text:
Lesser Known Natural Wonders

Everyone’s heard of The Grand Canyon and Mount Everest, but what about Turkmenistan’s Gates of Hell or Madagascar’s Tsingy of Bemaraha? Here are 10 places you never knew you wanted to visit.

Home | About | Suggest | Contact | Team | Links | Privacy | Disclosure
Advertise | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Sites We Like

Awesome Stuff: The Awesomer | Gadgets, Games & Geeks: Technabob | Cool Cars: 95Octane
Site Design & Content © 2008-2021 Awesomer Media / The Awesomer™
Visit our Friends at: Not Always Right


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Identified-Payload-Type: text/html

WARC-Type: response

text:
Teens React to Windows 95

The Fine Brothers‘ React series puts a group of teenagers in front of thoroughly outdated mid-90s computers to see if they can figure their way around these recent technological dinosaurs. Can you imagine how many floppies Fallout 4 would have needed to install?

Home | About | Suggest | Contact | Team | Links | Privacy | Disclosure
Advertise | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Sites We Like

Awesome Stuff: The Awesomer | Gadgets, Games & Geeks: Technabob | Cool Cars: 95Octane
Site Design & Content © 2008-2021 Awesomer Media / The Awesomer™
Visit our Friends at: Not Always Right

warcinfo:
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2021-04
publisher: Common Crawl
description: Wide crawl of the web for January 2021
operator: Common Crawl Admin (info@commoncrawl.org)
hostname: ip-10-67-67-226.ec2.internal
software: Apache Nutch 1.17 (modified, https://github.com/commoncrawl/nutch/)
robots: checked via crawler-commons 1.2-SNAPSHOT (https://github.com/crawler-commons/crawler-commons)
format: WARC File Format 1.1
conformsTo: http://iipc.github.io/warc-specifications/specifications/warc-format/warc-1.1/


text:
World’s Biggest Firework

This already impressive Japanese fireworks display is distinguished by the launch of a massive 4-foot diameter, 1,014 pound firework, which explodes in all of its glory at about the 3:20 mark. That’s no firework, it’s a freaking bomb.

Home | About | Suggest | Contact | Team | Links | Privacy | Disclosure
Advertise | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Sites We Like

Awesome Stuff: The Awesomer | Gadgets, Games & Geeks: Technabob | Cool Cars: 95Octane
Site Design & Content © 2008-2021 Awesomer Media / The Awesomer™
Visit our Friends at: Not Always Right


text:
Skip to content

Smoky Quartz and Wood Stretchy Cord Bracelets (2) - Focus & Ground

Availability: translation missing: en.general.icons.icon_check_circle icon Only 1 left!

Notify me when back in stock

2 Bracelet Set: Smoky Quartz and Sterling Silver Bead for Focus //  Teak Wood Beads for Grounding!

Protect, purify and ground yourself!  This is a great combo of gem energy, wood and metal - keep you balanced and focused!

  • Stretchy cord bracelet fits up to 7” inch wrist.
  • 12mm Smoky Quartz faceted beads and sterling silver Bali bead focal
  • 12mm teak wood beads


text:
This too shall pass!

May is National Mental Health Month and worldwide, depression is one of the leading causes of health issues.

As the COVID Quarantine continues to reshape my Medicare clients’ lives and lives all and around the world, it’s important to remember the importance of self care, both mental and physical, during these challenges times.

Equally, important, to keep our emotions in perspective, to recognize no matter how great things are going or no matter how many challenges there are in our lives, things will change.

In times of struggle, it is so easy to lose perspective and compare our lives with those who appear to be doing so much better than us, financially, emotionally, physically.

Remember to keep life in perspective. Give thanks for what you do have and find ways to help others. Re-frame, serve others, give thanks and repeat. That’s all we can do.

Here is an article that can help: How to Stay Optimistic When Everything Seems Wrong


text:
SEND US A TIP!CLICK OR 844.412.5278
Derick Dillard shares a beautiful smile at the camera and he is dressed in a blue T-shirt with a striped tie to match.

‘Counting On’: Derick Dillard Opens Up On The Restrictions He & Jill Duggar Went Through

Gettyimages | D Dipasupil
By Favour

Derick Dillard has been at odds with TLC and the entire Duggar family for weeks now, and there is no telling for how long this will last. The television star is married to the love of his life, Jill Duggar, but that does not mean that he is married to her family as he ceases any opportunity to call them out for what they put he and his wife through. It’s amazing the things that can go wrong with people who once called themselves family in a blink of an eye.

Derick Dillard & Jill Duggar look incredible in this photo as they snuggle close to each other.
Gettyimages | D Dipasupil

In the continuous war with TLC and the Duggar family, Dillard recently revealed the type of restrictions she and his wife had to go through while on the show. According to InTouch Weekly, Dillard is now where near done with the network and his wife’s family.

In a recent interview, Dillard disclosed that when it came to announcing personal events in his life or Duggar’s, they were restricted to the official channels only. He went on to say that these life events included when they were expecting a baby.

A lovely photo of Derick Dillard and his wife, Jill Duggar smiling profusely while speaking to a man in suit.
Gettyimages | D Dipasupil

While speaking with “Without a Crystal Ball” on YouTube, Dillard kept opening up on the unnecessary things his in-laws, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar put he and his wife through.

The reality star appeared on “Counting On” and “19 Kids & Counting” with his wife, but unconfirmed reports revealed that Dillard was fired from the series after a while.

The restrictions that Dillard and Duggar has to face was no doubt hurtful because people had to hear about their life events from other sources.

“We weren’t even allowed to be the first ones to announce our own life events; our marriage, our childbirths, our genders of our children.” Dillard mentioned in the interview.

He also went on to say that he if was given the chance to go through experiences again, he would choose to announce his life events by himself and not through official channels. Unfortunately, Dillard would not get that chance, but hopefull,my, his children will be given that opportunity on a platter of gold.

A beautiful photo of pregnant Jill Duggar looking up at Derick Dillard passionately.
Gettyimages | D Dipasupil

Still on the issue of taking shots at TLC and his in-laws, Dillard further revealed that he and his wife were on the same page. They had always felt like they were being controlled, especially when it came to their personal lives.

For a while now, Dillard has continuously expressed his disappointment with his in-laws and the horrible events they put he and his wife through. The first time he mentioned this, was when he revealed that he and his wife were not allowed in the family home unless Bob is present.

Load Comments
Next Article


text:
Published Gamebooks I've worked on:

Some writing communities I'm involved with:

Somethin's Brewin'!

...Actually over on another blog, rather than here ;)

Laura Thomas has been kind enough to interview me over at her fuonlyknew blog and host a giveaway! It may well be my biggest interview yet, and I talk about all sorts of things such as the history behind the writing of The Dark Horde (spanning over twenty years), the forthcoming musical based on it, and hints at some of the other things I've been working on. The contest (to win signed paperback copies of my award-winning horror novel) ends December 14th.

You can read the full article HERE.

Continue reading
3593 Hits


text:
Back Porch Table

Buffalo Bayou Takes Houston Beer Scene to New Heights

Pooja Salhotra
Click the Buzz Me button to receive email notifications when this writer publishes a new article or a new article in this column is published.
View from Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co.

The third-floor rooftop of the new Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. brewery offers stunning views of downtown Houston. (Photo: Pooja Salhotra)

Whoever said Houston isn’t beautiful hasn’t seen the skyline views from the rooftop of Buff Brew.

The three-story facility at 2101 Summer Street opened its doors on Nov. 1 and has been a weekend hotspot ever since. At sunset, natural light reflects off of the glass showcasing Houston’s downtown skyline and offers a photo-worthy backdrop to a happy hour with friends. At night, the lights from downtown skyscrapers sparkle, offering a romantic vibe for couples enjoying bites and beer on a couch by one of the fire pits.

The new outpost – the second for Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. – is truly a melting pot of experiences and people.

“If you were to sit here on a Saturday, from say 2–4 p.m., and just watch, you’d see the most diverse group of people come through,” says Damien Franco, the brewery’s marketing manager. “Millennials, gen X’ers, older people, people with families.”

Arash Kharat, Damian Franco

Executive Chef Arash Kharat and Marketing Manager Damien Franco enjoy time on the rooftop. (Photo: Pooja Salhotra)

Each of the three floors has something different to offer. On the first, visitors are greeted by a cutout of the brewery’s mascot, a buffalo. Here, a sign tells visitors to “grab a beer as you walk in so you don’t die of thirst in the staircase.” Soon to come on the first floor – in the next two to three weeks, says Damien – is a dog-friendly patio with picnic tables.

The second floor is occupied by a full-service restaurant, led by executive chef Arash Kharat, who was previously the head chef at Beaver’s. In the top 30 percent of sales, says Arash, is the pizza. The dough goes through a 72-hour cold fermentation process, making for light and fluffy pizza that goes down well with beer.

The pizza has been a hit at the new brewery. (Photo: Pooja Salhotra)

“You can eat the whole thing and are not going to feel full and want to go to sleep,” says Arash. “I always tell people, you go out somewhere, you each have one slice and you’re done because you’ve had beer too. These pizzas though, you can crush it.”

Also popular on the menu: the beet and goat cheese salad. “It’s in the top 30 percent of sellers. In a brewery. It’s nuts,” Arash said.

But perhaps this is to be expected, for Buffalo Bayou Brewery is anything but ordinary. Just take a look at what’s on tap.  When I visited, nothing I tried sounded like an ale I’d had before. There were flavors reminiscent of Thanksgiving, such as the Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Spice Latte and Joyful Almond, plus more fruity drinks like the Y’alloha – blond ale with mango, pineapple and passionfruit that, as Damian aptly said, “tastes like juice.”

Rassul Zarinfar

Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. founder and CEO Rassul Zarinfar prepares to dig into the beet and goat cheese salad. (Photo: Pooja Salhotra)

In total, Buff Brew has more than 70 different beers, with 25 on tap on the third floor and more than 30 on tap on the second floor.

One month after the opening, the Buff Brew team seemed pleased with what they’ve created but eager for what’s still to come.

“This is just the beginning,” said Arash. “I think we are being very safe right now. It’s a good start, but we’re going to have a lot more fun.”

Pooja Salhotra

Writer Pooja Salhotra enjoyed the rooftop experience.

The new Buffalo Bayou Brewing Co. brewery is open Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-midnight and Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m. – 2 a.m. The kitchen closes at 11 p.m. every day.

People in this article:

To leave a comment, please log in or create an account with The Buzz Magazines, Disqus, Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Or you may post as a guest.


text:
Why So Much Fuss About the Trinity, Part 4: Jesus the Prayer & Praise Receiving God

Share It :

Why So Much Fuss About the Trinity, Part 4: Jesus the Prayer & Praise Receiving God

In light of our last study, covering the reality of Jesus’ self-existence, we will now look at what that means, as it concerns how we should relate to Him. If indeed Jesus is Jehovah [Yahweh], this reveals clearly, why He would be worshipped throughout the entire Bible. This is significant, the reason being that if Jesus is anything but God, in the highest sense, if He is created, begotten, brought into existence, at some point far back during the ceaseless ages of eternity, so far back that it is almost like eternity, then He still is not worthy of worship. The reason is that He would not be God in the highest sense. Remember that Ellen White states “Christ was God essentially, and in the highest sense. He was with God from all eternity, God over all, blessed forevermore.”[1] A dissection of this statement is pivotal.

God Essentially

Firstly, “Christ is God essentially…” meaning that He is God in nature, in His very essence or to the core of his being. Yet, just in case someone might say, that means “He is God because the Father gave Him the power, to exist in that way,” we must look at the second part of the statement “and in the highest sense…” This means that as it relates to every aspect, in which the Father is God, to the highest degree, so is Christ. One aspect being that the Father was never begotten, everyone can agree on that point. If that is the case, that is the very reason why we must be careful in our understanding of word “begotten”, as it relates to Jesus Christ. Even if someone was wrestling with the first two parts of the statement, Ellen White goes on to say plainly “He was with God from all eternity…” How can One exist “from all eternity,” yet be begotten, in the sense of how many Anti-Trinitarians define “being begotten?” Respectfully, I would say that it is a contradiction. If Jesus is somehow not God, in the same way that God the Father is (as it relates to power and existence), this means that He is inferior in some way, or to some degree, and as a result, He is not God in the highest sense. This is why Ellen White uses some of the same concepts, redundantly in her writings, to make it clear who Jesus is. For Jesus to be inferior in any degree, as to what it means to be God, means that He may be supernatural, as angels are, but not God. The moment that a certain form of theology gets into the arena of an entity being created, or generated, is the moment eternal existence falls out of the picture; you cannot have both. Consequently, whatever wording we may use to explain that entity, it is not worthy of worship. It has fallen from the realm of the infinite to that of the finite. Someone cannot choose, to give someone else the ability, to exist from all eternity.

In light of that which we touched on above, it is vital for us to realize that the very reason Jesus is worthy of worship, is due to the fact, that he is eternal God, not a begotten God. In this article, we will look at a few instances in which he was worshipped or acknowledged as God, spanning from the Old Testament to the New Testament. There is a potent principle laid out in the John 1:18, that helps us to understand the gravity of who Jesus was in the Old Testament, as I touched on, at the end of the last article. In the King James Version of the Bible, John 1:18 states “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.” In the English Standard Version, it says the same thing, this way “No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” In the New Living Translation, it says the theology behind the verse, even more directly, by saying “No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.”

The God that no one has seen, just by looking at the verse contextually, is the Father. This means that from the fall of man, all the way to the incarnation, no human being has ever seen God the Father. It is true that before the fall, Adam and Eve did have direct communion with the Father, for there was no sin separating them from seeing His face. However, after the transgression of our first parents, no man or woman since that time has ever seen the Father. This then begs the question, who was the God, who revealed Himself in the Old Testament? The book Desire of Ages, answers this question very clearly. It states:

“Ever since Adam’s sin, the human race had been cut off from direct communion with God [the Father]; the communication between heaven and earth had been through Christ; but now that Jesus had come “in the likeness of sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), the Father Himself spoke [at Jesus’ baptism]. He had before communicated with humanity through Christ; now He communicated with humanity in Christ. Satan had hoped that God’s abhorrence of evil would bring an eternal separation between heaven and earth. But now it was manifest that the connection between God and man had been restored.”[2]

Notice the statement, speaking in the context of the incarnation, states that before the incarnation, God the Father communicated with man “through” Christ. Meaning that the One who spoke to Moses from the burning bush, was not the Father, but the Son. Jesus was the instrumentality, through which God communicated His messages to mankind in all the Old Testament. Hence, we read these two statements concerning Jesus in relation to the burning bush, and the guidance of Israel, by the pillar of fire by night, and the pillar of cloud by day:

“This great purpose [alluding to the coming of Christ in human form] had been shadowed forth in types and symbols. The burning bush, in which Christ appeared to Moses, revealed God.”[3] Notice according to this statement, Christ was already fulfilling John 1:18, by revealing the Father, in the Old Testament. Jesus was the One communicating with Moses in the burning bush.

The second statement concerning Mount Sinai, goes as follows “All the communion between heaven and the fallen race has been through Christ… Christ was not only the leader of the Hebrews in the wilderness—the Angel in whom was the name of Jehovah, and who, veiled in the cloudy pillar, went before the host—but it was He who gave the law to Israel. Amid the awful glory of Sinai, Christ declared in the hearing of all the people the ten precepts of His Father’s law. It was He who gave to Moses the law engraved upon the tables of stone.”[4]

This is an intense revelation, because if all communication between the Father and man was through Christ, then Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, the rest of the patriarchs and prophets, even all of Israel, when they worshipped or prayed, they were worshipping Jesus. He was the God leading them. The I AM, of the Old Testament. When the people fell prostrate to pay homage to the God leading them, it was Christ they were paying homage to. As established before, they could rightfully do this, because of Christ’s eternality. As eternal God, He had the perfect right to receive such worship. He was the self-existent God of the Old Testament, self-existent meaning, that the only one He depended on for His existence, was Himself.

Worship of Christ in the New Testament

The powerful thing about Jesus in the New Testament, is that even in light of His condescension through becoming man, He was still worthy of worship, because He was still eternal God. His condescension did not change His status, and what was due to Him. In John 9, concerning the story of the man born blind, we see a perfect example of Christ receiving worship. In this situation, after the man who was born blind was healed by Jesus, he was brought before the leaders of the Jewish nation to testify, but they rejected his testimony. A little later when Jesus came to him again, it is startling to see what takes place, in light of the subject we are covering. John 9:35-38 states:

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.

In light of the statement “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him” the NIV Application Commentary states

The blind man thus becomes a model of every believer who embraces Jesus’ lordship and suffers persecution as a result. This is evident particularly in the double use of the Greek word kyrios in 9:36 and 38. In the first instance, kyrios simply means “sir” (NIV), to reflect the respect the man has for Jesus. But once Jesus unveils the true meaning of his personhood, the man’s attitude is transformed. Thus in 9:38 kyrios (“Lord”) parallels Thomas’s attitude of worship in 20:28; both men recognize that they are standing before a revelation of God.[5]

Notice, Jesus in this passage, is not just perceived as a channel through which God works, but far greater than this, He is seen as a revelation of God, and is worshiped as such by the blind man.

This leads into our last revelation of someone acknowledging Jesus as God in this article, but it is definitely not the last acknowledgment of Him as such, in the New Testament. It is seen at the latter part of the gospel of John, covering Thomas’ encounter with Jesus, after His resurrection. John 20: 25 states, that Thomas because he was not there to see when Jesus came to the twelve disciples, said “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” Eight days later however, Jesus appeared again to his disciples, and this time Thomas was with them. Jesus, revealing that He heard what Thomas said, eight days prior, said to Thomas “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” (John 20:27) The response of Thomas, to this revelation, baffles the mind of many. Right there in that moment, Thomas ascended in His understanding of who Jesus was. Can you imagine, before this moment, Thomas saw Jesus raise others from the dead, but now Jesus Himself, the One who died a few days prior, was standing before him. In such an earth-shattering moment, we would all probably exclaim what Thomas said. No doubt, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Thomas exclaimed “My Lord and my God.” Concerning the statement “My Lord and my God” the New American Commentary states:

“Thomas’ response forms the high point of the confession in the Gospel [of John]. What it does is bring the gospel full circle from the Prologue, where it is emphatically said that the “Word was God” (John 1:1) to this confession, “My Lord and my God.” In the process of writing the gospel the evangelist has proclaimed that Jesus was active in creation (1:2), the Word who became incarnate/enfleshed (1:14), the sin-bearing Lamb of God (1:29, 36), the Messiah (1:41; 4:25-26), the Son of God (1:48) …the Son of Man (9:35) …the bearer of truth (18:37), the crucified King (19:15), the risen Lord (20:20) and God (20:20).”[6]

In conclusion, via this article, we have seen that Jesus was indeed the self-existent God of the Old Testament. Because He is the self-existent One, He received worship, all throughout the Old Testament. It was not necessarily because of His power to provide for Israel, and work miracles for them, that He was worthy of worship. More than the superiority of miracle-working/physical power was the fact that He had that power because of His superior essence, meaning that Jesus is eternal in essence or by nature. All of the powers that He may possess as God, flows from this one reality. His eternal power, provision, all of His abilities that never wanes, stems from the reality that He is endless. For this reason, Jesus, like His Father, is worthy of worship, for both are eternal. And for this very reason, He has and forever will be worthy of worship, even from the time of His incarnation onward. From His eternal being, came His eternal power, to work glorious miracles, and for this reason, we read concerning His usage of that power, that

“neither did he hesitate to accept the honor offered him on these occasions [moments when he cleansed the leper or calmed the sea], nor seek to divert the minds of the people from himself, as though his miracles were not wrought by His own power.”[7]

He was worthy of the honor, for He knew that His infinite power to work miracles, was coming from the fact, that He was the infinite God.

Read the rest of Akeem’s series on the Trinity

[1] Ellen White, The Word Made Flesh, (The Review and Herald, April 5, 1906), pg.8

[2] Ellen White, Desire of Ages (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1898) 116.

[3] Ellen White, Desire of Ages (Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press, 1898) 23.

[4] Ellen White, Patriarchs and Prophets (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association) 366.

[5] Burge, Gary M., The NIV Application Commentary: John, (Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI 2000) 276.

[6] Borchet, Gerald L., The American Commentary: Vol. 25B: John 12-21, (Broadman & Holman Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee 2002) 314, 315.

[7] White, Ellen, Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, (Battle Creek, MI: Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, 1878) 277.

Share It :

About the author

Akeem James

Akeem James is originally from Trinidad and Tobago, and has lived in the United States since 2001. At the age of 16, he surrendered his life to Jesus Christ, and became a Seventh-day Adventist. Currently, he obtained his Masters in Divinity degree from Andrews University and is the director of Ultimate Cry Ministries.


text:
Rob Stothard/Getty Images
Artillery Row

Is British democracy poised to become a more equal fight?

Will equal sized constituencies redraw the electoral battle map?

The Boundary Commission starts work today on a review of parliamentary constituencies. The last successful review was implemented in time for the 2010 general election and was based on population data from 2000. This new review uses Office of National Statistics data from March 2020 (which registered a record-sized electorate of 47.6 million), to bring greater electoral responsiveness to demographic change. Any general election called after July 2023 will be fought using these new boundaries.

What are the likely differences that the review will make to constituencies and which parties stand to profit from the redrawing of boundaries?

Firstly, much has changed since 2011 when the Cameron-Clegg coalition announced – but never enacted – a reduction of the House of Commons from 650 to 600 MPs. There is nothing sacred about 650 as a number: in 1918 there were 707 MPs but by 1922 only 615 after southern Ireland ceased to be represented; but for most of the two centuries since 1800 the total has fluctuated quite narrowly between 630 and 670.  Reducing the size of the House to 600 would, therefore, have been a significant reform.

Self-interest more than honouring historical precedence motivated Westminster to derail so dramatic a reduction and Boundary Commission proposals in 2013 and 2018 were ditched. That saga has been concluded with the passage of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020 last December, establishing in law that the size of the Commons will remain at 650.

The 2020 Act reaffirms the boundary integrity of three island constituencies: Orkney and Shetland, Na h-Eileanan an Iar (the Outer Hebrides) and the Isle of Wight (which will have two constituencies within it) and adds to this protected list Ynys Môn (Anglesey). For all other constituencies, the Boundary Commission is tasked with creating constituencies of more equal size.

As a result, the Boundary Commission has confirmed that England will gain ten new seats, taking its total to 543 constituencies. The Commission has announced it will review boundaries on the basis that the ‘quota’ size for each should be 73,393, with a variation permissible within 5 percent. So – apart from the protected island constituencies – no constituency will have fewer than 69,724 or more than 77,062 electors.

Achieving constituencies of this near uniform size cannot be a cookie-cutter operation or an attempt at psephology through blind algorithm. So long as it is within the 5 percent ‘quota’ range, the Commission still has latitude to also give due consideration to the relevance of existing boundaries, special geographical considerations, existing or prospective local government boundaries, the danger of breaking local ties and the inconveniences that change may bring. Wherever possible, it should it mindful of these factors.

When the Parliamentary Constituencies Act was passed last month, Chloe Smith, the constitution minister, said, “more equally sized constituencies is a sensible policy that will make our elections fairer, ensuring that people from all four nations of the UK have equal representation in Parliament.” For Wales and Scotland, this more equal representation will mean fewer MPs.

Scotland used to be significantly over-represented with 72 MPs, supposedly to compensate for being far away from Westminster and without its own legislature. In time for the 2005 general election this was cut to 59 to better reflect the UK-average size and in recognition of the revival of Scotland’s own parliament. The Boundary Commission for Scotland has confirmed that the new review will lop-off another two constituencies. Inevitably this is never welcomed where it appears to remove an advantage. The prospect of losing two Scottish seats “to the advantage of England” warned SNP MP David Linden in November, “strikes me as being wholly unfair.”

The big change is in Wales. The initially limited nature of devolution there allowed the principality to escape a cull. But the powers of what was originally the Welsh Assembly (now officially, Seneed Cymru) have increased and consequently Wales’s over-representation at Westminster will end. As a result, the Boundary Commission for Wales has announced a cut from 40 Welsh MPs to 32. By contrast, Northern Ireland will continue to have 18 MPs (to Sinn Fein’s delight an attempt by the Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland in 2018 to cut representation to 17 was struck down by the Court of Appeal).

Assuming that the courts do not determine otherwise on the mainland, what will these changes mean for the main parties? Lord Hayward, the Conservative peer and elections expert, calculates that on a 2019 voting pattern, the new boundaries would have added between 5 and 10 Conservative MPs. In the context of Johnson’s current majority, that is hardly a decisive shift. But it might have made a difference in the event of a hung parliament (in 2017 Theresa May ended up 8 seats short of a majority).

All gain/loss estimates are necessarily caveated, not least because the voting pattern at the next general election is unlikely to be a facsimile of 2019. The calculation would change if, for example, the Tories leak votes in the former “Red Wall” of northern constituencies they won and which, however drawn, revert to pre-Corbyn voting traditions at the next election. But there may be less pressure on the Conservatives from Remain-focused voters in southern constituencies. At this distance, no psephologist can make precise calculations about how boundary realignments may accentuate or diminish such shifts.

Voters throughout the United Kingdom will be more equally represented than at any time in the history of British democracy

However, the historic experience of Labour MPs being over-represented because of the smaller size of inner-city constituencies is less true than it was a decade or more ago. The new May 2020 data shows that Bristol West (held by William Wadegrave until 1997 but where by 2019 the Conservatives were trailing-in third behind Labour and the Greens), now has almost 100,000 electors, 13 percent larger than the number registered in December 2019. Other super-sized and still growing constituencies include Sheffield Central (safe Labour), Leeds Central (safe Labour) and Battersea (a more marginal Labour hold), each of which recorded electorate rises of between 10 and 12 percent over the same period. In such areas, boundary redistribution is likely to create more Labour MPs.

In Wales, where the revision will have the greatest impact, Lord Hayward points out that, “last time, most of these Tory gains were in North Wales in below quota-sized constituencies. But the majority of the 22 Welsh seats that Labour held on to are equally small. So, on balance, Labour should expect to lose more seats than the Conservatives in Wales.”

In Scotland, the loss of two constituencies is likely to hit the SNP. Of the seven SNP-held seats in inner Glasgow, the electorate ranges from 57,000 (Glasgow North) to over 70,000 (Glasgow South) and, calculates Lord Hayward, “Glasgow and its environs will lose at least one seat”. By contrast, “most of the Scottish Conservative-held seats are roughly the right size” so Hayward is more sanguine about the consequence of boundary changes in rural areas where the Tories are still the incumbents. Banff & Buchan (66,000 electorate; Conservative 4,000 majority over the SNP) is nevertheless among those facing redrawn boundaries.

Although there are four different Boundary Commissions, one for each of the four nations, they are working to a near identical methodology which treats all of the UK on an equal basis. They all expect to conclude their reviews by the early summer. Thereafter the consultation period with the public (and political parties) will follow, with a final report, including whatever changes the consultation period may persuade the Commission to make, being sent to the Speaker of the Commons by July 2023.

The final report will be enacted – without the right of political amendment – through what is inelegantly called “automaticity,” the 2020 Parliamentary Constituencies Act having removed the right of MPs to first vote on the changes. Thus, when the Boundary Commission’s final report is concluded that is the end of the matter – no political pressure can be applied to derail or divert the constituency map it creates. Voters throughout the United Kingdom will be more equally represented than at any time in the history of British democracy. Whether they will feel greater affinity to the constituency in which they find themselves – let alone the MP it elects – is another matter.

Enjoying The Critic online? It's even better in print

Try three issues of Britain’s newest magazine for £5

Critic magazine cover


text:
In their first game on the Road to Omaha, the #7 Louisville Cardinals (44-15) overcame an early 3 run deficit over the UIC Flames (29-22), plating 5 unanswered runs en route to a 5-3 victory over the Horizon League Champs. The win was powering by a spark of offense from outfielder Danny Oriente, a strong rebound from starting pitcher Nick Bennett, and an electric finish from reliever Michael McAvene.

They might have been the 4 seed in the regional, but it didn’t take long for UIC to make some noise. In both the first and second innings, the Flames lead off the inning with a solo home run. Center fielder Derrick Patrick provided the early offense in the first, with catcher John Figueroa doing so in the second, with both launching their homers to the same spot in right-center field. Prior to the regional, the duo had combined for 5 home runs all season long.

A failed putout at second base added another run to make it 3-0 in the Flames’ favor, but Louisville was not about to let their late season offensive woes continue. Junior right fielder Danny Oriente finally was able to launch his first home run of the season, and it couldn’t have come at a better time as his 2-run homer cut UIC’s lead to just 1. Taking advantage of a Flames fielding error, a scorching grounder off the bat of fellow outfielder Lucas Dunn with runners on the corners got past the first baseman, allowing Louisville to plate the tying run.

Rallying with a 3 spot to come back and tie the game after 2 innings, the Cardinal Nine took their first lead of the postseason in their next inning at bat. Junior shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald would lead off with a double, then two batters later Alex Binelas would inadvertently deliver in the clutch and while Fitzgerald took advantage of another UIC error. Accidentally laying down a bunt while trying hold his swing, Binelas would leg out a single while a throwing error from UIC catcher Ryan Hampe would bring home Fitzgerald from second base. The Cards would add their final run of the game in the 5th via the sacrifice fly from Danny Oriente for his 3rd RBI of the game.

After having a rather shaky start to game, junior Nick Bennett had a very quick turnaround. Getting a visit from pitching coach Roger Williams towards the end of the second, he then went on to retire his next 12 batters faced, striking out 5 of them. He would end his start with 6 total, going 5.2 innings deep with only 2 earned runs on 3 hits. His relief would be every bit as good as the end of his start was. Senior RHP Bryan Hoeing & sophomore LHP Michael Kirian would combine to toss 2.1 scoreless innings an allow only three baserunners.

But allowing a pair of baserunners to start the ninth forced head coach Dan McDonnell to make one final call to the pen, and bring in flamethrowing reliever Michael McAvene. With runners on second and third with no outs, the sophomore right-hander seized his moment on the big stage and finished with an electrifying ninth inning. He would not throw a fastball slower than 96mph, striking out the side and throwing a 100mph pitch to draw the game ending strikeout.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
UIC 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 6 3
UofL 0 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 X 5 7 1

W: Nick Bennett (7-3), L: Jacob Key (7-9), S: Michael McAvene (7)

Game Notes

  • Junior first baseman Logan Wyatt moves up to second place on the UofL single season walks leaderboard with 66. He also moves up 5th on the career walks leaderboard with 132. He is now the program leader in walks among non-four year players.
  • Junior LHP Nick Bennett gains sole possession of 9th on the UofL career pitching starts leaderboard with 38. He also gains sole possession of 9th on the career wins leaderboard with 20.

The following two tabs change content below.

TCZ Comments


text:
11 May

The Growth Barrier

Are you a successful entrepreneur who is stuck at the growth barrier? I often work with founders who have been really successful and grown their

30 March

Failure is not the end!

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot

29 January

What do you do all day?


text:
side bar
Saturday, January 23, 2021

Minimum wage: examining the options

minimum wages (1)

David Delgado // The Daily Cougar

The economy is not stable enough to handle minimum wage increase, recession in near future

Working at the minimum federal wage of $7.25 an hour for 40 hours a week results in $290 a week, without taxes. That’s $1,160 a month and $13,920 a year, again without taxes deducted.

Families USA reported the new 2014 federal poverty line for the 48 contiguous United States as $11,670 a year. So technically, one person working full-time at a minimum-wage job is above poverty level in the U.S.

But let’s face it, that’s cutting it awfully close. For a single parent with a child, it’s just not enough anymore — and apparently, members of Congress are finally beginning to see it, too.

Yet in spite of the legislative branch’s recent epiphany, the only thing worse than their government shutdown issues in the last six months is their timing.

Those employed under the federal minimum wage of $7.25, understandably, have the desire to raise that wage immediately, but with a large — and expensive — health care act still being worked out, now couldn’t be a worse time.

The Huffington Post showed CNBC’s Dan Mangan’s report in 2013 that expressed the startling finds by a Gallup poll commissioned by employment law firm Littler Mendelson.

It found that as a direct result of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, nearly 41 percent of the businesses polled had frozen hiring completely, with one-fifth of those same businesses having reduced the number of employees they had as a “specific result of the Affordable Care Act.”

Businesses have already been hit hard with being forced to provide health care to their employees. Ethics aside, now that employers have to fork out extra to stay in compliance with the Affordable Care Act, they aren’t going to want to fork out even more to pay a new $10 minimum wage.

The arguments of what an employer should be required to provide for his or her employees is a heated one, including contraception — just look at the federal court decision in Chicago concerning Notre Dame’s health care and birth control — that hasn’t died down yet, and a lot of people aren’t under the new health care coverage rules.

CNN Money reported that the Congressional Budget Office estimates anywhere from 500,000 or fewer jobs lost to maybe just more than a million.

If it stays at 500,000 jobs lost, that’s only a “0.3 percent decrease in employment.” But that still hurts families, especially the members that are minimum-wage earners, who aren’t always just teenagers and the unskilled.

Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported about 284,000 Americans with college degrees were working minimum-wage jobs.

A report from the National Employment Law Project reported that three-fifths of the middle-income jobs lost were replaced with “low-wage work.” The job market has changed, making it difficult to look at since a lot of the open jobs are in the low paying sector — not to mention, it hurts more in a recession.

The Denver Post reported one of America’s foremost “privately-held economic research facilities,” the Institute for Trend Research, as predicting another recession this year. The company has had a well-developing reputation since 1948 for “making accurate calls on the business cycle.”

Therefore, ITR’s prediction for another recession in 2014 is nothing to scoff at and set aside with any printed-out articles of the latest grassy-knoll theory.

If that wasn’t enough, The Denver Post included ITR economist Alan Beaulieu’s thoughts on the effect of health care reform on the economy, including the recession as a result, saying that “the added costs associated with health-care reforms will cause employers to cut hours this year and next, reducing incomes.”

In the end, with the Affordable Care Act and a recession predicted for the near future, our economic instability is not something to bombard with further changes.

We need to work through each major change at a time, and when the time is right and our economy is more stable, we can up the minimum wage and really change some people’s lives.

Opinion columnist Rachel Lee is an English sophomore and may be reached at [email protected]

Increased minimum wage should be the decision of the business, not a national mandate

The hot topic that has politicians and economists buzzing is whether the federal government should raise minimum wage to $9 from $7.25 an hour. The last time minimum wage was raised was on July 24, 2009. At the 2014 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama said raising the minimum wage could be the step that could benefit millions of working families.

Obama’s message to help reduce poverty has been misconstrued. The decision to seek a raise in minimum wage comes with good intentions, but this may not reduce poverty in America.

For decades, many labor economists and business executives have held the view that forcing companies to increase pay will lead them to hire fewer employees. Sure, employees will get a higher wage, but companies might have to lay off another employee because of limited resources.

According to USA Today, Republicans are saying an increase in minimum wage could translate to a decrease of jobs. If the price of employment is raised, there will be fewer jobs to go around because all firms have to budget for the influx of current employees. Even then, economists are also split on whether the minimum wage should be raised.

“Raising minimum won’t kill jobs; it will kill job vacancies,” said Michael Reich, an economist at the University of California at Berkeley.

According the LA Times, the case against a higher minimum wage is that it makes it more expensive for firms to hire workers. In turn, the people who get to stay employed will earn more, while those who lose their jobs and fail to get new ones will suffer.

The general consensus seems to be that raising the minimum wage will hurt employment among teenagers and restaurant workers — the people whom the decision would impact the most.

Workers who earn minimum wage tend to be younger and largely unskilled. For these inexperienced workers, an increase would make it more difficult to find a job because these businesses would have to eliminate available openings or choose to hire someone more experienced.

Individual states have increased their minimum wage laws, and I think that’s a better response to fit each job market and the demand.

Companies such as Whole Foods, Costco or Gap Inc. — which also operates Old Navy, Banana Republic and Athleta — have raised their minimum pay to at least $10 per hour. It’s a decision that can be made because these companies can afford to.

Gap Inc. had discussed raising wages for a period of time, and the decision was unrelated to the nationwide minimum wage debate, said Old Navy vice president Lynn Albright.

These companies believe higher wages will be more profitable to them because it will minimize employee turnover and maximize employee productivity, commitment and loyalty, said Costco CEO Craig Jelinek.

This was a decision these companies made on their own and not because of federal law. If Obama wants to help the poor, I don’t think this could be an effective long-term solution.

Rather than increasing minimum wage, start by cutting back on the costly regulations that prevent job creators and limit the job market. The move toward a higher wage looks unlikely to progress and pass. The wage increase might bring 900,000 out of poverty but would in turn take away 500,000 jobs.

The minimum wage should not be increased — at least not until there’s a hike in the cost of living, which I don’t see happening for about another decade.

Opinion columnist Gemrick Curtom is a public relations junior and may be reached at [email protected]

Tags: ,

Back to Top ↑
  • Sign up for our Email Edition

  • Follow us on Twitter

  • Polls

    How are your classes going so far?

    View Results

    Loading ... Loading ...


text:
What’s New on Netflix & Top 10s: November 5th, 2020

Entertainment Netflix
operation christmas drop new on netflix november 5th

Operation Christmas Drop – Picture: Netflix

Unlike five states in the US today, we had no issue counting up all the brand new titles on Netflix. In total, 7 new releases hit Netflix in the United States today which we’ll take you through below and then cover the top 10 trending TV series and movies.

There were a number of new Christmas movies on Netflix today but we’ll be covering all of those separately in our live new Christmas movies on Netflix list. We will, however, touch on the new Netflix Original Xmas movie below.

Operation Christmas Drop (2020)

Genre: Comedy, Family, Romance
Director: Martin Wood
Cast: Alexander Ludwig, Virginia Madsen, Kat Graham, Aaron Douglas
Writer: Gregg Rossen, Brian Sawyer
Runtime: 95 mins

Adding to the pile of new Netflix Original Christmas movies is Operation Christmas Drop which has received mixed reviews from the handful of IMDb scores to date.

It’s about a congressional aide potentially delivering bad news at Christmas by shutting down an airbase. However, she quickly falls for one of the “hunks” on base.

Paranormal (Season 1)

Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Cast: Ahmed Amin, Reem Abd El Kader, Samma Ibrahim, Razane Jammal

Today is a big day for Netflix’s expanded reach with its Originals as Netflix presents its first full Original series from Egypt.

Here’s what you can expect:

“After a skeptical hematologist is plunged into a series of inexplicable events, he unwillingly becomes the go-to-guy for paranormal investigations.”

[embedded content]

Full List of New Releases on Netflix for November 5th, 2020

5 New Movies Added Today

  • A New York Christmas Wedding (2020)
  • Alone/Together (2019)
  • Midnight at the Magnolia (2020)
  • One More Try (2012)
  • Operation Christmas Drop (2020) Netflix Original

2 New TV Series Added Today

  • Carmel: Who Killed Maria Marta? (Limited Series) Netflix Original
  • Paranormal (Season 1) Netflix Original

Top 10 Movies & TV Series on Netflix for November 5th, 2020

Looking for what’s trending in the US? Quite a lot of interesting picks. Cocomelon, the YouTube sensation continues its domination on the TV series list now ranking at number 2.

Knock Knock, the Keanu Reeves thriller continues its time on the top 10 movie list.

Holidate continues to do well around the world though as you can find out in our top 10

# Movies TV Series
1 Knock Knock The Queen’s Gambit
2 Mile 22 Cocomelon
3 Holidate Chappelle’s Show
4 Easy A Grand Army
5 Snowden The Haunting of Bly Manor
6 Bronx The Office
7 Over the Moon Schitt’s Creek
8 Christmas Catch The Garfield Show
9 The Impossible Leah Remini: Scientology and the Aftermath
10 The Grinch Barbaren

What have you been watching on Netflix recently to avoid the news? Let us know in the comments.

#netflix #whatsonnetflix #movies #tv


text:
The Puma Mini Soundchuck Wants To Be Your New Bluetooth Speaker For Golf

puma mini soundchuck

The idea of bringing bluetooth speakers, like the Puma Mini Soundchuck, to the golf course has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. Golf has been one of the more uptight sports, but the game needs to get younger. In order for courses and manufacturers to survives, it needs Millennials playing it. That is just a fact of life. And there is no better way to appeal to more people than for golf to become more fun. Listening to music — at a volume that isn’t annoying for other golfers on the course — is just one way to make golf a little less stuffy.

There are a lot of bluetooth speakers on the market. What sets the Puma Mini Soundchuck apart is that it is made for golf. It is compact and it attached right to the towel hook on your golf bag making it usable for riding or walking.

Other key Mini features include:

  • Wireless, pairing with any Bluetooth Audio device and hands-free telephone use.
  • Dimensions: H60mm x W60mm x D110mm
  • Perfectly match with smart phone, tablet or PC
  • Built in rechargeable battery with 6+ hours of battery life
  • Comes with storage bag
  • Powerful sound driver
  • A lightweight, sleek design weighing less than 1 pound
  • Available in red, black and orange

Buy Here

puma mini soundchuck

Read Next: 7 Best Waterproof Bluetooth Speakers For Every Budget


text:
Call or Text Linda:

(858) 361-5561

Call or Text Linda: (858) 361-5561

Representing the Finest Properties
La Jolla Real Estate has to Offer

Linda Daniels

Linda Daniels has been ranked one of the top La Jolla real estate agents for the past two decades. And while she appreciates the recognition, it's not what defines her. Linda has called La Jolla home for more than 35 years. She's raised her family in this coastal suburb of San Diego and is an active member of the community. She truly knows the area and takes great pride making her clients happy. Linda's energy and enthusiasm are infectious and her market knowledge is boundless. Her greatest satisfaction is in a job well-done.

Welcome To La Jolla

As one of San Diego’s most quaint beachfront communities with a total population around 29,000. La Jolla has become one of California’s most popular and well known resort towns. Within the 13.46 miles that make up La Jolla are rugged coastline, sandy beaches, hideaway caves, surrounding mountains as well as world class shopping and restaurants. La Jolla is a fabulous place to visit and an even better place to call home. La Jolla received its name after “la joya”, the Spanish word for jewel and although this is thought to only be legend, the residents of La Jolla think the description could not be closer to that of a rare and precious jewel.

La Jolla News

Follow The Daniels Group blog for the latest news on La Jolla lifestyle and real estate market trends.

About Us

We are A+ realtors. See the reasons why you should hire The Daniels Group to sell your home.


text:
Review: Fallout 76

Fallout 76 is an action RPG developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC on 14th November 2018. The game was announced on 30th May 2018, though many details were kept under wraps until E3 of the same year. The show unleashed many key details about the game, the most important of which was the fact that it would be online only.

Fallout 76 take place before Fallout, which could be considered a prequel, though that would give the story more credit than it deserves. Players starting out in the game begin in Vault 76. Fans of the series will know that each vault was designed for experimentation of some kind; from Vault 13’s faulty water chip to Vault 111’s cryogenics, these tests give motive to the player to venture out into the world. In stark contrast, Vault 76 was control vault to house the best and brightest the US had to offer at the time of its tricentennial anniversary.

Yeah, they're propping this up with microtransactions.
Power armour can be customised with paint jobs purchased with microtransaction currency.

Players create a resident of Vault 76, waking up late when the vault opened again twenty five years later on reclamation day. As each player is also a former resident of the vault, it is devoid of any NPCs other than the robotic staff of the facility. The player is tasked with tracking down the Overseer who (like everyone else) departed the vault earlier that day. The story is delivered to the player through pre-recorded tapes for the most part, or more robots should the need arise. The only live humans in these wastes are other players.

Fallout 76 plays much like Fallout 4 with a few changes to allow for its online nature. Players can switch out of the default first person view into an over-the-shoulder camera at any time. The player can use the Vaul-Tec Assisted Targeting System (V.A.T.S) to target enemies easier, but unlike previous Fallout titles, the game does not slow down whilst targeting. New gear can be found regularly in the wild on on the corpses of slain enemies. Should the player find an appropriate workbench, new equipment can be fashioned out of materials. The world is full of junk that can be scrapped for raw ingredients. To stop players from becoming too powerful too quickly, pieces of equipment have their own levels. Higher level enemies will drop more powerful versions of weapons and armour, or they can be crafted by the player should they find the appropriate plans.

Plans are required for crafting anything but the most basic of items in Fallout 76. Some main missions will give plans for essential housing items, but new pieces of equipment require finding or purchasing plans for their construction. Some gear modifications are unlocked by scrapping loot, giving a reason to hoard every drop a player finds should it unlock a better part to equip on a favourite weapon. It is a pity then that inventory space is often limited due to the need for a set of armour and multiple weapons for different enemies.

No loot here, moving on....
Empty areas are nice for building a base on, but not great for exploring.

As mentioned earlier, the construction system from Fallout 4 makes a return, albeit in a cut down fashion. No longer can players build sprawling bases across multiple locations, instead they have a modest area within the Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform (C.A.M.P), a portable device that can hold any unwanted items the player does not wish to carry. In theory the player should be able to move their camp frequently as structures are saved as blueprints for easy redeployment, but in reality the blueprints will not sit properly on the landscape in a new location, and any structures not on foundations when the camp moves are lost. This is quite frustrating when the game removes a players camp for no apparent reason.

Player verses player combat is an option in Fallout 76, should one choose to participate. If the combat is entirely one-sided, then the defending player takes a reduced amount of damage. If the defending player retaliates then damage is returned to normal and the victor gets to steal stuff from the losers dropped junk. Should a player win successive fights they will obtain a bounty on their head that is paid out of their own caps, the Fallout currency.

Leveling up is handled differently in Fallout 76 as well. Each level player will be able to put a point into one of their SPECIAL stats. At various levels players will also receive a pack of perk cards. These are equipped to corresponding stats, but the value of cards cannot exceed the amount of points a player has in that stat. Cards can be swapped out freely at any point allowing players to customise their play style for groups or soloing. Combining the same cards together allows them to rank up, increasing their effectiveness whilst also increasing their cost.

Fallout 76 is running on the same engine as Fallout 4. This means that everything looks similar to the last Fallout title, for better or worse. As the game is set earlier in the timeline, there is more greenery around as plant life has not completely fallen to radiation. This has the benefit of giving the game a wider colour palette, but does limit where objects can be build in the wild. Scenery cannot be removed in building locations in this game. Enemies do tend to blend in with the landscape as well, which can make finding bodies to loot after particularly hectic firefights all the more frustrating.

Which is great when you find them at level ten.
Scorch Beasts are some of the tougher PvE content in the game.

Fallout 76 has many of the same songs that graced Fallout 4. The setting of the series is a future imagined of by people from the 1950’s, and the latter game got that right. Fallout 76, however, also prominently features music from the 60’s and 70’s, an anachronism given the nature of the setting. One of the more positive aspects of the sound design is that one can tell when enemies are nearby by the sound of their movement. Should the player chose to sneak, humanoid and robotic enemies will voice their annoyance at not being able to find them.

MMOs are never without their bugs, and Fallout 76 is no exception. Aside from the disappearing camp mention above, there have been random disconnects for everyone in a world, and strange graphical glitches that prevent players from entering areas that should otherwise be accessible. In some locations it is even possible to fall through the floor to an untimely demise, losing all the valuable junk the player is carrying at the same time. This is the first time Bethesda have handled an MMO, and it shows. ZeniMax Online Studios has handled Elder Scrolls Online for years, though very little of the knowledge gained from running an MMO has been passed to the other company.

Fallout 76 is not a game that will have a wide appeal outside of fans of the series, but this is not the next game in the series that those fans would want. There is plenty of content to be explored in the game outside of the main quest, but getting there requires grinding the same events multiple times a day and otherwise scavenging for parts when they are not available. Tougher content can be challenged earlier by teaming up with other players, but this may not appeal to those going into the game looking for a single-player experience. Fallout 76 may hit its stride once the bugs have been worked out and a larger variety of content is added to the game, but until then this may be one to pick up cheap or skip entirely.

Box Art
Review Grade D
Review Grade

Game Information

Title: Fallout 76

Genre: Action role-playing

Developer: Bethesda Game Studios

Publisher: Bethesda Softworks

Platform Reviewed: PlayStation 4

Release Date: 14 November 2018

  1. I enjoyed reading this on Friday when it absolutely went live!

  2. I’m still playing this one. I may be for a while. My family enjoys it, so I guess I have to…. endure it. I hope they add more content soon.

  3. It does kind of sound like ‘F’, but Imitanis claims there’s something to be had here, even if it is buried in garbage and barely operational.

  4. I wouldn’t eat a sandwich if it fell into the garbage…

Comments are closed.


text:
Winnie the Pooh FEATURED

TSM Episode 621: A Literal Plop

Exposure to Final Fantasy X leaves Caspius crippled with the Brown Rain, and a quieter, more studious podcast is the result, with a thorough examination of Nintendo's total domination of the Japanese video game market, following Sony's self-destruction.
E3 Sony Conference 2014 SLIDER

TSM Episode 617: The Licensing Racket

Caspius, SiliconNooB, and Imitanis consider Cyberpunk 2077, and take a hard-nosed look at the development of game licensing, from its origins as funding for consumer-focused quality assurance systems, to its modern incarnation as a tax on developers.
Old Vintage Recording Studio

TSM Episode 613: Retro Recording

When Caspius sends his laptop in for repair, the podcast panel is forced to rely upon vintage hardware (with a commensurate loss in quality), but they are undeterred in presenting Capcom's forthcoming release schedule, PS5 launch figures, and more!
Blah Conversation

TSM Episode 612: Narrative Inconvenience

Caspius and SiliconNooB launch the new playthrough, discuss changing attitudes to video game narratives, and report on the latest half-witted decision by Sony: abandoning to Microsoft the Japanese market--the key to the entire video game industry!

TSM Episode 611: Nintendo Numberwang

Caspius and SiliconNooB prepare for the Playthroughs Revisited feature by examining year-end sales data for Nintendo, and the totals are so impressively large, both in terms of hardware and software, that they leave no room for doubt: that's Numberwang!
Bravely Default 2 Demo - Town

TSM Episode 610: Depatures and Delays

With the end of the year approaching, the rush is on for developers to delay their incomplete games and abandon their unrealisable projects, with mentions this week for Bravely Default II, Cyberpunk 2077, Far Cry 6, Halo Infinite, Everwild, and Diablo IV.
Axiom Verge 2 - Screenshot 1

TSM Episode 608: Cancellations and Delays

With the end of the year only two months away, the industry's list of cancellations and delays comes due: Caspius and SiliconNooB review the games that will not be making it into the 2020 Holiday Season, and prognosticate about holiday hardware sales.
E3 Sony Conference 2014 SLIDER

TSM Episode 607: Second-Class in Japan

As Sony continues to decline into developer and consumer irrelevance, Caspius, SiliconNooB, and Imitanis consider the incomparable success of the Nintendo Switch, and review the latest on the Earthbound playthrough, Final Fantasy XVI, and Adventure Plops.
1 2 3 33


text:
Online, Is Dream Date a Scam? – Online dating for hippies australia

Online, Is Dream Date a Scam?

If you thought online dating websites are on the rise, than you would be right. However, not everyone who creates a profile on these sites has honorable intentions. Most dating scams start innocently enough. Scammers contact victims via social media sites or through email, claiming common interests or a distant, mutual connection—such as an introduction at a wedding or other large gathering. Other scam artists make their fake profiles look as appealing as possible and wait from victims to reach out and begin the conversation. Once a scammer has you hooked, the possibilities are limitless, but here are a few of the most common variations:.

Edmonton police say romance scams growing in lonely new coronavirus reality

Check out this video about how to spot and protect yourself from romance scams. Then share it with your friends. But there are steps you can take — and then tell someone about. So watch the video, learn more , and pass it on. Along with many other scams that have been circulating over the past few years – I have several that would curl your hair.

The one mentioned here – romance schemes – was perpetrated on my 89 year old dad.

Romance scammers create fake profiles on dating sites and apps, or contact their targets through popular social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, or Google.

Navigating the world of Internet dating can be an exciting and fun way to meet potential partners. However, you might quickly discover that some things are not what they seem on certain sites and profiles. Though it is one of the fastest-growing ways for singles to meet each other and form lasting relationships, there are definitely those who use the sites for dishonest purposes. These red flags may refer to clues that the person on the other end of a profile might be untrustworthy, or that the website itself might not be truthful about its intended purpose.

All dating websites will ask for a certain amount of information in order to match you successfully with people who will hold your interest. However, this information will generally be limited to personality details and interests rather than financial information or anything that might be useful to someone wishing to steal your identity. A popular scam involves sites that ask you to create a profile specifically to mine your information. If a dating site asks you questions like these, steer clear!

Romance scam

As millions of people get hooked to online dating platforms, their proliferation has led to online romance scams becoming a modern form of fraud that have spread in several societies along with the development of social media like Facebook Dating, warn researchers. For example, extra-marital dating app Gleeden has crossed 10 lakh users in India in COVID times while dating apps like Tinder and Bumble have gained immense popularity. According to researchers from University of Siena and Scotte University Hospital led by Dr Andrea Pozza, via a fictitious Internet profile, the scammer develops a romantic relationship with the victim for months, building a deep emotional bond to extort economic resources in a manipulative dynamic.

I recently spotted Mr. Right on an online dating site. Many of the profiles on dating sites are scams, fake profiles people put up as a tool to get.

Ken Duffy KenDuffyNews. More people are turning to online dating for a semblance of companionship during the coronavirus crisis — sites often rife with sophisticated scams targeting Americans from overseas, the FBI warns. Singles might be using online dating sites like Match. But while it might be a nice way to have human contact online, it may leave people more vulnerable to scammers who want to drain bank accounts.

It might be a fake story about the inability to pay bills or a death in the family. In one recent D. The suspect, from Nigeria, traveled to Atlanta in December, when he was arrested on a series of charges, including money laundering.

Americans lost $201 million in online romance scams last year. Here’s how to avoid the con artists

Please see our Commenting Policy for more. Linda Herczeg said. Herczeg said the virus is only making that worse.

online scams, dating apps, latest tech news Image Source: PIXABAY. Online romance scams on the rise as dating apps proliferate. As millions.

But they are an increasingly important front for criminals, who in turn use increasingly sophisticated methods to snare their marks, and take them for whatever they can. A recently released list, by a fraud-busting company called Scamalytics, of the top lines and photos used in profiles by online dating grifters shows that while the range of sophistication may vary, the end goal is always the same: To fleece romance-seekers out of their money.

The pick-up line “I am not interested in games or drama” cracks the top 20, which sounds legitimate enough, but so does “having past events shape your life is one thing carrying the past as a burden that sits heavily upon your shoulders is not the way i view life. There are millions of scam online dating accounts created each month, says Scamalytics co-founder Dan Winchester. His company, which he founded in , detects up to , per month, and was born out of a healthy combination of necessity and self-interest.

He himself runs a dating site in the UK. The increase in online dating scammers, he says, has grown in step with the popularity of the sites and apps themselves. There was no dedicated screening service at that time, Winchester says. So he made one. Well, he did along with an acquaintance, Nick Tsinonis, who already had expertise using machine learning to help match dating site users based not on their expressed preference, but on behavior.

Some of those indicators are proprietary, but a few are fairly obvious. Fake photos are usually a giveaway; when in doubt, do a reverse Google image search. If it turns out to be a model, or really anyone other than who the profile says it is, that’s a scammer.

NI women lose £105,000 in online ‘romance scams’

Dating and romance scams are very destructive — both financially and emotionally. These scams also cause significant emotional harm, with many victims reporting a break down in relationships with friends and family. With the proliferation of online dating websites, forums and social media channels, these scams are moving increasingly into the online space. Online communication channels allow scammers to operate anonymously from anywhere in the world. They can be very elaborate hoaxes, sometimes taking years to develop and run by experienced criminal syndicates.

The scammer develops a strong connection with the victim before asking for money to help cover costs associated with a supposed illness, injury, family crisis, travel costs or to pursue a business or investment opportunity.

Federal law enforcement describe how to avoid dating site scams recent D.C. case, Luebke said a woman in her 70s was scammed out of $1.

For crying out loud, Jon Louis was even teaching a class on fraud when he got taken in — hook, line and sinker — by the dreaded internet species known as catfish. Looking back a year or so later the scam is obvious to him, but oh my, how joyful it was to feel his heart flutter again. It seemed like a reasonable investment in a long-term relationship. Victims are commonly between the ages of 40 and 69, but those over 70 lose the greatest amount of money to the cons, the FTC reports.

Be sure to protect your heart — and your money. Even the skeptical among us can, like Louis, let our eyes get too starry to see straight. And professional scammers know how to make those chemicals flow.

Together with Steven Baker, former director of FTC, we dive into the issue of romance scams, what AI can do to help prevent it right now and what romance scams will look like in the future. Fake profiles and romance scams have been an issue since the beginning of online dating. Keeping users safe is a continuous arms race as scammers adopt new strategies and tech in their schemes.

WATCH ABOVE: Dating scams went from costing Edmontonians $, in to $ million dollars in Last Updated: EDT.

Estimated reading time is 6 minutes. Do you have suspicions that a friend or family member is involved in a romance scam? Do you ever wonder why people fall for romance scams? While this figure may seem high, this is just what gets reported; many victims never make a report due to fear or embarrassment. She found she could join groups and play games via the social media channel.

This interaction was the start of what Grace thought was an exciting new romance. Over the next 18 months, the person claiming to be Malcom James drew Grace into what she thought was a loving relationship.

Romance Scams

Running romance scams is a full-time job for some scammers and they can be very good at it. In reality, actual losses are likely much higher. A scammer pretends to be in a relationship with someone online in order to scam them out of money. They do this through email, social media, dating websites and other website and apps.

Don’t let the romance scam break your heart. Typically the victim and the criminal will often meet virtually through a social networking or dating site. The criminal.

Over the last 20 years, the rapid development of digital communication technology has given rise to new forms of social interaction on social media. Digital communication technologies can overcome physical, social and psychological barriers in building romantic relationships. While communication technologies have revolutionized, and continue to revolutionize, the modalities of interaction and the building of emotional attachment on the one hand, on the other, the online dating industry has given rise to new forms of pathologies and crime.

Online romance scams are a modern form of fraud that have spread in Western societies along with the development of social media. Through a fictitious Internet profile, the scammer develops a romantic relationship with the victim for months, building a deep emotional bond with the aim of extorting economic resources in a manipulative dynamic. There are two notable features: on the one hand, the double trauma of losing money and a relationship, on the other, the victim’s shame upon discovery of the scam, an aspect that might lead to underestimation of the number of cases.

Women, middle-aged people, and individuals with higher tendencies to anxiety, romantic idealization of affective relations, impulsiveness and susceptibility to relational addiction are at higher risk of being victims of the scam. Understanding the psychological characteristics of victims and scammers will allow at-risk personality profiles to be identified and prevention strategies to be developed.

Skip to main content Over the last 20 years, the rapid development of digital communication technology has given rise to new forms of social interaction on social media.

International Dating Scams – Who Are You Really Talking To?

Hello! Would you like find a partner for sex? Nothing is more simple! Click here, registration is free!


text:
Limited Edition Merchandise for D23 Expo 2019 Preview

Disney recently revealed some new collections attendees can scoop up during D23 Expo 2019 later this year. The Anaheim Convention Center will host the expo in August during which time fans can become proud owners of never-before-seen collections across, The Dream Store, and Mickey’s of Glendale.

D23 Expo will introduce attendees to collections that celebrate various anniversaries and characters across Disney, Star Wars, Pixar, and Marvel. Attendees will also have access to official D23 Expo 2019 gear and accessories, Disney Parks-inspired items, and limited-edition collectibles celebrating Walt Disney Imagineering’s heritage.

“Uptown Disney” will feature an interactive shopping and photo experience where attendees can shop, take photos, and discover hidden surprises. Featured products include Marvel’s Iron Man MK50 Robot by UBTech, “The Lion King” Mighty Roar Simba from furReal, The Little Mermaid apparel and accessories, Toy Story 4 apparel from Fifth Sun, new Star Wars items, Mickey Mouse LEGO Ideas Steamboat Willie set and the relaunch of the Minnie Mouse Dose of Colors collection.

Naturally, we have already traipsed the previewed products several times. Some of our favorites are…

Limited Edition Black Panther Shadow Box. MSRP: $59.95

Camp Collection – Haunted Mansion Clip Bowtie, Minnie Mouse Ears and Dress. MSRP: $12.95 (bowtie), $27.95 (ears), $89.95 (dress)

Limited Edition Donald Duck Plush in a Juice Can. MSRP: $34.95

Limited Edition Talking Woody (of course, there is also Talking Jessie and Talking Bullseye). MSRP: $69.95

Lucasfilm Backstage – Crew Jacket. MSRP: $69.95

We are also keen to check out The Disney Designer Collection: Midnight Masquerade Series. Putting a new spin on the designer doll series, Midnight Masquerade will showcase Tiana and Naveen, Giselle and Edward, and Aurora and Phillip. Rapunzel, Belle, Meg, Cinderella, and Esmeralda will also be included.

Not a fan of the dolls? You can pick up pin sets, stationery, mug and plate sets, and more!

To purchase tickets to the Expo, or learn more about ticketing information for this awesome event, visit

Are you excited to check out the merchandise line up at D23 Expo this year? Is your wallet ready?


text:
in ,

Donald Trump is a realist. His speech was all about problem solving

Inauguration speeches are supposed to be about how perfect America is.

Inauguration speeches are also supposed to be about how American can be even more perfect under the leadership of the new President.

Inauguration speeches are supposed to be pompous, vague and full of platitudes.

Donald Trump shattered each of these expatiations in a speech that appealed to reality rather than some cartoon image of an America where Superman is in charge, the rivers flow with coca-cola and happy endings are there at the start.

Trump spoke to people’s discontent and that is a politician’s job, assuming democracy has any real meaning.

America wasn’t lionised as a kind of North Korean style perfect state; it was spoken of as a state with tremendous potential that many generations of politicians have let go to waste.

It’s hard not to understand that as an objective truth, as any large nation not living up to its potential would have similar problems.

Donald Trump’s speech was all about specific problems he intends to fix. It was the speech of a pragmatic problem solver not an ideologue.

This is why Trump was comfortable spouting classic socialist themes about high employment, industrial growth, good education, safety for the young and the vulnerable, combining them with traditional conservative themes of patriotism, sovereignty and respect for the internal affairs of foreign states.

In many ways it was FDR meets Robert Taft.

Ronald Reagan’s shining city on the hill, overlooked a rust belt in a state of decline.

Bill Clinton’s young optimism was underscored by what Ross Perot described as the “giant sucking sound” of jobs being taken abroad.

George W. Bush claimed to speak for God, but for the people of Iraq, he was the agent of the Devil.

Obama spoke of change and he delivered, so long as the change in question was regime change.

It’s nice to have a dose of pragmatism from Donald Trump.

Frankly, if he can deliver even half of his promises, he will be a better leader than most of his recent predecessors.

Blind ideology has been replaced with realism. Dogma has been replaced by a clear analysis of when left is right and right is correct. America the god-state has been replaced by America, the land of great potential.

It truly is a shame that the fake stream media have turned so many against Trump before he has even had a chance to get comfortable in his Oval Office chair.

The man clearly wants to govern without fear or favour. His opponents are dead set on portraying him as a divisive figure. He strikes me as the opposite. It’s the job of opponents of the proparazzi to highlight this so long as it remains the case.

Help us grow. Support The Duran on Patreon!

The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Duran.

What do you think?

-1 points
Upvote Downvote
Notify of
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

US senators are even more neoconservative than Trump’s appointees

Julian Assange clarifies his remarks on going to the US after Manning is freed


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

text:
Lavender Tea with Lemon, Please: A cup of Macaron.

Le Macaron - I have almost conquered you

I’ve come up with several alternative blog post titles for my recent culinary experimentation:

Egg Whites Are The Enemy

Pardon My, Um, French?

and my favorite

Manhattan Macaron Murder Mystery

Anyone who’s tried to make these little bits of delight in their kitchen has most likely failed at least once.  And if you are one of those rare people without professional culinary training that perfected the art of the macaron on the first try, please come over and play with me.

Macarons are notoriously difficult to make.  Which means that they’re the perfect challenge for when I’m in the mood to make something complicated that claims all of my attention.  Usually I’m in this mood when I’m chewing on something.  Figuratively, I mean.  I find nothing more calming then browsing recipes, coming up with a game plan, pouring some cheap red wine into an inherited crystal punch cup, and folding almond batter into whipped egg whites.  And tonight I’m chewing.

So I decide to go for broke with both bowls of egg whites I’ve had out “relaxing” since yesterday morning.  I have two baking events coming up, and while I’ve let myself get down to the wire with my recipes, I’m very excited for the combination of a tea-themed event and an online auction to benefit Japan.

But, oops, I don’t have parchment!  Off to the grocer’s.

Ends up, there is no parchment paper to be found in Washington Heights.  Evidently tamales and chile recipes don’t call for it.  So I grabbed a roll of waxed paper and hoped for the best.

And, yes, there is a HUGE difference between the two.  I’ve learned.  But what can you do?  My philosophy is “making a mess into mmmmmmm”, so I’ve gotta stick by my dusty ways and make do.

And I made macarons!  Tinted a delightful spring yellow, pumped with the scent and light flavor of lavender tea in the macaron shell and with a tart lemon curd filling.

I also made a lemon macaron with fresh zest to be filled tomorrow with a lavender buttercream filling.  Not quite as close to “there” as these, but getting there.

What is working more and more with each test batch?

  • The amount of whipping that produces the perfect “stiff peaks” that are neither too marshmallow-y nor overbeaten and borderline dry.
  • Both processing and sifting the almond flour / confectioner’s sugar.
  • Folding the almond flour in three batches, sifting each time.
  • A properly heated oven: I discovered starting around 350 degrees then dropping the heat and holding the oven door open with a wooden spoon worked perfectly.

Now I’m extra excited to take a macaron baking class with my lady friends and buying the right equipment to make this process easier.

Recipes / details / better photos to come!

%d bloggers like this:


text:
10 Film Scenes with a Feel Good Buzz

150096150017175Some films know instinctively which buttons to press to make you feel good about yourself and life in general. Some days you absolutely need that. Here’s thefilm.blog’s 10 ultimate feel good cinema scenes…

1. The Full Monty – Hot Stuff

Of course, it could have been the full monty scene itself in this spot, but there’s something delightful about this iconic scene from the Peter Cattaneo classic comedy.

2. Singing in the Rain – Singing in the Rain

It’s not milk and it’s not all one take but this number’s more rousing than rain-based scenes have any right to be.

3. Forrest Gump – Run Forrest Run!

…and then the braces break…and he starts running…and he never stops running…sob

4. Peter Pan – I do believe in fairies!

You better believe, a pure moment of cinematic magic.

5. The Muppets – Life’s a Happy Song

This is my morning routine every day.

6. Love Actually – Jump

Because if you were Prime Minister you just would.

7. Braveheart – Freedom

Braveheart is the most entertaining historical tosh in the history of cinema and who doesn’t want to be Scottish at the end of Gibson’s ‘freedom’ speech?

8. Rocky – Training in Philadelphia

This scene helped Rocky win, it’ll help you get through any bad day too!

9. Jurassic Park – Welcome to Jurassic Park

Jurassic Park is a breathtaking sequence of feel-good moments but the dinosaur reveal wins out. It’s spectacular. They nailed it.

10. It’s a Wonderful Life – The Ending

When the tears start falling they’ll be with you till the end of the film. The conclusion to Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life is unquestionably cinema’s most uplifting feel-good scene.

Explore the rest of our #FeelGoodCinesummer here!

6 thoughts on “10 Film Scenes with a Feel Good Buzz”

  1. Such an amazing post. That speech in Braveheart is really powerful indeed, but then Gibson can be super charismatic when he wants too. I also agree on the running Forrest, a pretty touching sequence. I would probably add to this list the ending in Babe (1995), what a triumph!

    Liked by 1 person

  2. What no Strictly Ballroom (dance on the roof in front of the Coke sign), Pricilla Queen of the Dessert (the giant stiletto on the van in the dessert with streams of pink chiffon blowing in the wind as they drive along) or Mureal’s Wedding (Waterloo karaoke)?

    Liked by 1 person

  3. This is such a fantastic post, I was nodding and smiling in agreement with each of the choices. That line scene in The Fully Monty is just outstanding, especially given the situation they are all in.

Leave a Reply

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

WordPress.com Logo

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

Google photo

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

Twitter picture

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

Facebook photo

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

Connecting to %s


text:
Tuesday, December 22

Hashtag Medicine: Twitter Weighs In on Dem’s Border Call to Action

“…I assume the president should without delay ask doctors and nurses to go at once right down to the border and begin taking care of these kids,” US Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) said in the first debate amongst presidential applicants.
As soon as he uttered that declaration, Twitter lit up with remarks. Hundreds of customers entreated clinical experts to head to the USA’ southern border to volunteer their services to the migrant youngsters being detained there. Observers claim that children as young as age 2 are being held there in squalid dwelling situations and with out access to adequate scientific services. Others on Twitter said Ryan turned into erroneous and that the Democrats are wrong to prioritize “illegals” over Americans.
Several expert clinical organizations joined the verbal exchange to provide their mind.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has been a main propose for the immigrant kids. The group posted a 10-tweet thread on the subject, noting that they have got despatched their present-day president, Kyle Yasuda, MD, and president-select, Sally Goza, MD, to the border.
Doctors Without Borders also tweeted approximately supporting migrant children. The company does now not run scientific projects in the United States, however, they do provide care to humans alongside the migration path in Mexico, including 4 websites close to America border. The institution tweeted out its concern for asylum seekers.

A few clinicians dipped into the communication, basically to ask about how they may help.

Lourdes Pereda, MD, a pediatrician in Angier, North Carolina outside Raleigh, despatched out a 2d tweet sharing what she had learned: special permits are required to work with the youngsters, and clinicians aren’t allowed get admission to them with out clearance.
Beyond Ryan’s feedback, the issue of healthcare turned into the front and middle during both nights of the Democratic debates. The hashtags #Medicare4All and #MedicareForAll were tweeted out extra than 15,000 times the night of the primary debate and almost 20,000 times on the second one night, consistent with the healthcare information-monitoring service Symplur. In reality, these have been the busiest debate-related hashtags, drawing greater than two times as a good deal motion because of the authentic debate hashtags, #DemDebate, and #DemDebate2.

One of the oldest forms of opportunity medicinal drug may be traced again via Chinese history. The ancient Chinese, in lots the identical manner as opportunity remedy is used these days, based totally their recovery at the importance of the body and spirit being in stability. Much of the philosophy of Chinese Medicine is based totally on Taoist and Buddhist principals and the perception that someone and their surroundings are closely interlinked. The well-known principles of Yin and Yang come from Chinese Medicine and are quintessential to its exercise. Yin and Yang explain how opposing forces are fundamental to each different and the way for harmony inside the frame to take place, those should be in balance. When those are out of balance, ailment happens.
Chinese Medicine works at restoring stability in various approaches inclusive of herbal medicinal drug, acupuncture, breathing and motion (Tai Chi and Qigong) and also via diet. The practitioner checked out the patient’s health and lifestyles in detail to check in which their life force or Qi (stated Chi) became out of balance. Various techniques would then be used to repair the patient back to fitness. Such became the effectiveness of Chinese Traditional Medicine that it nonetheless bureaucracy a massive a part of contemporary fitness care inside the East. It’s common for these “opportunity” practices for use in hospitals along with the western medicinal drug.
The different Eastern Culture that has an extended history of opportunity medicinal drug is India. Ayurvedic remedy dates back as a way as 6000 years in the past and prefers Chinese Medicine also has links with Buddhism. Ayurveda comes from 2 Sanskrit phrases – Ayu meaning life and Veda which means information of. It is a system of drugs that maintains a persons frame, mind and spirit in song with nature with a view to keep desirable health.


text:
Crockpot Thai Chicken Tacos-3

Crockpot Thai Chicken Tacos - This is the ABSOLUTE best crockpot chicken recipe. It comes out so tender, juicy, and flavorful! Easy to make, too.

What do you think?

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

No Comments Yet.


text:
Peace Be With You

My favorite camping experiences have come while camping at Christmas in different State Parks.  My first time in Davis Mountains State Park.   The cold mountain air and the light dusting of snow made it a very merry Christmas.   My first time camping at Goliad State Park I discovered to my joy and amazement the Basilica bathed in light friendly to my camera and my senses.  The year we went to Goose Island State Park to avoid the cold and instead ended up with five inches of snow on the ground.

Christmas so feels like Christmas when you are camping.

Quiet, calm and peaceful.

May you find your true Christmas and enjoy the serenity you so richly deserve.

Merry Christmas.

Add Your Comments, Questions and Observations

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


text:
Flesh eating bacteria clears beaches on Gulf of Mexico

Fisherman Larry Pinter reveals the gruesome results of a Vibrio infection
Mississippi fisherman reveals the gruesome results of a Vibrio infection

A flesh-eating bacteria related to cholera has terrified beach goers along the Southern US coast as reports of amputated limbs and deaths from the previously rare infection begin to mount. The Vibrio Vulnificis bacteria is infects humans who eat infected shellfish or who expose cuts and abrasions to infected water. It is most common after rain events wash water from estuaries and swamps into warm sea water. The nutrient and pollutant laden waters of US rivers and the toxic state of the Gulf of Mexico have combined to allow a number of pathogens to flourish. Rumours that the Vibrio bacteria was genetically modified and released under the name Cynthia to consume oil released from the BP spill in 2010 have not been confirmed.

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

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


text:
How I Rank My Friends

Posted on June 7, 2011

If you’re anything like me, everybody wants to be your friend.  Ring, ring, ring–excuse me, I have to take this call.

Sorry I had to step away, that was another friend calling, asking me to attend a cocktail party and then christen his new yacht.  Unfortunately that’s the same day as my children’s school talent show, and they’ll be disappointed if I miss it–which is why I’ll pretend I didn’t miss it.

With so many invitations and being so popular, how do I decide who to spend my time with?

You can’t let emotion cloud your decision-making.  The only logical step is to create a formula for ranking your friends and helping you decide who is most deserving of your attention.

Upward mobility(UM)–What can this friend do to help me achieve my goals?  Can he help my career in some way?  Does he have important political connections that could help me cover up a murder?  Does he have an attractive wife who’ll need comforting after I help her catch him cheating?  My friend Todd isn’t very connected, and I’m more financially successful–especially since I accidentally got him fired from his last two jobs–but his wife is very attractive, so I’ll give him a UM value of 6 out of 10.

Popularity(POP)–When we go to dinner, are people impressed to see me with this friend?  As we enter, does the crowd quiet and watch in awe as the James Bond theme music plays in everyone’s heads?  Or do they whisper, “Why did Paul invite that guy who isn’t wearing pants to our Mensa party?”  Todd isn’t a winner, but his wife Donna is very attractive.  If the three of us go out to dinner, I try and walk close to Donna and then I drop my keys right in front of Todd, and because he has to bend over to pick them up, he trails Donna and me by a few steps and as we enter the audience doesn’t even know Todd is with us.  For this reason, I think Todd’s association still makes me look pretty good, and I’m willing to give Todd a POP value of 7.

It's all very complicated. I'll spare you the details.

Looks(L)–I prefer a friend to be the same number on the look’s scale of 1 to 10.  I’ll take 1 point lower, but never 1 point higher.  We need to make a solid joint impression as we enter, and if our respective level of looks is too disparate this will be the first thing people will notice as we enter the party and will prevent them from thinking about how dashing I look in my smoking jacket.  Todd seems like a 6 to me, but he did get Donna, so I’ll give him an 8 in the looks department.

Personality(Pe)–Can the friend laugh at my jokes and provide interesting commentary on my vignettes in a manner that doesn’t seem forced or sycophantic?  Many people think they can accomplish this, but the key is whether you can do it forty or fifty times in one evening, especially without being distracted by all the attention I’m giving to your wife.  Todd gets a 7 for his ability to laugh at my jokes, but only a 3 for being distracted by the attention I give Donna.  I’ll split the difference and give him a 5.  (Quit being so jealous, Todd.  You know what we were talking about the whole time?  You.  And how she could have done a lot better than you.  Ha ha, just kidding.  But really, she could have done a lot better than Todd.)

Compliments(C)–I give points for creativity and sincerity when receiving compliments.  It’s nice if you tell me I’m more important to you than your wife, but how about some tears while you say it?  Or how about defining exactly how much more you like me than your wife by promising to rescue me first if all three of us were trapped in a burning building together?  Todd gets a C value of 1 in his ability to say he would save me from a burning building before he saved his wife.

Problems(Pr)–Does the friend call you late at night and waste your time talking about all his problems like mentioning he worries his wife could have done a lot better than marrying him?  When you ask if the problem can wait until tomorrow or request he summarize the main points in a text message, does he remind you that he always listens to your problems and make you feel guilty?  Thanks for making me feel guilty, Todd.  You just scored a Pr value of 1.  Now I feel terrible and need a friend to call and talk it over with.  I can’t call Todd.  Maybe I should call Donna.

  6(UM) + 7(POP) + 8(L) + 5(Pe) + 1(C) + 1(Pr)=28

Todd only scores a 28 out of 60.  You can probably understand why I rarely hang out with Todd anymore…unless Donna is also coming.

Posted in: Advice, Columns


text:
Bryan Wyss

By Erick Yanzon

We all know him as the guy in the wheelchair, but there’s more about senior Bryan Wyss that you may not know. He is one of Terrace’s most inspirational students.

Living in a wheelchair is not easy, and even sometimes it takes him a while to do things, Wyss positively said, “It’s really easy to maneuver. People here are really nice. They respect you if you are in a wheelchair.”

He served as the men’s basketball manager for three years from his freshman to junior year. He was the one in charge of keeping stats, and managing the clock and practices.

This year, he joined the track and field team and qualified for the 3A men’s state championships. He finished third in the 3A men’s wheelchair javelin throw with a toss of 16 ft. 8 in. He enjoyed going to a lot of different schools and meeting different people besides his team. “Track was really fun,” Wyss said, “I got to build a lot of friendships. It was a great experience.”

Wyss is going to the VOICE program (Vocational Opportunities In Community Experiences) for three years until he’s 21. This program provides comprehensive instruction and vocational experiences to prepare students for adult life. Students in this program also receive assistance in career exploration, job search, job applications, and interviewing skills. After this program, he will attend Edmonds Community College.

For his culminating project, he job shadowed a librarian at Mountlake Terrace Elementary School.

Besides school and sports, his hobbies include going on the computer, watching movies, playing games, and he also enjoys reading sometimes.

His favorite experiences in school are something that most students don’t usually appreciate. Wyss likes going to school everyday, meeting new friends, and learning different things.

As an advice for the upcoming freshmen, Wyss said, “Just do your work, stay busy, [and] have a great time because it will be over before you know it.”

“I’m going to miss talking to my friends, going to different classes, and mostly the assemblies. They are so fun,” Wyss commented.

Wyss is sure one to be missed by the whole student body by his optimism and kind presence.