I said above, vis a vis the location where I feel like a phony if I haven't written on the day — any day — when I'm asked about being a writer if I haven't written that day, "in my heart of hearts."
Lovely! My first thought *every* morning for many years was :: "When will write today?" About 2 years ago I sheathed my pen to focus on my teenage son — who was spinning out a little harder than we were expecting (being that he had the cool parents and all). He seems to settling into the idea of really managing his own life, so 2012 will be devoted to reviving my writing/dissage practices. Your voice – steady, musing, meticulous – has a calming effect on my nervous nelly, who is prancing at the gate. 'Writing my wings' daily is not yet possible, but thank you for reminding me what that *feels* like.
Oh so good and satisfying too, just like the oatmeal! I write, but I'm not a writer. It's one of my favorite things to do so I'll call it a hobby! Thank God for the real writers like you who inspire me, open my eyes and my mind. I have that same sense of "alls right with the world" after reading something with substance.
Beautifully done. So important for the as yet unpublished writer to know they are "real" writers because they write. The act of writing, of practicing make them as much writer as publishing. And if they don't get published in this lifetime, then they are more writer than most; keeping at it without the reward, or prestige, or whatever you wind up with. Thanks for this.
I am reaching out across the county to give you a hug, my friend. Lovely, warming post. Thank you!
Mendy, thank you. It is my privilege to be able to get to remind others (and have some, like you, hear it) … just as it is part of my own inner personal work to remind myself over and over. To write, I mean… every day.
I applaud you for "hanging in there" with your friend. Depression is like being on deserted island waiting for the rescue ship to come. For your friend you are the hope that tomorrow the ship will come. And today I am a writer because I posted on my blog about my own journey through mental illness. Thanks for helping your friend and being such a darned good writer and cook.
Thank you, John. I went over and read your blog (and commented there, too).
Joycee! If you write, you're a writer. Don't make me get tough, now! I MEAN it, as anyone who knows me will tell you.
Just to get slightly tough… we all conspire with our own self-diminishment. We all have to remind each other to stop it.
What a wonderful share. First, I will be trying my oatmeal with some new additions! Second, you really laid it out and it's true. Whatever you really are, you don't feel it unless you did it that day. Charming and heartfelt, as always!
And yet I took myself as a writer a bit more seriously after my first piece was published. "Oh, whew. Now I'm legit." So I did it too, although looking sideways at myself took some doing.
LOVE the comment about Picasso. Yup, that about sums it up. Do you write to get published? You won't for long. It's only when words sing down your veins and you can't make it through the day without putting some to paper that you get a taste of what it means to "be a writer." Of course, the true test is when those singing words lose their voice and you sit there anyway, writing through the silence, knowing you're writing crap but knowing, too, that the only way out is through. Maybe that's when you really know you're a writer.
And this is the fourth thing I've written today. I love that guide, as well. Have I earned my wings today?
You are so welcome. And yes, you can take all the credit, you did inspire that whole post!
Crescent, as I'm writing this I'm listening to the radio spot you did with Tom Ashbrook on NPR. You are a gem and I love your topic because I think beans are GREAT for people and the planet. The impact goes beyond what most would think.
OK, a question. I bought the domain "CrescentDragonwagon.com partly because people look up your name and exact match domains like this are usually pretty east to get ranked on the search engines. I thought I would do a site listing your books and such. Before I do that, out of courtesy I thought I'd offer you the opportunity (if you wanted it) to get that domain for yourself. No, I wouldn't be trying to make a lot of money on it but contact me if you want. Otherwise, I'd like to use it. I wish you the BEST and thanks for doing what you are doing with such lovely personality. If you do respond, put your name Crescent on the Subject line so I know to pay attention to it. Thanks.
Just came back to read this again after your FB post.
Your patience and steadfastness with your depressed friend touched me along with the acknowledgment of the irritation.
Vic, my life mate of 22 yrs, and I have taken care of his mother for most of those years. Perhaps some of it is culture (Thai/Chinese) but in a house of three adults and three precious dogs, I end up being #7 with her.
It was so long in coming, but I recently began seeing her as a gift, a reminder to live my unconditional love. What a difference it makes not only with Pranee but in life in general.
I love it that your style take us with you into your personal dialogues when you're writing in-the-moment. It reminds me of Thomas Jefferson's letter called My Head and My Heart which he wrote to Maria Cosway from Paris. It's not a short read but such a privilege to read something so intimate of his. It's too bad he didn't leave us with a similar dialogue over his beliefs about equality and that he was a participant in a slave-holding society.


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The World Expo 2010 Shanghai-China's 159-year Endeavor
Tibet History and Culture: Tibetan Folk Customs
Home :: Charms of China :: Art & Culture :: Tibet History and Culture: Tibetan Folk Customs
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Author: Chen Liming; Liu Jun; ;
Publisher: China Intercontinental Press
In this book, readers can catch glimpses of real life in China's Tibet through folk customs in housing, cuisine and apparel; etiquette to follow from birth to death, wedding to funeral; the myriad festivals and recreational activities coming from different backgrounds, and the profound religious beliefs that lead to such folk customs.
Professor Chen Liming of Xizang Minzu University in the ancient city of Xianyang is a State Council Expert for Special Allowance. He has been teaching and researching Tibetan history and culture for many years, making special achievements in Himalayan cultures as well as the general history and culture of Tibet. He has published many academic books including Folk Culture in Tibet and A Walle in the Himalayan Forests: Cultural Journ,ey of the Monba and Lhoba Peoples in,Tibet, in addition to more than 60 theses.
Tibetan Folk Customs: Splendid painting scroll
rich with the snowy plateau's unique features
Chapter Ⅰ
Mellow tea and fragrant wine amid bright
colours - folk customs in daily life
Chapter Ⅱ
Rituals for spirit and life - folk customs in
a person's life
Rituals upon birth
Customs behind names
Marriage customs
Funeral customs
Chapter Ⅲ
Sacred time and space created in magnificent
imaginations - religious beliefs
Folk beliefs
Bon religion
Chapter Ⅳ
Festivals through four seasons bring a sea
of happiness - festival customs
Seasonal festivals
Production festivals
Recreational festivals
Chapter Ⅴ
Combat of strength and skill to amuse
and cultivate - contests and recreations
Folk contests
Folk recreations
Sample Pages Preview
With an average elevation above sea level of 4,000 metres and the world's highest mountain, the Tibetan Plateau has been aptly named the Third Pole of the Earth. Over the course of thousands of years, the Tibetan people have created a splendid culture in this magical land. Folk customs form an important part of Tibetan culture, embedding and reflecting the unique features of the snowy plateau.
The formation and development of Tibetan folk customs span a long time.
Between 50,000 to 10,000 years ago, ancient humans left their traces on the Tibetan Plateau. What can be considered Tibetan folk customs began to take shape in the Neolithic Age, about 5,000 to 4,000 years ago. The discovery of the ruins of two primitive villages in Karub, Chamdo, and Qoigong, Lhasa, provided an outline of how ancient people lived in Tibet. We can catch glimpses of their material and spiritual lives through relics of food, housing, apparel and methods of transport.
During the Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907), Tibet was known as the Tubo regime. It was a period of cultural blossoming and folk customs developed in leaps and bounds. The basic norms of the region's folk customs matured in the Tubo Era, and have continued to grow and influence generations until today.
For more than 1,000 years after the Tubo Era, Tibetan folk customs flourished along with social growth and cultural exchanges among ethnic groups to become a significant element of Tibetan culture.
Tibetan folk customs have a long history and striking features, with their own unique lineage.
Geographical Features
Geographical features are some of the most striking elements that set Tibetan folk customs apart from those of other areas.
Tibet lies on the roof of the world. To its north are the Kunlun and Tanggula mountain ranges; at its centre lie the Gandise- Nyanchen Thanglha Mountains; the Himalayas border its south and the Hengduan Mountains lie on its eastern rim. These giants form the backbone of the plateau.
The landscape of Tibet is naturally formed into several distinct parts. The northern plateau (which includes the Ali Plateau) lies between the Kunlun, Tanggula and the Gandise-Nyanchen Thanglha mountains. In the Tibetan language, this vast area is called Changtang (meaning plateau in the north). Between the Gandise-Nyanchen Thanglha Mountains and the Himalayas is the valley of southern Tibet. The mighty Yarlung Zangbo River and its tributaries — the Lagazangbo, Nyangchu, Lhasa and Nyang Qu rivers — run through the valley. Further south is the Himalayan mountain area, which includes the southern and southeastern slopes of the Himalayas. Finally there's the eastern valley area where the Nu, Lancang and Jinsha (upper reaches of the Yangtze) rivers cut deep ravines through the Hengduan Mountains.
These unique geographical conditions helped shape Tibet's distinctive folk customs. The vast northern plateau has an average elevation above sea level of more than 4,000 metres, which creates a frigid climate. The many lakes and crisscrossing rivers there form a paradise of wildlife and ideal pastures. For generations local people followed the best water and grass, creating a nomadic culture with clear regional features.
The southern valley area sits at 2,700 to 3,700 metres above sea level. The deep, fertile soil is excellent for agriculture. Since the mythical era of "monkey turning into man", humans have been
cultivating fields there and creating a strong farming civilisation. The flat valleys in the middle ranges of the Yarlung Zangbo River were important sources of ancient Tibetan civilisation. It is said that the first inhabitants of Tibet settled there. The first farming field, the first house, and the first Tsampo ruler were all established in the Yarlung Valley.
In eastern Tibet, the Nu, Lancang and Jinsha rivers cut through gorgeous mountains, where the climate differs according to the altitude. Clans of locals dwelt in houses built along the mountains, living from farming and herding.
The southern and southeastern slopes of the Himalayas enjoy a temperate climate with ample rain. The dense, humid forests provide a home for diversified animal and plant species. This meant that local people lived by hunting and gathering as well as traditional primitive farming. Such differences in geography predetermined the varied ways people lived and produced food and built shelter.
Tibetan folk customs differ from those outside the Tibetan Plateau because of these unique geographical features. Within Tibet, there are many smaller geographical subdivisions. As a Tibetan idiom goes, "Every lama has a sect, every area has a dialect". The cultures of different areas have their own specific geographical features. Together they form the colourful kaleidoscope of Tibetan folk customs.
Ethnic features
Tibetan folk customs have been created by all the ethnic groups in Tibet. While Tibetans mainly live on the snowy plateau, the Monbas, Lhobas, Dengs and Sherpas are scattered in the southern and southeastern slopes of the Himalayas. Sharing the Tibetan Plateau, these ethnic groups have each made contributions to Tibetan folk culture. From languages to weddings and funerals, religious festivals, as well as cuisine, apparel, housing and methods of transport, all aspects of Tibetan folk culture are rich with ethnic features. To a certain extent, such ethnic cultural features are also consistent with the geographical features.
Although ethnic groups in Tibet live in relatively independent geographical units, they all belong to the Tibetan Plateau and communication between them can be traced deep back in history, forging close ties in politics, economy and culture. The folk customs created by all ethnic groups in Tibet together form a unified but also diverse culture of folk customs. Folk customs are the emblems of an ethnic group. Tibetan folk customs reflect and display the spirits of the region's ethnic groups.
Fusion features
The fusion of Tibetan folk customs included the embrace of outside cultures, exchanges among ethnic groups, and amalgamation of religious and secular aspects.
Situated at the heart of Asia, Tibet has been a pivot of East, South and Central Asia. In terms of cultural distribution, Tibet is the point where cultures from East, South, Central and West Asia clashed and converged. Since ancient times, Tibet has been communicating with surrounding regions. As far back as the Neolithic Age, Tibet already had cultural exchanges with Central and South Asia. Tibetan civilisation was closely linked with the civilization along the Yellow River. During and after the Tubo Era, the exchanges in politics, economy and culture between Tibet and surrounding regions, especially the Central Plains to its east, continued to expand. Buddhism from India and Nepal, and Confucianism from the Central Plains both exerted significant influences on the development of Tibetan culture.
Tibetan folk customs display strong features of the fusion of the secular and the religious, the sacred and the entertaining.
Features of the time
Folk customs are creations of history. Any phenomenon of folk customs is the crystallization of an ethnic group's cultural activities over thousands of years. While carrying on historical traditions, folk customs also grew and evolved as society changed, thereby displaying features from certain historical periods. In the history of Tibetan folk customs, Karub, Tubo and the feudal fiefdom cultures were all etched deep into the overall scene.
As Tibet opens its arms wider to welcome the outside world and modernisation gathers momentum, the economy will develop while society undergoes fundamental reforms. Many changes are taking place in the methods of production, living, thinking and how people view culture. Such changes have affected all aspects of folk customs. From daily necessities to weddings and funerals, as well as festivals and games, they all reflect changes and progress of the time.
In a society that is changing rapidly, Tibetan folk customs are displaying even more colourful features today.
Tibetan Folk Customs
Folk Customs Stories
China's Folk Customs (5 DVDs)
Roots: Customs and Traditions in Taiwan
Chinese Folk Customs
Chinese Ethnic Festivals and Customs ...
Chinese Folk Arts - Culture China Ser...
Chinese Folktales Vol 2
Learn Chinese Through Singing Folk Songs
Folklife in the late 20th century China
Folk Customs of China
Chinese Folk Stories

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Colby Covington Is the Undisputed "As if 2020 Couldn't Get Any Worse" Champion
Covington won on Saturday night and took a congratulations call from President Trump on the air. Of course he did.
By Chuck Mindenhall Sep 22, 2020, 10:59am EDT
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Getty Images/Ringer illustration
Generally speaking, after a fight, the tone between two mixed martial artists changes considerably. No matter how much vitriol was exchanged in the lead-up to the fight, a note of respect is usually struck at the post-fight press conference, when relief hangs so lightly in the air after the two have literally duked it out in front of thousands.
Not so with welterweight contender Colby Covington and former UFC champion Tyron Woodley, who finally fought on Saturday night after years of back-and-forth trash talk and near encounters. After Covington dominated the fight for four rounds, the referee stopped the onslaught early in the fifth and final round after Woodley cried out in pain from a broken rib. Covington, as he insisted he would, made the fight look easy.
And afterward Covington—sans his usual bright red Make America Great Again hat—said he was humbled by the call he'd received from President Donald Trump just moments before taking the podium. That humility was very short lived, though.
"I broke him," he said of Woodley. "That third round, he quit. After I cut him open and I put vicious ground and pound (on him), he was done. He told his coaches he was done. He was just looking for a way out. He knew I trapped his arm and I was getting ready to put vicious ground and pound on him and finish him right there, but he just would rather take the easy way out. He would rather be a spineless coward like he is. He's a woke little bitch, and he got exposed tonight."
On Saturday night, Covington's pressure-forward wrestling and relentless ground-and-pound rendered Woodley helpless. Covington's oppressive style won yet again, raising his UFC record to 11-2. And now mixed martial arts' great antagonist is once again within striking distance of a title shot against current champion Kamaru Usman, who beat him back in December.
But in a larger sense, the optics for Saturday night's main event were emblematic of so much going on in America. It was the Florida-based white guy Covington, who attended a Trump rally a weekend before his fight, versus the Black former champion Woodley, who hails from none other than Ferguson, Missouri. The fight was brimming with subtext and larger meanings, and played out as if representative of everything going on outside.
Politics—that invasive species that so many fans want to keep out of sports—is right back in the heart of the UFC. So long as Covington is relevant, the welterweight division will be adorned with MAGA slogans, megaphones, and red, white, and blue bunting.
For the record, Trump did in fact call Covington shortly after the fight to congratulate him, right in the middle of an interview with ESPN's Megan Olivi. Covington smiled from ear to ear as he answered the call and put the president on speakerphone to broadcast the effusive praise.
"You are a great fighter, man, I'll tell you—you make it so easy," Trump told Covington. "I don't know how the hell you do that. Congratulations. I wanted to watch that fight tonight. I wanted to watch it. You were great."
"Thank you so much, Mr. President, you gave me the drive and energy when you shook my hand on Sunday at your rally," Covington said. "It doesn't matter if King Kong was in front of me, I wasn't going to lose after shaking your hand."
"He's a strong-looking guy, too, he's a strong guy—he's a great fighter who's a champ, and that was relatively easy work for you. I'm proud of you, man," Trump said. "I just made a big speech. I had 35,000 people. I said I got to get home now to watch Colby. [Laughs.] That was class work. He's a good fighter, right? Did he give you much of a problem? What did you see, strong guy, right?"
The mutual appreciation between Covington and Trump is unlike anything MMA has known, even with UFC president Dana White's endorsement of his longtime pal Trump at this year's Republican National Convention.
And really, Covington's a chip off the old block. When relaying the publicly aired conversation between him and the president at the press conference, Covington said that Trump left a rally of 36,000 people to watch him fight, a thousand more than Trump actually stated. Why exaggerate the number by a thousand? Because the truth is a Stretch Armstrong doll for any heel wrestler, who in this case just happens to actually love stirring the political pot as a way of distinguishing himself from the field. Covington finds the line of decency and he crosses it at will. He's, very proudly, a paragon of poor taste.
He's the same guy who called the whole of Brazil a bunch of "filthy animals" after fighting Demian Maia in São Paulo. The same one who made fun of UFC analyst and former middleweight champion Michael Bisping for not being able to see out of his one good eye, and who poured salt on Robbie Lawler's wounds by dragging Lawler's longtime friend Matt Hughes—who was hit by a train and sustained life-threatening injuries—into the trash talk.
"Let's talk about the lesson we learned tonight," Covington said after dominating Lawler. "It's a strong lesson Robbie should have learned from his buddy Matt Hughes. You stay off the tracks when the train is coming through, junior. Doesn't matter if it's the Trump train or the Colby train, get out of the way!"
Covington's shtick isn't just to ruffle feathers or rile up the "snowflakes." It's just a little too persistent, a little too arrogant, and a little too on brand to even be considered a "shtick." Early on there was a hint of Andy Kaufman in his act, mixed with his childhood hero of Ric Flair, but these days he fully embodies the spirit of the "ugly American," whether that means making xenophobic remarks or taping himself shirtless (and in a MAGA hat) with four strippers, shouting out all the nerds and virgins. He's forever willing to take things too far. He did so again on Saturday when speaking of the difference between him and Woodley.
"We're always going to be divided," he said. "He stands for everything I hate. He stands for evil. He stands for Black Lives Matter. I stand for America. I stand for dedicating this victory to all the law enforcement out there, all the military, all the people that put their lives on the line every day to protect our freedoms and to keep our community safe. He doesn't stand up for that stuff. He hates that."
Tone-deaf? He heard the president's ringtone just fine. When Covington wins, it's political. Same thing when he loses. When the Nigerian-born Usman beat him in their title fight at the end of 2019, it also felt poetic in its own way. Usman didn't just punish his aggression and outwork Covington, he broke his jaw. That forever-flapping noisemaker was temporarily put out of service, which—for fans who'd grown tired of Covington's political bent—carried an ounce of justice. Not anymore.
He rebounded by taking out Woodley, and that jaw is flapping again. This time he is calling out "Marty Fake Newsman," as he calls Usman, pointing out the "fake nutshot" and "fake eye poke" that skewed the last meeting. He is calling out the "Street Judas," Jorge Masvidal, whom he used to train with and now despises. He is calling out, indirectly, the "soy boy" Nate Diaz, who he says has CTE and is really just a tragic story hanging around the UFC for so long. Big-money fights with big-ranging platforms. He's even calling out NBA stars.
"[Woodley's] a spineless coward, just like LeBron James," Covington said on Saturday night. On Sunday, after Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, James seemed to have Covington in mind when he let up a volley of his own, referencing Teddy Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" speech.
"You put that pressure on yourself and you don't really care about what other people think," he said. "What other people think doesn't really matter, because they don't understand. Anybody can talk from outside, but if they got into the ring or got into the arena, probably 10 times out of 10, they'd shit their pants."
The UFC loves fighters that can draw attention to themselves in ways that help promote fights. If the president of the United States calls a fighter right after a win, that can't hurt. Covington's next fight will be a big one because—in a tension-filled election year during a tension-filled pandemic with such a gaping division between political parties—some people will want to see him win, and even more people will want to see him get his ass kicked. As a prizefighter, he's banking on it. "Chaos," after all, is Colby Covington's nickname.
Nobody embraces hate quite like the UFC's most polarizing contender.
Chuck Mindenhall writes about combat sports without bias, and sometimes about his Denver teams with extreme bias.
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Home News Nuclear Regime change in Iran is coming
Regime change in Iran is coming
Mostafa Aslani
The problem here is that the Iranian Regime is incapable of reform, despite what some Western leaders have promised. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) could never have delivered those promises, because the Iranian Regime would not have made any meaningful changes to their policy, which is predicated on expansionism.
Thankfully, the US has now withdrawn from this fatal deal and is preparing to tackle Iran with its eyes open to the reality of the mullahs. This means intense sanctions designed to bring Iran back to the negotiating table and stop their disastrous impact on the world at large.
Not only is this a wiser foreign policy, but it also helps the Iranian people who are openly calling for regime change in the streets and telling the West not to trust the mullahs.
In December 2017, protests sprung up across Iran that was initially focused on a budget that slashed subsidies for the poor in favour of increased military spending. These protests quickly took on other issues and became the anti-regime uprising that is still happening across Iran today.
In their chants, the Iranian people highlighted for the West that the Regime's interventionism was destroying the Middle East and bankrupting the Iranian economy and addressed a wide range of problems facing Iran. The people are so desperate that they've openly called for the resignation of key regime members and the death of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, an offence punishable by death.
The Iranian people also wanted the JCPOA to end, advising that the money that the mullahs reaped from it has only bolstered the suppressive security forces who attack Iranians for the smallest of infractions, like peaceful protests and wearing ripped jeans.
The Iranian people never benefitted from the nuclear deal, instead the money was seized by the mullahs to fill their war chest.
Cutting off the mullahs' access to the money will only increase the ability of the Iranian people to fight back against their oppressors and bring peace to the country. This is something that the mullahs are terrified of, as you can see from senior ayatollah Javadi Amoli's recent comments to the Iranian labour minister in a meeting about the failing economy.
He said: "If there will be an uprising, all of us will be thrown into the sea… we have nowhere to escape to."
But the Iranian people are prepared for an uprising, with Maryam Rajavi, President of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), advising that regime change is wanted by the majority of Iranian who was peace and democracy.
Dr Paul Monaghan, an expert in Middle East politics, wrote: "Supporting efforts to build representative democracy, peace and prosperity for the ordinary people of Iran isn't just consistent with Western values; it's not even just the right thing to do; it's also good policy for building a secure future for everyone if the JCPOA collapses, and hopefully take Iran's nuclear ambitions with it…The alternative is to do nothing and risk everything."
Previous articleIran: Kazeroon's MP Accuses Supreme Leader's Representative of Fueling Unrest
Next articleInternational community should target Iran on much more than nukes
To Make Iran Compromise on Nuclear Issues, European Policy Should Focus Elsewhere
Tehran Builds New Nuclear Site in Fordo, Breaches JCPOA
Fakhrizadeh's Death Causes Confusion Among Iranian Officials
Iran: Ayatollahs' Losing Bet on Sanctions Relief
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Online Safeguarding - Parents & Carers
Staying safe online - information for parents and carers
The LSCB has carried out an online consultation with a sample of parents and carers to find out more about keeping their children safe online. Many parents who completed the survey (88%) said they wanted to be better informed about e-safety. Of these 91% said there preferred information source was via their child's school.
The internet is a tremendous resource for learning, leisure and interacting with other people. But there are potential risks that we all need to be aware of to ensure we can help children and young people stay safe online.
The following links are to recommended websites and resources (external links):
UK Safer Internet Centre - Resources, Advice and a free Helpine
CEOP (Child Exploitation & Online Protection Centre) - Police lead website providing support and advice (for children, parents and professionals) in relation to online threats.
Whether you're a parent, worried about a child you know or work with children as part of your job, we all have a part to play in keeping them safe. Find out more about the types of child abuse, how to look out for a child's safety, the child protection system and the latest research and resources in child protection.
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/
Here is a document that explains about all the different social media apps that children may have access to;
http://parentinfo.org/articles/apps-and-social-media/all
Online E-Safety info for parents.pdf
Here you'll find a collection of articles, tips, expert advice and resources designed to help parents keep up with what their children are doing on-line. Parent Info is a collaboration between Parent Zone (link is external) which has been providing information and support to parents for a decade,and CEOP(link is external)the Child Exploitation and Online Protection command of the National Crime Agency
Online Safety articles for Parents
Digital technologies have become integral to the lives of children and young people,both within schools and outside school. These technologies provide powerful tools, which open up new opportunities for everyone. They can stimulate discussion, promote creativity and stimulate awareness of context to promote effective learning. Young people should have an entitlement to safe internet access at all times. As parents you play a vital role ensuring that children have safe internet access. Below we have included links to different websites that can help support you in achieving this for your children.
Connect Safely - a Parents Guide to Facebook
Vodafone Digital Parents Magazine
Childnet Webpages for Parents & Carers
DirectGov - Internet Safety for parents
Get Safe Online - resources for parents
The Digital Universe of Your Children - animated videos for parents (Insafe)
Insafe - A guide for parents - education and the new media
The Cybersmile Foundation (cyberbullying) - advice for parents


The very existence of public debt presupposes an ethical commitment by current governments to fulfil the undertakings of predecessors – or at least a belief among potential bondholders that such a commitment exists. This commitment should not be confused with electoral 'promises', which serve a different (weak signalling) function: the 'political obligations' associated with public debt are stronger than those associated with electoral promises. There is, moreover, an ethical dimension to electoral behaviour: individual voters' ethical commitments play a role in their choosing how to vote – a more significant role than ethical commitments play in market choices. This ethical dimension may conceivably overcome the interest-based incentive nations have in free-riding on global climate deals. But that is more likely to be so if emission-reduction policies are financed out of public debt. However, debt-financing is a disappearing option, because in most countries debt is at levels that are inhospitable to further increase.


text:
require 'test_helper'

describe Sms50X::Client do

  describe '.new' do
    Sms50X::Configuration::DEFAULTS.each do |key, value|
      it "must raise an error if the #{key} is not present" do
        proc{ Sms50X::Client.new }.must_raise ArgumentError
      end
    end
  end

end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Ranelle M. Meroney,
Ranelle M. Meroney
Ranelle Meroney has been trial lawyer for more than 35 years and has tried over 100 first-chair jury trials across the state of Texas. She focuses primarily on the defense of personal injury, property damage, employment, construction and defamation cases, with a special emphasis on premises liability matters.
Ranelle is board certified in personal injury trial law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. She also serves as an adjunct professor for the Trial Advocacy Program at the University of Texas School of Law.
After graduating from the University of Texas School of Law in 1979, Ranelle began her legal career in Beaumont, Texas with a defense firm that afforded her significant litigation experience. She returned to Austin in 1986 as a shareholder (managing shareholder 1993-1996) at Wright & Greenhill from 1990-2000. She then became Of Counsel at Chamberlain & McHaney in 2000 until 2016.
University of Texas School of Law (J.D., 1979)
Order of Barristers
University of Colorado Boulder (B.A., with distinction, 1977)
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas
Litigation Section
Construction Section
Austin Bar Association
American Board of Trial Advocates, Advocate
Secretary, Austin Chapter
Fellow, Foundation of the American Board of Trial Advocates
Association of Defense Trial Attorneys
Founding Master, Barbara Jordan Inn of Court
Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Law, Texas Board of Legal Specialization
Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell®
Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers Magazine (2016-2018)
Pathfinder Award, Travis County Women Lawyers Association (2014)
Outstanding Achievement Award, Travis County Women Lawyers Association (2013)
Sigler v. H-E-B
Saprina Robledo, Ind and A/N/F BR., a minor v. HEB Grocery Company, LP
Organ v. H-E-B
Calhoun v. H-E-B
Collins v. H-E-B
Benitez v. Fiesta Mart
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Loftus v. H-E-B
Marbly v. H-E-B
Mathis v. H-E-B
Cummings v. H-E-B
Funes v. Austin Infill Builders
Merlino v. H-E-B
Baylor v. Austin Independent School District
Knox v. Beard
Molina v. Bitting
Scarbrough v. Tim Hill Construction Co.
Fuentes v. H-E-B
Hall v. H-E-B
Fabbio v. J&K Plumbing
Garcia v. Stech
Gilbert v. The Hartford
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Stevens v. H-E-B
"Presentation of Evidence: Seeing is Believing," Austin Bar Association: 14th Annual Ultimate Trial Notebook Seminar, Austin, Texas (October 2018)
"Dealing With Outside Counsel: Lessons Learned From Baseball," Texas Lawyer's In-House Counsel Summit (March 30, 2016)
"Secondary Payer Issues," Texas Association of Defense Counsel (2013)
Faculty, Texas Association of Defense Counsel Trial Academy (1998, 2004, 2011)
"Texas Automobile Insurance Update," State Bar Advanced Personal Injury Course, University of Houston (2009)
"Law Foundation," Advanced Insurance Tort Claims (2009)
"Premises Liability Update," In-house Claims Handling Seminar (2003-2008)
"Texas Auto Policy Update," In-house Claims Handling Seminar (2008-2010)
"Secondary Payer, Medicare Update," In-house Claims Handling Seminar (2011-2014)
"Paid or Incurred, Subrogation/Liens," In-house Claims Handling Seminar (2014)


Pieces :: View topic - umber 1 RB, but for how long?
umber 1 RB, but for how long?
Post subject: umber 1 RB, but for how long?
With the fantasy football draft season upon us and multiple rounds of pre-season games in the books Cheap Sam Hubbard Jersey , here are the relevant rookies at the core skill offensive positions and their projected draft round in standard 12-team fantasy football leagues. It is very hit-and-miss to draft Rookies so do not reach and grab them too high in your draft or you could be looking up at the rest of the league quickly. The following is the consensus review from MFS for this year's crop of NFL rookies.
1. Johnny Manziel (Cleveland): The Manziel hype machine is far busier than Tebowmania could ever hope to muster and it is not going to quiet any time soon. It is too early to say when he will assume the starting QB position but it is hard not to envision it happening sooner than later. I would like his potential numbers much better if Josh Gordon had an ounce of common sense. I can easily see Johnny Football going off the board in the 13th round.
2. Teddy Bridgewater (Minnesota): Another guaranteed starter this year, most likely early in the season as well. Bridgewater has better overall QB skills, but, with a better running game to count on, his fantasy stats won't be as good as Manziel's. With so many good NFL QBs to choose from, he is a speculative add Wholesale Tre'Quan Smith Jersey , at best, with the last non-kicker pick of your draft.
3. Blake Bortles (Jacksonville): Bortles is the obvious heir apparent in Jacksonville while Chad Henne keeps the seat warm. I expect the season to be lost soon and Bortles to be the starting QB, but this team is a mess and I expect Bortles to be able to do very little to make much out of this season. He has the talent to succeed in a few years if the team can build around him. He is a waiver wire add late in the season to carry over to next year if your Keeper list is long enough.
4. David Carr (Oakland): Carr is in a similar situation to Bortles where he will be expected to learn from the bench until the season is lost and he gets some playing time. However, Oakland is very deep at running back so he will be a simple game-manager in the limited time he sees this year. Undraftable.
5. Tom Savage (Houston): Houston is going to be very unpredictable this year. They have the defense to help them compete for the wildcard, they have Arian Foster and hopes that he will stay healthy and they have two great wide receivers, one that needs to see his team make a serious playoff run to be happy. When Ryan Fitzpatrick gets hurt or fails http://www.indianapoliscoltsteamonline.com/darius-leonard-jersey , will the Texans turn to Case Keenum before Savage is the question. The only way you grab Savage is if your roster is really deep since most QBs could put up very good numbers under center in Houston.
1. Bishop Sankey (Tennessee): Sankey is definitely the future for the Titans and he has a chance to start that future with the team's first offensive snap of the season. Listed number 1 back, Shonn Green, is coming off some unimpressive years in New York as well as a knee injury. Sankey put up great numbers at the University of Washington (1870yds and 20 TDs last season) and should be able to handle an NFL workload at 5'9" and 209lbs. I would add him as a late 3rd round or early 4th round pick.
2. Terrance West (Cleveland): West was mentioned as our Sleeper RB of 2014. The Browns signed Ben Tate to be their feature back and added West in the draft as a complement until he was ready to take over the team, not to mention that Ben Tate has had a history of injuries. While West didn't come from a high-profile college (Towson), he was extremely prolific; 413 carries for 2509 yards and 41 TDs last year! There is no doubt he is your handcuff for Tate, but expect him to be involved in the offense right away Authentic Zach Duke Jersey , especially since he has impressed the coaching staff with good hands out of the backfield. I would expect to grab him in the 8th round.
3. Jeremy Hill (Cincinnati): Geovani Bernard is the Bengals ultra-back, but he isn't built for being a full-time RB1 that takes the rock 250 times per year. The Bengals still have BenJarvus Green-Ellis, but he is proving to be on the downside of his career so expect Hill to gain more time as the goal-line and ground-and-pound type of running back, which suits his 6'1" 233lb body just fine. I would expect him to go off the board in the 9th round.
4. Carlos Hyde (San Francisco): Hyde was drafted as the successor to Frank Gore and expects to work his way towards that this season. Gore is wearing down after playing every game for the past three seasons and is on the negative side of 30. Hyde was penciled in behind Kendall Hunter, but Hunter got hurt in camp and is out for the season. Also, Marcus Lattimore is not proving ready for much of a workload quite yet so Hyde will begin getting work right away and will look at 10 carries per game to help keep Gore somewhat fresh throughout the season. He is one injury away for becoming a 25-carry per game RB. I would expect him to go off the board in the 10th round.
5. Devonta Freeman (Atlanta): The situation for Freeman is very similar to Hyde's. Steven Jackson has been a bulldozer throughout his NFL career Authentic Kareem Martin Jersey , but those big hits take their toll. Like Gore, Jackson is also 31 years old. He is currently the number 1 RB, but for how long? Freeman is the obvious handcuff to SJax and should be available until the 10th round as well.


text:
Walker Engineering
Engineering, Management, Technology Consulting
Tag: PSAP
Conjuring Images of a Bionic Future
And the last one in the series, from NYTimes
Dick Loizeaux recently found himself meandering through a noisy New York nightclub. This was unusual; Mr. Loizeaux, a 65-year-old former pastor, began suffering hearing loss nearly a decade ago, and nightclubs are not really his scene. "They're the absolute worst place to hear anybody talk," he said.
But this time was different. Mr. Loizeaux had gone to the club to test out theGN ReSound Linx, one of two new models of advanced hearing aids that can be adjusted precisely through software built into Apple's iPhone. When he entered the club, Mr. Loizeaux tapped on his phone to switch his hearing aids into "restaurant mode." The setting amplified the sound coming from the hearing aids' forward-facing microphones, reducing background noise. To play down the music, he turned down the hearing aids' bass level and bumped up the treble. Then, as he began chatting with a person standing to his left, Mr. Loizeaux tapped his phone to favor the microphone in his left hearing aid, and to turn down the one in his right ear.
Dick Loizeaux, 65, who began suffering hearing loss nearly a decade ago, recently had a "comfortable conversation" in a noisy New York nightclub using the GN ReSound Linx hearing aid.CreditSally Ryan for The New York Times
The results were striking. "After a few adjustments, I was having a comfortable conversation in a nightclub," Mr. Loizeaux told me during a recent phone interview — a phone call he would have had difficulty making with his older hearing aids. "My wife was standing next to me in the club and she was having trouble having the same conversation, and she has perfect hearing."
It's only a slight exaggeration to say that the latest crop of advanced hearing aids are better than the ears most of us were born with. The devices can stream phone calls and music directly to your ears from your phone. They can tailor their acoustic systems to your location; when the phone detects that you have entered your favorite sports bar, it adjusts the hearing aids to that environment.
The hearing aids even let you transform your phone into an extra set of ears. If you're chatting with your co-worker across a long table, set the phone in front of her, and her words will stream directly to your ears.
When I recently tried out the Linx and the Halo, another set of iPhone-connected hearing aids made by the American hearing aid company Starkey, I was floored. Wearing these hearing aids was like giving my ears a software upgrade. For the first time, I had fine-grain control over my acoustic environment, the sort of bionic capability I never realized I had craved. I'm 35 and I have normal hearing. But if I could, I'd wear these hearing aids all the time.
IPhone-connected hearing aids are just the beginning. Today most people who wear hearing aids, eyeglasses, prosthetic limbs and other accessibility devices do so to correct a disability. But new hearing aids point to the bionic future of disability devices.
As they merge with software baked into our mobile computers, devices that were once used simply to fix whatever ailed us will begin to do much more. In time, accessibility devices may even let us surpass natural human abilities. One day all of us, not just those who need to correct some physical deficit, may pick up a bionic accessory or two.
"There is a way in which this technology will give people with hearing loss the ability to outperform their normal-hearing counterparts," said Dave Fabry, Starkey's vice president for audiology and professional relations.
CreditStuart Goldenberg
Imagine earpieces that let you tune in to a guy who is whispering across the room, or eyeglasses that allow you to scan the price of any item in a supermarket. Google and several international research teams have been working on smart contact lenses. In the beginning, these devices might monitor users' health — for instance, they could keep an eye on a patient's blood pressure or glucose levels — but more advanced models could display a digital overlay on your everyday life.
Or consider the future of prosthetic limbs, which are now benefiting from advances in robotics and mobile software. Advanced prosthetic devices can now be controlled through mobile apps. For instance, the i-Limb Ultra Revolution, made by Touch Bionics, allows people to select grip patterns and download new functions for their prosthetic hands using an iPhone. The longer you use it, the smarter your hand becomes.
Hearing aids are the natural place to begin our bionic quest. About 36 million American adults report some degree of hearing loss, according to theNational Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, but only about a fifth of the people who would benefit from a hearing aid use one.
That's because hearing aids, as a bit of technology, have long seemed stuck in the past. "Most people picture large, clunky bananas that fit behind your ears and show everyone you're getting old," said Ken Smith, an audiologist in Castro Valley, Calif., who has fitted more than two dozen patients with the Linx.
Until recently, many hearing aids were also difficult to use. For lots of potential users, especially people with only mild or moderate hearing loss, they didn't do enough to improve sound in noisy environments.
Talking on the phone with a hearing aid was especially problematic. While some hearing aids offered streaming capabilities to cellphones, they were all clunky. To connect to phones, they required an extra streaming "wand," a battery pack and wireless transmitter that the user wore around his neck — a device that nobody looked good lugging around.
In 2012, Apple announced the Made for iPhone Hearing Aid program, which would let the company's mobile operating system connect directly to hearing aids using a low-power version of Bluetooth wireless technology. Representatives of both Starkey and GN ReSound say they saw the iPhone as a way to correct many of the tech problems that had hampered hearing aids. The phone could act as a remote control, a brain and an auxiliary microphone for hearing aids, and it would finally let people make phone calls and listen to music without carrying a wireless dongle.
GN ReSound's Linx is one of two new models of advanced hearing aids that can be adjusted precisely through software built into Apple's iPhone.
But more than that, the companies say, the iPhone could do something potentially revolutionary for hearing aids. "A lot of the people who could benefit from wearing a hearing aid now don't have any excuse — they can't say it's too clunky or not cool," said Morten Hansen, GN ReSound's vice president for partnerships and connectivity.
Dr. Fabry, of Starkey, was blunter: "We thought we could make hearing aids cool."
Aesthetically, both companies seemed to have pulled off something close. The GN ReSound and Starkey hearing aids are fantastically tiny and attractive; each is just a fraction of the size of a conventional Bluetooth headset, and when they're set behind your ears, they're virtually invisible. They are also quite comfortable. A few minutes after fitting each model into my ears, I had forgotten they were there.
On the other hand, neither is cheap. Starkey's Halo starts around $2,000 a hearing aid, while GN ReSound's Linx begins at more than $3,000 each. Few health insurance plans cover the cost of hearing aids; Medicare does not.
Some people who have used them, though, said the new hearing aids were well worth the price. "I fell in love with them in the first 30 seconds," said Todd Chamberlain, who recently began using a pair of Halos.
Mr. Chamberlain, who is 39 and works as an industrial safety officer in Ephrata, Wash., has worn hearing aids since he was 3 years old.
"I'm surprised they haven't done this earlier — putting it all in an app, that seems so obvious these days," he said.
Soon, we might be saying the same about all of our senses.
Categorized as Walker Engineering Tagged NYTimes, PSAP
Better Hearing Through Bluetooth
Stuart Isett for The New York TimesLarry Faust, 61, uses a Bluetooth-based personalized sound amplification device.
These are interesting, from the NYTimes
Like many men of his generation, Larry Faust, 61, of Seattle, went to a lot of rock concerts in his youth. And like many men of his generation, his hearing isn't what it used to be.
"My wife has been bugging me for several years to do something about my hearing," said Mr. Faust. "I spent part of the summer of 1969 at Woodstock. So that probably didn't help."
Instead of going the traditional route — buying hearing aids through an audiologist or licensed hearing aid dispenser — Mr. Faust purchased a device that is classified as a personal sound amplifier product, or P.S.A.P., which is designed to amplify sounds in a recreational environment.
Unlike hearing aids, P.S.A.P.'s are exempt from Food and Drug Administration oversight and can be sold as electronic devices directly to consumers, with no need to see a physician before buying one. They come with a range of features and vary widely in price.
And while some hearing professionals have long cautioned against the devices, citing their unreliability and poor quality, many also say that a new generation of P.S.A.P.s that utilize the latest wireless technology are offering promising alternatives for some people with hearing loss.
The device Mr. Faust bought, the CS10 from a Chicago-based company called Sound World Solutions, cost $299.99, thousands of dollars cheaper than most digital hearing aids. While it has many of the same features that high-end hearing aids have, including 16 channels to process sound, directional microphones, feedback insulation and noise reduction, it has one capability that hearing aids and other devices on the market currently don't have. It comes with software that enables consumers to program it themselves, a feature made possible in part by the adoption of the widely available Bluetooth wireless technology, rather than the proprietary platforms used by most wireless hearing aids.
Rather than having to visit an audiologist to program the device, something that hearing aid users must do, CS10 customers can program it themselves by downloading the app to an Android phone or a computer (an iPhone version is under development). After opening the software, users respond to a series of beeps and tones of varying volumes by clicking a button to indicate whether they have heard the sound. This self-programming feature may make the CS10 especially useful for consumers in developing countries, where Sound World intends to distribute them, and where there is no formal distributional model for hearing aids and "no audiologists," said Stavros Basseas, the company's co-founder.
There are limitations to who can benefit. "A personal sound amplifier is really designed for patients who have normal or near normal hearing. It's not really designed as a hearing device to address significant sensorineural hearing loss," said Bettie Borton, the president of the American Academy of Audiology. It is also important that those with hearing loss be screened for potentially serious medical problems that may be causing the problem.
Still, despite these concerns, the CS10, which looks and behaves like a cross between a Bluetooth headset and a hearing aid, may be a road map for hearing aids in the near future. Most hearing aids with wireless capabilities currently use either a proprietary wireless platform or Bluetooth's "Classic" technology, an older, more power-hungry version of Bluetooth, and require an intermediary remote-control-like device or a body-worn device to connect the hearing aid to cellphones, televisions or Bluetooth-capable speakers. In addition to being inconvenient, these external devices are also costly, ranging from $150 to $500. In contrast, the CS10 requires only one external rechargeable battery that fits behind the ear like a traditional hearing aid. The concept is catching on: Dr. Rodney Perkins, an otologist who founded the California Ear Institute at Stanford University, plans to release a similar device next year, dubbed Soundhawk.
Ms. Borton said many patients hesitated to buy wireless hearing aids with intermediary devices. "Several of them told me, 'I'm going to wait and when you have a product where I don't have to wear the streaming device, then I'll be back.'"
Not surprisingly, hearing aid companies are investigating more efficient, less power-hungry forms of Bluetooth technology such as Bluetooth Smart — currently used by gadgets like Fitbit and Nike Fuelband — that would enable their products to skip the intermediary device. Suke Jawanda, chief marketing officer of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group, said that several major hearing aid companies have become members in the last year.
One of the roadblocks to developing hearing instruments that connect seamlessly with all mobile devices has been the lack of a standard protocol for wireless connection. "It is important that we can serve all smartphones, and not only a small subset," said Stefan Launer, vice president of science and technology at Phonak, a major hearing aid manufacturer. "In order to achieve that, a standard has to be defined and implemented by everyone involved. When this will be the case is hard to predict."
The technology may bring new functionality to the next generation of hearing aids. As with the CS10, Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids could theoretically route Skype computer calls directly to the aid, and users could link directly to their Bluetooth-enabled smart TVs or digital stereos, listening at the volume of their choice, without drowning out their non-hearing-impaired neighbors.
Manufacturers of hearing devices are making progress. Recently GN ReSound revealed its "Made for iPhone" hearing aid, theReSound LiNX, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas; it uses proprietary wireless 2.4 GHz technology and Bluetooth Smart and is expected to be released worldwide in the first quarter of 2014. And rather than a body-worn device, the iPhone itself will serve as the remote, enabling the user to switch between already-programmed "environments" (such as hearing in a restaurant, for instance, or listening to music). With the iPhone's latest operating system, iOS7, users with two Made for iPhone hearing aids can listen to music on their iPhone in stereo via the Airplay feature or follow turn-by-turn directions in their car. Though the company didn't announce a price, ReSound's president, Kim Herman, said that the LiNX will be sold at "a premium" to another ReSound product, the Verso, which starts at $2,900 and sells for as high as $3,500.
And in September, Advanced Bionics, a sibling company of Phonak, released a new sound processor, dubbed the Naida, that allows cochlear implants to connect with devices using Bluetooth technology.
An online hearing retailer, Embrace Hearing, is currently developing a device that would "jailbreak" existing hearing aids that come with Bluetooth Classic technology, said the company's co-founder, Ross Porter. The device and accompanying app would allow users to adjust program settings on their hearing aids themselves.
There is ongoing debate about whether user-programmable hearing needs will one day replace the need for costly visits to an audiologist. Mr. Porter thought that major hearing aid manufacturers "want to give a little bit more flexibility to the user, but not replace audiologists."
But Ms. Borton said that even if users could adjust the settings themselves, it wouldn't be a replacement for a professional custom fit. "A successful hearing aid fitting is not solely putting the device on the patient and patting them on the back and sending them out the door," she said. "High quality hearing aid fittings by audiologists involve verifications by various electronic measures and validation."
Perhaps a larger obstacle to the wholehearted adoption of Bluetooth technology in hearing aids, though, is the patients themselves: the average age of a hearing aid user is 71.
"I would say probably 80 percent of my caseload, even if they had Bluetooth programming technology available to them, are not, perhaps because of their age demographic, capable of embracing that kind of technology easily. They don't own computers, they are not online," said Ms. Borton.
As an IT networking consultant who is comfortable working with new technology, Mr. Faust is an exception to that rule. He is happy to use the CS10 to make calls and looks forward to the next iteration of the device, when the device is able to stream music directly from his phone. But for now, Mr. Faust likes being able to program the CS10 himself. "I can really turn it up and I can hear things that other people can't hear," he said. "With the adjustability this easy — it's almost like 'more than' a hearing aid."


Distance from Abakaliki to Lomé is 764 kilometers. This air travel distance is equal to 475 miles.
The air travel (bird fly) shortest distance between Abakaliki and Lomé is 764 km= 475 miles.
If you travel with an airplane (which has average speed of 560 miles) from Abakaliki to Lome, It takes 0.85 hours to arrive.


Bicentennial Celebration and Church History - Click Here!
Welcome to the First Presbyterian Church of Bedford Indiana.
The First Presbyterian Church of Bedford is a community of believers in Jesus Christ who seek to know God's will through worship, scripture, and prayer, and who feel called to share God's love through community and global ministry. We are committed to providing a caring, welcoming and inclusive environment to fulfill the mission of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.
Please join us for worship at 11:00 a.m. each Sunday morning.
Chancel Choir practice is at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Everyone is welcome to sing!
Office Hours: Thursday and Friday, 9:00 am. to 3:00 p.m.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FirstPresbyBedford/ Be sure to like us!
making crafts, playing games as well as having the refreshments and egg hunt.
It is a full meal service with prayers and educations through experience.
Short and Solemn Service on the day when our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ sacrificed himself for us by his love.
Let us celebrate the resurrection of our Saviour on the Easter Sunday morning. Son-rise service will be at the time of Sun-rise. Light refreshment or meal will be served after the service.


With summer almost in full swing, what better way to practice those ABC's than with some fun water games? Not only are they educational, but it gets the kids out of the house too. We have a small inflatable pool that sits on our deck and it's where the boys play most of their water games. So I have put together a list of our favorite water games that I hope you will enjoy.
Fishing for Letters – This game can be played in many ways with many different tools. We have little polls from a math fishing game that we use to grab our letters. But you can get creative and use lots of different things to fish with.
Letter Boat Matching – we haven't played this one yet but I am gathering all the stuff to do it! This looks like so much fun and there are so many variations you can do with this. Word families for older kids (put the letter on the noodle and word family on the flag), even some math with these would be fun (answer on noodle, problem on flag).
Water Balloon Phonics – with this game you could use the pool noodles from the Letter Boat game that already have the letters on them. Use those noodles to line up on the ground or tack to the fence, wherever you choose, and then throw the balloons. Half your game is already made!
Foam Block Pool Spelling – this can be done with foam blocks or pool noodles. We also use our letter tiles and bottle cap letters for this. Sometimes I will use heavier items with letters on them so the boys can swim around with their goggles and look for the letters. What I do is call out the word several times, have them tell me what it starts with, then they find that letter and the other letters to spell it. It's good to give them a tray of some sort for placing their letters as they find them.
Letter Bowling – this water game could be turned into a fun ABC game. Take water bottles and write the letters on them, then have the kids identify the ones they knock down. You could also write word families on them and have the kids match the ones they knock down to the letters, making words. Lots of possibilities and endless fun!
Giant Ice Cube Fun – My boys love doing this! Freeze your letters in it and make words as they get them out or identify the letter they break away.
Alphabet Game with Water Balloons – She matches letters to objects with each one inside a balloon. You can do the entire alphabet this way but it will take a while. If you have a something square or round with pictures on it, those would be much easier to insert into the balloons.
Water Balloon Sight Words – throwing water balloons into hula hoops, what fun!
Squirt the Letter Alphabet Activity – this can be done with words, numbers…….all sorts of things.
Water Balloon Piñata – you can write the letters or words on the balloons and have the kids hit the ones you call out or have them identify it before they can hit.
Here are a few more great water activities that look like lots of fun.
I hope you have enjoyed this Top Ten Tuesday post and have a summer full of learning fun.
OOhhh… this gave me a great idea… set up hula hoops with numbers in them and throw water balloon equations through the hoop with the answer!


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Medicinal Wine: This Ain't One For the Kiddies!
Begin with about 500 grams of glutinous rice (the sticky kind). You can prepare the rice one of two ways: either (1) soak the rice overnight and steam for 20 minutes, or (2) steam for 1 hour. Our professor chose (1) because it is more energy efficient – and it was hot as Hades in the apartment already without steaming rice for an hour.
At the same time, steam a handful (about 1/2 cup) each of goji berries (for your immune system) and dried gyrophora (for strength) for 5-10 minutes. This steam serves to both soften and sterilize the ingredients.
Pour rice into storage container (e.g. Tupperware). You can either separate the rice into two different containers and add goji berries to one and gyrophora to the other, or you can combine everything together into one big container. We went with the former option.
Once you've mixed all the ingredients, flatten the rice and make a well in the middle. Cover and store in a room temperature location. After 1-2 days, you can start tasting the liquid. If the wine is too strong, dilute with water. The rice mixture should smell pleasantly of alcohol. If it just smells BAD, don't drink it! According to the Chinese, if your mixture is too strong or has toxic ingredients, it will kill the yeast and your wine is no good. Fermenting the mixture for 1-3 days will give a mild wine with a sweet flavor, while fermenting for 7 or more days will yield a strong alcohol.
Our professor prepared some medicinal wine ahead of time so that we would be able to taste it.
The wine tasted really good! Our professor fermented this batch for only a few days, so the taste was light and sweet. Notice how the wine is cloudy? If you distill it or just let it sit for a while until the solids settle out, you have sake 🙂 I'm definitely trying this at home sometime.
Q: Have you ever tried to make your own, ahem, "spirits"?
P.S. By the time this post is up, I'll be in Hong Kong visiting my aunt. I don't have Internet there, so if I don't respond to emails right away, that's why! Talk to you all soon!
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Very cool!! I'd be very interested in trying that out.
Andrew used to brew beer all the time, but he hasn't since we moved into our house… that was almost 2 years ago! He really needs to start it up again b/c it was a hobby he really enjoyed and was really good at.
Hope you're having a wonderful time with your aunt in Hong Kong!! Does she speak English? I feel kind of dumb, ok really dumb asking this, but how much chinese do you speak? I feel like I should already know this??
VERY interesting!!! I like to think that my daily glass of red wine is medicinal in a sense. I mean, I've read so many great things about red wine and the heart (inflammation) and even other spirits!
So the wine looks gross, but you say it tasted good?? Very interesting!
Wines with snakes in them?! AHHHH.
Well, my Mom and Dad looove to drink fermented rice wine. Growing up there'd always be this mason jar with rice somewhere in the back corner of our fridge and my brother and I would just kind of glare at it because we hated the smell of it. I think the wine is pronounced, "Geoh Niang" in Chinese, or something. I'm not sure if that's the same thing as koji.
Have fun visiting your aunt in Hong Kong, Jessie!!
That is so cool that you got to learn how to make that. I have never tried that kind of wine before. The procedure looks very interesting. At first I thought you were going to make this Vietnamese rice wine dessert called com ruou.
I'm not a huge drinker but I do like to try different wines and "drinks".
Looks like this trip was quite the learning experience for you. So happy for you that you got to go to China and experience true Chinese culture. I'm sure you made many new friends and memories along the way as well. Now a whole new experience awaits you in HK. Enjoy!
Hope you're having a great time in Hong Kong!
My husband has made his own spirits in his home country all his life… about 3000% proof. Very interesting read!
Wow, how cool! And nope, I've never tried to make my own spirits. My grandma used to make some kind of bread w/ alcohol fruit in it, and I remember she kept a jar of it under her sink.
wow this is amazing! I have never tried to make anything of the sort and am extremely impressed at 1. medicinal wine in the first place 2. making anything so the combo of the two is just overwhelming.
Awesome post. Thanks for sharing about this. Cool experience and I bet you have a great professor. As for making our own "spirits", I just bought Ryan a make your own beer ket, so look for this in the future on my blog.


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(Photo : pexels)
K-pop superstars RM, Jin, J-Hope, Jimin, Jungkook, V, and Suga -- collectively known as BTS -- have added another accolade to their roster of trophies and awards.
On June 16, the internationally recognized septet received the "Global Phenom" award from this year's ARDYs: A Radio Disney Music Celebration (formerly known as the Radio Disney Music Awards).
Held at the CBS Radford Studios in Los Angeles, California, its 2019 marked the first time that the award-giving body used its new moniker. Now on its seventh year, the ARDYs gives honor to the biggest names in the entertainment scene -- from music to television to music.
Though BTS was unable to attend the awarding ceremony, the K-pop group did not fail to deliver their gratitude as the recipient of the phenomenal tilt, which was actually a new recognition.
"The Global Phenom award was created and awarded for the first time this year. This award is symbolic of BTS' huge impact in the global pop industry, thanks to their music, fashion, dancing, and more," their agency Big Hit Entertainment shared in a statement.
Last year, the K-pop septet was also honored by ARDYs, handing them out a total of three awards. These include "Best Duo/Group," "Best Dance Track," and "Best Song That Makes You Smile."
On the same year, BTS' fandom, the ARMYs, was also on spotlight as they bagged the "Fiercest Fans" trophy.
BTS receiving a new award coincides with their 6th debut anniversary celebration, which takes place this month.
Ahead of the "Global Phenom" recognition, the act has already achieved another milestone, that is being the K-pop group with the most number of music show wins. Their chart-topping smash, "Boy With Luv" (featuring American singer-songwriter Halsey), clinched its 19th win during the June 15 episode of the MBC Music Core.
Earlier this month, Jungkook, Jin, and Jimin have unveiled a new single called "Dream Glow." A collaborative piece with English pop star Charli XCX, the catchy tune is part of the forthcoming BTS World effort, which will serve as the original soundtrack of an eponymous mobile game.
Tagged : BTS, Big Hit Entertainment, ARDYs, Radio Disney, charli xcx, BTS World


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The Wild Hunt (https://wildhunt.org/tag/first-harvest)
first harvest
A blessed first harvest
By The Wild Hunt | July 26, 2017
TWH — This weekend and next, many modern Pagans, Heathens and polytheists are observing the summer festival of Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, Lughnassa, and Harvest Home. Typically celebrated on Aug. 1, Lughnasadh is one of the yearly fire festivals and marks the first of three harvest celebrations. It traditionally honors Lugh, the Celtic god of light and many talents, and his foster-mother, Tailtiu. In addition, the weekend brings the Ásatrú festival of first fruits called Freyfaxi. Both celebrations are celebrated with feasting, songs, games, thanksgiving, and the reaping of the first fruits and grains of the season.
TWH — This weekend and next, many modern Pagans, Heathens and polytheists are observing the summer festival of Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, Lughnassa, and Harvest Home. Typically celebrated on Aug. 1, Lughnasadh is one of the yearly fire festivals and marks the first of three harvest celebrations. It traditionally honors Lugh, the Celtic god of light and many talents, and his foster-mother, Tailtiu. In addition, the weekend brings the Ásatrú festival of first fruits called Freyfaxi. Both celebrations are celebrated with feasting, songs, games, thanksgiving and the reaping of the first fruits and grains of the season.


Limited edition posters of contemporary American artist Bob Kessel.
FOUR SQUARE is a new limited edition original fine art print series by Bob Kessel.
Bob Kessel has a new art series based on Batman and other super heroes.
To purchase a signed and numbered limited edition fine art prints. Contact Bob Kessel for prices and availability.
View more superhero art at BOB KESSEL ART SHOW AT MoCCA (Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art) SoHo, New York City.
The new Superman movie, SUPERMAN: MAN OF STEEL is coming soon.
To celebrate, Bob Kessel has made a new limited edition original fine art print set titled "SUPER ART".
To purchase a signed and numbered limited edition fine art print set.
Wonder Woman, Black Panther, Galactus, DareDevil, and many more.
Two color print made with transparent inks. When overlapped, they create a third color.
Based on 3D comic books.


Microsoft has announced that its latest version of its operating system Microsoft Windows will be launched on the 26 October 2012.
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A critical edition of a musical ceremony for the festival of Hosha'ana Rabbah from the Italian Jewish community of Casale Monferato (1732), found in Ms. Ginzburg 807 at the Lenin State Library in Moscow. Score for 5-6 voices, strings and oboes. Includes liturgical texts and the cantata "Dove in the Clefts of the Rock". The score is preceded by a historical introduction and a facsimile edition of the original Hebrew libretto.
Soft cover. Orchestral parts available on rental.


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New Wi-Fi Attack: Android Devices Fall Like a House of Cards
By Zubair Ahmed
Reports emerging from the technology circuit confirm that the prominent WPA2 encryption protocol, which is responsible for maintaining the security of Wi-Fi routers and your connected devices on the network, has been compromised. As a result, it could enable any hacker to block and read activity sent over a remote system. Currently, everyone on board is concerned about the scale and seriousness of the issue.
Known as the key retransmission assault (or KRACK), the attack consists of attracting a user into utilizing a traded off encryption key. Right now, Linux and Android users are most in danger. As shared by Matty Vanhoef, who was the first to discover the attack, 41% of Android smartphones are vulnerable to this version of the WPA-2 attack. This makes it "exceptionally trivial to manipulate and intercept traffic."
Also Read: CIA is hacking into Wi-Fi routers
All things considered, it's important to know that the issue isn't with the usage of the WPA2 protocol, but instead the protocol itself. In the blog entry depicting the issue, Vanhoef said:
"If your device supports Wi-Fi, it is most likely affected."
Demonstrating the extent of the issue, Vanhoef took names. He stated:
"During our initial research, we discovered ourselves that Android, Linux, Apple, Windows, OpenBSD, MediaTek, Linksys, and others, are all affected by some variant of the attacks."
Happy Monday, every device connected to Wi-FI on the planet is leaking your data. pic.twitter.com/qH362HuKu4
— Internet of Shit (@internetofshit) October 16, 2017
Hackers can sneak into non-SSL activity
It's difficult to pass on how terrible this is. On a reasonable level, it implies that a hacker can catch traffic amongst devices and routers, enabling him to look inside all non-SSL activity. They can likewise intrude with the non-SSL traffic, enabling them to infuse ransomware and malware into unsecured web pages in an 'ad-hoc' basis.
Vanhoef said that the problem can be handled with a 'backwards-compatible software patch'. This ought to arrive soon, as developers had already been informed in July, with a more extensive warning issued in August.
Quick Read: Android devices can be fatally hacked by malicious Wi-Fi networks
Although the arrival of a patch is good, it is worth noting that not only phones and PCs, but billions of other devices such as printers, routers, switches, and other Wi-Fi enabled devices are also vulnerable to this attack. Most of these devices aren't even sufficiently compatible with software updates.
Help how do I convince my discontinued "Smart tv" maker to patch their shit
What's more, even in 2017, it's normal to a number of servers still associated with the Internet that are powerless against viruses such as Heartbleed and Shellshock.
The trouble becomes serious when most users aren't even provided with the choice to patch their devices. The most vulnerable to this attack are Android users. But then, the Android is infamous for its weak security, with developers issuing software updates and security patches at a very slow speed like it's none of their concern.
Related Items:#MyAndroid, Android Devices, Matty Vanhoef, Wi-Fi attack, WPA2 Wi-Fi encryption protocol
Hongmeng OS: Huawei To Launch Its Own Self-Developed Operating System Soon
Google Announces Augmented Reality On 'Hundreds Of Millions' Android Devices In 2018
DoubleLocker Ransomware Hits Android Devices, Encrypts Phone Changes PIN
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