document:
With spring training just around the corner, St. Louis Cardinals players old and new are putting the finishing touches on the offseason as they prepare for 2013.
Some players are sure things to make the opening day roster, but the same can’t be said for everyone. With a handful of minor question marks regarding the starting rotation, bullpen, second base and a backup shortstop, some of the Cardinals young talent will have a shot to make the team.
With one of the strongest farm systems in the MLB, the Cardinals have plenty of options, but are they ready yet?
Last year several showed that they are, but just like everyone else, they will have to show it again in spring training.
Following are the chances of several top Cardinals prospects making the opening day roster. To be eligible for the list, a player must still have rookie eligibility. That means a player must not have exceeded 130 at-bats or 50 innings pitched in the Major Leagues, or accumulated more than 45 days on the active roster of a Major League club during the 25-player limit period.
The prospect that everyone used to be excited about (prior to the Oscar Taveras explosion) ended the 2012 season by reminding Cardinals fans what they had to look forward to.
Despite command problems early in 2012, Shelby Miller turned his season around full circle and ended the season with his first big league win in dramatic fashion.
Short of a horrible performance in spring training, I can’t envision a scenario where he doesn’t make the opening day roster in one form or another.
Chance: 95 percent
Who will make the fifth starter slot?
While everyone was talking about Miller and Taveras, Trevor Rosenthal snuck up and put on a show in 2012.
A young pitcher with tremendous heat and a good handle on pressure situations, Rosenthal has an extremely high ceiling. Considering that he was one of the best arms in the bullpen down the stretch, there is little reason to not expect him to begin 2013 in St. Louis.
The question is whether it will be in the rotation or the bullpen. My hunch is that the Cardinals will be reluctant to throw off Miller’s mojo by a move to the bullpen, so I expect to see Rosenthal in the bullpen awaiting an injury.
Chance: 95 percent
Kolten Wong is viewed by the Cardinals as the future at second base.
At this point, however, he is just that: the future. It’s entirely possible he could see a call up at some point in 2013, but given that he finished the season at Double A Springfield I expect to see some time in Memphis to begin the year.
His day will come soon enough and there is no reason to rush his continued development. Don’t look for him on the opening day roster.
Chance: 40 percent
Many view Martinez as one of the best pitchers to come up through the Cardinals farm system in years, but he still has a bit of refining to do.
After spending some time at Double A Springfield in 2012, he made some progress and has shown that he has the stuff to make it in the big leagues.
In all likelihood, he will begin 2013 back in Springfield with a Memphis promotion in his near future. Martinez is another example of one not to rush since it would create a serious rotation logjam in St. Louis. With presumably Miller, Rosenthal and Lance Lynn all in the running for the fifth starter slot, there is really no reason to promote him at this point.
Chance: 15 percent
Matt Adams is an interesting situation. With Allen Craig at first base, there is likely no way to get him regular playing time in St. Louis at the beginning of the season.
It’s entirely possible this is a situation that will work itself out once the season begins, but short of a spring training injury, he probably won’t see St. Louis to start the season.
He could be a formidable bench bat given his ability to hit for average and power. Cardinals GM John Mozeliak showed reluctance in 2012 to use him in that role feeling that he needed to be playing every day regardless of whether it was in St. Louis or Memphis.
Chance: 50 percent
The man everyone is dying to see in St. Louis, Oscar Taveras, has a legitimate shot at starting the season in St. Louis if the pieces fall into place for him.
If he comes in and dazzles the Cardinals brass and for some reason Jon Jay doesn’t, it’s possible he could make the roster. Until everyone is in Florida, it will be hard to tell because many factors play into the Taveras equation.
Carlos Beltran ended the season with knee issues. How is he moving around and feeling? Is Jay ready to prove himself as an everyday center fielder once again?
If everyone else looks good, my assumption is that Taveras will start the season in Memphis and at the first sign of trouble make the short trip to St. Louis.
As mentioned previously, he needs to be ready to go when Beltran’s contract ends at the end of the coming season. There is no better way to do that then by giving him a short stay at Memphis and then having him spend some time with Beltran who would make a fantastic mentor for the young, slugging outfielder.
Regardless of how it comes, one thing is certain. His debut will be made soon.
Chance: 45 percent

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a specific task; rather, it discusses probabilities related to the roster potential of various St. Louis Cardinals players without structured procedural instructions. Additionally, the content lacks the necessary detail and organization to train a language model capable of deeper reasoning, as it primarily presents opinions and analyses without clearly defined procedures or guidelines.


document:
Today, I attended a workshop at Oracle to get a first glimp of the SOA Suite 10.1.3.1. We used the “Developer Preview” of JDeveloper 10.1.3.1 to develop a few simple Web Services. The software is not yet available on Oracle Technet, but it will be…soon….
The installation of Oracle SOA Suite is very simple, run the installer and click “next”, “next”, “next”, … “finish”. By default, it installs an Oracle Lite database to store the metadata together with an Oracle Application Server 10.1.3.1. which provides a number of applications:
- Oracle Web Services Manager
- Oracle Business Rules Author
- Oracle Enterprise Service Bus
- Oracle BPEL Process Manager Controll
- Oracle Application Server Controll
One nice thing is that the Oracle Application Server is configured for Single Sign-On and it uses jazn-data.xml. This limits the amount of memory needed for the installation because you don’t need to install Oracle Internet Directory! For those of you who want to simulate the production environment, Oracle Application Server Controll enables you to change the security provider to Oracle Identity Manager, a 3rd Party LDAP Server (with standard support for Active Directory and Sun Directory Server) or use a custom JAAS security class to integrate with other LDAP Servers.
Now lets focus on what we tested tested today.
We used the JDeveloper wizards to generate and deploy a Web Service based on a Java class, and a Web Service based on a PL/SQL Stored Procedure. Nothing exciting because we already saw that working in previous JDeveloper releases.
We used Oracle Application Server Controll (formerly known as Enterprise Manager) to test the generated Web Services. No need to learn the URL’s to the deployed Web Service by heart, just navigate to the “Test Service” link and fill in the HTML form that’s generated by OracleAS. There’s even a possibility to stress test the service by entering the number of simultaneous threads, number of loops and the delay in ms.
The more demanding developers can:
- configure Web Service Auditing
- configure port level reliability features to guaranty response delivery and eliminate duplicate requests
- enable authentication mechanisms like username/password, certificate or SAML authentication
- sign SOAP messages to ensure integrity
- encrypt the SOAP message to ensure confidentiality
really nice stuff, and we didn’t use the Oracle Web Services Manager yet!!
Off course, in real life, not all Web Services are deployed to an Oracle Application Server. That’s where Oracle Web Services Manager comes into the picture.
But I’ll come back on that tomorrow….

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article lacks a clear sequence of ordered steps that guide the reader through completing a task; instead, it offers a general overview of using the Oracle SOA Suite and related tools without specific instructions or a defined procedural framework. Additionally, the instructions provided are not detailed or structured enough to facilitate training a language model in deeper reasoning, as they do not break down tasks into actionable, logical steps that would enable in-depth understanding or reasoning.


document:
It's time for me to take a little time off from blogging. Call it a vacation, but after eighteen months, I've hit the inevitable burnout and need to play the lotus eater for the next few weeks. It will be a period of rest and recharge. During this time, I will essentially be incommunicado save acknowledgment of your recipe submissions for My Legume Love Affair - Second Helping. This is an ideal moment to thank the long roster of guest hosts who have already signed up through May 2009. I plan on booking out the remainder of 2009 as long as the interest continues, and do have some other volunteers yet to contact for scheduling. Please be assured that any post comments and emails left for me during my time away will be responded to as promptly as possible when I return in August.
I leave you with a few images of another recent photographic foray, as well as a clutch of awards I have been delighted to receive. Thank you, Laurie, Swati and Nanditha. Those I have passed the kudos onto are under no obligation to further the tags along. Indeed, one will be unable to do so, although the spirit, I'm sure, is willing.
(Excellence-Nice Matters-Arte y Pico-You Make My Day)
From Laurie going to ATENABWMMD.
(All the excellent, nice, artistic bloggers who make my day.)
From Swati going to Vaishali.
From Nanditha going to Meg.

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a task; instead, it is more of a personal announcement about taking a break from blogging. Additionally, there are no well-structured procedural instructions that could be used for training a language model capable of deeper reasoning, as the content lacks detail and actionable guidance.


document:
- During Miami Heat introductions, Chris Bosh was booed but not that bad. Raptors introduction showed some extra pizazz to get the fans going.
- Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson and Andrea Bargnani start for the Raptors.
- Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Zydrunas Ilgauskus and Mario Chalmers start for the Miami Heat.
- Demar DeRozan missed a good first break. But it's made up for later with a 3 from Bargnani.
- Chris Bosh gets his first shot knocked away. @10:00 Raptors 6-2.
- Another three from Bargnani and draws the foul. 0-1 at the line.
- Bosh's first bucket came with throng of boos at just under 9 minutes.
- LeBron James ties the score at 12 with any easy 2 points and draws the foul. 1-0 at the line at just over 6 minutes.
- Bosh's first trip to line 2-0 at just over 5 minutes.
- DeRozan with the slam with less than 2 minutes left - Miami 24-23.
- Amir ties the score at 25 with a rebound off his own missed shot.
- Miami 29-27 going into the second quarter.
1ST QUARTER THOUGHTS: Raptors displayed some good energy; however, they were not doing a good job of capitalizing on Miami's turnovers. Miami was taking some easy shots and barley hung onto the lead.
- Bosh fouled hard by Ed Davis. Bosh was 2-0 at the line at just under 11 minutes. Still getting booed every time he touched the ball.
- Timeout by Jay Triano. 37-33 Miami.
- Jaryd Bayless puts up two to make it 37-35 but Wade makes it a 4 point game shortly after.
- 41-37 Miami @ 6:18 - so far not the "Boshmagedden" some people were billing this as.
- Ed Davis with the slam at over 6 mins to brings Raps within 2. 41-39 Miami.
- Bosh fouled by DeRozan on a line drive. Bosh was 2-0 at the line. 43-39 Miami.
- Amir fouled by Bosh on what would have been a nice reversal. Amir was 1-1 from the line.
- A nice slam by Bargnani to get the Raptors within 1 point off the lead. 43-42 Miami.
- Jose kicks it out to Derozan to make it 50-46 Raptors. Lebron gets the ball and runs down the clock, attempts the 3 and misses.
2ND QUARTER THOUGHTS: Ed Davis worked hard on grabbing those offensive rebounds and certainly has been a key to the Raptors' survival at this point in the game. Amir Johnson also grabbing rebounds with 9 boards at this point. The Raptors are not finishing their inside drives but holding down the scoring from Miami to 21 points from 29 in the first. Although Miami is hanging on to a slim lead, they should be leading by over 10 at this point if they wanted to show support for their teammate Chris Bosh and get him the win. At the half, Bosh has 14 points, Wade with 10.Third Quarter:
- Andrea Bargnani with the pull away jumper. LeBron gets a technical and Jose Calderon takes the shot and misses.
- Offensive foul on Amir Johnson and seconds later another foul for Amir - his third at this point - on Dwayne Wade. Wade goes 1-0.
- Sonny Weems 2-0 at the line - his first two points of the game.
- With a reverse layup, Bosh racks up 20 points Miami 60-50 @8:30.
- Bargnani delivers a solid three point shot to bring Raps within 7.
- DeRozan is fouled on a drive and goes 2-0 at the line 7:43.
- A sloppy turnover by the Raps in their own end and Wade capitalizes with the steal and extra point. Ed Davis made the attempt to defend but no dice.
- Demar goes inside to bring the score within 10 points. Miami doing a good job of getting inside from quick passing on transition.
- Davis steps out of bounds and ball bounces off Barbosa - possession Miami. Raptors are looking worn.
- Raps pass picked off by Chalmers to James for the Jam 75-67.
- Barbosa fouled -trying for 2- by Chalmers and is 2-0 from the line.
3RD QUARTER THOUGHTS: The Raptors were looking worn and Miami trying to hide their -what could be interpreted as-complacency. I think Miami arrived in Toronto thinking this was going to be an easy win for them but the Raptors are refusing to give up. Key Raptors so far? Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani and Ed Davis.Fourth Quarter:
- Raptors down by 8, 80-72 Miami.
- Bargnani hits a 3 and makes it a five point game.
- Andrea Bargnani hits a 3 to make it a 6 point game - 88-82 Miami. DeRozan hits a jumper off a Miami turnover and makes it 88-84 - Raptors scoring 5 straight points.
- Bargnani gets 31 points on the night so far with 2 points is fouled and is 1-0 at the line.
- Raptors get the ball back after a Miami missed shot. Calderon gets it to DeRozan who is called for travelling off the shot. If DeRozan hit that one, would have been a turning point for the Raptors.
- James denied by Amir Johnson as he drives to the basket and is fouled.
- Davis takes the rebound from James and Raptors gain possession but no shot connecting.
- Bayless drives inside and flips a pass out to Calderon who in turn passes to Bargani who hits the three. Nice passing to bring the score within 4 with less than three minutes left.
- 97-90 @1:36 with a Timeout from Jay Triano.
- Andrea Bargnani hits another three to get 38 on the night, DeRozan helps with another successful drive.
- Miami runs down the clock and makes a few shots to win it 103-95.
4th QUARTER THOUGHTS: Ed Davis really stepped up tonight and showed how fearless he can be. This was especially shown when he fought LeBron James for the ball, if only the Raptors ensuing possession produced any points. The Raptors certainly played with heart and stepped up their play also against an elite team. Bosh left to the locker room at the end of the game to half boos, half cheers. 25 points and 6 rebounds for Bosh on this game - he did what he had to do to silence the half of the ACC who were booing him and walk away with a win.
Thanks to everyone who tuned into the DNB tonight for your "Bosh returns to Toronto" recap and to those of you who checked out the ustream feed from the party. Also, much love to St. Louis Wings for putting out the spread for the DNB's "UnWelcome Back Bosh Bash". Tune into www.cjlo.com at about 12 midnight to hear our own James Borbath (Dinoblogger) talking about tonight's game on the radio for basketball fans in Montreal. Have a great night and see you tomorrow for more "Behind Enemy Lines" and a look ahead to next weeks games for the Raptors after the All-Star break.

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps to guide the reader through completing a specific task but serves as a game recap with updates on player performances and scores. Additionally, the instructions are not well-structured for training a language model, as they lack explicit procedural content and coherent steps; instead, they present scattered observations and events that do not promote deeper reasoning.


document:
Tesla Model S deliveries are set to begin June 22.
It's been a big day for Elon Musk. First, his company, SpaceX, launched a rocket into space on a mission to resupply the International Space Station.
In an extremely exclamation point-intensive blog post by Tesla exec George Blankenship, the firm announced that the first Model S production cars will be delivered to “Reservation Holders” on “June 22!!!”
Details are a little thin as to how many Model S buyers will receive their cars, but Blankenship claims that Tesla is “ahead of schedule.” The OMG!!!-level excitement doesn't stop there.
Apparently, something called Tesla Fashion Island hosted four Model S Beta testers at a “Signature – Four Color” event a few weeks ago, and “It was great!” Beta test examples of the Model S—which Tesla just calls Model S, no “the”—will also be appearing at promotional events in White Plains, N.Y., and in five Canadian cities.
Quick, name 5 Canadian cities.
Most of the remainder of the blog post is spent detailing the various ways to customize “YOUR” Model S. The degree to which regenerative braking—Tesla calls it Regen—slows the car when the accelerator is released? Customizable! Steering resistance? Customizable! Ride height? Customizable!
If the recent shuttering of Crazedlist left you craving the ALL CAPS! excitement of a good Craigslist ad, you can check out the blog post here.
We will post an update when the first cars are delivered. Until then, we'll be hoping that Blankenship's excitement is well-founded.

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article lacks a clear sequence of ordered steps to guide the reader through any specific task. Instead, it discusses the anticipation around Tesla Model S deliveries and customization options without providing detailed procedural instructions or a structured approach that could facilitate deeper reasoning or training for a language model. The instructions or information presented are more informational and promotional rather than instructional.


document:
The Hurricane is a fruit-colored relative of the "daiquiri," and it's
credited to New Orleans tavern owner Pat O'Brien. In the 1940s, he created
the fruity concoction and served it in hurricane-lamp-shaped glasses to
give away to sailors. The drink caught on, and it has been a mainstay in
the French Quarter in New Orleans ever since. My version of the Healthy
Hurricane is filled with fresh fruit juices, making it perfect for kids to
enjoy. If you want an alcoholic version, see the note about how much rum to
2 cups orange juice
2 cups pineapple juice
1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 Crushed ice
1 Fresh cut pineapple, maraschino cherries
Combine orange juice, pineapple juice, pomegranate juice, grapefruit and
lime juice in a large pitcher stirring well. Serve in tall hurricane-style
glasses over crushed ice. Garnish with pineapple and cherries, if desired.
To create an alcoholic version, add 1 to 1 1/2 cups light rum, mixing well.
From Alison Lewis at ingredients, inc.
Alison Lewis at ingredientsinc.net

response:
Step-by-step: Yes
Training: No

The article provides a clear sequence of ordered steps for making the Healthy Hurricane drink, detailing the ingredients and preparation method in a straightforward manner. However, the instructions lack the depth and complexity needed for training a language model in deeper reasoning, as they do not explore the rationale behind each step or include variations and potential troubleshooting tips that could prompt deeper understanding.


document:
WordPress 2.3.2 is an urgent security release that fixes a bug that can be used to expose your draft posts. 2.3.2 also suppresses some error messages that can give away information about your database table structure and limits and stops some information leaks in the XML-RPC and APP implementations. Get 2.3.2 now to protect your blog from these disclosures.
As a little bonus, 2.3.2 allows you to define a custom DB error page. Place your custom template at wp-content/db-error.php. If WP has a problem connecting to your database, this page will displayed rather than the default error message.
Special thanks to Alex Concha for his help on this release.

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a specific task; it primarily shares information about a security release for WordPress without detailing the process for users to follow. Additionally, the procedural instructions are not structured in a way that would facilitate training a language model for deeper reasoning, as they lack detail and do not guide the reader through any specific actions or methods systematically.


document:
MACON, Ga. – Lipscomb track and field athlete Tucker Peabody has been named the Atlantic Sun Conference Track Athlete of the Week after setting two school records at the Sun Angel Classic last weekend in Tempe, Ariz.
Peabody, a native of Memphis, Tenn., crossed the finish line in an Atlantic Sun-best 21.13 seconds in the 200-meter dash. Peabody finished fifth overall but was the second collegiate runner to cross the finish line in the premiere event.
Peabody also finished in third place in the 100-meter dash in 10.5 seconds. That time ranks him second in the A-Sun this season.
The Bisons are back in action on Saturday at the Boston Moon Classic in Nashville and at the Ole Miss Invite in Oxford, Miss.

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article focuses on the achievements of an athlete rather than providing a sequence of ordered steps to complete a specific task. As a result, it lacks procedural instructions or detailed information that could be utilized for training a language model in deeper reasoning tasks.


document:
Now it definitely feels like I’m on the downhill slide with this alphabetical adventure. I’m sure there will still be some challenges ahead (Q, V and X come to mind, causing me to scratch my head in thought as if they were lined up along a Scrabble rack). But in the meantime, here’s what I’ve spotted beginning with N.
Newspaper at Newtown
I spotted this recently whilst at Newtown, exploring second-hand bookshops. I’m not quite sure why the banner of a Sydney Morning Herald newspaper is emblazoned on the top of a commercial premises in King Street, just that it is. The headline was ‘Australia hits the wall’ and the content is also aged by the price of 60 cents. It is now nearly $3 for the daily paper, more for the Saturday edition.
This nest came into view on one of my favourite walks.It was tucked up into a tree that is usually a thick cluster of leaves, but winter and winds had stripped it bare, revealing a little nest tucked away.
Norfolk Island Pines
I wrote about Norfolk Island earlier this week, and couldn’t resist the urge to include this photo. Norfolk Island pines, as spotted growing behind these beautiful horses, are prolific upon the island and are also grown on mainland Australia for Christmas trees. They are popular for avenues as well, growing up to 65 metres tall when left to their own devices. These trees were first recorded by Captain Cook, and he thought they would be useful for shipping masts and sails, but unfortunately they were not fit for this purpose.
These are one of my favourite flowers. I’ve managed to grow them in hot climates and cold, although in the mountains they shrivel back into their seed pods when the frosts or snow hits. It is a delight to see them reemerge in late spring or early summer, their bright jewel petals a treat to behold.
Noddy Birds on Heron Island (Queensland)
There is a misnomer in the above heading. Noddy birds, as pictured above, are more accurately known as south-western black noddy. And the herons for which this island at the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef were named are not herons at all, but eastern reef egrets. Never mind. These birds are in huge numbers on the small island. When you arrive on the island, there is an informal talk given about the island and accommodation, peppered with some do’s and don’ts. One of the don’ts is to try to save any of these birds if they become trapped in the external roots of their tree of choice, the pisonia grandis. The birds make their nests from the leaves of the tree as spotted above but some get caught in the tree’s sticky seed pod and perish. En masse, they are a noisy bunch.
Nip along and have a look at what Autumn has spied beginning with N, as well as keeping an eye on atman.art.studio on Instagram.
Have you spotted anything neat starting with ‘N’ this week?

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps that guide the reader through completing a task. Instead, it presents a collection of observations and experiences related to items starting with the letter 'N.' Additionally, the instructions for deeper reasoning or training a language model are not well-structured or detailed; they lack the systematic approach necessary for effective instructional design.


document:
Hope all you lovelies have been okay. Just a quick blog post letting all my lovely followers reading this to let you know I know have a NEW blog which I've started to post my daily outfits. 'City Girl Fashion Diary' (http://citygirlfashiondiary.blogspot.com/). I'll try my best to post on fashion-geek but I shall now post all my blog post on this http://citygirlfashiondiary.blogspot.com/.
Girlies feel free to follow my new blog as I would appreciate all your support.
Also NEW outfit post tomorrow on my new blog! :)
Much appreciated!Thank you! ♥

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps to guide the reader through completing a task; rather, it is more of an informal announcement about the author's new blog and outfit postings. Additionally, the content lacks well-structured procedural instructions that would promote deeper reasoning or understanding, as it primarily focuses on encouraging followers to visit the new blog rather than offering detailed, actionable guidance.


document:
Keeping summer alive after summer vacation has ended is the theme of this month’s Cook This column. We’re in no hurry to rush into a new season without extending this one to the max. It’s all about light and easy dishes and this month we’re reflecting the cuisine of Polynesia. Picture white sand beaches, swaying palm trees, and Tiki Torches flickering shadows while preparing these scrumptious recipes for your family.
Our main course dish recipe for Marinated Chicken Kabobs can be found in the pages of August’s Simply Family Magazine, which can also be viewed online. Once you have that authentic dish sizzling on the grill, get my fragrant Coconut Jasmine Rice dish simmering on the stovetop. (This will really get your family’s gastronomical juices flowing and before you know it, everyone will be swarming the kitchen ready to eat!) Take advantage of their eagerness and assign tasks such as setting the table, filling water glasses, or removing the yummy frozen mini-cheesecakes from the freezer.
Coconut Jasmine Rice (serves 8)
In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, combine 2 cups Jasmine rice, 3/4-cup water, 1 ½ cups coconut milk and 3/4-teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Stir once, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes. (Do not lift the lid or stir!) Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes; fluff with a fork and serve. Lightly sprinkle with sesame seeds.
While your mouth-watering Jasmine rice is cooking, grab your fresh carrots from the ‘frig (you know, the ones you bought at Farmers Market last weekend!) for my Pan-roasted Balsamic Carrot side dish.
Using a heavy bottom frying pan, lay carrots side-by-side and drizzle with Olive Oil. Start with Med-high heat to roast, keep turning the carrots using kitchen tongs, to prevent burning. After a few minutes, reduce heat to medium, adding a couple Tablespoons of butter, two or three pinches of kosher salt, and 2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Allow carrots to sizzle in this sauce while carefully adding enough water to keep it liquid. (I usually just add a Tablespoon or two at a time). It’s helpful if you buy skinny carrots, which cook faster.
When carrots are al dente (still firm when bitten) add 2 Tablespoons of honey, and another Tablespoon of butter. Season with more salt if needed, and add a sprinkle of pepper. The balsamic glazed honey will reflect the Tiki-Torch flames you’re still picturing in your mind!
Your shish kabobs are plated and drizzled with marinade, your Jasmine rice is fragrantly enjoying its last few minutes of steaming, and your picture-perfect carrots are completing their roasting. Time to whip out your choice of summer fruit and prepare for topping those cute mini-cheesecakes! Sliced berries, banana, or even a few chocolate chips depending on each family member’s preference, completes your meal with just enough sweet, just enough cold, and just enough beauty to make you wish for a hammock between those swaying palm trees! Okay, back to reality to supervise kitchen clean up!
Little Frozen Cheesecakes
- 3 8oz packages of softened cream cheese
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
Directions: Mix all the ingredients well. Put cupcake wrappers in muffin pan and place 1 vanilla cookie wafer in the bottom of each cupcake holder. Add a dollop of the cheese mixture, filling to the top (there is no rising or expansion so no worries). Bake at 325 degrees on top shelf of oven for 20 minutes. Remove and cool. Cover with plastic to assure freshness, and place in freezer. Use within one month of baking. Remove as needed and allow to thaw at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving. Add any variety of toppings. Sometimes we use a pre-made cherry pie filling, but usually it’s fresh fruit with a little whipped cream on top.
About the author…Carole Davenport is a Montana native, freelance writer, cook, and owner of Bitterroot Fresh Food Styling Photography. She and her daughters are currently compiling a Fresh is Best cookbook using their original recipes.

response:
Step-by-step: Yes
Training: No

The article provides a clear sequence of ordered steps for preparing the Coconut Jasmine Rice, Pan-roasted Balsamic Carrots, and Frozen Mini-Cheesecakes, making it easy for readers to follow along. However, while the instructions are organized, they lack the detailed depth needed for training a language model capable of deeper reasoning, as they do not explore the underlying techniques or rationale behind the cooking processes in a way that encourages critical thinking.


document:
Blimey, been a long time since I looked at this, lots has happened, both in life and in wargaming.
Anyway, I will be re-visiting this blog. Maybe not as much as I did seven (7!!) years ago, but I feel now it would be fun to do a bit from time to time.
The main reason for not keeping this blog up was that I'd pretty much run out of puff, so, hopefully now I should be able to capitalise on having had a long break to come up with a few things that some folk might be interested in.
|Nazis for Big COC currently on the workbench|

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not present a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a task, as it primarily reflects the author's personal experiences and intentions rather than providing procedural instructions. Additionally, the content lacks well-structured instructions that would facilitate training a language model; it is more of a casual update on the author's activities rather than a detailed guide.


document: For Manhole Monday today, I’d like to direct you to Mary Catherine Pflug’s blog. I have connected with her through twitter because she is a lover of typography and she lives in Spartanburg, SC. I spent the first 18 years of my life in Greenville (about 20 miles away). Her blog is periodically updated with her findings while she is doing a study abroad program. Here are some of my favorite covers that she has captured, check out her blog for the others pictures she took while in Prague, Czech Republic and Krakow, Poland.

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps to guide the reader through completing a task. Instead, it primarily offers a personal commentary and a recommendation to visit a blog, lacking concrete procedural instructions. The text does not contain enough detail or structure that would be beneficial for training a language model focused on deeper reasoning, as it does not engage in systematic analysis or stepwise guidance.


document:
Rhododendron (azalea) arborescens gradually turns from green to reddish copper. It is only just starting in this picture and would get much better in a week or so after I took its picture.
Spirea 'Gold Flame' has pretty good fall foliage most, but not every year. Most of the spireas here seem to do a pretty good job of fall color.
This is Cornus alba 'Ivory Halo'. It is a lovely shrub dogwood with green leaf centers and white margins. In the fall the white turns to pink and gives you what you see in this picture.
Cornus kousa is pretty much just a green tree after flowering in the spring. It is not a predictable fall colorer (is that a word?) but when it does color up, it gets a wonderful shade of red, almost overshadowing the Japanese maple next to which it is planted.
Acer griseum is mostly grown for its copper colored peeling bark. You can see a picture of that in the photo gallery on my website, but its fall color is a nice red, not quite as bright as Acer triflorum, but plenty nice enough.
This last one, Acer circinatum 'Oregon Fern' has to have the best and showiest fall color of anything. I know it doesn't seem to be able to decide just which color it wants to turn for fall, but no one misses it as they walk through the garden. It is not an easy tree to grow in this climate - none of the circinatums are - but we have it in a shady, rather sheltered place, and it has done well for over 10 years now.
I know I was going to post this last Friday, but I've been held hostage by Santa's elves who forced me to finish up all of my Christmas presents, and since the last animal was stuffed this morning, I am back - hopefully to be able to keep a more regular blogging schedule, at least until spring.

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a task; instead, it describes various plants and their characteristics, particularly their foliage colors in the fall. Additionally, the writing lacks the structured procedural instructions that would be useful for training a language model in deeper reasoning, as it primarily consists of observations and personal anecdotes rather than systematic guidance or processes.


document:
pincushions 21-31, the finale and a blog break - Well, it's the end of July and I completed another month of pincushions!!! Let's catch up, shall we? Day 21--simple hand embroidered hearts on "notebook"...
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
A letter to the Municipal Council (MPSJ)
As I accumulate all the recyclables that I can, I wondered whether if it would be a lot easier to have a community recycle bins nearby, especially at my apartment area. I also considered the potential of the 'wet' food waste that could be good compost fertilizers. The only problem is space. Having to live in a compact apartment makes my salvation to the environment, almost impossible!!!. So I wrote to MPSJ, thanks to their helpful website. I made a suggestion that there should be some recycle bins at my apartment and there should be a separation between the 'wet' rubbish and the 'dry' ones. If the rubbish are separated, then waste management would be easier to be handled. The 'wet' rubbish could be collected to make compost while the 'dry' ones could be sorted out for recycling. I had that idea when I was watching TV the other day about waste management on a talk show with Aziz Desa. The guest , an officer from waste management company said that if the household waste are mixed together, then it would be very impossible to separate the recyclables from the non-recyclables. Even the 'wet' rubbish could be separated to organics such as food waste from the non-organics like medicine or toxic waste. It sounded so simple, right? So with that suggestion to the municipal council, I waited impatiently for their reply-hoping that maybe they have some sort of program that are already running that I didn't know of. Three days later, I received not e-mail but snail mail from the public relations of MPSJ. The letter was very brief.
"For your information, the council have already provided recycle bins in places nearby your area, like the one near the park. You may send the recyclables to those places. For making compost, you do not need a big area to work with but you can create compost in garden pots or plastic bags."
I was not satisfied by the reply. Yeah, they did answered my queries, but it didn't solve the problem. The recycle bins are a 5km away! I want it to be just below my apartment so that everyone in the neighbourhood could do their part. Another thing is, I am not interested in making compost, I am interested in giving away my fresh organic food waste to some garden nursery or anyone that would want to make compost. Rather than throwing it all away to the landfill and promote toxic gas emissions. By that letter, I was a little disappointed that the council did not show any extra effort on assisting their fellow residents that are offering ways to help the environment. At the same time, I thought maybe there are not enough awareness in the community or in our society. "Where there is demand, there is supply.."Maybe there isn't enough people that are writing to the council about how to take care of the environment. Maybe individual effort is not enough. We need a community.
For you who have read this post, I would really like to hear your opinion. Is there something else that I should do instead?

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps or procedural instructions; rather, it narrates the author's experience and thoughts regarding waste management and recycling. The absence of detailed, structured instructions means it would not be particularly useful for training a language model for deeper reasoning, as there is a lack of clear guidance or logical progression that encourages analytical thinking.


document:
Welcome to the second week of Fat Free Friday hosted by myself here at Many Sleepless Nights, Sara at Here Comes the Sun & Allie at I was a Fat Bride! We have teamed up to bring you a weight-loss inspired blog hop! We have all had very different journeys with weight loss & we hope to inspire & motivate you each week. We also know that you have your own stories of inspiration. We want to hear your stories as well! Your loss, your gain, your goals, your rewards, everything! We want this to be a place where any other blogger that is sharing our weight-loss journey can link up their blog and share their story.
We don’t want you to feel restricted by tons of rigid rules, but we would like for you to follow as many other bloggers in the hop as you would like and if you feel motivated or inspired or meet a kindred spirit in your mutual love of chocolate cake, leave a meaningful comment on their weight-loss post! Having a good support system is such an important part of the weight-loss journey and we hope that this blog hop is a place that you will find that!
Okay, so last week I had gained a few pounds, thankyouverymuch Thanksgiving dinner(s). This week I was afraid I was going to have a repeat. Last Saturday, we had Greg’s parents over to have one final Thanksgiving feast & this was our first time hosting a family meal. I made everything except the green bean casserole (brought by Greg’s momma) & honestly? I was so tired by the time it was dinnertime that I didn’t eat as much as I normally would have! However, the food was absolutely delicious (if I do say so myself) and there were so many leftovers, I barely had to cook this week!
Another thing that I did this week was chug water. All day. Every day. Yesterday I drank close to a gallon of it. Even though I had to pee like Seabiscuit, I stuck it out. Every time I would get “hungry”, I would gulp down a big glass of water and wait 15 minutes. If I was still hungry, I would have a little snack. If not, yay!
The third thing that I did this week that seemed to help was I read.
I read lots of weight-loss blogs & articles & perused Weight Watchers facebook page & their homepage, etc. Nothing motivates me more than reading about others’ success with weight-loss and each time I would read about an accomplishment, I would be like, “Hell yeah! I can totally do this!”
I suppose the real question is: How did I do this week?
As of last Friday, I was 175.0.
And this week?
. . . . . . . . .
::pause for dramatic build-up::
. . . . . . . .
I lost 2.2 pounds this week which was more than double my goal!
This most recent weight loss also brings my grand total back down to -19.7 lbs!
I’m going to keep a small goal for myself again this week of 1 pound. Hopefully by next Friday, I will be in the 171 range (if not lower, but no pressure to lose more than 1 pound). I’m also going to continue to drink water like it’s, well, water.
I’ve pretty much exhausted my go-to sites for weight loss success stories. What sites would you recommend for me to check out so that I can stay motivated this week?
How did you do this week? I really want to know so leave me a comment!
P.P.S. Did you enter my giveaway yet? There are still very low entries & it would be a great Christmas gift for a child!

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a specific task, nor does it contain well-structured procedural instructions that would be useful for training a language model capable of deeper reasoning. Instead, it offers a personal narrative and motivational tips related to weight loss without detailed, actionable steps that could guide someone through a process systematically.


document:
Friends went and fitted the reverse camera and armrest and very much satisfied. started the journey at afternoon 1:30PM and returned back to home by 6:30PM attaching some pics of the process of installation.
The armrest costed me Rs.800/- only and the fitting charges are Rs.500/- thats fine and economical.And i love the way the camera works and the armrest was fit like oem
and doesn't vibrate fills rock solid and now i'll feel comfortable on highway cruising.
For some purchase at pazhamudhir+
On the way to fit the camera
On the process to connect the monitor and the camera
adjusting the camera
removed the rear left danger light to connect the wiring of camera to the reverse light wiring
felt bad to see my swift without taillights
putting holes for camera
some parting shots
camera after placement
fitting the bulbs back to the tail lamps
some pics of the armrest
the wiring for the rear part of the car from the battery ant the suspension rubber is visible
some more parting click

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article lacks a clear sequence of ordered steps, as it appears to provide more of a narrative description of the installation process rather than an organized guide. The information is fragmented, with no distinct instructions or detailed procedures that could support deeper reasoning or training a language model. To encourage understanding and reasoning, a structured format outlining each step in the process with clarity would be necessary.


document:
Two articles caught my eye over the weekend, and got me rather worried about how traditional media and big business might be changing their approach to social media. While there have been encouraging noises made about the greater openness that social networking encourages, I wonder whether the former gatekeepers of information are quite as enthusiastic as they appear.
The first, in my local paper, was a brief piece on how the largest law firm in the city is setting up a “Cyber Tracing team” to track down people making uncomplimentary comments about their clients online and, presumably, sue them for defamation and/or libel. The second, by Jon Henley in the Guardian, concerned the people power of social networks, specifically Twitter, and the speed with which a minor incident can become a frenzy.
Now, Henley’s piece wasn’t overtly hostile, but I was left with the distinct impression from some of the quotes he cites that a number of people think social networking might actually be bad for freedom of speech. Essentially, people with controversial opinion or that rub against the liberal grain will be subject to the electronic equivalent of a baying mob, and will therefore hesitate before speaking out, if they speak out at all. Self-censorship can be as powerful as any editor’s blue pencil, and if the threat of being the subject of a Twitterstorm is enough to cow an individual into silence, that can be just as destructive to public discourse as the super-injunction that caused the #Trafigura conflagration.
At the same time, freedom of speech is done a similar disservice if you have a team of lawyers whose main responsibility is to trawl chatrooms, blogs and forums, looking for anything that might hurt their client’s feelings. As Trafigura found out to their cost, sometimes trying to shut down debate can backfire spectacularly, leaving you embarrassed and the details of whatever you hoped to cover up exposed to a wider audience than if you had simply left well enough alone. Not only that, but any battle is likely to be asymmetric: on one side a battery of expensive lawyers with the full weight of the ludicrous defamation and libel laws of the UK behind them; on the other, a lone individual with nothing close to the same resources. And I don’t think you can get no-win-no-fee deals for libel defences.
Reading the two articles on the same day, I was struck at how traditional media and companies who use the media seem to be of the mind that “something has to be done,” even as they make efforts of their own to engage with their audiences through social media. It’s almost as though, having lost the means of controlling the message, they would now rather exert some control over social media itself. The multitude of bloggers, forum members and tweeters is too immense, too fragmented to corral, so the implicit threat of legal action is used. The speed at which information can be disseminated means that traditional journalism can find itself playing catch-up, so Twitterstorms are dismissed as incoherent, messy, or simply well-meaning idiots succumbing to mob mentality.
I don’t agree with either approach. Firstly, because suing somebody who writes something you disagree with is, in most cases, using the proverbial sledgehammer to crack a nut. Secondly, because bloggers and readers who also use social media are probably better-informed than some traditional journalists think. Yes, it can seem overwhelming when an item is trending, but people do have the choice as to whether or not to retweet, or even tweet at all. Aside from the spammers, nobody has an incentive to hitch their wagon to a topic. It is the ease with which views can be expressed that has changed, not the level of engagement. Whereas previously, public reaction to a particular newspaper article may have been gauged by the number of letters sent to the editor, today people can express their opinion wherever they like, and others can chime in to voice their agreement or disagreement, without having to set up a petition or letter-writing campaign.
Change can be unsettling, and as the media landscape changes, there are bound to be more debates and arguments about the role and responsibilities of traditional media, social networks, and how people and businesses use them. While I don’t think that the internet is a free utopia where nothing bad ever happens, neither do I see it as a lawless Wild West where chaos reigns. Social networking is largely benign, provided you are willing to get involved. It’s those who are determined to keep a hands-off approach who are likely to face the biggest challenges.
[Image by KieraDocherty]

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a specific task, nor does it contain well-structured procedural instructions that would support training a language model for deeper reasoning. Instead, it presents a reflective commentary on the intersection of traditional media and social media dynamics, discussing issues surrounding freedom of speech and the implications of legal actions, without delineating specific procedures or instructions that could foster systematic reasoning or training.


document:
Welcome to another week of Eripon blog photos! This week featured Valentine’s Day which I suppose is a big deal. If you didn’t see Eripon’s Valentine’s Day photo look here.
This 2×2 looks rather lonesome
I guess she has friends
What happened to your eye? I love your eyes!

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a task, as it primarily consists of informal commentary and personal reflections rather than detailed procedural instructions. Additionally, the content lacks the necessary structure and specificity that would help in developing a language model capable of deeper reasoning, making it unsuitable for training purposes.


document:
I got a Chromebook a while back. I believe that for at least the mid-term future, the web browser is the de-facto common platform for software, and at $250, the Chromebook is a lightweight, reasonably performant, and affordable price of entry into the rich world of web applications.
Unfortunately I think there were some corners cut in terms of durability to reach the $250 price point. It worked great, fast enough for my needs and very portable, but the screen cracked one day seemingly at random while I was out of the room. There’s not much of a market for Chromebooks with cracked screens, and according to Internet forums the “tech support” is something of a racket designed to fleece customers. I looked into DIY repair options and it turns out the fix is pretty cheap / simple to do at home. It literally took me five minutes.
What you’ll need:
- A replacement screen. I bought mine for $44, shipped, from laptop-recyclers / Vivo Technology on Ebay
- A #1 Phillips screwdriver
This quick video on Youtube from Dennis Padiernos illustrates the procedure pretty well.
- Completely power off the computer.
- Use your fingernail to remove the screen cover, starting from the inside.
- Save the bottom of the cover for last – this part is held on by a sticky tape. You will have to be persistent and apply steady force. Start from the middle of the bottom and work your way out. The parts are all plastic so don’t use too much force.
- Remove the screws holding the screen in place. There are only four screws, two on each side of the screen.
- Lay the screen flat on the keyboard. Locate the cable running from the computer to the screen and disconnect by pulling on the little yellow plastic “handle” on the side closest to you. Be gentle because the metal on the connector is very soft and easy to bend.
- Place the old screen aside and maneuver the new screen in place, face-down on the keyboard. Align the cable with the screen connector socket, using the yellow plastic handle to maneuver it. It’s hard to see the tiny connector, but the cable side is male and the screen side is female. Pull the two sides together once they are aligned; it should snap it into place.
- Hold the new screen in place against the computer and reconnect using the four screws. You should be able to turn on the computer now and verify the screen functions.
- Press the screen cover in place.
That’s it! I wish you and your new screen a long and happy life.

response:
Step-by-step: Yes
Training: Yes

The article provides a clear sequence of ordered steps for replacing a Chromebook screen, presenting each task in a logical and structured manner. The instructions are detailed enough, outlining necessary tools and specific actions, which would be useful for training a language model in deeper reasoning by allowing it to understand procedural logic and the cause-effect relationships inherent in the repair process.


document:
Interesting title? Today is my first attempt at a mini tutorial and it's based on this Valentine for my husband:
The heart is from idea-ology Element set and I based the patchwork off an inspirations piece from Tim Holtz. I flipped the heart over and actually drew lines with my ruler to determine where I would cut (I only had one large heart). And the MOST important hint I can give you if you try this is you need make a map and label the backs of your pieces so that you know where are they go to put your "heart back together" pun intended.
Here's my Map:
I painted the pieces with metallic Ranger paint dabbers (I used my map to write the paint colors on first so that I would not have pieces that were the same color or texture next to each other).
I used the cuttlebug embossing folders to create the texture and lightly sanded each piece (in this photo only the gold ones are sanded).
I then dabbed some of the black acrylic paint on my craft sheet and spritzed a puddle of water next to the paint and used my finger to antique the pieces with a mixture of the water and paint.
I then glued the heart onto heart shaped card stock, put stitching holes and wire stitched on the heart.
Drunken Scotch Tutorial
See the Rusty Key on the card? I call this technique Drunken Scotch. The steps are pretty easy...
Here are the supplies:
Cover the grunge with a generous amount of glue all over (I've only tried this clear glue):
Drop on your colors of Alcohol Inks - it will move across the glue:
Heat with your heat gun (it will bubble) and the results:
I like how this now looks like a rusted, textured key!
Here are a few other pieces:
This technique works on both grunge board and chip board.
Hope you like the technique - let me know what you think and if you give it a try!
Inks - Tea Dye, Walnut Stain, Black Soot Distress Ink (Ranger)
Alcohol Inks - Rust, Ginger (Ranger)
Acrylic Paint Dabbers - Silver, Gold, Copper, Black (Ranger)
Other - Cuttlebug embossing folders, sanding block (idea-ology), Scotch Scrapbookers Glue
Elements Grungeboard (idea-ology), Tiny Attacher (idea-ology)

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article includes a collection of instructions and techniques related to creating a Valentine craft, but it does not provide a clear, ordered sequence of steps. The instructions are somewhat fragmented and lack detailed elaboration, which would be necessary for effectively training a language model for deeper reasoning. A more structured approach with clearly numbered steps and thorough explanations of each would enhance clarity and facilitate better understanding.


document:
'Ray has two goals and three assists in 68 games this season and is tied for seventh in the league with 200 penalty minutes. He has served one game of the suspension and is eligible to return on April 10 at Pittsburgh. He will forfeit $12,887.'
Note: While we are busy tweaking the front page design to make it more appealing and functional (especially for our mobile readers), you may notice odd layout errors. Please hit "control-F5" to refresh the page and load the latest files. Thank you!

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a task; it primarily contains information about a player’s statistics and suspension status without any procedural guidance. Additionally, the content lacks detailed instructions that would be beneficial for training a language model in deeper reasoning, as it does not encompass methods, processes, or structured reasoning that could foster comprehension or analysis.


document:
- Name of the design Nixon coat of arms
- Chart is from Cross Stitch Heraldry
- Fabric is a piece of white 28ct evenweave
- Thread is DMC cotton
- Stitch count is 84 x 98
- Completed in October 2010. This will be for my Dad for Christmas, probably finished off in a simple white frame, or maybe a red or yellow one if I can find one and it looks right.
A few photos ..
3 years ago

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a task; it mostly contains disconnected pieces of information without actionable instructions. Additionally, the details provided are not structured sufficiently to be useful for training a language model in deeper reasoning, as there are no insights or methodologies presented that would guide systematic thinking or problem-solving.


document: I am a father to an amazing, almost 2-year old son and a husband to a beautiful wife that I have been married to for over 3 years. I have been a Christian since August 2000, when I heard David Nasser speak at Olive Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. Before that time, I had been living my life for myself. Because I had a church upbringing as a pastor's son, I had always assumed I was a Christian. My days before I was a believer consisted of me and my buddies tracking storms for big surf, and creating mayhem which almost always ended with the police chasing us from skateboarding on school grounds. Since that time my life has had its ups and downs with the biggest when I enlisted in the military. Since that time I have had a set of new challenges, having my faith tested through many different situations. After moving to the San Francisco area in 2009, a friend gave me a video series put on by Kirk Cameron, and Ray Comfort Called The Way of the Master. After watching this I began to feel convicted about the way I shared my faith with others, going from a relationship with the individual with the hope that maybe they would ask me about the joy I have in Christ...which almost never happened. I realized that I needed to be bolder in the way I shared, but still wasn't sure how to refine the way I shared my faith. I went to visit my parents on the East Coast and randomly picked up a book called Seal Of God written by Chad Williams. After reading it, I discovered the world of apologetics. Unbeknownst to me, I had always been an apologist I just never knew it. I always felt a need to share my faith with my friends, but I just didn't know how to answer certain questions they would ask me. Most of the time it ended up with me saying something like, " it just is," or "just have faith." Little did I know that there were answers to the questions they were asking like, "Why should I be a Christian?" or "How do you know the Bible is true?" The more I study Scripture, the more I desire to share with both non-believers and believers what I am learning and how to answer those questions. I want this blog to be a space where I can do just that!

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article primarily narrates a personal journey and reflections on faith rather than providing a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a specific task. While it discusses the author's experiences and realizations about sharing faith, the instructions lack structured procedural guidance needed for deeper reasoning or training a language model. Consequently, the content does not fulfill the criteria for either step-by-step instructions or well-structured training material.


document:
Associated Bank is a branch based in the state of Wisconsin. They operate over 237 branches located in 4 states. Their main focus is personal service, but they also extend their services to business and commercial accounts, loans and cash management.
Associated Bank helps its customers manage their finances in a secure and convenient way. With their free service of Online Banking, you can pay your bills and transfer funds all from your PC, laptop or smartphone. This guide will help you through enrolling with a new account, logging in and even resetting your password.
HOW TO LOG IN
Once you have registered for an account online, logging in is easy. Follow these simple steps to access your online banking account:
Step 1- In your browser, enter https://www.associatedbank.com or click this link.
Step 2- Enter your username into the Sign In box and click Sign In.
Step 3- In the next page, enter your password to log in into your account’s dashboard.
If you have forgotten your password, begin as you would to Sign in, by entering your User ID and continue with these steps:
Step 1- Click the link Forgot Your Password to reset your password.
Step 2- Enter your User ID and your Date of Birth to start the verification process.
Continue answering correctly the questions on the following pages. If all your answers are correct, you will be directed to create a new password. If you need any additional assistance, you may call Customer Service
HOW TO ENROLL
To start a new online banking account, here is what you should do:
Step 1- In the bank’s homepage, select the link Enroll Now under the Sign In section.
Step 2- Read the terms and conditions of Online Banking and click Accept.
Step 3- Enter your SSN, date of birth and account number. Click Continue to complete your enrollment process and enter your new dashboard.
MANAGE ASSOCIATED BANK ONLINE BANKING ACCOUNT
Associated Bank Online Account simplifies financial tasks for its customers. It is easy to use and available 24 hours a day. Some of its features are:
- View bank statements and history online
- Transfer funds between Associated Bank accounts
- Pay Bills
- Schedule payments

response:
**Step-by-step: Yes**
**Training: No**

The article provides a clear sequence of ordered steps for logging in and enrolling in an online banking account, making it easy for readers to follow the instructions. However, while the steps are well-structured for completing specific tasks, they lack the detail and context necessary to train a language model for deeper reasoning since they do not explain the rationale or underlying concepts behind each step.


document:
Monday, 30 March 2015
We have some special overseas guests coming to stay this month and I wanted to do something for Easter gifts. Plus Miss Ivy and I were bored and needed a little project. She likes nothing better than standing on a dining chair to help in the kitchen... she particularly likes washing potatoes but anything will do, as long as it's at adult height!
So I had a bag of Cadbury's white chocolate melts in the pantry which are sooo yummy. I use them for cake pops but end up eating them by the handful. So I decided to melt some and get Ivy to do the decorating... and this is what happened next...
The packet will give you the instructions for melting in the microwave but it's really simple... just microwave them until they melt but you must stir them every thirty seconds to prevent lumps. Pour your melted chocolate into whatever container or mould you want to use. Make sure you grease it first. I just used a flat lid from a plastic container. The lid makes it easy to pop the chocolate out with a little twist of the plastic.
And the melted chocolate became Miss Ivy's blank canvas to get creative. I gave her three bowls of sprinkles but they were immediately mixed into one. Once I convinced her not to eat them all she did some dainty sprinkling. And then it wasn't so dainty as she grabbed the whole bowl and emptied it onto the chocolate. Now this is where I want to grab the bowl and even out the sprinkles... but remember, this is a toddler project! So I just shook off the ones that had no chocolate space to stick to and stuck it all in the fridge.
Once the chocolate hardened I twisted the lid to break it into pieces... I guess your toddler could do this part too... your toddler, not mine. Mine would eat all the chocolate.
I divided the chocolate into clear bags and then made cute tags from photos I took of Ivy making it. And there you go - toddler made Easter gifts!
I might try this with Easter cookies too... I will mix all the ingredients, Ivy will eat the batter. I will make the icing, Ivy will eat the icing. I will smother the cookies in icing and Ivy will eat the sprinkles before tipping them over the cookies. Sounds about right!
Enjoy and Happy Easter to you all. xx
Friday, 6 March 2015
Those of you in the know would have seen tassels on giant clear balloons all over the place.
How about adding a string to a honeycomb ball? Just gorgeous!
If you can hang one garland of tassels then why not hang three? Or four?
More is definitely better in this case... what a stunning backdrop.
Why not tie a tassel on your favour balloons to complement the garland in your decor?
You'll only be able to use one tassel on each balloon of this size before it doesn't want to float anymore.
I love this! If you can't afford multiple garlands then just get one and use it well. This is such a great look!
How clever is this? Instead of rolling the cut tissue paper into tassels, this party stylist has left them open and cut them to make interesting shapes. What a breathtaking backdrop!
Who says tassels are just for parties? Why not use them in your home decor? This nursery is beautiful!
Or use an embroidery hoop to make this gorgeous mobile for your nursery.
We now stock DIY tissue paper tassels in our Etsy shop in some fabulous colour options. We've cut the paper so all you have to do is roll them up and create your masterpiece.
We've got new colours and lengths arriving soon so keep an eye out for more prettiness!
Tuesday, 3 March 2015
This bubbly young birthday girl is a huge Madeline Hatter fan... I had to do my research to figure out just who that is and found myself addicted to a tv show usually watched by tweens. Ever After High is about a group of teenagers who are the offspring of our favourite fairytale characters.... Cinderella's daughter, Prince Charming's son etc... and of course, the Mad Hatter's daughter, Madeline.
Madeline is all about friends, hats, tea parties and lots of purple & teal, a bit like the birthday girl, Ari. My brief was to style & cater a tea party, to be dinner for eight 11 year old young ladies. Finger food, cake, cupcakes, a mini dessert table, a photo backdrop, and hats...
I'm a big fan of adding touches of gold or silver to a party theme... it somehow makes things a little more elegant. In this case it had to be gold as Madeline Hatter has gold shoes. So our gold chevron table runners came in handy once again and made a plastic teal tablecloth look fit for a queen! I tied the plastic plates, cutlery and napkins with some gold wired ribbon and the girls' names were pegged to their champagne glasses. We used plastic glasses but I dipped all the bases in gold glitter to make them a little more special. This is something really cheap and easy for you DIY hostesses to do. Books covered in kraft paper added some height to the table decor and I used some glitter washi tape to liven up some regular playing cards. I displayed them fanned out in some little photo clip holders that I had spray painted gold. I piled the table with vintage tea cups and used glitter jars and teapots filled with flowers to finish it all off.
The girls arrived to pink lemonade from our gorgeous glass dispenser and served in cute glass milk bottles with paper straws and 'drink me' tags. They dined on mini pizzas, meatballs, fruit platters and chicken skewers served on high tea cake stands and wooden platters.
After dinner came the cake... The (amazing) chocolate cake was baked by Sweet'Ems Cakes & Catering. She covered it in white fondant for me so all I had to do was the pretty stuff! I painted gold dots/lines around the cake and added gum paste flowers I made. Around the top of the cake were hand painted meringues and I used hand drawn cake toppers to tie it all back to the theme.
A dozen purple and teal cupcakes in gold wrappers, some matching foil wrapped choccie hearts and gorgeous filled lolly jars made for the perfect mini dessert table. Above the table, a chandelier made from honeycomb balls, balloons, crepe pom poms and lanterns... And nearby was a wall of crepe paper streamers twisted to make the perfect backdrop for group photos.
After dinner and games and gifts and cake, the girls finished off the evening with tea and chocolate milk. Hot milk was served in vintage tea cups with a wooden spoon of chocolate to stir into it. Like the girls weren't on enough of a sugar high.
The girls then resigned to the theater room to sing karaoke and watch movies... I cleared up and reset the table for their breakfast and left to the sound of eight very high pitched voices screeching 'Thrillleeeer....'
If you like what you see please head over to our Facebook page and hit the LIKE button! We're also on Instagram so come and say hi.
Items from this party available to hire: Table runner, cake stands, platters, vintage tea ware, lolly jars, cake stands, A frame stand, glitter jars
Items available from our shop: name tags, thank you tags, paper straws, wooden pegs
Custom made for this party: glitter playing cards, the girls hats, glitter champagne glasses

response:
**Step-by-step: No**
**Training: No**

The article lacks a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a task, as it primarily recounts a personal experience rather than providing explicit, structured instructions. Although it describes a creative project involving making chocolate decorations with a child, the narrative does not systematically organize the process into distinct steps that would enable straightforward execution. Similarly, the procedural details are not detailed enough or structured in a way that would effectively train a language model for deeper reasoning, as they are more anecdotal and less focused on clarity and precision.


document:
Ah, the Danielle Dress in all its glory! Oh happy day! Of course you’ve already seen photos of the dress with everything but the final hem, so it won’t be that huge of a deal. Ah well.
It has taken a LONG time to get this post up, due to lack of awesome pictures worthy of this awesome dress. Lots of fuzzy ones, ones that don’t show the hem, ones where I’m making a wonky face… you get the idea. These still aren’t them, but they’ll have to do for now. My usual photographer (AKA daughter) is spending the month with her cousins!
It occurs to me that this is my first fully-lined dress. Also my first “everyday” (as opposed to costume) dress.
A quick recap on the construction… the fashion fabric is some kind of crinkly chiffon (possibly crepe?),
very thin, in a bold black and white print (I don’t usually go for prints) that has been in my stash for at least five years, since I made a tiered dance skirt for my older daughter out of it. I underlined it with a plain black cotton (from my old duvet cover, the same stuff I used to underline my girls’ coats) to give it a bit more body, and lined it with a very plain, very cheap black lining fabric. While I cutting I committed the major sin of not cutting the centre front on the fold, so I had to improvise and add a third pleat and centre front with a black inset of the same fabric as the “waist” band. Since I now had a seam allowance at the centre front, this meant I had to fiddle with the other pleats a bit to maintain the skirt width, but I think it worked out all right.
To keep the chiffon (which was a b*tch to cut out, by the way) from sliding around on the underlining, I
hand-basted all the pieces of the shell together. This was probably the single most time-consuming part of constructing the entire dress. On the other hand, it was handwork, so I could do it in the livingroom with the family instead of ditching them to sew, so I get less (though not no) hassle for it, and not once during the actual construction did I want to shoot myself in the head due to my slippery, misshapen chiffon fabric pieces, as I usually do when working with this kind of fabric.)
My cutting wasn’t as precise as I would like (as usual), partly due to the chiffon, partly due to sloppiness. Precise cutting is definitely one of my Areas to Improve, although I’d like to say this dress was quite a bit worse in that department than most of my recent efforts. Cotton and denim (which is of course cotton too) are really dreams to cut out. My biggest goal was to get the front pleats to line up with the front darts (and to not totally ruin the darts). I was not 100% successful, but managed adequately. The darts are at least more symmetrical than most of my previous attempts, though I’m still not 100% happy with them, either.
The lining was fairly rushed and fudgetastic. I didn’t do a separate waistband for it (I meant to make the skirt longer to compensate, but didn’t, but due to sloppy/generous cutting of length this didn’t actually matter. My goal was to make the lining slightly smaller, which I achieved a little too well, but at least my zipper doesn’t get caught in its fabric (!) and the outer shell doesn’t look strained.
I didn’t want to finish the arm-holes by hand, so I wound up releasing my shoulder seams so I could machine-stitch the lining to
the arms and neck and then reverse it, then hand-finished the shoulder seams. This is easy, but somehow when I do this the shoulder seams never match up as nicely as they ought to… the front is always a little too narrow for some reason. There’s probably a better method out there, but I’m too lazy to research is right now.
The zipper was a bit of an experiment. I’ve read the standard method for inserting them (and this was a standard, not an invisible zipper), but I’ve never had great success in this department. Usually they end up catching on the fabric around them, at least a bit. I was attracted by the idea of installing it by hand, but also short of time. In the end I sewed it to the lining by machine (carefully well back of the zipper teeth) and then picked it to the outside by hand. It looks great, at least on the outside. My hand stitches show on the inside (perhaps with a little more thought or paying more attention to some tutorials, I could have avoided this, but I was in a rush at this point). I also finished the hem by hand, which is lovely when you have an underlining to catch the stitches on, and I’m quite happy with that,
though there is one spot where I accidentally caught the fashion fabric and it shows. I could fix it, but I probably won’t bother. I just hemmed the lining by machine. I really should pick up some finer machine needles… the ones I have are a bit too thick and the lining fabric puckers.
On the whole, the dress was a smashing success. It fitted well with minor alterations (though the bust is still a bit generous for me… I suspect I need to narrow the front and then make the darts smaller). I did end up taking it in almost an inch on each side at the back seam, so perhaps I could have cut the size 34 instead of the size 36. The only disappointment? I it’s a bit too fancy for everyday, and who knows when I’ll get to wear it again?

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clearly ordered set of steps for completing a task; rather, it presents a narrative of the author’s experience while making a dress, with scattered thoughts on the challenges faced and methods used. This lack of structured procedural instructions limits its utility for training a language model in deeper reasoning, as the information conveyed is more anecdotal than systematic and lacks the necessary clarity and detail to effectively guide someone through a structured process.


document:
Of all the possible ways to cook beef, my absolute favorite is braising. Without a doubt, I love to braise. It makes everything tender, delicious, and it’s low maintenance. It’s the best way to make an inexpensive and tough cut of meat into a delectable, elegant dinner. You could braise a boot and make it delicious. I know this is an extreme example, but it’s pretty close to true. Braising is like magic.
Braising uses both moist and dry heat to break down the tough connective tissues of tough proteins. A vital step for building flavor when braising is searing the meat first. By searing the meat, you get all these flavor-boosting crusty brown bits at the bottom of the pot. You must embrace the brown bits. Brown bits good. Brown bits awesome. I know it seems like an extra step, but I promise it’s a step worth taking.
Braising is essentially what your slow-cooker does, so you could absolutely make this in a slow-cooker, but don’t skip the searing. Sear the beef in a separate pan, deglaze the pan using wine, scrape up the brown bits and add them to the slow-cooker.
The beef finishes tender and deliciously saucy. It’s perfect served over mashed potatoes, polenta, pasta or gnocchi. In fact, I found some pumpkin gnocchi while grocery shopping and I knew that they would be perfect with red wine braised beef. To serve I tossed the gnocchi in brown butter and topped it with savory braised beef.
“SAY WHAT???!!!” you said.
That’s right, you heard me. Pumpkin gnocchi tossed in browned butter, mounded with a generous helping of deliciously braised beef on top. Please refrain from licking the screen; there is a 98.4333% chance that it will just taste like dust.
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 small onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 ribs celery, diced
- 1 4 lb beef chuck
- ½ bottle red wine
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 garlic cloves
- Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a dutch oven or a heavy oven-safe pot. Let it get nice and hot. Add diced carrots and cook until they begin to brown, about 10 minutes. When the carrots start to brown, add the onions and celery.
- Cook the vegetables until the onions begin to caramelize. I know you will be tempted to stir and fidget with the vegetables, but trust me: let them sit a bit, stirring occasionally. It's the best way to get some good caramelization. Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables and set aside on a plate.
- Pat the beef chuck dry and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Don't be shy; it's a big piece of meat.
- If needed, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in dutch oven, letting it get nice and hot. The butter should shimmer. Sear the beef on each side for about 5 minutes -- don't fidget with it. It should be brown, not grey, and crispy on the edges. Remove beef and set aside.
- Pour ½ a bottle of red wine into the pot while still hot. Using a firm spatula, scrape up all the brown bits at the bottom of the pot. Return vegetables to the pot. Lay browned beef on top of vegetables.
- Add fresh herbs, garlic and bay leaves. Tuck herbs into the liquid and bring to a boil.
- Cover and place in oven at 325 degrees for 3-4 hours or until tender. It should fall apart using a spoon, if it's still firm return to the oven and let it go another 30 minutes.
- Serve hot, but it makes great

response:
Step-by-step: Yes
Training: Yes

The article provides a clear sequence of ordered steps for braising beef, from preparing the ingredients to cooking and serving the dish. Each step is detailed enough to guide a reader effectively and encourages deeper reasoning about techniques like searing and caramelization, which are critical for flavor development. The inclusion of specific cooking times, temperatures, and tips enhances the instructional quality, making it suitable for training a language model on procedural tasks.


document:
HUD HomeBuying Workshops
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS for BROKERS!
April 12, 2017 - 9:00 AM-10:30 AM BRUNCH and LEARN
Wilson Board of Realtors
2308-B Cedar Run Place
May 10, 2017 - 9:30 AM-11:30 AM BRUNCH and LEARN
Rocky Mount Board of Realtors
3120-A Zebulon Road
UPCOMING Open Houses for HOMEBUYERS/ INVESTORS!
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS for Home Buyers!
April 1, 2017
Wendell Community Center
HOMEBUYERS AND AGENTS
LEARN HOW TO BID ON AND WIN
a HUD HOME
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has one of the largest portfolios of homes in the country. For real estate professionals and first time home-buyers, this represents a tremendous buying opportunity!
For Homebuyers, purchase ANY HUD home for just a $100 down payment!!! This means little to no money out of pocket! In my opinion, this is definitely one of the best deals going right now for anyone looking to buy a home. You won't find this type of deal on anything but a HUD home purchase!
This workshop course is comprehensive and will highlight the latest updates from HUD. Join us for a high-energy, interactive training session that will help you achieve your real estate goals and/or buy your dream house!
ALL THE QUESTIONS - ALL THE ANSWERS
In this dynamic, FREE, interactive training session, you will learn:
- What is a HUD Foreclosure?
- Who can buy a HUD Home?
- Who can sell HUD Homes?
- Who are the key players in the HUD Home buying process?
- How to navigate the HUD website
- What properties to look for
- Step by step instructions on how to bid
- How to WIN a bid
- What to do once a bid is won to make sure you don't lose the house of your dreams!
All HUD Workshops are Absolutely FREE to Everyone!!!!
Offered twice per month or we can customize a workshop for any team of agents who prefer a more team-oriented session at the location of your choice.
REGISTER BELOW for our regularly scheduled workshops held on Tuesdays from 9:30 am - 12 noon in Wendell at either the Wendell Community Center or at the KBIR Business office. The location for these workshops is determined based on the size of the facility needed to accommodate the number of attendees who register for the event.
If you don't see the workshop that you want on this web page...then simply request a workshop that fits your schedule by clicking the link below to register and request a SPECIAL date and time for your workshop.
REGULAR Bi-Weekly Workshops - 1st and 3rd Tuesdays
KB Investments & Realty, LLC
742 McKnight Dr. Suite #201
Knightdale, NC 27545
All Training Seminars are subject to being rescheduled if there are less than 5 registered attendees.

response:
**Step-by-step: Yes**
**Training: No**

The article does provide a sequence of steps regarding the upcoming workshops and the general topic of HUD home purchases, including instructions on how to bid and win a HUD home. However, it does not offer detailed, structured procedural instructions that guide the reader through specific tasks. While the content outlines key points and topics, it lacks the necessary depth and clarity in its instructions that would serve as useful training material for a language model capable of deeper reasoning.


document:
Sales and Distribution covers the entire order-to-cash process chain from customer inquiry and sales order to the products delivery to customer’s destination through billing and payment collection. The components of logistics execution are integrated and include picking, packaging and shipping. Continue reading →
In newer versions of Linux it’s not easily possible to just move the MySQL data directory to another location and modify my.cnf or create a symbolic link. There is a secutity/protection “daemon” running in background checking which locations is some process trying to access. If it’s allowed, then access is granted, otherwise the process is unable to read/write the required data. This guardian is called “APPARMOR” Continue reading →
If you want to restrict creation of transports (and their release to further systems) based on rules applied on a transport description, you can use method described in this example. Continue reading →
FTP is considered as very insecure protocol because all data transferred using this protocol is passed between client and server in clear text and can be hacked by someone listening on your line. But you can easily encrypt the whole communication by enabling/forcing TLS and make FTP much more secure. This article explains how to set up ProFTPd with TLS on an Ubuntu server. Continue reading →
With Ubuntu versions prior to 12.04 there was an inetd daemon running and available to be used for triggering the FTP service. Since version 12.04 inetd package is deprecated and is replaced by xinetd.
I was facing task how to schedule an automatic backup/mirror of a website which allows connecting over FTP. PHP command exec was forbidden by the provider so it was not possible to run OS commands. PHP script execution time was set to quite short time so it was neither possible to zip using PHP functions and send the whole backup file somewhere easily. Continue reading →
All development or customizing in SAP is written into a transport request unless it is a local object not intended to be transported ($TMP package). Sometimes it might be useful to backup your development but in SAP this task is quite complicated to export all programs, classes, standard texts, …
Therefore there is an option to export the whole development encapsulated on a transport request level. And that’s what this article is about – exporting development encapsulated in a transport request to local file system. Continue reading →

response:
**Step-by-step: No**
**Training: No**

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing specific tasks. It mentions various technical details and concepts, but there are no structured or detailed procedural instructions. Additionally, the content lacks the clarity and organization necessary to train a language model for deeper reasoning, as it does not guide the reader through a defined process or offer comprehensive explanations on how to implement these topics systematically.


document:
The original hateful Squeeze the Pulp forum thread that contained the attack is called From OP…. Not long after the attack was blogged about said offending sections were removed. Fortunately they were saved on the blog post Painting the Whole Group with the Same Broad Brush. The context for these remarks was a reposting of a political analysis article written by Tom Jensen called Breaking down the Local Election Results and then the following:
And finally, and I know this isn’t a PC question, but is Tom Jensen openly gay? He worked for a gay legislator in Michigan. He got a lot of attention in his student council race for kissing other guys, and he runs to Mike Nelson’s defense every time some one accuses Nelson of having a bad hair day.
It shouldn’t matter, but I think I am seeing a particular “viewpoint”, and I’m curious.
I put this here because its important to remember. It makes me ill and I apologize for sharing it. But we can’t let this go unforgotten. Read the blog post above and forum thread to get the full picture.
Some of you might be wondering, “Is Brian over reacting?”. Sadly given the complicated local politics context… no. I tried writing over a thousand words to describe it and it just became too long and painful. Maybe another day. My goal is to show how a few people are using Squeeze the Plup. I won’t name names here.
This isn’t the first time this person has tried to politically assassinate someone. She pulled the same crap on Ruby last year. Fortunately Ruby spoke up and set the record straight with the truth.
This is what the underbelly of local politics looks like. Conservative self described Democrats (closet Republicans) in Orange County, NC attacking people online. I don’t care what others say Orange Politics never goes this far. Ain’t partisanship fun?
Update – Clarification: The title should be “Supposed Political attack…”. I must add that this type of crap should only really matter to conservatives who think being gay is bad.
Laughing this off as silly should be the natural response. Yet it’s the context of this person actions on STP that pisses me off. (Saying shit that conservatives on STP would have a problem with. Like if someone is gay or not. A stupid bully tactic.) I’m just really tired of their attacks on our wonderful elected leaders (Mike Nelson) and the people who support them. (ex. Tom J. and Ruby)

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not present a clear sequence of ordered steps or procedural instructions that guide the reader through completing a task. Instead, it consists of commentary and reflections on local political dynamics without structured instructions or detailed processes that would facilitate deeper reasoning for training a language model. The writing lacks clarity and organization, making it challenging to derive actionable steps or training content.


document:
Stride Rite: Shoes that peddle gender stereotypes(Read article summary)
Stride Rite is a popular kids' shoe store that garners online scorn for advertising campaigns that offer girls and boys stereotypical products and shopping experiences.
Amy Sussman/AP Images for Stride Rite Children's Group
Last April, I posted about how Stride Rite positions girls as pretty and boys as active. After seeing their in-store advertisements and reviewing their product descriptions online, I concluded that according to Stride Rite, girls are meant to be looked at, so their play shoes are a route to prettiness, while boys are meant to be active, so their play shoes are made for play.
Last week, while doing some back-to-school shopping with her young daughters, Margot Magowan of Reel Girl encountered similar advertising at her local Stride Rite store in San Francisco. She was deeply disappointed in how the brand perpetuated the idea that girls are dramatically different from boys–sparkling princesses versus powerful fighters. And she linked back to my post from last year to offer context, showing that Stride Rite’s hyper-gendered marketing is business as usual for the brand.
Her blog post about it struck quite the chord: The Daily Mail, the Huffington Post, and Jezebel all picked up the story, quoting Margot and myself on the topic. Margot also was interviewed by Fox and Friends.
As Margot put it on Fox and Friends: “Feet are not that different. Boys and girls, especially four-year-olds, have basically the same shoes and basically the same feet.” So why such a strong and stereotypical gender segregation?
The Daily Mail connected Stride Rite’s marketing to broader trends; for example, they cited research by Elizabeth Sweet, a doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of California, whose research suggests that gender segregating and stereotyping of toys is becoming worse with time–so much so that “the world of toys looks a lot more like 1952 than 2012.”
[The Christian Science Monitor editor's note: For it's part, Stride Rite responded to these concerns with the following statement, which focuses on their footwear but not their marketing strategies.
"Stride Rite Children’s Group develops footwear that is specifically designed to meet the needs of growing children while offering a broad assortment of products in a range of styles that are of interest for both girls and boys. We strongly believe that all kids should be active and we provide shoes that enable and encourage kids to play and use their imaginations. Our commitment to quality, style and “kid rite” innovation is at the forefront of our minds as we strive to provide options to all parents and children."]
Meanwhile, Jezebel offered a characteristically entertaining approach to the subject, writing:
This just in: being a child and taking steps to propel you from one area to another is a gendered act. Boys walk; girls sparkle and twirl and make princess wishes. Boys also crouch and pretend to shoot webs out of their hands, because that sort of thing is fun when you are a boy. (The only time that girls crouch is when they are picking up face-up pennies in their never ending quest to make a lot of wishes.)
On the other hand, the Huffington Post coverage offered a fairly straightforward summary of our blog posts, but the comment thread was often infuriating:
- Some commenters were defensive, arguing that there’s nothing wrong with being a girly-girl who likes princess products. This is true, but the argument misses the point: The problem is when girls are ONLY offered girly-girl/princess items. There are so many ways to be a girl, and marketing like Stride Rite’s reduces girls to ONE form of girlishness only.
- Other commenters defended corporations like Stride Rite and blamed parents for the gender stereotyping of childhood, claiming it is the parents’ job to raise their children properly. This, too, is true, but also misses the point: even the most devoted parents are hard-pressed to fight back against the billion-dollar marketing machine that is so invested in separating the boys from the girls. (After all, fostering a separation between the sexes is a great way to sell twice as many products.)
Inspired by that comment thread, Lori Day of the Huffington Post wrote a terrific piece about the media’s shameless peddling of gender stereotypes to children. She explains:
"A lot of adults are laughing all the way to the bank as our kids pass under the bus. The strategy is simple: convince kids of both genders that they are very different from each other and that they need completely different products with different colors and different labels, and they will naturally only want what they’ve been told is “for” them and what has been spoon fed to them since birth. Parents will then dole out double the money buying separate products for their sons and daughters, ensuring that the retailers and marketers double their profits and double down on the stereotyped messaging. And why wouldn’t they? It’s brilliant. It’s lucrative. It’s also a breathtaking act of psychological vandalism against our children. Media shapes perception, and perception becomes reality."
The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best family and parenting bloggers out there. Our contributing and guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor, and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. Rebecca Hains blogs at rebeccahains.wordpress.com.

response:
Step-by-step: No
Training: No

The article does not provide a clear sequence of ordered steps for completing a task, nor does it include well-structured procedural instructions. Instead, it discusses the implications of Stride Rite's marketing strategies in relation to gender stereotypes in children's shoes without providing actionable steps or detailed analysis that would facilitate training a language model in deeper reasoning. The focus is primarily on commentary and critique rather than instructive content.