigued riders
Echelon: A line of riders taking orderly turns at the lead and staggered so that each rider will get maximum protection from the wind. Also called a “paceline”
Feeding: At some point during a long road race it is necessary for riders to replace expended energy.
Riders are given a “musette,” a small cloth bag, containing food and water bottles. Riders grab the bag from the team support personnel, remove the contents and put them in the pockets of their jerseys to eat when most convenient. They generally prefer high-energy foods that break down quickly.
Field: The main group of riders, also known as the “pack,” “peloton,” or “bunch”
Field Sprint: The final sprint between a group of riders, not necessarily for first place
Force the Pace: When one rider goes harder than the pack to increase the tempo
Gap: The distance between individual or groups
Hammering: Very steady, strenuous pedaling.
Hanging On: Barely keeping contact at the back of the pack
Hook: When one rider, either on purpose or by accident, uses his/her rear wheel to hit the front wheel of the rider behind him/her
Jump: A sudden acceleration, often at the start of the sprint
Kick: The final burst of speed in a sprint
Lead Out: An international and often sacrificial move where one rider begins a sprint to give a head start to another rider (usually a teammate) on his rear wheel, who then comes around at an even faster speed to take the lead
Neo-Pro: Cycling’s term for a rookie at the professional level
Pace Line: See “echelon”
Pack: See “field”
Peloton: See “field”
Prime: Pronounced “preem.” A race-within-a-race where riders sprint for prizes on a designated lap or at a certain point in a race, i..e., the “sponsor” Teamwork Challenge
Pull: To take a turn at the front and break the wind for the other riders in the pack
Pull Off: To move to one side so that another rider can take a turn at the front
Pull Through: Move to the front of a pace line, from second spot, after the lead riders swings off to the front
Sitting In: When one rider refuses to take a pull and break the wind for the group in which he/she is riding. A derogatory term is “Wheel Sucker”
Slipstream: The pocket of air created by a moving rider, just as in automobile or motorcycle racing. See “drafting”
Soigneur: Pronounced “Swa-neur” Comparable to a trainer in other sports, this person gives massages and watches the physical health of the riders along with the team doctors
Sprint: A sudden burst of speed for the finish of a race involving more than one rider.
Stage Race: A series of individual races- time trials, road races, circuit races or criteriums – grouped into one event that lasts several days. The rider who has the lowest accumulated time for all stages determines the winner. The most famous stage race in the world is the Tour de France, which spans 2,500 miles in 22 days.
Take a Flyer: When one rider goes off the front of the pack, usually alone
Time Trial: An individual race against the clock, often called the “race of truth”
Velodrome: An oval banked track, usually 333.33 meters in length. In general, track riders and road riders compete in separate kinds of events. The difference in training and ability is similar to the difference between sprinters and long-distance runners.
Wheel Sucker: A derogatory term, referring to a rider who always sits in and never expends any energy by taking a pull at the front.

Yeah, what he said!

– The Salty Dog

Written by yellow fork

October 20, 2009 at 7:44 pm

funny cycling ad: feel free go cycling!

leave a comment »

funny and random cycling ad… well at least it’s getting the message across LOL

Written by yellow fork

October 19, 2009 at 5:37 pm


text:
Fond Farewell
$ 149.95

Flowers will be arranged approximately as shown in the picture to the left.

Bring warmth to the service with this gorgeous colourful casket spray of lilies and other brilliantly colored floral favorites. A touching tribute for someone special. The magnificent arrangement includes green dianthus, asiatic lilies, snap dragons, carnations and blue delphinium, wax flower and alstromeria, accented with assorted greenery.

SKU: Category: . Occasions: Sympathy

Same day delivery by SMFD® is available in Saint John and the surrounding areas on orders placed as late as 2p.m. Monday through Friday. During peak holiday periods, cut off times for placing orders may vary.

All items featured on this Web site represent the types of products offers and may vary depending upon seasonal availability. Substitution Policy


text:
RIP, Thé Adoré

Working between Union Square and the West Village in Manhattan, I have a lot of lunch options nearby. Most are either too expensive, bad to mediocre, or just too noisy or crowded to relax. When in the mood to have a lunch date with a book, there’s one place I’ve preferred from the very beginning: a tiny Japanese-run French-style bakery, serving tea, coffee, soups, salads, sandwiches, and pastries.

On Tuesday I was singularly focused on writing a few holiday cards in silence over a bowl of potato leek soup and a Hungarian sandwich (baguette, Hungarian salami, melted cheese, pickles), but I arrived to find the riot gate down and a hand written farewell sign taped to the building. Nooooooooo! My heart sank.

Adieu, Thé Adoré, and thanks. Your calm ambiance, lovely staff, incredible scones and tarts, genmai-cha, lattes, well-worn wooden tables, picture window, and Japanese sensibility will be greatly missed. ♥

Takeout Bento / Slice Harvester

20080513 :: bento diary :: takeout +

Here we have another bento from the vaults, but one of my favorites. This bento contains (clockwise from right):

  • Leftover buffalo chicken
  • Cold pizza, cut to size: black olive, green pepper, and tomato (from Ideal Cafe, Jamaica Plain, Boston)
  • Golden beet sakura blossoms, red bell pepper and carrot ume blossoms
  • Fiddlehead ferns, steamed
  • Blue cheese dressing for the chicken, golden beet sakura blossoms

My friend just told me about his friend’s mission to try a slice of pizza at every pizza joint in Manhattan. He’s documenting this process on his blog, Slice Harvester. I believe my response was, “Whoa.” Probably followed by, “Holy f**k!” …and then some comment about how fat his friend was going to get. According to my friend, the deal is that he started at the top of the island, and he’s zig-zagging back and forth across as he makes his way down, literally trying out every pizza place. If I understand correctly, he hits a few in a night with somebody else, so they share the slices and he doesn’t have to eat all of every slice. Still, how can you not turn into a balloon of cheap cheese? I hope he has a gym membership.

I’m fascinated by this project and just started reading his blog tonight. I can’t wait for him to finish so that he can make a definitive call on the best place(s) to try. Check it out!

My new mission (significantly less ambitious): I want to be the pizza eating helper on this most righteous mission sometime. Ryan, please make this happen. I’ll cover the cost of his pizza… and maybe yours if you’re lucky.

p.s. Are you as annoyed as I am that “za” is a legal Scrabble word?! Seriously, who says they’re going out for ‘za? I am vehemently opposed to this supposed slang.

When I was interviewing for my new job, a girlfriend of mine mentioned that she used to frequent a restaurant nearby. I tried it out yesterday, and had a yummy lunch of inari sushi with eel, ginger salmon, and tempura vegetables. I read Yelp reviews about the food being bland, but I think the reviewers must not have been familiar with simple food made with good ingredients. I could have used a little bit more of a ginger kick on the salmon, but I was able to appreciate the fish itself, and it was all really satisfying. I’ll definitely try it out again, as I was curious about some of the interesting food combining going on on the menu. At $22, though, I won’t be making a habit of it.

Anyone know where to get a bento lunch for less than ten bucks in the Washington Sq/Union Sq area? I really need to get back on the bento train myself, lest I spend all my money on lunches, or live at Murray’s Bagels…

My apologies for the dead silence on here of late. As far as cooking and dining implements go, I have exactly one spoon, one bowl, one fork, one pair of chopsticks, a butter knife, and a bunch of sharp knives unpacked. I haven’t even ventured into pots & pans. Tonight was the first night in almost three weeks that I “made” myself dinner, and it was just a bagel with hummus, sliced grape tomatoes, and baby arugula. It tasted so good to me that I ate it all standing over the counter. It strikes me as funny to have been so starved for what is typically a speed meal for me. I can’t wait to unpack everything else.


text:
I’ve seen the film. Years ago of course, but remember the brooding Brando and the annoying Blanche who comes to stay with her sister and him in the steamy South. This Young Vic production gave me a different perspective altogether and I empathised completely with Gillian Anderson’s Blanche. The apartment is on a rotating stage in the round and for reasons beyond me it is set in a timelessness of somewhere in the late 20th century rather than the original post war era. That kind of jarred as the attitudes were still very much early 50s.

Anderson started as flirty, fragile and funny with some sharp cracks and coquettish behaviour. And regular snifters to keep her going. Her sister, Stella, accepts the appalling behaviour of her husband Stanley because the sex is so great with him and she enjoys the passion and volatility of their relationship. We have no idea of the personal backstory that led her to marry someone so beneath her social standing, but Blanche holds no punches telling Stella what she thinks of Stan. However, I don’t really feel we got see the menace, the animal magnetism, or relentless abuse and brutish behaviour that was referred to. Occasionally Stan would explode but it seemed to come out of nowhere rather than being a tinderkeg waiting to blow. Or it may be that Gillian Anderson was so much better than everyone else that their portrayals paled in comparison. Her desperation for affection and kindness were palpable and her determination for her world to be magical and joyous childlike. She had huge monologues which kept us captivated as she told the heart-rending tale of her doomed marriage and having to watch all her loved ones die.Stanley insists on telling his sensitive friend who had taken a shine to Blanche all about Blanche’s reality of having lost the family mansion and resorted to prostitution until being sacked as a schoolteacher for sleeping with a pupil and Mitch too abandons her. Later, Stella goes in to labour and Stanley rapes Blanche as if it were inevitable. Obviously this is the way to put a woman in her place. And then of course Blanche continuing to live there is untenable and they arrange for her to be carted off. It’s awful. Tragic. Pathetic. I wept as her illusory world shattered around her  as her sister decided to side with her husband and the nurse tried to heave her up off the floor. Luckily a man came to her rescue. The doctor, gentle, caring offered her his arm so she could leave with dignity. She responded as a reflex and I could feel the gratitude as she hauntingly said she had “always relied on the kindness of strangers.”  I don’t think it was Blanche living in a fantasy world, I think it was Stella and the only way she could maintain it was to obliterate Blanche from her life.

Five starts for Anderson, and four overall.

An Ode by Proxy

September 2, 2014

Someone asked me a couple of months ago if I could write an Ode for their niece. How nice was that? I’d never met her niece but apparently she was having a Bridal Shower (another American import??) and everyone had been asked to say a few words so my gym buddy asked me if I could jot down a few verses. I said I’d need some basic facts about the person in question and then I’d give it a go. But no promises on quality.

I thought it would be really difficult if I didn’t know them, but actually I was able to rattle something off fairly quickly with the information I was supplied with. Perhaps knowing less about the person whittles it down so much I have less to think about! what to put in. The event has now passed and I hear it went down well, so I share it with you all now. Perhaps I could run a sideline business writing Odes….

Ode on the Occasion of Anna’s Bridal Shower

And so we are all gathered now

On this sunny August day

To celebrate and raise a glass

Before the great big giveaway.

I know we wish your Mum were here

And she is, in all our hearts,

So let’s make this the finest bridal shower

Ever seen around these parts

Way back in 1988

She did bring you to our worlds

All large and round with big blue eyes

And a mop of raven curls.

You weren’t the easy, placid babe

On adverts far and wide,

No you bawled and screamed all day and night

You just cried. And cried. And cried.

But then you started blossoming,

Loving lots of cuddly toys,

It wasn’t till much later,

You swapped them all for boys.

At school you loved your sewing

And doing craft and art,

You got to go to Uni,

But didn’t like the writing part!

You preferred making, shopping, spending

Buying bags and shoes galore,

Whilst muggins here was working

To raise your dissertation score.

And also whilst at Uni,

You met your Mr Right,

The lovely Mr David Howe

Succumbed without a fight

You work all day at Marks and Sparks,

And design your own creations,

Is all that sewing inside legs,

Good for marital relations?

He’s so lucky to have got you,

You are kind and calm and fun,

You are beautiful from head to toe –

You are the knockout one.

We love you so much Anna

You are great in every way

Let’s raise our glasses one more time

For a fantastic wedding day.

Dishoom. Five stars.

September 1, 2014

So after the fabulous Shakespeare in Love, we walked up the road to Dishoom. A sophisticated curry house. The food was top notch. Really tasty, really tender and served by great staff. Expensive compared to your standard curry house because portions are smaller so you need more of them, but well worth it. The chicken tikka and garlic nan were the best ever. Apparently the prawns were even better. Not to mention the black daal. Mmmmm. And right in the heart of the West End so I know we will be returning. Five stars.

%d bloggers like this:


text:
Try a Little Compassion

A couple of things caught my eyes today that share a common thread.

First, the story about Eve Adams, a politician up here in Canada. The other day, she went for a $6 car wash, one of those ones where you drive in, stop, machines go around and clean your car, and you drive out. Apparently, Eve wasn’t satisfied with her wash. Fair enough. Everyone has a right to be dissatisfied with a service and to go back and see about getting some satisfaction. But when Eve went to chat with the owner, she parked so that two gas pumps were blocked, so that there was only one access to them. Being a busy gas station on a busy road lead to cars being backed-up and causing other customers to be delayed and frustrated.

Her car remained there for 15 minutes while she talked about her unsatisfactory car wash. Even after being asked to move her car to somewhere less obtrusive, she didn’t. All she cared about was a thin layer of ice on the top of her rear bumper. She wanted a refund, or another car wash.

Meanwhile, for those 15  minutes, other customers were inconvenienced. If you’ve ever been to a busy gas station along a busy street, you know how 15 minutes can seem like forever. Google “Eve Adams Car Wash” and see the video from the surveillance cameras for yourself.

Secondly, a local radio station re-posted an article on Facebook about erecting “pedestrian markers” where a pedestrian was killed a few months back. The intersection that is the focus of the article is in Ottawa, at the corner of Rideau St. and Waller St. It is a section of street that large transport trucks use to go from Ontario to Quebec. For years, community groups have lobbied to have something done, to change the truck’s routes, slow them down, etc. There have been numerous close calls and other fatalities.

Here is a few examples of the comments posted in response…

My concern is that like the phantom bike shrines, they are a visual distraction.”

“As much as I feel for the families of people who’ve been killed, if the trend of “roadside memorials” is continued, our urban landscape is going to be littered with these things.”

 “I agree with all of you that they are merely another distraction.”

While agreed the signs were a good idea and way to bring awareness to the problem, others didn’t see it that way.

Which brings me to the point of this blog, compassion… and the seeming lack of it that some people have.

I think the biggest source of lack of compassion comes from people’s entitlement. They are so involved with themselves and their issues or problems, they utterly forget that they exist in a society.

Eve Adams’ car wash thing is a good example of that. Like I said, she has the right to be dissatisfied with the service she received. But does she have the right to disrupt other people’s lives? She’s certainly comes across as so self-involved that she’ll disrupt the flow of customers and service at a busy gas station until she feels she has satisfaction. It also shows an utter lack of compassion for anyone else. And she’s a politician, some who is supposed to speak for the people. She obviously doesn’t give a load of dingo’s kidneys about other people.

If she were truly aware of other people, she would have found a place to park that was out of the road. She would have treated the gas station owner in a polite and professional manner, which, according to the interview with the owner, she didn’t.

In the case of the pedestrian marker, it seems that some people would consider them a distraction. Here’s the thing, they are there for a reason. They are there to bring to your attention the fact that someone has died there. In this case, a 26-year-old woman, someone who still had a lot of life left in them. It is also supposed to remind people of the dangers of this particular intersection, because other close calls, incidents, and deaths have occurred there. Maybe, if enough pedestrian markers go up, especially in and around one place (say Rideau and Waller), maybe people will do something more than see the markers as a distraction.

But that is all those people, and others that think the same way, see. It is a distraction to them. Their life is bothered by something. They don’t see the point of them.

I’m pretty sure the family and friends of the 26-year-old woman don’t see them as a distraction. The same can be said about other people who have lost friends and family due to neglectful drivers. Sure they are still accidents. The drivers didn’t purposefully hit or kill someone. But wouldn’t being aware of such an event at a certain location make people more mindful?

If the naysayers had just an inkling of compassion, and weren’t so selfish, perhaps these markers, and the “Ghost bikes” for people hit while bicycling, would prove more effective. Then maybe change would come quicker.

I’m sure I’ve touched on this subject in a previous blog, how people are too self-involved, lack compassion for others. What I may not have mentioned is that these people aren’t bad people. They love their families and friends, they are just like anyone. What makes them different is that they are so caught up in their lives, they forget that it is very easy to affect the lives of others. It’s understandable. Life can be hectic, hard, and tedious. It can make us forget about the simple gestures of kindness and compassion that can be so easy to do.

But for some, doing something easy isn’t easy. All the hectic, hard, and tediousness of their lives can make easy gestures hard to do. So, instead of opening their hearts and showing compassion, they just respond the quick and easiest way they can, in a negative, heartless way.

One thought on “Try a Little Compassion”

  1. I think the big key phrase here is “If she were truly aware of other people”… I personally believe that, with a few exceptions, most humans become more compassionate as they become more aware. This is why I am such a big advocate of integration — [openly] exposing ourselves to as many different types of people and ideas as possible. Show me a totally uncompassionate person, and I bet you’re showing me someone with their head up their arse.

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: Logo

You are commenting using your account. Log Out /  Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
Who Are You In Your Recurring Dreams?

Have you ever wanted to get far, far away from where you are? I constantly dream that I do. Nearly every dream I have at night is that I’m getting away from this current life and somehow flying away to a life more desired. I even had a dream like that last night.

I’ve always wanted to travel, and I’ve always wanted to see the world. I’ve always wanted the freedom to do so, and the freedom to do whatever I wanted. Because of the way I grew up, I never really had freedom to do anything. I was in the hospital so much that I genuinely that it was my ‘second home with the doctors’. I was also sick at my real home and sometimes couldn’t play with friends, not to mention financial restraints that I still have to this day because of my condition and the need to pay medical bills that are in the tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars (thank goodness I have health insurance). But my point is this: I’ve always wished I had the freedom to just get up and go wherever I wanted. I always wished I had financial freedom to do whatever I wanted.

My dream last night was that I was living in another part of my country, a part I’d never lived before and have wanted to live in for quite a while. Me and my family were buying drinks at a small vendor that was near our house and I had endless change in my pocket for snacks. It was a very simple dream, but something that I fight to make a reality someday. I remember buying a soda for my mom in the dream. That’s something I haven’t been able to do in a long time.

I often dream that I’m doing things for others I love, as well. Like buying a soda for my mom, or doing something for my brother. It’s these things that I wish I could do in real life that I just can’t right now. But I have the aspirations that someday I will be able to buy a soda for my mom from a vendor, and that someday I will be able to do things for my brother. Someday I will be able to look up at a cloudless blue sky and know that the possibilities are endless.

This is why I’m a writer. I can do whatever I want. I can explore the world. I can create other worlds. I can go and do anything I’ve ever wanted!

I often have other dreams of making this amazing home theater in my own mansion (because I love mansions, though I’ve never stepped foot inside of one). This is because I love video games, and I think it would be incredible to have a huge theater that’s completely dedicated to that sort of thing, as well as Anime (one thing that has largely saved my life), as well as other small things like drinks and snacks. I don’t know why this is such an aspiration for me, but I’ve had recurring dreams about it for months. Maybe even years.

Lastly, there was another dream I’ve been having. I always dream there’s this large Victorian-era house that I own, and it’s so large that I literally get lost in it. There is room after room after room and I can never make heads or tails of it. But by the time I reach the center I find out that there’s a large party going on for some type of queen that is going to arrive. I always stumble upon the party. And in the center is a crystal fountain with beautiful water, and it’s so large that I probably couldn’t climb into the water at the bottom even if I wanted to. After that is a large staircase leading to a ledge that overlooks the crystal fountain.

Like I said, I always stumble upon this party, and I never end up finding out who the queen is. Meanwhile, there’s a beautiful song being sung in the background; something that I can never entirely remember once I’ve woken up.

The night before last, I had the same dream, but it was slightly different. This time, I was in the mansion with my husband (I’m not married, but I was with a specific man that I love very much), and I was pulling him from attraction to attraction, because the party for the queen was like some type of festival or parade. Though, at some point in the dream, he began running ahead of me. I was yelling at him to slow down, so he did. After that, I realized where we were: we were on the ledge that overlooked the fountain. After that, I realized who the queen was, the queen that I had never seen before in my previous dreams.

The queen was me. I was the one who was supposed to come to the top of the ledge and greet my people. I was the one that everybody was coming to see. And the person singing that beautiful song I heard every single time I had the dream? That was me as well, though somehow I didn’t know it.

My husband (in the dream) wordlessly pushed me forward to take my rightful place as queen.

The reason I tell this story is that I think dreams have so much more meaning than we ever give them credit for. I find that my dreams tell me things that I’ve never before known about myself.

Have you ever had dreams where you’ve discovered things about yourself? Or do you have weird dreams where you’re squeezing gravity-defying toothpaste into the air and your brother has turned into a collection of floating trumpets? (That last example is a dream I had when I was a child. Seriously.)

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Google+ photo

You are commenting using your Google+ account. Log Out /  Change )

Twitter picture

You are commenting using your Twitter account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s


text:
The Smartest Way To Shop Online.

Cash Back made simple.

Join Now

How Does It Work? platform provides its members huge returns for shopping at our affiliate online retailers.

Also, we allow our members to take part in eBay's affiliate program by sharing and marketing their own personal affiliate page.

Online retailers pay a commission to, so when you browse and purchase products from our affiliate network, earns a commission. We in return split that commission and offer it back to you. does not interfere with your shopping, nor does it involve itself with choosing products, payment, shipping… etc. You simply just click and start making purchases to receive Cash Back!

After you register a free account with us, you can start visiting your favorite online retailers through and continue to shop as usual.

After making a purchase, will track your earnings and add it to your account along with an email informing you of your transaction. After a short period, the total sum will be transferred to your PayPal account to keep. It’s that simple.

Quickly view detailed purchase records, total earnings, earnings from referrals, payment history and more with our easy to use backend interface.

How it works

Promote eBay Products platform together with eBay Partner Network grant its members the opportunity to operate as an eBay affiliate and receive commissions accordingly.

When you sign up to platform you receive a web page generated by us that contains your name and photo (optional) and your costumed affiliate code and link.

At this personal web page you can also find eBay banners, products, special deals, coupons and other marketing features.

We encourage you to share and promote your personal page – Whatsapp, social media channels ect'.

Every sale on eBay which generated from your personal page will entitle you affiliate fees as if you were an eBay affiliate.

Proper use of

To ensure you earn Cash Back properly, it is important to visit and click on our links to begin shopping. Purchasing products without entering a online retailer from will not result Cash Back earnings.

For instance, if you browse one of our affiliate retailers like AliExpress and add products to your shopping cart without first entering AliExpress from, you won’t be qualified for Cash Back commissions in regard to those items.

Ad Blockers may keep you from receiving Cash Back. In order for retailers to relate the information to of your Cash Back referral, you must turn Ad Blockers off.

Using Coupons, other external links and certain sales from retailers may keep us from getting commissions. We are unable to give you Cash Back from these occurrences.

Certain products and very specific sellers do not qualify for Cash Back earnings, because we don’t gain any commission for these specific products. Unfortunately, we are unable to credit your account for these purchases.

Start earning Cash Back while you shop - today!

Join Now
User 5
I definitely recommend to everyone!
Scott Wood, Nashville
User 3
I'm in love with this service. Who doesn’t want to earn extra cash?
Fernando White, Salt Lake City


text:
Every day another child ends up in a hospital emergency room due to mental health or dental issues because their parents didn't know what else to do.

Your gift today will help provide vital oral health and mental health care to young people who need it the most.

Choose your own amount

/ 150

South Bay Children's Health Center – Helping Children Thrive One Child at a Time

South Bay Children's Health Center (SBCHC) was founded in 1947 to give hope to local families living on low incomes and in need of health care for their children. Our organization is dedicated to the provision of vital mental health and dental care, two of the highest priority health care needs in the South Bay. Today, through quality services provided to more than 25,000 children, teens and young adults who are facing tremendous odds, we are giving entire families confidence for the future.

The kindness and generosity of people like you make all the difference in a child's life. During this holiday season, I hope you will join me in taking a stand for our children by making a tax-deductible donation that will make an immediate difference in the health and lives of thousands of South Bay children. Our children deserve the very best that life has to offer, which includes the physical and mental health that will place them on the path to future success. These are just a few of the children who are on a path to health, wellness and well-being because of the generosity of people like you!

A grandmother recently came to us with her two grandsons, ages 7 and 8. The children's mother is incarcerated for drug related charges. The grandmother is in her 70's and was retired and living alone for many years. She was suddenly faced with the care of two young boys. The 7 year old was demonstrating disruptive behaviors including aggressive behavior at school, biting peers, severe tantrums and not meeting expectations for his grade level. The 8 year old became withdrawn, no longer playing with friends and not involved in school. SBCHC provided trauma focused therapy for the boys and intensive parenting sessions for their grandmother. Today this family is well on the path to healing.

Brian's mother and father divorced when he was just seven years old. He rarely sees his father and while now in high school, is having trouble keeping up with his class. Brian wants to finish high school and go on to college but he is having trouble staying on track. Recently he was moved to an Alternative High School program. Brian was selected to be a part of the SBCHC Wilderness Program at his high school and learned leadership skills, to trust again and the importance of believing in himself. Brian believes that the Wilderness Program changed his life.

A young father just moved to the South Bay with his two young children, 5 and 6 years old. Both children were having trouble paying attention in school and one of the teachers noticed that the five year old winced every time she chewed a piece of food. The school nurse contacted the father and suggested that he take the kids to a dentist. The father had no money, no insurance and no plan. He wound up in the emergency room with one of the kids when the pain got worse. At the hospital, he was given information for SBCHC's Dental Clinic. Our Dental staff worked with the family securing funding to help pay for the children's care. Today, both kids are healthy and doing well in school.

Thank you for your consideration and generosity!

If you would like to learn more about our programs, please go to www.sbchc.com If you would like to see how your donation makes an impact by visiting us, please contact Marc Schenasi, Executive Director – mschenasi@sbchc.com or Lisa Daggett-Cummings, Director of Development – ldaggett@sbchc.com or you can call them at 310-316-1212.

Our Supporters