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AUGUSTUS is a program that predicts genes in eukaryotic genomic sequences. It can be run with pre-trained parameters on this web server or be downloaded and run locally. It is open source so you can compile it for your computing platform. You can also run AUGUSTUS on the German MediGRID. This enables you to submit larger sequence files and allows to use protein homology information in the prediction. The MediGRID requires an instant easy registration by email for first-time users.

The AUGUSTUS training web server application automatically generates training gene sets from genomic sequence(s) and a set of Proteins or ESTs and subsequently trains AUGUSTUS parameters for a new species, and runs gene predictions with the new parameters and the supplied extrinsic evidence. Alternatively, you can also download the autoAug.pl pipeline and execute our training and prediction pipeline locally.

Gene prediction with AUGUSTUS

  • AUGUSTUS now has a protein profile extension (PPX) which allows to use protein family specific conservation in order to identify members and their exon-intron structure of a protein family given by a block profile. The block profile can be constructed with accompanying scripts from a multiple protein sequence alignment. For more details please refer to the README.md.
  • The download version of AUGUSTUS can incorporate data from RNA-Seq (short cDNA reads, single or paired-end, e.g. from Illumina or SOLiD) as documented here (January 8, 2012).
  • If you use the old AUGUSTUS web server application, the results can be displayed automatically in the genome browser Gbrowse. You can browse the gene predictions together with the input sequence, the constraints and the cDNA alignments. Gbrowse also enables you to simultaneously display your own annotation and to export the image in scalable vector graphics format
  • You can upload cDNA sequences together with the genomic DNA. Your ESTs or mRNA will be used to improve the gene prediction.

    with cDNA
    Click on image to enlarge!

  • AUGUSTUS usually belongs to the most accurate programs for the species it is trained for. Often it is the most accurate ab initio program. For example, at the independent gene finder assessment (EGASP) on the human ENCODE regions AUGUSTUS was the most accurate gene finder among the tested ab initio programs. At the more recent nGASP (worm), it was among the best in the ab initio and transcript-based categories. See accuracy statistics for further statics.
  • AUGUSTUS can be used ab initio and has a flexible mechanism for incorporating extrinsic information, e.g. from EST alignments and protein alignments. Here is an example from the UCSC Genome Browser where the AUGUSTUS prediction incorporates mRNA alignments, EST alignments, conservation and other sources of information:

    Click on image to enlarge!

  • AUGUSTUS can predict alternative splicing and alternative transcripts. It can do this for example when the EST alignments suggest alternative splicing like in this example:

    Click on image to enlarge!

  • AUGUSTUS can predict the 5'UTR and 3'UTR including introns. This is in particular helpful when using EST alignments as the majority of ESTs aligns in the untranslated regions (example). This feature is currently only trained for human, the red algae Galdieria sulphuraria, Caenorhabditis elegans, Toxoplasma gondii, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, pea aphid, Culex pipens (3'UTR only), butterfly, Bombus terrestris/impatiens, chlorella, elephant shark, honeybee, Leishmania tarentolae, maize, rhodius, tomato, trichinella.
  • AUGUSTUS can report a large number of alternative genes, including probabilities for the transcripts and each exon and intron. You can make AUGUSTUS predict suboptimal gene structures (example) and you can adjust command line parameters to regulate the number of reported alternatives.

  • AUGUSTUS is retrainable. It comes with a training program that estimates the parameters given a training set of known genes. It also comes with an optimization script that tries to find values for the meta parameters, like splice window sizes, that optimize the prediction accuracy. The training program is also available through a web interface.

Parameters are already available for the following species:

AUGUSTUS has currently been trained on species specific training sets to predict genes in the following species. Note that for closely related species usually only one version is necessary. For example, the human version is good for all mammals. Contributions.

animals:                 alveolata:                 plants and algae:            fungi:
Acyrthosiphon pisum
Aedes aegypti
Amphimedon queenslandica
Apis mellifera
Brugia malayi
Caenorhabditis elegans
Callorhinchus milii
Culex pipiens
Drosophila melagonaster
Homo sapiens
Nasonia vitripennis
Petromyzon marinus
Schistosoma mansoni
Tribolium castaneum
Tetrahymena thermophila
Toxoplasma gondii
Arabidopsis thaliana
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Galdieria sulphuraria
(Nicotiana tabacum)
Solanum lycopersicum
Zea mays
Aspergillus fumigatus
Aspergillus nidulans
Aspergillus oryzae
Aspergillus terreus
Botrytis cinerea
Candida albicans
Candida guilliermondii
Candida tropicalis
Chaetomium globosum
Coccidioides immitis
Coprinus cinereus
Cryptococcus neoformans
Debaryomyces hansenii
Encephalitozoon cuniculi
Eremothecium gossypii
Fusarium graminearum
Histoplasma capsulatum
Kluyveromyces lactis
Laccaria bicolor
Lodderomyces elongisporus
Magnaporthe grisea
Neurospora crassa
Phanerochaete chrysosporium
Pichia stipitis
Rhizopus oryzae
Pneumocystis jirovecii
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Ustilago maydis
Verticillium longisporum
Yarrowia lipolytica

Examples of AUGUSTUS predictions can be viewed at at various genome browsers:

UCSC Genome Browser,
Wormbase: Caenorhabditis elegans, C. briggsae, C. remanei, Brugia malayi
Phytozome: Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
Flybase: Drosphila melanogaster
Genboree Browser: Tribolium castaneum


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Cozie Fleece Booties

Write a Review

Product Description

Best-selling cozy fleece booties feature Zutano's signature two-snap secure fit and an ultra soft fleece exterior with an interlock cotton lining to wrap your baby's feet in comfort. The two adjustable snaps help the booties stay on while allowing them to shape well to the contours of your baby's foot. Designed for durability, these booties maintain their shape and feel after extended wash and wear.

Looking for bigger sizes? Check out this color in the GRIPPER.

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Shape Board Book

Little ones are sponges for learning about their great big world, and the Shape Book is a great help…

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Strebor IOM Open – Date Change to 2/11/19

Please note that the date of the Strebor Open was incorrect in the Calendar and has now been changed to Saturday 2nd November with a first Race start time of 10:00.

The Notice of Race is available to view here.

Entries as per NoR to Graham Elliott, whose contact details are contained in the NoR and are listed on the contacts page.  To gauge entry numbers it would be useful if you could advise Graham of entry before the 2/11/19.


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SEC Halts $15 Million Munchee App ICO – What Went Wrong?

The Securities and Exchange Commission has stepped in to halt a new initial coin offering from the Muchee restaurant review app. The halt is the second case to be brought by the SEC’s new Cyber Unit, and has occurred after the company failed to their ICO as a security.

Munchee, a privately held company, has agreed to completely halt it’s initial coin offering and perform a full refund of all investor funds after the SEC contacted the organization on the 1st of November. The SEC released a report on Monday stating that the “MUN Tokens” sold in the Munchee ICO fit the hallmarks of a security.

The move comes in the wake of a warning released by the SEC advising investors against investing in the platform as it did not conform to US securities laws. The use of initial coin offerings to generate startup capital by blockchain-based platforms has recently captured a significant amount of attention from regulatory bodies around the world as billions of dollars have been pumped into the unregulated industry in the last year.

The Securities and Exchange Commission raised objections to Munchee’s ICO, which aimed to capture $15 million USD through the sale of “MUN Tokens”. These tokens could be earned by users for writing restaurant reviews on the Munchee app, or purchased directly. According to Munchee, the platform was negotiating with several restaurant chains to facilitate the transfer of MUN Tokens for meals, or the purchase of advertising space.

According to Munchee, investors could expect a return on investment form the rise in value of MUN Tokens, which according to the SEC would make said tokens a security that requires SEC registration.

The SEC move to contact Munchee occurred on the second day of the token crowdsale. Munchee ceased ICO operations within hours of hearing from the SEC, and as a result did not deliver any MUN Tokens. All investors that participated in the token sale were refunded, according to the SEC’s order.

Stephanie Avakian, the co-director of the SEC’s enforcement division, commented on the halt:

“In deciding not to impose a penalty, the Commission recognized that the company stopped the ICO quickly,”

Munchee has not yet made any public statements on the SEC-enforced halt of their ICO, but consented to the SEC’s order without either admitting or denying the findings. The only statement on the issue made by Munchee regarding the halt was a Twitter update posted on November 2nd, which stated that Munchee “elected to close its current token offering to ensure it is in compliance with applicable laws/regulations”, and that it was issuing refunds to all investors.

This enforcement is a significant move by the SEC, who has made it apparent that they will now step in to address initial coin offerings for perceived regulatory violations, regardless of whether or not there are any claims of fraud.

Cryptocurrency market investors and observers are closely tracking regulatory movements regarding the initial coin offering ecosystem. SEC Chairman Jay Clayton issued a statement today on the ICO market, stating:

“A number of concerns have been raised regarding the cryptocurrency and ICO markets, including that, as they are currently operating, there is substantially less investor protection than in our traditional securities markets, with correspondingly greater opportunities for fraud and manipulation.”

In early December 2017 the newly-created SEC cyber unit filed its first charges against PlexCorps, a privately held company that the SEC claims “defrauded” investors in its initial coin offering. The PlexCorps case is currently pending in a New York Federal court.

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Bitcoin Exchange Guide


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ONEUSDT – Bullish on the weekly timeframe

Chart (and project) very similar to ZILUSDT on the weekly.

Cup and handle formation on the weekly. Could retrace upto $0.015 after reaching $0.024 on the high. Right curve of the cup seems to act like the support, but can change.

Setup invalidated if:
Cup and Handle formation is broken
– Fails to break $0.024 resistance
– Bounce fails on the $0.015 level

Targets, time frame and retracement levels given on the chart are for reference and not accurate.

This is a noob idea, I am nowhere close to an advisor. Please DYOR and DD , You are responsible for your own profit or loss.


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Posts Tagged “street tacos”

by Hayley Hudson on November 13, 2011

We descend from hunters and gatherers, and nothing awakens the ancestral urge to forage for food quite like a food cart (or a bright pink food truck). Where can I find it? Will I be able to find it? A (…)

Read the rest of this entry »


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Copyright and other blogs currently being worked

A young"ish" Buckminster Fuller and a flexible skin geodesic dome about the time he taught at Black Mountain College!

Please come over and see my comments and photos on my other blog "When I Was 69." And sometimes I have some ancestry information on the blog "Three Family Trees."

My info

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Mud Buddies eating well

What, you might wonder, do ceramic artists do for fun?

Now I know some play in mud, or sling their seconds at walls (breaking them so they don't get out in the public domain with their names on them.)

And some eat really well prepared meals with friends, and a glass of wine probably.  A toast to friends who have been gathering outside at 8:15 a.m. for the last 13 Saturday mornings, (or at least 2 of us each week).  Our co-op has become a group of good friends.

One little friend who got to play with a necklace, but wasn't invited to eat with us.

Oops, I was well into eating my lunch before I thought to take a picture of it.  And as many chefs already know, presentation was an important part of the enticing food.

This Sat., Nov. 23, 10-1, the Mud Buddies will once again, and for the last time this year, have our wares out behind First Baptist Church on Montreat Rd. in Black Mountain, NC.  Come on by and plan to support small local businesses!  And think gift giving too!

Quote for today: So much has been given to me; I have no time to ponder over that which has been denied.  Helen Keller

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I'm moderating comments to reduce the spam again. And since this isn't my active account, it may take a while before I read comments.


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Search for: "Joe Mask" Results 81 - 100 of 289
Sorted by Relevance | Sort by Date
RSS Subscribe: 20 results | 100 results
2 Sep 2020, 5:26 pm
He holds up a mask at that point. [read post]
30 Dec 2011, 12:12 pm
Ex-players including Joe Horn, Matt Joyce and Scott Dragos would be given injections of Toradol to numb the pain from injuries suffered during games in order to get them back on the field quickly. [read post]
16 Jan 2021, 5:08 am by SHG
Pour another cop of joe, then sit back. [read post]
24 May 2021, 12:40 pm by ocgdev
President Joe Biden stepped into office facing huge obstacles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, an economy battered by the pandemic, a crumbling national infrastructure in dire need of repair, an ongoing immigration crisis at our southern border, and deep political and social divisions in this country, among other challenges. [read post]
24 May 2020, 6:35 pm
"Watch for plenty more mask-free outings from Trump, hyping the reopening of the economy and avoiding discussions of social distancing and death counts. [read post]
24 Oct 2011, 7:50 pm by Ian Ayres
A few minutes later, your server brings you a steaming cup of Joe. [read post]
8 Jul 2020, 7:13 am
Friedman begins with his "worry":I worry about Joe Biden debating Donald Trump. [read post]
16 Dec 2020, 8:00 am by CharlesB
” All offices should meet or exceed CDC safety guidelines, including the use of masks and other personal protective equipment, as well as the ability to maintain social distance. [read post]
In a March 26, 2020, statement, Federal Trade Commission Chairman Joe Simons strongly condemned businesses who engage in unfair and deceptive business practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. [read post]
18 Dec 2020, 5:30 am by Gene Takagi
Notable Events of the Week: “President-elect Joe Biden chose Rep. [read post]
15 Jan 2010, 5:01 am by James Edward Maule
Joe Kristan, of Tax Update Blog, asks, in his post When We’re Boring, We Demand Your Full Attention, “The TaxProf is cool with technology. [read post]
4 Mar 2021, 9:03 pm by Megan Russo
” Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order lifting COVID-19 restrictions, including a statewide mask mandate and all business capacity limitations. [read post]
4 Aug 2014, 6:27 pm
Thus, the statement “I hate Joe Schmoe” is constitutionally protected, but if I’m on trial for killing Joe Schmoe and the prosecution wants to show that I’m the one who did it, the statement would be admissible as evidence of motives. [read post]
5 Jan 2021, 5:39 am by boston
They’ve denied its severity, resisted common-sense recommendations such as mask-wearing, embraced magical thinking and spread conspiracy theories. [read post]
8 Mar 2021, 2:30 am
And then in the 15th  Joe showed why he is, like Ali, a champion for the ages. [read post]
17 Jun 2020, 4:50 am
I'd put up with Joe Scarborough angsting about Republicans being less likely  to wear masks than Democrats — what is wrong with them?! [read post]
2 Mar 2021, 12:42 pm
Shortly after taking office in January, President Joe Biden signed a series of executive orders that addressed COVID-19 worker protections. [read post]
26 Jun 2020, 1:09 pm
You open up, get people together, and shun masks as a Clinton-Commie-Chinese- Democratic-fake-news-Joe Biden-fraud. [read post]
5 Mar 2021, 10:47 am
After taking office this year, President Joe Biden signed several executive orders that addressed COVID-19 worker protections. [read post]


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Square Inc. Considers Rolling Out New Bitcoin Hardware Wallet

Nicholas Otieno   Jun 07, 2021 07:50 2 Min Read

Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Square Inc., has announced that the payment firm is considering developing a non-custodial hardware Bitcoin wallet that would give users greater control over digital currencies they own.

Dorsey suggests a new method to enable consumers to store their Bitcoin that Square or any other firm does not control their digital funds. A bitcoin wallet could allow consumers to keep their cryptos in a secure gadget and enable them to decide whether to spend them later whenever they wish.

Bitcoin wallets can be stored online or offline at crypto exchanges, venues where Bitcoin can be tradeable for other cryptocurrencies or traditional currencies.

With a non-custodial wallet, users can solely control their private keys and manage their crypto funds to prove that the funds are theirs. However, with a custodial wallet, another party holds customers’ private keys. Most custodial wallets are online or web-based exchange wallets.

Dorsey first talked about the non-custodial hardware Bitcoin wallet on Twitter on Friday, June 4. He then shared more details at the Bitcoin 2021 conference event that kicked off in Miami the same day and is held on Saturday at the Mana Convention Centre in Wynwood.

"We don't want to compete with other hardware wallets out there. We want to take it to the next level and get to 100 more million people, which have non-custodial solutions," Dorsey said.

The popularity of Bitcoin and other crypto-assets has significantly grown. As a result, several firms have come forward to serve the rising need to protect crypto assets from online theft.

"If we do it, we would build it entirely in the open, from software to hardware design, and in collaboration with the community," Dorsey stated.

Square Takes Keen Interest on Bitcoin Business

Bitcoin transactions have become a booming business for Square. The payment firm allows customers to make crypto purchases using the Cash App and store them digitally. Currently, the Bitcoin business is said to account for 70% of the company’s revenue.

Majorly contributed by Bitcoin trading, the Cash App mobile platform generated the bulk of the firm’s revenue in Q1 that ended in March.

The Cash App business generated about 80% of Square’s $5.06 billion in revenue for the quarter, with Bitcoin trading contributed $3.5 billion or 70% of the total. The company’s Bitcoin revenue rose to $4.75 billion last year from $516.5 million in 2019.

Square started allowing its customers to sell and buy Bitcoin through its payment app in January 2018. In October 2020, the firm accepted $50 million worth of Bitcoin as part of its balance sheet. In February this year, the company purchased an additional $170 million worth of Bitcoin. Both   BTC purchases amount to about 5% of the firm’s cash holdings.

Jack Dorsey, one of the best-known Bitcoin proponents, once predicted that the leading cryptocurrency would eventually become the “single currency” of the internet.

Image source: Shutterstock

Losing Access to your Crypto Wallet: Dangers and How to Not Lose your Funds?

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A stablecoin (or stable coin), as its name indicates, is a stable cryptocurrency designed to be resistant to the type of price volatility synonymous with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether.
The key is to understand "stable": what is "stable"? which references are pegged to make its value "stable"? In terms of what we measure the "stability".

USDT Libra

Facebook Diem Project to Launch USD Stablecoin after Dropping Swiss License Application Plan
Diem Association is planning to move its main operations from Switzerland to the United States.
PayPal May Be Considering Launching Its Own Stablecoin
PayPal may be looking to launch its own stablecoins in the future, as it has been reportedly been meeting with stablecoin developers.
Aave Announces the Launch of Its V2 Liquidity Mining Program
Aave announced the launch of the V2 liquidity mining (LM) program, which will operate for three months for analysis and end on July 15.
Federal Reserve Chair Powell Affirms There Is Ongoing Research for a Digital Dollar
The Federal Reserve Bank is involved in a large-scale research and development regarding digital dollar, says Chairman Jerome Powell.
Thai Central Bank Issues Stern Warning about Thai Baht Digital (THT) Stablecoin
The Bank of Thailand is warning citizens against using the illegal THT stablecoin.
Ethereum Continues to Grow with the Majority of Stablecoin Projects Leveraging its Network
Ryan Watkins, a researcher at Messari, believes that the numerous stablecoin protocol experiments on the Ethereum network are impressive.
USDC on Crypto Exchanges Spike as Tether (USDT) Dominance Falters - What This Means
According to an assessment from Glassnode, the amount of stablecoins being deposited on exchanges is an indication that things are turning bullish for Bitcoin.
Visa CEO Says the Payment Giant Will Add Cryptocurrencies to Its Payments Network
Visa has come out in support of digital currencies and believes that cryptocurrencies have the potential to improve the value of digital payments and create more accessibility.
BOE Governor: Bitcoin and Trending Cryptocurrencies May not be Viable in the Future but Stablecoins Are the Exception
Speaking at the World Economic Forum, the Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey discussed how cryptocurrencies would fit in the current governance system.
Ethereum Price Could Surge as OCC Permits US Banks to Run Nodes For Stablecoins
A recent announcement by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) has provided a mainstream catalyst that could see the ETH price rally to new all-time highs.

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EyeLock Myris: a USB eye scanner

Eyelock Myris is a USB add-on that secures your computer with eye scanning technology, via engadget:

When it comes to unique passcodes, it doesn’t get much more secure that an eye scan. Thanks to EyeLock’s Myris, you’ll be able to create super complex passwords that you won’t have to remember — using a USB-powered add-on to authenticate your identity instead. Myris is about the size of a makeup compact and is cloaked in a blue cloth exterior. On the backside, there’s the camera that’s lined with a light ring, changing color to indicate where you are in the scanning process. It starts light blue, then changes to dark blue at the start before finally showing green when it’s complete. Once connected to the aforementioned port on your laptop or PC, the device takes a scan of your eyes to set up its defenses with the help of a companion app. That capture takes about 15 seconds while moving the camera toward the eyes from arm’s length and then backing it away. In the process, Myris snaps a whole library of images before converting them to a video-based template unique to up to five users. The software allows the setup of those insane passwords and manages profiles in order to complete the configuration.

Read more.

Stop breadboarding and soldering – start making immediately! Adafruit’s Circuit Playground is jam-packed with LEDs, sensors, buttons, alligator clip pads and more. Build projects with Circuit Playground in a few minutes with the drag-and-drop MakeCode programming site, learn computer science using the CS Discoveries class on code.org, jump into CircuitPython to learn Python and hardware together, TinyGO, or even use the Arduino IDE. Circuit Playground Express is the newest and best Circuit Playground board, with support for CircuitPython, MakeCode, and Arduino. It has a powerful processor, 10 NeoPixels, mini speaker, InfraRed receive and transmit, two buttons, a switch, 14 alligator clip pads, and lots of sensors: capacitive touch, IR proximity, temperature, light, motion and sound. A whole wide world of electronics and coding is waiting for you, and it fits in the palm of your hand.

Join 28,000+ makers on Adafruit’s Discord channels and be part of the community! http://adafru.it/discord

Have an amazing project to share? The Electronics Show and Tell is every Wednesday at 7pm ET! To join, head over to YouTube and check out the show’s live chat – we’ll post the link there.

Join us every Wednesday night at 8pm ET for Ask an Engineer!

Follow Adafruit on Instagram for top secret new products, behinds the scenes and more https://www.instagram.com/adafruit/

CircuitPython – The easiest way to program microcontrollers – CircuitPython.org

Maker Business — Peloton to break ground at a new manufacturing campus in Ohio

Wearables — Tear it all apart

Electronics — Disable unused channels!

Python for Microcontrollers — Python on Microcontrollers Newsletter: CircuitPython tops Tom’s Hardware Best RP2040 Boards 2021 and more #Python #Adafruit #CircuitPython @micropython @ThePSF

Adafruit IoT Monthly — Toddler Clock, Predictive Weather Station, and more!

Microsoft MakeCode — Arcade Beginner Skillmap

EYE on NPI — Maxim’s Himalaya uSLIC Step-Down Power Module #EyeOnNPI @maximintegrated @digikey

New Products – Adafruit Industries – Makers, hackers, artists, designers and engineers! — New Products 6/16/2021 Featuring Adafruit Etched R4 Keycap for MX Compatible Switches! (Video)

Get the only spam-free daily newsletter about wearables, running a "maker business", electronic tips and more! Subscribe at AdafruitDaily.com !

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Photo Phishing Scam

Have you ever taken a photo with your smart phone?

Its rhetorical and silly question since most of us takes pictures with our smart phones as an integral part of our day to day activities.

As more often that we choose to take photos of our private moments in our life we also want to safeguard our personal photos and keep them private, since our personal photos are easy target for hackers and cybercriminals.

In this day and age we are more vulnerable to hackers that will utilize the photos against us and will turn it into cash.

The next video explains about how and why scammers would use your photos against you, and how important it is to protect your smart phone, computer, tablet and every network device, against photo phishing scam.

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NOTE | Holiday Shopping – Beauty Wish List

I must be the easiest person to shop for. Similar to an obsession as a young girl with Barbie dolls, with make-up I want it all and I can never have enough. I have plenty of stuff for the both the personal and professional make-up kit, and as cost-effective as I try to be with purchasing make-up items, I’ll inevitably find something new that I love. To ease the feelings of guilt, I use the terms ‘updating the kit’ as an excuse to rationalize its purchase! After all, why would I use a product on one of my clients that I can’t say I’ve tried and swear by for myself? Right, Rhia…riiight.

One of the nice things about Christmas shopping is the abundance of gift sets. From fragrances to make-up, there are plenty of deals out there that give you more value for your Christmas shopping dollar. My favourite of all these are of course the make-up gift sets! You can get everything in ‘minis’ – mini brush sets, mini glosses, palettes.

Now, this is MY idea of good things coming in small packages!!

Here are some gorgeous make-up sets that would make great gifts for those lucky, lucky people on your list (ahem…hint, hint…nudge, nudge).

Lancôme Juicy Tubes Holiday Set ($49 CAD)
Often imitated, but hardly duplicated, Lancôme’s Juicy Tubes are a make-up classic. The Holiday Set includes eight glosses in shades that are both suitable for everyday wear or for a night on the town! The travel-sized tubes are perfect for popping in your purse or make-up kit, and with 8 shades to choose from you’ll have a different one for every day of the week! The set includes two of my personal faves, Touch of Light and Miracle. Touch of Light is a pale cream gloss that looks gorgeous when worn on its own and when layered atop a lipstick. Miracle is a bubble gum pink with high-shine – can you say yum?!

MAC Mischief Makers Pigment Sets ($38.50 CAD)
It happened to me the other day where I walked into my local MAC store to refill on ‘necessity’ items for my client kit, but somehow I ended up gravitating towards the holiday gift sets (they were packaged like candy – can you blame me?!). I ended up buying the necessity items I had originally intended AND a couple of gift sets. Well, sorta gifts…uhh, for myself – I mean the kit!

There were many mini kits to choose from (believe me, I had to restrain myself from puchasing more!), but I instantly fell in love with the Pigment Sets. For anyone who’s ever bought MAC Pigment before, you’ll know the product lives up to its name and glides on amazingly intense! Yet for being as multi-purpose as they are, sometimes it’s hard to use the entire jar, as you only need a little to get a concentrated look. The Holiday Pigment sets are an awesome value – you get 5 mini pigments for the price of $38.50 (one regular-sized pigment retails for $23.50), and although they’re mini in size, the product will go a long way!

MAC also offers sets of mini glosses, mini brushes and palettes all at great prices. The gift options are endless…until they’re sold out! Go early to avoid disappointment!

NARS Everlasting Love Palette ($87 CAD)NARS holiday sets, you had me at hello. Guaranteed any make-up lover will fall in Everlasting Love with this NARS palette! The palette offers a winning combination of colours for achieving the coveted smoky eye plus nude lip look, across a variety of skin tones. Everlasting Love includes NARS best-selling shades Orgasm blush and South Beach the Multiple, along with four eyeshadow shades and four lip shades. Mix and match to your heart’s content, and get holiday glam all in the convenience of one gorgeous palette.

Time to write that note to Santa… :)

1 Comment

  • December 13, 2009

    mineral cosmetics

    The Lancome set looks really juicy offer to grab.

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Reverse The Curse

In Week Four, Daniele swore she would change the dynamic of the game: Mission Accomplished! Following one of the most emotionally topsy-turvy Big Brother weeks seen in ages, we find ourselves with Brenchel torn asunder, a Newbie in power and the house control reversed from previous weeks.

Before we move on from the past week, it must be noted how successful Dani’s run as HoH actually was. Granted, there was a little bit of luck- but every HoH that succeeds has that happen. In this case, it was Brendon’s questionable plan to save Rachel rather than himself that allowed Dani to keep the target on her main rival in the game. More than Jeff or anyone else, Brendon represented the polar opposite of Daniele’s game play. His departure is one less stumbling block for the scion of Evel.

Moving to this coming week, we have a new Head of Household and her reign will be, at the very least, verbose. Kalia ran through the Elimination-style competition with ease, barely waiting for any question to be completed. Additionally, Kalia showed excellent strategy in her choice of who went against whom in the comp. Those who had underestimated her before had to be impressed with her quick action at each answer, and it is clear that while she talks… a LOT… she has also been paying attention.

The question going into this week is how the rise of power will affect Kalia. It’s entirely possible that she rides through this week with ease, and already there is an easy target for maintaining “peace in the house.” However, the possibility of someone returning has already been discussed in the house less than an hour after the live show, and clearly the Houseguests are weighing the future very carefully.

Week 4 Evicted player:

Brendon- Given his arrogance and lack of social game, Brendon’s fall was almost predestined. That it happened before Rachel this year was a refreshing change, to be honest. Without the smothering effect of his “love” for her, Rachel has a chance to finally bloom and redeem herself. Brendon made the same mistakes as he did in Big Brother 12 but added a new one this year- his willingness to turn on his alliance at the drop of a hat. The lack of real loyalty towards the rest of the Veterans alliance combined with brutish behavior towards the Newbies made the Neanderthal an easy target for eviction.

Winners of the week:

Kalia- Not only did her “bestie” win HoH last week and take out a major target, but she also followed it up with a win herself. Well done, all around.
Daniele- Daniele had a successful HoH run, and came out fo the week without a target on her back from someone in power.
Jeff- Jeff pretty much had the best of all worlds this week. He was able to lay low all week, and no campaigning was ever necessary to save his love from eviction. Additionally, we saw the return (finally) of “Fun Jeff,” a guy whose sense of humor is pretty nice to be around.
Jordan- Unsurprisingly, the Li’l Blonde Ditz was never seen as being in any real danger to go out of the house this time around. Combine that with her personality and she seems in a safe spot for a few weeks at least.

Star of the Week:

Adam- Never before has someone responded so well to a completely ridiculous suit, but Adam wore it with pride and humor in spades. The Elf got some respect.

Losers of the Week:

Rachel- Someone had to have a Terrible, horrible, No-Good Very Bad Week and it was our favorite target that suffered this week. Perhaps Production can give her some cookies to back as consolation.
Porsche- As the odd newbie out, she cast the only additional vote to keep Brendon. Already n the house, Porsche has been nervousing about whether or not she is safe. Until the Veto Ceremony is complete, she won’t know for sure.

Game Change of the Week:

The Veto Deal. Jeff and Jordan approached Daniele once the Veto comp was completed, and Jordan offered herself as a pawn to ensure Brendon’s removal. This guaranteed his eviction, led Rachel to an emotional collapse and ensured that Daniele would survive for at least the next two weeks if not beyond.

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100 Love Note Ideas for Valentine’s Day

100 Love Note Ideas

Just Met, but I Want to Impress Her/Him

  • We may not know exactly what this is just yet, but I like it.
  • You give me butterflies! 🦋
  • I like you a latte! ☕
  • You’re the 💣!
  • You are a real gem! 💎
  • I’d snap at the chance to be your Valentine. 🐊
  • I like you berry much. 🍓
  • You’re hot! 🌶
  • You’re my favorite notification. 📱
  • I’ve loved spending time with you and getting to know you. Happy Valentine’s Day!
  • Valentine’s Day: Still the best holiday on February 14th.

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Things Are Complicated

  • I want to be with you. It is as simple and as complicated as that.
  • There is no such thing as a simple love story. 📚
  • Thank you for putting up with my 💩.
  • You are worth fighting for.
  • I’m so happy we’re both too lazy to find a more suitable romantic partner.
  • Sometimes two people need to fall apart to realize how much they need to fall back together.
  • You are the risk I’ll always take.
  • Love isn’t complicated. People are.
  • You make me less crazy.
  • I even like you when I’m sober.
  • We may be apart, but true love is inseparable.

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Not Quite to “I Love You”, but We’re Close

  • I can’t bear to be without you!🐻
  • You 💡up my 🌎!
  • Wherever you are, is right where I want to be.
  • You are my missing link. 🔗
  • You are my ☀ in the 🌧.
  • Every time I 👀 you, my ❤ goes💥.
  • I have felines for you. 🐱
  • I’m hooked on you! 🎣
  • I’m fortunate to have you. 🥠
  • I’d walk through 🔥 to be with you today.
  • Turns out, I like you a lot more than I originally planned.
  • Without me, you’re just aweso.
  • I hit the jackpot when I met you. 🎰
  • I’m so excited to be sharing our first Valentine’s Day together. I hope it’s the first of many to come!
  • So many of my smiles begin with you.
  • You are a cut above the rest. ✂
  • I would climb a mountain for you. ⛰
  • Words cannot espresso how much you mean to me. ☕
  • You’re my boo. 👻
  • You’re my favorite person to do nothing with. 🛋
  • You make miso happy. 🍜

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It’s Love

  • Love is an amazing journey, and I’m so glad I’m traveling with you. ✈
  • You are my happy place.
  • You’ve stolen my ❤.
  • You’ve stolen a pizza my heart. 🍕
  • I whaley love you! 🐳
  • My favorite place is inside your hug. 🤗
  • I love you from my head tomatoes! 🍅
  • My ❤ is all yours.
  • Nothing could erase my love for you. ✏
  • Loving you is as easy as pie. 🍰
  • I love you to the 🌙 and back.
  • You hold the 🗝 to my ❤.
  • I want to be your favorite hello and hardest goodbye.
  • I love you for your personality, but your face is a really nice bonus.
  • Just a little 🎵 to say, “I love you”.
  • Our love is electric. 🔌
  • I know it’s cheesy, but we’re meant to brie. 🧀
  • We celebrate our love every day, but if millions of other people want to join us on February 14th, they can.
  • You are my first thought in the morning and the last before I fall asleep. I love you.
  • I lava you. 🌋
  • I may not be your first date, first kiss or first love, but I just want to be your last everything.
  • Today is a very special day for sending all my love your way!
  • With you, it’s Valentine’s Day 365 days a year.
  • Wishing you a day filled with happiness, because you’ve filled my life with love.

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For Married Couples

  • The day I met you, I knew you were the one I’d spend every Valentine’s Day with.
  • To my forever Valentine, Sending you love today and always.
  • I still fall in love with you every day.
  • I look at you and see the rest of my life in front of my eyes.
  • I’m yours. No refunds! Happy Valentine’s Day!
  • True love stories never have endings. I love you today and for .
  • I love you. I love us. 💑
  • I met you. I liked you. I love you. I’m keeping you forever.
  • I’ll always pick you. 🌹
  • The perfect place for us is together. 🏡
  • You are beautiful inside and out. You are my forever Valentine without a doubt.
  • If I did anything right in my life, it was when I gave my ❤ to you.
  • When I followed my ❤, it led me to you.
  • You’re still the best decision I ever made.
  • The best words I’ve ever said are, “I do.”
  • Sharing love, sharing laughter, looking forward to the rest of our happily ever after.
  • I’m so glad you’re my emergency contact person.
  • Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite.
  • You are forever my main squeeze. 🍊
  • I always looked for someone I could live with, but I ended up with someone I couldn’t live without.

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For New Parents

  • This will definitely be a kids-in-bed-early kind of night.
  • To my Valentine, Thank you for making 💏 a 👨👩👧👦.
  • You are my favorite person to make a person with.
  • You’re all that I ever hoped for, and nothing makes me happier than knowing we’re creating a wonderful family together.

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For a Friend

  • Here’s to a Valentine’s Day filled with good 🍷, good 🍀 and good friends, just like you!
  • I hope this Valentine’s Day brings you love, smiles and laughter.
  • Good friends are like the stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there.
  • I hope we’re friends fur-ever! 🐶
  • I treasure our friendship. 💰
  • There is nothing better than a friend, unless it is a friend with chocolate. 🍫
  • To the person who gets me the most, I hope your Valentine’s Day is nothing but the absolute best!
  • I’m pretty sure we are more than best friends. We are like a very small gang.
  • Happy Singles Awareness Day!

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How to Decorate for Fall with Seasonal Plants

Porch Decorated for Fall with Plants

Fall ushers in crisp breezes and changing leaves. Brightly hued summer decorations are stored away in favor of plaids and muted fall colors. While there are many ways to decorate for autumn and the upcoming holidays, seasonal plants, foliage, pumpkins and gourds are popular themes that continuously withstand the test of time. Whether you are looking to create a festive mantel, an inviting front porch or a beautiful centerpiece, these are just some of the ways to incorporate richly colored plants and arrangements into your own autumn decor.

Bring the Warm Colors of Autumn into Your Home with Seasonal Plants

  • Create an autumn-inspired front porch. Artfully stagger mums, pumpkins and gourds down your front steps. For a more dramatic or modern look, quickly spray paint the pumpkins and gourds white or metallic to emphasize the beautiful colors of the mums.
  • Decorate your table. Pick out a seasonal centerpiece from Boesen and surround it with candles and miniature pumpkins.
  • Think outside the box. While mums are quintessentially fall, other house plants also provide beautiful fall colors. For example, certain varieties of the bromeliad plant — while tropical — are full of deep red, orange and yellow hues. The croton plant provides similar colors. Plus, both of these hardy plants are easy to care for indoors, and with proper care, will last you well past the fall season.
  • Order arrangements. Add pops of color throughout your home with beautiful arrangements. Autumn flowers and bouquets quickly bring the colors of fall into your home. From sunflowers to roses to daisies and beyond, fall-inspired arrangements are an incredibly easy way to bring the season into any room in your home.

For more inspiration, visit our website and explore our vast selection of seasonal plants and flowers.

5 Popular Mother’s Day Flowers & Their Special Meanings

Mother’s Day is this Sunday, May 12th, and while all bouquets and plants make superb presents, there are some flowers that hold particularly special meanings. If you are having trouble picking out the perfect gift or you simply can’t remember a favorite flower, consider these sentimental choices.

Special Mother’s Day Flowers

1. Gerbera Daisy. Gerbera daisies symbolize beauty, innocence and cheerfulness. They come in a number of vibrant colors and are sure to brighten any mom’s day.

Top Pick: Sunshine

2. Tulip. Perfect for Mother’s Day, tulips represent perfect love. They came in a variety of colors — each of which carries even more symbolism. Include purple roses in your bouquet, representing royalty, to show Mom she’s your queen.

Top Pick: Spring Tulips

3. Lily. Bursting with symbolism, lilies represent motherhood (femininity), devotion and humility. While they are a classic anniversary flower, their special symbolism undoubtedly makes them a top Mother’s Day pick, as well.

Top Pick: Beauty & Fragrance

4. Rose. Amongst many other meanings, roses represent love and beauty. Roses are a classic pick for any special occasion.

Top Pick: Mother’s Day Lux

5. Orchid. Orchids represent love, beauty and strength. The popular and exotic blooms make a particularly meaningful Mother’s Day gift.

Top Pick: Waterfall Orchid

For even more options, visit Boesen.com and shop our Mother’s Day selection.

Say More to Those Who Help You Do More

Administrative Assistants (also affectionately known as “My Admin”). They know everything– not just where the paper clips and plastic spoons are – but how the office really functions. And, if you take time to ask, they know how it could work better– definitely an essential part of the overall success of your business!

Not only does your Admin enable you to do your job better, he/she makes you look better. An effective Admin helps promote your brand by adding another level of professionalism and interacting professionally with individuals from all levels of the organization and with outside clients (even when you don’t feel like doing so).

Admin Week is a good time to show your appreciation for this past year’s job well done.

Beyond that, it’s also a good time to consider how you can work together to further enhance professionalism, expand productivity and increase organization at your business. Are you using your Admin to handle your correspondence and emails, help you with time management, make travel plans and reservations, greet visitors, answer phones, organize and schedule appointments and meetings, develop and maintain the filing system, order office supplies, submit and reconcile expense reports? And you can probably think of more contributions!

In 2019, Professional Administrative Assistants’ Day is Wednesday, April 24th and the week starts April 22nd.

Your Administrative Assistant represents you, your business and your brand. Professional, friendly, intelligent, creative, thorough, considerate- your Admin not only enhances the daily functioning of your office but also adds value to your business image.There is no better display of gratitude and respect to your Admin–and the entire office– than flowers that represent your professional style.

Click here to visit our admin day page to order the perfect bouquet for the admins who serve you every day.

Springtime Means Tulip Time!

Sometimes it feels like winter will never end, but every year around this time we’re inevitably rewarded with the wonders of spring. Of course, one of the most telling signs of spring – and one of our favorites – is the arrival of tulips!

Despite their brief blooming period, which ranges from a few days to just over a week, tulips are the world’s third most popular flower – trailing only roses and chrysanthemums. With their nearly perfect symmetry made up of elegant lines and rich vibrant colors, it’s no wonder why these beautiful flowers are so popular.

Native to central Asia, and later introduced to Turkey, tulips quickly became an important part of the Turkish culture and remain Turkey’s national flower.

Their popularity really took off around 1560, however, when the flowers were introduced to the Netherlands and were so prized there that they caused the entire economy to collapse. During the height of during that era, a single tulip bulb was worth more than ten times the annual income of a skilled craftsman – making them more valuable than most houses.

Spring Tulips by Boesen the Florist

Today, the Dutch still lead the world in tulip production by growing and producing around three billion tulips each year, although the prices have dropped significantly since then.

As a member of the lily family, tulips are classified as herbaceous perennials, although their bulbs differ from other species in that they are living plants that house self-contained nutrients. When the bulb grows into the flower, the original bulb will disappear, and a clone bulb will form in its place.

Tulips have three petals and three sepals, which are almost the same size and shape as the petals making them appear to have six to a bulb. They can also be found in nearly every color of the rainbow with red being the most popular. Streaking tulips boast two colors instead of one solid color. This unique combination was originally the result of a viral infection, although in modern times this unusual coloring is a deliberate result of breeding.

No matter which color you choose, tulips are an intriguing flower with a rich history – and a terrific choice when sending flowers in the spring. Their extremely vibrant colors make a statement and they also look great in centerpieces for your home or office environment.

Say hello to spring with some tulips from Boesen the Florist. We have many different options for every different occasion including one of our most popular designs, the Spring Tulips. Call us today or order online to enjoy this wonderful springtime treat.

Did You Know?

  • There are more than 150 different species of tulips with over 3,000 different varieties known to exist.
  • Tulip petals are edible and can be used as a substitute for onions in many recipes, although many people find their taste extremely unpleasant.
  • Tulips continue to grow up to one extra inch after they’re cut.
  • Tulips will bend and twist to grow towards light – even in a vase.
  • By 1636, tulips were traded on exchanges in Dutch cities. The skyrocketing prices caused many people to become suddenly rich or lose fortunes overnight.
  • In the Netherlands, tulips represent the briefness of life, but in Turkish culture, they’re a symbol of paradise on earth and have achieved a nearly-divine status.
  • Tulips have a short lifespan that typically only lasts for 3-7 days.
  • A sap released by daffodils cause tulips to wilt if the two flowers are arranged together.
  • Paul McCartney and Fats Domino are among a list of people who have had tulips named after them.

Don’t Forget to Order Thanksgiving Flowers!

Order Thanksgiving Flowers from Boesen

Thanksgiving is all about celebrating and expressing gratitude with family and friends. It is a time for loved ones to gather and share stories and food. The “good dishes” are pulled out from the cupboard, and an extravagantly indulgent meal is prepared. Whether your celebration is filled with dozens of friends and family members or just a few, Thanksgiving is a time to feast and enjoy the spirit of the holiday season.

Floral arrangements and centerpieces help set the mood for the meal and celebration to follow. Warm colors accentuate the season and act as the perfect supporting cast to those highly anticipated family recipes. You have likely spent days creating your shopping list and preparing side dishes, so let Boesen make decorating easy! Visit our website and pick from a delightful assortment of Thanksgiving centerpieces and arrangements.

Top Trends for Wedding Flowers

When it comes time to choose wedding flowers, color schemes and individual wedding details undoubtedly come into play. However, just like wedding dress styles, wedding flower trends are constantly evolving. While flowers in general will always remain classic, these are the specific wedding flower trends to look for this year.

Wedding Flower Trends

  1. Foliage. Thanks in part to the spectacular Royal Wedding, foliage is huge this year and beyond. Gorgeous greenery is dominating table decor, and bouquets are full of foliage. Some brides are even opting to include herbs for subtle fragrance. Plus, not only is foliage aesthetically pleasing, it is also comparatively gentle on the budget.
  2. Locally Grown. With the increasing emphasis on all things environmentally friendly, locally grown flowers are trending in a big way. Freshly picked seasonal blooms are working their way into wedding decor and bouquets. These locally sourced flowers add a sense of personalization to ceremonies, while also being more green.
  3. Deep, Muted Tones. Rich, deep shades like burgundy and plum are currently being mixed with lighter shades like soft sage green — often in succulents and eucalyptus — to create eye-catching bouquets and arrangements. For formal weddings, these deep tones and extreme contrasts set a romantic tone.
  4. Smaller Bouquets. Smaller bouquets are tending to take center stage over large and cascading bridal bouquets. Smaller wedding bouquets put the focus on the dress, and they are often more flattering on camera. Brides are also choosing textured, unstructured bouquets, as well as tightly packed, hand-tied creations.
  5. Floral Decor. Floral wedding decor is trending away from uber-traditional centerpieces to items like floral and foliage garlands, wreaths and chandeliers. These unique, eye-catching items emphasize the natural beauty of the flowers and foliage. While floral arrangements will always be classic and beautiful, alternative floral decor is becoming increasingly popular.

Wedding flowers have the ability to transform a normal venue into a romantic fairytale. While you can’t go wrong with any flower choice, these floral trends are especially appealing and excite us. Contact us today to request an appointment with our Des Moines wedding specialists.

Boesen’s Top 10 picks for Mother’s Days

Remember picking a handful of flowers for mom when you were little?

Moms love getting flowers from their children. Whether they were a bunch of dandelions from a tiny hand or a fistful of lilacs from the yard, Moms forever cherish these fond memories.

Here are our top 10 picks for flowers for mom with sweet thoughts attached:

1. Mom could cheer you up when no one else could. This will brighten HER day.

Radiant Lady by Boesen the Florist

2. Mom loves the outdoors. Add color to her patio or deck with one of our blooming planters.

Garden Center Patio Planter

3. Moms are just grown up little girls and still love pink!

Beauty & Fragrance

4. Mom’s practical and likes long-lasting blooms. A lush azalea will give mom’s home color for weeks.

Double Azalea Basket

5. Mom loves chocolate. Acknowledge her craving. Give her permission to eat it and not share.

Boesen STAM Chocolates

6. Remember all of Grandma’s special talents? Maybe one was growing African violets? Even if not, Grandma will be thrilled that you remembered her, too.

African Violet Basket

7. Mom loves flowers and summer. No matter what size mom’s outdoor space is, a colorful hanging basket swaying in the breeze will bring joy all summer.

Hanging Baskets

8. Help mom celebrate spring with a gorgeous hydrangea plant.

Hydrangea Plant

9. Nothing says “I’ll love you forever” like a dozen red roses.

Dozen Long Stem Red Roses

10. Bring the memories of fresh-picked childhood daisies and garden flowers back. Moms forever cherish the good times with their children.

Sunlit Meadows

Shop any of the above ideas at Boesen.com. Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms we love from Boesen The Florist.

Shop Boesen the Florist for Easter and Passover

Did you know that Easter is the fourth biggest floral holiday of the year? It may not get the recognition of Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or Christmas/Hanukkah, but flowers and plants have long played an important role in Easter and Passover observances and are synonymous with the holidays in both home decorations and as gifts.

When choosing a floral gift for Easter, it’s important to keep in mind not only who it’s for, but also what it will be used for. Flowers are always appropriate for mothers, grandmothers, and other close relatives or loved ones. Of course, Easter baskets full of chocolates, Peeps, and other springtime treats are always a favorite for kids of all ages!

Easter Bunny Basket by Boesen the Florist

They also make excellent gifts for church or social groups as well as for co-workers or the staff of your child’s school or day care center and are certainly a perfect gift to take along if you have been invited to an Easter dinner or other Easter celebration.

Lilies are popular symbols of Easter as they represent love, hope, and resurrection. White lilies are especially symbolic during Easter as they signify purity and divinity. Daisies, azaleas, daffodils, chrysanthemums, hyacinths, and tulips are also popular Easter flowers.

Celebrate Easter on Sunday, April 1, with a traditional Easter lily plant, or with a beautiful bouquet of fresh seasonal flowers from Boesen the Florist.

Did you know?

  • Egg dyes for Easter were once made from flower petals. Other natural items like tree bark, onion peels, and juices were also used to color eggs.
  • The first story of a rabbit (later named the “Easter Bunny”) hiding eggs in a garden was published in 1680.
  • Easter takes place on a Sunday, after the 40-day period called Lent. Lent is referred to as a time of fasting, but most participants focus more on giving up one significant indulgence.
  • Holy Week is celebrated during the week leading up to Easter. It begins on Palm Sunday, continues to Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and then finally, Easter Sunday.
  • The 140th annual “White House Easter Egg Roll” is scheduled for Monday, April 2. This event has been celebrated by the Presidents of the United States and their families since 1878.

Passover, or Pesach, is one of the most commonly observed Jewish holidays. It begins annually on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan. This year it begins at sundown on Friday, March 30, and lasts through Saturday, April 7.

Passover is a celebration of the Israelites’ being freed from slavery in Egypt. It is also observed as a celebration of spring, of birth, and of rebirth, and of taking responsibility for yourself, the community, and the world. The first night of Passover includes a special ritual dinner called Seder.

Flowers make excellent gifts for Passover. Traditional spring-blooming flowers are used to celebrate the holiday. Sunflowers, Gerbera daisies, roses, lilies, irises, and tulips are all excellent choices for this holiday season. Boesen the Florist offers a nice assortment of centerpieces and fresh floral designs that make excellent gifts for this celebration.

Get Ready for St. Patrick’s Day with Bells of Ireland

Bells-of-Ireland (Moluccella laevis) in the garden.

When you think of St. Patrick’s Day, you think green. Obviously, shamrocks come to mind, as well as green carnations the occasional green roses, but when many people think of flowers for St. Patrick’s Day, they often overlook Bells of Ireland.

Bells of Ireland, sometimes known as shell flowers, are vertical green spires that are known to symbolize good luck. Despite their name, Bells of Ireland are not native to Ireland, and the green bells are not actually flowers, but the calyxes that surround the tiny flowers inside.

Native to Turkey and Syria, these green flowers are a member of the mint family and are sought after for their complex, but intricate beauty as well as their longevity. They are a very popular choice for St. Patrick’s Day bouquets and are also popular wedding flowers.

Pot of Luck Bouquet by Boesen the Florist

Bells of Ireland grow in stalks that can reach three feet tall and make an interesting conversation piece in any bouquet. They emit a pleasant fragrance and their curious design and gentle color make them very versatile in many different types of bouquets as they seem to complement a wide variety of different flowers.

It is best to keep Bells of Ireland cool and away from sources of heat, but they do extremely well in areas that have lots of natural light but only minimal direct sun exposure. A tabletop or windowsill is a perfect spot for a bouquet containing Bells of Ireland.

With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, Bells of Ireland are a perfect way to spread your Irish cheer, but why waste all that luck on one day? If you know anyone starting a new job, moving to a new home, or beginning a new endeavor, send a little bit of luck their way by choosing the remarkably wonderful Bells of Ireland.

At Boesen the Florist, we have several different designs that feature Bells of Ireland. Our most popular is the Pot O’Luck Bouquet which also contains a beautiful mix of green carnations, poms, daisies, and more in a ceramic pot with green accents – making it a perfect gift for St. Patrick’s Day. Your options don’t end there, however – we can also create a custom bouquet for you featuring Bells of Ireland. All you have to do is call and let us know what you’d like and our experienced designers can take it from there!


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Time to Gather for the Holiday Season- CCB Tables!

It’s almost that time when we gather together with family and friends to celebrate the holiday.  Most often we think about gathering for meals so what better time to send out a reminder about  CCB’s Table Product line and highlight a few projects.

Whether you are looking for dining tables or community tables, CCB can provide most of our styles in dining or bar height and some styles are also available in counter height.

But don’t forget, our table styles are suited for much more than just dining!  – Collaboration and worktop spaces, conference tables, desk tops, etc.

Thank you to our Sales Representatives that help us to spread the word about all that CCB has to offer.  Rep projects featured below: Quinton Macon, Jim Hoffman, Saeth Gronberg, & Jeff Wells.

Blessings for a holiday season where you have the opportunity to gather with family and friends!

CCB’s 1.25″ Random Plank Solid Ash Table Tops
CCB Natural Stain
Charlotte, NC

CCB’s “Farmhouse” Series
1.75″ Multi Species Random Plank Solid Wood Top
CCB Vintage with “Farmhouse” Distressing
Alexandria, VA
Desk Tops- Jobs #2754 & 2858

CCB’s Community Table with Trestle Base- Dining HeightTop:  CCB’s “Farmhouse” Series w/ “Farmhouse” DistressingBase & Remainder: Ash woodCCB Vintage StainToledo, OH

CCB’s Community Table with Metal Base- Bar Height
Top: 1.75″ Random Plank Solid Ash Wood Top
Base: Custom Fabricated Metal Base
CCB Natural Stain/ Black Powder Coat Metal
Jamestown, NC

CCB’s Community Table with Wood Top, Apron, & Tapered Legs –Bar HeightTop: CCB’s “Farmhouse” Series w/ “Farmhouse” distressingApron & Tapered Legs: AshCCB Vintage StainBuford, GA

Get the “Gang” together at Scene 75- Cleveland or Philadelphia

Here’s another example of how CCB product is
“More than just Restaurant Booths.”
Take a look at product produced for Scene 75 Entertainment Centers located in Cleveland, OH and Pittsburgh, PA which includes gaming areas for all ages as well as bowling, laser tag, go-karts, bumper cars, mini- golf, and more.
If your group is large or small CCB has tables that can “gang” together to make longer tops which can be pulled back apart for smaller groups.  The ganging devices attached underneath can be locked or un-locked.  (See photos where tops have been turned upside down only for the purposes of illustrating the mechanism.)  This allows for better table edge alignment.
CCB’s “Farmhouse” Multi-Species Random Plank Wood Top 1.75″ thickness in CCB Vintage with Heavy Distressing was used for the table tops.
The Cleveland location also has CCB’s “Farmhouse” Series Boothsmodified with a wood seat.
Thank you to Queen City Restaurant Supply and our CCB Sales Representatives, Jay Dickinson and Warren Dorn to be a part of these projects.
So don’t let our company name mislead you…..  You never know where CCB’s product may turn up next.  Let the fun begin!
Table tops turned over to show ganging mechanisms
only for illustration purposes.
Normal operation is reaching underneath the upright top to rotate the locking/ ganging devices.
CCB’s “Farmhouse” Series- modified with a wood seat
Interior images of Scene 75 from their website & social media postings

CCB’s Name says Seating (Booths) but don’t forget about the Tables!

We love it when we have projects that illustrate examples of the seatingand tables that CCB produces.
This week we are featuring, Stan Diego Baja Taco Kitchen located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Bar Height Banquettes
CCB’s “Highland” Seriesmodified
Uph leather strap detail added to the uph hanging back pad
Bar height seat- 30″H
Base with cut outs for electrical outlets to be added by others
CCB Natural Stain
Community Tables
CCB’s Bar Height Tables tops – Random Plank Solid Ash Wood 1.25″
Custom Stain Color
Custom Metal Bases (legs, apron, & stretchers)
“Natural Metal” finish with Clear Powder Coat
Dining Tables & Bases (dining & bar height)
CCB’s Random Plank Solid Ash Wood 1.75″
CCB Natural & also some produced in a custom stain color
CCB’s 100 Series table bases
Thank you to Boone Interiors and our CCB Sales Representative, Saeth Gronberg for the opportunity to be a part of this project.
Bar Height Seating- Based on CCB’s “Highland” Series- Modified
And Don’t Forget the……..
Example Of CCB’s Community Table with Solid Wood Top &
Custom Metal Base at Bar Height
              CCB’s Natural Stain
Interior images from Stan Diego’s Website and  Social Media Postings & Yelp.com

CCB’s New & Improved Photo Library!

Time for another exciting announcement from CCB!

CCB’s Photo Library has been re-organized with some great new categories to help guide the customer in making product selection and to include new images from recent projects.  We’ve also added a new “Search” button to make finding images even easier.

Folder categories include:

Booth of the Week

Booth Seating

  • Bar Height
  • w/ Arm & Custom End Panels   – New
  • w/ Data Ports & Electrical Ports   – New
  • w/ Legs
  • w/ Privacy Risers
  • w/ Wood Trim
  • Custom
  • Upholstered
  • Uph Details – New
  • Wood

Booth Seating Configurations  – New

  • 1/2 Round & “U” Shaped
  • 3/4 Round
  • Wall Benches
  • “L” Shaped
  • Custom Shapes

Booth Seating by Location

  • Churches
  • Clubhouses
  • Hospitals & Medical Facilities
  • Hotels
  • Night Clubs
  • Restaurant Chains
  • Universities

Additional Product Categories

  • Accent Seating & Ottomans   – New
  • Contract Uph & Sofas    – New
  • Waiting Benches
  • Community Tables   – New
  • Occasional Tables   – New

Check out the link provided below:

We will be adding more photos to the CCB website as an on going project.

We hope that this will continue to be a helpful tool!

-The CCB Team


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PugHearts: Adopt a Pug, Help Rescue Effort: From Under the Bridge

While the event is now over, it is never too late to help or to foster–or even to adopt… RIVER OAKS SHOPPING CENTER SHOWS SOME PUG LOVE Monthly Pet Rescue Benefits PugHearts Rescue Group Where: River Oaks Shopping Center, 2039 West Gray, Houston 77019 (look in breezeway by the Marble Slab and Natural Pawz–see center’s  Read More


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Island Offshore Takes Delivery of New PSV

June 7, 2021
Credit: UAVPIC/Island Offshore

Credit: UAVPIC/Island Offshore

Norwegian offshore vessel owner Island Offshore earlier this month took delivery of the platform supply vessel Island Discoverer. The vessel was completed by VARD Langsten this spring.

“It is always exciting to take delivery of a new ship, and we are proud and grateful that our fleet is being expanded. We look forward to putting Island Discoverer to work in a market that is showing signs of improvement after many demanding years. I wish the crew the best of luck with the operation and hope that the customers will welcome the vessel,” said Tommy Walaunet CEO of Island Offshore Management AS.

The Island Discoverer will transport and supply both liquid and dry cargo in tanks, as well as containers and pipes on deck.

It is 86 meters long and 18.5 meters wide, with a deck area of 900m2.  Island Discoverer has cabin space for 26 people on board.

The vessel will be flagged in NOR with a crew of 13. Island Discoverer is of the design type UT 717 CDX, designed by Kongsberg Maritime, and is the fifth of this type in the fleet of Island Offshore.

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About Crude Oil Facilitators

Crude Oil Facilitators are dedicated global brokers and facilitators of crude oil buying and selling. We work directly with crude oil buyers and crude oil sellers worldwide. We are a United Kingdom and Nigerian based firm, privately owned and devoted to the brokering of crude oil and other petroleum products buying and selling.

We have buyers and sellers of;

1. Nigerian Bonny Light Crude Oil, BLCO

2. D2 Diesel Fuel, JP54 Jet Fuel, Mazut etc.

3. Saudi Light Crude Oil, SLCO

4. Iraqi Light Crude Oil

If you are a buyer or seller of crude oil or other petroleum products or have mandate to buy or sell any of the above oil products, do contact us because we could be of help.

To contact Crude Oil Facilitators, click here ». To learn more about Crude Oil Facilitators, click here

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Talos Energy Says Gulf of Mexico Well Successful

U.S. oil company Talos Energy on Thursday said its drilling operation at the Gulf of Mexico Tornado 3 well was a success.

The company said its Tornado 3 sidetrack well ("Tornado Attic" well) successfully discovered pay in-line with pre-drill expectations.

Talos holds a 65.0% working interest in the Tornado field and is the operator with Kosmos Energy also holding a 35% working interest.

As previously reported, Talos Energy in May said it had chartered Seadrill's West Neptune drillship to drill the Tornado Attic well to build on the water flood project in the Tornado field in the Green Canyon area of the U.S. Gulf of Mexico. Production impact from this well is expected sometime in the third quarter of 2021, Talos said at the time.

The Tornado Attic well was designed to optimize recovery and was drilled approximately 4,500 feet from the Tornado water flood injection well and 1,550 feet away from the closest existing producer well.

The well encountered approximately 85 gross (63 net) feet of true vertical thickness pay in the B6 Upper Zone with rock properties and reservoir consistent with internal modeling and pre-drill expectations.

"The company will immediately move to the completion phase. As a result of the existing infrastructure in place and accelerated completion timeline, production is expected by the third quarter of 2021, ahead of initial expectations," Talos said.

Talos expects the Attic Well to produce approximately 8-10 thousand barrels of oil equivalent per day ("MBoe/d") gross (approximately 80% oil) once online.

The Tornado field was discovered in 2016 and is about three miles south of Talos' Phoenix complex, which Talos acquired in 2013 and uses the HP-I floating production facility. To date, the Tornado field has produced roughly 34 million barrels of oil equivalent ("MMBoe") gross, with oil accounting for around 80% of the total.

Talos President and Chief Executive Officer Timothy S. Duncan commented: "We are pleased to announce success with our latest Tornado well, which will optimize recovery from the field and builds on the success of the recent water flood project where our multi-disciplinary team has done a fantastic job.

"More broadly, this success highlights our diversity of project inventory, spanning a wide range of target sizes, risk profiles and turnaround times to first production by utilizing infrastructure in place. We look forward to bringing this well online ahead of schedule and to adding production from our prolific Tornado field, which has been a steady, material contributor to our Company's success since it was discovered over five years ago."

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More Popular Posts

About Crude Oil Facilitators

Crude Oil Facilitators are dedicated global brokers and facilitators of crude oil buying and selling. We work directly with crude oil buyers and crude oil sellers worldwide. We are a United Kingdom and Nigerian based firm, privately owned and devoted to the brokering of crude oil and other petroleum products buying and selling.

We have buyers and sellers of;

1. Nigerian Bonny Light Crude Oil, BLCO

2. D2 Diesel Fuel, JP54 Jet Fuel, Mazut etc.

3. Saudi Light Crude Oil, SLCO

4. Iraqi Light Crude Oil

If you are a buyer or seller of crude oil or other petroleum products or have mandate to buy or sell any of the above oil products, do contact us because we could be of help.

To contact Crude Oil Facilitators, click here ». To learn more about Crude Oil Facilitators, click here

Crude Oil Facilitators


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by   |    |  Estimated reading time: 4 minutes  |  in Creativity & Innovation, Process Manufacturing   |  tagged , ,

Are we seeing the end of ‘single-use’ plastics? Process manufacturing companies need to review their business strategies now. What started as an eco-issue has rightly gathered pace and manufacturers need to rethink their product strategy, the way they manufacture and the way they package their products as the pressure on providing alternative solutions has already started.

A brief history lesson

It is believed that the first commercial plastic was invented by Leo Baekeland in New York in 1907 (Bakelite). However, Alexander Parkes, an inventor from Birmingham, England, created Parkesine (celluloid) in 1862, which is, by some, often recognized as the first ever man-made plastic.

Plastics were low cost and easy to manufacture into a multitude of shapes and forms and, being impervious to water, plastics were hailed as the wonder material that kept our food products safe, our liquids from leaking and reduced the cost of expensive metal containers for over 100 years. But has that bubble burst?

2018 — Things are changing rapidly

Single-use plastics were once applauded but are now being shunned and seen as a blight on our land and in our oceans.

A day doesn’t go by without a new headline forcing change:

And it’s not just the food industry making the headlines. Plastics are used in many consumer products, cosmetics and healthcare, light-weight plastic bags, beverage containers, coffee capsules, toys, razor blades and plastic cutlery.

Some definitions

Single-use plastics are plastic materials that are disposable and generally used only once before they are thrown away or recycled. Interestingly, the only people who throw plastics away are us, humans!

Almost all plastics can be recycled in some manner. So, what’s the difference between recyclable, recoverable, biodegradable and compostable and what exactly is a bio-plastic? Hopefully, this will make things clearer:

  • Recycling: The collecting, cleaning and either converting it to be used as itself or to be converted into pellets, which are used to make other plastic products like chairs, imitation wood, even road surfaces. etc.
  • Recoverable: Put simply, burned as a fuel to create heat and steam to generate electricity.
  • Biodegradable: Often referred to as bio-based or degradable, the product will break down completely in the natural environment through the action of naturally occurring microorganisms but may leave a toxic residue. This is because the material only has to contain a percentage of degradable material, which allows it to break down the entire structure, leaving microparticles of non-degradable material.
  • Compostable: Capable of undergoing biological decomposition in a compost site such that the plastic is not visually distinguishable and breaks down to carbon dioxide, water, inorganic compounds, and biomass, at a rate consistent with known compostables and leaves no toxic residue. These materials cannot be simply thrown into your compost bins, they need to be taken to industrial composting sites.
  • Bio-Plastics polymers: Bio-based polymers or bio-plastics are plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, etc. The key feature of bioplastics is that they are compostable: they decay into natural materials that blend harmlessly with soil.

The effects on today’s manufacturers

The bioplastics industry is growing rapidly and will continue to accelerate due to the pressures being excerpted by social media and now by major manufacturers, retailers and government bodies. The current market is about $28 billion but expected to rise to $300 billion within 10 years, and I think that is likely to be surpassed.

So, should manufacturers be worried? The simple answer is no. The range of bio-plastics today offer similar, if not better, performance characteristics than their fossil fuel equivalents. But it is time to start planning since the reduction of single-use plastics in our products is likely to turn from a trend into a disruptor, and for those not able to react or change quickly enough, the future will be uncertain. So, it’s not just accepting that things will change but also ensuring that systems are in place to support that change.

I welcome comments on this or any other topic concerning process manufacturing.

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Ethnic Effects: Perseverance & Resilience

This is post #4 of 4 in the series, Ethnic Effects.

This summer, Getty Marrow undergraduate interns from JANM, La Plaza de Cultura y Artes, and the Italian American Museum of Los Angeles collaborated to create a collections-based project tasked with answering the question:

How have immigrants and subsequent generations shaped what it means to be  American?

The initial goal of the project was to highlight the agency of immigrants in shaping American identity. However, the interns’ submissions suggested that the answer to this specific question would not fully encapsulate the American experience of immigrants and their descendants. As a result, each intern approached this question from a different perspective and highlighted an artifact that touched upon different facets of the American experience and identity. In this post, Shelby Ottengheime and Jose Quirarte explore the complexity of “American identity” through ways that Japanese Americans preserved traditional Japanese values and institutions during World War II.

More specifically, Shelby and Jose selected items that demonstrate the ways in which Japanese Americans persevered while they were incarcerated during World War II by channeling the spirit of gaman—“persevering with dignity and fortitude.” Shelby highlighted a variety of craft items from JANM’s Eaton Collection and argued that the items reveal that gaman is integral to the Japanese American experience and that it manifested itself through various facets of their American experience. Jose highlighted a butsudan (Buddhist altar) made in the Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming between 1942-1945, and argued that it symbolized that Japanese immigrants and their children preserved their cultural values despite American oppression.

Assortment of Pendants and Rings

Contributed by: Shelby Ottengheime, Japanese American National Museum

Artist unknown, assortment of rings, 1942-1945.
Eaton Collection, 2015.100.140-145, Japanese American National Museum.

When reflecting on Japanese American history, a single word encapsulates generations of experiences, and that word is “gaman.” Though a seemingly simple expression, to the Japanese American community, it is a defining aspect. Gaman is translated as “to persevere with dignity and fortitude.” This cultural value is not only what enabled the Japanese American community to persevere through their injustices, but it has come to define what it means to be an American for them as well. In fact, it is so integral to Japanese American life that it even manifests itself in their actions, mottos, and art.

The Japanese American way of life has been historically characterized by hardship and adversity. As immigrants and laborers in the early 20th century, the Japanese came to the US in pursuit of the infamous American dream. However, discriminatory laws and social prejudice made it difficult for Issei’s (first generations Japanese Americans) to establish a home. Regardless of such hardships, like the fact that Issei were not legally allowed to own land, they persevered and built what they could with what they had.

The struggles that affected Japanese immigrants and subsequent generations are uniquely different from those experienced by any other immigrant community in US history and have ultimately shaped the Japanese American experience. This is referring to Executive Order 9066, which forcibly incarcerated all individuals living on the West Coast who were as little as 1/16th Japanese. Despite having done nothing wrong—there was “not a single documented act of espionage, sabotage, or treasonable activity by any American of Japanese descent”—over 120,000 innocent Japanese Americans were forced into concentration camps (Stone 1096). Fueled exclusively by prejudiced fear, E.O. 9066 was reasoned to protect Americans, however, those who were interned were US Citizens, and were effectively denied their rights simply because they were of Japanese ancestry.

With only a week’s notice, these Japanese Americans were forced from their homes and sent to desolate, barren concentration camps. Scared to be even more vilified and viewed as Japanese sympathizers, Japanese Americans complied with the US government and went to camp. Though they did not protest, that does not mean they went willingly, instead, they chose to gaman and persevere through the injustices that faced them. Each incarceree was allowed to bring a minimal amount of belongings, but they had no idea where they would be going or for how long they would be gone. As a result, Japanese Americans abandoned most of their possessions or left them in the care of neighbors. When they arrived at the concentration camps they were confronted with barbed wire, armed guards, a barren climate, poorly built living facilities, and an astounding lack of privacy. Even the food resembled nothing of home, offering no comfort to the incarcerees. However, one of the ways in which Japanese Americans were able to cope with their degrading and humiliating situation, was to create art. This artwork embodied their strength and their ability to persevere in an existence where they no longer had autonomy.

These visual representations of gaman reflect the indomitable resilience of Japanese Americans, and a large variety of the artwork was collected by Allen H. Eaton during World War II. Some of the pieces within the collection were mentioned in his book Beauty Behind Barbed Wire, which highlighted the art production by Japanese Americans while also pointing out that their constitutional rights were violated through their forced removal from the West Coast. However, years after Eaton died, in April of 2015, a family friend of Eaton’s tried to sell the collection at auction. This caused serious outrage across the Japanese American community, and through activism efforts, the insensitive sale of the “Eaton Collection” was stopped and alternatively transferred to the Japanese American National Museum.

Artist unknown, assortment of pendants, 1942-1945.
Eaton Collection, 2015.100.123-128, Japanese American National Museum.

The pieces within the Eaton Collection were not created by professional artists. The artwork produced by untrained incarcerees reflected the life and sentiments of the average Japanese American. It also showcased their artistic ingenuity and how “gaman” expressed itself within their art. Though art supplies were limited, Japanese Americans made do. They utilized their surroundings, finding colorful stones to set into rings and jewelry; onion strings to weave into patterns on cigarette cases; and excess wood from the hastily built barracks, which were shaped into complex carvings, depicting beautiful sakura trees with handsome cranes. These works not only helped the Japanese endure through their incarceration experience, but the artwork themselves directly mirror the Japanese American way of life and can be seen as a metaphor for the Japanese themselves. Both the Japanese and the wood plank were dismissed and seen as having no worth. However, with gaman, an object that has been discarded can transform and be seen as something beautiful and of value to society. This very aspect has come to define the Japanese American experience.

Not only was gaman apparent in their artwork, but that resilience continued to shape all aspects of Japanese American life and define what it meant for them to be an American. During World War II, many of the young men in camp enlisted in the US Army, choosing to fight overseas while their family members were still incarcerated. Their hope was to prove their “Americanness” and loyalty by fighting for their country: the United States of America. These Nisei (second-generation Japanese Americans) were assigned to the 442nd Infantry Regiment, an almost entirely Japanese American battalion. Their motto “Go for Broke” was an extension of the Japanese gaman-mentality. The unit’s fortitude and success reflected this value of perseverance, and against all odds, the 442nd became the most decorated combat unit in the history of the US military.
The cultural value of perseverance and honorable endurance has defined the Japanese American life since their initial immigration to the US. Facing hardship, prejudice, and blatant governmental acts of racism, Japanese Americans have continually used gaman to persevere. Gaman has become so instilled in the Japanese American identity that it expresses itself in multiple aspects of their culture; in their art, their mottos, and it even continues to mold their lives and values today. Ultimately, gaman has come to define the Japanese American experience and shaped what it means for them to be an American.

Contributed by: Jose Quirarte, Japanese American National Museum

Obutsudan, by Shinzaburo and Gentaro Nishiura, 1942-1945.
Gift of the Gilroy Buddhist Community Hall, 2001.392.1A,
Japanese American National Museum.

The butsudan is a Buddhist altar often found in temples and homes. Shinzaburo & Gentaro Nishiura handrafted this particular butsudan during World War II at the Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming. It is composed of the gokuden (“Palace Hall”), shumiden (“Sumeru Throne”), and the naijin, or inner area. The gokuden is the large wooden cabinet that houses the gohonzon, or “principle object of reverence,” and includes the two wooden doors that fold center outward and back. The shumiden is the large wooden pedestal that the gokuden sits on, and the naijin includes three altars: the center altar which houses the gohonzon, and the altars on the left and right which house scrolls depicting significant Buddhist figures.

Shinzaburo & Gentaro Nishiura were two carpenters from San Jose, California who were imprisoned at the Heart Mountain concentration camp. Before the war, the Nishiura brothers were responsible for constructing many buildings for the Japanese American community in San Jose, and the greater Santa Clara area. The Nishiura brothers continued their contributions to the Japanese American community in camp by working in the Heart Mountain cabinet shop. In 1943, with the blessing of Reverend Chikaro Aso, the Nishiura brothers installed their handcrafted butsudan in the Block-8 Buddhist Church of Heart Mountain. Through the efforts of Reverend Aso, the butsudan found its way to the Gilroy Buddhist Church in Gilroy, CA, and was eventually donated to JANM by the Gilroy Buddhist Community Hall in 2001.

The creation and use of this butsudan in one of America’s concentration camps is a prime example symbol of the perseverance of the Japanese American spirit during their years of incarceration. On one hand, The practice of Buddhism provided a sense of normalcy for some Japanese Americans through the chaos surrounding their removal and incarceration. On the other, the creation of this butsudan in camp signified the importance of Japanese values and the way Japanese Americans preserved them. Due to Japanese Americans only being allowed to bring to camp what they could carry, many of them only brought the necessities. In order to continue to practice their faith, the Nishiura brothers showed their ingenuity by creating their own religious items out of the materials they had at their disposal. As a result, the artistry from within the barbed wire fences of camp are a symbol in and of themselves of Japanese American resilience during World War II.

These examples demonstrate that the craft items made in camp are themselves symbolic of the American experience, and the resilience and resistance of immigrants against systematic discrimination and oppression. As Shelby mentioned, most of the crafts made in camp were not made by professional artists. The craft items that Shelby highlighted in the Eaton Collection, were mostly made of material that the prisoners could find and turn either into a useful tool or art. Not only are the crafts representative of the Japanese value of gaman, but the creation of crafts, tools, and religious items in an environment of immense discrimination and oppression reveals a symbolic theme of the American immigrant experience: that immigrants often have to survive the harsh conditions of America by using whatever is at their disposal.

The fact that this butsudan was made in one of America’s concentration camps demonstrated that Japanese Americans held onto traditional institutions and values, and were intent on preserving them. The elegant looking materials that were used to craft the butsudan made it clear that the butsudan was a significant religious relic. Furthermore, in contrast to the crafts in the Eaton Collection, the butsudan was crafted by highly trained professionals who had a history of preserving Japanese institutions and contributing to the Japanese community in Santa Clara County. The butsudan itself speaks to the larger American immigrant experience as immigrant populations attempted to integrate their own culture into their lives in America. Rather than assimilating or converting to Christianity, practicing Buddhists, within the walls of a concentration camp that “otherized” them and implied they were dangerous, maintained their religious values and actively crafted a traditional altar.

The fact that Japanese Americans were able to preserve their traditions and institutions despite being imprisoned in America’s concentration camps reveals the complexity of the “American identity.” Shelby’s application of how the Japanese value of gaman was reflected in Japanese American craftsmanship made in camp, and Jose’s example of the butsudan demonstrate that Japanese values and cultural touchstones were essential to the identity of Japanese American prisoners. As a result, Japanese American identity was a blend of both their traditional culture and the values of American society. Japanese Americans did not totally assimilate or abandon their culture in America’s “melting pot.” Instead, they preserved their values and institutions in a new amalgamated and complex “American identity.”

If you would like to learn more about craftsmanship in camp and gaman, you should read Delphine Hirasuna’s book, The Art of Gaman: Arts & Crafts from the Japanese American Internment Camps. If you would like to know more about the Eaton Collection, you can view photos of the collection here, and check out JANM’s traveling display titled Contested Histories: Art and Artifacts from the Allen Hendershott Eaton Collection.

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5 Ways to Celebrate Black History Month

Posted by Allison Kinney-Walker Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021

This blog is sponsored by the Social Justice and Inclusion Council at Nebraska Methodist College. The council was formed in 2017 with the purpose of fostering a socially just and inclusive NMC community and establish full and equal participation of all groups in a society mutually shaped to meet their needs. Over the past several years, the council has facilitated many programs, including implicit bias training, hosting guest speakers and conducting surveys in order to work towards our goal. Blue water color circle with the words "Social Justice & Inclusion" centered in the middle

February 2021 marks the 95th anniversary of Black History Month, an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans. To bring awareness to this designated month, the Council created a list of 5 ways to celebrate Black History Month.

Portrait of Carter G. Woodson1. Research

Learn more about the origins of Black History Month. Black History Month started as Negro History Week in 1926 by Carter G. Woodson. Woodson was a prominent African-American Harvard-trained historian who was the son of former slaves. His impetus for celebrating Black history was realizing African-American contributions were overlooked, ignored and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and teachers. Still today, it's important for our country to celebrate Black History Month in order to remember and recognize the contributions of African-Americans around the world.

image-png-2 2. Read

Amanda Gorman was the Inaugural Poet at the Inauguration in January 2021. Her poem inspired many and was one of the highlights of the ceremony. Read some of her works or many other amazing Black writers. Here is a great list to get you started.

3. Watch

Whether you have Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, HBO Max or Disney+, there are excellent films out there to watch this month in honor of Black History Month. If you're looking for a family film to watch with your children, consider Soul on Disney+. If you're looking to learn more about Fred Hampton and the Black Panther Party, check out Judas and the Black Messiah. Here's a list of more great films.

4. Support

Another way to celebrate Black History Month is to support Black-owned businesses in the community. If you live in Omaha, there are many great businesses to check out. Need some popcorn to pair with one of the movies listed above? Grab some popcorn from Huskerland Popcorn. Here's a list of more local Black-owned businesses.

An upside down pink triangle with the words "Black Pink" written in the center5. Give

Give your time, talents or money to an organization that supports the Black community. is a great resource to discover volunteer and philanthropic opportunities. Here's a list of Black-led or Black-benefitting organizations. No matter what you do this month, we encourage you to be intentional about recognizing and supporting the achievements of the Black community. Although Black History Month is recognized one month during the year, we believe these actions should be taken year-round with equal vigor.

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What Is ‘Juice’ In Sports Betting?

Juice. Vigorish. Take. Cut. Vig. The Rake. These are all terms used for the percentage the house takes from a bet, with that tax representing the primary reason why bookmaking is a profitable business.

Vegas shines bright in the desert because of the juice that gaming operators attach to every type of bet — from football games to horse races to the roulette wheel. However, most bettors don’t understand the concept of juice, which represents part of the explanation why the majority of bettors are not profitable long term.

The math behind juice is simple, and critical for all bettors to understand.

Consider a basketball game with Team X as a 3.5-point favorite over Team Y. Whether bettors want to wager on Team X -3.5 or Team Y +3.5, the bet will rarely be offered at even money — and never on both sides (the +3.5 and -3.5). In most cases, oddsmakers will offer each side at -110.

What this means is a bet that is theoretically even in probability (ex. a coin flip) is offered at -110, meaning bettors have to spend $110 to win $100.

That $10 on the $100 bet is the “juice,” with bookies essentially taking a little over 9% on each transaction (or 10 / 110).

From a bookmaking perspective, the theory is that if they run a perfectly balanced book offering a vig of 9%, they will make a profit of 9%.

For bettors, this means they have to win at more than 50% on what are essentially even-money propositions to be profitable bettors. The higher the juice, the higher the break-even win rate becomes:

• Bettors taking juice of -105 need to win 51.2% of their bets to profit long term
• Bettors taking juice of -110 need to win 52.4% of their bets to profit long term
• Bettors taking juice of -120 need to win 54.6% of their bets to profit long term
• Bettors taking juice of -130 need to win 56.5% of their bets to profit long term

Betting without accounting for the juice can be the difference between winning and losing. Smart bettors understand that value derives not only from the number of the spread but the vigorish being taken by the bookmaker.

Using the earlier example, taking Team Y +3.5 at -110 may have value, but taking the same team and same number at -130 has less value — and perhaps no value at all.

Bookmakers go in with an advantage over bettors in every market. It is an advantage, though, that can be overcome. Unlike casino games — where the rake is constant in every market — sports bettors and horse bettors can beat the house. One of the first steps to doing so is by being aware of the juice the bookmakers take and knowing you have to win more to succeed in the long run.

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Active directory support for Yii framework

2013-11-07: version 1.0 check documentation at:

Check this tutorial to know how to map user roles using AD information.

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Konrad Fedorczyk

I'm interested in programming and gamedev. I especially luv HTML5 and everything connected to web technologies.

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