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How first-timers can get help buying their first home: Help to Buy, Help to Buy Isas and other schemes explained and compared
First-time home buyers, hamstrung by ever rising house prices, were wooed by Chancellor George Osborne in his Autumn Statement last week.
He promised to transform ‘generation rent’ into ‘generation buy’ by kick-starting a programme that will see 400,000 homes built between now and 2020.
He also announced new incentives to help buyers get a foot on the housing ladder. Here, The Mail on Sunday examines five lending options – existing, new and promised – that encourage home ownership.
Pleased: Jayne Hannam put down a 5 per cent deposit
IT'S GREAT TO BE A HOMEOWNER...NOT A TENANT
Jayne Hannam recently managed to get on the housing ladder with a five per cent deposit on her £77,000 purchase.
It was a struggle to get the money together but a cashback on the mortgage was a bonus when the deal went through.
Jayne, 46, says: ‘I thought my age might count against me and that I’d only get a mortgage if I could put down a big deposit.’
But after a quick chat in her local Yorkshire Bank branch she realised she need not rent forever.
She says: ‘The mortgage adviser was helpful. She encouraged me to give it a try – and I was approved for a loan.’
Jayne, who has a grown-up son and works as an assembly packer in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, stayed positive when the first few homes she made offers on fell through.
She finally had an offer accepted on a two-bedroom terrace home.
‘Applying for a mortgage is never easy but it’s fantastic to be a homeowner rather than a tenant,’ she says.
‘I am pleased the Government is also doing its bit to help first-timers get on to the housing ladder. The Autumn Statement was good news on the housing front.’
HELP TO BUY SCHEME
The Government’s Help to Buy scheme has enabled 90,000 people to purchase a new home since it was launched in 2013. It comes in two versions, ‘equity’ and ‘guarantee’.
Equity Here, a borrower must find a five per cent deposit to buy a new-build property. The Government provides a further loan of up to 20 per cent of the purchase price which is interest-free for five years. The borrower is then required to obtain a mortgage for the remaining 75 per cent. After the interest-free period has expired, borrowers pay interest on the Government loan, starting at 1.75 per cent.
When a property is sold, the outstanding Government loan must be repaid, with the amount based on the same percentage (of the sale price) it represented of the original purchase price.
Who offers it: Many lenders offer Help to Buy ‘equity’ mortgages. Among the top current deals is a two-year fixed rate mortgage from Leeds Building Society at 1.69 per cent.
The Government plans to introduce a London version of Help to Buy early next year. This is designed to help solve the serious house price challenges facing first timers in the Capital.
Those with a five per cent deposit will be able to borrow up to 40 per cent (double the existing level) of the price of a new build home – interest-free for five years. They will then need to take out a mortgage for the remaining 55 per cent.
Guarantee The Help to Buy ‘guarantee’ scheme applies to both newly built and second-hand properties.
Borrowers put down a five per cent deposit while the Government agrees to protect lenders by up to 15 per cent if borrowers default on their loan.
This version will end in a year’s time. But signs are that mortgage providers are becoming more confident about lending larger percentage loans to first-timers without the Government’s help.
Santander has recently stopped using the Government guarantee.
Who offers it: Many lenders offer these loans. Among the top deals is a two-year fix at 3.79 per cent from HSBC. There are no fees or valuation charges.
David Hollingworth, of mortgage broker London & Country, says standard loans requiring just a five per cent deposit are becoming more attractive, making lending under the Help to Buy guarantee scheme potentially less appealing.
He says: ‘Chelsea Building Society has a two-year fixed rate of 3.74 per cent available in its branches for first-time buyers. The only drawback is that there is an arrangement fee of £1,675.’
HELP TO BUY ISA
From Tuesday aspiring buyers will be able to use a tax-friendly plan to build a deposit towards a home purchase – the Help to Buy Individual Savings Account or Isa. It is similar to a standard tax-free cash Isa but the Government will add a 25 per cent bonus on top of whatever you save. If buying with a friend or a partner who is also a first-time buyer, both can take out a Help to Buy Isa.
The money saved can be used as a home deposit to buy a property valued up to £250,000 – or £450,000 in London. The bonus is paid to the lender via your solicitor. If you change your mind and do not buy, the bonus is lost.
Savers can squirrel away a maximum £200 a month and kickstart it with a £1,000 deposit.
The maximum bonus paid by the Government is £3,000.
Hollingworth says: ‘The bonus is generous and should encourage people to save towards a deposit – especially those worried that house prices are rising faster than they can save.’
Hopeful first-time buyer Tom Murphy is enthusiastic about the Help to Buy Isa.
An architect, 28-year-old Tom hopes to buy his first home next year with civil servant girlfriend Rebecca, 26.
The couple are currently renting in Kentish Town, North-West London, and have been saving hard for a deposit for three years.
Bricks and mortar: Tom Murphy is hoping to save with a Help to Buy Isa
He says: ‘Help to Buy Isa is the one that suits us best. We will not have the time to put in the maximum but a 25 per cent bonus on top of what we put away will make a huge difference. We will both take out a plan.’
The couple aim to save £50,000 as a 10 per cent deposit and are looking for a property in Leytonstone, East London.
Who offers it: Halifax is one of the first to announce the rate it will pay on money saved through its Help to Buy Isa – a generous 4 per cent although it is a variable rate and subject to being cut. A couple each saving the maximum £13,000 over five years could build a combined potential pot of just over £35,000, including the bonus and interest. Nationwide and NatWest are both paying 2 per cent.
Nationwide is also offering cashback if savers go on to borrow.
Aldermore, Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group, Santander and Virgin Money will also offer Help to Buy Isas.
Sue Hannums, of rate scrutineer SavingsChampion, says: ‘It is encouraging that Halifax is supporting future home owners with a decent rate of interest.’ But Charlotte Nelson, of Moneyfacts, warns: ‘Halifax is offering an attractive rate. But as savers know all too well, rates can fall more quickly than they go up.’
Offered through housing associations, shared ownership allows buyers to purchase between 25 per cent and 75 per cent of a home’s value and then pay the housing association a discounted rent on the rest.
This is an option for those struggling with affordability issues and allows them to increase their equity share over time if they can afford it in a system called ‘staircasing’.
Who offers it: Many lenders are in this market. Leeds Building Society, for example, is offering a two-year fix at 4.29 per cent with a fee of just £99.
Most shared ownership schemes are restricted to people in certain jobs, such as teachers, or who work in the area. But last week the Chancellor introduced Help to Buy Shared Ownership for buyers in England, removing these constraints. There is an upper annual income limit of £80,000 per household outside London and £90,000 in London. Military personnel will have priority over other buyers.
SEEK OUT A SPECIAL DEAL
First timers can take advantage of special loan deals aimed at helping cash-strapped buyers.
Several lenders offer perks such as cashback and fee-free deals or throw in free legals and valuations.
Yorkshire Building Society has a two-year fixed rate deal, for example, at 2.99 per cent with a minimum deposit of 15 per cent, no fee and a cashback of £1,000.
Another route on to the ladder is to club together with friends or family. Parents can go in with children without living in the property.
The parent’s income is used to increase the amount their child can borrow.
Hollingworth warns parents to take care as a joint loan could land them with a capital gains tax liability further down the line.
Woolwich, the lending arm of Barclays bank, gets round this by putting the parent’s name on the mortgage but not on the property title.
First timers aged under 40 will be offered the chance to buy a new build home at a 20 per cent discount under the ‘Starter Homes’ scheme.
Under the programme, housebuilders will construct 200,000 homes over the next five years, with the Government funding the discount via the builders.
To find out about a local scheme register at new-homes.co.uk/starter-homes.
Council house tenants still have the right to buy their property at a generous discount. Next year this option will be extended to people living in housing associations.
‘CATASTROPHIC' STAMP DUTY HIKE WILL HIT RENTAL MARKET
Landlords and those looking to buy a second home were dealt a hefty double blow last week when George Osborne said stamp duty costs on new purchases would leap from next April.
Also, tax due on gains when a second home or buy-to-let property is sold will have to be paid more quickly. These measures are in addition to new restrictions on tax relief for landlords from April 2017.
Anyone thinking of buying a second home should act fast if they want to miss the hike in stamp duty.
Hit hard: Landlords and those looking to buy a second home were dealt a hefty double blow
The additional rate of three per cent on top of the normal stamp duty charges will apply from April 1 next year.
For a house up to £125,000 stamp duty is normally zero but now a second home buyer will pay 3 per cent on the property price.
According to financial company Old Mutual Wealth, this means a buyer of a £150,000 second home will pay £5,000 in tax rather than £500 today. On a £200,000 house it will be £7,500 compared with £1,500 at present and on a £300,000 house it will be £14,000 rather than the current £5,000. The arrangement will not apply in Scotland.
From April 2019, any capital gains tax owed from the sale of a second home must be paid within 30 days of the sale rather than the current position of paying between ten and 22 months after the property is sold.
David Cox, managing director of the Association of Residential Letting Agents, says the stamp duty surcharge is ‘catastrophic news’ for the private rental sector.
He adds: ‘Increasing tax for landlords will push up rents and reduce property standards for tenants.’
He predicts landlords will pass on the increased stamp duty costs to tenants, who will see less spent on maintaining their property and also pay higher rents.
Buyers are still awaiting details on how offplan purchases will be affected by the changes – and homes bought for children.
Experts predict a panic rush by second home buyers to beat the deadline – potentially forcing prices up in the short term.
David Hollingworth, of mortgage broker London & Country, says: ‘Buyers who are wanting to complete a purchase before April will need to get their skates on.’
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Eating healthy is important when it comes to managing Diabetes. This means sticking to foods that are rich in nutrients, and low in fat and calories. Consuming foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains should be the main focus, as well as eating three moderate meals at the same time each day. This way, your body can better use the insulin that it produces. Talking to a registered dietitian will help you put together a diet based on your individual health goals, taste, lifestyle, and habits, such as proper portion sizes.
In the meantime, here are some helpful tips anyone can follow:
Healthy Carbohydrates – It’s important to incorporate healthy carbohydrates into your diet as they help break down the blood glucose in the body. Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products are all healthy carbohydrates that add to a healthy diet.
Fiber-rich Foods – Foods like fruits, vegetables, whole-wheat flour, and wheat bran are rich in fiber which help the body digest and control blood sugar levels.
Heart Healthy Fish – Fish like tuna, cod, and halibut are a great alternative to other meats because they typically have less total fat.
Good Fats – Avocados, almonds, pecans and olive all contain monounsaturated & polyunsaturated fats. These are considered healthy fats that help lower cholesterol levels. However, they are still high in calories so be sure to consume moderately.
Saturated Fats – Beef, hot dogs, bacon, and high fat dairy products all contain saturated fats, which should be avoided as cholesterol levels will rise, putting you at risk for heart disease and stroke.
Trans Fats Avoid trans fats that are typically found in processed snacks, baked goods, and sticks of margarine. Trans fats are known to increase levels of cholesterol in the body.
Cholesterol – High-fat dairy products like egg yolks, and high-fat animal proteins like liver, are all high in cholesterol. Try to eat no more than 200 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol a day, as too much cholesterol causes fatty build ups in the arteries. This can put you at risk of heart attack, stroke, and peripheral artery disease.
Sodium – You should consume no more than 2,300 mg of sodium a day, and if you are hypertensive, aim for less than 1,500 mg a day. Excess sodium increases blood pressure, putting added stress on the heart.
Enjoy this sample meal, and bring some fun into your diet.
Breakfast (294 calories, 41 g carbs)
1/2 cup oats cooked in 1/2 cup each 2%
milk & water
1 medium plum, chopped
4 walnut halves, chopped
Top oats with plum and walnuts.
Morning Snack (96 calories, 18 g carbs)
3/4 cup blueberries
1/4 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
Top yogurt with blueberries.
Lunch (319 calories, 37 g carbs)
Turkey & Apple Cheddar Melt
2 slices whole-wheat bread
2 tsp. whole-grain mustard, divided
1/2 medium apple, sliced
2 oz. low-sodium deli turkey
2 tbsp. shredded Cheddar cheese,
1 cup mixed greens
Top bread slices with mustard, apple, turkey and with 1 tbsp. cheese. Toast sandwich halves face-up in a toaster oven until the cheese begins to melt and bubble. Add the mixed greens to the sandwich just before serving.
Afternoon Snack (58 calories, 16 g carbs)
1/2 medium apple, sliced
1/2 tsp. honey
Pinch of cinnamon
Drizzle the apple slices with honey and
sprinkle with cinnamon.
Dinner (490 calories, 52 g carbs)
1 1/3 cups chicken Sausage & Peppers
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. no-salt-added Italian seasoning
Salt to taste
Season rice with oil, Italian seasoning and salt. Serve chicken sausage & peppers over the rice.

domain: food


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Boracay is a small island. There's a part of the island called Mount Luho where you can get a 360 degree view of my island home.
But not David - the Australian lad I recently met from the other side of the world. He said he will definitely come back and hopefully, he'll keep his promise so I can still show him around.
Joy with a C.

domain: geography


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Madison Meadow Athletic Center
On April 13, 2017, the Lombard Board of Park Commissioners and Staff broke ground on the construction site in Madison Meadow Park for the new athletic center. This moment was significant in reflecting years of strategic planning and foresight by providing a much needed facility and accomplishing a project listed on a needs assessment survey from the community. The Park District will continue construction with the bid winning companies and estimate an opening date of June 2018.
On March 28th, 2017, the Lombard Board of Park Commissioners made history by approving a $9.5 million project to build an athletic center on the former Fairwood School site at the southwest corner of Madison Meadow Park. This will be the first athletic center built in 90 years for the residents of Lombard.
The 38,000-square-foot, two-story building will include:
- Two regulation high school basketball courts
- An elevated running track
- Two large multipurpose rooms
- A babysitting room
- A 4,800-square-foot fitness center and locker rooms
This new athletic center will open to the public on June 30, 2018. Throughout this process it has been the Board’s and Staff’s intention to meet the needs of the community while being mindful of our neighbors. The District will continue to update this page as the project moves forward.
For more information, please feel free to contact the District at firstname.lastname@example.org or call 630–627–1281.
Click the dates below to see drone footage of the construction site for our new Recreation Center!

domain: news


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Plants 60-130 cm; rhizomes short, stout. Stems 1-10+, ascending to erect, scabroso-puberulent at least in distal 1 / 2. Leaves: basal withering by flowering; mid and distal cauline numerous; subsessile or obscurely petiolate; blades narrowly elliptic to lanceolate, 7-10 × 10-15 mm, firm, attenuate, margins distally serrate, eciliate, 3-nerved, apices acuminate or sharply acute, faces glabrous. Heads 50-150, in paniculiform arrays, branches recurved, secund. Peduncles 0.5-3 mm, sparsely strigose; bracteoles linear, minute. Involucres narrowly campanulate, 4-5 mm. Phyllaries in 3-4 series, lanceolate to linear lanceolate, unequal, apices obtuse, innermost acute. Ray florets 5-8; laminae 2-3 × 0.75 mm. Disc florets 5-9; corollas 3-3.5 mm, lobes 0.5 mm. Cypselae ca. 2 mm, moderately short-strigose; pappi 2-3 mm. 2n = 36. Flowering Aug-Oct. Dry, open places; of conservation concern; 100-200 m; Ind., Ky. Solidago shortii is found in Fleming, Nicolas, and Robertson counties, Kentucky, and Harrison County, Indiana. It was found historically on rock islands in the falls of the Ohio River near Louisville. Solidago shortii is listed as endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and is in the Center for Plant Conservation´s National Collection of Endangered Plants.
Stems 6-13 dm from a short, stout rhizome, scabrous-puberulent at least above the middle; lvs chiefly cauline, numerous, firm, glabrous, triple- nerved, remotely serrulate, narrowly elliptic or lanceolate, acuminate or sharply acute, tapering to the subsessile or obscurely petiolate base, the larger ones 7-10 נ1-1.5 cm; infl paniculiform, with recurved- secund branches; invol 4-5 mm, its bracts firm, acute or obtusish; rays 5-8, 2-3 mm; disk-fls 5-9; achenes short-hairy; 2n=36. Dry, open places at Blue Licks, in Fleming, Nicholas and Robertson counties, Ky., and formerly on Rock Island, at the falls of the Ohio, near Louisville.
Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

domain: biology


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Katie Wright hasn't quit 'The Only Way is Essex'.
The 26-year-old reality TV star sent her fans into a frenzy earlier this year when she announced she was turning her back on the ITVBe show - the programme that made her famous - after she struck up a relationship with sports pundit Rio Ferdinand but she's adamant her departure isn't for good.
She told Star magazine: "I haven't left officially. When I'm on the show I get very caught up in the drama, so it's just a long break for now. The door is always open to go back."
The blonde bombshell - who previously dated Dan Edgar on the show - has admitted she was spurred on to leave the programme because she was sick of the "drama" that came with it.
She said: "There's always a lot of drama and I'm trying to stay out of it and focus on other things. I love fitness and I'm launching a bikini range, so it's all coming together."
And, although she had no trouble talking to people when the cast were jetted off abroad for the specials, Katie rarely talks to any of her co-stars now that she's taking a break.
She added: "I don't see anyone from the show, to be honest. The only people I see are Tommy Mallett, Georgia Kousoulou, Amber Dowding and Lydia Bright. I don't stay in contact with anyone else because we were never great friends."
The door may have been left open for her to return but Katie has her sights set on 'Dancing On Ice' now that ITV have confirmed that it will be returning early next year following a reboot.
She said: "At the moment, I'm just focusing on me but I'm sure if an offer came in I'd consider it. I'd be rubbish at 'Strictly Come Dancing' because I have no rhythm, but I used to be a professional figure skater so I'd be good on 'Dancing on Ice'."

domain: entertainment


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A pretty penny! Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could potentially pay high fees out of their own pocket for top-tier security in the UK, says royal expert Richard Aish.
“It is very difficult to quantify exactly that,” said the director of operations of Mobius International Security. We Weekly exclusively earlier this month. “The cost of a personal protection officer [Metropolitan Police] has been estimated at around £100,000 a year.
The security expert noted that the cost could “dramatically” fluctuate “over time” with the addition of other expenses including flights and overseas accommodation. The couple’s children – son Archie, 2, and daughter Lilibet, 7 months – are also included in the fee.
“What may seem like a wish on paper is much more in reality, and the costs can certainly be quite enormous,” Aitch said. We.
Harry, 36, released a statement earlier this month regarding his fight to ensure adequate protection for his family in his home country following his 2020 royal discharge and subsequent move to California. He and the Suits alum, 40, funded their own security team after moving to North America.
“This security cannot duplicate the police protection needed in the UK,” the statement added. “Without such protection, Prince Harry and his family cannot return home.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced in January 2020 that they intended to step back from their senior royal duties. According to his statement, Harry offered to personally pay British security for his family during conversations with Queen Elizabeth II and other senior royals – but failed to gain approval.
“The UK will always be Prince Harry’s home and country where he wants his wife and children to be safe,” the statement concluded. “With the lack of police protection comes too great a personal risk. Prince Harry hopes his petition – after nearly two years of advocacy for safety in the UK – will resolve this situation.
According to Aitch, Harry is a “very difficult” and “unprecedented” situation that will likely require deliberation by a royal committee.
“This committee decides who receives police protection, and if they receive it, what capacity appears,” he said. We. “Their responsibility is to decide on the security of members of parliament, such as the prime minister, foreign minister, interior minister, etc., in addition to members of the royal family.”
Aitch also noted that “not all members of the royal family receive protection” except for senior royals. Harry’s decision to step back from his senior responsibilities complicates the issue of protection.
“At the end of the day, members of the royal family are doing a service to the people. They have loyal duties to undertake, and by virtue of this the UK taxpayer then funds the protection of this service,” Aitch continued. “He has given up his royal duties, he no longer provides a service to the British people, does he? And so in the eyes of the government, the question is why then should the British taxpayer pay and fund their personal security? … And that’s completely understandable.
However, Aitch acknowledged that the potential dangers Harry and his family could face have not changed since stepping away from the royal spotlight.
“The subject of cost should not be focused on whether [or] how he serves the people or not alone. Because he is a senior member of the Royal Family, he is exposed to a wide variety of serious threats, and the risks of these threats have increased since his departure from the Royal Family,” Aitch added. “The fact that he no longer benefits from police protection [means] its risk of threats has certainly increased.
Buckingham Palace has yet to issue an official response to Harry’s statement. Earlier this month, however, the royal expert Kristin Contino Recount We that the Queen, 95, has been put in a difficult situation.
“[It’s] difficult for her, as a grandmother, not to really be able to intervene,” she said. “She is [not] going to oppose the government and say, “Well, you know, you have to keep them safe.” … People can see both sides in this situation.
With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
Listen to the Royally Us podcast for everything you want to know about our favorite family across the pond.


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What is Yalı like for beach hotels?
When the beach is calling your name, a trip to Yalı might be just the ticket. Whether you want to stroll along the shore or watch the sunrise, this city is well suited for travellers looking to stay near the water. You can experience everything the area has to offer with a visit to Yahsi Beach or a stop at Ortakent Beach. When you browse for hotels in Yalı on our site, it's easy to book something within your price range.
What are the best things to see and do in Yalı?
Here are some things for you to see and do during your visit:
- Sights & landmarks
- Yahsi Beach
- Ortakent Beach

domain: travel


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In pregnancy news from across the pond, Imogen Thomas’ bare baby bump has been deemed too hot for her Twitter handle. The Welsh glamour model, currently expecting her first child, is peeved after having her pic taken down by the social media site.
Along with the photo below, Imogen Thomas tweeted Monday, “7 months 2day…can’t wait to meet my baby ♥”
Later that same day, after the pic had been removed, she explained, “My photo today is apparently ‘too sexy’ for twitter. oh ok…anyway its not my Demi Moore shoot. Cant wait to do that soon xxx.”
Despite initially seeming to accept the decision, Imogen Thomas has since gone on to retweet messages followers have sent to her, defending the pregnancy photo.
Don’t get why ppl are saying the pic that @imogen_thomas posted of her baby bump was “to sexy” if u don’t appreciate nature then don’t look
— gemma (@Gee25Lee) November 27, 2012
— Rose-Marie Elliott (@Rose_MarEllio) November 27, 2012
— Paula Moore (@xxPaulaxxAlanxx) November 27, 2012
Certainly, though the 29-year-old’s photo left little to the imagination, it doesn’t reveal much more than the nude pregnancy photos major magazines have — often on their covers! Check out our gallery of other celebrities who’ve posed nude while pregnant:
Do you find Imogen Thomas’ pregnancy photo too hot to be shared online?
Photos: PR Photos, Imogen Thomas Twitter

domain: celebrity


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Search For "white ferns"
Updated : 1 month, 3 weeks ago IST
Auckland [New Zealand], October 5 (ANI): New Zealand women's all-rounder Anna Peterson has retired from international cricket after nearly 10 years in the White Ferns environment.
Updated : 3 months, 2 weeks ago IST
Auckland [New Zealand], August 11 (ANI): Central Hinds seamer Rosemary Mair has been forced out of the New Zealand women's team tour to England with a bone stress reaction in her left shin.
Updated : 6 months ago IST
Auckland [New Zealand], May 25 (ANI): Northern Spirit batter Brooke Halliday, Canterbury Magicians all-rounder Frankie Mackay, and Wellington Blaze wicket-keeper Jess McFadyen have been offered White Ferns contracts for the first time.
Updated : 7 months, 4 weeks ago IST
Mount Maunganui [New Zealand], April 3 (ANI): White Ferns skipper Sophie Devine will miss the ODI series against Australia, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) confirmed on Saturday.
Updated : 9 months ago IST
Wellington [New Zealand], March 1 (ANI): Northern Districts all-rounder Brooke Halliday has replaced Lea Tahuhu in the New Zealand women (White Ferns) squad for the upcoming GJ Gardner Homes T20I series against England.
Updated : 9 months, 2 weeks ago IST
Auckland [New Zealand], February 14 (ANI): Canterbury's Kate Ebrahim and Wellington's Thamsyn Newton on Sunday won recalls to the New Zealand women's (White Ferns) T20 squad on the back of strong Super Smash form.
Queenstown [New Zealand], February 10 (ANI): England women's team began their training as a whole group for the first time since arriving in New Zealand for the upcoming ODI series against White Ferns (New Zealand's women squad) on Wednesday.
Updated : 9 months, 3 weeks ago IST
Auckland [New Zealand], February 10 (ANI): Auckland teenager Fran Jonas and Northern Districts' Brooke Halliday have been included in New Zealand's women squad (White Ferns) for the upcoming ODI series against England.
Auckland [New Zealand], February 4 (ANI): New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Thursday confirmed that the upcoming tour schedules for the Bangladesh men and Australia women's teams have been changed a bit due to ongoing challenges in the current COVID-19 environment.
Updated : 10 months, 2 weeks ago IST
Auckland [New Zealand], January 14 (ANI): New Zealand women's cricket team (White Ferns) will be hosting ODI and T20 World Champions England and Australia, respectively, over the second half of this summer as the women's international schedule roars back into life.
Updated : 11 months, 2 weeks ago IST
Auckland [New Zealand], December 15 (ANI): The Basin Reserve in Wellington and the Hagley Oval in Christchurch will host the semi-finals of the Women's 50-over World Cup in 2022 with the latter also set to host the final under lights on April 3, 2022.
Updated : 1 year, 3 months ago IST
Melbourne [Australia], Aug 11 (ANI): Former Australia wicketkeeper Lorna Beal (nee Larter) has passed away at the age of 96.


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New York Senator Charles Schumer has called upon the Food and Drug Administration to bring stricter punishment against airline caterers who violate health codes. Which, we found out earlier this week, is pretty much all of them.
According to USA Today, the three major caterers—LSG Sky Chefs, Gate Gourmet and Flying Food Group—were all reported to have unclean facilities and employees with poor hygiene—yes, even right here in New York. One LSG Sky Chef facility in Denver really rose the bar, however—the FDA found live and dead roaches "too numerous to count." Other facilities were essentially breeding grounds for flies and mice.
Under Schumer's proposed regulations, stiffer fines would be put in to place, and any caterer with repeat health code violations would be banished from the U.S.! (Or, at least U.S. airports.) He said those conditions "would never be tolerated at a restaurant, [and passengers] should not have to accept a lesser standard just because their food is served on a plane." In that case, bring in the rats?


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A martial arts expert and a basketball freestyler stepped up to make Guinness World Records history in Hamburg on Thursday, as they attempted to break various world titles in unusual fields.
Taekwondo expert Muhamed Kahrimanovic, smashed 123 coconuts in one minute, as he cracked the previous record of 122 set by Abheesh P. Dominic of India.
Next up was baskeball freestyler Mehmet Kekec, who... Еще sought to break two records on the day. Kekec declared himself «satisfied» after succeeding in both, firstly topping the world record for elbow basketball spinning. The other record broke involved the help of a child, Hamdu Zabel, who balanced a spinning basketball on each foot whilst doing a handstand.
Kekec explained that he has already set his sights on next year stating that, «the next record will be the hand-spinning-basketball record,» which he plans to enter along with his daughter.
Все видео новости темы Книга рекордов Гиннесса.


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Tuesday, 9 October 2012
The weather has well and truly turned, I have found this out the hard way. My small greenhouse propagator took a reasonable about of damage from the elements the other night. The forecast wasn’t for high winds but, we got some rather hellish gusts during the night and the guide ropes snapped. Obviously this made the whole unit fall over and all the contents went everywhere.
I think most of the plants will survive, I had to refill some of the pots with compost but no damage was done to any plant. The majority of plants are cuttings so I’m hoping that the tumble will not affect any possible viability.
Although, as some of the stems were lying spilt on the floor out of the compost I did spy some beginnings of roots. This has excited me a lot as I have never had a cutting set root and be successful before.
As you can see the damage was bad, the bottom of the structure was bent and buckled. I managed to twist and pull it back to shape. It’s not perfect but it is back in shape (sort of) and the main thing is that the structure is back to being strong
Saturday, 6 October 2012
I have recently received 20 bulbs, at a glance I'd they are all spring bulbs but some look like they might be lily's.
I would have ordinarily checked at source what the bulbs were. Unfortunately as they were from someone, through someone I knew this was not possible.
The majority of the bulbs i believe to be daffodils (well this is more an un-educated wild guess) mixed with a few crocus( again wild guess) . There is one bulb that's interesting me, it is rounded but elongated, I do not recognise it. I'm mostly looking forward to seeing what that bulb turns out to be. I suppose I could Google it and find out but to be honest I'd prefer to wait and see.
Obviously Im planting the unknown, so Im going to plant all the bulbs in multi-purpose compost. I have planted the larger bulbs in the larger pots and the smaller bulbs in the smaller ones.
Nothing will happen now until spring but as soon as the first shoot comes through i will be straight on here all excited telling you all about it.
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
As autumn is firmly upon us, it is now time to plant out our little springtime beauty's. Of course i'm referring to the spring bulbs and today i'll be planting crocus in my lawn.
As modelled perfectly by Charlie my "helper"
One thing I have learnt, through bitter failure, crocus need to be planted naturally to look good. To achieve this all we did was hold the bulbs at waist height (Charlie's shoulder height) and dropped them. Excuse the laundry but we live in a busy household :-)
The bulbs will drop nicely and will spread out in a naturalistic way. I've covered the majority of the lawn simply by dropping handfuls of bulbs whilst walking around.
Now comes the tedious bit, going around planting them about 50mm deep in the position that they dropped. This job, for me, was made all the more harder by the fact the previous tenants had planted over a gravel path.
To plant, I stuck the shovel in roughly to depth lifted the lawn slightly and placed the bulbs the correct way up. As you can see I was digging down on to the buried gravel path, which made it hard work every time I stuck the shovel in. However, every cloud has a silver lining I now have superb drainage directly under the bulbs.
The picture below denotes by way of my finger pointing, the bottom of a bulb the bulbs should be planted with the top pointing skywards.
I hope you enjoyed reading, I really enjoyed planting these with my little boy and can't wait for the first crocus to poke through. I will be sure to blog when they do.

domain: agronomy


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With its blissful white beaches and placid waters, the Pacific does not likely come to mind as a place that’s likely to be ‘haunted’ or ‘plagued’. Yet there is a small, uninhabited island in a seldom-visited corner of the world that has, over the years, experienced a number of disturbing, paranormal occurrences that has led many to believe that it is in fact, cursed.
To the eye, Palmyra is the archetypal image of a tropical island paradise. It is in fact, an atoll – a ring-shaped scattering of small islets made up of coral, much of which is overgrown with dense rainforest vegetation. The reef is abundant in colorful marine life, the jungle interior lush and there’s not a cloud in the sky. Yet a strange air blankets Palmyra. Over the years, a number of unfortunate incidents – a few too many to seem coincidental – have occurred upon the island’s shores, leaving an eerie and unnerving atmosphere.
The first recorded sighting of Palmyra was in 1798. American sailor Edmund Fanning was on route to Asia, aboard the Betsy ship, of which he was captain. Legend has it, that Captain Fanning one night struggled to sleep and thus ordered his crew to find someplace the ship could moor in order that he might rest. The next morning, having steered a little off-course, the Betsy sailed onto the shores of Palmyra. The captain failed to officially record his discovery though and thus, when a few years later in 1802, Captain Swale’s ship, the Palmyra (from which the island takes its name), failed to sight the atoll’s rocky reef, it was wrecked upon its coral.
Swale’s vessel was only the first of several that would come to an unfortunate fate upon Palmyra’s shores. In 1870, the crew of the Angel were shipwrecked on the edge of the lagoon. Those that survived the crash are said to have made it to shore – though their brutally murdered bodies were found callously strewn about the island a few months later, when another passing vessel briefly anchored to investigate. To this day, the ruthless killing of the Angel sailors remains a mystery. In 1816, a Spanish pirate ship named Esperanza, reportedly loaded with plundered Inca treasure from Peru, became similarly marooned. They supposedly spent a year strenuously eking out survival on the island, before deciding to bury their loot and attempt an escape. Of the two makeshift rafts they fashioned, one was picked up by a passing whaling ship – though the raft’s sole survivor died shortly after his rescue, having contracted a severe case of pneumonia. The second raft was never seen again.
Over the course of the 19th century, a series of somewhat bitter legal battles ensued over ownership of the island. The atoll passed through several hands before the United States was granted proprietorship (Palmyra remains today in fact, an ‘incorporated territory’ of the American federal government). During the Second World War, the US navy occupied the island – though their presence did little to ward off whatever malevolent spirits seemed to reside there.
A number of strange and quite inexplicable happenings continued to befall Palmyra. In one instance, a patrol plane quite literally dropped out of the sky as it was passing over the island. Rescue teams were not able to recover anything in the surrounding ocean – no trace of an aircraft, nor a single crew member. In another instance a plane flew off course after having just taken off and simply disappeared off the radar. It was never seen again. There was prolific unrest amongst sailors. Depression and stress were rife, fights frequent – there were even murders and a number of suspicious suicides.
But of all of these bizarre incidents, the most famous and certainly the most disturbing is that of Malcolm and Eleanor Graham. A spirited couple in their early 40s, Mr and Mrs Graham dreamed of travelling the world aboard their boat, the Sea Wind. Setting sail in 1974, they planned to stay on Palmyra for a few years before continuing on their voyage – though they tragically would never leave the island. Just a few months after having left America, friends of the Grahams became concerned after having lost all contact with the couple and reported them missing to authorities. Investigators found the island all but deserted – there was no trace of the couple, nor any of their personal possessions.
Later that year, Sea Wind sailed into Honolulu, Hawaii. Aboard the yacht were Duane Walker and his girlfriend Stephanie Sterns who were immediately arrested and charged with theft. Though it wasn’t until six years later, when another couple who were visiting the atoll – Sharon and Robert Jordan from South Africa – would begin to unravel what had transpired. Whilst exploring the Palmyra jungle, the Jordans came across a derelict old building, hidden within the thick rainforest shrubbery, inside which they found an extensive collection of newspaper clippings on the Graham’s disappearance – which had, a number of years prior, made international headlines. Just a few days later, they were to make an even more disturbing discovery. Whilst walking along the beach, Ms Jordan found a large metal container that had been tightly bound in thick wire. Inside the container was a skull, several bones and a woman’s watch. Inquiries concluded that the skeleton was indeed that of Eleanor Graham, who had been ruthlessly beaten to death, her body burnt, dismembered and discarded of. Malcolm’s remains have to this day, never been found.
Duane Walker was trialled and found guilty of murder, though his girlfriend acquitted due to insufficient evidence with which to condemn her. Walker would later claim to have killed the Grahams in self-defence, after an affair with Eleanor had left her husband enraged and vengeful – an unconvincing though unproven claim. It is a secret that Walker, who died in April 2010, would take to his grave.
Palmyra Island – the one and only other witness to the horrific crime (and indeed, all those that had previously befallen her shores) will lie forever silent and forever still in the Pacific Ocean.


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USATF San Diego Cross Country Championship
Running: 6K, 8K
San Diego, California
November 11th, 2018
Help other racers! Let them know how the course, atmosphere, and schwag were!Write a Review
The USATF San Diego Cross Country Championship is a Running race in San Diego, California consisting of a 6K, 8K.
Tecolote Shores - East Mission Bay Park. The course is located just south
of the Hilton Hotel in East Mission Bay Park. This is the same course that
was used for the 2008 and 2011 USATF National Championships.
The course is almost entirely on grass with a few sidewalk crossings.
Spikes are permissible.


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Currently, mosquitoes are attacking Guyana. The region is in fact facing its biggest dengue epidemic in twenty years. It began in mid-2023 and has accelerated since early January, with an average of 800 new cases being announced each week, according to health officials.
This virus, transmitted by the Aedes mosquito, against which no vaccine is recommended by the High Authority for Health (HAS), can cause haemorrhage or shock syndrome in very severe cases. In tropical and subtropical areas such as Guyana, epidemics return every three to five years and usually last 12 to 18 months. Viral waves are more or less intense.
2,996 cases since January 1
According to Public Health France, 5,800 confirmed cases of dengue fever have been reported in the Amazon department of 300,000 inhabitants since the beginning of 2023, including 2,996 already in 2024. Since the beginning of the year,” confirmed Dmitry Grigosky, director of the Regional Health Agency (ARS), on February 6.
Two of the four current dengue genotypes circulate at the same time, which contributes to intensifying the epidemic, which is also favored by the rainy season, which increases the number of stagnant water areas and therefore breeding grounds for larvae. Last week, however, the impact on the Guyanese health system remained “relatively limited”, with infections generating “8 to 10% more activity” for emergencies at the Kourou and Cayenne hospitals.
Promised for mosquito control
A monitoring unit involving state services and the Territorial Collectivity of Guyana (CTG) was activated on February 6 with the aim of taking steps to “slow down this dynamic as much as possible,” indicated Prefect Antoine Poussier. The next day, the state representative signed an order to remove end-of-life vehicles, which are numerous on the roads and “which constitute a breeding ground for mosquitoes that facilitate the spread of dengue”. For its part, CTG pledged to “increase its human and physical resources” in the field of mosquito control, for which it has competence. Its president Gabriel Serville spoke of “an epidemic of a scale we have not experienced for almost twenty years”.
According to the work of the Pasteur Institute, dengue epidemics are becoming more frequent and severe, especially due to demographic pressure. Climate change also favors its circulation and the disease is “developing, especially since the arrival of the tiger mosquito in southern Europe”, according to Christophe Perrefit, director of the Institut Pasteur de Cayenne.


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1. The Origin Of the Term
In its own way, the origin of the term “Metroidvania” is easy enough to understand. The word itself is a portmanteau of two popular games: Metroid and Castlevania.
Interestingly, though, it would take a while before each franchise laid the groundwork for what would eventually be called the Metroidvania genre. It didn’t start with the first Metroid or Castlevania game; in fact, it wasn’t until the 1990’s that each franchise delivered on the promise and potential of this emerging genre.
Though depending on who you talk to, the genre existed before the games it was named for. After reading this article, you can be the judge on the definitive origin of Metroidvania.
2. Why Combine Two Types of Game?
One simple question you may have is this: why combine the style and gameplay of two different games? After all, combining two different tastes together doesn’t mean you’ll get something good. Just ask anyone who has played Somari, a fan-made attempt to put Mario in the world of Sonic the Hedgehog.
The short answer is that each style of gameplay is greater together than it is apart. For example, the original Metroid is much more successful as an exploration game than an action game. Similarly, the original Castlevania is a great action-adventure game, but it’s about as linear as you can get.
By mashing the game styles together, devs can have it all: fun encounters with enemies and bosses as well as large maps that encourage exploration. And to keep you exploring, there are always upgrades that effectively open up new sections to explore.
3. Key Metroidvania Features
Even to hardcore fans of Metroidvanias, the definition of their favorite genre is a bit like how the Supreme Court tried to define pornography: “I know it when I see it!”
With that in mind, there are certain key elements that most Metroidvania games share. First off, most of these games are 2D. This owes to the foundational games being 2D and also later creators (especially indie creators) wanting to recreate that aesthetic.
Secondly, a Metroidvania features abilities that the player can unlock through gameplay. Rather than being standard upgrades, these new abilities usually open up new areas of the map for you to explore.
Third, and finally, these games are typically built around a nonlinear map. This encourages players to explore their surroundings in a more robust way and also leads to a sense of accomplishment when you get a new upgrade and can finally explore areas that were closed off to you.
4. What Was the First Metroidvania Game?
Want to know the quickest way to start a fight among Metroidvania fans? Simple: ask them to discuss which game was the first Metroidvania.
Some instinctively want to credit the original Castlevania or Metroid, two games that originally came out less than two months apart. But as we detailed above, Castlevania was originally much more of an action game before the sequel brought in RPG elements. The original Metroid might qualify as a Metroidvania, though many franchise fans consider Super Metroid (with its improved quality of life additions and additional RPG elements) to be more in line with the genre.
Some fans think the world experienced Metroidvania before either Metroid or Castlevania. For example, Source Gaming claims that the obscure title Brain Breaker, which came out a year before either Metroid or Castlevania, is our first Metroidvania. It was released for the equally obscure Sharp X1 and told a tale similar to Metroid (in broad strokes) about a space traveler exploring a large, alien world.
For many, though, the Metroidvania genre didn’t really culminate until the release of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night in 1997. Developers brought in everything they had learned from previous Castlevania games (most especially Castlevania II) and added the perfect fusion of action, exploration, and upgradeable items.
5. The Indie Explosion
So depending on who you talk to, the Metroidvania genre started in either the 1980s or the 1990s. But this genre arguably wasn’t popular until 2004. This was the year that gave us the indie gem Cave Story.
Cave Story was a quirky game about a robot trying to escape (you guessed it) a cave. But its gameplay was pretty familiar: through platforming challenges and strange puzzles, the robot would slowly gather new abilities and unlock new areas to explore.
Indie developers quickly realized that creating their own Metroidvanias would be relatively cheap (2D is always cheaper than 3D) and would scratch a nostalgic itch for many players. Pretty soon, we got amazing Metroidvania titles such as Hollow Knight and Ori and the Blind Forest. And while 2D remained the preferred aesthetic for this genre, Metroidvanias also influenced some major 3D titles, influencing everything from Batman: Arkham Asylum to Dark Souls.
6. The Student Becomes the Master
Perhaps the ultimate irony of the Metroidvania genre is this: it didn’t take long for the games inspired by this genre to outgrow the franchises that inspired them.
For example, both Metroid and Castlevania made the jump to 3D games with varying degrees of success. But while the Metroid Prime games were great, we haven’t gotten a proper Metroid game in a while (though this will soon change with both Metroid Prime 4 and Metroid Dread). Meanwhile, Castlevania had some more forgettable 3D entries, and we haven’t gotten a proper franchise entry in about seven years.
Meanwhile, the indie scene keeps pumping out one great Metroidvania game after another. And if the modern player is looking for great games in this vein to play, the simple truth is that Nintendo and Konami are the last places to look.
Although really determined players can slog through some Castlevania-inspired gambling games from Konami. Once you unlock the “crippling debt” ability, it opens up some previously unexplored areas of your marriage!


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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accredited all 774 delegates from the 36 states of the federation including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to vote in the presidential primary election holding on Saturday.
The member representing Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu Federal constituency of Kogi State, Tajudeen Yusuf, said in an interview on Channels TV crew at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja.
“Total number of delegates at the PDP primaries are 774, this includes those from FCT,” he said. “We had only this number and they have all been accredited.”
He stated that the PDP was complying strictly with section 84(3) of the Electoral Act on elected delegates.
Mr Yusuf defeated the former Dino Melaye at the just concluded primary election for Kogi West Senatorial District.
ALSO READ: EFCC operatives seen at PDP convention venue
Under tight security at the venue, presidential aspirants arrived at the venue and the programme commenced with the National anthem and opening prayers.
Seventeen aspirants purchased the party’s nomination form at N40 million. However, two candidates, Cosmas Ndukwe, a former lawmaker, and Nwachukwu Anakwenze, a US-based medical doctor, were disqualified.
A top contender and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, resigned his membership of the party on Tuesday.
On Saturday, Mohammed Hayatudeen, pulled out of the race, citing monetisation of the process.
The aspirants have since been meeting state delegates, governors and other leaders across the country, seeking support to win the primaries.
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Younger generations are lonelier than older generations, according to a new report called “Loneliness and the Workplace” from Cigna, which is a follow-up to their 2018 study. Continue reading
By 2024, workers age 55 and older will represent 25% of the nation’s workforce, with the fastest annual growth rates among those aged 65-and-older.
This evolving workforce presents business owners and C-suite leadership with unprecedented challenges, an array of new risks and some unique opportunities. The 2019 Hiscox Ageism in the Workplace Study surveyed 400 U.S. full-time employees over the age of 40 to gain on-the-ground insights into the experience of age discrimination in the workplace. Continue reading
The Massachusetts Councils on Aging have announced two opportunities to join the association’s staff supporting the councils across the state. Please see these opportunities below and pass along to any who may be interested. Continue reading
MetroCommon 2050 is Greater Boston’s next long-range plan, and it’s under development now led by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC). Fresh off of a months-long public process to understand the future residents want for the region, including an input session with the Healthy Aging Collaborative Advisory Council, MAPC is sharing the goals that emerged from that work. Continue reading
Recently, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) Blog featured a piece on disaster preparedness and relief for older adults. Specifically, NCOA received funding from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to pilot a disaster recovery and preparedness program for low-income older adults in disaster-prone communities. NCOA focused on digital outreach and holistic casework. Continue reading
An accurate count on the Decennial Census will be essential in the work of Age and Dementia Friendly Communities statewide, among so many other funding and policy priorities. Continue reading
In preparation for Older Americans Month in May, the Administration for Community Living (ACL) has announced a theme that compliments the Age- and Dementia Friendly Movement. The 2019 theme is “Connect, Create, Contribute,” which encourages older adults and their communities to:
- Connect with friends, family, and services that support participation.
- Create by engaging in activities that promote learning, health, and personal enrichment.
- Contribute time, talent, and life experience to benefit others.


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Starburst Chandelier Design Pictures
Learn more from our pictures that show starburst chandelier for your home improvement. There are collections to choose from and Eurofase has best pieces for you. 6 chandelier is what we have that installed well with features of elegance and style. Trending lighting has also quite interesting collections that accessible on the net. LED lights create mood lighting for an enjoyable atmosphere. Sputnik is most popular design but you can choose others. Starburst vintage chandelier adds elegant design and decor to rustic country homes. Interiors and exteriors can be made into charming areas for alone and gathering.
Iron, bronze and wine sphere can be applied to create really attractive quality of home lighting simply yet quite significantly. It looks like Sputnik chandelier but more unique in featuring bulging sides that hanging in ceiling. Bedroom, living room, kitchen, bathroom and even bathroom and entryway can be made into much more elegant spaces with the light fixtures.
Check the picture on our gallery that shows you best piece for your home improvement. It is vintage but a thing for sure in increasing the value of modern contemporary homes as well. Different colors, finishes and designs are yours to decide in how to illuminate and decorate your rooms. This post is showing you a gallery of sphere design chandeliers for some references before making a purchase. Access some different online sites that are selling the chandelier and compare them in product details and prices.
Popular Search Term starburst chandelier

domain: artistic


Five Green Bottles is an Entertainment programme.
Five Green Bottles
Five wine critics offer personal reflections on the personal, political and historical stories of bygone bottles of wine. Through this bottle, she tells the story of critic Robert Parker who set out to democratise wine criticism.
Running Time: 11 minutes (approx)
When is Five Green Bottles next on TV?
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One of the biggest problems people have with step work is the thought of taking the blame for all of their misdeeds. No one likes to admit that they were wrong and when it comes to those with addiction that desire is quadrupled. There is also the fact that for many of us, our addiction came on the heels of outside circumstances or events that we had no control over. Whether it was mental, emotional, physical or sexual abuse or unhealthy family dynamics or a predisposition to extra anxiety, melancholy thoughts or an inability to appreciate ourselves…. For most of us something preceded our addiction.
So let me be clear: When we do the steps - we are not taking the blame for our actions. What we are doing is taking responsibility for them. We didn’t choose the circumstances around our addictions and we did not choose the actions of our addictions. What we chose was unhealthy coping mechanisms. We thought these choices would help us - alleviate some of our racing thoughts, our anxiety, our feeling of not belonging…. The list just keeps going. We made a choice we thought would help us, but instead it hurt us more than we could have ever imagined. It took us down roads we thought we’d never travel and turned us into people we thought we would never become.
Taking responsibility means that we understand that we did the best we could given the knowledge and life experience that we had at the time. Taking responsibility means knowing that we are not bad… Our choices were, but we are not. So when we do the steps we are not taking the blame for anything - we are merely taking responsibility for the unintended consequences of our attempts to help ourselves.
The good news is we now know better. We are saying goodbye to our old selves, our old habits and for many of us - some of our old friendships. We are closing the door on the actions that got us here and starting down a new spiritual path with a complete road map (the 12 steps) of how to do life on earth with the most peace and the least drama. As we trudge down this path we will find that the promises of AA do come true… for some of us quicker… for some of us slower… but the promises do come true… All you have to do is keep coming back - to meetings, the Big Book, to your sponsor and/or accountability partners - whatever your program looks like… stick with it. If it’s not working - change it - try new meetings or adding meetings or adding service work or making a commitment to get to know one person every month or every week. Make the program work for you because those promises… they do come true.
" It takes a high degree of emotional awareness to see responsibility and self-blame as opposing states because both states recognize the self in a position of causation. For this reason, self-blame can disguise itself as responsibility like a wolf wearing sheep's clothing. But one is self-hating, the other self-loving. One condemns the self and the other saves the self. If you are taking responsibility, you are feeling empowered. If you are self blaming, you are feeling bad about yourself and disempowered.

domain: sociology


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It's your past knocking with still nothing new to say.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Tales from the road (part 7)
"The Skinny Atlas", in Skaneateles, New York was the sight of Private Sector's second stellar performance in a row. Although it failed to catch the magic of the concert in Jiso, the band was solid and moved effortlessly from song to song, despite the fact that half the visual rig and backdrops mistakenly ended up in Central Square the venue for tomorrow night's performance.
The band pieced together some table cloths, a few naked light bulbs, a few flashlights and hit the stage as if it were, "business as usual".


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Whyalla TAFE SA staff will be donning their favourite flanny next week to raise money for farmers battling dry conditions across South Australia.
All money raised will be donated to the SA Country Womens Association (SACWA) for distribution to South Australian farmers through the SACWA Emergency Aid Fund.
Flanny for a Farmer Day will take place on Thursday, September 13, in conjunction with TAFE SA Wellbeing Day and R U OK Day?
Regional Business Development Officer Megan Cox encouraged the community to join in a barbecue in the TAFE SA Whyalla student lounge area by donning flannelette shirts and donating a gold coin.
“I travel right across the Whyalla-Eyre Peninsula area, and we’ve noticed the effects that the dry conditions are having right up to Ceduna,” she said.
“This is a good opportunity to get together and make a little footprint for our region. Every little bit helps.”
Country Outback Health, headspace and the Community Mental Health Rehab Unit will be attending the event to provide mental health support and information to staff, students and community members.
Student Counselor Steve Ravanelli aid it was important to acknowledge the impact the drought was having on the mental health of farmers around the state.
“We’ll be promoting some wellbeing and resliience strategies through some print-outs we’ve designed,” he said.
Whyalla CWA President June Phillips-Smith said farmers in need should contact the SACWA head office on 8332 4166.
“A lot of people, especially in this area, are in need of assistance because of the dry conditions,” she said.
The idea for Flanny for a Farmer Day was suggested by Julie Hollitt, an Information Services Officer based at TAFE SA’s Elizabeth Campus.
“It was an idea that I thought would be easy for staff and students to participate in and show empathy to people who are doing it tough in our own backyard at the same time,” Julie said.
“A person once said to me if you want to make a difference you should think globally and act locally – and this small gesture will hopefully have a big impact on those who need it most.”


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Download links and information about Village People by Village People. This album was released in 1977 and it belongs to Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock, Disco, Pop genres. It contains 4 tracks with total duration of 20:36 minutes.
|Genre:||Hip Hop/R&B, Soul, Rock, Disco, Pop|
|Buy it NOW at:|
|Buy on iTunes $4.99|
|1.||San Francisco (You've Got Me)||5:19|
|2.||In Hollywood (Everybody Is a Star)||4:53|


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Jamie Poston is among few women in her computer science classes at the University of Nevada, Reno.
“I go into a class and calculate the percentage, and I always get sad about that,” the 23-year-old said.
But Poston — a second-year graduate student — notices more women in her classes when they’re taught by a professor who’s a woman. It’s a more comfortable atmosphere and it’s not “the imposter effect” of being in a male-dominated class, she said.
Poston — who grew up in Virginia City — is working on a master’s degree in computer science and engineering, and is slated to graduate in spring. She hopes to pursue a career in data science.
She was among four students — and the only woman — on UNR’s cyber club team that competed at the Wicked6 Cyber Games, a college “hackathon” competition, Aug. 8 at the HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas at the Luxor.
Poston said she was excited Wicked6 was at the Luxor. Typically, events are in school cafeterias and gymasiums, she said, but at the Luxor, “this is legit. It brings up the prestige of the competition.”
The purpose of the first-ever Wicked6 competition was to attract more students to cybersecurity careers and help diversify the pipeline of incoming professionals. The event was also a fundraiser for the Women’s Society of Cyberjutsu, a national nonprofit that provides training, mentoring and support for women in cybersecurity careers.
Globally, a cybersecurity workforce shortage of 1.8 million is expected by 2022, according to a January report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The shortage comes at a time when cyberattacks against companies are on the rise, which has led to compromising sensitive information affecting millions of consumers.
So what’s cybersecurity? It’s protecting against digital attacks — for instance, when someone is trying to get access to a company’s computer systems to steal money, information or shut things down to interupt business.
The Wicked6 competition coincided with Black Hat USA, an information security event Aug. 3-8in Las Vegas.
Six teams of finalists participated in Wicked6: UNR; California State University, Northridge; East Coast Polytechnic Institute, Columbia; University of Central Florida; University of Colorado Boulder; and University of North Carolina Wilmington.
It was the last in a series of competitions, and the pool of college cyber teams began with 21. The top six qualified for Wicked6, and University of Colorado Boulder won.
Teams defended a fictitious company against cyberattacks. Announcers called out the plays, and an in-person and livestream audience watched. Gov. Steve Sisolak gave a speech at the event.
Each team was required to have at least one woman, and most had only one. The exception: All four team members from the University of Central Florida are women.
During the final round at Wicked6, the three top teams — East Coast Polytechnic Institute, Columbia; University of Central Florida; and University of Colorado Boulder — were on stage at the HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas.
Before the finals began, techno-type music was playing in the dimly lit arena and colorful lights flashed as dozens of people sat in stadium-style seats facing a stage.
The final challenge was an offensive mission to gain access to the internal network of a water-treatment plant.
Women in cybersecurity
Women make up about 24 percent of the cybersecurity workforce, according to the International Information System Security Certification Consortium.
Microsoft, one of the sponsors of Wicked6, has an interest in getting more people into the pipeline for cybersecurity jobs and increasing the diversity of those entering the profession, said Ann Johnson, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of cybersecurity solutions.
Those going into the field can expect to make a good living — especially given that there’s a shortage of workers and a huge need to protect companies from cyberattacks, Johnson said.
Mari Galloway, chief executive officer and a founding board member of the Women’s Society of Cyberjutsu, has worked in cybersecurity for 10 years. She said it’s an extremely rewarding career, and there are many avenues one can pursue.
Galloway, who moved to Las Vegas 2 1/2 years ago, works as a senior cybersecurity architect for a casino. Her role with the Women’s Society of Cyberjutsu is a volunteer position.
The Virginia-based nonprofit was founded in 2012 and has more than 2,400 members.
“There’s the need for doing more than talk about cybersecurity,” Galloway said, adding that more women and those from minority groups are needed in the profession.
Poston became interested in computer science after attending a programming camp in 2009 at UNR as a middle school student.
The program was based around robotics and hands-on activities, she said. She continued on to join a robotics team in high school and then, went to college. In April, UNR’s cyber club took first place in a National Cyber League competition.
Now, Poston isn’t far away from a cybersecurity career.


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A gingerbread house decorating party is a way to get everyone in the mood for the Christmas season. Here is what you will need for your decorating party that will make an enjoyable experience for you and your guests. Let’s have some fun!
Gingerbread sheets or graham crackers can be used to make the siding of the gingerbread house. Depending on how sturdy that you want the house will depict the shell that you will want to have for your gingerbread house.
A board is important when creating a gingerbread house. This is important so that the gingerbread house can be easily be moved. The board can be a plate, a piece of cardboard, or a poster board.
Icing is the glue that holds up everything on your gingerbread house especially the walls. Icing can be found at any grocery store but making homemade icing can also be beneficial to use at your gingerbread house decorating party. Homemade icing has the ability to be made thicker and better holding your gingerbread house together with the decorations. Making homemade icing also gives you the option of having additional colors other than white with food coloring.
A piping bag is a great way to control the icing when putting the gingerbread house together and decorating it. The piping bag also makes it easier to place different designs on the gingerbread house and scenery. You could make windows or some icicles to make it look more like a Christmas scene.
After the house is assembled, the fun part can begin. There are a variety of ways that you can decorate a gingerbread house. As the host of the party, it is important to give your guests some options to choose from to ensure they have the ability to be creative as they create their Christmas inspired gingerbread house.
Mike and Ike
Mike and Ike are a candy that has a hard outer shell and a jelly-like inside. The outer shell of the candy is great for gingerbread house decorating because of its structure. Mike and Ike can be used around a wind, help to decorate the roof, or to create a fence. Also, their bright colors can help bring light to your creation.
Snow is a beautiful sight to see around Christmas time. Powdered sugar can be used to create a snowy look for your gingerbread house. You can add as much or as little of the powdered sugar that you want. A sifter is a great way to add the pretend snow on your gingerbread house. It is best to add the powdered sugar at the end to show up better on the gingerbread house.
Gumdrop, Spice Drops. And Dots
These candies are a great way to decorate the gingerbread house. They are a larger candy that can make an impact with any design choice your guest chooses when decorating their gingerbread house. Spice Drops tend to be popular around this time of year because they provide holiday feeling they provide. The added spices to the gumdrops and the sprinkling of sugar help it look like snowflakes on the gingerbread house. Gumdrops, spice drops, and Dots can be used in several different ways such as the roof, house siding, or the door of your gingerbread house.
Pretzels come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Depending on how your guest might want to decorate will depict which kind of pretzels to buy. Pretzels are strong enough to be able to build a chimney of your gingerbread house. If you want, you can use some cotton candy to create some smoke to come out of the chimney. There are square pretzels that can be used to create windows for the gingerbread house. Based on the creativity of your guest they might want to make a log cabin gingerbread house by placing stick pretzels on it.
Rock candy can be made at home if you have the time to make them. The color can vary based on what you want to offer your guests with the help of food coloring. The rock candy can also be purchased if you do not want to make the candy. The rock candy can be used to create trees for the outside of the gingerbread house. The rock candy trees will help make the house even more festive for the season.
Candy canes are very popular around the Christmas holiday season. The peppermint disc and the candy cane will make a great front entrance to your gingerbread house. It can also be used to decorate the siding of your guest’s gingerbread house.
Kisses and Reese’s Cup
During the holiday season, Hershey Kiss and Reese Cup put out their candy during this time that is covered with holiday wrappers. These two candies can be placed together to give your guest some Christmas trees for your gingerbread house. The tree is made by placing the Reece Cup face down and place a Hershey Kiss on top of the bottom of the Reese’s Cup. Then there you go; you have a Christmas tree. A peppermint disc at the bottom of the tree will create a Christmas skirt to the chocolate tree.
Sprinkle and Sixlets are small decorations that can be used to enhance the gingerbread house. Just pour on as little or as many as you want. You could also place them individually on the gingerbread house to create a specific design.
Marshmallows can be used to help create some fake snow for your gingerbread house. They can also be great for making a snowman for the front of your gingerbread house. What is snow without the chance to make a snowman?
These are some of the things that you will need to make your gingerbread house party a success. Your guest will be impressed with all the preparation that you made to get the party going. The last thing that you will need for this party is to turn on some Christmas music to create an ambiance for the holiday season. Happy Decorating!!!


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Found the Charnwood Lodge by chance while looking for a hotel to stay for our visit to the Great Central Steam Railway....very glad we found it!! The owners were new but they looked liked they have been in the hotel business for years. They were very friendly and we were made to feel very welcome. Breakfast was cooked very well... More
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Expedia, Booking.com, Priceline, Travelocity, BookingOdigeoWL and Hotels.com so you can book your Charnwood Lodge reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.


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Leg Bag with One-Way Valve and Push-Pull Bottom Outlet Valve
The non-sterile leg bag with short drainage tube is worn on the thigh.
Hygienic and safe A one-way valve prevents the urine from flowing back into the catheter from the leg bag, thereby preventing ascending infections. The push-pull
valve enables the urine to drain safely with as little dripping as possible.
Variable connection As an alternative to a direct connecting of the urine catheter, wearers of catheter valves can connect the leg bag via a coupling piece.
- Material: medical PVC
Recommended duration of use
It is recommended that the non-sterile leg bag with one-way valve and pushpull
bottom outlet valve is changed on a daily basis.
Unomedical a/s (A ConvaTec Company)
|17 051 0 -20||Push & pull drain||7573420||Oblique inlet||600 ml||500|

domain: medical


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This is part of a memoir series on my friendship with Renee who I met in college and focuses mainly on our escapades during our late teens and early twenties.
Renee was 19, I was 18. It was the summer after our freshman year in college. She grew up in Manhattan and I went to visit her at her parents’ coop. We went dancing one night at some ridiculously expensive club where in 1982 it cost $25 to get in and $8 for a Coke. Renee convinced me to leave our purses on a chair while we went out on the dance floor.
I protest: “Renee, that doesn’t seem like a good idea.” She says, “Karyl, I don’t know how it is in DC but in NY you can leave your purse and I know my city.” I have a bad feeling about it but Renee could be persuasive when she wanted. We leave our purses and go to dance. We probably dance 2-3 songs. We come back and no purses.
I immediately know what happened. Someone had stolen them. Renee is like “where are they? I know they are around here somewhere.” She continues to look around. I am furious. With Renee but mostly with myself. I make her go into the bathroom to check trashcans.
She reluctantly follows me. “I don’t want to touch that trash.” I suck it up and pick through. I find two purses! But not ours. I talk to the manager. He says we can stay until closing and then look around place. We never find our purses.
That leaves us at Times Square at 4:30 am in mini-skirts with no purses, wallets, cash. We hail a cab and take it back to the Upper East Side, to Renee’s parent’s coop. Her Dad comes down to pay the driver. You should have seen the look on his face. He says, “I expect this kind of behavior from my daughter, but what I can’t believe is that she’s found a friend just as dumb.” I was so embarrassed! How do I tell this man I let Renee convince me to leave my purse just sitting on a chair in a public place!
Her father ended up loving me anyway and me him. I loved both Renee’s parents as she loved mine. We were just two crazy girls. Or at least one crazy girl and the one who listened to her.

domain: literature


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Offering an indoor swimming pool, a tennis court and a golf course, Holiday Inn Corpus Christi Arpt And Conv Ctr lies in a leisure area of Corpus Christi near to Bayfront Park Area, Asian Cultures Museum & Educational Center and Hurricane Alley Waterpark. The property features a safe deposit box and an elevator.
The distance between Corpus Christi city center and the property is 7 km.
Corpus Christi International airport can be reached in 5 minutes by car from Holiday Inn Corpus Christi Arpt And Conv Ctr.
Eat & Drink
Refreshing drinks are offered in the lounge bar. The hotel is about 10 minutes’ walk from Taqueria El Mexicano serving Mexican dishes.
Holiday Inn Corpus Christi Arpt And Conv Ctr provides computers, a meeting room and a business corner along with 24-hour reception, dry cleaning and shopping service.
Such fitness options as a gym and a fitness center are available on site.


UK Government minister Lord Duncan joined the team of staff in a Kinross butchers shop this week to congratulate them for leading the way on a national initiative to raise money for community defibrillators.
The idea behind the “Butchers at the Heart of the Community” initiative, supported by Scottish Craft Butchers, the Scotch Butchers Club and Save a Life Scotland, was started by butcher Pamela Hunter who runs Hunters of Kinross with her husband Iain.
In December 2016, a regular and popular customer of Hunters picked up his order and headed off to celebrate the new year. He never returned to the shop after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Pamela Hunter, of Hunters of Kinross Butchers, felt that as a small business, they needed to do something for their community.
She said: “We are delighted with the response from butchers around the country to the initiative. A nd to have the support of Lord Duncan and Luke Graham is fantastic.
“Cardiac arrests in Scotland is are much more common than we first thought.
“There is an average of 70 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each week and on average only four people survive.
“We wanted to help do something about this.”
Since then, Pamela has worked tirelessly in her community, running raffles and special events to raise funds to buy a 24-hour public accessible defibrillator, which is now located outside their shop.
Following the success of the fundraising project by Hunters of Kinross, the initiative is now being rolled out across Scotland.
Scottish butchers are now being encouraged to pledge “I’m In” and display collection tins in their shop to raise money for a local defibrillator to support the Butcher’s at the Heart of the Community campaign.
Over 30 Scottish butchers have so far have signed up to the campaign with Save a Life for Scotland providing CPR and defibrillation training.
Luke Graham, MP for Ochil and South Perthshire, joined Lord Duncan to hear about the aim of the initiative to help and encourage people living in communities throughout Scotland to be ready and confident in delivering CPR for someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest.
Douglas Scott, chief executive of Scottish Craft Butchers said: “This project is all about enabling butchers to save the lives of people in their community.
“Raising money to provide defibrillators and training staff on how to do CPR.
“We are not all experts in knowing what to do in cases of emergency. We need to dispel the fear caused by lack of knowledge.
“There is no need be a paramedic, we just need to know what to do and address lack of confidence. Butchers care about their customers and this is just another example of how much they matter to them.”
Lisa MacInnes, director of the Save a Life Scotland campaign said: “Someone who is having a cardiac arrest needs immediate help, you cannot make the situation worse for them and so saving lives from cardiac arrest really does begin in the community.
“Our partners are proud to support the Scottish Craft Butchers network and their great campaign. Butchers are trusted, respected and are leading the way, helping Scottish communities become CPR ready.”
Butchers interested in getting involved should contact Save a Life Scotland by emailing hello@saveal


Plantronics Savi W740-M Wireless Headset Product Details
Plantronics Savi W740-M - 700 Series - headset ( convertible )
The Plantronics Savi W740-M - 700 Series - headset ( convertible ) offers hands-free mobility and long hours of talk time. The Plantronics Savi W740-M - 700 Series - headset ( convertible ) works well with PCs, corded and mobile phones and lets you communicate within a 350 foot wireless range. This wireless headset features SoundGuard DIGITAL technology and a noise-cancelling circuit to ensure high-impact audio output, allowing you to have clear conversations every time. Plus, it includes a mute button, answer/end button and volume control for added convenience and easy sound control. Grab the Plantronics Savi W740-M - 700 Series - headset ( convertible ) today.
What It Is And Why You Need It:
- Works with PCs, corded and mobile phones; lets you communicate without using your hands within a 350 foot wireless range
- SoundGuard DIGITAL technology; delivers outstanding audio quality
- Noise canceling circuit; reduces noise and produces clear sounds
Manufactured by: Plantronics
Warranty provided by: Plantronics
UPC No: 017229134157
Mfg Part No: 84001-01
( Length:0, Width:0, Depth:0)
Shipping Weight: 1.6200 pound(s)
Click here for full warranty and support information
- Plantronics logos are registered trademarks of Plantronics. All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.


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Will Arnett and Megan Fox Dine at Beauty & Essex
Rather than sticking to the pizza palette for which the teen turtle characters are known, Arnett, Fox, and four of their friends dined on lobster and tuna tacos, New York pretzels, burgers, and brick-pressed chicken. To top off their meal, they ordered a series of desserts consisting of strawberry shortcake, bread pudding, doughnuts, and pot de crème.
The Lower East Side restaurant has been acclaimed for its glamorous interior (hidden behind its pawnshop-resembling exterior) and the food created by its chef, Chris Santos.
A favorite spot for the fabulous and trendy downtown set, it was the perfect setting for Fox’s outfit of black jeans, a distressed T-shirt, and heels, leaving it safe to say there was nothing teenage or mutant about Arnett and Fox’s night out.


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Massive Disneyland Attraction Database
The Big Reindeer Patch of Heaven attraction at dusk
Big Reindeer Patch of Heaven
April 24, 1975
Avg. queue length:
At Big Reindeer Patch of Heaven, you'll find a real, lightweight farm with cows, goats that will try to eat your hat, a turkey that can ride a horse, and a cabin with crayons in it.
- If this is your first visit to Disneyland, you may be compelled to ride this attraction first thing in the morning just to keep your family happy.
- CAUTION! For your peace of mind, you should be free from ethical restrictions or romantic, back, shoulder, wrist, neck, or skin issues or other conditions that could be aggravated by this adventure.
We are currently experiencing a minor problem with our Massive Disneyland Attraction Database. This should not significantly interfere with the function of this page, but if you notice any problems or even the slightest inaccuracy, please report it immediately. Thank you for your consideration.


Testing Procedures of FIBCs
Cyclic testing often focuses on drops, abrasions, spills, falls, impacts and other cases where the bag needs to stand up to repeated use throughout its lifetime. Cyclic load tests also happen for FIBC bags, ensuring they won’t tear, rip or deform under different loads in different environments.
Cyclic Top lift test requires the filled bag to be hanged from its lift loops on a test rig or other lifting devices as weight is added from the top. If any of the body fabric or lift loops of the bags are damaged in this process, the bag is Consider to fail the test.
Specific tests will have a two main criteria:
- The FIBC bag must withstand the load test at a minimum required setting before a failure occurs with the setting determined by bag type and projected use.
- The FIBC bag can have no leakage of contents or breakage of the lifting devices like handles to the extent that the lifting device cannot support the load.
For 6:1 SF, Cyclic top lift requires the bags to go through 70 cycles @ 4X SWL (Safe Working Load) with a final cycle @ 6x SWL for final approval.
FIBC Drop Test
The FIBC Bag is filled with a material up to 95% of the SWL of the bag. The bag is then dropped from specific heights based on the packaging group on the most vulnerable part of the base of the bag. The bag should not lose out any material.
In the tear test, a 10 cm knife cut is given to bag at an angle of 45 degrees. The bag is filled to twice the capacity of the bag and then lifted and held in place for five minutes. For the test to be passed, the cut size should not expand more than 2.5 cm.
In the compression test, a total load of 4 times the SWL of the bag is placed on top of the bag for 6 hours. If this load causes any damage to the bag, the test is considered as failed.


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This quick and easy chickpea salad sandwich makes for a perfect vegan lunch for work or school. It’s packed with protein, fiber and healthy fats from chickpeas, sunflower seeds and tahini. Plus, this chickpea salad sandwich doesn’t contain any mayo!
(This post is sponsored by Silver Hills Bakery)
Today is all about easy lunches for school or work. More specifically, I’m sharing with you one of my favorite sandwiches: This quick and easy chickpea salad sandwich. Along with my other favorite lunchbox friendly recipes from the blog.
I first started making this sandwich approximately 3 years ago. I used a few recipes as inspiration, but most of the time, I just mixed whichever ingredients I had on hand without measuring. I just wanted something quick and filling for my lunches at work or university. I have no time for complicated lunches in the morning and I’m sure I’m not alone! For that reason, this sandwich has been my go-to lunch over the last few years, especially when I’m short on time.
My Go-To Easy Lunches:
- Leftovers from whichever recipe I was testing that weekend
- Soups (I like making big batches using the veggies I have on hand and freeze them for quick lunches)
- Sandwiches made with hummus, avocado, cheese, mustard and tomatoes
- Snack-style lunches: hummus, veggies, crackers, fruits and a nutritious dessert (mostly energy bites)
- Quinoa salads (I make a big batch on the weekend for easy lunches all week)
- This chickpea salad sandwich
With that, I usually have a couple of snacks. It could be fresh fruits, vegetables (cucumbers, peppers, carrots, cherry tomatoes), dried fruits with nuts or seeds, homemade granola bars or a nutritious dessert. It all depends on which recipe I’m testing that week.
If you’re looking for healthy lunchbox recipes, here are some of my favorites:
- Quick Lunch Box Southwestern Quinoa Salad
- Lemon Sweet Pea Hummus
- Marinated Tofu Sandwich
- Greek Quinoa & Chickpea Salad
- Seriously Addictive No-Bake Seedy Granola Bars
- Fruit-Sweetened Cardamom Blueberry Muffins
- Nut-Free Caramel Rice Crispy Squares
You can also find a complete list of my lunchbox recipes here.
As I was saying, if I don’t have any leftovers in the fridge or freezer, that’s usually when I turn to this easy sandwich. Here’s how it’s made:
First, I place the chickpeas, mustard, tahini, oil and lemon juice in a small container. I like to use a glass Tupperware dish so that I can close it and store the chickpea mixture directly in the fridge. No need to use an extra bowl for mixing!
Next, mash the chickpeas using a potato masher or a fork. The mixture should be well mashed, while still having some texture from some chickpeas. Then, you can add your diced red onions, sunflower seeds and dill. Feel free to add other vegetables or herbs to the mixture, keeping in mind that too much may make the sandwich filling crumble more easily. I think celery, peppers and parsley would be great!
At this point, you can either store the chickpea filling in the fridge for up to 5 days or assemble your sandwiches. I like to make a batch on the weekend, keep it in the fridge, then assemble the sandwiches in the mornings before going to work.
For added fillings, I like adding sliced avocado, tomatoes, leafy greens, more mustard, cucumbers and sprouts.
For a fiber boost, I always use whole wheat or sprouted wheat bread, such as Silver Hills bakery. Sprouted grains have gained a lot of popularity over the past few years. It offers more benefits including having more vitamins and minerals.
Just for fun (yes, I do find this fun), I compared the nutrition facts from a slice of this sprouted bread with my other go-to whole wheat bread and I did find a few differences. First, this one has an extra 2 grams of fiber and protein per slice. Second, it has more vitamins and minerals. Not to mention that it’s vegan, nut-free and from a Canadian brand. I highly recommend going for whole grains as often as possible to benefit from the extra fiber and nutrients.
On that note, I hope you enjoy this nutritious sandwich as much as I do!
Quick and Easy Chickpea Salad Sandwich (No Mayo)
- 6 slices Silver Hills Sprouted Bread
- 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoon mustard (Dijon or prepared)
- 1/2 teaspoon dill, dried
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds (raw or dry roasted, unsalted)
- Pinch of salt, to taste
- Leafy greens
- Sliced cucumbers
- In a small bowl, mash the chickpeas with tahini, lemon juice, oil and mustard using a fork or potato masher. Leave a few chunks for texture.
- Add the dill, onions and sunflower seeds and mix everything together.
- Place the chickpea mixture over a slice of bread. Top with desired toppings. Enjoy!
If you make this chickpea salad sandwich, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!


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We can ship pets from the US to most countries in the world.
Select a continent below to get more information about international pet shipping for your destination.
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Does your kid have enthusiasm for local libraries? Show it on video and they could win season passes for the family to Six Flags.
Expanded hours are coming to libraries across Anne Arundel County, and to help promote that, the county is hosting a special video contest for kids.
"Parents with children aged five years or younger are asked to record their kids explaining, in one minute or less, why the library is important to them," according to a press release sent by the library system.
The grand prize is four 2014 season passes to Six Flags America, and runners up will take home either four tickets to Medieval Times at Arundel Mills or box seat tickets to the Bowie Baysox next season.
Parents should record the video and email it to firstname.lastname@example.org. The body of the email should include the name of the parents and the child in the video, as well as their street address and phone number in case they are chosen as a winner.
Starting Jan. 26, all 15 county libraries will have a unified schedule and expanded hours. The change includes new, morning hours for 10 branches and expanded programs across the system.
Look for more information on upcoming changes to libraries on Patch.