Reducers are pipe fittings that control the strength of their flow. Because underground drainpipe extensions are horizontal, reducers allow the pipe to maintain a fast enough flow to easily move water out to its capture point.
FAQ courtesy of the roofing contractors of Essex County NJ from All Professional Remodeling: How long does it take to build a drainpipe extension?
The process of extending a drainpipe may be accelerated or hindered by the conditions of the ground and how great a distance it will cover. With a full team of contractors, the entire process may take only 16 hours or several days of work. Generally an estimate can be decided on before the digging begins.
Every home has at least one or two downspouts that carry water from the gutters to the ground. This system of transfer works wonders in keeping a roof dry and leak free, but over time, it poses a threat to the house's foundation. Especially in areas that see frequent precipitation, having downspouts that simply eject water next to a house can be harmful to the overall value. Too much water causes the earth to shift, forcing any structure above it to shift over time as well. To prevent excessive shifting, downspouts can be extended by Essex County roofers to move water far away from the foundation of a house.
The process of extending a downspout is relatively simple but requires some planning and experience to avoid the risk of flooding the area later on. Along with the drainpipe itself, extended downspouts are constructed using PVC pipes, fittings and adapters that allow contractors to be flexible around obstructions in the ground to find the intended target. During the planning stage, contractors will lay out the direction they desire for their trenches and begin digging.
The finished product does not always match the plan as conditions vary underneath the earth. Digging will direct itself around underground boulders and other pipes that may already be laid down.
The roofing contractors from All Professional Remodeling of Essex County NJ can assist you with any questions regarding roofing, gutters or windows.
Only after a clear path is established will the actual construction of the pipe commence. At the site of the original downspout, a starter elbow, adapter and reducer will be installed. From there, the pipe will extend throughout the trench, using more elbows to change its direction as necessary.
Similar to an oil pipeline, the finished extension will be entirely underground. Above ground extensions can be made, but are considered unattractive and can get in the way of regular lawn care. Once the extended pipe has been finished and tested, contractors simply use the displaced soil to bury it. Only a small hole will remain where the pipe ends, filled with river rock and pebbles. This hole acts as the capture point where drained water is deposited.
Downspout extensions may be a minimum of 6 feet away from a house, or they can cross greater distances depending on the amount of space contractors have to work with. Even the minimal distance benefits the foundation of a house significantly. Underground extensions require an occasional checkup just as regular gutters and drainpipes do, but as long as the gutters are kept clear, very few complications are likely to occur.


text:
Critical Race Theory Slideshare
Is Physics Like Metaphysics Exploring the physics behind the odd microstructure of water-ice may help us learn more about. You and we have the right. On the road, car headlights cut through the ice fog that hangs over the road like cotton candy. Exhaust, about 250 degrees in. A longtime advocate for time travel is back in the public eye with his theory of looping time using lasers. Some experts. "Everything in partial differential equations is harder than you
At work, Boothe oversees production for four offices in major U.S. markets as the principal-in-charge of X-nth's East Coast technical market sectors (healthcare, mission critical. probably ate up.
Experimental Cross-sectional Longitudinal Sequential Cross-cultural Studies Box 5.2 RESEARCH IN ACTION: AN ExPERIMENTAL STUDY. 70. Comparisons of Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Methods 142. Sequential Designs. Cultural research focuses on aspects of development and social structure among. Bakeman and Brownlee were particularly interested in the sequence or order in. Choose your answers to the questions and click 'Next' to see the next set of questions. You can skip questions if you would like and come back to them later with the yellow "Go
World War 2 Dissertation Topics 26 Mar 2018. It may sound odd, but you can try writing the conclusion to the dissertation first, that way you'll know where to draw the. Discuss the extent to which the World War I was directly responsible to the inability of the government to. New technologies are enabling new types of content, streaming platforms in multiple content categories are spending billions. Beginning a research paper on World War II can be daunting. With Research
Ancient Greek Bible Verse Liberal Arts College Or University Connecting Learning, Life, and Community at Linfield College in McMinnville, Oregon. Learn about our traditional liberal arts programs and campus online. "These regional and national awards herald the superior design and creative architecture of our new University Arts Building, The university is also trying other strategies, such as raising more money for scholarships and launching a new program for. Do colleges get that? Maybe. Should they? According to the report's
Syntax For For Loop In Matlab This is likely due to effects from the Loop Current, which passes between it and Cuba 13. with underlying observed. This is likely due to effects from the Loop Current, which passes between it and Cuba 13. with underlying observed. 3: Closed-loop VNS delivered during rehabilitative training improves motor and sensory function after nerve damage. A. French Philosopher Who Wrote Candide French writer, historian, and philosopher. May 1778), most famous under his pen name Voltaire,
Scholar Of The First Sin Benhart Summon Locations Given the choice to walk into an obviously dangerous and cluttered space, or take out the visible targets with projectiles, there's no good reason not to do the latter (at least on your first time. Description Go through the same ordeal as the mithril musketeer of the monk, Cornelius. Bring the 'Pendant of Pickaxe' dropped by Wandering Ghost, which appears when a pickaxe is used to a small hole. DAYTON, Ohio — At a time
A Day In The Life Of An Ancient Greek
The Most Sexist Greek Philosopher

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
import sys

autnums = sys.argv[1]
outputCsvFile = sys.argv[2]

with open(autnums, 'r') as input_file:
    contents = input_file.read()
    soup = BeautifulSoup(contents, 'lxml')
#    printn(soup.a)
for tag in soup.find_all('a'):
    asnNum = str(f'{tag.text}').strip()
    asnNextSibling = str(f'{tag.next_sibling}').strip()
    asnNextSibling = asnNextSibling.replace(',', '')
    asn = (f'{asnNum},{asnNextSibling}')
    # print(asn)
    results_file = open(outputCsvFile, "a")
    results_file.write(asn)
    results_file.write("\n")
    results_file.close()
input_file.close()

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
In long term, radical change needed to reduce Olympic host burden
October 03, 2016 / Philip Hersh
If the International Olympic Committee thought the bidding process changes in its Agenda 2020 reforms would end the negativity about being a host of the Summer or Winter Games, it has been sadly mistaken.
The frightening new financial projections about the cost of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Games and Rome's withdrawal from the 2024 race on financial grounds make it clear the IOC still has a long way to go in convincing citizens of democracies that being a host of the ever-more-bloated Olympic Games is worth the time, money and hassle.
The italicized passage above was the opening of my Friday column, which dealt with short- and long-term solutions to a mess so bad that six of the 10 official candidates to be host of the 2022 Winter Games and 2024 Summer Games withdrew after formalizing candidatures – and another, Boston, dropped out before filing its paperwork.
In the short term – for the 2024 vote coming next September – I borrowed an idea from my colleague Alan Abrahamson, who posited that the IOC should award the next two Summer Games at the same time, with Los Angeles getting 2024 and Paris 2028.
I suggested that the order makes no difference (click here for that column). The important thing is doubling down will give the IOC more time to sort out its future.
The long-term answer? Dramatic changes should be considered.
October 03, 2016 / Philip Hersh/ Comment
2016 Rio Olympics, Alpine skiing, Figure skating, IOC, Olympic bids, Olympic Games, Olympic schedule, Olympics, Russia, swimming, United States, Winter Olympics
Olympics, Olympic Village, host city, Winter Olympics, Summer Olympics, Boston, London, Beijing, Sochi, Vancouver, Calgary, Sydney
The Time Has Come To Make Allyson Felix The Toast Of The Sports World
May 12, 2016 / Philip Hersh
Allyson Felix after winning the 400 meters at the 2015 World Championships
Bob Kersee does what he calls the bar test to assess name recognition.
Walk into a moderately crowded bar, the celebrated track and field coach says, and toss out the names Mickey Mantle, Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and Carl Lewis. Someone in the crowd will be able to fill you in on each of those sports superstars.
"Even if it's only one person who knows," Kersee said.
Now put Allyson Felix into that mix.
Kersee knows the result almost certainly will be blank stares, and that is enough to drive a man to drink.
"It's time for Allyson to be recognized in the same way as some of the great American athletes, if not world athletes, of all time," Kersee said.
Why should she be?
Since winning a senior national indoor title three months before her graduation from Los Angeles Baptist High School in 2003, Felix has been one of the world's top sprinters. No woman in history has won as many world outdoor championship gold medals as her nine. No track and field athlete in the last three Olympics has won more medals than her six – four golds, two silvers.
Read the whole story at TeamUSA.org
May 12, 2016 / Philip Hersh/
2016 Rio Olympics, Olympic Games, Olympic schedule, track and field, World Championships
Allyson Felix, 200 meters, 400 meters, Bob Kersee, Marita Koch
Philip Hersh
Wagner, Gold resigned to morning skating at 2018 Olympics
March 30, 2016 / Philip Hersh
BOSTON - The news that figure skating competition would begin at 10 a.m. at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea left the two leading U.S. women singles skaters resigned to deal with situation, although Ashley Wagner adopted that attitude more grudgingly than 2014 Olympic teammate Gracie Gold.
"This is all fresh to me, and right now I'm annoyed, because it's a difficult thing to ask the skaters to do," Wagner said after her Tuesday evening practice before the World Figure Skating Championships that begin Wednesday at TD Garden.
March 30, 2016 / Philip Hersh/ Comment
Figure skating, Olympic schedule, Olympics, Winter Olympics
Ashley Wagner, Gracie Gold


This workshop will help you understand search engines and show you what gets websites to the top. We will cover the fundamentals of SEO best practices, and how to raise your website's ranking in the "organic" (or un-paid) search result. Learn what the major search engines – Google and Bing – are looking for to gain higher placement and top indexing for your website. Sponsored by Guilford Savings Bank.


Is Secure Steps right for you?
Do you use your hands to help you get up out of a chair?
Do you hold on to furniture to steady yourself as you walk?
Do you take more than three medications?
Is it difficult for you to bathe yourself?
If you answered "yes" to two or more of these questions, Secure Steps could be for you. Speak with your physician or call us at 314-205-8600 to discuss your options.
Secure Steps is covered by Medicare under home care criteria and most private insurance companies. A physician referral is required.


Intuition vibrational mist can also be helpful in combination with the affirmation when communicating, whether in writing or face to face, to connect with source and allow the wisdom to come through. You can also use intuition to enhance creative visualisation and develop the third eye. Use as an aura or room spray, especially when looking to your intuition for answers.
I have access to Universal knowledge & wisdom.
and trust that everything is as it should be.
Bird Of Paradise - Awareness of the interconnectedness of life. Encourages intuition, insight and improvement of cognitive function. Provides psychic protection while enhancing connection to other realms.
Boronia - Clarity of thought and calms the mind, helping to let go of unwanted internal dialogue. Access to intuition & enhances creative visualisation.
Purple Pea Flower - Refines spirituality and psychic development.


text:
Ivor Horvat (Zágráb, 1991. augusztus 19. –) horvát labdarúgó.

Pályafutása

Klubcsapatokban
Ivor Horvat a Dinamo Zagreb akadémiáján nevelkedett. Első horvát élvonalbeli mérkőzését a szintén fővárosi NK Lokomotiva színeiben játszotta 2010. március 6-án az NK Zagreb ellen. 2016-ig megfordult még a szintén horvát Istra 1961 és Lučko csapataiban is, mígnem a szlovén Koper csapatához került. 2017 és 2018 nyara közt a Puskás Akadémia FC játékosa volt. A felcsúti csapat színeiben mindössze egy élvonalbeli bajnokin lépett pályára, majd 2017 szeptemberében a másodosztályú Csákvárhoz került kölcsönbe az idény végéig.

Válogatottban
Többszörös horvát korosztályos válogatott, tagja volt a 2011-es U20-as labdarúgó-világbajnokságon szereplő horvát keretnek is.

Jegyzetek

Források

1991-ben született személyek
Élő személyek
Horvát labdarúgók
Labdarúgóhátvédek
A Lokomotiva Zagreb labdarúgói
Az Istra 1961 labdarúgói
Az FC Koper labdarúgói
A Puskás AFC labdarúgói
A Csákvár labdarúgói

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Major-General The Honourable Robert Monckton, at the Taking of Martinique, 1762 : by Benjamin West. This is the first full-length portrait ever painted by West, and was commissioned to celebrate this great victory.
Interesting blog piece about this campaign.
This Pinterest page is worth looking at as he's a great interpreter of history much missed.
Todays anniversary is this famous battle outside Quebec.
These are very good figures. 28mm.
This fort fell after a siege today.
French political conservatism and relative lack of investment saw British colonies in 17th century North America grow much more vigorously, pushing into territories that the French had not exploited. That 'New France' survived as long as it did, with a smaller population and military garrison, was largely due to an intelligent doctrine of raiding warfare developed through close contact by imaginative French officers with Indian tribes and Canadian settlers. This was a deliberate plan to overcome numerical weakness by exploiting the potential of mixed parties of French soldiers, Canadian backwoodsmen and allied Indian warriors. By employing hit-and-run 'commando' tactics over great distances, they tied down the New Englanders in a defensive posture and discouraged the enemy's Iroquois allies.
Translated to English on this PDF.
Armes blanches de la ligne et de la maison du roi .
Gazette des Armes N° 57 Fevrier 1978.
Tomorrow is the anniversary but the reenactment is on today and tomorrow. This film is worth watching.
The Battle of Bloody Run was fought during Pontiac's Rebellion on July 31, 1763 on what now is the site of Elmwood Cemetery. In an attempt to break Pontiac's siege of Fort Detroit, about 250 British troops attempted to make a surprise attack on Pontiac's encampment.
Pontiac was ready and waiting, possibly alerted by French settlers, and defeated the British at Parent's Creek two miles (3 km) east of the fort. However, he did not accomplish the destruction of this British force which would have greatly demoralized the British and dissuaded more British efforts to break the Indian siege of Fort Detroit. The creek, or run, was said to have run red with the blood of the 20 dead and 34 wounded British soldiers and was henceforth known as Bloody Run. The attack's commander, Captain James Dalyell, was one of those killed. After learning of Dalyell's death, General Jeffrey Amherst offered a £200 bounty to anyone who would kill Pontiac.
The famous frontiersman Robert Rogers was one of the British commanders in this battle.
Be a part of this Project. If you are interested, please Facebook-Message Gary Zaboly or Timothy J. Todish, or email me at garyzaboly@aol.com, and I will email you a Prospectus fully describing it, and how you can play a role.
French Skirmishers for the FIW, most will be usable for the continental conflict, too. They will be the start of a new 28mm skirmish/character range… the first ones (as shown) are already on the way to the caster, second wave is already sculpted.
De tha sinn a' deanamh an seo, Ewan ? What are we doing here, Ewan ? This is the question asked by Ewan MacKenzie's friend Alexander MacDonald. What could make a man fight for Bonnie Prince Charlie against the hated Redcoats , yet only a decade later become a Redcoat himself ? This is an epic tale of individuals, societies and nations in transition on both sides of the Atlantic. Ewan's journey takes him from wild Highland charges in the Jacobite Rising to massed Redcoat volleys in the two great battles for Quebec. Along the way, he will wade ashore ,under fire, on Ile Royale before the siege of Louisbourg and face Indian ambush on Forbes' Road to Fort Duquesne. Yet Ewan's greatest battle will be whether guilt, loss and revenge maintain their grip on his life when faced with the possibility of love and redemption. As a number of historical Scotsmen did in the years between 1746 and 1760, Ewan MacKenzie will swear allegiance to King George and make the transition from Rebel to Redcoat but what happens when he finds himself in the same army as the Redcoat who destroyed his home in the brutal aftermath of Culloden ?
"No Great Mischief If They Fall " explores a crucial period of change for the Highlander within British society. It is a surprise that such a vivid and important turning point has rarely been charted before. "No Great Mischief If They Fall." is a story which will remain with the reader long after the last word is read.
The Kickstarter has finished and now some of the preproduction greens can be seen on their Facebook page.
Thanks to a tip off from War Horse Miniatures. This is a range of 1/32 figures for the Seven Years War - explore the website for more information.
Old photo from Keith Jepson, from about 1999. Outside the log cabin in various uniforms of the Black Watch. See more old French and Indian war reenactment pics here.
See more here including a t-shirt!
Thanks to Andrey for this. At the battle of Monongahela 1755.


text:
Strophic
1 2017-10-10T20:51:20+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824 1 3 line structure plain 2018-04-11T17:21:28+00:00 Angela Erisman b6dabb1f11fcdb28bac14756ccc7be44d987971a
In the traditional poetic praxis of al-Mahra, strophic songs are distinct from all other forms of Mahri poetry due to the fact that they cannot be chanted or recited. Melody is intrinsic to strophic songs to the degree that they cannot be performed without melodic accompaniment. Traditional strophic songs in al-Mahra are restricted to work songs (Ar. ʾahāzīj) and celebratory songs whose performance never falls outside of the prescribed cultural act or physical labor they are meant to accompany. From a formal perspective, strophic songs consist of brief isometric, monostich lines that alternate with a repeated choral line. The choral line may or may not be sense bearing; sometime the choral line is composed of quasi-nonsense syllables that evoke the melodic template to the song.
Any hemistich poem can, in fact, be performed as a strophic song. The choral line will take the form of metrical filler syllables that reiterate the melodic template (hāy dān i dān or yā sāməʿī sāmʿī, for instance), or it may be a single stich adapted from the body of the poem. However, the poems classified as strophic songs can only be performed as strophic songs; they have no existence outside of this category. Moreover, the choral line itself is frequently sense bearing with regard to the broader meaning and aesthetic structure of the poem, even if it departs from the formal characteristics of the other lines in the poem.
In the last decade, the Mahri poet Ḥājj Dākōn has developed a new genre of Mahri poetry that is imitative of an Arabic-vernacular poetic genre: the Ḥaḍramī sung-poem (qaṣīda ghināʾiyya). Ḥājj Dākōn's strophic sung-poems differ from traditional ʾahāzīj in terms of their longer stanzas (three to four isometric monostich lines per stanza), sense-bearing choral lines divided into hemistichs, and the fact that they are not associated with any particular form of celebration or physical labor. As a result, Ḥājj's sung poems can be sung collectively at any celebratory event or sung individually when a lyric mood strikes the singer. I address the historical development of the modern genre of sung-poem in southern Arabia in Liebhaber 2011b.
1 2017-10-10T20:52:27+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824 Line Structure Samuel Liebhaber 6 classification plain 2018-06-11T15:09:29+00:00 Samuel Liebhaber 92edd610c0d14d00181bd949250cbe90dae08f10
1 2017-10-10T20:51:43+00:00 Tristich 6 line structure plain 2018-06-11T16:31:04+00:00
1 2017-10-10T20:51:49+00:00 Hemistich 5 line structure plain 2018-06-11T16:12:55+00:00
1 2017-10-10T20:51:20+00:00 Strophic 3 line structure plain 2018-04-11T17:21:28+00:00
1 2017-10-10T20:51:58+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824 Qaṣīda ghināʾiyya ("Sung Poem") Samuel Liebhaber 8 genre page plain 2018-05-15T21:41:59+00:00 Samuel Liebhaber 92edd610c0d14d00181bd949250cbe90dae08f10
1 2017-10-10T20:52:41+00:00 Multiline Monothematic 10 length plain 2018-06-11T14:50:54+00:00
1 2017-10-10T20:51:49+00:00 Sentimental 6 poem content plain 2018-06-11T17:11:09+00:00
1 2017-10-10T20:52:54+00:00 Recitation 5 recorded performance plain 2018-05-21T17:17:59+00:00
1 2017-10-10T20:52:54+00:00 Sung 4 recorded performance plain 2018-06-12T21:25:48+00:00
1 2017-10-10T20:51:20+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824 ʾAhāzīj ("Work Songs") Samuel Liebhaber 4 genre page plain 2018-06-12T18:20:51+00:00 Samuel Liebhaber 92edd610c0d14d00181bd949250cbe90dae08f10
1 2017-10-10T20:51:21+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824 Beautiful, Everything About You Is Beautiful 9 poem plain 2020-03-03T06:26:50+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824
1 2017-10-10T20:51:22+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824 Watch Out and Be Warned 9 poem plain 2020-03-03T06:49:12+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824
1 2017-10-10T20:51:22+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824 I'm Not To Blame 9 poem plain 2020-03-03T06:51:23+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824
1 2017-10-10T20:51:26+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824 I Have a Little Lady 7 poem plain 2018-06-11T16:30:01+00:00 Samuel Liebhaber 92edd610c0d14d00181bd949250cbe90dae08f10
1 2017-10-10T20:51:22+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824 Little Jewel Said 7 poem plain 2018-04-16T21:43:50+00:00 Angela Erisman b6dabb1f11fcdb28bac14756ccc7be44d987971a
1 2017-10-10T20:51:41+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824 Wedding Night Song 6 poem plain 2018-06-05T02:11:06+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824
1 2017-10-10T20:51:41+00:00 Stanford University Press af84c3e11fe030c51c61bbd190fa82a3a1a12824 Work Song for Stitching and Repairing Fabric 5 poem plain 2018-04-17T11:13:22+00:00 Angela Erisman b6dabb1f11fcdb28bac14756ccc7be44d987971a


text:
Home > How Extreme Sport and Travel Enthusiasts Become Professional Marksmen
How Extreme Sport and Travel Enthusiasts Become Professional Marksmen
/ Carol Trehearn
Does adventure traveling make your heart race? Ever considered taking part in a sport shooting competition? Well, why not do both, at home and abroad? Sports shooting competitions have been around since the first Olympics in Athens, Greece.
During the inaugural sports spectacle, 39 shooters from seven nations competed in three pistol and two high power rifle events. And the sport has only grown since, both during the Olympic Games and in the number of sport shooting clubs that have opened their doors.
Here are several ways you can get involved in extreme sports and become an ISSF professional marksman.
Start Local if You're New to Sport Shooting
Sport shooting competitions are held all over the country, so make it a point to search out a local club — not just a shooting range — where competitions are held. By and large, you most likely have seen one of these local clubs near your home or place of work. With that in mind, find out what it takes to become a member and learn about all the different types of firearms and ammunition used in competitions.
Beyond learning the ins and outs of shooting and becoming a better marksman, you'll no doubt make new friends who share the same interest. Plus, it will allow to see, once and for all, whether taking part in a sport shooting competition is right for you; after all, hitting a bullseye at the competition level is different than shooting a can off a fence post.
Step Up to the Big Time
If you have an eye toward becoming an Olympic sport shooter, it will no doubt take a tremendous amount of committed preparation and training. Oh, and some luck and good fortune, too. To get started, find a local club that is recognized and sanctioned by the USA Shooting. Once you become more adept at the sport, you may very well get noticed by USA Shooting and be asked to join the national team.
Moreover, you'll know you can compete with the best of the best and be on a path to Olympic fame and fortune you won't soon forget. Imagine traveling the world participating in competitions with the best marksmen. Talk about taking the sport to the extreme. You'll be challenged to the max and perhaps one day be recognized as one of the best to ever compete.
And to add a little spice to your shooting, why not try for the biathlon? While the winter biathlon involves skiing and shooting, the summer biathlon involves running and shooting. Can you imagine the extreme training and discipline involved to be successful? We bet you can do it with the right mindset, so give it all you got and go for it.
Know The ISSF Can Make Olympics Dreams Come True
The International Shooting Sport Federation is the world governing body for sport shooting. Looking to make the Olympics? To qualify, you'll need to compete and be victorious in a number of ISSF-sanctioned events. By being a part of the national team, ISSF events will be available to you. Just showing up at an event won't get you into the event or the Olympics.
The ISSF has special rules you need to follow in order to compete in any events and awards spots in the Olympics based on sanctioned competition results. These spots are given to members of the national team, which is why landing a spot on the national team is so important. Oh, being a great marksman will help, too.
Take Up Shooting as a Hobby
If big-time competition isn't your thing, that's certainly OK; after all, your local sport shooting clubs likely offer plenty of space and resources for a hobbyist. Even local shooting ranges offer a variety of opportunities to not only shoot targets, but also take part in trap and skeet shooting as well. Men, women and youth can participate in friendly competition. Plus, you may have friends who are members of a shooting club. Why not ask around and join in on the fun?
Your Adventure Awaits
Sport shooting will take you to many exotic locations, including Mexico, Australia, Germany, South Korea, Argentina, along with a number of locations throughout the U.S. While the competition brought you to these amazing locations, enjoying the sites and sounds each location has to offer will be priceless. Still think sport shooting isn't for you? Didn't think so.
HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?
What are the risks and dangers of traveling overseas? /
Five Accessible Extreme Sports to Add to Your Bucket List /
Base Jumping in Greece – The Best Spots /
Why is it a good idea to be involved in extreme sport since childhood /
How to Build a Career in the Extreme Sports Field /
ATHLETE / PROFILE
Franka Tempelaar
/ Netherlands
RANDOM / SPOTS
Leaping Burn, Wanaka
/ Otago New Zealand
Wanaka is a small town in Central Otago in the South Island of New Zealand, situated on the south side of Lake Wanaka.
Mojacar, Almeria
/ Andalusia Spain
Mojacar is a municipality of Almeria province located in the southwest. This typical Mediterranean sunny village lies between Carboneras and Garrucha, bordering the Sierra Cabrena mountains and the Mediterranean sea. Mojacar is a typical Mediterranean sunny village with more than 3000 hours of sun per year.
adventure athletes bungee jumping climbing egypt extreme sports free skiing free snowboard kitesurfing parkour QParks Tour QParks Tour Stop red bull rock climbing scuba diving skateboard skateboarding skiing skydiving snowboarding surfing Switzerland Texas usa world surf league


This Christmas, why not indulge the main man in your life in a spot of pampering? Beard or no beard, we've selected the best fuss-free but thoughtful grooming essentials to give him a timeless gift: the best skin ever. This is a sock-free zone!
If he has a lot of late nights and busy days, Kiehl's Eye Fuel is going to become his new best friend! This anti-fatigue eye cream will combat puffiness and dark circles with its hardworking formula, making it an effortless skincare staple.
Give him the gift of great skin with Instant Filter, an everyday moisturiser that mimics the effects of a filter over a camera lens. This innovative hydrating tinted cream will reduce redness, enhance his complexion and smooth away any flaws.
If he's really serious about his grooming routine your special someone is going to love the Clarins Men Hydra-Sculpt Resculpting Perfector, an innovative gel-cream formula that will hydrate, soothe, tone and provide a daily chiselling treatment for the jawline.
If his skin tends to get a little dry after shaving he's going to enjoy using this Y After Shave Balm. A treat for both the skin and the senses, this moisturising formula will soften the skin and leave an uplifting scent of bergamot and ginger.
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text:
Love and Other Moods follows complexities of adulting, of parenting, of the urban quest for love and finding one's place in the world…
Love and Other Moods
By Crystal Z. Lee
Love and Other Moods is a coming-of-age story set in contemporary China, about falling in love, learning to adult, finding strength, and discovering one's place in the world.
Naomi Kita-Fan uproots her life from New York to China when her fiancé's company transfers him to Shanghai. After a disastrous turn of events, Naomi finds herself with no job, no boyfriend, and nowhere to live in a foreign country.
Amidst the backdrop of Shanghai welcoming millions of workers and visitors to the 2010 World Expo, we meet a tapestry of characters through Naomi: Joss Kong, a Shanghai socialite who leads an enviable life, but must harbor the secrets of her husband, Tay Kai Tang. Logan Hayden, a womanizing restaurateur looking for love in all the wrong places. Pan Jinsung and Ouyang Zhangjie, a silver-aged couple struggling with adapting to the ever-changing faces of their city. Dante Ouyang, who had just returned to China after spending years overseas, must choose between being filial and being in love. All their dreams and aspirations interweave within the sprawling web of Shanghai.
This multilayered novel explores a kaleidoscope of shifting relationships—familial friction, amorous entanglements, volatile friendships—in one of the most dynamic metropolises of the twenty-first century.
"This heartfelt, transporting story sparkles with a constellation of characters who call this city home while pursuing their China dream. As multifaceted as Shanghai itself, this novel follows overlapping narratives about the complexities of adulting, of parenting, of the urban quest for love and finding one's place in the world."
— EMILY TING, film director of Go Back to China and Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong
"Awash with cosmopolitan expats and jet-setting locals, Love and Other Moods shimmers like the diamonds adorning China's glitterati, while exposing haunting personal histories and intergenerational strife. With dazzling twirls around Shanghai's World Expo, glitzy fashion shows, art deco architecture, jazz clubs, gourmet restaurants, and disappearing food stalls, this novel compellingly pulls the reader into the pleasures and pains of becoming an adult in a city soaring to global status."
— JENNY LIN, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Critical Studies at the University of Southern California and author of Above sea: Contemporary art, urban culture, and the fashioning of global Shanghai
Amazon → https://amzn.to/2Vqx5IN
Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/36iVsON
Book Depository → https://bit.ly/2VgLd6Y
IndieBound → https://bit.ly/3fIWlTE
Naomi had packed four suitcases from New York, and right now they were stacked unevenly on top of one another in the hallway, forcing the front door to open only halfway, just tight enough for her to slide in sideways. She couldn't remember the last time she had lived by herself. The lonely apartment was mildly depressing.
She felt like walking aimlessly. She passed by wrinkled men playing a game of Chinese chess, teenage girls in designer sunglasses taking photographs of each other, a woman gesticulating wildly as she yelled into her cell phone, tourists examining a guide book, a cloud of second-hand smoke drifting from outside a cafe, Uighur men selling kebabs, well-heeled shoppers clinging to their purchases, two men in yarmulkes talking heatedly, shrieking children competing with the racket from honking vehicles, and the sea of commuters gushing out of the Huangpi Nan Lu metro stop. Naomi let herself be swept up into the human river, bodies crushing against each other, arms brushing and shoving, no apologies no offense taken. Being in this city meant your senses were constantly accosted.
A man approached her with a flier featuring images of iPhones, Rolexes, LV handbags, and said that their shop was just ahead in an alley. She declined and quickened her pace. She spotted an empty bench by a bus stop and flopped down. Barely noticing as the traffic whizzed by, the racy selfie on Seth's phone resurfaced in her head. A steady stream of downpour coaxed pedestrians to open a colorful array of umbrellas, or duck into convenience stores, boutique shops, malls entrances. Naomi felt wholly unequipped and unprepared, again, by this city.
Her hair was stuck to her face and her forehead was damp. She was relieved that the inclement weather matched her mood, for tears had started forming and slithering beneath her eyes, blending with the droplets of rain running down her face. She wiped it away with her sleeve. She just wanted to throw up all the fury and regrets that were lodged in her stomach, she wished it could all be flushed out of her head.
It was starting to hit her, the reality of having no boyfriend, no job, and nowhere to live.
She wondered if the sprawling metropolis of Shanghai was too small to co-exist with her ex-fiancé.
Crystal Z. Lee is a Taiwanese American bilingual writer. She has called many places home, including Taipei, New York, Shanghai, and the San Francisco Bay Area. She was formerly a public relations executive who had worked with brands in the fashion, beauty, technology, and automotive industries. Love and Other Moods is her debut novel. She's already hard at work on her next novel and a children's book.
Follow the author on Instagram @ Crystal.Z.Lee
at 11:00 PM No comments:
Book Tour & Giveaway: Banewind by MB Chapman *Win $25 Amazon Gift Card*
I've kissed a boy.
I've been to another world.
I've seen death.
By M.B. Chapman
Title: BANEWIND
Author: M.B. Chapman
Publisher: Light Messages / Torchflame Books
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Fiction
Almost two weeks ago I was just a normal girl getting ready to start my senior year of high school, deciding where I wanted my life to go. And now?
I've kissed a boy. I've been to another world. I've seen death.
And I don't know what my life's become.
Banewind tells the spellbinding story of 18-year-old Genevieve DeWinter, a typical high school girl who finds herself entangled in the throes of adventure, romance, and survival after discovering the existence of a group of magical beings known as Formulists and their co-existing world, Banewind.
With the arrival of several mages in her hometown of Parma, Ohio, Genevieve soon learns that these extraordinary secrets are rooted deep within her family's history when it is revealed her deceased mother was a heroic warrior in a long lineage of female protectors called the Holy Guardian. Now, a vengeful group of Formulists known as the Voidweavers have returned and set their sights on Genevieve, believing she might be the next Holy Guardian and the key to awakening their fallen leader, the Void King, who had been destroyed by Genevieve's mother when she sacrificed herself a decade earlier to save Banewind and all of humanity from an unthinkable evil.
With the help of new allies, Genevieve must fight to stay alive as she unravels the mystery and danger that have shattered the stability of the life she once knew before the Voidweavers succeed in shadowing the world in chaos and darkness once again.
Now that he's in better light, I can get a good view of him. I'm right on the age part—he's probably eighteen or nineteen—and he's very attractive. He has black hair that swoops over the side of his forehead, and blue eyes that are sparkling like sapphires. His face is beautiful, with high-set cheekbones and a slender nose. His skin is pale and ashen, but it suits him well. And his body appears fit beneath the turquoise track jacket and matching track pants he wears. "Want me to help you look for him?" He takes another step toward me. "It's okay. Thanks." I back up. "You don't have to do that." "I don't mind." He stares at me with a wolfish grin, and I feel as though his blue eyes are piercing through my body. "It really isn't smart for you to be out here alone." "What about you?" I snap back. "I mean, really. A girl can't spend her time alone in the woods, but it's perfectly acceptable for a boy?" His eyes widen in surprise. "I-I guess you make a good point." He bites his lips. They have a blue tint to them. "What's your name?" "Genevieve." Can he tell I'm caught off-guard? "I'm Scythe. Nice to meet you." We both stand there in awkward silence. "Okay. Well, I'm going to go find my dog. Take care." "Wait." He jerks his hand towards me. "Why don't you stay here, and I'll go find the dog and bring him back to you." He looks proud of himself for suggesting this. "If not, you might get lost." "These woods aren't that big. I'll be fine." I'm beginning to get agitated with this punk. "I appreciate you offering to help. But seriously, I'm just going to—" The tree behind Scythe explodes into thousands of splinters, crackling while the red blaze ascends to the top. As I fall to the ground, I see him bound to the left and roll behind a hollowed trunk, taking cover from the hissing flames. The clearing illuminates with a fiery orange light as the trunk bursts into dancing embers. I cover my eyes, blinded by the fire's brightness as it continues to engulf the shrubbery around me. My face is drenched in sweat, and my breathing is swift and shallow. Up and down, up and down, up and down. My chest rises and falls so fast I'm afraid I'll pass out if I don't get myself under control. Another explosion. I cover my ears and scream. I drag myself over to a stump and hide behind it, scanning the clearing to see what has become of the boy. About twenty feet from me, his body lies sprawled out, with flames flickering just inches from his clothes. A nearby tree explodes and falls to the ground, revealing a figure in a hooded red cloak standing in its place.
"This story has a great mix of fantasy and young adult romance. Love the strong female protagonist at the center of the story! It is like Harry Potter, but with a unique, imaginative world all its own. There is a rich backstory of the fantasy land woven throughout the book that makes me excited for future books by this author!"
-- Amazon Reviewer
"I think this could be the next big thing. I would love to see this made into a movie or tv show. The story is intriguing, the characters easy to imagine, and the writing is great. Super easy read and kept me invested the entire time! Ready for book 2!"
I don't think this is a series but it sure could be! The mixture it has sets this into a good read! Especially if you are snowed in. Well written and thought out plot and characters! Very interesting read that you will find yourself completely drawn in and lost from the reality of life!
Amazon → https://amzn.to/36O4Ust
Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/3kLolHj
Kobo books: https://bit.ly/36QgZx5
M.B. Chapman is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card!
By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
One winner will be chosen via Rafflecopter to receive your gift card
This giveaway ends midnight March 31.
Winner will be contacted via email on April 1.
Winner has 48 hours to reply.
Matt Chapman grew up outside of Cleveland and now lives in St. Louis, Missouri where he is completing his residency in Psychiatric medicine at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a graduate of Creighton University School of Medicine where he obtained his MD and a graduate of Saint Louis University where he majored in Biology.
Matt has had a passion for writing and reading since childhood and continues to find time for these interests among his other pursuits, including medical education and leadership studies. He is currently working on his next novel in The Banewind Series.
Website: https://www.lightmessages.com/mb-chapman
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mbchapman90
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/banewind_series
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mbchapman90/
Book Feature: Pepper the Salt Potato by Lenora Riegel - Win a copy of the book!
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the PEPPER THE SALT POTATO by Lenora Riegel Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
Title: PEPPER THE SALT POTATO
Author: Lenora Riegel
Pub. Date: May 3, 2020
Publisher: Siphre Books
Formats: Hardcover
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, TBD, Bookshop.org
If you're not from Upstate New York, you may not have heard of salt potatoes or the most famous salt potato, Pepper. Pepper the Salt Potato was planing a visit to the New York State Fair with friends Jam the Jelly Jar, Snap the Pickle, and of course, Phil the Paper Bag. There's one problem. Pepper could find any excuse not to take a bath because potatoes like dirt. Despite the friends' efforts to get Pepper ready for the contest, Pepper wanted to stay dirty. He chanted his mantra, "I am who I am!" What are the chances Pepper will win a trophy for Best Potato of the Year at the State Fair?
About Lenora:
Founder of Siphre Books, a children's book publisher of stories set in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York. Aww, Fishsticks was Lenora's debut. What began as her search for living a lifelong dream turned into a children's book. After 35 years in engineering, she spends her time writing and drawing. "I am who I am!"
1 winner will win a finished copy of the PEPPER THE SALT POTATO, US Only.
Jotted by Jena
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Pine Enshrined Reviews / Pine Enshrine
In this ground-breaking book, The Alcohol Con is exposed, and unraveled with insight and humour...
THE ALCOHOL CON: HOW TO OUTSMART IT
By Michaela Weaver
Title: THE ALCOHOL CON: HOW TO OUTSMART IT
Author: Michaela Weaver
Publisher: Parker Press Publishing
Is drinking having a negative effect on your life? You are not alone!
Millions of strong-minded, capable people find themselves falling victim to the biggest con trick of our time – alcohol!
It lures us with false promises of fun and social acceptability. Instead we find ourselves caught in a cycle of drinking, hangovers, morning regret, and guilt.
Despite being successful in other areas of life, it seems difficult to change our drinking habits. In the face of alcohol it's easy blame ourselves, and believe we are unable to exercise self-control.
In this ground-breaking book, The Alcohol Con is exposed, and unraveled with insight and humour. Drawing on her own experience, and with a background in science and professional coaching, Michaela Weaver paves the way for you to outsmart the alcohol con, break free and move forward to a bright new sober future.
Amazon → https://amzn.to/3f16YRG
Thirty years after joining the merry-go-round of drinking alcohol, my thumping head, nauseous stomach, and I, finally saw it for what it was: the biggest con trick on the planet. At that point I metaphorically got off the ride, left the fairground, and walked off into a beautiful sunny day. I'm still walking around in that beautiful sunny world, where it's calm and peaceful, and the war of wants, and shouldn't haves, and hungover regrets has stopped raging in my head.
I don't head for the fridge as soon as I get home from work anymore, and don't curse when I find only a half a bottle left there from the night before. I don't worry about going out with friends and needing to remember to stop drinking after four drinks, only to have four drinks and forget to remember. I don't ever wake up at 3am with a dry throat, and racing heart with a feeling of dread as I try to remember what I said and did the night before. I don't have to deal with my guilt, or feeling stupid because I decided not to have a drink last night, but come wine o'clock my body went into autopilot as my brain decided to change its mind, and I did the very thing I promised myself that I wouldn't do.
I don't do any of that any more because I outsmarted the con artist that had held my confidence and trust for all those years. I outsmarted alcohol, and you can too. Alcohol has no control over me, as I now realise it once did. I am in complete control of every drop of alcohol that passes my lips. I consume exactly the amount of alcohol that I want to drink, which is exactly none.
You can get smart about alcohol, and you can get control over it. But before you can outsmart anything, you need to understand it. In the game of psychological warfare, knowledge is ammunition, and knowledge is power.
But wait a minute.
Surely, if there's a problem with alcohol, then it's the people who drink too much of it that have a problem. After all, isn't the term 'alcohol abuse' aimed at the uncontrolled drinker and not the drink itself.
We all know that it's alcoholics on park benches drinking meths from bottles in paper bags who have a problem. We know it's them who need to go to weekly AA meetings and sit in a circle proclaiming their acquiescence to a lifelong disease and affliction that they battle in misery to control because they were born with some dodgy genes.
We know that we're different and our kind of drinking belongs in a different world. Ours is a world of grown-up laughs, sophisticated choices, and wine o'clock normality.
We've all grown up knowing that drinking alcohol is the golden ticket to adulthood and more alluring than a first kiss. We spent the early years of drinking, proving we could drink like fishes, building up tolerance, and working hard for the badge of being a proper grown up alcohol drinker.
We learned that drinking is the multi-tasking doer of all things: it relaxes, relieves boredom, gives a whoop of joy, helps get over an argument, deals with our stress, fills our hours, brings us our friends, make social occasions fabulous, helps us throw off our clothes in the bedroom, makes us happy, makes us interesting, and the life and soul of the party.
We know all these things. Or we think we do. So why on earth would we need to outsmart it, when it does so much for us, our family, our friends, and everyone we know?
Because if it really did all those things, and there were no consequences, then it would be awesome, it really would. The problem is, as we all know, that if anything seems too good to be true, then it usually is. And alcohol is no exception. Yet virtually every drinker genuinely believes in a long list of benefits that alcohol brings them.
Since birth, we've been conditioned by society, media, and the people we know and love, to believe that drinking alcohol is not only normal, but expected. It is the only drug on the planet that you have to justify not taking. Because alcohol is a drug, although the fact is not widely advertised: you don't see advertisements saying, 'Drink Sauvignon Blanc this Christmas, it's a highly addictive and poisonous drug.'
In terms of addictive power, alcohol sits beside heroin, cocaine and nicotine. It is second to heroin in the addictive stakes, scoring 2.2/3 where heroin scores 2.5/3.
In a UK study by David Nutt of Imperial College London in 2010, alcohol was found to be the most harmful drug on the planet based on 16 criteria relating to harm to the individual and harm to others. In the study, alcohol scored 72/100 compared to the second most dangerous drug, heroin, scoring 55/100, and crack cocaine which scored 54/100. Alcohol is not only harmful to us physically, it harms us psychologically, and it harms our families. Alcohol hurts the people we love.
Alcohol may be harmful, but we all know that in small doses it's good for us. We've been told that it's good for our heart to have a glass of red wine each day. Sadly, as medical knowledge expands, this is another bubble in the alcohol con to burst. The good stuff in red wine is resveratrol, which you can find in strawberries, grapes and blueberries to name a few sources, and these don't come with increased risk of cancer to the neck, head, breast, colon, oesophagus or liver.
A study published in The Lancet in 2018 concluded that the level of alcohol consumption per week that minimises health loss is zero. Put another way, this means that for us mere mortals, the safe amount of alcohol to consume is none. The study used 650 data sources, and over 590 studies in reaching its conclusion. Alcohol consumption has now been linked to 60 acute and chronic diseases, and just one glass of wine per day has been linked to a 15% increased risk of breast cancer.
We may know that something is bad for us, but our minds have an amazing ability to convince us that inconvenient facts which stand in the way of us doing what we want to do don't apply to us. The mild inconvenience of the negatives pale into insignificance compared to the enormous benefits that we're convinced that we're getting.
And then one day something changes. Some crisis occurs that affects us personally, and we decide that we have to do something different.
Right now, you probably believe that alcohol is an important part of your life. But you'll also know that supping those glasses of wine or beer each night, or partying hard at the weekend, is causing a problem. Alcohol may be affecting your health, your work, or your relationship, or maybe all three.
You may be realising that the hangovers are feeling worse, or that you feel tired all day until a drink in the evening miraculously wakes you up.
Waking up full of remorse and anxiety, with a thumping head, and a questionable or even nonexistent recollection of last night's events is far from fun, relaxing or stress-free. In fact, it's diametrically opposite. And vowing never to do it again only to pour a glass of red wine at dinner isn't good for long term self-esteem, either, as you find yourself in a constant cycle of internal mental battles, over which reaching for a glass always wins.
The result is that the real you, the conscious-minded part of you that doesn't want to drink, fails. Always. And I know, because I always failed too. If I'd had a particularly boozy Saturday night with friends and felt hellish the next day, I'd be proud of myself that I didn't have a glass of wine that evening. The fact that I was still feeling queasy from the night before didn't enter my head as being the reason for my evening of abstinence.
When I decided to stop drinking for a while, like on a hungover 1st of January having decided to do a dry month, I'd start off feeling amazingly positive and determined. All my resolve and positive vision of self, drinking green tea every evening, was primed and ready for action. I would spring open the fridge and give the bottle of wine a 'Ya boo,' scoff before putting it firmly in the back of the cupboard, with a 'See you in February,' smile.
I'd go to the pub and loudly order a diet coke, telling the bar tender that I was doing Dry January. I might as well have stood on the bar, grabbed a microphone, and shouted to the room, 'Look at me with my diet coke everyone! Look at me controlling alcohol. I'm not drinking Chardonnay or Merlot here today my friends, so I DON'T HAVE AN ALCOHOL PROBLEM.' Thou doth protest too much.
By around the 20th of January I was usually bored with Dry January and poured myself a large chilled glass of white wine to celebrate my abstinence. A week later and I had my nose back in the fridge at wine o'clock, waking up on Saturday morning with a remorseful hangover.
For someone who is fundamentally a smart person, none of that made me feel very smart. And that's the problem, drink makes a fool of everyone, even the most successful and well educated of us.
What you're about to find out is that the whole package that is wrapped up in the glass in your hand is the result of a very clever and long drawn out confidence trick. It's a confidence trick that has drawn you in, like it did me, and millions of others, and one that you have completely trusted.
All con tricks work because the con artist gains your trust, implicitly. You believe in them, who they say they are, and the benefits that you believe they can bring you.
The psychological brainwashing of addiction happens in the subconscious mind, and this is the part of your mind that says, 'Oh go on then,' when your conscious mind is sitting there with its arms crossed and a large banner with the words, 'I'm not going to drink today' emblazoned in bold lettering. This explains why we feel stupid when we've gone to such lengths, just to cave in five minutes later.
If you knew for a fact that you had been a victim of a con trick that had trapped you, would you want to get out?
Alcohol is the basis of a confidence trick of pandemic proportions, with millions of people across the world being caught out and being caught in the trap. Alcohol is embedded in every crevice of our society and for many it's a trusted friend. It has won the confidence of people like you and me who genuinely believe (as I used to) that it adds value to their lives, and that life without it would be deficient. Alcohol is also the cause of inordinate suffering and misery for millions of people who find they can't live with it and can't live without it.
Alcohol is the con trick that is fooling the world. Intelligent, successful, strong-minded people are amongst the most common group to fall for the con and give their trust to alcohol. It's only when you try to get out that the rope tightens, and you realise that you're trapped. With minds yo-yoing between wanting a drink, and trying to stop having one, or just having less, most drinkers mistakenly blame themselves for being weak, and unable to control alcohol. People don't realise that they are victims of a con.
Unless you've read a library of books on addiction, drugs and alcohol lately, then there's a ton of stuff about alcohol that you are completely unaware of, just like I was. And you're a bright person. You're smart. I am too. I've got degrees, I've written books, run businesses and I've raised kids, but I was drawn in by the alcohol con, just like the millions of smart, intelligent, successful people who are still in the trap.
When people try to get out, the con trick keeps them trapped by adding layer upon layer of false confidences and beliefs.
People think they can't live without alcohol, and life would be dull. A few years ago, the very idea of going to a party and not being able to drink would make me feel deprived, even before I got there.
Recently a friend came to stay, and twice before she arrived, I went to my local shops to get some last-minute supplies. Both times I had 'buy wine' on my mental list, because my friend is a drinker. Both times I completely forgot the wine. I ended up texting my partner to ask him to pick up some on the way home from work. A few years ago, I would have gone to the shop to pick up some milk and would have come through the door with two bottles of wine, and completely forgotten the milk.
I'm now free, and it feels great.
People talk about 'giving up' alcohol as though there's something to lose, and I appreciate that right now that's what you believe. It's the reason that people are so fearful of facing the problems that alcohol is causing. It's like the abusive partner who beats someone up only to hug them better. We all know that person is manipulative and can't be trusted. The alcohol con is cleverer though, because whereas an abusive lover may shower someone with tangible gifts and benefits, there are literally no benefits to taking alcohol, and you'll get smart to that later in the book.
I use the word 'take' in relation to alcohol interchangeably with the word 'drink', because drinkers drink to take the drug which is alcohol. Heroin is mostly injected, or smoked, and nicotine is smoked, or vaped. I know that you won't like to think of it that way: taking alcohol, but that is what it is. If it makes you recoil, or feel aggrieved, that's okay. You'll find out later that's just your subconscious mind, and it's your subconscious mind that is the real victim of the confidence trick.
Alcohol, and everything that it embodies, is the con artist who has lied and continues to lie to you. Alcohol is the Pied Piper of Hamlyn who plays happy music full of promises of joy. And just like the piper it lures the followers, reeling them in, slowly, subtly, until the point when it's got them, and it's too late. It's not too late for you though, and if you are prepared to get smart with alcohol then you'll be in full control very soon.
Alcohol traps educated, capable, strong-minded people. The only abuser in the alcohol equation is the alcohol itself. It is not us who abuse alcohol, it is alcohol that abuses us.
Alcohol is the loan shark who lends you $20, then demands $30 in repayment, who lends you the $30 to then demand a repayment of $40. It is the loan shark who gives with one hand and takes with both, taking you ever further in debt while you try to get back to being where you were before you started.
It's time to delve into the confidence and trust that we have put in alcohol and to unravel the greatest confidence trick of our time.
As a TEDx speaker, author, masters qualified coach, science graduate and professional woman, you would think that with all that I'd know better than to find myself addicted to alcohol and stuck in a 'wine o'clock, weekend binge' drinking cycle.
But I have since learned how and why we become addicted to alcohol, and how to change that.
I now help women to learn about alcohol, revolutionize their relationships with alcohol and skip, run and jump into a thriving life without alcohol dragging them down.
You're not weak, incapable or out of control, but maybe like millions of others you were lured in and fell for a highly addictive and insidious drug.
Website: www.thealcoholcoach.com
Facebook: facebook.com/thealcoholcoach


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text:
Everton Youth
2019-20 Season Review
Who Will Be Representing Everton Under-23s in 2020-21?
Who will be playing for David Unsworth's side next season, who might leave and who will head out on loan?
By Pete Reynolds@PeteReynolds_ Aug 11, 2020, 9:00am BST
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Tyler Onyango in action
Photo by Emma Simpson - Everton FC/Everton FC via Getty Images
After their season was cut short early in 2019/20, David Unsworth is currently busy readying his under-23s side for next season's Premier League 2 campaign.
But will it be a new-look side?
Below I take a look at which players have left, who might leave, and who might star for the under-23s in 2020/21.
Who's Been Released:
· Matty Foulds
· Morgan Feeney
· Kieran Phillips (joined Huddersfield Town)
· Alex Denny
· Korede Adedoyin
· Manasse Mampala
Who's Been Sold:
· Fraser Hornby – Stade Reims (£1.8m)
Who's Already Been Loaned Out?
Nathan Markelo – CM/RB - 21
The versatile Dutchman – who primarily plays in central midfield - joined Everton from Dutch second division side, FC Volendam, in June 2017.
Despite having been frequently tipped to have a first team future, Markelo – now 21 – has yet to play any senior football, but has played frequently for the under-23s for the past three years.
Interestingly, those in charge at Everton must still fancy that he may yet have a chance of making the step up, as he was given a new two-year contract before joining FC Twente on loan in his homeland for the entirety of the 2020/21 season.
As I recently discussed, this seems to be a case of Everton stifling a player in the under-23s rather than getting them senior first-team football elsewhere. Indeed, he's going to have to absolutely shine at Twente if he wants to play for Everton in the following season.
Contract until 30.6.2022
Nathangelo Markelo on the ball
Photo by Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images
Current Everton Under-23s:
Joāo Virginia – GK – 20
Endured a cataclysmic first loan spell at Reading last season. Despite starting the season as their first-choice keeper, he quickly fell out of favour after several blunders, eventually dropping out of the matchday squad entirely.
Was recalled to the under-23s in January and played a couple of times for the under-23s before making his name on Everton's first team bench on several occasions as one of two sub goalkeepers.
Virginia really needs to go out on loan once more, though, to show that he has learned from the lessons of his first taste of senior football and show that he is of the standard required.
Verdict: Go on loan
Nicholas Hansen – GK – 19
The American, who joined the club in 2018, was primarily back up to Harry Tyrer last season for the under-23s last season.
He will need to make the position his own if he wants to get a new contract though.
Verdict: Play for u-23s
Harry Tyrer – GK – 19
Played the majority of Premier League 2 games for the Blues last season, although he occasionally have to share duties with Virginia and Hansen.
Ideally would go out on loan to a League 2 or National League side, but more likely that he will stay with the under-23s for another season.
Verdict: Play for under-23s or go out on loan
Jarrad Branthwaite – CB – 18 *PLAYER TO WATCH*
Needs no introduction after impressing when called upon for the first team at the end of the season.
There are a lot of questions about what to do with the 18-year-old now though, when the first team squad returns (ideally) fully fit.
It looks as though either he or Lewis Gibson will be Everton's fourth choice centre-back, unless the Blues bring in a new player in that position. Either way, it would make sense for Gibson or Branthwaite to provide cover for the first team, while getting minutes for the under-23s, with the other player going out on loan.
I'd wager that Branthwaite will stick around for now after impressing Carlo.
Verdict: Dominate for under-23s and provide first-team cover
Ryan Astley – CB – 18
Was a regular feature for the under-23s last season, so one would hope he would go out on loan this year to get senior experience.
However, I expect him to hang around for another year under David Unsworth.
Verdict: Dominate at under-23 level
Con Ouzounidis – CB – 20
Having played for the under-23s level for three years now, there's no doubt that the Australian youth international simply has to go out on loan to get first team experience this year, ideally to a top League One team.
Joseph Anderson – LB/CB/DM – 19
The versatile defender broke into the under-23s last year and got a few intermittent appearances under his belt.
Needs to become a feature of the side this year in order to earn a contract extension.
Verdict: Become an under-23s regular
Kyle John – RB– 19
After impressing for the 23's last season, he became a regular fixture at first-team training.
Now's the time for some first team experience, though, and a League One loan would be ideal.
Niels Nkounkou – LB – 19 *PLAYER TO WATCH*
Everton's first piece of business in the summer transfer window saw left-back Niels Nkounkou join from Marseille. He's set to link up with under-23s first, but there are big hopes that he can quickly become part of the first team set up.
Whether Everton sign another left-back to replace Leighton Baines this summer will be a clear indicator as to whether they see Nkounkou as a real and immediate first-team option. Hopefully he can come in and do well for the under-23s and provide cover in case of injury to Lucas Digne.
Verdict: Star for under-23s and provide back-up to Lucas Digne.
Tyler Onyango – CM – 17 *PLAYER TO WATCH*
One of the Academy stars of 2019/20, the lanky 17-year-old midfielder with a Fellaini-esque barnet shone for the under-18s last season and then impressed when making the step-up to David Unsworth's under-23 side at the age of just 16.
He was subsequently rewarded with a three-year contract in the summer (the maximum allowed for under-17s) and hopes are very high for this athletic midfielder. Should look to star for the under-23s this season.
Verdict: Star for under-23s
Dennis Adeniran – CM – 21
Join the Blues in a deal worth up to £4 million from Fulham in August 2017, but he's still yet to step away from the under-23s.
At 21 and having spent four seasons at under-23 level, the central midfielder simply has to go out on loan this season if he wants to continue to develop.
Beni Baningime – DM – 21
Another player that shouldn't be playing for the under-23s at this stage of his development.
Beni Baningime actually broke into the first team briefly in 2017/18, but a bizarre loan spell at Wigan in which he only featured once seemed to have marked a stunt in his development.
The touch-tackling midfielder did make the extended bench for Carlo Ancelotti's side after the restart, but he, like Adeniran, needs first-team experience and fast.
He turns 22 before the start of the season, so he really needs to impress on loan at a Championship or title-challenging League One side.
Einar Iversen – CM – 19
The Norwegian midfielder joined the club in 2017 and captained the under-18s in 2018/19.
He established himself in the under-23s last season and, with Everton flush in central midfield options, the club should really be looking to loan him out to a League One side – although it seems more likely that the Blues might keep hold of him in the 23's one more.
Verdict: Star for 23's or go on loan
Liam Higgins – RW/LW – 17
Made his debut for the under-23s in February and impressed as he laid on an assist for the winning goal.
Could start the season for the under-18s, but will hopefully become an established part of the 23's setup over the course of the campaign.
Verdict: Become an u-23s regular
Ellis Simms – CF – 19
Banged in the goals at under-18s level and did the same for the under-23s last season, before making the first team bench at the end of the campaign.
Now it's time for the big striker to go out and get some first team experience, ideally at a top League One club.
Lewis Dobbin – CF – 17
Taking Simms' place as the 23's main frontman should be Lewis Dobbin, after scoring 11 goals in 16 under-18 Premier League appearances last season.
He made his Premier League 2 debut last season, but featured for just three minutes. Will hopefully see a lot more of him this campaign.
Returning Loanees
Lewis Gibson – CB – 19 *PLAYER TO WATCH*
Lewis Gibson has a great loan spell last season in which he helped Fleetwood charge up the League One table and into the play-offs after joining in January.
He could well compete directly with Jarrod Branthwaite to provide first-team cover, but it's probably best for him to build on his excellent loan spell last season with a season-long move to a Championship side.
Callum Connolly – DM/RB/CB – 22
The time is nearly up on Connolly's Everton career as although he's had some solid loan spells, he's not progressed enough to be knocking on the Premier League door.
With one more year left on his Everton contract, the Blues should be looking to cash in on the versatile 22-year-old.
Verdict: Sell
Josh Bowler – RW – 21
A mixed season for Bowler ended with relegation with Hull.
Another Championship loan is his best bet with one more year left on his Everton deal, but if a decent offer comes in, the Blues should sell.
Verdict: Go on loan or sell
Nathan Broadhead – LW – 22
Despite a positive start at League One Burton last season, injury and ultimately the pandemic restricted Broadhead's effectiveness.
The Blues are rumoured to be courting offers for the 22-year-old winger and it's probably the right time for him to forge a career elsewhere.
Who Will Be Stepping Up from Under-18s?
Sebastian Quirk – CM/CF - 18
The highly thought of midfielder made the step up to the under-23s just before the pandemic, scoring on his full debut.
Now it's time for him to establish himself with David Unsworth's side.
Rhys Hughes – AM – 18
Made the bench for the 23's on a couple of occasions and now it's time for him to make the step up after impressive for the under-18s with three goals and six assists in 15 appearances last term.
MacKenzie Hunt – AM – 18
Stepped up to the 23's last season, but injury restricted the attacking midfielder – who score the under-18s goal of the season in 2018/19 - to just two cameo appearances.
Bobby Carroll – CM – 18
Injury also prevented Carroll from playing for the 23's last season after impressing for the under 18's, but he should be ready this time out.
Zan-Luk Leban – GK – 17
Joined Everton from Polish side FCB Escola Varsovia in 2019, but picked up a serious knee injury in his first season.
However, he showed enough promise to be awarded a two-and-a-half year deal last December. Has primarily played for the under-18s so far, but the 17-year-old will hopefully step up to the under-23s this season, although may well end up as a back-up option.
Verdict: Step up to u-23s
Everton news: Gordon's farewell note, Gyökeres rumours, Branthwaite bid rejected