Pencildancers: Creating characters? Where to begin.
Creating characters? Where to begin.
Every good story begins with a character your reader wants to follow. You can have the most interesting plot, but if we as readers don't care about your character, we won't care about what happens to her, no matter how exciting or heart wrenching.
So how do you develop compelling characters? The answer to that is longer than one blog post (many good books have been written on the subject—see the bottom of the post). But it begins with a process of exploration.
You need some sort of form or structure to use while you are developing your characters. You need to write down your discoveries so you have some consistency in your character and you can refer to it while you're writing. It's amazing how much you think you'll remember that you actually forget. So write it down! Scrivener is a great place to keep all of this information.
There are a lot out there, just Google them. Character charts can help you figure out what you need to know about your characters. Some are broad, some feel irrelevant. Try a couple until you find one that seems to work for you.
I always start here. Then you can move to different information to help you flesh her out even more. But this gives you information on how they like to function in the world, how they make decisions, what kind of structure they like, all of which will tell you what you need to do to make them uncomfortable.
Google Myers-Briggs and Enneagrams. You'll find information, charts, and even tests you can take as your character to figure out what their personality is and how they relate to others and, most importantly, how the function under stress.
For the more visual person, a board (literal or virtual) of your characters' rooms, clothes, furniture, anything about their world that helps you step into it. Pictures of your characters can help you visualize them.
Interview your character about the things that could come up in your story. Keep asking why.
Different styles of interviews can elicit different kinds of information. Is it an interrogation? Therapy session? Job interview? Coffee with a friend? Note body language, nervous habits, speech patterns of your characters.
Have one character interview another. The information they relay is likely to be different depending on who is doing the interviewing.
If your character kept a diary or a journal, what would be in it? Give her some journal prompts that relate to the above information you are trying to dig up. How does she respond? Ask "what if" questions?
What does their normal day look like?
Write a biography of your character. Talk about important years, events, hobbies, family.
A twist on this is to write an obituary. What was their family background? Who did they leave behind? What did they accomplish? What were they known for?
These are a few ways to get started on fleshing out your character. Usually you'll find a few surprises and a couple of gems that will get you started on building your novel.


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Canada weighs options for possible military training mission in West Africa | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Canada weighs options for possible military training mission in West Africa
Defence Minister Peter MacKay takes part in a news conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa Wednesday December 12, 2012. The Harper government is examining whether to dispatch Canadian troops to help train an African force whose purpose would be to take back a vast swath of Mali from an off-shoot of al-Qaeda.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand
HALIFAX - The Harper government is examining whether to dispatch Canadian troops to help train an African force whose purpose would be to take back a vast swath of Mali from an off-shoot of al-Qaeda.
Defence Minister Peter MacKay, speaking in Halifax Sunday, said what form of military assistance can be provided to a growing international campaign is something that's under active discussion.
He said the government is contemplating what contribution Canada could make.
The United Nations recently decided to back a proposal from Economic Community of West African States — ECOWAS — to send 3,300 troops to the region.
Canadian special forces troops were active in the west African country for several training missions prior to the coup last March that installed a shaky interim government.
Those missions also took place before Islamic Maghreb — known as AQIM — overran much of the northern portion of the impoverished nation.
Popular kelowna News

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US Faces Worst Drought in 56 Years
Corn stalks struggling from lack of rain and a heat in Farmingdale, Illinois
Read, listen and learn English with this story. Double-click on any word to find the definition in the Merriam-Webster Learner's Dictionary.
Correction attached
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
The United States is suffering its worst drought in almost sixty years. Moderate to extreme dry conditions spread to fifty-five percent of the continental United States in June. That was the most since December of nineteen fifty-six.
The National Climatic Data Center also says high temperatures in June added to the warmest twelve-month period on record. Recordkeeping began in eighteen ninety-five.
The drought map showed that conditions improved in the Southeast in June compared to May. But they intensified from the Midwest to the Great Plains and much of the West. Predictions through the end of October suggest that the drought is likely to improve in areas of the Southwest and Southeast. But the drought is expected to continue or intensify in large parts of the country.
Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack met with President Obama. Mr. Vilsack says the drought has severely affected corn and soybean crops. The United States is the world's leading producer of maize and soybeans.
TOM VILASK: "Thirty-eight percent of our corn crop as of today is rated as poor to very poor, thirty percent of our soybeans, poor to very poor."
Most of the affected states are in the southern half of the country. But officials said farmlands in the north are now drying up as well.
The drought has pushed up prices for corn and soybeans. Both are used in food production and for animal feed. Last week the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported a twenty percent jump in maize and wheat prices over the past three weeks.
Wheat prices are up as hot, dry weather affects production in the Black Sea region.
In the United States, ranchers may quickly reduce the size of their herds of animals rather than pay higher feed prices to keep raising them. That increased supply of meat would reduce meat prices in the short-term. But those prices could increase several months from now.
Mr. Vilsack said the overall effect of the drought is hard to predict. Some areas are getting rain, and drought-resistant seeds have helped crops grow well in some areas.
President Obama has cut the interest rate on disaster loans for farmers and made it easier for affected areas to receive government financial assistance. At the same time, farmers are waiting to see what Congress does with the farm bill, a major piece of legislation renewed every five years.
The Senate has passed a version that would end direct payments to farmers but help pay for crop insurance. The plan would save money. But the House of Representative has passed different legislation, and Congress needs to reach a compromise. The current farm bill ends at the end of September.
And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. I'm Jim Tedder.
Contributing: Kane Farabaugh
Correction: The House of Representatives has not yet passed its version of the farm bill. This story incorrectly said it has.
Download PDF: US Faces Worst Drought in 56 Years


Since its foundation in 1989 our school has developed into a truly international school which is open to students of all nationalities and leads to the IB Diploma. In 2008 we moved to our own campus in Terrey Hills on the Northern Beaches of Sydney.
We educate our students according to the best of the German, European and Australian educational and cultural values in order to prepare them for the challenges of a fast changing global society. Therefore we place emphasis on a bilingual education in a multicultural environment.


When it comes to your health and wellness, it's going to be in your best interest to make smart purchases. And that means smart in terms of cost, for sure, but it also means smart in terms of getting the right items for safety and practicality, and that means paying close attention to the difference between buying things online and buying them in a store.
Consider the ideas of buying a mattress, getting vitamins and supplements, buying exercise equipment, getting workout clothing, or even purchasing books and manuals that have to do with health and wellness. Because of the online vs. store factor, some of these decisions need to be made a bit more carefully.
When it comes to an item that you may need to try out physically in order to understand things like size, shape, texture, and overall presence – that's when it's particularly important to at least consider the problems with ordering online. If you don't get to touch it, and only get to see it through pictures, then with ordering something like a mattress that you're going to be in close contact with nearly one-third of every day, you might run into some issues.
Vitamins and supplements tend to be big sellers through the online community because more often than not, they're cheaper online. However, you want to make absolutely sure that they're from a reputable company, because there have been all sorts of issues in the past, especially with regard to supplements, where the stated ingredients were not in the proportion that they were labeled at. This is a risk you run, in addition to the fact that you won't be able to ask people face to face questions about the products.
Another big purchase that can be made in the health and wellness department either online or in a store is going to buy when you decide to get a treadmill. Or an exercise bike. Or a weight machine. Again, they can be less expensive online. But there may be shipping costs. And shipping damage, when it comes to that. And for an added level of comfort, at least try out equipment in a store before purchasing it online.
And what about workout clothing? You can see something awesome in an online catalog, and it's even in your price range. But when it comes, you realize that it's the wrong size! That's the biggest thing about buying clothes (especially workout clothes) online, as sizing can really be different than what you're used to.
So far as health and wellness goes, one thing that it's almost always safe to buy online are books and manuals. These might include things like recipes, or perhaps step by step workout plans. If you can get online discounts for those – go for it!


The online dating industry started way back in 1995 and has revolutionized not only the way lovers talk but also how they love in recent years. This was possible because of the advancement in technology and the introduction of more professional tools and applications that enabled the easy creation of interactive dating websites on the internet. And now is the right time to take advantage of this opportunity and earn money by getting your own dating website. What's better is that you do not need to do a lot to get a dating website now as you already have so many enchanting WordPress Dating Themes in the market to choose from. So, if you are interested to launch your own dating website, let us see how can you do this and what all do you need.
Should I Launch My Own Dating Website?
If you are planning to do so, you must launch your website. But, launching it is just not enough. Making it interactive and engaging to attract users and retain them is a big challenge. So, before creating your own online dating website make sure to outline the goals, objectives and the targeted audience of your dating website. You may want to set up a professional matchmaking website, or a simple local meeting place.
Once you have decided on these things, the first step that you should take is to pick your niche carefully as per your needs. After this, all you need to do for your Online Dating website is pick a theme out of the list below and get on with website designing without the need of any coding skills.
How To Choose The Right Dating WordPress Theme?
Powering a variety of small and large businesses and individuals, WordPress is one of the largest communities in the world and has something to offer for anyone who is looking to enhance their presence online. The high customizability, strength, and flexibility of WordPress make it the most preferred CMS in the world. Even better, it is highly secure. The theme and the plugins are the two primary building blocks of your WordPress site. So, choosing the right theme is a very important decision from both the technical and the marketing aspects of your site. So, make sure the online dating theme that you choose has all the essential features that you expect your users to look for or use. Some of these essential features include creating detailed dating profiles, private messages and communication channels in the form of chat rooms or discussion forums.
Another important thing to keep in mind before making the final decision includes the way you will monetize your site. Plugins like WooCommerce and can help collect payments on your site and commercialize it easily. Apart from this, look for an easy interface, flexible customization options, and widgets to make your final choice. To help you decide in a better way, the best WordPress Dating Themes of 2019 have been listed below.
To help you choose an ideal dating theme for your WordPress website, we have compiled a list of the best themes which are community themes powered by BuddyPress that enable to create your website instantly in an effective manner. All the professional themes listed below not only have compelling designs but also have features that enable you to attract the most number of users in the market. So, let's take a look at these themes one by one in detail.
Reign Dating is the best Dating WordPress theme to take advantage of the booming online dating services industry and earn instantly. Integrated with powerful plugins like BuddyPress, Reign dating is a social networking based theme that is equipped with powerful features for profiles, user groups, activity streams, private chat and many more. Completely responsive and designed cleanly, this highly customizable theme is ideal for a number of niches. The best thing about this theme is its simple user interface and user-friendly navigation. Easy to use, the unique layouts have been designed in a way that makes designing easier even without any previous experience.
Allowing localization with easy translation, the drag-and-drop enabled theme is an ideal choice if you are looking to attract and reach audiences globally in the easiest and the most compelling ways.
An attractive and one of the most popular dating themes on WordPress, the Sweet Date theme is a good choice for people who are primarily looking for a simple and professional dating theme on WordPress. The best thing about this theme is that it is equipped with member access controls that allows you to create membership levels. This is the feature that sets it apart from the other dating WordPress themes in the market. Some of the other useful features of Sweet Date includes multi-stage signup forms, profile options, and a simple design and user interface.
Sweet Date theme is ideal for people who are looking for a niche dating website to engage and attract new users as well as retain the old ones with a minimalistic design and high functionality.
One of the easiest-to-use themes in the market, Mingle is a multi-purpose, social networking theme that fits perfectly in different niches and ideas due to its high customizability and flexibility. Even Mingle has been created on the powerful BuddyPress plugin making it easier to create your own social dating website within minutes. You can create chat forums, groups, user profiles and enable communication on your site through private messaging with an easy dashboard. With unique footers and headers, and the contact form builder, the layout of the theme can be changed as and when you want.
The best thing about this theme is that it helps you to easily organize all the elements you need for a dating website with a simple dashboard and drop and drag builder. In a nutshell, Mingle is a good choice for people who love to experiment and want to stand out from the crowd.
An effective dating WordPress theme, the KLEO theme has beautiful layouts to impress the visitors at the first look. With great graphics options like full-screen banners, full-size landing pages, slideshows, and portfolio tiled grid layouts, this is certainly one of the best themes in the market if it comes to a compelling design. Not only this, but the incredibly easy to use theme offers unique page options clubbed with a great profile and group features for engagement. Apart from BuddyPress, the theme is also loaded with Paid Memberships Pro to enable you to set membership-based content and earn readily.
These features, when combined with effective features for social media and high customizability, make KLEO one of the most widely used WordPress dating themes in the market.
An incredible tool for creating new dating websites, the Razor WordPress Dating theme is a powerful tool based on BuddyPress. Easy to use and highly customizable, the wonderful tool helps you to build your personalized community with a simple drag and drop builder. The best thing about this theme it has a clean and professional layout that works across all screen sizes and devices seamlessly. This means you can design your website by simply placing content blocks wherever you need on your dating website. Even better, you have this feature for all the pages.
With a great contact form builder that gives you complete control over your forms and the sidebar generator that allows you to add the needed content, Razor is a sharp theme and is good for both beginners and professionals.
Ready To Launch Your Own Dating Website?
Hope, now you know how easy it is to get going with your own Dating WordPress site because of these professional themes. The best thing about the themes mentioned above is that they allow you to run memberships and advertisements on your site leading to monetization. So, decide the theme today and make your dating website go viral now.
If you have any better suggestions, feedback or questions regarding these themes, feel free to write it in the comments section below.


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Bouwwerk
 Drie broers, complex van drie huizen in de Letse hoofdstad Riga

Literatuur
 Twee broers, sprookje van de Deense schrijver Hans Christian Andersen
 Vijandige Broers, hoofdpersonen van een 16de-eeuwse Duitse sage

Media
 Broers, Nederlandse film
 BROERS, Nederlandse podcast

Muziek
 Broers, Zuid-Afrikaanse band

Personen met de achternaam Broers
 Alec Broers, Brits elektrotechnicus en - voormalig - president van de Royal Academy of Engineering
 Ammerentia Adriana Broers (1909-1965), Nederlands hofdienaar
 Cathelijne Broers, Nederlands museumdirecteur
 Edouard Broers, Belgisch politicus
 Franciscus Wilhelmus Maria (Frans) Broers, Nederlands dichter, schrijver, literatuurcriticus en vertaler, bekend onder het pseudoniem Jacq Vogelaar
 François Broers, Belgisch advocaat en politicus
 Frank Broers, Nederlands voetballer
 Huub Broers, Belgisch politicus
 Jacobus Cornelis Broers, Nederlands arts
 Jasper Broers, Nederlands kunstschilder
 Johnny Broers, Nederlands wielrenner
 Nico Broers, Nederlands verzetsstrijder

Theater
 Broers, theatervoorstelling van Erik Goossens en Peter Thyssen

Zie ook
 De twee broers (doorverwijspagina)

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Susannah Heschel Presents on Human Dignity in Judaism
Posted on May 15, 2018 May 15, 2018 by Pamela Weathers
On April 26, 2018, Dr. Susannah Heschel presented "Human Dignity in Judaism" at Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford, CT. The event was made possible by the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life Gene and Georgia Mittelman Lecture in Judaic Studies, Charter Oak Cultural Center, UConn Hartford, the Humanities Institute, and the Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages.
In this talk, Heschel explores the themes of human rights and dignity within Jewish religious texts and how they relate to the modern human experience.
This entry was posted in recap page item.
Parking is available in the North and South garages on campus. Garage rates are $1/hr after 5pm and $2/hr before 5pm. After 5:00 pm, visitors may park in any on-campus space not designated as reserved, restricted or limited.
Find your way around Storrs campus: View UConn's interactive map and even download the app version to your phone:
http://maps.uconn.edu/map/
Jan 31 Advice Columns and the Making of the American Yiddish Press7:30pm
Advice Columns and the Making of the American Yiddish Press
Tuesday, January 31st, 2023
At the turn of the twentieth century, American Yiddish newspapers overflowed with advice columns offering implicit and explicit guidance
to readers about how to live their lives. From the Forverts' famous "A Bintel Brief" to more practical advice columns, such as Der Tog's "Letter Box" column, these publications printed countless letters from
readers asking editors to help them navigate personal tribulations, American political infrastructures, and Jewish communal life.
Editors and publishers introduced these features to entertain newspaper readers and to increase circulation. But these features also
encouraged audiences previously unaccustomed to reading
newspapers to view these publications as central sources for information and guidance about acclimating to American life. Eventually, these interactions spilled off the page, with Yiddish
newspapers hiring staff to correspond or meet with readers eager to receive personal counsel from their favorite papers.
This talk will explore the crucial role of advice columns in the development of the Yiddish press. It will highlight how these columns
shaped the relationships between newspapers and their readers and how central advice columns became to the acclimation process of
new immigrants anxious to learn more about American life.
Ayelet Brinn is an Assistant Professor of Judaic Studies and History at the University of Hartford, where she holds the Philip D. Feltman Professorship in Modern Jewish History. After receiving her PhD in History from the University of
Pennsylvania in 2019, she served as the Rabin-Shvidler Joint Postdoctoral Fellow at
Fordham University and Columbia University, the Ivan and Nina Ross Family Fellow at the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies, and a scholar in residence at the Hadassah-Brandeis Institute. Her first book, A Revolution in Type: Gender and the
Making of the American Yiddish Press, will be published this fall with New York
Contact Information: judaicstudies@uconn.edu
Through its support of research, teaching, and public programs, the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life seeks to foster scholarship in Judaic Studies, enrich undergraduate and graduate education in the liberal arts and Judaic Studies, and provide resources for continuing education and community service.


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Q: Coefficients of all Dummy Factor variables in GLM I am building a Logistic Regression (in R) as follows:
glm_hr1 = glm(attrition_value ~ BusinessTravel+Department+Gender,
binomial(link="logit"), data=hr1)

The X-variables are defined as follows:
BusinessTravel
--------------
[type=Factor]
[values="Frequently","None","Rarely"]
[Ref group = "Frequently"]

Department
----------
[type=Factor]
[values="HR","RD","Sales"
[Ref group = "HR"]

Gender
------
[type=Factor]
[values="Male","Female"]
[Ref group = "Male"]

summary(glm_hr1) returns the following:
Coefficients:
                     Estimate Std. Error z value Pr(>|z|)
(Intercept)           -0.8168     0.2476  -3.298 0.000973 ***
BusinessTravelNone    -1.3738     0.2354  -5.836 5.35e-09 ***
BusinessTravelRarely  -0.6464     0.1166  -5.545 2.94e-08 ***
DepartmentRD          -0.3805     0.2387  -1.594 0.110906
DepartmentSales        0.1187     0.2441   0.486 0.626912
GenderFemale          -0.2086     0.1052  -1.982 0.047496 *

How do I get coefficients of  :
BusinessTravelFrequently
DepartmentHR
GenderMale
all in one summary ?
What i tried ?
I used the -1 to build my model as follows:
glm_hr2 = glm(attrition_value ~ BusinessTravel+Department+Gender -1,
                  binomial(link="logit"), data=hr1)

The output of this model was:
Coefficients:
                         Estimate Std. Error z value Pr(>|z|)
BusinessTravelFrequently  -0.8168     0.2476  -3.298 0.000973 ***
BusinessTravelNone        -2.1905     0.3101  -7.063 1.63e-12 ***
BusinessTravelRarely      -1.4632     0.2333  -6.272 3.56e-10 ***
DepartmentRD              -0.3805     0.2387  -1.594 0.110906
DepartmentSales            0.1187     0.2441   0.486 0.626912
GenderFemale              -0.2086     0.1052  -1.982 0.047496 *

The (intercept) term is gone and replaced by "BusinessTravelFrequently".
I understand why this happens.
Changing the order of formula however game me coefficients for every level
eg:
glm(attrition_value ~ Department+BusinessTravel+Gender -1, ....)

gave coefficients for all values for Department
glm(attrition_value ~ Gender+Department+BusinessTravel -1, ....)

gave coefficients for all values for Gender
Is there any way to get all coefficients for all factor variables in one summary ?
Is there any other way to do this ?

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Re-Visited Episode 001: Tom Garland
I hope everybody had a great 4th of July to our neighbors to the North Happy 1st of July. I am re-releasing My first ever episode of Uncontained honor of the birth of our country I look back at the birth of the show. After all they say you can't know where you are going unless you know where you started. So please enjoy this look back at the beginning of Uncontained as we continue to move to the future. Plug in those ear buds this and enjoy re-visiting episode 001 with Comedian Tom...
Episode 172: Jarrell Hall - I Burnt Down The Iron Throne
What do the Night King, Arya Stark, 2 dragons have in common, besides being on Game of Thrones that is. They all get their motion or moves in Arya's case from my guest this week, MoCap actor, and stuntman, Jarrell Hall returns to Uncontained this week. Jarrell was first on the show back on episode 58, and has been busy since. If you watched HBO's Game Of Thrones you have seen his work. He did MoCap for 2 of the 3 dragons including the one that melted the Iron Throne, a number of white...
Episode 171: Sean Dustin - Stacking Successes
This week on Uncontained I talk to Sean Dustin, the host of the Podcast "Nowhere to go but Up." Sean features stories from people that have hit rock bottom and are on their way back up, rotating every other week with lighter shows with people and stories that the only requirement is that Sean Finds them interesting. Having to start over from rock bottom 3 times himself, Sean talks about how he turned the corner and started stacking small successes to stay out of prison and kick a drug...
Episode 170: Dylan Barrows - Hearing Your Voice
This week I find myself back at Voice One studios for a second week in a row. This week I talk to up and coming voice actor Dylan Barrows. One of the things I love about Uncontained is that one week you could be talking to some one who been doing their craft successfully for years, and the next week have a guest that is early on in their quest to master their craft. The beauty of that is, depending on where you are in your journey one of their advice might resonate more. Listen in an pick up...
Episode 169: Elaine Clarke -Founder of Voice One
This week I join my guest Elaine Clark, in her Voice One studio in San Francisco, CA. I met Elaine just over a month ago when recording the voices for a video game. (Not for an up coming game, or was just for fun and the experience.) If you recall a few week I posted the audio the,check it out if you would like. For those of you that need an introduction to Elaine Clark, She is the founder of Voice One in San Francisco, CA., a SAG and AFTRA actor and voice actor. Elaine is also an award...
Episode 168: Ray Phunk - Activate!!!
Don't miss this episode of Uncontained with podcast host, popper, DJ Ray Phunk! Ray and his crew do their show live on YouTube Fridays 9:00 PM to Midnight PST. Which you should all check out...After you listen subscribe, and share this episode. Ray an early adapter to podcasting starting back in 2008, but before podcasting he was part of a poppin crew called Distinguished Gentlemen, evolving to DJing and now Podcasting. Ray and the Activate LA crew are always looking to help people out from...
Re-Visited Episode 114 Sean Martin - The Quarantined
This week in honor of Memorial Day, I invite you to revisit episode 114 with guitarist and Vocalist of the band "The Quarantined" and member of the Airborne Infinity Sean Martin. Thank you to all the men and women that have served and sacrificed for us civilian type people. Sean Martin joins me on Uncontained this week. Sean is the singer/guitarist of the 3 piece band, The Quarantined. Sean has been singing since he was 4 years old and has lived a life filled with music. He graduated from...
Episode 167: Sean Conner - It's All About The Fitz
This week on Uncontained I talk with Sean Conner a stand-up comedian and creator of "Fitz" an animated series portraying human archetypes as clothes. Sean is currently pitching his series to networks, and is working on completing his pilot episode. We discuss the pitching process and how streaming services such as Netflix or Hulu has made it easier to get your content in front of the right people. We also talk about stand-up comedy and how talking about your truth is important. A special...
Episode 166: Jose-Pepe Adriazola - Do What You Love
This week I meet up with Jose-Pepe Adriazola, a Global Business and Brand Strategist and Socialpreneur, specializing in Media Art and the Entertainment Industries. Jose is also an instructor at SAE Expressions Creative Media College, teaching Music/Entertainment Business and Management. This episode of Uncontained is full of great of great advice for the artist that is sick of starving. After all no artist wants to be a cliche especially not that of a starving artist. We talk about what...
Episode 165: Jacob's Star - Solo Episode
This week on Uncontained it is a rare back to back solo episode. Ok it is a first ever back to back. This won't happen all the time. I still will be bring you great interviews! I just had a few cool things I wanted to share, last week it was my return to stand-up this week it was recording the audio for a video characters at Voice One in SF with owner and voice actor Elaine Clark. Lake a listen to to the finished product. Plug in your earbuds for this solo episode of Uncontained.
Episode 164: Uncontained Solo - Returning to the Stage
This week I talk about my return to the stage on my birthday. I figured what better day to get my dive back in to stand up comedy than on my birthday, right? I thought it was a great present to myself. Past Uncontained Guest Ace Boon gave me some stage time on his 2 year anniversary of his show F'larious Friday. If you are in Oakland on the last Friday of every month you should check it out at La Estrellita! I talk about getting up on stage, how it went, and how I plan to make the jokes land...
Episode 163: Garin Wilson - Shooting For Oscar
This week on Uncontained I talk with 19 year old filmmaker for North Carolina, Garin Willson. Garin has his goals set high shooting for an Oscar on his upcoming short film "The Machine" a film about a guy who win the Lottery over and over again but there is a catch, which we talk about in this episode. He has his hands in a few different projects including a feature film titled Jed, an LGBT horror film. You can check out the Jed trailer on Youtube. Garin may only be 19 but he has a lot of...
Episode 162: Anson Goode Jr. - Don't Always "Yes And"
Filmmaker, rapper "Wes G Poet", and video game designer, Anson Goode Jr. joins me on Uncontained this week. Join our conversation as we talk about his production company Black Rose and the videos you can check out on his YouTube channel. Anson also talks about attending the GDC (Game Developers Conference) in San Francisco the week before we recorded this episode, and debuts the title of the game he is currently working on. That's right an Uncontained exclusive! Anson admits to breaking...
Episode 161: Chris Adams Returns - How a Car Crash Led To Success
This week Chris Adams returns to Uncontained! He's had a lot happen since the last time we talked. It all started with a fiery car crash, a DUI, and advice from a meth head when in the drunk tank; along with saying yes to the right opportunities. Chris has been doing stand up and film work for years, and recently had some doors open by not being afraid to work for free. After editing Jim Jefferies and Eddie Ifft's podcast for a while, it led to the job he has now editing video for comedians...
Episode 160: Crystal Clayton - Night at the Popera
This week I talk to singer-songwriter pop artist / classically trained opera singer, Crystal Clayton. She just recently released a new album titled "3 AM" in this album Crystal experiments with hip-hop and R&B elements combined with her pop music background giving "3 AM" a more mature sound. We talk about Crystals artistic process and growth including becoming comfortable putting her own real-life experiences into her music. We even talk about possible ideas for incorporating her opera...
Episode 159: Gustavo Bulgach Part 2 - Don't Wait For Them
This week I wrap up my 2 part interview with the front man of Klezmer Juice, Gustavo Bulgach! Yeah I don't do 2 part episodes very often but this interview had too much great stuff to cut it down to 1 episode. In part one we talk about his days playing as the International house of blues foundation band, playing with a acts such Little Richard, Slash, from Guns N' Roses, Taj Mahal, Whalers (as in Bob Marley and the Whalers), Prince, and the man that became one of his major mentors,Bennie...
Eisode 158: Gustavo Bulgach Part 1 - Music Is The Soundtrack To Happiness
This week I talk to the front man of Klezmer Juice, Gustavo Bulgoch in the first of a 2 part episode. Yeah I don't do 2 part episodes very often but this interview had too much great stuff to cut it down to 1 episode. We talk about his days playing as the International house of blues foundation band, playing with a acts such Little Richard, Slash, from Guns N' Roses, Taj Mahal, Whalers (as in Bob Marley and the Whalers), Prince, and the man that became one of his major mentors, Bennie Maupin...
Episode 157: Tushaar Anand Madhu - Live Without Resistance to Yourself
Podcaster, Tushaar Anand Madhu joins me on Uncontained all the way from India. Tushaar hosts two podcasts "Good Vibes" which he started a few years ago in a WeChat group and a brand new podcast as of this year "The Tushaar Show!" you can find both podcasts on iTunes or your podcast player of choice. We talk about how New York Times best-selling author, performance coach, and podcaster Brendon Burchard, helped inspire and motivate him along his podcasting journey. We also talk about some...
Episode 156: Uncontained is 3 Years old- Solo Episode
This week Uncontained turns 3 years old, and I am going solo on the show. I want to thank everybody that has been with the show whether you have been listening to Uncontained from day 1 or this is your first episode, I appreciate the support. I also want to thank the people that have been there behind the scenes helping me create the show. From past guests sending great guests my way, people spreading the word about Uncontained. All of my guests that took a chance and came on a show with a...
Episode 155: Stephanie Foster - Don't Feed The Wrong Wolf
I meet up with San Francisco stand up comic, Stephanie Foster at her day-job at the advertising firm Pereira O'Dell to talk about, Stand-up comedy, working at an advertising agency, and her process of writing jokes. Since we were in an Advertising agency I had to share my Got Milk add I came up with in my early teens. It's worth a good laugh. We also talk about what it feels like to have a joke bomb and what she does to win the crowd back. Stephanie also shares a fable with me that I had not...


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In the event of a partial cancellation of a round trip of which one crossing has been completed, the passenger will be charged a one way fare and will be refunded as above for the balance of the round trip fare.
is due to illness, accident or force majeure.
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text:
#UK UN to issue final report on Iran's alleged nuke weapons work
VIENNA (AP) — Iran did work related to developing nuclear arms in the past, the U.N. atomic agency concluded in a report Wednesday that wraps up a near decade of investigations and opens the way to implementing a landmark deal aimed at reducing any future nuclear threat from Tehran.
Iran has consistently denied any interest in nuclear arms or past work on such weapons, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqhchi told Iranian television that the International Atomic Energy Agency report "confirms the peaceful nature" Iran's nuclear program.
But the report contested that view and came down on the side of U.S. allegations, saying the agency "assesses that a range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device were conducted in Iran prior to the end of 2003 as a coordinated effort, and some activities took place" up to 2009.
At the same time, the report said any such work was restricted to "feasibility and scientific studies" that stopped short of the advanced development of such weapons.
It described its finding as an assessment and left a final ruling on whether the case should be closed in the hands of Washington and other leading nations represented on the IAEA's 35-nation board. That decision is tentatively set for Dec. 15, when the board meets to decide whether to endorse the deal. Expected approval would close the IAEA investigation and fulfill a key requirement of the July 14 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers.
That deal specifies that the agency must be in the position to wrap up the probe and deliver its views as a key condition for the start of an end to nuclear-related sanctions on Tehran. In exchange, Tehran must cut nuclear technologies that could be used in the future to build a bomb.
Beyond its drive for an end to all sanctions imposed on it over its atomic activities, Iran attaches huge importance to closing the books on the allegations in its drive to lift all punitive measures against it and wipe the slate clean over its nuclear program.
The report noted:
—the existence of an "organizational structure" prior to 2003 "suitable for the coordination of a range of activities relevant to the development of a nuclear explosive device."
—development of detonators "relevant to a nuclear explosive device" while acknowledging that the devices also have "growing" civilian and conventional military uses.
—work on a separate explosives initiator that has "characteristics relevant to a nuclear explosive device, as well as to a small number of alternative applications."
— environmental samples from a site that contravene Iranian assertions that the site was used for non-nuclear purposes. The agency strongly suspects Iran allegedly conducted tests of explosives meant to set off a nuclear charge at the location.
—no evidence of such work during a brief on-site inspection but determining that extensive construction work at the site previous to the inspections interfered with IAEA attempts to follow up on its suspicions.
The assessment noted Iran did not provide new information on some queries dating back to 2011 — when the IAEA first detailed its allegations — on work that in some cases seemed to have no other purpose but to make nuclear arms. In the case of "dual use" technologies that could be applied both for civilian and nuclear weapons programs, Iran said the experiments were civilian in nature or meant for conventional military purposes, the agency said.
In Washington, State Department spokesman Mark Toner described the report as "consistent with what the United States has long assessed — Iran had a nuclear weapons program that was halted in 2003."
He also noted that the report fulfilled the conditions laid down in the July 14 nuclear deal. That agreement said that Iran must meet specific deadlines in cooperating with the IAEA in order for it to be able to wrap up its investigations by this month.
The U.S. has long urged that Iran not only trim its present nuclear program but also admit to what it says was past nuclear weapons work. Iran's refusal to address those demands led since 2006 to a series of U.N. Security Council resolutions and sanctions against Tehran — and until recently the latent threat of U.S, and Israeli military strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities.
Those threats diminished — and Washington's priorities shifted — with the signing of the July 14 nuclear deal co-engineered by the United States and Iran and signed by five other nations at the table. The agreement commits Iran to cutting back for more than a decade on nuclear technologies that could be used for weapons-making in exchange for sanctions relief.
The long-standing U.S. mantra accused Iran of "deception and deceit," on the weapons issue. As late as mid-June, Secretary of State John Kerry said the IAEA report must "resolve our questions about it with specificity" before any nuclear-related sanctions on Iran are lifted.
Just weeks later, however, Kerry said Washington is not "fixated on Iran specifically accounting for what they did at one point in time or another." Instead, he said the U.S. is concerned about "going forward."
Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Bradley Klapper contributed to this report.
from Business Insider http://ift.tt/1O3BjZw


text:
>> Version française
Care and links to get off the streets
In Brussels, Infirmiers de Rue (Street Nurses) coordinates a health and hygiene network in order to help homeless people regain self-confidence and to empower them so that they can look forward to social reintegration. Health professionals and social workers, but also station officers, park keepers, pharmacists, shop owners and other volunteers from all backgrounds are trained to ensure regular follow-ups, prevent critical situations and help people in need to build back their life again. Emilie and Sara created and developed that efficient network, building on the homeless person's resources and the urban environment. Emilie tells me more.
A map stands in the walls of Emilie's office – it shows the network of drinkable water fountains and public toilets in Brussels. Emilie explains: "At the basis of our organization, there is the belief that we should build on what is positive, and encourage what is efficient already". The same is true for homeless people, politicians, or doctors: when one receives compliments, one wants to do better and more.
Emilie and Sara have a breakthrough when they are 24: by reintroducing hygiene in their daily routines, homeless people can learn to love themselves again. According to Emily, this goes for everyone: "The days we skip the shower are the days we are tired and don't feel like seeing anyone. When we have plans, we want to make an effort." Thus, encouraging someone to more hygiene is like saying: "You are worth something, we know it – you just need to rediscover it."
A calling: Street nurse
How does one end up tacking that kind of issue? Let's go back a bit. As a little girl, Emilie feels attracted by both the street and abroad. She has vivid memories of being encouraged to help out people in the street with a coin, and have a chat with them. About going abroad, that is something that grows with the stories of her godfather, a humanitarian doctor in Africa.
Emilie grows up in Namur and then studies nursing in Brussels. Slightly before graduating, she goes to Burkina-Faso with her friend Sara. They work on hygiene education. When she comes back, Emilie decides to help the not-for-profit organization "La Fontaine", which offers hygiene and health services to homeless people. Her calling grows stronger. "I liked the communication with people, what we were bringing to each other. In a simple and authentic way."
She then specializes in community health, goes back to Burkina-Faso then to French Guyana, works in Brussels on street issues: prostitution and drug-addiction.
Facing the facts and going for it…
Emilie is hired at "La Fontaine". She likes her job, but something is missing. It is during a holiday with Sara that she puts her feelings into words: she wants to develop a new way of helping homeless people. Sara is enthusiastic. "It was really amazing, because I don't think I would have known where to start, without her I wouldn't have been…" She snaps her fingers and smiles…
Throughout 2005, they both spend half their time meeting with professionals who could help. They are still amazed at how some people living on the street do not realize anymore how severe their condition is, and, thus, do not visit the dedicated association – and yet there are many in Brussels.
Infirmiers de Rue is born to cater for their needs, and to help professionals who often find themselves powerlessly faced with extreme situations. After the creation of the legal body, the work on the streets starts early 2006.
They get financial and media support from the beginning. Emilie summarizes: "Two girls who had just completed their studies, and worked with homeless people… it moved a lot of people". In 2008, they take part to the Contest "Impact" organized by Ashoka, which allows them to explain better how specific their action is: they help homeless people rediscover hygiene and rebuild the connexion with medical care.
Take care of oneself, regain control on one's life
« In everyday life, these people try to survive: to eat, to sleep, to be safe. If they go to the doctor, they may suddenly think that they could still be alive in five years, that it is worth to look after oneself", explains Emilie.
The team of Infirmiers de Rue is surprised by the speed of the process. Emilie testifies: "When a person enters this process, he or she becomes more self-confident, wants to visit the doctor again, to make new projects... And therefore we cannot limit our help to access to care". Consequently, the method evolves. It is now about following up a limited number of people (40), but more intensively, until they find an accommodation where they feel good.
To achieve such a reintegration into society, three kinds of activities are implemented:
The follow-up itself, on the street first, in the accommodation afterwards: accompany the person when he or she goes to the doctor, make sure that he or she takes his or her treatment... Then, once the person lives in his or her accommodation, some volunteers visit him or her every two weeks.
The trainings, which are organized for all the professionals involved in the social and medical support and for the people who are in daily contact with the person. In these trainings, they learn how to simply talk about hygiene. They also ensure that everyone is feeling like a link of a guard and solidarity chain to support each person in extreme precariousness.
The creation of prevention tools and tools that highlight the possibilities given by the surroundings, such as posters explaining which behaviour one can adopt in case of intense cold.
Working on motivation is one of the association's focal points: to motivate the team, the whole network and, above all, the followed-up people who have to make significant efforts. Everyone owns a passport with a nice picture of himself or herself, a list of all of his or her talents and tastes ("really resourceful", "likes gardening", etc.) and, on the back, the medical objectives that the team of Infirmiers de Rue sets every week.
Two team seminars are organised every year, in order to continually improve the project and to reinforce the team cohesion. In 2013, the team plans to improve its support on finding an accommodation.
40 people living on the street are followed-up every week. Between 60 and 70 people are followed-up every year.
About 30 people now live stable and autonomous in their own accommodation.
12 other people have their own accommodation but the team of Infirmiers de Rue still follows them up intensively, in order to support them in their transition to autonomy.
All these people spent 8 to 20 years on the street. When the team of Infirmiers de Rue starts to follow them up, they are really vulnerable and have a high death risk. At that moment, the professional network is often disheartened.
Brussels, a dense network of people and organizations works on this project.
More than 100 people are trained every year (mainly social workers, medical workers and security officers).
About 20 volunteers work on this project. Eight of them regularly visit people in their new accommodation. 13 professionals work in the team (all together, their workload is equivalent to 11 full-time jobs).
Between social and medical workers, shop owners, security officers, volunteers of all ages and people living on the street for years, extremely vulnerable and isolated.
What can we learn from Emilie's experience?
How important diagnosis and empathy are. Emilie and her team-mates try to really understand the others (the homeless people and the professionals) and to take time to establish trust.
The team strength, the link between confidence (in oneself, in the others) and organization: the perpetuation of certain values in the team permits to establish an effective communication and a good coordination.
"Everything is possible". In the premises of Infirmiers de Rue, the atmosphere is relaxed. Emilie reveals the recipe: "Obviously we sometimes get bad news. Therefore we always try to remember all the things that work well. Everything is possible, but the person has to be supported and valued".
For more information, visit the website of Infirmiers de Rue
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Diviney cites a scenario in which a purchaser obtains a mortgage on property, the approval of which was based on anticipated income from future short-term rentals. If leasing short term is prohibited today or in the future, that will affect the property owner's ability to make mortgage payments.
"Bear in mind that the covenants as you see them on the day that you sign a purchase contract could change," Diviney says.
An association may interpret their governing documents to mean that a change requires the majority of the members, a super majority of the members, or just a majority of the membership who vote," Diviney says.
"For instance, a development has 1,000 parcels. Bylaws dictate that a quorum is 5 percent of property owners or 50 people. If changing a covenant requires only a majority of votes cast, 26 people could change the rules for 1,000 people.
You should consider all of these things before you decide whether a development or neighborhood is right for you.
Separate chapters within state statutes speak to condo associations and homeowner's associations.
Further, an association may be established as a non-profit organization or a for-profit entity, subject to state laws that apply to such organizations, respectively.
"That word gets thrown around like everyone can agree as to what it means," Diviney says.
"But ask 20 people in a room whether something is reasonable and you will get a wide variety of conditional answers.
And, what about your neighbor's new pool enclosure that obstructs your view of the water?
If the association where you live has no regulations relating to these issues, you may try to influence the association to add such language. Or, you can always try to work with your neighbor to resolve it, or sell.
"My recent experiences with clients in a specific association have caused me to reconsider a piece of property in a subdivision that has a homeowner's association," Diviney says.


text:
Avoidable mortality among parents whose children were placed in care in Sweden: A retrospective matched cohort study
Elizabeth Wall-Wieler
Bo Vinnerljung
Can Liu
Leslie Roos
Anders Hjern
Published online: Aug 20, 2018
Separation from one's child can have significant consequences for parental health and well-being.
We aimed to investigate whether parents whose children were placed in care had higher rates of avoidable (amenable and preventable) mortality. Data were obtained from the Swedish national registers. Mortality rates among parents whose children were placed in care between 1990 and 2012 (17 505 mothers, 18 286 fathers) were compared with a 5:1 matched cohort of parents whose children were not placed. We computed rate differences and hazard ratios of all-cause and avoidable mortality.
When compared with parents who did not have a child placed in care, there were an additional 21 avoidable deaths per 10 000-person years among mothers and an additional 27 avoidable deaths per 10 000-person years among fathers whose children were placed in care. Among mothers, death due to preventable causes were 3·83 times greater (95% CI 2·82-5·21) and deaths due to amenable causes were 3·12 times greater (95% CI 2·07-4·69) for those whose children were placed in care. Among fathers, death due to preventable causes was 1·75 times greater (95% CI 1·41-2·16) and deaths due to amenable causes were 1·52 times greater (95% CI 1·08- 2·13) for those whose children were placed in care. Avoidable mortality rates were higher among mothers whose children were young when placed in care and parents whose children were all placed in care.
Mothers who had a young child placed and parents whose children were all placed in care are at much higher risk of avoidable mortality than parents whose children were not placed in care. Targeted public health interventions and more attentive health care could reduce risk of avoidable mortality in this group of parents.
Deepa Singal, Dan Chateau, Matthew Dahl, Laurence Katz, Chelsea Ruth, Elizabeth Wall-Wieler, Ana Hanlon-Dearman, Marni Brownell, In-Utero SSRI and SNRI Exposure and the Risk of Long Term Adverse Mental and Educational Outcomes in Children: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study Utilizing Linked Administrative Data , International Journal of Population Data Science: Vol 3 No 4 (2018): Conference Proceedings for IPDLC 2018
Deepa Singal, Marni Brownell, Elizabeth Wall-Wieler, Dan Chateau, Ana Hanlon-Dearman, Sally Longestaffe, Prenatal care of women who give birth to Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in a universal health care system: A retrospective cohort study utilizing linkable administrative data , International Journal of Population Data Science: Vol 3 No 4 (2018): Conference Proceedings for IPDLC 2018


← Saturday in Easter Week.
Posted on April 23, 2017 | Comments Off on Low Sunday.
On Our Lord's Appearance to the Apostles.
1st. Our Lord appeared to the apostles later than to the women, on the one hand as a slight punishment for the weakness which they had displayed during the Passion, and on the other for the purpose of kindling within them a more vivid desire and longing for Him by the delay, and thereby increasing their joy at seeing Him again; for we know that the more intensely one longs for anything, the more one rejoices when one becomes possessed of it. How often, my soul, has it happened that you have ardently craved some grace or favor from God; you have cherished some wish, some desire which appeared to you most excellent and useful, but the Lord has postponed the accomplishment of your desire, He has withheld the coveted favor either for your correction, or because you are not yet worthy to receive it, or for your greater good, as you will see later on. Look into your past life and you will find in it a corroboration of these words of the author of the Imitation: "Desires often inflame thee and hurry thee on violently; but ponder well whether it be for the honor of God or thine own interest that thou art rather moved." (B. iii. ch. 11.) Very often the delay in granting your desire has the effect of making you pay greater attention to Him whose honor alone ought to be your chief concern, your God.
2d. Consider that our Lord appeared to the apostles when the doors were shut. By this Christ intends to signify to us that if His servants would enjoy the happiness of receiving Him as their Guest, they ought to keep their door closely shut, the door, that is, of their heart. Jesus is a jealous God. He will tolerate no rival. The more carefully you close your house, the less easily will strange guests obtain access to it, the less is the intrusion of the world, of evil passions to be feared, and then the more surely you may count on the coming of that heavenly Visitor through the closed portals of your heart, who on this day rejoiced the apostles by His presence. "Shut thy door upon thee and call to thee Jesus, thy beloved; stay with Him in thy cell, for nowhere else wilt thou find so great peace." (Imit. B. ii. ch. 20.) Lay to heart this saying; cleanse your house this very day from all that has no right to be there; banish certain propensities, habits, attachments; then shut the door and, like the apostles, await in holy tranquillity the coming of your Lord.
3d. Consider how kind our Lord is to the apostles. They do not hear a single word from His lips concerning their dastardly desertion of Him; He only wishes them peace, peace after the troublous, calamitous days that are past. Nay, He goes so far in His charity and condescension as actually to partake of fish and honeycomb in their presence in order to banish all fear and set them at their ease, although in His glorified state He has no need of food for His support. Admire the charity which our Lord manifested towards His disciples, and which He has often manifested towards you. Learn also of Him in like manner on your part to stoop, out of charity towards your neighbor, to perform for him some trifling service that may perhaps seem hardly becoming to your superior position and to your personal dignity. Humility is never derogatory to our office or person: on the contrary, it places them in a better light and reflects honor upon them. Wherefore practise some such little act of charity this day, and place before our Lord, who to-day comes to dwell in your heart, some oblation of this description; instead of the broiled fish offer Him an act of mortification and penance, and please Him with the sweet honey of holy devotion during divine worship this day.
This entry was posted in Easter Devotions and tagged attachments, charity, habits, humility, mortification, Penance, tranquillity. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Sudden change in HDB rules leaves PR buyers in mid-deal stranded
Published on Aug 30, 2013 6:43 AM | By Daryl Chin, Property Correspondent The Straits Times
At least 150 property deals have hit the skids due to a sudden Housing Board policy change which requires new permanent residents (PRs) to wait three years before they can buy a resale flat.
The figure is an early estimate by property agents, who say that similar cases are streaming in, with PRs having been caught out by Tuesday night's surprise announcement, which took effect immediately.
Before then, PRs could buy a resale flat as soon as their residency had been confirmed.
National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said the move was part of efforts to stabilise and "restore balance" in the HDB market.
http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/sudden-change-hdb-rules-leaves-pr-buyers-mid-deal-stranded-20130830


Reproductive medicine today offers more advanced technologies than ever to help women get pregnant, but don't forget the simple things you can do right now to preserve your fertility and maintain your reproductive health.
Smoking is significantly associated with diminished ovarian reserve and will cause you to go through menopause one to two years earlier. Bottom line: Smoking prematurely ages your ovaries – and your skin. Don't forget about the dramatically increased risks for cancer, heart attack and stroke. Quit smoking! Do it now for your reproductive health – while you still have eggs. Nicotine patches, gum, Zyban (Wellbutrin), and even Chantix may be healthier alternatives to smoking. Talk with your doctor to get the right help so you can quit smoking successfully.
Smoking is a very powerful ovarian (and testicular) toxin. A large study of non-smoking couples showed that even when only one partner was regularly exposed to second-hand smoke, the couple had higher rates of infertility, miscarriages and children with birth defects.
Being overweight or obese is associated with many medical problems, including higher rates of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, kidney, liver and joint problems. It is also associated with significantly higher rates of infertility, miscarriages and birth defects. Research studies show¹ that a low-glycemic index diet is associated with higher rates of fertility. A low-glycemic index diet is essentially a healthy diet – one that avoids sugars, processed carbohydrates, and fats and includes lots of vegetables and nutrients. Even people with a normal weight can improve their fertility by improving their diet. In addition, exercise can help you get to or maintain a healthy weight to help you preserve your fertility and reproductive health.
Make sure you have a yearly visit to your gynecologist and primary care doctor. The practice of medicine is becoming more proactive today, and we are starting to learn much more about wellness. While doctors visits in the past were all about diagnosing and treating disease, good doctors today can help you do the right things today to lower your risks for disease tomorrow.
Do you have a family history of diabetes? You may need to be more careful about your diet, even if you are a normal weight. Do you have a family history of premature ovarian failure? Do any genetic diseases run in your family? Do you or anyone in your family have fibroids? Have you previously had pelvic surgery? These are examples of factors that may impact your reproductive health risks. Talk with your doctor about your personal and family medical history to assess your personal risks. Talk with your doctor about ways to further assess those risks and to lower them. Also know that risk factors aside, the biggest factor negatively impacting your reproductive health is ovarian aging and no amount of healthy diet and exercise can effectively counter its impact.
Does anyone in your family have endometriosis, where cells of the uterine lining grow outside of your uterus? That increases your risk for endometriosis significantly. Endometriosis is strongly associated with infertility, and women on birth control pills tend to have much slower progression of their endometriosis. So, if you have endometriosis, part of your fertility preservation plan may be to take birth control pills.
Many women with irregular periods or no periods have a condition known as Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Birth control pills can normalize the hormonal environment in the bodies of women with PCOS and lower their increased risks for ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer (cancer of the lining of the uterus). If you have PCOS and are ready to conceive, you will usually need to take medication to induce ovulation. It is important to see your gynecologist or a reproductive endocrinologist before you conceive if you have PCOS.
For women with no periods due to a condition called hypothalamic amenorrhea, birth control pills can also help them to stay healthy by maintaining hormonal support of their reproductive organs and by protecting their bones from osteoporosis.
You cannot have a baby before you are ready, but at the same time, do not delay becoming pregnant. Infertility treatments today are quite successful but do not guarantee success. Many older celebrities that have babies from IVF have done so using donor egg, but they may not tell you that. Age-related female infertility is still one of the most difficult forms of infertility to treat successfully. Be informed about your decisions and understand the tradeoffs.


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Booking of our holiday homes and apartments is only possible from Saturday to Saturday. Exceptions are possible on demand.
I would like vegetarian board.
I have read the terms and conditions of Cilentano and accept them for myself and all participants. I stand for the obligations of the participants I have registered as for my own.
I have taken note of the form for informing the traveler on a package holiday.
I have received the Privacy Notice and accept it for me and all participants.


text:
7100 Plantation Road, Ferry Pass, FL 32504, United States of America
Walmart Neighborhood Market, 334 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, United States of America
526 West Chase Street, Pensacola, FL 32502, United States of America
Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563, United States of America
147.5K SF
9214 Waring Rd, Pensacola, FL, United States of America
12.3K SF
3850 North Davis Highway, Pensacola, FL 32503, United States of America
East Heinberg Street, Pensacola, FL 32501, United States of America
Winn Dixie, 4751 Bayou Boulevard, Pensacola, FL 32503, United States of America
Pittman Ave, Pensacola, FL, United States of America
219 East Garden Street, Pensacola, FL 32502, United States of America
713 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, United States of America
850 West Garden Street, Pensacola, FL 32502, United States of America


text:
var fs = require('fs')
  , express = require('express')
  , bodyParser = require('body-parser')
  , serveStatic = require('serve-static');
var app = express();
var port = 8080;

app.use(bodyParser.json());
app.use(bodyParser.urlencoded({ extended: true}));
app.use(serveStatic('.'));
app.use(express.static('public'));

app.post('/question', function(req, res) {
  try {
    var str = req.body.quest + '.json';
    var a = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(req.body.quest + '.json', 'utf8'));
    res.json(a);
  } catch (error){
    if (error.code === 'ENOENT') {
      res.statusCode = 404;
      res.statusMessage = 'Not found';
      console.log(error);
    } else {
      // throw error;
      console.log(error);
    }
  }
  res.end();
});

app.listen(port, function() {
    console.log("listening http on port " + port)
});

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Mongoose Populate returns empty array I am receiving an empty array with the following code:
var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var db = mongoose.createConnection('localhost', 'mytestapp');

var SurveySchema = require('../models/Survey.js').SurveySchema;
var Survey = mongoose.model('SurveySchema', SurveySchema, 'surveys');

var UserSchema = require('../models/Survey.js').User;
var User = mongoose.model('user', UserSchema, 'users');

exports.getSurveysForUser = function(User) {
    return function (req, res) {

 User
        .findOne({_id: req.params.userId})
        .populate('surveys')
        .exec(function (err, user){
            if (err) return res.json({error: err})
            else {
                var surveyList=[];
                surveyList = user.surveys;
                console.log(surveyList);
                console.log("user: "+ user);
                res.json(surveyList);

            }
        });
}};

This is the console output:
 [ ]

user: { __v: 2,
  _id: 52939b8c22a7efb720000003,
  email: 'a@b.de',
  password: '202cb962ac59075b964b07152d234b70',
  surveys: []
}

These are the Mongoose models:
exports.SurveySchema = new Mongoose.Schema({
description : String,
questions : [question] });

exports.User = new Mongoose.Schema({
name : String,
email: { type: String, unique: true },
password: { type: String, required: true},
surveys :  [{type: Schema.ObjectId, ref: 'SurveySchema'}] });

Btw:
I already tried User.findOne(...) and then a Survey.find() in the callback. It seemed that the second statement was not even executed. Apparently i am very new to mongoose..and i can't find a way around this problem
Do you have any ideas how to help me?
I couldn't really find any helpful solution here, but the problem shouldn't be a big one.
Thanks in advance, its really keeping me up for days now!!
Edit: So this is the index.js with the method:
var mongoose = require('mongoose');
var db = mongoose.createConnection('localhost', 'mytestapp');

var SurveySchema = require('../models/Survey.js').SurveySchema;
var Survey = mongoose.model('SurveySchema', SurveySchema, 'surveys');

var UserSchema = require('../models/Survey.js').User;
var User = mongoose.model('user', UserSchema, 'users');

//.. here are some more methods..

exports.getSurveysForUser = function(User) {
return function (req, res) {
 User
            .findOne({_id: req.params.userId})
            .populate('surveys')
            .exec(function (err, user){
                if (err) return res.json({error: err})
                else {
                    var surveyList=[];
                    surveyList = user.surveys;
                    console.log(surveyList);
                    console.log("user: "+ user);
                    res.json(surveyList);

                }
            });
}};

//this is the code, that saves a response to a survey

exports.addResponse = function(ResponseSet) {
    return function (req, res) {
        console.log("bin da: addResponse");
        console.log("response zu: " + req.body.surveyId);
        console.log("von user : " + req.body.userId);

        //für user speichern

        var pUser = User.findOne({_id:req.body.userId}, function (error, user) {

                // Maybe populate doesnt work, because i only push the ID?

               user.surveys.push(Mongoose.Types.ObjectId(req.body.surveyId));

               user.save();

            }
        );

        var pSurvey = Survey.findOne({_id:req.body.surveyId}, function (error, survey) {
                survey.responses.push(Mongoose.Types.ObjectId(req.params.id));
                survey.save();
            }
        );

        //responseSet speichern

        var responseSet = new ResponseSet(req.body);
        responseSet.save(function(error, responseSet) {
            if (error || !responseSet) {
                res.json({ error : error });
            } else {

                res.json(responseSet);
            }
        });
    };

 };

And this is the app.js, which consumes the index.js:
var Mongoose = require('mongoose');
var db = Mongoose.createConnection('localhost', 'mytestapp');

var SurveySchema = require('./models/Survey.js').SurveySchema;
var Survey = db.model('surveys', SurveySchema);
var UserSchema = require('./models/Survey.js').User;
var User = db.model('user', UserSchema);

var ResponseSetSchema = require ('./models/Survey.js').responseSet;
var ResponseSet = db.model('responseSet', ResponseSetSchema);

var express = require('express')
  , routes = require('./routes')
  , http = require('http')
  , path = require('path')
  , passport = require('passport')
  , pass = require('./config/pass')

  , user_routes = require('./routes/user');

var app = express();

// all environments
app.set('port', process.env.PORT || 3000);
app.set('views', __dirname + '/views/app');
//app.engine('html', require('ejs').renderFile);
app.use(express.static(__dirname + '/views/app'));
app.use(express.cookieParser());
app.use(express.favicon());
app.use(express.logger('dev'));
app.use(express.bodyParser());
app.use(express.methodOverride());
app.use(express.session({ secret: 'securedsession' }));
app.use(passport.initialize()); // Add passport initialization
app.use(passport.session()); // Add passport initialization
app.use(app.router);
app.use(express.static(path.join(__dirname, 'public')));

// development only
if ('development' == app.get('env')) {
  app.use(express.errorHandler());
}

app.all('/secure', pass.ensureAuthenticated);

app.get('/', function (req, res)
{
    res.render('index.html');
} );

// some more code...

app.get('/api/secure/userSurveys/:userId', routes.getSurveysForUser(User));

http.createServer(app).listen(app.get('port'), function(){
  console.log('Express server listening on port ' + app.get('port'));
});

Hope it helpsto fight the problem!
Many many thanks in advance!! :)

A: Try changing:
surveys: [{type: Schema.ObjectId, ref: 'SurveySchema'}] });

to
surveys: [{type: Schema.Types.ObjectId, ref: 'SurveySchema'}] });

Also, make sure you have surveys pushed as children to User.surveys.
http://mongoosejs.com/docs/populate.html, here this section talks about your requirement in detail:

Refs to children
We may find however, if we use the aaron object, we are unable to get a list of the stories. This is because no story objects were ever 'pushed' onto aaron.stories."

Ok, it took quite a lot to figure out the issue:
exports.getSurveysForUser = function(User) {
...
};

The var User - model is not being injected into the scope properly. Change to:
exports.getSurveysForUser = (function(User) {
...
})(User);

The returned function's signature for middleware do not require User model to be passed as they are re-initiated and passed within the middleware code.
In index.js, change this
app.get('/api/secure/userSurveys/:userId', routes.getSurveysForUser(User));

to
app.get('/api/secure/userSurveys/:userId', routes.getSurveysForUser());

I also request you to self test your code and read as many docs as possible. Also, there can be multiple ways of reaching your goals. With time and practice you will conquer them all. Good luck!

A: So i found a solution!
Firstly it seemed, that the mongoose Schemas were not correctly required.
So in the models, i did mongoose.model('modelname', schemaname); for every model and now i only use mongoose.model(...) for every model in the index.js.
Secondly i found out about an even more critical thing: There were suddenly no user.surveys for my testuser anymore! I am sure that it was filled with surveys a few days ago. Because i tested my code several times and some surveys were pushed to that collection. Maybe i dropped the collection it in some testing..i don't really remember. So i pushed a survey manually in the mongodb console and tested it again --> worked! the user.surveys were populated! maybe the function worked yesterday and didn't need any change. I am so sorry, if that was a waste of time.
Bad thing is, that right now the exports.addResponse(....) is only saving a response, but is not pushing the IDs to the arrays user.surveys and survey.responses. This seems to be a synchronizing Problem and i will figure that out somehow.
Anyways, thank you for your help and time!


Automakers buy 15 percent of all advertising in U.S. consumer magazines. The cost is high - but so is the return, magazine publishers say.
"The auto industry is the bread and butter of the magazine industry," says Steve Cohn, editor in chief of Media Industry Newsletter, a New York trade publication.
The industry spent $2.4 billion on magazine advertising last year. That's up from $2.1 billion in 2003, the Publishers Information Bureau reports.
Ellen Oppenheim, executive vice president of the Magazine Publishers of America, cites a 2003 study conducted by the trade group. It concluded that for every dollar marketers spend on magazine advertising, they get back an average of $8.23 in sales. Automakers declined to supply their return-on-investment figures for advertising.
The return on a dollar's investment in all other forms of media marketing is $3.52, Oppenheim adds. Magazine advertising is especially efficient because it targets consumers by demographics and lifestyle, she says.
Last year was a record year for total magazine ad spending, Cohn says. Part of that increase reflects the fact that advertisers bought more pages last year.
But it also reflects rising ad rates. Magazines typically raise their rates 3 percent to 5 percent a year, Cohn says.
As a rule of thumb, national magazines charge $10,000 per ad page for every 100,000 in circulation, says Samir Husni, chairman of the journalism department at the University of Mississippi and a leading academic expert on consumer magazines.
But those rates vary. Sports Illustrated generally charges $243,000 for a full-page color ad, says publisher David Morris. That rate increases to $285,750 for the magazine's annual swimsuit issue, Morris adds.
Many magazines give their best ad customers, such as automakers, special treatment. An automotive ad buyer who asked not to be identified says her company buys ad space in bulk and often gets a rate discount of 10 percent to 40 percent.


A winding up petition is significant legal action that can jeopardise company continuity. Left unchecked, the outcome of a winding up petition is compulsory liquidation. A licensed insolvency practitioner like ourselves, can help to start or urgently stop a winding up petition.
Before a winding up petition can be issued a creditor that is owed £750 upwards may send a payment demand letter or serve a statutory demand asking for repayment of the company debt. If the company debt remains unpaid and the creditor believes the company insolvent, there are then grounds for a winding up petition and subsequent winding up order. In closing a company (liquidation), creditors have the chance to recover their debt as any assets are sold and the proceeds distributed.
Explore the following winding up petition options; having first bought some time with a court adjournment (call 0121 201 1720).
Go into administration whilst re-structuring is organised.
The options available and consequences of a winding up petition very much depend upon the speed with which action is taken and the company's circumstances. As part of the winding up process, it is likely bank accounts will be frozen once a winding up petition is advertised in the London Gazette to protect unsecured creditors.
Take away our Winding up petition guide.


General Description: As a young boy Hikage was given a book on the nomadic peoples of the grassland plains that made up the borders between Makkura and Yokuchi. From this book arouse a love of the style of clothing favored by said nomads; loose fitting, baggy silken pants, bar midrifts with thin chest coverings and a sash worn over the shoulders, with matching sets of bangles and a collar type neck adornment. His hair is extremely long and braided in a way that makes it seem like a string of thick beads with golden spacers between them. The bangles around his wrist are made of thick cords of golden metal wrapped nearly a dozen times so that they stretch from his wrists to the middle of his forearms. Around his neck is a matching corded bangle, wrapped only six times so that it does not affect the range of motion of his neck. A single red colored stone adorns the neck peice, accenting the colden banding perfectly. A smile usually adorns the boy's face; wide eyes always conveying a sense of internal happiness that makes the shadows he lives in just a little bit brighter.
[b]General Description:[/b] As a young boy Hikage was given a book on the nomadic peoples of the grassland plains that made up the borders between Makkura and Yokuchi. From this book arouse a love of the style of clothing favored by said nomads; loose fitting, baggy silken pants, bar midrifts with thin chest coverings and a sash worn over the shoulders, with matching sets of bangles and a collar type neck adornment. His hair is extremely long and braided in a way that makes it seem like a string of thick beads with golden spacers between them. The bangles around his wrist are made of thick cords of golden metal wrapped nearly a dozen times so that they stretch from his wrists to the middle of his forearms. Around his neck is a matching corded bangle, wrapped only six times so that it does not affect the range of motion of his neck. A single red colored stone adorns the neck peice, accenting the colden banding perfectly. A smile usually adorns the boy's face; wide eyes always conveying a sense of internal happiness that makes the shadows he lives in just a little bit brighter.


Turning finance into boba-sized pieces. One iced milk boba tea, please! You can contribute your thoughts like Cherie here.
A couple of weeks back, my MP from my GRC announced that HDB had chosen my block to go through HIP, I was ELATED!
My family was so relieved that we could finally upgrade our living space (especially the toilets) at a subsidised cost!
What is the HDB's Home Improvement Programme (HIP)?
What improvement works on my HDB does HIP include? What about EASE?
How much does it cost? Do I get subsidies?
How long will HIP take?
How can you prepare for HIP?
How do you live with HIP?
It was initially for flats build before 1986 to help your HDB remain habitable. However, during this year National Day Rally, it was announced that the HIP scheme will extend to blocks constructed up to 1997.
This means another 230,000 homes will be benefitting from HIP programme from estates like Pasir Ris, Yishun, Tampines and Jurong.
What improvement works on my HDB does HIP include?
Upgrading of electrical supply – Some estate could have this done on a separate programme.
Some of us would use this opportunity to upgrade your living space. Therefore, with optional improvements, you are able to do so and only pay for those that you have opted for.
If you choose to opt out of the toilet upgrading package, your toilets must pass a water test for leaks! Please do not inconvenience your neighbour in the flat below with ceiling leaks, it's really ugly and your ceiling starts to peel. Trust me.
EASE is used to help enhance the safety and comfort of seniors living in HDB flats, making your HDB more elder-friendly. To ensure that the toilet floors are not slippery and that there are proper bars for support.
Installation of grab bars: 8 to 10 grab bars for your first toilet, and 6 grab bars for your second toilet.
Slip-resistant treatment to floor tiles of toilets/ bathrooms of up to 2 bathrooms.
Up to 5 ramps within flat to level floorings in the flat or at the single-step main entrance.
If your block did not qualify for HIP, but you have an elderly member residing with you, you are still able to opt for EASE through EASE (Direct Application) with subsidies up to 95% of the total cost.
More Details about EASE programme.
How much do I have to pay for HIP?
The Government covers the cost of all essential improvements in full and heavily subsidises the optional improvement works.
Note: These prices are only estimates done by the HDB.
HDB had built their very own cost calculator for you to estimate the cost incur base on the number of upgrades that you have opted for here.
Singapore PR households will have to pay the full upgrading cost. They can be reimbursed accordingly if they obtain citizenship within the next year.
How long will the HIP take?
10 days. These 10 days does not include Sundays and Public Holidays.
If you do not opt for toilet upgrading, the upgrade would only take 4 days.
It is required that at least 1 adult present during the HIP works. HDB will notify you in advance for you to process your annual leave if needed.
What are the working hours of HIP works?
From 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
How can you prepare your home for HIP?
Dust-proofing your house by covering it with garbage bags or plastic drop cloth that could be easily found in hardware stores like the image above.
Find an alternative location, if possible.
Move from one room to another within your home.
Using storage spaces to store your furniture.
I chanced upon this article while researching on HIP for my own home, which provided an elaborate walk-through of the author, E, and her experience and also how she managed to reduce the amount of dust from the HIP works in 4 blog posts. Read more here.
Living your life with the ongoing HIP – How to use the toilet? Can't tolerate the drillings?
How to use the toilet?
If you have 2 toilets, both toilets will be upgraded AT THE SAME TIME during HIP, therefore you are not allowed to use them.
HDB will set up temporary toilets with shower facilities at your void deck.
HDB will also set up a portable toilet in your flat (image above) with heated shower but with an inability to flush.
What if I can't tolerate the drillings?
HDB will set up an air-conditioned rest area and study room for you.
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Vineyard views from the north side of Madeira.
Like few other wines in the world, the wines from the island of Madeira are synonymous with their distinctive method of production. For centuries, producers here have fortified their wines with neutral spirits, then aged the wines in cask for long periods of time, oxidizing them and exposing them to heat. The result is one of the world's winemaking gems — a seemingly indestructible wine that can age for centuries and retain its exotic characteristics for long after the bottle is opened.
After a week-long trip this Portuguese island, I have a whole lot to write about these magnificent wines and the island and people responsible for them. But, first, I wanted to explore the state of the island's still wines. Yes, they make unfortified, dry, white and red table wines on Madeira. The wines ranged from the eccentric and odd to the refreshing and impressive.
The entire island is home to less than 500 hectares of vines, which cling to unreasonably steep hillsides in tiny, terraced vineyards. And still wine production counts for a mere 4-5% of the island's total production. So there are not a lot of bottles to go around. The still Madeira wines (which fall under the appellation "DOP Madeirense") are made in very small quantities, and the majority of the wine stays on the island. But the evolution of the still wine movement in Madeira signifies a desire to adapt and innovate. And that's notable for a tremendously regulated wine industry on an island typified by a stick-to-your-guns respect for tradition and history.
As a collective group, DOP Madeirense white wines are fresh, vibrant, low in alcohol, high in acidity, and laced with citrus peel and floral flavors. Like seemingly everything produced on the island, the wines exude a sense of sea salt and oceanic vibrancy. As a surfer and lover of all things of the sea, these wines excite me. And they're perfectly matched to local cuisine like lapas and scabbard fish. The red wines (frequently blends of two to five varieties) tend to have lighter tannic structure, high acidity, crunchy red fruit and plenty of earth and spice elements to go around.
While these wine are quirky, tasty and fit well on the table, it makes little sense for producers of still Madeira wine to export them. Portugal (which everyone here calls the Mainland) produces plenty of Verdelho, for example. And the Mainland has plenty of not-so-treacherous places to grow grapes. Like any major wine category, Mainland Verdelho can be very good, but there are many serviceable wines with large production and moderate price tags, something Madeira producers simply cannot match. A wine competition between the Mainland and Madeira is like pitting a heavyweight against a bantamweight. Madeira winemakers aren't eager to step into that ring.
On the other hand, it makes little sense to import brisk, fresh white wines that pair wonderfully with local seafood when producers have access to at least some amount of quality white grapes on the island. More than one million people visit Madeira every year, and those people want to eat and drink everything the island has to offer. Madeira already imports a large amount of the food that appears on the restaurant table. Some producers figure they can make still wines for consumption right here on the island. And I'm glad these wines exist.
This certainly seems to be the case. Verdelho shows real promise as a still wine on Madeira. Several producers have bottled crisp, dry, bright examples of this grape, while others have blended it with an interesting mix of grapes (like Arnsburger) not used for the production of Madeira.
No one makes a commercially available still Malvasia, although I'm intrigued about the concept. However, there's not a ton of the grape planted on the island, and the juice goes on to produce one of the most delicious and long-lived wines of the world as a fortified sweet wine, Malvasia or Malmsey. So producers aren't rushing to bottle, crisp, still wines for pounding on the patio. Same goes for Sercial and Boal (the other white grapes used for fortified wines).
Considering the rigid rules for Madeira production, it's exciting to see producers experimenting with still wines: blending traditional white grapes with less traditional ones; using grapes like Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon; trying out blends of traditional Portuguese red grapes like Touriga Nacional and Tinta Roriz. I tasted one Verdelho and Arnsburger blend that was aged in some new oak. I thought the oak totally overwhelmed the brisk, salty elements of the wine (ultimately I didn't enjoy the wine), but still wine producers are trying new things. And I like that. The total production is small, but the passion is evident.
While Madeira producers are obviously well equipped with the casks and space needed for the canteiro process (cask aging with exposure to heat and oxygen), many do not have the equipment needed to produce still wine. That's where the MWI comes in. In 2002, the MWI set up their own winery with all the presses, tanks, etc., capable of producing still wine. And they allow producers to use that equipment to make their own still wine. However, producers have to cover the cost by paying the Institute for this service. Considering producers already have what they need to make fortified wine, this added cost is yet another barrier to the large-scale production of still Madeira wine.
Despite these hurdles, Barbara Spinola of the Institute's Promotion Department, said there is strong support for the still wine project among Madeira producers. Today, she said, there are now more than 10 different still wine brands.
While the production of still white and red DOP Madeirense wines has grown, there doesn't seem to be much long-term prospect for significant growth in this area. To fully invest in making still wines on the island, growers and producers would have to make a sharp turn away from their deeply-held tradition of producing of the world's best fortified wines. And there's simply no impetus for making such a dramatic shift.
But a large fortified wine industry and a small still wine industry can both exist in the same place and time. And I hope there continues to be at least some demand for these still Madeira wines. When eating a piping hot plate of lapas, or some steamed scabbard fish, sipping on a brisk local wine is a tremendous experience. And for those looking to expand their palates and try new things, don't hesitate if you see a rare bottle of DOP Madeirense. It won't be the best still wine you've had all year, but it will certainly offer up a unique island experience. And if you visit Madeira and sit down at a restaurant, don't think twice: order a DOP Madeirense.
Below are my tasting notes on a few of the still Madeira wines I tasted on a recent trip. All the wines were tasted sighted.


The section of a form on a website.
Typically, the more form fields you have within your form, the lower converting the form.
However, sometimes more form fields are required to capture prospects contact information, or to make the application process seem legitimate.