How positive thinking can transform your lifestyle

Thoughts become things. Unity principle number three states: We are co-creators with God, creating reality through thoughts held in mind. In other words, Thoughts held in mind produce after their kind. As we think: so shall it be.

Penny for your thoughts? Or is it possible to just look around at your world an know how you perceive life to be. If you look at the cup and see it half empty, then it is indeed half empty and more than likely will remain that way. This negative view promotes more of the same. Just as you look at your world and see lack and limitation; that is exactly what will show up for you.

Thoughts and words are very powerful. The Unity school of thoughts suggests that thoughts are infact prayers. What we truly believe will show up in our lives, shows up. If those thoughts are negative than chances are good you are not living in a happy place.

So How do you turn that around? Begin with gratitude. Look at what you do have in your life, even those things that may not seem to be the best and offer thankfulness for their appearance in you life. Each event, each person, each circumstance and each road block has appeared as a result of a desire you held in mind. Perhaps without knowing it, but you have called it forward for reasons you may not yet understand. Grasping onto the understand that everything is a blessing is a hard one to swallow when there is pain or unhappiness involved, but at some point that blessing will be shown to you. Offering Gratitude to the Universe is the first step in transforming your life and lifestyle. Begin a daily gratitude journal where you write five different things everyday for 21 days and see the shifts begin.

Begin to use affirmations and positive words. Affirmations are positive statements. If you feel physically ill, affirm: “I am a whole, healthy and perfect child of God, as such I do not inherit illness. ” Bless and thank your body and ask its forgiveness for any mistreatment you have given to it! Include positive statements in your conversations. If Johnny wants a new toy in stead of saying: “I can’t afford that” simply say: “That’s not in the plan for today, we will look at another time.” As your words become more positive, you thoughts become more positive.

It is not easy to make this shift in thinking. But as you practice you begin to catch yourself more and more. As you use daily affirmations such as “I am prosperous” or “I am a radiant of light of God.” you will start to notice the subtle shifts in your world. You life and lifestyle will take on new meaning and you feel the strength and power of the Universe at work in you life.

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Playtime: How It Has Changed Over The Years

Children begin to learn through playing and since the beginning of time children have played. The toys they have played with have changed and advanced through the years and so has the manner in which children play. This is a cause for some debate since many people think the changes are not beneficial to children and can actually cause some problems growing up by not allowing children to run outside and play and to use their imagination. Parents can use the tools that are available, though, to help children become expressive and have fun.

One of the changes that are most notable in playtime is the use of technology in toys. There are videos, video games and robotic toys. The majority of these toys are designed for indoor use. Children are quite entertained by these items but there is also a propensity for fewer outdoor activities and exercise. In previous generations, there was more of an emphasis on going outside to play and using the imagination. People also did not purchase as many toys for their children so kids used what they had and imagined various types of play.

Many adults remember the times when a cardboard box could open up an entire world of cars, houses, castles and tunnels. A cardboard box that was used to ship something could provide hours of entertainment for a child. Add a few markers to decorate and the box could be transformed into a complete toy. Children used to use their imaginations more than they do today. They would take the supplies that they had an open up a fantasy world.

Today, toys and games are so technically advanced that children no longer need to use their imagination as much as they used to. The complete story lines including sounds and graphics are already supplied to them. They are entertained, certainly. But, the question remains are they using their imagination to play?

Another change in the way children play is the amount of physical activity that they have. With the abundance of videos, video games and indoor activities designed to keep a child entertained, there is not as much of an opportunity or desire for a child to go outside to play. Children used to play ball, ride their bike and play on the swings. Who doesn’t remember the times of tag and Red Rover? Today, children are more interested in getting to a higher level on their video game than they are about going out in the fresh air to play.

The level of imagination used in toys is something that parents should be aware of and can balance with other toys that will stimulate a child’s imagination. Reading books is a great way for this to occur. For younger children, parents can read to them and get them involved. Asking questions after a story is read that sparks the imagination and enhances reading comprehension is a great way for this to happen. Playing house or make believe with your child is another way to ensure a child uses their imagination.

There is nothing wrong with the toys of today and nothing wrong with a child enjoying them from time to time. It does entertain the child and there are benefits to the toys. Where parents need to be careful, though, is making sure there is a balance between the technological toys and those meant to stimulate the imagination. Make sure that the technological toys are not simply being used as a crutch but that they are used to supplement other toys.

The lack of physical activity is also a concern for parents and may be contributing to the numbers of overweight and obese children in today’s society. Children need physical activity and exercise and there is nothing better than getting outside to play to help accommodate this. Younger children need to be supervised and older children should be aware of safety issues if they are going out alone. However, parents should encourage their children to play with something that encourages physical activity.

Some toy manufacturers are recognizing this as a problem and are taking steps to change somewhat so that children can have the best of both worlds. There are now video games that encourage children to get up and move. There are dance programs and karaoke programs that give the child a sense that they are playing a video game but they also have to get up and move in order to do it. This can be an ideal solution to the family so they can have exercise as well as the video aspect of the game. When choosing toys and activities for a child, balance is the key. There is no reason the play methods of yesterday can not be incorporated into today’s technology.

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Comparing Barbie and Bratz dolls

Comparing Barbie and Bratz Dolls

Barbie has one expansive resume which includes a myriad of occupations. She has spent time in careers as illustrious as Doctor, Teacher, and Astronaut. A Bratz Doll is more likely to be seen dancing half naked in a Hip Hop video or hanging on the arm of Hugh Hefner. How has the Bratz Doll line-up managed to elbow its way into society?

Bratz Dolls with their Botox inflated lips and doe-eye seem to scream wanton sexuality. Sure Barbie has her less than glamorous moments, but Bratz Dolls have only one style and I am sure you can guess what that is – just look at her super short skirts, barely there tops, and fishnet stockings. Is this what we want for our children? This is our child’s new role model? Bratz Dolls are showcasing materialism and vanity as though they were good character traits.

Barbie, on the other hand, has transformed into Audrey Hepburn, Lucille Ball, and Dorothy Gale. Her variety of fashion and careers has caught the hearts of millions of little girls as well as adult collectors across the globe. Barbie dolls can be works of art. Take a look at Barbie’s new gig, modeling a glamorous Badgley Mischka creation. What about the lovely Christabelle Barbie Doll? Clad in a gorgeous mermaid style gown in a soft blush lace, Barbie is the picture of innocence. Barbie is adaptable. She can go from haute couture to Mary Poppins. Her careers are varied and far reaching. Barbie has goals that involve more than buying a new lipstick at the mall or how to obtain a date with the hot new guy who works at the clothing store. Bratz has one style and one style only – skimpy. A Bratz Doll is reminiscent of an out of control teen – doing whatever they can to get attention. Bratz Dolls have the attention, alright. They just don’t have the sophistication, style, and worldliness that Barbie possesses. Even the name Bratz implies attitude with a capital A.

Barbie has shown women can do whatever they desire to be. She is an actress, photographer, and scientist. She is Irish, Native American, Indonesian, and Russian – just like the little girls who play with her. Make no mistake about it, Barbie can do it all. Bratz Dolls have no vision, no class, and not even an ounce of sophistication. Let’s allow our children to enjoy the simple pleasures of childhood. How about we let our little girls actually be little girls and not some Bratz Doll look-alike.

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Designer Furniture From Paper!

Paper and cardboard are cutting edge. Where to buy designer furniture and accessories featuring paper and card.

Paper and cardboard are being transformed into groovy and recyclable interiors accessories and, surprisingly sturdy furniture in the hands of the worlds’ leading contemporary designers. The UK currently gets through 12.5 million tonnes of paper and board per annum of which over 4.7 million tonnes ends up heading for land fill where, although it may well be biodegradeable, it’s destined to produce methane gas, a major contributor to global warming. Don’t bin it! Recycling uses an average of 50% less energy consumption compared with incinerating paper and cardboard, over the entire life-cycle.

Furniture

Art meets matter www.artmeetsmatter.co.uk

Foldable, recyclable and postable Factum recycled paper board furniture sporting various designs including an exuberant chintz as well as plain for DIY ‘graffiti’ finishes.

Farm Designs www.farmdesigns.co.uk

Designer Giles Miller transforms corrugated cardboard into a honeycomb’esque rocker chair and bench. And, using a technique called fluting that exploits the corrugations, he also transforms the material into a surprisingly decorative screen, lamp and table.

It www.tarabox.com

The lightweight itbed base is made from 7mm cardboard and is designed to expand and contract, concertina style, enabling it to be packed away when not in use. It comes in two variations, one for futons and one for mattresses, and four sizes.

junction4a www.junction4a.com

Durable, flat-pack cardboard stools boasting both environmental and ergonomic attributes. Ideally suited to customisation with artwork (there’s a limited edition version called Graffiti by Sharon Elphick) or company logos, the regular size costs a very reasonable £9.90, although there is a minimum order of 250! The limited edition designs can be bought individually for £60.

Muji www.muji.eu

‘Craft’ or grey coloured pulp board storage/shelving units.

Paperpod www.paperpod.co.uk

Range of environmentally friendly and sturdy flat-pack designs for kids’ play made from recycled corrugated cardboard and left blank for children to decorate themselves. Options take in chairs, toy fort, dolls house and playhouse.

ReturDesign www.returdesign.com

An eye-popping range of sturdy, contemporary ‘sustainable eco furniture’ taking in shelves, tables, seating and screens from Sweden. Made with 100% cellulose, the designs are rendered practically incombustible with a secret salt solution. For added longevity, special paint and lacquer finishes are available.

Screens

John Paul Jacques www.jpjacques.com

Grid-like Shoji screens made from maple frames in filled with Japanese paper, for use as unobtrusive sliding room dividers, freestanding screens, cupboard and wardrobe doors or window treatments etc.

Molo www.molodesign.com

Canadian architectural design outfit famous for their ‘soft wall’, a flexible paper room divider-cum-screen which comes in white, kraft (brown) and black and is recyclable.

Flooring

Crucial Trading www.crucial-trading.com

Ten styles of 100% woven paper yarn carpet for use as freestanding or fully fitted floor coverings.

Skandium www.skandium.com

The eco-friendly Woodnotes’ flooring collection from Finland is spun from kraft paper, dyed without use of organic halogen compounds or heavy metals and is biodegradable. Standard rugs come in various chic patterns and colours and combinations thereof.

Fabric

Somic www.somic.co.uk

Kraft paper spinners and weavers producing a wide range of cords, braids and weaves in various natural and coloured shades.

Lighting

Bomdesign www.bomdesign.nl

Dutch designers with a witty way with recycled materials. Their book lamp or (boeklampen) transforms used books into decorative shades.

Paul Lighterness www.salone-coex.com

‘In the shade’ is a nifty metal disc augmented with plastic rivets which transforms old postcards, tube tickets, and take away menus etc into a bespoke pendant light shade.

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Child Development Can Be Assisted By Utilizing Toys

Even the simplest item will become something stimulating and creative through the thought process of a young kid?s imagination. An item as ordinary as a rock can be transformed into a race car or a jet plane, and a huge box made from cardboard can made into a rocket ship for a voyage to outerspace. Youngsters spend a good amount of time playing pretend.

Motivate your kids to take part in pretend play as it’s a known type of imaginary games that builds skills in several regions of their development.Young children take the new ideas and concepts they are learning and use them in real-world instances, through imaginary play and pretend.Kindergarteners and early elementary kids will many times play house to work through hard situations they might experience, like fears of being alone or visits to the dentist. A child who has just learned some stimulating things about dinosaurs might use rocks and little tiny dinosaurs to reinvent the world the dinosaurs lived in.To examine assorted roles and produce their social and emotional techniques, things like miniature home appliances made of metal or small dollhouses with miniature items encourage youngsters.

A child’s imagination is not only a tool for keeping them entertained. It is an important thing that helps turn them into the adults they are to meant to be. Creating imaginary areas and scenes allows the child to be in that similar situation and allows them to handle with problems that come up, and have sympathy for the imaginary people that they invent. Learning lessons that over a period of time, will get them ready for when they become an adult.

By using cooperative exciting play, children learn to take turns and share as they develop important problem solving skills.Group play can also teach children to work out problems as a team. Children who take part in in imaginary play work together with others and teaches them leadership. By playing out new scenes, children boost their self-esteem and become more self-confident.

When kids pretend, they start to understand the difference between fantasy and what?s real.
By playing with little toys such as doll house furniture, children can learn to develop language skills. Preschoolers will soon put together the link between oral and words that written, a basic pre-reading skill, by creating their own stories during playtime. Youngsters are introduced to words particular to their interests and their language will begin to grow as children learn uses of new words.

You can help your youngster develop many pre-reading and pre-writing skills by providing her plenty of books, as well as crayons and paper, in combination to many different wooden toys that encourage pretend play. Helping your child build their adding skills is as simple as giving them a shopping cart and cash register, while they play like they are shopping they will be using math to add up their items. Pretend play also helps to develop cognitive tools. Important cognitive skills, as well as logic, to determine who plays what role or how to construct a pretend fort will be used by the children. Imaginary playtime with a group can teach a child self control as well as good behavior If the child uses a block to represent food, advanced abstract thinking skills will begin to form as they learn to use one object to represent something else.
The best idea to spark your child’s imagination is by having them play with household items. Youngsters can let their thoughts run rampant with the different wooden toys including farms, dollhouses and kitchen furnishings. Wooden toys offer widely varied options, from rocking horses to scoot along toys, that will give hours of fun. Wooden toys are harmless and will last much longer than plastic, giving your child hours of developmentally appropriate play as well as the children of the future.

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Travel tips: Transform your hotel room into a home

Bring the best of home with you, but leave the clutter there. Most of us travel for one of two reasons, 1st for our work, 2nd to get away from our work. Either way making a hotel room exactly like home would be difficult, and may be counterproductive. Lugging framed photographs, and knick knacks is impracticle, and heavy. That said, bring a few things to make your stay more comfortable.

Your pillow, “0 my own, mine own.” Most of us sleep best on our own familiar pillow. If you don’t want to carry, or have insufficient room to carry the whole thing, just pack a pillow case from home. It smell like home, and will feel almost the same. If you’ve already arrived and forgot your pillow, wrap the hotel pillow in one of your washed at home tee shirts. It will smell like home, and some new pillow cases can be scratchy feeling.

Bring munchies. Most of us munch between meals, and restaurant fare can get old fast. Without planning at least a little bit, it would be too tempting to grab for the chips and or candy bars out of those vending machines. This is detrimental to your diet, and your wallet. Pack a sampling of what you really eat at home, and or stop at a nearby market. I bring dried cereal, nuts, and fruit, as well as cocoa powder and tea to add to the freebee coffee service.

Bring your laptop if you have one. Not only can you get some work done, it has your favorite photos, and games included. Most hotels have wireless internet available, and you can catch up on your e-mail correspondence.

Bring your gym bag. If you routenely go to a gym at home, don’t stop just because your away from home. Most hotels have workout rooms, and or can direct you to a local workout space. Your club just might have a site nearby, or a transfer agreement with a local club.

Traveling with kids? Make sure you pack some of their favorite playthings, crayons, and activity books. Sprinkle in new toys throughout the trip. Bring a blankie. Play games that get them to look out the window. Bring along a couple of their favorite movies, and ask for a local tv listing if you don’t find it in your room. When you get there, move the most fragile looking decoration items to the tops of the shelves and or closets, and place the kids toys where they can get to them.

UNPACK! Go ahead and use the dresser space, and closet space that is available. It’s worth the extra few minutes. Your clothes will relax, and so will you.

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Reflections: Collections that are important to me

I’ve never been very successful with collections.

That’s not to say I don’t try. I do. I have small collections of a variety of different things. First there’s the Transformers toys, my sets of manga, my anime DVDs, my old SNES games, my weapons, my Star Trek CCG cards, my pogs, my… well, I digress. You get the point.

I have lots of small collections. But none of them are huge; none of them really live up to the word “collection”. I tend to get tired of buying variations of the same thing over and over, and move on to something else in due course. I have a short attention span, you see.

But I do have one collection I’m rather proud of, one that I started back when I was but a wee lad.

That collection was born from the mating of nerdy impulses and a child’s love of science fiction movies.

I admit it. I was (and, to a degree, still am) a Star Wars nut.

Any item branded with that strange and wonderful logo was a must-have for me. Mugs, chip bags, posters, books, drawings, magazines, cereal boxes and lord knows what else. If it was developed by Lucasarts I wanted it. I even had a life-size cardboard cutout of Boba Fett, which stands tucked behind my door to this day (and, lemme tell you, he scared the crap out of me the first few nights).

But the majority of my love went to the toys. God, but I loved the toys.

I spent my weekends on mad hunts for Star Wars toys. I bopped from garage sale to garage sale and flea market to flea market in a ravenous quest to spend my allowance on plastic figurines. I seldom walked away from a weekend without at least one new (well, a used sort of new) Star Wars figure tucked away in one of two Darth Vader carrying cases.

These were seldom pretty figures. More often than not their paint was worn off, they had no weapons and, on some memorable occasions, they were missing arms and legs. Not being a fussy child I bought even amputees with great relish, lovingly stuffing them into my twin Darth Vader heads and then heading out to buy more plastic.

I had multiple versions of most of the major characters. Princess Leia appeared in her buns-on-the-head and Hoth winter gear variations, the latter of which had no fingers (our dog liked chewing plastic). Han Solo came in his Hoth gear and blue coat with brown pants. Lando Calrissian came in his original, dashing blue bell bottoms and his Jabba the Hutt prison guard armor.

And Chewbacca, well, I had three copies of Chewbacca. All the same, except my first

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Funny parenting stories

My son and I love to hear and tell stories. At the end, we would discuss the moral of the story. I believe it is a good way of teaching values to children.

We usually replace the names of the characters and use my nephews’ and nieces’ names instead.

“There were three little pigs they were Andre, Coby and Alex . . .”

Sometimes I also make up stories just to see how he would feel if someone is put in a bad situation. I would like him to develop compassion for others.

One night, he asked me to tell another story. Instead of telling a popular story, I made up one. Since we just came from the mall I decided to bring into play the value of money.

My story went like this:

Once upon a time, there were mother and child. They were Mommy Au and Baby Andre. They went to SM Mall to buy school uniform. While strolling, Baby Andre saw so many toys. He got so excited, so he said to Mommy Au, “Mommy can you buy me a Transformer Robot?”

“But you already have one, baby,” Mommy Au said.

“To whom he will fight with? I need another one, Mommy, please.”

“We don’t have extra money to buy another toy for you baby.”

Baby Andre was enraged, “I want this tooooyyyyyy!”

Because of so much love for Baby Andre, Mommy Au looked for someone to whom she can borrow money to buy the toy. Fortunately Mommy Au saw a neighbor and said “Can you please lend me money so I can buy a toy for my son? I promise I will pay you tomorrow.”

They were given money and bought the toy that Baby Andre likes. Baby Andre was very happy. (At this point. my son was smiling.)

The following day, the neighbor came asking for the payment. Mommy Au said, “My dear neighbor, I’m sorry but I don’t have money today. Can I just pay you next week?” (My idea here is for my son to understand not to buy something beyond his means; and not to borrow money for unnecessary things. If he likes to buy something, he must learn to save.)

The neighbor left very angry. Mommy Au and Baby Andre were very surprised when the neighbor came back. Two policemen were with the neighbor and instructed them to arrest Mommy Au. (My son appeared to be worried. Actually I would like him to feel guilt and make him realize not to do the same thing if ever we will be at the mall.)

So the two policemen took Mommy Au to the precinct. And Baby Andre was left crying with his toys.

I immediately asked my son, what did he learn from the story. My son took a deep breath. So I thought, “Thank God, he got the point.”

In a meek voice my son said, “Don’t tell a lie.”

Duhhhh?

“Why did you say you will pay tomorrow, but you didn’t.”

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Beanie Babies: Why this toy collecting fad finally fizzled

Beanie Babies were once the hottest craze to hit the United States. They were more popular then the hoola hoop of the 1950’s, cabbage patch doll of the 1980’s, or the Furby toy of the 1990’s. Beanie babies reached greater demand then any toy to ever reach the American market, and then the fad was over.

They generated mass appeal, as adult Men and adult Women jumped on the beanie baby bandwagon. People stood for hours in long lines, waiting for retailers to open their doors, and make available the limited supply of beanie babies in stock. Today, you can barely give away your beanie babies for free, but at one time, prices escalated from $5.99 for a single beanie baby to some beanies commanding prices of over $10,000. What was once the hottest fad to hit the United States, crumbled to disinterest among collectors.

How did the craze in which people stood in line at McDonalds for hours to obtain a happy meal so that they could get the teenie beanie, and throw away the Happy meal, disappear like a fart in the wind? How did these beanies escalate from $5.00 to $5000.00 or more for a beanie in just a few short years, and then fade away, as if it never had happened? How did beanie babies command so much attention that they were hijacked from United Parcel Service trucks making deliveries, to sitting on store shelves unsold?

Beanie baby mania, and the hype that appeared, with beanie baby mania, were a reflection of the culture of the day, and the principles of supply and demand, invented and destroyed by the toy manufacturer, that created them in the first place.

Understanding the beanie baby craze requires a look at the culture of the 1990’s. The 1990’s, particularly the 1990’s beginning around 1995, bore witness to a rise in internet activity, and the boom, of the dot com era.

During the 1990’s, rational thoughts about investing in the stock market vanished, particularly in internet stocks. The belief was if one plopped money into an internet business, the returns would be huge. Investment basics were disregarded. The dot com era was transformed into the dot bomb era by the year 2000. At some point in all investments great and small, the reality of what is becomes apparent. The blinders come off and reality sets in. It’s really about profit and loss, the rest is smoke and mirrors.

Beanie babies replicated the stock market. Adults clung to ideas, that beanies purchased today would finance the college education of tomorrow. As the stock market

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Set A Theme For Your Little One’s Birthday With These Fun Birthday Games

Turn your child’s birthday into a memorable event. All kids have a favorite character. Turn the favorite one into a birthday party theme for your little one and have a memorable birthday party.

Themed parties are great fun as they are easy to plan and organize. The party supplies easy to get hold of in most cases as these are popular characters.The invitations, cake, games, favor all tie in so easily and turn the event into a success.

Here are some fun birthday games ideas for a themed birthday party for kids.

1. Dinosaur Dig for a Dinosaur Party

Is this your child’s favorite toy? Why not then have a Dinosaur of a Party. A fun game to play at a Dinosaur party is Dinosaur Dig.

You would need a large sandbox, sand, some plastic buckets and shovels and some paint brushes.

You will have to prepare some dinosaur bones and fossils made out of salt dough before hand and hide them in the sand box filled with sand.

Let the kids pretend to be archaeologists out on a dinosaur dig. You can demonstrate how the archaeologists are supposed to use the shovels and their paint brushes to carefully dust of excess sand from their findings.

2. Pin the nose on Elmo for a Elmo Party

If your child’s favorite is the popular sesame street Muppet, here is a game to suit an Elmo party.

The traditional game of pin the tail on the donkey can so easily be transformed to suit almost any themed party for kids. Turn it into pin the nose on Elmo for your Elmo party.

All you need for this game is a large Elmo poster and round red nose stickers, one for each child.

Tape the poster onto the wall at a height which is within the kids reach. Let each child have a sticker with his or her name on it. Every child is then blind folded and spun around before placing before placing the sticker on the poster.

The sticker closest to Elmo’s nose wins.

3. Pass The Mochilla at Dora The Explorer party

This is one beloved character with plenty of fan following. There are many birthday games that can be set around this popular character. Here is a party game suitable for a Dora party.

You will need the famous Dora backpack, the mochilla. Fill it with a variety of toys, one for each child. You can have things like rubber balls, package of stickers, crayons in it.

Lead the children and adults in singing the backpack song or play it on a music player and when the song ends the child holding the backpack gets to open it, and without looking inside, tries to guess one toy by feeling the toy.

If guessed correctly gets to keep the toy and has to move out of the circle and if incorrect carries on with playing the game. The game continues till each child wins a prize.

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